Action 1: Over the Rainbow

[Keehnelf]

As I noted, just the one unintelligible response.

[Amalric]

Nate Neyland, Security Chief, on the Bridge

September, MacGuffin-bearer, nosy parker

September: "Oh, of course. Yes, well, then, yes, please do pass on my request to the Navigator. I'm September, a passenger, but you know that, right? Otherwise I'd be crew and I'd be allowed on the Bridge, we've established that. So, yes, I'll be available in my cabin, which I should be getting back to before jumping, at the Navigator's leisure. Could... that is, if it's allowed, could I get the Navigator's name?"

"If I didn't before, then I know it now. Please do return to your cabin immediately, Sir, we are about to make our jump."

Nate gives no names, and waits for September to clear the area...before he clears him from the area.

[GreyWolfVT]

Carter Jacks wheels back to the comm. "Bridge this is Engineering. We have a child stow away in the Engineering bay. She does not appear to be capable of speech. At least nothing I can understand. Please send someone to help."

[Keehnelf]

Is the jump initiation on hold at this point?

[GreyWolfVT]

I won't do anything until the stow away is out from under the engines/machinery.

[Pulpatoon]

September, MacGuffin-bearer, Passenger.

September nods a hasty good-bye to what little of the crew he can see around Nate's torso, and leaves. He rushes back to the commons to see if the Captain is still there.

[GreyWolfVT]

Carter Jacks: Chief Engineer will radio the security officer if no reply from the bridge with the same message. "Security this is Engineering. We have a child stow away in the Engineering bay. She does not appear to be capable of speech. At least nothing I can understand. Please send someone to help."

[Keehnelf]

Olive Haro, First Officer, looks to Nate Neyland with an amused expression. "Looks like you're earning your pay from day one, eh? Good luck with that little girl--radio if you need backup."

Olive hops on the radio to engineering, "Are you in imminent danger, Mr. Jacks? Mr. Neyland is on his way."

[Baron]

"Hold Jump Countdown, Ms Haro," says Dars. "A stowaway, a passenger trying to get onto the bridge and gain access to navcomp. What next? By the book, this is a redflag situation. Keep a live channel open, Mr Neyland, and be certain you're armed."

[Keehnelf]

FYI - the captain was on the bridge, he just made the announcement about the tea party or mixer or what have you over the ship's PA system.

[DadsAngry]

Eugene - Navigator

Eugene quickly jumps up from his seat. "Excuse me Captain, but the chief engineer surely can handle the situation, it just a small child. A small child doesn't really require Mr. Neyland, does it? I am mean, what if that passenger comes back while he gone? What if he tries to ah…, get control of the ship while Mr. Neyland is gone? What if this is all a trick to get Mr. Neyland off the bridge?" The look of great concern is quite apparent on Eugene's face.

[Grognardsw]

Isaac C. Heinlein / commons

In response to Ike; "What was being an explorer like?"

"Well LZ I was in the Scouts for 12 years, so I had my fair share of travel. Most of it dull. But there were some adventures. Helped guard some political refugees on Trotsky-IV."

Ike takes a drink. "More interesting was a robot revolt on Asimov-IX. I almost got disintegrated in that one."

"Strangest was the dead planet Yuggoth. It wasn't quite as dead as we thought."

Ike hears the jump warning. "Well better get ready. Nice meeting you all. I'll see you around."

[Keehnelf]

Quick note: I've updated the "Setting" thread first post to include a deck plan of the ship. The astute observer will note that its profile looks a bit like a right whale in that the upper deck stands above the bridge proper along the front and creates a tallish "forehead" for the ship with a number of observation ports around the common area and forward stateroom.

Lodging on the upper deck is as follows, starting with the top stateroom and going counter-clockwise:

Johan Gendrich
September
Vinnie
Loraine Zane
Isaac Heinlein (who signed on as a passenger but has since been pushing the captain to become a full crew member and backup pilot)

Lodging in the crew quarters on the lower deck is as follows, from left to right:

Dars and Nate
Eugene and Carter
Olive and Samantha

[Keehnelf]

18 August, Charter Year (CY) 1109
---

Long minutes pass after the passengers have settled themselves into bunks or comfortable seating in the common area, and the tell-tale disorientation and compression of the jump fails to appear. Those who have done some interstellar traveling in the past feel vaguely uneasy,as though the delay is a sign of something gone wrong, and they struggle to wait patiently until there is some notice of what will happen next. Those with more experience take a somewhat more relaxed approach, recognizing that unexpected delays are a regular part of travel among the stars, and it's better to take an extra half-hour on a week-long jump than to risk something going wrong. The upper deck of the ship remains remarkably quiet.

[GreyWolfVT]

Olive Haro, First Officer, looks to Nate Neyland with an amused expression. "Looks like you're earning your pay from day one, eh? Good luck with that little girl--radio if you need backup."

Olive hops on the radio to engineering, "Are you in imminent danger, Mr. Jacks? Mr. Neyland is on his way."

Carter Jacks: Chief Engineer responds over the radio "Thank you. No I am not in danger more or less I am unable to get the child being that I am in a wheelchair. I am more concerned that the child will be harmed, since she wont get out from under the engines and machinery."

[Baron]

"Mr Suldanto," says Dars, "Your concern is commendable. But since our engineer's mobillity is somewhat restricted, he will require assistance. And there may be more stowaways. Mr Neyland's duty is clear. As for the bridge, I'm certain those of us present can handle things ourselves."

Turning again to Olive, he adds, "Please alert the passengers that there may be a short delay before we jump, but they are requested to remain secure for the moment. Reassure them that there is no danger."

[Keehnelf]

Olive heads out of the bridge and into the lift to update the passengers in person.

[DadsAngry]

Eugene - Navigator

Once Haro leave the bridge Eugene quietly leaves his station while the Captain is busy looking at an incoming report. Crouching, he stealthy approaches the pilot, Samantha. He speaks to her in a very soft tone as to not to be heard by the captain.

"Hi, Samantha is it?"

He looks down at her crew uniform jumpsuit that the captain had given to each of the crew when they first came on board. Each one personalized with each crew members names and their duty. There is also a space left vacant for the name of ship for when it's named. He double checks her name so he doesn't look the fool.

"Does it concern you that our chief engineer is bound to a wheelchair? What happens when we have an emergency in the engine room and he can't get to the problem fast enough of or at all? He can't even remove a small child from underneath the engine. What if there was a malfunction with the drive plate and he is unable to reach it. We will all be vaporized by a wave radiation. Now mind you I not knocking the expertise of our or chief engineer or our captain intelligence to choose his crew but think about it. What if?"

He waits there still crouching for Samantha's response.

[Keehnelf]

Nate Neyland works his way back through the cargo bay to engineering, ship-issued stun-sword* in hand. The door to the engine room slides open and he steps inside, wary and alert. Carter Jacks is waiting quietly inside, the only sound the gentle thrum of the powerful but idle maneuvering drives. Carter motions toward a gap between the jump drive and a protruding bulkhead that offers the most accessible entry point to the rearward areas of the compartment, barely large enough for a man of Nate's size to squeeze himself through. His tactical training tells him that if he goes through and the stowaway is armed and aggressive, there is a moment at least where he will be vulnerable to assault as he comes out behind the engine.


*A wonderful TL12 invention used by higher-end Republic police forces that swings like a sword for those trained in actual mortal combat but inflicts neural damage to incapacitate a target instead of killing them. Think half light saber and half taser.

[Amalric]

Nate Neyland, Security Chief, from Bridge to Engineering

"What the..?"

Nate could hardly believe what he was hearing - how the hell had some young girl got on the ship? There must have been foul play, someone going out of their way to be underhand. Nate did not like this - it made him look bad, incompetent, and Nate did not do incompetence. He nodded to the captain, Dars, as he left the bridge and headed for engineering at a run, hand on the hilt of his stun-sword.

He was soon there, and found Carter immediately.

"Where?"

When the chief engineer nodded in the direction of the stowaway Nate took a closer look. He could get himself in a lot of trouble here, but he needed to be quick - everyone was waiting on the ship to jump, and they would only get antsy.

"Ma'am? Can you hear me? You need to come out of there...the ship needs to make its jump, and we can't do that with you in here. Come with me, I'll find you a safe cabin."

If there is a response (he can understand), all good and well. If not (or if he cannot understand) then he'll make his way through - sword first. If that doesn't entice her out, he'll sheath the blade/put away the weapon to show he means no harm, and try speaking again. Failing all that, he'll try to drag her out by physical force.