I'll take anywhere I can get to get off the sidelines. On the next call I'll be in with Benson. In the meantime I will be adding the new weapon training to the practice list. Other then that I'll make my way into becoming a jack of all trades for this ship. I'll ask Gary to teach me alittle bit on piloting.
I might want to add something new to my blaster training. I remember seeing a history channel show on sharp shooters. One guy said something like seeing the projectile hit the target before he even let the arrow free. I think this would be useful. Fire a blast and turn it right after I pull the trigger and fire another to hit a second target. Like everything I've done here, it's worth a shot to try it.
Oh and out of character I've tryed this since then and it increased my Compact Bow and Arrow skills. It took a couple trys to get it of course.
Things are quiet for a few days while you settle into the new routine. Burly and Toni are showing you more about ship systems, how they work, what can go wrong with them--and perhaps more importantly, where the critical parts are located. Now if someone says there's a break in the secondary cooling system, you'll have some notion of where to go to look for the problem, at least.
Of course, it's a big ship, and a complex one, so remembering all this might take some time.
--M. J. Young
I'll try and see if I can write the general area down somewhere. I know I didn't bring a note book but I believe I brought a pencilto write it with. If I can't find anything to write on I'll go with my studying method of, "I hope I remember this later..."
By the way how did my new aiming method work out? Today I relized another activity I use this in. Billards, and I'm a pretty good pool player. So I hope this will increase the chances of this working.
Dave, "I'm going to do this as part of my practice" is a tricky situation mechanically. Let me see if I can explain it.
Multiverser distinguishes "using skills", which means rolling for success and creates the potential for botch, from "practicing skills", which means working on them in a controlled environment such that you're not going to botch.
Within the context of "using skills", there is the possibility of what is called "new use", that is, using the skill in a way you've never used it before, and so gaining an immediate "skill mark" on your advancement (which at level one is the same as gaining an intensity). Thus suppose you are using a laser in combat, and you say, "I don't have a clean shot at him, but I can see him in that mirror, and I'm going to shoot at his reflection and hope that the mirror will reflect enough of the energy of the beam at him to injure him." Assuming that you've never tried that before, and that you succeed, that would be a new use, and you would get the mark.
Within the context of "practicing skills", no such "new use" rule exists. In order to get a new use mark, you have to take the risk that you might botch and roll the dice for success; "practice" is "practice" precisely because you aren't rolling the dice and can't botch, but are going through the motions scores, maybe hundreds, of times trying to perfect your technique. You can practice with a gun, drawing and aiming, without pulling the trigger in an entire session; or you can never draw it for an entire session, instead firing repeatedly at fixed targets. You are practicing, figuring out what you need to improve and working on that.
"Practice" results in measured increases in ability over specified periods of time. Adding "techniques" to your practice means that you are increasing the difficulty of the practice. This has value in this sense: as you advance in level, you need to increase the difficulty of what you do in practice in order to get the same benefit as you advance. Increasing the difficulty before you need to gives you no benefit--but does you no harm, either. Thus I am mostly making mental notes of the level of difficulty of your practice pattern, and if it is difficult enough when you need the extra difficulty to reach level two, that will be taken into account at that time.
So at the moment the answer would seem to be that your techniques are making your practice more challenging, but not really increasing the rate at which you improve.
Your search for paper is not terribly successful. However, Toni comes up with some packing material from something they installed recently which seems to be brown paper, and promises that the next time they stop at a commercial location she'll try to find something a bit more useful for you.
--M. J. Young
I'll tell her thanks for the paper she's already found for me.
I've never minded a chalenge. Even if it won't increase my rate of advancement starting now will mean when it can increase the speed I can get started imediately. I know what you mean by practice and use. I'll have to wait for an oppertunity to use this. in the mean time I'll just wait and do the schedule I've been doing.
All is quiet for a couple months, during which time you improve a bit in your abilities. You've also learned quite a bit working with Burly and Toni, as well as through time spent with Ishara on weapons and Gary on piloting. You now have a rudimentary knowledge of how to fly the ship both interstellar and interplanetary, how to operate the weapons systems, and how to fix and sometimes operate everything from the communications systems to the onboard computers to the matter transmitter to the near light speed engines (a complete list of which skills appears behind the screens).
You are also getting to know the people with whom you work, particularly Burt and Toni, and also George who apparently already is the "jack of all trades" aboard and so helps in engineering quite a bit. George is older, probably in his late fifties or early sixties, and tells stories of years on various spaceships over his life.
--M. J. Young
Good so I'm still faster then the old timer. Good to know I'm improving in some areas. I think I might go to the captain and ask him about how often the ship is docked at a planet or space station or something of the sort. I've been on the ship for about 3 to 4 months tops and I haven't left the ship yet.
The ship doesn't really "dock" because of the teleporter. Since only Destiny has a teleporter, having the crew embark and disembark by transmat makes it much more difficult for someone to sneak aboard while the ship is in port. Also, large ships like Destiny are not designed to make planetfall; even without teleporters, Federation ships are loaded and unloaded by shuttle, except for prison ships which land to unload to minimize contact between crew and prisoners.
Of course, your question is how often the ship visits planets and space stations. The answer is that they do so when there is a need to do so. Is there something you need?
--M. J. Young
No real need. I'm just wondering really. I'll continue mt regular schedule until something interupts me again.
You are in engineering one day a few weeks later when John's voice comes over the internal speaker system.
"Everyone please gather on the bridge. Ann's got something."
In a few minutes, the entire crew is gathered in the Bridge.
"Ann?" the Captain says. She composes herself, adjusting the wire that attaches to her head.
"The Federation is building a new listening post in section three nineteen. They have some security forces there, but by and large it's an easy target."
"Those construction sites are notoriously difficult to secure," Ishara says. "We ought to be able to destroy it easily if the reactor is online, and that's got to be done for life support and construction equipment."
"Not to mention," Banson adds, "that they will have a wealth of gear lying around waiting to be installed--QNL probes, code ciphers, the works."
"Burly should make a wish list," John (the captain) says. "We should know what we want before we go in. What we need, then, is a plan. Who has ideas?"
--M. J. Young
Not knowing what we have or what we need or even what exists here I won't take part in the conversation of what to bring. I'll readily join the mission if the captain will let me though.
"We'll want two teams," George says.
"Right," says Ishara. "One will transport into engineering to set explosives on critical systems to destroy the station, the other will hit the main levels to put cargo markers on whatever we want to pick up from the debris."
Your work with the matter transmitter has already taught you that anyone or anything that is to be transported must have a harness, what Phil Banson calls the transportable second station. There are special harnesses for people, and a different sort of harness referred to as a "cargo marker" for moving crates and other inanimate materials around. Thus everyone who teleports will wear a harness, but the team planning to take stuff back will put cargo markers on the things they want to nab so that the teleporter can find these and bring them back to the ship.
"Can we do it all in forty minutes?" John asks. "I doubt we can do it in less, but the longer we are over there, the greater the chance we will be discovered."
"Tom and I can set explosives on critical systems--the power plan control rods, the electronic control center, and the secondary cooling system would be sufficient to cause the plant to go critical inside twenty minutes, and the meltdown should split the hull."
"Me?" Tom seems genuinely distressed. "I thought I'd, like, work the teleporter."
"I'll need you to open doors, and to watch my back."
"You'll need someone else to help watch your back," Ishara says. "Tom is not the right choice in a fight."
"O.K., so three of us."
"I'm still not happy about being part of that team. Anyway, shouldn't I be part of the group that steals stuff? I'm good at that."
"No," John says, "that's not really the sort of stealing we'll be doing. We'll want Burly with us; Toni can work the teleport, Gary will stay at the helm, Ann on communications. I'd like someone here on weapons, but I think Ishara should be with the main team--if it comes to a fight, you're our best chance for getting everyone out alive.
"Agreed," Ishara says. "Marilyn can work the weapons here at least until Toni can pull us back. I take it you will be with the main team?"
"Yes, you, me, Burly, Phil--someone of us will have to go with Tom and George as their rear guard, but I'm running out of people. Who did I miss?"
--M. J. Young
"That'd be me Capt. I'd be glad to help on that one."
"Right, Dave. Looks like you're our man for this--you'll be the watchman and rear guard for George and Tom."
"Are you sure we can't have Ishara?" Tom asks.
"Tom," George chides. "Don't you trust your own ability to be unnoticed down there?"
"Well, if something goes wrong, I'd like to have someone who can shoot--no offense," he says to you, "but I've seen what Ishara can do."
"It's settled, then. Three days, set course and make it look like we're headed to something in that area until we're within a few hours."
"I'm on it," Gary answers.
"Burly and Phil, get your lists together, and get the cargo markers packed and ready to go. Everyone else, be ready to roll when we arrive--well rested, fully dressed, proper arms and equipment. Meanwhile, skeleton crew but keep alert. If this is bait, we don't want to step into the trap."
The meeting dissolves.
What are you planning to take with you on this mission?
--M. J. Young
I'll take 2 blasters. During my 3 days I'll try duel wielding in training. If it comes to that I need to fire rapidly at more enemies I'll have a better idea of how.
I'll also bring what ever kind of armor the ship has to offer.
If we don't have much armor I'll put it on the list to pick up two pieces of that military grade armor that our enemies have.
They don't wear or stock armor of any sort. The primary reason for this is that only Federation forces and planetary militia wear armor, so if you are seen by anyone on either side in armor that is not theirs, you are a target. You and George and Tom are supposed to move around the engineering deck unnoticed; that does not necessarily mean that you will do it unseen, only that no one who sees you will think you are anyone out of the ordinary. If you wore armor, you would stick out like a sore thumb, and the alert would be sounded immediately.
A lot depends on how long the two teams can move around the ship and be taken for ordinary work crews.
You get your two blasters and practice with them. It doesn't really make you any faster, as you have to shift your focus from one to the other--but having two means you don't run out of ammo as quickly.
--M. J. Young
I think you may be under estimating my hand eye cordination on this one. I play paint ball occasionally and a couple of times I've gotten my hands on a down team mate's gun. I can fire faster using the same target. Like a cross hair in a video game I can aim with both guns in one place. I'm not taking my time looking down the sites if this is the case and I'm really just firing to get them to have to get down. Hopefully we can run and get out instead of having to go on a full kill or be killed battle. Chances are I'll scare them into hiding behind something waiting for me to stop instead of standing in the open and just firing.
How bulky would armor here be? The way I think of it in my head is like body armor, something you can hide under a shirt.
The stuff worn by the Federation forces is too thick to hide easily under your clothes, although given how thin you are you might be able to create something similar that made you look heavier. It's not something they have on the ship, though, so you might have to get some supplies somewhere--maybe off the bodies of dead security forces?
You'll also have to give some consideration to what sort of weapons you want to impede. The popular weapon is the kinetic blaster, which fires a ball of force which hits like a high-speed baseball, blunt trauma. Federation armor attempts to absorb and spread that impact, but if the impact is strong enough it will hurt or possibly kill anyway.
--M. J. Young
Thank you for calling me thin :D
I could also bring my 9mm it might have a good effect against the armor. It can take a ball of force but how about a piercing bullet?
i'll also see if they have a Kinetic Riffle of some kind. I'm more comfortable with the but of a gun on my shoulder then just a weapon within my hands. If there is one I'll have to talk to someone about bringing it. I would imagine it's less inconspicuous then the blaster.
I think I have mentioned that the blaster resembles a PlayStation GunCon, if you're familiar with that device. They do not have a rifle version of it.
It is announced that the ship will be at the target in twelve hours. Gary is sleeping so that he will be awake to pilot on the approach. Others are planning to go to sleep over the next few hours so as to be awake in time for the boarding.
--M. J. Young
I'll do the same.
You eat and sleep and awaken in time to dress for the boarding party.
"Who goes over first?" someone asks as you are donning a teleport harness for the first time.
"The collection team," John says. "We want them to have plenty of time to find things and place cargo markers. Once the demolition team is aboard, we'll have about an hour--you can do it in an hour, right?"
"An hour?!" Tom exclaims, clearly not thinking that's a good plan.
"An hour will be fine," George responds. "We've only got to hit three locations, and we know where they are, and they're not that far apart. Then Destiny pulls us home with maybe fifteen-twenty minutes to spare before the blast. Much more than that, there's too great a risk that some inspection will discover the explosives, and everything goes wrong from there."
"All right, let's do it."
The members of the collection team, complete with a sack of cargo harnesses, step into the three-sided room that serves as the transmat platform. Toni hits a button, and they dissolve into thin air.
"We're safe." Phil's voice comes back over a speaker system.
"Your turn," Toni says. You have your two blasters; your two companions step into the matter transmitter.
--M. J. Young
At this point I'm most likely nervous as hell. I'm pretty good at not showing that though. I'll look as confident as possible.
You feel a tingle, and then something like something from a dream--maybe the feeling you've never consciously felt but which is familiar to your body, that of having your molecules ripped apart before you pass through the scriff. This time you are conscious, but something is suppressing the pain you would expect to feel, so all you feel is tingling as the world around you dissolves to blur and then black....
...and then begins to come back different.
--M. J. Young
What has changed around me?
You are in a different place, a hallway which shows signs of being under construction, bare floors prepared for surfacing of some sort, wiring in the walls uncovered. The only thing the same besides yourself are those who are beside you, Tom and George. There is someone working about thirty feet up the hall. He suddenly startles.
"Oh, you gave me a start. I didn't hear you down there." He goes back to his work.
"This way," George says, starting in the opposite direction of the worker. "Try to keep your weapons concealed but ready," he continues more quietly; "we want to pass for part of the construction crew as much as possible, but we don't want someone to sound an alarm."
"You sure you know where you're going?" Tom asks. George does not bother to answer him.
--M. J. Young
I'll tell Tom, "I get the feeling he's got this undercontrol, don't worry."
i'll check to make sure my blasters are hidden and keep up with them.
George leads the way, Tom nervously following but keeping silent. You pass a few workers who take no notice of you, then reach a door. At George's direction, Tom hits the buttons on the pad and it slides open. George goes in first, watchful but quick, and Tom hesitantly follows. As you enter, Tom closes the door.
"Watch the door," George says, apparently to you, and he starts pulling hockey-puck sized disks from a bag and placing them in less noticeable positions on the various electronic control panels here.
--M. J. Young
I'll stand to the right of the door with my hand attop the concealed blaster.ready to whip it out and fire at anyone questionable that enters the room.
It takes a few tense but quiet minutes for George and Tom to plant the devices, and then Tom returns to the door and opens it again. George leads the way once more into the hall.
As he moves, you can see him pointing at side corridors, as if counting hallways. After a couple minutes, he stops, and reverses, taking a passage he had already passed. He smiles and nods at a couple women going the other direction, then comes to a door.
"This is it--cooling systems. Tom?"
Tom opens the door, and again you enter one of the rooms of the facility. This considerably larger one is very warm, with large fans circulating air through it and a number of huge pipes, some passing through the room and some of the larger ones part of the walls themselves. There are both electronics systems and manual valves here.
"Close the door," George says as he scans the room, "and keep an eye on it." He then starts planting explosives and giving instructions to Tom as to where his should be placed. Some of these are in more visible locations, such as on the visible sides of pipes in the walls or on the housings of the valves.
--M. J. Young
I'l do the same thing as last time, this time even more cautious because of the visable weapons now out.
It takes several minutes to set these charges, and then Tom opens the door again.
There is a man standing there with what looks like a computerized version of a clipboard, apparently about to enter.
--M. J. Young
I'll attempt to atke him out silently. As they do in many movies or video games and what from others I've learned true I will try to knock him out with the but of the gun. I'll make sure no one sees me do this. If that is impossible I'll attempt to talk him out of going inside the room.
If I'm not being watched I'll hit him as I explained and hide him behind somethingwith dark shadows. It won't last long as a hiding place but it'll stay there long enough for the charges to go off.
I am assuming you have never done this before, but are teaching yourself the skill based on having seen it in movies and video games.
The complication, of course, is that the proposed victim is standing outside the door, in the hall which runs perpendicular, and you are standing inside the room. You can see a very small portion of the hall. This means you have three options. You can draw him into the room before you hit him, you can get at least your head out through the door to look both ways, or you can hope that there's no one watching and take your chances.
Your choice.
--M. J. Young
I'll wait to have him walk in the room and I'll stand right by the doorto get ready. My blaster is already in my hand. (based on wieght i might want to use the 9mm if it's heavier)
Since the blaster is designed to be light, the 9mm will be heavier.
George says, "Checking? We got it. You know, I'm probably not supposed to tell you this, but word is there's going to be a life boat drill, pretty soon--within the hour. If I were you, I'd get near a lifeboat area--that's where we're headed next. Don't want the supers to complain that we held up the drill, do we Tom?"
"Uh," Tom says, apparently caught flatfooted on this, "No, of course not."
"Anyway, you can come back to check here after the drill."
"Thanks," the guy says, and hurries off.
"That was too close," Tom says.
"We got it," George says. "What's he going to do--identify us in a lineup? Add sabotage of a Federation Listening Post to our crimes. It's not like the Federation would ever let us see the light of day if they caught us. Can you rig this door so it won't open so easily?"
"Um--yeah, I think I can do something. Take me a minute."
"Do it."
Tom steps into the hall, and George waits for you to follow. Once all three of you are in the hall, Tom closes the door and fiddles with the panel.
"I think that should do it," he says.
"Good. Let's go."
--M. J. Young
I'll check myself quickly so no weapons are showing. cause of George's smooth talking I ass ume I didn't need to hit him. Thats a bummer but oh well.
No, you didn't hit him. I note that you aren't actually saying anything to anyone, but just tagging along.
You enter another room. This time there are half a dozen people working on something. George looks at Tom, who shrugs.
This room is filled with mechanical devices of some sort, large hydraulic arms leveraged as if to raise and lower something in the center. It's also rather warmer in this room than the others.
Tom mutters, "It worked before," and George nods.
"So, you guys ready for the drill?" George begins in a loud voice, and a couple of the workers look at him.
"Drill?"
"Yeah, supposed to be a secret but everyone's talking about it--they're planning an evacuation drill, see how fast they can get everyone off the station in an emergency. We were just going to check whether the system here was stable, and then move a bit closer to our evacuation point so we could make good time when the alarm sounds."
"If this drill is supposed to be secret, how do you know about it?"
"Well," George continues, "if it were a real emergency, of course, everyone would just have to rush to the pods. But we don't want there to be a real emergency during the drill simply because something wasn't right when the alarm sounded. Say, are you going to be able to leave that unattended for an hour or so? You should probably get things to a place where you can do that. It would be pretty bad if the alarm went off and you had to choose between getting chewed out for taking too long to get to the pods and leaving a dangerous situation in the control rods room."
The man looks a bit concerned. "Right," he says. "Thanks for the warning. All right, guys, let's try to get this thing closed up. We can come back to it after lunch."
"No problem," George says, and heads back to the door and out into the hall.
Once in the hall, Tom says in a hoarse overly-loud whisper, "What about the...?"
"Shhh," George answers. "We need to find a place to hide and watch. When they leave the room, we'll enter. Hopefully we'll still have enough time."
"Right." Tom looks around. "There's a spot," he says, pointing to another door. He opens it, and steps into an empty office with a window in the door."
"Keep watch," George says to neither of you in particular, "and when they leave, we move."
--M. J. Young
"I'll keep watch Tom. go sit dowen if you want. I'll let you know when they hightail out of the room."