Author Topic: [IC] The Old Expanses  (Read 4704 times)

Offline Skyrock

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[IC] The Old Expanses
« on: August 31, 2019, 09:11:18 PM »
Space - the final frontier. These are the voyages of a fully paid off laboratory ship. Its short-term mission: To explore profitable sellers markets. To seek out new brokers and new buyers. To boldly go into price regions where no seller of a laboratory ship has ever gone before!

After studying the subsector map and extensively consulting your economicaly trained crew member Hans Gallager, you have identified Quarhe (0503) as such a seller's market, with Rhezho (0602) just one parsec away as a perfect buyer's market to acquire a new, better and more affordable space ship for actual travelling.

But in front of excellence the Ancients have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it, and rough at first. For now you are orbiting the gas giant of the Prefova (0404) system on your last fumes, and will need to refuel there before you can make the final Jump-2 to Quarhe.

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« Last Edit: August 31, 2019, 10:09:14 PM by Skyrock »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2019, 10:52:46 PM »
Holtz deftly maneuvers the ship to start refueling from the gas giant, he can't wait for them to have a real ship and not a flying laboratory.

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Offline Skyrock

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2019, 10:26:23 AM »
After scouting the surface for a bit, Holtz finds a good spot to let down the refuelling hose and suck in the hydrogen clouds of the Prefova gas giant, while expertly recognizing and avoiding the super-sonic winds, electric discharges and other athmospheric hazards that come with gas giant refuelling. After 3 hours, the fuel tanks are full once again, and the Lab Ship sets a coreward/coreward-trailing course towards the 100 diameter distance away from the gas giant to get ready for the jump. Those 1,430,000km will take you 5 hours and 37 minutes, plenty of time to set up the refinement process for the fuel and plot a course.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2019, 02:13:34 PM by Skyrock »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2019, 02:08:16 PM »
"We've got fuel," Holtz broadcasts to everyone. "This whole damn ship is a bunch of labs, one of you scientists want to refine it?"

He then mutters something to himself about useless people who need to make sure that the fuel doesn't cause problems with the jump and how everything was easier when he was flying a scout ship by himself. This turns in a short profanity filled rant about the scouts.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2019, 03:42:13 PM »
"I'm a physician, not a chemist," Evestireni gripes... but sets to work on rigging up a fuel processor anyway. All this lab equipment had to be good for something, and it was better than being bored. Nobody hurt, nobody to augment or tinker with, no interesting passengers, no boring unimportant passengers to disappear...

Offline Skyrock

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2019, 04:35:42 PM »
Duchess Evestireni's effort takes some more time than expected at 6 hours, but that has more to do with the lab space having been reorganized for her cybernetic experiments than with her lack of skill. Eventually she makes up for it by jury-rigging a highly efficient refining circuit optimizing refining time that will still put her ahead of ETA, only requiring 36 hours to process all 80 tons of fuel.

Dr. Lizbeth Hayden, who assisted her, is simply marvelled. "Your Grace, I could only wish to be half as good as you at this thing... at half as youthful and beautiful a face." She grabs the intercom and lets her husband know on the internal circuit: "Hubby, we are done down here, and even ahead of schedule at 36 hours. You should get some rest now, and maybe another time before the process is done. You've heard your doctor's orders, haven't you? Not letting you plot our course on bloodshot eyes just urging to get closed. Maybe let's have one of the younglings have a shot at it while you rest, like what's-his-name, Hans or something?"
« Last Edit: September 07, 2019, 04:37:49 PM by Skyrock »

Offline Deadwalker

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2019, 06:35:07 PM »
"I can take over for you here since it's one of the only things that I really can do on this ship, I don't mind something to keep me busy." Hans says as he relieves Holtz of their post. Struggling a bit at first, Hans eventually gets set on setting the course for the ship enjoying being able to contribute to this journey and not just sitting around waiting for something to happen.
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Offline Nanshork

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2019, 07:50:23 PM »
Holtz grumbles at being taken off of pilot duty but doesn't put up a fight about it.  He goes down to his quarters, rolling his eyes at his wife's reference to younglings since she's the youngest one on the ship.

Offline altpersona

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2019, 03:37:17 PM »
The lido deck here is rather drab, we R'eally need to hire some staff. I, for one, cannot wait for the accommodations to return to a civilized state.
The goal of power is power. - 1984
We are not descended from fearful men. - Murrow
The Final Countdown is now stuck in your head.

Anim-manga still sux.

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2019, 08:00:48 PM »
Jayral strolls into the room. He had been running some basic simulations, but without proper parts he wouldn't be able to get any work done in earnest.

"Ah, Lizbeth. Do you still have any of that tea you made on the trip here?"
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2019, 05:41:24 PM »
"Ah, your Grace Jayral, for you I always have. Just let me hang up my lab coat and put on my stewardess hat, I am not sure if Her Grace Evestireni would appreciate if we'd turn her fiefdom into a mess hall."

Offline Skyrock

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2019, 02:40:07 PM »
36 hours later

Everyone in the key positions is well-rested and ready as the last cubic metres of gasses are refined in the lab, and last preparations are made. Dr. Lizbeth Hayden runs from window to window in her stewardess uniform, setting the blinds into position to protect the crew from the maddening view into the multi-dimensional jump space. Once she is done, she dashes down into the engine room to assist Director Jayral.

Hovering a hand over the emergency "Lights Out" to trigger the jump dimming for the jump sequence, she uses the other to call over the intercom:

"Your Grace Evesterini, alert the engine room when refining is done and jump sequence may proceed. Hubby, keep course steady."

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2019, 06:59:55 PM »
Jayral fiddles with some levers while doing mental calculations. This seems about right.
Pressing the comm, he says, "Diverting power to engines." When the lights dim, he slowly begins diverting the power and nods as the gauges stay within the satisfactory range.
 
"Jump in T minus 10 seconds. 10...9...8..." he begins, feeling confident in his calculations. Finally, he says "1" and presses the button.
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2019, 06:29:17 PM »
The hydrogen-powered bubble encompasses the lab ship just in time as it enters jump space. The instrument readings show nothing off, promising a safe journey for the following week in jump space.

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You enter the hundred diameter space around Quarhe on day 32, year 1005 of the imperial calendar. By 0700 of standard time, you have reached the standard orbit of the planet. Through the view windows that have in the meantime been unblinded again by your stewardess Dr. Hayden, you can see a blue water planet with only a few green and brown islands providing a change of pace from the monotony.

Providing just an average starport, the world lacks a highport able to service your non-athmospheric ship. It will be up to you how to get down, and how to get the ship refuelled.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2019, 10:39:58 PM »
"What's the plan," Holtz asks.

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #15 on: September 22, 2019, 10:05:29 AM »
"Some of us go down in your ship to find a broker while the rest remain on board." Jayral says, while checking the database. "Planetside should be Lady Evestireni or myself, you as the pilot and one or two others for security. Seems like only stunners and blade weapons are legal. I will give Lady Evestireni the choice of whether to go or stay."
Hmm.

Offline Deadwalker

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #16 on: September 22, 2019, 11:50:27 PM »
"I can go for security and I could maybe help find a broker once planetside," Hans says volunteering ready to get off of the ship and do something other than sitting around.

Offline altpersona

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #17 on: September 26, 2019, 10:32:41 PM »
Another port another world another martini
The goal of power is power. - 1984
We are not descended from fearful men. - Murrow
The Final Countdown is now stuck in your head.

Anim-manga still sux.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #18 on: September 27, 2019, 06:53:32 PM »
After deciding that Director Jayral and Dr. Lizbeth Hayden stay up to look after the ship, the latter uses the radio to peruse available services for orbit-to-surface taxis:

  • Chuzu-Che Service of His Imperial Majesty - 200Cr per Launch. Reliable transportation as approved and monopolized by the Empire of Leng.
  • Bunko's Bargain Barges - 5Cr per passenger1, 2, 3. Orbit-to-Air and Air-to-Orbit launch every Tuday4, 5.
  • Golden Star Flights - 300Cr per passenger. Only the best is good enough for customers who can afford us. System defense boat escort, live music and tour guides are included with the fee, with extra services available at a humble mark-up at your request.
  • Johannson's Valkyries - 150Cr per Launch. Flown by the finest veterans of the Noorthman Confederacy marine flyers, for the most bang per buck.
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Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: [IC] The Old Expanses
« Reply #19 on: September 27, 2019, 06:55:30 PM »
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