"What do you want me to do?" Angus asked the others.

In reply to Angus McStubbin (msg # 862):

The rest of the expedition personnel (aside from the scientists and Lucky Jack, Ken, Linus, Blake and Billy) arrived. There was a Scout, Hanno, and a pilot Jerri and a gunner Lexi. As well, Lorrain's doctor friend Dr. Talia McKenzie. They all introduced themselves and asked how Angus wound up there.

Meanwhile the research portable mainframe was set up and started working on the language.

Ken looked around as the scientists set up.  "I think we should set up our new base camp and continue to explore the maintenance tunnels while the experts figure out more on the local language."

Angus helped set up any way he could. Carrying, wiring, connecting, whatever was required. He wondered what the inside of the asteroid looked like, if it was really booby-trapped.

Blake also helps out with setting the profs up to do their thing. We should inquire about a guide or area expert to tag along with us.

In reply to Blake Renfield (msg # 866):

Prof. Gilenkaar returned from his talk with the headman.

"He wants to know what we're going to deal with the prisoner. Wait until we have sufficient data?"

I think we need some clarification on the "Prisoner" before any decisions are made. Is he our responsibility ?? What info can we get from the prisoner ?? Are they nmadics types ??

"Do you think we can get any more information from him?" Billy asks the linguist.  "If not, we might be better to release him.  Perhaps with dire threats about what will happen if they attack us, or our friends here, again.  It might win us a few brownie points with his people if we need to talk to them later."

In reply to Blake Renfield (msg # 868):

Lorrain's friend and fellow academian Talia replied, "medic? I am a medical doctor. Is someone hurt?"

She had arrived after the fight yesterday.

In reply to Billy (msg # 869):

"I don't think we've gotten any information out of him. I haven't been able to talk to him yet. Depends on if he even speaks the same language as the good folks here in the village."

Ken spoke up.  "I'm not willing to leave him to the tender mercies of the villagers no matter how grisly were the actions of his own side.  We'll get what information we can out of him and after Dr. Gilenkaar finishes up we'll send him on his way with a warning."

"Just let him go? What if he comes back leading others? Does he speak the same language as this group? Should we not question him too?"

In reply to Angus McStubbin (msg # 873):

"I couldn't establish he speaks the same language. But I can't rule that out, either."

Time is not our friend here. We have possibilities to look into. A working power plant could lead us to other operational systems here. How Angus arrived here since something
and/or something seems to have pulled his ship in. That has many implications for us. The current tribal situation is unknowable for the next few days. And sooner or later, Mr K will come looking for us.

"So, why don't we all head down to the forward camp, that we have asked the others to establish, and see what the good doctor can make of the man's speech when he has a better computer to use?" Billy suggests.


OOC:  That might get us a kickstart into a new phase of the game, rather than trying to remember what was going on 4 months (or however long) ago

"Hmmm, I'm up for a trip, need to move again!"

Ken nodded in agreement. "Let's check the language and then definitely get the location of a power plant right away."

Seeing as Ken and Angus think heading back to the forward base is a good idea, Billy starts collecting his few possession together, ready for the trip.

Blake spends some time fiddling with his inertial locator. He makes sure it is updated as to locations with any notes he needs to add. Then an equipment check along with a reshuffling of backpack and gear. Anybody here good at tracking ?? Yesterday's attackers should have left an easy trail to follow, at least initially. We should probably follow it for while and get a direction of their travel. I will assume they fled in a safe to them direction.

Ken nods in agreement with Blake as he gathers his things. "I'm not an expert in tracking but they should have left quite a trail." He looks to Lorain.  "Do we have enough of the language to ask where the attackers came from?"

Billy cocks his head to one side.  He wasn't a tracker, but he had been there, seen the attackers run away into the crop lands.  There might have been a pattern  ...

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 881):

The touchy scientist looked up from his recording and consulted with the village headman.

"He says they came from across the fields, that way. There is another entrance across the fields thataways. About a half-day's travel."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 881):

Lorrain said, "I think it's a great idea to track those attackers down. If we don't know where they are coming from they might be a threat to the forward base camp!

"Speaking of that, let's escort the scientists back to the forward camp. Then we can back-track the war party."

In reply to GM (msg # 884):

Leaving the cleared and planted areas around and near the village, the group returned to the giant elevator in the shed in the forest floor a kilometer or so away.

The elevator sank down into the asteroid rock hull. Eventually they arrived back at the still-intact top level of the living quarters.

There were a few people waiting for them. Jeri, one of the cutter pilots, and Lexi, a cutter gunner, had escorted a new arrival. It was a man that Blake recognised from his time on the Inquisitor.

In reply to GM (msg # 886):

"This is Jedec," said Jeri. "He's another crew member that escaped the Inquisitor before it left. He's not part of the crew that hijacked the ship, as far as we know!

"Ok, we're going to head back now down to the transit tunnel, then the corridor to the surface base camp. We still got a lot of work repairing that cutter to operational status."