Turn 3.0:  "Shoots & Ladders" 

 

    Dimitrio's rope was at an end when he pulled himself close to the door once
again.  The soft collide with the metal walls reminded him of his almost naked
state.  He unattached himself from the opening and floated back to his bunk where
his bundled belongings hung in midair.  Dimitrio firmly spoke back to 'Dig',
"Well, wherever you go, wait for me.  Let me put on some gear."  He chuckled
again, "I'll be quicker than the rest can probably straighten themselves out." 

    The man was indeed quick about it.  A soft jumpsuit covered his scrawny limbs
while a somewhat sturdier jacket went on top of it.  Dimitrio again put on his
utility harness, his belt and toolkit.  His hands went into the bundle one more
time and in another instant his computer gauntlet was clipped onto his harness
and soft-soled rubber boots covered his feet.  A long, slim dagger was slipped
into his right boot while he smiled back at the 'security officers', "I know
we're not supposed to have weapons here and I don't have my pistol but my
stiletto is just part of my boots."

    A much better looking Dimitrio, head of 2nd shift of engineering, floated
back towards the hall; his flashlight in his hand still turned off for good
measure.  "I think I should go to try and fix the power outage.  If you think
there may be danger, I would appreciate company." 

    Meanwhile, Alex had been listening to the conversation between 'Dig' and
Nola with some concern.  "Deal with what's in front of us?" he asked.  "I think
our first concern should be getting power and gravity back online.  Only a few
of us are used to zero-gee and we won't be able to move easily through the
station if we have to jimmy every doorway." 

    "Our second concern should be with the rest of the crew on the KRS.  Find
the command crew and check in with security; you know, let them know we're all
right."  He moved closer to the doorway before he paused.  "Which way to the
grav controls?" 

    No one answered him right away. 

    Nola listened to what had been said around her so far.  Putting her hands
on her hips she spoke with a certain level of authority, "Alex,  'Dig' and I
are the security!  'Dig', first things first, we need to restore gravity to
this place.  Security is armed but I don't want to be battling with anyone that
is used to this zero-g environment.  As for where we are going, there seems to
be no main power, so let's go down the service ladder there in the corner.  Get
off at Level 4 Engineering, and go to the Engineering Control Station.  If
Dimitrio can't fix up the problem then we'll sort things out from there.  Any
problems?" 

    Zach listened as everyone put their two cents in and then basically agreed
by saying, "Um, there are, um quite a few things that could be wrong and um,
perhaps we should team up." 

    "Ah, um, I could go with Dimitrio, and help him.  It seems we could help each
other.  Then um maybe Nola and Jake could ah make sure things are secure and the
Doc could go with them in case anyone's hurt.  Seeming how some eyes would be
nice in the dark Alex could come with Dimitrio and I.  It's just um, ah, a
thought." 

    'Dig' listened to the panel discussion on where to go, and said, "Well, OK,
I agree that getting gravity restored is best, but I sure don't like the prospect
of getting in a firefight without one of those zero-g adapted weapons.  In basic,
they put us through familiarization of fighting in zero-g and let me tell you,
it's harder than the ice of the 8th hell to hit anything unless you have one of
those weapons, and even then, it's no picnic.  Hah, they said we would eventually
get real zero-g training in our unit; looks like this is it:  OJT [on the job
training]," he remarks sarcastically. 

    "But before we venture out, I didn't see squat with these things."  He turned
the goggles off and put them back atop his head.  He also removed the flashlight
from his rifle, and then shined it down the hallway, keeping behind the doorway
the entire time, and holding the flashlight well above him, just in case shots
came ringing down the corridor toward the light.      No one opened fire, and
sensing that everything was clear, he said, "OK.  Grab your stuff, people."

    Dr. Lugwig turned around and with his tail swishing side to side and his head
twitching he looked and listened to the events unfolding in front of him.  With
all the weapons now floating around he checked in his backpack to make sure he
had his portable medical supplies. 

    With a dismayed look, Lugwig stammered,  "Oh C'kachek yessss.  I have made
grave error.  I mussst go back and retrieve ssome ssupplies firssst.  Pleassse
wait for me gentlemen -- er, fine peoplessss".  He eyed Nola as he uttered those
last words. 

    Lugwig then made for his bunk thinking to himself,  "I hope I find my vacuum
massk, video recorder, medical gauntlet, and medical ssuppliesss.  I will put
them in  my backpack yessss.  I wonder where I put that portable denissstry pack?
Once I am done at my bunk I will go where that big, ssstrong, musscular Mr.
Haldig goessss, he sseemss to like Lugwig yesssss". 

    Hearing Jake's suggestion and Lugwig's sudden realization that he had
forgotten something, Alex patted himself down, discovering that he too had left
most of his stuff in the small locker by his bunk.  Floating back towards his bed,
he keyed the thumbprint lock and proceeded to reload his clothes.  His wallet,
lighter, flashlight, and knife found their way into his various pockets as well.
The rest of his survival gear was stashed away in a personal locker by the flight
bay. 

    While everyone else waited, Zach moved up closer to Nola and tried to quietly
apologize to her for getting all tangled up in the zero-gravity.  He blushed,
although it couldn't be seen very well in the dark.  Even so, the tone of his
voice certainly showed it.  He cleared his throat and mumbled, "Ahhh... earlier...
ummm, that was graceful of me.  Sorry."  He could only hope Nola hadn't noticed
his 'physical reaction' to their earlier contact.  Although it was normal, Zach
wasn't very at ease with people yet, let alone beautiful women.  He felt like a 14
year old in basic life sciences class.  He awkwardly left the conversation hanging
and returned to his own bunk, picking up a few items of computer equipment just in
case they might be needed.

    Once everyone had regathered, Jake attempted to remember the layout of the
station and Nola's earlier suggestion.  He finally said, "You know, if we're going
down to check out engineering, we'd better take the ladder, rather than go down
the hall to try power lifts that don't work.  Dimitrio, why don't you crack open
the access panel to the ladder and then Nola, go ahead and lead this bunch down.
I'll keep this hallway covered.  I have a bad feeling about it."

    Nola looked a bit uncertain, then said, "Okay..." 

    She began to lead the others across the room, then paused to look back and say,
"Oh and...", pointedly looking at the knifes/stilettos that had been produced,
"'Dig' you're such a man, why don't you cover my back, too.  And if any one of them
draws their weapon...shoot him..."

    Looking back to the engineer she continued without missing a beat, "Okay then
Dimitrio, let's open up that access panel to the ladder."

    Dimitrio turned his thoughts inward, appearing for a moment as if he had taken
offense at Nola's suggestion that Jake shoot anyone that drew a weapon.  But in
actuality, he began to hold a conversation with his nanocomputer inside his head:
 
    "" 

    A soft whisper somewhere inside Dimitrio's head answered his question, "The
most likely place would have to be the Level Four Engineering Deck, just as your
friends have mentioned.  The failure is probably in either the control room or main
engineering.  Of course, the problem has to be bigger than that.  The auxiliary
power stations should have cut on by now.  Either they are unable to do so,
Dimitrio, or they've been instructed not to by someone in the control room.  Either
way, I'd suggest visiting that control room in order to see what's happened..." 

    Nodding his head, Dimitrio floated forward and popped the access panel leading
to the emergency shaft.  "Piece of cake," he said over his shoulder.  Nola nudged
him away from the opening and peeked inside.  Everything was pitch black.  No
emergency lights existed in the shaft yet.  Dimitrio switched on his flashlight and
held it out over the edge for her.  Inside the three meter-wide tunnel was a
lightweight ladder anchored to the wall. 

    "I'll go first," Nola told everyone, "Dimitrio, you come along behind me.  I
assume there'll be another access panel at the other end?"

    "Yep," Dimitrio confirmed, "But it shouldn't be any problem if it's as flimsy
as this one."

    One by one, the group began to pull themselves into the emergency shaft.
Flashlights were turned on to help everyone see, their beams of flourescent light
bouncing all around as the zero-gravity environment made everyone a little
unsteady. 

    Behind Nola and Dimitrio, came the rest of the group...first Alex, then Zach.
The computer technician somehow slipped up and got all twisted around, his head
pointed in the wrong direction.  "Your friend needs some help," a mechanical voice
spoke from Alex's shoulder harness, "He's been inverted 180 degrees, at nine
o'clock to your current position."  Alex tentatively reached out and grabbed
Zach's leg, hauling him back into position and setting him down onto the ladder.
"Just go slow and easy," Alex encouraged him, "Cal?  Let me know if he starts to
drift again." 

    Dr. Lugwig hesitated just outside the access hatch, looking back over his
shoulder toward Jake.  "Missster Haldig," he called, "You are coming, yesss?"

    'Dig' kept his attention focused back down the hallway, but slowly began to
back into the room, his rifle held before him.  So far nothing had shown itself
down the hall, but he still didn't feel right about it.  Sliding up next to the
T'sa doctor, he nodded and waved Lugwig toward the emergency shaft.  Just as the
marine started to follow, a flicker of movement down the hallway caught his
attention again.  He stopped moving and blinked, but whatever it was had left.  In
the distance he heard a soft whirring noise as if something mechanical might have
just turned the corner.  Shrugging, he slipped into the emergency shaft behind
Lugwig and pulled the access panel back into place.  There was no telling what was
out there, but there was no use in letting it find them either.

    The progress down the emergency shaft was an adventure in and of itself.  The
cramped quarters and zero-gravity disoriented almost everyone.  Those that had had
some zero-g training in the past dealt with the situation better.  Luckily, those
that didn't have the training were positioned next to someone that did, so mutual
cooperation finally brought everyone to the Level 4 Engineering access hatch.
Dimitrio floated past Nola and once again performed his 'magic', popping the panel
without even a whisper of noise.

    Once everyone had pulled themselves out of the shaft, they were standing in an
alcove just off the main hallway that circled the Engineering deck.  "The Control
Station is around to the left," Dimitrio informed everybody, pointing, "That way."

    "I thought I saw something upstairs," Jake whispered to Nola, "Nothing
definitive...just some movement...and a noise.  Something's awake out here besides
us.  Maybe I'd better go up front?  Just in case we run into something
dangerous..."

    Nola nodded and stepped back, letting the marine take over.  With Dimitrio by
his side, they began to drift around the corner, through a doorway and past a
couple of viewports.  The external view of the station looked perfectly normal.
No evidence of debris from any sort of explosion was floating off into space.
And the hallway on the Engineering deck looked as unattractive as ever.  The
exposed piping and wiring made it look bad enough that a bomb could have gone off
and it would've actually made things look better.

    Finally, everyone coasted to a stop just outside the door labeled "Engineering
Control Station - Authorized Personnel Only".  Dimitrio paused in front of the
security checkpoint and slid his access card into the reader.  A computerized
"beep" sounded and the door opened with a soft "clunk".

    'Dig' nudged the door open further with his rifle and shone his flashlight's
beam across the workstations inside.  They were all lit up, obviously still being
powered by something, but the lights were still out in the control room itself.
At a glance, Dimitrio could tell that the stations were certainly operable, but
there was no one apparently on-duty.

    A large plate-glass window separated the control stations from the main
engineering chamber, overlooking the floor.  Dim glow-lamps obviously surrounded
the mass reactor on the other side...and it was slowly pulsing with its own
internal power source, light rolling out of it in a lighthouse fashion, casting
shadows into the control room through the window.

    "Where'd everyone go, yesss?" Lugwig asked the obvious from behind everyone. 

    As if in answer to his question a shadow moved across the window, grotesquely
stretched by the harsh light behind it.  The figure was definitely that of a man,
though his features couldn't be clearly seen.  Whoever it was, they didn't bother
to look into the control room, but simply walked slowly across the distance and
disappeared past the window.  A split second after that, a shot was fired.  It
could be clearly heard...and definitely originated inside the main engineering
chamber...but no bullet struck the window or the control room. 

--------------------------------------
---------- Turn 03 Comments ----------
--------------------------------------

    1.  The party had a rather harrowing experience down the emergency shaft.  I
made a few rolls for everyone with regards to their Acrobatics-Zero-G Training, and
Dexterity feat checks for those without the skill.  Let's just say the ones that
didn't have the training, got all messed up.  But I had the others compensate for
you and help guide you down.  I don't think any of you would care to relive the
experience though.  :) 
    2.  You may consider yourself to have "most" of your gear available to you.
Again, I don't see you guys picking up everything in your pack, but anything that
would be reasonably portable, would make sense to me. 
    3.  Dimitrio had to use Technical Science-Juryrig in order to pop the acess
panels on both levels.  His last success was an Amazing skill check result.  "Piece
of cake" indeed.  :) 
    4.  To clarify, the room that you find yourselves in now, seems to have power
running to the workstations themselves, but nothing else seems to have power at all.
Lights are out.  So on and so forth.  Zach, you know that the stations in front of
you do have access to the station's main computer, but not the computer that
controls the communications satellites.  Due to all the work that remains to be
done on the station's computers, however, you cannot remotely control any of the
other stations from this point, though you can inquire on their status, should you
care to do so.  If anyone wants to manipulate the engineering controls, that can
definitely be done from here by using the Systems Operation-Engineering skill. 
    5.  Rich is back in town and has assured me that his autoresponder was set by
accident.  He would prefer that we continue to copy his work address,
RDavis@mailbox.une.edu, and not just his other address, sfang3@juno.com.  He'll
have more time to respond to things from work, than he will at home.  Given that,
go ahead and include his extra address once again in your mailing lists.  If
autoresponses begin happening again, Rich, I'll have everyone remove it again and
we won't be sending anything else to that address.  Understood?  Thanks. 
    6.  Questions?  Concerns?  Actions?

-- Neil

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