"Thank you" Daphne said. "Even a fighter pilot's reflexes couldn't keep up with all those questions, but I did my best. And I'll contact our wayward crew"

Jared went over to Yuri an took a seat.
"Escaped, too, didn't you? To be honest, I am mightily confused how we may proceed from here. Looks to me like Captain is on big trouble, it might leave us stranded on this planet for quite some time. Once all those reporters leave, we might actually get around to look for someone to repair the ship. And with all the press comments I'm sure they will charge extra."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:18, Tue 21 Nov 2023.

Yuri nodded, "Yeah. I didn't think I could handle putting up with a bunch of senseless questions being repeated over and over. I would have made things worse most likely."

"I don't mind the work and such, that goes along with a trade ship. But sometimes I think there has to be a better way to make a living."

Daphne returns to the ship and fires up the communications system. "Anzha, Charmichael and Yuri, do you read me? This is Daphne. We need your location and present activity" she starts, businesslike, then adds "plus, whether you discovered any good restaurants or bars."

"Anzha, here," she replies to the same channel.  "That's a maybe for the second part of your question and that's where I am.  I was about to head back, though.  What's up?" she asks gathering herself, paying the tab and preparing to leave.

"Captain wants you to report your present location and activity to him" Daphne replies. "And I hope you had a pleasant time. A little relaxation is welcome after all this"

Beto had planted her elbow on the ship's console, and laid her tired head on it. She was listening to the exchange, and suddenly started to wave at Daphne to get the headphones.

"Dear Anzha," she adressed, "since you've finished your meal and plan to come back to the ship, would you be interested in assisting Nicodemus in the thawing of the passengers ? You could learn useful things if for a reason or another he was unable to process this task. I'm not saying you could lend him a hand, since he's so good. But. Who knows."

[OOC with enough practice, we could start a specialization in the Medic skill. Let's say after participating in un-freezing 14 people and a little study, you'll have +1. There are still 7 people left in the lowberths. You'll have the skills at 1/2 :) ]
This message was last edited by the player at 09:22, Sun 03 Dec 2023.

"Yes, I can do that," Anzha replied.  She departed the bar, having missed her crew-mates in the place and returned to the ship.

Once on board she will stop by Baris' cabin and drop off the letter, telling him in exact detail everything she observed about the woman, before joining Nicodemus in the low berths.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:00, Sat 25 Nov 2023.

"Anzha is planning to head back? How kind of her!", exclaimed the captain, sarcastically.

"Tell me, is my short-term memory failing? Did I issue a general permission to leave, that I can not remember? I hope judge Sandstrom is not having people watching us right now, because she'd have a blast holding against me my inability to maintain a semblance of discipline among my crew!

And where are Argonov and Charmichael? The latter clown is supposed to care about our freight, and last time I checked we had 30 tons of mail, and I don't want to associate my name with "The Great Tanar Mail Robbery"!"
This message was last edited by the player at 11:37, Sat 25 Nov 2023.

"Calm down, Baris!", Beto snapped. "It's bad for your heart and the drug did not bring you back to your twenties... You're not in the Navy anymore!

The youngsters have feared for their lives, of dying by asphyxia, plus the media...

All they wanted was to taste the famous fruit this and vegetable that. And frankly I'd like a fresh meal also! Wouldn't you, Lady Arslan?

Let's 'convoque' them all in the restaurant Anzha was in, if it's not closed."

Anzha boarded by the ship by starboard and headed to the stairs, ready to climb down to the crew's cabins deck, when she heard bickering from the cockpit, so she went there.

The bickering stopped when she knocked. Captain Dahl opened the door and silently scowled at her.

After Anzha's report, he took the enveloppe and triumphantly brandished it to Beto and Daphne "See? What did I tell you about con-men and women waiting for our innocent sailor-esses to err?". He coldly thanked Anzha and immediately ripped the enveloppe open. He read the side printed, checked incredulously that nothing else was printed on the verso and exclaimed:

"Can you believe that!? This is an invitation from the Imperium Consul on Tanar to meet him at 1500 at the consulate! And hear this: "The invitation is extended to any Imperial Citizen who has served in the Imperial military forces, Diplomatic Corps, or Secret Services". What kind of..." he sighted and dismissed Anzha, who joined Nicodemus.

Beto called the Starport switchboard, who told her that the Central Natura Starport bar & restaurant was supposed to close at midnight. But when she called the restaurant, they were ready to extend the closing time.

Beto told the crew she invited them at the CNS immediately, and she'd pay the tabs.

Only Nicodemus, Anzha and Oscar - whose turn it was to provide security - stayed aboard, with promises that two takeout meals would be brought to them.

---

It turned out they were in fact not alone in the restaurant - many crewmembers from The Pride of Tanar also were stretching their legs while the ship was being refueled and resupplied. The canteen was noisy, so the Hope's crew went unnoticed.

They were served GUiGUI's salads (The best brush salads are GUiGUI’s salads!), Beeman's fruits (Beeman Beeman Beeman !), with glasses of Raklovians's biologic wines. And also meat from various livestock animals. It was obvious that this was not a gastronomic stopover; rather industrial food, unfrozen and unpacked - and raw meat from Petruccili. Still, to the palate of offworlders, it was their first encounter with some of Tanar's exotic flavors, and they silently savored it for a moment.

During dinner, Baris read the consul's invitation. He felt the seal was genuine, though he would call the consulate to confirm. Those who corresponded to the criteria could join the meeting, but they did not have to. Also, he reminded everyone that even though this was the merchant marine, they weren't supposed to leave the ship without notice nor permission, for their own sake.

Beto next informed the crew that she would interview a prospective Power engine Engineer at 0830 at the ship. From there they would determine how long the repairs would take. She got word of his hotel, he said it was OK, so that's where they would stay that night, with the first night paid for by the OLH.

She reminded what she told them Link back to this game
- For "marketing" purposes, use the “Roarl-Ooargl” name
They had to be back at Thrush in 7.5 weeks so they had to
- Suggest alternate travel routes
- sell 5 ship shares in total to meet the payment deadline. Those who sold their ship shares would get 3.75% ownership of the OLH's in exchange.

Any questions?
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:25, Sun 26 Nov 2023.

~ aboard the Old Lady's Hope ~

Grouch appeared suddenly behind Nicodemus:

"There's a Doctor Sharipue knocking at the port airlock. Says he 'medical examiner' an' wanna meet with ya."
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:27, Sun 26 Nov 2023.

Nicodemus startled, but quickly refocused on his task. He says, "Oh. Thank you, Oscar. It's probably something to do with the gunshot wound, so it shouldn't be too much of an interruption. If his credentials are valid would you escort him here?"
"I really need to process these low berths so the ship is empty when they're ready to begin repairs."

The ancestors of Dr Sharipue came from a place called "Indya", and he had the brown skin to prove it. He also looked thin, dynamic, with hair combed backwards, an eagle nose, and very non-nonsense.

"GreetingDrTrask, IamShramSharipue, medicalexaminerfromthecabinettofHighJudgeRebeccaSandstrom."

He bolted his hand to shake Nicodemus'

"I'mreallypleasedtomeetyou. Ifoundoutyouwroteyourthesison "identifying the genetic-dependent risks in longevity treatments", Illbeveryinterestedtoreadit. Anyway, Ihaveorderstosearchyourinfirmary. Apparentlyyouclaimedtohaveperdormed - letmecheck - "delicate thoracic surgery in zero g using non-medical equipment". He raised an eyebrow and waited.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:07, Wed 29 Nov 2023.

Nicodemus shakes the man's hand and smiles. "OH. The equipment wasn't non-medical," he says. "It was intended for a different cavity, anterior medial, to be honest. I set it to the largest polyp size possible and managed to extract the projectile and cauterize the damaged tissue."
"If you could forward your credentials, I wouldn't mind allowing you to see our stores. Frankly, I've avoided digging deeply into them. The Aslans that only recently vacated the ship weren't too concerned with medical care and I'm not sure what they've left behind. I can't show you, myself, as I need to clear the low berths in preparation for the repair crew."
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:05, Thu 30 Nov 2023.

Daphne enjoys the fine meal, but she is a bit worried about the future. "Is this engineer another ex-navy man?"

~ aboard the Old Lady's Hope ~


Nicodemus has managed what few have succeeded to do: make Dr Sharipue pause for two seconds. He hesitates, looks around, then expresses:

"Iwouldhavethoughtthat...apairofplyerswasa... standardequipmentforanyinfirmary. IguessIllfindonewhenIlookaround." He winks.

When asked for his credentials, Sharipue draws his paper search warrant. It bears all the headers of the Justice & Ethics Authority and the personal seal of the H.J. the Honorable Rebecca Sandstrom.

Trask returns to his work. Under the watch of Grouch (and maybe Anzha) Sharipue looks around meticulously and professionally - clic, clic, taking pictures. He does not disturb the instruments - clic, clic - and puts them back where he took them. He's very impressed by the pharmacy cabinet where all the drugs are properly labelled and secured. Like a robot, he takes the drugs one by one, takes a picture with the camera in his left hand (he's wearing gloves), and puts the drug back in place.

"Imquitesurprised", he comments to whoever is there. "UsuallythecabinetsarefullwhenleavingTanar, notwhenarriving! Youknow,allthedrugssoldunderthecounter. QuiteaneconomicpillarofTanar, withalltheoffworlderscomingfortheir'narcotic tourism'".

With such speed, he finishes quickly and comes back to take leave of his colleague.

"Ifoundthepairofplyers.Tofinishwiththissubject, wouldyoumindsendingmeyoursurgeryreport? - Confidentialitywillberespected.Illreporttheconclusiontothejudge.Regardingthestateofyourinfirmary, letssayIveseenmuchworse.Youreobviouslylackingfundsandmodernequipment, butthecrewisluckytohaveyou. Doctor, Nurse, Sir" - he bows to Nicodemus, nods to Anzha and Oscar - "Althoughyourlittlejokesmakethejudgeandmyselfworklate, acceptmywelcomestoTanar. Doctor, youshallreceiveacopyofmyreport. Goodnight." and off he goes. Maybe a taxi is waiting for him and the clock is turning...

~ Central Natura Starport bar & restaurant ~


Still holding a glass, Beto glances at Glanz's résumé. "A comrade we may have met in the Navy, Lieutenant? It does not seem so. I see 16 years spent in the merchant marine, and four in the Scout Service."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:12, Wed 06 Dec 2023.

Daphne looked impressed. "That's quite a career. I'm glad we might be able to get him. A good ship starts with a good engineer, or nothing works right."

~ aboard the Old Lady's Hope ~

~1 AM (Natura Time)

When not in space - in a situation like this, where the ship was unguarded by authorities, a shift of 3x8 hours had been established. The watchmen guarding the ship were:

1. Khor'ruhn
   
2. Oscar
   
3. Charmichael

Oscar's watch is nearly over when Baris and Khor'ruhn come back to the ship with takeaway meals. The famished bald man dives into his meal, without appreciation for the freshness of the natural products. Meanwhile the Vargr start his patrols.

Baris looks for Nicodemus. "How is the thawing goin', Doctor?". His mind is however elsewhere. "Look Nicodemus... The ship's time is almost 2 hours ahead of the local time. In 3 hours, it'll be 0600 on the ship, 0400 outside, and I should take the watch. But given that we're here for a moment, would you mind extending your shift 2 more hours, allow me to sleep 5 hours, and set the ship's clock with Natura's time ?"

The captain gets to sleep. With Nicodemus working by the low berths and Bannacor at the hotel, he enjoys his privacy and quickly goes into an agitated sleep.

Little does he know that this is the last time he sleeps on the Old Lady's Hope.

~4 AM (Natura Time - and now also Ship's time)

The last of the 8 low-class passengers is unfrozen and leaves the ship after a checkup. None died, none lost limbs or else, all thanks to Dr Trask's expertise. It all seemed much too simple and flowing to Anzha. She starts the berths' cleaning process and goes to sleep, also alone in her cabin.

Nicodemus Trask has two hours before him, before being replaced by the captain. How and where does he spend them?
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:30, Sun 03 Dec 2023.

After speaking to Baris, Nicodemus's next stop was the galley. It was time to brew some strong tea from a strain he had picked up on Vadada (high L-Theanine content). Sipping his tea, he began the more formal processes of his watch. From time immemorial, any machine large enough to have the space had been fitted with lights and dials, and the current controller of the machine had to read and record what the machine said. Everything was as Trask had expected. He could see that most of the readouts were inactive with the power plant down and the ship berthed. Between recording the two or three readouts that still mattered, the doctor would review the medical logs and correct inaccurate or incomplete entries while adding the necessary new ones. He broke up the potential monotony by catching up on his correspondence. This included composing a message for Anzha expressing his appreciation for her professional and thorough methods.
As he ran out of events to log about, he began to re-read the records of the ship's automated logs and sensors in an attempt to mentally recreate the issue causing the damage. At one point, he became satisfied that maintaining this activity through the rest of his watch, and consuming two more cups of tea, would allow him to complete important tasks and stay awake through the extra-long shift.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:05, Thu 07 Dec 2023.

[Private to Nicodemus Trask: Sorry player, the other players stuck to the present tense, so we have to also write in the present tense! ;)]]
While Nicodemus takes the coms to dictate a message for Anzha, there is an indicator blinking. Meaning that he, himself, had received a message at 23h00 (NT). That video message was sent to the ship to his attention, and comes from Dr Van Nuys, a friend of the AIMHIGH (Academic Institute of Medicine, Holistics, and Insights in Genetics for Humans) with whom he produced their thesis, no less!

"Trask!" - Nicodemus remembers that everyone was addressed by their surname at the Institute - "I paused my work ten minutes, glanced at the TV and stopped on the survivor's interview, and just realized you're on Tanar! I can't believe it! The gods must have sent you! Please, oh please, quick take the plane to Blossom, Mysteriosa Province, and give me a call when you arrive! I have made a frightening discovery, and all "authorities" ignore it! I need your expertise and support! Oh Nick, it's going to be like the old time - 8, 9 standard years ago? Call me back!"

What is confusing is all that time on the video, Van Nuys is wearing a heavy nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection suit.
This message was last updated by the player at 11:10, Fri 08 Dec 2023.

Van Nuys had always been good as a colleague; Nicodemus thought it could be pleasant to work with her, again. But he couldn't do anything while the shipboard incident was still under investigation. Sending a message to Van Nuys expressing his current situation and promising to contact the woman, as soon as the hearing was over would have to do, for now.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:10, Fri 08 Dec 2023.

Ten minutes before the shift, a tired but clean captain Dahl comes in the cockpit with a cup of coffee for himself ("Nick, you're just about to go to sleep *yawn*, I did not bring any stimulant").

He rejoices as he learns that all low passengers have survived, undamaged. "I'll have Daphne communicate this to the press. This is excellent for our ship's reputation, and could be a defense against the judge's accusations.", and he pats paternally Nicodemus' shoulder. "'Anything else that happened in the last hours that I should know about?", Baris asks as he slurps his coffee.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:01, Fri 08 Dec 2023.

In reply to Baris Dahl (msg # 146):

Nicodemus yawns and shakes his head, "no, no stimulants. I've got to get some sleep before I do anything else."
"I received a personal message from an old colleague. They appear to have discovered something dangerous and want my help. They've asked me to Blossom in Mysteriosa Province. Other than that, it was completely quiet."
"If you're ready, I surrender the watch."
Dr. Trask is already looking forward to some sleep.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:05, Fri 08 Dec 2023.

"Son, I know you deserve much better than being a ship's doctor. You should be employed in Big Pharma, earning a huge salary and gathering honors and prizes. If they think you could bring some help, they're damn right!

Look, Beto is going to meet a ship Power expert, and by the time you wake up, we should know how much time we're grounded here.

I'm considering allowing the crew a general permission to leave for the duration of the repair. What else ? I'll gather some intel on Mysteriosa. If there some danger, people may leave with you. Heck, I could appreciate some on-planet travel as well!

Good night, Nico"

---

[And with this, ends the Vadada to Tanar thread. My first thread closed as a GM! The two groups are almost reunited, and the adventure continues on the Vanar thread. Thanks for having been with me so far :) I'm trying to bring everybody at a time under the spotlight, and we're entering Dr Trask's glory hour!]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:48, Wed 06 Mar.