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Logbook for "Stiff Ripple", Calam Flornoy, commanding

F

Faldialwadi

SOC-11
28, September, 2081 – Toured many 200-ton freighters. Settled on an A2 that was modifiable to our requirements. Contacted re-fit company for alteration. Loaded new navigation and maneuver software and moved “Stiff Ripple” from highport to dirtside.
 
29, September, 2081 – Began modifications to ship. Mr. Under is acting as procurement agent, while Thingol, Rupert, and I aid the re-fitter.
 
10, January, 2082 – Modifications complete. Jump, Maneuver drives and power plant upgraded, fuel tankage increased, computer upgraded, machine shop and med bay added, six staterooms, triple laser turret (two guns mine, one ship’s), full load-out of nixies, and a little over five displacement tons of cargo space remaining. Initialized computer and named AI “Wilma”.
 
12, January, 2082 – Went to Starport to hire a Chief Engineer and Security Officer / Gunner. Found that registration of the ship had not been completed. Went to Department of Space Vehicles. Almost eight hours wait. Had minor difficulties due to non-citizen status. Paid fine and received cleared ship’s papers.

Contacted Mr. Under on route to Naturalization. He informed me he was made a citizen when his lifetime physician’s license was granted. He notified the remaining crew. I obtained a green card.
 
13, January, 2082 – Hired Mr. Dahl as chief engineer and Mr. Markov and security. Paid union bonds for both, plus set up annuities for several years pay.
 
19, January, 2082 – Arrived Nng Ming Ha. Wilderness refueled. Jump engines cool sufficiently to re-enter jump immediately, if there were enough fuel on board. Had minor altercation with natives over Mr. Under’s pistol practice.
 
27, January, 2082 – Arrived Mund Sa We. System information indicated that landing area is also used for regional crop dusting, and ships are required to land only during darkness or cloud cover. Natives are not aware of space flight.
 
Situation Report
Nng Ming Ha (Lowton Subsector, 0108)
27, January, 2082

The Stiff Ripple arrived in system on 19, January, 2082. The starport is Class D, only because of the proximity of a creek for wilderness refueling. Radio shack was locked and unoccupied. Reports of away team indicate a Tech Level of about 7, although communication with the natives may be difficult due to language barriers.

The settlement is controlled by a body of patriarchs (clans).

Law Level appears to be low. The planet is largely agrarian, and the natives do not expect vessels except during harvest.
 
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28, January, 2082 -- Refueled and took half of crew “into town” under escort of starport personnel. While having breakfast, a gang war washed over the diner. Mr. Thingol was grazed and knocked unconscious. We neutralized two thugs involved in the diner attack. Picked up injured native during egress.

Mr. Under administered to Mr. Thingol and Mr. Levi, the native.
 
29, January, 2082 – Resupplied. The gang war wiped out Mr. Levi’s family, and he indicated his life was at risk staying on planet. I elected to remove him from the situation, under sedation. Lifted, and set course for Smuggler’s Hideout.
 
1, February, 2082 – Arrived Smuggler’s Hideout. Astrographic data in error. Encountered Beowulf class [Grendel, registered Tash, Windfleet subsector] in orbit. Occupants report crew dead. Moved to assist. Boarding team reported crew dismembered bloodlessly, with one presumed missing. Mr. Under aided in the birth of a male child to one of the current occupants, and reported Grendel’s medical officer released current occupants from cold sleep prior to death by sanguination.

Mr. Thingol piloted the Grendel to the surface, causing minor damage to the landing gear. Review of Grendel’s Log shows they left Thane [0508 Cinder] en route to Orcana [0505 Denkard] for trade negotiations. Sensor logs indicate the ship was commanded out of jump, but command codes and terminal information have been purged.

Sent team to settlement in attempt to gather information on missing Prince and entourage. Mr. Levi proved invaluable in acquiring valuable data.

The Prince had left the planet one day previous, after a crew had made repairs to a second Beowulf class vessel, en route to Nng Ming Ha. Arranged for berthing of the Grendel dirtside, took on leader of Grendel’s occupants and lifted immediately in pursuit, assuming the Prince’s ship would stop to refuel at Mund Sa We.
 
Situation Report
Mung Sa We (Denkard Subsector, 0809)
1, February, 2082

The Stiff Ripple arrived in system on 27, January, 2082. The starport is Class D, and ships are restricted to landing only during darkness or cloud cover, supposedly because the field is used for regional crop dusting, but in reality because the natives do not know that space travel is possible. Unrefined fuel is available from the facility well.

Upon arriving, the vessel must be concealed in the ground structure to not draw attention to the starport.

The D. R. of Akeen is working to bring the planet up in tech level, and is expecting to have the first artificial satellite in orbit in about ten years.

The planet’s tech level is 6, and due to their insulated condition grav vehicles are restricted. Wheeled transports are available. Akeen credits can be exchanged at the starport for planetary currency.

Observations of the city show a prevalent crime syndicate, with several minor syndicates also vying for power. A gang war utilizing sub-machineguns was in progress during observation.

Local cuisine leans to the spicy, and includes an intriguing pepper sauce called “Tabasco”. The locals use this sauce liberally on their morning shredded tubers and avian ova.
 
Situation Report
Smuggler’s Hideout (Denkard Subsector, 0710)
2, February, 2082

The Stiff Ripple arrived in system on 1, February, 2082. The starport is Class D, with unrefined fuel available from the nearby irrigation system for 200 credits Akeen per dton. Planetary data is in error as follows: Size = 7, Hydro = 5, Atmos = 7, TL = 8.

Natives are congenial, and very willing to trade goods and information.

Grav vehicles are prohibited by law. Ground vehicles are available for use.
 
4, February, 2082 – Arrived Mund Sa We (first gas giant). Refueled (skimming). Near miss with subsidized merchant [Pegasus, registered NNG MING SA] delivering to Mund Sa We. Informed them of gang war. They requested we turn on our transponder, but our systems indicated we were transponding. Mr. Dahl refused to work on the electronics as he is an “engine”er, and doesn’t do electrical work. I discovered the transponder had been removed and the indicator had been hot-wired.

After some time in orbit, we detected another vessel (an A2, Marava) en route to the gas giant. After contacting the Carlington [registered NNG MING SA] and requesting information on a missing person, they altered course for the second gas giant.

We began pursuit, and plotted a micro-jump to intercept. We jumped at the first giant’s limit. An abnormal noise was heard during transition, and engineering reported a large electrical discharge.
 
6, February, 2082 – Exited jump far too close to the Carlington (proximity alert indicated less than 200 meters). During evasive maneuvers the Carlington fired on us, scoring at least one hit, before the Ripple broke up.

Activated distress beacon. As there was no life support, we evacuated the bridge and living quarters (Mr. Markov, Dr. Under, and myself) using the air-raft. Upon exiting the bay we discovered the Ripple broke along the hull seam created during the engine refit. Plotted course for main world, with little hope of actually reaching it.

Mr. Markov spotted the engine section of the Ripple, so changed course. On approach observed the cargo area and nixie launcher still attached to engineering by a power cable. One noise maker set to maximum was released, showing Mr. Rupert was still alive, but by the time we reached him he had perished. We found Mr. Thingol and Mr. Levi alive in engineering. Life support is functioning here.
 
7, February, 2082 – Mr. Levi has activated an emergency bridge in the engineering section, and we have discovered the Carlington nearby, in a similar orbit. Cut cargo area and lower turret loose to avoid accidents. Maneuvering the estimated forty-five displacement tons of engineering proved difficult but possible.

The Ripple’s break up apparently perforated the hull of the Carlington, explosively decompressing her. We recovered Mr. Round (engineer / gunner) and four cryo-tubes, three of which held the prince and two concubines and the fourth holding one Mr. Costigan. Dr. Under was able to revive only Mr. Costigan. We buried the other three in space.

We recovered the Carlington’s computer and logbook. The logbook stated the prince wanted to live in a high-tech world, and contracted his escape from the Grendel.

As the Ripple still had ten tons of fuel on board, and Mund Sa We doesn’t know star flight even exists, used the salvaged computer to plot a course to Smuggler’s Hideout, and jumped.
 
10, February, 2082 – Arrived at Smuggler’s Hideout with barely enough fuel to maneuver. We used the air-raft to land on the surface, recover the Grendel, and evacuate the hulk of the Ripple. We had to hurry off-planet as the authorities were quick to respond to our illegal usage of grav vehicles.

After recovering the crew, set the Ripple’s hulk on a course to avoid the planet. Mr. Costigan voiced concern about returning to NNG MING SA, and was very averse to discussion of his concern. Mr. Markov persuaded Mr. Costigan to be more open with his reasons. We prepared to jump to Ariel. Informed remaining Thanians that our route didn’t take us through Thane, but we would transport them to a system where they could get passage home. They agreed.
 
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