[Pbp] Psychosis - Ship of Fools

Stories about games that you run and/or have played in.

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I give an "all clear" signal to my companions.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
User avatar
angelfromanotherpin
Overlord
Posts: 9745
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by angelfromanotherpin »

SlyJohnny & Thaluikhain:
The Sister does not resist the repair, and although she is unsteady on her feet, she follows with sullen docility as you pass through the station's outlock, one by one.

The interior is...
You are standing on a small flight deck with several cramped crew stations. Through the viewports, you see that whatever vessel you are on is inside a truly vast hangar, and on either side you see other identical vessels docked.

Your EnviroSuits have been replaced by much frumpier space suits, with no branding at all. Similarly, your companion's SpaceBall has become a generic space ball.
Darth Rabbitt:
While the others help the guard with his(?) ruptured suit, you slowly float your force-disk towards the glittering multicolored trove that beckons you from beyond the deadly gas. The gritty swirls thin, then part revealing...
You are standing on a small flight deck with several cramped crew stations. Through the viewports, you see that whatever vessel you are on is inside a truly vast hangar, and on either side you see other identical vessels docked.

Your force-disk is gone. Instead, you are standing inside some sort of half-inflated transparent balloon. There is no sign of your companions or their prisoner.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I look down at my arms, to see if they are mechanical again.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
User avatar
angelfromanotherpin
Overlord
Posts: 9745
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Darth Rabbitt wrote:I look down at my arms, to see if they are mechanical again.
Your arms are still fleshy, with only the sleeves of a grey jumpsuit to cover them.
User avatar
SlyJohnny
Duke
Posts: 1418
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:35 pm

Post by SlyJohnny »

"Things just changed again. Flight deck, big ship in a hangar. We're wearing space suits." I tell my companions. I wonder if I have any sense of familiarity with the controls here, or the layout. I look around for a navigator's station of any kind.

I put my face close to the prisoner's. "What is this place? Why were you guarding it?"
Thaluikhain
King
Posts: 6153
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:30 pm

Post by Thaluikhain »

I see what gear I'm carrying and then keep watch.
User avatar
angelfromanotherpin
Overlord
Posts: 9745
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by angelfromanotherpin »

SlyJohnny:
"I-I dunno," stammers your prisoner. "I've not seen any of this place before, not since that elevator where the gravity gave out."

You realize that you are floating again, just like in the control room before the transition. It feels so completely normal that you didn't notice at first.

"Richards might've, but he's gone. Afaik, he just saw you were heading this way and we came here to cut you off."

The whole flight deck feels familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, but one of the stations in particular has controls that you think you could do something with.
Thaluikhain:
You are carrying a structural-brace-club, an air filter mask, a grenade (unbranded), a maser rifle (unbranded), and some scavenged circuit boards.

While you are being 'ware, one of the control setups seems oddly familiar.
Thaluikhain
King
Posts: 6153
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:30 pm

Post by Thaluikhain »

I air swim over to the familiar panel and brace myself near it, and keep watch from there with my maser rifle.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I look around the hangar to see if any of the other ships appear to be occupied or otherwise distinct.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
User avatar
SlyJohnny
Duke
Posts: 1418
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:35 pm

Post by SlyJohnny »

I wave to the prisoner, pointing with the rifle at a corner in front of the panel I'm interested in. "Go stand over there, but don't stand within arm's reach of the walls, and don't do anything but stand, or I'll kill you. Why were you and Richards trying to stop us? What is it you think we're about to do, now?"

I inspect the controls, wondering what they're for.
User avatar
angelfromanotherpin
Overlord
Posts: 9745
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by angelfromanotherpin »

SlyJohnny and Thaluikhain:
The controls are dark, lifeless, unpowered. Whatever their function—and you can feel that function on the tip of your tongue, in the muscle memory of your hands—they'll need juice first.

"Are you going to land us?" asks your prisoner. "That's what the Landers say. They woke you all up to fulfill their craziness, even though you were past your beebee. Richards and the other councilors don't want that. They're fat and happy already, a big change could be real bad for them."
Darth Rabbitt:
The other ships appear dark and identical, except for designation. Each has a large number painted on their hull, underlined by what you guess is the vessel's callsign. On one side of you is #2, apparently called Intrepid; on the other is #4, apparently called Falcon.
User avatar
SlyJohnny
Duke
Posts: 1418
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:35 pm

Post by SlyJohnny »

"I see. Well, Richards is dead now, right? So just between us girls, what do you think would happen, if we did... land you?"

I look around for some means of powering the controls, keeping an eye on my prisoner.
Last edited by SlyJohnny on Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I search the ship I'm currently in for anything that might be of use before heading out to the hangar.
Last edited by Darth Rabbitt on Thu Nov 02, 2017 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
Thaluikhain
King
Posts: 6153
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:30 pm

Post by Thaluikhain »

I search the flight deck, hoping to find a technical manual or instructions that will give a clue to the nature of the place. While keeping an eye on and distance from the prisoner and the entrance.
User avatar
angelfromanotherpin
Overlord
Posts: 9745
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by angelfromanotherpin »

SlyJohnny & Thaluikhain:
Between you, you find both a power distribution board and also a stack of manuals for the DS-580 Colonial Transport Carrier that offer a staggering amount of info on dry technical properties and incredibly long procedural protocols for doing things.

Your other companion roams around, scavenging miscellaneous materials.

"Shit, I dunno," says your prisoner. "If you didn't screw up in one of a thousand tiny ways and just crash, I guess it's anarchy. The council loses its credibility, the Landers try to take over. Whoever wins, we all have to till the soil or something, scratch a living off the surface."
Darth Rabbitt:
The ship is modestly-sized for a ship, but it's still pretty big compared to you, and searching it is a lot of ground. A quick pass on just the flight deck turns up a medical pack, a weapons locker, a cache of ration packs, and two vending machines full of snacks and drinks. You could probably turn up more with a longer search, or by going to the lower decks.
User avatar
SlyJohnny
Duke
Posts: 1418
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:35 pm

Post by SlyJohnny »

I nod, slowly. I look back at the prisoner. "You said we're past our beebee... that's Best Before date? Why? What exactly is wrong with us?"

I glance at my companions, trying to see if I have their attention, or if they're still focused on things only they can see.

"Right. So I think that this council has been after us all along. They appeared as the gestapo before, then those bandits, then people in clean suits, then a rival gang... not terribly encouraging imagery. It might be my unconscious mind telling me they can't be trusted, that I didn't used to be a fan of them back when I remembered who they were. On the other hand, maybe my unconscious mind is just suggestible, and demonised the first people who seemed aggressive towards me, when I was confused and frightened."

I gesture to our prisoner. "There's also the fact that we've killed a bunch of these guys, whereas the other faction seems to be more chill with us. At least, assuming they were the crewmen, back on the Graf airship. So maybe we're better off siding with the people we haven't completely alienated yet."

I mess with the power distribution board, trying to activate the consoles. "A lot of it hinges on whether we can actually do this, or whether I'm going to have another damn acid flashback when we're trying to land this carrier, and get everyone killed. What do you think?"
Last edited by SlyJohnny on Fri Nov 03, 2017 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I check out the weapons locker, and then the medical pack.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
Thaluikhain
King
Posts: 6153
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:30 pm

Post by Thaluikhain »

i'll go back to keeping watch in lieu of a better idea.
User avatar
angelfromanotherpin
Overlord
Posts: 9745
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by angelfromanotherpin »

SlyJohnny & Thaluikhain:
The prisoner shrugs. "When the first council aborted the landing, way back when, landing crew didn't get their wake-up call. You all stayed in your cans for a lot longer than you were supposed to. Nobody knew what the effects would be. When the Landers opened the pods, everyone assumed you'd be all sick and floppy, but all the reports that came back said you were kicking ass. I sure haven't seen anything wrong with you."

The power board cooperates, and the lights start to come on, first the white overheads, then one console at a time, flickering with green, yellow, and red indicators.
Darth Rabbitt:
The weapons locker contains a brace of maser rifles, very similar to the one you're already carrying, as well as spare clips, knives, and a couple of electroshock batons. The medical pack is very extensive, with bandages, chest seals, IV fluids and tubing, burn dressings, dermal sprays, surgical blades, and much more. In particular, there are what seem like thousands of tiny beads of medicine (sorted in a compartmented tray) which can be taken orally or administered by one of the pack's hypos. Painkillers, epinephrine, antibiotics, expectorants, diuretics, anti-diuretics, it's a cornucopia.

While you're examining your spoils, the lights start to come on, first the white overheads, then one console at a time, flickering with green, yellow, and red indicators.
User avatar
SlyJohnny
Duke
Posts: 1418
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:35 pm

Post by SlyJohnny »

"Heh. I woke up thinking I was an officer on a german airship. Like, a world war 2 airship, back on Earth. Is this ship even from Earth? What year is it?" I chat amicably to our prisoner.

I inspect the controls for a navigators station and set about plotting a course, or pre-launch checks, or whatever course of action readily presents itself or it seems like I might have a familiar feeling about.
User avatar
Darth Rabbitt
Overlord
Posts: 8869
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: In "In The Trenches," mostly.
Contact:

Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I grab the medical pack (assuming it's portable enough to carry), an electroshock baton and a few spare clips (which I stash in the pockets of my jumpsuit.) I tuck a knife into my belt.

After that's all done I examine the consoles, to see if they look similar to anything I saw during my time as Kyle Ripper or otherwise just any clues as to what their flashing indicates.
Pseudo Stupidity wrote:This Applebees fucking sucks, much like all Applebees. I wanted to go to Femboy Hooters (communism).
Thaluikhain
King
Posts: 6153
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:30 pm

Post by Thaluikhain »

I'm still keeping watch/waiting for things to develop.
User avatar
angelfromanotherpin
Overlord
Posts: 9745
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Post by angelfromanotherpin »

SlyJohnny & Thaluikhain:
"I don't understand a lot of what you said there. Germ-men? Whirled War? The year's 2158, or so the clocks say."

The navigator's station is easy to find, and transferring general control from the bridge is almost reflexive. Sparks flash in your mind, memories that don't quite form. You feel as though you have done this many times before.

Immediately, much of the board goes red, and alerts sound. It appears that you have missed the optimal deceleration window, and are about a day – two at most – from the end of the effective window. If the braking procedures aren't engaged before then, you won't be able to slow down enough to be captured by your destination's gravity. The ship – Bounty – will drift off into interstellar space.

The nav logs trace the Bounty's voyage for you. It did originate on Earth, almost 123 years ago. The destination is a planet in orbit around a red dwarf whose coordinates are familiar to you – Barnard's Star.
Darth Rabbitt:
The medpack is more of a backpack, but you sling it on and it sits comfortably, its weight distributed well. You drift by the consoles, and most look vaguely familiar, but then your eyes fall on one that is incredibly familiar. It's not identical to the controls on the Ripper's Red Lance, but it is somehow the same. Your fingers twitch toward it involuntarily before you catch yourself.

An annoying rythmic buzz starts to come from one of the stations in a different bank, some sort of alert. The console's lights have turned mostly red.
User avatar
SlyJohnny
Duke
Posts: 1418
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:35 pm

Post by SlyJohnny »

"Computer says we've got two days or less to make this happen, or we miss our shot for good. I say we give it the old college try. Initiate braking procedures." I say, to my unresponsive colleagues.

I follow whatever procedures I can remember, or that are suggested by the manuals.
Thaluikhain
King
Posts: 6153
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:30 pm

Post by Thaluikhain »

"Sounds like a plan, I guess."

Also see if I can work out how to accelerate again, or decelerate more rapidly if required if things change.
Post Reply