A posting on the infosphere seeking test crews to fly a prototype starship caught your attention. An address is included within it.
Following the instructions on the posting, you had arrived at the indicated location where a polite receptionist took your preliminary information for, what they assured you, is only for a routine background check. Until the results cleared, you were directed to wait in the reception area of United Interfaith Engineering’s offices on Absalom Station, surrounded by artistic renderings of countless deities worshipped in the Pact Worlds.
Now, having made a few introductions and exchanged pleasantries, the receptionist leads you to meet the project manager, J’scib. Arriving at the designated location, you find J’scib’s office to be a picture of chaos.
Three different computer desks set at slightly differing heights have been pushed together to support four keyboards, seven holo-monitors, and no less than nine data ports. A mosaic of coffee stains covers the desktops’ surfaces. A chair that would look more at home in a vid-gamer’s den sits behind this haphazard workstation, while the opposite side hosts a retro velvet-cushioned recliner chair, a vinyl loveseat that has seen far better days, and a plush sofa that converts into a bed. Stacks of datapads and tech manuals cover almost every free bit of floor space. By contrast, a window at the back of the office looks out into a stark white room where engineers are carefully assembling a sensor array.
The office’s sole occupant is a host shirren wearing a wrinkled suit and a colorful bowtie.
The shirren's picture is now posted on Slides.
The shirren’s antennae quiver with excitement as they introduce themselves telepathically. {{Please come in! My speech-name is J’scib, and I’m the lead engineer for the Grimshaw. Can I offer you some Randblaz?}}
The shirren holds out an open bag of candy. {{Each candy is visually indistinguishable but has fruit flavor profiles from dozens of worlds. Every bite is a surprise! The lime ones are my favorite!}}
J’scib hands out sweets while continuing. {{We here at UIE want to bring an affordable starship to market that can handle the rigors of system exploration while still defending its crew and looking sleek in the process. As such, we’d like you to take our new prototype on a preprogrammed course to Liavara. Put the ship through its paces and test out as many systems as you can on the way. When you get there, transmit your flight records to our data relay station on one of the moons, then come back. The space lane you’re taking is regularly patrolled by Stewards law-enforcement ships, so the whole trip should be nice and safe. Come, let’s head to the hangar!}}
|
A young Ysoki wearing an orange reflective vest covered in pockets, and a hard hat carrying a datapad that doubles as a clipboard. On his vest, there is a big name tag saying "SAFETY INSPECTOR." Pockets stuffs a few pieces of candy in his cheek pockets while introducing himself.
"My friends call me pockets," Pockets points to all the pockets on his vest. "You can call me Pockets too. So you got a ship that needs testing, Pockets looks at a list on his datapad. I'm assuming we can get a copy of the owner's manual and your safety protocol? Just one last question do you need the ship back in one piece? Pocket says with a wink. Then Pocket looks around curious to see who the rest of the crew is.
Jack decides to try all the candies, in fact he grabs handfuls.
Test out a new Starship, I'm game.
The shirren shoots an odd glance toward Jack, but makes no effort to stop the draining of the bag's contents.
{{Glad you are 'game',}} they reply with a polite nod.
I'm assuming we can get a copy of the owner's manual and your safety protocol? Just one last question do you need the ship back in one piece? Pocket says with a wink. Then Pocket looks around curious to see who the rest of the crew is.
{{One piece is very much the preferred condition, yes. However, we do want you to put the Grimshaw through whatever conditions you think appropriate and within your skillset to handle,}} J'scib explains. {{“By having different crews test the Grimshaw, we can obtain a robust data set regarding its performance before it goes to the production line, not to mention the potential for word-of-mouth advertising! You’re going to be the first to fly it now that our test-pilots ensured it was safe.}}
J’scib leads you all to an elevator. Checking their datapad during the trip, the shirren pauses for a moment before turning towards the ysoki in the party, {{'Pockets' did you say? Is that a family name?}}
|
|
A Kasathan dressed in flight garb that only be described as flashy is present, lighting up the room with implied bravado. From behind his traditional kasathan scarf, his eyes flash up with a bright smile when ship testing is mentioned. A task for Top Down! he says, ride a fine ship to the planet of Liavara!
Well met, Pockets. My callsign is Top Down, and I am a drifter of the vast expanses of space. he introduces himself and adds There is no feeling like moving at unimaginable speeds through the harsh vacuum of space... His whole attitude suggest that he would be, indeed, a satefy inspector's worst nightmare.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Pockets tares off a pocket from his velcro vest and swaps places with it and another pocket while talking to J’scib. "My family calls me Pockets too, so I guess that makes it a family name."
Pocket looks up to Top Down from bottom to top. "Top Down nice to meet you, You know how to fly this thing? Not sure who our ship's pilot is yet. I can fly it if needed but I'd be happier with a wrench in my hand taking the engine apart to see what it's made of. Not sure we can hit unimaginable speeds but I bet we can get it to fly faster than they designed it to. Assuming we can modify it" Pockets looks over to J’scib for approval.
Pockets turns to Jack, "Nice to meet you as well, What skills do you bring to this test flight?
|
|
Speaking to the human-looking woman who just arrived.
"Have you tried the candies? There really strong I can taste them through my cheek pouches. Nice to meet you. Everyone calls me Pockets. You can call me Pockets too. What's your name?"
Pocket put his hands in 2 of his 36 vest pockets, then moves his hands to another set of pockets, looking for the most comfortable ones to rest his hands in as he starts to pace back and forth.
"We're trying to figure out whos crewing what on the test flight. Top Down here sounds like the best pilot among us. I can run the engineering station if no one else wants it. I'm all so here to make sure the ship can pass a safety inspection "
|
|
Well there, lady Top Down greets Leannah, hoping not to startle her too much, you remind me of someone. I'd put it down to deja-vu, but I think my memory is from the past rather than the future. The callsign is Top Down. When I'm not out drifting the corners of the galaxy, I play with my band, Top Down and the Strange Quarks
So, pilot engineer, flight crew... all we need is captain and we're off to the races! Top Down says, burning with impatience to get his hands on the attitude control.
Pockets tares off a pocket from his velcro vest and swaps places with it and another pocket while talking to J’scib. "My family calls me Pockets too, so I guess that makes it a family name."
J'scib audibly squeals, then communicates telepathically {{You were wise to provide no more information than requested! I believe we have the best possible crew for this mision.}}
As the elevator door opens, J'scib turns to the party solmenly. {{Now, I am about to give you the password necessary to operate a prototype starship for the duration of its trial flight. Do be very, very careful with it.}} The shirren looks both ways with suspicion, then sends a brief, telepathic whisper. {{It's "midge".}}
With a nod, J'scrib begins broadcasting in a more conventional, telepathic tone. {{That password will expire shortly after your scheduled return date or, immediately, in the event that you stray too far from your appointed route,}} explains the shirren. {{This is a security measure meant to prevent theft. I ask that you not share the password or details of the starship with anyone outside of UIE, until such time as the starship’s marketing campaign begins.}}
The shirren then enters the elevator and motions for you to follow. When the door opens, they declare, {{We are at the hangar!}}
{{May I introduce the Grimshaw!}} J'scrib broadcasts proudly, motioning to the vessel. They then begin gushing about the vessel’s scientific components, which--they note-- can be customized during assembly and are kept in the “thorax” section of the craft. They get extremely excited while talking about the wings, which can be configured to act as solar panels, solar sails, or vectored to generate lift during atmospheric flight.
Once onboard, J’scib activates the Grimshaw’s automated navigation system and data recorder before leaving the you to start your pre-flight checklist adn to familiarize yourselves with the ship/
Stats for the Grimshaw are now on the Slides (Handout #1).
Please select your starship crew roles.
Departing Absalom Station, your can finally stretch your proverbial wings. Because the prototype’s Drift engine won’t be installed until next week, the route takes along the ecliptic plane of the Pact Worlds system to Liavara. The vessel automatically handles primary astrogation for the trip.
Upon breaking free of gravity well around the Station and the surrounding Armada, you are free to commence your testing.
|
|
Once in orbit, Pockets turns their reversible vest inside out, exchanging the bright safety colors with dark gray colors more suitable for getting dirty at work. Pockets also switch the name tag on his vest to one that says ENGINEER.
"I'm going to go have a look at the engine room. Once I get an idea of how the engines work, I'd like to run an emergency power core shutdown drill. Does anyone have any engineering skills that could aid me in the task? If you need any help in other areas of the ship let me know."
|
|
Doors closed and crosschecked. Counting down for ingnition... input 10 degrees to port... auxiliary thrusters activated... Top Down mumbles to himself as he carefully steers out the vessel. Approaching L2 point... he says as the ship is nearly free of the gravity planking the gas...
Embarassingly, he releases the clutch so fast that the engine stalls with a disappointing woop sound. Reactivating engine... carefully releasing clutch... planking the gas...
With a sickening acceleration, Top Down hits the gas and tries out a number of barrel rolls. He pushes the accelerator until the ship positively starts to vibrate, and remarks Well beyond engineering limits, but the ship should be able to handle that.
Slick vessel, he remarks, I can work with this
----
When he is done testing the flight parameters of the vessel, Top Down make a couple of very precise thruster input as an experiment to see if he can get the ship to quantum mechanically tunnel forward. It doesn't work.
Slick vessel, he remarks, I can work with this
Top Down puts the Grimshaw through a “rupture strength” acceleration test. Both the ship and the pilot prove their metal.
|
|
After Top Down's acceleration test, Pockets decides to emergency power core shutdown procedures.
"Nice faying Top Down. After that last maneuver, I want to run a full engine diagnostic. To do so, I need to do an emergency power core shutdown. Hang tight. We're going to have a brief power outage on nonemergency equipment.
The power comes back on
"Looks like we got a well-built engine here, should be able to push her beyond her spects with no problem."
|
|
"Next, I want to run the speed trials and see how fast we can push this ship. Fasten your seat belts."
"Test over your free to roam around safely. Not bad, but I feel this ship could have been pushed even faster. I think my legs are too short to push the peddle all the way to the floor, I'll leave the rest of the flying to Top Down."
"Nice faying Top Down. After that last maneuver, I want to run a full engine diagnostic. To do so, I need to do an emergency power core shutdown. Hang tight. We're going to have a brief power outage on nonemergency equipment.
"Next, I want to run the speed trials and see how fast we can push this ship. Fasten your seat belts."
Jack will attempt 2 hard computers checks to collect as much data as possible.
Leannah uses mysticism twice. Being a bit unsure of herself, she tries average checks.
After all the tests have been concluded, the remainder of the voyage is uneventful and you all arrive safely at S-413, one of Liavara’s smallest shepherd moons, where you can begin to transmit your data to an unmanned UIE relay.
Before the flight records finish uploading, the ship’s sensors alert you to a pair of approaching contacts. The contacts are emitting powerful electromagnetic interference that is disrupting the relay's comm-link.
The ship's scanners and database identify the contacts as a pair of adolescent voraijas, creatures that usually travel as part of a larger pod.
Picture of voraija is now on Slides.
You recall hearing a recent news report that pods of voraijas have been spotted in Liavara’s upper atmosphere. Many tourist ships skim Liavara’s orbit hoping for a rare glimpse of the creatures feeding or giving birth, all carefully monitored by the Xenowardens organization.
The Grimshaw’s sensors and database indicate these two voraijas have been separated from their pod. There carnivorous creatures are lost, hungry, and apparently interpret the organic shape of the ship to mean that it’s edible! To avoid becoming devoured in a grim case of mistaken identity, you must devise some sort of a stratagem.
Looks like these space whale think we're food. Either that, or they've come to greet their new favourite pilot! Pockets, are those shields working?
"Shields are at full capacity, I'm going to try to divert power to the sensors to see if we can learn any more about them."
Jack, Horn of Plenty, is only able to obtain "basic information" about the voraijas, but it is enough to know their speed is the same as the Grimshaw and their manueuverability is better.
Voraijas
N Small starship magical beast
Speed 10; Maneuverability perfect (turn 0)
Crew complement None
You recall hearing a recent news report that pods of voraijas have been spotted in Liavara’s upper atmosphere. Many tourist ships skim Liavara’s orbit hoping for a rare glimpse of the creatures feeding or giving birth, all carefully monitored by the Xenowardens organization.
Top Down breaks course hard, though in open space their are few obstacles smaller than a moon.
The voracious voraijas give pursuit, undoubtedly eying the Grimshaw as a tasty treat!
If no one takes that my next action is to boost engines to increase speed by 2
FLIGHT TO LIAVARA! - Round One Begins!
Leannah
Jack, Horn of Plenty
Switch Pockets
Top Down
|
|
"Don't use the restrooms for a minute. I'm about to dump our sanitary waste and cleaning solution into the engine's jetstream. that should give them a bad taste."
As Pockets releases the waste and cleaning solution, he changes the fuel mixture to burn dirty, creating a smoke cloud for the waste solution to atomize into creating a chlorinated skink cloud lingering in space behind the ship.
As Jack trains the ship's computers to determine what might slow the voraijas down, Switch Pockets releases a noxious space cloud.
The combination momentarily gives the two, ship-sized life-forms pause, but only for a moment as their hunger seems to spur them forward toward the Grimshaw!
FLIGHT TO LIAVARA! - Round One Cont'd!
Leannah
Jack, Horn of Plenty
Switch Pockets
Top Down
Leannah conjures a mystic haze that obscures the location of the Grimshaw as Top Down churns the cloud before putting more distance between the ship and the pursuing creatures.
It is not long before Liavarra and its many moons begin to loom in the distance. Still, hunger is a mighty motivator and the voraijas continue to try to make a meal of the Grimshaw.
FLIGHT TO LIAVARA! - Round Two Begins!
Leannah
Jack, Horn of Plenty
Switch Pockets
Top Down