Dave's Game

I, like many others before me, started this at ubercon. In fact i was so intrigued by this that I spent most of my time playing this. I'm relatively new to RPG's and forgive me if any mistakes I make appear nooby to you.

Dave Smith: No Present Alliases

Attributes
2@2 Charisma
1@7 Animal Magnetism
1@10 Stanima
1@8 Flexibility
1@6 Agility
2@1 Intuition
1@9 Education Level
2@1 Will Power

Weaknesses
Minor Breathing problems in extremely humid heat
Minor weak knee under constent stress

Physical Description:
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180lbs.
Current Hair Style: long winged
Facial Hair: side burns
Markings: none

Skills
2@5 Cartooning M 0@0
2@3 Swimming B 1@2
2@1 Fire Starting T 1@2
2@5 Basic Fire Package T 1@1
1@10 forest survival T 0@1
1@10 decifer genetic code T 12@1
1@10 debating P 0@0
1@1 Roman Catholicism M 1@0
1@5 Archery T 2@1
1@7 Fencing B 7@1
1@8 Sabre B 7@1
1@9 "Air Hook" B 7@1
1@5 Knife Skill T 3@3
1@4 Fishing Ability T 2@3
1@5 Standard hand tools T 3@x
1@1 Clean Fish T 3@2
1@1 Kinetic Blaster T 11@3
1@8 First Aid/ CPR T 7@1

Equipment
Fencing Mask
Fencing Jacket
Fencing Pants
Fencing Glove
Fencing Sabres (2)
Fencing Plastron (Extra basic armor)
Black Drench Coat
*Multi tool pocket knives
Black Converse Canvises
3 Extra T-Shirts (black, red, and white)
2 Extra Pairs of Blue Jeans
3 Extra Boxers (Green, blue, and "Spiderman")
Blessed Golden Crucifix
Fingerless Black Leather Glove
Reflective aviators
External Frame Black Back-Pack
Nalgene Water Bottles
Blue Jeans
Cell Phone
Ipod
Red Sleaved Gray Baseball Shirt
Gray Boxers
Cheltic Necklace
Wallet with 125 dollors cash inside
Led Pencil
9mm Pistol with 2 Extra 15 Bullet Magazines Nooby Island
Kinetic Blaster Starship Destiny

Basicly, after getting zapped by a broken Rock Band Controler,I arrived on what I call Nooby Island. I ran into Adam Kellar who explained the story of the Versers. He gave me a pistol and I began chilling on the island. I caught a fish usng gumm wrappers that I pealed off my cell phone and other metal pieces from my back-pack. I rolled a perfect 34. The island inploded and then I awoke on the Starship. They thought I was transported there by a matter thing. I convinced them to let me join them and met the crew. Ishra began training me in the ways of the Kinetic Blaster, and he also told me stories of his improvision skills in combt. I tryed to learn soime computer skills but was unsuccessful and ended up trying to explain keyboards and Microsoft Word. I've just decided to go find the captain and speak to him about Psionic Skills.

Time for me to ask the stupid questions.

Is your name--the name a god would know--really Dave Smith, or is it something like David William Smith, in which case Dave is a nickname, by which you are also known?

I guess that's all the stupid questions I have for the moment. You did not list your apparent age, I think; that might matter eventually, particularly as you are young right now.

I'll take your statement that you've decided to find the captain to mean that you are looking for the captain; he's not hard to find, and eventually you will find him somewhere. What do you intend to say or ask?

--M. J. Young

I appologize, my name is David Charles Smith. I'm 15 but I look nothing like it. Many have seen me and thought I was going to colledge. So in this case if someone asks I'm 18. Though the Gods would know me to be younger

After I go to see the captain. I greet him.
"Hello, captain. I wanted to speak with you about a thing called psionics. Have you heard of such a thing? If you have, I'd be honored to learn from you. If you haven't, I'd like to know if there's anyone on the ship that might."

Corrections and additions noted. Actually, I think it's your height--you look quite young for 18, much more like 15, but you're too big for your age.

The captain says that he has heard of some having psionic abilities, but he has never, to his knowledge, met such an individual, and he is not certain whether there is any truth to the stories. He asks why you thought it something that could be learned, rather than something inborn.

--M. J. Young

I say I look 18 because other say so. My father looked older then he did aswell when he was a bit older then me (infact his friends tell me he looked old enough to walk into a store and buy alcoholic beverages for his friends 3 years before they were at the legal age, just an annicdote.) I don't think I look older then I am but it's the fact that everyone else thinks so that I said it.

"I don't feel it is something that can be learned as much as I wonder wheather I was born with such an ability. Still thank you for your information."

Next I'll try the nurse and ask her if she knows anything. If so I'll continue to converse with her, if not I'll move on to Ishra and ask him how he feels about Psionic powers.

There is no nurse; in fact, there's no medical staff at all. The ship comes with a medical bay that is highly automated, and Marilyn Wells, who is really a negotiator with keen insight into people, is the one who usually operates it.

She has heard rumors of people with psychic abilities, but never met one; some have suggested that she can read minds, but really it's not true--she can read people, but not minds.

Ishara says that all such talk is rumor and nonsense; people don't really have such powers, they just trick other people into thinking they do.

--M. J. Young

(I thought Marilyn was the nurse, but i get it now.)
I guess I'll talk to the rest of the ship. Tom might know something, or some other personel might know. I'm really not looking for them to say, "Yes, I'm a psycic" I'm more looking to those who get nervous when I ask them about it. Tom seems to be the kind of guy that would hide something like that. As this will take a while to talk to the whole crew of 8, I will try something one my own like a flick to my wallet on the table before I got to bed.

Tom actually is the sort of person who would get nervous if you asked him what he had for breakfast. He certainly gets nervous when you suggest that someone might have psychic powers.

"You mean, someone might be able to read my thoughts, no what I was thinking before I did?"

The very concepts unnerve him.

So, you want to attempt to do something psionic. Describe exactly what you want to do, and how you intend to try to do it.

--M. J. Young

I wanted to try pushing something like putting my wallet on a table and moving a couple of inches at first. Hopefully push it off the table. I'd concentrate on it hard, and maby try and push it with the psionic energy through my hands. Left with nothing else to do i'm going to pretty much keep trying until I get it.

You do all of that, and attempt to nudge the wallet, but get nothing.

--M. J. Young

Eh I have an idea. I'm the biggest Dragon Ball Z fan of all time and there was one episode where Goku drew the energy from other people to drop a giant spirit bomb on his foe. (just rewatched that one, I love it so much.) I'll give that a shot. I'll think of all the people I know in this verse and try to use their power to nudge the wallet. I'm pretty bored right now and don't feel like blaster training so it's worth a shot.

Dave, I'm wondering if what you saw on Dragon Ball Z constitutes an "example" in a way that matters here. That is, how did Goku do this, and was it explained in a way that suggests you might be able to follow instructions given in the show, or did he just say that's what he was going to do?

--M. J. Young

Really in the show they had to willing emit energy out to him. I was more hoping thinking of the people in the same way he stands would help it work. Two fingures (index and middle pointed at forehead) and try and emit the power in those fingures then push it out. There weren't any real examples of how to do this. Realy it's just Goku says give me your power (teneticly) everyone closes their eyes and they start glowing green and then he makes the bomb. I wish there was more I could say about it but as it is the steriotypical anime they don't explain things, it happens because it happens.

If this isn't enough I'll wait to find out later if we run into anyone with the power or an example to show me.

You are copying his form, at least--putting the two fingers (where? Against your temple?) to focus the power.

You get nothing. Apparently you've not yet figured out how to tap your inner energy.

--M. J. Young

Eh worth a shot, personaly I thought you would just say, "nothing happened." Now at least I know I'm the right track. I'll wait it out see what happens for now. With nothing left to do I'll just hang and think.

I find myself thinking about the movies I've seen. I'm already living Star Wars so I wonder what other movies are out there. Indiana Jones or James Bond or Resident Evil oror even Pirates of the Caribean.

After thinking for a while I come to thinking of my family back on Earth. More importantly I think of my cousin Harry. He died last year from a freak accident with a broken laptop computer. I remember something was on the computer, a wierd brand name. Scriff, it's vague in my memory of that being it but it's definately possible. I'll go to the computers to see if I can look it up if they kept the logs of the obbituaries. But if it's true, I wonder now, is he stuck in the same kind of situation as me? Was he off somewhere trying to explain how he got there? God, It would be nice to see a familiar face. Well I'll see if this is just the future of my world or a different dimmension all togeather. It is possible I think that it is just the future. I hope so because this will prove my theory.

I'm going to head over to the bridge to test my theory. If I'm not the only one versing then why couldn't he be?

If I understand aright, you are going to go to the bridge and attempt to use the computer there to track down an obituary from the year 2007 for someone named Smith, Harry.

I don't see a use computer skill on your sheet; I presume you have some skill at this--how good are you?

You easily find the obituaries database. It only goes back to the middle of the last century--that is, to about 2350. It also indicates that it is not complete, as the number of planets which do not contribute to the Federation database is large, and many of them do not contribute their records to any database.

Banson asks what you're looking for.

--M. J. Young

I'm an average amateur at best for computer skills, I can research well though it's just a keyboard that slows me down which wouldn't really matter here.

I tell him I'm just brushing up on my history.

And actually I'm going to do just that. I'll search for the cattalysts that put Earth as the center of the universe's evil here. And no matter what they did Dictatorship is evil no matter any good it could have done.

It would be at this point that I would hand you a copy of the novel Verse Three, Chapter One and let you read the chapter that presents the history of this world; however, I suspect you do not have access to a copy of the book, and I do not have access to you, so we'll have to make due.

The Federation began as a collection of inhabited planets, human populations spread through this end of the galaxy, who met together to discuss how to deal with mutual problems such as space piracy. Earth was the meeting place, partly for sentimental reasons but also because it was the center of the three-dimensional expansion to the stars. The Earth Ambassador chaired the meetings without objection, because his planet was the host.

This status continued for decades, during which the Federation accomplished some good things--trade agreements, disaster relief, dispute negotiation. However, it was powerless against space piracy, and some speculated that some planets actually supported this and profited from it. Individual planetary sovereignty hampered efforts in this area.

In 2317 an agreement was reached which gave the Federation full authority over interplanetary and interstellar space, and authority to pursue violators of interstellar law into planetary jurisdictions, and to arrest both those involved in space crime and those supporting it and profiting from it without entering space. Control was given to an executive committee, the Council of Seven, headed by the Chairman, the Earth Ambassador. Taxes were assessed and a military raised and equipped--taxes often collected in the form of equipment stripped from planetary space force militias, now deemed unnecessary. Since space crime, and particularly piracy, was drastically reduced over the next decade, there were few complaints.

The committee's power grew as it expanded the definition of "space crime". It regulated and taxed interplanetary trade, establishing customs offices on all member planets; took control of communications and other satelites; and disbanded local military units on the argument that these conflicted with its jurisdiction. It then created a unified law and justice system, on the argument that consistent procedures, rights, and obligations were necessary so that travelers visiting a planet would not be convicted of what would not have been a crime on their own planet. Administrative government burgeoned as law enforcement became part of the Federation mandate, and soon there was one nation stretched across many planets.

Centralization and regulation increased. Dissent is not tolerated, even to suggest that anything ought to be other than what the Committee decided. The Chairman has become the most powerful single ruler in the history of humanity. Planetary rulers who did not toe the line were arrested as subversive and replaced by Federation-appointed governors.

That is the current state of the universe.

--M. J. Young

Wow. Interesting indeed. I understand where the whole Earth is evil thing comes from. I'll go train some more with the kinetic blaster. While I'm there I'll see if I can get a holdster for my KB. This way I can keep it with me at all times. Ive started wearing my fencing jacket all the time now as it's the strongest armor I have. I'll also break the tips of my sabres to create a real weapon instead of the knobbed blades they are now.

Holsters are available. However, it is standard procedure to keep the guns in the charger bay when aboard the ship, unless you are using one for practice.

Describe to me how you plan to convert your fencing sword safety tips into real tips.

Describe your fencing jacket to me in detail--of what is it made, how does it protect against injury?

--M. J. Young

ok

Basicly it's a heaveyish nylon armor. It has blue lines down the back and the arms. It's very good at lightening the force of the attack. Lets put it this way, my fencing captain used to beat on me with the sabre and I'd have bruises all over. Now I barely feel it with this newer jacket I barely feel it. Oh, it also has a thing that goes around my...errr...grional area? To describe it in one word;Beast.

I'll first see if the have anything I can cut it with. If not, I'll just use my wire cutters on my knife. i only want to cut the very top off at a 45 degree angle.

I notice that you have "multitool pocket knives" listed on your sheet; I'm assuming you have more than one of these. Are these likely to be able to do the work you want, or are you searching the ship for tools?

You've met Burly already, and are aware that he is the engineer aboard the ship.

--M. J. Young

I'll talk to Burly first and ask him about tools, anything from the future ought to be easier then the knife's wire cutters. I only have one multitool with me. I own two but I brought the nicer one, they aren't part of a set. It will be useful to learn the skill of how to use whatever tool Burly has. Also while I'm with the engineer i want to talk to him about melting metal down then pouring it into another metal template to creat a new object. A smaller one at this. I wish to melt down my metal cross and create a new symbol that was on an album cover I own. It has different religous symbols put togeather. A cross, a pagan star, the star of david, and the cresent of the muslim religion. If i could I'd like two of these from the one blessed cross. (If I didn't explain the picture well enough I can include a link to a picture of the album next time. Seeing as I'm showing Burly on my ipod it shouldn't be a problem.) After wards I'll se if I can find a chain for the second one as I will hang the first one with my celtic symbol around my neck.

My sheet says "Multitool Pocket Knives" in the plural, so I would assume you brought both. You're right, though--Burly almost certainly has something better for the task.

Burly removes the safety tips quite easily, leaving you with a pair of sabres.

He doesn't do that kind of metal work much--not much call for it, since epoxies can do that sort of thing much more safely. He also notes that your crucifix is a rather beautiful piece of jewelry (he asks if it has any meaning, since it is a rather horrifying image done beautifully), and wonders why you would destroy such a piece, particularly when they have jewelry aboard you could use instead.

I'm curious as to why you would change the blessed crucifix into something else.

--M. J. Young

I'm not telling him this but as it is only a symbol of one religion and is not completely portablefor around my neck. This new symbol is of all religions and bringing it down to a smaller size would be useful. As I visit new worlds and see new religons I will have them bless it as well. This way it's religous power and worth will increase as I go along. It still has a cross on it so my Roman Catholisism is still there.

I'll tell him that it is a part of my life quest to change the symbol as my life goes on. It signifys the suffering of the past turning to the hope of the future.

it is only a symbol of one religion

Burly says that it could be done, but he's really an engineer, not a jeweler--he could make a crude functional object, but it would not have any beauty to it. Form follows function, after all, and an object with no function has no need for form. You're talking about an artistic function, using an object to express a view of life. That's not something he can really do.

Now, if you want him to melt down your crucifix and recast it as a lump of gold, he can do that; and he can shape that lump of gold into a rough practical form if need be. If, though, you want an aesthetically pleasing artistic expression of a view of life, that's not something he can promise.

--M. J. Young

I understand, thank you for the sabres Burly.

I'm open minded, I follow the ethics of catholicism but If I find proof of a grander religion that makes more sence to me I will freely switch. I also eel strongly connected with some paganism beliefs of mother nature. That comes with being a Boy Scout though and wanting to protect nature. This is why I automaticaly agreed with my 1@1 Roman Catholisism.

I'll go hang at the targeting range. Speaking of which am I getting any better at this whole shooting thing.

"Getting better" is something that happens over a period not less than several weeks--a couple months, if you are training yourself. That is, you are getting better, but you can't say that you're measurably better just yet.

Did you have any kind of training schedule in mind? That is, how frequently are you practicing what skills, and for how long at a shot? I don't mind if you just want to do it freeform--just whenever you have time you tell me you're spending some of that time at the practice range--but then one of us has to track how much time you've spent over how many days, and that's not my job. We can proceed on a day-by-day basis, with you saying "This is Day 3, and I am going to do this, then this, then this, and spend an hour practicing with the blaster", or you can say "I'm going to set aside half an hour per day for blaster practice". In the former arrangement, we have to go through day 3, and then you have to post for Day 4, and so on, and periodically you have to post summaries of how much time you've spent over what period of days in various practice situations. In the latter, I can tell you that you keep to your regular schedule for three weeks and then something occurs to disrupt it--which moves the story faster by glossing over the details.

Your preference.

--M. J. Young

I'm liking the idea of a normal schedule. But seeing how I have nothing else to do, weapon training comes first. I'm going to train a total of 3 hours a day. I'll try different possitions like proned and laying down as well. I'll also use this time to try firing on multiple targets if I can. From what my bother and grandfather have told me about riffles you have to hold your breath to help steady your arm. I'll work on such steadying techniques aswell.

Holding your breath is part of a careful aiming technique; you would do that if you were sniping, but probably not in a running fire fight.

When you say three hours per day in weapon training, I'm guessing you mean three hours working with the kinetic blaster, and not that any of that time will go into practicing your fencing/swordsmanship. Have I misunderstood?

What else do you wish to accomplish with the available time?

--M. J. Young

You were correct in thinking that I only want to train my Kinetic Blaster in those three hours a day. But also I wish to work on my fencing skills atleast once a week as to not get rusty. Also I'll see if I can learn basic navigation and maby some engenering skills.

Your kinetic blaster training is definitely overkill. After the first day, you have sore muscles in your arms, blisters on your hand, and medical treatment that includes orders to cut back on it--no work for several days, and then keep it to maybe an hour a day until you've got the right callouses and muscles for it.

Burly is friendly, and Toni is outgoing, and between them they're happy to have the help and show you anything you need to know to work in engineering. Of course, they fix things when the things break, and that's not that often, but showing you how things work is fine.

As for navigation, that's all done by computer; what is it you are hoping to learn in that field?

--M. J. Young

Being incredably persistent and rebeling, I'm going to continue practice for 90 minutes a day after my break. My hands are pretty calused I do some wood work making things.

It'd be fun to get my engineering skills up. I hope I can get strong in those skills because they can be used almost everywhere with strong tech byas.

Rethinking the whole navigation learning from the computer I think I'll just forget about that.

Burly seems to enjoy having an apprentice about, and says that when you've learned a bit more he'll be able to leave you in charge while he's asleep.

There is, of course, a lot to know, and he often mentions various scientific principles. You probably recognize some of them, but others are completely new to you. There is a lot to learn, but you're getting started on it.

You've been aboard for a couple weeks, practicing your weapons and working in engineering, and then one say while you're eating you feel the ship shudder, and there is an alarm, and the captain's voice comes through: "Everyone to stations; we're under attack."

--M. J. Young

I jump out of my seat leaving my half eatin meal where it stays. I make a mad dash first to the armory to find my kinetic blaster, then to the bridge. I have to find out where the captain wants me stationed and find out exactly what kind of enemy is attacking. Hopefully it's just space pirates instead of highly trained soldiers. Obviously one is going to be easier to fend off then the other.

Arming yourself, you reach the bridge.

Captain Alexander is studying several screens. Some are much a camera views of the immediate surrounding space, in which there are space ships of some design in motion, but as you do not know the configuration of screens and all the ships look the same, it is difficult to assess how many there are. One is clearly damaged, and another clearly not, so that makes at least two.

"Should we deploy remote batteries, captain?" Marilyn asks, standing at one of the operating consoles.

"No," he replies. "They're attempting to box us in. We're definitely running, and I do not want to lose the remote battery or have to come back looking for it." You realize that the screen which has his attention seems to be some sort of tactical layout of a larger area than the cameras show, tracking the positions of seven or eight other ships. "Burly, how are we holding together down there?"

Gary is at the helm, Phil at the computer banks, Ishara at weapons, Ann at her usual communications station, with Marilyn and George at stations as well. The Captain was talking to a speaker system, and Toni's voice comes back.

"So far, so good, captain. Should have full power for whatever you need."

Tom's voice catches your ear. "You might as well sit down," he says, and you see that he is in a comfortable chair along the wall, away from the action. "They've done this before. Captain just has to figure out where the gap is that they want us to take and then find the gap they didn't mean to have there, and we'll go out that way."

"Ishara, target four, hit hard and try to cripple. We want them to think we're going that way. Gary, prepare to alter course, one five seven starboard by thirty down bubble, on my mark."

--M. J. Young

I'll rush to my seat because thi sounds dangerous or atleast rattling. It would appear me and tom are the lowest class here. I'll have to change that.

Tom looks absolutely terrified; everyone else seems calm and reasonable.

One screen shows a ship suddenly jolt and snap, as if hit by some invisible force. "Mark," is all the captain says. Some of the views change rather swiftly, which suggests that the ship is turning; you do not feel much of that, which suggests that the gravity systems aboard must compensate for the shift. Then the damaged ship starts moving closer and down--which you realize is a perspective issue, that you are moving closer to it, flying past it. It jerks again before vanishing from the screen.

"Prepare to alter course, fifty-six port by sixty down bubble, in sixty seconds from mark, Mark."

"Are you sure, captain?" Marilyn says. "Tactical shows a substantial force in that direction."

"Don't worry, Marilyn, I am certain they are already receiving orders to converge on our course. In sixty seconds they will have to pull a remarkable reverse just to eat our dust. Prepare for full engines in thirty seconds from Mark, Mark."

Dots move on the tactical screens. Captain Alexander watches them intently.

Abruptly the screens shift; Gary has executed the turn. A few seconds later he says, "All engines full, captain," and the dots on the screen start scrambling in a very disorganized manner as they move toward the edge.

The captain watches for a few more minutes, perhaps assuring himself that nothing else will happen.

"Stand down from stations," he says. "Maintain course and speed, then in one hour set course for Cantor Nine and reduce to normal."

"Yes, sir."

Tom is already headed out the door.

--M. J. Young

First course of action, I talk to Ishara, see if he can teach me how to use the weapon systems he was using. Next I go back to normal training. With the idea that it wasn't just random space pirates and actually a full on military assult, I want to be ready if they get as far as boarding. After I've done my daily training, I'll talk to Captain Alexander, see if their is anything I'll be able to do next time.

Ishara doesn't mind showing you how to operate the weapons systems, with two typically pessimistic caveats: first, there's a lot to learn on a weapon system as complex as Destiny's; second, don't expect to be good at it for a long time.

Captain Alexander says that everyone does what he can do, so the question really is, what can you do? Of course, the second question is, who is the best man for each job?--which is why Ishara always works the main guns when he is available, and Gary always pilots the ship in emergencies if he is available, because they are the best at what they do.

He notes that you've been working with the Bensons in Engineering, and that that can be an important part of the package if there's trouble--someone has to keep the ship working when it takes damage, even more than fixing it when it breaks. An extra set of hands and eyes down there is probably useful, if you're comfortable in that department. On the other hand, he doesn't really know you all that well, so he's not certain whether you have skills he has not yet discovered.

--M. J. Young