Imperial Fringe Online Game Chat Session Log February 22nd 2004
20:48:33 - Methuslah: Right. Now, your sensor alarm has just sounded. Something is coming at you, bearing directly, from the diection of hte asteroids.
20:49:43 - Kit: can the scanners identify a few more details about the "something" ?
20:49:58 - Kraiger: "Kit, whats that???"
20:50:20 - Kit: "dunno yet" (running full sensor scan)
20:51:05 - Methuslah: Make a roll - 7 or more.
20:51:27 - Kit: 2D6: 9
20:51:55 - Methuslah: High energy readings, arrow shape - on an intercept course.
20:52:31 - Kit: Oh rats, now they are aiming for us, preparing quick evasive maneuver and then full power down.
20:52:30 - Kraiger: "They've seen us then. Kit, we'd better put this crate down and run for it!"
20:53:03 - Kit: Freakin lights left out in space. Well, at least as long as they are hunting us, they are leaving the fleet alone.
20:53:55 - Kit: I think we have some mine aboard to caus an energy discharge distraction. prepare to drop one
20:54:29 - vance: vance gets the decoy ready.
20:54:44 - Kit: This worked once before, maybe it will again.
20:55:37 - Methuslah: Ready to fire.
20:56:18 - Kit: maybe we can time it in such a way, that the decoy explode just before the arrow reaches it, so maybe it'll be destroyed too or at least believe us gone.
20:56:37 - vance: vance tosses the decoy.
20:56:51 - Kit: As soon as the decoy is dropped, I plan a quick evasive maneuver, then a full power down as soon as it explodes.
20:57:13 - Kit: siad maneuver should bring us out of explosion range of course.
20:57:33 - vance: "fire in the hole ... sort of"
20:58:51 - Methuslah: OK. Pilot roll - 7 or more for the maneuver, and then Engineering of 7 or more for the powerdown.
20:59:11 - Kit: Dammned thing is, we obviously didn't manage to shut the f*** lights off. We must have missed something. Obviously they are not directly connected to the pyramid.
20:59:17 - Kit: pilot 2D6: 5
20:59:25 - Kit: engineer 2D6: 8
21:00:26 - Kit: Darn forgot how clunky this baby is.
21:01:19 - Methuslah: OK. Pilot roll failed, but engine did. SO you are caught int he explosion as it goes off. YOu are gently rocked by the force, but some of your sensors and you communication antenna are out.
21:02:03 - Kit: Oh darn, not the comm again. I should remember to pack plenty of spares next time.
21:02:33 - vance: vance begins attempting repairs of down systems.
21:02:48 - Kit: anything to be seen on the remaining sensors? (Passive mode only)
21:04:17 - Methuslah: The passive sensor array is disabled. Active might function.
21:05:08 - Kit: And active might just alert the light to our presence. Talk about a tough choice. Does the ship have windows?
21:05:47 - Kit: Otherwise someone has to go out the hatch to take a look around with our good old eyes.
21:06:05 - Kraiger: "I'm not sticking my head outside this close to the ground!"
21:06:19 - Methuslah: A viewport, but the light was to you rear.
21:06:39 - vance: "I'll look." vance does so.
21:08:25 - Methuslah: Just the stars to the front.
21:08:28 - Kit: Kraiger, we aren't close to the ground. We are many, many miles up.
21:09:13 - vance: vance continues repairs.
21:09:43 - Kraiger: *sigh* "OK then, just don't run into anything" (Kraiger heads to the airlock, PGMP in hand)
21:09:47 - Kit: So did vance look out of the airlock or just the window?
21:10:14 - Kit: everybody seal up your suits.
21:11:18 - Kit: Dont forget to attach a safety line, Kraiger.
21:11:48 - Methuslah: OK - you are ready to open airlock.
21:13:31 - Kraiger: (Open the inner hatch, step inside, and hook on a safety line) "OK, I'm in - depressurize"
21:14:11 - Kraiger: (Getting a firm grip, I prepare to open the outer hatch) "Kit, we've really got to find a ship made of glass..."
21:14:17 - Kit: depressurizing. good luck.
21:14:22 - Kraiger: (Open outer hatch...)
21:14:58 - Kit: Aw, glass wouldn't have stood up to the rigors of catapulting ourselves into orbit on the shockwave of an explosuíon.
21:15:30 - Kit: And really, do you want a ship with everything made of glass, even the john?
21:15:56 - Methuslah: Airlock open to space.
21:16:08 - Kit: And whatever would happen to your illusion of being on firm ground if said ground was transparent?
21:16:58 - Kraiger: (Kraiger eases himself outside to have a look) "Kit, I was a grunt - any john is a luxury..."
21:17:56 - Kit: <snicker> do tell. I'm a scout. We are used to very creative variants.
21:19:55 - Kraiger: (Kraiger smivels around to try and see tha arrow) "Plus, I've been wearing this suit for two days straight..."
21:20:10 - Methuslah: YOu see the arrow, hanging dead in space. ANother six arrows are far, far beneath you, almost in the planet's atmoshpere, headign down.
21:20:41 - Kit: (how many arrow did we count on the display in the pyramid?)
21:21:41 - Methuslah: A few dozen, I believe.
21:21:52 - Kraiger: "Looks like we fooled 'em. There are a bunch below us, and one above us."
21:22:17 - Kit: Any othres visible out in space? Maybe coming home or somesuch?
21:23:09 - Kit: (How much longe till we have to go down if we still want a controlled landing?)
21:23:27 - Kraiger: "I'll take a look" (scans some more)
21:24:55 - Kit: Vance, can you fix the damage to the comm?
21:25:40 - vance: "trying." 2D6: 8
21:27:32 - Methuslah: Not repairable from inside. You'd ave to take a look at the damage from the outside.
21:27:39 - Methuslah: No other arrows in sight.
21:28:18 - Kit: And that one is still hanging there, how far from us?
21:29:01 - Kraiger: "I'm coming in..." (Kraiger heads back into the ship)
21:29:02 - Kit: Kraiger, can you take a few pictures of the arrow? Closeups maybe, and run a scan with the handscanner?
21:29:48 - vance: then vance heads out to try and fix some damage.
21:30:14 - Kit: Vance, take the camera and scanner along and see what you can find out about the arrow.
21:32:30 - Methuslah: The camera manages to get some good shots - but the arrow is beyond the range of the handscanner - it is moving down towards the planet.
21:33:01 - Methuslah: The communications antenna is badly damaged. Repair will take two 8 or more rolls, and ten minutes. YOu have the realign the antennas, and first repair the computer guidancne system - the AE 35 antenna unit.
21:33:36 - Kit: maybe they are all going back to their base. I hope they stay there. Or run out of energy eventually, if we managed to destroy tgeir power source.
21:33:58 - vance: "pretty beat up out here." 2D6: 10
21:34:15 - Kit: Can you fix it?
21:34:20 - vance: "making some progress" 2D6: 8
21:34:41 - vance: "I think I got it. if you think it's safe you can give it a try."
21:34:48 - Kit: Good. we do need commy back up. I still hope for some word from the fleet.
21:35:21 - Kit: OK, turning on listening mode only (dont wanna alert the lights by sending out stuff)
21:35:44 - vance: vance continues working on the sensors if he can.
21:36:04 - Methuslah: God job. You have the antenna repair. Nothing on comms. Sensors are too badly damaged to repair - parts melted away.
21:36:05 - Kit: Vance, stay outside for a while and keep a look around fro more lights.
21:36:59 - Kit: just silence on comms or static from some kind of scrambling?
21:37:39 - Kit: What about the comm link we dropped in orbit? is it still working or did the lights get it?
21:37:50 - Methuslah: Nothing to hear except for background galactic and solar radiation.
21:38:12 - Kit: (BTW today is an anniversáry, this is our 50th session)
21:38:42 - Kraiger: (Wow, 50 sessions!)
21:39:27 - Kit: (and we stil aint anywhere near where we were supposedly hired to be 
)
21:39:37 - vance: (longer-lived than most games)
21:40:03 - vance: "right, hanging around outside and looking"
21:40:10 - Kit: No word from the fleet. I do hope they are still out there and doing fine. If we recalled the lights in time, they should be.
21:42:05 - Methuslah: The lights are chaning formation. moving into a long line, flying over the area of the pyramid.
21:42:22 - Kit: Suggestion: I say we risk another broadcast of data out to the fleet, including our observation of the returning lights. Then we head for the pole. Lets hope we can use the ice there to fuel up. We have few other options left, as our orbit won't stay stable for long. Once we gat the ship fueled up, we have more options. Or does anyone have another idea?
21:42:22 - Methuslah: (Cause for celebaration - this is my second-longest-lived campaign!)
21:43:06 - Kit: their formation, could it be some kind of seacrh pattern?
21:43:33 - vance: "no other ideas, sounds reasonable."
21:49:49 - Kit: thinking about the script that we deciphered again. Can I think of any way to "write" a "leave us alone, go hope"-message?
21:50:36 - Kit: (go home, not hope), or something along the line of: "turn power off, go to sleep"?
21:51:53 - Methuslah: Hmm....you'd have to find some way of writing it mathematically. You'd need a team of linguists and full computer databank to decode the language (the fleet might manage it), but you might be able to write it in your code.
21:52:08 - Kit: you said the script was based on mathematics. that means we should be able to broadcast it in some manner as well. Wavelength modulation or somesuch)
21:52:17 - Methuslah: Vance, you can see a bright light flshingo n the surface; and the arrows heading for it.
21:53:04 - Kit: Near the pyramid?
21:55:37 - vance: where is the flash located?
21:56:17 - Methuslah: Near the pyramid, as far as y ou can see. (Back in a minute).
21:58:16 - vance: "kit, someplace near the pyramid we were inside of has started flashing a light, and the psychic lights are heading towards it."
21:59:50 - Kit: could it be directly at the pyramid or closeby? Keep an eye on what the lights are doing. (Meanwhile I am preparing a compressed data packege of our observations that we can broadcast as soon as we power up again to head for the polar ice.)
22:00:29 - Kit: Is the light flashing in some kind of discernible pattern or rythm?
22:01:39 - Methuslah: Not flashing - it is just a bright, steady light.
22:02:07 - vance: "just steady.
22:02:37 - Kit: What are the lights doing. Are they reaching it?
22:02:55 - Methuslah: It seems to be fairly close to the pyramid. You'd need a sensor reading to determine exact location.
22:03:01 - Methuslah: The lights seem to be heading for the light.
22:04:14 - Kit: You said the active sensors are still working. maybe we can risk a quick active scan when we power up anyway. (how much more time do we have till we have to go down?)
22:04:27 - Kit: How fast are the lights moving?
22:05:34 - Methuslah: Fairly slowly. You have only six minutes if you want a controlled re-entry - you'll have longer but must then burn up.
22:05:36 - Kit: Still 7 lights or are there any more now?
22:05:53 - Methuslah: Still 7.
22:06:58 - Kit: I do prefer a controlled reentry. So its 6 minutes. W'll watch the lights for another 5 minutes, then come inside Vance, we'll start the broadcast, a quick active scan and then head fro the pole. Everyone ok with that?
22:07:41 - Kraiger: Yup
22:08:19 - vance: "yes."
22:10:31 - Kit: So, what are the lights doing during the last five minutes of observation?
22:11:55 - Methuslah: Heading directly for the light, then beginning to cirle it.
22:12:39 - vance: "round-up time."
22:13:23 - Methuslah: Allright. You have only barely enough fuel to make a landing. Where are you coming in?
22:14:16 - vance: vance moves back into the airlock, shuts it, and buckles in.
22:14:20 - Kit: as close to the ice we located on the pole, preferably right on it. Immediately before we go down, I send out the latest broadcast and run a short active scan.
22:19:50 - Methuslah: Very well. I'll need four rolls of pilot - 8 or more. A successful Navigation roll (8 or more) by any player can modifiy each indidivual roll to 6 ore more.
22:21:35 - Kit: (so here we go for the dicefest again. Can I do the naviagation rolls myself? Are they modified by skill? Are the pilot rolls modified by skill?)
22:21:56 - vance: 2D6: 2
22:22:11 - vance: (vance is going to shut up now...)
22:22:15 - Kit: starting with naviagation rolls nav 1 2D6: 6
22:22:22 - Kit: nav2 2D6: 12
22:22:28 - Kit: nav 3 2D6: 7
22:22:39 - Kit: nav 4 2D6: 2
22:22:53 - Kit: (lousy, I hope the pilot rolls hget better)
22:23:09 - Kit: pilot 1 2D6: 8
22:23:21 - Kit: pilot 2 2D6: 9
22:23:43 - Kit: pilot 3 2D6: 9
22:23:53 - Kit: pilot 4 2D6: 9
22:24:02 - Kit: (must be a series)
22:26:34 - Methuslah: Wow! You slowly begin to gilde in, and make a pefect landing on the ice cap. You see a rising plume of snow from all sides as you slowly slide to a halt. However, you used up the last of your fuel amking the landing.
22:27:27 - vance: "so we're refueling from snow. how?"
22:27:43 - Methuslah just entered this channel
22:28:29 - Kit: Well, if the snow is made up of water (I hope) we can use the onboard converter to extract hydrogen from it. If it is mad up of something else, we are limited to building snowmen until the cavalry shows up.
22:29:03 - Kit: Anyway, to be on the safe side, I power down the ship completely after landing. we don't want to attract any strange lights.
22:29:20 - Kit: Then I prepere to go outside to analyze the snow.
22:29:28 - Methuslah: OK - Engineering roll, 7 or more.
22:29:53 - Kit: engineering coming right up 2D6: 9
22:30:04 - Kit: (really a series!)
22:30:59 - Methuslah: Ok - ship powered down satisfactorily.
22:31:44 - vance: "ok ... anyone have a bucket and a shovel?"
22:32:37 - Kit: Lets check what the snow is made up of first.
22:33:26 - Kit: (just checking if the series continues 2D6: 5)
22:33:48 - Kit: (ah ok, i was beginning to worry about the dice roller 
)
22:35:51 - Methuslah: OK. You open the airlock to find conditions as before. The snow appears at first sight to be just that: water ice.
22:36:32 - Kit: I tend not to trust firs sight. Out comes my scanner fro a direct analysis.
22:37:04 - Methuslah: OK - make a Computer roll - 5 or more.
22:37:06 - Kit: (we are nearing the time for a cliffhanger I fear. Everyone keep a lookout for the Yeti 
)
22:37:23 - Kit: 2D6: 5
22:38:16 - Methuslah: Water ice, with only minor impurities.
22:39:14 - Kit: Perfect. OK, one of you has to take "scan the horizon for lights"-duty, the other one can help me with the converter.
22:39:57 - vance: "I'll help ..."
22:40:14 - Kraiger: "I'll keep my eyes open" (Kraiger finds a covered position 50 meters from the ship and digs in to observe)
22:40:44 - Methuslah: Suddenly, you see a bright flash in the sky - and an arrow bearing directly on your position......
22:40:52 - Methuslah: More, next week, on the exciting adventures of......
22:40:59 - Kit: Ok, with Vances help I'll start to get the converter busy.
22:41:25 - Kit: ah well, not quite a yeti, but I was right about the timing.
22:41:32 - Methuslah: Sorry guys!
22:41:40 - Kit: And we really need a good name for our team. Any suggestions?
22:42:57 - vance: "thin ice"?
22:43:11 - vance: "the cliff club"?
22:43:46 - Methuslah: "The Eventual Explorers?"
22:43:49 - Kit: cliff club is good, but the joke is purely outtime. our characters wouldn't get it, and the name should fit them.
22:44:05 - Kraiger: "Crotchety Scount and company?"
22:44:38 - Kit: crotchety? who do you mean by that 
22:45:07 - Methuslah: Well, anyway, see you have next week. Haev a good one!
22:45:24 - vance: (I'm usually pretty good at this sort of thing, but for an in-game name I'm a bit stumped. maybe over the week I can think of something.)
22:45:26 - Kraiger: see ya
22:45:38 - Methuslah: Bye!
22:45:39 - Kit: maybe we can think up a good name until next week.