NationStates Jolt Archive

Murder and Mayhem on the Stellar Cross [closed story]

Opening Index and Data post

Initially commissioned by Caravel Starlines (now defunct) on 2293 with hull D230 was laid down in the Batek ZMI commercial orbital shipyards in may of that year. Almost structurally complete with her major engineering systems already installed Hull D230 stood partially incomplete for four years as Caravel Starlines fortunes suffered. After the final collapse and entry into receivership of Caravel Starlines in 2297 hull D230 was purchased by the Treviane Consortium (a ZMI interest) and placed by them under the auspices of their wholly owned subsidiary Nova Starlines Inc. Construction was completed and outfitting began in 2301.

Launched in 2303 the stellar cross has so far completed 17 cruise circuits with one minor event on her fourth cruise of a separatist missile attack with minor damage to her grand docking port and 23 casualties while she was docked to the Wanderer class Tourism station “Blue River” over colony world “CT –388” known as Carpenters world for its unique wild life who “carve” the trees there. Still on the Stellar Cross itinerary Carpenters world has been pacified. After this incident the grand docking port was reinforced to match the rest of the hull in capacity and the Stellar Cross’s universal light 30 megawatt anti meteorite defence lasers were improved in traversing capacity.

Presently about to undergo her 18th cruise the Stellar Cross’s design has proved highly effective in its role with five more D class hulls presently on order by Nova Starlines with her sister ship the “Star Twist” being launched in 2305.

The date is January the 3rd 2305. The Stellar Cross departs in 4 hours for her 18th cruise from ZMI Megacity Three’s upper cruise liner docking facility.

Plans and details of the Stellar Cross
http://img150.exs.cx/img150/5110/stellarcrossstarlinerbydocevil.png

Length 2.3 Kilometres
Width 1.1 Kilometres
Effective mass : 1,723,000 metric tons
Power Source:
20 GDX Terrawatt rated fusion reactors.
Drive Systems:
Plasma Torch Drive (Planetary Space)
Photon Lance Drive (Interplanetary STL Cruising)
Transit Jump Drive (Interstellar FTL Cruising)

Maximum Real Space Structural Acceleration: 48G
Maximum Relative Real Space Compensation 33G
Maximum Transit Drive Speed: 230 Light Years per Week
(0.73 LY Per Hour)

Compliment:
Crew: 3,140
Passengers: 10,320
Maximum supportable Compliment 54,000

Amenities:
14 swimming pools, 23 tennis courts, 7 night-clubs, 123 shops, 23 restaurants, 48 bars, 2 casinos, 8 theatres, 26 cinema screens, 4 ice rinks, one park.

Planned Itinerary
Depart Megacity Three and Earth January 3rd.
Arrive Martian Orbit January the 4th
Depart Martian Orbit January the 5th
Arrive Jupiter Orbital space January 6th
-Tour of Moons-
Depart Jupiter Orbital Space January 9th
Saturn fly by January 10th
January 11th to January 14th Transit drive to Ithellin Binary Star System
Arive Ithellin VI Ocean resort world January 15th
Depart Ithellin VI January 18th
Ithellin Secondary Fly By
Depart Ithellin system January 19th
January 19th to January 23rd Transit Drive to Markon System
Arrival January 23rd Carpenters World Markon system
Departure Carpenters World January 26th
January 27th to January 29th Transit drive to Crabs head Nebula Stellar nursery
January 30th Fly By of Stellar nursery.
January 30th to February 2nd Transit Drive to Radian system
February 3rd Arrival Radian IV “The stars own cathedral” Abandoned Xeno origin temple covered arid world.
February 5th Departure Radian IV
February 6th Fly by Radian II to witness aurora effect.
February 7th to February 12th Transit Drive to Sol.
February 14th Arrival Jovian Orbital space
February 15th Departure Jovian Orbital space
February 16th Arrive Martian Orbital space
February 17th Departure Martian Orbital space
February 18th Arrive Earth Orbital Space and dock with Megacity Three





Characters

Nova Starlines staff (more will be added as progresses)

C.E.O. Max Preston
Public Relations : Simone Carlson
Max Preston’s Secretary Miss Carla O’Bannon

Crew of the Stellar Cross (more will be added as progresses)

Captain: Sergei Andropov
First Officer: Jane Summerfield
Ships Navigator: Carl Wilson
Engineering and Maintenance Chief: Thomas Wheeler
Life Support Officer : Janet O’Flagherty
Chief Medical Officer : Liu Xiaoyan
Engineering Officer 3rd class James Dalton
Pilot 2nd class Jonathan Von Dyke
Chef of the Romano Restaurant Philip Waterlands
Head of ships Security: Pierre Cardin
Security Officer 1st class Charles Simmons
Security Officer 2nd class Hope Bradley

Staff of the Cyan Singularity Night Club (more will be added as progresses)
Operator: Vincent Waters
Head of Security: David “DD” Dixon
DJ: Charley Stevens
DJ: Philip “The Ring” Archer
Dancer: Carla Jones

Passengers (more will be added as progresses)

Professor James Summerfield (Father of Jane Summerfield)
Major Philip Saunders ZMAF (retired) (Revenia)
Carla Pearson (medical student)
Frank Sutherland (Mining and extraction engineer)
Patricia Sutherland (School Teacher and James Sutherland’s wife)
Peter Konrad (Wealthy "business" man/Crime Lord) (Freethinker)
Travis Darquin (Body gaurd, general hench person in the employ of Peter Konrad)(Freethinker)
Augustus Tyras (Body gaurd, general hench person in the employ of Peter Konrad ) (Freethinker)
Jonathan Crag (Colonial Sepratist posing as holidaying retiree)
Paul Carlson (Ex Colonial Sepratist now Dentist aboard Stellar Cross)
Countessa Anna Calm Waters Jackson the fourth. (Recovering from her 8th devorce) (The Island Of Rose)
Pitor Bers (Religous fanatic)
Stephen Cooper (Sneak theif) (DPUO)
Harvey Samson (Mob hit man in the vicarious employ of Professor Summerfield without his knowledge, his target is Peter Konrad,)

Earth Orbital Space
Luna fills the view, the black glittering spider like forms of cities encroaching its no longer pristine pocked surface, now scarred by mining and cut by the glittering transport lines of a dozen nations and thousands of corporations. Its needle sharp mountain peaks now sharing its horizon with the skeletal mass of cargo drivers, the spindle like wave guides of power transfer ground stations and the lurking dark forms of defence installations. We zoom away from that, to the other side of earth orbit.

The vast glittering hunk of synthetics, metal and gas sat surrounded by swathes of smaller constructs. Megacity three a monstrous glittering mechanichal mess on the black diamond strewn blanket of space. Streams of smaller vessels were constantly moving throughout the mass and all of this falling under the direction of one small group of people and AI.s. Central city traffic controls eyes and senses were everywhere watching all of the hustle and bustle. Huge gaudy free floating holographic bill boards surrounded the area flashing products from home fire suppression systems to instant roast turkey in a can.

Somewhere in this vast clogged commercially exploited lump of emptiness lay in the teeming millions several people intent on murders. Most were no more than domestic scuffles but rarely was the act that of a professional. One such individual, though barely nothing more than an enforcer was now doing his job. Her limbs embedded in the eerily flickering Siphon suit one Natalie Winchester was doing her rather well paid job and taking great care to not come into contact with the law enforcers the CCTC would undoubtedly send for her little unregistered EVA. The dock workers and engineers had left hours ago now her target was free of prying human eyes that could feel the eerie distorted effect of the Siphon suit she wores “wrongness”. Her skin crawling from its touch she had kicked off over an hour ago from a disused warehousing platform towards her target.

The ships hull that was her destination stretched in front of her in a metallic cliff face, shoals of drones checking its surface all unaware of her approach. Her package lay strapped to her back its form heavily swathed in Siphon material. Her HUD flashed once more and Natalie prepared to undertake the most dangerous part of this little excursion. The suit shuddered as soft dispersion thrust units fired through a network of pin prick sized venturi set through out its fabric, the gas was refrigerated to universal background and checking its dispersal constantly in a concentration that should be put down to no more than a poorly pumped out service air lock venting if the gas cloud was captured by the cities ever watchful eyes. Nattily shivered as she thought of that little detail and what would happen if the city minds decided to investigate, swivelling her head to take in the view engulfing mass of the Megacity, its glittering lights to her view seeming to stretch into almost infinity above and below her. Her helmet DNI beeped angrily and she got back to business. Controlling her aproach ever so carefully she came to a halt half a metre above the deck plates, above her the huge mass of the transit drive antennae threatened to draw the eye upwards but her task came first.

Carefully she unwrapped the package from its Siphon material and as gently as she could set it against the bulky mass of a heat sink which would be separated from the ships hull and according to its plans now overlaying her view on her HUD contained no tremor detector. The package sat for a moment then under her careful digital coercions unfolded, its long heavily shielded barrel swivelling for a moment before it came to a halt, glittering lenses flicking open for an instant before sliding behind heavy ablative panels. Checking it was firmly attached to the heat sink she slid the wireless link to the locked position. Now the device was completely under the control of one single hand unit in her possession. The client had asked to test the unit before handing it over as apparently he lacked a DNI. Nattalie hadn't asked questions.

Natalie sighed and aiming with her DNI to helmet link for a moment she ever so gently kicked of from the heat sink, the return trip to a second cargo platform where her shuttle waited projected to take hours. She would never make it, 20 minutes after she left the heat sink her life would end in a tearing flash, her last thoughts filled with moveing hands and the single image of the control unit. Her body shrouded in the shredded remains of the Siphon suit would drift in the cold surrounded by the glittering signs to be found four years later a 15 inch long frozen mercury shard buried in what had been her spine. She had as usual done her job to perfection.



Dedicated Liner Berth 4 Megacity Three


Captain Sergei Andropov strode down the stairs to the dull glass walled crew lounge held above the chaos of the main boarding concourse that led to the grand docking ports now huge open metal engraved art deco maw a veritable legion of greeters in what for all the world looked like Hawaiian gear meets Barberella doing their best to give the entire thing a rather surreal look. Directly Below drones carrying suit cases and travel chests moved in their hundreds above a sea of passengers dressed in every hue imaginable, most clashing with the eye some surrounded by miniature constellations of holo glyphs and smart screens which from the lounge looked like nothing more than immaterial multi coloured static. Snorting as he saw a gangly young engineering cadet tearfully saying goodbye to his newly wed wife Sergei at last began to feel comfortable again this near the ships glowing encoded wireless DNI interface network, the system link lag time pleasantly low. The young man turned and Sergei groaned inwardly as he realised he had attended his wedding not more than a week ago and still could not remember the young swots name. In the back of his skull his DNI flicked to active and reached out to touch the form of the nearest link.

Carla what the blazes is his name again? Jamie? Jack?
James, Sergei its James Dalton, I told you that you should have gone for those mem augments. The A.I.s soft female voice gently echoing through his skull Sergei put on what could have only be called a rictus of a smile as the young man approached, his distinctive dress yellow uniform with black engineering bars slashing across it making him appear as a wasp if one red around the eyes.
Carla while I may be old I’m not that old yet Sergei snapped over the DNI and shook the lads offered hand.
Sergeis strong accent cut across the voices filling the room more than a few heads turning at its familiar cadence.
“Congratulations again James good to see you aboard the old lass”.
Dalton stuttered for a moment then still shaking Sergeis hand finally spoke
“Thank you sir we were both honoured that you came”
“Marvellous fruit at the reception I must say Mr.Dalton I do hope you don’t find the strain of separation too much” Sergei stood for another few seconds before braking the awkward silence that seemingly engulfed them.
“Very well Mr.Dalton Cary on” Sergei said before shaking himself and striding over to his first officer who was ensconced in a tacky red synth foam booth a table in front of her showing the remains of a meal and seemingly overflowing with flimsies. Her open grin was already causing Sergei no small measure of disquiet.

Jane Summerfield, a tall brunette her white command uniform stuck to her bodies lithe lines like the day she had graduated. Sergei had served on several of the ZMSF buckets he had been assigned to with her. They had a somewhat ..complicated history. “Enjoying reminiscing of your own wedding with the lad sir?” Jane’s voice was perfectly serious the laughter lines on her face however were already creasing. “Jane just tell me the worst of it” “Well sir we have 83 persons who consider themselves noble this time, and three people who are classed “royal” I’m afraid Mr. Prestons add campaigns have been quite successful with the ah ..upper classes. Sergei sat down with a thud at that. “We have 234 individuals who’s religious persuasions may conflict with ship board rules and ah yes we have 173 individuals who come up on the INT-SEC check list for petty crime and 3 on the extreme watch list for prior terrorism but INT-SEC cleared them”. Sergei groaned as she continued “3 of the transit drive crew are reported to be hospitalised after an air car accident in the Urals sir” this time Sergei snapped, “God damn adrenaline junkies who was it?” Scallions crew sir” Sergeis low tone “damnit if this continues the Twist will take our ribbon” then a frown crossing his face he waved Jane to continue. “Number eight reactors reconditioning checks out but the yard says we should still burn light on her oh and the main cargo rail in bay 14 is broken again, the yardies say we should have no problem fixing it ourselves, the second plasma…”

Countessa Anna Calm Waters Jackson IV was a very disturbed person. A very very very very very very disturbed woman. She wasn't calm and she wasn't going on a regular cruise either. No, she was going into space! Space... it's... spacious. And if you run out of space in Space, well then it's not space eh? She decided to go on this cruise to get rid of her stresses.

But what caused these stresses?

She's an eight time divorcee who has seventeen restraining orders against her, two from her former husbands. She's also mildly... very... okay she's eccentric. I'm not gonna lie. Okay, she's legally insane, but this makes the story more interesting. After divorcing from her husband because of "emotional distress" she's decided to take a break. A very long break. Now, let's go on.

Bah! Rude little subhumans. At least I will be in first class. She thought. Why oh why did he leave me?! I was good to him! So what if I constantly demanded attention! I am perfect, I demand it! Bah. I cannot wait until I am those who are as pefect as me.

She bumped into one of the passengers. "Watch where you're going you wench!" She shouted. "How dare they let in these subhumans... stupid husband..."

She looked at the suitcase she was carrying. I hopedI packed. My clothes, my toothbrush, the picture of my former husband... Then she shouted. "Who left me for a wench! I will kill him!"

The passengers looked at her. She smiled. "I mean... oh my feet are killing me! Yes yes yes..."

Woman, it's called letting go. Obviously you have a hard problem doing that.

She sighed. Bah...