An Other CT solo - Part 13: Death in the mist

The mist swirls round as Captain Elleder leads the advance. He's got his revolver, and beside him Diter is pointing his rifle wildly at phantom shapes in the fog. Lin is just behind, pistol at the ready, and poor Korilu is hanging back, her fighting blade clutched in both hands and feeling like the fool in an old adage.

A dark blur looms ahead of them. As they draw nearer, it slowly resolves into covered but otherwise open garages with racing buggies up on blocks, attached to a clubhouse made of scrap lumber, concrete, and metal siding. The front door is hanging open, with a pair of feet sticking out onto the porch, missing one shoe.

T3 : complete - expected - none

[After 12 posts, it's finally time for a proper combat.

This was played out on paper with relative positions written in pencil on an extremely hasty sketch (see above).

To start with, there were 1D+3=3 enemies inside the clubhouse. That was a low number, so I added 2 more outside. They've been shooting up the place, so all enemies were down 2d6 shots/bursts, except for the laser which has only 2d6 remaining.

Each enemy had a 50/50 chance of being a Thug or a full Army veteran.

Inside (1D+2=3)

Army Captain ♀ 559A64 1 Term
Brawling-1, Laser rifle-2, rifle-1, SMG-1

thug1 ♂ 846665 SMG-1
thug2 ♀ 684846 autorifle-1


Outside (1D-2=4)

Army Lieutenant ♀ A8A675 1 Term
Air/Raft-1, Brawling-1, Rifle-1, SMG-1, Tactics-1

thug3 ♂ A8AA77 shotgun-1
thug4 ♂ 577485 rifle-1
thug5 ♀ 869975 revolver-1


Sight & Movement (outside)

• Visibility in the fog is ~15m max; no penalties at Short range, Medium range -1 to hit, and lasers do -2dmg/die
• Friendly Fire: at Medium range, need to roll INT or less to correctly identify a target.
• Running: roll DEX- to avoid hazards

NB. I used normal CT combat rules, except I don't use the weapons vs. armour modifiers (no one in the fight actually had any, but I plan to use the Merging the Striker and Traveller Combat Systems article in JTAS #16 to handle armour's damage resistance). The fight was complicated, so each round I declared all actions (in writing) and then resolved them in one go. The narrative will not follow this order, as it would be beyond unreadable.]

Inside the door is a short vestibule with greasy coveralls hanging from pegs, and a short passage that reeks of a poorly maintained chemical toilet. But straight ahead is the doorway into the rather brightly lit main room, where many dead and dying racers lie amidst splashes of gore, slumped over and around the mismatched settees and game tables. In the back corner stand two of the assailants, clad in street clothes, standing with automatic weapons cradled in their arms. A third, in army fatigues, is kneeling before a dense poly-carbon fire safe, using her laser to drill out the lock.

[Surprise? : party 1D=6 enemy 1D+1=4, no surprise]

Their heads snap round as the floorboards creak. Elleder is on the verge of calling out when Diter raises his rifle and fires.

[Round 1]
Diter's shot hits one of the standing women in the chest. Her auto-rifle peppers the ceiling as she staggers backwards a few paces, coughing blood. She drops, twitching. [8+2=hit, 17dmg to DEX reduces physical UPP to 001, serious wound]

The man with the submachinegun sprays bullets almost as wildly as his companion ducks back behind the safe and furiously resets her laser rifle.

Elleder hides behind the door frame, squeezing off a hasty shot from his revolver. Lin and Korilu have run out the doorway for cover. Korilu barrels straight out of the clubhouse into the fog.

[the enemies' bursts randomly targeted K & L, but bad rolls and the Evasion penalty meant no hits.]


[Round 2]
Lin follows after Korilu, but loses her in the fog, so she trots along the perimeter of the building and look for another, less lead-filled, entrance. [DEX roll for fast movement succeeds]

Diter is standing stock-still, grinning as he takes aim at a new target. The submachinegun strafes his position, but he feels only a twinge as a bullet speeds through his flank [7dmg to END, minor wound]. He responds with a shot of his own right through the settee the man was crouching behind. Grey-green feathers erupt from the front, a spray of blood from the back. A second foe slumps to the floor [14dmg, UPP > 040, serious wound].

Diter laughs as a laser beam streaks between him and Elleder, whose own shot ricochets off the safe into the ceiling.

[Round 3]
"I'll be fine," says Herrin Ngamová as her companions listen to the muffled gunshots in the distance, "go help them." She hides beneath a rusted-out racing buggy as Harrisumn and Tandery advance nervously towards the faraway din.

Lin is trotting along the side of the building, and is disappointed to find only a wall of garishly painted sheet metal. She thinks she hears steps running behind her -- or maybe ahead -- but she is round the corner before the unseen killers are close enough to spot her.

[Q: Is there another entrance/window? 50/5 O2 C6 - no

thug4 & thug5 pass Lin. Surprise: L 6, them 1, they're surprised]

Inside, the laser nearly vaporises Diter's head. He can feel several hairs singe as he dives behind a sagging settee. Elleder's shot once again grazes the top of the safe, but ricochets into the temple of the woman behind it, who falls with a bloody, if superficial, gash along her scalp. [E nat 12 hits, 10dmg to STR UPP > 054, KO].

But two more of the assassins have been alerted by the sounds of gunfire, and are advancing behind Tandery and Harrisumn through the fog [thug3 & ArmyLt].

[Round 4]
There is motion on the wooden porch. Two more killers are about to fire inside the doorway. Tandery and Harrisumn fire at them, but their shots go wide. But the sounds of fire within the building are drowned out by louder reports behind, the low roar of a shotgun and the staccato rhythm of auto fire. Bullets plink in a line up to Harrisumn, whose leg buckles beneath him. He passes out before he sees the blood darken the dirt beneath him.

[Everyone made their INT rolls to identify targets. thug4 & thug5 shot at Elleder, missing. H&T missed them. ArmyLt & thug3 came up behind them. H took 12 damage to END, UPP > 910, KO]

Elleder pivots round the door frame as bullets whistle past. Diter takes up position on the other side, but doesn't have any enemies in his field of vision, only friendlies. [INT succeeds, H&T are only ones in his LOS]

Lin has almost made a circuit.

[Round 5]
She drifts out into the mist at the front of the building. She sees Korilu hiding behind some empty fuel barrels, and Tandery running away. [Tandery failed her Morale roll. Lin made all her INT rolls.]

Tandery hears auto fire behind her, and footsteps running just as fast as she is. [ArmyLt followed her. DEX rolls OK.]

Diter moves behind Elleder. They take turns firing at the two on the porch, who shoot wildly inside.

A shotgun goes off to Lin's right.

[everyone who shoots this round, misses]

[Round 6]
She sees someone moving past at speed, and fires after them as they pause to fire another burst at an unseen target further on. The unseen target (Tandery) runs for cover [DEX roll OK].

Bullets fly both into and out from the clubhouse.

[no hits again this round]

[Round 7]
Tandery is behind a buggy. She hears footsteps bearing down on her. And then a second set. Bullets ring off the metal chassis in two short patterns, followed by a single shot. Then a dull thud. Lin had followed Tandery's would-be murderer through the fog, and got right up behind her when she paused to fire, and felled her with a single shot between the shoulder blades.

[I used a surprise roll to see if she could get to short range behind ArmyLt: 6 vs 1+1+1, yes. Damage was 3D=18, UPP > 00A, serious wound]

The clubhouse door frames are the only other casualties.

[Round 8]
Lin crouches low and quickly goes (what she hopes is) wide round the building's front. The exchanges of fire still sound like they are all there.

A slug pierces the wall and Elleder's shoulder beyond. There are more wood chips and plaster in the wound than lead, but stunned by the pain. Diter sees a third form in the mist outside. He fires just as shotgun pellets lodge in the wooden floor at his feet. The form staggers back and is swallowed by the fog.

Seeing their comrade shot down just behind them, the two killers on the porch turn and run.

[Elleder is hit once for 9dmg, UPP > 025, KO

Diter hits thug3: 15dmg, UPP > 209, KO

thug3 was still visible to thug4 & thug5 when he go shot down, so they needed to check Morale; 7+ to stand, DM-1 since they assume their comrades inside have either died or fled: they failed.]

Everything falls silent for a few seconds. Lin hears the dull footsteps receding into the mist. She creeps back towards the building, and comes across Korilu's hiding spot. She coaxes her out, and they walk towards the building, Korilu clutching her knife like a security blanket and mostly hiding behind Lin.

Diter's silhouette appears in the doorway. He raises his rifle to his shoulder. "It's us you arsehole!" shouts Lin. He hesitates, then lowers his gun and disappears back inside. They quicken their pace towards the clubhouse. As they reach the vestibule, three shots ring out in quick succession. Diter has made sure the enemies inside were no longer a threat.

Lin ignores him in favour of tending to the Captain. He's in shock, but his wounds are largely superficial. Lin looks about and spots a bright plastic first aid kit on the wall. It's in desperate need of re-stocking, but there are enough bandages inside to make a compress. As she dresses the Captain's wound, she does her best to tune out Diter and Korilu's conversation. But some still gets through.

"I got you a present!"

"Here?"

"Close your eyes. There's a good girl. Hold out your hands."

"A laser! You're the best!"

"You always said you wanted one."

Several minutes later, when the Captain is sitting up by himself, Lin starts calling out the door for her missing comrades. Korilu is beside her with her new laser rifle at the ready, just in case. Tandery, Harrisumn, and even the Herrin follow her voice in.

Diter is sitting by the Captain, his adrenaline starting to fade. When Harrisumn comes in, he asks him for some first aid.

Herrin Ngamová runs directly to the safe. She opens it anxiously, and sighs in relief when she finds all her papers intact -- actual papers. Tandery enquires what they are, and she waves her off with a curt "important documents". But amongst the file folders and print-outs is a decidedly froofy lilac envelope fringed with lace.

[Q: What is the secret/special item in the safe? Cheerfully / Important. =an invitation to a society ball. That's the next adventure sorted, then.

Q: Do the thugs rally? Unlikely (5+): O1 C2 - no, and...]

Tandery shrugs and rejoins her companions. "We should probably look for survivors."

"I think my medkit is going to be woefully insufficient," says Harrisumn. "Plus golden boy would just shoot 'em."

"We should probably call the authorities," says Lin. "Cops and ambulances."

"I didn't think you'd suggest such a thing," says Tandery.

"I meant anonymously. I didn't mean for us to be here when they arrive."

"Make the call," says Captain Elleder.

Lin finds the racing club's radiophone on a desk in the corner next to some filing cabinets. "Stand back, everyone," she says, "this has to sound convincing." Lin pulls her gun and aims at the far wall. She takes a deep breath, then punches in 9999, the standard Imperial emergency frequency. A voice crackles through the receiver.

"Nine-nine-nine-nine, please state your e--"

"Please send help!" shrieks Lin into the receiver. "Oh god! We're being attacked! <<bang>> You have to save us! Some crazy offworlders in an air/raft! They're <<bang>> shooting up the place. We're <<bang>> at the Backland Breakers clubhou--"

A final shot destroys the radiophone itself. Her usual calm instantly reappears.

"That was scary," says Tandery as Lin is wiping her fingerprints off the receiver. "Have you done this before?"

* * *

The air/raft is long gone by the time they get back to the ATV. They drive off and take the main road further south, hoping it will lead them back towards the port. Weapons are once again in their hiding spots, but these are left open in case they run into trouble.

A flashing glow appears ahead in the fog, then the sound of wailing sirens. A convoy of police cruisers and emergency vehicles roars past.

[Q: Do the authorities come? certain (2+): O4 C8 - yes
Q: Is there any investigation that could affect the adventure? roll below LL 8 (7-): 2D=8, no
Q: Back to the ship without incident? unknown d6=5: O6 C5 - yes (there are people looking for the Herrin, but they don't know who she's with)]

When at last they are on the road back to the port, the Herrin asks Captain Elleder if they wouldn't mind returning her to her ship when they leave. The Captain says he'll do it, but it'll cost her a high passage -- if they don't find her ship, for whatever reason, she'll be taking up a stateroom. [reaction=8] She says it's a fair exchange.


next post: other consequences

An Other CT solo - Part 12: Of shipbreakers and broken ships

The inside of the ship's boat is in an even worse state than the exterior, due in no small part to the predations of the scavengers. The Herrin --breathing through her sleeve against the smoky haze-- is the first inside through the gash in the hull. She steadies herself on the curved ceiling of the upside-down vessel, and braves a few tentative steps further inside. She makes her cautious way towards the section just aft of the cockpit, where a gaping hole in the floor above her head confirms her worst fears -- the safe has been removed. At least, she consoles herself, it wasn't vaporised by laser-fire. She hazards a glance into the cockpit, for just an instant, and sees her two most trusted retainers, the ones she feels closer to than most of her family, lying in a crumpled heap on the sparking overhead instrumentation. The smell of blacked flesh assails her nostrils, shattering her customary poise and resolve. She runs blindly out of the ship, shouldering past Tandery and Diter, then doubles over and begins retching.

She rights herself and addresses the Captain. "I'm sorry, that was unlike me. I'm not used to seeing dead bodies. And certainly not in that state..."

"It's harder when you knew them," offers Elleder. "Shall I have my crew recover them?"

"If you would be so kind."

[Q: Special item still there? 50/50 (4+): O4 C3 - no, but...
Q: Bodies? 50/50 (4+): O5 C4 - yes, but... badly burnt
Q: Does she want to recover them? unknown d6=5: O6 C2 - yes, and...

Party's react=6, one refusal: 1d6=k]

He summons his crew and tells them they need to recover the bodies for the Herrin. Korilu takes one look in the cockpit and balks.

"No! No way! Touching dead bodies is not in my job description! Not when Ms. High-and-mighty isn't going to pitch in herself!"

Tandery slaps her across the face. She looks wild-eyed to Diter for support.

"What?" he says. "She's right. We owe this to our fellow spacers."

[Checking for bad reaction, 8+ to avoid: 2D=3, no. Type? d6=argument (=no further incidents, she's already arguing)]

The bodies are wrapped in survival blanket and stowed in the ATV's hold. The Herrin thanks Captain Elleder, and adds that the safe has already been taken away by the scavengers' fellows. Lin offers them a ride if they will lead them to where the scraps are taken.

[Reaction=10
Q: How many will come? d3=2
Q: Talkative? 50/50 (4+): O2 C6 - no.

driving roll to avoid mishaps: 2D=9, ok]

Two of them agree to go. Korilu drives as one plays navigator. They're a sullen lot, but she's happy for the quiet. She drives forward though the fog as night begins to fall, but driving in the dark is not really any harder than in the daylight thanks to the ATV's instruments. After four hours she wakes Lin to take over, and joins the rest getting a bit of kip in the back.

Their destination is a cliff face, with a sporadic string of lights visible along it, with many more clustered in one spot, illuminating the landscape in a yellow haze. They approach it through a sea of mostly-broken vehicles, including several small starships, and a haphazard assortment of canvas tents. A semi-natural cavern yawns in the cliff face, lit by floodlights. Within is a half-junkyard, half-shanty town.

"This is the place," says the scavenger. "You'll need to ask the dealers about your missing cargo yourselves. Have fun, I guess." The she add her companion disappear into the fog.

"We'll cover more ground if we split up," says Elleder. "Korilu and Harrisumn, you two are a team. If you find anything Effi might need, let me know and we can figure something out. Diter and I will accompany the Herrin. Tandery, you go with Lin. Let's keep it low key; pistols only, and please don't wear them on your hip. and information will probably come at a prince. Anyone short of credits?"

Lin's hand shoots out, palm up.

"Don't spend this all in one place," laughs the Captain.

* * *

"I should'a guessed we'd end up here," says Tandery as she and Lin survey the nest of ramshackle buildings with hand-painted signs and all linked by a mad web of criss-crossing wires.

"You've been before?" asks Lin.

"No, but I served with a guy who told me all about it. Damn, I miss his stories..."

"What even is this place?"

"It's a shipbreakers' camp. Plus all the scrap merchants are here, and the associated hangers-on: gearheads, street racers, off-road enthusiasts, pirates, and anyone else looking to buy second-hand parts on the grey market."

"So it's not... legal?"

"Yes and no. There's no licences here. But it brings enough credits in from offworld that I guess the authorities let it alone."

[To avoid problems with the locals (6+): DMs +carousing, +streetwise, +1 INT 9+; all three groups succeed.

Q: Any significant encounters? 50/50 (4+): O2 C4 - no, but... some other people here eyeing them up
Q: Does anyone find anything noteworthy? unknown d6=1: O3 C8 - yes
Q: Who finds it? d3=K&H
Q: What do they find? Very / Ancient - some weird and very ancient, weather-worn vaguely anthropomorphic stele covered in indecipherable writing. Probably worth more than the cr5000 being asked for it -- unless it's a fake.
Q: Which party finds the dealer? d3= L&T]

Tandery leads Lin through the Labyrinth of meandering walkways. All around them is a cacophony of colours, lights, sounds, and smells: sparks fly from machine shops, strains of discordant music vie with one another for supremacy, barely audible above the babble of voices in an array of tongues and dialects, hawkers scream their wares, arguments and laughter cut sharply across the background din, alleyways reek like de facto pissoirs, the enticing aroma of greasy over-spiced cooking wafts out of a kiosk, and is just as soon replaced by the stench of rubbish and unwashed bodies and cut-rate perfume. Lin has a sudden fit of nostalgia for Precinct Gelb-402b's subterranean market, and wishes she could share it with her crew mate.

* * *

They've been talking to scrap buyers for the better part of an hour. Lin is starting to believe they are chasing after phantoms when their questioning of the Nth merchant of the night bears fruit.

"I might 'o seen a safe like what yer describin'," says the red-eyed man in a thick offworld accent, "but 's not 'ere." [reaction 2D=6, unresponsive]

"Do you know where we could find it?" asks Lin.

"I sold it on, didn't I?"

"Could I ask who bought it?"

"Client information's confidential, luv."

"Perhaps for 500 credits you could take me into your confidence."

[Bribery (LL 8): 2D-2=6, success
Q: Who bought it? Boldly / Small]

"Some o' them lot what's in the Backland Breakers was interested."

"Who are they?"

"One o' the racing clubs. I let them have it for 250. No one 'ere can open the poxy thing, wha'ever's it made of -- at least, not in any way tha' won't obliterate the contents."

"Are any of them still here?"

"Might be a few knocking about. Or they might all be back at the clubhouse."

"Do you know where we might find this clubhouse?"

[Q: On a scale of 1-6, how vague are his directions? 1]

"Sure, luv. You'll wanna go up to the main road out here, goin' south east. 's not more than a few kilometres down, an' off a dirt track. Can't miss it. Unless you don't see the sign."

Tandery notes down the directions in her datapad whilst Lin calls the others with the good news. They realise they'll never find it in the dark, so need to wait for daybreak to set off.

[Q: Anything unusual happen that night? 50/50 (4+): O4 C8 - yes
Q: What? NPC positive - Harrisumn - Guide / Food]

Back at the ATV, Harrisumn is serving something steaming hot from cardboard containers. Their search for spare parts was a wash, but he'd gotten a tip-off about an amazing food stall. Even the good Herrin must admit she enjoys the feast.


094-1105

At first light, they set out. The fog still hasn't burnt off; if anything it's thicker today. Lin feels supremely rested; the bunks in the ATV may actually be more comfortable than her stateroom's. The wait for the fresher is worse, but as she's driving first she gets to go second, after the Herrin. When she settles in to the driver's seat, she notes the date on the dashboard read-out; they've not been here long enough for the 22.631 hour local days to have gotten too far out of synch with her internal reckoning by standard Imperial time.

Looking out the front window shows a sea of fog with diffuse glowing lights, so Lin has to get out to ask directions; they didn't cross any roads on the way in. A helpful scrapper advises driving slowly round the face of the escarpment. Lin drives at a crawl through the breakers' shanty town, past the skeletons of several old ships, which sends shivers up her spine, as in this eerie fog they remind her of nothing so much as that scene in Vampire Fleets III: Navy of Darkness, the one that made her sleep with the lights on for a month when she was 8 years old.

They finally reach the road. Visibility is extremely poor -- "it's worse than gas giant re-fuelling out there," says Tandery, sliding into the navigator's chair -- so Lin proceeds at a crawl. What few vehicles they pass are doing the same. She stops at every junction to make sure they haven't missed the racing club's sign. They find it eventually, and head up dirt track that rises up another plateau. The road is rough, but safe. As the ATV crests the top, their progress is halted by a 3m chain link fence, with an air/raft parked at a diagonal to block the gate. "That looks ominous," mutters Tandery.

Weapons are made ready, and the whole party heads out.

[For exploring the racers' compound, I of course used the Randomised Location Crafting (small area, structure). The descriptors rolled were occupied & dangerous, so I took that to mean the Herrin's enemies had recently arrived.]

T0 : expected - none - expected

They proceed slowly though the dense, bright mist. The dusty ground is strewn with bits of sharp rock, but has been flattened to a level plain. Each step makes a dull crunch, but the sounds are swallowed up by the fog so that one can only faintly hear their crew mate directly ahead or behind them. They pass some half-disassembled racing buggies up on blocks, but there are no signs of life.


T1 : expected - random - random
Encounter: Angry, Miserable
Object: Communication, Bright

[NB the object result is a communicator, but it didn't come up.]

A crumpled form lies against one of the buggies, the dust beneath stained dark. [d6=]She's wearing racing leathers, and is clutching her bleeding gut with both hands. At the sound of footsteps, she raises her head weakly.

"Back to... finish the job?" she hisses through clenched teeth.

"What are you talking about?" asks the Herrin. "What's going on here?"

"Somebody put pressure on that whilst I grab the medkit," orders Harrisumn and runs off.

Lin is already on her knees beside the woman, using her bare hands to staunch the flow of blood. "Someone cut me a bit of cloth or something for a compress. Her shirt's soaked through."

Tandery offers out her sleeve. Korilu cuts it off at the elbow using her blade, then hands it gingerly to Lin.

[Reaction roll: 2D+3=9]

"Some people came in here," groans the racer in between gasps of agony, "got in a fight... with Urdry... started shooting... everyone."

"Don't try to speak," says Lin, "our medic will be back to patch you up. He's saved people in worse straits than this." She hopes the confabulation is comforting. Or that Harrisumn really is that good.

[Q: Does anything occur whilst they wait? unlikely (5+): O4 C1 - no, and...]

They wait in funereal silence for Harrisumn's return, guns pointed in all directions, squinting at the shapes formed by the roiling mist. His crunching footsteps cause all guns to be trained in his direction, then lowered with relieved sighs. He sets to work immediately on the injured racer. Lin stands and does her best to wipe the blood from her hands on her coveralls. Korilu looks a little green in the face.

"Where's the main building?" asks Diter. The racer points a shaky finger.


T2 : expected - random - none
Encounter: Peaceful, Aggressive

Then swift footsteps, a wet thud, and the Herrin cries out and collapses. Diter's rifle cracks. A wild-haired man collapses on top of the Herrin, dropping the tailpipe in his hand, blood spurting from his chest.

[1 round of combat. No surprise, but classic Traveller combat is simultaneous, so the narrative can't always reflect that.

1d7=Herrin is attacked, hit for 2D=6dmg to END (END 4, excess hits to applied to STR : Phys. UPP now 750, KO.

Diter hit for 3D=14 damage to STR: UPP865 to 050 - major wound]

The others snap to a state of readiness, weapons trained in all directions, but silence again descends. The Captain pulls the man off the Herrin, flopping him over onto his back. Then he notices the racing logo on his now-crimson t-shirt.

"Shit! That was one of theirs."

"And now we've announced our presence," says Lin.

"She's not getting up!" says Korilu. "Ma'am? Are you OK? Uh, she's still breathing. Harrisumn, that's a good sign, right?"

He finishes bandaging his patient and gives her something for the pain. Then he examines the Herrin.

"There could be a concussion, but she'll live. I've got to make sure though."

"You stay here with her," says Captain Elleder. "We'll push on."

"Alone?"

"Er, right. Tandery, you stay with him. Keep lookout."

"I wish I had more than a knife," mutters Korilu as the rest walk slowly onwards.


next post: the fog of war is literally fog!

An Other CT solo - Part 11: Through the fog

When the weapons are concealed, they summon the others. At the sight of Herrin Ngamová in Korilu's grease-stained coveralls and Harrisum's knit cap, Diter can't contain his glee. "My good Herrin, you look just like one of us! Excuse me, I do mean, like one of them."

"And you do always fit in with them so perfectly. My lord."

"Don't make me tell daddy you've been disrespectful. He'll have your head on a platter."

Their exchange of barbs soon grows tiresome, so the others examine the vehicle. It's certainly functional for planetary surface exploration, but the interior has been designed with comfort in mind. And is also spotless. It's the very latest model from Planetarische Erkundungsfahrten LIC, produced at the highest possible level of technological sophistication (TL 11) in their manufactory on Pardub. Tandery slides into the co-pilot's chair and slots the Herrin's datapad into the console, bringing up a holographic head-up display map. "This is almost better than we had in the Navy..."

The Captain takes Korilu and Lin aside. "I know neither of you are technically rated for wheeled vehicle piloting, but as you're the closest thing we have, I'd like for you to trade off driving duties."

Korilu laughs. "You've saved me the embarrassment of begging!"

"Let me take the first shift, though," says Lin. "In case we need to talk to customs on the way out of the port. You can take over as soon as we get off-road."

"Eminently sensible!" beams Korilu.

When the cargo bay ramp is lowered and Lin drives down out of the ship, her eyes are hit with a wall of dense white fog engulfing the port.

"I guess you're driving by radar again, hon," says Tandery.

"So, do you guys, like, ever go anywhere you can see the planet's surface?"

[Overland travel will again be handled by the Random Location Crafting article.
-Large Area
-Descriptors: lots of open space, barren
-Expected=no encounter, no object; for location = rocky plain (once past the startown)
-Random Encounters will be rolled via the Traveller rulebook (results of 61-66 rolled on LC tables)
-Complete requires an 8+ navigation roll or is only Expected
-turn length is variable, but normally ~1 hour

The thick fog was just an idea that came to me looking at Wencesetor's Hydrographic rating of 9 (90% covered by water).]

T0 : expected - none - random
Object: Fuel, Enormous

As she drives off the landing pad and onto the access road, she sees a line of tail-lights disappearing into the fog in the direction of the gate. Radar confirms it reaches all the way there. Lin pulls the ATV into position behind a gargantuan fuel tanker, and they spend the next 45 minutes creeping towards customs.


T1 : expected - none - none

[Need to roll Law Level or less (8-) to be stopped for a check: 2D=10]

When they finally reach the checkpoint, the customs agent raps on the driver's side door with a metal baton and shouts for Lin to come out. The [d6=]woman barely looks at the documents Lin offers, and instead makes a circuit of the vehicle.

"Man, this is the new PX-83! How'd you get one?"

"We carried a hold full of 'em for a dealer on Uizk, and they agreed to give us payment in kind."

"Wow! Such luck. You should stop by the tourist agency in startown. They've got maps to all the good off-roading sites."


T2 : expected - expected - none
T3 : known - special - expected
Multi-Element: expected & random

They breeze through startown (relatively to their speed in port) and are soon on a major intercity roadway. Tandery announces that they have nearly reached the optimal turning-off point when Lin spots a police ground car cruising slowly up behind them.

[encounter: d66= 1D police
rolling surprise 1d=4,6: no]

She has to drive on and wait until the police have pulled ahead and have disappeared out of sight before finally leaving the road.


T4 : random - expected - random
Location: Frightening, Storage
Object: Artistic, Magnificent

Before long they come to a gravel track. Lin pulls beside it and swaps places with Korilu, who has been excitedly hovering behind her. As Korilu is adjusting the seat, Lin wanders back to join the others in the breakfast nook (for it is far too cosy to be called the crew quarters).

Tandery says they can follow the track as it seems to go in roughly the direction they need to get back on course. As Korilu drives, Tandery becomes concerned over some anomalous readings on the sensors and calls back to the rest.

"Hey guys, it might be time to unstow the weapons. There's something really big and hungry looking on the scope."

Korilu slows their pace up the track as the guns are issued. Several of the crew crowd round the cockpit to get a look out the front, but all they see is swirling fog. Then a gargantuan shape looms out of the mist, a great rearing dragon with toothy maw agape and claws outstretched. And perfectly immobile.

Tandery starts laughing. "Sorry, false alarm. I'm an idiot."

A wooden sign suspended from the scrap-metal dragon's neck proclaims 'Tirre Arts & Music Centre'.

"I saw a flier for this place back at our hotel," says Harrisumn. "We just missed the opera festival."


T5 : random - expected - random
Location: Bleak, Cluttered
Object: Ruined, Classy (=dead vehicle)

Once past the arts centre, the terrain gets rockier. The passengers are forced to sit still for once ad strap themselves in. The ATV makes very slow and shaky progress, even with its gyro-stabilisers and Korilu's attempts to not drive over every small boulder in her path. Tandery spots another vehicle on the sensors, as immobile as the mighty dragon. But it is only the burnt-out husk of a smaller off-road vehicle.

"There's my reminder to drive slowly," mutters Korilu.

* * *

[A roll of 5+ is needed to avoid hazards, DM+0 for driver's default skill : 2D=2...
Q: Severe damage? 50/50: O3 c1 - no, but...
Q: Who is driving? 1d2=K (added to narrative earlier)]

"Shitshitshit!" swears Korilu, but the dull thud and a long scraping sound beneath drown out her voice. The ATV grinds to a halt, leaning precariously to one side.

"Is anybody hurt?" shouts Harrisumn, who is greeted by a reassuring chorus of Nos.

Korilu slams the ATV into reverse, but it doesn't budge. After several, increasingly frustrated attempts, she shuts it down in a huff.

"We'd better go look," sighs Diter as he releases his safety harness and clambers out the hatch, followed by the rest of the crew.

The ATV is stuck up on a jagged rock, both front wheels and the middle one on the passenger's side off the ground. Everyone has to pitch in to build up mounds of rock and dirt under the wheels, and then push as Korilu steers in reverse. Once it has been righted Diter looks underneath, sighs again. "There may be damage to the left front axle. I assume the luxury interior package didn't come at the expense of spare parts...?"

"I can help," offers Korilu. "I have some experience fixing things." [engineer-1 & JoT-1]

"I'm fine doing the repairs on my own. You can help if you really feel compelled. I don't care either way."

Korilu is still too mortified at having caused the damage to do more than meekly help carry the tools and spare parts out of the hold. Tandery looks like she's about to have a go at Diter, but Lin pulls her quietly aside.

"Now is not the time. He's out of line but he's our best mechanic. Squabbling on a job can bring the whole world crashing down on you, trust me. We'll deal with him later. Let's go check out that other wreck and leave them to it."

[Q: Does D agree to K's help? unknown d6=2: O2 C4 - yes, but...

He needs 6+ to get it working enough to still travel with a bad wheel, 9+ for a full repair. DM +mechanic: 2D+1=9, takes d6-1=2 hours]

Lin invites everyone on their sortie, but only Harrisumn takes up the offer, and brings a medkit 'just in case'. The Herrin does not deign to look at a wreck, and Captain also declines so that he may keep her company. Also to babysit Diter and Korilu, but he leaves that part unsaid.

They trudge back almost 2km through the fog, using their ATV's tracks as a directional guide and Tandery's inertial locator for noting exact distances. After two false sightings -- a low hillock and an air/raft-sized brown boulder -- they come to the wreck.

[Q: Is the wreck local? likely (3+): O1 C2 - no, and...
Q: Anything interesting about it? 50/50 (4+): O2 C2 - no, and...
+Event: Move toward a thread - Increase / Enemies (noted)]

They stand round the mass of twisted and damp-corroded metal, cracked and sun-bleached duraplast, and burnt-out electronics in a few moments of silent contemplation.

"What is it?" asks Lin.

"That," says Harrisumn, "is a J-series off-road racing buggy. The kind they use in the amateur circuits, official and otherwise. I lost a fair few credits betting on these deathtraps in my misspent youth. Someone paid a good few credits of their own to get one here, the gods grant them repose." [gambling-1]

By the time they get back, the repairs are complete and Diter is stowing the tools once again in the ATV's hold.

"So, Lin," says Korilu, "I was thinking it might be your turn to drive now."


T6 : expected - expected - expected
T7 : complete - expected - none

[For the Complete result, a roll of 8+ is needed, DM +navigation: (Tandery) 2D+1=8, ok]

Lin drives on for a couple hours. The terrain becomes thankfully more even. Tandery suggests the occasional minor course correction, and within seconds of her announcing that the wreck should be close, they come upon the long trench it carved into the rocky ground as it crashed. Lin drives slowly beside it, and the silhouette of the ship's boat lying on its back gradually resolves into view.

"We're not the first ones on the scene," says Lin as she slows the ATV to a stop. "Captain?"

"Uh, I think this is a job for our security officers. Tandery, you're in command. The rest of us will wait here and swoop in if things go sideways."

[Setting up the encounter-
Q: Anyone here? 50/50 (4+): O6 C8 - yes
Q: The enemy? unlikely (5+): O2 C2 - no, and... they are sticking to the city & port
Q: Scavengers? certain (2+): O5 C3 - yes, but... only 1D=6 of them
Encounter range? as City (-4 DM) due to the fog: medium (1D-1=40m)
surprise? party 6 vs scav 2 (even with military NPCs, party won't be surprised)]

Tandery checks her pistol in her holster, tells Lin to do the same. Diter is already switching on the electronic scope on his rifle. They slide out of the ATV' hatch to the ground and approach the wreck with caution. "You know," murmurs Tandery, "it's nice of the Captain to have such faith in my command ability and all, but someday I'm going to have to remind him I earned most of my promotions in charge of a fighter squadron..."

"Don't worry about me," says Diter. "I'll stay in formation."

The ship's boat is lying on its back at a oblique angle. A jagged rent gapes in its midsection, and many smaller holes speckle the hull. The front third is crumpled, and wisps of smoke still rise from the cockpit. Beside it is a flatbed lorry piled high with bits plucked from the wreckage, with two people hefting a bent crossbeam onto the back of it.

"Haloooo!" calls Diter, and the two stop in their tracks. Two others emerge from the hole in the ship and walk to meet the strangers halfway, stopping a few metres away.

"Who's in charge here?" shouts Diter.

One of the grease-caked scavengers takes a step forward, removing [d6=] his welder's mask to reveal a weary, age-lined countenance. [Reaction 2D=7, non-committal]

"I am, as much as anyone. What do you want?"

"That ship belongs to our patron."

"Wreckage in the middle of the Tirre plain? It belongs to whoever finds it and stakes a claim. You must not be from here, if you don't know basic salvage law." [inquisitive - demand - flaws]

"I know another law. It's at the end of a rifle, and you're in my jurisdiction."

"Let me interject," says Lin. "Our patron is keen to recover some personal effects from the cargo. You can keep the rest as scrap. There's no need for confrontation."

[The offer needs its own Reaction roll, at -1 for D's threat: 2D-1=7]

"You can't just muscle in on our claim."

"What if we make it worth your while?"

"Is this your answer to everything?" mumbles Diter.

"Maybe. Shut up. What do you say?"

[bribery: 2D-2=6, under LL so it succeeds]

"Alright. Not as easy to shift trinkets as metal, anyway. There's six of us. 100 credits each and we'll not touch what cargo is left."

"Perfect. Let me talk to the boss and get the funds."

Lin goes back to the ATV with her proposition. [reaction roll for Herrin Ngamová: 2D=8, interested]

The Herrin laughs. "600 credits to make the problem go away? I'm surprised you didn't just pay them yourself."

"I left my billfold in my other trousers."

"Korilu," says Captain Elleder, "drive us up. Slowly. We can see what's left."

[Q: D's not made a mess of things in L's absence, has he? doubtful (6): O3 C2 - no, and...
Q: How many hits did the ship's boat take? 1d3=3; 1x cabin, 1x computer, 1x drive
Q: Did any cargo survive the crash? unlikely (5+): O5 C5 - yes
+Event: NPC action - Stop / Lies]

As they pull up, Lin is relieved to find that Diter has shouldered his rifle and is standing in a relatively (for him) non-antagonising posture.

"I feel I must admit," says Herrin Ngamová, "I'm not really bothered about the cargo proper. But there is a hidden safe. It's absolutely vital that I have its contents returned."

next post: grey market

An Other CT solo - Part 10: Shore leave

The startown is a two kilometre strip along the main road leading up to the port. [1d2=]Night is settling over it, and the gaudy lights of the spacers' strip are tinged with diffuse haloes from the extraordinarily humid atmosphere [Hydrographics 9]. The land mass of Wensecetor is nearly as small as on Lin's homeworld; gazing down the strip, she's struck with the realisation that maybe the hazy lights of Düningen weren't entirely due to pollution. But that's about the only thing the two planets have in common. Lin's never seen so many ground vehicles in one place before, nor shops open to the outside. And all the billboards are static-image.

They find cheap motel with an underground parking lot. Their air/raft isn't the only one there, but nearly so. Tandery pays a reasonable sum for an adjoined suite, and they choose who sleeps where without any squabbles. Before heading out into the strip, Tandery addresses her crew.

"Remember, it's cash only here. The Captain has given me a modest budget. Do I divide it out now, or would you prefer I hang onto it?"

"You be the bank!" says Korilu. "Last time I was out here I lost so much down the back of a sofa or in the seat of a ground car or summat. Plus it'd be nice to go somewhere all together for once. Y'know, as a crew."

There is general assent. Korilu leads them out into the bustling night. She seems to have a destination in mind, and they all follow. Fortunately Diter catches her by the arm before she runs excitedly out into traffic. She has everyone eat a hasty dinner from a stand that sells some sort of local fare. Lin can't help but note that the breaded, fried animal-on-a-stick is the same size and shape as a hydroponic-rat, but this she keeps to herself.

Having survived Korilu's meal plan, they all follow her to a pub with bad lighting and not enough seats.

"It's not usually this busy!" she shouts above the din.

"That," replies Tandery, "is because the fleet's not usually in port. Look!"

[Q: Do they hear anything about why the warships are in port? 50/50 (4+): O6 C2 - yes, and...

Startown Liberty encounter: 2D=11 navy crew on leave; they will buy 1D=3 rounds of drinks, but become belligerent about merchants
Q: Any officers? unlikely (5+): O4 C1 - no, and...]

There is a sea of crimson and black Tifräish naval uniforms. Tandery, having served in that navy herself, notes that none of them are so much as an ensign. They all look so young! But they seem happy enough. Some of them even offer her crew a place to sit, and free drinks besides.

One round appears, then another, then a third. Tandery is feeling the liquor a little, and says the next round is on her. She totters off towards the bar with one of the naval ratings in tow.

Korilu takes the opportunity to pounce on Lin. "You seem quiet. This planet have you confused or summat?"

"It's... it's just so primitive. Like, I think this table is made out of wood. And not, y'know, cuz it's fancy."

"Yeah, it is a bit quaint, innit? But I, like, thought you were from Glun."

"Oh, um, yeah. But I haven't been there for a long time."

Waiting at the bar, Tandery has questions of her own. "How come there's so many of our ships in port? You guys just showing the flag, or what?"

"They ain't told us nothing, 'cept to be on good manners and be friendly with the locals. There was some sort of incident involving trade --of course-- and sabre rattling from Pardub. Nothing like old house hatreds to bring us out on a goodwill tour of the backwaters."

They collect four bottles of the local fire-water and head back to the table to find several arguments have broken out. Harrisumn and a young shuttle pilot are shouting back and forth as he shakes his fist in her face, Korilu is throwing her drink in someone's lap, and even Lin is on her feet and wrathful. Worst of all, Diter is sitting quietly with that smug look of his that's just daring someone to throw the first punch.

"What's going on?" shouts Tandery. "I leave you guys alone for five minutes--"

"They started getting mouthy about how merchants lead a fat, cushy, useless life!" screams Korilu.

"What the hell--?"

"It's true!" says a starman, puffing up his chest and glowering over Tandery with all his bulk. "You--"

"At attention, starman!" she bellows. "And from now on you will address me as befits a Fregattenkapitän, is that understood?"

The starman, and not a few of his comrades, snap to attention and salute. The others look on in wonderment. [reaction=10]

"I fought in the last war," she continues, "when you were still a schoolboy, I was at Ävke. I made it back. Most of my squadron did not."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm very sorry ma'am. Thank you for your sacrifice, ma'am."

"Now you and your shipmates can drink this round courtesy of my merchant vessel, and meditate on the relative merits of peacetime trade."

She turns and stalks out without another word. Her crew watch her leaving, and scurry out of the pub after her.

[The Startown Liberty drinking rules posit ridiculously low-alcohol content in the far future. Three rounds of spirits results in each PC taking 3D-3 against their Capacity.

K 20-10=10
H 16-12=4
T 17-15=2
L 11-7=4
D 22-13=9

They could all still drive safely!]

Tandery is standing on the kerb staring across the traffic at nothing. Korilu sidles up to her. "I want to go dancing. I know just the spot!"

"It's not a bad idea," says Lin. "It'll keep you from getting maudlin."

"Yeah, sure, fine," says Tandery. "But, Kor, this better be a nicer place than you took us that time on Bhöjnlis, or your shore leave privileges will be permanently rescinded."

* * *

They roll out of the club at closing time. Lin feels pleasantly tired from dancing and merry with drink. Diter is half-stumbling, and has been exceptionally pleasant; apparently he's a friendly drunk. Tandery is still fairy sullen, and hiding it poorly. Harrisumn has been engaged in an hour-long monologue where he analyses his precise state of drunkenness in medical detail. Poor Korilu is barely upright.

"I'm 'a be sick," she declares and lurches into the alley.

"Someone please go after her," says Tandery. Lin follows on Korilu's heels.

Korilu is only a few metres down the alleyway, holding onto the brick wall with one outstretched hand whilst heaving up a particoloured admixture of the last few hours' drinking. Lin puts an arm firmly round her waist to keep her upright.

"Careful, sweetie. I got you. Let me hold back your hair."

"I know you're not >urk< who you shay you are... >>bleurghhh<<..."

"Yes, dear. Mind your feet, dear..."

[Q: Does Korilu let anything slip? 50/50 (4+): O6 C5 - yes (she was the only one to suffer ill effects!)
Q: Back without incident? likely (4+): O4 C4 - yes, but...]

When the crisis has passed, they rejoin the others and head back towards the hotel, without incident save for a few more emergency stops with Korilu, the last one being in a potted plant down the corridor from their suite.


092-1105

When they limp back to the port the next day, Captain Elleder is amused at the state of them. Only Diter and Harrisumn manage to avoid a hangover [rolling under END], and he asks them to accompany him to the port that evening for business. The others can mind the ship. And Korilu.

They come back late, and the Captain has good news: thanks to Diter's social contacts, they've secured an important Patron who has a short, extremely lucrative job for them.

[World Event: Another off-worlder befriends you, they are in a spot of bother it soon transpires, would you help? There may be payment, or a favour.

This sounded like a patron, so I rolled one up. D66=noble, so I made her a character sheet using Buch II (which contains the Supplement 4 rules).

Herrin Olune Ngamová
954B7B   Age 34   Noble  4 terms
dagger-2, navigation-1, hunting-1, engineering-1, carousing-1
cr200,000
high passage, dagger, yacht

NB. Herr/Herrin (Lord/Lady, SOC 11) is both a title and form of address.]


093-1105

Other than Diter, Lin's never met a proper noble before. And Diter doesn't really act like much of anything other than a posh, stuck-up pratt. These she has met before. So if he hadn't been introduced as the son of a baronet, she'd never have been the wiser. But when the captain escorts their patron into the Effi Briest's common room, Lin has no doubt that she is in the presence of nobility.

The noblewoman walks in and takes her seat with consummate poise, if not actual grace [SOC 11, DEX 5]. The silky violet fabric of her tunic flows like water with every movement. Her head is shaved in the noble Pardubish style, with the crown of her head tattooed with a bright yellow lozenge shape, glowing brightly as gold against the deep brown of her skin.

Lin's eyes dart over to Tandery to see what the situation calls for. Tandery is sat upright in her chair as if an admiral had come on deck, so Lin decides she'd ought to mind her posture as well. Harrisumn is still in the galley preparing refreshments. Korilu does a short nervous curtsey, which sets Diter snickering. For his part, he's still got his feet up on the table, and the noblewoman is pretending not to notice. Lin guesses that means he outranks her.

Captain Elleder presents Tandery, Korilu, and Lin to Herrin Ngamová with all due formality, then invites her to fill in the details of their task.

"As you are no doubt aware," begins the Herrin, "relations between House Pardub and the ruling council of this world have soured of late. I am, for reasons having no immediate bearing on my present circumstances, returning to Pardub from parts rimward. Having stopped off at our embassy here, I sent Lomoucký, my steward, along with my bodyguard on an errand in our ship's boat, which has subsequently crashed in the wilderness. I suspect sabotage, or worse. I have engaged all of you to accompany me to the crash site to recover any cargo that survived the crash, and the bodies of my retainers who I fear did not. The authorities are being entirely obstructive, which is why I cannot use any of the embassy personnel. It is my hope that a team of neutral outsiders can circumvent this difficulty. Once the recovery is finished, I will also require you to take me back to my yacht, which is in high orbit."

"Captain," says Tandery, "can we not take the ship?"

"The port authority would never allow it. Especially with all the warships landed here. But to answer your next question, the Herrin's yacht has provided orbital scan data, so we have a map to the crash site."

"Great. But the air/raft is going to be an awfully tight fit."

"I have an ATV," says the Herrin. "It bears no insignia, so it shouldn't attract undue attention."

[There is of course a special item which the Herrin wants to recover --the only thing she really cares about-- and which she will not mention (GM fiat, I didn't roll for any of this).]

Tandery and Elleder study the scan data to plot a route to the site whilst Korilu takes the Herrin to her stateroom to find some less-conspicuous clothes for her to wear (to be topped off with a hat borrowed from Harrisumn to conceal the very obvious signifier of her allegiance and status).

[D makes a mechanic roll to find a safe place to conceal weapons in the ATV: 2D+1=13 - the cops would need to dismantle the vehicle to find them]

Meanwhile Lin and Diter collect the armaments and equipment from the ship's locker and head down to the cargo hold (where the Herrin has parked her ATV) and set about concealing the weapons inside various components of the vehicle. As they work, Lin finds him uncharacteristically chatty.

"What do you think of Herself?"

"Uh, she seems legit."

"Hahaha! No, I meant, how are you not doubled-over laughing at the sight of her. Madame is so very earnest. The very picture of Nobility. Everything in its proper place and with all the customary ceremony. I daresay she can recite her lineage back 20 generations by rote. I'm guessing whatever shithole you're from is too inconsequential a world to be burdened with any of our ilk, so you aren't in any position to appreciate the delicious ridiculousness of our divine patroness. As a point of reference, I'm the [d6=] third son of a baronet. Not even a full baron. Our estate is a paltry 24,000 square kilometres -- and it'd be smaller were there more people on Nivvid, or less land mass. Imperially speaking, we're the lowest of the low, minor cogs in the great machine of state, or whatever. But for all her pomp and majesty, she's below us. "

"So, it's people like her that propelled you towards a life of 'slumming'?"

"We begin to understand one another!"


next post: ATV adventures