001: Unexpected Beginnings

[ateno]

Roscoe takes the credits curiously. "I do not require tipping, sir. Also, this seems a rather large tip for such a small service. Even so, I am unsure what I would use it for."

He then frowned. "On reflection, I think it might be inappropriate for me to accept this. I am an employee of the guild, and it is my duty to serve. Please, take it back." He proffers the credits back to you.

"Rosco its called a memory tip, its a old habit, you go to a open bar, like a wedding and give the hard working barber a large tip for the first drink, like 25 credits, the next time you want a drink and are in line, the bartender will make your drink when he sees you and calls you forward and you don't have to tip again.

So I am at a quandry, your a employee and not paid and you serve. It is appropriate, in my culture to show appreciation to those who server you, no matter how well paid.

Also I was curious of your reaction."

Arkar will hesitate in taking back the money, but eventually will if needed.

Arkar

[ravenspoe]

First of all, you note that the ship has two Core/110 computer systems. They are tech level 16 and are the largest and most advanced systems you've ever seen. One would be overkill for most ships. They are running in tandem rather than one being primary and the other a reserve. The combined bandwidth is 220+10. The latter is reserved for jump control, leaving 220 for everything else. There is a lot of bandwidth left over as running everything all at once caps out at a grand total bandwidth of 165, including the 10 reserved for the jump program. That leaved 65 bandwidth perpetually free.

That's a lot of processing power going to waste, especially since there will rarely--if ever--be call to run everything at once. Frankly, the computers most often will only be running a few programs with measurable bandwidth: Anti-Hijack/3, Roscoe's Conscious Intelligence/3, and Virtual Crew/2. Together, they will consume a mere 35 bandwidth, leaving 185 sitting idle, since 10 is always reserved for the jump program. That is an inconceivable waste of money but leaves you with a bunch of processing power at your beck and call.

Walter, still keeping to the back of the line, follows the group to the ship and listens to the spiel. He seems to be less interested in Roscoe and more interested in the ship specs. Walter is trying to stick next to Spicoli, a fellow skeptic; at least if things come down to it, he will have someone else who is not giddy over this glorified cruise ship. Walter looks to Metz, "This is nice for a pleasure yacht, bartenders, major domos, the whole nine yards. If we were to hold a deep space party, this is where I would want to be." Walter adjusts his belt, looks to the ground and then to continues to grill Metz. "So this thing can make a great martini, I'm sure, but what sort of firepower does thing have? Turrets? Canons? Rail Guns?" "If we are going after bounties, which I assume is why we all dropped our lives to be here, we need to have the ability to take down ships, not give them massages and little fish eggs and crackers." Walter takes off his trenchcoat, reveling a thin layer of armor. "I guess the next question is, where is my stateroom?" Walter gives his usual half-smile and looks impatient.

[terrymixon]

Roscoe takes the credits curiously. "I do not require tipping, sir. Also, this seems a rather large tip for such a small service. Even so, I am unsure what I would use it for."

He then frowned. "On reflection, I think it might be inappropriate for me to accept this. I am an employee of the guild, and it is my duty to serve. Please, take it back." He proffers the credits back to you.

"Rosco its called a memory tip, its a old habit, you go to a open bar, like a wedding and give the hard working barber a large tip for the first drink, like 25 credits, the next time you want a drink and are in line, the bartender will make your drink when he sees you and calls you forward and you don't have to tip again.

So I am at a quandry, your a employee and not paid and you serve. It is appropriate, in my culture to show appreciation to those who server you, no matter how well paid.

Also I was curious of your reaction."

Roscoe looks torn but bows his head. "Then I thank you. Feel free to come to the head of any serving line for the next week." He looks at the credits with a befuddled expression, and then slips them into his jacket pocket.

[terrymixon]

First of all, you note that the ship has two Core/110 computer systems. They are tech level 16 and are the largest and most advanced systems you've ever seen. One would be overkill for most ships. They are running in tandem rather than one being primary and the other a reserve. The combined bandwidth is 220+10. The latter is reserved for jump control, leaving 220 for everything else. There is a lot of bandwidth left over as running everything all at once caps out at a grand total bandwidth of 165, including the 10 reserved for the jump program. That leaved 65 bandwidth perpetually free.

That's a lot of processing power going to waste, especially since there will rarely--if ever--be call to run everything at once. Frankly, the computers most often will only be running a few programs with measurable bandwidth: Anti-Hijack/3, Roscoe's Conscious Intelligence/3, and Virtual Crew/2. Together, they will consume a mere 35 bandwidth, leaving 185 sitting idle, since 10 is always reserved for the jump program. That is an inconceivable waste of money but leaves you with a bunch of processing power at your beck and call.

Walter, still keeping to the back of the line, follows the group to the ship and listens to the spiel. He seems to be less interested in Roscoe and more interested in the ship specs. Walter is trying to stick next to Spicoli, a fellow skeptic; at least if things come down to it, he will have someone else who is not giddy over this glorified cruise ship. Walter looks to Metz, "This is nice for a pleasure yacht, bartenders, major domos, the whole nine yards. If we were to hold a deep space party, this is where I would want to be." Walter adjusts his belt, looks to the ground and then to continues to grill Metz. "So this thing can make a great martini, I'm sure, but what sort of firepower does thing have? Turrets? Canons? Rail Guns?" "If we are going after bounties, which I assume is why we all dropped our lives to be here, we need to have the ability to take down ships, not give them massages and little fish eggs and crackers." Walter takes off his trenchcoat, reveling a thin layer of armor. "I guess the next question is, where is my stateroom?" Walter gives his usual half-smile and looks impatient.

Metz smiled. "How do particle beams, fusion guns, and missiles sound? The ship comes with four triple turrets, one of each and a trio of sandcasters thrown in for good measure. The missiles are all advanced and I'm told they pack a bigger punch than normal ones and are half again faster. In addition, Mad Dog purchased some jumpbreaker missiles. I'd never heard of them, and they are ridiculously expensive, but one will supposedly be able to render a ship unable to jump for a period of time. The ship has a boarding tube that links to target ships via gravitic control rods, too, so you can take the ships over.

"As far as the staterooms, they are all identical. There are two forward and two to port that have not been spoken for. Tell everyone which one you want, and it is yours."

In other words, #1 or #2 on the port side or #1 or #2 forward. #3 port is Arkar's and #4 port is Lucius'. #3 forward is a crime scene and will become Jaelah's. Tell me yours and I'll put your name on the deckplans.

[helvorn]

At the table

"Well everyone what do you think of the situation, i'm waiting for the micrometeor."

Arkar

William continues to take it all in. "Roscoe, could I get a whiskey neat. Single malt if you have it." He nods to Arkar. "I would say I'm more waiting for the planet killer and the micro meteor. I think that our fairy godmother has been working overtime. It seems like this is no bullshit from what I've seen on the tour. I do want to see an inventory of the ships locker if you can Roscoe." At the mention of weapons William nods. "Roscoe I will take the number one port state room."

"Oh, and Roscoe where did Treegarden say she had visited and do you retain anything that might contain her DNA?"

[terrymixon]

At the table

"Well everyone what do you think of the situation, i'm waiting for the micrometeor."

Arkar

William continues to take it all in. "Roscoe, could I get a whiskey neat. Single malt if you have it." He nods to Arkar. "I would say I'm more waiting for the planet killer and the micro meteor. I think that our fairy godmother has been working overtime. It seems like this is no bullshit from what I've seen on the tour. I do want to see an inventory of the ships locker if you can Roscoe." At the mention of weapons William nods. "Roscoe I will take the number one port state room."

"Oh, and Roscoe where did Treegarden say she had visited and do you retain anything that might contain her DNA?"

“Coming up, sir. The ship’s locker is empty. Mad Dog intended to consult with you before buying anything. The armory is also empty. The only supplies that have been purchased are the contents of the gourmet kitchen and the wet bar. Everything else needs addressing. And the #1 port cabin is yours, sir.

“I did not retain anything with her DNA. As for locations we spoke of, Mora was mentioned, as were half a dozen smaller worlds scattered across the escort. I can provide a list if that would be helpful, but there seemed to be no pattern to them.”

The whiskey is delivered shortly and is very good. Better than the one you had in the conference room.

[helvorn]

“I did not retain anything with her DNA. As for locations we spoke of, Mora was mentioned, as were half a dozen smaller worlds scattered across the escort. I can provide a list if that would be helpful, but there seemed to be no pattern to them.”[/dialog]

The whiskey is delivered shortly and is very good. Better than the one you had in the conference room.

Silencer nodded at the taste of the whiskey. "Now that is some good stuff. We are going to have to work pretty hard to pay for this kind of swag. Let's see the list of worlds Roscoe. There may be no pattern or she may have been dissembling but it can't hurt to know."

probably no need to obsess over the world list but at least we will have it in the background

[terrymixon]

“I did not retain anything with her DNA.”

"Actually, I may be incorrect. I did not retain anything from the meeting that would have her DNA, but she delivered a sealed packet that I put in the safe. While the exterior of the package was scanned, the interior was not. That may contain her DNA."

[terrymixon]

Silencer nodded at the taste of the whiskey. "Now that is some good stuff. We are going to have to work pretty hard to pay for this kind of swag. Let's see the list of worlds Roscoe. There may be no pattern or she may have been dissembling but it can't hurt to know."

The world list is: Mora, Regina, Rethe, 899-076, Risek, Jae Tellona, and Quiru.

[terrymixon]

I remembered something last night that changes things a little for you guys. I had forgotten that starports use the Imperial law level of 1 rather than the world it is on or the system it is in. That means you do have your weapons and armor. My bad. Feel free to strap up and strut the concourse in your combat armor. I hear the Boba Fett look is in right now.

[Tiglath]

In other words, #1 or #2 on the port side or #1 or #2 forward. #3 port is Arkar's and #4 port is Lucius'. #3 forward is a crime scene and will become Jaelah's. Tell me yours and I'll put your name on the deckplans.

#2 Port (last one left on that side) for Garvin please.

Or any other if that's taken.

[terrymixon]

In other words, #1 or #2 on the port side or #1 or #2 forward. #3 port is Arkar's and #4 port is Lucius'. #3 forward is a crime scene and will become Jaelah's. Tell me yours and I'll put your name on the deckplans.

#2 Port (last one left on that side) for Garvin please.

Or any other if that's taken.

It's yours. Walter and Spicoli can wrestle over the last two forward.

[ateno]

Arkar arranges for his equipment and luggage to be brought on the ship.

"So we are going to investigate Mad Dogs death, how do you want to split it up? We need his comp, investigate his stateroom, check in on the bar, get a look at that body for clues, get the police report and look into the police files in regard to the murder."

Arkar looks around the others, knowing what he just suggested is illegal.

"His local contacts, old friends, ex-spouses, etc. We might want to hire some helpers and muscle."\

Did I miss anything?"

Arkar

[Tiglath]

"Oh, and Roscoe where did Treegarden say she had visited and do you retain anything that might contain her DNA?"[/dialog]

Garvin chimes in with "That card she 'anded over may have recoverable contact/trace evidence on it - maybe a print or DNA". He adds "She was pretty careful about leaving her dabs but I think that means she hadn't "gloved" her finger tips to avoid leaving traces - so we might lift something from her card. Not sure quite 'ow useful it might be but I'll bet if you drop it into an Imperial database all sorts of alarms would go off". He smiles seemingly amused by the idea.

As far as overtly visible arms and armour goes Garvin appears to be mostly unarmed in his civilian attire. The only oddity is a pair of knives briefly seen in echeloned sheathes stitched inside his jacket.

"His local contacts, old friends, ex-spouses, etc. We might want to hire some helpers and muscle."\

Did I miss anything?"

Garvin seems entirely comfortable with illegality and adds "The investigation of the crime scene was botched, possibly deliberately, but we could ask about to find punters who were in the boozer when it all kicked off - they're still going to drink locally. We might be able to buy ourselves a witness or maybe some new leads".

He looks over to Jaelah "Detective Shugilamar are we on the right track?"

[ateno]

Garvin seems entirely comfortable with illegality and adds "The investigation of the crime scene was botched, possibly deliberately, but we could ask about to find punters who were in the boozer when it all kicked off - they're still going to drink locally. We might be able to buy ourselves a witness or maybe some new leads".

He looks over to Jaelah "Detective Shugilamar are we on the right track?"

Arkar looks at Garvin and winks.

Arkar

[ravenspoe]

Metz smiled. "How do particle beams, fusion guns, and missiles sound? The ship comes with four triple turrets, one of each and a trio of sandcasters thrown in for good measure. The missiles are all advanced and I'm told they pack a bigger punch than normal ones and are half again faster. In addition, Mad Dog purchased some jumpbreaker missiles. I'd never heard of them, and they are ridiculously expensive, but one will supposedly be able to render a ship unable to jump for a period of time. The ship has a boarding tube that links to target ships via gravitic control rods, too, so you can take the ships over.

Walter smiles wide, probably the first smile the others have seen from him in the past hour. Walter's smile can be unnerving. It is a cross between a hungry wolf and Wilde E. Coyote, goofy but knowing this is the smile of a killer. "You are reigning my confidence, Metz!" Walter drapes his coat over his arm, looking more relaxed. "I have only read about jump-busters in some of the merc magazines. This should be fun!"

"As far as the staterooms, they are all identical. There are two forward and two to port that have not been spoken for. Tell everyone which one you want, and it is yours."

"Hey. Rosco, have a bottle of 21-year scotch sent to my ship-forward stateroom, please and thank you." Walter starts whistling some archaic tune as he makes his way forward to pick his stateroom.

[terrymixon]

Apologies for the very long infodump, but this is all information you need to know and doing it piecemeal was a recipe for missing something. Which, I have probably done in this post. Roscoe remembers all, but I am human. If something is missed, that's on me. This information is now on the ship page with the deck plans for easier reference. Grab some coffee and sit back because here we go!

After everyone has gotten food and drink, Roscoe will excuse himself for a few minutes and head toward the front of the ship. While he is gone, everyone can hear something mechanical in the cargo bay.

If anyone goes to check, they will see that the central panel in the ceiling of the cargo bay is now open, and a crane is extending out of the ship into the landing bay. They can’t see what it’s doing, but the timing suggests that Roscoe is in the process of using it.

After a couple of minutes, the crane pulls a small net over the cargo bay. It contains your luggage. The net is lowered to the deck and the panel in the ceiling slides back into place, locking with a solid "thunk". Roscoe comes back from the airlock and begins removing the luggage you brought from the netting, which he then puts away.

“When everyone is ready, your luggage has been delivered, and I can place it in your quarters,” he said as soon as he returned to the common area.

That means Walter and Spicoli need to pick which cabin is theirs. If you go to the deck plans and hit control F5, it will show you which cabins have already been taken.

He continued to serve everyone back in the common area until they had everything they needed and then took a few moments to put everything away inside the kitchen before coming to stand near you with his hands behind his back.

“There has been a series of haphazard partial descriptions of the ship, and I believe that it might be beneficial if I go over everything in one sitting. My apologies as this may take some time but it will answer many of your questions and let you know what you have to work with.

“I believe the appropriate place to start is with the ship’s capabilities. She is capable of Jump-2 and Thrust-5 performance and can operate for four weeks in addition to that. In addition, there is a collapsible fuel tank in the cargo bay that can support an additional Jump-2 and another four weeks of operation. When the fuel tank in the cargo bay is filled, it will take up roughly 2/3 of the available space but allow the ship to reach worlds four parsecs away from her starting point. The ship has fuel scoops and fuel processors capable of handling the seventy-nine tons of fuel for the tanks in a day. That would mean filling the fuel tank in the cargo bay would take an additional day.

“The next thing to touch on is the ship’s hull. I understand that that’s not typically something of concern as it’s just metal, correct? In this case, the changes to the hull are, in some ways, the most extensive work done on this vessel. The ship originally had crystaliron armor with a rating of five. Mad Dog decided that it would be best to upgrade that to molecular bonded armor with the same rating. That gave him extra internal space to work with. It also meant that the entire hull had to be stripped off, which I am told infuriated the Navy commander.

“In addition, the improved stealth capabilities of the hull were upgraded to advanced stealth. This makes the Lost & Found roughly 3 times more difficult to detect in normal space. Also, he added holographic capability so that the ship’s paint scheme could be changed on a whim. I believe he intended to use it for advertising because he showed me something he paid to have a designer create for him. It was… garish.

“The final thing done to the hull was that it was reinforced while they were working on it. At the end of the day, the hull itself cost roughly half a billion credits, making it the most expensive portion of the refurbishment and almost half the cost of the ship itself.”

He paused for a moment to gauge everyone’s reactions before continuing. “I briefly touched on the ship’s capabilities when it came to the jump and maneuver drives, but there are some aspects of them that I believe deserve a bit more attention. I shall start with the jump drive. It was designed to use less fuel but at the same time be able to jump out of a system about ten percent sooner than other vessels, giving it the capability of a quick escape.

“Also, it utilizes a technology for stealth jumping. As everyone knows, upon emergence from jump space, there is a burst of energy that is easily detectable. That is not the case with this ship. There is still a release of energy, but it is significantly less intense and can often be missed by even diligent observers. This vessel was originally designed as a smuggler, so she was meant to be unseen. That effect has been improved. She was also made to outrun whatever trouble she could and fight anything that caught her.

“The maneuver drive is relatively standard but engineered to be significantly smaller than comparable units. This once again gave more space inside the ship for the remodeling efforts. The power plants are something of an unknown quantity. They are very small as well but utilize many standard Imperial parts. Doctor Metz believes—and I concur—that it was the creation of someone quite gifted in engineering. It was retained from the previous iteration of this vessel, where the other drives are brand-new. This means the ship generates an incredible amount of power, and it was utilized to the fullest to make the holographic projectors on the hull function, whereas before, it was mostly going to waste. Our best guess is that the power plant is tech level 18.”

He once again paused to allow comments or questions before continuing. “Moving on to the bridge. Mad Dog decided that since I was controlling all the ship’s functions that it could be cut in half to create an office and briefing room. If the crew were biological, that would hamper their ability to do their jobs, but it is no inconvenience to me. The controls are holographic rather than standard, and if anyone needs to utilize them, they are quite good.

“The office contains a safe that has all the ship’s paperwork. I am unfamiliar with the contents as Mad Dog did not feel the need to share that information with me, as was his right. I am confident that it contains information on the guild’s banking as well as its setup paperwork. As mentioned previously, it also contains a packet delivered by Madam Treegarden, for which I do not know the contents.

“The briefing room is quite comfortable and has the necessary technology to display data and maps on wall screens. There is also a small refrigeration unit with refreshments and some snacks. I’m personally unfamiliar with how briefings go but I’m told that exceeds the basic requirements.

“The original Computer/20 was removed and replaced by two Core/110 computer systems. That is vastly more processing power than this vessel requires, even with my program and numerous advanced shipboard programs installed. Both of them have been re-engineered to work in tandem and for programs to be cross-loaded and data shared between the two, thus increasing their effectiveness. Those computers and the modifications made to them cost almost 400 million credits. The hull and computers make up over three-quarters of the cost of this vessel. They are loaded with the following software: an extremely extensive library, Advanced Fire Control/3, Anti-Hijack/3, Auto Repair/2, my Conscious Intelligence/3 program, Evade/3, Intellect—which is wholly unneeded with me running the show, Jump Control/2, Maneuver/0, Virtual Crew/2, Virtual Gunner/2, Jump Filter, and Jump Analyzer/4.”

He once again pauses for any responses before continuing. “The sensors aboard the ship were originally Class III military grade. They have been upgraded to Class VI superior. The original systems had the following systems: jammers, lidar, and radar. The upgraded sensors have the following systems: densitometer, jammers, lidar, neural activity sensors, and radar. As you can tell, they are significantly more capable now.

“Additionally, there are a couple of programs loaded into the computers that can utilize these advanced sensors to triangulate where a ship has jumped to if we are in range to detect the jump. That should be very helpful if someone attempts to flee. Furthermore, the ship has a dedicated countermeasures suite to interfere with anyone attempting to fire on us and enhanced signal processing that makes our sensors even more capable. All of that added together makes this ship quite capable when it comes to detecting things and keeping others from detecting us or being able to hit us with their weapons.

“And that brings us to our weapons. The Lost & Found is equipped with four triple turrets. One is made up of particle beams, another contains fusion guns, the third fires missiles, and the fourth deploys sand canisters. For those who might be worried that the ship isn’t capable of defending herself, allow me to assure you that she is. Additionally, the ship has a magazine with additional missiles and sand canisters. Two dozen of the former and forty of the latter. In total, the ship has thirty-six missiles and sixty sand canisters aboard. Twelve missiles and twenty sand canisters are in the turrets, and the remainder are in the magazine. They can be reloaded by the ship’s repair drones, which are under my control.

“Twenty-four of the missiles are advanced missiles that are fifty percent faster than standard missiles and twenty-five percent more destructive. The remaining twelve are jumpbuster missiles that cause gravitic instability around a target vessel and makes it significantly more dangerous for them to attempt to jump after they are hit. The amount of time that is true is somewhat limited but might give you the opportunity to capture a ship before it can escape. These missiles are quite expensive, costing a million credits for a dozen. Make sure to use them only when your bounty is worth that kind of expense. The current loadout has eight advanced missiles and four jumpbusters loaded in the turret.

“I mentioned repair drones earlier, so I should cover that aspect before I continue. The ship is equipped with two StarTek engineering robots—named Frick and Frack by Mad Dog—that handle the engineering section and all necessary maintenance and repairs with the assistance of eight medium repair drones that had been upgraded to Standard Engineer Droids. As any one of those ten units could act as an engineer, that is overkill. Even so, the ship also has twelve small repair drones and another twelve very small repair drones. All of this taken together, there will be no difficulty repairing anything aboard the Lost & Found.”

Once again, he paused for commentary and to refill drinks as required.

As soon as that is completed, he continues. “The ship has a breaching tube with gravitic control rods to attach to another ship’s hull and cut its way in. This will allow you to board other vessels wherever you choose. The breaching tube compartment is directly adjacent to the ship’s armory, which makes getting prepared for such an operation more straightforward. The armory itself is designed to hold weapons, armor, and all the accouterments for seven Marines, so it should be sufficient for seven bounty hunters. Or rather, six bounty hunters and a scientist. Additionally, the ship is equipped with a tow cable if you need to move a vessel.

“Both the breaching tube compartment and the ship’s single airlock are booby-trapped. If someone unauthorized attempts to board the vessel, they can be hit with lasers, ignited with a flamethrower, taken down by overpressure that would crush them, or dealt with more humanely with knockout gas. I believe the original system had nerve gas, but Mad Dog decided a nonlethal option would be preferable.

“The ship’s locker is directly attached to the airlock and also contains a safe, though it is empty at this time. The ship’s locker and armory have not been stocked, as Mad Dog wished to discuss all the options with you before making any purchases.

“The quarters you are moving into are high staterooms, so you have more room to move around than would otherwise be the case, and the finish to the trimmings inside the room are also of high quality: polished woods, burnished metals, and leather where appropriate. I am told the beds are also quite comfortable and adjustable to suit your needs with a thread count that isn't to be believed.

“The ship is equipped with a luxury-grade advanced entertainment system. That includes computer terminals and holo projectors in your rooms that are capable of playing the most advanced games in the Third Imperium, as well as a wide selection of entertainment videos stored in the library. Whatever you’re looking for to distract yourself with while in jump space, these systems and the terminals in your quarters are more than capable of meeting your needs.

“You’ve already sampled the wares in the gourmet kitchen and expansive wet bar. Mad Dog told me to ‘go nuts’ when filling it with supplies. I hope that the selection and quality are to your satisfaction.

“The medical bay is capable of handling three patients at once and includes an advanced autodoc. This unit can do everything that the basic model can but can also perform many greater functions. For example, if someone is killed but placed inside the autodoc quickly enough, it may be able to revive him or her. If not, it is capable of preserving that person for a later attempt at a more advanced facility by flash-freezing them. It is also capable of acting as a low berth. This device is able to reconstruct or rebuild every organ in your body except for the brain and can even repair certain portions of that. If it is broken inside you, the odds are that a short stay in the autodoc will put you back to rights even if you have lost limbs, eyes, or other portions of your anatomy. It is also capable of diagnosing and treating novel illnesses and diseases. It is an extremely capable unit.”

He once again paused for any responses.

“The Lost & Found is equipped with a brig that is capable of holding six prisoners under normal circumstances and a full dozen if crowded. The door to the brig is an iris door and the whole space is fully soundproofed to keep them from disturbing you, though there are cameras and microphones that monitor the prisoners at all times. There is a fresher unit so they can see to their cleanliness, and food and water are delivered through a small chamber that only allows either the exterior door or the interior door to be open at one time. Mad Dog indicated that he would feed the prisoners ration bars and give them bottled water. There are stunners in the ceiling that can subdue anyone desired, or all of them at need. Each is armored so that the prisoners will be unable to damage or acquire the weapons.

“We have eight low berths. Each is an advanced model that can flash freeze someone if needed or put them into a standard state for transport as well. I believe Mad Dog intended to use the low berths to transport prisoners once it was time to claim their bounties.

“In the cargo bay, there is a semi-portable robotics laboratory with an advanced fabrication unit and robotic brain, and an avatar chair. Doctor Metz convinced Mad Dog to purchase this for use in developing and building robotic appliances for the guild and as an incentive for him to relocate to the ship and continue his research. It is owned by the guild, but Mad Dog made it clear that Doctor Metz was to have use of it so long as it was also used to benefit the guild.

“It is capable of constructing a size 6 robot. That is the size of a fully-grown bovine. Due to the advanced modifications made by Doctor Metz, it is a tech level 17 device and can build anything of a mechanical or biomechanical nature. Cyborgs, anyone? It could even be used over a period of time and with sufficient resources to clone itself. It has been modified to include a bunk, fresher, and small kitchen area in case the good doctor is too busy to come back to his quarters. The advanced brain that controls everything under the direction of Doctor Metz has the following software available for its use: Clone Creator/3, Drone Control/2, Fab Creator/4, and Swarm Control/4.

“Its presence reduces the cargo bay capacity, and in conjunction with the collapsible fuel tank in its smallest configuration, the two Type C cargo loaders, and the crane from moving cargo, the ship is capable of carrying one hundred and eighteen tons of cargo. With the collapsable fuel tank full, it can hold thirty-nine tons of cargo. While Mad Dog never specifically mentioned cargo, I can load the necessary skills to act as a broker, and speculative cargo might very well be a way to make ends meet.”

He looked over the group again. “We have a number of mechanicals aboard to see to your needs. Allow me to run down the list for you. First of all, there is myself. I intend to handle all personal interactions where possible, but if I am unavailable, there are other options.

“As previously mentioned, there are two StarTek engineering robots, eight standard engineering robots, twelve small repair drones, twelve very small repair drones, six Skitter units to keep the ship clean, a surgeon bot, a nurse bot, a BDVSR bartender robot, a steward droid, two Type C cargo loaders, and a prototype ceiling cat named Void. All of these can be controlled by me with the exception of Void. Also, all of them come with every option available. All the systems on the ship are the same. No expense—quite literally—was spared.”

While traveling through the ship, you’ve seen all the droids and robots in the various places where they recharge and wait. The skitter units are only fist-sized and can go across the floor, walls, and even the ceiling to clean. No one has seen a cat, but to be fair, you weren't looking up.

“Mad Dog indicated that I was not to clean his quarters and that he would take care of that himself. Doctor Metz allows me to clean his. I will do the same for each of you should you desire it. This would allow for the cleaning of your clothes and for them to be hung back up and be ready for your use. As demonstrated by Doctor Metz’s cabin, I can leave your belongings where you prefer them to be and not move things so that you cannot find them. This is a convenience to you, and I urge you to take advantage of the service.

“The final piece of technology is a built-in psionic shield that covers the entire ship. It was on the vessel when Mad Dog took possession. I am given to understand that it is not a complete barrier for the use of psionics, but that it makes telepathy and any type of distance perceiving significantly more difficult.”

He brought his arms to his front and clasped his hands across his stomach. “That concludes the briefing about the ship. I suppose I should take a moment to stress to you which systems are above tech level 15, which might raise eyebrows: the psionic shielding, the molecular bonded armor, the Class VI sensors, the powerplant, the two Core/110 computers, my Conscious Intelligence Program, my modified superior android body, the robotics laboratory, and Void.

“Of those, all are tech level 16 except for my program, the powerplant, my android body, the robotics laboratory, and Void. While tech level 16 items will raise eyebrows, that latter things will be unheard of. I advise you all to be extremely cautious in allowing knowledge of any of this to become known. As powerful as this ship is, it would also become a prime target for hijacking and piracy.

“I realize that is a lot of information, but if you never heard it or it was in bits and bobs, you might not grasp the entirety of what you now possess. Are there any questions? I can expand on everything as needed.”

As I said at the beginning of this novel, I may have forgotten something. If so, I'll mention it when I realize the omission. Don't blame Roscoe.

I also once again apologize for the length. This took me all morning to write and proof, but it needed to be out there. Hopefully, this is the last long post I need to do. Whew. Time for lunch.

[terrymixon]

Metz smiled. "How do particle beams, fusion guns, and missiles sound? The ship comes with four triple turrets, one of each and a trio of sandcasters thrown in for good measure. The missiles are all advanced and I'm told they pack a bigger punch than normal ones and are half again faster. In addition, Mad Dog purchased some jumpbreaker missiles. I'd never heard of them, and they are ridiculously expensive, but one will supposedly be able to render a ship unable to jump for a period of time. The ship has a boarding tube that links to target ships via gravitic control rods, too, so you can take the ships over.

Walter smiles wide, probably the first smile the others have seen from him in the past hour. Walter's smile can be unnerving. It is a cross between a hungry wolf and Wilde E. Coyote, goofy but knowing this is the smile of a killer. "You are reigning my confidence, Metz!" Walter drapes his coat over his arm, looking more relaxed. "I have only read about jump-busters in some of the merc magazines. This should be fun!"

"As far as the staterooms, they are all identical. There are two forward and two to port that have not been spoken for. Tell everyone which one you want, and it is yours."

"Hey. Rosco, have a bottle of 21-year scotch sent to my ship-forward stateroom, please and thank you." Walter starts whistling some archaic tune as he makes his way forward to pick his stateroom.

"Of course, sir. Which room is yours?"

Forward #1 to the left or forward #2 in the center.

[ravenspoe]

"Of course, sir. Which room is yours?"

Walter mulls it over and tells Rosco, "Give me a minute," as he quickly dashes off toward the forward of the ship.

A few minutes later, Walter returns and pats Rosco on his back, "My good android, I will settle in at the center." "the room and location seem to be to my liking." Walter begins to walk away, quickly stops, and smiles at Rosco. "If you have peanuts, send those along too."

[terrymixon]

"Of course, sir. Which room is yours?"

Walter mulls it over and tells Rosco, "Give me a minute," as he quickly dashes off toward the forward of the ship.

A few minutes later, Walter returns and pats Rosco on his back, "My good android, I will settle in at the center." "the room and location seem to be to my liking." Walter begins to walk away, quickly stops, and smiles at Rosco. "If you have peanuts, send those along too."

“Of course, sir.”

That leaves the last cabin for Spicoli. Y’all’s luggage will be delivered and ready for you to put away at your convenience.