Asteroids and Athletes Ch. 02

"I'm glad you want to play again," Cesar said to me as I entered his house. He had his long hair down. I noticed a dark onyx necklace in the shape of a wolf's head was resting on his plain black vee neck tee.

"It was fun last time," I admitted.

"Good, I'm glad you liked it. Sorry it's a little slow at first. Hopefully we can get into some combat this session."

"Lit."

"Sweet earrings," he said, remarking on the yellow lightning bolt symbol I had hanging from each of my ear lobes.

"Thanks, I like your pendant," I said, pointing to his chest.

"Thank you. Uh, come on back."

We walked through the house to his garage, where he already had a table setup with books, papers, and dice. I took my drawstring bag and draped it on the back of a chair where he had already set Yaae's character sheet. I pulled out a metal water bottle and set it on the table.

"Beer?" he asked, opening the refrigerator.

"Sure," I said.

"Do you work out a lot?" he asked as I took the beer from him. I was wearing a sleeveless tee so he must have noticed the muscles of my arms.

"Why?" I asked with a smile.

"I think your arms might be bigger than mine. Could you humor me?" He asked, holding up his flexed bicep and pulling back his short sleeve.

I smiled and held up my darker brown arm against his caramel colored skin and compared them visually. Cesar was tall, average built for a guy and had trim muscles. And although I was an inch or two shorter than him my arm was still more muscular.

"Wow," he said. I couldn't help but grin. He stared at my arm and then looked at me.

"I worked out about every day in football season."

"How about now?"

"Maybe three times a week," I admitted.

"It shows. Hmm..."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing, just we should probably start the game."

"Sure you don't want to arm wrestle?"

He laughed.

"No, I think you got me beat."

"Ok," I said, taking a sip of beer. "Maybe next time."

He laughed again.

"I'm going to record again if that's ok?" he said, reaching for his tablet.

"Go for it," I said.

"Ok one, two.." and then he pressed the record button.

Cesar: Alright, so let's recap... Yaae Sule, your father and mother have been missing for months. You met with Deemo from the Zyn-mining Corporation, who told you the last known location of your parents, Aldez IV, a planet about four days away by faster than light travel. You got supplies, prepped the ship and began traveling across space. Diaz, your med bot is strapped behind you in the cockpit. You lost the long-range communication array in the landing because of the asteroid field, but for the most part you arrived without major issues. And that... is it for the recap. After you land near the colony site you hear the ship computer say-

(Computer) Please stay seated, Taxiing in progress.

The ship rolls forward and then stops.

(Computer) ERROR. Communication down, no communication to docking bay. ERROR.

Maddy: Wait what happened?

Cesar: The communications array is what is used for all external wireless communications, even docking protocols. When you went through the asteroid field it was broken off. So without that, your ship can't dock.

Maddy: What am I supposed to do then?

Cesar: What would you like to do?

Maddy: I need to get off the ship right?

Cesar: You haven't checked the atmosphere. You could get in a spacesuit or oxygen mask and enter the airlock. Or you could try and use your datapad to connect with the star port if you have a computer hacking skill. But I don't think I gave you that. Look under your skills, do you see it?

Maddy: Uh... no.

Cesar: So unless you can think of another option...

Maddy: I have no idea... Uh can Diaz connect?

Cesar: Diaz? Hmmm, how about you... How about you roll a Smarts check for Diaz.

Maddy: How do I do that?

Cesar: I'll say for this particular activity Diaz has a Smarts of 10. The Smarts target is five times ten. That's fifty. Roll at high difficulty, so you need half of that, which is twenty-five.

Maddy: *rolls* Double zero and one?

Cesar: One percent. Extreme success!

Maddy: That's good?

Cesar: That's as good as you can roll. *taps at the tablet and changes the music to low volume lo-fi beats* Ok so... you ask Diaz to help you connect to the docking port and you hear.

(DIAZ) Yes Captain Yaae. Processing...

The ship's computer says (Computer) Communication Bridge enabled, re-starting docking protocols.

Your ship rolls forward towards the dock and then one of the snake-like tubes angles up and locks against the airlock of your ship with a loud click when the mag-locks engage.

Maddy: Thanks Diaz.

Cesar (Diaz): It was my pleasure.

Maddy: Where is the airlock?

Cesar: It's over the starboard, right wing, connected to the cargo hold.

Maddy: Ok I'll get my spacesuit, rifle and go to the airlock. There's a door?

Cesar: Yes. You need to unlock the door to move through the airlock.

Maddy: How do I do that?

Cesar: When you get to the airlock door you hear (Computer) Airlock connected.

There is an overlay of the words Press to Unlock on the hand plate.

Maddy: Is there a window or something on the door?

Cesar: There is. It's the size of a dinner plate on the roughly eight foot wide door. Through it you can see the square empty gray plasteel airlock in your own vessel. On the other side is another door that connects to the docking tube.

Maddy: I'll press the button to open it.

Cesar (Computer): Caution, Inner airlock door opening.

The door hatch slides open, revealing the airlock.

Maddy: I'll step inside. Is there another door pad to open it?

Cesar: Yes. How the airlock works is you need to close the door you just opened and then open the other door to the docking tube.

Maddy: Ok I'll do that.

Cesar: Ok then you close the ship door to the airlock and turn to the outer airlock door. Displayed over the pad and blinking are the words Clean Air Detected. When you press-

Maddy: Wait should I have a helmet on?

Cesar: You have your armored spacesuit with the helmet on I assumed. Even then, the computer would warn you if it was a vacuum or if the air was poisonous.

Maddy: Ok I'll open it then.

Cesar: The door slides open with a click and there is another door. This one looks different from your ship, so it must be the door to the docking tube. There is a pad on the wall that is black, no text or pictures are displayed.

Maddy: I'll... I'll touch it.

Cesar: A second later the screen becomes slightly lit, and you notice that the glass is cracked. Then in another couple seconds the words Passkey required for entry is displayed. A computerized voice says:

(Computer) Enter Passkey

Maddy: Do I have anything like that?

Cesar: Deemo said it was part of the map.

Maddy: The map on the datapad?

Cesar: Right.

Maddy: Ok I'll grab my datapad.

Cesar: You probably have it with you in your small pack. In fact, let's go through everything you're bringing with you from the ship. Your rifle?

Maddy: Yeah

Cesar: Pistol

Maddy: Yeah

Cesar: Knife

Maddy: Yes

Cesar: Rations?

Maddy: I guess a few, are they heavy?

Cesar: Not really you could take three pretty comfortably and leave room for more things.

Maddy: Ok

Cesar: Water?

Maddy: Definitely.

Cesar: Then your datapad which acts like a flashlight, map and computer.

Maddy: Ok.

Cesar: There is a small light you can mount to your rifle or pistol.

Maddy: Ok

Cesar: Lets see what else *looks at her sheet* Rope?

Maddy: Yes.

Cesar: You also have a micro-power battery.

Maddy: I'll take that.

Cesar: And your armored spacesuit.

Maddy: Yeah.

Cesar: There is a medpack, which is pretty big, you could bring it but won't have room for much of anything else.

Maddy: I'll leave it on the ship then. Diaz can heal me right?

Cesar: Right. How about cutting tools?

Maddy: What's that?

Cesar: For getting through locked doors. They are pretty heavy. You won't have room for anything else. In fact you might have to take some other things out.

Maddy: I'll leave them behind for now.

Cesar: I think that's it....

Maddy: Ok so I keep going?

Cesar: Oh and about Diaz, I forgot to ask if you're bringing the bot with you?

Maddy: Diaz can't fight?

Cesar: No just heal you and stuff.

Maddy: Does Diaz get hurt easily?

Cesar: Your bot doesn't have much HP, but you can have it follow you. It's also not too fast.

Maddy: So if I run it might fall behind?

Cesar: It may.

Maddy: I'll take Diaz with me for now, could I pick it up?

Cesar: Bots in general are very heavy. Although he's only about two feet high, Diaz weighs about as much as... a pony keg is the closest thing I can think of. You could carry Diaz for a little while, but you'd go even slower than a normal walk. Ok... so we got everything you're taking with you ironed out, right?

Maddy: Yes.

Cesar: So you pull up the map on the datapad and place it on the panel?

Maddy: Yes.

Cesar (Computer): Passkey recognized, confirm entry.

You put down your datapad and see two buttons on the plate. One in green saying confirm, and the other in red saying cancel. Do you press the confirm button?

Maddy: Yes.

Cesar: The door clicks, and then slides open with a groan. As you enter, the stale odor of the docking tube hits you.

*taps the tablet and selects another set of music, this is a little more ominous* The tube is empty and leads deeper to the docking bay. Many of the lights are burnt out leaving some areas bright and others in darkness.

Maddy: Ok. I'll walk forward.

Cesar: How are you walking forward? Are you trying to get there quickly?

Maddy: Uh, no, slowly I guess.

Cesar:You are about five steps forward when you hear behind you-

(Computer) Warning. Outer airlock door closing. Please stand clear.

Maddy: What happened?

Cesar: Behind you, there is the sound of the door closing.

Maddy: Is that normal?

Cesar: Yeah. For safety, most doors remain closed in space in case of breach. So do you keep going forward?

Maddy: I will.

Cesar: You move along slowly until you reach the far end that connects to the space station. There's a similar pad, the screen blank.

Maddy: I'll press to wake it up and put the map on it.

Cesar: Right... you go through the steps to open it. There is a groan and the door slides open and reveals a large room shrouded in darkness.

Maddy: What's inside?

Cesar: You can't see much, you just see vague shapes. You'd have to enter to see more and probably use a light.

Maddy: I'll turn on my light and place it on my rifle. Then shine it around the room.

Cesar: Inside this room, which is the Docking Bay according to your map, is... hmm all you can really see from this angle is a spaceship on one side of the room.

Maddy: The same my parents were in?

Cesar: You don't know which one they were in and it's difficult to make anything out. It'd be... maybe 30 yards away.

Maddy: Ok I'll go in slowly.

Cesar: As you enter, a light above suddenly goes on and you're temporarily blinded.

Maddy: Do I see anyone?

Cesar: You smell engine fuel as your eyesight adjusts. Then you see that the room is big, the size of a small airplane hangar. You hear Diaz's small motor as it slides right behind you. As you look towards the ship you see the spaceship wing is on the floor, and you don't see anyone in the docking bay. Also beyond the ship are large tanks labeled fuel on one side of the room and two forklifts plugged into the opposite wall. Next to the fork lifts are many crates stacked and organized in a small fenced off area, but the gate is open. You see other doors similar to the one you entered and a large airlock door about 50 feet wide by 30 feet high. The lights were probably motion activated when you entered.

Maddy: What's in the crates?

Cesar: Do you go over to investigate?

Maddy: Uh, yeah I'll go carefully.

Cesar: Are you sneaking?

Maddy: Uh, what do you mean?

Cesar: Are you trying to be quiet?

Maddy: Should I be? Are there any noises?

Cesar: Roll a Notice check.

Maddy: What's that?

Cesar: A skill used to observe things that might be difficult to detect to the average eye.

Maddy: What do I need to roll under?

Cesar: If it's not listed in your skills... *looks through rulebook* Your target is twenty-five. So twenty-five or under.

Maddy: *rolls and sighs* Eighty... six.

Cesar: You listen and the room is silent.

Maddy: But I failed the check so maybe I just missed it?

Cesar: It's possible.

Maddy: Alright I'll still go carefully then.

Cesar: Roll a stealth check. I don't think I gave you Stealth either, so just roll at default.

Maddy: *rolls* Forty seven.

Cesar: To succeed it's ten or under.

Maddy: Why so low?

Cesar: Some skills are more challenging to master, so their base level is lower.

Maddy: Shit.

Cesar: Your footsteps are louder than you might like as you edge closer to the crates. You are about 20 feet away when you begin to see words written on the side. There are containers of dehydrated food, breathing masks, repair kits, medical kits, and many other boxes with just alphanumeric strings, basically a bunch of letters and numbers that don't really mean much to you. Probably a part number or something.

Maddy: Written in English?

Cesar: No, the Jozan language, which you can read and speak fluently.

Maddy: Ok, so I'm supposed to find the ore? But also my parents?

Cesar: Deemo wanted you to find the ore and what happened to the colony. What your character motivations are, may be different than what Deemo wants. You don't have to do... anything you don't want to.

Maddy: Ok... the ship looks damaged, you said the wing fell off?

Cesar: The wing is on the floor and there are tools there next to it like it was being repaired.

Maddy: And you said I didn't know which ship my parents took?

Cesar: That's right, it could have been this one or a different one. Would you like to examine it? Go inside or just take a look from the outside?

Maddy: Just from the outside first.

Cesar: Ok. So you walk away from the crates towards the spaceship. It's bigger than your own, longer and wider. On the side of the ship you see the symbol of the Zyn-Mining Corp., the silver triangle with a drill going into it. You also see a stain of brown across the wing.

Maddy: Brown? What is it?

Cesar: How about you roll percentile, I want to see if you can recognize it.

Maddy: *rolls* Nineteen. What skill?

Cesar: Notice check. That's successful. You recognize it as...

Maddy: Blood?

Cesar: Blood. Now roll Starship Engineering.

Maddy: *rolls* Twenty-eight.

Cesar: Do you have that skill?

Maddy: No, but you said you'd give it to me. Forty percent I think you said?

Cesar: Oh right, no it was 40% for your ship and 30% for any other ship. Write that in your comments too.

Maddy: Ok. *writes*

Cesar: So 28% is good enough. You can tell this is a transport ship for supplies and not much room for passengers. So probably a crew of 4 or 5 at most and a cargo capacity almost twice of your ship.

Maddy: Is there a way onto the ship?

Cesar: There is a set of stairs on wheels like they have at airports pushed up against the ship. Maddy: Ok I'll go up the stairs to the ship then. Can Diaz follow?

Cesar: Yeah Diaz can go up stairs, it will just take a bit longer. You go up to the hatch, but it's closed.

Maddy: Hmm is there a hand plate to open it?

Cesar: You see one next to the hatch.

Maddy: I'll press it.

Cesar: There is a shudder in the ship and the door slowly slides open. An interior light blinks on in the airlock revealing the next door to the inner ship compartment as Diaz gets about halfway up.

(D1A2) Just a moment Captain.

Maddy: *laughs* No problem.

Cesar: Ok Diaz finally enters the ship.

Maddy: I'll open the next door.

Cesar: You touch the hand pad and the door behind slides shut and then the door in front of you slides open. The light goes on in this next chamber. Before you is an illuminated corridor with a door on either side. On the wall is a sign in the Jozan language that has an arrow to the left with Engine and to the right with Bridge.

Maddy: What is the bridge?

Cesar: Where the captain controls the ship.

Maddy: I see. I'll go that way.

Cesar: As you approach the door at the end of the hall it opens to a large dark room. Do you go inside?

Maddy: What's in there?

Cesar: It looks mostly empty.

Maddy: Ok I'll enter carefully.

Cesar: You smell something like burnt wiring as the lights above blink on dimly. Your heavy boots tap against the metal floor that sounds hollow in this about 50 by 50 feet room. There's another door at the opposite end. In the center of the room is a column with a screen that's blank. At the base of the column is a computer terminal. Along the walls are pipes and wires presumably for power, but also supplies similar to the cargo area in your ship, a few space suits, refueling lines, things like that. There are a few containers strapped to the wall and a large humanoid robot. Its body is all silver, with thin limbs and a blank face panel.

Maddy: Is it moving?

Cesar: Not at the moment.

Maddy (Yaae): Hello robot, are you awake?

Cesar (bot): Yes I'm here.

Maddy (Yaae): What happened here?

Cesar: It was Diaz saying that.

Maddy (Yaae): No *laughs*. Diaz, I was talking to the other robot.

Cesar (D1A2): I am sorry.

Maddy (Yaae): Don't sweat it. So the other robot isn't moving?

Cesar: It didn't respond.

Maddy: Would it be in sleep mode or something?

Cesar: Roll robotics at default which is... *checks book* five. But you're just checking something simple so I'll say... roll a Smarts check instead. What's your Smarts value?

Maddy: Thirteen.

Cesar: Ok for a smarts check take your value times five... Sixty-five.

Maddy: *rolls* Sixty-six.

Cesar: Sorry. So what happens is you look over the mechanical construction, and can't seem to find any switches or signs how to wake it up.

Maddy: Damnit. Couldn't I try again?

Cesar: In some situations you can, that would be called 'pushing your luck'. For example if you try to force open a door and it doesn't work, you could try again, but if you fail again, there would be a consequence, like... doing damage to your shoulder or maybe even dislocating it.

Maddy: Oh shit.

Cesar: But I don't think that sort of reasoning applies here. You tried to find an on switch and you couldn't find it. Doing it again won't really accomplish anything new.

Maddy: Ok that's fair. So, what else did you say was in this room?

Cesar: Some containers and the computer terminal.

Maddy: How about I look through the containers?

Cesar: The containers strapped to the wall are open when you look closer. One was labeled RTEM, another...

Maddy: What does that mean?

Cesar: RTEM means Ready To Eat Meal. It's something you can eat without cooking or rehydrating.

Maddy: Could I grab some?

Cesar: When you look inside, the container is empty. Someone must have gotten here first.

Maddy: Huh... how about the other containers?

Cesar: There is one marked First Aid, another... *looks in book* just numbers and letters. The rest are all that way.

Maddy: Anything in the first aid?

Cesar: That's cleaned out as well.

Maddy: Looters huh? What's in the others?

Cesar: Just random parts like rivets, o-rings, bolts, motor oil, hose clamps and all sorts of things.

Maddy: Do I roll something to figure out if any of it is useful for my ship?

Cesar: Why don't you roll Starship Engineering again.

Maddy: *rolls* Fifty-four. That's not low enough is it?

Cesar: No, you need 30%. So you look over these items and don't really know what they are. And although you found motor oil, you don't know if it's compatible with your engine.