Turn 4: It may be time to take off, eh?
Starbeard showed up a bit shaken, but relieved he wouldn't rot in some asteroid prison. He showed a paper around, ready to leave this wretched galactic police hive.
sorry everything still accident but now we good
leave?"
Not all good yet, friend."
That was Katerina, who seemed more uncivil than usual. She took Starbeard for a private talk.
what you want rock miner"
You are not good. You are a danger to everyone, but most importantly, you are a danger to me. So you need to make yourself worthwhile to entire crew, and me. How will you do this?"
stuff Starbeard kill stay dead
good as ship pilot good as ship raider
Starbeard danger for enemy of Starbeard
but Starbeard protect ally like rock miner or dog
except stupid blob but now forgive blob
Starbeard curse bad luck no stop
bad luck all time not Starbeard fault
Was it a satisfying answer? Either way, they both realized something through this civil exchange. They would have to bear with each other for now, and they didn't have much choice.
"Rhis is rhall a terrible misunderstanding."
Graciously put up 15k credits for the fine and let the Tex fall where he may.
Jim carefully listens for details of interest while considering the exact workings of this here ship.
How do the turrets work? Do they need to be manned individually or can they be used all together? Furthermore, do we actually need a dedicated engineer to keep the engine going at reasonably good capacity or can an AI manage non-emergency operations? Finally, can we do the FTL thing where we lock off separate compartments of the ship and possibly vent the atmosphere in them?
In any case, set to work on idiot-proofing the ship systems (hopefully using my Security Systems skill this time, nudge nudge wink wink) against anything Starbeard or Sneed might get up to. Set up a lock based on a specific hand gesture and a verbally given password at the very least, and check how much access I have to everyone's personal quarters in case I need to pump highly illegal neurotoxins or something into there.
Jim payed a part of the fine, and no
5000 Credits were left to pay. Obviously, not paying before leaving could leave to more unfortunate misunderstandings.
Jim Barkley opened the Honesty-class Corvette's Online Manual while simultaneously listening carefully to the conversation. He also remembered some parts of the Space Captain's Handbook and some other leaflets he read while looking to buy for a ship.
Oh, and he couldn't understand what Starbeard was writing. His writing was highly inintelligible on screen. Not like it was hard to imagine what he was writing.
1. Turrets were linked to the same system, allowing them to be manned individually or altogether depending on one's need.
2. Engines were usually handled by the AI of the ship, but an engineer was definitely needed if emergencies arose. Some specialized maneuvers required bypassing the safety, something an AI was programmed never to do. In such cases, an engineer was needed to manage the engines.
3. It was standard practice to have compartmentalized ships sections, and each compartments could be sealed using dedicated blast doors. Venting the atmosphere inside was definitely possible, and relied on the Life-Support system.
He also studied the ship a bit more. In the command room, which was also the piloting post, it was possible to control every systems of the ship to some extent. But the options were quiet limited, leading to a decreased efficiency compared to controlling systems directly. From weapons to shield to life-support, every systems had a dedicated area which allowed better control over them.
Also, vital positions to fill for a ship where: Pilot, Navigator, Gunner and Sensor Engineer. While Piloting could be handled by the AI for set travels, it would be better to have a dedicated Pilot for delicate situations, from asteroid field dodging (not recommended) to taking off and landing.
[Ship Operating 1 / Security Expert 2]: [4] -Success-
This time reminding his knowledge in security systems, Jim used of his Captain authority to idiot-proof the ship until further notice. The lock required a specific barking and a motion only a canine could execute. Take that humanoids.
And of course, as the ship captain, he was in
total control of the ship. Such subject was generally not to be flaunted in the face of crewmates, as it tended to favorise mutiny.
After the interrogation, Thomas buys a bottle of space whiskey on the station and retreats to his quarters.
"Let me know when we reach the mission area," he says before taking a swig and closing the door.
Thomas, already weary while they didn't even have set sail yet, went to rest in his quarters.
Seeing all its crew mates go their separate ways, Sneed decided now was an appropriate time to return to its quarters. Sitting in its room, Sneed reflected on Starbeard's behavior.
The medics said that Starbeard wasn't suffering from space madness, so why did he attack me? Could it be...that he doesn't like me? But why would that be? Hmm...
Suddenly, inspiration struck Sneed and the answer became clear.
Oh! Of course! How could I have not realized it! I don't know anything about Space Pirate culture! I've been so focused on other things, that I never truly took the time to really get to know Starbeard and his rich cultural heritage. Maybe shooting at me with the ship's weapons was a jolly old pirate prank. That must be why he deliberately kept missing. Ah, it was just an act of playfulness. I've been such a fool, it was so obvious!
Realizing its crew mate's harmless intentions, Sneed decided that it needed to educate itself on Space Pirate culture so as to avoid misunderstandings in the future. It can't be so judgmental next time.
Look through the computer terminal/smart phone in my room for more information regarding Space Pirate culture.
------------------GALACTIC NETWORK------------------
Space Pirates: A variant of humans whose origins trace back to a very old experiment at creating humans suited for space travel. Genetically modified to have space adapted and stronger bodies, an unfortunate aftereffect was an increased propensity to violence and a deteriorated intellect, which quickly made them devolve into the well-known Space Pirate species (self-named).
Most Space Pirates are very aggressive, and seem to have much lower empathy and compassion than the average human. They will readily insult each others and brawl, they don't value other Space Pirates as much as another human. All Space Pirates except for very rare individuals are known for their love of heavy liquor. They are able to ingest alcohol quantities lethal to normal humans without showing signs of drunkenness.
Not killing someone could be considered a sign of friendship from a Space Pirate.-------------------------------------------------------
[Intelligence -1]: [3] -Failure-
Sneed pondered that last sentence. Mmh, Starbeard did, maybe, attempt to kill him. But the fact that Sneed was still alive probably meant that Starbeard wasn't actually trying to do so. In fact, Starbeard didn't kill Sneed. So that must have meant a sign of friendship from that Space Pirate!
Maybe he could give back Starbeard a sign of friendship by insulting or brawling against him? That seemed like a fair enough idea to Sneed, but that didn't mean he had to go through it.
Jim J. Barkley: (Captain)
Health: Healthy
Morale: Good
Inventory:
-[5000] Alliance Credits
-Voice-Activated Claw Drone
-(Anti)Bugging Tools
Katerina:
Health: Healthy
Morale: Good
Inventory:
-[10000] Alliance Credits
-Civilian clothing
-A small ruby ring
Edwin 'Starbeard:
Health: Healthy
Morale: Good
Inventory:
-[0] Alliance Credits
-Space pirate flintlock gun
-Space pirate sabre
-Space pirate clothing
Sneed the 38th:
Health: Healthy
Morale: Good
Inventory:
-[5] Alliance Credits
Thomas Whitney:
Health: Healthy
Morale: Good
Inventory:
-[20000] Alliance Credits
-Classy suit and glasses
-Briefcase
Name: HMS YOU'RE NEXT
Class: Honesty-class Corvette
Hull: Undamaged
Shields: 100%
Speed: Stationary
Power: 50/100
Hold: 2/11
Systems Status:
Armament
1- Medium Laser Turret (Cost 20P) [Online]
2- Light Laser Turret #1 (Cost 10P) [Online]
3- Light Laser Turret #2 (Cost 10P) [Online]
Base Systems
1- Shield Generator [Online] [Base Power -20]
2- Sensor Systems [Online] [Base Power -10]
3- Reactor [On] [Base Power +200]
4- Life-Support System (Power Recovery 10/turn)[Online] [Base Power -20]
5- Engines (Jump Cost 20P) [Online] [Base Power -50]
Additional Modules
1- Storage Room [+1 Hold]
Hold:
-Crew belongings (Free)
-Food reserves (2 Points)
-1 Human-Sized Zero-G Suit
-1 Alien-Sized Zero-G Suit (4 arms 1 tail)
The Emelus II system is a Galactic Alliance controlled one. Humans are the major species, but many other spacefaring species live and trade there.
Star:
Emelus II
Planets:
Gavarle: the Emelus II system's main inhabited planet.
Leti
Munito
Toblaon
Idvent
Askland
Turgion
Other objects:
Jump Gate Em II: The system's jump gate. Link to various other gates.
The Hub: A massive space station, with the one of the largest shipyards of the system.
Fergas Station
Other Astral Objects:
Storblarte Nebula
Fergas Asteroid Field
Author
Topic: Sailing on the Sea of Stars [5/5] - Turn 6 (Read 43690 times)