ALPHA-TRION
VIInformation by BARABUZ LOG 1://HOW THEY ESCAPED
Pregame
The galaxy can best be described in old earth terms. Imagine a two sided coin (an ancient Terrain term for currency that was tangible and made of flat round disks of precious metals). One side is a web of planetary systems locked into a dance of trade, war and diplomacy. Large cargo freighters warp from sector to sector, avoiding rogue factions and space brigands. The dichotomy, less lawful lands, the riffraff of the out worlds mingle with the outlaws plotting sinister plans and smuggling goods of all kinds through dark nebulas, asteroid belts and chaotic space.
Life in the Alpha Sector is the same as in most. Technology has permeated life, but despite the idealistic speeches of philosophers in ages past, the lives of man have not improved. The yoke of labor is still locked tightly upon the have-nots of the inhabited words, while corpulent system lords rule there holdings without any want save their inextinguishable desire for more power.
Money is no longer physical, but digital. The creators and overseers of the Inter-Galactic Banks hold the true power. And in an age of palm pilots and laptops, thievery is no longer done with cloak and dagger, line and grapple, but by computer hackers, pulling off great schemes of pretense and disguise.
Magic is an alien force, feared by most of the lawful races and shunned in most areas. As computer technology grew, Arcana was slowly replaced generations ago. Mage Guilds dwindled. Then, the Solarians invaded the Alpha Sector. Giant squid-like beings wielding magic powers beyond belief, they shattered an alliance of wylves and men and drove the galaxy to the brink of oblivion. That war sealed the fate of magic and drove mages and seers underground. Banished for the ages, it is now no more than a myth.
Only Bions are allowed to practice their arts in public. A group of genetically engineered ilves implanted with cybernetic components, Bions were created in the Solarian War as a technological answer for sorcery. Their augmentations grant them control of a strange organic nanno-technology. Through the use of mutated DNA, a Bion can affect matter on a genetic level, cause metal to rust, robot golems to rise from a pile of discarded junk and walls of spinning blades to block portals. Once their craft is mastered, they wield awesome power. Until then, they are largely outcasts, used to fix bots and maintain large computer networks. Since their art is so extraordinary, some see it as a new form of dark arcana. A wise Bion watches her back.
And so the Galaxy goes. Men and women work for the ever present struggle to gain property, evil villains plot to take advantage of the masses and the makers of the laws exploit the system with blatant disregard for anything but their own advantage. And at a tiny asteroid belt in inconsequential corner of the sector, a mining company sends its workers out for another day of toil.. No one, not even the fateful team themselves, knew what was waiting for them at the end of the day....
Mess Hall Intro
Glick McNeely woke up late again. Throwing on his leather vest and his scanner goggles, he ran out of his seven by twelve foot ‘personal quarters’ and rounded the corner into the mess hall. The lines were already long. Creatures of every shape and size stood in line waiting for Cravak, the eight-legged cullinary magician slop a pile of food supplement 9 onto a try and pout some kind of sauce over the top. It never mattered what he did, Supp9 always tasted like Supp9. No one knew what the smeg it was made out of. Some things are best not known!
Recognizing a large form standing silently in the middle of the line, Glick moved in for the old budger in line trick. Moon had gotten up early and had a good spot.
“MOON! Old pal, thanks for holding my spot while I went to the Medi-bay on URGENT errands for the Corporate big wigs!” Glick said wryly.
A blue-skinned wylf named Jinx started to protest. But fearing another one of McNeely’s famous BS (Brocorian Smeg) stories he just turn and went to the end of the line.
Glick is a fast talker. He tells the stories of his ace piloting skills and fast hand on the draw to anyone who will listen. Only problem is, if he was REALLY the best pilot and quickest draw in the sector, why the smeg is he stuck driving a Tug-Cruiser at the mining Colony on Alpha-Trion VI? Notorious throughout the galaxy, the Alpha-Trion Corporation employs (maybe buys is a better words for it) debtors, criminals, down and outs and scallywags to a four year contract of servitude and hard labor. They mine out asteroid belts in the backwater corners of space not allowed to so much as stray from the station for a minute on company time.
Glick didn't enlist with A-T6 by choice.. His love for woman, fine Targressian
Wine and a fast game of craps has gotten him locked in up in the Alpha-Trion
work program trying to tug-cruiser away 30,000 space credits he owes to
Big Tony, the system lord. He might only pilot a one seater tug-cruiser
with a zero to warp one of about 65 million years, but man when he tractors
those loads of ore in for processing... its pure ace flying!
Glick grabbed his tray and followed his hulking friend over to an empty cafeteria table. Tossing it down he flung his feet up and the table and said, “You know, Moon, my Oafy bud, all we need is a chance at two pistols and a fast vessel and it would be off to the outer rings system faster than you can say...... Now... were can an indentured laborer find two pistols?
Scanning around the room, Glick shrugged his shoulders and buried a
smork in the Supp9.
Moon is always asked why he is called Moon. He shakes his head and replies the obvious, 'I am as big as the moon!' A typical oaf of the Orion Belt, he stands 6'8, a large muscular frame and a huge head. His blaze orange hair and single wide eye make him an intimidating foe. Most people run from Moon. The ones that don't yell and call him names, 'You stupid OAF!' This baffles Moon. Of course he's an oaf. But he isn't stupid in the least. In fact, he is quite bright. If only they would take the time to get to know him, maybe they would understand.
Life as a young oaf was quit good. Moon helped his father as work delivering
Gurpies, the carbonated beverage across the galaxy. During these
days of co-piloting, Moon developed A+ skills in navigation. He learned
the ins and outs of life on the warp trail.
Unfortunately, Moon's life has hit a snag. His father ran the family soda distributing business into the ground and the only way to make up his debts was to sell Moon (his smallest son) to the Alpha-Trion Mining colony for three years of hard labor. So Moon is left to toil seven days a week in a spacesuit on the asteroids, pounding the rock with his plasma-axe. A job befitting a mindless oaf... But not an intelligent one like himself.
As Glick rambles on about his piloting ability, Moon’s gaze wandered to action going on outside the giant Plexiglas windows in the cargo bay beyond. There stood the Alpha-Trion Mining Colonies Chief Mechanic and Engineer, Tugger Plasmawarp. The barrel-chested dwarf huffed and puffed in an argument with a human stranger dressed in odd attire. Wearing full length raincoat, a fine scarf tossed over his shoulder with a cane in hand and a satchel in the other, no miner he. He returned unheard words in anger continually pointing to a space ship parked in a docking clamp with charred black scars all over it.
Joining the duo was their other friend, Tas. He sat his tray down with a disgusted look on his face. "Supp9? AGAIN? Man, old eight legs needs to find a new recipe!“ If he could have turned green he would have. Instead he pulled out his palm pilot and punched the alien symbols with his left hand as he poked at the food with his right.
A violet-skinned wylf with pure white hair save one lock of black in the front, he most often wears a long black trench coat with dark shades and long black gloves, he embodies coolness. Tas is a hacker that has found himself on the desolate mining colony of Alpha-Trion VI. There he poses as a computer programmer. Rumor has it, he works to pay off a stiff fine. They say it was levied on the wylf when he was caught pulling an illegal funds transfer.
Tas suffers from insomnia, working late into the night on new code cracking techniques and encoding algorithms. He also has a hatred of nature. Living his whole life in the jungles of space stations of humanilia.
Moon’s daydreaming, Tas’s food poking and Glink's story were interrupted by sudden commotion. A small figure entered the mess hall. You all glance over at the only Bion on the station. “Poor kid,” Tas said, “All those oafs that work the Rock Head Line are always giving him smeg over something! No offense Moon!”
Moon shook his head in agreement.
True to form, as the Bion moved to the rear of the line, four big, far oafs stood from their emptied tray sand positioned themselves just behind the gray-skinned cyborg. The Bion looked straight forward emotionlessly.... like always.
“Come on Circuit Brain, turn me into a Robot! Let me see ya cry wax face! What happen if me push dis button?” The mob vexed. The Bion just moved on through the dwindling line until he reached the front. Grabbing his tray he tried to return to his quarters but the brutes were waiting for him.
“Me no think you need dis food! You looking too fat! Me better take it.” The largest and most corpulent oaf taunted as he ripped the tray from the Bion’s hands....
A strange breeze ran cross the cafeteria, a breeze of jas or perhaps fate. Perhaps stars were aligning or dimensional influxes were just right. But suddenly you all had the feeling that something big was about to happen, like a fruit was rip for the picking or that actions needed to be taken.
The Beginning
Seeing that there is no time to act, Tas yells out with the oldest saying
in the book
Hey you oversized crater butt, why don't you pick
on someone your own size The wylf points at the large moonish figure
beside him with a wave of his thumb. 'heck, if you
want to fight someone.....why not us? lest it will be a challenge, you
worthless bunch of nature lovin space trash!'
Tas shoots a sideways glance to Glick and mouths the words 'sorry!'
with a wink!
In the Ship Yard
Dr. Brady pleaded his case with the Dwarf engineer. He poked his odd
metallic chain towards the damaged vessel. In an educated British accent
he said, ' I need you to take a look at it immediately!
I am on an important errand and must be back at space. Now I am going to
see if I can contact any officials about this whole mess.... How was I
to know that pilot I hired was a gnomish outlaw? The smeggin' bounty hurter
bloody nearly blow the whole ship to particle dust trying to get 'em.
Now I have a fired ship that wont go to warp, no pilot and I'm off schedule! You've gotta move me to the front of the order. There could be major space credits involved.... He let the mention of money trail off as he waited the stout's reply.
I see your problem dern it, but I have to follow the orders I get. That is ALL MININ' VESSELS COME BEFORE PULL UPS. Now I''' see what I can do.
Tugger turned from the urgent and headed for the cafeteria for his morning coffee, both to give him a boost and to get away from this mad professor from a distant world.
Tugger had always dreamed of so much more. He graduated high in his engineers school. But the toll of student loans forced him to forego living in the belly of a grand space vessel and instead grease monkey on tug cruiser all day long for the AT6 Mining Colony. The pay wasn't so bad... Just for the life of him, why the smeg did he memorize all of those warp drive equations to fix burned out rock haulers.
With a size, he grabbed a mug from Cravrak and sunk into a hard plastic chair not three feet from the impeding trouble with the Bion.
Staring blankly into space, you can tell that Tugger wants nothing more
than to drink his coffee in peace.
Recap 1
Pacing outside the large windows, the professor looks in disbelief as
the Chief engineer sips his coffee.
Moon, still wiping the gravey covered cracker crumbs of Glick's Supp9 from his face rises towering above his two friends. Tas, already standing, adjusts his long black trench coat and Glick swings his feet down off the table top, swiftly stands beside his mountain of a pale and walks with a swagger towards the four oafs.
Holding the tray of food just out of the Bion's grasp, the fat oaf taunts the small man, You toopid Bugbrain! Me thinks me stall give you back your food. And you see the oaf go for the old plate on the head trick...
You all have one one action before he can dump the Supp 9 on the Bion's head.
Actions
Moon hasn't moved far from the table at which the party of three had been
sitting enjoying their Sup9. Noticing that no guards are near and that
there is an unavoidable confrontation brewing moving as quickly as he can,
Moon picks up the table and heaves it tword the quarrilsome oafs.'CATCH!!'
He yells as the table flys through the air at the group.
Moon throws the table across the cafeteria and into the fatterst oaf sending him tompling over onto the engineers table. Tugger, who had just wiped the gravy from his face and started to rise looks VERY angry indeed....
Recap 2
CRACK! the sound of a dwarfs threshold being breached. Tugger
slowly wipes the gravey from his eyes. Ever so slightly he turns his head
to the oaf. A thick vein starts to pulse in the dwarves gravey coated head.
Suddenly! he jumps up on to the table.
THATS IT! NO MR. NICE DWARF! ARRRRGGGGG!
Covered in supp9, the dwarf lets swing his mighty wrench down at the oaf. Just before the blow that would have caved his head in connected with his fat ugly face, the giant sack of blubber rolled out of the way of the weapon. With a SMASH!!! the dwarf drives his wrench into the table leaving a two foot deep dent!
Meanwhile, the other three oafs move to close the gap. The fist one picks up a chair and wings it at the giant Moon. The oaf tried to duck the chair, but it was thrown true. It trashes into the oaf's enormous frame and bounces off across the room.
Good thing these chairs are made of a high grade plastic! Moon take 4 harm!
Tas readies his grappler and let's it fly at the oaf heading towards him. With a SWACK and a howl, the barbed hook digs deep into the fatty's leg. Pulling a level the cord begins to wind back up inside itself. The oaf tugs and pull at the hook but he isn't quick enough! With his left leg jerked out from under him, he smacks back first onto the ground. Blood swerts from the wound and he moans in agony as he's drug towards the hacker.
Glick looks about for someone to fight. Oaf #4 closes the gap and enters melee range. The human yells out, 'This can't be nearly as hard as it looks...' and takes the proper boxing stance. 'It's go time' As the nearly seven foot tall oaf bounds towards him, you all have a sinking feeling that it might be the end of your old buddy GLICK! The meet and have a quick stare down before the two collide in combat.
Tugger's Assult
grrrrrrrr...
A low grumble is heard throughout the mess hall. Tugger rips the wrench
from the table, sending shards of wood and dust into the air. With two
quick strides, he flows through the cloud of debries and moves into position
to obliterate the back of the oafs knee that Glick is in melee with. He
pulls back, and with all his might lets loose a swing...
Tugger strides towards the melee before and swings with his mighty wrench!
With the force of an engaging warp drive he hammers it down at the oaf's
knee. Again, the dawrf misses, this time crashing the wrench head into
the floor!
You here Tugger unleash a volley of profain words 'derned, smeggin' dice roller ;-) '
Recap 3
Watching his catch being hauled closer to him, Tasan Pulls out his hand
held laser pistol and levels it at the head of the Oaf..'Stand
down you milk loving mommy's boy; and order your flunkies to do so, also!'
The hacker holds a steady cool gaze on the Oaf. as he lists his demand.
'I am not a murder, but now, on this day, I can be,
if the need is such!'
The harpooned oaf, staring up at the violet skinned hacker, tries to call
his bluff. Grabbing the line with both hands, he gives it a nasty yank
sending the wylf stumbling towards him. But, dispite the oaf's attempts,
he cannot shake the hacker's grasp on the gun..
Oaf one gets up from the shattered table and charges the dwarf from behind. Just before he gets there, he freezes in mid stride and begins scratching and swatting at unseen bugs... Get 'em off! Get 'em off! Me's hate buggers! He falls and rolls about on the floor.
Oaf #2, after throwing a chair, sticks out one pudgy finger and counts his foes. "There are four of us and... ONE.... TWO...THREE.... FOUR... Five of you.... WE GOT YOU OUT NUMBERED! WE gonna crush you!" He picks up a plate of supp9 and fling sit at Moon splattering the food across the room.
Oaf #3 bends down to grab the juking Glick. Moon bellows out, 'If you lay a hand on him I will rip your arms off!!' The phrase echoes through out the mess hall as the windows shake from its force. The uglier of the two oafs shrugs and doesn't heed the warning. He takes a swipe at the smaller human. With surprising dexterity, Moon bushwhacks his friends attack from the side. The powerful Moon grabs the oaf and barries him into the table where they had earlier ate. He then grabs the oaf's left arm and begins tugging at it with no mercy.
Anotan calmly moves to the doorway and looks for guards.
Wrenching the neck
After two complete wiffs, Tugger rolls up his sleves and whirls a ginat
haymaker the closest oaf, the one hirling food about the hall. He leaps
suprisingly high for a stout dwarf in a reflect spacesuit. His massive
wrench connects directly with the dumb oaf's fat pudgy neck. With a vengence,
the head come crashing down on the unprotected area between head and body,
with a snap crackle and pop, the wrench atomatically crunches down, the
oaf slumping into a pool of crimson blood.
The other three oaf's look about a bit horrified as their pale slumps dead to the cafeteria floor.
Moon dance
With all his strength Moon tugs on the Oafs arm in an attempt to remove it from its sockit he then begins to deliver a furry of punches to the oafs head 'I'll inform you that its moronic oafs like you that give the whole species a poor reputation.'
If Moon can render the oaf unconscious or better he will look to help Tasan reel in his catch
Toss Tas
Noting that the Oaf is not going to take his bluff, Tas lowers the pistol,
in order to target the knee of the downed giant.
'You could be the biggest Oaf in the galaxy, but
if I take out your knee, your nothing.'
With that, Tas pulls the trigger, and damns all those who thought he was bluffing!
A Shot in the Wrong Direction
Tas aims his laser pistol at the oaf and activates the tigger. A neon
green surge of plasma energy shoot out through the small weapon..
Fearing the blast, the oaf gives one strong tug against the cable sending
the much smaller wylf stumbling forward. The laser blaster wizzes off to
the left, narrowly missing moon's head and smashing into the Plexiglass
windows of the mess hall. One large pane explodes into a million pieces
sending plasic shards bouncing about the docking bay. The guards looks
over in shock. One pushes a button on his space suit and yells into his
communicator. The other two waddle your way with shockriffles in hand.
Sirens
As the guards approach an alarm sounds. Anotan, looking down the long hall he guards, sees twelve men in reflect suits with riffles marching your way.
Injecting two tubules from his right arm into the doors control panel, the Bion goes to work. With in seconds, the blast doors swoosh down from the ceiling leaving the 12 riot police locked out.
Only the three from the docking bay can reach you.
One calls out,
STOP! Murders! and raises his shock gun to fire.
RECAP 4
Moon slugs his oponent unconscious.
Tas shoots out the window
Tugger tears the head off of the oaf he battles.
Alarm goes off
Glick ducks for cover.
Police come running
Anotan closes door
The professor watches as teh guards run by him to the broken window with shock guns ready.
-----------------------
1 Oaf is KO'ed
One is dead
One scratches at invisible 'buggies'
One screams in horror as the grappler ripps a chunk of meat out of his leg as it recoils into Tas's line cater.
Recap 5
Moon rises after bumbling the oaf with a series of punches,
“Well my comrades, it would seem that this would be a prudent time
for us to flee from this disagreeable state of affairs, and I suggest that
we do it before they blast threw that door, perhaps we should take to the
skies?” Moon motions to the ship hanging out in the bay.
Taking a quick glance at the scenario playing out before him, Tas replies 'Right you are Moon!'
Pointing at the three guards about to block their only true escape path, the hacker continues:
'It seems we will have to push through these three wannabes first.'
Tas pulls out his pistol and takes a shot at one of the guards in hopes of getting a good wound and clear the way for his friends to escape. As the hacker shoots, he yells
'Make haste.....!'
Unfortunately, his shot flies wide, and flashes across the docking bay and out of site.
Glick ducks behid his large fiend as if you use him as a huge battering ram and the two charge towards the charging guards.
The first one stops and levels his rifle. A star burst ray of plasma shoots forth from the black weapon scorching through the air and impact into the hacker wylf. Tas stumbles backward and shacks out the cobwebs. (3 speed harm)
The second guard shoots a glistening orb of energy at the dwarf but misses slightly high.
The Bion watches the action undecided on how to proceed.
Outside the smashed window, as the guards pass, Dr. Brady looks to be
staring on in a slight daze....
Recap 6
Springing from his distant gaze, the good doctor lifts his cane and
presses a hidden button. The mundane cane transforms into a plasma lance
with a glistening green neon globe of power in its crook. Quietly moving
up behind a guard, he swings it with fury. But hearing his approach the
guard sidesteps, missing any blow.
Tas fires again at the lead guard, this time coming a bit closer to a score. The laser gleams just over the foe's helmet.
As the guards near, Tugger leaps from his position with his wrench in hand. He calls out, Shields up!
A shimmering field of plasma energy radiates out from a small box on his belt. The energy forms a green disk-like field of power three feet from the dwarf. His hands free, he then swings his weapon at the lead guard.
The heavy wrench CLANKS OFF the Reflec sending the guard sprawling across the room, tripping over the KOed oaf and landing in a leap in the middle of the messhall. (24 harm)
Moon grabs the table which he just through over his unconscious foe. Holding it like a primitive shield, he calls out, 'follow we men,' and rushes the other two guards.
The next guard fires a blast of energy into the table, scorching it a bit, but the oaf charges on.
Everyone rallying behind him, Moon busts into the docking bay, leveling another guard on the way.
The third and final guard standing, just assailed by the good doctor, spins about and fires his riffle at the cane wielder.
Despite surprising dexterity from the professor, the starburst bolt of green power grazes him doing 1 point speed harm
Anotan, hearing the guards pounding on the other side of the door, decides to follow the others.
recap 7-- Running for the Ship
The final standing guard levels his rifle on Moon and his table/ shield. He fires again, smashing directly into the table. It is scorched and black, but Moon pushes on.
The group races behind the oaf reaching the doctor. Brady calls out, 'Uh hey guys I got a ship in the docking bay.... the plasma boosters are in tact but the warp drive is down. Of course I need a pilot and a navigator.......
Tas yells at the Doctor, That'll do good sir.....lets get to gettin!'
With that, the hacker tries his best to rush out onto the docking bay with the rest of his team.
Perhaps you know where I might find a skilled pilot and navigator? the Doctor asks as another starburst of energy flies overhead.
Tas winks at the doctor and says, 'No worries...mate, we got it covered.' Tas winks 'Trust me!'
As Moon makes it to the ship, he turns and covers the others as they make it over. He then flings the table at one the guards that is firing at them. 'Lets get going Glick, this is what we have been waiting for!!'
Watching Glick pull at some imaginary suspenders and puffing his chest out a bit, you can tell that he's waited to say this a long, long time. 'Whelp... heh... I guess I have been known to pilot a few space craft around once in a while..... but nothing as like this. Well, It might not be the classiest rig in the station.... but if I HAVE too... I'll see what I can do.'
Three more blasts whizz by from the last guard before he lowers the gun and begins to yell into his communicator. The group reaches the ship. A ladder on the right rear of the ship grants access to the door on the right wing. Dr. Brady leaps onto the ladder and climbs to the top, entering his code into the computerized lock. The hack opens with a wooosh!
Tugger seeing the climb grumbles a bit but hauls himself up uneasily.
Reaching the summit of the ladder he turns immediately to the Dr. He lifts one bristly eyebrow and with a thunderous voice Tugger bellows:
Arg!! heh heh! I wouldn't be worry'n bout the warp drive any more! He says as pieces of supp9 fly from his lips, splattering on to the good doctor's coat.
Let's just say I have found some time to finally work on it! With a wink, the dwarf takes off for the engine room.
Come on LETS MOVE!!
At the rear of the party, a looking about with a blank look on his face, Anotan reaches the ladders top and enters the hack just as Dr. Brady pushes the close button.
ALL ABOARD!
Quickly boarding the space cruiser, Dr. Brady enters the private cabin on the right. The door closes before you can peer inside.
Tas, recognizing the Computer lab, finds a chair inside. He quickly goes to work on the interface panel in front of him.
Pulling his tool belt, Tugger slides down the ladder into the belly of the ship.
Glick flies into the center chair in the cockpit. As soon as his the sensor in his seat detects a pilot, a live com link opens between him and the other two active areas of the ship.You all hear Tugger talking to the engines and Tas's fingers working rapidly.
Sitting at one of the consoles, the hacker begins to get a better read out on the ship.
FILL_LINEAR
k = Len(sKEY)
For i = 0 To k - 1
b = Asc(Mid$(sKEY, i + 1, 1))
For j = i To 255 Step k
RC4KEY(j) = b
Next j
Next i
j = 0
For i = 0 To 255
k = ADDTABLE(STATE(i), RC4KEY(i))
j = ADDTABLE(j, k)
b = STATE(i): STATE(i) = STATE(j): STATE(j) = b
Next i
i = 0
j = 0
'There, now, old girl. Tell me how to fix you.' Tassan says as he watched the code flash across his screen.'
Confronted with an access code, Tas casually cracks his knuckles and hacks through three levels of encryptions offered by the Doctor's last computer tech. Then, once Tas gains total access, the ships main computer flashes in response.
Inside the Computer Lab
Tas looking about at the code flashing across his screen, and thinking about what to do, looks over and see the Bion standing idle.
That hacker leans over in his chair and calls out
Hey, come join me in the computer lab you bionic freak
Anotan cricks his head to one side as if considering a new and bothersome insect. His hand brushes his plasma weapon as he reaches to adjust his com piece.
He turn's woodenly, and moves wordlessly to comply.
'I am on my way, though it matters little, here or there, we are all destined to an eternity of loneliness in the embrace of death.'
Tas turns and look at the Bion with silent resolve....then busts out with a large grin and says:
'Ha! you may be correct, but if I can help it, its gonna be damn fun getting there!! YEAH!'
Turning his attention back to the surrounding crisis, Tas calls up the magnalock release mechanism. He quickly activates the disengagement mode.
But a red warning appears on the screen.
Damn, this code is tight! The hacker yells as he sweats over the keyboard, trying in vain to unlock that which is locked.
Moon's Approach
Dr. Brady walks out of his private quarters and heads for the cockpit. He sets in the empty chair next to Glick and asks How is it going with our 'clearance' How is Mr. Happy doing with the main engines? They have seen a lot of use of late
Turning his head away from the controls Glick says
'I think that It's gonna be fine. Tas has a way
with machines, and with Moon's people skills.. I'm suprised were not already
outta here. Seen alot of use? What do you run? Aga-23 (highly illegal narcotic)?
Or maybe Speeders (Even more illegal weapon type)?
Dr. Brady turns to Glick and says
Look here Master McNally I do not know
the kind of rubbish you are use to but I dare say that I am not that sort
of chap. I most certainly do not run drug or weapons I am an archeologist.
I am in search of a very important artifact. But that is of no importance
to you... Only that I believe it to be located in the outer rings sector.
By the by that area just happens to be a bloody good place to lose the
Coppers. And from the look of your current predicament unless bob's your
uncle things won't all be fish fingers and fairy cakes if they stop and
board my Lorry.
Moon looks over Anotan's shoulder and reads the message, sitting for
a moment in thought, then he quietly convinces himself 'Why, that is just
crazy enough that it might work!!'
Moon makes his way over to the communications controls and hails the Alpha-Trion
Mining Corporation docking office 'Alpha Trion,
This is rock crusher Moon requesting magna lock release and launch approval
for the Lodgress..'
A young voice says over the comm,
zzzt... But, there's a Code Red Lockout on that
ship! Priority 1! I can't unlock it! I will get my superior....zzzzt
Moon hears the clueless communication officer then fanes his way into a rage
'Yes I would suggest you go and get your superior
and get him to clear us quick, mmmm, because I have 30 hostages half of
which are children, yeah thats right and you know what? The other half,
well there women, yeah thats it I got 30 women and children hostage here
and I want you to give my ship clearance, and you better give it to me
know because I'm just a big dumb oaf and I'll start to shoot them if you
dont!!!'
'Approval?' Tas asks himself in
a whisper.....'Yeah right!' Tas once
again tries to hack his way past the AT6.
Calling out to Moon over the com, the Hacker yells, 'Give
me 30 ticks, and we will be set to go.'
'I will attempt to now hack the system as well
' The Bion says with a cold voice.
The Bion hands work quickly dancing over the keys. He is unsure how to
attian the freedom he longs for. He looks at those around them. The Oaf
Moon- the Moron, The Wylf seems mad. As for the others... well he will
have to wait and see.
As Moon waits for the Alpha Trion soldier to go and get their hostage negotiator, he notices a judgmental look from Anotan, Moon knew exactly what the bion was thinking, because this was the same look that Moon had been getting all his life, every person he had ever met gave him this look upon their meeting it was the 'Moon the Oaf, more like Moon the Moron' look. But somehow this look took Moon by surprise and it hurt a little more than all the others, how could someone who is constantly ridiculed for the way that they look pass such a quick bigotry judgment over him? Moon by no means considered himself a moron; after all he did get a 35 on his ACT's, granted that’s not perfect but at the same time its nothing to scoff at. And here he was running a successful diversion to give the crew time to fix the engines before they made their escape and all this smeggin bion could think was Moon the Moron.
Moon turned back to the radio and sent the operator a quick message 'Listen up Smeg Head!! I am going to the head a take a
number two and by the time I get back you better have someone I can talk
to, or I'm gonna bite one of these kid's head off!!'
Freedom
As the control operator runs for his commander, Tas rapidly taps into the central control systems. It takes him little time to hack the idiot controlers security code (1,2,3,4) and initiate unlocking sequences.
Anotan injects two tubules into the panel and aids in the technical melee by bombarding the space stations systems with complaints about the women's restrooms being low on toilet tissue.
Within twelve seconds, the a massive CLUCK is heard. The ship's automated hover boosters kick in and the ship glides down a few feet above the main docking bay. All is quiet as Glick stares out the front screen to the extremely closed blast doors that separate him from freedom.
Looking to the port side, a large RPV (Riot Prevention Vehicle) is released from an alcove. Looking a bit like a gun on wheels.... a really really big gun. It begins to glow with a green energy to fire...
Rust In Pieces
Moon, thinking to fight power with power, runs to the main bay and climbs
the ladder to the assault dome.
Anotan,seeing the Gigantic weapon rolling into range, pushes a button on his mechanical hand accessing the small golden disk contained there in.
He looks blankly into space and his head bobs and jerks for two short seconds.........
Outside, the weapon's green glow builds to fire. A strange black snake-like coil appears rapped around the plasma induction lines on the RPV. The first shot surges through the vehicle's systems, but hitting the weakened lines, now rusting from the nanno-assault on its sub-moulecular level, it looses the energy on itself. In a mere second of feedback, and a blight green glow of explosion, The RPV explodes into three hundred shards.
The area that was the control office is now a smoking, flaming hell. Cool jets of extinguisher sprays down from the ceiling and warning sirens of all types now blare through the building.
The shockwave hits the Lodgress and sends you all stumbling across your stations like the crew of the Starship Enterprise circa ST:TOS
Glick brings the ship under control after only one collision with the docking bays floor. The lodgress takes 5 harm from the nasty skip against the floor.
You all catch your breath, look out towards the still closed doors and begin to work on them.
Recap 14
Tugger, baggin' deep in the engine room trouble shoots the problem with
the warp field emiters. It will take a while to get it fix!
Glick and Moon continue to work the scared operator.
Tas completes his hacking and the Large door begins to crack open.
Freedom presents itself in the way of the blackness of space.
Recap15
Not until now realizing what has been done, Glick's mind actually takes into context what's happening. No more Freighter hauling all day long, no more letting life eek its' self out in a slow uneventful haze, and no more sup-9. From here on out, things will be how they used to be, fast and erratic. In awe he rushed his fingers over the various knobs of the panels that lay before him. Glick McNally was back, and for the first time in years, he felt those dreaded chains of monotony rust with the coming of change.
Slamming the controls forward, Glick sends the cruiser through the barely
opened door. As the ship breaks the force field a glimmering static charge
can be felt.
Like a new birth, the silver ship flies free from the docking bay and enters
the dark void of space outside. Cheers ring out from the ship as you make
your break for freedom.
The gleeful excitement is short lived as a communication hail rings through the speakers of the ship
Unidentified ship... this is the Alpha-Trion
VI Enforcement Police.
You have been reported as an unauthorized exit. Stand down or we shall fire!
Looking out the windows, you see four chrome ships approaching from the asteroid belt that surrounds the station. All are charging weapons.
The hacker's huge smile turns to a frown when he hears the call of the police!
'Damn it!' he curses! 'I should've guessed it, though'
Tas tries to hail Tugger via his comm,
'Damnit you milk drinking tunnel lover! How soon can you get this hunk 'o Junk a movin?'
After which, the annoyed Wylf tires to hack into the AT6 computer once more, in an effort to disable the police cruisers.
Tas and Anotan, becoming an efficient team, hammer away at the consoles in the Ledgress' computer bay.
In the cockpit, Glick wrestles with the reigns of the ship as he darts towards the asteroid belt.
Looking his way the Dr. says, Look here chaps I say we head the Lorry out into the asteroid belt to keep out of gun range till that bloke Tugger can get the main drive back online. Looking towards Glick I think you shall find her to be a fairly nimble craft. Much better than those tubs you are used to.
As the four police cruisers hone in on the fleeing escapees, a sudden warning blares across the Comm.
