Off topic: Spacefarers (a sci-fi RPG)

[Temujin]

The Astari-class Scout Cruiser Exploration jumped into the edge of the nebula, its scanners quickly reaching out to oberserve the ongoing action.

" Ensign, get the grav cloak up, and then drop it in 10 minuts, and accelerate to maximum speed, 30 degrees to the Galactic down of these ships.", Captain Hiron Mislow, Vargon Empire, stated, motioning with his tentacles. He had 20 of them. His jellyfish like body floated over to the tactical console. His ship was a scout cruiser, not a warship. While technologically all these ships seemed to be behind the Vargon standard, he wouldn't underestimate them. Especially because he couldn't go back. An inter-galactic jump was far outside the capabilities of his ships nav computer.

The Exploration left the scanners, and in a way the entire universe, as it tunneled through gravity, and then closed the hatch over itself.

[Himura.Kenshin]

EDIT: *Self-Serve*

And to stop this from becoming a completely pointless bump... Seems my waiting to find a spot in the plot where I can sensibly jump in is pretty much pointless as the people are coming and going as they please... o.O

[Da_Higg]

IC

"Sir, something on the rear sensor screens its... Blast! It vanished!"
"Check the recordings" Captain Higgins replied"
"There. A spike on the gravity wave meter." A Gravity Wave Meter (or GWM) was able to detect the flucuations in gravity caused by the pressence of star ships.
"Our long range scans are still screwed by the nebula. Dispatch a Sensor drone."
"Drone Dispatched." Captain Higgins watched the display as the half metre sphere raced across space to the place where the spike was recorded.
"We could just blasssst it withhh thhhe EMPCssss, Ssssir".
"And start a battle? Never."

OOC
Damn this broken space bar

[Normandy]

OOC: Wow, how ironic, my space bar was broken just a few days ago. Luckily it just... Fixed for no apparent reason.

Also, when is something major going to happen, that torpedo's been going at us for 2 days now... I can't really jump in again...

Please! Someone outside of the current story jump in and do something!

[Aralonia]

[very very close to the groups]

The torpedo exploded for no apparent reason as it finished the end of its scanning phase, sending data back to the Stellar Ranger.

[OOC: Bored. I wanna blow something up. >_>]

[Winged Cat]

OOC: Plot? What plot? Most of the posters seem to be ignoring everyone else and just assuming they'll get sucked in to the plot without interacting or otherwise providing us a hook to bring them in on. That doesn't work in RPs like this. (Of course, it doesn't help when people ignore those who are interacting...)

IC:

"Aww," Meryl whined to herself as her prey/new toy self-destructed, its mission complete. Her worries soon vanished, though, as she returned to her previous objective. The Mu-ohki flitted over to the Starfleet ship and began zipping around it - especially the warp nacelles - at what some might consider a dangerously close distance, making detailed scans all the while.

[Anarki]

OOC: I'm confused as to what ships are currently in this area, and what this area actually is...

Need to figure out a way to stuff a ship into the current plot.

[Deathguard]

OOC: Eh, might as well try and interact;




The Crykeen. Essentially a mix of AI computing power and Psionics.


Designation: Wavecrest Class E-124-85. Mind-call Reponse "Crykeen"

Length: 20 metres.
Width: 15 metres.
Height: 30 metres.

Crew Compliment: 1. Room for 10 Passengers in relative luxury - Additional Psionic passengers can greatly bolster the effectiveness of the ship.

Propulsion: In a single direction, the ship is limited to a maximum speed of .50c. Omnidirectional thrusters allowing on-the-spot turning and "strafeing" are available, with current speed of each thruster halved for each additional thruster operating.

In addition, a short range Ion drive is available, overriding all thrusters, which can travel at .70c for up to 15 minutes of constant speed.

Armament: Twin prow lance batteries, slung under the "cockpit" area in the front center, two "Singing Spear" class mass driver projectors which fire armour piercing missles in "waves" of variable 1-8 missles/wave, four underslung multi-laser emitters and a Psio-projector, which allows the pilot access to the following abilties;

Multi-Phased "Lament" 'Warp' engine -
Far more sophisticated than the crude hyperspace or warp engine equivalents of other ships, the Psio-Projector allows the pilot to reach out across vast spans of space, weaving his consciousness into the void as he does so. Through this method, the Psionist temporarily abandons control of his body and the complex ship systems and graps a hold of elsewhere-space. The ship then melds into the surrounding space in what could be described as a haze, rematerializing in a similar haze at the target point. Because of the huge mental expendature neccessary for this manouver, pilots must rest between jumps, and prolonged jumps will rapidly deteriorate the pilot's state into extreme fatigue or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness.

"Voidwaker" Projectile System -
By using the Projector to focus the psionic energy of the pilot, he or she can passively gather particulates of matter from nearby solar bodies as the ship travels. In emergency situations such as combat, these particulates can be focused and superheated into crystal, then projected at the enemy, or scattered as a "screen" to intercept projectiles.

"Wrothtorrent" Projector -
Used in extreme situations, the Wrothtorrent involves projecting an invisible but tangiable manifestation of the user's aggression. This results in a cone shaped kinetic wave capable of travelling at around 1.5 with variable force, this "weapon" can reduce asteroids to dust with repeated blasts or strike against armour like a hammer.
Due to the nature of this power, it can bypass shields, although it's comparitavely short range and reduced impact when compared with conventional laser or torpedo weapons ensure that it is by no means the "ultimate weapon"

Communications -
By melding the mind of the Psionist with the comm frequencies of other ships, the pilot can easily communicate with other ships and, if neccessary, use certain communication relay systems to further project their psionics.



IC

Lurking on the edge of the system, the ship slowed to stationary, it's AI CPU flashing out with sensors and relaying the information to the pilot, reclining in a leather wingback armchair. Moving a hand smoothly across a panel hovering comfortably next to the chair arm, Reaguin Heiros, Psionist shipjoined of the Wavecrest class "Crykeen", deactivated the sensor suite and raised the same delicate hand to his face.

Having determined that establishing contact without hostility was the prime directorate in this situation, the shipjoined set the craft moving closer to the "Adeleide", at this point just a faint ping on the sensors. As the Ion Engine added it's rumbling, earth cascade to the faint, rythmic beat of the thrusters the shipjoined lowered his head, resting comfortably back into his seat and reaching out with his mind to the scene ahead.

Immediately, he jerked awake. Where he had hoped to foster some friendship as a first contact, the rank stench of destruction filled the void, his mind-sight sweeping across the damaged Sword

"This is not well. I should establish contact with a single ship, and maintain discretion when dealing with the others." He delicate hand swept out, the Ion Engine tapering off and the thrusters slowly decelerating to bring the ship around in a long arc, bringing it up behind the Adeleide, dropping all sensor masks and moving up from around 3,000 kilometers from the ship down to 300 kilometers, maintaing the lowest reasonable speed and with all weapon signatures set to minimal.

"Tsuladei, hail the ship before us. Use the standard message code - Try and determine which greeting is customary to their people and deploy it, then forward the line to me. Recurr failed transmissions every 0.8 seconds."

[Captain Trek]

Henry watched with bermusement as the small craft, which was apparantly from the same peoople as the now depared Indomitable, playfully chased after one of the scanner probes. Henry was surpised as the torpedo suddenly detonated with a small explosion, just barely large enough to destroy the torpedo itself.

"Looks like the torpedo stopped scanning and just... blew up..." said the relief science officer. "Probably to keep it from falling into foreign hands, I'd say... Umm... getting something else now, sir..."

"What is it?" Henry questioned.

"Looks like some kind of localised gavitational disturbance sir, I... Wait a minute, it's gone..."

"Can you determine what it was?" Henry asked.

"It was very highly localised and very small..." the officer replied. "It could have been a ship using some kind of grav-cloack..." he suggested.

"Hmm," Henry mused. "I think I read a paper on that concept once..."

"I wrote it..." the officer grinned proudly. "The Feasibility of Graviton Cloacking..."

"I'm impressed," Henry smiled. "Can you scan for it?"

"Maybe, if it is graviton cloacking," the officer replied. "I'll try..."

A few moments passed...

"Nothing yet, sir," the officer reported. "I'll the leave the sensors to sweep the area throughly... Umm... now I'm getting something else... It's a small ship, about the size of a Danube class Runabout, coming up off our stirn..."

"They're hailing us," Albert reported.

"Open a channel," Henry orderd. "This is captain Henry Baker of the Federation starship Adelaide..."

[Deathguard]

""This is captain Henry Baker of the Federation starship Adelaide...""

Drawing in a relaxing breath through the nasal cavity gently but firmly bisecting the top center of his face, the pale blue skinned shipjoined viewed the transmission screen with interest, listening as the human addressed him, the audio throbbing into life. Cutting the outgoing transmission breifly, he slid a palm accross a neaby console, addressing the computer.

"Tsuladei, compenstate the transmission array - 0.23 alignment Flowside (Starb'd). Realign incoming comm relay 0.23 Driftside (Port) to compensate.
Boost visual input and start a ship-specific scan on the "Adelaide", broadest-frequency and no probe sheilding, don't attempt to pierce scan-shielded areas. Let them pick it up and block it if they like."

The hand flickered out, comms chiming back into life as the shipjoined sent his response;

"We are the Crykeen. Wavecrest class multipurpose cruiser. I am Shipjoined Heiros, the... Pilot of this vessel, though such is a crude way to describe our relationship. We are equipped to perceive and create new phenomena.

Might We inquire as to the purpose of your craft and of other craft here?"

A sharp keen sounded, almost muffed through the hailing channel - Another breif manipulation of electronics - a low, thrumming sound somewhere inside the vessel, and then a whirring nexus of light sprung up to encase the slightly raised, ornately inscribed circle the "conn" rested on. A fragment of this ligt sped to the center, then vanished, a data packet of the appropriate information selected flitting from the Crykeen to the Adeleide.

"We have sent you the... anomaly picked up by our eyemind. It is what you would call a nebula, but it is expanding, in the matter of a T'pel petal fro-"

A gentle, female voice interrupted as Reaguin spoke of these T'pel flowers. Instead, almost before the words had even been spoken, the female addressed the good captain Baker;
In the manner of your people, the nebula seeks outwards, mushroom-cloud tendrils and fire-smoke grasp

The voice cut off just as the shipjoined finished his suggestion of the T'pel.

"We have not encountered any such expanding nebulae before. Have your people perceived such things before?"[/i]

[Arcalane]

Doctor Michaels snorted at the suggestion of an arrest warrant. "Of course not, it's not like anyone actually got hurt."

Meanwhile, the Asimov completed it's second scan, moving to the third and final scan of the nebula.

"Hmmm... this is interesting data, I must say. One moment, Captain."

Michaels closed the comm link to the Adelaide and called over several of the others.

"At this rate of expansion it won't be long before this nebula takes over the entire sector."
"Yes, but look at that flux pattern."
"Where?"
"0C to 0F."
"Oh, that is odd..."
"Quite. Expansion is the least of our worries if that pattern is what I think it is."
"Yes, yes... that looks like the catalyst pattern."
"Catalyst pattern?"
"Yes. Essentially, what we're looking at here may not be a nebula."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a long story... but, there's a breaking point. Given the right conditions and stimulation from outside sources, a nebula becomes something a lot more... intelligent."
"I... i-intelligent?"
"You recall the Flux Outbreak which spawned the Veerkah Assembly?"
"Why yes, we were sent several samples of recovered Veerkah bio-energy cells for analyzing."
"Bio-energy cellular structure. Strange phenomenon, isn't it? Life from power."
"You're saying that if this nebula reaches the break... no, catalysation point, that another race like the Veerkah might spring forth?"
"Potentially. I fear that the presence of all the ships here interacting may be starting a landslide catalysation process."
"I see... this is very unusual."
"Indeed, and potentially extremely dangerous. Those which spring forth may not be as benevolent as the Veerkah."
"Indeed... worrying, if Veerkah bioenergy cells were anything to go by..."

OOC: *dramatic chord!*

[Da_Higg]

IC
"I'm getting some strange readings from the nebula, captain"
"What is it?" Captain Higgins replied.
"Sensors can't tell at this range, sir"
"Then bring us closer. Power up the engines and move closer. Tell our escort cruiser to do the same."
The Merchant's Pride moved closer to the nebula.
"Readings are off the chart and OH GOD!"
"Bring us around! I don't think they're friendly!"

OOC: *Even more dramatic chord!*

[Captain Trek]

OOC: That was a superb way to rekindle the story, Deathguard. This is sure gonna keep us busy for a few pages...

IC: Henry found himself confused. Expanding nebulae he could contemplate, even though normal nebulae more tended to do the exact opposite, but what had they meant by mushroom-cloud tendrils and fire-smoke grasp? Before he could get a better handle on the situation, his relief science officer spoke up again...

"Woah... they're right!" he gasped aloud. "The nebula's beginning to expand, sir, and the process is accelerating, fast!"

"What's causing it?" Henry questioned.

"I'm reading some kind of flux disturbance within the nebula, sir," the officer replied. "That could be what's doing it... My, God, the energy readings coming from the nebula are off the charts! Sir, lieutenant Wilcox knows more about these things than I do, he did a thesis on nebulae at the academy you know... I'd recommend you get him back here, and quick..."

"Agreed," Henry nodded.

"Captain to all away teams," he said hurriedly, tapping his com badge. "Stand by for emergency transport back to ship... all undocked shuttles are to return immediately, I repeat, return immediately..."

It was rather a knee-jerk reaction, but Henry was going to take no chances with this. His father used to scare him with the story of how a ship had served on was nearly pulled apart in a particularly violent nebula, so he knew that they were not to be underestimated or taken lightly, particularly one was behaving strangely. And a sudden expansion... that was strange alright...

"Bridge to all transporter rooms," he continued. "Get all of our away teams back, now!"

"Aye sir," came multiple replies.

Within moments, after saying their hurried good byes with the Ragnarok's crew, the away teams disappeared in shining columns of blue-white light and disappeared. The shuttles in transit and those docked with the Ragnarock started back, at a far less sedate pace than they had been flying at.

"All away teams report safely aboard," the relief officer reported after about 30 seconds. "All shuttles now either docked or en-route to dock..."

"Where's the nebula now?" Henry questioned.

"At its current rate of acceleration..." the officer replied. "Two-and-a-half minutes... I recommend we keep clear, sir, the ship could never survive in amongst energy discharges that powerful..."

Henry merely nodded. Then he remembered that, in his haste, he had forgotten all about the rescue operation, not to mention the ship he was communicating with...

"Is the Ragnarok's structural integrity strong enough to withstand a tractor beam?" he asked.

"It should be with the repair work our little friend over there did," the officer replied, referring to the Mu-ohki.

"Get it under tow then, con..." Henry ordered. "And be quick about it!"

"Engaging tractor beam..." said Dante dutifully.

"Mr. Heiros," he said, turning his attention briefly back to the com link. "To answer your question, we've never encountered anything like this before... But I don't think we have time to analyze it now... both our ships will be torn to pieces by energy fields in about two minutes if we don't get out of the way, and I have to save that ship over there..." he ranted, indicating the Sword of Ragnarok.

He then turned his attention back to the bridge.

"Lieutenant Keating," he began. "Prepare the ship for warp speed... Transfer power to reinforce the Ragnarok's structural integrity if necessary..."

"Aye sir," Dante replied.

"Ensign Harris," he continued. "Inform all nearby ships we intend to tow the Sword of Ragnarok away from the danger and... inform them of the danger if they are unaware..." he added, noticing that the Merchant's Pride and its escort seemed to be drifting dangerously close to the nebula's expanding edge.

"Aye sir," Albert replied.

"Ensign Preston," he turned to the relief science officer. "Let me know when the last of the shuttlecraft are safely docked..."

"Aye sir," the relief science officer replied.

They quickly set about their duties. An energy beam with a slight blue tinge emitted from the Adelaide's and locked on the Sword of Ragnarock, linking its fate with its prospective rescuer's. The shuttlecraft were docked and secured in record time and the various officers who had lead the away teams returned to their posts...

As all this was happening, the nebula continued to expand, looming ominously over the comparatively miniscule forms of the Adelaide and the ships around it.

[Arcalane]

OOC: Hm. Perhaps I should clarify; the nebula wasn't necessarily going to reach catalysation point directly after my post. If anything, the next few posts (giving everyone a chance to respond before unleashing a potentially hostile energy-based life form ) would potentially have some significant impact on the outcome. But as Trek says, we shall see how things unfold.

[Himura.Kenshin]

OOC: I guess this is my time to jump in as the bad guy... but truthfully, I'd rather split this responsibility up with someone else. I'd love it if someone PMs me so we could quickly build a basis for the most wicked, dangerously exotic race anybody has ever heard of =D.