Chapter Nine: Year 300, 6th Day

[BackworldTraveller]

The Bridge Roof/Bow

[cybersavant]

Reven Stillpahth taps the comm to the bridge again. "Captain, this might be rocky. Can you spare someone with engineering knowledge to assist me? And have you got a camera to check outside the passenger airlock yet? Specifically, past it, from up on the lip of the bay somewhere. I have a bad feeling."

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor

"Captain. I'm sure Tiberius is armed. I suggest he stay and watch our gaggle of guests. Send Arnwulf to help Reven, he has some engineering knowledge, I think. Nālani is friendly with that reporter, maybe we can get it outside and looking around." She pauses. "I don't like the sound of Reven's voice right now. Something's up."

She tries to engage the Queen again. "Queen! Why are the lights and grav out?"

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

Despite the obvious ironic suggestion of Tiberius to clear the hull of boarders, the former marine does at least feel justified in shooting anyone climbing on board with ill intent which he might not have facing protesting 'civilians' in the bay.

Is the nearest outside access point the airlock from the bridge? Grabbing his boarding axe, he will make to the airlock and activate the systems to go through.

[BackworldTraveller]

Noor

"Captain. I'm sure Tiberius is armed. I suggest he stay and watch our gaggle of guests. Send Arnwulf to help Reven, he has some engineering knowledge, I think. Nālani is friendly with that reporter, maybe we can get it outside and looking around." She pauses. "I don't like the sound of Reven's voice right now. Something's up."

She tries to engage the Queen again. "Queen! Why are the lights and grav out?"

The Bay's power has failed. That has cut the bay lights lights and bay gravity. Our lights were running on external power. I can activate internal gravity. I suggest we not restore these fully until the powerplant is running. Battery powered lights are now being activated. Should I start Life Support and gravity on minimal setting?

[BackworldTraveller]

Arnwulf

Despite the obvious ironic suggestion of Tiberius to clear the hull of boarders, the former marine does at least feel justified in shooting anyone climbing on board with ill intent which he might not have facing protesting 'civilians' in the bay.

Is the nearest outside access point the airlock from the bridge? Grabbing his boarding axe, he will make to the airlock and activate the systems to go through.

Ti8berius makes his way down to the Freezer Deck and the passenger airlock there Anyone with him?

[BackworldTraveller]

Indrani and Noor hear a soft thud from the roof of the bridge, followed by three more...and Noor can see a tangle of rope forming partly overlapping the top-most glass panel. In the dark, the pile seems to be appearing from nowhere - the only place they could have come from is the bay hatch...which is inching open.

---

Arnwulf and Zid are retracting the service connector and air-lock extension. The clunk of the connector detaching from the bay boarding gate reverberates through the ship. All that remains is to order the docking clamps to unlock and the ship can fly away - if the engine is running - without the engine, the ship will fall, topple and probably snap along the hull crack.

Nalani has now rushed into her Vacc Suit. It doesn't feel like two minutes have passed since the gravity went, but it has. No sign of Hoshiko - she must be in the hold.

Reven is alternating between watching, immobile, and frenzied configuring of controls for the next step of the start up. And still the start-up process stretches endlessly before him. The whirr of the tank pumps flushing the lines and the hiss as the flushed fuel is vented to the exterior. Heaters and cooling lines pinging as they get used for the first time since that last time.

Miya is ushering the two drivers into the nearest stateroom. Do you have emergency bubbles, or are we freeze-dried of they pop the locks? She doesn't look like she fancies the latter option. Assana, unsure of what to do retreats to Nalani's cabin.

Ulrika has stopped recording as she has run out of commentary, not really sure what is going on around her.

What are Tiberius, Pranit and Maggie up to?

[The Bindoner]

Nalani has now rushed into her Vacc Suit. It doesn't feel like two minutes have passed since the gravity went, but it has. No sign of Hoshiko - she must be in the hold.

Nālani emerges from her room.

Assana, unsure of what to do retreats to Nalani's cabin.

Stay in there unless one of us tells you to leave.

Ulrika, could you send your drone out to look for people on our hull? I do not trust any camera here, they have all been compromised.

Now, I am going to arm myself. My luggage is in the hold, yes?

She heads off as fast as is safe in the low light and gravity levels prevailing.

[joertexas]

The Bay's power has failed. That has cut the bay lights lights and bay gravity. Our lights were running on external power. I can activate internal gravity. I suggest we not restore these fully until the powerplant is running. Battery powered lights are now being activated. Should I start Life Support and gravity on minimal setting?

"Start life support at emergency level, and gravity at one-tenth gee, please."

[joertexas]

Indrani and Noor hear a soft thud from the roof of the bridge, followed by three more...and Noor can see a tangle of rope forming partly overlapping the top-most glass panel. In the dark, the pile seems to be appearing from nowhere - the only place they could have come from is the bay hatch...which is inching open.

Indrani keys the all-hands comm. "Intruders on the outer hull at the bridge. Four, possibly more. Manually lock all airlock doors!"

She looks at Noor. "Lock out the turret access. I'll get the sensors access. If they blow the bridge windows, we're dead." She releases her harness, and locks the access door behind her station with the emergency dogs.

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

Where am I? I was trying to get out the ship on to the hull by the quickest route which I thought was was via the bridge airlock. Or is that a typo and I am by the freezer one?

[BackworldTraveller]

Arnwulf

Where am I? I was trying to get out the ship on to the hull by the quickest route which I thought was was via the bridge airlock. Or is that a typo and I am by the freezer one?

Per floorplans there are 5 7 ways in/out (Unless you make your own)

• Deck 2: Crew Deck Airlock
• Deck 4: Passenger Airlock (i.e. the Freezer one)
• Deck 5: Vehicle Door and two drop-pod launchers (at a pinch)
• Deck 6: Two cargo doors.

[BackworldTraveller]

Indrani and Noor hear a soft thud from the roof of the bridge, followed by three more...and Noor can see a tangle of rope forming partly overlapping the top-most glass panel. In the dark, the pile seems to be appearing from nowhere - the only place they could have come from is the bay hatch...which is inching open.

Indrani keys the all-hands comm. "Intruders on the outer hull at the bridge. Four, possibly more. Manually lock all airlock doors!"

She looks at Noor. "Lock out the turret access. I'll get the sensors access. If they blow the bridge windows, we're dead." She releases her harness, and locks the access door behind her station with the emergency dogs.

As Noor checks the cuddy-hatches, it's clear that anyone trying to get in that way is going to have to have cut through the hull, will be severely cramped...and the doors will be then backed by internal air-pressure and locks.

Checking the sensors, the bay's cameras have all gone dead. Only those on the ship are still operating. Indrani may be a ship-tactician, but the military tactics being employed by this group appear to be lacking in precision. They seem to be having trouble coming down the ropes, one seems to have dropped their gun while climbing - and they are slow. The roof is still being cranked open slowly. If you had to guess, the power-cut wasn't in their plan.

Indrani can occasionally see the four ropes leading to the bow of the ship with their climbers. The crack between the doors is now just about 2m. There may be another set of ropes further over, but those are not back lit so they are much harder to see. There are a couple of figures occasionally peering in

Queen
The internal lights flicker back on and the air circulation fans flicker back into life. Gravity slowly increases to .1G.

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

Is the nearest outside access point the airlock from the bridge? Grabbing his boarding axe, he will make to the airlock and activate the systems to go through.

I will exit the ship via the crew airlock instead of going to any other floor.

[BackworldTraveller]

Arnwulf lets Zid re-enter the Crew Area (having retracted the connector) and then readies to go out. Zid gets out of the way as she has no Vacc Suit.

What's the plan - go alone? Pranit, Tiberius and Maggie are all on this deck. What do you plan to do when you get outside? It's a ladder-climb up beside the air-lock to get to the roof of the crew deck.

Nalani heads to the lift and starts down to the Cargo Hold.

[Stirling]

Tiberius O'Hare

In the crew commons. Very bemused by all the goings on. Crew members on hit lists, gun totting teenagers, police inspectors arriving without warrants to inspect the ship, gang members lolling about and a TV presenter 'going live' with a crackly broadcast. He thinks he should really swap his pinstripe suit for the delivery men's uniform and go meld with the crowd.

He would question the inspector regarding ongoing Saffa inquiries but the time is not appropriate just now. He takes the lift to the bridge.

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

Unless Maggie or Pranit commit to follow, he will cautiously climb up the ladder alone and recon the ship's hull for boarders, especially any intent in placing limpet bombs or cutting through sensors, windows and access points.

He gets to the roof and leans over the ladder with just shoulder and head on the roof, scanning for intruders through the scope of his rifle.

Arnwulf Recon check [2d6+1]=11+1=12

[ateno]

Pranit will call the Captain on the 1mc "Bridge, a civilian cop is on his way up. We are disconnected, I'm going with Arnwulf to the skin.

Turning to whos left. Everyone else, stay here, stay in touch with the bridge, we are trying to figure this out.

Pranit follows Arnwulf to the exit, Shotgun in his ready clip on his front.

"Maggie would you like to backup?"

Pranit starts his tactical video suite on record.

Arnwulf, I have a thrust pack on my suit, as we get on the skin, I will pop up and send you a feed, or land and tell you two if you cant receive.

[BackworldTraveller]

Zid smiles at Pranit.

Unless that's an order, I'll stay here. Those cabins are. at least, airtight! And I would like to chat to Ms Pinto.

[ateno]

At Zid:

If you recall, I asked all of you to get in the cabins available on this deck.