Back at the ship, Tut wants to do a few things.
"Either she ran out of money exactly when she died or there is something sinister going on Hol. She had a rotating purchase agreement, she had money somewhere."
First - There should be some logs or traces of computer activity for his Aunt's computer, he is looking specifically for financial transactions.
He would like to see if there is a record of a bank account or financial chip or anything.
comp [2d6+2]=8+2=10
Then take that information, if any and backtrack it to the dome and to the lawyer or where ever it ends.
comp [2d6+2]=10+2=12
"There might be some more information somewhere, we should look."
Secondly - Tut would like to do a full search of the interior of the ship, with Hol's permission. Stem to stern of all human accessible area's from Captain's safe to scullery.
J-O-T [2d6+1]=7+1=8
Is there notes anywhere, Hol will go thru any computer storage devices and scan them. He will also check on the Feed Bin of the alien life and refill it if possible.
Tut is still not accepting the engineering, but working one step at a time, he does not want to kill any sentient.
The next morning, Tut would get another look at the power plant and head to the yard looking for parts, taking whatever tools he can find on the ship to assist.
Tut
Y2156.11.10:0800 Phase 2 - Hol and Tut
Re: Y2156.11.10:0800 Phase 2 - Hol and Tut
Point of clarification: Are you running the computer trace using your HandComp (Model/1 equivalent) or the Ship’s Computer?ateno wrote: ↑Fri Sep 20, 2024 8:49 pm Then take that information, if any and backtrack it to the dome and to the lawyer or where ever it ends.
comp [2d6+2]=10+2=12
[FYI: Ellie’s data is stored on the Ship’s Computer - technically the distributed ‘smart panels’ that control various starship systems - and downloaded to your HandComp thus far.]
"welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness" - e.e. cummings
Re: Y2156.11.10:0800 Phase 2 - Hol and Tut
If I can access and use the ships computer adequately I will use that.atpollard wrote: ↑Sun Sep 22, 2024 12:01 amPoint of clarification: Are you running the computer trace using your HandComp (Model/1 equivalent) or the Ship’s Computer?ateno wrote: ↑Fri Sep 20, 2024 8:49 pm Then take that information, if any and backtrack it to the dome and to the lawyer or where ever it ends.
comp [2d6+2]=10+2=12
[FYI: Ellie’s data is stored on the Ship’s Computer - technically the distributed ‘smart panels’ that control various starship systems - and downloaded to your HandComp thus far.]
He will try to cover his tracks.
comp [2d6+2]=9+2=11
Tut
Y2156.11.15 - Ellie’s Compound east of Brulantfort - (Hol & Tut)
[Just for the record, Tut added the contact information he requested for Élisaac Girard and Charlotte ‘Dame Charlie’ Poulin.]
Y2156.11.15 - Ellie’s Compound east of Brulantfort - (Hol & Tut)
By 0500 you were on the road and by 0900 you were at the Ship with the bizarre LIFE SUPPORT loaded in the back of the truck. You had packed along 4-man-weeks of MRE packs and came to Ellie’s prepared to stay for a few days [God have mercy if you needed to live on packaged military rations for TWO WEEKS!] and make some real progress rather than burn 8 hours commuting back and forth each day.
The day was spent at the ship … both settling in for an extended stay, loading the queer Life Support [which the Ship now registered as having a few days shy of 7 weeks of Life Support Capacity], searching the ship thoroughly (inside and out), and then Tut’s special BANKING PROJECT.
The Ship’s Computer seemed perfect for the task … better than a Model/2 from the Prospecting Ships he had served on. The data was fairly easy to locate (it was stored on the Ship’s Computer), but unlike her Medical records, Ellie had protected her banking data. Tut was confident in his abilities until his masterful attack failed to penetrate what could only be described as a MILITARY GRADE ENCRYPTION. Why would ANYONE need Military Grade Encryption on their Banking Data … are Foreign Planetary Governments going to hack your Checking Account? Where would an eccentric DOCTOR living off the grid gain access to it?
Not to be defeated, even if Tut could not access the actual DATA, he could trace the routing. Feeling just a bit paranoid at this point, Tut ran a security test of the connection. Damn, Ellie was paranoid. The ship’s COMM did not broadcast, it beamed a variable wavelength tight-beam laser COMM to one of four omnidirectional receiver/re-broadcasters. Anyone tracking the signal to its source would first be bounced between constant moving sources, and then narrow Ellie’s location down to an area 40 km in radius … a LARGE area to search for a broadcast antenna.
So Tut launched his tracker through all of the bounces and obscuring paths that it took, but you had enough data to discriminate and match the data patterns. District 0, Building 7 was Ellie’s banking “pen pal”. Tut had no sooner located the destination/source than all hell broke loose. Tut had been detected and was being both attacked and actively tracked by not one, but TWO opponents. One was merely tracking and from its methodical sledgehammer approach [11] was likely some Government or Law Enforcement Agency with a sniffer flagging any activity on those accounts. The other was both more malevolent (either defending the Building 7 system or attacking Ellie’s system) and had ‘mad skills’.
Tut had prepared for the worst and it paid off. His preset defenses quickly activate, shredding the Government pursuit and buying Tut time to prevent being tracked back by the OTHER system.
Tut slouched back in the chair and wondered, not for the first time … who the hell was this Ellie and what the hell were they in the middle of!
On a positive note, a thorough search of the ship located the ENGINEERING LOCKER full of lots of hand tools useful to ENG, MECH & ELEC skill checks. It was dark in ENGINEERING, so the Locker was hard to see behind the hanging wires.
Y2156.11.15 - Ellie’s Compound east of Brulantfort - (Hol & Tut)
By 0500 you were on the road and by 0900 you were at the Ship with the bizarre LIFE SUPPORT loaded in the back of the truck. You had packed along 4-man-weeks of MRE packs and came to Ellie’s prepared to stay for a few days [God have mercy if you needed to live on packaged military rations for TWO WEEKS!] and make some real progress rather than burn 8 hours commuting back and forth each day.
The day was spent at the ship … both settling in for an extended stay, loading the queer Life Support [which the Ship now registered as having a few days shy of 7 weeks of Life Support Capacity], searching the ship thoroughly (inside and out), and then Tut’s special BANKING PROJECT.
The Ship’s Computer seemed perfect for the task … better than a Model/2 from the Prospecting Ships he had served on. The data was fairly easy to locate (it was stored on the Ship’s Computer), but unlike her Medical records, Ellie had protected her banking data. Tut was confident in his abilities until his masterful attack failed to penetrate what could only be described as a MILITARY GRADE ENCRYPTION. Why would ANYONE need Military Grade Encryption on their Banking Data … are Foreign Planetary Governments going to hack your Checking Account? Where would an eccentric DOCTOR living off the grid gain access to it?
Not to be defeated, even if Tut could not access the actual DATA, he could trace the routing. Feeling just a bit paranoid at this point, Tut ran a security test of the connection. Damn, Ellie was paranoid. The ship’s COMM did not broadcast, it beamed a variable wavelength tight-beam laser COMM to one of four omnidirectional receiver/re-broadcasters. Anyone tracking the signal to its source would first be bounced between constant moving sources, and then narrow Ellie’s location down to an area 40 km in radius … a LARGE area to search for a broadcast antenna.
So Tut launched his tracker through all of the bounces and obscuring paths that it took, but you had enough data to discriminate and match the data patterns. District 0, Building 7 was Ellie’s banking “pen pal”. Tut had no sooner located the destination/source than all hell broke loose. Tut had been detected and was being both attacked and actively tracked by not one, but TWO opponents. One was merely tracking and from its methodical sledgehammer approach [11] was likely some Government or Law Enforcement Agency with a sniffer flagging any activity on those accounts. The other was both more malevolent (either defending the Building 7 system or attacking Ellie’s system) and had ‘mad skills’.
Tut had prepared for the worst and it paid off. His preset defenses quickly activate, shredding the Government pursuit and buying Tut time to prevent being tracked back by the OTHER system.
Tut slouched back in the chair and wondered, not for the first time … who the hell was this Ellie and what the hell were they in the middle of!
"welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness" - e.e. cummings
Y2156.11.16 - Ellie’s Compound east of Brulantfort - (Hol & Tut)
Y2156.11.16 - Ellie’s Compound east of Brulantfort - (Hol & Tut)
Hol and Tut were awake before dawn (by 0500). Being spacers and from the city … nature noises took some getting accustomed to. Plus Tut could not quite shake the expectation that Government Grav Carriers full of Black-ops Troops were going to land in the clearing and arrest you at any moment and you STILL don't know who Ellie was or what is going on!
At least studying the Power Plant and searching for parts would give you something to do and think about … plus you would be nowhere near the ship if the Black G-Carriers came. [Tut chuckled]. By 0600 you had eaten the breakfast from your MRE on the drive and arrived at “The BONEYARD” (that was what Juliette had said Ellie called it). Good Night … There were more than a hundred ships! Some just Cutters and Launches, but others in the KILOTON range. From the size of the Trees growing between the Hulls, they had been here a while … a LONG while … but Crystaliron cared as little about the elements as it did about the harsh conditions of space and a hull that survives the plasma of reentry can survive a lot of tropical storms.
Hol employed his PILOT skill scavenging for parts to help fix the COCKPIT/BRIDGE. If the SHIP was ever going to fly, it would really be nice to have some controls … and a place to sit … both. Both Controls and a Place to Sit were good things to have on a Starship. By 1200 (noon), 6 hours of searching had located a BRIDGE in almost perfect condition. But for the age from just sitting here, it must have been practically new when it was abandoned. Of course, an entire bridge would weigh more than their 2 tonne capacity and be larger than would fit in their truck … but the most valuable parts are often quite small and portable. Hol salvaged the best for their ship and scored 600 kg of parts (qual 11) worth Cr 82,500. Hol had enough parts to complete the COCKPIT/BRIDGE up to (qual 6) Flight Certification. It would just take Cr 75,000 worth of labor to install them all.
Tut made good use of both his PROSPECTING and ENGINEERING skills to search for Power Plant Parts. Unfortunately, the Power Plants that he examined were either completely incompatible (too large, too small, wrong model) or they had already been stripped … or both. However the trip was not a loss by any measure. Tut was able to locate a compatible Maneuver Drive in good condition (quality 8). Again several dTons and many tonnes of MD was too big for “two guys and a pickup” to move … Like most engines it had BIG-HEAVY parts that accounted for most of the bulk, and SMALL-SOPHISTICATED parts that accounted for most of the cost. Tut recovers 4 tonnes of MD parts (qual 8) worth Cr 700,000. It will take 2 trips to bring them to the ship, but only Cr 175,000 worth of those parts (plus Cr 175,000 labor) are needed to bring the MD up to (qual 6) Flight Certification. That means the other Cr 525,000 worth of parts (about 3 tonnes) could be sold to raise cash.
By 1700, you are back at the ship and all of the parts are safely stored in the Cargo Hold.
Hol and Tut were awake before dawn (by 0500). Being spacers and from the city … nature noises took some getting accustomed to. Plus Tut could not quite shake the expectation that Government Grav Carriers full of Black-ops Troops were going to land in the clearing and arrest you at any moment and you STILL don't know who Ellie was or what is going on!
At least studying the Power Plant and searching for parts would give you something to do and think about … plus you would be nowhere near the ship if the Black G-Carriers came. [Tut chuckled]. By 0600 you had eaten the breakfast from your MRE on the drive and arrived at “The BONEYARD” (that was what Juliette had said Ellie called it). Good Night … There were more than a hundred ships! Some just Cutters and Launches, but others in the KILOTON range. From the size of the Trees growing between the Hulls, they had been here a while … a LONG while … but Crystaliron cared as little about the elements as it did about the harsh conditions of space and a hull that survives the plasma of reentry can survive a lot of tropical storms.
Hol employed his PILOT skill scavenging for parts to help fix the COCKPIT/BRIDGE. If the SHIP was ever going to fly, it would really be nice to have some controls … and a place to sit … both. Both Controls and a Place to Sit were good things to have on a Starship. By 1200 (noon), 6 hours of searching had located a BRIDGE in almost perfect condition. But for the age from just sitting here, it must have been practically new when it was abandoned. Of course, an entire bridge would weigh more than their 2 tonne capacity and be larger than would fit in their truck … but the most valuable parts are often quite small and portable. Hol salvaged the best for their ship and scored 600 kg of parts (qual 11) worth Cr 82,500. Hol had enough parts to complete the COCKPIT/BRIDGE up to (qual 6) Flight Certification. It would just take Cr 75,000 worth of labor to install them all.
Tut made good use of both his PROSPECTING and ENGINEERING skills to search for Power Plant Parts. Unfortunately, the Power Plants that he examined were either completely incompatible (too large, too small, wrong model) or they had already been stripped … or both. However the trip was not a loss by any measure. Tut was able to locate a compatible Maneuver Drive in good condition (quality 8). Again several dTons and many tonnes of MD was too big for “two guys and a pickup” to move … Like most engines it had BIG-HEAVY parts that accounted for most of the bulk, and SMALL-SOPHISTICATED parts that accounted for most of the cost. Tut recovers 4 tonnes of MD parts (qual 8) worth Cr 700,000. It will take 2 trips to bring them to the ship, but only Cr 175,000 worth of those parts (plus Cr 175,000 labor) are needed to bring the MD up to (qual 6) Flight Certification. That means the other Cr 525,000 worth of parts (about 3 tonnes) could be sold to raise cash.
"welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness" - e.e. cummings
Y2156.11.17 - Ellie’s Compound east of Brulantfort - (Hol & Tut)
Y2156.11.17 - Ellie’s Compound east of Brulantfort - (Hol & Tut)
Another terrible breakfast and another trip to the BONEYARD to locate desperately needed parts for the Power Plant. While neither Hol nor Tut were able to locate any salvageable Power Plant parts, both located parts that could complete the work on the STATEROOMS and COMMONS, restoring them to (qual 6) Flight Certification. Hol located some adequate (quality 6) staterooms that could be stripped to obtain 11 tonnes of parts worth Cr 412,500. Tut had much better luck and located some good (qual 8) staterooms that could be stripped to obtain 5 tonnes of parts worth Cr 312,500.
Since the ship only required Cr 125,000 worth of parts to bring the STATEROOMS to (qual 6) Flight Certification, Tut’s find alone would be enough parts to bring the STATEROOMS to quality 7. Several trips hauling 2 tonnes at a time delivered the 5 tonnes of STATEROOM parts safely to the cargo hold by 1700.
Some quick calculations revealed that just the two of you, working alone, would need about 25 days working 16 hours per day to repair the COCKPIT to (qual 6) Flight Certification status … and it was the quickest of the repairs you had parts for. The STATEROOMS would require another 40 days or so and the Maneuver Drive repairs would need about 60 days. You had the parts, but needed a new plan for the labor. Two people could not replace an entire Starport Shipyard workforce unless you were prepared to follow Ellie into the life of a hermit and spend YEARS at this. There was simply too much work to be done.
Another terrible breakfast and another trip to the BONEYARD to locate desperately needed parts for the Power Plant. While neither Hol nor Tut were able to locate any salvageable Power Plant parts, both located parts that could complete the work on the STATEROOMS and COMMONS, restoring them to (qual 6) Flight Certification. Hol located some adequate (quality 6) staterooms that could be stripped to obtain 11 tonnes of parts worth Cr 412,500. Tut had much better luck and located some good (qual 8) staterooms that could be stripped to obtain 5 tonnes of parts worth Cr 312,500.
Since the ship only required Cr 125,000 worth of parts to bring the STATEROOMS to (qual 6) Flight Certification, Tut’s find alone would be enough parts to bring the STATEROOMS to quality 7. Several trips hauling 2 tonnes at a time delivered the 5 tonnes of STATEROOM parts safely to the cargo hold by 1700.
Some quick calculations revealed that just the two of you, working alone, would need about 25 days working 16 hours per day to repair the COCKPIT to (qual 6) Flight Certification status … and it was the quickest of the repairs you had parts for. The STATEROOMS would require another 40 days or so and the Maneuver Drive repairs would need about 60 days. You had the parts, but needed a new plan for the labor. Two people could not replace an entire Starport Shipyard workforce unless you were prepared to follow Ellie into the life of a hermit and spend YEARS at this. There was simply too much work to be done.
"welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness" - e.e. cummings
Y2156.11.18: morning - The COLONY - Warehouse 25 - (Hol, Tut & DJ)
Y2156.11.18: morning - The COLONY - Warehouse 25 - (Hol, Tut & DJ)
In the morning, Hol and Tut loaded 2 tonnes of Used Mechanical Parts (Maneuver Drive; qual 8) into the truck and headed back into town. While waiting at the Office Trailer to arrange storage for your parts until you could find a buyer to convert them to cash - preferable without attracting any Black Government G-Carriers - you overhead someone named ‘DJ’ talking with the Manager/Dispatcher about renting a 10 tonne truck to deliver some fruit that he was speculating on.
Tut had been a Prospector long enough to spot another ‘SPACER’ when he saw one and this ‘DJ’ was definitely a SPACER … [Merchant if you had to guess]. What stood out was the way his banter with these locals in the COLONY marked him as ‘one of them’.
[Setting up all three groups to align the timelines on DAY 18 … and an introductory nudge closer to a GROUP.]
In the morning, Hol and Tut loaded 2 tonnes of Used Mechanical Parts (Maneuver Drive; qual 8) into the truck and headed back into town. While waiting at the Office Trailer to arrange storage for your parts until you could find a buyer to convert them to cash - preferable without attracting any Black Government G-Carriers - you overhead someone named ‘DJ’ talking with the Manager/Dispatcher about renting a 10 tonne truck to deliver some fruit that he was speculating on.
Tut had been a Prospector long enough to spot another ‘SPACER’ when he saw one and this ‘DJ’ was definitely a SPACER … [Merchant if you had to guess]. What stood out was the way his banter with these locals in the COLONY marked him as ‘one of them’.
[Setting up all three groups to align the timelines on DAY 18 … and an introductory nudge closer to a GROUP.]
"welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness" - e.e. cummings
Re: Y2156.11.10:0800 Phase 2 - Hol and Tut
Computer ideas for the night before we go into town.
Breaking encryption.
To Hol: "Breaking encryption is difficult using brute force, time is your enemy, Idont want to break into or social engineer someone at the date center, it would be dangerous or totally suspicious. So we need your Aunts encryption key. So tonight I will activate the AI of my hand computer and have it record my interrogation of you talking about your great aunt, from her full name to a address of a the favorite ice cream shop you guys went to. i am assuming it will be something innocuous that both of you know easily but is also a face palmer. I will then parameterize the AI to begin generating encryption keys based on usual human thought patterns and such. If she made it too tough, we will never get in.
Comp AI [2d6+2]=10+2=12
Hey I am killing it!
Tut looks at the sky and thinks for a second.
"We could look into the lawyer again, I bet he might know something else, but that involves pressure and I don't know if we want to cut ourselves away from the colony and its enforcement of the rules. Thoughts?
Tut
Breaking encryption.
To Hol: "Breaking encryption is difficult using brute force, time is your enemy, Idont want to break into or social engineer someone at the date center, it would be dangerous or totally suspicious. So we need your Aunts encryption key. So tonight I will activate the AI of my hand computer and have it record my interrogation of you talking about your great aunt, from her full name to a address of a the favorite ice cream shop you guys went to. i am assuming it will be something innocuous that both of you know easily but is also a face palmer. I will then parameterize the AI to begin generating encryption keys based on usual human thought patterns and such. If she made it too tough, we will never get in.
Comp AI [2d6+2]=10+2=12
Hey I am killing it!
Tut looks at the sky and thinks for a second.
"We could look into the lawyer again, I bet he might know something else, but that involves pressure and I don't know if we want to cut ourselves away from the colony and its enforcement of the rules. Thoughts?
Tut
Re: Y2156.11.10:0800 Phase 2 - Hol and Tut
Tut will wait till the negotiation was done and finished and lead Hol up for introductions.
"Morning, by your words I can tell you spent some time in peoples merchant force, <chuckle>
By that he means not the big corp merchants.
... I am Tut a asteroid prospector whos tired of the life and this is Ensign Hol, late a pilot of our navy. Though I am from Beau, I am new to this area. Do you have some time where we can buy you a meal and a beer or two?"
Tut
"Morning, by your words I can tell you spent some time in peoples merchant force, <chuckle>
By that he means not the big corp merchants.
... I am Tut a asteroid prospector whos tired of the life and this is Ensign Hol, late a pilot of our navy. Though I am from Beau, I am new to this area. Do you have some time where we can buy you a meal and a beer or two?"
Tut
Re: Y2156.11.10:0800 Phase 2 - Hol and Tut
Tut was able to extract lots of good data from Hol ... he had both vivid and specific memories from his time with Ellie ... and the AI was able to use the data to construct an "Ellie specific" algorithm with a 97% chance of success. That it failed revealed almost as much as the data would have. Ellie did not have a 'reasonable' encryption key ... which meant that she felt the need for an 'unreasonable' encryption key for the data. Considering she was growing an alien computer in her off-the grid spaceship and felt no need to hide the medical files on that, what about her finances required THIS level of security?ateno wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2024 12:07 pm I will then parameterize the AI to begin generating encryption keys based on usual human thought patterns and such. If she made it too tough, we will never get in. [/dialog]
Comp AI [2d6+2]=10+2=12
Hey I am killing it!
"welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness" - e.e. cummings