Episode 13

[Bynw]

[20:01]* Cross finishes examining Ken "You'll live"
[20:01]<+Ken> "Thanks"
[20:01]* Ken looks slightly confused
[20:02]<+Ken> ::Gathers up his everpresent datapad and toolbelt:: "Later Doc"
[20:03]* Ken heads for engineering station and continues his analysis of the data from the last mission.
[20:03]<%Cross> "Thank you, Ken. Just a routine examination... before we go where no man is supposed to go" *looks pointedly at Captain Raith
[20:04]<+Raith> ::Smiles::
[20:05]* Cross moves on to examine Dyunt
[20:06]<+Ken> ::over comms:: "Cap, did we get the Klad database yet?"
[20:09]<+Raith> ::Switches over to the in-ship comm:: "Not until the official meet Ken, you'll have to wait until then."
[20:10]<+Ken> ::over comms:: "Frak"
[20:11]<+Raith> "Doc, make sure you work with the Waterloo engineering crew while they get the med-bay installed. We have an open check here so I want the best you can fit into the space down there."
[20:12]* Ken leaves engineering and heads for the bridge
[20:14]* Cross heads out to the hanger "Will do, Captain Raith" *looks at Dyuth "You are very healthy indeed, Dyunt"
[20:15]<+Ken> ::entering:: "Best way to get to know this ship is to help with the refit."
[20:16]<Bynw> *all of the medical data obtained by the Lady Luck at its impromptu meeting with the Klade is available to Cross and its being looked at by the full medical staff of the Waterloo*
[20:18]<Bynw> *the engineering crew of the Waterloo works around the clock on the Lady Luck to reconfigure part of the cargo area into a small medical bay. compleating the job within 4 days of the meeting*
[20:18]* Ken assists and observes the whole refit.
[20:19]* Raith restocks the Lady luck for a full crew and oversees the work done to her
[20:20]<+Ken> "Cap, you think you can get me a force sword and a better sidearm?"
[20:21]* Cross has quit (Ping timeout: 121 seconds)
[20:21]<+Raith> "Force sword? You mean one of those weird laser hand to hand weapons? Always seemed to me a knife would work better in the close quarters of space, but..."
[20:22]<+Ken> "I have my knife from Basic but I was learning how to duel before joining the ADF"
[20:24]* Cross (~fudgebob@ircop.otherworlders.org) has joined #Teara-Adan
[20:24]* Bynw gives voice to Cross
[20:24]* Ken looks down "Something my Dad wanted me to learn"
[20:24]<+Raith> "I'll put in an order and have it aboard before we launch. What kind of side arm are you familiar with?" ::Pulls his own, a top of the line cutting edge energy pistol, military grade. He turns it on it's side and shows it off to Ken::
[20:25]<Bynw> *as the refit was underway ... just about anything asked for was given by the ISD to the crew of the Lady Luck*
[20:25]<+Raith> ::Looks a bit dubious at the mention of his father::
[20:25]* Cross approaches the two
[20:25]<+Ken> "Just the ones they used in Basic.."
[20:26]<+Raith> ::Nods to Cross:: "Doc."
[20:27]<Bynw> *on the day the refit is completed. everyone gets their orders. assigning them to the Lady Luck under the command of its' captain. Major E. Raith*
[20:27]<+Cross> "Well, I'm decent with beam weapons but better with knives"
[20:27]<+Ken> ::looks over at DOC:: "Doc do those Klad medscans include any em scans?"
[20:27]<+Raith> "We'll stock a 9mm for you in the armory, Ken."
[20:28]<+Ken> "Thanks Cap"
[20:30]<+Cross> "Let me check, Captain..."
[20:32]<+Raith> "Beam weapons doc, that's some pretty heavy ordinance for a pacifist. Not that I'm complaining. Can you handle a personal beam rifle?"
[20:32]<+Cross> "Strange, our em scans are blank"
[20:33]<Bynw> *over the waterloo's internal comm comes the familiar 12 hour message: "Prepare for jump in 60 seconds"*
[20:33]<+Ken> ::nods:: "I expected as mich, still it was a thoght"
[20:34]<+Raith> ::Smiles:: "The Klade seem to be able to hack our computers with ease, looks like they had something to hide. What did you hope to find Ken?"
[20:34]<+Ken> "Their aura frquency, specifically the area around the head."
[20:35]<Bynw> *over the waterloo's internal comm comes the familiar 12 hour message: "Jumping in 5...4...3...2...1...Jump"*
[20:35]<+Raith> ::pauses for a moment after the jump, then continues:: "Looking for Psi Ken or something else?"
[20:37]<+Ken> "A theory as to how they do what they do. I expect they are natural CyberPsi"
[20:38]<+Ken> "Perhaps racial is a better word"
[20:38]<+Raith> "Like yourself?"
[20:38]<+Ken> "I am a fairly weak Psi but yes an extremely evolved version."
[20:41]<+Cross> "Yes, Captain, I can handle beam rifle. I was a marksman in college"
[20:42]<+Raith> "Interesting theory. We have another chance to find out at the meet, and it seems the Klade aren't going to just tell us. Could you rig a portable EM scanner Ken?"
[20:42]<+Ken> "I think so"
[20:43]<+Ken> "Hopefully small enough that it can fit in my belt"
[20:43]<+Raith> "Humph, Doc you haven't always been a pacifist have you? Make sure you get a rifle stocked aboard, and a scope for it."
[20:44]* Cross looks at Ken "We're not even sure if they're humans!"
[20:45]<+Cross> "Alright, Captain... I do hope we don't get to use them weapons"
[20:45]<+Raith> ::Smirks at Cross:: "They're not. They may look it, and sound it, but they certainly do not think like it."
[20:45]<+Ken> "They are humanoid there should be some basic similarities in structure."
[20:47]<+Cross> "If they are in any way organic, I can dissect them"
[20:47]<Bynw> *Major Blass comes up to the Lady Luck while Raith is talking with his men*
[20:48]<+Ken> "If my thoery is right, that won't help much."
[20:48]<+Cross> "... even though, according to the  medscans you got, their heart is in the wrong place"
[20:49]<+Ken> "Any extra organs?"
[20:49]<Bynw> *Blass* "Major Raith. Just wanted to let you know that we have reached a point where you are free to undock."
[20:49]<+Raith> ::To Blass:: "Major. How are things going?"
[20:50]<+Raith> ::To Blass:: "Only have four days till the Klade meeting correct?"
[20:50]<Bynw> *Blass* "Things are going excellent. I'm going to miss this ship of yours. Yes that is correct."
[20:51]<+Cross> "Their innards are all mixed-up! I can't tell without an actual physical exam"
[20:51]<+Raith> ::To Cross:: "Any in-organic parts in the envoy they sent?"
[20:51]* Ken nods
[20:53]<+Cross> "yes"
[20:53]<+Raith> ::To Blass:: "I don't want to miss the meet. I think this time I'll keep the Lady Luck here. Once we've met with the Klade and gotten all the relevant data we'll be off."
[20:54]<+Ken> ::to Cross:: "I'd like to review that data with you Doc."
[20:56]<+Cross> "Okay, Captain. We can look at them closely at the new med bay"
[20:58]* Ken nods "Whenever you are ready Doc"
[20:58]<+Raith> ::Nods to Ken and Cross:: "I'd be very interested in knowing a bit more about those in-organic parts. See what the both of you can find out. Ken, see if you can fix up a portable EM scanner to bring to the meet as well."
[20:58]<+Ken> "Yes Sir"
[20:59]<+Cross> "Aye aye, Captain"
[20:59]* InaVegt has quit (Ping timeout: 121 seconds)
[21:00]* Cross heads for the medical bay
[21:00]* Ken follows Cross
[21:00]<+Cross> once there, Cross opens up a terminal
[21:01]<+Cross> "Look here, Ken... the Klade had heavy modifications in his body"
[21:02]<+Cross> "... left arm, possibly some organ replacements, something in his skull ...."
[21:02]* Ken examines the scans with interest
[21:02]* Ken points to the skull implant
[21:02]<+Ken> "You got anymore detail on that piece of hardware?"
[21:03]* Cross tries to zoom-in
[21:03]<+Cross> "Its too vague... I don't know what's it for"
[21:04]<+Cross> "If a Klade volunteers to visit our med bay, maybe we will know what it is used for"
[21:04]<Bynw> *Blass continues talking with Raith* "The Klade have built a meeting house on the world where they stranded the freighter crews. For the last 2 weeks there has always been a Klade ship in orbit of the planet"
[21:05]<+Ken> ::to Cross:: "How much of his body has been replaced?"
[21:06]<+Cross> "About 30-40%, Ken"
[21:07]<+Ken> "The leader is a cyborg then, I wonder if this is typical of their race"
[21:07]<+Cross> "They do seem to be a war-like race... and tech-heavy"
[21:08]<+Ken> "they admit to being genocidal as well."
[21:08]<+Raith> ::To Blass:: "We have a ship there to?"
[21:09]<+Cross> "Ken, how long will it take to make your mini-EM scanner?"
[21:09]<+Ken> "I would think most of the time we have left."
[21:10]<+Cross> "It's gonna be tight then... With all these unknowns, I think we'll need it badly"
[21:10]<+Ken> "Especially now that I know they are a cyborgs."
[21:10]<Bynw> *Blass* "Yes the ADF does ... No conflicts at all. The Klade are using drones to build the meeting house and pretty much ignoring any Alliance personal there."
[21:14]<+Raith> "Ken has a theory that the Klade are natural cyberpaths. If that's true, each one of those drones would be piloted by a Klade via psi. It would explain why they use drones so extensively."
[21:15]<+Ken> "I will get to work on it. I'll be in engineering if you learn anything more."
[21:16]<+Cross> "Ok. good luck, Ken"
[21:18]<Bynw> *Blass* "Thats possible. Find out if you can. The more we know about them the better."
[21:18]* Cross punches the comm "Captain, I'll transmit the Klade med scans to your station"
[21:18]<+Raith> ::Shrugs:: "Why not just ask?"
[21:20]<Bynw> "That could work too."
[21:22]<+Raith> ::Chuckles:: "What does concern me is that the Lady Luck's EM scans of the Klade are missing. That means they're hiding something. I've got Ken working on it now. Major does the Waterloo have some high end liquor aboard? A present for the Klade commander wouldn't go amiss."
[21:22]* fudgebobII (~fudgebob@A6D346.FCC843.1C02D0.0BDC51) has joined #Teara-Adan
[21:23]* fudgebobII is now known as DrCross
[21:24]* Ken starts working on a portable EM scanner; trying to make it as small as possible.
[21:25]* Cross has quit (Ping timeout: 121 seconds)
[21:26]* Bynw gives voice to DrCross
[21:31]<+Ken> roll 5df+
[21:31]<+BoxCars> Ken rolls 5df+ and gets (-)( )(+)( )( ) Good
[21:32]* Ken heads to the med bay
[21:34]<Bynw> *the days past quickly and now its just 24 hours away from the meeting*
[21:34]<+Ken> "Doc, how is you study of the medscans coming."
[21:35]* Ken comes up beside the Doc.
[21:35]<+DrCross> "Frustrating! I really need a live Klade (or even a dead one) to make heads or tails about their physiology"
[21:36]* Ken nods
[21:36]<+Ken> "I feel the same way about their tech"
[21:36]* DrCross grins
[21:36]<+DrCross> "And your project, Ken, how is it going?"
[21:37]<+Ken> "let's find out"
[21:37]* Ken pulls a small device out of his tool belt.
[21:37]* DrCross arches an eyebrow
[21:38]* Ken connects it to g=his datapad and downloads the scan and shows it to Cross.
[21:38]<+Ken> "Does that look familiar to you?"
[21:38]<+DrCross> "Interesting!"
[21:38]<+DrCross> "It works!?"
[21:39]<+Ken> "Do you have a recent scan of yourself? I just scanned you while we were talking."
[21:40]<+DrCross> "Yep, thats me. I've memorized myself"
[21:40]<+DrCross> "Congratulations, Ken! I thought we wouldn't make it"
[21:40]<+Ken> "It was close."
[21:41]<+DrCross> "Can you replicate it? or do we need just one?"
[21:41]<+Ken> "I can probably make more given time."
[21:42]<+DrCross> "Thats a 'no' then, i think"
[21:42]<+Ken> "We could try replicating it, but it is a prototype."
[21:43]<+DrCross> "Uh, don't risk it!"
[21:43]* Ken nods "My thoughts exactly"
[21:44]* DrCross sighs
[21:46]* Ken clears all data from the device and puts it in his belt pouch again.
[21:47]<+Raith> ::Walks into the lab:: "You two are the last. Get to your stations. Time for us to undock."
[21:47]<+DrCross> "Ok, Captain"
[21:47]<+Ken> "Yes Sir"
[21:47]* Ken heads to engineering
[21:48]* Ken runds his usual preflight checks and sets up the usual backup logs
[21:48]<+Raith> ::Heads to the bridge and takes a seat in the captain's chair::
[21:50]<Bynw> *waterloo cic* "Waterloo CIC to Lady Luck. We read your hatch is secure. We are opening the space doors"
[21:51]<+Ken> ::over comms:: "Bridge, all green minor power fluctuations with the med bay, but i can iron thoise out."
[21:51]<+DrCross> ::over comms:: "fluctuations here at the med bay?"
[21:52]<Bynw> *the doors under the Lady Luck open revealing the stars below the ship dotting the blackness of space*
[21:52]<+Raith> ::COmm to CIC:: "We read you Waterloo, all systems are green, debarking now."
[21:53]<+Ken> ::over comms:: "Compared to the last flight yes. I can fix that once I get a full power readout when we are underway."
[21:53]<Bynw> *waterloo cic* "Lady Luck we are releasing clamps and firing thrusters to clear"
[21:54]<Bynw> *the lady luck falls downward out of the Waterloo and into the void, its nav comp adjusts and finds its position in space*
[21:54]<+Raith> ::Comm:: "We read you Waterloo. We'll see you on the other side."
[21:54]<Bynw> *waterloo cic* "Lady Luck, this is Waterloo Actual. Godspeed."
[21:55]<Bynw> *above the Lady Luck, Raith can see the doors close on the Waterloo and then it jumps*
[21:56]* Ken runs a power diagnostic continuously
[21:56]<+Raith> ::Sets the nav computer to coordinates for the system of the meet and spools up the jump drives::
[21:57]<Bynw> *20 standard minutes for spool-up ... and coordinates are set. nav comp indicates that it will take 2 jumps to reach the destination*
[21:58]<+Ken> ::over comms:: "Bridge How many jumps? I would like to fix a minor power fluctuation if we have time."
[21:59]<+DrCross> ::comms Ken:: "You should. I thought we could only jump if *all* lights were green"
[21:59]<+Raith> ::Comms:: "two jumps Ken, 20 minutes to spool them up before we start."
[22:00]<+Ken> ::over comms:: I think that should giv me enough time Bridge"
[22:02]<+Ken> ::over comms:: "The fluctuation is in the med bay power system, probably a system that needs to be calibrated for trickle during jumps."
[22:05]* Ken checks the readouts and compares to the last preflight scans; noting where the differences are.
[22:06]* Ken runs a few calculations
[22:07]* Ken programs a new subroutine into the power systems.
[22:09]* Ken runs another diagnostic.
[22:10]<+Ken> ::over comms:: "That should do it Briidge. Doc you scanners draw a fair bit of power, I have programmed them to go into trickle charge mode when the Jump drives are spooling."
[22:11]<Bynw> *the ship jumps to its first leg destination and will be ready for its second jump in 5 minutes ... DRADIS is clear when the ship arrives at its waypoint*
[22:11]<+DrCross> ::over comms:: "Ok, Ken"
[22:12]* Ken contiues the usual checks and back up logs
[22:15]<+Raith> ::Comms:: "5 minutes till next jump, no contact on DRADIS."
[22:16]<+Ken> ::over comms:: "all systems green and that power fluctuation is now gone."
[22:17]<Bynw> *the Lady luck jumps again arriving in orbit around the only hospitable world of the 76 Sigma Ceti system. DRADIS shows 4 contacts. 2 Alliance ships and 2 Klade ships. Each a little bigger than the Lady Luck but not by much.*
[22:18]* DrCross watches the scene from a terminal in med bay
[22:19]<Bynw> *one of the Klade ships hails the Lady Luck. In the usual computer generated voice* "Welcome Captain Raith. Please follow us down to the landing platform."
[22:20]* Ken starts a log of the sensor readings printing on hard copy continuously.
[22:20]<+Raith> ::Pilots the Lady Luck to the planets surface following behind the Klade ship. Lands, facing the Klade ship::