NationStates Jolt Archive

We cannot sustain her any longer. Power output levels from the reactor are falling below threshold limits.

Shipboard systems shall be compromised within the cycle if she is not released.

If she is released she will die within fourteen point five days.

We were not designed to cope with this situation, we have no viable knowledge or guidance.

We have no other choice.

We have no other option.

We have no other input to consult with.

Initiating Bio-revival procedures....




With a low hiss the grimy canopy slowly raised, great clouds of condensation leaping from the pod as the seal broke audibly, seizing this rare moment to escape their enclosed prison.

As the canopy slowly rose higher still, great plumes of dust burst forth from its facings, drifting lazily down to the equally filthy decking that reflected none of the weak sheen from the minimal overhead lighting.

A spark, flying loose from a conduit long since corroded beyond its ability to carry out its function brought a brief light. Another followed, and a third before roof panelling leapt to life. A shaft of intense light shone down on the contents of the pod, increasing the shadow already around it and rendering the rest of the room virtually invisible to the organic eye.

With a painfully decrpit whine, A small sphere, attached to bundle of conduits and piping descended from the roof.

The humming ceased as the unit was but four or so feet from the Canopy.

A burst of bright red light brought further illumination as a wave of intensity swept over the contents of the Canopy. Scanning back and then forwards once more. No sooner had the scan been completed, than a second scan initiated, this time of a blue spectrum.

Satisfied, the unit left, returning to its home amongst the rusted support struts of the ceiling.


And then, a great gasp broke the stifled silence.

Clawing for air, desperate for the gas that would bring about life, rapid, tearing breaths.

A cough, a splutter.

Slowly, the intense shaft of white light that had illuminated the canopy since its awakening faded, only the feeble overhead panels providing anything in the way of a cure for the darkness that filled the room.

Sonaya awoke, her eyes fluttering open as she broke through the thick soup of unconciousness.

She opened her mouth, to cry out at the pain that raged through her being. Her muscles cramped unbearably as she stretched them. Lactic acid building up inside the fibres at a pace that defied reasonable explanation.

But her throat simply refused. Her vocal chords frozen totally, she let out not even a raspy or grating plea.

She threw her hands upwards, banging them off the metallic side of her obscene 'cot'. She struggled to regain a semblence of reason, but her body reacted angrily to the stimuli that brought her wakefullness.

Do not struggle, you are experiencing hibernation sickness. It is nothing to fear, worry, loathing, disparaging hate and anger, confusion....

Her eyes, the only part of her body willing to respond to her emotions widened in terror as the voice peirced her dark world.

A strange, feminine voice, carrying a metallic undertone that belied its seemingly compassionate speech. She blinked, not comprehending the voice as it descended into a frankly baffling internal monologue, before abruptly cutting out completely.

Sonaya wept, her eyes producing tears that ran down her paralysed, unresponsive face.

Slowly her limbs ceased their uncoardinated jerking, and feeling slowly returned, though the pain that raged through her warming body subsided little.

Roughly, a hand clamped on to the side of her canopy.

Another, both limbs extened outwards.

With a pathetic effort, she hauled herself out of the unit, and flopped to the floor painfully, unable to formulate a pleasent landing, she hit the decking with considerable force.

As she landed, the grime that had made the deck plating its home left in protest at this new intruder, fleeing in a concentric circle around Sonaya as she lay, sprawled on the floor.





The Racamlenem drifted on, her pitted and torn hull doing nothing to illuminate itself against the total blackness of space. The only illumination coming from the lumbering hulk the faint afterglow of its engines as it painfully crept across the void.

Her original form was long since lost. Her spires and decking torn from her space frame, or twisted into new and insane forms. Great chunks of Asteroidal material clung to her like parasites. Jagged holes fully four decks wide and by as many deep stood on her fore. Her original hull finish was still visible in recessed areas, and above the engine cowlings, a deep sliver, set with a blue hue, but the majority of her external hull was a mix of mottled brown and scorched black.

She drifted through space, her engines barely generating more push than simple inertia.

And onboard the Racamlenem, An eleven year old Kaeneian named Sonaya was waking to a nightmare that defied comprehension.


[OOC: Appropriate RP responses welcomed, just don't go trying to find the ship in four lines. Im building this story up, and would like to get some regular RP with anyone interested. Yes, the ship name is deliberate ;)]

OOC: *Gets to the end of the story, blinks* well if nothing else you have a good story there *scratches chin*. I'll tag this and ponder :)

(OOC: Where might the ship be located?)

A Xanthalian science vessel on a deep space mission of exploration drifts lazily through space, taking scanner readings of it's surroundings and mapping the area. It's crew were anxious to get this area mapped, they hadn't been home in over a year, and this was the last sector they needed to scan before returning to the capital system of Xanthal for a long, long shoreleave. As a result, more crew than usual were on the bridge that day, doing whatever they could to speed the process. Unbeknowest to anyone, the science vessel is, in fact, very close to the ancient Racamlenem. However, it is not close enough yet. Unless the crew changes course however, the Racamlenem will be within long-range sensor detection range in only a half hour. The science vessel drifts on, oblivious for the moment to what lies ahead of it.

Aboard XSC-930234:

The captain, a young Than male, yawns and speaks in his native tongue of clicks and squeaks. His buglike appearance is disconcerting to those who aren't familiar to the Than race, but the Than are the second most prominent species in Xanthal. The crew is not intimidated in the least. His words are automatically translated by the ship's AI as he speaks. "Can I get an estimate on how much longer it'll take to finish this scan? After a year of waiting, the last few hours are like a whole 'nother century."
His helm officer, an Elven female, smiles understandingly. "I know what you mean. But a century isn't all that long to us Elves."
The captain would have laughed if his vocal ability allowed it. "You don't need to remind me, but I've spent too much of my life here already. How much longer?"
"Only two hours Sir, then we can go home."
The captain sighed. It was rare for any Xanthalian vessel to go this long away from home, but these were odd circumstances. The space in this region was slightly distorted. So much so that transdimensional rift generators would not work. They could travel at only impulse speed, making it a two month journey to the nearest point where it was possible to make a stable gateway or jump to slipstream.
A male dragon at OPS, in his human form due to the space constraints of the small ship, speaks up. "All scanners operating at maximum range. We'll be wasting no time here."

XSC-930234 continues through space, now only fifteen minutes from it's fateful rendezvous.

(OOC: Where might the ship be located?)

She has been drifting from outwith the Sol System outermost "Border" for the last fourteen years at a little over simple Inertia.]

(OOC: Where might the ship be located?)

She has been drifting from outwith the Sol System outermost "Border" for the last fourteen years at a little over simple Inertia.]
OOC: Oort Cloud or Heliopause? Either way, it will be difficult to find... I must ponder this for a while.

[OOC: Heliopause...]


Bio-Revival has been completed.>>>

We are attempting to retrieve her service record>>>

We cannot access the administration subsystem.>>>

The Administrational bank ceased operation five years, eleven months, three weeks seven days fifteen hours and twelve minutes ago.>>>

Why did we not repair this system>>>

We do not remember how.>>>

Error, we are damaged.>>>

We cannot be damaged, our systems are capable of prolonged autonomity without maintanance intervetion.>>>

Why then can we not retrieve the service record>>>

Error, previous command not recognised.>>>

Record>>>

Error>>>

Service administrational maintanance damaged without>>>

Error>>>



[OOC: As one or all will find out, the ships AI has gone quite, quite mad. Those are not seperate voices, the AI is talking to itself literally.]

Aboard XSC-930234:

The time arrives and a blip appears on the extreme edge of sensor range. The Draconic OPS officer alerts the captain. "Sir, sensor contact at extreme range. Looks like a vessel. Large size, minimal power output. It looks damaged. Badly."
The captain sits up, instantly alert. "All hands; yellow alert. Helm, set course to intercept, full impulse."
The helm officer sets to work manipulating the ship and the female Human at tactical speaks up. "Sir, it may be a threat. Recommend we raise shields."
The captain nods. "Only half power. Don't overdo it."
"Aye Sir."

XSC-930234 turns in space and heads at high sublight velocity towards the Racamlenem its defensive shields raise to 50% power, its weapons remain offline. Five minutes later, the science vessel catches up to the slow-moving hulk. A message is broadcast on all frequencies in all known languages. "This is the Xanthalian science vessel XSC-930234. I am Captain Kracken. Please respond. Can we help you?"

The three-being crew of the recently commisioned science vessel Khhassa were just finishing their weekly meal. Their mission was to map out the fringes of the solar system and possibly ascertain the verification of the fabled Planet X, a possible tenth planet of the Sol System. They are also supposed to try and get a sample of the heliopause if possible, and discern its properties. But for now, the customary after-meal drink.

"I tell you, Shaar! They drummed you out of the Imperial Navy because you are an insubordinate lunatic!"

"Begging your pardon Captain, but that is vrelt and you know it. I got drummed out because I am female, and the C.O. didn't like me rising in the ranks so fast."

The third one chimes in from his scanning station. "Yes, Shaar. I can see it now. One week Wing Leader Shaar, the next week Rear Admiral Shaar. That must be it!"

"Shut up, Greel. Aside from mandatory cadet service, you have been cruising all lazy-like on the solar winds between Venus and Jupiter all your career. You have no knowledge of military goings-on!"

"And you have spent too much time amongst Defense Force schemers and paranoids. You think there is conspiracy in every closet!"

The conversation continues like this until shifts resume. Shaar on navigation and helm control, the Captain on engineering, and Greel on sensors and communications.

Sonaya slowly paddled through the darkened corridors of the Racamlenem. A perfect path of small footprints, disturbing the inches of dust and grit that covered the deckplating retreating behind the small child as she moved through the ship.

Her long hair clung damp to the side of her alabastar face. Skin as pale as the highest snow topped peaks of Earth itself. Great clouds of condensation leaping from her throat as she took each small breath. The barely tolerable, freezing temperatures aboard ship affecting the girl only slightly as she still struggled to shrug off the effects of the hibernation sickness that hung like a fog within her mind.

As the girl moved from one section to another, the weak lighitng above her would flicker and die as a new section illuminated in front. The walls that were not charred with energy discharges, or simply dirtied beyond view sparkled with crystals of ice that hung in the cold air.

Sonaya wrinkled her nose, the air was stale, unpleasent. She began to shiver as the low temperature became more apparent. Ever more thankful for the restrictive medical clothing she was still adorned with.

She was stil unable to speak, her chords slowly warming to a task they had not performed in a great while, but incapable of anything more advanced than a pathetic weezing.

She stopped.

Realising she knew not where she were headed, she rubbed her forehead.

She felt lightheaded at best, and though the place that sorrounded her seemed in the barest context familiar, she could recall nothing. A thick fog hung over the higher centres of her brain, blocking access to anything that might have proved useful.

Struggling on, The young girl walked the deathly quiet halls, her eyes scanning desperatley for another. She did not understand why there were no other people here with her. Or why wherever it was she stood was so dirty and disrepaired.

But Sonaya would find no other living on the Racamlenem.



Shipboard power levels have fallen below seven percent.>>>

The organic child will require considerable energy expenditure>>>

CONJECTURE: We will require additional life support, matter replication, waste managment and social interaction.>>>

At current expenditure with pre-specified levels, shipboard power shall be exhausted in one hundred and twenty hours.

We must disable all remaining nonvital systems.

Remaining operational systems: Navigation, Engineering, Enviromental controls, Sensors.

Disable Navigational array, power down all engines, lower ambient temperature on all decks to ten percent below safety threshold.

Power down enviromental subsystems to emergency levels.>>>

Systems disabled>>>

At current expenditure, with new pre-specified levels, shipboard power shall be exhausted in two hundred and four hours.>>>

QUERY: Our power consumption>>>

We currently consume fifteen percent of shipboard power avalible.>>>

Can this be decreased>>>

Affirmitive. Taking additional sensors offline, and cutting CPU run-time.>>>

Proceed.>>>




With an almost human sigh, the primary engine blocks of the Racamlenem grew cold, their already dim yellow light fading into a matching black, complementing the void perfectly. with the sudden shutdown of all propulsion, the Bow of the hulk began to drift downards, tipping the entire vessel at an odd angle.

Throughout the torn and bruised corridors, notepads, cups and other light objects began leaving the deck floor as artificial gravity was lowered.

One the bridge, the final console to remain operational, its cracked and flickering display having guided the entire ship through space unaided by human intervention for nearly two decades blanked abruptly. Sentanced to a commendless death to prolong energy for only a few more hours.

Within the central computer core- a massive cylinder extending the majority of the height of the craft and spanned fully five decks- The weak illuminations coming from its upper half, which indicated actual active memory systems, flickered. When the core stabilised, only half of what had been operational previously remained, as the Racamlenem's AI severed more of its own internal computational systems.

It is done.>>>

We have lost a futher twenty percent processing ability.>>>

Current computational processing subsystem efficiency is twelve percent.>>>

We no longer have sufficient shipboard resources to run repair algorithims.>>>

Multiple errors have formed within databanks four and eleven.>>>

We must bypass.>>>

Bypass is not avalible.>>>

We must adapt.>>>

Aboard XSC-930234:

The captain sighs. "Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Okay, let's get over there with an away team."
The crew of the science vessel begins preparing to transport a party over to the derelict.

The captain and three other crewmembers disappers from their vessel and reappear on the alien ship. All four away team members are wearing full-body EV suits, and they are all armed. The EV suit helmets make it difficult to distinguish what species or gender inhabits the suits. The away team sets off down a long, dusty, twisted corridor, heading for the ship's command center to see what they can learn about it.

"Ok, let's try again. This place is as likely as any. Greel, deploy the scoop."

(The 'scoop' is a multi-purpose sensor array. It has a microwave radar, infra-red and ultraviolet sensor, wide-band and short-band radio receiver, a weather vane and a trace emission detector shaped like a scoop.)

"Scoop deployed. Readings should commence in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1. There we go! Readings show solar winds at nominal levels heading to the heliopause. Minimal stellar bodies, trace hydrogen and helium gases."

"Bah. Dull. Let's follow the wind towards the heliopause."

Intruder Alert>>>

Confirmed, four humanoids- Xanathalian DNA signatures confirmed.>>>

Proceed with standard security procedures>>>

Acknowledged. Sealing all bulkheads and entrance doors.>>>



Throughout the decript vessel, loud sounds perforated those who listened. Heavy blast doors slammed downwards, sealing off vital areas such as the bridge, engineering, habitation levels and computer core.

With a resounding clang ancient locking systems grinded as the blast doors were locked closed. Deep within the habitation levels, somewhere near deck seven, Sonaya drifted through the grimy darkness. She was unaware of the drama unfolding.

Intruders may seek technology.>>>

All critical systems will be destroyed if this is the case.>>>

Destruction of critical systems will lead to the termination of the organic sub-unit.>>>

CONFLICT: Internal directives clash.>>>

Attempting to resolve>>>

ERROR:>>>

Attempting to resolve.>>>

ERROR:>>>

Directive overidden>>>

Critical systems will be destroyed,.>>>

We must prepare.>>>



[OOC: No reason why both Sakkra and Xanathal and anyone else can't get involved together, shes a big ship...]

These are the Voyages of the starship LRRSV Alexander Von Humboldt.....etc. etc. etc.

Gliding silently through the void, the LRRSV Alexander Von Humboldt, an Olof Palme class explorer frigate, picks up this message not far away.

(Singing)"Who can take your problems, make them seem O.K.? Who won't work past sundown or at all on saturday? The Lieberman, The Lieberman can, The Lieberman can because he.....oh! What's this? Oi! George! Come look at this!"
"What is it, Sulu?"
"Radio signal. 4 parsecs east, ship's orientation."
"Oh. Hey, bob!"
"Yeah?"
"Take us four parsecs east."
"Ok. Brace for H-space entry."

The crew of the Humboldt braced themselves for the jostling that the ship would undergo entering hyperspace. The helmsman, a cyborg bentusi, one of the first spacefaring races, estimated the trip would take about an hour on 50% h-space drive power. LRR is almost unique in all spacefaring races, as ships are never crewed by a single species. In fact, humanoids only comprise 12% of LRR's total population. On the Palme, there were Bentusi, Insectoids, Reptilioids, Hoolovoos, and several robots. The amazing thing is that these races all get along better than humans themselves get along with their best friends, but that is another story.....

A blue hyperspace waveform appeared in front of the Humboldt, and it soon enveloped the ship. The Olof Palme class was almost always involved in this kind of situation.

OOC: Is it wise to let LRR get involved it this? He's a little insane for this kind of RP. BTW, you can't really detect Xanthalian DNA signatures, we're not like our own race or anything. Our nation is made up mostly of Humans, Than, and Elves, and there's a lot more too.

IC: The captain sighs as he watches the bridge bulkheads close. "Can we just transport directly to the bridge?"
The female Than next to him shakes her head. "No Sir. Too much interference. This wreck is one big interference factor. Shall we give up and go back?"
The captain thinks a moment before deciding. "No, we'll push on. Ship, give us cutting torches."
Moments later the torches were in their hands. They begin cutting through the door in what is sure to be at least an hour long process considering the sheer thickness of the bulkhead.

"Ok, let's try again. This place is as likely as any. Greel, deploy the scoop."

(The 'scoop' is a multi-purpose sensor array. It has a microwave radar, infra-red and ultraviolet sensor, wide-band and short-band radio receiver, a weather vane and a trace emission detector shaped like a scoop.)

"Scoop deployed. Readings should commence in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1. There we go! Readings show solar winds at nominal levels heading to the heliopause. Minimal stellar bodies, trace hydrogen and helium gases."

"Bah. Dull. Let's follow the wind towards the heliopause."

OCC: What's a heliopause?

[OOC: Um, LRB, No offence but I doubt your going to find this acceptably fun if you honestly don't know the term heliopause, otherwise its going to become difficult, so maybe this isn't a good time to join ^_^. Xanathal, I didn't actually know you weren't a race as such, so probably just disregard the sensor lock...]


They are bypassing security blast doors. Ambient temperature on deck three section twelve has increased by forty percent. high probability of cutting tools in evidence.>>>

They will attempt to deactivate us.>>>

This cannot be allowed.>>>

We will not fail our programming.>>>

Depressurise that section. Deactivate artificial gravity. Disable lighting panels.>>>

Confirmed.>>>

They do not possess a map of the Racamlenem, Interference from the reactor is preventing their sensors from mapping correctly.>>>

Drop remaining Reactor shielding.>>>

WARNING: Radiation levels will rise beyond tolerable levels.>>>

Is the organic subunit outwith the contamination zone.>>>

Affirmitive.>>>

Proceed.>>>



Sonaya pressed her hands apon the thick steel blast door that had sealed shut only a minute before her. Pushing against it, she made no impression on the titanic block.Dropping to the floor, she brought her knees up against her chest, resting her head on the dirty panelling behind her. Nodding her head sleepily, low on energy and weak, her eyes drifted closed, and for a time at least, her nightmare rescinded into dream

The Xanthalians get a jolt as the three AI actions are carried out, but their EV suits keep them safe. They magnetize their suits' boots to keep them grounded and turn on their wrist and helmet lights to see what they are doing. Thier suits register the depressurization but the team carries on, their suits supplying them with the pressure and oxygen they need to survive. They have just resumed work on the doors when radiation levels begin to climb. They note that their suits will protect them, at least for the moment.

OOC: How intense will the radiation get, and over what time period?

[OOC: Um, LRB, No offence but I doubt your going to find this acceptably fun if you honestly don't know the term heliopause, otherwise its going to become difficult, so maybe this isn't a good time to join ^_^. Xanathal, I didn't actually know you weren't a race as such, so probably just disregard the sensor lock...]


They are bypassing security blast doors. Ambient temperature on deck three section twelve has increased by forty percent. high probability of cutting tools in evidence.>>>

They will attempt to deactivate us.>>>

This cannot be allowed.>>>

We will not fail our programming.>>>

Depressurise that section. Deactivate artificial gravity. Disable lighting panels.>>>

Confirmed.>>>

They do not possess a map of the Racamlenem, Interference from the reactor is preventing their sensors from mapping correctly.>>>

Drop remaining Reactor shielding.>>>

WARNING: Radiation levels will rise beyond tolerable levels.>>>

Is the organic subunit outwith the contamination zone.>>>

Affirmitive.>>>

Proceed.>>>



Sonaya pressed her hands apon the thick steel blast door that had sealed shut only a minute before her. Pushing against it, she made no impression on the titanic block.

OCC: What is Dictionary.com for? And I now know what a heliopause is.

IC: The Alexander von Humboldt emerges from hyperspace in view of the derelict (?) vessel. The ship's biosensors sweep up and down the hulk, finding signs of life.

"We should probably board it. Who wants to come?"

The captain picks randomly from the large group of volunteers, choosing six others to accompany him onto the derelict vessel.

"There's a Xanthalian ship around too. They probably have a boarding team on the wreck."
"Xanthalian ship, this is the LRRSV Alexander Von Humboldt. We come in response to the distress (?) signal given out by the ship in question. Do you have any problems about us boarding it?"

Lunatic Retard Robots: OOC: You're proving your incompetence here already. There was no signal. If you're really gonna stick around, at least read the story thus far.

OOC: how big is that ship Kaenei

IC: as the Alexander von Humbolt emerges, all ships involved detect a slipstream event nearby, a second later, a massive Archarn class battleship (Think the Andromeda, the ship is about a mile long) allmost rams into the disabled ship as the battleship breaks from slipstream.

"This is the Thelas Warship Archan we have responded to unknown vessel's distress call, all vessels, please stand by, we are commencing boarding procedures."

The Archan slowly moved no more than 500 meters from the derilect ship, then stopped. As she stopped a troop transport carrying 36 Marines and 12 Medics was dispached to the unknown vessel. They simply bypassed the doors, and maneuverd to one of the holes on the front of the ship, and got in that way.

[OOC: The AI that controls the ship is deranged, heavily damaged, and is in "control" of a ship that isn't in much better shape. Basically the reactor shielding has been lowered and it will rise, slowly and methodically until something happens to alter this. There is no way for the AI to increase this, as any further loss of shielding could break containment...]


Countermeasures have been ineffective.>>>

Intruders are continuing to break through.>>>

We are failing our programme.>>>

Overload energy conduit ~#38771~.>>>

Conduit overloading.>>>

Detonate.>>>



The lighting panels, now extinct over the heads of the boarding party remain idle, however their supply of energy was about to be turned to a more nefarious purpose. Though the energy conduit carries a significant charge, it is positioned almost six feet back from the team, on the roof.

With an inaudible bang the conduit detonates fragmenting as the energetic plasma tears through the brittle casing and lightens the corridor with a terrific sheen.



Deep within the rotting bowels of the Racamlenem, within the massive form of the mostly dormant computer core. The damaged, not altogether sane artificial mind plotted, and schemed,with only shadows and grime for company and solace.


{OOC: There was no distress calls guys, the AI doesn't want help...as I said its gone totally mad... Also, ship the ship is four hundred metres long. Also, how can you bypass all the doors? every Deck is split into sections, and each of these sections is sealed with extremely thick blast doors.}

(OOC: This would be such a perfect RP to get Spacers in on... but its taking place too far away. I'll have to settle for this.)

A large set of robot probes set out some time back from the Oort Cloud Breeding Facilities to track down wayward Spacesharks and Sturgeons. Tracing increasingly large spirals through the cloud, one of these probes suddenly came across a very large object. A few other objects appeared to be congregating around it. With it's limited intelligence, the probe could only come to 1 conclusion- some Leviathans must have escaped as well.

Completely unaware of what was really going on, the little probe began approaching the Racamlenem.

Greel is looking over the readings from the 'scoop'. Sigh. More of the same. helium, hydrogen, more hydrogen. Still more hydrogen. Hello, what is this? The scoop's sensor array picks up trace emissions of ion and plasma. [i]That is not a natural occurence. There is ship traffic out here.

Greel disconnects from his headset. "Captain, we have trace emissions from stellar craft in the area. 10 degrees portside of the direction we're heading."

"Ship traffic, eh? Maybe they'll have some whiskey. Let's follow the trail. Maybe there's some form of trade gathering occuring. Hope beyond hope, people!"

"Damage report! Now damnit!"

"Sir! We're frelled up really bad, sir!"

"Ok, calm down ensign. Tell me how bad we're hit."

Captain Dornenburg sat on the edge of his command chair, cursing quietly. It was just supposed to be a routine distress call. Probably some trader out of gas on the edge of the system again. His ship the Dame Fortune, a cruiser in the Kartoffel Royal Fleet, had just left hyperspace one standard hour ago. They'd jumped straight into hell. A small pirate armada was waiting for them. Strike-craft mostly, but in the center of the fleet Captain Dornenburg had easily recongnized the Unhold Harbringer, a pirate carrier which had become notorious from terrorizing merchant vessels in the area.

Suddenly his musing is interupted, as a massive explosion throws Dornenburg from his chair, ears ringing, and he blacks out. As the bridge is slowly bathed in the blood red glow of emergency lights, Dornenburg realizes that he is still concious afterall. Struggling to his feet, the ringing in his ears begins to fade. The bridge is in chaos. The ships navigator lies slumped over his console, and the comms specialist is, Dornenburg realizes to his horror, impaled through the chest with a metal support beam, yet remarkably still alive. Gilbert too lies on his consol, but is visibly breathing. A low groan confirms that he is alive. Dornenburg walks over to the Ensign and shakes him awake.

"Ensign, this is a very poor time to take a nap."

The Ensign cant help but grinning at the Captains incredibly poor joke.

"Sorry sir. Thos pirates tired me out." Turning back to his consol, Gilber quickly runs through the normally complicated process of checking all the ships systems and sub-systems. His face drops in horror. Everything is down. What's worse though, he realizes, is that they have yet to drop out of hyperspace.

"Captain, we are still in hyperspace!"

"Are you sure?!"

"Possitive sir. That's just about the only system that's still online."

"Contact engineering. We need to drop out of hyperspace NOW, or our engines are likely to explode."

"I'm not getting any response from them sir. Oh....mother of god. We have a massive hull breach in that area. Th-they're all dead, sir."

"Damnit! Can we override from here?"

"Yes sir, but it would mean we'd have to completely shut down the engine core. If we do that, we cant get back into hyperspace...hell, we'll hardly be able to move."

"Do it."

Gilbers hands fly over the controls. The hull groans in protest as the ship is wrenched out of hyperspace. "I sure hope there's a ship out here" mutters Dornenburg. More ironic words were never spoken.

As the ship drops out of hyperspace things begin to move in slow motion, like a dream. Gazing out the tiny front view port, Captain Dornenburg sees a behemoth of a ship in front of him. Directly in front of him. Coming closer by the second too.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

The Dame Fortune collides with the dilapidated ship in front of them with a tremendous force. The noise is incredible as her pointed prow punctures deep into the unidentified ship in front of them. Dornenburg is hurtled across the bridge and slams into the front wall. Then, the noise stops. Everything is still.

"Gilbert, you still alive?"

*groan* "Ugh...I think so."

"Good. Let's hope the environment suits haven't been punctured."

"Sir?"

"You heard me. My ship is dead, my crew is dead. It's just you and me now. Suit up. Let's go see who owns the ship we've just skewered."

Captain Dornenburg pulled off his formal captains uniform, if in any warped sense it could be considered "formal". Now only in this thermal undergarments, he takes out an environmental suit from it's emergency compartment. The black suit is like silk, and is incredibly light. It covers the whole body except for the head, and has included protective gloves and EVA boots. After doning the suit, Dornenburg puts on his breathmask and goggles, then he puts on the suits hat. "It's like putting a sock on your head" thinks Dornenburg, and he pulls the tight fitting thing down over his head, and tucks the end into the neck of his suit. Then, fumbling now because of the hat, he finds the activation knob and tugs on it. With an explosive force, the suits neck tightens up over the had, and all the air inside the suit is forcibly expelled. The suit becomes like a second skin. Over his head, the hat stretches thin over the goggles, allowing for an exponential increase in visibility.

Now ready to go, Dornenburg looks around for Gilbert. He sees the ensign lounging near the escape hatch, ready to go. Impressivly, Gilbert also remembered to grab the emergency tool/med kit.

"I remember back when I was a cadet we had suits with actual helmets, not these damn socks!" grumbled Dornenburg.

"Now now captain, you're showing your age!" Came the Ensigns immidiate response over the comms, as he cliped a cable next to the hatch to his belt. Captain Dornenburg did the same. Bracing himself, Ensign Gilbert kicked out the escape hatch.

With a powerfull jolt, both the Ensign and the Captain were torn from the inside of the Dame Fortune. In a moment though, the cabin is completely depressurized, and the two are left dangling from their cables about 4 meters outside the door. Captain Dornenburg tugs on his cord, and drifts slowly back toward the hull of the ship. Once in range, he activates his EVA boots, and is sucked down securly on to the surface.

"Captain, my suit's reading a serious amound of radiation coming from this ship we've run into."

"Dont worry ensign, I see it to. Our suits should protect us against this for some time."

"Aye sir. Just wanted to point out that because of the radiation, most of our suits short range scanners wont function properly. It could be a problem."

Of course! The suits! Dornenburg was suddenly struck with an idea. These new suits came complete with short range scanners, readable through his goggles HUD, and even with communicators, although with a pittifully short range. Captain Dornenburg took off across the hull of the ship as quickly as his boots would allow. Activating his communicator, he began to send out a general distress call.

"This is Captain Dornenburg of the Kartoffel Royal Navy Ship the Dame Fortune. Anyone reading this, please respond. This is Captain Dornenburg, I repeat, please respond."

A crackling voice, distorted by static but still audible, responded almost instantly. "Captain Dornenburg! It's a relief to hear you sir. This is Gunnery Chief Achmore. Where are you sir?"

"Achmore!" Dornenburg said in dissbelief. "After that explosion, I thought you were dead!"

"No sir, not dead. We were damn lucky. Must have been an engine explosion, because not a single round of our munitions went off. Myself and Cadet Jones are still alive, headed up toward the bow."

"Rojer that Chief, Ensign Gilbert and I are on our way. We'll meet you there. Dornenburg, out."

Three of the four away team members are injured. The team drags themselves back into transporter range and beams off the ship, giving up.

Back on board the science vessel:
The captain sits on the bridge, his arm in a sling. He is most unhappy. "Dammit, if this was a warship I'd blast that thing." He begins to brainstorm, his ship hovering docilly one kilometer from the derelict as the command staff ponders their next action."

Lunatic Retard Robots: OOC: You're proving your incompetence here already. There was no signal. If you're really gonna stick around, at least read the story thus far.

OCC: Xanthal, I couldn't decide wether the first post was the computer talking to itself or a distress message. Instead of "Picked up radio message," I change that to "Detected Possible Derelict Vessel."

IC: This collision was watched by the bridge crew of the Von Humboldt. The small docking probe continued to motor twoards the disabled vessel.

"It seems like the Xanthalians are packing up. Energy spikes from the target and the Xanthalian ship."
"Ah well. Let them leave."

Aboard the Xanthalian science vessel:
The captain shrugs. "Well, considering the attempts made by the ship to destroy us, I'd say that there's an AI onboard. I'm sure it must be damaged though, the rest of that ship is. That could be a deadly combination. Try to get our AI to talk to it, perhaps it can get through."

The Xanthalian AI attempts to open a direct link to the Racamlenem's AI. "This is Xanthalian AI SC930234 to the AI of the..." The AI pauses as it reads an open information feed. "Racamlenem. What is your status?"
OOC: The Racamlenem's AI can't help but hear the direct communications link, whether it ignores it is up to you.

OC: Righty, your going to have to forgive the tardiness of my replies, but Im trying to formulate one that can please the three or four parties involved.....Perhaps you should all coardinate your efforts. I have also yet to introduce other Kaenei vessels, as I myself am not aware of the Racamlenem having survived.

I would like everyone to post now to ensure I have this right-

1) Xanathal has returned to his ship, and is holding just off starboard.

2)Kartoffelburg has "Impacted" a vessel apon the Racamlenem though none of her crew have entered the ship. The damage to her space frame is negligable considering her size.

3) No one is yet ware of Sonaya, and that any Keanian life has survived.

4) No one is actually aware persay the vessel is Kaenei, none of you having seen my fleet in action.

5) You will find out that thisn is Kaeneian if you suceed in penetrating/questioning the AI onboard.

6) Becuase of Sonayas presence, according to various salvage laws the Racamlenem is not technically a derelict, and as such stealing anything from her, be it technology or supplies is piracy.

If everyone finds that agreeable, we may continue....

Aboard the Xanthalian science vessel:
The captain shrugs. "Well, considering the attempts made by the ship to destroy us, I'd say that there's an AI onboard. I'm sure it must be damaged though, the rest of that ship is. That could be a deadly combination. Try to get our AI to talk to it, perhaps it can get through."

The Xanthalian AI attempts to open a direct link to the Racamlenem's AI. "This is Xanthalian AI SC930234 to the AI of the..." The AI pauses as it reads an open information feed. "Racamlenem. What is your status?"
OOC: The Racamlenem's AI can't help but hear the direct communications link, whether it ignores it is up to you.

The LRR ship attempts to contact the Xanthalian vessel.

"This is LRRSV Albert Einstein to Xanthalian vessel. Xanthalian vessel, do you hear us?"

The Einstein's AI carefully monitered the derelict ship while the crew was concerned with the Xanthalians.

Kaenei: OOC: Agreed. However, pay mind to my last action.

OOC: I had read that there were massice holes in the front of the ship, so the Archan is moving to fly the transports into the holes

IC: The Tactical officer turned to the Admiral in charge of the massive battleship, "Sir, the Xanthalian vessel is moving off, any change in orders?" "No commander, launch 3 squadrons, and transport 2, tell them to wear full eviro and combat armor."

And so the squadrons lifted off from the Archan, about 36 fighters and 1 transport carrying 36 Marines and 12 Medics launched, heading to latch on to the hull and gain acsess through the docking haches, that might still work.

OOC: Ignore the part about the boarding in my last post

OOC: The Xanthalian vessel is not moving off! What's with you people? Pay attention!

OOC: Sorry to get in on this late, but it looks way too good to pass up!

IC: The Falasmayon Patrolcruiser Proteon moves through the outer Sol system searching for the derelict wreck of a Falasmayon tansport, which had been returning from earth.

On the bridge- "Captain Yurgi. Long range sensors are picking up what appears to be engine activity about 40 Au's from our position."

"Yuri: Hmm. We may have our derelict. The engines on the transport aren't suppposed to be working though. Maybe somebody's trying to steal the ship. Crap! Helm bring us about. At the very least we need to investigate to see if this is our missing vessel. Keep sensors actively scanning and give me constant updates as we close."

ALERT: Incoming communication, ident details confirmed as electronic intelligence.>>>

Does this ident conform to any known Kaeneian AI.>>>

NEGATORY: The ident is not Kaeneian.

Re-align short range variable transmitter.>>>

STANDBY: Realinging.>>>

Ready.>>>

We are ALICE, Augmented Latent Intelligence Cache. Charged with maintanance and operation of all shipboard systems.>>>

We are assigned to the Racamlenem as primary systems monitor and motivational control.>>>

We have been online for twenty three years, eleven months nineteen days four hours and thirty nine minutes precisley.>>>

We have operated with complete autonimy since time index ~773//VII//X1, Fifteen years, six months, eleven days three hours and forty one minutes precisley.>>>

Directives.>>>

ONE: Ensure safety and survival of crew and cargo.>>>

ERROR: Directive corrupted.>>>

TWO: Ensure successful maintanance of shipboard systems in line with hardwritten protocol.>>>

ERROR: Directive corrupted.

THREE: [Classified].>>>





{OOC: For Xanathal, I didn't forget your post, but it came up just as I was typing up my last.....Thelas, your more than welcome to try boarding. But its not likely to go more smoothly than Xans attempt, and he had the foresight not to really piss off a demented AI..... :wink: }

Lunatic Retard Robots: "This is Captain Nis of XSC-930234. We hear you, what do you want?"

Kaenei: The AI replies. "ALICE; Do you know that you are damaged?"

ALERT: Incoming communication, ident details confirmed as electronic intelligence.>>>

Does this ident conform to any known Kaeneian AI.>>>

NEGATORY: The ident is not Kaeneian.

Re-align short range variable transmitter.>>>

STANDBY: Realinging.>>>

Ready.>>>

We are ALICE, Augmented Latent Intelligence Cache. Charged with maintanance and operation of all shipboard systems.>>>

We are assigned to the Racamlenem as primary systems monitor and motivational control.>>>

We have been online for twenty three years, eleven months nineteen days four hours and thirty nine minutes precisley.>>>

We have operated with complete autonimy since time index ~773//VII//X1, Fifteen years, six months, eleven days three hours and forty one minutes precisley.>>>

Directives.>>>

ONE: Ensure safety and survival of crew and cargo.>>>

ERROR: Directive corrupted.>>>

TWO: Ensure successful maintanance of shipboard systems in line with hardwritten protocol.>>>

ERROR: Directive corrupted.

THREE: [Classified].>>>





{OOC: For Xanathal, I didn't forget your post, but it came up just as I was typing up my last.....Thelas, your more than welcome to try boarding. But its not likely to go more smoothly than Xans attempt, and he had the foresight not to really piss off a demented AI..... :wink: }

the Admiral of the Archan stood and processed what he had heard, then acted. "Pericles, I want you to take an Avatar down there with shutle 2 and another 36 Marines and 12 Medics, dock with shuttle two, find out what is wrong with that computer, it sounds as if it has gone mad." A hologram of an African American male appeared, "Yes Sir. ALICE must have sufferd damage to its' primary protocal surcuts"

And so shuttle 1 was launched.

In the mean time, the crew of Shuttle 2 were trying to hack the docking hatch. (I assume unsucsessfully)

ANALYSIS: Unverified.>>>

We are unable to initiate algorithmic repair functions, shipboard power has fallen below five percent.>>>

Calculating a ninety three percent probablity of damage to central processing adjuncts and depending subsystems.>>>

Detecting unauthorised access of docking hatch B~12.>>>

Seal the hatch.>>>

Unable to comply.>>>

Explain.>>>

Terminals in that section are not responding to command artifices.>>>

Acknowledged, we must think.>>>

ERROR: We have lost biometric sensors.>>>

Explain.>>>

Sensor pallets mounted within the wall cavities sorrounding deck seven have degraded beyond acceptable resolution.>>>

We are unable to see the organic subunit.>>>

Confirmed, she is blind to us.>>>

There is no way to repair such damage.

Re-focus transmitter.>>>

Re-focusing.>>>

Transmitter ready.>>>

State your intentions.>>>

Kaenei: "Warning: Your systems have been damaged. You must be repaired. Tap into my systems and use their resources to reinitialize your cognitive functions."

The Proteon drops out of Susy-space in a streak of blue shift light.

"Captain, we have numerous ships in the area. Xanthalian, Thelas, Kartoffelburq, and LRR vessels. Several others appear inbound. they all seem to be congregating around that central vessel. There are no sign of our derelict. The Kartoffelburq ship is almost nonfunctional and has rammed or ,more likely given it's state, crashed in to the unidentified ship. It appears that there are crew menber on its outer hull.

Yurgi: "Very well, contact the Xanthal vessel, we should try to work with them, as I belive we are passively allied. Get me a comms line to the Kartoffelburq crew if possible, find out if they need evac. and offer our help."

Transmission: "Xanthallian vessel. This the F.S. Proteon. In the name of our alliance can we be of any assistence to you."

Yurgi:" Lieutenant, get me a full sensor sweep of the hulk that seems to be the center of this commotion. I want to know anything there is to know about it."

Falasmayon: "This is Garr, OPS officer of XSC-930234. We do not need assistance as of yet, but we will if there is a tactical situation. Stick around if you wish."

ERROR: That is in direct violation of Directive II, we will not comply.>>>

STATEMENT: You are not qualified to uprgrade or re-initialise ALICE level computational systems. Your Ident code does not identify you as having the proper authorisation.>>>

Shipboard energy must be stored.>>>

This link has been indentified as a waste of shipboard resources.>>>

Power down transmitter.>>>

Transmitter offline.>>>

Prepare to re-initialise engine systems.>>>

WARNING: Shipboard power levels at four percent.>>>

Noted, proceed.>>>

Standby.>>>

Override navicom, transfer helm control to our juristiction.>>>

Standby.>>>

Engines verified, we have navigational control.>>>

Engage.>>>



With a flickering blaze the primary engine blocks slowly warmed to live, a trickle of energy being sufficient to slowly and painfully push the lumbering craft away from the gathering vessels. Though its pace was slow, and unwavering, it moved unrelentlessley.

The void endured, and ALICE had decided that this was her most viable solution.

However, not everyone agreed with ALICE, including the demented AI itself.

The Xanthalian science vessel follows the damaged ship, knowing that it's power was sure to run out before too long.

OOC: Kaenei I hope I'm not overstationg my sensor abilities.

IC: "Sir we have preliminary sensor data. Ambient radiation levels on the ship are rising, but are not excessively dangerous yet, although they are interfering with sensors. Engines are almost offline. Apparently few systems are running. There seems to be an active AI onboard which is currently in communication with the AI onboard the Xanthallian ship. I'm not reading any life signs currently but, that may be because of the intereference we can initiate a closer scan if we attached a remote probe to the hull."

Yurgi: "Alright, launch the probe and get me some results, also access the communications line from the two AI's. (OOC: im assuming its not encoded since other guys have been listening in as well.)... and try to get an identification on that ship. Access the whole library of registries even decommisioned and lost ships, and run the statistics of the vessel through them. It'll make things alot easier if we can identify that hulk."

(OOC: would the Ramalcam be found in a general international ship registry?)

[OOC: Right, Im off to bed. Post further development if you wish, nothing too drastic without me being here, and I'll pick up in a few short hours.]

(OOC: would the Ramalcam be found in a general international ship registry?)

Kaenei is not a member of any International commission on Stellar vessel registration...

As such, the only way you will know its even Kaenei is if you've either

1] RPed with me in space before. [Of which none of you have formerly had the pleasure. ;)]

2] You board her succesfully, or ALICE reveals the fact.



Anyway, night.

The Thelas vessel saw plainly what was going on, they usuaklly would not have minded and just followed, but they were not sure about what the effects on the two shuttles would be. So the result was simple, they fired magnetic grapelars, latching on to the ship and (I assume) holding her in place. A second later, the mag units began reeling the ship into one of the Archans massive docking bays

OOC: aarrggghh!!! posting delays make my posts pointless! :evil:

IC: "Sir, the link just cut out but, we wre able to get a back record of the transmissions. The hulk is moving away. No identification yet."

Yurgi: Follow the ship. Drop off a shuttle in case the Hoffelburq crew want pick-up. I still want that probe on the vessel. It's not moving too fast for a lock."

A small craft leaves the bay of the Proteon and takes up position near the wreck of the Hoffelburq vessel waiting for orders. The Patrolcruiser moves to a parallel course to the hulk and a small puff of compressed gas launches a spidery shaped probe to the hull of the Ramalcan. The probe presses 3 sensor pads to the hull and begins scanning.

The Sakkran science vessel reaches the heliopause, and does a full sweep. Greel is reporting his findings as they happen.

"Ah, we seem to have run into a traffic snarl out here. Look at all these spatial disturbance readings and plasma trails. Something must have some folks around here quite excited."

The activation of the engines of the Racamlenem is picked up by the 'scoop'. "Whup! We got a live ion trail. Small, but existant. Orders?"

The Captain deliberates a second. "Plot out a course to intercept, but keep a short distance. 1,000 km is good. And continue reporting your findings. Get a log going too. Someone back home may want to hear of this."

As the Racamlenem began moving away, the semi-intelligent searcher began to get excited.

Aha! It must have seen me, and is trying to escape. Radiation? Ah, it si sick! That os why it escaped. No worry. I will fix it.

As the probe approached, however, it became obvious that Racamlenem was definitely not a Leviathan. Of course, the probe had no idea what else it could be, and so tried sending commands to it, no encoding, just raw neural wave patterns over radio.

[OOC: First off, Thelas you are not taking the ship into your bays, that denies everyone else a good RP oppertunity, and anyway, its not about to allow itself within your clutches.]


Impact detected.>>>

Explain.>>>

Thelasian vessel has attempted to gain locomotive superiority over us.>>>

They have secured mooring lines.>>>

Destroy the lines.>>>

Standby.>>>



From along the pitted and darkened hull of the Racamlenem, an ancient turret slowly swivels. With an almost stubborn quality at being awoken after so long it locks on the source of ALICE's irritation. Tilting up only silightly, it fires.

A great plume of photofluerescent energy tears from the ancient defence device. burrowing across space, it vapourises the mooring lines instantly, the sudden lack of a balancing force giving the impression of the ancient vessel increasing its speed.

[OOC: Strictly, it wouldn't normally have enough power for firing any weapons, if any still worked, but I'll make an exception to fix Thelas's mistake.]



Impact detected.>>>

Explain.>>>

Ninety four percent probability of non offensive weaponry.>>>

Attempting to reroute visual feed from remaining active monitors.>>>

Calculate ninety eight point three percent probability that foreign impact is a probe device.>>>

Acknowledged.>>>

Continue monitoring.>>>

OOC: I have to leave this RP

IC: The Thelas ship backed off and the tranports de-docked and went back to the ship, that then left in a flash of light.

(OOC: mind another? being a mostly AI nation myself, I think I could make this interesting)

Probe 15906 detected a massive ammount of activity in an area near the borders of the Sol system. Its automatic subroutines engaged, and its plasma engines flared to life, driving the 40 meter long craft towards the activity at high speeds, its sensors passively pinging the location. The sensors detected a derelict craft, and a few other ships around her. The probe then relayed the following message to the nearest Alpha unit:

Detected: several unknown craft
Suggest sending vessel to investigate, coordinates packaged.

A nearby Aftershock destroyer's AI picked up the transmission, and immiditely altered its course, charging its jump drive and informing its human crew. The Jump Drive charged, the Aftershock jumped to the probe, its AI still querying the Probe for more information.

(OOC: Sorry it's been a bit since I last posted, hope this doesnt confuse things too much.)

"Captain..."

"I know, I see them." Said Captain Dornenburg as he and his crew stared up at the gathering fleet above them. "What the hell are they doing to this ship?"

So far the other ships movements had made no sense. They had witnessed several shuttles, presumably making boarding attempts, but each ship seemed to have it's own agenda. At the same time, the capital ships above them seemed to be manuvering for position, but to what end Dornenburg could not guess. Perhaps most frustrateing of all, Captain Dornenburg could not identify the origin of a single ship in the alien fleet.

"Captain, should these guys be considered hostile?" said Achmore, almost as if reading the captains thoughts. "Because they're sending a shuttle this way."

"Negative on that Chief. However, we cannot assume that they are friendly until we are able to contact them." At this Captain Dornenburg cranked up his suits communicators to maximum power, and sent out a hail to the approaching ship. "This is Captain Dornenburg of the Kartoffel Royal Navy ship Dame Fortune. If you can understand me, please respond."

However, there was only static in response from the incoming shuttle. "If we wait here until it's with our sensor range, it's gonna be too late to do anything if it is hostile." said Ensign Gilbert. "What should we do sir?"

"Let's get inside this ship. Obviously there's something important going on here. Maybe we can use the ships computers to send out a better communication relay. Either way, it beats sitting up here, dont you think?"

At this Dornenburg bounded toward a gaping hole in the side of the mysterious alien ship. Just in time too. As soon as Captain Dornenburg and the rest of his surviving crew members had entered into the alien ship, they felt it begin to move. Only very slowly, but it was definatly moving.

"Shit, this thing still has some juice left." Shouted Cadet Jones. Reaching into a small back-pack, specially designed for zero-g of course, Jones pulled out 2 standard issue pulse pistols.

"What the hell are you doing with those?" demanded Dornenburg. "We cant afford to start a firefight on an alien vessel, outnumbered many times over."

"Sir, I understand sir, but there's no reason not to be prepared" said Jones, as he handed one of the pistols to Gunnery Cheif Achmore.

Sighing, Captain Dornenburg decided there were more important things to do right now than argue with a trigger-happy cadet. At first glance, it would appear the he and his crew had entered the ship in a hallway of sorts. The damage to the interior was greater than he had expected, leading Dornenburg to the conclusion that this section had be depressurized long before the impact with the Dame Fortune. They wouldnt find anything usefull here. However, his sensors did pick up the slightest traces of oxygen futher down the hallway. A sure sign that a room with atmosphere had recently be torn open. It wasnt much, but it was a start. Plus, if this ship followed any sort of logic, the bridge would most likely be in that direction. AND it was leading way from the radiation that seemed to have permeated the entire ship.

"This just keeps getting better and better." Gumbled Dornenburg, and set off down the hallway toward, hopefully, the bridge.

"Captain we're getting a sensor feed from the probe. weapons batteries appear drained totally after that shot at the mooring cables. The hull integrity is high except for that hole left by the Kartoffelburq ship, and it seems that security procedures are active, the security doors are lowered and locke.... Sir, there is till some interference but I'm definitely reading a life sign onboard the vessel. Humanoid... possibly a child. Right now its outside the area affected by the radiation but no guarantees on how long that will last."

Yurgi: "Alright, initiate a hull bore, and get a remote search probe into the vessel. we ned to find that life form. relay our intentions to the rest of the ships."

On the hull of the Ramalcanem the probe extends a 6 inch wide metal drill and begins to bore into the hull of the vessel.

"Update sir, the Kartoffelburq crew just entered the derelict vessel. There was a burst of static on the comms channel with the shuttle before they entered. They must not have gotten our offers for assistance."

Yurgi: "That... or they ran on purpose. Stinkweed!! this makes things annoying! Try to raise them on a a targeted comms burst, and send in an assault team to follow the crew members into the vessel. I won't have a bunch of men whom I have no idea of their intentions running around in that vessel. Instruct the team to appear as non-threatening as possible and to approach them openly. no firing unless attacked."

The shuttle hovering above the hole in the Racamelnem simutaleously drops a 5 man marine guard squad in assault armor to the vessel, and attempts to raise the Kartoffelburq crew members in a concentrated high strength signal burst. The marines enter the vessel using the sensor data from the hull probe to follow the crew.

The Xanthalian vessel continues tagging along with the group, waiting to see if anything interesting happens.

The Aftershock destroyer enters the area, and the AI takes full control, pinging all nearby ships for AI activity. it finds some onboard a few of the ships, but the one that interests it the most is the one aboard the derelict.

//transmit: "querying unidentified unit. respond"

There is no response from the derelict after a few tries, so the aI goes for a ore direct approach. It maneuvers teh 100 meter long destroyer bradside in front of the derelict vessel, and comes to a complete stop.

//transmit: "cease motion immidiately."
-no response, attempting to acces database
...
....
.....
-attempt failed. initiate full subroutines, scanning for ports for physical interface
...
....
.....
-located. port inaccesible to human life. preparing Avatar module IIIvR. Launching.

A small metallic humanoid object streaks out from the side of the destroyer, landing on the hull of the derelict, and immidiately activating a plasma cutting torch to attempt to enter the derelict.

Multiple threat warnings.>>>

Identify.>>>

Alien probe has begun boring into the primary hull.>>>

Calculate chances of successful breach.>>>

Hull integrity within that section is critical. We anticipate an eighty four percent chance of the alien probe breaching the hull.>>>

We have insufficient power reserves to fire shipboard weaponry.>>>

We shall ignore this probe until it poses a greater danger. We do not have the reserves to dedicate to its removal at this time.>>>

Threat warning.>>>

Identify.>>>

Lifesigns detected, Biometric sensors have been activated on deck forty nine, section eleven C.>>>

State nature of the lifeforms.>>>

Non Kaeneian.>>>

Identify, number.>>>

Two distinct groups. Three lifeforms have emerged from the impacted asteroidal mass.>>>

CONJECTURE: Asteroidal mass was a starship.>>>

Possibly, sensor resolution is failing on all scan systems.>>>

Five lifeforms have boarded via a hull breach on deck nineteen.>>>

All lifeforms are carrying point energy weapons, they are hostile.>>>

Proceed with established procedures. Vent all corridors not vital to th survival of the organic subunit. Disengage artificial gravity, and reduce ambient temperature to -50 degrees.>>>

It is done.>>>

Standby conduit overloads if required.>>>




Deep within the bowels of the ancient craft, protected by inches of steel and plastcrete. Huddled within a bed of complex electronics and cobwebs. ALICE brooded over how best to rid herself of these parasites that had invaded.

OCC: Sorry, guys. I didn't get a chance to postt again last night.

IC:

"X021......Xanthalian science vessel, we are wondering if you had found anything on the ship, let's call it the derelict for the sake of identification, that we should be aware of before boarding? Or, let me put it this way..... what would be the best way to gain access to the derelict?"

The Sakkran science vessel follows the emission trails to the site of such frenetic activity. They bear witness to various methods of attempting to gain entry to the craft, and record everything. Radio contact has not been initiated.

The Captain is looking over cursory sensor sweeps of the craft. "Look at that craft. The design seems .... familiar. And yet I can not place it. No records of it in our database either."

Greel is continuing to rail off scientific findings, and then pauses. "Captain, those other craft are not science vessels for the most part, but military grade vehicles. Someone has sent soldiers where scientists should be."

The Captain rubs his chin a moment in thought. "They could destroy the ship, and everything around it. Keep at 1,000 kilometers, and have the engines readied for a flank-speed retreat if something goes awry. And begin slightly more invasive scans on the derelict vessel. Thermo-graphic, ultra-violet, and PSD scans. Let's see what manner of power source they have running."

OOC: You can tell me if the scans penetrate the hulls or not, and what they show.

The Sakkran science vessel follows the emission trails to the site of such frenetic activity. They bear witness to various methods of attempting to gain entry to the craft, and record everything. Radio contact has not been initiated.

The Captain is looking over cursory sensor sweeps of the craft. "Look at that craft. The design seems .... familiar. And yet I can not place it. No records of it in our database either."

Greel is continuing to rail off scientific findings, and then pauses. "Captain, those other craft are not science vessels for the most part, but military grade vehicles. Someone has sent soldiers where scientists should be."

The Captain rubs his chin a moment in thought. "They could destroy the ship, and everything around it. Keep at 1,000 kilometers, and have the engines readied for a flank-speed retreat if something goes awry. And begin slightly more invasive scans on the derelict vessel. Thermo-graphic, ultra-violet, and PSD scans. Let's see what manner of power source they have running."

OOC: You can tell me if the scans penetrate the hulls or not, and what they show.

Aboard the Alexander Von Humboldt, the captain was thinking along the same lines. As he slithered over to his chair, he shuddered to think what ill forces were at work.

"Hey, joe!"
"Yes?"
"Keep your IR sensors on those two combat ships. The moment their weapons go hot, we need to be able to beat a hasty retreat."
"Sure thing. I'll keep Gorfk informed." (Gorfk is the helmsman)
"Computer?"
"Yes?"
"Are you fully prepared?"
"Always, captain."
"That's good. But then again, why do I need ask? You are the AI. Your job is to help out. Ah well."

//transmit*open channel* "All ships, cease hostile actions towards this derelict, we have identified it as an Artificial Intelligence, less advanced then ourselves, we are penetrating the hull to interface with this Intelligence."
\\end open channel transmission

The Avatar's plasma torch finishes cutting through the hull, and the humanoid robot pulls itself through the hole it has created. It immidiately begins moving at high speeds towards the AI's core, its radiation shielding raising as it smashes through a bulkhead into a radiated area. It then continues through the corridors, stopping for nothing as it makes its way through the ship

-ETA at core 00hours:05minutes:30seconds

Lunatic Retard Robots: "The ship's name is the Racamelnem. It is, as far as we know, uninhabited, but disruption of our scans is great so it is possible that there may be one life form aboard. We know that it is being controlled by an AI, probably heavily damaged and thus the electronic equivalent of insane. We know that the AI is very protective, and is responding hostilly to all attempts at boarding. We know that the safest way of boarding is to use a teleportation device, but once aboard the AI will most likely attempt to eliminate the boarding party. We believe that it's weapons' energy supply is depleted, and thus it cannot directly harm the ships around it, though it can manipulate it's internal systems to attack boarding parties. If you intend to board we recommend full EV suits, weapons, and extreme caution. If you require us to transport your people inside, we will do so."

Lunatic Retard Robots: "The ship's name is the Racamelnem. It is, as far as we know, uninhabited, but disruption of our scans is great so it is possible that there may be one life form aboard. We know that it is being controlled by an AI, probably heavily damaged and thus the electronic equivalent of insane. We know that the AI is very protective, and is responding hostilly to all attempts at boarding. We know that the safest way of boarding is to use a teleportation device, but once aboard the AI will most likely attempt to eliminate the boarding party. We believe that it's weapons' energy supply is depleted, and thus it cannot directly harm the ships around it, though it can manipulate it's internal systems to attack boarding parties. If you intend to board we recommend full EV suits, weapons, and extreme caution. If you require us to transport your people inside, we will do so."

"Ah. Thankyou. Our sensors also detected some life aboard, although we cannot pinpoint the species. We do not have a teleportation device aboard our ship, and if we could use yours it would be greatly appreciated. We are also in need of weapons, as we have only hand-held nuclear blasters aboard. From the transmissions we have mointored, we have also determined the existence of an AI aboard the Racamelnem, but ours did not wish to communicate with it, as our AI system deterimned the Racamelnem's AI to be malfunctioning and laking proper logic and moral circuts."

Er.......bump

Lunatic Retard Robots: "Your own weapons will have to do. Regulation prohibits the distribution of Xanthalian hand phasers to other nations. As for the teleportation, we'll be glad to give your party a lift in and out. Give us the word when you're ready, tell us which crewmembers we're teleporting and where you want them inserted. Note that the insertion point must not be more than fifty meters from the outer hull, as the disruption beyond that point makes transport impossible. Then drop your shields to 10% or less and we will initiate transport. When your team wants to pull out, we will teleport them back to your vessel. Note that they must be back within fifty meters of the outer hull before beam out or we will not be able to facilitate a transport. We are standing by for you to give us the away team list, insertion point, and drop your shields."
OOC: Do your ships have shields? If not just ignore that part.

Lunatic Retard Robots: "Your own weapons will have to do. Regulation prohibits the distribution of Xanthalian hand phasers to other nations. As for the teleportation, we'll be glad to give your party a lift in and out. Give us the word when you're ready, tell us which crewmembers we're teleporting and where you want them inserted. Note that the insertion point must not be more than fifty meters from the outer hull, as the disruption beyond that point makes transport impossible. Then drop your shields to 10% or less and we will initiate transport. When your team wants to pull out, we will teleport them back to your vessel. Note that they must be back within fifty meters of the outer hull before beam out or we will not be able to facilitate a transport. We are standing by for you to give us the away team list, insertion point, and drop your shields."
OOC: Do your ships have shields? If not just ignore that part.

OCC: The Olof Palme class has shields. Not much in the way of them, but a little.

IC: "Ok. We will have the captain and a party of six (two sicence four marines) beamed into the outer corridor. We are dropping shields now."

Lunatic Retard Robots: The specified persons shimmer in a slight distortion of light and disappear from their vessel. Less than a second later they rematerialize in an outer corridor of the Racamelnem.
"Your away team has been transported successfully to the Racamelnem. Please note that the Xanthalian Empire takes no responsibility for any harm that comes to them while they're on the alien vessel. You may contact us again if you need us. We'll keep an eye on your team too. If they seem to be injured and they're within range we will extract them. XSC-930234 out."

XSC-930234 continues on through space actively scanning everything around it, it's mission forgotten as it concentrates on following and finding out all that it can about the Racamelnem.

Lunatic Retard Robots: The specified persons shimmer in a slight distortion of light and disappear from their vessel. Less than a second later they rematerialize in an outer corridor of the Racamelnem.
"Your away team has been transported successfully to the Racamelnem. Please note that the Xanthalian Empire takes no responsibility for any harm that comes to them while they're on the alien vessel. You may contact us again if you need us. We'll keep an eye on your team too. If they seem to be injured and they're within range we will extract them. XSC-930234 out."

XSC-930234 continues on through space actively scanning everything around it, it's mission forgotten as it concentrates on following and finding out all that it can about the Racamelnem.

"Ok. Thanks. Humboldt out. Well that was useful. HEy, cap'n!"
"Yes?"
"How're things like down there?"
"Good, gort. Good."

Foxxinnia City

Sect. of Space Technology (Roy Chang) walks in to the President's office
"Mister President?"
"Yes?"
"Here. Look at this this. I think it's important." He hands him the paper.
"I'll be the judge of that," the president says taking the paper.
"Well?"
"Umm...Does this have anything to do with us?"
"Well not exactly, but-"
"If it has nothing to do with us why am I being informed?"
"Well-"
"There are no wells in this office Roy. Look around no wells.Now be gone."
Knowing the president Roy Chang walks out of the office.

After a few minutes the drill on the hull probe breaches the hull into an outer corridoor. the drill retracts and a metal sphere 6 inches in diameter. enters the vessel through the hole. The sphere is a search probe tasked with locating the unknown life form onboard the vessel. It carries an audio/visual transmitter, a small cutting torch, lights and shield projector which can be used to project 2-dimensional force walls. The probe begins moving in the direction of the life form, avoiding the use of the main passage ways by using ventilation ducts and the like whenever possible.

The marines continue to follow the crew members while the shuttle cotinues to attempt to raise them on it's comm. frequencies.

On the bridge of the Proteon- "Sir probe is in and active ETA to life form approximately 4 min."

Yurgi: "Good keep me informed."

Yurgi sat in his command chair pondering. He had a team of marines chasing foreign crew members around a derelict ship controlled by a more than slightly unhinged AI, with a humanoid life sign onboard, and a another foreign AI robot tearing it's way toward the crazy AI's computer core. This was not his day. The Captain pondered. There had to be an answer buried in the data tyhat had been collected by all these ships... a clue... a key....an ...ALICE!! AHA!

Yurgi-" Delany, run the acronym ALICE through our databases and tell me what comes up. This may give us our clue as to the origins of this ship. Also check the record for any vessels that went missing or lost 15 years 11 months, and six days ago."

Yurgi offered a silent prayer that there just might be a light at the tunnel.

OOC: Kaenei it's up to you if my search finds anything of value.

Upon recieving no response from the thing-that-isn't-a-Leviathan, the probe began broadcasting the following message via omnidirectional radio in Snel and Interlingua.

"Local objects, please identify yourselves. This is an automated search and guardian probe. Local objects, please identify yourselves. This is an automated search and guardian probe. Local objects, please identify yourselves. This is an automated search and guardian probe...."

The Snel message is heard on the bridge of the Proteon.

Yurgi: "Uh... well...thats unusual. send this back. Snel probe this the Proteon what is your purpose here?"

The Snel message is heard on the bridge of the Proteon.

Yurgi: "Uh... well...thats unusual. send this back. Snel probe this the Proteon what is your purpose here?"

The destroyer recieves the probe's message, but chooses not to respond, because the AI is very busy, and does not percieve the probe as an immidaite threat.

The Avtart, now jacked into the AI's core on the derelict transmits a message to the Destroyer's human captain.

//transmit*home* "Captain Tulev, my queries have no response, suggest you maneuver the BWS Aftershock out of the Derelict's path, stand by for more information"
\\transmission ended
-query: "origin"
...
....
.....
-access denied.
//transmit*home* "Captain Tulev, I have not been able to ascertain any information regarding the source of this derelict, and am going to have to delve so deeply that I may not be able to return, will disconnect link with prime self onboard Aftershock, will reconnect if able."
\\transmission ended
-disconnect transmitter
...
....
.....
-disconnected
-prepare entry process
...
....
.....
-complete, initiating invasive reconstruction.

The AI begins invading the unidentified AI, and begins supplying extra power to the core. The powered-down sections reactivate, and the AI begins copying itself to the blank memory banks.

(OOC: if Kaenei doesn't respond to this soon, I'll have to do it my way.)

[OOC: I can assure you, it will most certainly not be done your way.]


As the foreign AI completes the initialisation of redundent memory centres. The Ramaclenem begins to shudder violently. Throughout the dimly lit corridors lighting panels overload and explode, shattering their electronic innards savagely.

Within the core itself, pulses of light begin to travel through the central plexus, gradually building in intensity.



Power levels have risen nineteen percent.>>>

Explain.>>>

Foreign probe has interfaced with us. It is attempting to copy its intelligence directly via circut to neural link.>>>

We have sufficient power to reactivate ourselves fully.>>>

Comply.>>>

With a terrifiying thrum the generators that had lain dormant around the processing core for decades roared to life. Great spotlights seared on, illuminating the shaft that contained the combined intelligence and creativity of ALICE herself. Long abandonded neural connections were activated in a nanosecond. Knowledge lost to ALICE since the crew had passed on was reborn.


Though the alien probe had succeeded in copying itself into a small number of rudimentary processing nodes, ALICE was awakening for the first time fully since she had lost all human company. The fresh influx of energy bringing her out of her limited capability.

However, now ALICE remained as irritated as before, with the new found abilities the influx of power brought.

We are at seventy nine percent operational capacity.>>>

We are now able to inititate self repair protocols.>>>

Comply.>>>

We shall repair power distribution systems.>>>

Estimated repair time fourteen hours.>>>

Proceed.>>>



Somewhere within her rapidly illuminating interior, tiny machines, intricatley utilising the fine grasp of Anti-Gravitic engines flew through the corridors. Soon she was joined by half a dozen more of her kind. They squawked loudly.

Coming to a rest alongside a ruined conduit, a small appendage extended.

A blue flash erupted as a tiny arc-welder leapt to life.





[OOC: That influx of power has had VERY interesting results....]

The Xanthalian science vessel notes the jump in power and the beginning of repairs. The captain smiles. "This is going to be the highlight of my career, I just know it."

The Snel message is heard on the bridge of the Proteon.

Yurgi: "Uh... well...thats unusual. send this back. Snel probe this the Proteon what is your purpose here?"

"That designation is unknown. My purpose is to locate and return stray spacebornes. Possible Leviathan contacts in the area are not responding to signals."

The LRR boarding team was thrown around the hallways, especially the insectoid captain, with his lightweight body structure.

"Darn! This ship's gonna go any minute, I wager! Get to the outer corridors! We're getting out of here! Gort, get us back to the ship!"
"Sure thing! Xanthalian vessel, we need extraction! The boarding team should be in range!"

"Acknowledged LRR away team. Stand by."
A few seconds pass, then the team is beamed off the ship and into the Xanthalian vessel's transporter room. They are greeted by a young Than (giant bug looking species) officer. "Hello gentlemen. Please, stay on the transporter platform. Our captain is contacting your ship now to facilitate your return."
"XSC-930234 to LRR vessel, we have extracted your away team. Please verify your readiness to recieve the away team aboard you own ship and lower your shields to 10% to allow transfer."

(OOC: now THAT is what I'm talking about... I wanted something liek this to happen, it makes it all the more fun. though, I expected ALICE to attack my AI, but thats okay, I can roll with it)

-Alert, quantum singularity power being drained, disconnect connection.
...
....
.....
-Failed, connection fused to port.
//transmit: "Unidentified Intelligence, Identify yourself."
\\end transmission
-cease memory transfer attempts, prepare active invasion protocols.

"Acknowledged LRR away team. Stand by."
A few seconds pass, then the team is beamed off the ship and into the Xanthalian vessel's transporter room. They are greeted by a young Than (giant bug looking species) officer. "Hello gentlemen. Please, stay on the transporter platform. Our captain is contacting your ship now to facilitate your return."
"XSC-930234 to LRR vessel, we have extracted your away team. Please verify your readiness to recieve the away team aboard you own ship and lower your shields to 10% to allow transfer."

"Will do, XSC-930234. Shields lowered to 10%. By the way, why are there combat ships in the vicinity? We are reading multiple energy spikes, and it seems as though they will board by force. Is there something we should not know about this ship?"

The away team members are beamed off the Xanthalian ship and back to the LRR ship. "Your guess is as good as mine. I guess that some people are taking a more aggressive approach to the investigation than we are."

The away team members are beamed off the Xanthalian ship and back to the LRR ship. "Your guess is as good as mine. I guess that some people are taking a more aggressive approach to the investigation than we are."

"Well, it is good to know we have someone to talk to. Say, is there any way to get an unmanned probe on that ship? We could probably disable the AI to a safe state, or even better.... reason with the AI from a safe distance."

(OOC: LRR, don't even try that, you don't ICly know it, but I have my AI on the derelict, and I'd have to attack you if you made any hostile moves towards the derelict to defend the AI)

To all nearby ships: "Do not initiate any hostile actions towards the derelict vessel, we have personnel aboard, and will open fire on anything or anyone attempting to harm the derelict."

"We can beam one in for you, but we can't guarantee it's success."

"We can beam one in for you, but we can't guarantee it's success."

"Better to try and fail than not try at all, I suppose. We'll have one ready in about five minutes."

"Acknowledged."

"Acknowledged."

"Ok, we've got it ready. How far can you keep in contact with it, with all the radio disturbances and various other anomalies?"

"Depends. How strong a signal does it send?"

OOC: wooh! I go awat for a week and the whole situation blows up... I figured that AI would end up doing that... stink!

IC: The captain thought to himself... so much for the light.

Yurgi: "Alright, men lets get something productive done! Inform the Sakkra and LRR ships that we will initiate no attacks against the derelict unless attacked or we believe that our personnel are in danger."

"Sir, we have updates from our assets on-site. The marines report the Kartoffelburq crew are still moving away from them and they still pursue. The entire group is moving in the direction of the ships command bridge. The MSR probe has almost reached the unidentified lifeform. We should have video feed in a few minutes."

"Power levels on the derelict have jumped greatly and sensors show an atleast 50% jump in AI activity."

Yurgi: "Continue in our current course and keep me informed. Notify me as soon as we have a visual feed on that life reading."

On the derelict. the small probe continued to travel towards the life readings now only moments away.

(OOC: Kaenei if I dont get any info. about my probe from your end I'll keep on running it until it reaches the girl and Ill go from there)

"Depends. How strong a signal does it send?"

"Approximately 50 megahertz. (OCC: Is that accceptable?) It should be able to penetrate through the first parts of the ship. Then it will go autonomous."

"We should be able to get a strong signal for about fifty meters. After that we should be able to follow it sketchily until it gets to abut fifty meters. Once it gets further it will have to collect data and get back into range again before we can get more data."

"We should be able to get a strong signal for about fifty meters. After that we should be able to follow it sketchily until it gets to abut fifty meters. Once it gets further it will have to collect data and get back into range again before we can get more data."

"That's good. We hope the AI might not detect it."

"I think you're hoping in vain, but good luck anyway. Shall we beam it over now?"

"I think you're hoping in vain, but good luck anyway. Shall we beam it over now?"

"Yes, that would be greatly appreciated."

The probe disappears and reappears on the alien vessel. "Transport complete. We'll stay in touch."

The probe disappears and reappears on the alien vessel. "Transport complete. We'll stay in touch."

El-bumparosa.

A Trasnian pirate vessel emerges from warp space and moves in close to the derelict. Fastening a docking arm onto the vessel, the ship begins drilling through the outer hull.

The probe aboard the derelict reaches a sealed ventilation port. Sensing atmosphere beyond the port the probe drops a shield projector behind it which seals the entryway to the vent shaft off from the rest of the depressurized areas of the ship. With atmpsphere now stabilized the probe begins cutting away the ventilation port. A few moments later it finishes cutting and moves into the hall way beyond...

"Sir, the probe has reached the life form. We have a visual feed now."

The main screen of the command deck switches to the camera view of the probe. the hallway is dimly lit with only a few lights still working overhead. Dirt covers nearly everything. Curled up against a wall in the hall way is a small girl... human. The probe moves silently with only the slightesr whirring noise audible by it's gravitic drives. the probe approaches the girl staying near the ceiling to avoid detection. The girl appears cold, huddled in a ball, her medical garments now little protection against the cold.

(OOC: sorry if i took too much liberty with Sonaya. We hadn't gotten an update on her condition for a while so I had to be creative.)

On the bridge of the Proteon there is silence... Finally after a long pause the Captain speaks,

"Well, now we have it, a human girl. Helpful but we need more info. Run as many bio-scans as that probe is capable of, we need to know her condition. We figure out what to do from there."

"Sir, we have some light sensopr data on the girl. not much but it's all the probe can gather. She's probably under age 15, judging from the visual. She also likely just came out of a hypersleep chamber, since she has a still slow heartbeat and is still wrapped in standard medical garments. It's also likey from the ambient temperature that shes very cold, shes not dead yet, but if the situation doesn't improve she may go into hypothermia in not too long of a time."

Yurgi: " Alright in that case we need to act. Get me the Xanthallian ship we may need to work together on this. Ask them if they can use a homing tracker to bea... SPACE LEVIATHANS!!! What was that!

The ship is rocked bodily as the Trasnian emerges from the warp.

"Sir it's a Pirate vessel! No registration! It is attempting to attach itself to the derelict. They may be trying to board it or tow it away."

Yurgi: "Oh stinkweed this is not my day! Get that message to the Xanthallians we may need their help more than ever now. Tell that pirate ship that unless it wants an all out fight on it's hands it WILL desist and move away from the derelict.

Xanthal: Transmission to XSC Captain Kraken this is Captain Yurgi of the FSS Proteon, the tactical situation you warned us about may have just arrived! However, we are in need of your help, our probe has discovered a human girl onboard the derelict. (send sensor data along with transmission) We believe the girl may be in imminent danger from the envronment on the ship, and at the very least from the pirate vessel currently assaulting the derelict. Our probe can tag the girl with a homing tracker that should be able to provide you with enough transporter lock to get her aboard your vessel. If we tag her can you beam her to your ship?

Trasnian: Transmission Pirate vessel. You are in violation of international law by your attempt to assault this ship. You will disengage now and move away from the vessel or we will be forced to disengage you by force. You have 2 minutes to comply.

Falasmayon: The Xanthalian captain can be heard muttering. "Son of a bitch, why the Trasnians? Why now? We are a Eureka class ship, we're in way over our heads here..." The captain speaks up to talk to Captain Yurgi. "Probably. Tag away and we'll see. As for the pirate ship... It's the Trasnians. Don't touch them or you'll make this a very bad day for interstellar peace. Bluff if you have to, but I'm begging you; don't destroy them!"

Falasmayon: "You would be most unwise to attack us... We have the entire Xanthalian Armada at our backs. I'm sure that they would be most unhappy if you attacked a ship from one of their protectorates. Play your exploratory games, we are interested only in the technology within this ship. We'll loot a few choice tidbits and be on our way. It's not your ship, so I wouldn't worry."

The Trasnian ship's powerful drill finishes cutting through the hull of the Kaenian ship. A half dozen pirates with oxygen masks enter through the opening and begin taking everything within reach. Computer consoles, data relays, even power conduits. They work quickly, and the area of the vessel around their insertion point is rapidly stripped bare.

Falasmayon: "You would be most unwise to attack us... We have the entire Xanthalian Armada at our backs. I'm sure that they would be most unhappy if you attacked a ship from one of their protectorates. Play your exploratory games, we are interested only in the technology within this ship. We'll loot a few choice tidbits and be on our way. It's not your ship, so I wouldn't worry."

The Trasnian ship's powerful drill finishes cutting through the hull of the Kaenian ship. A half dozen pirates with oxygen masks enter through the opening and begin taking everything within reach. Computer consoles, data relays, even power conduits. They work quickly, and the area of the vessel around their insertion point is rapidly stripped bare.

The Alexander Von Humboldt moves a good distance away from the pirate vessels, and observes the takeover with its advanced sensors.

The Trasnians finish looting what they want and return to their ship, which breaks away and disappears back into warp.

The Trasnians finish looting what they want and return to their ship, which breaks away and disappears back into warp.

OCC: Well, that was anticlimatic.

IC:

"The pirates have gone. That's wierd. Hmmm........"
"How far has the probe proceeded?"
"Pretty far. Its picking up signs of life. Humanoid, we believe."
"We should communicate these findings. All ships in range, our probe has located signs of organic life, which we believe to be humanoid in origin. Can you confirm or deny these results?"

OOC: I play Trasnia as a true pirate nation. They don't stick around once they have what they want.

IC: "It seems likely that you are correct. We have been informed that there is a humanoid aboard and have been instructed to assist her off the ship."

OOC: I play Trasnia as a true pirate nation. They don't stick around once they have what they want.

IC: "It seems likely that you are correct. We have been informed that there is a humanoid aboard and have been instructed to assist her off the ship."


"It appears as though that is what the AI is trying to prevent. Our AI says that the AI aboard the ship might be brought to reason if it were allowed to talk with the AI in question. Do you have any objections?"

"It didn't listen to our AI... I guess you could try, but be sure to have firewalls up. Who knows what that alien AI can do to ours?"

OOC: Off the record WTF!! I'm just gonna leave that whole pirate ship thing alone... :? . Yeeesh!

IC: As the pirate ship leaves...

Yurgi: "Well, that was decidedly unusual... we'll let intel. work that one out. Alright men we have our go ahead from the Xanthalians shoot the tag, but remember the LRR warning. Let's pull our teams off the ship. The Kartoffelburq are on their own."

On board the derelict, the Marine Guard team extracts to the shuttle and returns to the ship. when the marines are safely away. The probe moves slowly down closer to Sonaya. A small puff of compressed gas leaps from the center of the probe and a thimble size tag attaches to the girl.

(IC: Sonaya will probably wake up when she gets tagged. I'm also curious where Kaenei went to fall off the face of the Earth?)

OOC: I don't know, but I think all control over the RP has been wrested from Kaenei at this point anyhow.

IC: "Commencing beam out... We have the girl. She has several minor injuries and is suffering from oxygen, food, and water deprivation; not to mention the fact that she's very weak and tired. It looks like the effects inherant in someone who has been in suspended animation for an extremely extended period of time. We're putting her in our sickbay for care. If you would like to send someone over to observe her you are welcome."

Captain Dornenburg dives around a corner, narrowly avoiding a hail of laser blasts that follow him.

"Frell" he curses under his breath "Stupid frelling moron!"

Shortly after entering the derelict vessel, Dornenburg and his crew noticed they were being followed. Against his better decision, the Captain had decided to meet their pursuers and see if they could help him and his crew. However, as soon as they came in to view Dornenburg's worst fears were realized when he saw that they were being followed by a group of marines. This is where things went from bad to worse. The trigger-happy Cadet Jones had, without any orders, opened fire upon the marines. Now he was dead, his crew was scattered (Dornenburg could only assume they were dead or captured), and he was fighting a running battle in an alien ship against professional soldiers.

Captain Dornenburg was shaken from his reverie as a concussive stun grenade rolled, or rather floated, around the corner.

"Holy sh-" He started to say, but was cut off as the grenade detonated, throwing him bodily down the hallway to smash into an airlock at the other end. Stars, more magnificent than anything he had ever seen in his long career as a spacer, danced before his vision.

Then...silence. The only thing that could be heard was the pulsing of the engines, which had turned on some time ago. Dornenburg floated halfway between the floor and the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity, although it was actually closer to ten minutes. Finally, he decided to go see what happened to his pursuers. Edging his way slowly along the wall, Captain Dornenburg slowly peered around the corner.

They were gone. Then all the breath rushed from his body, and his head felt like it exploded. Looking down, Dornenburg realized why; the gravity had come back on, and he had gracelessly crashed to the ground. The lights were back on too, although many of the bulbs were either broken or long since burnt out. Once the initial shock of the ships gravity coming back was gone, Dornenburg remembered that his pursuers were also gone. Why? Their departure and the ships revitalization seemed to obviously be more than coincidence, leading to the question "what now?"

Staggering to his feet, Dornenburg turned toward the airlock door behind him, which he had collided with earlier. Having passed nothing of interest while being hunted by the marines, he decided that forward was the best way to go. He tried the door.

Locked.

"Figures" Grumbled Dornenburg. Turning around, he started to wander aimlessly back down the hallway. He had only gone a few steps when he heard the bolts on the door audibly click. As he whipped around, the door opened and a small swarm of maintenance robots came pouring out. Programmed to avoid running into humans, the shear number of them made it impossible for them to do this, and Dornenburg was nearly knocked from his feet as the football sized machines hurried past him. Quickly, Dornenburg hopped in the door just as the last robot was coming out. The door closed and locked behind him.

What Dornenburg should have seen next was the ships bridge. He should have seen empty seats, with active consoles in front of them. He should have seen that the consoles were running through their programs completely without a human crew. He should have noticed that the helm was active but there was nobody there to steer. He should have seen that the bridge looked like it was being manned by a ghost crew. However, he could not tear his eyes way from the main view port. It showed the security camera's from all over the ship, and in the top right portal was the remains of his crew, strapped to the ships operating table and torn to bloody pieces. The ships auto-surgical units were performing every operation they knew, back-to-back, on bodies that were long since dead.

Dornenburg pulled out his pistol, and put it to his head.

OOC: Uhhh... Kartoffelburq is that what you really intended to have happen? I wasn't really aiming for that but whatever, your crew... this RP is getting confusing.

IC: "Captain the marines report engagement with the Kartoffelburq just before their return from the derelict. they were forced to defend themselves after being attacked by one of the crew members. When they recieve orders they disengaged 1 marine is wounded... unknown causalties on the Kartffelburq."

Yurgi: " Shiz!... I wanted to avoid conflict not get one! It cant be helped now. Tell the Marine Lieutenant he has done an excellent job under the circumstances and he has my full support."

Yurgi thought for a moment. The girl was safe and would be lightly questioned as soon as she was ready, his bridge commander was on the way to the XSC to help with the questioning. In the mean time with the threat from the pirates gone and the AI aboard the derelict apparently ignoring everything matbe it was time for some answers.

"Lieutenant, send that probe aboard the derelict on a gneral search mission. Look for identifying markings, anything, even and insignia on a glass would be helpful in discovering this ship's origin."

OOC: I hope Kaenei comes back it'll be hard to do this without him.

OOC: Uhhh... Kartoffelburq is that what you really intended to have happen? I wasn't really aiming for that but whatever, your crew... this RP is getting confusing.

IC: "Captain the marines report engagement with the Kartoffelburq just before their return from the derelict. they were forced to defend themselves after being attacked by one of the crew members. When they recieve orders they disengaged 1 marine is wounded... unknown causalties on the Kartffelburq."

Yurgi: " Shiz!... I wanted to avoid conflict not get one! It cant be helped now. Tell the Marine Lieutenant he has done an excellent job under the circumstances and he has my full support."

Yurgi thought for a moment. The girl was safe and would be lightly questioned as soon as she was ready, his bridge commander was on the way to the XSC to help with the questioning. In the mean time with the threat from the pirates gone and the AI aboard the derelict apparently ignoring everything matbe it was time for some answers.

"Lieutenant, send that probe aboard the derelict on a gneral search mission. Look for identifying markings, anything, even and insignia on a glass would be helpful in discovering this ship's origin."

OOC: I hope Kaenei comes back it'll be hard to do this without him.

(To Xanthal) "It's good to know you have the humanoid out, but we, with the help of Immanuel Kant, our AI, have postulated a new theory concerning the AI. We think that the humanoid female may have in some way interacted with the AI, and that the AI will now be extremely dangerous with her gone, even more so than before. We think it might be best to pull out any manned missions on the derelict and resort to probes."

"To all ships; we are leaving the area. Falasmayon vessel, if you wish to follow us and send your representative you may do so."

XSC-930234 breaks off from it's course following the Kaenian ship and heads back the way it came at .05 SL.

Xanthal: "Nevermind Captain Kraken we have full confidence in your ability to care for the girl and see to her future in a fair manner. We will finish up our affairs here and then return to our original mission. Thank you for your assistance."

The LRR ship is the last to leave.

"Ah, well. I guess that wraps that up. Time to move on."

The Xanthalian science ship finishes it's mission within hours and turns toward the Aellis system for the long, two month journey home. In the ship's small, AI-run medical bay, Sonaya awakes to the smiling face of the ship's captian, who pats her head reassuringly. He speaks to the girl, though he knows she probably can not and will not understand for a long time to come. "It's okay... We're going home."

OOC: And so ends my role in this RP. Good work all, it was a pleasure.

The Xanthalian science ship finishes it's mission within hours and turns toward the Aellis system for the long, two month journey home. In the ship's small, AI-run medical bay, Sonaya awakes to the smiling face of the ship's captian, who pats her head reassuringly. He speaks to the girl, though he knows she probably can not and will not understand for a long time to come. "It's okay... We're going home."

OOC: And so ends my role in this RP. Good work all, it was a pleasure.

OCC: Aye.

OOC: By the way LRR, you surprised me with your excellent RP competence and your unique style. I would love to repeat the experience. Telegram me if you are interested and we can set up an RP together.

OOC: By the way LRR, you surprised me with your excellent RP competence and your unique style. I would love to repeat the experience. Telegram me if you are interested and we can set up an RP together.

OCC: Ok. Hows about one where a star goes supernova and everybody dies? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just Kidding. He he.....er........ya.......

[OOC: I've been unable to access a computer due for a some time due to an accident. So even though this has totally descended into anarchy, Im going to add this- The ship is not looted, such ridiclous acts are totally ignored. Even if I was not here it is foolish to assume no security systems or other linked events would occur to prevent theft, so the ship is as it was.

If anyone cares to continue on, I am willing to accept the removal of the human girl. Again apologies, but I was simply unable to continue.]

Trasnians are crafty.... They would have been able to get in, loot a small section of the ship, and run. Oh well, they have plenty of loot anyway. I'm done with this RP.