The Dead Ship - Chapter 3

 

Last Sunday we picked up where we left off the previous month... 

 
Location: Attica Down Spaceport on the planet Attica in the Querion Subsector

Imperial Date: 068-1100

The characters did some last minute shopping at their last stop before their destination.  They picked up some extra life support supplies, some flares and a pair of hand held infrared spotlights.  They also loaded up on cargo that they could reasonably sell at the next system as cover. (20 tons of cheap clothing and some locally mined coltan ore).

Afterwards, they launched into space and after double checking their numbers, jumped into the Querion system, two parsecs away.

They were still having a little trouble comming out of hyperspace exactly where they want, but they were close enough, about two hour's travel from the gas giant.  The Zhodani Naval base in the system was on the far side of the star, about 3 to 4 day's travel from their location.


After refueling they spent the next few days trying to pick up the signal of the beacon on the Haunting Thunder. Using receivers tuned by Kipenzi they were able to get the location of the wreck.

With Medicus at the helm, they dived into the gas giant.  Entering the atmosphere, they ran into a huge belt of thunderheads stretching across the horizon.  After getting struck by lightening twice and being eaten by and blasting themselves out of their first contact with a gas giant life-form, they made it though the storm.

By the time they got into the calm zone below the storm, the ship had lost its port laser turret, had the rear cargo door damaged to the point of not being air tight, suffered maneuver drive damage so they could not lift the ship against the gravity of the gas giant, and lost the exterior cameras on one side of the ship as well as taken some electrical system damage on the same side.

They get down to the wreck of the Haunting Thunder and find it in somewhat worse shape than expected.  For example the first 9 decks are completely gone.  There are also signs that someone else had been there before, someone had set up a tripod on one of the launch tubes.

 The first order of business was to get the engines repaired and do what other repairs they could so as to make the ship spaceworthy once more.  Leon and Fig get the engines working over the next eight hours while the other characters with the necessary skills conduct other repairs. They eventually get one of the two dead cameras working again.

 While Kipenzi and Fig were outside working on the cameras they discovered that the local life forms are 'surfing' the updraft from the heat cumming off the ship. They also learn that the locals really don't like the infrared spotlight, but don't show any visible damage from it.

A Local Predator Circling the Ship.

After verifying that the engines were once more working at full power they took a much needed rest.

After resting they begin exploring the wreck. 

Fig and Leon to go down the unblocked fighter launch tube with Kipenzi working the wench.  Partway down the tube, they find some bluish white quartz-like crystals.  Fig takes a sample.

At deck 64 the came to a blockage, below this level the tube is filled with a dark substance with worm-like creatures writhing around in it. They dived down when Fig played the infrared spotlight over them.  The spotlight evaporated the upper level of the sludge, but it got denser and crusted over as more of it steamed off.

Boarding the air/raft, the explorers survey the outside of the wreck.  The hull has a lot of holes in it. Some are fairly small, others are large enough to climb through.

On Deck 69, the upper hanger deck, they find a large hatch but cant find a way to open it from the outside.  It is large enough to get the fighters out through if they can only get inside.

Back up to deck 37 they find a hole large enough to easily climb through without the risk of tearing their suits open which would be deadly in this planet's atmosphere.  Inside, they see that this deck was once crew quarters.  They find more crystals growing on the deck, these are much larger than the ones in the launch tube, reaching nearly floor to ceiling.  The also find some large blob or slug like things that start to approach them.  The infrared spotlight drives them back.  At -205 ºC ambient temperature, they theorize the spotlight looks like a flamethrower to the local creatures.

Leon found an iris valve leading down and started to crank it open using his handy tool and they start hearing a whistling sound which stops once he cranks in closed again.  They found a pressurized area.

After some discussion with the rest of the crew (except for Medicus who is sleeping), they decide to proceed.  When the hatch is mostly open they hear a bang below as a non-pressure tight door is blown open. After climbing down the ladder and stepping around the corner they find themselves in a tomb.  

Their lights illuminate a row of about 20 Imperial Marines in dress uniforms with swords and sidearms.  Some show signs of injuries and having been patched up. All frozen solid and covered with frost. There are Imperial and unit flags on poles at the end of the row.  Apparently not everyone died in the crash.

Checking the room around to the right they find two rows of low passage berths.  All occupied... the frozen watch.  It was common for these ships to carry spare crew in suspended animation.  Could they still be revived after 15 years frozen with no power?  The only one who would know is still sleeping after being on watch last night.

Fig and Leon find the frozen watch.

Checking the elevators it looks like they have a clear path down to the hanger deck.

Fig and Leon climb laboriously back up to where Kipenzi is waiting at the hole with the air/raft and they ride back up to the Skylark.

 

Continued in Chapter 4

See Also: Dramatis Personæ, Campaign Start