[Game Thread] Round 4 - Qiksilv, squirmonkey

[Qiksilv]

Things could always be worse. "Western Hemisphere, Northern Continent, South-East coast." Sam rattled off the general location but wasn’t sure whether the info would mean anything to Mraak. "If I recall from the brief glimpse at the map, in relation to the circumference of the planet, this ship was about 33% East and, I don’t know, 12% South? It’s a patch of green by some mountains and bordered by water and sand." He wasn’t exactly sure how to direct the ship without getting the exact Latitude and Longitude. He also didn’t know what those were for the colony. Or if the ship would understand the numbers even if he could get them. After setting up the comm signal Sam let the system run the scripts and then switched locations to a screen where he could see the progress that Wally had made. The engineer scoffed a little at Mraak’s suggestion. "I’m really not fond of a mid-air transfer. That sounds messy. Luckily for us, even though you kicked out two good Wrenchers when you woke up, I’m still here. Let me see if I can get a status on the landing gear. If they are just stuck, maybe I can wiggle them out. Worst case scenario, you just set us gently down on the ventral hull. Nice and gentle, as if the gear were still there. No need to smash its face into the ground just because it’s not wearing any shoes." Sam was more than willing the hang out for an awkward landing; as long Mraak could get the ship to the ground gently-ish it didn’t need to be pretty. The clatter in the rear of the ship drew Sam’s attention. He saw David falling then getting back up, "Careful, Mr. Albright. Are you alright?" When Sam turned his gaze back to Mraak he saw that the alien was now armed. He was offended. At this point David still had Sam’s trust; after all, they were both Human, from the same colony, and working toward the same goals, so he had not jumped to the same conclusion that Mraak had. From Sam’s viewpoint, Mraak had been cooperating nicely and yet had just decided to not do so anymore. He considered calling David and Issa up front but was worried that might spook Mraak more than the tall alien already was. Sam also did not get a chance to do so since the comms started ringing. By its own volition the comm screen produced three images; all from active calls. Sam noticed Mraak shift the gun to be hidden from view and then announce to the ranking officials onscreen that things on board were bad and that he had demands. After which Sam rebutted, "We can land. It just might not be graceful." Sam’s masked face perked up when Pam announced that the council had been disbanded over 300 years ago. That meant this ship was older than that. It had crashed landed and then somehow still managed to remain operational, powering cryo tubes, and was now flying in the atmosphere without immediately exploding. He had fixed many old machines but this relic was both older than anything he’d worked on and was running better. He would be happily spending time in here after it was grounded. He glanced in Mraak’s direction, assuming this guy didn’t shoot him before that happened. The Engineer turned his attention back to the screen, "This ship was originally a bounty vessel, Captain. ‘Senator’ Mraak here and Issa, who is in the back with David, were on the passenger list." He was hoping that Mraak would assume Sam was calling him and Issa passengers but also hoping that the Captain (or president) would understand that Mraak and Issa had likely been in trouble for some reason before they were brought to this ship and thus were potentially dangerous. The Human was genuinely mystified by the ‘getting ugly’ comment from Mraak though, "Issa and Mraak have been a bit skittish but have not actively threatened us yet. I think we all stand a chance to get out of this safely if we can continue to work together." This last part was directed largely to Mraak. Sam had not mentioned that the alien possessed a gun, as of yet Mraak had not done anything more than let Sam know he had it so he wasn’t sure how worried he ought to be. Hopefully, things were going well with David and Issa in the back of the ship and they could help diffuse some of the tension up here. He would just have to call them up. Fortunately, David and Issa were already heading toward the front of the ship. Unfortunately, it was a worst-case scenario. David was bleeding and had a black eye and, more obviously, was holding an incapacitated Issa hostage. Sam involuntarily put raised both hands in a sign of non-hostility. He stood, speechless, as David full-on ranted about how safety could be purchased by surrender which was the opposite of what Sam had been saying, that safety could come through mutual trust. He spent the time that David was speaking looking back and forth between the comm screen, Mraak, and David. Would Mraak just shoot everyone or did he care enough about Issa to hold back? Was the president seeing the Counselor? Suddenly Sam understood why Mraak had become defensive when he had heard the sound from the back. Had this scenario happened to him before? Sam started speaking slowly, using as calm a voice as he could muster, "David. What are you doing?" It felt strange to be trying to talk down a Counselor, wasn’t this backward? "Let’s just talk this out, Counselor. Do you really want to be New Eden’s first murderer? Though I suppose Grissy almost beat you to it. Most people don’t fight for this spot in the history books. I guess it really did not take long at all for Humans to tarnish the reputation of their new home, did it? I guess “New Eden” really was an appropriate moniker, mankind is falling again." Sam pleaded with David, "Please put the shard down. we can work this out without anyone else getting hurt."

Summary Flags: Mentioned Grissy and her attempted murder Tried to appeal to David’s pride in the colony to stop his actions (Not realizing that he’s doing it because of his pride and not in spite of his pride) Actions: Sam wants to check (or run) a diagnostic on the landing gear Trying to talk David off a cliff. If Mraak puts the gun down Sam will try and grab it before David does   1d - Basic 1d - Engineer 1d – Skill (“There’s your problem,” to analyze the problem with landing gear. ) CN=3 - Humanity Dice Going…down?: 2d6smh3 4 ✔, 5 ✔ (2/2) Total = 9

 

Stat Block Name: Samuel Adams Origin: Earthling CN: 3 Job: Engineer Engineers are all about making things work when they don’t and keeping things that are working from breaking. He needs to be able to spot problems and figure out solutions. As an engineer in a hard-to-reach area, his job also includes a fair amount of improvisation to make things work when the right parts and tools are unavailable. He has long practiced the inflections needed to get assistance with what he is working on; sometimes an engineer needs three hands. Specialized Skills: Hey! Hold this. Using Humanity, he can get almost anyone to give him a hand with a task. Oh, it’ll fit. Using Technology, he can make a tool, part, or machine do something it wasn’t designed to do. There’s your problem. Using Humanity, he can quickly assess flaws by watching and listening to notice the inconsistencies. Description: Samuel is slightly less than middle age and rather non-descript. He is frequently covered in dust and grease from being in and around machines. His light brown hair almost matches his skin and eyes. He had some bulk to his muscles from years of working with large machines and heavy parts. There is also little fat on his frame because few in the outpost have the resources to waste on extraneous eating, and he is not one of them. The engineer is serious more often than not, decades of dealing with emergencies have made him always expect one to arise, usually at an inopportune moment. He has been known to smile and even laugh on occasion when he does get a slow moment with his comrades. Being one of the lead engineers at his complex has also imbued him with confidence, though not to the point of boasting, he is merely self-assured.

 

Character Write-up Samuel Adams was born and raised on Earth; the near wasteland that humans called their birthplace. The Outpost was called Comsotown since it was founded by CosmoTonne. The company was on the brink of closing its doors and the outpost was the same. There had been some talks about becoming independent but the demand for Earth materials was shrinking as the technology for mining on asteroids got better so profit margins were dipping dangerously low. There was a rumor that Compretech had solicited an offer, but the contract specified a percentage of the annual gross that must be spent on cybernetic upgrades. They had made the same offer to Asteroid Gamma-47-8B a decade ago, the rumors were that the company offered loans in some cases and discounts in others when ‘participants’ were willing to try newer, experimental products. As such Cosotown was not very excited by this offer. The small habitat ring housed a few dozen families that serviced the greater North American continent and were home to 23% of the Humans, robots, and machines that remained on Earth. Being one of the last remnants on a dying planet did not make for a glamorous upbringing. Like most earthlings, he was made to start working young. It was the best way to keep kids out of trouble since there were not a lot of things to do in the ramshackle working colonies that existed in the home world. Sidereal did not have much hold in Cosmotown, most of the entertainment came from scavenged data chips from a century ago (sometimes discs from even longer ago if they were preserved well enough). Samuel’s family were engineers, so he was too. They worked at keeping the machines going that maintained the clean air and water for the outpost they lived in and also helped keep the many mining rigs going so the planet could be effectively strip-mined. Samuel had a good head for it and quickly became known for his effectiveness. Yet, the young man longed to see more than the grey/brown skies and wanted to get off the planet that he was born on. So when word of an application to be on the newest voyage reached Earth he eagerly filled one out. There was not a lot of chance that an Earthling who had never been in space before would get in but that only made it all the more exciting when he was chosen. His community mourned their loss of a talented individual but wished him luck anyway and he set off on the first cargo ship he could buy a seat on.

Flags Samuel has a hundred uses for a 14.5mm wrench; none of which are officially sanctioned by Cosmotool. He has also developed quite a grudge at the corporations that raised a profit on mining by under-budgeting for needed repairs, required maintenance, and due upgrades. Samuel is fully human and proud of it. While he appreciates the craftsmanship, he thinks non-necessary bionic upgrades trivialize what it means to be human, finds it hard to trust creations with silicone brains the size of walnuts, and finds aliens…too alien (not that he had met any).

[Admin Bhelogan]

Negotiations "COUNSELOR ALRBIRGHT!" came an ear-piercing scream from President Perez over the comms. Maria was enraged, and unhinged, a state neither David nor Samuel had seen her in before. "How dare you try to use a young woman AGAIN for your own personal agenda!" "Again?" Captain Worrell queried. "What are you talking about?" "We reviewed the security footage. We know it was David who let Ms. Starlight out of confinement and talked her into trying to kill Professor Heulett." It seemed Maria Perez had done some homework on the crew members while they were out. "I also dug into his past, did you know he is an anti-corporation zealot?" "Of course I do," responded Captain Worrell. "Why do you think I pushed so hard to have him on this voyage?" President Perez looked horrified at the revelation. "Senator Mraak, Counselor Albright looks under duress. Why don't you put the rifle down, and see if we can talk this through." Issa was paralyzed, though conscious. She was just getting enough movement back in her head to look at Mraak with a terrified expression. Samuel noticed it and could tell that she had no confidence that she meant much to Mraak. But, Mraak knew how to manipulate a situation to his advantage. "Certainly Captain, I am happy to oblige a reasonable request. In fact, I'll do one better," Mraak picked up the rifle, and with strength that defied logic, bent the weapon in half causing it to snap. "There, one less weapon for everyone to threaten each other with." Mraak had destroyed the weapon, but at the same time demonstrated that he never really needed it. Issa relaxed a bit, though was still very aware of the shard of sharp glass at her neck. "Ohhhh, THAT Mraak!" Pam suddenly spoke up. The Norlithian wasn't very interested in the political dynamics between the humans, but he was pulling up data as fast as he could on the two aliens. "Exiled for organizing a racketeering ring, and general corruption in manipulating the Galactic Council. You know that was a big part of the reason it was dissolved? You were pretty infamous. Lots of old stories written about you." "That is cute, but it's ancient history now," Mraak admitted. "So, Counselor, what exactly do you want us to do, since you are the one holding a hostage?" Samual used the banter time to review the ship's readouts. The landing gear, as Mraak had suggested, was indeed missing. Not damaged, just, missing. It also looked like the bridge of the ship could be sealed off to maintain the atmosphere long enough to fly up and land in the Hanger of the Exodus II. That gave them two solid options of where to go to get off the ship.

OOGM We are here, the last post of Outplay 2023! You have some extra time to get your posts in, and I'll be watching the collaboration thread as always for any questions that come up. The situation as it stands. Maria Perez wants you to land the ship by the Dome, so they can arrest David. Captain Worrell wants it back up at the Exodus. Issa still too stunned to do anything. Mraak seems to be trying to make the best impression possible on whoever is in charge. Your post deadline is Sunday, August 20th at 9 pm EST.

[Qiksilv]

So Long Friend Sam sat at a console on the bridge of an ancient spaceship. There were three other individuals here but the truth was that the Engineer felt very alone at the moment. The tall alien was apparently a corrupt politician. The shorter alien had once killed a dozen guards by herself. The other Human had managed to manipulate a delicate mind into attempting murder and now looked very close to performing one himself. Sam had once gotten two bags of chips from one token at a machine and tried to put one back. He had started to feel comfortable around Mraak’s composure but that had faded a little when he bent a gun in half and admitted to being the corrupting agent that buckled a whole galactic governmental system. David had put him at ease since their first meeting but now he was about to slit a woman’s throat in cold blood and had a rather unhinged look on his face. Zealot was the word that Perez had used and was confirmed by Worrell. What exactly was a man like this capable of? How far would he go to secure his goal? Whatever that was. "Counselor," Sam began to say slowly, "It sounds as if the Exodus might be a safe harbor for you. How about you relax just a little and we will head on up there? Can you drop the glass?" Sam did not hold out a lot of hope that the man would comply but nodded to Mraak, the current pilot, to point the ship up and away from the close proximity of the planet. He began pressing keys on the console and the bridge door shut behind David. "I think I can close off the bridge well enough to keep the air in. Plus there is some limited shielding to protect against hull rupture up here so we ought to be good for a little jaunt upstairs." He had chosen to go up in an attempt to keep David as calm as possible. Sam did not want to be even partially responsible for Issa’s death, whether she had deserved it 300 years ago or not. However, he couldn’t help but recall the way Worrel had stated matter-of-factly that, ‘of course, he had known David was an anti-corporate zealot.’ Did that mean that David would be free to wander around in the Exodus? Would David eventually start to corrupt the whole ship against the colony on the ground? In a battle between a large ship and a fledgling colony, there could be only one obvious winner. The ship could throw large objects from orbit and easily destroy everything that had been built without even needing to sacrifice a single soldier. Letting David make them into enemies did not seem like a wise thing to do. Samuel Adams wished that he could talk to Perez and Worrel about this situation freely, but there was not going to be an opportunity with David Albright right here, hunched over Issa. The sky in the viewport changed from a blueish tint to black and speckled with pinpricks of light. Sam turned his gaze back from the beauty of space, met Issa’s eyes, and gave her a slight nod. The sooner he got the alien away from the maniac the safer everyone would be. Mraak had already stated his confidence in Issa’s abilities earlier so while Sam recognized that this could be risky, he believed that Issa would come out on top over David. "Last chance, David. You can still exit this with at least some dignity." When The Counselor made it clear that he had no interest in disengaging, Sam sighed. Piper would be disappointed in the man. Hopefully, she would be proud of Sam for standing up to it. Sam pressed a button on his suit. There was no sound but he could feel his heavy magnetic boots gripping the floor. Then, he pressed a button on the console and turned off the artificial gravity. Mraak was sitting at his console and was able to hold on to avoid moving too much but David and Issa quickly began floating. David faltered for just a second as gravity stopped holding him upright and that was all the time that Issa needed. With a shove, she pushed herself back and away from David’s grip. "Issa, Mraak. I would appreciate it if you could help me subdue the Counselor so he can be made to face charges for his actions. I also believe we will need to head back down to the planet, Mraak, once he is contained. I don’t have confidence that he will actually have consequences in the Exodus 2." Sam regarded David once again, contrition in his voice, "I thought we would be friends earlier today but then you had to start acting like a total dingbat. Now that I have seen your true colors, I don’t think we’ll get along. I hope you will be made an example to those in New Eden of what not to do. That way our new civilization can be one where we cooperate without needing to shed each other’s blood."

Summary Notes: squirmonkey and I collaborated about our last post here Actions: Tries to convince David to release Issa. Turns off Gravity to help Issa escape. Tells Mraak to go back down to the planet so David can face charges.

 

Stat Block Name: Samuel Adams Origin: Earthling CN: 3 Job: Engineer Engineers are all about making things work when they don’t and keeping things that are working from breaking. He needs to be able to spot problems and figure out solutions. As an engineer in a hard-to-reach area, his job also includes a fair amount of improvisation to make things work when the right parts and tools are unavailable. He has long practiced the inflections needed to get assistance with what he is working on; sometimes an engineer needs three hands. Specialized Skills: Hey! Hold this. Using Humanity, he can get almost anyone to give him a hand with a task. Oh, it’ll fit. Using Technology, he can make a tool, part, or machine do something it wasn’t designed to do. There’s your problem. Using Humanity, he can quickly assess flaws by watching and listening to notice the inconsistencies. Description: Samuel is slightly less than middle age and rather non-descript. He is frequently covered in dust and grease from being in and around machines. His light brown hair almost matches his skin and eyes. He had some bulk to his muscles from years of working with large machines and heavy parts. There is also little fat on his frame because few in the outpost have the resources to waste on extraneous eating, and he is not one of them. The engineer is serious more often than not, decades of dealing with emergencies have made him always expect one to arise, usually at an inopportune moment. He has been known to smile and even laugh on occasion when he does get a slow moment with his comrades. Being one of the lead engineers at his complex has also imbued him with confidence, though not to the point of boasting, he is merely self-assured.

 

Character Write-up Samuel Adams was born and raised on Earth; the near wasteland that humans called their birthplace. The Outpost was called Comsotown since it was founded by CosmoTonne. The company was on the brink of closing its doors and the outpost was the same. There had been some talks about becoming independent but the demand for Earth materials was shrinking as the technology for mining on asteroids got better so profit margins were dipping dangerously low. There was a rumor that Compretech had solicited an offer, but the contract specified a percentage of the annual gross that must be spent on cybernetic upgrades. They had made the same offer to Asteroid Gamma-47-8B a decade ago, the rumors were that the company offered loans in some cases and discounts in others when ‘participants’ were willing to try newer, experimental products. As such Cosotown was not very excited by this offer. The small habitat ring housed a few dozen families that serviced the greater North American continent and were home to 23% of the Humans, robots, and machines that remained on Earth. Being one of the last remnants on a dying planet did not make for a glamorous upbringing. Like most earthlings, he was made to start working young. It was the best way to keep kids out of trouble since there were not a lot of things to do in the ramshackle working colonies that existed in the home world. Sidereal did not have much hold in Cosmotown, most of the entertainment came from scavenged data chips from a century ago (sometimes discs from even longer ago if they were preserved well enough). Samuel’s family were engineers, so he was too. They worked at keeping the machines going that maintained the clean air and water for the outpost they lived in and also helped keep the many mining rigs going so the planet could be effectively strip-mined. Samuel had a good head for it and quickly became known for his effectiveness. Yet, the young man longed to see more than the grey/brown skies and wanted to get off the planet that he was born on. So when word of an application to be on the newest voyage reached Earth he eagerly filled one out. There was not a lot of chance that an Earthling who had never been in space before would get in but that only made it all the more exciting when he was chosen. His community mourned their loss of a talented individual but wished him luck anyway and he set off on the first cargo ship he could buy a seat on.

Flags Samuel has a hundred uses for a 14.5mm wrench; none of which are officially sanctioned by Cosmotool. He has also developed quite a grudge at the corporations that raised a profit on mining by under-budgeting for needed repairs, required maintenance, and due upgrades. Samuel is fully human and proud of it. While he appreciates the craftsmanship, he thinks non-necessary bionic upgrades trivialize what it means to be human, finds it hard to trust creations with silicone brains the size of walnuts, and finds aliens…too alien (not that he had met any).

[squirmonkey]

 

Struggle in mid air with Issa/Mraak, and inevitably lose.

See the discussion on the possible outcomes of this roll here

Dice Humanity Minus 1 for vision penalty:

1d6-1

(2)-1

Total = 1

Successes: 0

[squirmonkey]

Salvation David's attention was drawn to Perez and to Worrell and to Mraak all at once, but he focused on Sam who was trying to talk him out of hurting the alien he still held hostage. David knew he couldn't let go. If he did, Issa and Mraak would kill him for certain. Why couldn't Sam see how dangerous they were? David needed to find some way out of this situation, so when Sam proposed going up to the ship David nodded his assent. Captain Worrell, at least, seemed to understand what it took to build paradise. The doors to the bridge slid closed, sealing the room against the vacuum outside. They rocketed upwards in tense silence. But just when it looked like safety was at hand, Sam revealed his true colors. Sam pressed a button on the control console and the ship's artificial gravity was disabled at the same moment the ship stopped moving upward. David and Issa launched into the air, and Issa threw an elbow into David's side making him lose his grip on her. As she drifted away David spun from the force of her departure and lashed out with the glass shard, leaving a gash across Issa's face, and pushing her back. Globes of her dark indigo blood drifted and danced around and between drops of David's own crimson, filling the air of the room with a swirling planetarium of blood that splashed and splattered aimlessly across the bridge. Mraak turned to the helm and began preparing the ship for a descent back to the planet at Sam's instruction. David clutched at his side with the hand that had once held Issa, the other hand still locked around the bloodstained shard of glass. He finally stopped drifting when he hit the ceiling, and he looked down to meet Samuel's eyes. "Traitor. Are you so afraid of a little bloodshed that you would stoop to this? You would choose these dangerous alien criminals over a man who has given everything to build a better life for all of us here on New Eden? You sicken me with your weakness." David shook his head at Sam in disgust. "Every tree needs someone to prune the blighted branches, or the whole garden will go to seed. You're not cut out for the job, and that's okay. You don't have to do it because I was sent here to do it for you. But now you're keeping me from fulfilling my role, and that's a problem. Your obsession with technology has turned you soft. Your reliance on that wretched mechanical suit has made you forget that not all problems can be solved with the push of a button. Sometimes, being human means that someone has to get their hands dirty! You can be weak. That's your problem. But it becomes my problem when you start letting your weakness corrupt all of New Eden." "Look at Sherman. The boy has such great potential. And you've wasted it by filling his head with fancy tools and wrenchers and submarines. He could have been happy on New Eden, and now he's going to end up just like you. Reliant on machines not just to be effective, but to have an identity. You've stolen his future from him." "Look at Wally! Wally was terribly hurt by technology, and you continue to indulge him. You glorify his mechanical talent. You pretend it's okay that he needs a pressure suit just to go outside. It's not okay. Wally is broken! He needs me to fix him! And every time you let him believe he's good enough just the way he is, you set his recovery back by weeks." David smiled. It felt good to let this all out. But it would feel even better to deliver the final blow. "Look at what you've done to Piper. I always struggled to grasp why sometimes she seemed ready to do what New Eden needed from her, and other times she seemed so inhibited. Now I understand. She is strong, and you've done everything in your power to make her weak like you. Don't worry though. When I get back, I'll make sure she realizes what a bad influence you've been on her!" David's whole body tensed, as he bent his knees and pushed himself backward along the ceiling to be in the top corner of the room. "All of them rely on me to protect them from the likes of you. They rely on me to secure their rights and freedoms. You are the blight that is destroying New Eden, and I'm going to save everybody by cutting you away!" David pushed off the wall and lunged weightlessly across the bridge to strike at Sam with the glass shard. But he never made it there. Issa had fully recovered from her paralysis and the shock of being slashed and she shot into the air, catching him suspended above the center of the bridge. He struggled to control her, but without the stun baton, Zero Successeshe was no match for her. She pummelled him with punches and knee strikes, bruising his limbs and breaking his ribs. But when she tried to take the glass shard from him, he fought back with everything he had. He couldn't let her take it. That weapon would be New Eden's salvation. That weapon would be David's salvation. He had to keep it. She was strong but he was determined, and they grappled there in midair for what was only a few seconds but what felt like a lifetime. Then, they reached a point in their descent where Mraak had to slow the ship to account for the thickening atmosphere of the planet. New Eden's gravity conspired with their downward momentum to throw David and Issa to the floor of the bridge. They landed hard, and Issa tumbled aside. David tried to leap on her to get the upper hand, but laying there on his back he could not move. He looked down at his body and saw the glass shard sticking out of his chest like a frozen lightning bolt that spread ice through his veins. David tried to speak, but he could only choke and sputter, so he let his prayer be silent instead. "Lord, let it have been enough. Let it have been enough that they won't need me anymore. Let it have been enough to earn my place..." The chill that raced through his body reached his fingers and his toes and, for the first time all day, David was totally relaxed. He took one last ragged breath, closed his eyes, and listened for the beautiful cry of a ram's horn.

OOC Notes: - Like Qiksilv mentioned, we planned out a great deal of this action beforehand - Bhelogan gave us permission to take some liberties with the NPCs to create a satisfying final post, and approved these courses of action here Summary: Misc: Slash at Issa as she escapes, and drift up to the ceiling. Flag interaction: Lecture Sam about what it "really" means to be human. (and rant at him about some other stuff too) Action: Lunge at Sam, get intercepted by Issa and struggle with her in mid-air for control of the weapon. Humanity -1 for vision penalty. Zero Successes (I rolled a 2, which is normally a crit, but is a failure because of the penalty). See the discussion of the possible outcomes of this roll here. Misc: Accidentally get stabbed by the glass shard (result of failing the roll), and pray for New Eden while bleeding to death.   CN: 2 Job: Ship's Counselor. Attend to the mental health of the crew. Advise ship leaders and decision-makers on matters regarding crew morale and interactions with third parties. Help mitigate the stresses of long-distance space travel. How Does That Make You Feel - You can use your Humanity to discern the true meaning behind someone's words or deeds. Put Down Your Phone - You can use your Technology to disable a machine that is hurting somebody. Have You Tried Meditating On That - You can use your Humanity to still intense emotions or aggression in others by speaking calmly to them. Flags: - Use Counselor Albright as an opportunity to reveal what hides beneath the surface of your character. Share what scares you. Share what you hope for. Share what Humanity means to you. Ask what Humanity means to me. - Talk to me about politics, mine or yours. - Gossip about the fiasco at the debate, with me or behind my back - If David is something that can be stopped, then just try to stop him!

[Admin Bhelogan]

Day of the Schism A great schism occurred in New Eden. Fueled by the Albright Martyr, and led by Captian Worrell, a large faction of New Edend's residents worked hard to ensure that influences from Mars, mainly corporate would have no hold on the new planet. The other faction held to the old way of doing things and old alliances rallied around Maria Perez. The exact details of what happened that day are uncertain, and depending on which side was telling the story, one or the other side was cast as the villain. Out of necessity, and with encouragement from the Nolrithians, the two groups worked together to establish their new home that could support all of the residents on the Exodus II. Eventually, a second colony on New Eden was established, and the Anti-Corporate Alliance moved out, leaving Old Dome as a place for those who liked their old way of life.

Maria Perez and Professor Heulett Maria continued to lead the settlers of New Eden, and worked closely with Professor Heulett. The two eventually married, retired from politics a few years later, and lived out the rest of their days on New Eden.

Jackie While Jackie was a skilled pilot, she developed two new interests. Camping and surviving off the land in New Eden, and Dune Cart Racing. She is credited with establishing the Eden Elite Racing Company, after winning 1st place four consecutive years in a row. Her favorite color of racers was Red, inspired by the first vehicle built on New Eden.

Captian Worrell Captian Worrell's greatest accomplishment was accredited to something he never did. He never completed the building of a new SunGate. Leading the Anti-Corporate Alliance, he stalled building the gate, and eventually moved to the new colony on New Eden once it was established. The Androids of the Exodus II joined Captain Worrell on the new planet since their programming was set to recognize his leadership in all things.

Lieutenant Pearson Lieutenant Pearson moved back to the Exodus II as soon as he was able. He never felt comfortable on the planet's surface after the events that led up to the Schism. After Captain Worrell relocated to the new colony on New Eden, Lieutenant Pearson took over as the commanding officer on the Exodus II, and began construction of the SunGate. Work was slow, many of the needed parts for the gate had been used in establishing the colony, and getting parts from the Nolrithians took time, but he continued the work while working closely to keep both sides of the Schism happy.

The Aliens Mraak had initially intended to flee as far as he could get from New Eden. However, he seemed to turn over a new leaf, and found himself a comfortable life in politics as a natural broker to help negotiate between the two factions of the Schism among the Earthlings. His work was credited with preventing a war from breaking out between the factions that might have ended in the deaths of all of New Eden's settlers. His story remains one of redemption, though others view it as a comfortable exile for the alien who no doubt was still a wanted criminal in other parts of the Galaxy. Issa never changed her ways much, but also stayed on New Eden. She created a street gang known as the Space Rat Pack that was often blamed when food or parts went missing. Many of the planet's youth were infatuated with the alien girl though, and she had a strong following for many years. Eventually, a Bounty Hunter arrived to have her arrested for crimes of the past. The chase led the pair into the wilderness of New Eden where they both disappeared, never to be seen again.

The Fate of The Exodus I Nearly three decades after settlers first arrived at New Eden, with no contact from Mars up to that point, word finally arrived to the settlers about what happened to the Exodus I. Much like the METS test scenario Captian Worrell had run all those years ago, the ship had been sent off in the wrong trajectory and found itself in a foreign part of space with hostile aliens. The crew of the Exodus did something so offensive to the aliens, that they vowed to eliminate all humans. After destroying the Exodus they eventually found out where it came from. Warships arrived at Mars a few years later, and destroyed the planet. News of these events arrived at New Eden shortly after the Norlithians learned of the destruction of Mars. Suddenly, the decades-old schism between the humans on New Eden was irrelevant. The New Edenites might be the last remaining Humans in the Univers, and somebody was out to destroy them...