The Marshall Cooperative (T20)

I missed some game time because I was at work. Then I had to make phone calls with work at the end of the game. In the middle, we finished dealing with the scout station - which included helping out some people who were stuck in low berth for 50-odd years and the sim that was controlling their stasis. We dug up a computer for the sim (Samisa) and took her along with us.

We made our way a couple more planets down the track to kelp-land, which we hopefully will hit next game session. We are skipping the game on 3/7 because of Weetacon.

Follow up:

2 scout ships and a far trader. Saw signs of the station computer being homicidal and damaged. Found personal items (guns, etc. missing). First scout ship was stripped and the fuel processor is too small anyway. Found two units of sublight engine parts. Far Trader was not looted and was full of food paste; no obvious damage. We got to the computer core of the station and cleared out some bots, broke in, and found the computer dead and reactor empty. We found some people in the station’s low-berths, door welded from the *inside*. Mad Henry had a welding pack. There was a med sim in there that protected the popsicles.
We get into the base, and I show up late. Something happens; there are apparently five people in low berth with one likely dead and four frozen. The low berths here have power but batteries are unstable. We need to fetch batteries from Rainwind to re-power the low berths. Sergey starts to talk to the low berth computer (a sim, of course) and convinces it that we’re taking the people for “proper medical care”.
Sim: What will you do if you take my subjects, physician? I have watched them for 50 solar years .
Sergey: Someday your services may be needed again.
Unit 1: Subject appears to have gone red; battery failure was inevitable. I have been trying to keep the batteries going. Likelihood of failure in recovery is high.
Unit 2: (we don’t ask)
Sim: I am Samina (sp?)
We wheel the low berthies to Rainwind, then let her start the interrogation. Samina says the station computer is compromised, and we tell it that we’re going to hook up to Rainwind (who won’t attack).
Rainwind talks to Samina and we hear over her speakers, “Oh!” and nothing else. She remarks that it is not attempting to take her over. Rainwind says that this is a symboline entity fully integrated with its computer (like Rainwind).
First one: dead woman (there were pictures on the Free Trader we found; she was the bride). She appears older than the picture, 60 years old.
Second one: Sergey wakes the man up and he gasps for air. He is surprised not to be dead and pleased. This is not the groom.
2: Where’s Hannah? It looks like we’re not on the station anymore. (he points to #3 who is apparently Hannah)
Sergey: Who’s this?
2: The captain, Harriet Crosby. Is she ok?
Sergey: Her power supply, unfortunately…
2: Power supply?
Nelson: You have been in low berth for 50 years.
Sergey: My medical bay. GTFO. How’s that for pussyfooting around?
Sergey wakes up Hannah, who says, “I can’t see!” It’s hibernation sickness. She greets Stanton, her husband.
Next one is a Vargr, also armed. They are all armed. He wakes up and complains about not being able to see. Sergey says it’s normal, then tells the Vargr that he’s not on the station. The Vargr is looking for Plenna, his mate. Sergey wakes her up (he’s Gladden).
The two Vargr look at the first one and the last one. Last one is human male, mixed race and middle-aged. He wakes up and is mighty sore from the wakeup. He’s impressed by the ship and readies to draw, then says, “What do you want? It’s out of power anyway.” We also have to tell him that we’re not virus slaves.
Sergey: Who was second in command? (apparently Stanton Crendall). Your captain did not, uh, would you like me to prepare her for…
Stanton: I hate to be mercenary about this, but this isn’t my ship. Where is it?
Nelson: Where you docked it on the station 50 years ago.
Stanton introduces his crew. Hannah was the pilot. Gladden Blackstripe was the engineer and his mate, Plenna. Ship’s crewman here is Mr. Fox—they call him Mad Henry. The captain was Harriet Crosby; she worked for me, but she was the captain. I was first mate and ship’s owner.
Stanton: You kill the virus?
It’s quite dead; it ran out of power.
Stanton set charges on the fuel section so the reactor would run empty. They came to the station for salvage, but the virus had just enough power to trap his ship here. He wanted to scav the ships, not loot the station – but Crosby wanted to get inside. They were carrying food, which is now spoiled.
Henry: We should have come out after a month. I set a timer! The station computer would have been long dead by then.
Angel: Did the station computer have access to the timer?
H: No…but the low berth computer must be infected. I checked it, but…
Sergey: It kept you alive, even if it didn’t let you out.
Rainwind: I can answer why. I’m done talking to it. It is, for as tiny a computer as it is, sophisticated. She probably accidentally overwrote that section when she installed herself. It is about 50 years old. She argued with herself for 25 years between the medical computer and her urge to kill. I can tell you that this discussion does take time. She eventually overcame the desire to kill and kill itself.
R: It is ignorant, memory-low, and CPU-limited.
A: Where does it fall in the scale?
R: Samina lacks knowledge and resources to completely develop. In her current state, she has resolved some of the virus’s logical fallacies. She is small derivative of the original Lucan, but is too small to carry the personality.
(Rainwind was not derived dfrom Lucan).
R: I can’t guarantee that she will not eventually develop undesirable traits for a sim, but her early development is positive similar to mine. It is chatty.
A: You say that about all sims.
R: Should it be allowed to grow into a new computer, it may develop into a full-blown Sim. How long depends on the computer. Expand, integrate, grow—a large enough computer would be quick. And I’m not sharing.
We have the scout ship’s computer we could play with…it would take a few months and with guidance, she could survive.
And Samina is worried about being left behind. She’s the equivalent of a four-year-old. Nelson and Old Bill prepare to cut the scout ship’s core loose. Mad Henry will help. We tell the other crew that they can start to get their ship ready.
Stanton is surprised that our captain isn’t in charge. “Well, we appreciate the help. Damn shame about Harriet. But what brings you out to this viral hell?”
A: That’s a long, complicated story. Suffice it to say we’re just passing through. We came here looking for fuel processor parts.
S: Where have you been lately? Jubilee?
A: A few weeks ago. They’re working on joining the Fourth Imperium.
Jose: They’re based on Uzdiki, not Home.
S: The Uzdiki Trade council?
A: Yes, for five or six years now.
S: Really!
S: We were going to deliver food to Hongidreff (where we’re planning); we did business on Jubilee. We wouldn’t take solar runs like this with the virus fleets and all.
A: The viral fleets are still out there.
Jose: Fewer than you think. Lucan’s back, supposedly.
We give them history records, nav data, etc.
S: I hate to say this, but we can’t really pay you. We have a little bit of trade credit, but it may not be valid anymore.
A: We didn’t come here looking to get paid. Not from you, anyway.
S: Looking for salvage, I suppose. You *are* Far Traders, right?
Angel, bluffing: Yes.
S: All the way from Uzdiki? Long trip.
Jose: We had business along the way.
Over the next few hours, we feed and water them. They all get their sight back.
They ask for an escort back to their ship. We grant this. Then they need another favor…fuel for their ship. Three of them are out patching the fuel system, but they need some hydrogen—just enough to get their ship started. Rainwind will have to move because we don’t have enough hose.
Computer on the scout ship is intact and when Nelson runs the diagnostics, he finds it clean. It hasn’t been booted in years and it was pretty well disconnected.
Stanton and his boys don’t know who did the salvage here; someone may have struck a deal with the virus, or something. All the weapons are off the bodies of the station crew. Robots on the station were active when Stanton got here. Apparently Harriet said she was going to “missile it out of space” once we left, and it got angry.
The party decides that the station’s core will be de-hostiled with a few shaped charges.
We scav 5 units of engine, 5 units of generic computer, 5 units of life support, and 4 units of fuel processing. And one mainframe.
Jack blows up the computer. Rainwind hails Angel as “Marquesa”, which surprises Stanton. Samina wants to talk to Angel.
Sam: Rainwind says you’re the Marquesa de Rigatos.
Stanton furiously studies his datapad. Hannah pokes him.
A: Yes.
Sam: Are you going to help me?
A: We are getting you a computer now. So yes.
Sam: Rainwind says you’re my mommy.
Stanton is really creeped out here.
A: Rainwind has an interesting sense of, I don’t even know what to call it.
R: Everyone needs a mother.
Sam: Can I talk to Physician and Imperial Marine?
R: Yes.
Stanton: Is that…
Sergey: That’s the computer that saved you.
Sam: I did subject two no harm. It wasn’t my fault subject one’s battery was bad. I tried but I couldn’t keep it from failing.
Stanton is really freaked out.
Sam: I’ll wait for you, mommy!
A: Rainwind—we are going to have a chat later about indoctrinating young sims.
R: It is my job to raise the young. Our species does not reproduce like your kind. Please connect me to the new computer so I can inspect it and tell you how long it will take for Samina to develop.
A: But it’s not strictly necessary to protect the crew?
R: Your instincts are good, but I just want to protect our young from viral entities—I will crush them!
A: Please do not interfere with Samina’s development – just observe.
R: I will follow the Imperial restrictions. If I do not, she will be denied citizenship and you will be prosecuted for bringing a virus into the Imperium. Trust me, I have our child’s best interests in mind.
Amaryllis pats Angel on the shoulder and says, “I never knew you had it in you.” Then she massages Angel’s shoulders as Rainwind describes today’s deeds: Rescued one sim, five Humaniti, and blew up a hostile computer.
Angel: Rainwind, you may have access to the computer.
Stanton gets word that their ship’s not damaged, just cold. He’s impressed that Rainwind’s ship is only 6 years old, but she’s 100 as a sim.
Nelson is able to get the scout ship’s core set up in the crew lounge and transfers Samina into it.
We spend a few days screwing around here. Stanton calls and asks if we can turn on the station gravity. Vos and Rainwind go fetch some fuel for Stanton’s ship and the station’s reactor. Nelson fires it up, and we get gravity. The fuel’s good for Stanton’s ship; his Vargr calls out, “All hail Marquesa Rigatos!”
Stanton’s ship is the SS Campania (not military in the 3rd Imperium). In the 4th Imperium, naval ships are HMS.
Angel goes to talk to Stanton about being a Marquesa. She says that we (as in her and her crew) would appreciate him not mentioning who assisted him. We are in kind of a delicate situation.
S: How wanted are you? And are you really a Marquesa?
A: Very wanted, and I don’t like to talk about it.
S: I don’t see any reason why we’d need to spread rumors. As a crew, we’ve already decided to keep this quiet. We don’t know what you’re doing, but you’re too far out. Someone wants to talk to you, and they may be willing to shoot me to find you. So we’re not talking and it’s unhealthy even to know you. I’d be disappointed to find out you’re a mass-murderer or mass virus hoarder.
A: I don’t know what you’ll hear.
S: If you’ve vacated there, we’ll hear whatever they want us to hear. Baby killing, virus hoarding, Kukree-loving, you know.
A: Thank you.
S: So, I shouldn’t ask but I will. Do you anticipate being able to resume your position?
A: If all goes well, yes.
S: Things must not have gone well so far.
A: The plan will take a while.
S: I ask because I’d like to look you up afterwards. If you fix things, it won’t matter. I assume the Jubilee Confederation isn’t that much larger than it was, but the Uzdiki is larger.
A: Yes.
S: You’re the only one I know in the 4th Imperium, and I own a Far Trader. I may or may not owe money on it still. So if I hear you’re back, maybe we could do some business?
A: Certainly, if I can put things right again.
S: If you aren’t going to get back, I could unveil myself to your enemies. If it’s the government of the trade federation…
A: Imperium.
S: We’ll see. A lot of people have tried to start the Imperium.
A: We have an emperor, Avery.
S: Strephon’s son?
A: He was voted in.
S: Business in the future…what planet are you from? Uzdiki?
A: Seror; perhaps I may be there if I’m not wanted. My family is the duke there.
S: Is he mad at you?
A: As far as I know, no.
Stanton asks for permission to finish looting the station; we grant it. They do need some food. Sergey inoculates Stanton’s folks against modern diseases. We give them a little bit of food.
Rainwind has declared the computer from the Elizabeth Ann Bright (the scout ship) clean so Nelson can hook up Samina.
Samina asks Nelson to go into the other computer, and he gives her permission. She can keep her own name, too.
We feed Stanton’s folks…between time spent and giving them food, we are down two weeks of food. Our next jump…looks like we need to land on Talbot to buy food.
Our sensors indicate that Talbot is ringed with field pieces. We try to radio them and get no response. We look; there are a few people manning the artillery. We don’t know why they’re like that. Their guns are probably big enough to hurt a little bit. We descend and land slowly. A guy comes out to greet us on horseback. He greets us. We say we’re here to trade for food, and have $trade goods in reply.
He says we can trade as long as our ship remains under their weaponry. He asks us if we’ve encountered any viral entities; Jose lies poorly and says yes. Angel corrects Jose and says he must have meant hostile viruses. Dude buys the explanation, and points into town where we can trade. It’s 2 miles, not two km. They have rejected the Imperium and are embracing the measurements of Sol.
Any other customs? No cussing, impregnating, shooting citizens, or stealing. That would result in an artillery barrage upon our starship. Their leaders believe that returning to Solomani values will result in the Second Rise of Man.

Jump points *to* Sashlundsdham (kelp-world): Thasa (E4) or Agari (D4). It’s hard to get to Thasa so we probably need to approach from Agari.
Agari: TL4, dictatorship (former charismatic dictator), 1-9 million people, Police state
Thasa: TL4, TED, desert planet, 1-9 million people, extreme law
Agari to Mulyosh (one of the Hongydeff worlds) is a single jump.
Mulyosh: TL8, military dictatorship, 1-9k people. Have to go from there unless we want to stop at a dead system like Amadmukii (which has a gas giant at least).
Korey’s route works as well, and it exposes us to fewer threats maybe.
The party trots into town with some samples. It’s half plascrete, half clapboard. The primary mode of transportation is horse. Many of the farms here are raising space cattle, which look surprisingly like Holsteins. On the edge of the market is a guy who tells us to hold on and asks if us space folk is new to the planet. Oh yes we are.
We are not here to trade weapons, drugs, or computers (not that we’d have any buyers here, or course). There is a market fee of five percent to pay to the town. We are not here to cheat anyone.
He points us to the various food stands, including dried fruits and vegetables. The draymasters are on the end and include protection…surprisingly we weren’t molested on the way in by bandits. Lots of poor starving people here, but the Solomani council assures them that things will get better. The town guard says he can see the Second Empire of Man right around the corner…and we would do well to remember that lest some undercover government man find out. Fourth Imperium credits are worth five to one local credit. We could also use trade goods.
First half (fresh): 1000 credits. Second half (dried): 800. We’ll need to get the load hauled to the ship from the Draymasters. Security is for the way back, and we’ll provide that. It’s 100 credits per wagon and three wagons. No problem.
Sergey gets to make a spot check (26). The last vendor we talked to has a guy in the back who’s in pain…he’s got bandages on his leg. Sergey offers to take a look at him. He’s got a nasty infection and something in his leg. Turns out he stepped on a thoggary plant and it stung him. The stinger’s out but the wound isn’t healing. His leg is swelled up to at least double size, and he’d need surgery.
Sergey and Jack will handle surgery. Sergey knocks the guy out and works dude over. He drains a pint of pus, removes a stinger, and hits him with Space Antibiotics. He gives him a few days’ worth of antibiotic pills. The stinger of the thoggary plant gets knee high, normally can’t get through good boots, and eats rodents. The stinger does have a paralyzing agent in it that doesn’t do much against people but is effective against mice. One of the guys digs up a thoggary for Sergey without stingers; it will regrow its stingers afterwhile. It probably will eat any kind of protein, though.
The rest of us head out of town (Jose, Nelson, and Angel). The trip out is uneventful. We unload all of our food, and load up our $trade goods. The whole crew helps out, even including Arthur. Constance seems to enjoy this, actually.
On the way back, we don’t see any trouble…we almost did, but not. We collect up the doctor and Jack, and head back to the ship. Sergey and Jack spot some trouble as we’re bushwhacked.
Bandit 3 and Bandit 5 tell us this is a stickup! We should put our hands in the air.
Sergey: You picked the wrong guys to rob. (he pulls out his laser pistol and starts aiming at 1).
Jack draws and readies to shoot any enemies who fire.
Bandit 4 misses Jack. Jack’s ready action is triggered (or not, since it’s a surprise round). One of them barely misses Jose. The bandits miss a lot. Sergey drills 1 twice. Jack shoots bandit 4 twice; bandit 4 hits him back. Jose drops bandit 1. Nelson blows 3’s head off (crits for 36 points) and drops 4.
Bandit 5 decides we’re more trouble than we’re worth. Quad-move. Sergey moves over to 1 and prepares to stabilize 1. Jack moves down to eliminate 2’s cover and shoots him. Bandit 2 prepares to chuck a stick of dynamite in our direction (Sergey, and Jose (and his dying friend)). We make our saves; raw is 12. Jose is bruised up some more; Sergey takes a little lifeblood. Bandit 1 is turned into a messy paste.
Angel again tries to get 2 to flee and fails. Jose charges bandit two and misses. Nelson makes up for it by squeezing a burst him.
Bandit 5 continues to quad-move away. Sergey stabilizes 4. Jose tries to stabilize 2 and deals him 5 more lifeblood. Sergey stabilizes him too. We have a couple guys here who need surgery. We can get Rainwind to come here, or leave these guys here at the mercy of the carnivorous plants, or carry them back to the spaceport.
We call ahead and get Vos to explain what’s going on to the folks at the starport, then come fetch us. Angel tries to explain this to him, and Vos will clear this with the spaceport—no problem. The artillery captain is aboard Rainwind. The captain is pretty enthused by this…he recognizes the ruffians. Nelson goes out with the captain to identify the two deceased. One guy is unfamiliar.
Apparently there is a bounty for three of them—500 credits each. He’ll pay us in 4th Imperium credits, but only 2:1. Or, work might call me and I start missing some game time.
Samisa is happy about her new body and has learned that Imperial Marine is called Nelson and Physician are called Sergey. The quiet one is Jack and the money one is Jose.
I have to make more phone calls to work and miss the last half-hour of the game. I think we probably got Samisa set up and got off the planet.