[IC] You are Cordially Invited...[Closed until zelta 02]

[Voltus_Ventus]

Picard. Void Treader. Angel Dust. Red Room. Lucy. Soup Server. Harpoon. Picard. Void Treader. Angel Dust. Red Room. Lucy. Soup Server. Harpoon. Mond’s eyes flicked between each one, glancing about at the exteriors. The long and slender yacht, the body and robust cargo ship, and the multipurpose vessel grabbing his attention the most. Though without knowing what was going on in each individual ship, all the choices were basically going to be made on face value. Mustafa considered each one for a final time. The yacht would be nice, but likely the insides were stripped clean by servicers over the years; the cargo ship, a repossessed vessel, would simply make them a target for any Corsair looking to make a quick buck. But Lucy. There was definitely potential.

“I suppose, with a lick of paint and a new name Lucy could be adequate.” He spoke, over the rabble, minimizing the AI’s sprite to occupy a small corner, apologizing to Cake, as he brought up a slowly spinning projection of the Ship. “Why someone would want to get rid of it is also a small concern, as it doesn’t seem to have been repossessed, and no reason for sale is given.” Agreeing with what Astrid had said about perfectly good ships. He mulled over it a little longer, before knocking a knuckle against the display, confirming his choice in his mind. With no small help from Cake’s Prognosis and Astrid’s, who seemed tech savvy, agreement with the AI. Mond was reasonable, and airing towards the Lucy anyway, if the rest of the crew liked it, then certainly it would be the best choice.

“And if it turns out to be utter garbage, well, I suppose if we all pick it there will be no one to blame.”

[ScreenAcne]

DOCKING PHASE

Music

The vast horizion of ships stare blankly at the crew from all directions, a vague indescriminate pale light reflects nothing in the vizors and hulls of the audience as the name of their decision echoes down into the infinite of scrap before them. A slow whirling crunches tension under it in a loud, grinding activity of metal tendons hidden away that thrust the platform forward then stops with a sudden force. Then meekly it starts again moving gently across and over the scalps of the many stored ships. A electronic voice fizzes out.


"CONFIRMED: MOVING D.P.U TO DESIGNATION 355 OUT OF 2509" In a neutral, nearly screeching chord of a voice so loud it's akin to shoving a dirty microphone in your ear.

As the platform moved across two barely visible rail lines the light lost it's sickly, equally dispersed effect on the ships, just for a minute you could swear a ray of relfection followed you all down after hearing the designation akin to akwardly examining eyes. You pass through many ships, some forces the platform rises up to that of a small building to pass over while their empty maw of their massive cannons yawn at you and others were so small that anything short of a child would have to crunch themselves up to sit in. A series of beeps blurted out as it got closer, followed by that same voice estimating the remaining minutes to arrival. It took 20.

"DESIGNATION ARRIVAL IN 3"

A vast military ship tries poorly to blend in, a sleek set of wings sprayed out like a proud eagle as its long, spear-like gun reaches far overhead of another ship. The Platform passes it like shrubbery.

"2"

Another heavy, robust brick of a ship that was a mock re-imaginating of a truck from earth grinned at you with it's grill front. You see a massive array of cargo space and the vague light of little pleasures through the window. A coffee machine and a vertiable small army of little animal figurines wave you off with a smile, not moving as you go on.

"1"

So many ships were lined together on your approach. Was it the sleek looking ex-race ship, you could still see the slick numbers of 11 painted but worn out on it's back. It's thrusters were big and imposing, bigger than its own hull. No. You pass it, it must be the ship next to it, a yacht of luxury. Still fresh white, lacking any weapons but you could see the jacuzzi glowing slightly inside. Then it appeared, rising up from between the two.

Lucy

It didn't take a degree for you to recognize what exactly Lucy was.

A class S+ versatile light ship developed by the Orchinko corperation on Earth, known as the Star Seer. You also know that this make is roughly around 500 years old and one of the first ever ships to become commercially open to the average citizen. It's a relic. The melancholic blue was scratched off from years of hull exposure and dents bruised its blocky hull all about. You couldn't tell where the armor started and the machine began, the parts seemed to just meld into each other in a vague mash up of abstract shape based art.

As the platform slowly lowered you down you saw three duck-shaped metal feet keeping it to the floor, you swear you could see it tremble and you just hope that was the plat form vibrating approach doing that and not the ship itself. A mirror copy of the ballistic anti-hazard cannon sat below its gut.

You start to suspect that maybe the last owner who vouched for it's quality was a tad....little bit...perhaps just slightly...affected by a personal sentimental value for her. "Best in it's feild" obviously didn't include the date in that assessment.

tags

@Voltus_Ventus@Bazmund@Starlance@datadogie@officaz@MythicGaming@Eyelid@Sylvan

[Voltus_Ventus]

Mond’s tablet began to ping and chirp as the lift drew them closer to their ship, his eyes darting around at all the other vessels they passed, marveling and judging in equal measure. For Mustafa the choice was signed and sealed, Lucy would be theirs and they likely would not survive to get another if they lost her. So there was no reason to admire the others. He did regardless. Looking down at the tablet that hung in his hand, he was being bombarded with ship information and specifications, systems and data sheets on every aspect. He brought the tablet to his face and gave the information a glance. On the outside he held his poise, on the inside he was being overwhelmed, as information streamed across his vision. He would need a Cake plugin for his tablet, this much was for certain.

In the meantime he fiddled with the settings, running an algorithm to simplify it to something he could more easily and quickly absorb. Before settling in for the night and giving everything an in depth appraisal. Mond returned to the documents to find that they had all been filed away and instead replaced with a simple but efficient read out.

The previous owner of the ship seemed to be a no-nonsense kind of man, this directly went against what he saw as they approached the ship. ‘Sentiment, indeed.’ Mond thought to himself, he would have to get Astrid on inspecting the hull’s integrity rather soon. The ship was built, it seemed, for bearable, long term voyages, upgraded to improve upon its glaring weaknesses. It was fitted with upgraded hygiene facilities (showers), and automated dispensaries which interfaced with the recyclers somehow (vending machines). Mond approved of the first, hygiene was important, and if he had to suffer the same vacuum ‘showers’ he had to use for six years, he would be very upset. The cafe was also a choice which he could appreciate, it seemed like on that long journey it was one of the few things that kept him sane, good food, there were days when the food prep AI went awry and they had to subsist off of the ration powders. Had he needed to do that the whole time, he most likely would have lost his composure.

Vending machines were a strange choice, but the more he thought of it, the more sense it made, they were much more convenient than any recycler, they could be reprogrammed as a reward system, and they could host a whole menagerie of goods. Though the read out did not seem to say what they stocked. He would have to check them individually, as much as he wanted to trust the inventory that was supplied by the party, he wanted to take a look at everything himself. However, there were still the added utilities to take into consideration. An improved radar system, with improved capabilities regarding more detailed scans; as well as added external thrusters for tighter maneuvering in times of finesse and egress.

Mustafa was happy with the added extras, though he was sure there would be room for improvement farther down the line, especially as he scrolled through the other aspects of the ship. He frowned, the AI would need more processors, as much as he knew it wasn’t a person, he felt like with its role it needed more space than it had. Mond looked up from his tablet as the ship approached, tucking it under his arm and picking up his luggage case. As the platform eased to a rusty stop at the door, he reached forwards, touching the door.

“Shall we rename her?”

[Starlance]

“No. Bloody. Way. I’ll be dead in two weeks from workload alone. This! This was the best ship of those available?” she sighed, her face buried in her palms in desperation. “On second thought, at least we didn’t get one of the old Thedas-class freighters, though that’s probably because all forty of them were fortunately scrapped nine years ago. That, and you wouldn’t fit, those things were built for midgets.” she tried to find some sliver of good news, gesturing to the meat mountain security officer as she added the last bit. “According to old tradition, renaming a ship brings misfortune. Though I have to wonder if this can get any worse, just look at it. The power core on this thing was considered ancient by the time it was designed.” she shared in response to Mustafa’s question.

“Well, that’s one more ship class for the tech journal, didn’t think these were still found outside salvage yards and museums.” she thought out loud as she entered the ship, taking in the smell of dusty air and mold. “On the bright...ish side, it runs on almost nothing, so we shouldn’t find ourselves out of fuel anytime soon. That being said, you lot probably already figured out where you can find me from my incessant tech-whining, so that’s where I’ll be if needed for something. If you feel a rapid rise in temperature or your organs shutting down due to radiation exposure, run. Then again, in the latter case, don’t bother. Until later.” she finished and headed for the engineering bay.

Astrid entered her new workplace, sighing at the state of it. There was something sad about seeing the heart of the ship like this - silent, empty and cold. Something one would expect from such a place was just missing, like poker without betting. She set her bag down and got to work setting up, removing the plastic foils covering the instrument panels, careful not to upset all the dust they’ve gathered, and dumping them into an unused space next to the door, unaware of their janitor’s rampant OCD and retrieved her inspection tablet. “Don’t fret, little junker, I’ll have you back up and running in a day’s time.” she whispered as if trying to comfort the ship while marking down all the things she had to do before she could clear the ship for departure. “So how about you don’t kill us all in the next hundred years? Sounds good?” She opened a media player in a separate window on the tablet and set up a playlist, one particular track striking her as appropriate to start with. It was shaping up to be a long day.

[Bazmund]

Jackie gave a grin as their plucky little engineer made her comment, his eyes briefly scanning documents as they arrived in his augmented vision from the security dispatch at the station, invisible to all but him and totally intangible besides. The chip in his head lit them in green neon as they raced through his gaze and he took in the information contained therein. His reply was brief but reasonably well worded, he thought. They'd like it at any rate.

"What, you think my ass looks big?" He flashed a smile back at her as she made her way towards the engine room. "I thought my diet had worked!"

He ran his eyes over the rest of the crew, smile never fading and jokes never ceasing. They were his comrades now, they were his family now, they were his shipmates now. Internally he repeated this on a loop automatically - a part of the training you never forget, a way to remind yourself of your place and your importance - until he was satisfied that he trusted himself to protect them capably. They had interesting pasts and stories to tell, some of them, of that he had no doubt. Some of it he wouldn't enjoy hearing but he hoped he'd get the chance to hear it anyway.

People are as trees in the woods, capable of reaching great heights, withstanding immeasurable stress and strain, and becoming incredibly strong - but all this only with water. All this, only with Authority.

The words were seared into him.

Be solid ground in a swamp, rise above the rot so that they might grow from the stability you bring. Be water in a drought, preserving life and bringing clarity to the people. Be the guide rod for the trunk of the tree of Man, and lead by example - even when you are not leading.

He thought about his old instructors a lot. They were so smart. Jackie hoped he had been a good student, that he could make them proud of him and prove his worth to the Party.

Especially when you are not leading.

Jackie knew he would never lead. He didn't have a good enough head for it, he couldn't hope to match up to the direction the Party offered. He didn't mind.

These people would be safe with him. He would keep them safe and they would grow to be strong and tall in the eyes of the Inner Circle, and they would go home in a century and they would reap the benefits of the life they deserved, as was only fair.

Jackie's smile changed from the silly grin of a man with a joke on his mind to the warm, beaming curl of somebody who was just feeling really good.

He couldn't wait to set off.

[ScreenAcne]

PREPARE FOR TAKE OFF!

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Music

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A echo of coughing metal wandered down the empty hallways,rattling the bruised green walls enough to shirk off years of dust down onto the large black cube below awkwardly blocking half of the hall. A buzzing hum of electricity arose within, flickering weak light behind the "Power Protein" button, winking on and off before the rest of the buttons below each "clicked" audibly and lit up as the cube inched itself up onto two previously retracted tank tracks. A vague bloom beamed behind the gruel of dirt and dust on its front, falling off as it rubbery tracks slodge forth in muflled bumps, each one leaving a trail of dust bunnies behind him as the "Super Suppers" word in obnoxious red lighting shaped font revealed itself.

The dead ship yawned with a roar,its inner mechanical pipes thrusting through years of built up rust, almost letting out a painful yelp while the bulky bulbs shuddered from the red glare of emergency power to the pale, unexpressive beam of the same all too standard glare of overly powerful white lighting in every ship. Metallic bangs burst the silence as hidden guts gnawed at the labour of restoring the tomb back to life, the black stoic towers fizzling with palpable energy as vast tentacles of cables all twitched and slightly coiled their slimey, smooth eeel like skins while pumping power to the towers. Towers which had so many creases and brutalist jutting shapes they resembled a brain made up out of blocks.

Several lifeless screens blipped an atom of light onto their screen, doing it several times in mimic of eyes adjusting to the light before a series of green text flickered from the darkness.

"Computerized Cognitive Compartment Active. Activating Safety Protocools. Warning: Thinking power above level 4. Safety Protocools insuffiecient. GOD UNIT now attached to GRID system. A.I active. Auto-Servitor now shutting down"

A red bulp in the corner of every room blurted out a loud beep, flashing crimson red. Each beep singifying each system of the ship that has shown no error before lift off. The ship did this several times with a brief silence before breaking it with a dizzying beam again. Suddenly the halls started to move and floor shook violently below them, swaying as if the world was starting to move as the beeping went on. The crews stomach lifted, then droped, each sudden thrust banging as metal coldly and violently gripped metal. Then it suddenly slowed down into a snail-paced acceleration that shook their spines akin to standing on a rough bus.

"ZELTA CREW 01. PREPARE FOR HYPER RAIL ACCERLATION"

A deep voice called out from some omnipotent source, roaring clearly like the voice of a cybernetic god.

The front of the ship peered down the tunnel to infinity, stars stared back at them as giant claws pulled them from up above down a set of rails until they were firmly on the very edge of the star base and the cold void outside, Lucy head prodded out entirely into the abyss. A giant stram of immeasurable flat magnetic devices twitched forward and backward inside the tunnel, buzzling with a vibrant blue energy that dissipated immediately.

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"WHEN YOU ARE READY TO LIFT OFF ACTIVATE YOUR TRANSRECIEVER AND SAY SO ON YOUR COMMS"

Captains Choice

A: System 2B



A system that has an unusual amount of HWZ and surprisingly very little stars. Most planets are icy, barren, dead or not compatible with human life. LOADS of ice covered rogue moons and large aasteroid in which many of the authority security and workers have been sent in to mine for resources. Most likely most-if not all- of them have moved on far along now from this location or returned to star base. Some haven't reported back or returned at all though...

B: Cluster 523



A gigantic cluster of strange floating materials, abnormalities and mostly dead ships from centuries ago. Security has been sent to check it out and supposedly most of these ships are very...VERY old, around Lucy age or older and seemed to have mostly been inflicted by weapons of that years make. Most likely a war from outsider factions of the time. The ruling idea is that somehow a lot of the ships old system and still active processes might of made some of the odd anomalies through time and exposure.

C: Red Zone



A giant black hole is here. We don't know exactly the process but somehow a seemingly infinite chemical cloud of red gas is being spit out by it. A couple of ships have been sent to investigate the core and see if this wasn't some type of supposedly legendary-and impossible...in theory- white hole. But none have responded so far. Our scans and reports say there are a lot of moons in here. A couple of facility ships and supposedly inhabitable planets.

tags

@Starlance@Sylvan@MythicGaming@officaz@Bazmund@datadogie@Eyelid@Voltus_Ventus