Carpathia IV: Episode 139 - Distress Call
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer-A, Joust's Quarters
Game night, for the first time since the old Shadowdancer crashed. It took that long for Joust to get his shiny new game table running. The table itself, however, was not the hardest part. Rather, it was retrieving the corrupted data from the old table, damaged by flooding. Excitement brewed through the officer ranks when Joust finally announced that he was ready to begin again and, when they entered his quarters, they didn't have time to gape at the more spacious accommodations of a commander. Instead, Joust placed his new table just inside the door so they could be greeted by a grinning Trex as soon as they entered.
Minnie: Oh, do we have a new party member?
Trex gave a giggle snort and clutched her hands to her snout.
Trex: Maybe! Don't mind me. I'm just here to observe.
Joust: Gather around, everyone! Time to start up again! Just a couple more minutes to get it going. It's the latest model table, so I'm still getting used to the interface.
With some hesitation, pauses to glance around at the spacious cabin, the Adventure Timers gathered around the table and sat, one by one. Just the living room they were in now was bigger than the total area of anything they had. There was room enough not only for the massive gaming table, but a seating arrangement with three couches and a coffee table and, on the other side, a workstation complete with shelves, a wet bar, and guest chairs.
Ramei: These quarters are something else.
Joust: Almost equal to the Captain's. I might have to host diplomatic functions if the Captain is unavailable. Of course, I don't expect that to happen way out here in the frontier.
An awkward silence permeated the room with all eyes on Joust, hanging from the ceiling at the head of the game table.
Joust: What?
Tamati: I'm just trying to picture you hosting dignitaries.
Ramei: And putting whoopee cushions under the sofa seats.
Joust grimaced and put his hands on his hips.
Joust: Hey, that is way too lowbrow for me.
Teren: Forgive me for saying so, Commander, but we all know you would do that.
Joust sighed, shuffling his lips left and right on his face.
Joust: Okay, fine, I would, but it would also depend on who it was.
Nalma: Enough of that! I want to see our characters again!
Minnie: Seconded!
Joust: Let's gets started, then.
Joust reached over his head, which, for him, was down toward the keypad on the table and tapped at the buttons. First, the landscape generated. A forest on one side, mountains on the other, and a grassy plain in the middle with just a very hint of a village at one of the side edges. And then the characters appeared. All the participants leaned in close to have a good look, took a glance at each other, and then at the sprites on the table again.
Teren: Why are we all naked?
Joust: Yeah, sorry about that. I managed to get everything back except your equipment. The data for that was too corrupted. Still got your items, though.
Tamati: I use medicinal herbs to cover my naughty bits.
Nalma: I raise my hands in the air in complete, breezy abandon!
Joust: I've taken the liberty of depositing some extra gold into your satchels so that you can buy new stuff.
Ramei: I guess it's off to the village then. Hopefully they have an armorer and a smithy.
Teren: I'm entirely in favor of that.
With all in agreement, the party began their buff march to the village. As they entered, the little NPC characters on the board stared, pointed, laughed, gossiped, all the things that one would expect actual people to do if a gaggle of naked strangers moseyed into town.
Joust: Just ahead, you see a two-story stone house with a wide chimney belching black smoke. The front stoop appears to be a demon merchant selling armor. Next door is another structure with a similar design and this one has a human selling weapons. On the other side of the main road through the town is a bat merchant at a wooden structure with a selection of wool garments.
Trex started playing with her keypad while the others wasted no time deciding where to go.
Tamati: Can't wear armor on our naked bodies. Clothes first, I should think.
The party in agreement, the sprites on the table approached the clothes vendor and prices for the offerings popped up on each player's displays.
Ramei: Twenty gold pieces for wayfarer's clothes! That's too much! I'll offer ten.
Joust: A negotiation, is it? Roll for persuasion.
Ramei picked up the dice and gave it a throw.
Ramei: Twelve. Not sure what that might get me.
Joust: You plead your case to the merchant, stating you have no problem going nude to the next village to find a better offer.
Trex: Counteroffer!
Joust: Roll for persuasion!
Trex picked up the dice and shook it around in her hand while the others glared at her.
Nalma: You're the bat?
Trex: Welcome to my shop and do have a pleasant stay. You don't mind that I had to fix my prices a bit when I saw you lot coming.
Trex threw her dice.
Joust: Eighteen. You smugly declare that there are no other nearby villages and then tearfully describe your home life of infirmed parents and 22 younger brothers and sisters who all depend on you to eat every night.
Minnie: Well, we're boned. Hope we got enough money.
Trex: Tell you what. You can have all of this for free if you take me with you.
Teren: And what was all that just now about 22 younger brothers and sisters?
Before they could get any deeper into the conversation, there was a bleep over the intercom and Aire's voice.
Aire: Senior staff to the bridge!
Without words or hesitation, everyone around the table pushed back their chairs and filed out the doors, with Joust in the back of the pack, delayed only for a moment pushing the save and shutdown buttons.
Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer
Aire: Kit, anything to the nature of the distress signal?
Kit: Not much, Captain. It's Carpathian and it is automated. Whoever is sending it either can't or won't talk personally.
Aire: Origin?
Kit: Signal is weak. Unable to tell at this time.
Aire: Phobos, get to work on the location.
Phobos: Yes, Captain.
Aire: Baal, find out what missions are scheduled in this sector and report on known hazardous areas.
Baal: I'm on it, Captain.
The lift door behind the security station opened and the rest of the bridge crew spilled out, making for their stations.
Joust: What have we got, Captain?
Aire: Automated distress signal. Weak. We're attempting to ascertain location.
Joust: Any ship's registry encoded in the signal?
Kit: Possibly. Trying to filter out the interference.
Baal: I have a candidate, Captain. A runabout was sent to investigate a planet a few light years from here for possible silmarite deposits. The scout ship that first surveyed the area noted that it had a dense, highly volatile atmosphere. Unsuitable for a colony, but possibly able to support a mining operation.
Kit: I'm getting fragments of the ship's registry number. They do correspond to the ship that was sent to that planet. Runabout, NCCS Stinger, under the command of Corporal Maseret.
Aire: That's good enough to go on. Baal, send coordinates to the helm.
Baal: Yes, Captain. Sending coordinates.
Aire: Set course and engage Q14.
Teek: Course laid in. Engaging Q14.
An instant later, the Shadowdancer sped off on its rescue mission.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
Falke2009
