Run Synopsis
Lyle brings the boxes of equipment that were rescued from the raider's dome back to Star Port where he reports back to Sam along with the rest of the team. Boris, Teresa, Robert and Chantal all sport considerable tans. There is some teasing exchanged about the group's lack of encountering non-descript Orientals. Boris pops up with the old saw about " all Orientals look alike" (and later adds that "all round-eyes do too"). Robert's return quip, "I hoped someone would say it 'cause I knew I couldn't" garners a look of surprise and then assessment from Sam. Sam himself has not changed. He asks for updates on the vacation reports. Chantal amends hers to reflect that she now knows what hadn't been told her when she filed her report.
Sam comments that the most disturbing factor in all these reports is the fact of Mafia and Yakuza co-operation. He informs us that the Jovian Pirates whose activities were originally the excuse for the formation of Star Corps were, in fact, a joint Mafia-Yakuza operation. It is unsettling to find them even willing to work together again on the relatively small scale that we found. Unfortunately Star Corps does not have authority to act against them Earthside. (Chantal is disappointed.)
Then Sam fills the group in on the more recent discoveries touching past assignments:
The Team's new mission is to ferry a package 9 light years to Epsilon Eridani, the "Aurora" colony. This colony was originally founded by the NAF and continues to be one of the best funded human colonies. The equipment we are to ferry is, actually, behind schedule so the plan is for our team to be placed in the normal starship rotation. We will make 1-2 ordinary runs which will allow us to become integrated into Aurora's starship culture before making our significant delivery. At the time we are ferrying the package, there will be a military ship decoy also delivering "the package." We are to report to the commander of the Transit Point Station (Aurora's Star Port equivalent) where the delivery is actually to be made. The priorities are:
Details about the Significant Delivery: All packaged components will be marked with a grease spot embedded in which will be a known percentage of coloured plastic discernible under microscopic UV scan. We will be given a packing list with the percentages that will be created at the last possible minute to circumvent interference. We will be given the necessary scanner.
Details about the Run: A starship is about as big as a living room and that space is used both for cargo and crew living/operating quarters. Time to Epsilon Eridani will take 4 days in hyperspace and about one day each at either end for maneuvers. The hyperspace drive consists of a 2-story perfect crystal which runs through the ship. It generates a field which determines the ship size. At the front of the field is a negative mass; at the rear is a positive black hole. While it is in operation, it creates a fold in space: space flows past the ship. There is very little "steering room"; it can be affected by large gravitational masses (which is why calibration is necessary); and thrust is only utilized for crew comfort. Once the run is made, the crew usually spends a week at the other end, then takes their 2nd ship for the return leg. Again there'd be a week stop-over and then the crew takes their first ship back and the cycle starts all over again.
The group chooses its gear (to be taken over the course of the 3 flights) and makes arrangements to abandon half of it at the Aurora end.
Chantal will stay with the "Melissa Osogoe, jr. pilot" persona; the rest of the team may choose new covers. Crew quarters are allocated to us on Star Port and we start the integration processes at the "Flightline Bar" where most of the star crews congregate. We meet one team celebrating their 6-months rotation. They crewed #1172 - which is our ship one! We are regaled with tall tales featuring ship ghosts, Aurora's inability to do reasonable ship maintenance, and Aurora's "wicked witch" of a custom's inspector. They are not really interested in frightening us and we enjoy the company.
Finally on #1172 (Lyle and Boris oversee the cargo handling: med. supplies and lithography equipment.), we accelerate for a day until the drive reaches its full blue-white glow. The ship is mostly automatic so the crew busies itself as it chooses for 4 days. Chantal and Robert practice French. We keep the acceleration at 1/10-g. oriented downwards. The trip is uneventful.
Emerging into the Epsilon Eridani system, we note that the Transit Station actually consists of two spheres: the main station and a smaller unexplained sphere. Once on leave in the station we find that the personnel there are mostly North American; Chantal stands out as an Oriental. We are assigned large rooms separated about a far as is possible each from the other, but we are allowed to move to any unoccupied room we choose. We note that one entire level of transient quarters is currently occupied. We hypothesize that it houses those who work in/on the smaller dome project - and they are probably awaiting our "special delivery." We note also that, while the shuttles down to the Aurora colony are announced, there is another regular shuttle that is not. We hypothesize that it too services the smaller dome.
EPs: 1 each
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