[OOC] Black Velvet Sky [Hard SF | Politics/Exploration | Character-Driven]

[whist]

BLACK VELVET SKY

If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond.
- Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin

Introduction

In geosynchronous orbit above Seattle, Washington looms Boeing's massive Capital Ship Assembly Array (CSAA) where the NSS Eidolon, the first spacecraft with an axis exceeding one kilometer in length, nears completion. The massive ship marks a milestone for humanity's conquest of the stars, inspiring both triumph and fear. 54.6 million kilometers away, tense meetings are held on the partially terraformed Mars. Ever since a successful war for independence, the planet's inhabitants, colonists united as the Martian Free Republic, have nervously anticipated and prepared for retaliation by the de facto government of Earth, NATO. Even though the two organizations have formed a tenuous peace, military escalation on both sides continues.

And now, a new discovery threatens to plunge the Sol system into turmoil once again. NATO SIGINT organizations have intercepted covert interplanetary communications between the MFR and the independent Russian Federation. Partial decryption of these messages reveals heavy interest in a region of space previously thought to be of little importance. It is possible that whatever lies in this system offers a strategic advantage - one compelling enough to spur discussion of the possibility of an alliance. Investigation of these coordinates is now a top priority. That's where you come in.

As a top performer in your field, you are one of the best at what you do. Perhaps you work for a megacorporation, a nation state, or maybe you're a lone wolf freelancer. Regardless, you're needed for what could be one of the most delicate deep space exploration missions ever undertaken. NATO recruiters have contacted you directly to inquire about your interest in a classified operation involving revolutionary new technology just now becoming reality: the FTL drive. You are one of the few offered the chance to travel outside this solar system and explore the stars and planets in the galaxy beyond. Do you accept? Just sign on the dotted line, and we'll give you all the details...

Overview

Black Velvet Sky takes place within a universe both familiar and alien. I don't want to pin down our narrative by providing specific dates, but the initial setting is a relatively near-future Earth. Several important events have shaped the political and technological landscape. Firstly, the western world has united under the banner of NATO, turning a once military organization into a quasi-global government. As a result of this globalization, increases in computing power, and valuable asteroid mining, technological progress has continued to accelerate. Private space travel is now commonplace. Colonization began on the Moon, where a thriving community resides. The most ambitious, and tragic, of recent ventures has been the Mars project. 1/16th of the planet's surface has been terraformed into a verdant colony. Making a new home on Mars has been the dream of many until recent decades - until the Revolution. Tired of perceived slights from the NATO administration, a faction on the planet called the Martian Free Republic took advantage of the fact that spacefaring fleets, at the time, remained largely unarmed. By arming spacecraft and employing guerrilla tactics as well as terroristic planetary bombardment of Earth, public opinion forced NATO to capitulate and grant independence to the MFR. Unfortunately, the innocence of the space age was over. NATO handed over control of its fleets from NASA and other scientific organizations to the military and signed thousands of deals with prominent defense contractors. This funding allowed Sandia National Laboratories to build a functioning Casimir negative energy generator: the main component required for the, until now, purely hypothetical Alcubierre drive. FTL travel had almost instantly switched from a faint possibility to real technology. Now this new innovation will be put to the test.

Rules

These are here so you can make sure this game will be a good fit for you before investing your valuable time.

Interaction:

• We will treat each other like we are all in the same room sitting at a table trying to have fun. Anonyminity is not an excuse for assholery.
• We are all partners in creating a collaborative fiction with equally valid contributions. Everyone (including the GM) will make their best effort to respect the choices a character makes. In return, everyone (including the GM) will make their best effort to have their characters behave in a way consistent with their personality and environment. Please no god-modding or metagaming, unless your character is actually a god. Then go for it.
• Please try to keep as much interaction as possible in public. If scheming must be done in private, by all means, start a PM. But it works better if we can call stay up to speed on what's going on.

Posting:

• A post order will be enforced.
• On your turn, you will have one week (seven 24-hour days) to make a post.
• If there is something your character must absolutely respond to out of order, immediately make a post indicating you're going to interject, then edit it ASAP with actual content. Please have this content done within 12 hours to avoid slowing things down.

Content:

• The following subjects should be avoided: anything prohibited by forum rules, obviously. Fair warning: I like to offer my players difficult ethical choices in the course of the game. At risk of being trite, if watching the evening news bothers you, this may not be the game for you. However, explicit violence, language, etc. should be the exception, not the rule. The majority of this game should be right around PG-13. If something bothers you, send me a PM - we can work it out one way or another.
• Reading text in long, semi-comprehensible, unpunctuated blocks makes me do irrational things like quitting roleplays and committing myself to a life of isolation and self-denial as a monk in a Benedictine abbey. Please have mercy, as I will read everything you post. Use punctuation, separate your text into paragraphs, and use spellcheck if you need it.
• I encourage romance. Fade anything unredeemably saccharine to black.

I think that pretty much covers it. Please ask if you need clarification about anything.

Characters

I will be posting my character as the first post in the character tab. This is a guideline for what I expect: an overview of your character's basic physical attributes, a history of their education and work/life experience, and a vignette establishing them in the world. Feel free to diverge/expand if it will enrich your character. Please post your work in this tab (OOC) for review. I'd like to keep the Characters tab for final sheets only please. After your character is posted and accepted they will be contacted privately for a NATO psych evaluation and transportation will be arranged to a classified location for initial briefing with the other members of the crew.

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DISCLAIMER: I'm not a physicist/astronomer/very smart person. I just write code. I'm aiming for hard SF here but there's bound to be some stuff that just doesn't make sense. Please don't hate me too much.

[whist]

COMPENDIUM

The degree of one's emotions varies inversely with one's knowledge of the facts.
- Bertrand Russell

Technology

FTL Travel

The FTL breakthrough occured at SNL/NM TA-IV (Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, Technical Area IV) when researchers created the Casimir generator. This revelation provided the source of negative energy required for a functional Alcubierre drive. The drive manipulates spacetime around a vessel, contracting the space in front and explanding it behind. This allows for FTL travel without relativistic effects. However, extremely destructive tidal forces pose a threat to the surrounding environment. A spacecraft must be well clear of any adjacent mass before activation of the drive is permitted by the ship's software.

Sub-light Travel

The primary method of spacecraft propulsion at speeds less than c is the magnetoplasmadynamic thruster, also called the MPD thruster. This method of propulsion uses electricity from a ship's onboard fusion reactor to ionize lithium. The plasma is then expelled from a nozzle, generating thrust. Speeds of a significant fraction of c are possible, however, NATO law requires the installation of a governor set to .25c (approx. 1.8 AU per hour) to avoid relativistic effects such as time dilation. Harmful inertia is canceled by a negative mass field generated by the ship's Alcubierre drive. If a ship is not FTL-enabled and therefore lacks an Alcubierre drive, significant periods of time will be required for safe acceleration.

Artificial Intelligence

The Turing test is long defeated, however, AI research is at a standstill due to NATO restrictions. General AI is explicitly forbidden, especially those capable of machine learning. Instead, task-specific software (called autonomous agents) are common, with humanlike interfaces that can respond to complex commands and act autonomously within a rigid scope. This is especially important for spacecraft designers who require an intuitive interface to the vastly complex software that runs modern ships. Humans are simply incapable of performing the mathematics required for successful navigation of the abyss.

Weaponry (Personal)

Turns out, there's still nothing much more effective than putting a hot slug through whatever you want dead. Examples:

Low Tech: The aging M4 carbine remains the assault rifle of choice among those who cannot afford more sophisticated weapons. Various models of handgun abound, from decomissioned LEO Glocks to revolvers straight out of a cowboy 'flick. The ancient AK-74 can still be seen among the most destitute factions.

Medium Tech: Reasonably well-equipped law enforcement agencies and paramilitary organizations favor Remington's ACR, or Adaptive Combat Rifle. Able to be reconfigured in the field for a multitude of roles ranging from MOUT/CQB to multi-kilometer sharpshooting, the ACR can probably get the job done. Handguns at this level are usually the latest models from Glock, Beretta, H&K, Colt, and many other manufacturers.

High Tech: Now we get to NATO and megacorps. The rifle of choice at this level is the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Raijin. An electronic-firing rifle capable of discharging 5000 rounds per minute with little to no recoil and pinpoint accuracy, the mere sight of this weapon is a deterrent. Effective in almost any environment, the Raijin is the assault rifle of the space age.

Experimental: Directed energy weapons are dismissed by many critics as impractical and expensive, but there's just something satisfying about turning your enemy into a charred pile of ash. The leader in this market is Applied Energetics. They sell, to a select group of customers, a prototype LIPC (laser-induced plasma channel) weapon. A laser ionizes the surrounding atmosphere, creating a plasma channel from the weapon to the target down which an extremely high voltage current is sent. The effect is instantly lethal against targets without appropriate shielding.

Weaponry (Spacecraft)

The main mounted weapon of choice is the coilgun. Often gimballed and controlled by targeting computers, magnetic coils accelerate a projectile to high velocity. At large scales, such as the spinal weapon of the NSS Eidolon, these are called mass drivers and can deliver hydrogen-bomb levels of energy to a target every minute. Many spacecraft, especially those small enough to be disrupted by the recoil of a coilgun, use electronic-firing rotary cannons, such as the General Dynamics GAU-39/S "Liberator" 50mm.

Biotechnology

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) reproductive cloning technology has progressed to the point where creating human clones is possible within a cutting-edge laboratory. Several problems remain. No safe way of accelerating the aging process has been found, and clones still develop their own distinct personalities separate from their source. There is no way to "transfer" a mind, much to the dismay of politicians and CEOs seeking immortality. Furthermore, the human cloning ethics debate still rages on, which lead NATO to place an indefinite moratorium on the issue. However, it is common and socially acceptable (if very expensive) to grow and store replacement organs - just in case.

Developing on 21st century CRISPR technology, designer babies are common among those who can afford genetic engineering services and believe they know what's best for their baby's genome. Changes are limited to basic physical traits.

Cybernetics

It is possible and common to replace limbs. For internal organs, biotech solutions are preferred, however, mechanical replacements are a (relatively) cheaper alternative. Augmentations above normal human ability are possible but illegal under NATO law. The idea of people who can punch through steel plating, perfectly conceal deadly weapons, and react with superhuman speed and agility tends to worry some folks. Rumor has it that hasn't stopped black markets from cropping up here and there, as long as you're comfortable with your surgeon having "graduated from a real medical school, I swear!"

Telepathy/mental uploading or transfer is still in its infancy due to real problems developing a brain-computer interface with enough bandwidth to accommodate high intensity applications.

Information Technology

Augmented reality is common and usually takes the form of glasses or contacts using digital light field technology. Most of the functions one performs in today's (2016) society with a smartphone are now performed within AR. VR is used in some specialized applications, gaming, and the military, but the average person needs to maintain awareness of the environment around them. Studies also show negative dissociative psychological effects correlated with extended VR usage.

Data storage and I/O has been greatly increased with the introduction of holographic data storage. In combination with the advent of planetary scale mesh networking, huge volumes of data can be moved and processed rapidly in a decentralized manner. However, laws passed during early 21st century privacy debates greatly limit the ability of governments and corporations to access this public data. Therefore, these entities have constructed much more limited private networks that must be used to access their services. This has limited the development of information technology to those with the know-how to work outside of established infrastructure.

Quantum computers exist and dominate some specialized applications. However, for reasons such as expense and compatibility with legacy systems, digital computers remain the most widespread.

Nanotechnology

Nanoscale engineering is an extremely promising and lucrative field. Huge budgets fund the nanotech departments at companies like General Dynamics. Most of the public is unaware these departments even exist, let alone what they are working on.

[whist]

NSS Intrepid XDS-5

The NSS Intrepid lands at Edwards AFB.

Type: Experimental Deep-Space Research Frigate

History: Developed by a consortium of megacorps including industry titan Boeing, Lockheed Grumman, and Intel, the NSS Intrepid is the current pinnacle of spacecraft technology. As a member of its mission, you've been granted access to this classified specification.

Hull: Boeing XDS-5 Carbon Nanotube Composite Hull (140 meter axis)

Power Plant: Sandia Corporation deuterium/tritium fusion reactor

Propulsion Systems:

• Sandia Corporation high-efficiency Alcubierre-class FTL drive
• Lockheed Grumman magnetoplasmadynamic thruster suite
• NASA JPL launch/backup fixed chemical thrusters

Weapons:

• 1x fixed General Dynamics CG-4 240mm coilgun
• 4x gimballed General Dynamics GAU-39/S "Liberator" 50mm electronic-fire rotary cannon
• Intel EWAR suite
• Lockheed Grumman point defense system

Support Systems:

• 3 ZFLOP Intel flight computer with autonomous agent interface
• Siemens AG integrated life support and medical bay
• Integrated sensor array

Crew

Command Team
Under Recruitment

Security Team
Mr. Calder "Smoke" Normund, Private Security Operator
Ms. Margaret "Woods" Collingwood, Private Security Operator

Engineering Team
Mr. Alexander Anderson, Senior Engineer

Science Team
Dr. Adeline Carbier, Physicist
Dr. Gideon Ellis, Signals Analyst
Dr. John Raleigh, Physician

Datastore

Access Level 1, Command Team Only

Psych Eval for ELLIS, GIDEON

Psychiatric Evaluation for ELLIS, GIDEON
Prepared by J. Raleigh, MD

Patient presents as calm and aware of surroundings. No obvious physical disease. Signs of slight sleep deprivation, likely travel related.
Questions answered: 5/5. Full cooperation.
Patient exhibits strong moral/ethical grounding. Reports pacifistic ideology.
Patient reports one incident of suicidal ideation. No evidence of a chronic condition. Patient will be monitored.

Form PSY 801/C (Waiver of Pre-existing Psychiatric Condition) is signed and attached.

Recommendations:
Standard monitoring.

Fit for duty.

Psych Eval for ANDERSON, ALEXANDER

Psychiatric Evaluation for ANDERSON, ALEXANDER
Prepared by J. Raleigh, MD

Patient presents as calm and aware of surroundings. Slight irritability and signs of sleep deprivation, likely travel related.
Questions answered: 5/5. Full cooperation.
Patient exhibits an overriding theme of anti-Martian sentiment. Indicates strong regret for his actions and a feeling of personal responsibility for civilian casualties.
Verbalized agression/hostility and a willingness to become violent towards Martian extremists.
Patient was offered prescription low-dosage fluoextine.

Recommendations:
Patient may become a liability in situations requiring contact with Martians.
Some evidence of emotional instability, possible PTSD. No diagnosis at this time.
Standard monitoring.

Fit for duty.

Psych Eval for RALEIGH, JOHNATHAN

Psychiatric Evaluation for RALEIGH, JOHNATHAN
Prepared by E. Paulson, MD

Dr. Raleigh presents as calm and lucid. Smell of cigarette smoke is present and tobacco usage is marked in patient's chart.
All questions answered with full cooperation.
Raleigh shows signs of resentment towards NATO leadership for casualties during the recent Earth-Mars conflict.
Patient reports he enjoys high-pressure situations, evidenced by his choice of employment in surgery.
Patient displays signs of low self-esteem and impostor syndrome; possible motivation for joining this mission.

Recommendations:
Smoking cessation program.
Standard monitoring.

Fit for duty.

Facilities

Shuttle

Boeing "Skippy" SC-1/P3 Planetary Lander

An old design with a rather unfortunate nickname, the SC-1/P3 is a workhorse of both NATO and MFR fleets. Compact and affordable, it does its job: get a small ship's crew from orbit onto a habitable planet.

Laboratory/Med Bay

The Intrepid features state-of-the-art scientific facilities.

One of the Intrepid's decks is devoted to integrated medical/scientific facilities. The ship offers medical technology on par with most planetary hospitals. The laboratory includes facilities for soil analysis, spectrometry, dissection, etc. It also integrates with the ship's electronic warfare systems to provide signal interception and analysis capabilities.

Crew Quarters

The Intrepid's individual crew quarters provide much needed privacy for long missions.

[Meth Quokka]

I'll probably go in as a second security personnel by the looks of the interest distribution.

[Mao Mao]

I wished that I would of been captain, oh well. :/

EDIT: Maybe I could compete with catchamber for the role and you get the pick the best sheet (once we finish our sheets). The winner will become the Captain and the loser will become the Chief Officer

[ClocktowerEchos]

Senior Engineer reporting in.

Quick question: how much technobabble will be allowed? I'm afraid I know even less about all this hard scifi stuff than anyone else lol

EDIT: Here's my CS, I didn't go with what you had created for Raleigh since I thought I couldn't get Anderson's character through it as well. Sorry about that ^^

Alexander Anderson

Alexander Anderson

"I thought I was a hero. A hero no more I guess."

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Name:

Alexander Kaprinsky Anderson

Age:

26

Homeworld:

Mars

Appearance:

Anderson is nothing all too special in his physical features; he's about 5 foot 10 inches with an average build with good muscles and a ever so slightly hunched back. There are no major scars or marks on his face or anything of note beyond his teal blue eyes and bronzy blond hair. On his right shoulder he displays what he calls a "personal insignia" tattoo, a circle with an X towards the top and two lines drawn down from the X. His left shoulder bears the words "Freedom to Mars, Death to Oppressors" in two lines, a tattoo that Anderson deeply despise and regrets ever getting.

Personality:

Anderson is something of a broken, disenfranchised soldier which in turns means he's a cynical with a rather downer outlook on life. He also tends to be a bit of an ass, most likely due to his egotistic side. Anderson's engineering and jury rigging abilities are extraordinary with the man claiming no one else can surpass it. He takes great pride in his work and will not hesitate to show it off or brag about it if he can. A small habit he's developed is to sometimes just make technobabble shit up on the spot in the face of people who don't know engineering for shits and giggles.

Another contributing factor to his attitude is his stance (and former stance) on the MFR. Despite what he said and thought in the days of the martian independence day, he now despise any patriotic martian with a burning hate and will not hesitate to punch them on sight. Of course, this outlook is given back in kind by many martians who see the former prodigy as a traitor. NATO and Terrans on the other hand don't exactly show him all too much love either given his role in the creation of MRF and his status as a martian.

History:

Alexander Anderson is a second generation martian meaning that he came from full blooded martian parents. His family was very well off given his father's renowned engineering and design abilities, something that his son would also inherent. From an early age Anderson showed great interest in machinery and science, breezing through advanced math and science classes without breaking a sweat so much to the point that he had completed all of his high school's available advanced math and science classes. In his free time, Anderson would pour over old models of ships, blueprints and little bits of machinery that his dad brought home from work (when he wasn't goofing off and playing games and trying to hook up with girls of course).

With several scholarships behind his back, Anderson was well off on his way to the most prestigious university on Mars where he was introduced to an independence movement called the "Mars for Martians Movement" (MMM). This wasn't his first time hearing about this as both his mother and father were also heavily in favor of sovereignty for the red planet; he and his three other siblings bore witness to the elongated rants and outbursts against the "Terran Tyrants" that their parents often had against the news anchors.

Once again taking on his heavy class work load with ease, Anderson only continued to impress his teachers and classmates with his skills as he got more and more involved with MMM. By his second year, the boy was a devout zealot of it who saw their struggle as the "righteous fight" that the higher ups preached. So devout and devoted he was that he was blind to see as they became less and less peaceful and more and more like terrorists like so many other radical liberation groups. By the time he graduated with both a degree in Engineering and Spacecraft Design, Anderson was deep in the "war against oppression" as the MMM was absorb by the Martian Republican Army.

Once in the MRA, he proved his worth and skills as an engineer, often out doing those with more education or experience on pure skill alone. He was responsible for a the creation of many IEDs, weapons and most importantly, rearmed spacecraft. He worked on or oversaw the arming of dozens of spacecraft that he was told would "protect Mars once NATO came". Anderson poured everything he had into the ships with undying loyalty but something in his mind didn't agree with him. Some part of him asked him at what point did he stop being a protester outside NATO buildings to a terrorist who blew them up. With zealous fervor, such "childish" thoughts were put to rest by Anderson as he proudly watched the ships roll off the conversion line and into space.

Then came the turning point.

As he boarded on of the ships, he realized that these ships weren't just staying in orbit about Mars, they were going somewhere. They were going towards Earth. Frantically asking questions, Anderson was given very limited and vague answers and watched in horror as the MRA bombarded the defenseless cities of Earth without any retaliation. This was the last straw that cause his mind to snap which he realizes that this wasn't a war he was in, it was a massacre. After the bombardment was done and NATO had given up, instead of celebrating like everyone else, Anderson locked himself in his quarters and let his emotions run through until he felt he had no more tears to cry and only rage to burn as he realizes his entire life was basically a web of lies. It was in there that Anderson made up his mind to abandon all of his work with the MRA and leave them for good and say "fuck you" for all the lies that his patriotism blinded him from. He was going to defect to NATO.

Once back on the red planet, he took advantage of everyone's partying to sneak as much of his work and other bits and pieces on to a small cargo craft and left orbit to Earth. Even before he made it to Earth he was stopped by Lunar Police Forces from the Moon. On the NATO base on the Moon, Anderson surrendered everything he had and gave the stolen ship with cargo and all to the officials and told him he was a defector of the MRA. Of course they didn't trust him but he persisted anyways.

Anderson probably would have rotted in a jail cell for the rest of his life on treason charges if it wasn't for the work of one pragmatic and opportunistic NATO commander who recognized the boy's talents and the need of engineers of his calibers within NATO, one Commander Volskya. Under his orders, Commander Volskya secretly planted a kill chip into Anderson's neck; not exactly legal but he thought it would have been the most effective way of controlling the defector. In truth, Anderson probably didn't even need a kill chip to keep him loyal to NATO, his rage and anger against the MRA enough to keep him in check from ever collaborating with them ever again.

Since then Anderson has been given some additional education curtsy of NATO (which he is still currently studying without any issue at a remarkable pace) and has been assigned to the NSS Intrepid after some pushing of papers, his talent being one of the sole reasons he was even allowed to be on it in the first place. Now, even though he lacks allies on either side of the post-war conflict, Anderson plans to make his legacy and name once again known, now for a new cause.

[Kobayashi]

Are there any available positions I could take? I see great interest in this roleplay.

[ClocktowerEchos]

Are there any available positions I could take? I see great interest in this roleplay.

@Kobayashi

Check the Int Check, I think there's a list of spots open or something but if you want something not on the list, you'll have to ask @whist, should be okay as long as its nothing too ridiculous.

http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/139963-black-velvet-sky-hard-sf-politics-exploration-character-driven

[Leodiensian]

Gideon Ellis

The Analyst

Picture

Gideon

Gideon Rathbone Ellis
[e-mail] (Former)
Age: 41 Hair: Blond Eyes: Brown
Height: 5' 10" Weight: 170 lb

Education
PhD - Xenolinguistics and the Outside Context Problem, University of Nevada
MA, Cryptanalysis - University of Baltimore
BA, Linguistics - University of Virginia

Experience
Cryptographic Analyst, NSA
Analyst, DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency)
Specialist (Intelligence), U.S. Army

Vignette

"You're a hard man to find, Dr. Ellis." The soldier is Texan by his drawl, but his vowels are tighter than most. Ellis blinks and blots the morning sun away from his eyes with a palm. The soldier is a silhouette, a black tower between the oaks. Ellis finds himself thinking of the Moonlight Killer.

"That was kind of the idea," he mumbles, pushing his way past the taller man. The soldier (Ellis catches the name Fouke on his chest as he goes by) has maybe six inches and twenty pounds on him, and the sub-machine gun that hangs loosely in his grip weighs heavy with silent promise. Ellis had seen enough to know what those could do to people and Fouke's masters would know that. Even unloaded, the mere presence of the weapon was a message, a signal, a gesture. A hand on the shoulder.

Ellis's feet crunched through dead autumn leaves as he takes the gentle slope down towards the road. He knew the path well, it was his main contact with the sleepy little town of Gray, Maine. On a clear day from his cabin, he could just about see the grave of The Stranger but it was early in the day and mist still hung on the ground. He heard crunching behind him and knew he was being followed.

A smoke-filled conference room in November. The middle of the night. Another all-nighter that becomes more than that. Coffee and rolled-up sleeves. The veins on Jessop's forehead as he bellows.

Of course Fouke wouldn't have come alone. Another man is sitting against the hood of Ellis's 2005 Range Rover. Younger, maybe early 30's. Dark jacket and tan chinos, bulge under the left shoulder. Feathered hair, smooth chin. Ellis scratches his own chin subconciously. No name badge on this one, but he has 'spook' written all over him. "Mountain man's not a good look for you, Doc." His vowels say Harvard; his shoes say Langley. Mr. Spook holds out a hand. "Porter."

Ellis doesn't take it. He unlocks the driver's seat and gets in. Porter gets in the passenger seat like they're old buddies, without word or permission. Fouke materialises in the back seat at some point. Ellis starts the engine. They roll down towards Gray a ways. "I thought government policy was there was no such thing as aliens." Ellis keeps his voice flat and casual, as if he was commenting on the colour of the clouds boiling in from the east, pregnant with rain.

"It is, and there aren't. Left here." Porter narrates further instructions that Ellis wordlessly follows. The route takes him off the road to Gray and towards the Route 114. From there it was south towards Scarborough. About an hour into the drive and the rain hits, pelting hard and fast. As if taking that as a sign, Porter speaks again. "I read your thesis, by the way. Foukes here hasn't."

Three sleepless nights at a SETI terminal poring over line graphs. A heartbeat in background cosmic noise. Too much coffee.

"He cleared for it?"

"Sure, why not? Aliens don't exist, right?" Porter smirks. Ellis at Fouke through the rearview mirror. The larger man is staring eyes forward, like he had been for the last hour. Ellis couldn't see the gun but he could imagine it low, pointed at his back. He struck Ellis as the kind of guy who didn't need context for orders, just orders. The kind of useful sociopath the military had spent decades and millions of dollars to properly identify so their awfulness could be deployed appropriately against state enemies. So long as Porter gave no order, Foukes would be fine. But Porters gives the order and the Book of Revelations gets a few new lines referring to bloodbaths across Maine highways.

A career spent in SIGINT. A psychiatric diagnosis arriving in the mail. A paper trail of evidence for doctor's visits and anti-psychotic prescriptions that never existed. A letter of termination in the same post package as confirmation of his doctorate. A small green triangle sticker on the top left corner of a manilla dossier.

In his head, Ellis does the math. A highly qualified and experienced intelligence analyst, with a deniable backstory built into his medical records. Someone previously vetted but with enough distance from the intelligence community to appear independent. It didn't take a genius to figure out where this was going. "I assume I already have a ticket?"

The folder hits the dashboard with a dry clap. Ellis glances off the road briefly and catches the same green triangle sticker on the top right corner. Porter smiles. "I thought after so long in the woods, your bank account would be looking a little low. Not like you were teaching anywhere with that paranoid schizophrenia on your record. So, I got you a job..."

[whist]

I'll probably go in as a second security personnel by the looks of the interest distribution.

@Kangaroo

Sounds good, I'll mark you down for that.

I wished that I would of been captain, oh well. :/

EDIT: Maybe I could compete with catchamber for the role and you get the pick the best sheet (once we finish our sheets). The winner will become the Captain and the loser will become the Chief Officer

@The Spectre

If @catchamber is good with this than sure. Otherwise, I will have to assign the role to whoever put forward interest first.

Senior Engineer reporting in.

Quick question: how much technobabble will be allowed? I'm afraid I know even less about all this hard scifi stuff than anyone else lol

EDIT: Here's my CS, I didn't go with what you had created for Raleigh since I thought I couldn't get Anderson's character through it as well. Sorry about that ^^

Alexander Anderson

Alexander Anderson

"I thought I was a hero. A hero no more I guess."

---

---

---

---

Name:

Alexander Kaprinsky Anderson

Age:

26

Homeworld:

Mars

Appearance:

Anderson is nothing all too special in his physical features; he's about 5 foot 10 inches with an average build with good muscles and a ever so slightly hunched back. There are no major scars or marks on his face or anything of note beyond his teal blue eyes and bronzy blond hair. On his right shoulder he displays what he calls a "personal insignia" tattoo, a circle with an X towards the top and two lines drawn down from the X. His left shoulder bears the words "Freedom to Mars, Death to Oppressors" in two lines, a tattoo that Anderson deeply despise and regrets ever getting.

Personality:

Anderson is something of a broken, disenfranchised soldier which in turns means he's a cynical with a rather downer outlook on life. He also tends to be a bit of an ass, most likely due to his egotistic side. Anderson's engineering and jury rigging abilities are extraordinary with the man claiming no one else can surpass it. He takes great pride in his work and will not hesitate to show it off or brag about it if he can. A small habit he's developed is to sometimes just make technobabble shit up on the spot in the face of people who don't know engineering for shits and giggles.

Another contributing factor to his attitude is his stance (and former stance) on the MFR. Despite what he said and thought in the days of the martian independence day, he now despise any patriotic martian with a burning hate and will not hesitate to punch them on sight. Of course, this outlook is given back in kind by many martians who see the former prodigy as a traitor. NATO and Terrans on the other hand don't exactly show him all too much love either given his role in the creation of MRF and his status as a martian.

History:

Alexander Anderson is a second generation martian meaning that he came from full blooded martian parents. His family was very well off given his father's renowned engineering and design abilities, something that his son would also inherent. From an early age Anderson showed great interest in machinery and science, breezing through advanced math and science classes without breaking a sweat so much to the point that he had completed all of his high school's available advanced math and science classes. In his free time, Anderson would pour over old models of ships, blueprints and little bits of machinery that his dad brought home from work (when he wasn't goofing off and playing games and trying to hook up with girls of course).

With several scholarships behind his back, Anderson was well off on his way to the most prestigious university on Mars where he was introduced to an independence movement called the "Mars for Martians Movement" (MMM). This wasn't his first time hearing about this as both his mother and father were also heavily in favor of sovereignty for the red planet; he and his three other siblings bore witness to the elongated rants and outbursts against the "Terran Tyrants" that their parents often had against the news anchors.

Once again taking on his heavy class work load with ease, Anderson only continued to impress his teachers and classmates with his skills as he got more and more involved with MMM. By his second year, the boy was a devout zealot of it who saw their struggle as the "righteous fight" that the higher ups preached. So devout and devoted he was that he was blind to see as they became less and less peaceful and more and more like terrorists like so many other radical liberation groups. By the time he graduated with both a degree in Engineering and Spacecraft Design, Anderson was deep in the "war against oppression" as the MMM was absorb by the Martian Republican Army.

Once in the MRA, he proved his worth and skills as an engineer, often out doing those with more education or experience on pure skill alone. He was responsible for a the creation of many IEDs, weapons and most importantly, rearmed spacecraft. He worked on or oversaw the arming of dozens of spacecraft that he was told would "protect Mars once NATO came". Anderson poured everything he had into the ships with undying loyalty but something in his mind didn't agree with him. Some part of him asked him at what point did he stop being a protester outside NATO buildings to a terrorist who blew them up. With zealous fervor, such "childish" thoughts were put to rest by Anderson as he proudly watched the ships roll off the conversion line and into space.

Then came the turning point.

As he boarded on of the ships, he realized that these ships weren't just staying in orbit about Mars, they were going somewhere. They were going towards Earth. Frantically asking questions, Anderson was given very limited and vague answers and watched in horror as the MRA bombarded the defenseless cities of Earth without any retaliation. This was the last straw that cause his mind to snap which he realizes that this wasn't a war he was in, it was a massacre. After the bombardment was done and NATO had given up, instead of celebrating like everyone else, Anderson locked himself in his quarters and let his emotions run through until he felt he had no more tears to cry and only rage to burn as he realizes his entire life was basically a web of lies. It was in there that Anderson made up his mind to abandon all of his work with the MRA and leave them for good and say "fuck you" for all the lies that his patriotism blinded him from. He was going to defect to NATO.

Once back on the red planet, he took advantage of everyone's partying to sneak as much of his work and other bits and pieces on to a small cargo craft and left orbit to Earth. Even before he made it to Earth he was stopped by Lunar Police Forces from the Moon. On the NATO base on the Moon, Anderson surrendered everything he had and gave the stolen ship with cargo and all to the officials and told him he was a defector of the MRA. Of course they didn't trust him but he persisted anyways.

Anderson probably would have rotted in a jail cell for the rest of his life on treason charges if it wasn't for the work of one pragmatic and opportunistic NATO commander who recognized the boy's talents and the need of engineers of his calibers within NATO, one Commander Volskya. Under his orders, Commander Volskya secretly planted a kill chip into Anderson's neck; not exactly legal but he thought it would have been the most effective way of controlling the defector. In truth, Anderson probably didn't even need a kill chip to keep him loyal to NATO, his rage and anger against the MRA enough to keep him in check from ever collaborating with them ever again.

Since then Anderson has been given some additional education curtsy of NATO (which he is still currently studying without any issue at a remarkable pace) and has been assigned to the NSS Intrepid after some pushing of papers, his talent being one of the sole reasons he was even allowed to be on it in the first place. Now, even though he lacks allies on either side of the post-war conflict, Anderson plans to make his legacy and name once again known, now for a new cause.

@ClocktowerEchos

Technobabble will be incorporated to whatever level a player finds appropriate for their character. I don't expect anyone to spend an inordinate amount of time researching this stuff, so it's all up to the level of detail you want to go into. I once participated in a govsim that used a lot of legal jargon. If anything important was confusing, a PES (plain English summary) was provided as well. This can be done here as well, but I don't think it will get to that point. The technology descriptions are mostly for setting/flavor, and I will make sure anything important story-wise is well explained.

Are there any available positions I could take? I see great interest in this roleplay.

@Kobayashi

We are getting close to full. There is currently one scientist position and one security position that have not been explicitly claimed yet, however, there are people from the original interest check that haven't posted here yet. I don't want to deny anyone participation, but I also need to ensure slots remain for those who originally expressed interest. Perhaps wait a day, then I can give you a more definite answer.

[OneWayOut]

Still reading over the information given, though this looks really interesting. Strongly considering joining this. :)

[ClocktowerEchos]

@whistThanks for that, any word on my CS tho?

[whist]

@whistThanks for that, any word on my CS tho?

@ClocktowerEchos

I'm currently reviewing both sheets that have been posted.

EDIT: Both very enjoyable and accepted. Feel free to move them to the Characters tab. I'm out right now, so I'll add some more ideas on incorporating backstory later.

[Polymorpheus]

.

[Mao Mao]

I will also start on my sheet.

[Polymorpheus]

.

[Meth Quokka]

Still looking for an image but this is my CS.

Picture (WIP)

Calder Normund

Calder “Smoke“ T. Normund
Age: 28
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Grey
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 78 kgs

Experience
Rifleman, NATO Armed Forces, Australian Division.
Commando, NATO Special Operations Group (SOG).
Squad Captain, NATO SOG.
Military Intelligence Officer, NATO SOG

Vignette

It was a quiet enough bar serving a nice enough bourbon to warrant his patronage in the early glimpses of the afternoon. There was only the bartender standing vigil over his counter like some king of old surveying his domain and two other men clad in office wear trapped in a hushed conversation, seemingly uncomfortable in braking that serene silence. There was a small clink which seemed to ring as loud as a bell when he raised his hand, pushing an ice block to the wall of the glass, before it breached his lips and the rich liquid inside flowed out.

He’d set himself in the corner of the room, seemingly alienating himself from anyone else but in truth it was the soldier’s habit in him to form a full field of vision. He wouldn’t have minded a drinking companion or five, yet the bartender seemed like the overly inquisitive type and the other two men were clearly just on a lunch break. He softly sighed and lent his head against the wall behind him and settled down in his chair when his ears heard the door swing open and a few men, maybe two or three stride in wordlessly. When they rounded the wall obscuring the door from his view, his mind pricked angrily as he saw two absolute mountains of men as comfortable in their suits as if they were wearing a rash. The third man was smaller, older but clearly the superior by the way they flanked his back.

Their posture and position screamed officer on deck! yet the apparel suggested it wasn’t quite a military operation. He sighed as he took one last draught of his bourbon, savouring that smokey oak taste and enjoying the little tingle that danced down his throat after he swallowed. He knew the men were here for him, but the reason why was unknown; as far as the NATO Special Operations Group was concerned he’d resigned. His hand tightened against his glass, his muscles tensed and his mind sharpened as he felt a prick of danger against the back of his neck. What if they’d come to dispose of a loose end from one of the operations he’d run on?

He’d heard rumours of soldiers disappearing after sensitive operations were carried out, always once they had resigned from the military and retired to public life. It was likely just a rumour, born from the charnel houses that returned the once healthy sons and daughters as little more than broken husks. Yet in this moment his heart stepped up its pace and his primal instincts screamed at him to fight or flee, though he wrangled them down to keep himself looking relaxed and carefree on the outside. If they say him as only a retired soldier wanting to drink, their awareness would be lowered and undoubtedly lead to a fatal error.

As the bartender pointed towards his corner and the men turned to face him, he felt the blood pounding in his ears louder and louder with every step they took towards him. His eyes saw the leader more clearly, he was in his mid-forties, well-groomed and wearing a suit that was tailored to fit, displaying a vanity and pride but the body language of his two companions spoke to his presence. They were tense and rigid, not quite anxious nor looking to spring at any moment, surely a good sign for his personal prospects. When they were close enough the man extended a manicured hand to him, bereft of any dirt or sign of hardship and his voice was flat when he spoke “Captain Calder Normund, callsign “Smoke”. Or should I say former captain given your paperwork cleared two days ago. My name is Vance, I read your government file and I must say I am a big admirer.”

Calder’s eyes tightened when those last few words came flowing out, it was too smooth and too presumptive for his liking. Yet there was something about the man that provoked his curiosity, he certainly wasn’t military or government, he almost seemed like a corporate man but he didn’t carry himself like a civilian. This left some sort of defence or intelligence contractor as the only option and this raised alarm bells in his head. “Good to meet you Vance, as much as I appreciate the company on this lovely afternoon I have to ask what you could want with retired soldier just trying to enjoy themselves at a bar?”

Vance’s eyes glinted a little at the undercurrent running through his words, noting the sarcasm and the desire to be alone, yet this didn’t even come close to rankling him. “Calder, may I call you Calder?” he asked and when Calder merely nodded in reply he continued with “I’ve come to offer you a job. I know you were bored with the SOG and had a bad run with some of those missions but I’ve come to offer you something rather different than your old job. I guarantee it’ll certainly spark your interest.”

“Then leave me the job description and a contact, if I’m interested I’ll be sure to let you know. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to my quiet afternoon.” His tone had become a little snappy, something which he regretted a little as it came off as bitter and angry, yet Vance seemed nonplussed.

“Of course my good man, I’ll provide you with a couple of files that befit your old intelligence classification. You’ll need to step up a few ranks if you want to know the full story though. Oh and don’t be tardy in calling, I’ve met other people with your kind of skillset.” Within an instant he’d turned on his heel and within a moment they’d exited the building and returned it to it’s quiet old state. His phone beeped to register an incoming message containing a couple of attachments which he merely sighed at and ordered another bourbon from the fastidious bartender.
It took another hour of the glory of silence to wear off and for the boredom to settle in. It was then that he opened the first file and began to read just what Vance had been offering to him.

Within two days he’d been standing on the deck of the spaceport, packed and waiting to board NSS Intrepid.

[whist]

@Kangaroo Looks great, please feel free to post in the Characters tab once you've found an image.

[whist]

@Plank Sinatra @Dragoknighte @Rekaigan @DrunkasaurusRex @Kobayashi @OneWayOut

There are still two security positions and two science positions available. The CO/XO position is now available as well. @The Spectre, I'm waiting on your character sheet for the captain, so I'll consider that position filled for now. I'd like to get rolling fairly soon, so anyone who is still interested please state what you position you intend to fill and submit a character sheet within the next day or two. If there are multiple submissions for the CO/XO, I will select whichever complete sheet is submitted first. I don't want anyone to be left out, so please let me know if there's any problems or questions.

Also, anyone with an approved sheet should expect a PM from me soon.

[Rekaigan]

@whist

Sorry I'll have to back out. Stuffs coming up and I don't have as much free time as I thought I'd have.