TheRPGSite

Other Games, Development, & Campaigns => Play by Post Games => Topic started by: Ian Absentia on June 04, 2007, 01:19:08 AM

Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 04, 2007, 01:19:08 AM
[synopsis]Game Setting: Third Imperium, Sword Worlds and beyond, with some details changed for flavor
Game System: "Classic" Traveller, c. 1977-81
[/synopsis][links][/links]
[announcement]I've been working on a wiki to organise a number of thoughts I've had for Ian's Tangential Traveller, a loose riff on the established Third Imperium setting.  Back in the day, my friends and I never played the 3I straight out of the box, and it shows in these (very rough) notes I've begun to assemble.[/announcement]The Situation
Following the Fifth Frontier War, the Sword Worlds are in bad shape. The war went poorly for the Sword Worlds – territory was lost on the Imperial front to Trailing, and factional in-fighting has the Confederation on the verge of dissolution. The Darrians have seized upon this position of weakness to press centuries-old claims against territories on the Spinward border. The Confederation's erstwhile ally in the war, the Zhodani Consulate, has been slow to deliver on pre-war promises of financial assistance, and the Imperium largely refuses any responsibility for supplying reconstruction funds to the war-torn worlds that they do not directly administer. The local interstellar economy is in disarray, inflation is out of control, and it's nearly impossible to find a steady job.

Amidst all this social and economic upheaval, an opportunity rises on the horizon. A small, adventurous merchant association, Chaperons Blanc, is attempting to re-invigorate local interstellar trade. The means to this end lies in a mothball fleet of Sword World merchant ships, scattered around the outskirts of Confederation territory. The central government can no longer support these ships in any fashion, but has agreed to a subsidy of sorts – the ships can be privately operated and maintained in exchange for a 15% cut of all proceeds.

Chaperons Blanc has organised this arrangement and put out a call for qualified ship's crews to take possession of mothballed ships, refit them for service, and begin trade operations. Those crews deemed "qualified" will be organised prior to application with Chaperons Blanc, and will consist of no less than a certified pilot, navigator, and engineer. Specific competency is a matter that no one is paying particular attention to, and other positions may be filled aboard the ship if the organising crew deems them necessary. Working passage to the mothballed ship will be provided by Chaperons Blanc.

The Characters
Merchant Kapiten Gerrard Bane (Werekoala)
Sten Ramgaard, Army Serviceman (Dr. Rotwang!)
Eraan Shengeru, Belter (beeber)
Title: Opening Moves
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 04, 2007, 01:29:55 AM
An old friend of Kapiten Gerrard Bane's, Giselle Dortmundsdottir, now a senior executive with Chaperons Blanc, has helped pull a few strings to insure a mothball assignment for him and the crew he assembles.  Unfortunately, connections can only do so much, and the ship assignment turns out to be on Anselhome (Querion 0820, C110588-8), one of the so-called “Entropic Worlds,” a group of three star systems that have traded hands back and forth between the Darrian Confederation and the Sword Worlds Confederation for the last few hundred years.  Though technically still a possession of the Sword Worlds, the Sword Worlds have been in little position to maintain their claim, and the Darrian Confederation has posted skeleton administrative presence on the planets and itinerant patrol through the systems.

During the weeks all of you have aboard the cramped far trader "Beowulf" en route from Gram to Colada to Hrunting to Anselhome -- better than a month's working passage aboard a cramped ship -- you have plenty of time to review the specs of your promised ship, a 400-ton, Jump-2-ranged Tümmler-class subsidised merchant:

   MP-42221S1-000000-00000 400 tons, Crew=5, TL=10
State Rooms=9, Low=0, Cargo=171, Fuel=84, Agility=1, Batteries=1

As promised, she's capable of Jump-2, Maneuver-2, steers better than a cow, and lists a compliment of two ship's boats for passenger and light cargo transfer.

Your current ship's captain is a gruff, lean hound of a man, Anders Kammereck, who acts inordinately burdened by your presence, even though each of you is assigned specific ship's duties (which you are presumably executing).  His first mate, though, a former Sword World Navy officer by the name of Eva Xu, is considerably friendlier, in her purposefully direct and "mannish" fashion (as one expects of a woman from the Sword Worlds in a position of responsibility and authority).  She's also a capable bridge officer as you discover, which, perhaps, makes you wonder what she's doing aboard this ship and not manning a Confederation Navy vessel.  Then you remember the state of the Confederation Navy, and it all sort of makes sense.

The Beowulf exits jumpspace in the outer reaches of the Anselhome system, and Eva announces that the ship will dock at Anselhome Down within two day's time.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on June 10, 2007, 01:34:53 AM
eraan makes sure the boats are ready for any cargo duties.  

"what's the atmo on this rock?  practically nonexistent?  and such a forefront of civilization too, at tech 8.  let's get those vacc suits ready."  he shakes his head at the prospect of more backwater worlds, more oversized circuit boards that may have to be crammed into the workspaces to repair the ship.  hopefully things won't come to that. . . .
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 12, 2007, 12:43:20 AM
During the two-day transit in-system, Eva is unusually chatty, while Kapiten Kammereck seems unusually dour.  Eva openly, if somewhat inappropriately for a woman in her position of authority, expresses her gratitude for all the help that you've provided over the last month, and her regrets that you'll all be shipping out to other parts in just a couple of days.  Kapiten Kammereck just grunts.

The in-system trip proves really somewhat fascinating, especially for Eraan -- for something of a backwater, the Anselhome system is home of a startling array of belter mining platforms of all sizes, shapes, and states of repair.  The final approach to Anselhome Down is a bit of a let-down in comparison.  First off, there's no high port, considering the size and atmosphere of the planet.  Anselhome itself is barely a more significant blip in the surrounding belt formations, a large-ish planetoid, really, that somehow managed to be pulled into a stable orbit of its own.

The port and surrounding city facilities are built into broad, low domes that seem sunk into the planet's blue-grey surface.  The port authority directs the Beowulf into one of the outlying domes, where an aperture opens in one side to admit the small ship.  The bay doors close, but the dome is not flooded with atmosphere as you might hope.  Instead, an atmospherically secure gangway is guided to your ship's airlock, and after the usual technical procedures, the doors are opened, and the mixing of strange airs occurs, always a dubious delight to the olfactory.

Anyone going dirtside is advised to report directly to the port authority for routine customs inspection.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 12, 2007, 10:32:37 AM
As Garren shoulders his duffel bag, he jauntily salutes Kaptien Kammereck. "Thank you for the passage, Kapiten. I hope to see you again some day!"

Then he turns to Eva - "And YOU! Youhoo... you're a mess. Keep up the good work. And hey, if you've got some time here before you ship out again, give me a call and we'll have a drink or three."

With that. he turns and exits the ship, heading for customs.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 12, 2007, 12:40:06 PM
Kapiten Kammereck grimaces quietly, and goes back about his shipboard work while he waits for the temporary crew to disembark.  Eva throws on her coat, and follows everyone else out the gangway, turning off in a different direction to consult with local port maintenance staff.

Assuming you are all headed for the local startown, customs is your first destination.  Given their Tech Level and Law Level (both 8), inspections and interviews are a little lengthy, tedious, and more physically intrusive than you would hope to encounter on a more sophisticated world.  The added fact that much of the upper echelon of the port staff has recently been replaced with Darrian-derived personnel leads to a subtly antagonistic experience.  When the topic arises that you are all on Anselhome to retrieve one of the abandoned ships taking up space in the port, you are treated with more professional courtesy, though needled about being timely in getting your ship up and running.  You are then directed to a different division of the port authority to find the berth assignment for your ship.

This process is a bit more excruciating, with long waits between speaking with minor officials, legal consultants, review of personal documentation (which Chaperons Blanc has provided in full, not that it isn't scrutinised exhaustively anyway), transfer of title to Chaperons Blanc with Kapiten Bane as a due representative, etc, etc, etc....  It's difficult to tell what time of the day it is by the time you're released from the port authority with the access keys for the berth, located in a more remote portion of the port.

Documents, keys, and codes in hand, you now have free run of startown and limited access to the port facilities at your disposal.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Dr Rotwang! on June 13, 2007, 12:52:59 PM
Sten runs up to the group, huffing and puffing, duffel on his back.  "Sorry, fellas," he pants, "I was held up in the head...the dispose handle got stuck, you know you have to monkey with it."  He shrugs.  "Not our problem anymore, though..."

He falls into step with his fellows, this rangy and tousled-haired youth, and looks around at the wonders of Anselhome's underground city.  It's good to stretch his legs, even if it smells a little funny here.

"Hey, before we get to the ship...who's up for some Buger Queen?  It'll be on me."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on June 13, 2007, 01:30:34 PM
"if you're buyin', i'm eatin'," replies eraan.  "i can buy the next round, once we get paid."  he turns his jacket pockets inside out for effect.  "besides, it's always good to see a new ship with a full stomach.  gives you energy for the inspection, which always seems to take longer than expected.  does burger queen have groat burgers?  been hankerin' for one of those for quite a bit."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 13, 2007, 01:36:19 PM
"Burger Queen, eh?" Garrard shrugs. "Better than what we've had the last few weeks. Good news for you folks, though - I never skimp on food, ship-board. Captains who try to cut corners at the expense of crew morale don't fare too well, in my experience. And don't worry about lunch, *I'M* buying. I insist."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Dr Rotwang! on June 13, 2007, 10:27:29 PM
Sten shrugs and saves twenty cred.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 17, 2007, 10:30:23 PM
Sadly, the Burger Queen schnellfrisst chain has fallen on hard times this far out from the Sword Worlds core, particularly with the turn-over in local authority to Darrian oversight -- no BQ's are anywhere to be seen.  However, as you pass through the shielded corridors of startown, you're surprised to find a Vargr Burgr franchise open, and apparently doing thriving business.  As far as you can tell, though, none of the staff here even remotely resemble Vargr.  Due to the enclosed environs, this one even features indoor seating, which is a rare treat.

Assuming you all sit down to eat, you have a chance to review the berth assignment for your ship: GL-6ZZ-3, a berth suitable for ships up to the 1000 ton range, full fueling facilities, and a servicable maintenance bay.

At a nearby table, you notice a group of idle youths, probably in their late teens, maybe pushing 20, boys and girls both -- mostly boys -- eyeing you.  Some look curious, some look dismissive, one or two look on derisively.  Locals you guess, and that could mean with Darrian sympathies...or independent sympathies...or even Sword Worlder sympathies for that matter.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Dr Rotwang! on June 18, 2007, 10:51:05 AM
Sten has a thought: GIRLS.  Really, that's all that goes through his mind.

He nods to the young men at the table, but gives a special smile to one of the ladies.  Boldly, even, he catches one grl's eye and holds it, and says, "Hello."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 19, 2007, 05:15:32 PM
The girl who catches Sten's eye -- a pretty girl of apparent Chinese with maybe some Darrian ancestry, stright black hair against almost-dark-orange skin -- opens her mouth just long enough to be interrupted by all of her mates suddenly standing from their table and readying to leave.  The girl is lost among the small, milling throng of young folk.  C'est la vie.

You finish your meal -- all together a pretty good one considering the occasional controversy that surrounds the protein sources for the Vargr Burgr chain -- and continue on toward berth GL-6ZZ-3.  The general environs of Anselhome feel a little claustophobic, with the totally enclosed avenues leading between shopfronts and various port operations.  It's very much like being in a large airport or shopping mall -- efforts are made to make the open spaces feel open.  Still, it's more open than being shipboard.

Reaching the outer ring of the port facilities by either foot or public tram, you arrive at the berth.  The area is clearly underused, and still under secured lock by the erstwhile Sword World authorities.  Garren holds the properly coded keys and is able to open the doors to the berth with only a couple of tries.  You all notice two things as the doors open.  One, the air rushes from behind you into the berth, suggesting the ship has been stored under less-than-full atmo -- could be good or bad depending on how you look at it.  Whatever atmo remained in the berth is stale and immediately dries your eyes and throats.  The second issue is that the lights don't come on automatically.

It's dark.  Very dark.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 19, 2007, 07:13:22 PM
Garren peers into the darkness.

"Well... alrighty then. Not sure I like the idea of low-pressure on an asteroid, but I'll live with it for now. Hope its not a leak. Anyone bring a flashlight?"
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on June 19, 2007, 09:22:12 PM
eraan peers around for the light panel.  "anyone got a pocket tool?  maybe a switch went bad or something.  i'll look into that."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 19, 2007, 11:04:25 PM
Eraan peers inside the doors and toward the location off to the side where one would expect to find the manual light switches.  Between the three of you, you're able to produce a small worklight and some basic tools, and the location of the manual switch is revealed.  Maybe a minute's worth of work later, Eraan gets the lights to turn on...at least mostly.  The light is dimmer than it should be, and one or two banks of peripheral lights flicker and blink unnervingly.

The light does, however, reveal your new ship, formerly The Aduncus.  She's generally conical in shape, sort of flattened horizontally, with wing-like flanges protruding from mid-ships and tapering inward toward aft.  Bay doors above the wings are the general size and shape for a 20-ton ship's boat.  A singluar large bay door located on the ventral surface is surely the primary cargo bay door.  She's certainly worn all over, but it looks like her last crew was attempting some kind of maintenance on her exterior, and she's in surprisingly nice-looking condition for such an old ship.

The berth that surrounds the ship is in a fair state of disarray, with tool trolleys and tarps left out here and there, as if work on the ship was suddenly abandoned, which, given the state of affairs at the end of the war, may very well have been the case for a government-appropriated and operated ship.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on June 19, 2007, 11:35:21 PM
"some light's better'n none," eraan mutters.  "i hope the interior of this baby isn't in the same state of disarray that's out here."

i wander around the outside, gathering tools together, cleaning up a tad.  if there turns out to be a passable elec toolkit, i'll put that aside near the main airlock & bring it in with me.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Dr Rotwang! on June 20, 2007, 12:55:43 PM
Sten sniffs at the air and his spirits wane.  "I hope it doesn't smell so bad on the inside..."

During the process of getting the lights back on, the youth's pointed lack of experience with such stuff is painfully obvious as he immediately offers to help by holding things, pulling wires aside, keeping out of the way, etc.

The work done, he stands back and regards the ship from stem to stern.  "So this is our ship.  Ours.  To use.  To take...where?"
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 20, 2007, 03:04:34 PM
Gerrard beging poking at the access panel for the cargo bay on the ship.

"Well, we'll need to find a cargo and a destination, or take something on speculation. Once we do that, then we'll know where we're going."

Flicking bits of packing gel from the panel and trying again, Gerrard frowns slightly.

"First, we have to make sure this thing CAN go anywhere..."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 20, 2007, 03:52:03 PM
The bay doors part slowly, but smoothely, and the broad cargo ramp descends with a flashing of amber lights and an ear-piercing warning buzz.  The exchange of atmospheres between the ship and the now-stable berth is fairly even, with only a gentle waft of air coming from the ship.  As expected, the air is stale, though not putrid.

The ship has been running on standby battery power for close to two years now, and life support was turned off.  Only a ghostly backup light comes on inside the cargo bay, and the air remains dead-still -- the ship's power plant will have to be brought back online before life support and full lighting can be restored.  All in all, the cargo bay looks in orderly condition, a broad and tall expanse of space just waiting to be filled with goods to ship.

Only...there's something wrong with it.  Hard to put your finger on what, but there's something amiss.  Gerrard certainly notices this, Eraan might have a feel for it.  To Sten, it's just a big ol' room.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 23, 2007, 02:32:24 PM
It's too small.  It looks just about right -- the proportions of the bay have been maintained -- but the bay is just too small.  Closer inspection reveals new bulkheads, retrofitted to accommodate some sort of change in the floorplan, and done with some care to match the previously existing bulkheads.  It's fairly recent too -- it hasn't seen the sort of wear that the other surrounding walls have.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 23, 2007, 11:52:36 PM
"If I were a betting man.... and I am.... I'd say someone's installed some smuggling compartments."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on June 24, 2007, 12:02:13 PM
"i wonder how much you could put in there?  we should probably make sure there isn't anything left inside them, tho.  just to make sure.  let's give those compartments a thorough inspection before continuing, just to be on the safe side."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Dr Rotwang! on June 25, 2007, 08:45:02 PM
Quote from: Werekoala
"If I were a betting man.... and I am.... I'd say someone's installed some smuggling compartments."
"That' as may be, but..."

Sten eyes the other men with wide-eyed seriousness.  "We're not going to use them?"
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 26, 2007, 10:50:09 AM
(They're so cute when they're young...)

"Son, we need every ounce of space we can muster to make money as a trader, so of course we're going to use them. Not to smuggle, of course - if we could spot the modifications that fast, a half-blind custom's official or SDB boarding crew would find it in a nanosecond. We'll find a way to fit regulation cargo in there until we can afford to have them ripped out.

Besides, there are better ways to smuggle things..."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 26, 2007, 08:22:16 PM
From the cargo bay, there are essentially two logical directions to go.  Somewhere aft of the re-aligned bulkheads should be the engineering section.  To port and starboard are gangways that lead up to catwalks that encircle the bay, which, in turn, lead to the crew and passenger section, at the fore of which you'll find the bridge.

Which way do you go?
(A)ft, (P)ort, (S)tarboard

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Dr Rotwang! on June 26, 2007, 08:36:26 PM
"Well," Sten says sheepishly, "I was just sayin' I think we'd better stay on the right side of the law."

Of course, that won't stop him from thinking about it -- if the reward is commesurate with the risk...

He heads to Port and up the gangway.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on June 26, 2007, 08:58:08 PM
"i'll take starboard."

are there comm panels around the ship?  if so, eraan checks them as he explores the starboard side.  "testing, testing.  can you hear me now?"  :D
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 26, 2007, 09:16:06 PM
And that leaves me with aft for $400, Alex.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 26, 2007, 09:55:43 PM
Sten and Eraan find themselves walking essentially mirrored pathways that lead to a central catwalk in the direction of the bow, overlooking the broad expanse of the shadowy bay, and circles to either side of the bay to meet again in the aft.  In the middle of the catwalk at either end, there is a reinforced bulkhead with an iris hatch. At the one that leads to fore, presumably into the main compartment, there is a wall-mounted comlink to the right side of the hatch, and it responds to emergency battery power like the dim lights above and those that light the floors along traffic areas.  Testing the com leads to a faint echo you can hear from down in the cargo bay itself.  Presumably the hatch at the aft end of the catwalk is identical.

The iris hatch is not currently functioning under power, and it takes no small amount of effort for one or both of Sten and Eraan to open the manual controls.  Beyond the forward hatch, is a very small common area, beyond which lie the staterooms -- nine of them in all.  Also, to starboard is another closed iris hatch, beside which is mounted a small placard that reads "Fire Control: Authorised Personnel Only".

Moving farther forward toward the bow, Sten and Eraan find the proper common room, the galley, the computer room, and farthest forward, the bridge.  All in all, most of the compartments look in decent order, and at first glance the bridge looks good, too.  The computer room is a mess, though -- a tangle of wires and circuitry with no apparent sense or order, cabinet-like components that don't seem to fit anywhere.  A closer examination of the bridge reveals that panels have been removed from a number of controls there, too, with wires and circuits hanging loose here and there.

To aft, Gerrard's surprise is more immediate.  Dealing with an iris hatch in the same manner that Sten and Eraan did, the space beyond is not more cargo space as a trained eye would expect, but improvised engineering space.  Quite a bit of it.  And even the most cursory examination of the drives located here reveals that they are considerably larger than the drives indicated in the specs for this class.  Still, even the enlarged engineering compartment doesn't account for all of the cargo space lost.

Like the discovery in the bow, the engineering room is obviously an abandoned work in progress.  Parts and cables and wires lay all about, not in an especially disorganised fashion, but obviously not in functioning order.  The faint glow of the comlink lights do seem to be functioning, though.  This is especially evident when Eraan tests the system.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 27, 2007, 12:04:01 AM
I forgot to mention -- it's cold.  Very, very cold.  Lack of operating life support will do that.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on June 27, 2007, 09:57:50 AM
"glad we have the jackets," says eraan, snapping the brass buckles closed.  "Now where's the LS on this tub?"  i'll search for that, making its operation my priority.  if my skills can't handle it, then i'll comm the others about it, then proceed to the rest of the inspection.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 27, 2007, 10:52:32 AM
"Oh great!" Gerrard mutters. "Just what I needed."

He activates the ship's comm system (or communicator if its not working).

"Guys, we're not going anywhere until we find and engineer. Someone was fritzing with the engine and they were kind enough to stop in mid-fritz."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Dr Rotwang! on June 27, 2007, 12:40:16 PM
Sten calls out into the cargo bay area: "Hey!  The computer room looks like a K'kree just stomped through it.  I might be able to straighten stuff up, though..."

He immerses himself in the work without waiting for a response.  (OOC (http://www.therpgsite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=116187#post116187))
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on June 27, 2007, 06:42:58 PM
To the electrically-minded, a quick survey of the currently-non-functional powerplant suggests that the most immediate course of action is to upgrade the Anselhome Starport's electrical feed from standby maintenance to a fully functional current.  There's bound to be a fee involved, but it would most definitely bring life support and all electrical functions back online.

By the way -- do any of you read Zhdant, the standard Zhodani language?

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on June 27, 2007, 06:59:32 PM
i probably do not.  unless i found a secret zho language tape stash in an asteroid . . . :haw:

"captain, add another expense to our list--more power!  no way we can bill the company for getting off bay standby and on to standard active, eh?"
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on June 27, 2007, 08:37:06 PM
(I do not speak Zho)

"Yeah, add it to the list of Things the Great Galactic Ghoul will bring us for Zero-Day."

Gerrard stares at the disassembled engine.

"Always somethin'..."

Rolls up his sleeves and gets to work (Engineering-1)

((edit : Forgot I HAD Engineering-1))
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on July 02, 2007, 03:53:53 PM
The Zhdant-matter comes up because, as you folk set to work, a lot of wiring and circuitry and such appears to be coded differently.  Slightly different color conventions, printed with characters that you can at least recognise as being Zhodani.  Perhaps it's nothing -- the Querion Subsector is dominated by Zhodani client systems, and it's not inconceivable that technical supplies would trickle their way through the Entropic Worlds, particularly during the Fifth Frontier War when the Zhodani were still supporting their allies in the Sword Worlds.

An hour or two into work, the emergency lighting flickers, then full lights come on here and there throughout the ship -- the port must have thrown the switch to the power feed.  A loud snap crackles across the ship's comm, then over-loud music begins to pump through the speakers.  It's Rongo Wright, the psychobilly punk whose career was cut short when he disappeared in a pirate raid just prior to the outbreak of the war.  Of course, he was a pirate, so this sort of thing had to expected sooner or later anyway, but still, it was kind of a shame -- he was really just hitting his stride.

Eraan and Sten get along fairly well in the vicinity of the bridge, just getting simple ship's stations operating, though the ship's computer is a long way from responding.  The engine room, however, is a mess.  Gerrard finds himself shifting from one problem to another, as addressing one issue reveals one or two others that need more attention first.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Ian Absentia on July 02, 2007, 06:30:34 PM
Between bouts of activity and frustration, checking the port rosters of registered freelance support personnel reveals a dearth of qualified engineers.  The local TL of 8 limits the few available staff to power plants and maneuver drives, and the fact that the new drives in your ship are at least least TL11 makes them a shaky option at best.  Add to that the fact that the qualifications aren't the greatest for any of them, and you figure you just might be better off doing the work yourselves.

The system is crawling with belters, though, a trade and a people known for ingenuity that outstrips their formal training and lettered qualifications.  They're not likely to show up on a port's registry, though, and finding one willing to talk to you, so much as work for you might be a challenge.

!i!
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on July 02, 2007, 07:14:26 PM
"hey captain, after i finish here, howzabout you lend me some credits and i'll check the belter bars?  i may be able to rustle up some help."
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on July 08, 2007, 01:09:03 PM
"captain?"

i look around the ship to see where he's disappeared to.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on July 08, 2007, 06:59:16 PM
Gerrard pokes his head out of a crawlspace. "What? Credits? Sure, sure - here." (he rustles around and pulls out a roll, 300cr, and tosses it to Eraan.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: beeber on July 08, 2007, 08:24:35 PM
"thanks!  navigator and engineer, preferably someone who also understands zhdant, right?  and i'll assume standard wage scale.  see ya!"

eraan takes off for the belters' part of the starport.
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Dr Rotwang! on July 09, 2007, 08:58:16 PM
"So," Sten says, standing there wiping dust and sweat off his hands and onto his pants.  "What, uh...what's going to be my job title?"
Title: [Traveller] Antebellum Blues
Post by: Werekoala on July 10, 2007, 10:17:32 AM
"Well, right now, all our titles are "mechanic", or "grunt" for you ground-pounders. Hand me that wrench."