Imperial Fringe Online Game Chat Session Log August 3rd 2003
19:55:50 - Vance: well, while kraiger is (presumably) reviewing the logs, vance will do what he can to examine the corrosion samples he retrieved earlier.
19:57:05 - Kit: As for my plans (assuming there is no interference from strange lights or somesuch) since our new comarade Mr. Vance Stargate is trying to figure out what's wrong with the atmosphere, I want to take a look at the data crystals we found on the former commander. Maybe there is some kind of clue there.
19:57:53 - Kit: Kraiger, can you see what you can recover of any automated station logs, camera impressions or anything else that might be hidden in the stations system or in what's left of said system?
19:58:33 - Kit: Or maybe you can interview the men, they may know a detail or two that might shed some loght on what's going on here.
19:59:30 - Kit: I'll also keep the comm channel open, in case there is another message from the polar base or maybe even from the fleet.
19:59:42 - Methuslah: You haven' got the equipment for a decent analysis at this base, only a very rudimentary scan. The metal appears to have been corroded by an airborne agency, porbably a corrosive gas - but there is little more you can determine.
19:59:56 - Kraiger: (I'll start to do some research - pin down exactly when the corrosion started, when the lights first appeared, then analyse the station security tapes to see if I can find anything out of the ordinary that happened around the same time...
20:00:29 - Methuslah: The data crystals have little information. They seem to consist of a log, that rapidly becomes incoherent. The final crystal talks about the 'traitors amoung us', and tals of taking 'positive action against the menace'.
20:00:43 - Methuslah: There is no further message from polar base or from the fleet.
20:00:56 - Kit: Over what time does the log deterioration go?
20:01:07 - Kraiger: Kit, I'm still trying to figure out what the link is between the corrosion and those lights. If one is causing the other, or vice-versa. If there is a link, then maybe an anti-corrosion agent would effect the lights - an alkaloid spray of some kind?
20:01:24 - Kit: Did it start before or after the lights first appeared and the corrosion started?
20:01:30 - Methuslah: The corrosion appears to have started about ten hours before you entered orbit, the lights appearing about an hour before you arrived - daybreak on the surface. The security tapes show nothing out of the ordinary.
20:01:38 - Vance: big spray can.
20:02:12 - Methuslah: The logs present date over about two weeks - all other tapes are presumable elsewhere. The last three days worth even from before the accident - are bad.
20:02:24 - Kit: I thought the lights appeared first before the corrosion started?
20:02:31 - Vance: has there been any large mining operation going on, or any large melt at the poles, or any other activity whcih would release a large quantity of gas?
20:02:39 - Kraiger: Hello Mr. Stargate. I am Lieutenant Colonel Kraiger - well, I _was_ retired, but I now seem to be commander of this base!
20:03:21 - Kit: With "the logs are bad" do you mean corrupted data or signs of mental deterioration on the commander?
20:03:57 - Methuslah: Signs of mental deteroiration.
20:04:13 - Vance: good day colonel. you might have a short command stint here.
20:04:31 - Kit: Is there any indication in the logs of something happening before the accident that may have triggered his mental breakdown?
20:04:58 - Kraiger: Kit, I'd like to investigate Captain Chamber's death a little more - its an apparent suicide, but highly suspicious. And if it was murder - well, then the Colonel may have not been completely crazy when talking about traitors within!
20:05:58 - Kraiger: (To Vance) You can call me Kraiger. I hope its going to be short, because we have urgent business elsewhere - the Zhodani have declared war on the Imperium!
20:05:58 - Kit: Yes, good idea. I would like to take a look at his corpse too, i didn't have time for that yet. I guess an aoutopsy is in order.
20:06:13 - Methuslah: The coherent logs talk about an 'atmosphere' on the base, about tempers rising, and the personnel becoming more combative.
20:06:51 - Kit: (getting out my medical bag and heading for the captains room)
20:07:23 - Kraiger: (Meth - I would like to do a complete roll-call of the men left on the base. How many are there, approximately what ranks, etc)
20:07:46 - Kit: It seems, that the mental stress started some days before the explosion and corrosion stuff. Some kind of psycic effect becomes even more likely here. Zhodani?
20:07:51 - Vance: (to kraiger) vance stares a moment. "oh."
20:08:39 - Methuslah: (About sixty men. One Lieutenant, One Sergeant, Two Corporals, Fifty troopers and a few civilian technicians.)
20:08:46 - Kit: (I keep the broadcasting band with the short report/warning for the fleet running, maybe some of it get's through!)
20:08:55 - Methuslah: The Captain's body has been left in place.
20:09:24 - Kit: Good, Kraiger, if you want to examine the place before I move the body, do so.
20:10:49 - Vance: (are we safe where we are?)
20:10:57 - Kit: In the logs, is there any indication of something unusual happening before the trouble started? Ships landing etc.?
20:11:07 - Methuslah: (For the moment.)
20:11:56 - Kraiger: (to Vance) Oh indeed. We were caught at the very tip of the incursion in the (xxx) system, and managed to fend them off. We came to Trane to warn the fleet that is on maneuvers, but wound up... here!
20:11:58 - Methuslah: Nothing of that sort. There is an indication of some of the outer surveillance equipment breaking down - no indication of any repair wok, but such would not be in the Marine Commander's log.
20:12:07 - Vance: if the corrosion is caused by an acid, maybe it can be slowed by a base. vance will look around for ... I don't know, limestone, a huge store of baking soda, anything.
20:12:14 - Kraiger: (Sorry, I can't remember the name of the last system we were in)
20:12:32 - Kit: Well Vance, Safe probably depends on your definition of the word. If the corrosion continues, we are only safe here for a limited time. We may also be facing some as yet unknown threat, so I would not necessarily consider our situation safe before we have figured out what is causing the problems here and maybe at the polar base.
20:12:47 - Kit: Trane, remember, Trane aquatic safari?
20:13:11 - Kraiger: (Oh yeah - so what system are we in now?)
20:14:11 - Kit: Romar
20:14:17 - Kraiger: (Kraiger will investigate the scene of the death, taking photos etc. (recon-1) - any sign of foul play?)
20:14:56 - Kit: (good thing I'm doing the navigation not our soldier 
)
20:15:16 - Methuslah: (It looks to be a straigtforward suicide - all the evidence seems to match that.)
20:15:59 - Kraiger: ( 
)
20:15:57 - Kit: Maybe he was influenced psychologically?
20:16:47 - Kraiger: Well, looks like the Captain just couldn't handle the pressure. (I'll do a search of his office for any clues's, or a personal log, or anything else useful - 2D6: 8 )
20:16:48 - Kit: Once Kraiger is doen with the body, I will thoroughly examine it and do an autopsy.
20:17:48 - Kit: Yeah, but then to commite suicide just after some possible help arrived? That isn't very logical, not even for someone suffering from suicidal urges.
20:18:56 - Kit: if you need a roll for the autopsy 2D6: 6
20:19:32 - Methuslah: You find wha looks to be hsi personal log, but the filse have all been erasd.
20:20:28 - Kit: Kraiger, can you find out if any of the men on the base have arrived here recently? And we are still missing the three men (Pilot, Scout, other pilot) who came with us and were not at the shuttle.
20:21:36 - Methuslah: The Marine detachement are all near the end of their year's tour. One of the technicians has only just arrived, though.
20:22:03 - Kraiger: (QUick check - does it look like the files were erased before or after theCaptain's death? 2D6: 10 )
20:23:07 - Kraiger: (To Vance) Mr. Stargate, do you have a ship at your polar base? We desperately need to get off this planet...
20:23:07 - Methuslah: (Time index indicates just after his death.)
20:24:55 - Vance: yes we do need to leave. (ref: is there a ship at PoleBase?)
20:24:57 - Methuslah: (There are two shuttles at the Polar Base, capable of reaching orbit.)
20:25:23 - Kraiger: Hey Kit! Look at this... the Captain's files seem to have been erased _after_ his death! (I'll check to see if there is any security log, or any other way to tell if anyone was here tampering)
20:25:33 - Vance: now, is there any vessel remaining here?
20:26:42 - Kraiger: (to Vance) Good question. Anything outside is scrap, but there may be something down here in one of the maintenance bays. Any chance you could take a look?
20:26:47 - Kit: Hmm, If I recall correctly, you posted a guard at his room after we found the body.
20:27:00 - Methuslah: (There is a security system, but the records for the time of the Captain's death have also been erased.)
20:27:39 - Vance: most operating systems don't actually erase anything, they just mark it as being available for other use. is there an undelete fuctntion?
20:27:46 - Methuslah: There is a stripped down shuttle in one of the maintainance bays. The primary engine is out, but the secondary could carry three men on a suborbital flight.
20:28:34 - Vance: just how "out" is the pirmary engine? vance gets to work on it. 2D6: 8 2D6: 8
20:28:54 - Kit: It does seem we have an active agent running around messing things up.
20:29:55 - Kit: Dammned, someone else found a ship to fiddle with
20:30:37 - Kraiger: Kit, I'm going to do some interviews with the personel - do you want to check the computer and see if you can trace who or how the material was deleted?
20:31:15 - Kit: I can try, you should give out the order that no one (including us) is ever out alone anywhere.
20:31:40 - Kraiger: (I'll call an all hands meeting in one of the large rooms, in 30 minutes time. I will also get a complete printout of the base roster, and do some checking to see if anything stands out - especially that new technician)
20:31:52 - Methuslah: Several of the main components have been removed, and several that are left are in a bad state of repair.
20:32:30 - Kraiger: (Meth, just how big is the area we are confined to? Is it easy for people to wander off alone, or is it relatively crowded with 60 people?)
20:34:36 - Vance: search. any chance of getting it running again, and if so then in how much time? we only need to make a short trip. 2D6: 8
20:34:38 - Kit: Anything unusual showing up at the autopsy? I'm concentration on unusual changes to the brain or drugs in the body.
20:35:38 - Methuslah: The bunker has two levels, both a maze of corridors. The upper level is Command and Maintainance, the lower Personnel and Stores. There are plenty of places for someone to wander off too.
20:36:26 - Methuslah: The shuttle can make a suborbital flight using its backup engine - just one hop with the fuel capacity. The mazimum cargo would be three persons.
20:37:09 - Methuslah: You do not notice any unusual chemicals in hsi system, but find to marks where spray hypodermics have been used very recently.
20:37:30 - Vance: (kit, kraiger)we have a boat, in bad shape. three people max, one flight. we can reach tPoleBase which has ... had ... two shuttles.
20:37:53 - Kit: is thet "to" a two or a no?
20:39:06 - Methuslah: Two
20:39:17 - Kit: OK, I'm taking a few blood samples and brainwave scans from all three of us and a few random crewmen and examine them for anything irregular.
20:39:51 - Kit: The chemicals, could they have been drugs he took himself (known medication or relaxational drugs)?
20:40:40 - Vance: by the way, what is the capacity of the shuttles at PoleBase?
20:40:41 - Kit: Vance, I think we should not simply abandon the men here. So befoire we leave on a one way trip, we should examine all our options here.
20:41:09 - Kraiger: (to Vance) Excellent - did you manage to raise the polar base to see what their status is?
20:41:27 - Methuslah: Each shuttle is a standard orbital type, with a capacity of four men and a crago of twenty tons - which can be converted into passenger space for forty men in each with a little work.
20:41:44 - Methuslah: You find nothing irregular, and no trace of the drugs the Captain took.
20:42:10 - Kraiger: Kit, we are stuck here, and running out of options. I think our first priority is to contact the fleet - they can handle a rescue mission much better than we can.
20:43:05 - Kit: Vance, how long do you think this bunker will stay safe from corrosion (barring further sabotage that is)
20:43:58 - Vance: no, been busy. (vance tries the radio again.) (if we do use this shuttle, we'll have to return for the rest of the troops. vance looks around for material to protect the shuttles.
20:45:11 - Kit: Is the fuel sufficient to break into orbit, outside of the atmospheric interference to send a message to the fleet and then reenter near polar base safely?
20:45:15 - Vance: vance also checks the seals around the doors to this space. how are they holding up?
20:45:24 - Methuslah: Nothing on the Radio.
20:45:43 - Methuslah: The seals appear to be holding satisfactorily, with no sign of corrosion.
20:46:05 - Vance: (ref: will this suborbital flight rise above the atmosphere?)
20:46:10 - Methuslah: The fuel will manage a short suborbital burn only - you have no way of knowing whether your altitiude will be sufficient.
20:46:33 - Methuslah: The peak will be about thirty miles up, in the upper atmosphere.
20:46:50 - Kraiger: I like that idea Kit.
20:47:02 - Vance: (kit) we'll have to assume we won't break atmosphere. if we do break it, then that's great.
20:47:02 - Kraiger: (Meth, let me know when the all-hands meeting comes together)
20:48:17 - Methuslah: The meeting will be gathering in ten minutes.
20:48:23 - Kraiger: (Sorry, I have to run off for 15 minutes - back shortly)
20:48:39 - Kit: does this shuttle have a full scanner outfit?
20:49:30 - Methuslah: The sensors are present, but the interpretive systems are not functioning - you can gather data, but not process it till you touch down.
20:50:09 - Kit: Can I feed that data into my portable computer (just in case something happens to the shuttle before we can examine it)?
20:51:49 - Methuslah: YOu can store the data in your portacomp, but it lacks any processing software.
20:52:33 - Kit: I know, But at least that way I can carry it with me until we find a suitable computer for analyzing it (Polar Base maybe)
20:54:33 - Kit: So if I give the shuttle here a once over, what is my estimate of it?
20:55:40 - Kit: You know guys, some things here are strange. When we first arrived here and asked for a vehicle, we were not told about the shuttles at all, there was only talk of one ATV somewhere. And we didn't ask the former commander but one of the men who probably had no reason to lie to us.
20:55:52 - Methuslah: It will manage the flight - with a good pilot at the controls.
20:56:51 - Methuslah: I know this is rather early, and no cliffhanger - but do you mind if we call a halt. I'm developing a rather nasty headache.
20:56:58 - Kit: Inconsistency number two: we were told, by sveral men, that the lights appeared outside the station and then the corrosion started which quickly resulted in the explosion. Now according to the logs we have found, the corrosion started hours BEFORE the first lights were sighted and the explosion took place.
20:57:30 - Kit: I'm not done listing the strange facts that have cropped up!! 
20:57:54 - Kit: Vance, do you happen to be a good pilot?
20:58:42 - Kit: meth, I don't mind, if you are not feeling well, but I'm surely sorry about ending the session so early.
20:58:46 - Vance: (ref: OK)
20:59:38 - Vance: (kit) "no. sat at the controls a time or two, but never trained."
21:00:02 - Kit: Oh well, then I know my next job.
21:04:47 - Kit: As long as we get something done next week (looks like I'll have to use my best skill again), I will survive the wait.
21:05:02 - Kraiger: '0 Doh! Missed the end! Sorry bout that, nice to play again! Sorry you're not feeling well
21:05:13 - Methuslah: Thanks Vance. Look forward to the suborbital flight!
21:05:32 - Vance: (uh oh)
21:06:01 - Kit: Don't worry Vance, with Kit at the wheel, we cannot fly wrong.