"Mayday, mayday, tis is Cpt. Gloval of the UNS Mjolnir. Ve are going down, repeat, ve are on a collision path wit Macross. Any personnel on ze ground get ze hell out of ze way!"
The giant space fortress is falling but not quite at terminal velocity - there are still some anti-grav units in operation. On the ground there is a general scramble for shelter; both UN soldiers and civilians clamor for space in the bunkers.
Precious minutes later the great ship impacts the ground and a shock wave of dust and dirt is flung away from its resting place. Buildings near by are leveled by the wave, windows blowing out as the frames buckle. Windows are shattered for a good mile from the impact zone. When the dust clears the ship can be seen, if there were anyone to see, to have embedded itself several feet into the ground.
Then the bombardment begins.
The three ominous shadows in the sky begin opening up with what can only be described as a laser bombardment of the island. Within moments all standing structures are razed to the ground, save for any that were designed as shelters. Most of those, mercifully, were underground anyway.
The radio crackles to life, barely audible over the shrieking sounds of steel being super-heated and subsequently cooling. "*shhk* Tis is Cpt. .... Gloval ... Mjolnir. Activating ... emergency ... fold. Идите с Богом."
There's a brief pause, hanging like a breath on the air. Then the world turns inside out ....
Macabee awakens first, slouched over his console. The Valkyrie is hanging in space, several alarm notifications beeping at him - fortunately none are related to his air supply. Having taken a pretty good head bump (not to mention mental strain), his first thought is that he was hit by something in LEO and should just sit tight and wait for SAR to come get him.
Trout awakens next, also groggy from the ordeal. Above him (relative to his cockpit) he sees Mac's VF with the emergency lights on. Checking his own systems he discovers many are down, but none of them vital.
Icarus wakes up to find his bird grounded on Macross near the Mjolnir. He must have been out for a while, because he was sure it was midday when the fight was happening but it's pitch black night now. Probably took a hit and made a crash landing, knocking him out.
Doc is the last one up, and the most unhappy by it. While the others all have reference points that allows them to make sense of their situation, he's currently floating in a big metal container with most of Delta Company's flight crews.
[OOC: Yes, you're where you think you are. However, the PCs themselves aren't sure of that yet - the fold apparently does strange things to unshielded brains. Currently you're all suffering from mild amnesia - you can remember most of the battle but are missing about a minute prior to fold. For everyone but the doctor there's plausible reasons for the amnesia. The doctor, however, is currently in micro-gravity inside a shelter ... not a lot of ways to lie to oneself about that!]
Icarus checks his surroundings groggily for a moment, until suddenly his eyes widen as he remembers the combat situation he had been in before falling unconscious. Without a wasted second he flips the lever marked "B". The transition was more disorienting than he expected, his stomach feeling as if it were floating.
ReplyDeleteHe took a knee, tucking the gunpod into the Valkyries shoulder and scanning the area in front of him before his mind declared clear and he shifted it's legs one hundred and eighty degrees and repeated the process. Satisfied he wasn't in immediate danger he pulled up a tac-map focusing on enemy IFF's.
The last thing he remembered was boarding his Valkyrie as the Mjolnir crashed back towards Macross Island... but as he looked to the stars above things seemed to have died down. He flipped a switch and began to listen for comm chatter, knowing it was likely awash with confusion... or at least hoping as he once again took in his ghost town surroundings.
He began stalking what was left of the streets of Macross tactically, still unwilling to relax as a plan formed in his mind. He began searching for one of the intact aero-space fighters... hoping that their pilots weren't nearly as armed as the commandos on the ground, reasoning they weren't as well trained in ground combat in the hopes of securing a prisoner.
He continued to half-interestedly listen to the comm chatter, knowing that in the confusion they wouldn't need another overlapping voice and simply remaining quiet. Changing his mind he tuned into the platoon frequency.
"Mac, Trout, this is Icarus... Acknowledge?" He transmitted calmly, his gunpod leading the way in his hunt for the enemy.
The comm chatter seems mostly centered around verifying location and SAR operations.
DeleteBoze moi... what the hell happened?
ReplyDeleteGregorov shakes his head, trying to clear the fuzz from inside his skull. After a moment, he realizes that there is a not-entirely-pleasant sensation in the gaping void where his center of gravity usually is.
Microgravity. Orbit. What.
Running over several diagnostics, he frowns at the malfunctions. Fortunately, he's always been able to keep himself well-oriented, even in the vertigo-inducing environment of space.
((Sense of Direction: 3D))
Looking around, he identifies the bird that Macabee had occupied. Wondering if the comms are still active, he thumbs open the channel just in time to hear Icarus' voice asking for a sitrep.
"Icarus... Trout acknowledging... uh... standby, diagnostics still running... uh... don't suppose this was part of the plan?"
By taking cues from where Mac is in relation to himself, Trout is able to orient himself somewhat. The planet hangs off in the distance but something is not ... quite right. Either you're further away than you should be for orbital interception or the Earth has shrunk ... and turned an odd shade of blue.
Delete((How do the diagnostics read out? What's my mobility? And will Navigate:Air help me at all?))
Delete(( Diagnostics show no additional damage beyond what the bird had received prior to black out. Mobility should, therefore, be fine.
DeleteYour Nav: Air is of limited usefulness - to use it in space properly would require a CPX of 2 and you have it at 1. This would be a check using Kno which you have a +2 from, but that essentially offsets the penalty for using Nav: Air. That being said, you maxed your roll which means you at least know you're probably not near Earth anymore. ))
Mac quickly scans his instruments, getting a handle on what's working and what isn't. He is doing this while doing his best to ignore the splitting headache that he seems to have aquired. Looking out his cockpit, he sees Trout's VF floating above hiis inverted. "Icarus, Trout, this is Mac checking in. I've got red lights on several systems and I'm running my own diagnostics to see what condition my bird is in. My status is currently uncertain, and I may have sustained a mild head injury, although I feel clear at this moment. I would like to request the ident and insurance information of the damned MAC... TRUCK... THAT... HIT... ME! What the hell was that?!"
ReplyDelete[OCC: I'm running the diagnostics as described, and trying to oreint myself and figure out my current location. I'm also hoping that my squad-mates are in better shape than I am.]
Diagnostics are showing one faulty engine furnace (half power / speed, chance of worse happening if you push it) and the computer is complaining that it can't locate orbital navigation beacons.
Delete"Alright," Mac says to himself. "Seems I'm going to have to do this the old-fashioned way." Looking out his cockpit canopy, Mac scans the area visually, seeking to oreint himslef to the local starfield. Once he has enough points of reference, he begans to run through the calculations to figure out his location. [OCC: I'm using Navigation to figure where they hell I am]
Delete[OCC: I would like to apologize for the numerious spelling errors in my lastest posts. That's what happens when I post during a bout of insomia ]
Delete(( Mac, you're in the same boat as Trout - you know you're probably not near Earth anymore. The local starfield doesn't change that much while you're in-system - the visible stars are still the same distance and orientation from you given the stellar distances involved. A few AU here and there is an insignificant rounding blip to a light year. ))
Delete[OCC: Okay, then I should be able to see whtever planet is nearest to me, or asteriods, depending on where I am. The main thing is determining where the hell I am. Failing that, I follow Trout's example and home in on Icarus' signal. Last I heard he was still on Macross Island, and that's where I need to be.]
DeleteThe doc shakes his head, and tries to get oriented. "Shiesse" he mutters, and flails a bit as he tries to get traction in 0-g. His eyes seem to click a bit, then he pats himself down, finding his lab kit from when he decamped from the repair area, and gets out a can of pressurized air. Dusting isn't important right now, but thrust is. He depresses the canister, trying to maneuver towards the wall. It's a point of orientation, after all. He then keys his comms. "This is the Doc. Anyone receiving on this frequency? Injured personnel in big pressure container, no other referent. Emergent situation. Reply"
ReplyDelete"*shhk* This is Mjolnir SAR team five to ... Doc? Please check your surroundings for a letter-number combination in bold stencil - should be near one of the wall junctions. I won't lie to you, it'll be a bit before we can get to you. Fortunately the island shelters were built for extended containment - you're air should be good for several days if necessary. Over."
Delete"Doc, this is Mac. Hold tight, we'll be there as ASAP. We have something of a situation here, and to be honest, most likely you're the most secure of us all right where you are."
Delete(( Probably should've mentioned the letter-number combo, heh. You're apparently in shelter L-59 ))
Delete"First thing's first, we need to secure the area." Icarus declares over the platoon frequency. Failing to hear any organized defense Icarus switches over to the U.N. Tac frequency.
ReplyDelete"Break, Break, this is Lieutenant Orwell of delta company to all U.N. forces. I need ACE (Ammo, Casualties, Equipment) reports from all squad leaders. Set up three sixty perimeter security and I need a team at both above and below relative to the island, over." Icarus orders after crouching the Battloid into reasonable cover, minimizing his profile. Next he pulls up his tac map and waits to mark units as active and inactive based on their reports and map their locations to coordinate a defense.
((OOC)By the way... Paranoid! And on the matter of perks and flaws am I getting anything from Intuition or Photographic Memory (3)?)
"LT, Mac. I'm down an engine furance, and at half-power. I can manuver, but if I try anything fancy I could blow the whole system."
Delete"Understood Mac, I'd recommend switching to Battloid and getting groundside to avoid utilizing your engines, I maintain we still need to secure the area the Doc'll be fine... I don't know if you remember but we were just in combat, nothing has changed as far as I'm concerned." Icarus responds.
Delete"Kinda hard to forget, LT, as all I have to do to remember is look out my cockpit at the scaring on my bird. In my current state I'm not sure how much use I would be if the enemy hit us again, other than to draw them away from you and Trout. Switching modes." Mac hits the lever, sending his Valkryie for the first time into the transformation to the form of an armored knight. [OCC: As soon as I figure out where I am, I start looking for Macross.]
Delete"Icarus, Trout. Minor damage to craft. Two missiles down. Spaceworthy. Homing in on your IFF."
DeleteGregorov pauses, digesting what he just said. Spaceworthy He is somewhat fuzzy on the specifics of the fold system, but it was apparently supposed to be for interstellar.
Atasny. We've travelled across space.
Pushing such thoughts from his mind, he orients his bird to home in on the CO's craft. Secure position. Initiate recovery and rescue from there.
Orwell's Intuition does cause an itching in the back of his head. As he's stalking the streets he slowly figures out what's been bothering him ... there's no ocean lapping at the edges of the island! Even from the center of the island one should be able to make out the glittering crests of the the ocean, even at night. There is no glittering, only a dark void.
Delete((OOC) So what about the rest of the U.N. defense force? Has anyone else reported in? Because that is Orwell's main concern. Also what exactly do we all know about the fold system? Would it be enough to know that we would likely be launched into space or is it a fluke that the island got dragged into the fold as well and that we would simply assume we were still on earth?))
Delete[OOC: For the most part you've been ignored - the SAR teams have their own command to work with and any "boots on the ground" also have an established command structure they're working with. Generally an LT is low man on the totem when it comes to chain of command, especially outside of one's direct CoC.
DeleteAs for the fold system - not much is know outside of the tech/sci circles directly involved. It was considered a matter of utmost secrecy and details were closely guarded, even among the UN. For you and your team you'd have been briefed that the Mjolnir was equipped with the system and that it had to do with moving the ship but not much beyond that. The FENRIS teams assigned to the island are not actually attached to the Mjolnir - they were simply providing on-site support and counter-terrorist services. In any event, everyone seems to be ignoring you either out of a case of "not my CoC" or being busy following existing orders.
Currently the planet you're near is "below" the island, which is why you haven't made note of it. So far you, specifically, have been operating under the idea that you're still on Earth. Gradually little details are beginning to tell the lie, such as the lack of ocean.
The rest of the team are in similar situations but their assumed point of reference is that they're in orbit and currently suffering from a bout of temporary amnesia. "Obviously we took the fight to the skies and followed the enemy into orbit ... obviously ...", etc. The only person with no subconscious attempt to rationalize is the Doc.
On that note, though, you'd probably start noticing that you feel funny - kind of like you're perpetually falling or going down the first big hill of a roller coaster. Very strange. It's almost like ... wait, that's not right ... micrograv?
I would like to play out the "discovery" a bit more but if people are feeling like that's too slow / uninteresting I'm happy to accelerate.]
((OOC) well my issue with that is the fact Orwell wasn't trying to interfere with SAR just the defenses, if there was any chatter actually regarding what people should be doing Orwell would have fallen in line with that and reported to his superiors... I was operating under the assumption nobody was organizing a defense... Assuming there was defense chatter which you didn't detail Orwell would have kept quiet and been content to simply search for one of these alien aerospace fighters.
DeleteSo the way you made the chatter seem to me was directionless with everyone being confused with the only direction being those of the SAR which is what led to Orwell attempting to take the initiative and circle the wagons. Realistically[very loosely used here] I don't think SAR would even be conducting operations without knowing that the area was secured.))
[OOC: Apologies for being unclear then. You all are waking up later than most of the rest of the groups who were caught in the Fold. Perimeter sweeps would have been conducted and patrols would be on-going, but at this point there's very little chatter regarding that as it has been in effect for a little while now. That's why the chatter you *are* picking up revolves primarily around SAR operations and getting a fix on where you all are (you all being the Mjolnir and associated collateral.
DeleteNaturally Orwell doesn't necessarily know that patrols are ongoing or that sweeps have been made - I'm just putting it out there for player consumption. Eventually FENRIS command will be contacting you but at the moment you're essentially on your own.]
((OOC) I understand, this is a great way for us to roleplay but some things are certainly lost by the fact we can't just rapid fire questions back and forth. So, let's pretend Orwell just contacted the team and is going to continue searching for an intact alien vessel when the rest of the team arrives.))
ReplyDelete((Sounds good))
DeleteThe stars are off. It was daytime during the battle. Where's the sunlight?
Gregorov homes in on Icarus' IFF and finds the CO occupying another VF. So unnerved by the situation, he doesn't even make a pithy comment with regards to getting a real ride.
The Valkyrie twists and shifts as it converts into GERWALK mode, the sensation being strangely less disorienting in microgravity than normal atmospheric operations. The hybrid craft then lands next to Icarus' own VF.
"Sir. Unless the fold somehow took the entire island to orbit... and it's blocking off the sun... something is very wrong. And even if it were positioned to block the sun, we'd be able to see the Earth from here if that were the case. We're in space, and I don't think we're in orbit around Earth."
He lets the obvious conclusion go unsaid as he scans the area for signs of hostile activity.
Icarus opens up his comm and pauses sucking his teeth into the mike for a moment. "That is... disconcerting Trout, but for now let's leave the brain work to the Doc for now. By my last count there were at least two of those Commandos on the ground before the Mjolnir crashed. First priority is operate is if those hostiles are still active. Priority number two is to find an intact downed aerospace fighter... I want a prisoner. Failing that I'm sure R&D is gonna want to dissect one of these big bastards so one of the guys we've already killed will be acceptable. Mac you take it easy with your bird, cover our six, trout you go high but try not to silhouette yourself in the air, I'll take low. Doc if you still have any drones left if you could program them into a search pattern I would appreciate it." Icarus orders, licking his lips in anticipation.
Delete"Delta Actual this is Delta Three One, we are active and Green, Green, Amber. (Good, good, acceptable on the ACE report.) Me and my team are still on Macross and searching for a prisoner." He says after switching to the Delta command frequency giving his superiors a heads up.
"*shhk* Delta Three One, Delta Actual - copy your last. As you might imagine there's about a million figurative fires to be put out right now, so you're mostly on your own. Be advised you may be pulled to assist SAR efforts but for now continue as you've described. Delta out."
Delete"SAR team five, I'm seeing a corridor junction number indicating Shelter L-59. Air is not a critical situation, it is water, food, and sanitation that will be an issue. In zero-G conditions, such things are going to be very emergent in about two hours. Any advice on equipment for performing field surgery? I repeat, injuries apparent in Shelter L-59" He keys to the team frequency. "Mac, this is Doc. In touch with an SAR team, but if you can get any information about facilities in Shelter L-59, it would be appreciated. We have injured, will need food and water fairly soon."
ReplyDelete"*shhk* Doc, SAR Five. Each unit should have an emergency first aid kit complete with a scalpel. There should be something that looks like a vending machine on one of the short walls of the unit - that should have enough water and nutrient paste to feed about a hundred people for a week, so you should be fine on that count. As to the other 'emergent' issue ... I do believe you've located a flaw in the design, sir. I'm finding no info on waste disposal options. Umm ... there should be a closet of some sort with linens in it - suggest removing those and closing off a relatively large area for privacy. Not the best answer, I know, so feel free to improvise as best you can. We'll try to get there as soon as possible, but you may need to contain things in the corner until then."
Delete((OOC) I'd just like to introduce an Army term here simply because it seems relevant... "Poop-sockin'" I'm sure you all can figure out what that means.))
Delete(ooc) We're in zee-gee. This makes the situation much less, er, controllable.
ReplyDelete[OOC: Yeah, I know ... wasn't sure how to address that, honestly. I think Chad's input might be more viable, heh.]
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTry not to silhouette myself? We're in space and there's no nearby planetary body or the sun to silhouette myself against. It's dark out here
ReplyDeleteStill, orders are orders, and well-intentioned they were. Trout pushes off, ceasing to think of it as "gaining altitude" in an environment where altitude is meaningless.
Staying in GERWALK mode to keep his delta-v smaller and stay relatively close to the island (Island in space? Do we still call it an island? Is it more accurately an asteroid now?), he begins to move in widening arcs, scanning the ice-encrusted structure for signs of continued hostile presence.
In the nearly pitch black environment, he switches over to thermal scopes and radar, watching his instruments for the telltale signature of a heated engine or electronic signal that indicates a lurking threat.
Briefly, his eyes lift up to the canopy. Without the light of the sun, wherever it was, obscuring things, the firmament looked like an endless sea of glittering jewels.
You know... it's kinda nice out here.
[ooc] any chance I can find anything that has suction for liquids. Zero-g, hurt people, and motion sickness and other bodily functions aren't going to be a nice combo. I doubt we have "processing" flight suits anywhere?
ReplyDelete[OOC: There's a vacuum cleaner in the closet you might be able to McGuyver and one of the occupants is a breast-feeding mother who happens to have her pumps with her.]
Delete"Icarus, Mac. I am heading for your 20 now. Should be there in 10." Mac begans his decsent to the "island", zeroing in on Icarus' transponder. "Trout, if I'm hearing you right, you are suggesting that this so-called "fold" system has lefted us, the Mjolnir, and Macross itself and has some how dropped us all in space? Forgive my language, but holy, fragging shyte! Lucy, you have some explaining to do!" [OCC: What can I say, Mac grow up watching old 50's sitcoms ]
ReplyDelete"Copy Mac." Icarus responds, raising an eyebrow and quickly shuts his mic off while struggling to contain a "What the Fuck?" as he clear the corner of a building by pieing it off with his gunpod.
ReplyDeleteSeeing no immediate threat, Gregorov exhales and speaks into his radio.
ReplyDelete"We're definitely in micro-g, not freefall. And Like I said, note the lack of an earth-like body. If the fold system had just transported us to orbit, we'd be able to see the planet or the sun. I got neither. You?"
About a minute after both Trout and Mac begin making their way back to Icarus, both Trout and Icarus' systems pick up a large thermal reading just coming into "view" - apparently it was behind the island and ... apparently the island is in rotation. Slow rotation, but once you're aware of it you can easily track it. Also coming into view is a bright point of light silhouetting a stunning blue planet ... almost like a sunrise but with a planet.
ReplyDelete"Shema, Adonoi, Adonoi ahlahanu...." Mac mutters almost to himself at the sight of the planet below Macross. This continues for at least a minute, until he can regain his composure. "Trout, I don't know about Earth, but check my vertical six..." [OCC: I apologize for the lousy spelling, but considering all the trouble I have spelling things in English, some additional difficulity should be expected in Hebrew ]
DeleteNot luminous enough... no gas giant... can't barely make out the sun... you gotta be fucking kidding me.
ReplyDeleteThe numbers would only add up in one way. He'd had to check and double-check them from the computer, but the same result had come up every time.
"Fenris, Trout... that's either Pluto or Charon that's rising up over Macross' horizon."