Character Creation Challenge 2 of 31, Ivar Bjornson Sundelin

My first GURPS Traveller Character in the challenge, Professor Ivar Bjornson Sundelin, PhD. He's a Sword Worlder Philologist, who speaks most human languages in the Spinward Marches, and several dead ones as well. A native of Anduril/Sword Worlds, he had a fairly standard education until his youthful talent for languages was discovered. At that point, he attended the University of Graahavne for extensive instruction in modern languages and many of their immediate predecessors. Shortly after this, he served four undistinguished years in the Anduril System Defense Squadron as a communications officer and interpreter, adding Zhodani and Darrian to his existing linguistic catalog of Sagamal, Anglic, Modern Vilani, Icelandic, English, and Old High Vilani. He returned to the University as a graduate student, studying the literatures and development of his academic languages until age 30, when he was recruited to the Linguistics faculty of the Greven Henrik II Universitet, as a Reader in Modern languages. He continued his work a GH-II-U until age 45, when he lost out the Chair. The next year, he was recruited by the Imperial University of Mora, initially as a Visiting Professor. For the past decade, he has been working in the Imperium as an authority in Sword Worlds literature and languages. He recently retired, and may be encountered in almost any campaign in the Imperium. If he is used as a non-player character, he is an older man who is almost indestructible no matter what goes on, while running around looking for obscure documents. It is even possible he is on Terra, reading of ancient authors like Tolkien, Howard, Anderson, de Camp, Dusany, and Zelazny. Physically, he's a shorter man, having a narrow face with bright blue eyes, and close-cropped white hair.

From other blogs participating in this event:

• Alesmiter today and yesterday
• TardisCaptain's Blog of Holding yesterday
• Green Sage Library today and yesterday
• And today's from Craig at Traveller

New Year New Character Challenge

Character Creation Challenge 1 of 31, Sieward Shvets

Character Creation Challenge 1 of 31, Sieward Shvets

I did the rolls on this character shortly after midnight. Craig got his first character up this morning. I wanted to do some finishing touches today. Using the format from TTB: 

 

Sieward Shvets, Army Lt. Colonel, 3 1/2 terms Age 32

UPP 588889                                                Cr22,000

Admin-1, Computer-1, Grav Vehicle-1, Rifle-1, SMG-3, Tactics-1

Dagger, Low Passage

Quick bio: enlisted from his homeworld into the Army at age 18, selected for commission that term, promoted to Captain. Certified SMGx2, Rifle, Tactics, Computer, and trained in endurance, reenlistment accepted. Took second term, promoted to Major. Certified Grav Vehicle, SMG, and reenlistment accepted. Took third term, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, certified in Administration, and took endurance training, and reenlistment accepted. Fourth term, injured on operations, invalidated out at age 32.

As  a generic character, I can keep him as is. If I was to play him in a game, I'd spend some of the money to purchase some equipment. He's eminently playable, being capable working with computers and administration, as well as in a combat situation, with tactics and a very good SMG skill. Rolls, as my practice, are below the break.

Character Creation Challenge Update

On Saturday, I posted that I'm participating in a character creation challenge for January, as in starting Friday. Since then, I've managed to get two other people into it, Craig Oliver at Traveller-CT.blogspot.com, and my dad over at Alesmiter. It's more fund to do this with other people and get some cross-talk. Also, the originatior of this idea is Carl "the Tardis Captain" Stark, with a page on the idea here, and blog as well.

To be honest, I'm kind of looking forward to this whole thing, and getting some good ideas out.

New Year, New Character Challenge

I saw this idea on a MeWe post from last month I took a while to find, but here's the idea: I'm going to hand generate a roleplaying character each day for the month of January 2021. The person who posted it has a very different idea about it than me, but let's go for a variety of options to enjoy. Here are my rules for it:

• I can use any physical books I posses for that system
• No use of website character generators, or programs
• Using electronic systems for record keeping, is permitted
• Generation one or two days ahead is acceptable
• Document all dice rolls

There's also a chance I may be on a business trip at the end of the month, in that case, I've got both Starter Traveller and Traveller 5.10 in PDF available to me, and I can throw 2d6 in my luggage without a problem. I'm looking forward to this, and it should be worth the time.

Also, I'm planning this following schedule, subject to change.

1st, 4th, 6th, 8th, 19th, 21st, 25th, 27th, and 29th Classic Traveller (The Traveller Book or Starter Traveller)

2nd, 3rd, 9th, GURPS Traveller

5th,7th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, 26th, 28th Mongoose Traveller

10th, 11th, MechWarrior 1st Edition

12th, 13th, MechWarrior 2nd Edtion

14th, 15th, MechWarrior 3rd Edition/Classic BattleTech RPG

16th, 17th, A Time of War (2009 BattleTech RPG)

23rd, 24th, Traveller 5th

30th, 31st, my choice, could be any of the above, Space: 1889 AD&D 1e, or Pathfinder.

Any concepts for the systems, feel free to offer them now. Good ones will get credit, and others ignored. Anyone else interested, please let me know, and keep in contact

Terran Gentleman, and Other (Not So Fine) Potables

One of the many technologies brought with to the stars from Terra was distilling of the varied grain

Original Art

crops. While some distillery techniques do produce quality products, such as Scotch whisky or various Caribbean rums, the techniques to produce cheap, unpleasant liquor has, in fact, thrived. Often to the detriment of officers, NCOs, or people trying to get things done in a timely fashion

A brand that has found particular popularity in the Sol subsector is a whiskey known as "Terran Gentleman". Sold in brown bottles in 500 mL, 750 mL, 1 L and 2 L sizes, with the smaller two in glass, and the larger plastic, it has become a near scourge to hear the complaints to the populations that drink it. Averaging approximately 50% alcohol by volume, it retails for excessively low prices, of around .25 credits for a 40 mL drink at the dive bars it can be found at or 2 credits per 750 mL bottle. It is most commonly found in junior enlisted quarters on military bases, Belter settlements, and poor neighborhoods. The taste is described as being "cleaning agent, grain alcohol, and regret" by those who drink it a few times. It is reasonably common among junior spacers, starport vagrants, and oddly enough, fighter pilots.

Other liquors useful as something to get your characters into trouble, here notable for flavor descriptions, and with thanks to friends, include:

Sambuca, described by Brian P., Marine veteran, "like drinking licorice"

 Chartreuse, described by Anja K., world traveler, " I like it but it's probably the most unappealing liquor I've had... and I've had a lot."

 Vermouth, described by Jen L., home day care provider, "tastes like a stale old wardrobe closet from the 1800’s."

Jeppson's Malört, described by Aaron H., Army veteran, "A Chicago thing," also "grapefruit and gasoline."

Krupnik, described by Nick T., Submarine veteran, "supposedly tastes like honey but I remember it more like moth balls and peppermint."

Habu Sake, described by John T., Marine veteran, "Well, I'm not sure if it was legit Habu Sake from Japan. It was a high proof alcohol that had a preserved snake of some sort in it. Tasted earthy with what I can only described as an overcooked steak that's been sitting in a fridge for 3-4 weeks. Also, not smooth by any means with high alcohol taste. So, pretty sure this was a re-bottle."

Jägermeister , according to Jason O, Navy retiree, "which is disgusting and if you talk to most they will agree, although they will happily buy a couple shots which you will gladly take raising a toast to anything. How this became such a favorite shot with a cult following is beyond me."

Apricot schanpps was provided by nerd-in-paradise Chris T., as just an idea.

Bacardi Rum, from Paul S., National Guard veteran, "ick seems like rubbing alcohol."

I myself, had an odd experience with Drambuie, which I found rather sweet, but didn't feel the whisky notes.

I hope that you can find other, less excruciating ways, to get your characters intoxicated. I know some groups that do drink at the table, but please, be safe.

UPDATE: Thanks to Spinward Scout, there's Jump-distilled Scout Stout!

Death Station, Part II

 Aboard the Boxing Kangaroo

            Lieutenant Brickley was in a conundrum regarding what was going on aboard the Burwell. He wanted, like every officer, to take control of the situation on the ship, but realized it was not an option. Like every Jump-capable captain, he was a prisoner of his own status. Thinking back to his tour on the Mortal Quench-Fire, he realized how his captain then had been constrained by limitations on his role. Realizing how he wasn’t alone, he started drafting a message for the planetary governor. He needed the doctor from the garrison. The other thought was to tell Brand to leave the bodies in the freezer. The horror had to stay.

 Search One: Hassan, Hall, Appledorn, and Hoedmaker

            Sub-Lieutenant Hassan understood the fracas going on with the other team couldn’t bother his. They had to keep pressing on. They came to the next stateroom after the library, empty, but with cloth stripped. The marked it with “DS”. The next one, though, was different. As he opened the door, and looked into the darnkess, he noted the bunk was torn from the bulkheads, and material thrown around. Reaching for the light switch, he looks up and sees the lights are broken. “This won’t work.” Stepping in, he moves around the barricade, where the mattress covers a hole in the deck.

Marine Appledorn has joined him in the room, and asks, “Sir, do you want me to take a look down there?”

“No, we’ll just leave it. We need to get to engineering.”

“Aye-aye,” as they leave and head for the next staterooms, marking the one the left with tape and “DD”. The next is surprisingly normal and untouched, the apparent harmony at odds with the rest of the ship, earning it a “DS” marking. The following is dark and empty, earning it a “DS” as well. The next, Hassan and Hall open, with the Marines on each side of the door.

Red lights are a tradition when examining darkened areas

As the door opens, the stench comes out, and the hand reaching for the lights find they don’t come on. Two red flashlights move across the floor, but quickly reach the center, where they both see the source of the smell. A male human, missing his left leg. Obviously, he’s been dead for a few days. In shock, they leave, and mark the room “CR”. In the passage, Hassan looks Hall over, noting how she’s still shaking. “That’s the shit we see on these. My first tour, I saw an old spacer loose his lunch when I was on a cruiser out of Savisz. Some jumpnutter was wrecking through a Sub Liner. The crew had managed to contain him when he went crazy during jump, but he’d cut a family open before they’d subdued and froze him. We’ll get through this,” turning to the Marines, they button hook to the next stateroom, which has working lights, but stripped sheets. Finally, they reach the auxiliary control station off engineering. The Marines take up position at each iris valve to the small compartment, as Hassan sits down to examine the computer. Working through, the controls, he notes the ship is in a geostationary orbit, and will not require a change in the forseeable future, and the drives are in good shape. There is mention of an explosion in a lab, and how it was sending chemical fumes through out the ship at the end of the logs. He resolves to sit down and examine them more in depth.

 Search Two: Brand, Castillo, Fini, Binici

            Once the survivor had been carried away, the examined the dark smashed up stateroom, and pick through the pile of filthy blankets and mattresses, ensuring nothing is there. They mark the compartment “DS”, and move on. The next stateroom, is dark, and apparently wrecked as Brand and Castillo look through it. Strangely, the mattress is missing form the bunk, despite the stateroom showing “Stavro, P.” next to the door. Dismissing it, they note it as “DS” and move on. The corridor, though, Brand notices there’s a trail that’s led from the iris valve to the second stateroom in. It’s spotted, and red-brown.

            “Blood. We’ve got more traces of some foul play here. We definitely need a criminal investigator here,” she coolly reports back to the ship. Following it in the stateroom, there’s the remnants of two brown bottles on the deck in the center of the stateroom. Castillo, looking at them, saw the parts of a label holding some pieces together.

            “Terran Gentleman? What’s that?” he earnestly asks.

            “Cheap whiskey. When I was your age, I tried some, but I was miserable. Come on, we’ve got more to get through. I’d guess that someone got drunk and did something here, but we don’t know. Mark it as “DS”, and let’s keep going.” Brand replied, trying to keep them going.

            “Wait, you partied?” was his youthful reply, astounded to hear that his LPO didn’t have the quasi monastic existence he’d expected.

            “When we get to Fenris, go to a barracks party, now that you’re less of a boot,” she explained, as the moved out into the passage, marked the room, and moved to the next. Locked, they tried to open it, with some of the small tools in the kit. The simple lock popped open to reveal a neat and undisturbed stateroom. They marked it, and moved on. The final stateroom before the bridge was a mess, but showed no sign of any bodies.

Brand examining the computer

            Entering the bridge, Binici ran to cover the far entrance from the corridor, while Fini stayed to
ensure nobody could sneak up on them. Brand sat down in the left-hand couch, while Castillo moved to sit in the right. She shook her head at him, and he paused, then moved to the ensure she wouldn’t be surprised. She opens the memory for the logs, and starts examining them. There are regular transmissions to the lab down on Loki, but a second set of those same reports going to an anonymized out of the system account every week. The final item of interest in her search was the visitor logs. There are several mercenary officers, some from major units like the New Bavarian Freikorps. “Mercenaries on a lab ship,” she asks aloud, before copying the information to take with. “Let’s get going here.”, as they head to the drive pod, and she notifies the rest.

Search One: Hassan, Hall, Appledorn, and Hoedmaker

 

           After getting the message the other team had secured the bridge, they move into the drive pod. The iris valve opens, showing a darkened pod, Marine Appledorn flips on the lighting switch next to it as he leads them in. The party walks around, and examines the space, not seeing much. Examining the overhead hatch nearest the door, Hall starts undogging the hatch and moves slowly up there. The oversized battledress is not what they need in this case, with Hassan following her.

            Entering the darkened, confined space, they can’t see much, even with flashlights. “Red filter,” he orders. Passing over the filth, they come to a man lying in the far corner on a pile of mattresses, with blankets poorly pulled over him.

After his push, she goes over to the man, and says, “Sir, sir! We’re from the Navy and here to help!” while tapping on a shoulder. He awakens with a startled expression.

“What? Huh? What about the rest of them!”

“The others? How many other survivors are there?” Hassan answers, taking control of the situation.

“Four, wait three others. There were four of us who survived the explosion,” came the survivor’s response. “We were running low on food, but then, the secondary lab had an explosion.”

“And what about them? The one our comrades met turned out to be feral, and tougher than expected.”

“Something happened to all of them, I don’t know, but they’re all dangerous cannibals!”

“Wait, did you say cannibals? What have you been living off of?”

“Me, I’ve been eating what remains of our supplies. Got a bite?”

Hassan opens a sealed pouch on his vacc suit, and withdraws a survival bar, and gives it to the man. “Your name? We’ll get you back to safety shortly.”

The man takes a very hungry bite, and says, “Pent Stavro, drive hand. They wouldn’t get me in here,” and he gets out of the den he built, and stretches some.

“Come with us, and we’ll get you back.” Hassan replies.

“They’ll get me if I leave, I’m not going anywhere” Pent asks, surly and uncooperative.

“I’ve got two Marines in battle dress. You can come on your own two legs, or else. We’re taking you back one way or another.” Pointing at the open hatch, “You have your choice,” as he reached for his snub pistol.

“Fine, but turn down the lights!” Stavro shouts, stepping over the filth on the deck, and going down the Marines below, with Hassan refastening his holster. Hall goes down immediately following Stavro. Hassan waits, and calls ahead. “All units, Search One. Have one survivor. Give them food, avoid lights, and do not trust them. They’re deranged. We’re returning to the Joey right now. Joey, do you copy?”

“We copy one survivor, do not trust,” came Sergeant Valdez’s response. The awkward five go through the drive pod, and into the corridor, where Valdez and Franke were there to meet them. Seeing more Marines in battle dress, Stavro starts shuffling on his feet some. Grabbing the man abruptly, Valdez, Appledorn, and Hoedmaker force him down, cuff him, and then inject a sedative.

“The other one’s in Yap’s supervision, sir,” explained Valdez as he hefted the unconscious man, and started taking him back to the lift in a fireman’s carry. “Anything else?”

“Keep them separate and strapped down. This is an investigation; we don’t want it ruined,” Hassan replied, in the manner that suggested an order.

“Aye-aye,” as the groups moved apart, with Search One heading for where they left.

 

Search Two: Brand, Castillo, Fini, Binici

            Leaving the bridge, they check the empty turret control station. Seeing nothing, they enter the drive pod. Looking through, there’s nothing but a thin coat of dust, something Brand is slightly disgusted with. The quick search shows nothing, and they leave, taping both compartments as “DS”.

            The Marines take up position around the iris valve to the air/raft hangar. Castillo opens it, and goes in, finding it dark, he and Brand turn on their helmet lights. Seeing the smashed lights, but a well stowed air/raft, they head back out into the corridor, leaving their tape mark on the iris valve. They move into the cargo bay.

The cargo bay

            Fini runs ahead to the iris valve at the far end to stay in overwatch position, with the other three fanning out into the area. It’s a fairly standard storage area aboard ship, dimly lit with a few crates, mostly for scientific instruments. At the end farthest from the air/raft bay, Castillo finds something different.

            “MM1! I’ve got something here!” he shouts out, “Can you can Binici take a look, it’s interesting.” He stands next to a different crate. This one was marked for live specimens, and there are some smaller cages nearby. “Blood trail as well,” he points out as they get to him. “Looks like they were testing stuff on some critters.”

            “Good work, Castillo,” Brand notes, as she takes down some quick notes on what happened. “Nobody else found, but it looks like there’s something up here. Poke around a little more to make sure nobody else is hiding.”

            As they examine the space, they find the door at one end can be opened to allow cargo to be brought in from the air/raft, but don’t open it. Most of the containers are empty, just retained for future cargo. As they went through, Brand’s radio chirped, receiving Hassan’s message, and called her team together.

            “Right, we’re going through the next space, and there’s still more people unaccounted for. Fini, you take point, then me, Castillo and Binici, bring up the rear. Red lights, if in there the lights are out. Got it?” she laid out the plan for searching the next compartment.

            “Aye-aye,” the trio responded in unison. They got into position around the iris valve. It hissed open, and they could not see in the inky blackness. Their flashlights turned on, red light, revealing two aisles of lab tables. The quartet moved into the lab.

 

Search One: Hassan, Hall, Appledorn, and Hoedmaker

            As they reached drive pod they’d previously inspected, the crew briefly checks on the hardpoint. Empty, they pass on. Opening the iris valve, they look into the empty air/raft bay. Dark, empty, and featuring no way to turn on the light, like the proceeding space, they mark it “DS”. They move into the secondary laboratory. Smashed lights, and an area wrecked, it looks like an explosion went off in there, as well as they can in the red light. Looking to the left as they enter, Hassan looks and sees a familiar looking heap of waste in front of a stack of lab tables and benches. “Let’s take a look,” he says.

            They move over, and see a person coming out from the stack. Quickly, four red flashlights illuminate the survivor. “HANDS UP!” comes Appledorn’s voice as he takes out his gauss rifle, and levels it at the unknown person.

            In a state of shock, the survivor slowly complies, right arm coming up to clean the mouth. Hoedmaker and Hall hustle over to secure the prisoner. Disdaining the time for interrogation, they start the frog march back to the main spoke. “Joey, Search One, we’ve got another,” Hassan calls.

            “Search One, Joey copies,” Valdez replies. “We’ll sedate this one as well.” The two groups meet in the middle of near the open iris valve sectioning off parts of the lab ship. The sedated survivor gets taken to the boat, until they hear a message from Search Two. Valdez takes off at a run to the main lab with Franke in tow, with Search One taking the survivor back to the boat.

 

Search Two: Brand, Castillo, Fini, Binici

            Entering the darkened lab, they see nothing of importance as they enter, moving slowly up the aisle. Sensing an opportunity, Binici moves to the right 10m up the lab, and starts looking along the other aisle. Walking through, they come to a computer terminal, still on, with flickering lights. There is a sequence of numbers flashing by, 1103, 1101, 1077, 1079, and 1067, with no apparent meaning. Brand stops the numbers, and sees what they are. Her face lit up by the screen, she scrolls through, and see what happened.

            “Combat drugs, that makes sense.” She pulls out a hand computer, and starts downloading the information. Then they notice something.

            Coming out of the corner by where they entered, but missed, is a man, running at them. Taking them by surprise he clumsily jumps on Castillo, who manages to escape. Fini turns, and moves to hit him with her cutlass. Castillo, avoiding the attack, moves out to dodge the attacker. Brand, taking a second to collect herself, wheels around and takes a punch and the crazed survivor, dropping him to the ground. As he falls, Binici shoots the man with his gauss rifle.

            Gasping, she keys her radio, “All stations, Search Two. We were attacked in the main lab by a survivor. He’s down, and we need help. Over.”

            “Search Two, this is Valdez, Franke and I are on the way. Can you do first aid? Over”

            “Search Two, this is Kangaroo, are any of our people injured? Over.”

            “Valdez, Search Two, yes, I can. Over. Kangaroo, Search Two, wait one.” Brand looks at her team, “You all right?” The trio responds positively.

            “Kangaroo, Search Two, we have no injuries. Out.” She states, and starts performing first aid on the injured man. Not knowing exactly how, but she makes it work enough that by the time Valdez and Franke arrive, they manage to get him patched up enough not to die.

Death Station, Part I

079-1120

Loki/Sol (SR 2228)

            The jump from Peraspera to Loki was uneventful and accurate, taking 170 hours, arriving 103 diameters out from Loki. Nothing appeared to the crew at entry, and they relaxed from stations to the N-space watch. Contact and messages from the world indicating nothing out of the ordinary. The local Military Governor, a Lieutenant Colonel of the Unified Army of Sol, and his garrison of 400 ensured the world listed to the dictates of Lagash, Muan Gwi, and Capitol. In truth, the world was little more a small town huddled around a small starport, extracting chemicals from the atmosphere and fluid seas under a couple of domes. A few smaller domes, with tiny populations, were on the continent. The Boxing Kangaroo was just another reminder of that rule, but also of the responsibilities that came with it.

A rotating ring labship

            Two uneventful days after entering the system, only seeing the scheduled courier run to Ember/Sol jump in, a signal came up from the surface. It began, “LYSANI LABS REPORTS R/V BURWELL COMMS FAILURE. RESEARCH PINNACE WAS CONDUCTING SUPPLY RUN, AND NO CONTACT LAST. REQUEST INVESTIGATION OF POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.
WAS IN SYSTEM TO USE LOCAL CHEMICAL PRODCTS. LAST REPORTED POSISTION, GEOSTATIONAIRY ORBIT 180 FROM STARPORT.” Sublieutenant Hassan examined the orbit change required, and began to plot the intercept, as the whole transmission was read by Lieutenant Brickley, who then began to prepare the orders. Once satisfied, the ship changed orbits. Examining his resources, Brickley wrote this watchbill:

Lead	SLT Hassan
Ship’s Salvage	MM1 Brand
Salvage Techs	AS Hall, SR Castillio
Boat Crew	Cpl Afari, MNE Franke
Medic	MNE Yap
Security Lead	Sgt. Valdez
Marines	MNE1 Appledorn, MNE1 Fini, MNE Hoedmaeker, MNE Binici

            Per standard procedures, the spacers, boat crew and Yap would be in vacc suits, with the rest of the Marines in Battle Dress. Spacers would carry auto-snub pistols, and the Marines have gauss rifles and cutlasses. The remaining crew, while short, would be able to operate the ship if losses mounted. The info on the Burwell noted her central docking adapter would be empty, so Afari could easily dock with it. They also had the codes to come aboard. The plan was simple. Hassan and Hall would operate with Appledorn and Hoedmaker as one search team, Brand, Castillio, Fini, and Binici the other. Sergeant Valdez would stay at the lift shaft as a relay point to the boat and one-man reaction force if needed, and Yap would stay on the Ship’s Boat, with the crew as his guards/stretcher bearers.

            Launching from 200 km away, the Joey flew to the unresponsive ship. Brickley kept trying to hail the lab ship, but no response. As the boat closed, the crew in the cockpit watched as it resolved into a standard lab ship ring, then, it came clear the lab ship was in a slow rotation. The docking port was a stable, and gravatics made the transfer easy, as the party in the boat barely noticed the alignment with the ship’s systems. Appledorn and Hassan entered the lift, and exited into the reception area. Appledorn ran to the far end of the darkened space, covering the passage, while Hassan button hooked to the right, covering the near side approach to the reception area. Next came Fini and Brand. In his hulking battle dress, Fini replaced Hassan at the entrance, and Brand and Hassan started to examine the space. The biggest thing was the plaque on the bulkhead. It stated the ship’s name, statistics, and owners, the bulletin board beneath noted the chartering party, Lysani Laboratories. The overhead lights were smashed, but the helmet flashlights did allow them to find a panel concealing a locked maintenance hatch. The salvage party assembled, and they moved into the groups. Hassan’s team heading to the engineering control, and Brand’s to the main bridge, and, hopefully, meet in the main lab. Valdez told them he had a good link with the boat. Atmosphere testing showed it was good, so the vacc suits were relaxed, gloves coming off and helmets stowed. The battle dress was not relaxed.

Search One, Hassan, Hall, Appledorn, Hoedmaker

            Hassan’s team crept to through the ship, going room to room. The first stateroom they checked had a puddle of water on the floor, and broken lights again. Nothing in the locker, they closed the door, placed 160 km/h tape on it, with “DS” in a large hand on it, stating no survivors. The next featured a single blinking light, and a pole laying on the deck. Able Spacehand Hall, examining the lockers, saw the largest one was slightly ajar. Opening it, she screamed as a body fell out, landing face up. Hassan jumped to look in reaction.

            “Is that a crewmember? Sir?” she asked, noting his missing arm.

            “Looks like it.” Hassan responded, then called to Marine Appledorn, “Call the boat, tag a crewmember as dead.” They stepped out, and resealed the door, placing tape on the door with “CR”, nearly gagging from the stench. Hall put her helmet back on, to keep from having to smell the

The next stateroom was unremarkable, and marked “DS”. Continuing, the next one was dark. A quick examination showed stripping of the rack and small blood smears, almost like whoever removed the contents bruised their knuckles on something, and stained the area carrying it out. The room was marked “DS”, and the group reviewed the next empty stateroom, but it turned up empty, again marking it “DS”. The following compartment should have been a stateroom, but it turned to be a small library, with reader stations, and an array of scientific documents. Looking at them, Hassan noted the ones spilled on the deck were all about biochemistry, a topic he had no particular background in. The escape pods across the passage were all untouched. Then his radio crackled to life.

Search Two: Brand, Castillo, Fini, Binici

            The other party started looking through the stateroom in the other direction from the first. Fini and Binici provided cover around as the first door was opened, into an unlit stateroom, as Castillo switched on the lights, revealing a few boxes in the corner. He looked into them, and said, “MM1, it’s just someone’s crap. But this looks nice,” holding up a sprig of green leaf encased in a clear solid.

            “Put it back. We aren’t here to loot,” Brand admonished him, as she checked the rest of the empty room, before clearing him out of the room to tape over it with “DS” written on the tape. They moved to the next compartment, a conference room. Looking at the documents on the table, it was notable they were all about combat drug experiments. “Do you know much about combat drugs?” Brand asked the Marines outside.

            Fini answered, “Not much, your ladyship, but I got to use it once in unpowered combat training. Speeds up, reduces pain, but leaves you winded afterwards. We don’t use it much.”

            “Thanks, and how many times to I have to remind you, I’m not her Ladyship on duty!” came her reply, as they marked the space as “DS,” grimacing about the minor dressing-down. The following space, the formal dining room, was set up for a meal, but undisturbed. The quick search found nothing, and again, the space marked “DS”.

            Moving beyond, the group sees the main mess deck, and the galley off it, the area is dark, but
stepping to bulkhead, Castillo turns on the remaining fixtures. In the poorly lit area, they saw the far end tables pushed aside. Across the serving line, they notice the lights are all smashed. Marine Fini stood back to cover them, as Brand led Castillo and Binici into the kitchen. It’s a fairly standard starship galley, with a large freeze box attached. As Binici opens it, Brand, remarks, “Oh god, oh god, oh god.” Binici hurredly slams the door open.

            Inside, they see the horror show of twelve human bodies, hanging on hooks. Some missing limbs, the nearest one Castillo examines, “That looks gnawed on. Is it just me, or are those human bite marks?”

            “I think so,” Binici responds. “MM1, what do you want us to do here?”

            Narrowly keeping her lunch, Brand thinks for a second. Coming up with the right answer, “Close it up, put tape over the door, and market. CR on there.”

            “Aye-aye!” the two respond to the command, happy to do something normal here.

            She thinks for another second, and brings up her radio. “All parties, this is Search Two. We found twelve, that is one-two, bodies in the galley freezer, and they look eaten. We have a crime scene. Over.”

            The Captain back on the Boxing Kangaroo, the boat, and Sgt. Valdez all copied. Sublieutenant Hassan copied, eventually, but noted he already had one dead body found. Waiting, she then heard Fini call out, “HANDS UP!” and the trio at the locker ran over to him, pulling their weapons. They find a typically sized man, looking at the Marine in Battle Dress, who then spins around and tries to attack Fini. His eyes go wide, and his lips curl into a feral grin.

            Fini knocks the man with the butt of her gauss rifle, seeing him as non-compliant, knocking him heavily. Ignoring the hit, the man tries to attack her, but it does not affect her in the heavy armor. Castillo stands back, as Binici charges in with his cutlass. He hits the man, wounding him. Brand, her fear welling up in her, calls for Valdez and Yap to get there, as she looks to the lounge.

            Continuing, Fini drops her rifle, preferring to engage hand-to hand at this point. Making contact, the armored fists knock the crazed man, who responds with another ineffective assault. Binici drops the man with another cutlass blow as Yap and Valdez show up. They quickly respond by cuffing the man, and applying first aid, as they take him back. Looking at each other, they understand they have to continue on, despite the violent situation. Uncertain, was this one of the cannibals who stored the bodies in the freezer?

TO BE CONTINUED!