Behold the Galaxy

Game Master Slaughtersea

Delta 1; 149 ED; 13:50
WATCH 27: Day 3/7

It was the third day awake of the 27th Watch. As per regulations, 10 crew members were awakened from the pseudo-cryostasis they had been kept in.

The first two days were spent going over the past data received and transmitted during the downtime between Watches.

No new communications from Terra Prima nor from Nova Ark had been received in over two weeks. As such, the crew checked the communication arrays for failures but none were found.

On the third day, at 13:50... disaster struck. Warning sirens blared forth from all speakers. The ship had either collided with an unknown object... or someone had fired something at the ship.

With precious little time, each of the members of Watch 27 had just enough time for one last act before heading to the Escape Pods.

However, before the pods could be launched, a keening noise ripped through the ship's intercom system.

Rather than send the CSS Avalon back home... or to Nova Ark, the PTD sent the ship careening across the galaxy in near planetary orbit with an unknown planet.

It was too late to wait for the 10th member, the only remaining Escape Pod was launched.

Strapped into the miniature vessel, you bore down on the planet, watching the CSS Avalon drift downwards before colliding far below.

When you all came to, the Escape Pod had undergone damage and was bleeding oxygen. With minimal supplies... and little else, you were stranded in unknown space.

=========================================================================== =====================================================================

Prelude: My Last Moments

I would like each PC to invent one last action that they did before boarding the undamaged Escape Pod. I will then evaluate each decision, take it into account, and modify the starting supplies as well as other events as follows.

I wish you all the best luck.

C'mon! There has to be a working bypass conduit somewhere!

Micaiah wipes the sweat from her brow as she stares intently at the display, oblivious to the sounds of explosions and stressed metal emanating from just beyond the bulkhead. The screen flashes red repeatedly as sections of the Avalon's power grid is displayed.

"Damn it you piece of junk!" She lifts her hand and is about to strike the terminal when the screen turns green as it displays a working conduit from the auxiliary generators to the emergency thrusters.

"Oh I LOVE you!" Micaiah exclaims as she brings the thrusters online and sets the firing parameters. "Fuel the thrusters. Wait for atmosphere entry. Maintain stable vessel orientation. When at 20k, fire everything that is facing downwards!"

Please. Please let this work. Please. She prays desperately as the final confirmation prompt appears, and, instead of replying on the nanites, she takes her hand and jams down the ENTER button.

AUXILIARY THRUSTERS ONLINE. FIRING PARAMETERS CONFIRMED. Announced the ship's OS as Micaiah hops into the air in triumph. Her celebration ended quickly, however, as the bulkhead caves inward due to a nearby explosion. Realizing the danger she is in, Micaiah dashes out of the room and down the hallway towards the escape pods...

@ Micaiah Aden: Actions noted.

The following assumes some sort of gravity aboard, because I'm just not clever enough to rewrite this for a zero-g emergency evacuation without more sleep!

Struggling into his overalls and grabbing his tool belt and other gear, Jack stumbled through the cabin hatch onto the concourse as the Avalon gave another shudder, and the wrenching sound of the bulkheads twisting reverberated throughout the hull, almost, but not quite, managing to drown out the blaring of the klaxons. <What in the name of all hells is happening? That's the evacuation alarm!> Bracing himself against a stanchion as the floor heaved again, Jack stopped in front of a repeater display and tried to call up a damage report from the bridge... only static and garbled fragments of readout rewarded his efforts. Whatever had hit the Avalon was bad enough to knock out both bridge and auxiliary control.

A sudden popping in his ears told it's own story. <Pressure loss somewhere, and the automatic seals have failed. Time to get out...>. Whatever had happened, the damage was already beyond Jack's ability to deal with. All he could do was run back the way he had come, heading for the escape pods, pausing briefly to grab his 'panic pack' from his cabin, and checking to see if anyone else from the current Watch were still in the compartments between here and launch bay. Skidding through main engineering and heading for the pods at full pelt, Jack hit something laying across the deck and almost went sprawling. Picking up the hard metal case and getting back to his feet without pausing to look more closely at it, he dived through the hatch opposite, continuing his now wild rush to get to the pods before they launched.

Sorry Voice, but I didn't sleep at all last night, so my imagination as to what last-minute item Jack will grab has failed me, so feel free to surprise me with what's in the metal case he picked up. If it turns out to be feminine hygiene products, however, I may have to track you down and hurt you. :)

As the alarms sounded and his Medical Diagnostic Tablet lost connection with the Avalon Mainframe, Dr. Chronis started. But he soon was able to calm himself. He had panicked through an experience like this before, when the CSS Centurion was destroyed. Now knowing what to expect, he was able to gather his senses and do what was required before making his escape.

As stressed metal creaked and groaned around him, Xzavier made his way to the display screen, ensuring that the remainder of the cryostasis chambers and their life support systems were still operational. The flashing red squares indicated that some of the sleeping crew were already dead, and two fires had broken out in the cryostasis labs.

He made what changes he could in the few seconds he had left to reroute the cryostasis life support systems, and wondered if their jettison systems were still operational. Without pausing to see if they were, he quickly typed in the command to jettison the cryostasis pods. He exhaled loudly, but strangely with a relative amount of calmness, as he pressed the ENTER button for the final confirmation.

CRYOSTASIS PODS JETTISONED. FUNCTIONAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS 80% The number began dropping rapidly, but Dr. Chronis had no time to watch. He grabbed the belongings he kept with him and the surgery and pharmaceutical kits from behind the panel in Sickbay. The combined bulk threatened to slow him down, but he managed to struggle towards the escape pods.

"Aden! Royce! Help me with these!"

I hope that all can be done in one 'Final Action'

@ "Bolter": Actions noted. Great idea too, gives me something to think of.

@ Dr. Chronis: Actions noted.

Allen woke up to the sirens going off. Is..is.. that an evacuation sound? Quickly realizing the situation he grabs his range pack that has his weapons in it and throws on his Skirmish Vest. He grabs a pair of Electro-Optical Binoculars. He then rushes off to the food supply and grabs a crate containing both water and some food. We may need this.. I just hope it'll be enough to help..

items grabbing that aren't part of my 50lbs. are the binoculars and a crate of food and water. I have an 18STR so he can carry a big crate

The Gunny's first thought as he breaks for the escape pods is to grab something, anything that might help him defend whoever makes it off this boat. He's already got his bug out bag* on one shoulder and he can only carry so much.

There some angy sum'b$$!! outside and he's not gonna to start playing nice when we're dirt-side.

Whatever he manages to find along the way is up to you boss. He'll grab anything from a shotgun and some shells to a warhead and hope he can put it to use. If it's a warhead, hopefully it's in an ominous black matte case.

* - The 50 lbs he's got in his profile already.

Jack reached the airlock outside the escape pod only moments after the fair-haired wunderkind Micaiah. Yelling towards her, "Aden, launch pre-lims, get on it!", he'd just have to hope that she really was as capable as he'd been told, despite her age. Grabbing another stanchion to steady himself, Jack tried activating a data link on the repeater display outside the airlock, cursing when it refused to work. A swift kick on the maintenance panel brought it to life, allowing him to plug in his tablet and start sucking as much position and senor data as he could off what remained of the main computers. <Hopefully, we're going to need to know where we were after we get off! Now who remembers where we parked the ship, folks?> Except for the members of Watch 27, everyone else was still in cryostasis, and they'd want someone to come back for them, if they still could afterwards.

He relaxed slightly when he saw the stasis pods had already been ejected. The people sleeping aboard those pods, assuming they weren't too badly damaged, might be able to survive almost indefinitely as long as the power held out. Jack unplugged his tablet and turned to help the wunderkind, only to be interrupted by Doctor Chronis struggling along the deck with a pair of huge medical kits slowing him down. Glancing over his shoulder to check that Micaiah had the launch control sequence in hand, Jack drunkenly went over to the Doctor, lurching against the bucking instability of the heaving ship. "Bloody hell, Doc. I hope we've got room in there for all these!" Grabbing one of the packs in one hand, and assisting Doctor Chronis with the other, he half-threw the aging scientist and the gear through the open escape pod hatch. "Get strapped in, I think it's going to be a bumpy ride..."

What the devil is happening?!

The routine watch they were to keep now anything but, Michelle pushed herself back off the side of the vessel after the collision. With only a skeletal crew awake, there was likely little they could do about the situation.

She didn't expect them to be hopeless as they were though.

Reaching a ship station, her fingers waltzed over the status sensors. Integrity breach, main systems failing ... and still no clue as to the cause of the problem. As the explosions seemed to cascade, she realized it would likely make little difference for her: she - and the others - were doomed.

Resigning herself to her fate, she began going through the textbook black box preservation steps. "This is Michelle Williams of the CSS Avalon. Due some unknown problem, our ship is compromised. The damage is beyond our capabilities. Evacuation proceedures are underway." As if on queue, the ship's call-out for the sleeping members' jettison was sounded. At least we may not all be lost. "We are not bound for Nova Ark any longer, rather some unfamiliar planet below." Dr. Williams watched a few of the crew scurry about gathering a last few things then head to the escape pods. I suppose I should follow suit. "I'm attaching our ship status records and coordinates of the planet with this message. Find it, and find us. Williams out." Her voice growing hard at the end, she knew the sliver of a chance of survival they had would be sundered if they did not get rescue in a timely fashion. She hit the send button. Now the message of their destruction would be continuously emitted until the ship was destroyed.

That won't be long, Michelle thought to herself as the ship lurched once again. A blessing in disguise thoguh, the movement snapped her out of the almost-surreal reverie she was in. After all, if I'm dead either way, why rush? Her legs felt otherwise though, and they ran her back to her things to grab her personal scientific effects. She had no time for rations, but her mind found a bountiful interval to torment her with that fact. Why weren't you prepared for this? Now you'll starve! Sprinting back to the escape pods, she crossed the terminal from which she sent the message again, a strange object thrust out from the counsel. What?.. Oh yes, a -hard- copy! Only encountering such things in academia, it took her a moment to realize the device's purpose, but she snatched it anyway. Whatever available critical data the computer could store there, it had. How much of the system remained intact was questionable though, given the explosions. What wasn't questionable was its weight - 10 kilos, if she remembered correctly. With it's shape, it took both of her hands to carry it as she finished her run to the escape pods, her mostly empty pack on her back.

Inside, she breathed a likely misplaced sigh of relief, then looked down at her prize. Well, if none of us survives this, the titanium-plated drive should be okay at least. Maybe someone will find the answers to our end.

Dr. Chronis slammed into the cushioned wall of the emergency pod's living quarter. (Yes, its that big, I checked with the DM) "The cryostasis pods have been jettisoned. If they survive the crash, they should be alright. That is a relative term in the current diagnosis." Dr. Chronis sounds unbelievably calm for their situation. "There should already be some supplies aboard the emergency pod, but its good that we grabbed what we could."

He looked over the other members in the pod. "I recommend that you try to calm yourselves once you've done what needs to be done. Stress elevates toxin levels."

Biomedicine (to survey visible crew health)
1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

He looked around to see if the emergency pod's consoles were operational.

Mr. Royce! Thank goodness!

A sense of relief washes over Micaiah as Jack's voice rings true over the echoes of explosions and grinding metal. "I'm on it Mr. Royce!" Her voice quivers slightly from the adrenaline as she make's her way to the cockpit and straps her self into the Operations Engineer station. Calm down Micaiah. Remember your training. She reassures herself and focuses on the instruments as the escape shuttle's systems come to life one after another.

@ Allen Hayes, Gunny Issacsohn and Michelle Williams: Actions noted.

Delta 1; 149 ED; 14:01

The CSS Avalon continues to crumble as bulkheads break apart exposing large areas of the interior to the emptiness of space. As a few more members of Watch 27 make it into the sole remaining Escape Pod, Dr. Chronis makes sure all present all healthy.

Luckily, everyone seems fine, with only minor scrapes and bruises as casualties.

With the ship's thrusters reactivated and slowing the ship's descent ever so slightly, the cryostasis pods jettisoned and a distress signal successfully activated, your chances of surviving this encounter have increased... if not by much, then at least enough to give you a realistic chance.

As well, the various additional containers brought on board, including Jack's metal briefcase, a large airtight supply container and a weapons crate, will mean you have that much more to work with.

=*=*=

Micaiah Aden's actions that day almost cost her, her life. With the thrusters back online the ship's entry was slowed sufficiently to allow the majority of the ship to stay together as it collided with the planet's surface. Any faster, and the wreckage would have been phenomenal.

Effects: Reduced CSS Avalon Damage, Reduced Wreckage

Jack "Bolter" Royce perhaps didn't realize at the time what he carried with him, but after opening the contents of the metal case, Watch 27 soon realized that he carried a large collection of research notes, blueprints and tech specifics. Belonging to a certain Nikolai Raminov, a renowned Tsetra weapons engineer, these documents are invaluable to any team.

Effects: Unlocked 4 new Rank 1 Technologies: Wasteland Rover, RS Plating, Compact Headquarters and Proxima Missiles. Anyone with the requisite Craft skill, sufficient materials and time can make these.

Dr. Chronis' quick thinking assured that the cryostasis pods were jettisoned before undergoing impact. While certainly far from intact, the simple fact that they would land elsewhere than the hazardous crater left by the CSS Avalon's crash means the chances of finding survivors has greatly increased.

Effects: Increased Cryostasis Survivors

Thanks to Allen Haye's strength, a large container of supplies including both foodstuffs and water was retrieved from the failing onboard freezers. While the Escape Pods have a bare minimum of food for about two or so weeks, this additional load will be able to sustain everyone for much longer.

Effects: Increased Food and Water Supply from 2 weeks to 2 months.

As Isaacsohn sprinted through the weapons bay, he noticed a weapons crate had broken free of its bindings and had skidded down the chamber, coming to rest right next to the exit. Without a second's hesitation, Isaacsohn lugged the thing all the way to the Escape Pod.

Effects: Contains 10 of each Ranged Weapon (Ashrim Pistol, Demega Rifle and Valseron Shotgun) as well as 1,000 rounds of combined ammunition.

Michelle William's coolness under pressure assured that the CSS Avalon's distress signal would be sent out until the very last minute, and that at least one of the twin black boxes would be found. As well, she managed to retrieve a reinforced computer and bring it all the way to the Escape Pods.

Effects: Distress Signal broadcast, Black Boxes encoded with a final message and a Reinforced Computer retrieved.

=*=*=

On board the Escape Pods, Jack continued to transfer as much data as possible from the CSS Avalon's failing systems while Aden brings the Escape Pods systems online. As she does, she notices that some of the systems are responding slowly, most likely damaged in the explosions.

What in all the empty- My stars! The Cryo-jiggers!

Edmund had been reclining in his bunk flipping through various photographs of his late family when the explosions and sirens rang loudly throughout the ship. Leaping off his bed Edmund scrambled frantically for his survival gear and weapons.

An attack, I ne'er seen combat in ou'er space befur...

His thoughts were interrupted by the broken message on the comsystem, listening intently to the few syllables his ears could pick up Edmund couldn't help but worry about those people still in stasis. Having collected all the gear he could he dashed out of his chamber towards where the other passengers lay dormant. Upon arriving the middle-aged man realized that all of the pods had gone missing, a glowing monitor screen projected the message.

CRYO-PODS JETTISONED, LIFE SUPPORT FINAL READOUT 64%

Nuthin' aye can do then. Best make me way o'er to the 'scape-
"MY ALBUMS!"

Edmund shouted the last words aloud to himself, nearly drowned out by the explosions that continued to rock the ship and beginning to disrupt the artificial gravity. Edmund stumbled as much as ran back to his room snatching up one of the 3 books he had brought, the other two fell under his bed. Desperate though he was, Edmund knew he had no time to waste and hastened to the escape pod as fast as his legs could carry him, clutching the photo album to his chest as he ran. Stumbling into the escape pod just moments before it's launch he panted furiously before looking up to wave a beleaguered gesture at the other passengers.

Edmund collected the equipment noted on his profile, the only additional item being the Photo-album. He too was worried about the passengers still in stasis but arrived after the medical professionals had already left (for the best I suppose, I doubt he'd have known what to do).

Dr. Chronis strapped himself to one of the more comfortable seats with an adjacent console. The screen flickered, and the computer sluggish to respond to his inquiries, so it was apparent that some of the systems had been damaged. He typed in the command to monitor the Pod's life support and environmental systems.

@ Edmund Oschia: Actions noted.

=*=*=

Edmund comes racing down the to the Escape Pod and makes it inside, album intact.

Realizing that some of the shuttle's systems were damaged by the explosions, Micaiah calls out into her headset and through the intercom:

"Um... Micaiah here! I'm seeing damages in Section A panel 1 and Section C panel 3. I'm on my way to Section C. Mr. Royce, can you see to Section A?"

She then unstraps herself from her seat and dashes through the maintenance channel to Section C. Smoke and sparks greet her as she removes the panel from the main frame enclosure.

Ugh. Not good. Grabbing a nearby extinguisher, she blasts away the fire from the opening and looks inside. The circuit module appears badly burnt.

Grabbing some tools from her tool belt, Micaiah attempts to repair the module. Craft - Electronic: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13 Gona assume she failed. It's too badly damaged. I'll have to reroute the critical functions.

She closes the panel and activates the terminal besides the main frame, pulling up the Master Index while trying to pinpoint the specific functions of the burnt module. Knowledge - Technology: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 If that is a success then the following takes place. If not just ignore it.

Mostly relay functions. That explains the sluggishness of the system. I should be able to route them through the auxiliary modules... Craft - Electronic: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 Wow... the dice gods love me today :) "There! Lovely!" Micaiah exclaims merrily as the relay shows green, and then realizes her headset is still on. "Ahem... I mean... Micahah is happy to report that Section C is good to go!"

The sirens hit, and Yogh freezes for only a split second before slamming the casing back onto his T Deflector, scooping up the tools he had just removed to tinker with it and shoving them back into the heavy metal case which held his electronics tools. On his way up from his chair, he stops only to grab his bag full of essentials--essentials here being his electronics, computer, and such--and heads toward the escape pod.

Noting Williams taking critical data from the computer as he skids down the corridors, he decides to do what he can as well and flies into the electronics workshop and begins shoving every spare circuit, broken gizmo, battery pack and coil of cable he can find into an empty crate and then runs into the escape pod, a little out of breath from his exertion.

Got as much of the spare electronics out of the workshop as I could, Yogh says to no one in particular as he finds some place to stash it, and then heads to a console to help with system checks.

Dr. Chronis sighs as the life support monitoring program crashed again.

"I don't have a screen. The only way I know we're in a relatively safe environment is because no one has collapsed from oxygen deprivation. Anything I can do to help, Ms. Aden?"

Xzavier reaches up to unbuckle himself as he waits to hear from the engineer.

Hearing Micaiah call out the status report on the escape pod, Jack steps inside the hatch and drops down the companionway to Section A, looking for the damaged circuitry panel. The blue smoke curling around it's edges made it easy to locate, and the smell of burnt insulation provided a clue as the problem, <Pulse feedback from the launch bay moorings, probably a fried relay coupling...>. Knowledge (technology): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17.

Hitting the release catch on a nearby jockey bin, he scrambles for a replacement coupling. Finding it with one hand, he fumbles an insulated glove from the pair of gauntlets tucked in his tool belt on with the other, then uses it to open the smoking panel. <Ugh. Not pretty. I hope that's the only one that's blown. No time to check every relay.> Jack pulls out the fried module and uses his tools to fix in the replacement. Craft (electronic): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14.

<Not my best work, but no time!> He swings around in the cramped compartment and hits the intercom: "Aden, is the damage in section C taken care of?" he demands, just as another explosion big enough to shake the entire bulk of the dying Avalon causes the escape pod to buck. "And are the damned pilots here yet? As soon as everyone's aboard we need to launch this bird!"

Dr. Chronis settles back down as the console monitor comes back to life and Life Support and Environment Systems flashed on the screen as active and functioning.

"Whatever you did just fixed it." He looks over at the other scientists. "Life Support systems at 94%. O-2 levels normal. Carbon Dioxide levels tolerable. Water Vapor normal."

He pressed a few buttons on the console, glancing again at the screen.

"As far as I can tell, we have no pressure leaks. Some smoke in engineering areas, but environmental filters are fully functional."

He reaches for the intercom after waiting a second to ensure the engineers don't have need for it. "Environmental and Life Support systems are good. We can (and should) depart as soon as the Watch is aboard. Dr. Williams, if you're present, I advise sealing off and launching. I'm not sure that the 'bird' can take any more of this structural damage."

Assuming our repairs did the trick.

Micaiah returns to her station and pulls up the status display as she calls through the intercom:

"Whatever you did just worked Mr. Royce! The systems is showing all green! We are ready to launch!"

She then straps herself into the seat, slips on her helmet, and leans back.

Dad, Diana, Uncle Nicolai... Please watch over us.

Quickly glancing around at the fellow passengers Edmund begins to count heads and voices.

"So that's eight? Or issit nine? Whose still missin'? Should be nine o' us now, 'summin we're all here."

His hands shook nervously as they flipped the pages of the book seeking some small comfort. Edmund felt helpless in the face of this catastrophe, he could construct a bunker, a hunting post or a simple trench line, he knew how to evade pursuit and survive in the bush for days, he had even taught kindergarten students once, a nightmare that was.

But now, for all his experience, Edmund looked to the others hoping for one of them to direct him with orders on how to assist them.
Or maybeh aye shuld just stay outta their way 'till we land

@ Yogh: Actions noted.

=*=*=

With Yogh safely within the confines of the Escape Pod as well as quite a large amount of electronic parts, all circuits and systems repaired (as far as you can tell) and everyone aboard (as far as I can tell), you are go for launch.

As the Escape Pod jettisons itself from the descending derelict, you all catch a glimpse of the scene on the screens.

Residual energy flickers around the hull, most likely from the PTD's effects.

A section has already reached far below, most likely the jettisoned Cryostasis Pods.

The CSS Avalon screeches as it careens towards the planet's rocky surface, gaping holes scattered across its hull.

Suddenly, you hit the planet's atmosphere and the Escape Pod begins wildly shaking.

Strapping yourselves to restraints on the control seat, walls and sleeping quarters, Watch 27 hurtles down to the planet below.

The impact is deafening though the Escape Pod seems to have survived... mostly intact.

A loud hissing noise fills the chamber for a moment before sputtering out.

Warning signals on the screens indicate that the Escape Pod's Life Support systems have been breached. Angling the exterior cameras, you are able to spot horrid dents throughout the exterior, sparks flickering within the pod's wounds.

The Oxygen level warning lights up, indicating a mere 72 hours of oxygen remain.

Though you have enough supplies for more than that, without air... there is nothing you can do.

Current Objective: HERE

The CSS Escape Pod specifications have been added to the Equipment section as well.

Good luck!

I believe we are missing Captain Vance Johnson actually. He can retroactively add himself in.

"Aden, do me a favor, drop the 'Mister' already." Jack grins at the kid as he say its, climbing back up to the cockpit and strapping into the avionics station seat. "It's just Royce. Heck, paint me purple and call me Susan if you like, just stop calling me 'mister' already, will you?." He runs through the flight status checks again just to be sure, and hits the intercom, "We're ready to launch, everyone aboard strap in and sound off! We can't wait any longer." With the Avalon starting it's plunge towards the unknown planet ahead, the pod had to launch now of they'd burn up on re-entry. Jack just hoped like hell everyone in the watch had gotten aboard in time.

Oops, gazumped by Voice's post. Slot this in before we land, obviously. :)

Dr. Chronis quickly types on the console to bring up external sensors and checks environmental systems to determine if the planet's atmosphere was seeping in as O2 was leaking out.

"Dr. Williams, I... Forgive me, Dr. Yogh, what is your specialty again?"

Not making it in long before they launched, Michelle braced herself from impact. Judging by her unshaken demeanor after the "landing," one might assume she was getting acclimated to turbulence quickly.

Bluff: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

In reality, she was anything but. However, she'd pulled her tablet from her pack and linked it with the escape pod's systems. 3 days... The crew could not see her weakness, lest her doubt of their survival infect their morale and make itself a self-fulfilling prophecy. She stood.

"Apologies, doctor." She didn't want to silence the man, but she had a suspicion as a medical expert he would be concerned about the same thing she was. We don't need two spins on this. "Well-done, all. Without your talents, we'd be part of the other wreckage now, almost certainly dead. That doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet though." She leveled her eyes at them, turning her tablet around, gesturing at the display. "71 hours and change of oxygen. That's how long we have to fix the life support systems unless any of you are capable of conjuring it with your bare hands. If we succeed, we may survive and get off this world; I sent an emergency broadcast from the ship before we abandoned it." She swallowed. "If not, the message also doubled as an obituary, so that's one less thing to worry about, right?" Her face going through a rare softening, she smiled. "You can do this; we wouldn't be here otherwise. I wish I was of more use, but engineering was never my calling. Enough of you are crafty lads - and a lass - to get us through. I'll help where I can though, and, in between, try to learn what I can of this planet." Michelle took a slow walk over to where Chronis was, her expression still pleasant for the time being, and took a seat near him.

"That was first-rate work with the passengers on the Avalon. "First do no harm." You saved them from a good deal of it, even if they wouldn't have felt it." The smile was gone now, though. "I must ask something of you though, Dr. Chronis. Can you determine what class this planet is? Capable of life, rich in resources?.. After our health isn't in immediate risk, we need to think of a long-term plan. I will also be trying to discover what I can about it if the others don't need us every moment."

Williams did not believe in coincidences as a rule opposed to an exception. She'd have to do the statistics, but her intuition told her something was amiss about this situation. Having a moment to catch her breath, she caught her reflection in one of the counsel screens. Her hair was down, out of order, hanging down to her waist. Though she had the vanity components to put it up in her pack (she always did), she needed a few minutes to absorb the scenario at hand. Or did she? Maybe if I slow down to think about it, the severity of it will get to me... Her lab-style jacket hung to her knees, its gray base trimmed with blue for her class as a scientist with the appropriate gold markings for leadership. Not that those mean anything now. Michelle's green eyes gazed past her in the reflection, through her, but saw nothing.

"The sensors were knocked offline by the impact. I think they'll be able to come back up, eventually." Dr. Chronis gestures towards the pod's console screen, with three or four active screens all with static and snow. "If we could have gotten at least a look at the planet before we 'landed', the color alone could have told us something about its composition."

He made a nervous smile. "That's more your specialty I think. As you said, we have a little less than 72 hours of 02, which is leaking out of the pod. My concern is that if our air is leaking out of the pod, the planet's atmosphere is leaking in. We might be able to determine its composition even before sensors are back on."

He reached for the small aluminum case he usually carried with him. He opened it and pulled out several vials, chemical powders, and other strange tools. "A Specimen kit." (It's really a slightly modified evidence kit.) "We can measure the acidity of the air and see how rapidly it changes. If we know the rate we're losing O2, that might give us a clue to the nature of the atmosphere."

Dr. Chronis's response snapped her back to reality. Michelle nodded knowingly. "Assuming the atmosphere here isn't of the same acidity, yes. Clever!" With that, she went to check on the other crew.

Jack was the nearest one to her. Approaching him, she tipped her head in greeting. "Royce. Or Susan is it? So many names since we awoke. Do you have an idea how long this will take or how I may help?"

This goes before the re-entry sequence.
Micaiah smiles broadly at Jack's suggestion.

"Ok! Mr... I mean Royce. But may I call you Jack instead.. UAAAAHH!!" Before she could finish her sentence, the shuttle lurches violently as it jettisons itself from the Avalon and accelerates away from the doomed vessel. As quickly as it started, the shaking stopped when the craft reaches stable flight.

"I meant to say..." She pulses to catch her breath, and continues: "That I did re-entry training MANY times and it's a piece of ca.. AIEEEEE!!" She is again interrupted, this time by the shock of the shuttle impacting the planet's atmosphere. She shuts her eyes tightly and grips onto the seat handles as the craft plunges towards the surface. I wana go home...

And for good measure. Bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 obviously she has done this before ;)

Turning around at the avionics station, Jack looks Doc Williams up and down before answering, "Well, first off... how about you get back in your seat!? This pod is designed to get us to the nearest planetary surface as quickly as possible, so we can expect to get thrown around in here until we land." He turns back and enters an override in response to yet another alarm indicator on the control board before looking back at the scientist. How come these brainiacs never seemed to show any common sense in situations like this? "Seriously Doc, stay strapped in until we hit the surface, unless you want multiple fractures and a concussion to go with that hairdo of yours. Thanks for the offer of help though."

I had mentioned the pod HAD now landed, but we'll go from this point on. Assume the pod has landed now.

As soon as the pod lands, Jack will organize three of the others - Micaiah, Asher and Isaacsohn - into a working party to get the vessel's life support sealed up. See the post in the Cantina if you're wondering why you three. :)

While each of them works on a particular repair task, Jack will co-ordinate the process as best as he can, and assist where possible.

Three Knowledge (technology) rolls to provide +2 bonus to each of the other three characters with their repair rolls. Assuming a DC of 10 unless told otherwise;

Micaiah (mechanical); 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Asher (electronic); 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Isaacsohn (structural); 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

If that's not okay with those three characters, please ignore and we can figure something else out.

If that's not okay with those three characters, please ignore and we can figure something else out.

Though none of them are mine, I believe posting such rolls does help the pace of the game; waiting on numerous player responses for merely a basic roll (which they can add RP to later) does clog things, especially in a group this size. Just my $.02.

Although she was turned away by Jack when the offer to help was rejected, Williams still sought to keep herself busy. Her taste for interaction soured for the moment, she went back to her pack and fetched her tablet. On it, there was the path they were to take to Nova Ark. While the details of the intermediate planets were not present on the chart, distances and scales were. Using the information available, Michelle tried to get a good idea of just how extreme a "coincidence" their mishap would need to be to occur near a planet.

Know(Science - Statistics): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Dr. Chronis kept busy while he waited to hear from Dr. Yogh. It took several moments to set up an air acidity testing ensemble.

Knowledge (Earth Sciences)
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

After that was done, he busied himself searching for where the leak was coming from if he could, without getting in anyone's way.

Perception (Take 20)
20 + 8 = 28

Micaiah opens her eyes slowly as she recovers from the shock of the crash landing.

Am I dead? Is this heaven? Still stunned by the rough landing, she scans the cockpit and spots Dr. Williams addressing the crew, her voice distant and echoey. Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 7 Wow. Her hair is so long and pretty.

Her gaze then shifts to Jack, who has gotten up and appears to be talking to her. Why are you talking so quietly Jack? Wanting to get closer to hear what he is saying, she unstraps the seat belts and tries to stand up. A wall of noise slams into her as her hearing recovers, however, and sends her reeling back onto the fabric. Ugh. Looks like I'm still alive... She slaps her cheeks and shakes her head to clear away the remaining grogginess, and manages to get the just of what Jack is saying.

"Good idea Jack." She rises carefully from her seat and catches a glimpse of the alien environment just outside of the cockpit windows. "I just hope we don't have to go outside for the repairs." Micaiah then makes her way to one of the still functional terminals and downloads a copy of the shuttle's blueprint (Masterwork reference: +2 to repair rolls) while checking to make sure that life support is the only critical system that is broken. Satisfied that the damages to the other systems are superficial, she exclaims merrily: "Alright everyone! Grab a copy of the blueprint and lets get started!"

Craft - Mechanical: 1d20 + 13 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 13 + 2 + 2 = 29

While on her way to the engineering sections, Micaiah passes by Michelle and notices that she is working on a statistics program. "Here Dr. Williams; these references will make that a little easier." The tablet displays a progress meter as the girl lays a finger on it. She smiles broadly at Michelle as the download finishes, and continues on towards the engineering sections.

Sorry about the god modding Michelle. You now have all of the references listed under Socrates from the equipment section in Micaiah's profile. If anyone else needs them, she gives to you aswell.

" Three days eh? Sounds like more than enough time fer you clever folk to get e'ry thing workin'. I've got faith in ye."

Edmund crosses the escape pod to speak to Doctor Chronis, his own eyes skimming across the other passengers who had already gotten to work repairing life support, as well as allowing the somewhat bewildered man to get a better gauge of how deep in trouble they were.

"So doctor, is thar anythin' I can do to help he out. Ye seem to be workin' all on yer own. Mayhaps another pair o' eyes and hands could be of service?"

"I have quite a lot to do, true." Dr. Chronis says diplomatically. "If you want, you can help me find the atmospheric leak in the pod, if we can. It might be impossible to find. If it's not, though, we can try to seal it, and perhaps even get some basic information about the planet's atmosphere. Theoretically, in any case."

Linguistics and electronics, Doctor Chronis, Yogh replies in a dreamy ramble to Chronis as he works at the console. For what is science but the attempt to speak and understand the language Nature gives her orders in? What are computers but machines who refuse to speak any language but logic? And your speciality, Doctor, is but communicating with the body, listening to its rhythms and coaxing it into a fluid harmony, is it not? he smiles.

At Royce's suggestion he works on the electronics in Life Support, he nods and picks up his crate of electronics as well as his tool kit and a copy of the blueprint Aden downloaded. Now that the alarms have been mercifully muted, Yogh moves in a calm, almost unconcerned manner. He stops only to pull on a pair of insulated gloves. Upon removing the paneling, a shower of sparks burst out, and he begins examining the wiring... We've lost most of the fuses on the port side, what a shame... he muses to himself And look at all these melted cables... but the critical sensors and relays seem unharmed. Good surge protection, thank heavens. Shouldn't take more than a day or so to repair it.

Craft (electronics): 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 9 + 2 = 23

As he works, he hums to himself and greets any passersby with a smile.

"Very good, Dr. Yogh. I feel much better having you with us now I know you understand those electronic mazes. I get confused when I see a mass of cables and wires." He smiles, but looks back at his acidity measuring devices, frowning a little as he opens his briefcase and pulls out a tablet computer. "Do you have any estimate when the external sensors will come back online? I don't think they were damaged so much as just knocked offline temporarily."

"Mmmhmm!" Micaiah hums in agreement from the craw space beneath the floor. "Beautifully said Mr. Yogh! You sound just like my dad!"

As Jack rushes from point to point around the escape pod, trying to coordinate the efforts of Aden, Wynn and Isaacsohn, he can't help but roll his eyes heavenward in mild exasperation as he listens to the conversation between the scientists.

Thankfully they were all capable enough, or they wouldn't have been aboard the Avalon in the first place, but to listen to them talk you wouldn't know that they were all in mortal danger. Wynn sounded more like a bloody half-stoned hippy pontificating about 'harmony'... Granted that each of them had IQs that put Jack's in the shade, but their demeanor in the current situation was beginning to put his teeth on edge.

<They'd probably pause to discuss the elegance of evolution and vivacity of life at the same time as some tooth-mawed alien monstrosity was stuffing them down it's gullet for lunch!> Just then the data conduit he was working on came back to life. Sealing the panel back up, Jack gathered his tools and moved on to the next critical repair on his list...

(This is how scientists keep calm, Jack)

Dr. Chronis consulted the tablet, then his acidity testing equipment, then looked back at the tablet.

"Dr. Williams, we have a problem."

Isaacsohn comes out of whatever stupor he was in. The ringing in his ears and the numbness in his skull had subsided. Most importantly, Brunhilde had rebooted. He adjusted his Oculus and tapped it to start it back up and finally began surveying the situation. Readouts came in through the computer's display. Sum beach.

He looked to those that had access to the system longer than he had. We hem'ragin' air? We got any suits ain't all holed up? He attempts to access the escape pods inventory with his device. Knowldge Technology: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 7 + 2 = 27

I'mma hafta go outside. I really hope it aint vaccuum out there.

He looks to the others, realizing he's babbling mostly to himself. He shakes some more of the fog out of his head. I'm here ta teach folks how ta shoot an' such. I ain't gun be much help in the technical stuff. I kin, however, go grab a goo gun and patch up whatever holes is on the hull.

Isaacsohn had always played down his abilities with technology. He'd always been afraid someone might try to steer him down a different path. These will be more trying times however and he knows he might have to actually step forward and take responsibility for some thoughtful work.

He looks to Jack, Think you kin spot whatever leaks is outside while I'm walkin' roun' out there? It's be a mighty big help.

The +2 on the K: T roll is from his upgrades. The roll can be adjusted up or down depending on what the GM decides is "Reasonable" on the ammount of a weightless item to take with him.

"Negative, Isaacsohn." Dr. Chronis overhears the conversation and move over to speak to them.

"Please forgive me for speaking so bluntly. But no one is going outside until environmental controls are stable and we have some idea what the environment is out there. Once the environmental controls are back up, and we have an idea that the depressurization chamber is still sealed, we can discuss going outside."

Allen tries to help with what he can while seeing the chaos ensue with everyone trying to fix everything up. He lifts things that need to be lifted, holds tools, or fetches them. He keeps a close eye on watching the others work to hopefully learn from them to be more of help in the future. He tries to stay calm and collected as if it was all just a drill he has done before and no one is the wiser to know he is truly terrified about what is going on.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Bluff: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19

Isaacsohn blinks at the doctor for a few moments.

What the hell does this man think is going on?

Yes, sir. We'll hold off on fixing any hemorrages until you're more comfortable with the idea.

He turns to Micaiah, Anything I can do to help in the mean time, ma'am?

Micaiah pokes her head out from a maintenance hatch on the ceiling.

"Hmm... The external sensors can't be all broken - being out on the hull they are built to withstand re-entry. It's more likely that their control and power module got overloaded during the landing. See if you can recreate their functions with the backup modules." She points towards the Operations Engineer station with a wrench in her hand. "Oh, and you can call me Micaiah Mr. Isaacsohn!" She beams Gunny a smile and disappears back into the hatch.

To recreate a program is a Knowledge - Technology roll. You can probably get a +2 by accessing the Master Index, which is like a blueprint for the OS of the shuttle.