When the helpful beeping stops it takes a moment for Billy to register it before bolting upright, "Uh-oh," he pokes at the radio, "Hey, telling us if something goes wrong was an order," he attempts, "Don't make me come in there after you."  Billy speaks sternly as he flicks some switches to ensure the ship's instruments aren't at fault, " I really don't think that'll go well," he adds nervously.

Everything is fine, nothing is ruined, Xander replies quickly. Nothing super important, anyway...

Using his targeting systems, he continues to cautiously approach the source of the signal.

In reply to Xander (msg # 72):

Transport

The chaotic scene before you is as beautiful as it is terrible. You receive Xander's response, but do not get a location.

Debris Field

Xander approaches the source of the signal far more carefully this time, and ultimately manages to steer Abraxas through the rubble without further incident. The signal's origin point comes from a chunk of metal about the size of a mobile home, though it has been twisted on one side and folded in on itself on another not unlike an enormous tube of toothpaste.

There are no markings on it, and even from this distance you cannot tell if it used to be a ship, a capsule, a module, or a structural piece of something larger.

There is no hatch or docking point, but your magnetic clamps allow you to secure yourself to it without much trouble.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 73):

Not to break your concentration or anything... but what the hell could reduce a ship to this... this looks intentional to me.

Lots of things, not necessarily foul play, Xander responds, matter-of-factly. As much as we like to pretend it's not, space travel is still dangerous. There's an enormous list of things that can go wrong, and you're far, far from help when they do.

He pauses, glancing around the debris field as his clamps secure the capsule. I'm more curious what is keeping all this wreckage together. This should have dissipated within minutes of the incident. Frictionless vacuum and all that. Something is exerting a force powerful enough to keep this debris from drifting off into the black.

A green light winks in the neon gloom of Abraxas' cockpit, indicating a secure clamp. [Success]

Xander then begins to pilot his way carefully back towards the rest of the team. [Piloting: Success]
This message was last edited by the player at 17:37, Wed 17 Aug 2016.

In reply to Xander (msg # 75):

Gravity fields... maybe artificial ones... say from a person... Battalion mutters.

In reply to Batallion (msg # 76):

No need to tell me about the dangers of space travel...

She says and lapses into a brooding silence.

In reply to Nightmare (msg # 77):

A little less than an hour after departure, Xander's mech flits back to the transport with a large, twisted can in tow. There is no way it could fit in the transport.

"So...I'm not seeing a door," Billy says with the comm channel open to address all interested parties, "And I'm not super enthusiastic about how easy that's gonna get crammed in here." He lets the observations hang in the air for a moment before turning pointedly to Rebecca, "I guess congratulations are in order.  You've been promoted from biologist to away team.  Suit up."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 79):

Wait... What?!

"I seem to remember that when we were attempting to escape a terrorist hospital prison lab you helpfully demonstrated how you  have a more efficient way to travel than doors.  So you can get in the box without compromizing the atmosphere for any survivors.  Once we know what's in the box we can figure out how to open it."

Let's try to hail whoever is inside first, if they're still alive, Xander suggests, but if we don't get an answer then I agree, it would make sense to have Rebecca take a peek. Don't worry, I'll be right there if something goes wrong.

In reply to Xander (msg # 82):

Rebecca gets sweaty and fidgets uncomfortably she squeezes the doll and mutters the only words you can make out are

....space.... cold.... breath.... dead. 

Tears start to roll down her cheeks

"Hey, no no, the opposite of that, come on.  Trying to avoid death here.  Why do you have a void phobia now of all times," Billy laments as he gets immediately uncomfortable with Rebecca's response.  However instead of pushing the issue he takes Xander's advice and switches the communications to a broad spectrum transmission, "Attention, uh, derelect space wreckage.  We received an SOS and are here to assist, if you can, please respond."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 84):

After an uncomfortable pause, a voice crackles over the SOS frequency.

"Could it be? Am I saved??"

The tone changes from hopeful to suspicious a moment later.

"By whom?"

Billy pauses with how to respond before his eyes settle on Batallion, "IDA agents," he answers nonspecifically, "What's your status, from our side we've got a partially collapsed giant metal box, it's gonna be a trick to get you out."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 86):

There is a moment's silence before the response.

"Glory be," the voice says. "The IDA! What luck. Yes, yes, by all means, please get me out of here. I have such a report to file, you're almost assured a promotion."

The comm goes to static, then regains its strength.

"I'm, er, well... it's a long story, but I'm trapped in what was once the galley. Plenty of food, but not much air scrubbing. I jury-rigged the rehydration unit to filter out some of the carbon dioxide but I've felt light-headed for... um... a long time now. I was able to grab a few oxygen tanks before I was sealed off, which helped. And I got this emergency radio, too, but the signal's been weak and the battery is nearly fried. I've been debating charging it from the heating coils but I'm afraid I'll freeze if I do. It's so... cold. So dark, already."

"I'm afraid when you moved my floating coffin here, it rattled me around a bit. I'm... caught up in a nest of wires and pipes. How... how were you going to get me out? I don't have a pressure suit. And I think it'll take a knife or torch to free me from the wall here."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:12, Thu 18 Aug 2016.

Billy sighs and switches the mic off briefly, "Crap..." he groans and drums his fingers on the console in agitation, "Who gets stranded in space with no space suit?" he flicks the radio back to the private channel to make sure Xander can contribute, "As far as I know we don't have any means to pressurize a connection to this box, and the only one of us that can get in without exposing this guy to a vacuum isn't exactly the most capable of cutting him out of his own wreckage, do we have any ideas?"

Xander furrows his brow, suspended in the weightlessness of his cockpit. Can Rebecca phase over carrying wire cutters and an empty EVA suit? If not, this is going to get interesting.

He flips back over to open coms. We're working on that slight obstacle. In the meantime, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you? What happened here? Do you have any idea why the debris field has remained consolidated?

In reply to Xander (msg # 89):

She sniffles and straightens up when Billy talks to her.  Squaring her slight shoulders she nods firmly.  She tugs on his sleeve beckoning him close.  He holds his ear to her mouth and she whispers.

Out loud she says

Wire cutters... yes.  Eva suit... maybe.  We can try it.

Billy looks at Rebecca with a furrowed brow, "Uh, slow and painful.  I guess?  I could maybe talk to you about it later?  Let's get you in a suit first and then make sure we don't have any more deaths to talk about."

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 91):

I feel like I saw this in a holovid once... they had to... rig together the... systems... Battalion fades off.

"If you can remember specifics I'm all ears, but for now we're going with the 11-year old who can ignore walls." Billy responds in all seriousness to Batallion.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 93):

Rebecca starts suiting up, the fear seems to be gone.

Thats 11 year old prodigy who can ignore walls to you!
This message was last edited by the player at 18:16, Thu 18 Aug 2016.

JJ, was that before or after the captain announced that he had a 'throbbing pulsar,' and began 'rigging his system together' with the sexy Ensign Astronaughty? Xander asks. I'm not entirely sure those kinds of holovids are going to be helpful here.