Alternity: The Elements of Eternity - Episode 1: Keep The Home Fires Burnin'

[Dave ST]

15 days later several AUs outside cauldron station space...

"Alright people, everyone on deck, assholes and elbows, let's go." Erebus announced over the ship's intercom from his place in the Captain's Chair. Gabriel and Shiro were already present and he nodded to them to get started on the drop from Drivespace. "Helm's yours Shiro, mind the debris field."

On the boundaries of an immense asteroid belt is where Gabriel plotted for the star rise. In fact, he plotted it so close the Erebus was quite impressed with the accuracy.

"Very impressive ship you have here Captain Erebus." Beth said, standing to his right. "I've never seen anything like her."

"And you never will again. The Rue's one of a kind. The only one like her." He replied pridefully.

"There's no such thing as unique Captain." She retorted, a grin on her lips. "The schematics exist somewhere, I'm sure."

"And once there was no such thing as star ships. If you could make another ship like The Rue, it wouldn't be The Rue." He broke off the conversation, already bored with her. "Take us in when you're ready Shiro."

Click to reveal..

It's going to take several rounds to reach the station, Justin... the helm's yours. Once everyone gets on the Bridge I'll continue with the arrival.

[SalmonMax]

...1zef55xxdebuggingsector99350xxe001complete...

The intercom signal interrupted the flow of pure data in the crystal matrix that made up Isis' mind. She did not 'sleep' in the organic sense of the word...but any computer as breathtakingly complex needed to designate intervals for self-maintenance, even if it wasn't intelligent. The addition of the AI module only made that more critical. Corrupted data, memory, the potential for invasive software loading through the wireless link, physical problems, temperature...all of them needed to be periodically assessed and controlled. A robot could lose her mind otherwise.

Isis logged the debugging protocol's progress and suspended its cycle for when her services were not immediately needed. She slung her gunbelt low around her waist and headed for the bridge.

Quote:

As she rounded the corner a wave of dizziness seemed to hinder her stability and she leaned against the wall for support and a white light flashed suddenly, blinding the machine.

Stabilizer malfunction...

No error detected...

Ocular sensor malfunction...

No error detected...

Emergency diagnostic...

Error...

Request overridden by Administrator.

Anomaly detected...

Initiate combat protocols...

Error...

Request overridden by Administrator.

Activate ablative shield...

Error...

Request overridden by Administrator.

Through the white light came the vague silhouette of young woman, perhaps fifteen or so, whose warm smile almost put the dizzy, logical robot at ease during this sudden time of odd distress. As her image became more clear Isis's circuitry informed her of a sensation similar to what humans would call confusion, followed by fear...

The young girl and Isis could be have been twins.

"They're coming." She said softly, her voice echoing in the bright abyss that Isis seemed trapped in.

Just ass suddenly as it came, the light abated and there Isis stood in the corridor, leaning against the wall.

All systems... OK.

Have a nice day.

For a moment...brief by human reckoning, but occupying a very large number of processor cycles...Isis simply stood where she was as background processes frantically tried to sort and catagorize the new data. In the end, she ran three separate diagnostics, but all turned up no sign of problems.

They're coming.

The experience had been detailed and nuanced. There was only a very low probability it was random. Isis did not possess an imagination, precisely. The odds that she had somehow had a hallucination, in the human sense of the word, was even less.

She looked down at her hands. They were shaking. The moment she became aware of this, it stopped. A new possibility presented itself. It was still farfetched...unauthorized access via the wireless link, then uploading malicious software. But it was the best bet so far.

A moment later, Isis' voice came from the intercom on the bridge. "Captain Erebus, I'm experiencing technical problems. I need some time to run diagnostics on my...equipment." She couldn't be sure that there were no passengers in earshot.

"When will we be arriving?"

[Dave ST]

"Not long." He said. "If you can put it off, do so."

[Justin OOC]

Shiro nods, carefully plotting a course through the field, but also paying attention to the sensor sweeps for any pieces of debris that hadn't been logged. He takes control of the helm and steers the Mack through the field.

He shrugs. "Any closer and we'd have emerged in the damn field, possibly worse."

"No Flow chart for them in the system, just great." He smiles as he grips the helm tightly. "Ought to be one wild ride. Hold on to something, this is probably gonna get interesting." He said on the ship comnet.

He pushes in hard, diving the Mack in at full speed. He skirts the surface of one of the larger Asteroids and rolls hard to avoid another one at least a thousand times larger than the Mack. He continues weaving in and around the asteroids, making his way to their destination. Anyone not strapped in when He starts maneuvering is thrown about.

"Christ they just keep coming. What did they do out here, blow up a planet or is the a natural thing?"

He pulls back hard pulling the Mack into a sharp Climb and firing all thrusters except the retros precisely to effectively wallride the next asteroid. It had been a long time since he got to do two things, test his piloting skill, and see just how far he can push the Mack's systems.

He smiles at the thrill of putting the Mack through its paces. "I really do love this ship. Any other could have done half of thos moves at that sort of proximity."

There's a certain wildness to his smile as he seems totally possessed by piloting the Mack.

[Rorx]

Gabriel smiles at the obvious joy the others can also take in the ship.

"No Shiro, I was very careful about where I chose to bring us out of Drivespace. After all, there is no point deriving an elegant course if no-one is around to appreciate it."

[Dave ST]

Erebus grinned as he gripped his seat for dear life. The Mack deserved a good workout every now and again and appreciated the way Shiro didn't pilot her like she was a three hundred year old wreck that he needed to use kiddie gloves for.

A sudden rumble on the hull shook the ship about nearly causing Shiro to lose control and be sandwiched between two colliding asteroids. Like a bullet they shot through the middle of them with barely a hundred or so feet before they collided sending shards of debris scattered behind the ship.

"The hell was that?!" Erebus yelled to anyone listening.

Another impact shook the aft as several red lights and alerts began sounding. "That's not debris... Gabriel I wanna know what the fuck that was and I wanted to know two minutes ago, get on it! Shiro, get us the hell out of here!"

He slammed his hand on a button located on the arms of his seat. "I need everyone on deck now, we are under fire! Corso, get your skinny ass to engineering if you ain't already there!"

[Rorx]

Gabriel quickly brings up the active sensors and weapons systems. He shifts control of the weapons over to Erebus while checking the sensors himself.

"Erebus, weapons coming online on your station. Isis, get your butt in here, we need you on sensors ASAP."

(OOC, Dave I'm on the mobile at the mo so you'll have to make any rolls required I'm afraid.)

[SalmonMax]

Isis hesitates slightly less than a second, trying to find a balance between the possible dangers of reporting for duty with an unidentified malfunction that affected her this way, and the possible dangers of leaving the bridge shorthanded during a crisis. In the end, it was no contest.

"I'm..." They're "...coming," she reported to Gabriel over the intercom, stumbling slightly as she felt a momentary urge to repeat the words from her...episode. "I'll be right there." It was uncharacteristic of Isis to waste words with redundant assurances. She didn't even notice, distracted as she was.

On arriving, she hurried to the Ops station and configured the controls for sensors, relieving Gabriel from that.

"Scanning area," she announced as she initiated the scan and searched the surrounding space for signs of where this attack, if attack it was, originated.

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

The image on the sensors appears to be nothing more than a sphere moving at extremely high speeds. It's composed entirely of organic materials and it's weapon systems appear to be dual launch tubes that ejecting massive spines at speeds that should be impossible, near rail cannon velocity.

Very soon it will be in line for another shot.

[Justin OOC]

"Find whatever's shooting at us so I can make the Evasive maneuvers actually matter."

He juked the ship hard left and began weaving her through the asteroids and an even greater speed. He knew where he needed to go, but the Evasive Maneuvers were going to take him slightly off course for a bit. "Come on... What is it automated defense sattelites, or another ship?"

[SalmonMax]

"Contact," Isis reports after a very quick verification check. "Incoming hostile is of unknown configuration. It is moving at very high relative speed and maneuvering into position to make another attack run. It is armed with two kinetic cannon of unknown design firing high mass projectiles at near relativistic speeds. Estimated destructive potential is very high. Updating targeting information."

[Dave ST]

Red lights flashed through out the bridge as the sensors displayed their information for all to see. Sure enough the sphere looked like nothing more than a spherical shell of some kind with sickly green armored plates keeping the interior protected from the vacuum of space.

It seemed hightly maneuverable and certainly hold to any standard of 'up' or 'forward' able to move in a complete 360 degree pattern. It's only flaw, Shiro noticed, was it could not halt its momentum to take full advantage of it maneuverability.

"Kroath." Erebus mutterd under his breath and Isis's keen snesors pick up his muttering. "Shiro, gimme a reason to pay you. Use the debris field as cover!"

"What!?! Are you mad?" Beth exclaimed. "You can't take us further in! We'll be torn to pieces!"

"Look Sugar Tits, you have two roles you can play on my ship in the middle of a fire fight... the pretty quiet type... or chaff. Take yer pick and shut up until you have an answer for me! Shiro... punch it!"

Click to reveal..

Action Check time! This is basically initiative, the success on this determines when you go and whether or not you can take full advantage of all the actions you're permitted per round.

Combat flows in the following order from first to last Amazing, Good, Ordinary, Marginal.

In this case Isis gets to act first on the Amazing phase, she;ll also get to act again anytime from then to the Marginal Phase (her choice). Erebus however will only be permitted to act on the Ordinary and Marginal portions of the combat round.

The Combat round ends when every player has used their available actions, or the Marginal phase ends. If any one needs help we chat in comm chatter, or I'll make a combat tracker thread like Dawn did (the damn thing seems handy).

Those acting in the appropriate phase just post below the header of your action phase.

Erebus = 8 (Ordinary)

Gabriel = 5 (Good)

Isis = 2 (Amazing)

Shiro = 12 (Ordinary)

Kroath Sphere = ?? (Ordinary)

[Dave ST]

Amazing Phase

(those acting this phase, post your action below)

[SalmonMax]

Working with superhuman speed, Isis' fingers fly over the holographic controls, reconfiguring systems and gathering and collecting data.

Thermal and magnetic analysis quickly concluded, and Isis sent the updated targeting data to the gunner's station.

"Aim for the highlighted areas," she instructed as portions of the enemy ship turned red. "Those should be enemy weapon and fire control centers."

(Using Sensor skill to attempt to target specific area of enemy ship.)

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

Roll(1d20)+0:20,+0 Total:20

Critical Failure! The Attempted assist will cause the Weapon Operators first attack to automatically fail! You may correct this if you have an action available in the phase BEFORE the Gunner attacks.

[Dave ST]

Good Phase

(those acting this phase, post your action below)

[SalmonMax]

Abruptly Isis paused, noting a red light on the display. She expanded that view and with a flick of her wrist twisted it in virtual space to show in more detail.

That...would be bad.

The enemy ship's defensive systems were too strong in those areas for the ship's weapons. They were aware of their own vulnerabilities, it seemed, and prepared for them. She had to search through this new data to find some kind of weak point...something that could be attacked successfully.

And it had to be now.

A heartbeat later she was sending yet another update to the gunnery station's fire control system. The configuration of the highlighted systems had changed.

(doh! trying again)

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

Roll(1d20)+0:1,+0 Total:1

The Gunner will automatically hit those targeted sections (weapons in this case) bypassing the roll for random targeting. Providing the Gunner makes a successful attack roll of course.

[Rorx]

Gabriel brought up the engineering subsystems on his display, getting ready to assisst with any damage control that might be required until we could either prevail or escape our attackers.

[Dave ST]

Ordinary Phase

(those acting this phase, post your action below)

[Justin OOC]

Shiro pilots with the best of his ability, using the Asteroids at full speed. He does his best to keep damage minimal and take advantage of the Mack's maneuverability, trying to find a way to get a shot at their attacker and avoid his shots.

Piloting check 1d20-1d6

(17:04:48) ChatBot: (Long) rolls 1d20 and gets 1.

(17:05:01) ChatBot: (Long) rolls 1d6 and gets 4.

[Dave ST]

Erebus was no stranger to handling The Rue's weaponry. His hands tapped the holo displays and the screens went wild with targeting information.

The sphere darted about through the debris field and Erebus grinned as the turret the lil bugger had slurped up into the sphere only to pop out in a firing arc that would allow it to hit The Rue on it's next run.

"C'mon baby..." he said looking at the screens and petting the arms of the command chair a bit to lovingly... "Talk to me. Gimme a sign..."

The sphere darted under a massive asteroid and Erebus tapped the holo displays. The bright sky blue beam launched from the cannon and tore into the sphere, knocking it about before the pilot (if there was one) regained control.

Along the route it traveled a thick sticky gel-like substance seemed to 'bleed' from the pod.

Click to reveal.. (Erebus Attack)

Roll(1d20)+0:5, Total:5 (Hit! 4m damage)

[Dave ST]

With it's weapons systems malfunctioning the Kroath sphere quickly attempted to seek a hasty retreat. It screamed at breakneck speed throughout the asteroid field but Shiro was right there behind it. Nothing could shake the Rue with Shiro at the helm!

Swiftly the greenish orb zipped around a massive asteroid and in a sudden, pudding filled display, was splattered by a secondary asteroid floating about the debris.

With very little effort Shiro gunned the engines and the Rue streaked by the mess, getting it all over the ship in the process, and soared through to their destination.

Click to reveal.. (Kroath Attack)

Weapon systems destroyed.

Pilot Check Roll(1d20)+9:14,+9 Total:23 (Failure: Collision 13m)

Ship Destroyed

[Dave ST]

End Combat

[Rorx]

Gabriel quickly pulls up a duplicate window of the sensor data and sets it to record as he tries to glean what information he can about the Kroath ship before they get too far away or it dissipates too much. However, he makes sure that his research doesn't interfere with Isis keeping an eye out on the rest of the area around them for other dangers.

[Annwn Corso]

Engineering.

Corso jammed an impatient finger on the comm button, glaring over the top of her glasses at the machinery surrounding her. If they kept treating the ship like an armored hot-rod, it was eventually going to repay them by disintegrating.

"Captain." She began, forcing a measure of calm professionalism into her voice. "The drive is leaking coolant, the backup generators are damaged, and our stabilizers aren't faring much better. My recommendation is that we dock as soon as possible."

What are they -doing- up there?! she growled mentally, turning back to the console before her and angrily assessing the scope of the damage.

[SalmonMax]

Isis backed up the sensor logs, then archived the footage under the heading: 'Kroath Sphere Ship Encounter 1.' She then accessed the ship's databanks, as well as her own memory, to see what information on the Kroath was available.

The answer was not much.

"No further hostiles on screens," she reported. "Should we attempt to signal the station?"

[Dave ST]

"Rodger that engineering." Erebus said aloud as he nodded to Isis to radio the station. "Yeah, do it."

Beth gripped the back of the Command chair and pulled herself up from the floor. "You, people, are, insane." She did her best to fix her hair which was a mess. "You never go that fast through a debris field this congested! We could have been killed!"

Her breathing was frantic and her cheeks flushed with rage.

"Could have, but weren't." Erebus turned to Beth. "We get paid to do the impossible. If you want safe and warm, next time stay at home."

"No reply." Isis interrupted.

Shiro, dock with the station." He looked around. "After we dock, go get geared up ladies and gentleman. If the Kroah are out here we're about to earn every dollar." He looked to Beth and his finger dug into her chest. All good humor and calmness left his expression. "You. My chambers, now."

[Justin OOC]

Shiro nodded and began docking procedures easing the throttle way back. "That was cerainly a good little workout."

[Rorx]

Gabriel sets the sensors to get as much information as he can about the station during the docking process.

[SalmonMax]

Once the log was backed up, Isis glanced over at Beth, and used the intercom at her station to signal Engineering.

"Corso, when you have a moment I need to discuss a possible malfunction with you. Before we investigate the station if at all possible."

[Annwn Corso]

"Malfunction?" Corso frowned as she replied. The engineer was reasonably certain Isis wasn't referring to the ship- the problems there were fairly obvious. "All right. I'll be occupied for (the rest of my natural life at this rate) a bit. Head back to Engineering when you're ready, mm?"

[SalmonMax]

"Affirmative. I will be there shortly," Isis replied.

She glanced at the captain and Beth, and decided that an explanation of where she was going would be considered an unwelcome intrusion. Erebus tended to be intently focused on whatever he was presently occupied with; a fact she had learned over enduring more than one temper tantrum.

So she simply got up and headed for engineering straight away. When she arrived she stood with endless patience off to one side of Corso, silently watching her work until she could spare a moment to speak.

[Dave ST]

The ramp extended and a earthen air assaulted the crews senses. As large as the installation was each found it rather odd that there was only a single landing bay capable of holding only a single ship of no more than freighter class.

The area was dark, it seemed only emergency power was on and all around them shadows licked the was in the cavernous bay. The particle shield shimmered and fluxed behind in a whitish-blue marking for them the only possible exit off this facility.

Erebus held his Valkyrie-9 up to his shoulder and slowly attempted to asses the perimeter. "Clear."

Cargo containers of all sorts were neatly stacked along the outer perimeter of the landing bay. To the est were a large, thick pair of doors, vacuum sealed they were sure, with two flickering spotlights drawing attention to their entrance into the facility itself.

The air was still and quiet every step echoed softly and their breath fogged as they exhaled (except Isis).

Click to reveal..

Pretty straight forward guys. One exit in this chamber, to the west.

[Rorx]

Gabriel checked his pistol and spare clips were in place while he checked the sensor scans he had been making of the installation during there approach.

Click to reveal..

Sensor roll for anything he can get on the Installation.

(18:35:16) ChatBot: (Rorx) rolls 1d20 and gets 8. Ordinary success.

Downloading the information to his datapad, Gabriel locks down the bridge and heads for the ramp and the others.

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

The facility appears to be in a state of Executive Lockdown. Nothing will function unless the systems are brought back online. Hacking attempts will fail, since the systems are not being supplied enough power to access Cauldron's Grid.

[Justin OOC]

Shiro draws his pistol and holds it ready. "Dammit I hate lockdown protocols. Nothing works during it save essential life support."

[SalmonMax]

"I'm not familiar with the lockdown protocols of this base," Isis said equably. She had been first down the ramp and now stood at point, her charge pistol in hand and looking warily around the courtyard.

"What do we need to do to return the station's functions?"

[Dave ST]

"I-I don't know..." Beth replies to Isis. Her fingers tapped across the shimmering blue, virtual holo display projecting from her computer gauntlet. Beeps and blips echoed slightly within the cavernous as several red 'Access Denied' messages flashed in response to her labor. "It's not accepting any of my overrides. I don't understand."

"Auxiliary power is functioning, life support as well." Erebus replied to her, looking about. "That means the system is still monitoring everything," He exhaled and grimaced as his breath was visible. "Cept the damn climate control."

"I know where your going with this, and the system was designed to be hacker proof Captain Erebus." All the 'screens' blinked out on Beth's gauntlet and looked to the crew. "There are no external interface's and with this lock down in effect it will not accept requests for access from an NIjack. Not even a mechalus could hack the Cauldron's computer core."

Erebus grinned. "Baby we got one better than a mechalus. Isis, I want you ready for a grid cast." He looked to Beth. "Where's the best place to access the mainframe?"

"Um, the command deck, but highly doubt your friend will very effective once we're there." She said, looking at a holomap of the complex from her gauntlet. Isis surely didn't like the tone in her voice or the look she gave her as she questioned her skills. Then again, Beth had no idea Isis was a synthetic android. "My overrides still seem to work on some of the maglock systems. I can get us there."

She and her two men walked off towards the only exit and Erebus looked to the assembled crew. "Little too much security on a CompCore for just a mining operation. Isis, watch your ass in there, Gabe, keep an eye on Isis. Shiro and I will watch the three, I'm not liking this. I don't think she planned on her overrides not working. Unknowns make people edgy."

[Rorx]

"Gotcha bossman."

Gabriel drew his pistol and split his attention between Isis and the surroundings as they made their way over to the exit.

[Justin OOC]

Shiro nods. Pulling next to Erebrus and in a low voice "This situation reeks Captain. I've got a bad feeling about it all."

[SalmonMax]

Isis looked placidly at each of Erebus, Gabriel and Shiro as they said their piece. Then she repeated her mission objectives to make sure everything was clear.

"I will follow Beth to the command center and establish a physical interface with the base mainframe. I will attempt to release the lockdown or discover the means to release the lockdown. I will watch my ass." More generic mission objectives, like protecting the crew of the Rue, she left unstated. Erebus had indicated his impatience with 'overly complete' statements of objectives.

When the captain seemed satisfied with her grasp of the situation, she moved to Beth and nodded at her.

"Proceed to the command center."

[Dave ST]

The door slid open dropping a thin layer of rime to shatter upon the floor on the opposite side as it did and on they passed to the Command Center.

Every hall was dark save for sparse emergency lighting. A thick, heavy mist rose up at least a chair rail and clung to their bodies like a wade through cold water. Visibility to the floor was almost impossible and it seemed that, besides the docking bay, it had penetrated every room in the station. The deathly silence was on eveyones mind as they kept their weapons at the ready.

Erebus, Shiro, and Isis took point while Beth and the others stayed a few steps back. Through each winding passage she'd point out the proper direction to take and it wasn't long in the creepy atmosphere that the mercenaries to feel they were earning their money.

"we're almost there," Beth's whisper rose up in the silence, her breath visible in the air. She looked to her gauntlet. "The lift up ahead will take us just outside the Command Center."

[Rorx]

"I wish we had a science scanner with us, I don't like having this mist about the place. Still no sign of what happend to the crew either, no signs of a struggle either."