Author Topic: Space Bounty IC Chapter 1: Home for a little R&R (Read 4204 times)

Celedor · « **on:** February 15, 2009, 04:39:12 PM »

Space Bounty: Chapter 1

Home for a Little R&R

The crew of the Manticore arrives at Maya, a pastoral world on the fringe, to visit "Uncle Phil" on his ranch.

Ironmaul · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2009, 02:32:02 AM »

Bill is sitting next to John in the small cockpit, going over the side-seat controls.

**Transition to normal space in 45 seconds.**

he presses a button on the console.

"Marly, all weapons show cold on the main board repeaters, confirm local?"

(Deep woman's voice over the headsets) "Confirmed Axle"

(Young man's voice over the headsets.) "Still have a flutter in the main power distributor, but it's high green, edge of yellow."

Axle "Confim that on the repeater, field strength is well in the green, but I have a harmonic flutter in synch with yours Dale."

Axle covrs his mike with three fingers, turning to John.

"We're going to have to pull that unit this time, I don't like that flutter."

John sighed as he adjusted the ships projectory angle. "Yeah, yeah I heard ya." John responded after he caught the look on Axles wrinkled face. "See if you can get a second hand unit, hey." he said. "That last job was just enough to pay the fuel and crew with a little in the kitty." John said with a hint of frustration. "Yep, just keep flying."

Celedor · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2009, 03:32:26 AM »

Axle laughs. "I may be able to replace a sub componant, that flutter's been intermittant for months now, but now it's almost constant, I should finally be able to figure out which part is causing the problem."

**Normal Space in 30 seconds** (Says the computer)

Axle rolls his eyes, he hates the ship's mechanical sounding voice.

"If I thought it was the whole junction, I'd be down there babying her along, instead of letting Dale read the gauges."

(Leon's voice in the headset) "I've gone over the cargo a third time, it's all loaded in the shuttle, tied down and secure as long as we don't try a combat drop."

(General laughter on the comm)

(Marly) "Somehow I don't think uncle Phil would appreciate us scaring his Muskie herd into the hills."

**Normal Space in 15 seconds**

Axle is smiling, covers his mike again. "I'll stay up here and get the unit pulled down, while you go down. I'm not family like the rest of you, so I can skip the whole first day of hugging and family gossip. . .I will come down tomorrow night when your aunt puts on the welcome home feast. If I don't have the unit fixed by then, we're going to need to put into the station yard to pull the full unit."

Sees the expression on your face.

"I doubt it'll come to that, but if it does, and I didn't warn you, I'd be hearing about it for years."

Ironmaul · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2009, 07:10:33 AM »

"Well, Axle I'm sure it won't come to that now will it. That's why I hired the best engineer this side of the black." John said with a wink and a smile. Axle was about to speak but John knew what was coming next and spoke first "No, your not getting a raise." Axle shut his open mouth and sat back in his seat and grumbled something about over worked and underpaid. John gave a hearty laugh this time and adjust the ship once more ready for the drop. "You old goat, I'll tell aunty Mavis to cook up some extra roast pumpkin for you when you come over for dinner. She has a bit of a soft spot for you I think?" Axle sat unmoving in his chair but John saw his cheeks flush and smile quietly to himself.

Celedor · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2009, 07:39:27 PM »

**Normal Space in 5 seconds**

Chatter on the com stops, as the computer counts down

**Four, Three, Two, One, Transition**

It's gut wrenching as the whole gravitational field does an inversion.

The scan is hash, starts to clear up in an expanding ring of lightspeed reception. Out in the haze, large gravitational constants like the star, planets and such begin to fade in out of the haze also.

"Unknown vessel this is Patterson station, identify yourselves."

(They must have detected your hyper wake incoming, and transmitted that 10 seconds ago for it to reach here so soon.)

Axle smiles.

"Patterson is on top of things as usual."

(you're expected to answer the station challenge, if Axle does, they'll just ask for you.)

Ironmaul · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2009, 02:07:28 AM »

John waited till the hyper effects wore off a little before responding. "Paterson Station this Captain John Creed of the Manticore; registration file DSA 357, requesting to dock." John sat back waiting the conformation reply. He looked to Axle and said "Ain't long now till I get some real food" he patted his stomach.

Celedor · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2009, 05:48:05 PM »

There's a lightspeed lag back and forth.

Your beacon indicator flickers as the station request causes the transmission of standard log and identification information.

Axle is checking the repeater, all subsystems except that power junction are in the green. (Some high, some low, but all green.)

The scan keeps clearing, exposing the sattalites and station as you come deeper into the system, skirting the gravity well of an outer gas giant.

"Welcome home Manticore, do you require dock, or can you take a parking orbit? We're a bit busy here with harvest season traffic."

You see that indeed, there is a mid sized freighter in close orbit to the station, and streams of cargo shuttles transiting from the surface to the station, and from the station to the freighter. A few personel shuttles and EVA sleds complete the picture of barely restrained chaos in the vicinity of the station.

The com panel lights up with multiple signals, none tagged as directed to this ship, seems there's a lot of com activity going on in system also.

Ironmaul · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2009, 10:26:48 PM »

"Well ain't that just dandy" John said to Axle with anoyance."Looks like we ain't getting off just yet." John activated the receiver and replied to Patterson Station,"Patterson Station, we can take that orbit park. Please inform us ASAP when we are cleared to dock." John unstrapped his seat belt and began to rise out of his chair."I need to stretch my legs"

Celedor · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2009, 10:32:07 PM »

"Transmitting parking orbit instructions."

<console flickers receipt, and the plotted course appears.>

You accept it into the auto pilot, and the engine surge is a barely perceptable quiver in the deck.

As you get up, Axle turns his chair toward you.

"John, why don't you just take the shuttle down, you've got it loaded with all that stuff for your Unle Phil anyway, I'll babysit the Manty until the station clears a dock."

Ironmaul · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2009, 01:35:23 AM »

John put a hand on Axles shoulder and says "Thanks mate, I think I'll do that. Uncle Phil sure needs those supplies." John ducked through the cockpit hatch and headed for the shuttle.

Celedor · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2009, 04:02:44 AM »

The Manicore has two standard shuttle bays, cargo and personel, but only one shuttle, the cargo shuttle. They are essentially just scooped out indentations on the lower hull, which the teardrop shaped shuttles fit into. You go down the main fore-aft access, heading toward the engineering spaces, stop halfway back and slide down a ladderway to the lower fore-aft shaft.

On the floor is a round hatch, open, and a ladder tube that passes down through the hull and into the hatch on the top of the shuttle.

(Describe John please)

Ironmaul · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2009, 05:26:25 AM »

John walked through the ship stoping occasionaly to check the ships internals. His muscular arms supported him as he slid down the access shaft ladder to the lower level landing with a loud clang on the decks panels. A slight grin flashed across his face, he always enjoyed doing that. Going to the weapons cabinet he took out his pistol and holster belt and slung it over his shoulder (he hates flying with it around his waist) he then proceded to the shuttle. John checked over the readings of the shuttle and the system check was a go. "Axle, shuttle ejection in ten seconds." John said through the headset. "And see if you can scan a supplier for that unit we need while your waiting." John said and then as an after thought asked,"And see what a DSA shuttle is worth these days, be nice to have a backup in the future."

Celedor · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2009, 05:26:51 PM »

Leon is in the shuttle cargo bay as you slide off the ladder, in his 40's with the weathered, lanky look of a long time spacer. All the packages and boxes for uncle phil are traction taped down to the hull, leaving a narrow isle from the engine crawlspace to the cockpit.

Leon pushes back to let you squeeze by chest-to-chest, holding his memoboard off to the side.

"It's all packed, assuming the manifests are all right, we didn't open all the containers. I checked it all over and re-scanned the bar codes, it's all good."

As you nod and move off, Marly bangs down to the deck, sliding down the same way you did.

"Out of my way Leon, get strapped in."

As John sits in the pilot's seat and calls Axle, Leon sits in one of the seats built into the cargo side of the cockpit/cargo bulkhead. Marley drops into the copilot's seat, hitting the switch to seal the cockpit hatch, cutting off leon's further description of the cargo tie downs.

in response to your 10 second warning, Dale's voice comes over the com.

"I'm not jumping down the shafts and breaking my leg Captain Ahab! I'll be down in a minute." (You hear the rythmic thumping of his deck boots on the ladder rungs in the background)

Ironmaul · « **Reply #13 on:** February 24, 2009, 11:22:48 AM »

"Move your 'arse' flyboy!" John shouted down the isle."We ain't gunna wait around forever for you to drag your sorry hide!" John looked at Marley who just rolled her eyes.

Celedor · « **Reply #14 on:** February 25, 2009, 03:17:33 AM »

Marley puts on her headset, you hear Axle requesting small craft clearence for you, and your headset squawks as Patterson station hands you off to Orbital Control.

"This is Maya orbital control, I see your flight plan puts you out in the sticks. You've been here before, so you know the drill, stay subsonic below 20k, and don't go below 2k until you're on final approach. Make a vertical landing and Phil probably won't take any shots at you for scaring his herd." (Laughter in the background at Orbital Control.) "Orbital control, out."

Dale, all 55 kilos of him, scrambles down the ladder on the cabin camera, as Marley toggled the hull and shuttle hatches shut, then starts activating systems in pre-flight order.

Axle "Right, I'll just pick up a shuttle, did you short Phil on his supplies, or did you get a rich girlfriend since you left the flight deck?"

Ironmaul · « **Reply #15 on:** February 25, 2009, 09:58:31 AM »

"Crossin' Phil wouldn't be a smart move any day" John replied a little to quietly. "Now don't go gettin' spend thrifty, just get a price, unless you want it docked out of your takings." Johns said warningly. He looked at Marley and said "Ready?" With a nod of her head. "Then let's not keep Uncle Phil waiting any longer." John detached from the Manticore and then gunned the engines.

Celedor · « **Reply #16 on:** February 26, 2009, 08:57:55 PM »

After seperation, and gaining enough distance, you follow the course sent to the autopilot.

The planet Maya is rather earthlike, though colder, with more pronounced icecaps.

Patterson Station goes from a dot, to what looks like a wedding band with a needle running through the middle, the usual spindle shape of permenant stations. As it grows big enough to cover with a fingertip on the scan, a cloud of flitting dots come into view, the safety lights on the shuttles and skimmers. They rise like an anti-air barrage, and fall like snow, with a cloud of them roiling around the area of the station. The row of three lights a few points off the station must be the freighter they're loading and unloading.

Phil's ranch is in the south end of the temperate belt, far from Maya's one city, Landing. As you high orbit around to the far side, the chaos aroudn the station in geosycnh orbit over landing dissapears from view, and the com channels drop off as the planet blocks the local signals not repeated by the sat network.

You begin decending, a com channel lights up, directed at you.

"Hey John, good to see you, a little late, as usual." phil's voice.

Ironmaul · « **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2009, 10:51:27 PM »

John smiled at the voice of Phils jib "We're only three days late, at least we're improving." Marly looked at John as if to say it wasn't my fault. "I hope you've put the kettle on? sure would be nice to have a cuppa." John said as he throttled back the shuttle a little. "And of course to check up on the gossip with Aunty Mavis."

Celedor · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2009, 03:26:38 PM »

"We'll have hot breakfast on the table when you get here, just remember to baffle your drive on the way down. Harvest is over, but the herds are still milling around near the ranch, they haven't started the migration north yet."

Ironmaul · « **Reply #19 on:** March 01, 2009, 02:41:57 AM »

"No worries Phil, we'll be there in about 10. Shuttle out." John said. "Marley, dampen the drive output as soon as we get stablized, and keep an eye on those pulse signatures."
"Aye, aye capt'n." Marley responded as she began flicking switches and turning dials, keeping a careful watch on the shuttles readings. "All good this side captain, she's all yours." she said in her usual deep smokey voice. Her dark curly hair reminded John of medusa's head of serpents from images he had seen. "Very good, lets go get some breakfast." John said as he flicked the over ride switch and went to manual.

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Author Topic: Space Bounty IC Chapter 1: Home for a little R&R (Read 4204 times)