Action 1: Over the Rainbow

[Keehnelf]

For the first time since this whole story started coming out, Olive Haro breaks her silence.

"Do you really believe this story, captain? Or find it even remotely credible? I'd be glad to save a few thousand credits at a go myself for just the expense of buying some medical cadaver's brain, sticking it in a jar, and feeding gullible captains a ridiculous line about evil brain parasites! The only thing we know for sure about this alien is that she stowed away illegally, tampered with ship's records..." Here she holds up a readout of the ship's manifest which has a low berth passenger listed that neither Olive nor Dars had registered, "and tried to attack your security chief with some kind of stun gun!" She crosses her arms and frowns. "My vote is that we space her now, make sure there's no system damage that will interfere with jump, and get on our way before the passengers go berserk from just sitting in space knowing something's wrong but not what. Spacing her will at least provide a solid resolution and some answers and restore their morale."

[max_vale]

Loraine 'El Zee' Zane


Loraine started pacing back and forth in the passenger lounge; an old habit she had fallen into while on patrols in the Navy when she had a lot on her mind. While the whole 'alien mind' story sounded like something from a Sci-Fi story anthology; she couldn't help feeling like Agathes was sincere, but she had been fooled before. Now with a member of the crew down here to watch over them; something certainly did add up, but she wasn't sure exactly what....and that set her to pacing...

[DadsAngry]

Eugene - Navigator on the bridge

"I agree with first officer Haro, space her. Now what about the saboteur in the passenger cabin? Any connection?"

[Keehnelf]

Olive smiles. "Well, with the look on Nate's face I imagine we're in the majority then. Captain?"

Thinking a bit more about Eugene's comment: "Wait, which passenger's stateroom had the sabotaged wiring?"

[DadsAngry]

Eugene - Navigator on the bridge

"It's the stateroom on your left straight off the lift heading towards the lounge."

[Baron]

Bridge

"Look, my first impulse was to space her. With sabotage in the offing, my second impulse was to find the additional saboteur, and space them both. My third impulse is to return to port, and turn the stowaway and the saboteur over to the authorities. But -- what if it's true? And maybe the saboteur is saddled with a parasite? I watched Agathes conduct her crew tests. Nothing to indicate falsehood or scam. I'd like to track down the saboteur and let her check him. With no other leads though, I hesitate to check all the passengers. Come, what do the rest of you think? I'd like to at least hear from Neyland and Jacks."

[Pulpatoon]

Vincent Masseria (Advisor) - Vinnie's Stateroom
"First things first. Whatever it is, you probably want to get ahead of it at this point. Don't wait to react, you need to make the first move and control perceptions."

"Next, whatever your have in your pocket" Vincent holds up his hand to forestall any arguments "I don't want to know about it unless you want to tell me, but you keep fidgeting with something in your pocket ... the issue is that you may be searched at some point in the near future, so do you want to be found with it on you? ... Just something to think about."

Vincent sits back and relaxes a little, smiling at September "So what have they found in your stateroom ... I assume that is YOUR stateroom that has been blocked off ... and what sort of trouble are you in?"

September (Passenger, Bumbling Innocent, Covered in Flop-Sweat): "Well, I think I'm the cause of the short, and I... well, I was tampering, but just because everyone seemed so busy and I thought there might be something important going on, and I figgered I could jury-rig a sensor array with the help of a little of the ships juice and just gather some useful data. But, well, you know, butterfingers, right? I messed up, and it's gotta look pretty suspicious, what with the stowaway and all, like I was trying to mess things up, like sabotage.

"I'd be happy to come clean to the captain, I mean, all I wanted was help from the crew in the first place, but will he listen to me at this point, or just throw me in the brig?

"Do... do you think this ship has a brig? What if they don't have a brig? They wouldn't just space me, would they? I mean, the Captain would be in his legal rights to, right?"

[Keehnelf]

Note to Vinnie, but for everyone's reference who might potentially know this fact:

Under Republic Law, the captain of a trading vessel has full right to treat with anyone on his or her ship as he or she deems appropriate at any time, unless they were brought on
Board by force or coercion by any party. However, all discrepancies in
Passenger manifests due to spacing, etc. and other discipline are recorded at each berth and disseminated so that potential passengers can view a readout of a captain's disciplinary history before purchasing passage.

[atpollard]

September (Passenger, Bumbling Innocent, Covered in Flop-Sweat): "Well, I think I'm the cause of the short, and I... well, I was tampering, but just because everyone seemed so busy and I thought there might be something important going on, and I figgered I could jury-rig a sensor array with the help of a little of the ships juice and just gather some useful data. But, well, you know, butterfingers, right? I messed up, and it's gotta look pretty suspicious, what with the stowaway and all, like I was trying to mess things up, like sabotage.
"I'd be happy to come clean to the captain, I mean, all I wanted was help from the crew in the first place, but will he listen to me at this point, or just throw me in the brig?
"Do... do you think this ship has a brig? What if they don't have a brig? They wouldn't just space me, would they? I mean, the Captain would be in his legal rights to, right?"

Vincent Masseria (Advisor) - Vinnie's Stateroom
[Rather that attempt legal advice about something that the character would know but the player is ignorant, I wanted to just share some OOC thoughts to convey the 'gist' of Vinnie's advice ...

1. Per the REF, Captain CAN do as he pleases.

2. Ask to speak to the Captain and resolve the issue before the captain brings it up ... it will sell the 'accident' story better than if security needs to beat it out of you as a confession.

3. You are not a saboteur, you are a "Big D*mn Hero" who got unlucky. You already started the spin yourself that you were just trying to help in an emergency.

3A. "You tried to get access to the Navigator and PROPER equipment, and you are STILL waiting to hear back on that" ... proper channels were attempted, unsuccessfully ... the CREW bears some of the responsibility for your desperate actions (but don't overplay that card IMHO, just plant a seed of reasonable doubt).

3B. You are a Scout ... conditioned to be proactive in a ship emergency ... sorry for overstepping your authority, but you were only following your training and trying to help.

3C. If you have J-o-T skill, then you are formally trained to attempt to improvise and use whatever is at hand to solve whatever problem is before you ... with access to better equipment, you would have been successful.

4. This alien mind nonsense is crazy, you welcome any simple blood test or scan that will prove your innocence (unless you actually do have an alien mind trapped in your head, then don't suggest this since it will not help your case )

Player to player and character to character, that is the best advice that I can give.

REF: Unless there is some Republic Legal precedent (or Local Legal precedent) about Scouts or Navy personnel acting in a time of emergency to save civilian lives? ... then Vinnie will suggest saving that as an ace up the sleeve to play if things go bad ... we are still in system, the actions may have occurred within the 100 diameter Planetary Law jurisdiction (a fact for a court and authorities to decide) and my client wants his day in court to plead his case before the proper authorities ... I would prefer a peaceful and reasonable resolution, but it pays to plan for the worst. ]

"I suggest you waste no time in requesting an urgent meeting with the Captain, and plead your case. You can make your case alone, or I can accompany you. Whichever you prefer, both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Alone increases the probability that you and the Captain can resolve this as one man to another ... with an apology, a hand-shake and continuing on your way.
With legal council increases both the chances of an acquittal and the chances we both end up offloaded back at port.
You tell me how you want to play out this hand?"

[Grognardsw]

Isaac C. Heinlein

Ike rests in his room, reading an old novel The Puppetmasters.

[Pulpatoon]

September (Passenger, Suspect, Voluntary Surrenderee)

September listens to Vinnie's advice, nodding. "You're right. I'll go see the Capatin, alone, if I can. If... if I'm not back pretty soon, please enquire after my well-being."

September access the ship's comm and requests the Captain.

[spanningtree]

Carter
Looks at Johan "Why the last I knew he was in the Bridge area with the captain."

I'll see if I can find him... Johan will say as he turns back toward the access tube. He will make his way toward the bridge.

[Nuke66]

Samantha runs a complete system check while she is at it.

"Captain. Jump is recalculated and programed. The proximity scan is negative and a system check is in progress. Your decision Sir?"

Samantha asks, glad that decision is not hers.

[Keehnelf]

To be continued in Action Thread 2: the Revival!