Cath

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Zey distractedly followed the proceedings on screen while waiting for Feng. It was alarming to somehow now understand a lot more of what was being said, at least at a subconscious level. She figured out from the transcript that this 'Gar'Tan' was some kind of psychic mediator.

After a while she accessed comms for everyone in the shuttle bay to weigh in:

"Yeah, someone please get one of the civilians to talk to this lizard. I'll make the announcement but it is Mallory's pick. Then get that thing out of our heads. We're all finished if Tamerlane finds we've leaked proprietary info. I don't care if the locals don't understand right now; give them enough time and they will learn. General information for an encyclopaedia is fine - try to find out as much about these people as you can."

Right after, she switched to ship-wide comms, excluding the shuttle bay.

"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. We need a civilian to help talk to our new friends. Please volunteer at the shuttle bay entrance for +25% rations."

She then switched back to the shuttle bay, leaning back in her seat as Feng stepped onto the Bridge.

"I've sent the announcement. Take your pick. Also, see if any know where our shuttle landed, i'm signing off for 10."

Zey span around in her command chair to greet Feng.

"Thanks for coming Doc. Wodan, stop recording in here and lock the bridge."

"How can I help, Captain?" The doctor asked tiredly. He was dressed in scrubs and gloves, mildly marked in blood. He had his bag with him.

Zey sighed, not looking him in the eye.

"I whited out this morning, after the stand-off. Vomit, disorientation, and now my chem gland is sore."

Feng looked concerned, but nodded confidently and knelt down the rummage in his bag.

"I'm glad you've told me. I have a neck port diagnostic machine in here somewhere."

"Let's not go mad, last time I used one of those things I lost two hours. Something about my neural net."

"Not to worry, if your install is standard it should be simple. Let me see."

Zey got down from her chair and knelt on the deck plate facing away from Feng. Right away the cold metal touch of the diagnostic cords rubbed against her neck, giving her goosebumps.

"Ok, here we go. Plugging in 3…"

Feng plugged into the port straight away. Zey's face involuntarily looked to the ceiling and all air exited her lungs. Her pupils dilated to black pools and she was transported back 20 years, to just before she was augmented.

She was 16, a thin and awkward girl, following her parents while engrossed in her holopad. It was very loud. A hot smell of sweat and eart pervaded her nostrils. They were passing a long, winding queue of people with suitcases and diplomatic cases in the front courtyard of some embassy. A huge crowd of protesters screamed and yelled from the other side of a high wall. Hands shook the wrought iron gates. Gusts of wind from the aircraft engines blew cyclones of red sand up towards the blazing sun.

"It says here they are blockading the spaceport and the senate building." Zey called to her parents in front. Her mother didn't turn but her father did.

"Don't worry my love. Your mother is on the phone to her work, they are sending something called NavSpecWar to help us. Everything will be fine." Her father matched Zey's pace and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He sounded stressed. Zey could make out a chant from over the wall.

"No to F-T-L! No to F-T-L! NO TO FTL!"

Then another voice yelled from much closer.

"Halt ESA FTL research!"

Another chimed in from somewhere across the line of passengers. Father's grip on her shoulder tightened.

"Humans belong in Sol!"

A final voice shrilly screeched.

"The Cradle signal is a trap! Do not answer it!"

Zey's ears popped as a chain of explosions billowed across the courtyard. the shockwave knocked her straight to the cobblestones. Her father scrambled on top of her before someone grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up again.

"Zeynap!"

"Captain, Captain answer me please." Feng said loudly and urgently. Zey's eyes rolled forward again, and her face lowered to look at the floor. she breathed heavily.

"I'm here, I'm here." Zey murmured, shakily wiping away the water welling in the duct of both eyes.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Zey patted Mallory supportively on the shoulder as he passed her on his way off the Bridge. As soon as the doors closed behind him, she collapsed into the Captain's chair, and it spun her round to face her command interface.

She'd felt the tension burning off her XO, but ultimately someone had to take charge of whatever was happening on the ground. She'd done it last time, and now it was up to him. Zey also needed the bridge to herself so she could monitor the situation without giving away how unwell she felt. Thankfully Anselm was helping out with the passengers and Newmont was off shift, so she was alone up here. Apart from Wodan, of course.

She drank deeply from the sippy bottle she'd taken from her quarters, and gingerly felt the chem port on the back of her neck. It was quite tender. Zey didn't fancy running diagnostics by herself with everything else going on, so she connected with Feng privately.

"Doctor, come to the bridge when you have a minute please."

The Captain then turned her attention to the variety of windows that Wodan had carefully arranged across her screen. One was a collage of camera angles from inside the shuttle bay and outside. Another wasoan audio feed with a rolling transcription and annotation. Small digital folders contained a dossier that the AI was building on all the aliens, as well as the crew members. The most intriguing was this colossal lizard character who had shown up with some others. It seemed to somehow understand how their cameras worked.

Despite her sore neck, Zey felt a chill run down her spine.

---

On Ezra's command, while the Kanth-Amerek natives were chatting among themselves and with the Humans outside the shuttle bay, Wodan's two Jotuns (as it had affectionately nicknamed them) moved into line of sight. They kept their distance, and walked as innocuously and quietly as they could to avoid startling the locals. They still focused part of their sensory arrays towards the ship's aft, though there was now a small blind spot in the Ertiseda direction.

Some animal called in the distance, and a few of the smaller bushes rustled. Ezra looked around with night vision active in the dusk but couldn't see anything.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

@Master Crim Its not, don't worry! Excited to see what Iris gets up to...

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

“They’ve just landed at the first Alien camp. Looks like they’re talking. Standby…” Ezra mumbled, staring through his rifle scope. Without blinking, he clicked the uplink button which could stream the sight’s viewport onto Mallory’s command interface.

The mercenary had been outside for nearly three straight days now without complaint. He’d made a sheltered foxhole under a charred bush but it wasn’t particularly warm in the evenings. At least no rain had fallen yet. Ezra didn’t even know if it could rain on this planet.

“They’re approaching the shuttle bay. One of them looks different, like giant lizard in robe. We need people at the barricade, its not going to hold this big boy.”

Ezra was used to holding fire by now. The creatures fortunately had not made any sudden moves thus far. Nevertheless, his rifle sight bored into the back of Gar’Tan’s head.

After a little while, he saw Itxaro emerge, and then Vigdis.

“What is happening down there?” Ezra asked over comms.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Thank you @Czelsc & @Master Crim for your character sheets! Both are accepted . Please put your complete character sheet on the Character tab if you haven't already, and feel free to make your opening IC post.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

@Master Crim Hey, welcome! The Jotunheim has a science lab, so there absolutely is room for someone who is charged with studying any planets/flora+fauna they come across. I'd imagine they would also have a couple of missions specialists who help out in lots of areas while specialising in things like logistics/cartography.

Feel free to join our discord if you want to discuss your ideas in more detail: discord.gg/Qc4SCaFp

Alternatively, just submit your character sheet here and we can feedback as soon as possible!

Returning after 8-ish years

@Master Crim Oooh, me too! You may love the Sci-fi survival + Fantasy concept we've got running at the moment. Check it out if you want: roleplayerguild.com/topics/189457-the…

Still looking for a couple more players! We've got Discord too if you wanna come say hi and ask questions: discord.gg/Qc4SCaFp

Returning after 8-ish years

Welcome back to the Guild @Master Crim! What sorts of roleplays do you like?

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Plot summary 11/04/2023

On the morning of its maiden voyage in 2296, a state of the art exploration vessel called the Jotunheim is attacked at Stavanger spaceport. Its experimental faster-than-light drive is accidentally triggered during the escape, transporting the ship to another dimension. The Jotunheim subsequently crash landed on an uncharted planet called Kanth-Amerek (K-A).

Various native citizens of Kanth-Amerek witnessed the crash and came to investigate. After making contact with these locals, the Jotunheim's crew and passengers learned of multiple civilisations on the continent, with technology roughly equivalent to Earth in thr 1500s. However, there was one key difference - some of these natives appeared to have magical abilities, resulting in great societal advancement across some areas.

Understanding the great technological prowess of these 'Sky People', the different parties of natives have begun to splinter. One group led by Castigator Nellara wants to monopolise friendly relations in the name of the Ascendency, a meritocracy founded by a bird-like species known as the Tekeri. A second group, led by a struggling Glen noble of House Silbermine, want to befriend these strangers to help them win re-election in a once a decade contest known as the Running.

Tension ran high in the initial meeting, with House Silbermine and the Ascendency+ almost coming into armed conflict. However a last-minute intervention by the Humans defused the situation. Both sides are now calling for a Thought mage to begin the lengthy translation process.

We still have a few spaces available if you're interested in joining!

Very new here, Hello

Welcome to the Guild, @Alykster! I'm not familiar with F.I.S.T'ing, is that another TTRPG? Do you play text-only RPs too?