Run Synopsis
There is an unexpected announcement of 0-G maneuvers; apparently the professor wants to chase another comet... although usually that is somewhat expected.
Ivan finds that his student investigators are being kept rather busy by the professor. Jennifer is bright-eyed and nervous from excitement: the unexpected change in course was ordered by the professor based on her calculations on the organic molecules. Comets are usually ice or metal, this phenomenon is neither and is, by Jennifer's calculation, a break-down over time of even larger molecules. We are tracing the trail to its source. There is speculation that such molecules are broken-down fuel.
Sure enough, the ship is electrified to spot a derelict starship. It's shape is similar to Earth's ships and so it is presumed one of the missing ones. Closer approach reveals that the ship has been sliced in half and there is no trace of the missing half. A 4-person space walk/boarding team is assembled to investigate. Lyle/"Val" and Boris/"Ivan" are part of that team. The team is equipped with individual video relays so everyone on shipboard is watching.
Chantal/"Melissa" is up on the bridge watching the professor and the senior officers observe the exploration. Robert/"Jordan" continues his on-going fleet-prediction programs.
Boris assists with attaching the tackles that will lash the derelict to the Archimedes II while Lyle helps with the internal probe. Markings are noted on the hull of the ship: triangular, a language unfamiliar to any on board our ship. Inside the markings are similar and - although the basic principles of the ship seem identical to those used in our star ships - the ergonomics are a bit strange: the chairs are too short. No other evidence - no bodies - of crew is found.
In a storeroom is found a floating tunic... and some coins - apparently Roman!, some clay vessels and statues and some books - in an unknown-to-any-of-us writing, and most particularly a body in a shroud. The body is of a human male in his early 40s; his features are Semitic, his legs have been broken and their are abrasions on his wrists. [There is an immediate jump to the conclusion that this is in somewise associated with one of Earth's major religions.] Chantal watches the "debunk fever" light the professor's face: this will be a win-win situation for such as he. Everything is videoed and bagged in plastic for transferal into Archimedes II quarantine. While the operational portion of the ship is investigated there is another item discovered behind a panel: a largish silvery sphere [like the one we observed in the Dejah Thoris. Some miner had claimed aliens gave it to him. ]
The derelict is glued to the nose of the Archimedes II and a course is set to bring this find back to the Warp Research Center. We arrange with Sam to send false information about the fleet exercises that indicate that the fleets will reach us sooner than anticipated. Such word comes through and then, later, information that it has split and is coming even faster. It appears that the enemy anticipated us.
The captain has ordered a complete cessation of space communication. Robert's computer projections indicate that we are attempting to outrun the APS and NAF space fleets. Teresa finds herself uneasy about the situation in Engineering and volunteers time. She is placed on watch on some finicky cooling tanks that may have been acting up at the time of Brown's accident. She is joined later by Lt. Belinda Chi and together they take the thing apart and replace all suspicious pieces. It seems to function fine.
A day or so later it is acting up again. As Teresa moves into position she notices something unusual: she finds on of the professor's guards stuffed up an access stairs, his neck at an impossible angle. She summons Lt. Chi --- who informs the captain and the body is removed. And then she and Teresa repair the cryo-unit again!
Teresa discovers, however, that the computer access near the cryo-unit has been tampered with and our team discovers there a major tap. We hypothesize that Whoever Used That Tap seemed suspicious to Guard #1 but apparently not dangerous: the guard never drew his weapon. Guard #1 followed WUTT into Engineering and was there surprised and killed by WUTT's accomplice.
Intense security results after this. The professor stays in his quarters. His staff works with the new-found artifacts. The ship strives to return to base --- and succeeds.
Senior personnel are ordered to man their stations. The professor is escorted by his 5 remaining guards off the ship and into the station. His grad students follow. All other personnel are to await investigatory debriefing. Many people with clipboards accompanied by station guards are waiting to board. [ A timer appears at the bottom of the screen. It displays 20 minutes. ]
EPs: 2, which we may not spend at this time.
The contents of this site are copyright 2004 Sheryl A. Knowles unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved.