Play date: March 1, 2015
In-game date: December 31, EY218
Location: Providence system, McNeely station orbiting Limbaugh
Previous events: Start upgrades on the Hummingbird, meet the Dragons and someone from Jillian's past
It's late and although it's New Year's Eve feeling are mixed about celebrating given the recent events in Vishnu. After a revelatory day Jillian spends the night with Sheema. Volkova opts to stay on Diego Garcia to make sure that the Steel Hummingbird's upgrades are done in time. Malcolm decides to head off and find some company for the night.
Bishop opts to try to find someone who might be useful to him and his crew. They don't know many people on the station despite the time they've spent here, so he heads off to The Gunsight, a military bar in the Angoulem hub. He may not be part of the military nor look like he belongs but he manages to get past the door and into the raucous interior.
Inside, he soon strikes up a conversation with Lillian Martin, the pilot of the Cobra, a submarine in the Providence navy. Despite them being totally different people -- Bishop quickly picks up on her being a lesbian, if nothing else -- they strike up an unlikely friendship. He tells her that he's a crewmember of the Steel Hummingbird. When he finds out that the captain of the Cobra, Virgil Ferrell, is the brother of Eve Ferrell, the Crocodile's captain. The Crocodile being something of a bugaboo for the Hummingbird, Bishop works this angle and finds that the Crocodile has been used by Hoax several times in the past while, specifically by Inspector How. Bishop and Lillian don't see eye to eye on xenotech; while he's fascinated by it she sees studying it as mostly a waste of time, as after the initial discoveries of jump technology and space drives nothing's worked. His claims that Hoax has functional xenotech only gets a shrug from her. The two of them spend the countdown to New Year's together in the bar before he takes his leave in the early morning and heads back to the hotel.
January 1, EY219
It's a new year and hopefully it will be better than the last. Bishop sleeps in and even so is awake when a bleary-eyed Malcolm shows up, unwilling to talk about his night.
Later at breakfast in the dining room Jillian and Sheema show up together. Jillian has a happy glow to her, which seems terribly out of place, and Malcolm can't help but to grin. She's also wearing what seems to be Sheema's clothing: too short and too tight but Jillian doesn't seem to care. She and Sheema beam at each other throughout the meal.
Over their food they talk about their evenings in various degrees of detail. Bishop's account of meeting Lillian gets a mixed response -- a new ally would be useful but perhaps this is letting too much word about them get out.
Jillian announces that she'll be staying with Sheema and will get her things from Malcolm's suite after breakfast.
When Bishop heads to the buffet Jillian leans over to Malcolm and asks him about seeing a "real" doctor for her eye. It's not that she doesn't have faith in Bishop's ability but she can't deal with the centipede-like things he insists are necessary. Malcolm, like Sheema, doesn't know any doctor like that on McNeely - she hasn't been injured. Jillian will have to find her own doctor, but that shouldn't be too difficult.
The Resplendent Dragon's crew doesn't show up for breakfast so after they've had their fill the Hummingbirds go to find them to wish them a happy new year and see how they're doing. Olivia's in her room with Kasturi; both of them are looking a little ragged but not from partying. Jillian awkwardly introduces Sheema without much context. She and Olivia are friendly with each other but Olivia and Kasturi aren't in the mood for talk. Jillian has the brilliant idea of getting Bishop to travel to the Big Boom firing range in Nugent, back on Beck, to practice his skills with the ship's cannon so that he can properly use the new gun the Steel Hummingbird will sport. Olivia can train him if she's willing -- which she is -- and Malcolm decides to go along too so he can spend some time with Olivia. Best of all, as far as Jillian's concerned, this gives her the chance to see a more traditional doctor for her eye.
When they drop in on Neet and his mother they're likewise low on energy but otherwise ok. "Maji" instantly twigs to Jillian and Sheema's relationship and nods approvingly.
To Jillian's relief Xao's not in his room when they knock on the door.
There aren't any ships running to Beck on New Year's Day, so it's a quiet rest of the day.
January 2, EY219
As soon as Bishop, Malcolm, and Olivia are on the first ship off to Big Boom Jillian and Sheema go to find a proper doctor. With the wig, sunglasses, new clothing, and makeup applied by Sheema, Jillian's hardly even paranoid about the Black Rose spotting her. The doctor they find clucks her tongue at Jillian's state and thinks that Jillian's blind eye might have been saved with prompt treatment. Her other eye, though, can be healed with expensive eye drops, bandages soaked in medicines, and pills, none of which will wriggle even a bit. It's pricey but Jillian thinks it's worth it. She should be recovered by the middle of the month, but until then she'll be truly blind. That's fine with her; Sheema will be her eye.
Over the next week things progress nicely. On the 3rd Bishop gets a "ping" from Chig indicating that the Iof is in Walküren. Malcolm chafes that there's no way to find out about his family and Bishop starts thinking of how to use the "pings" as a sort of Morse code to communicate more complex thoughts. He starts working on the code in between cannon sessions.
Jillian sends a request for the classified naval sensor books that she used when she was in the service, which show up after several days. They'll be useful to better interpret whatever readings she gets in Vishnu.
Volkova drops by every few days to report on the state of the Hummingbird's repairs. The mechanics on Diego Garcia are a lazy and physically weak lot, she thinks, but things will be done on time. She's sent the schematics of how to modify a space drive for slide point use to Vice Admiral Egan and with the Clegship in their possession the navy should have no troubles making the modifications. Volkova is also touched that her captain has found someone to share a bed with, and someone so much better suited to her than that untrustworthy pirate fellow.
When Xao does meet Sheema he's gracious and makes no mention of Jillian's morally questionable choices over the past while. Flint Cardesco's name is never mentioned.
Sheema convinces Jillian to wear an eyepatch over her blind eye. Jillian insists that it look nothing like Xao's and gets one with an Art Deco pattern on it. With Sheema's application of makeup Jillian looks much better, even if she still can't see herself.
Helga Lang will continue her research on the black slime in Aiscapo; the Bureau of Xenobiology hasn't replaced the lab space it had before Hoax took over the von Däniken and with the Steel Hummingbird no longer planning on going to Aiscapo she'll have to get there herself.
On the 7th the Iof slides into Providence and notifies Bishop; he sends a "patience" signal back.
Jillian gets a note from Vice Admiral Egan that the test pilots for the Resplendent Dragon and Steel Hummingbird will be available as soon as the Hummingbird's ready to go. They'll be waiting with the Hummingbird on the 12th.
January 9, EY219
Bishop, Malcolm, and Olivia return from Beck after many, many shells have been fired and Olivia's happy with Bishop's improvement. She and Malcolm are also happy with each other. Bishop's not angry that Jillian saw a traditional doctor here on McNeely but he is disappointed. He decides to be the mature one and doesn't nag her about it.
The Hummingbird's not finished yet but the Iof is in the system, so the crews of the Resplendent Dragon and Steel Hummingbird -- plus Sheema and minus Volkova -- pile into the former and they fly off to meet the Grob, who head towards them to meet somewhere in the middle. The Dragon doesn't have any passenger quarters so it's tight with twice as many people on board and a large, overly friendly dog. Some temporary beds and such are set up in the cargo hold for any survivors that might be brought back from Vishnu but it's hardly comfortable. At least Malcolm gets to sleep with Olivia.
During the three-day trip to meet the Grob Bishop tries to figure out if Sabine is worth trusting or if she'll turn the Grob over to someone. She's obviously quite attracted to him and he uses that to his advantage. In the end he's sure that she isn't planning anything untoward when it comes to the Grob.
Jillian's eye continues to improve, though she still has to keep it covered most of the time. It should be fine in less than a week!
January 12, EY219
Sabine and Sheema have the usual reaction when the Iof is in visual range: amazement at the alien design mixed with disappointment at the state it's in. It's Seo who's on the horn for the Iof. She recognizes the Resplendent Dragon and the two ships dock with each other via umbilicals. The Dragon's got more room, so Chig, Ensig, Padb, Seo and Vob come over. Chig is wearing Bishop's hat, which is only right since Bishop is wearing the crown the Grob gave him. There are many hugs and introductions. Sheema's fine with the aliens but Sabine can't quite take it and stays well behind everyone while the crews commingle.
As most of the speaks only human or Grob the process of catching up is slow. The Grobs' reaction to the news about Vishnu is expected ("Doomed."). The Iof basically stayed in orbit around iLanga until Chig was in good enough shape to move, helped by Thabisa Mandela, the Dreamhealer who came to them. Bishop's family members who were also overwhelmed by the machinery in iLanga are also well on the way to recovery, much to Bishop's relief. Chig doesn't remember what it was like to be controlled by the planet; Bishop can't get any useful information out of the Grob, at least not without Dreaming. The two of them do agree to use the code that Bishop came up with to communicate using their "eggs". Bishop's put a lot of work into the code. Knowing that the Grob aren't very good at faking emotions it will have to be almost literally a Morse code -- sending so many emotions will be exhausting but it's the best they can do. The only major change that Chig makes to it is to add a few more terms for "hat" and "helmet".
Jillian catches up with Padb, the always-optimistic navigator of the Iof. They talk about the location inside the slide points and how they think that they can get there. It shouldn't be difficult, thinks Padb, and probably interesting. When they talk about the slide points and the D'vor perhaps using the jump gate to invade more systems and whether they could override the jump gate controls on the other side they realize that the jump gates may just be a way to stabilize a slide point that's always there anyway! The maths work out at first blush and it's an intriguing thought to be followed up later.
The Iof is up for coming along with the Resplendent Dragon and Steel Hummingbird to Vishnu but no one's sure exactly how to get them there. They could take a roundabout trip through many slide points (Providence to Aiscapo to Piccadilly to Crapworld to Vishnu, including a few 4AU trips across the orbital plane) but that would be draining and cumulatively dangerous. The human ships can simply go through the jump gate to Crapworld and then slide to Vishnu. Do they want to let everyone know about the Iof? In the end they decide to see if they can get a cargo pod large enough to fit the entire 40m-long ship and carry it through to Crapworld as if it's just garbage to be dumped there.
The Dragon heads back to Providence while the Iof stays 1AU from the jump gate, waiting for them to come back. Seo turns down the option to return to McNeely for a bit.
On the flight back Jillian's remaining eye is finally back to normal and she celebrates by working on some terrible art. Not intentionally terrible; that's just the way that things work out with her. She also contacts Egan to see if the navy might have any cargo pods large enough to fit the Iof into. It doesn't. Xao calls on his business contacts and finds that Limbaugh Industries does actually have one that's large enough. They're initially reluctant to sell it -- they want to fill it with toxic waste and ship it to Crapworld -- but Xao's insider knowledge and Bishop's negotiating skills not only get them the pod but at a reasonable price once Bishop understands what Limbaugh Industries cares about. It's not that they don't have any other pods, they just want to be sure that toxic waste gets dumped on Crapworld. His assurance that this is exactly what will happen gets them the pod at a reasonable price, which the navy will pick up. The pod will be shipped to the Diego Garcia platform.
Compared to the cargo pod it's trivial to order sedatives (for slide point travel), extra fuel, and seating with protection for any survivors that they find.
January 15, EY219
The Resplendent Dragon flies the crew of the Hummingbird to Diego Garcia to pick up their ride. The new and improved Hummingbird is a matte black and Volkova, informed while the Dragon was heading back, has installed temporary bolts to hold the cargo pod in place. Inside, the improved systems all look as promised. Jillian is informed by a sad-looking Volkova that an estimated 82 percent of her art installations were damaged or destroyed during the revamp -- the work was just too extensive. Jillian, still in her bizarrely upbeat mood, takes this well. More blank space to work on!
Besides the official upgrades and the cargo pod attachment Volkova's been busy installing the temporary accommodations and tanks for extra fuel -- they'll have double the range that the new space drive would normally provide with the fuel but this naturally makes things a bit more dangerous.
After reuniting and taking the Hummingbird back to McNeely station on a minor shakedown cruise everyone tries to get as much rest as they can in the hotel before the trip back to Vishnu begins tomorrow. The Dragon also comes back to McNeely to say goodbye to their various people. Since they showed up late the test pilot wasn't waiting for them, but they can pick him up the next day.
January 16, EY219
Jump Gate Ferret will open on the 25th and is nine and a half AUs away. It's far enough that it's only Jillian's amazing navigation job and the new space drive will let them get there on time. They fly with the Resplendent Dragon to Diego Garcia to pick up their test pilot and the cargo pod, which Limbaugh Industries has shipped there. It's got a bit of toxic waste in it already, but it's mostly empty.
The cargo pod is easily attached. The test pilot is one Major Cletus Jehoshephat Mosbey, a young, short, redhead who sounds like a complete backwaters hick but seems nice enough. He's also got some documentation from the Vice Admiral that should let them get the Iof's cargo pod past the inspectors in Crapworld. He honestly has no idea what the mission is about. The Resplendent Dragon picks up its test pilot from the public docking area and both ships fly to the jump gate.
Over the next few days Cletus is told about the slide points, D'vor attack in Vishnu, and the Iof. It's a lot for him to take in but what really impresses him is when he finds out that Malcolm was part of the Devereaux Daredevils! The Daredevils' show that Cletus saw when he was just knee high to a grasshopper is what inspired him to be a pilot to begin with. This hero worship doesn't sit too well with Malcolm, as he remembers how that ended with him and Maurice Clegman. Still, he does give one of the extra Daredevils suits that was found on the ship to Cletus, making the test pilot very happy indeed.
Despite his dialect Cletus is a skilled pilot and knows his way around a sensor panel pretty well. He insists that the crew show him around the ship so that he has a feel for it. Jillian and Malcolm also spend some time walking him through their logs and accounts of going through a slide point.
The Iof meets the other two ships and fits into the cargo pod. It's a tight fit and the extra mass slows down the Hummingbird but thanks to the course Jillian's plotted out they still have enough time to make it to the jump gate.
January 25, EY219
They register for passing through the gate and wait a bit. Jump gate Ferret fires up right on schedule and as the ships are waiting to be given the go-ahead to pass through Gate Control tells them that they have a message for Malcolm; Egan's been good to her word and has sent a message to Walküren inquiring about the Devereaux Daredevils. They were supposed to gate to Vishnu right about the time that the massacres began and no one knows if they gated into Vishnu and were killed or not. As it turns out they didn't make it through and are safe in Walküren. Malcolm exhales upon hearing the happy news and then they're through the gate.
Once in Crapworld inspectors want to take a look at the Dragon and Hummingbird but the Vice Admiral's paperwork is good and Jillian's bureaucracy-fu fend the inspectors off. The ships take what seems to be a perfectly normal route to Crapworld but once out of casual sensor range they swing down to the slide point. The Iof is released from the cargo pod 1.5AU below the orbital plane and the pod is left there as the ships fly to the slide point.
January 27, EY219
It's time to go through the slide point. The Steel Hummingbird goes through first, with Sheema strapped in and unconscious from the sedatives they brought and Cletus fully aware and tied down on the bridge so he can see the process but not cause any damage if he goes crazy.
Once again the crew's experience makes the trip take a relatively short amount of time, even if it feels like an eternity. When they come out of the other end it's been just over half a day and no one is injured. Jillian immediately starts up a short-range scan, which shows nothing. While they wait for the other ships to come through she starts up a long-range scan. Who knows how long their friends will take?
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Bishop's Bedpost Notch Count: 0 (running total: 20)
Jillian's Bedpost Notch Count: 1 -- but it's a big one! (running total: 1 -- on the board at last!)
Malcolm's Bedpost Notch Count: 2 (running total: 12)
Volkova's Bedpost Notch Count: 0 (running total: 4)