Elite roleplay: Off station

OFF STATION

Your ship, deep space, anything that is not happening inside the Citi Gateway or Ingaba...

General Roleplay Etiquette:

1. Control only the actions of your own character(s). (AKA: God Mode)
This doesn't matter how small the action is, even if it is as simple as scratching their nose or a direct reaction to something else that just happened. This applies to everything from casual conversation to full blown fight scenes. If you'd like someone to do something specific, PM that person, however keep in mind they are completely within their rights to say no. Especially if said action is inappropriate to their character and/or circumstance.

2. Don't brute force your way into another persons RP.
Approaching with a conversation starter is fine, or indeed some other small action. However charging in, guns blazing and disrupting the flow of another person/pair/groups conversation/arc is about as rude as doing so in real life. If something is going on that you'd like to participate in, be subtle about it. Put out a gentle hook for someone to take, but again, be aware that said hook may not be taken. If you fear it was simply unnoticed, PM the person or people it concerns. Or even leave a message in the OOC forums.

3. Good grammar and spelling is preferred.
We're not asking you to be perfect, but please at least demonstrate willingness. no1 iz gna tak u srsly usng txt spk. There's a wide variety of people here, many who speak English as a second, or even third language. There are even some with varying degrees of dyslexia and/or likely other issues that affect spelling/grammar. We accept them all here. However, people who aren't accepted, are those unwilling to accept polite correction. Remember that even a small thing like the placement of a comma, or the wrong use of there/their/they're can completely change the definition of an entire sentence.

4. Accept constructive criticism gracefully and politely.
If someone spots an issue with your writings, they may wish to help you improve that writing. They may do this through PM or even publicly air their thoughts on the OOC forum. If they have taken the time to be polite and explain what is wrong with your writing, the best way to behave is to respond in kind, using the same manner they have approached you with. It means they have taken an active interest in what you have written and wish to see more. Basically, you have a fan!

5. Don't take the actions or opinions of things done IN RP, to be directly relevant to the writers thoughts or opinions.
Basically, if some ones character calls your character a jackass, it doesn't mean the writer thinks you are a jackass. It's a ROLE they are PLAYING. Watch a movie. The argument between the characters isn't an argument between the actors involved. The same applies here.

6. It's not a popularity contest.
Your RP might be bustling with participants. You have 3 people off station in a fire fight, while another 2 are infiltrating the darkest areas of the station, meanwhile a group of 4 others are tracking your movements in an effort to stop you. Good for you, I'm sure it will be a thrilling read! But you know what? Sometimes the absolute BEST work, comes from two RP characters having a simple heart to heart. Both are valid, both are great, but NEITHER is categorically better than the other. Period.


Inara RP Etiquette:

1. Respect the setting and rules of the universe.
Inara is an Elite: Dangerous 3rd Party Tool. The RP Forums are set in the Elite: Dangerous universe. Elite: Dangerous has rules, as any fictional universe does from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, or Game of Thrones to Star Trek. If you intend to RP within the Elite: Dangerous universe you are bound by the history and rules of that universe. Simply put, this RP forum is bound by the same rules as the game, so if it can't be done in the game, it is not permitted here. This applies to things from a 50Ly Jump Range on a normal, unmodified Sidewinder, to the destruction of entire stations.

2. Respect the characters created by others.
We have a wide variety of characters already here. It's expected that some will be similar, just as it's expected that two characters will be vastly different. Opinions of each persons character will naturally be varied, but all are valid provided they follow the rules of the universe. You are allowed to interact with, or avoid interaction with, any character in the RP forums. But you have no right to belittle others for their creation. You are not an authority figure on writing, nor are you directly affected by another persons imagination. You might not like it, but you MUST respect it.

3. Be caught up on current events before joining in.
You need basic things like character descriptions in order to interact with them. You also need to know what's going on in the surrounding areas. This is simply because the people you are hoping to RP with, might be gearing up to something that you might not want to be part of. Or simply that the most recent post, out of context, could leave a different impression on the goings on than if you gather that context. We don't expect you to read every single post from the beginning of the forums, just enough to get that basic understanding.

4. Either subscribe to, or frequently check, the Roleplay: Q&A and OOC forum.
People may be discussing something relevant to you there, or even discussing you directly. Perhaps someone asked what the general consensus on the existence or non-existence of a certain object. Or we're just chatting about random gibberish. Either way, be aware of it and use it. If you're unsure about something, such as how guns would look and or behave, or even the music selection, use the OOC forum to ask. We don't have all of the answers, but the collective knowledge and logic usually allows us to overcome an issue and come to a decision on what should be allowed. Frontier Developments, and even David Braben himself, don't have the answers to every possible question that can be asked.

5. Large Scale events exploding out of nowhere are a complete no go.
We get it. Everyone wants their character to be noticed and for people to be tripping over themselves to interact with them. In some audiences, an introduction involving you blasting in for landing in a fiery wreckage of a ship, before cart wheeling out and sword fighting 35 Ninjas before whisking off with the local celebrity for a glorious night of passion, is in fact, cool. This is not one of those audiences. It is generally considered better to build your character up slowly over time. Eventually, you might even have a legitimate excuse to fight those Ninjas. Maybe even with other RP participants by your side.

6. Perfect characters are boring.
The point of a character arc, is that it is in fact, an arc shape. One who is morally unquestionable, fully kitted out and an infinite fountain of knowledge, cannot go through an arc. Give your character flaws. Be it a tendency towards befriending the wrong people, or a bad knee that frequently gives out at inopportune moments. It gives readers something to latch onto and empathise with. You can give your character exceptional capabilities at something, but it requires balance. She's a damn good pilot with no equal, but can't drive an SRV for peanuts. It can lead to some very interesting moments between characters, be it heartfelt or comedic.


Other Notes:
It should be noted that there can be exceptions to these points. For example, good grammar when a character is speaking is actually rare. Few people in real life actually speak with perfect eloquence after all. Or previously arranged actions during a fight scene, such as someone stumbling back after a punch. What's key to remember is context.

All in all, remember this is purely for fun. We have some seriously talented writers here, and others whose writing history starts and ends at high school. But many are willing to help out in whatever way they can. All it takes is that you ask nicely.

Also keep in mind that many people who RP here, also have logbook stories related to the character, or characters, they portray. If it looks like there's an "in joke" going on that you're unsure of, it's probably in those.

In fact, some users have even gone to the trouble of creating "alts" to RP with. If you read back far enough, it's usually pretty clear who has and hasn't, and which ones are the "alts". It's therefore not unheard of to see the apparent seizing of control of other characters. If you do spot one, point it out in the OOC section. If intervention is needed, it will be sorted quickly and (hopefully) politely.

Most, if not all RP participants here have Logbook stories pertaining to their character(s). These are for the reading pleasure of anyone who wishes to do so. While it can be useful to read them in order to gain a bit of backstory on a character you wish to interact with, it should not be assumed that your character shares that knowledge. Within the E:D Universe, these Logbooks either don't exist, or are private diaries kept by the characters. Either way, without explicit statements to say otherwise from the writer, your interactions should reflect that your character is in the dark about any information you, the writer/reader, have gained from reading the stories.
27 Apr 2024, 11:15pm
"Yeah... seems likely we're not dealing with the friendly bunch, but we can't even know that. For all we know, they could ne, but this is just the 'Go knock naughty people on the head' force because some idiots thought attempting genocide twice in a row was a good idea. I mean, sure, mycoid might've ended the first war, but I doubt it was the only solution."

I shrugged.

"Doesn't really matter that much right now, anyway. Seems pretty clear they're not here to have a chat, even after one of their big fancy ships got blown up. Really, to me, it's sometimes strange that the peace idea is so strong with some people. Like, we talked about it earlier... that 'Kingfisher' ship, parking it right in the way of an angry Thargoid object... well, I can't say I have much to say that's positive about it. And some idiot even thought it was a good idea to smuggle Thargoid sensors onto the ship. And probes, I think, were found too. Like it wasn't doomed enough already ..."

"Don't know if it was one of those Far God nutjobs or someone actually tried to sabotage the thing, but it does feel a little like certain parties, not that I'm looking at anyone in particular, would rather keep the war going instead of us cooperating so we can stop killing each other on sight needlessly."

"Anyway, looking at Kas, I'm... actually not sure I can still say a whole lot. I doubt she'd change her opinions much because of me... maybe, but I consider myself lucky enough that she accepts me even though I'm very much on the 'Willing to shoot back at Thargoids' side. Really just hope she finds somewhere balanced to stay, because I don't think it is offered by either side, currently. You can probably guess what I mean with that."
28 Apr 2024, 10:07pm
Timeline: 04 March 3310, shortly after the destruction of the Taranis

"Yeah, I understand...", making a long-drawn exhale, I leant back on the cockpit side wall. "She's quite a solitary individual. Keeps her stuff to herself and rarely lets anything out, and, talking to her, especially after recent events with that memory loss... You don't feel like asking directly. That doesn't seem right."

I pulled a pack of smokes out of my pocket, since old habits die hard, and went silent for a few moments, looking at it, contemplating. Slowly standing up from the floor, I reached for the vent switch and then lit up a cigarette.

"I'll tell you what... Be in touch. It's impossible to be around all the time, but... Let her know you're around and you could listen to her whenever she wants to speak something. You have way, way more chances to be, as you said, accepted by her."

"I can't. I belong to this place. To the AXDF. And she doesn't like what we do."
29 Apr 2024, 3:49pm
Reference post

"Message received. You may wish to read this, Kira."

EDI's speaking up pulled me out of a... for once, less than negative thought bubble, contemplating the most recent, and at least partially direct, result of my actions - which was Azimuth being forced to pull out of a recent-ish expansion attempt.

"Show it to me."

I read the text that popped up on a holo-display in front of me, and then listened to that recording... during which more and more of a frown appeared on my face. It also prompted me to send a return message without further delay, albeit in text form.

That is... not good. Or concerning, if you prefer. We need to talk about this, but not over comms. Tell me where, and I'll come immediately.

And if you want to try digging around elsewhere, Azimuth recently retreated out of a system. Which I may or may not have helped. Could be they left something more behind - haven't had time to check myself. But they did hold some facilities in there until just before pulling out, so maybe. Don't think it went over too smoothly for them.
29 Apr 2024, 7:31pm
Ref

------

I may take a look there, then... the chance that nobody is there yet seems good. The "handover"... if you can call it that... will not be very controlled, not like after a war. So the site could still be empty, except for opportunist scavengers. But there is some possibility nothing too sensitive is at the settlement or outpost, whatever you'd like to call it... yet if they built other facilities more clandestinely, to ship chemical compounds to or whatever, it might point us there.

Alternatively, looking at my data, they held a smaller agricultural settlement (Etienam Agricultural Holding) too. We could split up, check both locations. See if outgoing shipping logs point us anywhere... providing they were not clean enough with their data scrubbing. But this is how Seo found Nemesis' files... or I think, anyway, so there is a good chance for us to stumble over a thing or two.

What do you say? Will be getting ready while you reply. And I'd rather find an empty settlement than try to sneak around. I don't think... I'd still be very good at that.


I sent the message off, then got out of my seat in the - spacious - personal cabin which the carrier's living quarters offered, and began to head toward the hangars, where my Krait Phantom still patiently sat waiting to be used... though its thrusters had probably gone cold from my work yesterday, already. Though they had time to while I went through the business of getting myself ready, since that included the fun of getting into one of my adjusted suits.

Hopefully, I hadn't forgotten too much about how to fight on ground or outside an SRV, since I'd only had one live fire opportunity to test that so far, and it was already at least a month back. Though in the worst case, I could always just stay back and let my railgun do the work. Unless it was a tank, or bigger, it would kill anything in one shot.
29 Apr 2024, 8:09pm
(continued from here, and the post above)

The Carrier had already undocked, setting course for the system where Kasumi was, when her message came through. I replied promptly.

"Sounds like a plan - I hadn’t even registered the second settlement… Etienam Agricultural Holding. Mhm. Guess I’m not exactly the green-thumb type," I quipped, alluding to the lifetime I’d spent inside an asteroid.

"Since you’re on-site, you decide which spot you want to hit. I’ll take care of the other target once I arrive. And yeah, I know it’s a bit of a gamble, but it ain’t the worst hand we’ve been dealt. Maybe the administrative center is a dud because that's probably the first thing you'd think of to wipe, but perhaps they have overlooked something in their hurry, like a ship undergoing maintenance, or whatever. So, good luck out there!"
29 Apr 2024, 9:35pm
I was only just about done gathering my weapons and some ammo when that voice transmission stopped. Not being in the mood to talk too much, I decided to reply via text again, momentarily interrupting the preparations.

I think, you should hit the Ortiz facility. I haven't been to either and don't have maps or layout available, so I don't know how big they are, but chemical stuff, and whatever else they have there, sounds more important to whatever this "Dawnbreaker" is going to be than food. But both might have something, and I would prefer for the - possibly - more important site to be covered by the person who doesn't have to fight her oversized body features... as nice as they are, I do fight with them as much as I would a pirate. Another reason, I try to avoid ground combat now. Or, the kind where I have to fight at close range, at least. Especially in low gravity.

Anyway... I have to fight with my suit now. Try not to grin at the image too much. And a meeting point for when we are done?

Oh, also... may be worth keeping an eye out for more cleanup crews from Azimuth. They have one of their big ships nearby... might be why they decided to expand to the system in the first place. Not counting for the resistance they met when they did arrive.


I sent it off and, looking at the combat suit in the locker, sighed. Pull it out, turn its back to me, open it up. Right leg in first, up to the knee, then the second... pull once to start getting it up the curve, place both thighs apart to not make the suit material rub against itself unnecessarily and complicate the task further, keep pulling with more force, reach the hips, make sure not to get stuck on the complete excess of mass back there... then an easy time across the waist, until I reach the breast... fight with it until it is 'seated' well and snugly within the suit too, then struggle to put the arms in because of the pulling force exerted by the oversized parts... and close it up before anything has a chance to slip out of place, which is another conflict all by itself. I sighed deeply once I was finally done.

"I should have found a better way for this, than just make the suits I had bigger.", I lamented, both at the predicament and my lack of foresight.

EDI chose not to comment, maybe because she knew the weird part of me enjoyed this, myself knowing how the entire mess was fully my own fault, just so I could have my "ideal body". I shook my head and grabbed additional armor pieces - arm guards to fit on both wrists, shoulder pads with extensions to cover some of the upper arm, shin armor... plus pistol holder with a - very long - strap to fit around the right thigh, plus an adapted chest piece where my big breast could actually fit inside without any compromise to protection. Finalized with a helmet that followed the contours of the head and nose precisely, only two opaque, lighter blue, one-way 'view ports' placed at level with either eye allowing an outside view.

I grabbed a utility belt for ammo, grenades and stuff, said belt naturally being just as stupidly oversized as the rest of what was down there, then my weapons - the self-made railgun, an older standard-issue - military - assault rifle I'd picked up on Duamta back during my recovery, and my plasma pistol. Not just any, but something unique I hadn't yet seen anywhere else. Not remembering its origin, I could at least tell it was a military-grade weapon too, unlike the Tormentor, which was likely outclassed by mine. Now that I was ready... I could head out. If I managed to bring all of this to the cockpit without dropping anything and having to fight my body to pick it up, until it was safely attached somewhere or stowed away in a secure compartment. Luckily, that part went over without a hitch, and I was quickly underway to the small agricultural facility.


Last edit: 30 Apr 2024, 1:51pm
30 Apr 2024, 1:24pm
“Alright, then. Carry on as you please,” I answered. The Tear of Raxxla had just jumped into the system, and I already had the Abode's coordinates dancing across my retinas. We were practically breathing down the other carrier's neck.

I maintained a sober demeanour, but my damn imagination was already running amok, picturing the scene: that poor gal teetering forward like a drunken giraffe, toppling face-first into her suit, all because she’d misjudged the weight distribution. Nose planted firmly on the deck, ass in the air. The War God himself would’ve raised an eyebrow at that particular form of worship in preparation of ground ops, I reckoned. I just managed to stifle a laugh.

But enough of that nonsense. I had a job to do. Brute force wasn’t my style; I preferred finesse. Infiltration it was. I barked orders to prep my Diamondback Scout, which was ideally suited for covert operations due to its numerous illegal modifications, then turned my attention back to comms.

"Ortiz facility’s next on my dance card," I added. "After that, rendezvous at one of the carriers. We’re practically neighbors now." An amused grin still curved my lips. "Good luck, and don’t get yourself killed. Wouldn’t want to miss listening to your heroic tales afterwards."

Time for a wardrobe change. A quick detour to my cabin for a change of attire, and I’d be ready to dance with the devil.


Last edit: 30 Apr 2024, 1:30pm
30 Apr 2024, 2:23pm
I replied while on final approach to the planet with the agricultural outpost - wasting basically no time getting there thanks to the fun drive from Achilles. While I still had my issues with how its development had come to be, I couldn’t deny just how convenient it was at cutting down travel times between planets. Or moons, in this case. And my carrier entirely compensated for its lack of jump range, so I didn’t need to spend ages getting anywhere further away.

I managed without falling over or having my oversized chest bounce right back out of the suit. So you can stop laughing, if you are.

Going to arrive at the settlement soon. Nothing out of the ordinary yet.

Going dark on comms until done. Just in case.


None of the sensor contacts I had were obviously following me - it all looked entirely like regular traffic, however much could be found in a system with less than 200,000 people. Once I was out of the glide phase, I was faced with exactly what I’d hoped to find - darkness. No power, no lights, except for what appeared much like personal flashlights - scavengers, a recovery team from Azimuth, or workers from the systems, leading faction, looking to reactivate the site?

I’d find out once I was out there.


Last edit: 30 Apr 2024, 4:36pm
30 Apr 2024, 4:05pm
Previous

"I was planning to keep up with her. At least, every now and then. Don't worry. But... well, if things don't work out, you'd probably be the first one to hear it. From me, anyway. Even wanted to meet her before, well, yesterday, I think. But she didn't really want to hang around. Went poking Guardian ruins, I think. Not too sure why, but I can have a good guess it's got to do with a maniac who uploaded his mind to a Guardian computer. Or tried, anyway, seeing how we're not completely sure, so no one can say yes, but we all know he's out there somewhere."

I paused, thinking for the briefest of moments.

"And no, I was not going to do any poking of my own. Neither of her nor those old dusty ruins. Those things can stay dead as far as I'm concerned. Do hope she doesn't trigger some kinda Thargoid defense mechanism while over there. Knowing how those Titan torpedoes work, well... I think you see where I'm going with it."
30 Apr 2024, 6:05pm
(previous)

Kasumi’s message buzzed in my ear just as I was swaggering toward my own ship. From now on, radio silence would be the name of the game.

I slid into the cockpit of my trusty scout, fingers dancing over the controls like a seasoned gambler shuffling cards. The planet ahead - sickly gray-white, colored like a forgotten tombstone - loomed on the viewscreen. I leaned back, boots propped up on the console, and let out a low whistle at this cozy corner of the galaxy.

Not a single blip on my scanners, not a whisper in comms. Either this place was deserted, or they were all playing hide-and-seek with the wrong scoundrel. I nosed my ship toward the outer rim of the facility, engines humming with anticipation. The landing gear touched the ground, and I stepped out onto the desolate soil. Dust swirled around my boots.

“Easy peasy,” I thought, adjusting my weapon. I wondered how Kasumi was faring on her little escapade. Probably knee-deep in trouble, knowing her. I smirked, scanning the horizon. "Let’s see what secrets this rock’s hiding, " I muttered to myself.


Last edit: 30 Apr 2024, 6:11pm
30 Apr 2024, 6:51pm
Timeline: 04 March 3310, shortly after the destruction of the Taranis // Previous message

"Yeah, she isn't that much of a social type, I get that quite quick," I nodded in agreement, and then mentioning of a 'maniac uploading his mind into a computer' took me back to that... day of my second birthday and a piece of conversation I've had with Dr. Bowman.

I paused for a little while, staring through the window, more for making a pause between the topics rather than for thinking since I couldn't say much anyway, I had almost no information on what that mad geezer was up to, only what has been available in open access for a long time already.

"Yep... I heard about it. The doctor from the Aegis facility, the one who... put me back together, said that, with all rejuvenation and restoration methods available... Maybe that Salvation nutjob didn't want to have a body at all. Even if this body is renewed and restored and whatever. An ability to be everywhere and see everything and control lots of stuff looks more like his kind of thing."
30 Apr 2024, 8:41pm
Previous

A bunch of scavengers, or at least posing as ones. Opportunists, but judging by their radio chatter, not the kind that'd be willing to share. And they had more than a small bounty on their head - thus, I was not particularly opposed to pulling the trigger on them, because it was not the kind obtained by minor offenses, or someone just deciding to give a person a really bad day because they had one.

I observed their activity through the scope of the railgun, several hundred meters away. They had to have arrived recently, checking the various storage crates outside, locked, and not locked... not so gently in case of the latter. My finger slowly moved closer to the trigger, itching to pull it and let the weapon charge up its electromagnetic coils, releasing the projectile when I did the trigger.

On the nearly airless world, nobody heard the hum of the weapon as it built up its charge - only I felt the tingle of the mechanisms at work in my fingers, the 'punch' as it recoiled against my shoulder, and a fraction of a second later, a body dropped lifelessly, their insides and suit torn apart by a projectile so fast, no amount of armor a human body could wear had any hope of stopping it. Two more shots followed, at one second intervals between each, before the scavengers even realized they were getting shot at... and scattered behind crates, trying to locate their target in vain.

None of them found me, of course. I'd landed away from the site, far enough for the ship to have been difficult to spot, especially with its midnight black paint. Then, after landing, I'd sent it off into orbit, just to be safe. And their act of hiding behind those boxes made the corners of my mouth go up slightly.

It won't save you.

I was in my element here. Far away from targets that could shoot back, with them entirely unable to figure out where the person shooting them was. Another trigger pull, the projectile pierced a rectangular, green box, carrying shrapnel with it as it entered the head of the scavenger hiding behind it... and it came out before the body could even realize it had been hit, and fall lifelessly to the ground, also without the head.

Under normal circumstances, firing this weapon would have been quite loud, at hand of it breaching the sound barrier... but I'd simply not put that nonsensical "sound simulator" chip into it, so it was as silent as a knife in vacuum, or even the near-absence of an atmosphere - illegal, probably, but so was the weapon for anyone that thought Pioneer Supplies was supposed to be standard. Likewise, visually seeing it fire was difficult, given the lack of a muzzle flash from it not using traditional propellant. Yet I still liked to imagine the sound of it firing... while trying to forget that the day I had found it again, incorrect posture had resulted in me smacking straight onto my voluptuous backside. An incident I was still not particularly fond of.

Bang, bang, two more bodies dropped. Content with that result, for now, I hopped back into the nearby Scorpion and drove it closer to the site. I had no intention to take anyone in for questioning, anyway - it was unlikely these idiots were here for Azimuth, and I could access their suit computers if I really cared. Assuming any with an intact one were left.

I left the vehicle parked at the edge of the settlement, moving inward with my assault rifle drawn, slowly moving around. That was the best I could manage in relatively low gravity, anyway. I caught movement at the edge of my vision, and rewarded it with a stream of bullets. Shield dropped within a second, and the body shortly thereafter.

"How many were there again... EDI?", I inquired, not quite dropping my guard yet.

"Sensors picked up seven lifesigns earlier.", the AI reported. "I suggest remaining careful, however. More may arrive if this team does not report back."

"I know. I will be."

I went back to the SRV and grabbed a spare power regulator from it, attaching it to the utility belt. Then, I returned to the spot where I'd killed the last scavenger, because he'd looked more important, as opposed to having that standard, boring brown color scheme they always seemed to use, and kneeled there.

"Now what were you up to ..."

I let the suit scanners run over him - and they did detect something. A small, circular comms device on the exterior, rather than integrated into the suit.

"Hm... that is not supposed to be there."

I picked it up, and... EDI had already bypassed the device's encryption, without me needing to ask. At least we were on the same wavelength. I 'pocketed' it into a belt pouch, then continued, walking toward the power center. Or, more like, waddled, because that's probably what it looked like to an external observer, even though it felt mostly natural to me, if a little awkward to make my walk cycle work in this kind of low gravity. Or maybe I was going about it wrong and hopping would've been easier.

I got inside without issue, my own hacking programs basically making minced meat of the local security systems. Or those blocking entry and system access, anyway. And right as I plugged in the power regulator, my own ear piece buzzed - it was receiving something.

"Ground team, report in. Any progress on the site yet? Are you responsible for the power surge we're seeing?"

I quickly checked the device was not transmitting.

"EDI - the frequency. Get into it, they will stop sending to this device if they get no reply."

"I have already recovered a response code and phrase used by the scavengers. It appears they were meant to use it to report on their progress once the power center was re-enabled."

"Oh. Well... send it. And keep tracking these, transmissions. See if you find where they are from... or, at least, anything useful."

"Transmitted. Monitoring for further communication."

The next one followed when the reactor startup cycle completed.

"It shouldn't have taken them this long. There wasn't supposed to be anyone at the site yet. That's what our scouts reported, anyway."

"So, what? Maybe some other pirate idiots got there before them, and they cleared them out. Or maybe they got sidetracked pillaging. Both match up with the delay."

So it was a man and a woman... somewhere. Maybe even in the same system. I continued to listen in, blurring out the humming of the active reactor.

"It's a delay we can't afford. Proper reactivation teams are already long overdue, and we can't risk anyone discovering information. Strike team Beta, prepare for imminent deployment. Drop in 5."

"What? Why are you sending them down?"

"I got a bad feeling about it. And if it's wrong, it'll give those idiots a reason to hurry up when they've got a few of ours breathing down their necks. Assuming they don't gun down those filthy bastards and do the job themselves. instead"

"We were trying to avoid any further direct involvement. If someone is down there ..."

"Then they chose the wrong place to be in. Now shut up. And get on those guns instead."

Whoever this was, they were up to something. And I'd just put a hook in their plans.

"EDI. Mark central access console, please.", I requested.

"Done."

"In the... production building?"

"Yes. This outpost does not have a dedicated command center. You may also find defense controls there, should you find an use for them."

"I... just might. Thanks."

I began to move over there, mentally preparing to defend myself. Whoever was behind this - I had my suspicions - would be more competent than those pirates. And better prepared, while expecting a confrontation. Not much of a stealth advantage for me, especially if site activity was being tracked. Though, evidently, not enough to discover my hacking.

Redefining short again ...


Last edit: 01 May 2024, 10:06am
01 May 2024, 12:04am
My scan revealed three armored Azimuth soldiers on a little night march, bless 'em. The sentinels, tin-headed buffoons, paraded around the building complex, their rifles a shiny promise of trouble. But trouble is my middle name, and with a helmet that bulky, I bet they couldn't see their own feet, let alone a ghost like me slinking by. I clung to the shadows, moving with a practiced ease that came from years of living on the edge, and approached the building complex, which mainly consisted of three bigger buildings that were connected with corridors.

I was practically hugging the walls now, heart dancing a jig - not from fear, but from the sheer thrill of it - as I studied the nearest sentinels, timing their patterns and movements. The first one, bless his oblivious soul, marched right on by. The second, a dreamer, gazed into the horizon and leaned against a crate as if waiting for a date. I slipped by, close enough to pick his pockets. Where was the third...? I spotted him standing guard by the main door of the neighboring building, eyes on two drones buzzing around the area like dangerous hornets. Damn, my scan didn't show these at all. Must be a newer, improved generation. Luckily they were too far away to notice me.

And then there was my bespectacled keycard inside the building right next to me, a scientist with a nervous gait, pacing and muttering like he was trying to solve the universe's greatest mystery. I spotted him by chance and immediately seized the opportunity. When he stopped by a nearby window, lost in thought, I pounced – digitally, of course. A little flick of the wrist, and my Profile Analyser discreetly did its dirty dance. Nice to meet you, Dr. Voss... his digital self, all wrapped up in a neat little package on my display, was mine now. This should be enough to gain access to the building he was in.

I slipped away from the window and crept round the corner to an unguarded entrance. With the scientist's digital essence wrapped around my wrist, I was inside what looked like crew quarters. So far, so good. Hopefully no one would notice my presence while I searched for the operations center. I made my way through a connecting corridor to the main building, in front of which the soldier with the drones was standing, and wondered how Kasumi was doing in the meantime.


Last edit: 01 May 2024, 2:36pm
01 May 2024, 11:14am
All was still quiet here - for the moment. I was acting under a certain pressure, knowing that I had some inbound company who weren't just pirates. Luckily, my over-the-top thighs were not sufficient to stop me from reaching the larger production building in time before said company arrived, and I began to look for the main access console, guided by a handy nav marker. If security cameras were also registering footage... whoever would review it in the future definitely had a sight that'd make them double-check awaiting. Part of me felt tempted to pull off my helmet and make a silly or grinning face at one of them, but I decided to focus on my goal instead. Any data that was locally stored.

As I was nearing the console, another transmission played in my right ear.

"Any word from the team at site Alpha yet? What's the situation over there?"

"Nothing exciting. Seems to be real quiet over there right now."

"Well, at least their side's fine. Is the team ready yet?"

"Got them all loaded up in the drop bay. Just waiting on your word."

"Let's get them down there, then. Still not getting any direct word from those pirates, just that response code we gave them. Damn, I knew we shouldn't have trusted the bastards!"

Some muttering about them being unreliable, incompetent scumbags followed before the link shut down again. I was now at the console, and began searching through it... after a very brief moment of watching firewalls get decimated.

Food production... boring. Storage logs... nothing here either. Staff register... Azimuth have left, kind of... doesn't seem to have anything in shipping either.

They didn't suddenly learn how to wipe a system of sensitive data properly, did they?, the 'other me' remarked in my head, more than a little mocking.

Maybe not... let me see.

I began to search a little 'deeper', coming across various clusters of corrupted data, which I tagged for download, to have them for later reference. It wasn't guaranteed they held any reference to Azimuth, but finding dirty corporate secrets was just as interesting. And places like this... most probably held them, from owners past and current. Then I struck gold in an oddly well-protected folder, hidden away from everything else, despite being seemingly related only to standard activities.

"Jackpot.", I said to myself, barely audible. Azimuth hadn't been quite as clean as they hoped - maybe also what they were here for. I began to sort through the folder - some parts of it illegible, would need to try restoring them later. Some shipping orders and manifests, all going to the same place, food items of course. Everything carefully worded to make it look 'legit', but not give any direct names. And, of course, system names were always the part which was in the lost data.

There was also the order to halt production just before the retreat, an automated log generated by the facility and saved to this here folder. Plus... sending agricultural research material over? Why would they need that data for a weapon project?

Those were questions I needed to answer later. I wanted to initiate the data download, which would take maybe a minute, thanks to the size of it. So, of course, that was the moment things got interesting. Facility sensors showed one... two ships, on approach. And given the relative size of the settlement, there was only one anti-aircraft turret covering it. Contacts were not resolved yet, beyond 'One larger, one smaller'. No telling which was the dropship and which was the escort.

But I'd wait until they were stationary to target either one, or start the download, which would alert them to my presence for certain. Meanwhile, I got myself control of local defenses, and waited to spring the trap.
01 May 2024, 3:48pm
The operation center was right in front of me, at the top of the stairs to the upper floor, protected with doors so heavily armoured a battlecruiser would've been jealous. But since I had my trusted Profile Analyser and Dr. Voss’s data, those doors swung open like they were greeting an old friend. Inside, there was a disappointing mess though, the walls and everything else scarred by some last-ditch fireworks show. Looked like someone had a blast - literally - ripping out the guts of the place. A forensic team might’ve drooled over this still, but I didn't have the time or the tech for a scientific analysis. To me, this was just a graveyard of dreams, and I couldn’t help but whistle at the sight.

"Well, ain’t this a cosmic joke," I mused, flipping a piece of shrapnel like a coin. "All this way for nothing but a pretty explosion." But the real head-scratcher was why Azimuth still had this joint under lock and drone if all the good stuff was gone?

I left the operations center through a side door and soon found myself in a corridor marked ‘Restricted Access’. But thanks to my trusty 'Sesame' - aka the Profile Analyser - its doors were no barrier either. Back down on the ground floor, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of crates, all lined up and ready to dance off. I peeked into one of the crates seemingly destined for the Musashi, Azimuth’s pride and joy, and found lots of Guardian tech, ripped from some ancient site and packaged as if by a mail order company. "So that’s the game," I thought. The new generation of drones in the sky, which my scan failed to discover, made more sense now.

My fingers brushed over the content of the open crate and Guardian symbols that started shimmying before my eyes, when suddenly the whole thing lit up with a soft, pulsating glow. I jumped back, not keen on becoming part of the light show, and just like that, it stopped. Deciding I wasn’t about to stick around for the encore, I was about to ghost when another crate caught my eye. This one wasn’t sporting Azimuth’s tag - this one looked different, having ‘Pharmasapien’ slapped on the side.

My curiosity’s got a mind of its own, so I popped it open too. Inside, cradled by foam that’s seen better days, were AI relics, their surfaces etched with intricate circuitry. Now, this was a find! This kind of cargo’s got ‘illegal’ stamped all over it in most systems, and here I was, staring at a whole crate filled to the brim with similar-looking data chips. I snagged a couple of these chips, figuring I’d hit the jackpot, and decided it was time to vanish.

Because when the owners came to collect their stuff, there would certainly be more than a three-soldier-and-two-drones welcoming committee, with whom I would rather not get involved in a dance.


Last edit: 01 May 2024, 3:54pm

Post a reply

You must be signed in to post here.
ROLEPLAY ONLY! Respect the universe settings!
If you are new here, please try to at least partially involve in the ongoing stories and conversations instead of establishing a completely different "arc". You can always turn it to a different story later.