Captains Log #3 - Stardates 49-100

Shift 285, Captain/Dick

Captain and Dick are discussing about the future of this mission.

Captains personal note: For security reasons I have limited access to Stardata database to Regina sector for the rest of the crew. It seems possible that some of the crew members are trying to avoid returning to Arrasag.

Jose performs a thorough engine check and, discovers signs of wearing out in the maneuver drive engines. Begins repairs.

We spend 8 shifts in the empty space for maintenance. Examine if possible to connect old and new computers and/or old and new sensors; seems possible, but quite difficult.

Shift 293 Engage jump to 2204, Beck's World, orbit 2.

Captain fabricates a cable and connects the new computer and the new sensors. Captain studies chemistry; Urrgae, imperial juridics; Dick, navigation.

Shift 336 Smooth, but rather delayed exit from the jump.

Routine medical check reveals unknown viruses in Dick's body; no sign in others. Dick immediately starts taking antibiotics, and starts more complete medical check.

Dick starts writing scripts to convert the new sensor data and visualize it on the new computer. This will take a while.

Shift 340 Land on the second innermost moon of a gas planet. Jose leaves for refueling. Dick continues script writing. Captain leaves for a walk on the moon.

15 minutes after he left, Jose observes an unknown spaceship, and notifies the main ship about this. He is commanded to continue the journey. Captain returns to the main ship.

Main ship starts, flies near the inner moon, settles on orbit, and sees the unknown spaceship, which has landed on the moon. It is a 20 ton shuttle, named "Beck's Pride".

Captain takes the speeder and drives to meet the shuttle. No activity seen. Captain sends a greeting message with the radio. No answer.

Captain informs Dick, and stays in vicinity of the abandoned-looking shuttle. Takes pictures, sends these and other data to Dick, who looks it up. The shuttle is a modified launch.

No activity during 4 hours; Captain returns to the main ships and goes to sleep.

Shift 342 The cultures show up the same unknown virus in everyone (not just Dick). Dick also prepares cultures from the animals.

Shift 348 Jose returns and goes to sleep.

Shift 351 Jose wakes up. Dick's culture results show that the animals on the ship (with the exception of fishes) have the same virus that we're bearing. That sounds a bit scary. Captain and Dick drive back to Beck's Pride, which is still immobile. Captain succeeds in opening the locked door, and enters. A colorful sleeping gas fills the interior, then is sucked away again. Captain tries to escape, again opens the locked door; air suddenly enters the vacuum, Captain is blown against the wall.

While Captain continues investigations inside the shuttle, Dick sees four armed people approaching slowly about 2 km away. Captain quickly gets out, both jump to the speeder. Captain greets them on the radio, they respond with laser fire (but miss). They are now about 500 m away.

Captain flies the speeder behind the shuttle, and continues radio communications with the attackers. They accuse us for breaking in their shuttle. They claim to be Imperial Scouts.

Urrgae (through a radio link) starts negotiations, tells that we are from Algine and are not used to local customs. They reluctantly suggest that the matter be resolved at the local Scout base, which we agree on.

We are safely escorted to the Beck's World. A third ship (an armed Scout ship) joins the journey at halfway.

Our main ship is left in orbit, in Jose's command. The others take the speeder and land on Beck's World, in a very small city's airport. Only two other spaceships seen there.

We walk to the Scout office, where we discuss the alleged break-in incident. The talk proceeds rather peacefully. The Scout Colonel gives good advice on imperial manners. We also inform him that Zhodani have attacked Heya, which is bad news to him. We are given permit to proceed to Regina.

Captain buys some meat and some wine, and one month's worth of life support supplies (thus we now have life support for two months).

Shift 364 Engage jump to empty sector 2105. ETA: shift 397.

During the jump, Dick's sensor system scripts are completed, and they seem to work fine. The new computer's screen shows among other things a complete image of the ship's hull.

Shift 378 The gray matter outside wobbles extremely vigorously, and hits the ship, tearing away the radar antenna and shaking the ship. The violent wobbling lasts for 11 hours. From this on, everybody keeps vacc suits on all the time.

Shift 413 A very delayed and violent exit from jump space. Dick is hurt bad, goes unconscious. Jose brings him to the medic bay, investigates the damages, and bandages him. Dick commands himself to complete rest for 7 days.

Captain mounts a spare radar antenna.

Engage jump to Feri (2005).

Captain commands a physical condition test. Both Captain and Urrgae show seriously lowered condition. Captain commands increased physical training.

Shift 456 Smooth exit from jump. Dick is almost healthy again.

Sensors indicate hundreds of spaceships from 10 to 100 000 tons; and an abundance of energy shots; plus, we can visually see a battle going on.

Both Imperial and Zhodani battleships seen in the battle, and three Vargr cruisers farther away not engaged in the battle. Our ship is in the middle of the battle.

Captain communicates to the Vargrs, greeting them, and asks if they can provide fuel, which we desperately need. They offer one jump's worth of fuel for 50 000 cr, and Captain agrees.

The Vargr battle cruisers are: one 30 000 ton, two 10 000 tons, heavily armed, regular crew size about 1200 in total (according to our encyclopedic database).

We fly nearer them. Jose flies the ship's boat into one of the small cruisers for refueling. Refueling goes ok, Jose pays, and is permitted to leave.

Very much pleasure to deal with you.

Shift 457 Engage jump to empty sector 1906. Physical condition test indicates that everybody is in excellent condition.

Shift 500 Exit from jump. Engage jump to Whanga (1805).

Shift 501 Everybody takes an exam on their study subject. Everybody passes, others with good results, Urrgae with worse results.

From now on, Captain will study military tactics; Dick, electronics. Urrgae continues to study the old subject.

Shift 541 Exit from jump in Whanga. Fly to a moon of the gas giant.

Shift 547 For practice, Captain takes the ship's boat and fills the fuel tanks full.

Shift 557-558 Turret weapon shooting practice. Captain sets an old radio as a target on the edge of a volcanic crater.

From 5000 km: Dick: misses.

From 1000 km: Dick: hits very near, the radio falls to the crater. (Captain brings another radio for new target.) Jose: misses (over the crater). Captain: misses.

Shift 559

Captain/Jose

Next target Knorbes [1807]. Knorbes is a place where you can go hunting, yippee! Nice entrance to hyperspace. After nice smooth ride of 38,5 turns we'll have a nice exit to Knorbes solar system.

Training we started on last jump continues...

Smooth exit after 38,5 turns (turn 597,5) Dick/Urrgae.

We're exactly where supposed to be, very low close to the main planet. The main planet is at TL 2 (circa 1600 AC). No starport, so after couple of hours of thruster flight we'll be in circular orbit around the main planet. The actual landing will happen in using landing vehicle (in our case, the speeder). The landing area is just big open concrete area. Docking fee is 250cr for first day, 1000cr for days after that.

We seem to have two other ships landed, a small imperial ship and very luxurious 400 ton yacht.

Only edged weapons and shotguns with non-lead pellets are allowed. Captain smiles when he informs This is Captain Dhazharrou, we have only shotguns with steel pellets, so no problemos.

Airport control suggest using Hotel Knorbes if want the modern comforts, otherwisely we could use the local accommodities.

Jose stays in the ship, while Captain, Urrgae and Dick descends. We want guided hunting tour. The Tree Krakens we're hunting is about size of a house and it's MEAN looking motherfucker. Still our brave hunters decide to go for it.

Guide:"Tree Krakens always continue to attack until they are dead, so the only option is to kill them before you'll be killed."

The fee is 5000cr/person for first day and 10000cr for subsequent days. We'll take one day hunting trip which will start tomorrow morning when sun rises. Today we'll be touring around the city, shopping.

The restaurants were nice, but very heavy. This is a heaven for culinaristic meat eater like me. Dick complains about the quality of vegeterian foods. The living conditions were quite archaic at the local 'hotel'. The locals are laughing at us, we're different looking and bad hunters. The locals are trying hard to pick a fight and eventually they manage to do it.

Captain:"My mother could have killed you in an eye blink as you're so fatso."

The fatso makes a futile attempt to hit, but fails miserably. I return the attempt, but somehow he fails to take the hit, so I miss.

His second blow I block valiantly, but his fat mass makes the blow quite heavy and it hits my chest. Now I get just a little angry, and tear good wounds to his face, chest and sides. He cowardly collapses on the floor, bleeding and unconscious.

Dick quickly diagnoses and bandages him, mumbling something strange about his life being in danger. He insists on taking the guy to our ship for operation. Meanwhile, the bartender points at me with his shotgun, so I point back with mine.

20 min later, Marines come and take me to their base. Urrgae follows us trying to explain the things to the stupid Marines, who simply do not understand.

Meanwhile: Dick stays with the bleeding guy, sees that he is still in immediate danger of death, contacts the Marine base with his hand radio, and asks them to come take him for operation.

The Marines send a car to fetch the patient. He is taken to the base, where the doctor and Dick operate him; after this, his state seems stable enough.

Captain has been thrown in jail. Dick is allowed to go meet him shortly. Dick and Urrgae return to the Smoked Kraken Inn for the night.

In the morning:

Dick and Urrgae walk to the base. Urrgae talks to the Colonel, who allows Captain to walk out for 100 000 credit's bail (but he is not allowed to leave the planet).

Captain, Urrgae and Dick leave for the hunt trip only one hour late.

Jose sends a radio message that while he was asleep, an Imperial battle cruiser was parked beside our ship.