
-------- TML Message #77 --------

Subject: World Detail -- Galan's Belt System
From: jamesp
Date: 02 Nov 87 16:40:07 PST (Mon)
Archive-Message-Number: 77



[More detail for the 4 ongoing PBM Traveller games -- James T. Perkins]

- ---- cut here ----






                          World Detail

  0601 Galan's Belt       B000486-E A NI AS           TI   GP


  SYSTEM PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

  Gas Giants: Gas giant planet(s) are available for wilderness
  refueling.   Planetoid  Belts: Planetoid belts occur in sys-
  tem.

  SYSTEM DEMOGRAPHICS

  Alignment: Terran Imperium.  Travel Zone: Green: No particu-
  lar danger or problem to travellers.

  STARPORT

  Classification: Good quality  starport  with  refined  fuel,
  overhaul,  shipyards  for non-starships.  Bases: Scout Base:
  Port facility for support of scout vessels.   Provides  fuel
  and  maintenance  to detached duty scout ships.  Naval Base:
  Port facility for  the  support  and  maintenance  of  naval
  vessels.   Includes  administration sections, and some secu-
  rity  personnel.   Trade  Classifications:   Non-Industrial.
  Asteroid Belt.

  WORLD PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

  World Size: Asteroid/Planetoid Belt.  Atmosphere:  No  atmo-
  sphere.  Hydrographics: No free standing water.

  WORLD DEMOGRAPHICS

  Population: Tens of thousands.   Government:  Civil  Service
  Bureaucracy.   Government  by agencies employing individuals
  selected for their expertise.  Law Level: Most firearms (all
  except  shotguns)  prohibited.   The carrying of any type of
  weapon openly is  dicouraged.   Technological  Level:  Above
  average Imperial.

  NOTES

  Galan's Belt is a recent settlement in Chosen subsector.  It
  has  been established as a supply center and Military basing
  system by the Terran Imperium, with an eye for supplying the
  Naval  and  Scout  organizations with advanced materials for
  shipbuilding and repair.

  Products produced at Galan's Belt  include  pharmacueticals,
  high  performance military starship fuel, and advanced fibre
  optic computers for military shipboard application.










                             - 2 -



  The low system  population  of  50,000  people  counts  only
  citizens  of  the  system; the estimated total population of
  the system including Naval and Scout personnel  ranges  much
  closer  to  240,000  people.   The  society here is actually
  fairly affluent, although due to its small size  is  starved
  for educational and centers for the arts.

  There are a large number of retired scouts in the area,  and
  the  opening  of the system in recent years has fostered the
  growth of Belter  communities,  which  have  just  begun  to
  establish  a  toehold.  The remainder of the population con-
  sists of in-system business people clustered around the mil-
  itary bases.
















































-------- TML Message #78 --------

Subject: Melisa Johnsway
From: jamesp
Date: 02 Nov 87 16:56:18 PST (Mon)
Archive-Message-Number: 78



[This is the first letter directed at a specific PBEM Traveller game.
This is the first of four starting up.  I'm going in order of receipt
and intend to answer each player in turn.  Everyone on the Traveller
Mailing List is currently a listener, although a more restricted list
can be invoked if someone makes the request.]

Character Summary:

	Melisa Johnsway, bright daughter of a Scout KIA while on active
	duty, has reluctantly been completing a languages degree on
	Astel Tine before obsessively pursuing the cause of her father's
	untimely demise (Al Muller).

Hello Al,

Since you sent your character in first, we'll start with you.  I'll
comment on your character sheet and then we'll get into the real
nitty-gritty.

> Melisa Johnsway
> UPP - 9A9B98

Strong, agile, very intelligent, well educated, from a middle-class
home.  Oh, and you can't graduate from the Unified Academy with an
education of 9.  Make that an A or B if she did okay and B or C if she
did really well in school.  Also increase your social standing to 9.
Just graduating from this school is worth that.  You're very
well-educated now, and if you go on to graduate school some day your
education should increase more.  Please send an updated character
sheet when you've deliberated over this and made your decision.

> AGE 22, Single, Birthday = 127

Naturally, we don't know which year until we synchronize everyone's
calendar and start adventuring, after skill generation.

> Planet of Birth: Galen's Belt (Scout base location)

See the world detail that I have mailed out.

> HEIGHT 5'8"
> WEIGHT 160 lbs.
> Brown hair, currently short, but College ID shows it long.
> Blue eyes.

> College:  Astel Tine : Unified Academy of Languages

See another world detail that I have mailed out.

> 	BA in Linguistics
> 	Swim Team
> 	Sky Diving Team
> 	ROTC, Navy

The BA in liguistics is not just your ordinary Bachelor of Arts.  It's
like graduating from Harvard.  Like Harvard, most graduates are expected
to go onto a higher degree.  That doesn't have to be for a while,
though, and any place would admit a graduate from UAL.

You didn't mention how well she did in school.  How do you envision her
scholastic performance? Potentially she should do very well, but in fact
her upset may have damaged her performance.  However, this may mean the
difference between graduating Cum Laude (sp?) or merely with honors. :-)

> Family
> 	Father	Michael, deceased, SCOUT
> 		KIA 2 years ago while on active duty
> 		Official report stated that his Voyager class
> 		scout ship was attacked by smugglers and destroyed.
> 	Mother	Joan, 60, Ex-scout, Geologist.
> 	Brother Roman, 33, currently in active Scout service.
> 	Sister	Emelia, 31, married to a Scout, two children.
> 	Brother	Nicholis, 30, a birth defect prevented him from
> 		joining any service. Currently a ship electronics
> 		design engineer.

Scout city! That's to be expected in a system like Galan's Belt.  One of
the reasons Melisa was able to attend the Academy (which requires a
passage ticket to Astel Tine (expensive!) as well as Tuition, books,
room and board, etc.) is that 1) there is a scholarship program at the
linguistics school for high achievers who are also Scout children
(founded by the Terran Imperium Scouts to foster studies in liguistics),
and 2) the relatively affluent society of Galan's Belt is very poor in
schooling (being a newer settlement and fairly low population), so
scholarships for higher education are often awarded to individuals with
proven need and high scholarship.

> Outline
> 	Originally Milisa had intended to join the Scout service as
> 	an Alien Contact Specialist.  Milisa was totally devastated
> 	when her father was killed.  She was ready to quit college and
> 	join the Navy immediately.  Her mother and brothers convinced
> 	her to finish college and complete her degree.  She decided to 
> 	compromise and join the Navy ROTC while finishing college.

Apparently Melisa and her father were very close.  I wonder if it was
the typical father-daughter closeness that tends to dissolve as the
child grows older, thereby reflecting immaturity in Melisa's character,
or just that the friendship was so close that the mature Melisa became
driven to right the wrongs of the criminal smugglers.

> Goal
> 	Milisa's only goal is to bring her father's murderers to
> 	justice.  To this end she will volunteer for any tour of 
> 	duty that she thinks will help in reaching her goal.  This
> 	includes intelligence gathering and underground infiltration
> 	work.

Sounds like a good candidate for the Speciality School of Intelligence
for the Menion Sector region of the Terran Navy.  The task of dealing
with piracy, smuggling, slavery in other subsectors, etc. has fallen to
the Terran Navy because the Subsector Navies are too small to encompass
the whole problem, the scouts are too unrigidly structured, and
organizational politics between these frontier regions is still shaky
because of their recent incorporation into the Terran Imperium.

> Personality
> 	Somewhat spoiled, being the baby daughter by 8 years the youngest
> 	Fairly physical, but not obsessed with sports.
> 	Expert at bar darts and elbow lifts.
> 	Likes meeting new people (College minor is psychology).
> 	Does not like machinery, especially greasy oily ones.
> 	Average senses, but above average hearing, necessary for a 
> 	   linguist
> 	Has never met a knot she couldn't untie, given enough time.

A certain amount of spoiledness also arises from the affluent nature of
retired scouts in the high-technology Galan's Belt system.  However, the
low population of the Galan's Belt system also contributes to a strange
small-town outlook on life that a large percentage of Galan's Belt-ers
grow up and live with.

Now down to the "nitty gritty".

Let me try to paint you a picture.

Melisa has been living in Academy housing during the past four years,
due to the high cost of individual dwellings in Port City on Astel Tine.
Port City is inhabited by roughly 10 million people, and has served as
the cultural hub of Astel Tine for the last four hundred years.

She's packed her few bags of personal belongings (you can't take much on
a tour of duty with the Terran Navy), including memorabilia from Swim
Team and Skydiving and her certificate of graduation.

Her roommates, Joey Caruthers and Tchin Li, banter playfully with Melisa
before she leaves, but deep within they all feel as Melisa does, a
characteristic feeling of emptiness, the end of a welcome chapter of her
life.  But Joey is also a Naval ROTC candidate, and she will be
accompaning Melisa into the Terran Navy.

[Does Melisa have any love-interests she's leaving behind? Methinks she
seemed a little bit remote due to her preoccupation with her father's
death, so maybe no serious "Mr. Right," but probably a bunch of
handsome, intelligent, lucky friends?  Only you can help me here....]

Melisa steps out of the house commons, crosses the street braved against
the crisp autumn wind.  It's a pretty day, with the smell of wet leaves
and tantalizing odors from the student commons cafeteria joining the
strains of a loud stereo wafting through the thin air.

She walks deliberately on a couple blocks to the Student Union, enters
the building.  This late in finals week there are few students left on
campus she knows, so she is unaccosted during her trip.  She steps up to
the Post Office, buys a Galan's Belt XBoat Dispatch Stamp (grumbling at
the high cost of postage these days), and transfers her electronic
leaflet to the outgoing message database, validating the transaction
with her thumbprint.  Her mother will be happy to get the last letter
sent before she enters the Navy proper.

Then she leaves the Union and heads to the Armed Forces Fieldhouse,
about three blocks away.  As the sun casts its last ruddy rays through a
break in the clouds, Melisa enters the fieldhouse and checks in with her
CO.

Fifteen minutes later Joey shows up, characteristically there at the
last second.  She rushes in, lays her baggage in the big heaps of grey,
blue, and tan luggage next to Melisa's, and rushes over as the officer
calls them all to attention.

They all march in squads into the small auditorium and take their seats
before the functional podium.  A scattered but boisterous and happy
crowd of family members watches on from the risers behind.  Melisa wishes
her family could be there and truly understand her decision to enter the
Navy.

The colors are presented with the Imperial Anthem and Pledge of
Allegiance to the Imperial Throne and Senate, and all candidates sit.
The speaker introduced is Commodore Erix Messin, an aging fellow with
brown hair speckled with grey and exuding fleet operations experience.

The candidates stand at attention and salute sharply.  Commodore Messin
clears his throat and begins to speak:

"At ease, candidates.  Please be seated.

"Well, candidates, this is it.  Up until now you've been students and
academic excellence has been your greatest duty and service to the
Terran Navy.  But starting today your duty is the application of that
knowledge to good of all peoples in your Imperium and their Allies.

"The quality of the work you do will have a direct impact on every
citizen in every community of our far-flung Empire.  As you are aware,
the greatest task standing before the Terran Imperium in our Sector
today is to protect all the peoples of the Imperium by armoring our
society against those who would damage its organization.  To this end
the Terran Imperium has its greastest directive -- to unify the Imperial
and Menion Allegiance worlds and to protect all worlds besieged by the
frontier villainy of piracy and exploitation."

This speech goes on for a while, and is concluded with a recommendation
by the Field Officer of each military organization that each of his
(enumerated) candidates should recieve their own commission.  Each
candidate approaches the podium in turn an a manner reminiscent of
college graduation, except that each individual's commission is read
aloud.

Melisa watches rather detachedly until Joey is called to approach the
podium.  Joey's deep azure eyes are bright with controlled excitement as
she stands, her short, braided dark hair blending well with the dress
blacks.  She approaches the podium measuredly, her stoic expression
barely restraining the eagerness of her emotion.  "This is the
culmination of years of dreaming!" she thinks, as she lets her mind revel
in the experience.  She salutes the Commodore perfectly and stands
smartly at attention, looking directly into the Commodore's eyes.

"Joey Caruthers of the Far Moon system.  You are charged to defend your
Imperium by accepting the rank of Ensign and by following your desire
to attend the Hoskin Naval Medical School at the Astel Tine system."

She responds immediately with the formal reply, "Sir, I accept my
Imperium's challenge.  Thank you, sir!", and takes her place in the
growing assembly of newly-commissioned officers.

Melisa knows it is her turn next.  "Melisa Johnsway, please approach the
podium."

"Melisa Johnsway of the Galan's Belt system.  You are charged to defend your
Imperium by accepting the rank of Ensign and by reporting to Basic and
Advanced Officer Training at the Astel Tine system."

Okay.  Your turn now to paint a picture as best you can, and flesh out
stuff that comes to your mind from the above stuff.  Think of it as
Free Association time.  Please answer any questions I either posed
directly or alluded to.

Do you have High Guard (book 5)?  Do you want to use it?  Regardless of
which book we use, I view skill generation very laxly.  Sure, the
character shouldn't be over-skilled, but should be able to decide a
number of the experiences she will encounter (and skills she would gain)
throughout her career (naturally she would have a few experiences she
will be dragged through that she may not think are that great...).

I envision the future course of events in this way: She will enter the
Navy in any branch she wishes (High Gaurd or no, I'd like to know your
choice between: Technical Services, Line, Engineering [seems unlikely],
Gunnery [Also seems unlikely], Flight or Medical.  If she wants to go to
Flight or Medical School I need to know now!) and will try very hard to
enter Intelligence School.  She is likely to work herself into a number
of Shore Duty (actually Intelligence-seeking adventures) and as advisor
for Strike missions (where Pirates/smugglers are rooted out and
eradicated/brought to justice/etc.) Probably spend some time on Patrol,
too.

This could be a good opportunity for adventuring in the framework of an
ongoing military career.  However, I have little (read zippo) military
experience to draw on for source material, so I'd have to make a pile of
this stuff up (I've been told I'm okay at this, though).  Also, if
you've been in a military organization, I may not be at all convincing,
and it would probably be better for us to send her through her whole
career with the military and toss her out the other end before
adventuring.

I also need to know how emotionally mature she is.  I am assuming she is
planning to go on a life-long quest of eradicating smugglers if she
needs to to find her father's killers, and that she's pretty mature now;
but I could be totally off-base.  It could take 5 years or fifty, but
presents an opportunity for adventuring that I'm unlikely to resolve
quickly, at least until something better comes up.  :-)

What do you think?  Try to help me out with this, the continuing story...

[And to the list... Comments, anyone?  Feel free to post it to the list
unless it's a flame].

 _	___
| |    / _ \   James T. Perkins, jamesp@dadla.TEK.COM, 629-1149
| |__ | |_| |  Tektronix Logic Analyzers, DAS System Software, Display
|____||_| |_|  MS 92-725, PO Box 4600, Beaverton OR 97075

Killed processes never die... They just go to the big Bit Bicket in the sky.

-------- TML Message #79 --------

Subject: Neifrii Yakida
From: jamesp
Date: 17 Nov 87 14:31:39 PST (Tue)
Archive-Message-Number: 79



	Neifrii Yakida, illegitimate son of a autocratic noble, has no
	inheritance but more than enough familial derision, and seeks
	to impress his family and make an honorable life for himself
	(Jon Davis).

Okay Jon,

Here's some comment on your character sheet [BTW, is Al Muller ever going to
respond about Melisa Johnsway?  Did you get the long message?], and some
initial detail about the world Neifrii has grown up in.

> Neifrii Yakida  
> (pronouced Knee-free Ja-key-da)
> UPP - 687A9A
> AGE 18, Single, Birthday = 283
> Planet of Birth: Astel Tine 
> (Administrative Center for Subsector affairs)
> HEIGHT 5'10"
> WEIGHT 170 lbs.
> Black hair
> Brown eyes.

Neifrii is average height for a Terran male, rather heavily built.  Overall
average abilities, but rather mentally quick and has been exposed to a good
education.

Neifrii comes from a very crowded world (see the Astel Tine World Detail I
sent out a couple weeks ago).

> Family - Members of the Yakida Estate
> 	Father  Aki Yakida, 49, Noble
> 		Minister on the Council for Economic Development (CED)
> 		for the Astel Tine government.		
> 		Former Vice Chairman - Haldyne Industries, an industrial
> 		   conglomerate
> 		Huku Yakida, 47, wife of Aki

> 	Mother  Alyce Hemmings, 42, former employee of Haldyne Industries
> 		Escort/concubine to Aki Yakida
> 	
> 	Half-Brother   Shoku,  24, Playboy
> 	Half-Brother   Roufo,  20, Marine Lt., Active duty
> 	Half-Sister    Kaling, 16, student

> 	Sister	       Shasha, 12

Due to his father's nobility, he is accorded with a signifigant
amount of societal status despite his father's rejection of any potential
heirship.

Due to the name and family history above, I gather that Neifrii's family
structure contains more than an echo of traditional Japanese family
structure.  Although I am somewhat ignorant of the true bonds in a Japanese
family, I think I can fake it pretty well though.

> Outline
> 	Neifrii is the illegitimate son of Aki Yakida and Alyce 
> 	Hemmings, and with his mother and younger sister, are a 
> 	part of the larger Yakida household and estate.  Although he 
> 	is a part of this illustrious and wealthy family, Neifrii has 
> 	very little wealth or possessions of his own, or any share 
> 	of his father's inheiritance.  He has frequently been a source 
> 	of contention between his father and his older half-brothers, 
> 	especially Shoku.  Yet Neifrii considers himself a part of the 
> 	Yakida family and desires acceptance and praise from his father,
> 	who he highly respects.

It is somewhat interesting to see that Aki kept his ties with Alyce
strong enough that Alyce, Sasha, and Neifrii are a part (of whatever
signifigance) of the household.  Also despite his illegitimacy, it is
interesting to note that Neifrii was given Aki's surname, instead of
Alyce's.  This indicates to me that at one time Aki claimed the child as
truly his child and then spurned him at a later date.

Either this or Aki was very uninvolved with the child and Alyce gave
Neifrii the last name Yakida to hope for a better life for him despite
insistant remarks from Aki that Neifrii would not be an heir or true
child.  This seems more likely.

> Goal
> 	Neifrii desires to be fully accepted by his father as a "true"
> 	son, and not simply a bastard.  For this reason he desires to 
> 	pursue a Naval career and distinquish himself by high military
> 	achievements and honors. His first goal is to enter flight 
> 	school and become an expert starship pilot and ultimately a 
> 	starship captain of a major Terran Imperium warship. With this
> 	measure of leadership behind him, he would seek positions of 
> 	government, diplomatic, or business authority within the Terran
> 	Imperium or Astel Tine governments or communities.

Very ambitious goal for a fellow only a little more intelligent,
educated, and aspiring to a higher societal standing than your average
Astel Tinian.  Without his father's aid, this task will indeed be a
battle.  Yet with the name Yakida, perhaps he will go much farther than
if his name were Hemmings.

> Personality
> 	Very determined and resolute.
> 	Has high respect for authority figures.
> 	Avid runner and sportsman, especially horses.
> 	Quiet and reserved character in public or official functions.
> 	Well versed in starship operation and fleet tactics as a hobby.

Sounds like Neifrii has strived to constantly challenge and improve
himself, to close the half-gap of alienation with his father.  While on
the estate, Neifrii has searched out ever opportunity to share his
half-brothers' and -sister's wealth and closeness to Aki, no matter how
vicarious the sharing was.  With his personal strength of will and
perseverance, it is likely that he can make up for what he lacks in
intelligence, education, and social standing.

Neifrii's computed chances for entering Flight School, by the book, is
7% if he goes to College and attempts NOTC and Honors, or 10% if he
tries the Naval Academy path, either if he does or doesn't get NA
Honors.  From what you've said about Neifrii, it sounds to me like he'd
want to go tho the Naval Academy -- it's there he could continue to
follow alot of his studies and talk to real tacticians instead of
suffering through dozens of academicians.  The hard part of either path
is getting the money, which we assume he'll hook or crook from
somewhere.

Here's some "detailing" to get you more familiar with the world of Astel
Tine and Port City.
- -----

Jensen Arreis woke up.  Jensen lay in bed letting his mind drift for a
minute or two, then pushed the covers aside and padded softly to the
window.  He felt strong and rested already, and knew he couldn't sleep
any more tonight.  Today was going to be too big of a day.

He wrapped his arms around his unclothed body and stared out the window
at the night sky, feeling the tight muscles on either side of his chest.
He felt somewhat annoyed at himself as he realized that he had been
dreaming about his girlfriend from High School, who had gone off to
college only a few weeks ago.  He shouldn't be missing her, after what
she'd done! Oh well... there will be others, he reminded himself
amusedly and rather detachedly.  I can start fresh later today, he
smirked to himself; then brooded on whether any young woman would pay
any attention to him.  He hoped one cute one would! Enough of this, he
told himself, and looked out the window.

>From his vantage on the South Hills of the city, Jensen looked up.  The
sky was lightening outside his window, but the electric glow of
energized argon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms seen every night in the thin
summery air of Astel Tine weren't totally washed out by the dawn light
yet.  The hills 5km East of Port City lay on the horizon, twinkling with
only a light here and there, in stark contrast to the city scape only
5km away to the West of those hills.

Even at 3:00 am, Port City was a throng of lights and activities.  In
the merchant sector, near the airport and docks, large skyscrapers
reached hundreds of meters into the air, sporting precise rows of office
lights in the windows.  At the administrative quarter of town, far
accross the city, glowed the Capitol building, bathed in lights and
accompanied by a reflecting pond, and expansive grassy grounds dotted
with the Memorial Museum and large monuments to several of the
Subsector's greatest governers, generals, and statesmen; all this
surrounded by dozens of office buildings.  In the spaceport sector, wide
expanses of lighted circles lay in hexagonal patterns, and a glowing
light swung round every 15 seconds, repeating an endless cycle of white,
yellow, and blue flashes.

The sectors of the city functioned as individual organs, fed by the
arteries of the roads.  The bright red and white lights of the ground
cars permeated every sector of the city, leaving off to Arex across the
East Hills, and Meisentown to the North.  The arteries did look a little
anemic at 3:00am, though that would change shortly after Astel I rose
above the East Hills in a hour or so.

The bright searchlight of the spaceport beacon lit up the sky, where
fireflies abounded.  Large atmospheric gravflights manuevered toward the
airport, while a variety of sizes and shapes of fireflies ascended and
descended silently from the spaceport.  Occaisonally there was a great
rumbling heard far, far off, and the sky grew fitfully bright as a craft
high above the city went into fusion boost or finished fusion braking to
aid passage to and from planetside.  These bright stars were too bright
to stare at, and lit up the countryside enough to take a hike by, if it
wasn't already so light-polluted by the city.

He watched as a configuration of 18 blaring stars raised over the
horizon.  This would be a big one.  The braking thrusters were thottled
back, and grew noticeably dimmer, then vanished as a giant dark shape
glowered over the city.  Jensen's eyes readjusted, and he saw a huge
sleek starship in the 50-kiloton range poised about 1 km above and 1 km
east of the starport, with the giant crest of Haldyne Industries painted
in blue, gold, and silver on it's side.  Jensen knew that this
merchantman was likely carrying raw commodities such as petroleum,
whereas the miniscule flitting ships of 5 minutes before were probably
small speculative trader ships, engaged in the transport of gems,
liquor, spices, and high-tech equipment.

Far off in the East Hills it was much quieter, and Jensen turned to look
more closely.  His body shivered and he rubbed the goosebumps on his
bare legs and lower back.  He followed the ridge over to a grassy pass.
There on the hill sat a large dark mansion, home of the Yakida estate.

Jensen didn't know how long the Yakidas had been influential on this
planet, but he guessed that it probably started back shortly after the
date of the Terran Rescue.  At that time the old order changed and
warped to the new, and the planet was overrun by Terran merchant
capitalists.  Many of the influential people on Astel Tine were
descendants of those merchants.

At any rate, he knew that Minister Aki Yakida was arguably the most
powerful man on Astel Tine, and one of the more influential Terrans in
this region of the subsector.  He was unarguably the most powerful man
in Port City, for Port City was the governmental head of Astel Tine, and
Port City lived off of trade, like the huge interstellar merchantman
which had now begun to slowly, almost imperceptibly descend to one of
the largest cluster of pads at the starport.

And sleeping somewhere in that little speck on the hill (even a large
mansion looks small at 7km, Jensen mused) was the other student from his
high school who might have applied for admission to the academy, Neifrii
Yakida.  Today was the big day, the day he would report to school.

He wondered if Neifrii would be there.  He didn't know Neifrii at all
well, but they both had shared several classes and had both done well on
the Standardized Higher Education Achievement Tests, as he had seen
Neifrii's name near the top of the list.  At least there would be one
face he could hope would be there to recognize.  But if he wasn't,
Jensen would be okay; he had a lot of new people to meet in any case.

Jensen went back to his bed, turned on the light, squinted for a minute,
and opened up the Fundamentals of Starship Navigation book he'd been
reading when he fell asleep a scant 5 hours ago.

- ----

Okay, Jon.  I need to know some stuff from you.  Like the other four
characters I'm running, this is *your* character and I want you to be
happy with him.  Start him into college or the academy, it's your
choice, and have him do however well or badly you think he ought to (or
if you're a stickler for the rules, roll dice to determine this).

If you deem that he graduates from the Academy or graduates NOTC from
college, he can roll for admission to flight school.  If he graduates
from either institution with honors, he's automatically admitted to
flight school.

Then take him as far along into the navy as you want.

OR- stop at any time that you want, and I'll do some more detailing.
Eventually we will find a place where we can start playing, and that
point is whenever you feel your character is ready.

Please respond at your earliest convenience (I unfortunately haven't had
any convenient times lately), and as soon as you can get some feedback about
Melisa, I'd like to hear about it.

James

-------- TML Message #80 --------

Subject: Troubles with this list?
From: jamesp
Date: 07 Dec 87 17:44:19 PST (Mon)
Archive-Message-Number: 80



At least one person (glenn at U Hawaii) has had no success sending mail
to this list (traveller@dadla.tek.com).  If anyone else out there has
tried to send to the list with no response in the last 4 months, I'd
like you to send me mail at one of the addresses below.

It could be a bug in my mailing list software.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
James T. Perkins		Traveller Mailing List Administrator
Tektronix Logic Analyzers	"Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
UUCP:	  {decvax,gatech,hplabs,ihnp4}!tektronix!dadla!traveller-request
INTERNET: traveller-request@dadla.TEK.COM
CSNET:	  traveller-request%dadla.TEK.COM@csnet-relay.CSNET

-------- TML Message #81 --------

Subject: Test of Traveller Mailing list
From: ("James T. Perkins") jamesp@dadla.TEK.COM
Date: 12 Dec 87 00:17:11 PST (Sat)
Archive-Message-Number: 81



The very act of your receiving this message proves that the mailing list
works again! This mail has been routed to csnet before being sent back
to the list.  Ever since I added my automatic mailing list code (August
or so), I have had the permissions on a log file wrong.  This made any
mail sent to traveller@dadla get eaten without a trace.  The only mail
that *would* work is the mail I sent.  [Sometimes I hate the vagaries of
process hierarchies, userid's, and file protections...]

Feel free to send to the list now.  The list will provide debugging now
that will alert me to any further goofiness.  If you have any problems
posting, please make me aware of them by mailing to traveller-request.

To get the ball rolling... has anybody out there bought Megatraveller
yet? What are your opinions? What's different between MT and Standard
Traveller?

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
James T. Perkins		Traveller Mailing List Administrator
Tektronix Logic Analyzers	"Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
UUCP:	  {decvax,gatech,hplabs,ihnp4}!tektronix!dadla!traveller-request
INTERNET: traveller-request@dadla.tek.com
CSNET:	  traveller-request%dadla.tek.com@csnet-relay.csnet


-------- TML Message #82 --------

Subject: Archives
From: jamesp
Date: 14 Dec 87 10:54:24 PST (Mon)
Archive-Message-Number: 82



Hi everybody.

I can tell the list is working again because of all the mail being
returned from non-existent users, poorly formed addresses, etc.

However, it seems like a large quantity of traffic has been lost to some
list members.  The have never recieved some messages.  So, I am going to
forward archives of all the messages sent since I changed the mailer
software in August.  This will come in three big bundles, starting
tommorrow (I'd start today but I'd like everyone to get this explanation
first).

Unfortunately, these archives represent all the messages I had ever
recieved for submission to the list in the 22 Aug-12 Dec period.  ANY
OTHER MESSAGES SENT TO THE LIST DURING THIS TIME HAVE BEEN IRRETRIEVABLY
LOST.  I am very sorry.  Hopefully you kept an online copy of your
submission and can resubmit it now.  Steps have been taken in my latest
hackings to keep a copy of all traffic recieved by the mailing list
software, so future errors will not result in lost messages most of the
time (I'll be able to restore them out of /tmp).

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
James T. Perkins		Traveller Mailing List Administrator
Tektronix Logic Analyzers	"Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNET: traveller-request@dadla.tek.com
CSNET:	  traveller-request%dadla.tek.com@csnet-relay.csnet
UUCP:	  {decvax,gatech,hplabs,ihnp4}!tektronix!dadla!traveller-request


-------- TML Message #83 --------

Subject: Traveller Minatures Request (forwarded from rec.games.frp)
From: jamesp
Date: 17 Dec 87 11:23:11 PST (Thu)
Archive-Message-Number: 83



Hello, Traveller Mailing List...

I saw this bumping around on rec.games.frp.  Is anyone out there able to
help him out? Either reply to him directly at adrian.cs.hw.ac.uk or to
me (traveller-request@dadla.tek.com) and I'll try to forward the reply
to him.  If it's of general interest, feel free to send a copy of the
resonse to the mailing list.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
James T. Perkins		Traveller Mailing List Administrator
Tektronix Logic Analyzers	"Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNET: traveller-request@dadla.tek.com
CSNET:	  traveller-request%dadla.tek.com@csnet-relay.csnet
UUCP:	  {decvax,gatech,hplabs,ihnp4}!tektronix!dadla!traveller-request

- ------- Forwarded Message

Path: zeus!tektronix!cae780!leadsv!pyramid!decwrl!sun!pitstop!sundc!seismo!uunet!mcvax!ukc!its63b!hwcs!adrian
From: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Traveller miniatures request
Keywords: Zhodani needed
Message-ID: <1553@brahma.cs.hw.ac.uk>
Date: 30 Nov 87 18:02:40 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Heriot-Watt U., Scotland
Lines: 14

I don't know if my previous request got very far, as the net dried up here
around the time I posted it. If you've seen something similar from me recently,
sorry.

Can anyone tell me if any firm produces 15mm miniatures of "official" Traveller
military uniforms? Civilians and mercenaries are easy - just use Laserburn. But
what I need in particular is figures of the distinctive Zhodani battledress. 
And they should be 15mm so I can use them with deck plans.

- - -- 
 "Keyboard? Tis quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt			     |	JANET:  adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs
 UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian     |  ARPA:   adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk


- ------- End of Forwarded Message


-------- TML Message #84 --------

Subject: PBEM Traveller - Melisa Johnsway
From: jamesp
Date: 17 Dec 87 11:36:05 PST (Thu)
Archive-Message-Number: 84



Here's the first player response about Melisa Johnsway.  This PBM stuff
is going very slow on my end, but I expect to invest a pile of time over
the holidays in it.  Having a broken mailing list hasn't helped.  I've
got the boxed set of MegaTraveller on hold at the Military corner, and
I'm going to pick it up in the next week or two...

- ------- Forwarded Message

Date: 25 Nov 87 10:10 EST
From: DAVIS JONATHAN E <DAVISJE@ge-crd.arpa>
Subject: PBEM Traveller - Melisa Johnsway
To: jamesp%dadla.TEK.COM@relay.cs.net


Date: 25-NOV-1987 09:18
From: Jon Davis (for Al Muller)
Sender: DAVISJE
Subject: PBEM Traveller - Melisa Johnsway
To: jamesp%dadla.TEK.COM@RELAY.CS.NET@SMTP@TCPGATEWAY
Cc: davisje
- - --------
James,

	Here's the data on Al's character.  He used the MegaTraveller
rules for character generation.  Neifrii's data will be sent to you 
before I leave for Thanksgiving vacation.

Jon

(typed verbatim)
- - -------

	Melisa Johnsway

Education = B

     Loss of her father caused her to enter a 4 month state of 
depression in the 2nd half of her junior year.  During that time
she let her grades slip to the point where, when she did snap out
of it, she could not retain her 4.0 grade average.  This put her
3rd in her graduating class.

SS = 9

     OK. She and her family get treated as if they had a SS = B
when they are back home with the locals and the scouts that knew 
and worked with her father.  Daughter of a "LOCAL HERO"!

Father's death

     I will leave the exact OFFICIAL and REAL story for you to flesh
out.
     Melisa and her fathers's friendship was one of common interests
and shared experiences.  Her brother joined the Scouts more out of 
tradition (not to mention that is was and is the only real job 
available) then out of desire.  Her sister did not have a large 
selection of available men to pick from for a spouse that were not 
scouts.
     She fondly remembers the bed time stories her father would tell
her, when he was home from a tour of duty, of the "good old days",
where each system they entered was new and totally unknown to them.
How the Scouts would chart all astronomical bodies and make initial
contact with any sapient life forms they would encounter.  How it 
was crucial to have a GOOD Alien Contact Specialist on board.  He 
would also talk of the day when the first Scout ship would head off 
toward the center of the galaxy.  He would like to be one of the crew
on that historic flight.  All those new worlds filled with new and 
different life forms.  What a grand adventure!
     These stories so inspired Melisa's imagination that she joined 
the Scout Explorer Club as soon as she was old enough.  As part of the
Explorer Club activities, she took part in a month long field trip
aboard a scout tender.  The trip took the club to two other asteroids
within the Galan's Belt system and to the neighboring Grenadine
system. This sealed her career direction and eventual fate.
     Her first goal after graduation from UAL was to join the Scout 
service and serve on at least one tour of duty with her father before
he retired.
     Now that was not possible. EVER!  Why did this happen?  It was to
be a routine patrol for her father, updating astronomical charts at a 
near-by system.  She knew the rest of the crew.  They were seasoned 
scouts and good at their job.  They were not reckless, they knew the 
ship and how to use it.  Why or how could they let Scum Shucking
Smugglers get the better of them?

Love interests

     There was a fellow skydiver, Franklin, who dated her steadily
from late sophomore year till her father's death.  Her withdrawal 
from life for an extended period of time was too much for the 
relationship to weather.  She now regularly dates a pool of about
10 guys.  None of the 10 are joining the Terran Navy.


Q & A

     Yes, I do have High Guard, but I never used it.  I'll use whatever
is best for you.  I just got MegaTraveller (MT) and was considering 
using that.
     Do you want me to make the die rolls, or will you?  She would 
try for the Technical branch first and accept Line second but would 
try to change if it were any other.  According to MT, with a SS of 9+
she gets her choice.
     The NOTC has done a lot to mature her.  The requirements of her 
duties forced her to think beyond her self interests and contend with
those of other individuals and that of the Navy.
     As far as her quest for her father's killers goes...  I can see 
it going one of several ways:

    1. She succeeds in bringing the guilty parties to justice, or at 
       least they are convicted of the crime and the case is closed.

    2. She learns all or part of the real story and acts accordingly.

    3. The smugglers are never located while she is in service and 
       she has to continue the quest after her discharge, possibly 
       utilizing information gathered whil on active duty.

     Once her father's killers are brought to justice, her interest 
in anti-smuggling will change.



CHARACTER SHEET

Date of Preparation:	November 22, 1987
Character name:		Melisa Johnsway
UPP:			9B9BB9
Apparent Age:		34
Actual Age:		(34)
Birthdate:		xxxx-127
Homeworld UPP:		B000486-E

CAREER HISTORY

Career:			Navy
Branch:			Technical
Terms:			3
Final Rank/Position:	O4/Lieutenant Commander
Retired:		No
Retirement Pay:
Discharge Location:
TAS Member:		Yes
Awards and Decorations:	Combat Service Ribbon
			    Four Oak Leaf Clusters
			    Command Cluster
			Meritorious Conduct Under Fire
			    Two Oak Leaf Clusters
			Medal for Conspicious Gallantry
			Purple Heart
Special Assignments:	Intelligence School
			Staff College

SKILLS AND PSIONICS

Sum of INT and EDU:	22
Date of Psionics test:
Psi Strength:
Trained:
Date Training Completed:

Skills		Level		ATs		Date
Grav Vehicle	 - 0
Computer	 - 3
Handgun		 - 1
Vacc Suit	 - 0
Robot Ops.	 - 1
Admin		 - 1
Laser Weapons	 - 1
Ship's Boat	 - 2
Bribery		 - 2
Electronics	 - 3
Interrogation	 - 1
Forgery		 - 1
Ship Tactics	 - 1

CASH AND POSESSIONS

Cash on hand:	70,000 cr
Credit:		     0 cr
Monthly Upkeep:	 2,250 cr


			RESUME

		   MELISA JOHNSWAY

GENERAL
		Age:		34
		College:	Graduated 3rd in class from 
				Unified Academy of Languages
				BA degree in Linguistics
		Service:	Navy, three terms Technical Branch
		Final rank:	Lieutenant Commander

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS

		Intelligence School
		Staff College

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

		Combat Service Ribbon with four Oak Leaf Clusters
		and one Command Cluster
		Purple Heart

EQUIPMENT QUALIFIED ON:

		Handgun
		Laser Weapons
		Computers
		Robot Operations
		Ship's Boat
		Electronic Devices
		Office Equipment

POSITION SOUGHT

		Counter-smuggling and Counter-piracy consultant
		and/or undercover operative.

- - --------


- ------- End of Forwarded Message


-------- End of TML Messages --------

