06-07-2020, 04:50 PM
For inspiration, I'll be using a vivid dream I had based on Gundam Wing and what could've come after the Eve Wars (besides Frozen Teardrop); for mechanics, I'll be using the Giant Exploding Robots ruleset by Tanner C. I generally have an idea of what my character looks like, I just need details as to his skillsets and personality. Onward!
It is the 15th year of the new Mars Century; the After Colony calendar has come to a close as of the year AC200. Mars has been terraformed with experimental nanotechnology and various other cutting-edge methods, and can now support human life within its atmosphere. Due to this, it has been rapidly colonized over the past few years. Though mobile suits are rare, and the Gundam-types have disappeared into legend, all is not quiet on the Martian soil, and Earth's gravity holds the dormant spirits of war within its atmosphere...
My name is Lukas Eden, and as of this year I'm eighteen Earth years old.
[Generating skills]
Riding
Danger sense
[Generating items]
Credit chip
Below average med-pack
Other than my rather basic first-aid kit and...[rolling d100 for credits]
23 = 23[d100]
23 credits, I don't have much beyond the clothes on my back and a communicator. [Where am I?]
Corporate scout ship
I'm in space right now as dictated by my corporate internship, aboard a small exploratory vessel bound for...
Barren flagship
...the ruins of an old OZ space vessel from around the year AC 195 or so. [Why are we headed there?]
Launch the probe from the spacecraft.
It apparently has an experimental space probe of some kind aboard, and our objective is to launch it as a test run and observe it so we can improve our modern probes if possible.
I'm already wearing the normal suit issued to me for space operations, and I head towards the airlock now, waiting for our ship to dock with the derelict. (Is there anyone there? 50/50)
Yes, and...
Argumentative Spanish leader
My immediate superior, Senior Explorer Lorenzo, waits for me at the airlock, in a normal suit much like mine, but with a green stripe breaking up the otherwise plain white helmet. He nods curtly, brow furrowed in either contemplation or annoyance--it's hard to tell with him. Several of my fellow Cadets/interns are present, similarly suited up, there are (1d6)
5 = 5[d6]
...five in total.
Vulgar probability manipulator
Beautiful philosopher
Relentless merchant
Serious detective
Obnoxious athlete
The team is comprised of:
Rick, the foulmouthed gambler who constantly spouts off odds (much to everyone else's annoyance); the rather attractive Laura, the most insightful of our team (however, she lacks initiative); the viciously competitive and calculating Denise , our sponsor's representative (basically a walking iceberg); Walt, a contractor attached to our unit for vague reasons (probably meant to root out any corruption or inefficiency given how standoffish he is); and Brad, zero-G dodgeball player from Earth's space colonies (an insufferable jackass who doesn't realize this outfit doesn't need muscle as much as it needs brainpower.)
I don't envy Lorenzo's job of keeping us in line.
Besides the hazards inherent to deep space operations, we really don't know what we're going to find. While the abandoned ship's crew are almost certainly long gone, it could be hiding just about anything deeper inside where we can't scan it from a distance.
Lorenzo briefed us more thoroughly earlier, and his voice crackles through our helmets as we dock to go over a few last-minute instructions. "Right, we've reached the derelict. I'd like you remind you all that our priority is finding that probe--not just salvage ops. We're bringing cutting tools and cargo harnesses purely on the off-chance we need to move the probe manually or saw through a sealed bulkhead to get there. You should each have a full tank of air in your normal suits by now, and your maneuvering packs should be topped off as well. Any questions before we open the airlock?"
I shake my head; maybe one of the others is less certain but for now I'm relatively eager to get moving. (Does anyone else ask anything? 50/50)
Yes, and... +Twist: Physical event / Hinders the hero
4 = 4[d5]
walt raises a gloved hand. "Question."
Desert / Investment
"If this place is abandoned, why not just take the whole thing in for salvage and try to hack the probe? Surely it'd be more cost-effective than risking manpower in an unknown environment..."
(How does Lorenzo answer?)
Lightly / Feeble
"Ehh...they haven't exactly explained. Maybe they want to keep this under wraps for whatever reason. It'd be a lot more noticeable if they sent a full salvage team. Of course, being on the front lines as I am, I think it's a stupid idea to risk our lives just so they can be secretive a little longer."
A ping-ing alarm tone sounds as Lorenzo finishes his explanation, such as it is. Lorenzo rolls his eyes behind his sealed helmet's visor. "Damnit, what now?"
The bridge comes through on our helmet comms. "The target vessel is losing structural integrity. The strain of docking may have been too much for it to handle; according to sensors, several decks have been sealed off by emergency failsafe mechanisms."
"Looks like we're gonna need those cutting torches," Lorenzo sighs.
"Shouldn't we call it off?" Laura asks nervously. "I mean, is the probe really worth risking our lives in a self-destructing spacecraft?"
"If there even is a damn probe," Rick mutters sullenly. "Something like..." he pauses. "50/50 chance it's not there at all, and even if it's there, maybe a 15% chance it works, tops. And I haven't even calculated how many of us won't--"
Lorenzo shuts him up with a glare. "That's enough. It's nothing we weren't trained to handle, but I still want everyone to be cautious. Again, we really don't know what else we'll find in there..."
Brad grins smugly. "I'll be fine, it's zero-gee! I was born to--"
This time, it's his turn to wilt under our leader's withering gaze. "You were born to be a grunt, doing brute force work that higher-ups can't be bothered to do themselves! Now shut the hell up and think, damn you!"
After a moment of silence, Lorenzo seems exasperated yet satisfied. "See? Not such a smartass now, are you? Now let's get this job done, we're wasting oxygen."
Another warning blares as the inner airlock door seals behind us. A moment later, the outer door opens.
It's momentarily dark, before we activate our helmets' lamps and cast an eerily pale light over the derelict's corridor. "No oxygen readings here," Lorenzo report. "figures."
With careful bursts from our maneuvering packs, we drift down the hall, cutting torches strapped to our normal suits.
(Is there more than one exit visible? 50/50)
Yes
(rolling 1d6+1 for number of exits.)
2 = 1[d6]+1
There are two doors; we docked at the side of the ship so there's a hatch at each end. Lorenzo sends us to the nearer of the two. (Is it sealed? [Likely due to earlier complication])
Yes
The door is sealed, and we have to cut our way through, spending valuable time, fuel, and oxygen to do so. (Rolling for amount of torch uses remaining, 1d8)
7 = 7[d8]
Fortunately, we still have plenty of fuel for the torches, at least. We head into the next room, and find...
Violate / Attention
...that the walls are lined with hazard stripes and warning signs. This must lead to one of the launch hangars, the external door for which is probably sealed.
(Is there anything of note in here? 50/50)
No
Beyond the signs, there's nothing of note. Just the bulkhead leading to the hangar proper. (Is it sealed? Likely)
Yes, and...
The door is sealed, and it's so heavily reinforced that we have to spend even more time cutting through it than the last. (The process uses twice as much torch fuel, leaving us with 5 uses remaining instead of 6.)
Drifting through the hole we cut, Lorenzo reports...(Is the probe in the bay? Very Likely)
Yes
...that the probe is present. We gather around it with varying degrees of interest.
Increase / Military
The probe itself is an industrial looking thing, painted purple-gray in the scheme of the old OZ space forces. It's going to be difficult to hack into, most likely.
(As it stands, my stats, based on my skills generated at session start, are 3 Awareness, 2 Focus, and 1 Determination.)
(Rolling Focus check, which would be 2d6, plus another 1d6 from the assistance of the rest of the team.)
6 = 4[d6]+1[d6]+1[d6]
After an attempt to hack the probe, it becomes apparent that its security protocols, while outdated, require a far more skilled hacker than any of us. What's more, red lights begin to flash and an alarm would probably sound if we weren't in a vacuum. Seeing as this ship is long abandoned, though, no OZ soldiers appear to apprehend us. And so we attempt another hack, although the probe will probably be rendered useless if we fail...
13 = 6[d6]+3[d6]+4[d6]
This time, the alarms deactivate and the probe's control screen lights up. The interface is familiar, and it doesn't take long to initiate a launch sequence remotely, once we're clear of the blast area and the hangar doors are open.
Tracking the probe visually and through a beacon we've attached, we wait almost breathlessly for the actual launch. With a rumble, the probe...(Does it launch successfully? Likely)
Yes
...blasts out of the hangar and off into space before stabilizing and waiting for further instructions about a kilometer out.
(What next?)
Fight / Lies
it's not clear what happens next, as I'm watching the probe, but suddenly there's a sharp inhalation...and a scream. I turn and there are droplets of blood beading in the airless void, a drifting body in a normal suit, and another member of the team is standing there with a raised sidearm, eyes cold and unrepentant. (Who got shot, and who was the shooter? 1=Rick, 2=Laura, 3=Denise, 4=Walt, 5=Brad 6=Lorenzo)
4 = 4[d6]
2 = 2[d6]
It's Laura's body floating there, and Walt's hand holding the gun. (Is Laura still alive? Unlikely)
No
Laura's been shot in the face, and my eyes widen as it becomes clear that there's no way she's still alive. Walt turns his gun towards...(1d6 rerolling 2's)
5 = 5[d6]
...Brad next, even as Brad moves to tackle him. (Does Brad hit him before the shot is fired? 50/50)
Yes
The shot goes wild despite the close quarters, and with a grunt Brad smashes into Walt, sending the two of them ricocheting through the hangar; with a moment of foresight despite the circumstances I seal the launch bay door so we don't lose them.
Lorenzo pulls a gun I didn't know he had and waits for a clear shot, snarling at Brad to get off of Walt. (What does Brad do?)
Celebrate / The innocent
"WHY DID YOU SHOOT HER, YOU BASTARD?!" Brad screams hoarsely. "SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO ANYONE! I'LL--I'LL KILL YOU!" His blows are ineffective in this zero-gee environment, but he doesn't seem aware of it. Lorenzo's still shouting for him to move so he can fire when...
Mistrust / A representative
...Denise pulls out a handgun of her own and shoots him.
(Does she hit? Somewhat Likely)
No
The shot goes wide, and I launch myself off of the catwalk railing towards her, hoping to get the gun from her before she fires again.
(Rolling Determination)
3 = 3[d6]
I don't get to her in time and she fires at me next. (Does she hit? 50/50 due to my velocity)
Yes, but...
The shot strikes my normal suit and I wince instinctively, but after a moment it becomes clear that it ricocheted off of my cargo harness. The impact does knock me back, however, arresting my momentum as Lorenzo turns his gun on her and opens fire, seeing as Brad and Walt are still tumbling over each other in empty space further into the bay.
(Does he hit? Somewhat Likely)
Yes
The shot hits. (Does it kill her? 50/50)
No, but...
It doesn't kill her outright, but it punctures her normal suit and she's forced to drop her gun in order to patch the hole or risk a slow death; Rick takes his chance and snatches up the drifting handgun, leveling it at her. "Got you now, bitch," he growls, the gun shaking but pointed at her helmet.
I seize a handrail to keep myself from drifting backwards any further, and Lorenzo hurtles towards Brad and Walt.
Separate / Animals
Brad is still yelling that Walt is a monster, not even human for what he's done as Lorenzo pries them apart and with a one-handed shove sends Brad spinning towards the wall to get him out of the way. Before Walt can capitalize on this, he's pinned to the floor, unable to fire, with the muzzle of Lorenzo's sidearm shoved against his visor. "Start talking and maybe I won't shoot you," the team leader snarls.
Walt just laughs hysterically. "You can't!"
"Try me."
"You can't, because you'll never find out why otherwise!"
"We only need one of you," Lorenzo growls, prodding the gun further against the traitor's visor.
(How does Walt respond?)
Fearfully / Disagreeable
"I-I can't tell you," Walt whispers, his laughter abruptly ceasing. "Whatever they'll do to me is worse than what you can."
"Who's 'they'?" Lorenzo demands incredulously. Walt just shakes his head, wide-eyed. (Does Lorenzo shoot him? Unlikely)
No
Lorenzo's finger tightens on the trigger, then relaxes after a moment. "Eden, get over here." Nervously, I float to him. He instructs me to bind Walt's hands and feet using straps from my cargo harness, and I do so before moving to Denise and doing the same at Rick's request.
Lorenzo tries to hail our ship... (Do they answer? 50/50)
No
No response. Either they were in league with Denise and Walt, they've detached to prevent their own destruction as the OZ ship continues to deteriorate, or there's just too much interference between corridors from all the old systems here malfunctioning.
Rick shakes his head. "This doesn't make any damn sense! Why bother taking us all the way out here just to kill us?"
"We can find out later. We need to find an escape shuttle or something before we all die here," Lorenzo replies. "Did anyone see anything like that on the way here?" he demands, but without much hope.
The look on my face through my visor makes it clear that I didn't.
"Rick, did you?"
Yes, but...
"Yeah, but it might not fit all of us and I have no idea if the stupid thing is fueled, or even functional--"
"It'll have to do. Lead the way."
"What about the other two?" I ask quietly, gesturing at Walt and Denise.
"We need at least one of them alive; otherwise Laura died for nothing."
I swallow nervously as he hands me his pistol and ties Walt tightly against his back, then ties Denise to Rick. "If they try anything, kill them," he says flatly of our two apparent prisoners.
We proceed to the shuttle bay with Denise as the corridor continues to rumble and quake around us. The ongoing transmissions from the probe to our visor HUDs paint us an ominous picture; the whole ship is on the verge of coming apart with us aboard.
(Is the shuttle bay sealed? 50/50)
Yes, and...
Unfortunately, the shuttle bay is sealed and we have to use the last of our torch's fuel to cut through the heavily reinforced airlock. I keep the gun trained shakily on Walt; even if Denise is on his side, she didn't kill anyone...yet. This is insane. All of it. But I'm keeping my feelings suppressed until we pass through the immediate crisis.
There'll be plenty of time for answers later as long as we survive.
We approach the shuttle. (Can it hold all of us? 50/50)
Yes, and...
It can hold all of us, and it's fully fueled; what's more, someone left the hatch unlocked. It appears to be an OZ cargo carrier of some kind.
Lorenzo gestures for me to give him back his gun, untying Walt from his harness and maneuvering him into the cargo hold, still bound at the wrists and ankles. Rick does the same with Denise. Both of the traitors are silent.
"Eden."
I turn, glancing to Lorenzo again as we head back towards the cockpit.
"You take the controls. You're a better pilot than me."
Normally his praise would encourage me, but it's little comfort when I think of Laura's body, drifting forever in the void alone...
Swallowing the lump rising in my throat, I nod, swinging myself into the pilot's seat.
(Does the shuttle start up? Likely)
Yes
I dial in the start-up sequence and the decades-old shuttle's thrusters come online with a rumble.
"Get us out of here," Lorenzo orders once he's strapped in. Rick enters the cockpit and quickly straps in as well. "The other two are secured," he announces, surprisingly quietly. Brad straps in, utterly silent; most likely he feels as numb as I do.
The docking arms holding the shuttle in place retract after I punch in another command, and I guide the shuttle out of the hangar and into open space.
"We should take the probe," I reason. "Whoever Denise and Walt are working for wanted it activated, so it's probably in our best interest to make sure they don't get a chance to use it. Whoever they are."
"It still doesn't make any damn sense," Rick mutters. "Why not just have the two of them come out here and do it? Or someone besides us, who wouldn't get the drop on them like we did?"
Lorenzo speaks up. "Probably because they knew the ship would come apart and didn't want anyone valuable on board when it did. Denise and Walt must have been worth potentially losing in exchange for whatever the probe will let them accomplish."
"Right then," I decide, adjusting our course. "We'll pick up the probe if we can, and destroy it if we can't."
It's the least we owe Laura,< I add silently.
"How would we do that?" Rick demands. "Does this thing even have any weapons?"
I check the various readouts in front of and above me, fingers flying like a pianist's from one control panel to the next. "I'd be surprised if it didn't. This was an OZ shuttle, after all."
(Is the shuttle armed? 50/50)
No
After a moment, however, I sigh in frustration as none of the displays yield any promising results. "...apparently I'm wrong. This was a dedicated cargo hauler."
Lorenzo opens the team channel again. "I'm still trying to make contact with our ship; there's less interference so they should be answering, but maybe I just don't have a strong enough signal from here. Try adjusting the shuttle's comms to their frequency, maybe they'll pick up."
I nod as I adjust to that frequency and open a channel. Hesitantly, I transmit an update on our current status, finishing with, "If you can hear us, respond immediately. I don't know how long our fuel or life support will last."
(Do they answer? 50/50)
No, but...
There's no answer, but the ship reappears on the sensor readout as we pass out of the zone of interference created by the crumbling derelict. (Why aren't they answering?)
Break / Military
"The shuttle's comms antenna might not be working," I announce. "But they'll pick us up if we get close, right?" I ask with more hope than I feel in my voice.
Lorenzo pauses, thoughts racing, brow furrowed. "We don't know if they're working with Walt and Denise. Take us closer, but be ready to evade if they turn on us."
"Understood."
We drift closer, hardly daring to breathe. (Do they attack us? 50/50)
Yes, and...
Develop / Prison
Alarms abruptly activate. An incoming attack! I kick in the afterburners, but we don't get very far before a missile hit disables our main engines, leaving us to float near-helplessly through space as the mothership draws up alongside us. Denise cackles hysterically over our team comms. "You're not getting away!" she declares triumphantly. If the mothership fires again--since when did it have weapons, I wonder at the back of my mind--we're dead, simple as that.
"Are you sure this thing's unarmed?" Lorenzo demands urgently. I nod gloomily
"We're crippled and they can board us or kill us whenever they want," Brad says suddenly. "We're gonna die out here, aren't we?" he realizes, panic rising in his voice. "Aren't we?"
Lorenzo unstraps himself from his seat and takes out his sidearm; Rick draws the gun that he took from Denise. I glance between the two of them. "You can't be serious. We can't take on an entire ship of enemies with just two guns."
Lorenzo nods. "No, we can't. But they can only send in a couple people at a time. Which they're going to do, otherwise they'd have fired again and killed us already. We can buy time."
"For what?" Brad demands. "There's nobody out here but us and them. Who's going to save us?"
Lorenzo shrugs. "Maybe nobody. Or maybe him," he adds, cocking his thumb at me--much to my surprise. "Eden, you're going to go to the back of the shuttle and see if you can fix the engines."
I'm skeptical, to say the least. "With a full week in drydock with a dedicated engineering team I probably could. You expect me to just jury rig the main engine in the space of a few minutes with no spare parts? On my own?"
"Do you have any better ideas?" Lorenzo growls. I open my mouth, and close it after realizing I don't. "Besides, you won't be on your own. Brad's going with you."
"Wait, what?" we both say at the same time.
"We only have two guns, and you'll be more useful as a second set of hands to fix things than standing here soaking up bullets," Lorenzo explains. "Brad--Eden is now your commanding officer. You do what he says, you don't give him any shit about it, and for God's sake don't do anything stupid."
I'm already headed towards the rear of the shuttle, passing through the cargo bay where Denise and Walt are still strapped down. I don't look at them. I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing the despair on my face before I die.
Brad follows nimbly--for all that he's an arrogant ass, he can at least handle himself in zero gravity well.
(Can I fix the engine with the supplies and knowledge I have available? Unlikely)
No, but...
The engine's a lost cause completely. I search the cargo hold for answers, desperation rising, when abruptly Brad and I stumble across something that may give us a chance.
Dangerously / Mysterious
The cargo hold is surprisingly large, if mostly empty other than one absolutely, presumably heavy object secured under tarps in the center of the bay. I nearly lose control of my momentum in shock. "No way. Not here, of all places."
Brad shrugs. "Can't say I'm complaining."
Painfully aware that Lorenzo and Rick's chances of holding off the enemy are rapidly dropping with every passing moment, we manage to remove the huge tarps, revealing a powered-down space-type mobile suit, painted in the dark purple color scheme of OZ's space forces.
"I thought they were all destroyed after AC196," I say incredulously. "How did this one survive? And why didn't we know about it before?"
"Well, if Walt and Denise had done their jobs right and killed us all, we wouldn't have needed to use the shuttle bay," Brad muses, surprisingly insightful.
I push past him towards the hatch in the mobile suit's torso. "You get the cargo hatch open and hold onto something. We might have a chance of surviving this!"
(Is the hatch unlocked? 50/50)
Yes, but...
The hatch is unlocked, but it's stuck shut regardless, perhaps due to disuse. I gesture frantically for Brad to assist me.
(Generating stats for Brad: 3 Determination, 2 Awareness, 1 Focus)
Brad nudges me aside and begins prying at the handle of the jammed hatch. (Rolling Determination, 3d6)
8 = 3[d6]+3[d6]+2[d6]
The hatch still won't open, and as we're struggling, the telltale white-hot glow of a cutting torch begins forming a circle in the hull nearby. We only have one more chance to get this thing open before troops from the mothership board us.
This time, we pull together. (Rolling Determination for Brad, +1d6 for my assistance for a total of 4d6)
17 = 6[d6]+2[d6]+3[d6]+6[d6]
The hatch nearly knocks Brad careening through the bay as it flies open, and I use the momentum to push him back towards the bay door controls; he reaches them just as the cutting torch completes its circle and a perfect disc-shaped chunk of metal gets kicked aside. We've been breached. . "Get the door open!" I shout over comms. Lorenzo and Rick appear at the opposite end of the bay, towards the cockpit, guns trained on the hole in the hull. That's the last sight I see of the cargo bay for the moment as I swing into the mobile suit's cockpit, taking a look over the controls with lightning speed, hands moving almost autonomously to strap in.
(Will the mobile suit start up easily? 50/50)
No
There's no readily apparent button or switch to activate the suit's reactor, and I'm forced to try random buttons in the hope that something will work. (Rolling Focus, 2d6)
8 = 6[d6]+2[d6]
Finally, an otherwise unassuming toggle switch ignites the reactor when I brush over it, and the reactor thrums behind the cockpit with seemingly barely contained power. The bay doors have opened by this time, and I fiddle with the controls some more to try to get the mobile suit--a Leo, as its own HUD calls it--upright.
(Rolling Focus to familiarize myself with the Leo's controls.)
8 = 4[d6]+4[d6]
The Leo struggles to bend at the waist as I work the joystick, but refuses to stand all the way. Gunshots ricochet silently against the titanium hull, and I hear a sharp inhalation--someone's been shot. (1d3: 1=Lorenzo, 2=Rick, 3=Brad)
3 = 3[d3]
It's Brad. (How badly is he hurt? Rolling Injury)
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
There's no further sound from his headset, but I hear Lorenzo shout at Rick to get to him and help him, <i>now</i>. I don't know more than that, or if Brad is even still alive at all at this point, and I grit my teeth as I attempt to stand the Leo upright again.
8 = 5[d6]+3[d6]
The Leo stands--clumsily, but it stands. A missile streaks out from the mothership--apparently the appearance of a mobile suit has changed their priorities from capturing us to killing us. I manage to get the Leo's arm-mounted shield raised in time to block the missile before it can detonate inside the bay, but the direct hit blows the shield off completely--I won't be able to use it again if it takes another hit like that. (Shield module Damaged)
. Knowing I don't have long before they fire again, I ignite the Leo's back thrusters and hurtle into space, turning to face the mothership. (Does the Leo have any weapons beyond its fixed armament, i.e. beam sabers? 50/50)
Yes
"Doesn't this thing have any guns?" I wonder aloud, eyes flicking from one readout to the next. Finally, I find the right display and flick a toggle on the joystick; the suit's arm reaches back automatically and grabs a mobile suit-scale machine gun from its back-mounted storage rack. I switch off the safeties as I continue to streak upwards through open space, before adjusting so I'm facing back down towards the mothership and the shuttle
Leveling the machine gun at the mothership, I transmit to Lorenzo via the suit's comms system. "I've got the mothership in my sights, what do I do now?"
It is the 15th year of the new Mars Century; the After Colony calendar has come to a close as of the year AC200. Mars has been terraformed with experimental nanotechnology and various other cutting-edge methods, and can now support human life within its atmosphere. Due to this, it has been rapidly colonized over the past few years. Though mobile suits are rare, and the Gundam-types have disappeared into legend, all is not quiet on the Martian soil, and Earth's gravity holds the dormant spirits of war within its atmosphere...
My name is Lukas Eden, and as of this year I'm eighteen Earth years old.
[Generating skills]
Riding
Danger sense
[Generating items]
Credit chip
Below average med-pack
Other than my rather basic first-aid kit and...[rolling d100 for credits]
23 = 23[d100]
23 credits, I don't have much beyond the clothes on my back and a communicator. [Where am I?]
Corporate scout ship
I'm in space right now as dictated by my corporate internship, aboard a small exploratory vessel bound for...
Barren flagship
...the ruins of an old OZ space vessel from around the year AC 195 or so. [Why are we headed there?]
Launch the probe from the spacecraft.
It apparently has an experimental space probe of some kind aboard, and our objective is to launch it as a test run and observe it so we can improve our modern probes if possible.
I'm already wearing the normal suit issued to me for space operations, and I head towards the airlock now, waiting for our ship to dock with the derelict. (Is there anyone there? 50/50)
Yes, and...
Argumentative Spanish leader
My immediate superior, Senior Explorer Lorenzo, waits for me at the airlock, in a normal suit much like mine, but with a green stripe breaking up the otherwise plain white helmet. He nods curtly, brow furrowed in either contemplation or annoyance--it's hard to tell with him. Several of my fellow Cadets/interns are present, similarly suited up, there are (1d6)
5 = 5[d6]
...five in total.
Vulgar probability manipulator
Beautiful philosopher
Relentless merchant
Serious detective
Obnoxious athlete
The team is comprised of:
Rick, the foulmouthed gambler who constantly spouts off odds (much to everyone else's annoyance); the rather attractive Laura, the most insightful of our team (however, she lacks initiative); the viciously competitive and calculating Denise , our sponsor's representative (basically a walking iceberg); Walt, a contractor attached to our unit for vague reasons (probably meant to root out any corruption or inefficiency given how standoffish he is); and Brad, zero-G dodgeball player from Earth's space colonies (an insufferable jackass who doesn't realize this outfit doesn't need muscle as much as it needs brainpower.)
I don't envy Lorenzo's job of keeping us in line.
Besides the hazards inherent to deep space operations, we really don't know what we're going to find. While the abandoned ship's crew are almost certainly long gone, it could be hiding just about anything deeper inside where we can't scan it from a distance.
Lorenzo briefed us more thoroughly earlier, and his voice crackles through our helmets as we dock to go over a few last-minute instructions. "Right, we've reached the derelict. I'd like you remind you all that our priority is finding that probe--not just salvage ops. We're bringing cutting tools and cargo harnesses purely on the off-chance we need to move the probe manually or saw through a sealed bulkhead to get there. You should each have a full tank of air in your normal suits by now, and your maneuvering packs should be topped off as well. Any questions before we open the airlock?"
I shake my head; maybe one of the others is less certain but for now I'm relatively eager to get moving. (Does anyone else ask anything? 50/50)
Yes, and... +Twist: Physical event / Hinders the hero
4 = 4[d5]
walt raises a gloved hand. "Question."
Desert / Investment
"If this place is abandoned, why not just take the whole thing in for salvage and try to hack the probe? Surely it'd be more cost-effective than risking manpower in an unknown environment..."
(How does Lorenzo answer?)
Lightly / Feeble
"Ehh...they haven't exactly explained. Maybe they want to keep this under wraps for whatever reason. It'd be a lot more noticeable if they sent a full salvage team. Of course, being on the front lines as I am, I think it's a stupid idea to risk our lives just so they can be secretive a little longer."
A ping-ing alarm tone sounds as Lorenzo finishes his explanation, such as it is. Lorenzo rolls his eyes behind his sealed helmet's visor. "Damnit, what now?"
The bridge comes through on our helmet comms. "The target vessel is losing structural integrity. The strain of docking may have been too much for it to handle; according to sensors, several decks have been sealed off by emergency failsafe mechanisms."
"Looks like we're gonna need those cutting torches," Lorenzo sighs.
"Shouldn't we call it off?" Laura asks nervously. "I mean, is the probe really worth risking our lives in a self-destructing spacecraft?"
"If there even is a damn probe," Rick mutters sullenly. "Something like..." he pauses. "50/50 chance it's not there at all, and even if it's there, maybe a 15% chance it works, tops. And I haven't even calculated how many of us won't--"
Lorenzo shuts him up with a glare. "That's enough. It's nothing we weren't trained to handle, but I still want everyone to be cautious. Again, we really don't know what else we'll find in there..."
Brad grins smugly. "I'll be fine, it's zero-gee! I was born to--"
This time, it's his turn to wilt under our leader's withering gaze. "You were born to be a grunt, doing brute force work that higher-ups can't be bothered to do themselves! Now shut the hell up and think, damn you!"
After a moment of silence, Lorenzo seems exasperated yet satisfied. "See? Not such a smartass now, are you? Now let's get this job done, we're wasting oxygen."
Another warning blares as the inner airlock door seals behind us. A moment later, the outer door opens.
It's momentarily dark, before we activate our helmets' lamps and cast an eerily pale light over the derelict's corridor. "No oxygen readings here," Lorenzo report. "figures."
With careful bursts from our maneuvering packs, we drift down the hall, cutting torches strapped to our normal suits.
(Is there more than one exit visible? 50/50)
Yes
(rolling 1d6+1 for number of exits.)
2 = 1[d6]+1
There are two doors; we docked at the side of the ship so there's a hatch at each end. Lorenzo sends us to the nearer of the two. (Is it sealed? [Likely due to earlier complication])
Yes
The door is sealed, and we have to cut our way through, spending valuable time, fuel, and oxygen to do so. (Rolling for amount of torch uses remaining, 1d8)
7 = 7[d8]
Fortunately, we still have plenty of fuel for the torches, at least. We head into the next room, and find...
Violate / Attention
...that the walls are lined with hazard stripes and warning signs. This must lead to one of the launch hangars, the external door for which is probably sealed.
(Is there anything of note in here? 50/50)
No
Beyond the signs, there's nothing of note. Just the bulkhead leading to the hangar proper. (Is it sealed? Likely)
Yes, and...
The door is sealed, and it's so heavily reinforced that we have to spend even more time cutting through it than the last. (The process uses twice as much torch fuel, leaving us with 5 uses remaining instead of 6.)
Drifting through the hole we cut, Lorenzo reports...(Is the probe in the bay? Very Likely)
Yes
...that the probe is present. We gather around it with varying degrees of interest.
Increase / Military
The probe itself is an industrial looking thing, painted purple-gray in the scheme of the old OZ space forces. It's going to be difficult to hack into, most likely.
(As it stands, my stats, based on my skills generated at session start, are 3 Awareness, 2 Focus, and 1 Determination.)
(Rolling Focus check, which would be 2d6, plus another 1d6 from the assistance of the rest of the team.)
6 = 4[d6]+1[d6]+1[d6]
After an attempt to hack the probe, it becomes apparent that its security protocols, while outdated, require a far more skilled hacker than any of us. What's more, red lights begin to flash and an alarm would probably sound if we weren't in a vacuum. Seeing as this ship is long abandoned, though, no OZ soldiers appear to apprehend us. And so we attempt another hack, although the probe will probably be rendered useless if we fail...
13 = 6[d6]+3[d6]+4[d6]
This time, the alarms deactivate and the probe's control screen lights up. The interface is familiar, and it doesn't take long to initiate a launch sequence remotely, once we're clear of the blast area and the hangar doors are open.
Tracking the probe visually and through a beacon we've attached, we wait almost breathlessly for the actual launch. With a rumble, the probe...(Does it launch successfully? Likely)
Yes
...blasts out of the hangar and off into space before stabilizing and waiting for further instructions about a kilometer out.
(What next?)
Fight / Lies
it's not clear what happens next, as I'm watching the probe, but suddenly there's a sharp inhalation...and a scream. I turn and there are droplets of blood beading in the airless void, a drifting body in a normal suit, and another member of the team is standing there with a raised sidearm, eyes cold and unrepentant. (Who got shot, and who was the shooter? 1=Rick, 2=Laura, 3=Denise, 4=Walt, 5=Brad 6=Lorenzo)
4 = 4[d6]
2 = 2[d6]
It's Laura's body floating there, and Walt's hand holding the gun. (Is Laura still alive? Unlikely)
No
Laura's been shot in the face, and my eyes widen as it becomes clear that there's no way she's still alive. Walt turns his gun towards...(1d6 rerolling 2's)
5 = 5[d6]
...Brad next, even as Brad moves to tackle him. (Does Brad hit him before the shot is fired? 50/50)
Yes
The shot goes wild despite the close quarters, and with a grunt Brad smashes into Walt, sending the two of them ricocheting through the hangar; with a moment of foresight despite the circumstances I seal the launch bay door so we don't lose them.
Lorenzo pulls a gun I didn't know he had and waits for a clear shot, snarling at Brad to get off of Walt. (What does Brad do?)
Celebrate / The innocent
"WHY DID YOU SHOOT HER, YOU BASTARD?!" Brad screams hoarsely. "SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO ANYONE! I'LL--I'LL KILL YOU!" His blows are ineffective in this zero-gee environment, but he doesn't seem aware of it. Lorenzo's still shouting for him to move so he can fire when...
Mistrust / A representative
...Denise pulls out a handgun of her own and shoots him.
(Does she hit? Somewhat Likely)
No
The shot goes wide, and I launch myself off of the catwalk railing towards her, hoping to get the gun from her before she fires again.
(Rolling Determination)
3 = 3[d6]
I don't get to her in time and she fires at me next. (Does she hit? 50/50 due to my velocity)
Yes, but...
The shot strikes my normal suit and I wince instinctively, but after a moment it becomes clear that it ricocheted off of my cargo harness. The impact does knock me back, however, arresting my momentum as Lorenzo turns his gun on her and opens fire, seeing as Brad and Walt are still tumbling over each other in empty space further into the bay.
(Does he hit? Somewhat Likely)
Yes
The shot hits. (Does it kill her? 50/50)
No, but...
It doesn't kill her outright, but it punctures her normal suit and she's forced to drop her gun in order to patch the hole or risk a slow death; Rick takes his chance and snatches up the drifting handgun, leveling it at her. "Got you now, bitch," he growls, the gun shaking but pointed at her helmet.
I seize a handrail to keep myself from drifting backwards any further, and Lorenzo hurtles towards Brad and Walt.
Separate / Animals
Brad is still yelling that Walt is a monster, not even human for what he's done as Lorenzo pries them apart and with a one-handed shove sends Brad spinning towards the wall to get him out of the way. Before Walt can capitalize on this, he's pinned to the floor, unable to fire, with the muzzle of Lorenzo's sidearm shoved against his visor. "Start talking and maybe I won't shoot you," the team leader snarls.
Walt just laughs hysterically. "You can't!"
"Try me."
"You can't, because you'll never find out why otherwise!"
"We only need one of you," Lorenzo growls, prodding the gun further against the traitor's visor.
(How does Walt respond?)
Fearfully / Disagreeable
"I-I can't tell you," Walt whispers, his laughter abruptly ceasing. "Whatever they'll do to me is worse than what you can."
"Who's 'they'?" Lorenzo demands incredulously. Walt just shakes his head, wide-eyed. (Does Lorenzo shoot him? Unlikely)
No
Lorenzo's finger tightens on the trigger, then relaxes after a moment. "Eden, get over here." Nervously, I float to him. He instructs me to bind Walt's hands and feet using straps from my cargo harness, and I do so before moving to Denise and doing the same at Rick's request.
Lorenzo tries to hail our ship... (Do they answer? 50/50)
No
No response. Either they were in league with Denise and Walt, they've detached to prevent their own destruction as the OZ ship continues to deteriorate, or there's just too much interference between corridors from all the old systems here malfunctioning.
Rick shakes his head. "This doesn't make any damn sense! Why bother taking us all the way out here just to kill us?"
"We can find out later. We need to find an escape shuttle or something before we all die here," Lorenzo replies. "Did anyone see anything like that on the way here?" he demands, but without much hope.
The look on my face through my visor makes it clear that I didn't.
"Rick, did you?"
Yes, but...
"Yeah, but it might not fit all of us and I have no idea if the stupid thing is fueled, or even functional--"
"It'll have to do. Lead the way."
"What about the other two?" I ask quietly, gesturing at Walt and Denise.
"We need at least one of them alive; otherwise Laura died for nothing."
I swallow nervously as he hands me his pistol and ties Walt tightly against his back, then ties Denise to Rick. "If they try anything, kill them," he says flatly of our two apparent prisoners.
We proceed to the shuttle bay with Denise as the corridor continues to rumble and quake around us. The ongoing transmissions from the probe to our visor HUDs paint us an ominous picture; the whole ship is on the verge of coming apart with us aboard.
(Is the shuttle bay sealed? 50/50)
Yes, and...
Unfortunately, the shuttle bay is sealed and we have to use the last of our torch's fuel to cut through the heavily reinforced airlock. I keep the gun trained shakily on Walt; even if Denise is on his side, she didn't kill anyone...yet. This is insane. All of it. But I'm keeping my feelings suppressed until we pass through the immediate crisis.
There'll be plenty of time for answers later as long as we survive.
We approach the shuttle. (Can it hold all of us? 50/50)
Yes, and...
It can hold all of us, and it's fully fueled; what's more, someone left the hatch unlocked. It appears to be an OZ cargo carrier of some kind.
Lorenzo gestures for me to give him back his gun, untying Walt from his harness and maneuvering him into the cargo hold, still bound at the wrists and ankles. Rick does the same with Denise. Both of the traitors are silent.
"Eden."
I turn, glancing to Lorenzo again as we head back towards the cockpit.
"You take the controls. You're a better pilot than me."
Normally his praise would encourage me, but it's little comfort when I think of Laura's body, drifting forever in the void alone...
Swallowing the lump rising in my throat, I nod, swinging myself into the pilot's seat.
(Does the shuttle start up? Likely)
Yes
I dial in the start-up sequence and the decades-old shuttle's thrusters come online with a rumble.
"Get us out of here," Lorenzo orders once he's strapped in. Rick enters the cockpit and quickly straps in as well. "The other two are secured," he announces, surprisingly quietly. Brad straps in, utterly silent; most likely he feels as numb as I do.
The docking arms holding the shuttle in place retract after I punch in another command, and I guide the shuttle out of the hangar and into open space.
"We should take the probe," I reason. "Whoever Denise and Walt are working for wanted it activated, so it's probably in our best interest to make sure they don't get a chance to use it. Whoever they are."
"It still doesn't make any damn sense," Rick mutters. "Why not just have the two of them come out here and do it? Or someone besides us, who wouldn't get the drop on them like we did?"
Lorenzo speaks up. "Probably because they knew the ship would come apart and didn't want anyone valuable on board when it did. Denise and Walt must have been worth potentially losing in exchange for whatever the probe will let them accomplish."
"Right then," I decide, adjusting our course. "We'll pick up the probe if we can, and destroy it if we can't."
It's the least we owe Laura,< I add silently.
"How would we do that?" Rick demands. "Does this thing even have any weapons?"
I check the various readouts in front of and above me, fingers flying like a pianist's from one control panel to the next. "I'd be surprised if it didn't. This was an OZ shuttle, after all."
(Is the shuttle armed? 50/50)
No
After a moment, however, I sigh in frustration as none of the displays yield any promising results. "...apparently I'm wrong. This was a dedicated cargo hauler."
Lorenzo opens the team channel again. "I'm still trying to make contact with our ship; there's less interference so they should be answering, but maybe I just don't have a strong enough signal from here. Try adjusting the shuttle's comms to their frequency, maybe they'll pick up."
I nod as I adjust to that frequency and open a channel. Hesitantly, I transmit an update on our current status, finishing with, "If you can hear us, respond immediately. I don't know how long our fuel or life support will last."
(Do they answer? 50/50)
No, but...
There's no answer, but the ship reappears on the sensor readout as we pass out of the zone of interference created by the crumbling derelict. (Why aren't they answering?)
Break / Military
"The shuttle's comms antenna might not be working," I announce. "But they'll pick us up if we get close, right?" I ask with more hope than I feel in my voice.
Lorenzo pauses, thoughts racing, brow furrowed. "We don't know if they're working with Walt and Denise. Take us closer, but be ready to evade if they turn on us."
"Understood."
We drift closer, hardly daring to breathe. (Do they attack us? 50/50)
Yes, and...
Develop / Prison
Alarms abruptly activate. An incoming attack! I kick in the afterburners, but we don't get very far before a missile hit disables our main engines, leaving us to float near-helplessly through space as the mothership draws up alongside us. Denise cackles hysterically over our team comms. "You're not getting away!" she declares triumphantly. If the mothership fires again--since when did it have weapons, I wonder at the back of my mind--we're dead, simple as that.
"Are you sure this thing's unarmed?" Lorenzo demands urgently. I nod gloomily
"We're crippled and they can board us or kill us whenever they want," Brad says suddenly. "We're gonna die out here, aren't we?" he realizes, panic rising in his voice. "Aren't we?"
Lorenzo unstraps himself from his seat and takes out his sidearm; Rick draws the gun that he took from Denise. I glance between the two of them. "You can't be serious. We can't take on an entire ship of enemies with just two guns."
Lorenzo nods. "No, we can't. But they can only send in a couple people at a time. Which they're going to do, otherwise they'd have fired again and killed us already. We can buy time."
"For what?" Brad demands. "There's nobody out here but us and them. Who's going to save us?"
Lorenzo shrugs. "Maybe nobody. Or maybe him," he adds, cocking his thumb at me--much to my surprise. "Eden, you're going to go to the back of the shuttle and see if you can fix the engines."
I'm skeptical, to say the least. "With a full week in drydock with a dedicated engineering team I probably could. You expect me to just jury rig the main engine in the space of a few minutes with no spare parts? On my own?"
"Do you have any better ideas?" Lorenzo growls. I open my mouth, and close it after realizing I don't. "Besides, you won't be on your own. Brad's going with you."
"Wait, what?" we both say at the same time.
"We only have two guns, and you'll be more useful as a second set of hands to fix things than standing here soaking up bullets," Lorenzo explains. "Brad--Eden is now your commanding officer. You do what he says, you don't give him any shit about it, and for God's sake don't do anything stupid."
I'm already headed towards the rear of the shuttle, passing through the cargo bay where Denise and Walt are still strapped down. I don't look at them. I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing the despair on my face before I die.
Brad follows nimbly--for all that he's an arrogant ass, he can at least handle himself in zero gravity well.
(Can I fix the engine with the supplies and knowledge I have available? Unlikely)
No, but...
The engine's a lost cause completely. I search the cargo hold for answers, desperation rising, when abruptly Brad and I stumble across something that may give us a chance.
Dangerously / Mysterious
The cargo hold is surprisingly large, if mostly empty other than one absolutely, presumably heavy object secured under tarps in the center of the bay. I nearly lose control of my momentum in shock. "No way. Not here, of all places."
Brad shrugs. "Can't say I'm complaining."
Painfully aware that Lorenzo and Rick's chances of holding off the enemy are rapidly dropping with every passing moment, we manage to remove the huge tarps, revealing a powered-down space-type mobile suit, painted in the dark purple color scheme of OZ's space forces.
"I thought they were all destroyed after AC196," I say incredulously. "How did this one survive? And why didn't we know about it before?"
"Well, if Walt and Denise had done their jobs right and killed us all, we wouldn't have needed to use the shuttle bay," Brad muses, surprisingly insightful.
I push past him towards the hatch in the mobile suit's torso. "You get the cargo hatch open and hold onto something. We might have a chance of surviving this!"
(Is the hatch unlocked? 50/50)
Yes, but...
The hatch is unlocked, but it's stuck shut regardless, perhaps due to disuse. I gesture frantically for Brad to assist me.
(Generating stats for Brad: 3 Determination, 2 Awareness, 1 Focus)
Brad nudges me aside and begins prying at the handle of the jammed hatch. (Rolling Determination, 3d6)
8 = 3[d6]+3[d6]+2[d6]
The hatch still won't open, and as we're struggling, the telltale white-hot glow of a cutting torch begins forming a circle in the hull nearby. We only have one more chance to get this thing open before troops from the mothership board us.
This time, we pull together. (Rolling Determination for Brad, +1d6 for my assistance for a total of 4d6)
17 = 6[d6]+2[d6]+3[d6]+6[d6]
The hatch nearly knocks Brad careening through the bay as it flies open, and I use the momentum to push him back towards the bay door controls; he reaches them just as the cutting torch completes its circle and a perfect disc-shaped chunk of metal gets kicked aside. We've been breached. . "Get the door open!" I shout over comms. Lorenzo and Rick appear at the opposite end of the bay, towards the cockpit, guns trained on the hole in the hull. That's the last sight I see of the cargo bay for the moment as I swing into the mobile suit's cockpit, taking a look over the controls with lightning speed, hands moving almost autonomously to strap in.
(Will the mobile suit start up easily? 50/50)
No
There's no readily apparent button or switch to activate the suit's reactor, and I'm forced to try random buttons in the hope that something will work. (Rolling Focus, 2d6)
8 = 6[d6]+2[d6]
Finally, an otherwise unassuming toggle switch ignites the reactor when I brush over it, and the reactor thrums behind the cockpit with seemingly barely contained power. The bay doors have opened by this time, and I fiddle with the controls some more to try to get the mobile suit--a Leo, as its own HUD calls it--upright.
(Rolling Focus to familiarize myself with the Leo's controls.)
8 = 4[d6]+4[d6]
The Leo struggles to bend at the waist as I work the joystick, but refuses to stand all the way. Gunshots ricochet silently against the titanium hull, and I hear a sharp inhalation--someone's been shot. (1d3: 1=Lorenzo, 2=Rick, 3=Brad)
3 = 3[d3]
It's Brad. (How badly is he hurt? Rolling Injury)
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
There's no further sound from his headset, but I hear Lorenzo shout at Rick to get to him and help him, <i>now</i>. I don't know more than that, or if Brad is even still alive at all at this point, and I grit my teeth as I attempt to stand the Leo upright again.
8 = 5[d6]+3[d6]
The Leo stands--clumsily, but it stands. A missile streaks out from the mothership--apparently the appearance of a mobile suit has changed their priorities from capturing us to killing us. I manage to get the Leo's arm-mounted shield raised in time to block the missile before it can detonate inside the bay, but the direct hit blows the shield off completely--I won't be able to use it again if it takes another hit like that. (Shield module Damaged)
. Knowing I don't have long before they fire again, I ignite the Leo's back thrusters and hurtle into space, turning to face the mothership. (Does the Leo have any weapons beyond its fixed armament, i.e. beam sabers? 50/50)
Yes
"Doesn't this thing have any guns?" I wonder aloud, eyes flicking from one readout to the next. Finally, I find the right display and flick a toggle on the joystick; the suit's arm reaches back automatically and grabs a mobile suit-scale machine gun from its back-mounted storage rack. I switch off the safeties as I continue to streak upwards through open space, before adjusting so I'm facing back down towards the mothership and the shuttle
Leveling the machine gun at the mothership, I transmit to Lorenzo via the suit's comms system. "I've got the mothership in my sights, what do I do now?"