
-------- TML Message #1185 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1185
Subject: On tranqs and non-lethal weapons
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 90 11:56:37 +0100
From: Jim Cheetham <is_a063%ux.kingston.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>


	Hmmm, tranqs, huh ?
	Well, lets look at a couple of ways they've been used in fiction
	and real-life in recent history ...
	
	First of all we have the wide-area gas effects. Mainly inhaled,
	usually pretty dangerous, these are quite effective. The aim of
	most of these is to tranquilise in the broadest sense of the
	word - to render ineffective. Tear gas, light doses of war gases,
	anything that produces a disabling affect on the targets. If there
	are any serious side-effects, well, too bad. (The Stumm gas used
	by the Mega-City Judges has a 1 in a thousand death rate - perfectly
	acceptable for crowd control where you can be sure that they *all*
	have broken the law ... however, just a little *too* dangerous
	for even the Judges to use routinely :-)
	
	Next we want to look at the tranqs that are a little more selective
	in their targeting ...
	So, we have small gas grenades, that, when delivered *accurately*,
	only affect a few targets ... but they are affected grately by
	environmental effects (like a strong wind ...) And of course,
	the basic gas type is still the same as the ones above.
	Next up are the skin-absorbed chemicals (and if you've ever
	played paintball, you'll know just how easy it is for the stuff
	to pass through many layers of clothes) - but still the same
	arguments apply as to side-effects etc.
	
	So, we have to be very selective to ensure that the materiel gets
	delivered - and you see the sort of dart guns that African big-game
	hunters seem keen on sticking into rhinos ... these darts deliver
	a very large dose as quickly as possible, so if the dart gets
	brushed off by a charging rhino, it will still eventually fall over.
	Unfortunately, these darts can have a lot of side-effects related
	to the fact that they are very physical - get hit in the eye by
	one of those and you won't notice the tranq chemicals - you'll
	be dead. Also, they are very susceptible to simply not penetrating
	a tough outer layer if they hit at an angle - a common complaint
	with many missile weapons (but not nukes ... :-)
	
	Some very nice high-tech solutions to these common problems have
	been put forward - I draw mainly on Larry Niven's works here, for
	describing what amounts to TL8 and above.
	First of all we have needle-thin slivers of frozen/soluble tranq
	chemicals (which, is not made clear) fired at high speeds with
	powerful Gauss guns (the chemicals are assumed to have a high
	enough iron content to need no other delivery agent) that break
	the skin easily (being so small) and then dissolve directly into
	the blood stream. The slivers are so small that any that hit
	sensitive areas (such as the eyes) will cause minimal damage,
	and any that encounter normal clothing will be able to easily
	penetrate the weave of the material. The chemical itself must
	be similar to the non-overdosing ones mentioned by Metlay, as
	the basic idea is to pump your target full of them until you're
	sure you've hit him ...
	
	Then we have the non-chemical methods - ultra-sound stunners
	being the best method. I'm sure you've all noticed how sound
	vibration can have strange effects on the body - the basic
	function of the stunners is to make the central nervous system
	shut down into unconciousness. There are no chemical side-effects,
	and by quickly running up and down the frequency ranges that are
	effective on different species and races, a universal humane
	weapon can be quickly developed.
	
	Finally, we have what an intelligent victim will realise to be
	the most dangerous weapon of all ... the tasp, which directly
	stimulates the brain's pleasure centre by induction (OK, I know
	that induction isn't a direct method, but I mean that you're
	bypassing the normal routes to the pleasure centre). While the
	stimulation is going on, the victim is completely incapable of
	anything, and is experiencing the most *pleasurable* sensations
	possible. This can quickly lead to addiction to the source of
	stimulation, and only the most intelligent victim could correctly
	understand the threat of addiction, and what that would mean to
	his life. For more information on that, you are advised to read
	the stories that Niven has written dealing with Direct Current
	Stimulation Addiction (The Ringworld Engineers being the best).
	
	And as a final note, which methods are suitable to combat when
	enclosed in sealed suits (in space, hostile environments etc) ?
	Well, the stunners fail in space, and be less effective in thin
	atmospheres as they rely on transmission of vibrations, and the
	tasp could easily fail is the victim's suit acted as a Faraday
	Cage, keeping out all electro-magnetic radiations ... The sliver
	guns couldn't penetrate even light armour ...
	Are we left to consider psionic attack as the only non-lethal
	tranq effective left ?

	Anyway, I hope that this missive has introduced a few more ideas
	into the discussion of tranqs and non-lethal weapons ...
	Comments please !

[ Note for Larry Niven fans in the London area - he'll be in Hamwicks bookshop
  in Kingston-upon-Thames on Tuesday 10 April, from 12.30 till 1.30 with
  Steven Barnes signing copies of the Barsoom Project - -sequel to Dream
  Park, I think ...]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     _____               (JANET) jcheetham@uk.ac.kingston
    (__ __) O  ______    (local) is_a063@ux.king
   (____)  (_)(_)()(_)   (voice) (+44) 1 549 1366 x2690
   Jim Cheetham, ISD Kingston Polytechnic.
   "... nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------


-------- TML Message #1186 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1186
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 90 09:13 EST
From: Bob Mahoney <BOBMAH%PSC.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Getting together

I also like the idea of getting together with all you folks, but James is
right- plane fare (even low passage) is going to be nasty.

The idea of something more local might be a better place to start.  Just for
fun, how many of you are in the northeast US?  I know that there are three of
us here in NH, about 2 hours north of Boston (but I *already* know you people).

If you are in the New England area, and might possibly be interested in the
prospect of seeing how funny we all look, why don't you drop me a line?  I'm
sorry to hear that the lunches James tried didn't work as well as he had
hoped, but it can never hurt to try...

- -Bob

bobmah@psc.bitnet                  ("Dial before Midnight!")

-------- TML Message #1187 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1187
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 90 09:44:28 EDT
From: Fiver Toadflax <09nilles%cuavax.dnet@netcon.cua.edu>
Subject: Convention cost cutting

If you don't want to rent an entire convention room at a hotel, you might
want to try one of the area's local Schools, libraries or one to fit
the environment, a local game shop.  I would suspect that any or all of
these choices would cut down on the room costs.  Another thing to cut
down on room costs is if any people were willing to bunk 2 to a room.

                 Dave

+-----------------------------------------+
|          09nilles@cua.bitnet            |
|  09nilles%cuavax.dnet@netcon.cua.edu    | Money Talks.
| uunet!cua.bitnet!09nilles@uunet.UU.NET  |   Mine Only knows how to say bye.
| Fiver.Toadflax@f329.n109.z1.FIDONET.ORG |
+-----------------------------------------+

-------- TML Message #1188 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1188
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 90 10:59:18 -0500
From: Mark Gellis <f3w@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Subject: Missiles for spacecraft


Hi guys, I need help with a game design problem.

In my game world, spacecraft carry missiles (among other cheerful devices).
I am trying to figure out what kind of damage missiles would really do to
a spacecraft.  Here is a sample scenario...

A battleship, in my game world, masses 60,000 tons (= about 600,000 cubic
meters with my ship design system).  Its armor reduces the problems caused
by particle beams (those nasty neutrons!) and makes lasers a laughing 
matter, but there is only so much armor you can put on a spacecraft.  As
a result, missiles are still a problem.

Missiles are smart oversized bullets.  In my game world, they mass roughly
one metric ton (they look a lot like the shells from a 406 mm. howitizer).
They accelerate at 20 gees (= about 200 meters per second per second).  They
can be fired from a LONG way off.  Since they can boost the whole way, they
generally hit their targets moving at anywhere from 10 km./sec. to 100 km./
sec. (usually in the 50 km./sec. to 70 km./sec range).  In some cases, they
can be moving faster (if they are fired at VERY long range, which would 
give them perhaps 20 to 30 minutes to boost).  Oh, by the way, the warhead
(about 100 kg. of high explosives) can be used either on impact or as 
a proximity bomb that turns the missile from one big bullet into about
one thousand smaller bullets slowly spreading the radius of death.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to figure out what kind
of damage a single missile would do to a battleship (feel free to add
comments on what it would do to larger or smaller ships, please, I am
glad to get all the help I can).  Are we talking about severe damage but
some ship systems still working?  A disabled ship that must be towed or
abandoned but could still be repaired?  A shattered, lifeless hulk slowly
drifting off into the void?  

Thanks in advance for comments, suggestions, etc.

Mark Gellis
f3w@mentor.cc.purdue.edu

-------- TML Message #1189 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1189
From: "C. Harald Koch" <chk@alias>
Subject: Re: (1181) On tranqs, from the guy who wrote the book (literally)
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 90 12:09:12 EDT

> PS> The implications of this technology are staggering, if one thinks about
>     it for a while. Just as two examples, it's possible for a society to
>     simultaneously eliminate accidental gun-related deaths and decriminalize
>     gun ownership, and the nature of police response to threat will also
>     change drastically (they're much more likely to go in shooting)....

This has shown up in several science fiction stories (those by Lois McMaster
Bujold, for example) wrt sonic weapons. The official response is "Shoot
first, ask questions later" because you really can do this. In a confusing
combat scenario, you knock everyone unconscious, and then sort things out
when they wake up.

Unfortunately :-), we often encounter this in our 2300 campaigns. When
Security spots you, they don't point a gun at you and say 'FREEZE!'; They
just shoot.  Makes it very important to post your own guards when breaking
into secure buildings...

- -- 
C. Harald Koch                        Alias Research, Inc., Toronto ON Canada
chk%alias@csri.utoronto.ca      chk@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu      chk@chk.mef.org
If awk is the Swiss Army knife of UNIX, then Perl is the Swiss Army chainsaw!
               -Author Unknown; related by <dplatt@coherent.com> (Dave Platt)


-------- TML Message #1190 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1190
Subject: Re: missiles
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 90 22:48:51 PDT
From: Leonard Erickson <leonard@tessi.UUCP>


Mark, at 50 to 70 km/sec a 100 kg warhead won't even be *noticed*.  The
kinetic energy of the impact of a 1 ton missile at those velocities is
equivalent to a *small* nuclear warhead. 

Ever see a picture of the Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona? Your
missiles could make a crater like that. It was made by a body that
probably massed 100 times as much, but it was only traveling about
10 km/sec. So your missile would have the same energy if it was
going only *10* times as fast (E= m*v^2/2)

The kinetic energy of the missile is equal to converting 1/36 of a gram
of matter to energy. (assuming a 1 metric ton missile at 70 km/sec).
And if the missile is attacking from the front, the energy depends not
on the square of the missile's velocity, but on the square of the 
*sum* of the velocities!)

To put it simply, you *can't* armor against kinetic energy weapons.
Not when the velocities are tens to *hundreds* of km/sec. 


-------- TML Message #1191 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1191
Date:     Sat, 7 Apr 90 23:22:43 PDT
From: "John H. Kim" <jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu>
Subject:  Re: missiles

Actually, for penetration, a kinetic energy weapon would
probably be better than a small nuclear device since all 
the damage would be concentrated in the immediate area of
impact (could punch thru more armor).

To get an idea of just how much energy is in one of your
high velocity missiles, I did a quick back of the envelope
calculation.

Assuming only the warhead is left (and it won't matter much
if it's explosive or just dead weight), at 50 km/s to 70 km/s
you get 125 GigaJoules and 245 GigaJoules respectively.

How much is that?  Take the Love Boat (or any other smallish-
medium ocean liner) and drop it (on Earth of course) from a
height of about half a kilometer.  That should be about right.

And imagine all that energy in the space of a 100 kg mass.


Hey, I finally tracked down the address to this mailing list
and got myself subscribed.  It's great to be here!
- --
John H. Kim
jokim@jarthur.Claremont.EDU

-------- TML Message #1192 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1192
Date: Sun, 8 Apr 90 00:49:25 PDT
From: John Wilber <wilber%nunki.usc.edu@usc.edu>
Subject: Getting World UPP's

I noticed that the discussion about getting world UPP's is starting to
pick up again.  Instead of downloading from GEnie, with all its expenses
and problems that may be involved, I noticed that on the last page of
the _World_Builder's_Handbook_ by DGP, they are offering world building
software and UPP data on disks.

The world building software is $24.95 for IBM and Mac versions, and
$29.95 for Apple II and Commodore versions.

The "Second Survey Data" (as they call it) is priced identically to the
world building software above.  According the the blurb in the back of
the book, the Mac versions use HyperCard.  SSD is also said to contain
UWP data for *37* (WOW!) sectors in and near the Imperium.  "The World
Builder's Program can read this data and generate world detail sheets to
your heart's content," according to DGP.

They (DGP) say this stuff is available in January 1990, so you should be
able to order now.

DGP
8979 Mandan Ct.
Boise, ID 83709-5850

Has anybody seen this software yet?  Any opinions on it?

/*********************************************************************\
* John J. Wilber              * Let chaos work for you.  Use it to    *
* wilber@nunki.usc.edu        * advance your position in life while   *
* student, partier, anarchist * others are losing their positions (or * 
* and fun-loving guy.         * their lives).                         *
\*********************************************************************/

-------- TML Message #1193 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1193
Subject: TML Conventions
Date: 9 Apr 90 12:53:36 EST (Mon)
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!sequent!wdr@wang.COM (William Ricker)

James & all,

The suggested weekend, Labor Day, is the date for the annual World
Science Fiction Convention.  Last fall, it was here in Boston. We had
about 20 people attend a party for contributors/subscribers to several
of the role-playing game fanzines (hard-copy digested mailing lists)
there.  We get usually over a dozen for the RGP Fanzine party at
the Boskone annual regional SF con.  This tends to happen at other SF
and gaming cons. 

So... if you want to meet other TML subscribers:
(1) Check Analog's calendar and go to any local SF cons in your area,
and anywhere else you'd like to visit.
(2) Tell the TML where you going, so others going their can look for
you, and you can pick whose hotel room to have the party in.  (And also
arrange to share hotel rooms/driving etc.)

WorldCon 91 is in Orlando.  '92 is probably off-shore (I forget); 
San Francisco and somewhere inthe south-west are in the running for '93.  
All Labor Day.  
    I won't be at Orlando; if SFinSF wins, I want to take my wife to see 
the Golden Gate in '93.  Remind me closer to event & I'll get you the name
of the RPG APA party organizer.

Boskone is always (almost) Presidents Day Weekend (Feburary), currently 
at the Springfield MA Tara&Downtown Marriot. (Convenient to Hartford & Boston,
at I-90 & I-91). Feb 15-17, '91. I'll be there, and TMLers would be welcome
at the APA (fanzine) party.
     The other boston convention, Arisia, is two weeks before, 
Feb. 1-2, in the Cambridge Sonesta in '91.  ('90 was their first, a rave 
success.) I haven't done any partying there, but I'm sure it could happen.
I'll probably be there too.

bill ricker 
wdr@wang.com a/k/a wricker@northeastern.edu
*** Warning: This account not authorized to express opinions ***

-------- TML Message #1194 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1194
Date:     Mon, 9 Apr 90 12:50:30 PDT
From: "John H. Kim" <jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu>
Subject:  Planet UPP's and software

I've been outside reality (at school) for the last 3 years
so I know nothing about new things in Traveller.  To remedy
that, I started to read through the archives of this mailing
list.  I'm still back in 1987 but one topic that seems popular
(and just came up in Sunday's topics) is programs for generating
worlds, systems, etc.  I'd like to know if anything has come of
those efforts I'm reading about back in 1987.  What software
is available commercially?  What software have you guys written?
Would it be legal to post such programs on this list?

I was planning on writing something up this summer, but if
someone's already done it...

Has anyone thought of saving those isocahedral planetary maps
as graphics files on computer?  I think it'd be awfully neat
to flip through them as if you were really flipping through
Imperial survey data on your ship's computer :-)  Or how about
a program that takes a planet's UPP, orbit, star type, albedo,
axis tilt and generates a map, weather patterns, ocean currents...

Come to think of it, has GDW ever published planetary maps of
some major worlds (like Regina) for general use, not as part
of an adventure?

I've got a million more questions but since most of them are
bound to answer themselves as I read on, I'll let them simmer
for now.  (Is Striker still around?  Are there deckplans for any
of those starships you guys posted?  Has anyone written a program
for making such deckplans?  Ugh, mgph, ha, get back in that pot...)
- --
John H. Kim
jokim@jarthur.Claremont.EDU

-------- TML Message #1195 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1195
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 90 15:48 EST
From: Bob Mahoney <BOBMAH%PSC.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Strephon: Man with a Mission

Ok, class.  We have two choices:  The "Real" Strephon is the real Strephon, or
the "Real" Strephon is one of a number of things that just *look* like the real
Strephon...

Now, if it's really Strephon, then one of his big concerns should be the big
concern of nearly every monarch you can name throughout history: a successor.
The dynasty must be carried on, either by, ah "active biological measures", or
by naming one of his distant relatives to be his successor.

If it's not the real Strephon, he still has to deal with this issue.  (pun!)

This is made all the more urgent by the apparent desire of Strephon to
personally lead his fleets into battle...


(Any of you ladies out there have any ambitious characters?)

Bob, asker of questions Big and Small.

-------- TML Message #1196 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1196
From: "Mark F. Cook" <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
Subject: Wimpy Gauss Weapons
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 90 15:14:01 PDT

I just fired up my Mega-Traveller campaign last Friday night and really got
the players moving.  However, as a result of a narrowly-avoided firefight,
one of my more experienced players voiced a loud objection to the numbers
given by GDW for weapon penetration in the Players manual.  When the player
in question discovered that the Gauss Rifles (TL 13) aboard their starship
couldn't penetrate Battle Dress or Combat Armor from the same tech. level,
he pointed out that this would be like sending soldiers into battle with
flak jackets, and arming them with weapons that couldn't kill an enemy
wearing the SAME flak jackets.

He has a point.

I would like to think that GDW gave more than just passing thought to the
numbers they picked for armor values and penetration values for the armor
and weapons used in MT.  I have consolidated the relevant information into
the 2 tables shown below (taken from Players' Manual, pp. 74,76, and the
Imperial Encyclopedia, pp. 75):

Armor              TL   Armor Value
- ----------------   --   -----------
Combat Env. Suit   10        6
Combat Armor-11    11        8
Combat Armor-12    12       10
Combat Armor-14    14       18
Battle Dress-13    13       10
Battle Dress-14    14       18

Weapon                    TL    Pen. Value*
- ------                    --    ----------
ACR 7mm                   10        4
ACR 9mm                   10        6
ARL 10mm------------------10       10
Gauss Rifle 4mm           12        7
Gauss Pistol 4mm          13        4
Laser Pistol-13-----------13        6
Laser Carbine-13          13       12
Laser Rifle-13            13       20
Integral Laser Pistol-14--14        6**

NOTES:
    *  - In most cases, these weapons have a variety of penetration values,
         base on their ammo type.  The number shown is the highest penetration
         available.
    ** - This penetration value is assumed to be the same a that of the
         Laser Pistol-13, since none is given in the Player Manual.

Plasma and Fusion weapons are deliberately being ignored as no sane referee
would let his players romp around with those things in tow during the majority
of a typical campaign. (My apologies to those Refs. among you who do, in fact,
allow this.  Please don't shoot me :-).)

Given these numbers, and the description of 'Zero Penetration' on pg. 70 of
the Players' Manual, the Combat Environment Suit, Combat Armor-11, Combat
Armor-12, and Battle Dress-13 can only be penetrated by the ARL, the Laser
Carbine and the Laser Rifle.  Further, the Combat Armor-14 and Battle Dress-14
can only be penetrated by the Laser Rifle!  Now, all of this is mitigated by
the fact that you can penetrate these types of armor if you achieve exceptional
success on your attack round, but that doesn't seem like something you should
be relying on.  The gauss rifle in particular has been significantly watered
down from it's original descriptions in Classic Traveller (Mercenary) and
Azhanti High Lightning.  Does this mean that gauss rifles are passe as battle-
field weapons?

Since the 4mm Gauss Rifle and Combat Armor-12 both evolved at the same Tech.
level (TL 12), and since the Gauss Rifle was obviously intended to be a
combat weapon, you would think it would be designed to routinely penetrate
the standard personal body armor of the period.  This strikes me as a
major oversight in the combat mechanics.

This brings us to the next topic: AUTOMATIC WEAPON FIRE.  Page 73 of the
Players' Manual describes auto-weapon fire as delivering 5 rounds per
trigger pull instead of 1.  While this may be used to hit multiple targets
adjacent to the primary target, the rules neglect some important points.

First, some weapons (i.e. Gauss Rifle and Pistol) have specific auto-fire
numbers given in the Imperial Encyclopedia (4 for the pistol, 4 or 10 for
the rifle).  Should these be used instead of the standard 5 listed in the
Players' Manual.

Second, if multiple targets are available, and you hit the primary target,
are the adjacent targets hit automatically or must you reroll for each?

Third, if you are in auto-fire mode and there is only a single target,
is he hit by all the auto-fire rounds?  If not, how many hit?  Do you
roll a separate attack for each round?  Are there any die modifiers
(positive or negative) for successive rounds?

None of these things are covered in the combat rules and they seem to
represent a major oversight, considering how many of the weapons have
auto-fire capability.

My initial reaction to these omissions is as follows:

First, have 2 different versions of the Gauss Rifle, a TL-11 and a TL-12.
The TL-11 version has a PV of 8, and the TL-12 version has a PV of 10.
All other stats. remain unchanged.

Regarding auto-fire: if a weapon has a specified fire rate, use it.
Otherwise, use the 5/rnd. rule.  Also, roll a separate attack for each
round, but if the first round hits, add +4 to the subsequent rolls to
reflect that the initial aimpoint was 'on target'.  Apply this bonus
only to Low Recoil weapons.  Medium Recoil weapons are not as controllable.

How do you deal with this sort of thing?

Later,

        Mark F. Cook

USMail: User Interface Technical Support
        Hewlett-Packard - Interface Technology Operation
        1000 NE Circle Blvd.  Corvallis, OR 97330

INTERNET: markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.com
UUCP:     {cmcl2, harpo, hplabs, rice, tektronix}!hp-pcd!markc

-------- TML Message #1197 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1197
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 90 22:49:09 EDT
From: Chris Bartlett (Mouser) <cdba_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: A question...


I was thinking about the relative merits of gas giant refueling yesterday,
relative to dipping from a world's ocean.  Now, as I understand it, in
"real" life a gas giant, say, Jupiter, has a region of intense radiation
around it.  Now what I want to know is how this affects refueling operations
around a gas giant.  Can a starship with a hull armor factor of 40 withstand
this radiation long enough to skim enough fuel, or is it and its crew going
to get fried real quick?  Can some of the physics or astronomy types help
out? 

 I was maybe thinking that the size of the gas giant might be a factor.  For
example, Jupiter would be classified as a large GG, by _Scouts_ or _World
Builder's_.  If the ship could not withstand the radiation around a large
GG, how about around a small GG, say the size of Neptune?  It could have
interesting ramifications to those who would avoid the cost of refined fuel.

"Oh, you can't skim fuel from the gas giant, because the radiation is too
intense, but there's a world with an acceptable hydrosphere."

"But there's an enemy fleet stationed there!"

Oops.  8-(

Chris

- -------------
Christopher Bartlett			Warning! - Disgruntled Optics major
cdba_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu		"I've got a chip on my shoulder about
(somewhere in western New York)		the size of a mental block" 
(actually, the U. of Rochester) 			- Indigo Girls


-------- TML Message #1198 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1198
Subject: PBEM turn 4.0 (1 of 3)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 90 6:25:19 PST
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!agora.hf.intel.com!richard@tessi.UUCP (Richard Johnson)


Well, turn 4.0 is finally here.  Looks like a two-week
turn schedule is about what I can actually accomplish.
Sorry about not being able to do more - but sh** happens.

As I was preparing this turn initially (way back when..)
I had to make an extended driving trip to Eastern Oregon
for family stuff.  Lost an automobile engine 40 miles 
from the nearest town.  Took four days to return to
civilization.

This last week, agora went off-line for three days while
the sysop put in a newer, faster, bigger disk (it's about
time).  Simultaneously, the cost-cutters at work went 
after the uucp phone budget and axed my mailing anything 
from oresoft.

*Huge* backlog at agora.  (Anything to mailed to oresoft
I bounced to agora - so it might take a little longer
before you hear from me.)

The result of this is that it seems *something* is going
to make sure we don't any more than one turn every two 
weeks or so.  I'll keep trying to work one week intervals,
and we'll see if it gets any better.

Mmmm.  My SO (aka Rachael Turnskaad in another campaign) :)
just brought me some hot brownies to keep me awake until I'm
done with this tonight.

=================================
Relevant stuff below:

Go ahead and send in your department descriptions.  I'll include
them as they arrive.

If your character is psi, trained or just sensitive, and is willing
to communicate (or overhear) telepathically or telempathically, 
send me a note, and I'll make up a psi group for our alias files.

I tried to draw the Alcyon.  It wound up looking more like some kind
of fire demon.  Any volunteers?

That's all for this week.  For the time being, people who don't send 
participate in character interaction are assumed to be "working" and
are not socializing.  That is, you didn't get left behind.


Richard

-------- TML Message #1199 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1199
Subject: PBEM turn 4.1 (2 of 3)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 90 6:26:08 PST
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!agora.hf.intel.com!richard@tessi.UUCP (Richard Johnson)



You settle into the routine of shipboard life.  As with the rest of
your crewmates, you set about the tasks needed to finally get the
Alcyon into jump space.  

The chemical strap on boosters have long since jettisoned
themselves, letting you drift silently away from the asteroids, and
your last bit of civilization for at lest the next week.

There is a brief hiatus in the preparations, as engnieers scramble
to get the rider ships hooked up and tested before you jump.

- ----------------
Bhyarrvouf is excited as a teenager on his first date as he readies 
the drives for the leap into hyperspace... perhaps TOO excited. He seems 
jumpy and snappish at times, almost fearful at others, as if he were 
expecting something bad to happen and was trying to put the thought of 
it out of his mind....


"Engineering, Johann here. We'll have to patch the computers of the 
riders and the computer of the Alcyon together before we jump, Well 
actually we can't jump if the links arn't in place! I'll need someone 
with good engineering skill"

"Any takers?"


So Zben, and Aaron head out and make the physical links to the riders,
while you are all in free-fall.

Meanwhile, Nishu completes the nav routines, and runs through all the
calculations a second time (since he's also waiting on those engineers)
to verify the jump.

Although preprogammed, Nishu knows enough nav to figure out that this
particular jump is supposed to dump you guys out in empty space, 5
parsecs away.  

Command and Transport aren't talking (at least openly) about what this 
means or what they expect.


- ----------
After about five hours, engineering and transport give the go-ahead signal.

No matter how many times you make that tumble, it always comes as a
bit of a surprise.  You *know* viscerally that more than one person
here has lost lunch, not just from the tumble, but also from the 
excitement.  [everyone roll 2D6, to keep your lunch:
              endur or better,  DM + years in space, 
                                   - months since last jump
              if you fail, you got space sick.  The difference between
              what you got and what you need is number of minutes
              you are ill.  The bigger the difference, the more 
              violently ill you are.  Critical failure (unmodified 2)
              and you are out of it for now -- a trip to/from a
              medic is in order.]


So now, having a little time to wander about the ship, here's what 
she looks like on the inside:  [I'll take submissions for your part, too
if you want to do this - this is from a Transport team member]

The bridge of the Alcyon is on the large side of cramped, about 10 meters
long and 8 meters wide, tapering towards the front to 5 meters wide.  Lighting
is dim white (to aid night vision), with red as an option.  A set of view
ports at the front allows vision outside.  The deck is ridged for traction,
and the walls are mostly simple white panels about a meter on a side.

At the head of the bridge are the pilot (left) and co-pilot (right) stations.
In addition to the long dashboard-type console, each station has a control
stick mounted next to their acceleration chair and a pair of footpedals on
the floor beneath the console.  Both stations are holodynamic, with HUD data
projected over the viewports.  The co-pilot's controls are usually slaved to  
the pilot's; even when both are active, pilot input will override copilot.  

Behind the flight controls, in the center of the bridge, is the command
chair.  The conn includes a small computer terminal on a swing-up arm.  Through
this terminal the commander has access to all command functions, including 
library data and security systems.  Unlike the other bridge chairs, which can
swivel over an arc of about 90 degrees, the conn can turn a full 360 --
allowing the commander to view any station, including the holodisplay.

The holodisplay, directly behind the conn, consists physically of a pair of
projection rings a meter across, mounted on the floor and ceiling.  The
projection area is a cylinder about two meters in diameter.  The holodisplay
can be used to show sensor readings, navigational data, computer displays,
or communications. 

Facing each other through the holodisplay are the navigation (left) and
sensor/comm (right) stations.  Each station has an acceleration chair facing
a console slightly more than a meter long, which is holodynamic.  Both stations 
use the holodisplay for readout, and may "split" it into two different images.

At the back of the bridge is a small assembly/observation area, about two
meters long and eight meters wide, as mentioned.  On the back wall, next to the
iris valve, is a computer station (right, or left facing the exit).  This
station is not usually manned, and is used for readouts on ship's systems and
computer queries.
- ------------------------

All of the scientists, both social and physical types, can be found poring
over data, running to another terminal, and just genrally being busy 
creating models, projections, and helping out everyon else.

- -------------------------

A short time after the Alcyon makes its way into jump space and all the
pressing engineering tasks are complete, Christian tracks down 'Vouf --
wherever he's hiding himself. :-) "It doesn't take much to realize that
you've been avoiding a medical exam", says Dr. Van Der Merwe with a wry
smile on his face. "As an IISS flight surgeon, I'm quite proficient in
xenomedical areas, and I happened to review the latest in Vargr medical
journals before we left, so you can rest assured there. Since you have
some free time now, let's go and get the exam over with, shall we?"

Bhyarrvouf, whom everyone's used to seeing as ebullient and forceful,
starts to tremble at the sight of Dr. van der Merwe. His ears fold back 
flat and his tail curves so far forward between his legs that it almost 
touches Dr. van der Merwe's leg. "Um, I really have some other stuff to 
do, Doc. I was so busy doing Engineering stuff I never got around to 
looking at the holotapes they made for the Generalists and since I'm off 
shift this would be a great  time I'm REALLY sorry maybe we can 
reschedule it for later this week I'm just really run off my tail what 
with one thingananother..."

He's backing away as he says this....then backs into a wall. He jumps a meter
in the air at the touch of the cold metal, yelping fearfully, then seems to 
wilt. "All right, Doc," he mutters. "Let's get this over with. Which way to 
Sickbay?"

While viewing Bhyarrvouf's unusual reaction, Dr. Van Der Merwe simply stands
in the corridor. He lifts his right eyebrow in a mixture of amusement and
concern at this uncharacteristic display by 'Vouf. He gestures down the
hallway, toward the connecting corridor with the Aurora. "Right this way
to my office." He stands aside to let 'Vouf pass, and then follows behind
him until they reach the cabin in the Aurora where Sickbay has been set up.

Quite some time later, 'vouf reappears from the door to the sawbones, 
practically prancing.  He exchanges a few words quietly with the Doc, and
then starts down the hall.  "Well, what're all you Pinkstinks staring
at, anyway!?  Getcher butts BACK TO WORK!"


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

