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In reply to GM Heath (msg # 122):
After inspecting the weapons, she smiles and hands them back to Appleburg.  "I'm sure we don't have any spare ammo for your one gun but, if you need something, we may be able to scrounge you up something."

"Bartja, can you have one of the robots video record Doctor Appleburg's story?"

After his ecosystems check, Hammer says, "If we just hold out in the center of the river, there's a good chance it may come out after us. It appears this creature can likely swim like an alligator to come after us. It just has to build up its courage. We cannot outrun it on this river. The only option is to land on the far side and hike a little out of its view and territory, but that will cost us about an hour of time. What do you think? Should we just chance it on the river? I don't think we have time to lose, unfortunately."

In reply to Hammer (msg # 127):

"I think we should have pitched camp earlier, as soon as we started to feel the first hints of exhaustion to avoid operating at less than optimum performance.  I had kinda figured you would have come to that same conclusion earlier."  Porter mumbles to Hammer.  "We have to stop pushing the envelope, there is no need to increase the risks through rushed decision making and behaviour.  We still have time to reach the objective and complete the mission without forced marches, cross the river away from the beastie and make camp.  If we see it attempt to cross the river, then we pur everything we have into from our secure camp site instead of trying to fight it off, or something even worse, in the dark while we are still in the boats."

Porter looks around at the othe roccupants of his inflatible.  "Can we please stop pushing our luck and follow something remotely resembling SOP.  This cowboy stuff is gonna get someone killed!"

Bartja turns his half-face to Desi and smiles his new lopsided grin.

"Conversation audio and video already streamed to Shemp for the record.

As for using the Survey Robot to find the Moraes, it is exactly why I insisted we salvage and repair it.  It can cover ground very quickly and has a lot of firepower.

Point of fact, I could use it to destroy this Carnivore.  It's presence seems to indicate there will be no other predators on his side of the river.  If we give it a chance to enter the water and it damages our rafts, this mission is doomed.  From our current vantage, I can hit it with the robot while you also focus fire on it.  I suspect it would concurrently enter the water to try and get at us, but a couple of heavy volleys should discourage it...to death."

Another thought crosses his mind and he turns to Appleburg.  "Do you know if the Sathar have implanted these creatures as they did on Volturnus?  If so, we could be in real trouble.  If not....might you happen to have kept your implant?"

OOC: Reminder that a round is 6 seconds. Every 6 seconds you spend talking is a round. So 10 ROUNDS is actually just 1 minute in length.

ROUND 4
The creature follows, pacing the rafts.

ROUND 5
The carnosaur makes another feint toward the river, then backs up.

ROUND 6
Just as before, a second carnosaur, this one smaller, appears at the edge of the trees and charges toward the river. You are sure it will leap at you and perhaps even bridge the 25-30 foot gap between you and the shore, but it stops just short, either losing its nerve or changing its mind. It backs up to let the larger one take the lead.

ROUND 7
The larger one again charges and stops just short of jumping into the river.

ROUND 8
They both start pacing you, eyeing your rafts as though trying to strategize in their walnut sized brains--but perhaps they have larger brains. Who knows...

Appleburg explains to you that the Sathar have not been here all that long, and there are not that many of them on the planet (though the mothership might be a different matter). It is unlikely that they have put implants in the local inhabitants.

She knew that the Sarge was making a good point.  They would be useless if they were fatigued trying to take on a grounded ship they needed to get off the planet with.

You got a very good point Sarge."

She turns to Bartja, "Scare them off or take them out!  Give them one burst to get them moving away from us.  If that doesn't work, smoke 'em!

We get rid of them and then we camp ASAP.  Sarge, Hammer, work together and find us a good spot to camp."

S'Krllk says, probably apropos of nothing, "computer, scan nearby organisms and categorize them as biological, mechanical, or both. Audible report, please."

Hammer listens to Porter's outburst with interest to his mechanical and logical mind. "I believe we have acted logically throughout, and have followed the best wisdom we have on hand. It has not always been accurate, but at the same time, I would prefer that our rest be as close to the Moraes as possible so that we are not exhausted when we arrive. Your anger is well noted, however, and I will attempt to adjust protocols to ensure you feel we are doing this through the wisest--" Hammer realizes he is talking too much with danger lurking just beyond the shore.

"Orvo," he states in his high pitched mechanical voice, "I noticed that you have a frag grenade. I suggest you lob one at the dinosaurs to scare them off or at least give them second thoughts."

"Instead of throwing grenades and shooting and potentially attracting more problems, how about we disembark on the opposite bank to those things and move far enough away that they can't see us and maybe they will just leave?"

Hammer says, "We can certainly try that, but their aggression patterns suggest we have only seconds to do so, as they are about to attack."

Hammer will help steer the raft to the far shore to see if that disengages the creature.

Orvo pulls the fragmentation grenade from his gear webbing and holds it in his hand.  He doesn't prime it but, he does look to Hammer & Porter for further direction.  "Well?"

S'Krllk leaves his needler holstered and pulls his laser pistols. He asks, in serious tones, "do you think it would do any good to fire wildly through the trees?"

Hammer says, "We don't have time. Just throw it! We can do what Porter suggests too and go to the far side." He will guide the rafts to the far side to follow Porter's suggestion once Oorvo throws the grenade.

Orvo shrugs his shoulders and then primes the grenade to arm it and then throws it with all of his might.  "Grenade out!"

Thrown Weapons: 1
- 1/2 DEX (25%) + Lvl= 35

ROUND 9
The large carnosaur rears back, looking ready to charge and dive into the water...

Orvo takes out and primes the grenade...

ROUND 10
The carnosaur begins running toward the river...it is definitely going to jump this time...

You begin steering the rafts to the far shore...

The grenade is thrown...but misses its mark. However, it lands not too far from the carnosaur and explodes.

This stops the beast in its tracks and it veers off, looking around at the loud explosion and the dust and crater nearby.

Your rafts get to the far shore, and when the carnosaur turns back, it seems to have lost interest. Both of the creatures stumble back into the forest looking for easier targets.

You finish out the hour on the river until you finally find a good spot just a little ways up the river and disembark on the south side where a few kilometers of flatland plains stretch before you.

[Rolling...almost critical fail...]

It takes almost an entire hour to set up camp due to wetness setting into the bivouac units, the darkness, and finding little parts that seem to have become all lost in the bags in the rafts.

9:00 p.m. (13 hours remaining) (12 hours with no rest)
Rations remaining: 52 (each survival ration is for one person for one day)
Bivouac Units: 1 (30/30 SP (structural points); 10 kg each); second one is kept as scrap (10 kg)

You realize that this night will be different from the night before. Each bivouac unit sleeps only 4. Adding Appleburg into the mix, you now have:

1) Porter
2) Bartja
3) Desi
4) Hammer
5) Orvo
6) S'krllk
7) Appleburg

This means that, even if one is on watch, one person will not be able to sleep in the bivouac unit but instead will have to sleep outside...with a breather. (Appleburg can sleep outside due to the biogenetic changes when he arrived on planet, even though it won't really be comfortable and he has no sleeping gear.)

RULES:
The breathers on the environmental suits are very uncomfortable. Each character must make a stamina check to sleep in one. If the check fails, he can try again in an hour or remove the breather. They are not necessary when sleeping in a bivouac unit.

Remember that you need 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep (except we will allow interruption for taking watch) to shake off exhaustion.

Sleeping in a raft is possible as long as the raft is guided by two paddlers or by one paddler with environmental skills.


You will need to figure out who will sleep outside with the breather and the order of taking watch, if different from the last night, as well as anything else you want to do before sleeping.

Updated Map

"I'm the least effective combatant here, so I'll take my night outside and set Shemp and the ARSuR to keep watch.  You guys get your rest.  I'll try to make it up on the river tomorrow.

There's a good chance we'll make it to the Moraes tomorrow and I need to repair the damage done to our bots.  We may even be close enough to get a WiFi signal, and if we are, I'm going to see what I can find out."

As if answering the question that wasn't asked, Bartja adds "ARSuR is for Aerial Reconnaissance Survey Robot.  I like him!  I feel Terry has forfeited any right to retain this robot and it is my duty to keep it alive now."

One can't help but feel that with Bartja's new enhancements, he feels a kinship with the mechanical kind.  He's sure that Hammer understands...

"I would also like to suggest that we proceed carefully when we reach the big rivers water gap.  We didn't get a good look at it from the dirigible, but if I had to wager, I'd put my credits on there being some solid class five rapids in there."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:01, Fri 05 June 2020.

"I'll take whatever watch is needed. Same as last night is fine." Hammer settles in for hopefully not a too long night.

"We'll make whatever arrangements tomorrow for you Bartja to try and catch up on some rest before reaching the Moraes.  We ALL need to be on our A-Game when we reach the rapids and finally,ship.

Same watches as the night before.

Doc, I'm sure you could use the rest but, we could use an extra set of eyes on a watch.  Are you up for it?"  Desi will turn to the group, "I'll stand watch with him."

(OOC)
If whoever has to stay outside sleeping with breathers has to make stamina checks then put the four people with the lowest stamina inside the tents so we have at least 4 characters who can operate at 100% tomorrow, whoever is outside rotates watch and hopefully some of them will get decent sleep.  Whichever characters are still affected in the morning can rest again in the rafts. 

(IC)
"If we manage fatigue properly we should be able to reach the target area largely intact, if not completely."  Porter agrees as he assists in debarking the raft and setting up the camp site, preparing to stand watch if and when required.

"You know, if Bartja and I shared a watch, between the two of us we might be able to get more out of the robot."

"We're all professionals here and I trust the suggestions we make.  If you think you can make it work, make it happen!  We don't have a bunch of options open to us.  We can revisit our tactics after the mission is a success."  Desi continues the thought in her own head,'Or a complete and utter failure leaving us stranded here!'

Sergeant Min just shakes his head in despair as S'Krllk completely contradicts the marine's tactical evaluation.

His head cocked sideways, S'Krllk says "besides, I can't shoot worth a darn and I learned fisticuffs from Sister Mary Benedict. I'll be of more help supporting our current tech than I will contending with the enemy."