[Event] Problems With Portals (Part Two) - The Port Job

[trpmods]

In the end there are some things that cannot be fixed with a strong will, elbow grease, and space duct tape. The combination of lengthy debate between the Agrii, the success of the repairs of the He Rows, and the fact that they were not nearly enough leads to the confirmation of a new plan. Lists are made, items are loaded, beloved baubles (and copious bottles of Agrii-Moisturizer) are passed on, and a nervous farewell passes between the Agrii and the He Rows.

“Not for get us. Please get things for helping,” Ga Re says as the He Rows begin loading their shuttles.

“Bring back much and sirs,” Mu Ly cheers brightly.

Another Agrii with bright, smart green eyes covered in goggles watches, hands on a display they have taken over, one that will trigger the temporary portal to get the He Rows where they need to go. A return date has already been agreed upon. Their lives, once more, rest in the hands of the He Rows. Good thing they have plenty of faith in you.

Once the ships are boarded and ready a small portal ringed in violet light tears open in space. The edges of it almost seem to flicker, to tremble. For all of the work the repair teams did all they could do was ensure a small window of safety, both now and at the agreed upon return time, so the pilots must be confident and punch it. Even then, once they pass through the opening into another part of space they aren’t close to their destination. It will take nearly a full day for the pilots to guide the ships safely to their goal.

Then, at last, there it is. A large, shining beacon in silver and white and black out in space. The best translation the Agrii could give of the name of the place is Spaceport NG-102. Their knowledge of it is heavily predicated upon old episodes of The Drift Fleet, which meant they could not be entirely certain that the location was still active, but from initial scans of local space, it’s not only active but it’s grown. Spreading and expanding in almost dendritic fashion in space this is clearly a lively gathering spot. Hundreds upon hundreds of ships seem to be arriving and departing at any moment.

Good thing you have your pilots, otherwise docking procedures might be a bit hairy. But with careful piloting, some back up communications with station command, and a bit of patience, The Glitter Food and The Peanut Party enter the docking queue and are soon locked in to their neighboring docks. Meanwhile, station policies, procedures, and legal notes are beamed across for the Captains (as that is what station command will see the Pilots as) and their Security Chiefs to review and distribute to their crews before coming aboard.

Whether people read the instructions or not really is up to them, but maybe the little cheat sheets that can be related to communication devices will be useful. After all, how are you supposed to learn about initial decontamination procedures, or receive the extremely generalized and frightfully undetailed maps, or learn how to differentiate between station security, station staff, and anyone who doesn’t directly work for the station administration.

After your ships’ respective medical staffs guide He Rows through initial decontamination processes in the airlocks, He Rows are finally given the ability to roam the station. There is a lot to get and while your scheduled meet up at the portal location is weeks away, no one can be certain how long it will take to get everything you need. At first the extensive time frame might have seemed silly, but now that you are here and evaluating the twists and turns of maps, watching various aliens go past, and realizing you’re not automatically understanding every single language you hear (unless you have the Communications expertise or other abilities), well, it’s starting to look like you might need that extra time.

What’s more, He Rows will quickly find that the previous concern the Agrii had over not being able to provide enough funds will prove true. Merchants at various locations will be happy to trade for some of what you have, or to give you temporary employment in exchange for other things that are needed or valuable trade goods. Perhaps the more conniving can find less than legal means to secure funds, though they will need to be careful not to fall on the wrong side of station security. There’s also some value to be had in charm and quick wits when it comes to making good deals.

And boy are there ever a lot of good deals that could be made here. Spaceport NG-102 is expansive in an impressive way. There are small ‘runner bikes’ piloted by drones that can be ‘hired’ at no cost to quickly ferry people and goods across the large station, and you will need them as an attempt to cross on foot from one side to the other could easily take a day, and that’s if you don’t get lost. There are also outdoor shuttles that can carry He Rows back to the section of the station where the ships are docked. But mostly they will take you around to the variety of commerce hubs, or near to docked ships where people are selling right out of cargo holds, and other various amenities. Honestly, when you think about it, this place might be less of a spaceport and more of a strange mix between a mall and an international airport.

Because of this there is enough variety in shops to make one content for years to come. Do you want some more seasoned wood to take back to Agra-10 to build? There’s a supplier for that. What about plas-crete mixes that set fast and sturdy rebar and frames so you can quickly build or rebuild skyscrapers? Yep, you can get that. Oh wait, is that all too heavy for you to lift into place? Why not buy a portable, size adjusting power crane. Maybe building isn’t your thing and you really could go for a candy store the size of a city block. Just check to make sure what you’re buying is for carbon based lifeforms.

There are vendors for food, for bulk supplies, for clothes, for jewelry, for anything you could ever want or need. In fact, there are even stores that seem to specialize in mundane items from your home world, though the people selling it are definitely not from any world you know. Still, where else in the world are you going to get a charger for your smartphone, or your favorite board game, or a properly made chili dog? There’s even rumors that there might be other, more illicit markets to get you supplies that station security would by no means approve of.

Yet a good He Row knows that there is more of value in the world than simple material objects. What was that saying? Right, knowledge is power, and perhaps there is some to be had here. In fact, there must be, because every now and then one of the passing aliens or vendors may look at you just a bit sideways. This may result in them hurrying on to get away from you, or perhaps they are so unnerved that they fumble their negotiating and you get something for far less than you would have thought possible. With enough time, observation, persuasion, and liberal eavesdropping you might even be able to figure out just why that is.

And then there’s the glimpses you get in passing through the press of crowds. Rarely, very rarely, perhaps happening only once or twice to a handful of He Rows, there might be a hint of something familiar in the distance. Pink skin, three large eyes, four limbs, a mouth full of very sharp teeth, and often traveling in groups that tower over others. If you didn’t know any better you might think those were Agrii in the distance, but surely not, right? You would have noticed if one had snuck onto the ship and disembarked with you, right? No, you must be imagining things.

All told this space station seems to have plenty to do, a lot of chances to stock up for the long term or improve your lives on Agra-10, and for those mindful of your mission here, all the parts you could need to restore the Agrii ship to full working order. Just remember that you might need to come up with a way to get past the red forcefield to affect your final repairs. Other than that, He Rows, Spaceport NG-102 is your oyster, and it’s time to get your fill of it. You’ve got several weeks, you’ve got a home base on your ships, and you’ve got a shopping list.

Let’s see what you can do with it. And how much you might learn before someone invariably lands themself in hot water.

FAQ
What are the dates of Part Two of the event?

OOCly the event starts tonight February 26th and lasts until March 29th. In Character this event starts about one week after the explosion on the Agrii ship, and will last until just before the ships are due back at the portal on March 29th. At that point we will move into part three.

This is the longest part of the event due to the amount of items He Rows need to acquire, the work they’ll have to do along the way, and the exploration and investigation they can get themselves up to, thus we wanted to give it the most time to give you space to work with.

Can we opt out of this event?

He Rows can opt out by usual means of hiatus. As normal they will disappear when hiatus starts, and reappear at the fountain on their home ship upon their return, unless by that point we have returned to Agra-10 and then their return will be at the Temba fountain. There is no means to opt out by staying with the Agrii. He Rows are not obligated to leave their home ships though.

I was on hiatus for the last portion of the event. Can I still take part in this?

Yes! He Rows will appear at their ship’s fountain when they return from Hiatus, no matter if it’s now or at some point later in this event. They’ll probably need some active briefing from their fellows about what is going on, but they’ll still be able to take part in what is going on.

How much will we stand out here?

Barely at all. This place is booming with a sprawl of alien species, very few of which are alike. If you can imagine it, you can probably see it here. He Rows will have no trouble at all, blending in, and need not bother to try. Actually, if anything, you seem to be noticeable for other reasons…

How much is language going to be a barrier here?

On average players that do not have the Communications datapoint (or some other ability which renders language barriers moot), you will probably understand and be able to speak to around half of the people you encounter. The other half don’t seem to be magically translated. There is good news though. It will not take long to find vendors selling a variety of translation units. These are small devices, usually designed to go over the ear (and since they are designed for a ton of races you’ll be able to find something that works for you if you are non-human), and will provide a running translation of what you’re hearing. You will need to take the associated receiver that is worn like a ring at the individual you are trying to listen to.

These seem very common on the ship, and you will often see strangers making surreptitious gestures to activate translators. These are, though, quite costly, so you may instead choose to rely on your Communications companions, or just go for good old fashioned pantomime. For those that want to take their device apart, you might be able to get the parts as an Engineer to make additional copies, and those with the Communications expertise can copy over the programming and link these new devices up with the station auto-translate subroutines they run on. Once you leave the station these devices will no longer function, so maybe you’ll choose not to buy one because of that..

How hard is it to navigate in this station?

Very. Think of an ant colony and then expand it several times out. And you’re the ants. This place is complex. There are regions in it that may specialize in one type of good or another, but it’s not universal. Rapid transit between areas can be achieved by drone-piloted runner bikes on station (best for navigating within a specific region or between two neighboring regions), or through auto-piloted skimmer shuttles that will move around the outside of the station to shortcut between greater distances. These require no fees to use.

In general the maps provided by station security are not going to be as effective as you’d want. It’s better to ask for directions. Though He Rows with certain expertises will find they have what seems to be a knack for finding related commerce centers without really trying. It’s unnerving, but useful.

How do we get funds for our purchases here?

This is really going to depend on the character. Are they good with negotiations (whether they have Comms or not)? Then they might find it useful to barter with vendors using the trade goods the Agrii tried to provide, as well as resources on the ships themselves. Please don’t take any major pieces of the ship apart, though. He Rows will also find that new and novel plants are worth a good bit here, so those with a related database or experience might be able to make headway with money there. There is also working for payment or in exchange for what you want. Great opportunities for work will be listed below, in relation to expertises, but in general if your character could potentially make a living doing it back home, there might be someone in the market for it here. That includes but is not limited to: food service, all sorts of repairs and crafts, guard/security duty, entertainment, animal handling, and even data entry.

And yes, we do mean anything you could do back home. There is absolutely a shady underbelly here, there are crimes going on, and you can avail yourself of them. Join a short term crew for a robbery, channel your scam artist side and sell properties and timeshares on Agra-10, use magic or other means to deal in things people have not seen here, become a black market medic. But be warned, you can fall afoul of the law.

What about casinos?

Strangely enough, there are none here. Sorry about that. There doesn’t seem to be gambling here at all.

What happens if we’re caught by station security doing something illegal?

You will get arrested. All arrests will result in being put in holding until you either 1) repay your debt to society (in the form of money/goods), 2) perform sufficient public service, or 3) the final departure time for the He Rows approaches. In all cases your ‘Captain’ (aka the Pilots of your ship) and the ‘Security Staff’ (aka Security expertise members of your ship) will receive immediate notification of your arrest and what for. They will be asked to come acquire you if you do not immediately commit to your form of punishment. Anyone still in jail at the time the ships depart the station will find themselves awakening in their room on the ship one day later as the ship approaches the portal location.

Can we stage a jailbreak and/or be confined to the ship?

Yes. In the case of the latter if you refuse to do your repayment the Pilot and/or Security forces of your ship can negotiate your release contingent on you not being allowed to leave your ship again. If this is chosen you will be on house arrest and those with Security Expertise can place a lock down on the ship to prevent your departure (by mundane means, teleporting or other powers that may bypass the docking area would still function). If you choose a jailbreak your face(s) will be on all security and update monitors in the ship, so chances are people are going to try and turn you in for the funds or good graces of station security. Either way it’s unwise to be on the station with station security on your bad side.

What would count as illegal actions here?

Mostly the usual. Theft of all forms, violence performed while not contracted for security work or done in clear and witnessed self-defense, kidnapping, murder, black market purchases/sales, smuggling, basically what you’d expect. Public intoxication may only have a night in the drunk tank if you start violence, public nudity is actually strangely enough not a concern due to differing cultural practices. We do remind you though that you should tag appropriately and per game rules characters must be 15+ to be involved in any drug/alcohol use, and 18+ for anything sexual or involving nudity. These rules are always in place and we haven’t had anyone cross that line before, but please do keep it in mind here. And remember, no top leveling anything related to smut. If your character is going to go streaking or skinny dipping in a hallway or pool on the station, that happens somewhere in the course of the thread and gets a tag, not as the start.

How likely are we to get caught if we do commit crimes?

It depends on how obvious the crime was. Do it in front of active cameras or security personnel, it will go up drastically. But in general we first say ‘get caught if that sounds fun to you’. Secondly, the more showy the crime, the more likely you are to get caught. Thirdly, roll a d3 and if you get a one, get caught. And finally if none of those really make up your mind for you, drop into the questions below, outline your crime, and ask us to decide for you (but only do this if you really believe you’d be happy with either result and just can’t make up your mind.

Would going armed be considered an issue with station security?

Yep, but only in some situations. Those individuals with the Security Expertise are allowed to carry weapons openly on their person, whether they be personal weapons or those provided by the Security Expertise. The good news is that your fellows with said Expertise are also more than capable of helping people hide most weapons about their person. Larger weapons this will be harder with, but consult with your fellows when it comes to sneaking weapons off of the ship, though please also try and err toward the side of smaller weapons to make it easier on them.

How difficult will it be to get the parts we need to repair the Agrii ship?

Honestly, the greatest barrier to acquiring the parts you need (except for a means past that troublesome force field) is going to be money. There’s plenty of room in the cargo hold, there’s a seemingly endless amount of vendors, there’s plenty of time. By the end of this period we’re assuming the He Rows acquire everything they need to affect repairs of the Agrii ship. What’s more, we’re assuming you can get what you want to possibly upgrade your ships (please report upgrades to us with a comment on the Ships page) in small ways, and even get supplies for Agra-10. You’re finally in a place where the technology level matches some of your need, and you may in fact be able to affect some actual long term improvements to Agra-10 if you desire. Remember to report major changes to Temba/Sh’Ka that may result from purchases here on the appropriate Maps page.

Can I find [insert canon world appropriate foodstuff or plant here]?

Provided the food/plant is not rare, yes. This is both in terms of restaurants, preserved foods, and plantable things. Have you missed onions? Go grab seeds. Are you craving blue milk? It’s for sale somewhere. Would you really just love some gyshal pickles? They smell like feet but they’re tasty and you can buy them by the pickle or the barrel.

There are only two stipulations. First is that is that all plants/seeds must go through a quarantine period on the ships in a designated part of the cargo hold for a few weeks (seedlings/saplings/small plants often come in biocontainers meant to handle their needs for up to a month), and can only be planted on the ships. Second is that you probably won’t be able to get a lot of any one given thing. Tastes of home in your personal garden? Yes. Able to start your own soy based economy to conquer the universe with your monoculture powers? No.

What about animals

Animals that are raised for meat or byproducts like eggs/milk/fibers can be gained at a maximum of ten animals (nine female, one male). Animals acquired for companionship (aka pets) will always seem to be just too expensive. So no new pets guys.

You know, this is a spaceport. Could I maybe hire a ship to take me home?

Oh absolutely! Go ahead and use your valuable trade goods to get yourself a sweet comfort level too. Wait, you think there’s a string attached to this offer? Yeah, there is, you got us. He Rows can get on any outbound transport they want, whether they pay for it or stow away or get kidnapped. But the minute the ship clears local space, the He Row will wake up back in their room on their assigned ship. Sorry, no getting out of here that easily. Oh, and you’re out your funds. At least your stuff came back with you.

What sort of things can we find in the black market?

The usual sorts of ‘illegal’ things. Intoxicants that may be banned in other places, weapons that are really dangerous (and sadly won’t work when you get them back to Agra-10), medicines and medical tools deemed ‘too dangerous’ for use by medical professionals, tools of the trade for crimes. Oh, and one other thing. If you make it to the Black Market you may hear rumors that someone has crafted the ultimate in B&E (Breaking and Entering) tools, but no one has managed to meet their price yet. Maybe someone should hop over and take a look. Below you will find a sign up thread. You may volunteer one of your characters for this, and two to three will be selected by RNG (amount depends upon how many sign up for this). Qualifications for sign ups will be listed in the comment.

Okay, you’ve specifically called out pink people, you KNOW we have to ask. What is going on?

And for that particular investigation, check the comments for sign-ups. Again, please sign up with only one of your characters. A selection of four to six characters (depending on the number that sign up) will be chosen at random to catch additional glimpses and find some success regarding their investigations. Each character will come away with different information, and those that choose to work in teams on a thread may pick up something extra.

We have some suggestions for skills that would be useful for characters in this investigation in the sign up thread. Please note, your character cannot be selected for this investigation if one of yours was selected for the Black Market ‘Ultimate in B&E tools’ group. That RNG will be run first, followed by this one. If there are not enough sign ups in this and someone who was selected for B&E Device signed up for this as well with a different character, they may receive a character in this as well. In the comment thread there will be a suggested list of expertises/skills that would be useful in this investigation, but unlike with the black market, they are not required.

I didn’t get selected for either the black market or the pink people, or I’m not interested. Is there anything special for me to investigate?

Oh yes, very much. Remember how we noted that sometimes people here almost seem to recognize you? How sometimes this causes them to run away or seem nervous or you get a really great deal out of it? Well surely that’s something. Anyone with the will to do so can look into this particular event, though we suggest in the long run either having or teaming up with someone of Communications or Engineering expertise to help facilitate your investigations.

Finding out more will mean finding a way to get someone to talk to you. This could be through charisma, bribes, or intimidation, or perhaps something we can’t even imagine on our own. Using whatever leverage you apply across multiple NPCs (this can be handwaved if you want), He Rows will learn that there are rumors that there are still ways to watch the old Drift Fleet. At certain hours and on certain wavelengths you can find a weak transmission signal, and if you decode that onto a suitable visual media device, you’ll find what seems to be feeds from Agra-10.

Anyone who really wants to dive into this should leave a comment in the appropriate thread below to find out what you see on the video feed (presumed maximum of five minutes of watching before you lose the signal despite best efforts).

Once a He Rows learns of and views this transmission it is up to you whether they put together that this is a live feed or an old one. And if you think they are cunning enough, they might be able to transfer that clout when it comes to aliens who recognize you for favors. After all, the Drift Fleet and their Atroma controllers carried a reputation. Though maybe that reputation is not a positive one. Think carefully before you apply the Drift Fleet name to your advantage.

Is there anything special for Drift Fleet Alumnus?

Of course. These lucky few will be instantly recognizable. In fact, you may even run into old fans of yours! This could easily be leveraged for free meals, help with acquiring supplies, or even finding resources on the ship.

My character has no datapoint expertise, but there are cool things for different ones. AmI going to miss out?

Nope. Remember that the ships now have mini data points. They aren’t perfect, but they will give you enough to interact with anything going on here that requires expertise. Remember, touch a data point once to get the expertise, touch it a second time to remove it, or touch any other one to swap it out. We’re really okay with you changing on the fly here if you want to or find it will make some things easier/more fun. Expertises are here to give you new/special ways to interact with our event. But you can still also get up to a lot of stuff with just your personal skills, or by completely winging it. You could walk into this event with no expertise, no skills beyond being coordinated enough not to trip over your own shoelaces, and still find yourself in shenanigans.

Hey, my character has been on a personal task/project/mission ____ for a while. Is there something here which could help them?

Probably. Get in touch with us in the questions below and we’ll see what we can arrange.

I have other questions, can I -?

You know the drill. Ask them below.

One last thing before I go. Is there any way that you could give us a handy list of what sort of benefits different expertises might give us while we’re on the station?

Oh how sweet of you to ask. Of course. Check the comments below.

Comments

Questions And Comments?

[trpmods]

Please ask them here to make sure we see them.

[thepurpleone]

Maybe a dumb question but what does B&E stand for?

[newmemorywhodis]

So, how much of an issue will Link and his small arsenal of weapons be? He doesn’t have Security, and while he could be convinced to leave the bow and shield behind Link will be extremely reluctant to be parted from the Master Sword.

Or like, is he going to need to hide it under a blanket or something?

[sinistral]

1. Those individuals with the Security Expertise are allowed to carry weapons openly on their person

These lucky few [Drift Fleet alums] will be instantly recognizable.

Can a Fleet alum with the Atroma-given Security specialty can walk around armed? Even though there's no Agrii-related specialty at all?

2. In fact, you may even run into old fans of yours

Is fan mail back? Sponsor gifts? Weird side effects of the popularity rankings from the Fleet?

Does the Atroma implant give any advantage for translation? I don't care either way; if so I might play with the idea but if not there's more than enough other content.

[wearingthestars]

Are there any alien species either Billy or Jan would recognize?

Re: Questions And Comments?

[tempredmental]

Actually... something I wanted to clarify a bit here and probably should have asked sooner, but... since Pilots seem to have some special "privileges" that seem somewhat command-ish related, would that count as a way for someone to be able to carry a weapon without a security specialty?

[newmemorywhodis]

With the Pink alien investigation team ups to find more information - is the idea that these are additional investigations following on from the info revealed to each character? Or is it during them?

Basically, Link and Keith will be teaming up and I'm wondering where to start the thread for it. Like, should both Link and Keith encounter the rhino/blue lynel and secretary bird fan together? Or do they have those encounters separately and then team up?

[newmemorywhodis]

Question on gathering funds - is there anywhere on the spaceport where one could essentially go 'scavenging' for things to sell?

No worries if there isn't, but since Link's usual money-making MO is 'go out and Collect All The Things and then sell it', I'm wondering if there might be any equivalent here. (Like say, places where valuables might often get lost and be hard to access, etc etc)

Re: Questions And Comments?

[sinistral]

I'M BACK

Aside from supplies needed by the Agrii, can the He Rows find additional "life" supplies? I.e., clothing, bedding, cook supplies, tents, etc., etc. What are the limits on "reasonable" supplies? Obviously don't go out and buy an army's worth of rifles but how many clothes or blankets or whatever could someone get? Whatever would fit in a suitcase, or whatever would fill a room?

I see that above we've specifically called out limits for parts/technology (for the ships, but I'm also assuming technology that could be used back on the planet i.e., a new well pump or satellite dish or something) and food supplies. But I'm talking less about that and definitely more about the creature comfort types of things.

The question comes from the perspective of: I'm here in this spaceport and I'm specifically thinking that I replicated or scrounged necessities after the volcano took out most of Temba/Sh'Ka and now I'm at "what would I want to replace after a natural disaster". It's probably a little more "nice to haves" than "strictly necessary", if that makes sense. Idk you guys this was clear and concise in my head and now I'm rambling.

Transmission Question

[thepurpleone]

Did I ask this already I don't think I did

But is the signal traceable for the transmission feed? Like, is it coming directly from Temba or being bounced off from somewhere else, etc.

Black Market Investigation Sign-Ups

[trpmods]

Each player may sign a maximum of one of their characters up to be involved in finding the ‘Ultimate in B&E Tools’. Please do so by replying to this comment using the character’s account. Winners will be chosen randomly on March 2nd. For more information see the FAQ above or ask questions to the question comment for further clarification, but add ‘Black Market Investigation’ as the subject line.

All characters submitted must fit at least one of the following qualifications:

-Security Expertise

-Engineering Expertise

-Law Enforcement/Military Experience

-Criminal/Mercenary Experience

Do You Think You Have A Fitting Qualification Not Listed?

[trpmods]

Tell us about it here and make your argument for why your character would be good at finding a black market. If we agree you'll get a thumbs up to sign up.

[the_freak]

-Engineer
-Criminal Experience
-twitchy fingers <3

Re: Black Market Investigation Sign-Ups

[in_extremis]

If this team lucks out, Tony can be the charming Face while the rest of you gremlins get weird.

Pink Alien Investigation Sign-Ups

[trpmods]

Each player may sign a maximum of one of their characters up to be involved in seeking information on the pink aliens on Spaceport NG-102. Please do so by replying to this comment using the character’s account. Winners will be chosen randomly on March 2nd after the Black Market Investigation group has been chosen. For further information see the FAQ above or ask questions to the question comment for further clarification, but add ‘Pink Alien Investigation’ as the subject line.

While there are no specific qualifications He Rows will have an easier time if they meet one or more of the following characteristics:

-Communications Expertise

-Security Expertise

-Good Interpersonal Skills

-Experience with Interrogations

-Experience with Bribery

-Charismatic or Intimidating Presence

-A Weapon

Do You Think You Have A Fitting Qualification Not Listed?

[trpmods]

Tell us about it here and make your argument for why your character would be good at finding out information about the Pink Aliens. If we agree you'll get a thumbs up to sign up.

Request A Transmission Interception

[trpmods]

Please reply to this comment with a character to receive a brief description of what transmission the He Row picks up. Please also note what Expertise, if any, the He Row has, as this might affect what they take away from the video.

Re: Request A Transmission Interception

[in_extremis]

Of course Tony is intrigued by people seeming to recognize him. He has Communications still. Usual possible modifiers: he's an engineer, his brain is a computer, he has technopathic abilities

(frozen comment) How Could My Expertise Be Useful?

[trpmods]

Because you know it's always a question. Here there are some starter ideas (though not for lack of expertise, as this is specifically about how expertises give edges or additional duties).

(frozen comment) Piloting

[trpmods]

In addition to the inherent need for Pilots to ensure safe transit to and from NG-102 and a secure docking procedure, Pilots will be seen as the Captains and Commanders of their respective ships by spacedock personnel. This status of perceived rank will apply only to those who were a Pilot at the time of docking. Anyone may pick up the expertise after that but will be perceived as lower level command staff.

The Piloting Expertise will be useful for (though not limited to):

-Piloting the ships to and from Spaceport NG-102 as well as handling docking and undocking procedures.

-Initiating linkage of spacedock to Cargo Hold for loading goods

-Ensure no damage to ships during above processes

-Innate understanding of ship repair and thus supporting Engineers (for instance, they can tell at an almost instinctual level ‘this works as a replacement’ or ‘this will hold up to the power draw’ while Engineers will require calculations and to double check their results)

-Handle issues that arise if other He Rows assigned to their ship are jailed or reprimanded by spacedock security, including release from jail.

-Perceived as ‘authority’ figures over the rest of the He Rows (wrongly of course), and so more likely to get information about them from Spacedock Security/Administration as needed

Black Market and Pink Alien Related Results/Questions

[trpmods]

Told you we'd need this.

Black Market RNG Winners

Eddie Munson
Tony Stark
Cayde

Pink Alien RNG Winners

Steve Rogers
Link
Radley
Keith
Jughead

Black Market Information

[trpmods]

It takes some doing but, independently or together, the three come to the same conclusion. They meet at a shop that seems built off of a maintenance corridor at the same time, encountering an Alien that seems to refer to itself in the third person called Smoool. Smoool looks like three chartreuse anteaters with curly fur and prehensile tails in a trench coat.

Actually, Smoool is three chartreuse anteaters with curly fur and prehensile tails in a trench coat. They are definitely perched on each other's shoulder's and using their tails for balance. It is probably polite not to point out either this or the fact that the umber colored trenchcoat is not really flattering on them.

But that's unimportant. What's important is that you are here, and you have the combination of know-how, charm, and question asking to confirm what rumors have told you. Smoool even confirms it itself (themself? themselves? Pronouns are hard with aliens). After some hemming and hawing (which sounds interesting from three long snouts that sometimes neon purple tongues flick out of in rhythm), Smoool confirms that yes, Smoool is very good at getting into places. Everyone know Smoool has secret means. But why should Smoool give secret means to you?

After some questions the He Rows will be able to determine what this 'Ultimate Breaking & Entering Tool' actually is. Smoool even shows it off. The top anteater displays a wand about as thick around as a AA battery and almost two feet long. Smoool made it Smooolself (and from the pleased look of the middle anteater, that's probably the Smoool that did it), with Smoool's help of course. Oh, what does it do?

It overrides the pattern buffers of forcefields. Long version, it's a combination of hacking, a power surge, and something 'extra special thrown in' (Smoool's own words) that will shut down any forcefield. But the device has limited charges (which it has six of). Only Smoool knows how to make this device. Made of many rare things, very secret. Smoool is very proud. Would sell it too, but...

Well, it looks awkward here. Clearly it has a price in mind but doesn't know how to ask it. With enough wheedling, convincing, and effort, the He Rows will find that Smoool might part with the device for a price. And offers two very different options.

1) Smoool has rival attempting to build similar device. Mass market. Problem is that it usually leads to not small explosions. People get hurt. He Rows can attempt to steal the information for the prototype of this less effective device and destroy the lab where it is being produced. This will be highly dangerous. Smoool cannot trust this job to just anyone, but Smoool knows who you are, He Rows. Seen you on the broadcast. Smoool knows many things and believes you can achieve this, and will give the Smooolsher (yes, it is named after Smooolself), in reward.

OR

2) This one is more shyly offered, with side glances from bottom Smoool toward Tony, and middle Smoool toward Eddie. You see, there is this other, named Thaaal. Thaaal very pretty. Coat matches all six of Thaaal's eyes. Smoool seems very nervous when talking about Thaaal, very whispered tones. Very awkwardly, almost in a whisper that is hard to hear, Smoool maybe suggests that possibly Smoool can hire normal mercenaries to deal with fake Smooolsher, but only if He Rows maybe help get Thaaal to notice Smoool? Yes, that's right. Smoool's asking for romance help.

OR [and this one isn't suggested by Smoool of course]

3) Rob Smoool.


Which do you choose, He Rows? Feel free to ask questions in relation to the various options, but we do ask for a decision reached by the three before we give final results. We do not require this thread to be tagged out, it can be handwaved, we leave it to you.

Details on the Smooolsher will be given after a decision is reached (and thus a conclusion presumably achieved).

Plotting with Tony!

[in_extremis]

I will break the seal on this one too I guess YOU BETTER ANSWER ME

We're here a while so I'm sure this will evolve but some initial thoughts:
1. Tony's superpower is Being Rich so he's once again going to tap into that and very rapidly either have money, or have a lot of people convinced that he has money. So, if you want to do fancy rich people things, like big parties on boats, or fancy horse racing, or colonialism, let me know what you have in mind. Alternately, we could do the Rich People Grooming thing, and go shopping and get matching manicures and brazilian waxes.

2. There's definitely going to be some kind of escape attempt, though I'm not sure of the parameters of that yet. He might try to buy a ship, or maybe just get himself on TV to get a message out to the wider galaxy to make contact with anyone that might help.

3. Speaking of TV, he got himself a spooky message! If anyone wants to see the weird transmission he managed to track down, or go with him on the adventure of perfecting the perfect receiver for it, let me know.

4. I'm really overwhelmed by the breadth of things that can be bought, and do not know how to narrow my focus. Things to upgrade the ships, things to bring back to Temba, things to eat, idk. Help.

[thepurpleone]

I completely forgot the plotting part of this post

3!!!!! Adventuring plz. Donnie's definitely going to be part hunting but he's probably also going to be eager to see EVERYTHING because this is more like it, come on! Space mall and they don't have to break in at night!

He also picked up Temba transmissions but they're not as helpful. Still something. Breadcrumbs enough for him to pounce at.

The Plotting Part

[thepurpleone]

that I totally forgot about

Freeform as per usual.

Donnie's going to be a mall gremlin but this is like, the first active public place IN SPACE that they've been to and he is all over it. Given he's probably the only person in his family who actually figures out ways to make money, it won't take him long to start doing business so he can have something to spend. He'll sacrifice a few of his propagated plants (because bloodvines are totally something that should be spread across the galaxy right? Riiiight) for the right price, he'll repair and revamp tech if it'll get him some sweet discounts, or just to prove that YES he is completely capable of making use of that very fancy gadgetry so eateth thy words!!

...oh right, he supposes he should also shop for repair parts for the ship too, yeah, didn't...didn't forget about that, no HEY LEO WANNA TAKE SOME SICK SELFIES

He was already running low on sleep even before this venture began and now he'll be fueled on adrenaline waves and space coffee. Catching some strange comm activity somehow will certainly not help with that. Oh right. His comms are still wonk so he probably won't be answering any communication attempts but that's...probably all right.

[winsomelosesome]

....high Eddie meets turtle for first time? Something something, hilarity ensues?

Devon's Assorted Peoples (Billy K/Wiccan, Eddie, Peter B, Jan)

[winsomelosesome]

Some vague ideas/wants/starting points for my characters. If anything strikes you, hit me up and we can hash it out.

Billy K
-catch up with his favourite ppl
-look for Skrulls or other known to him aliens/word of Earth
-cultural misunderstanding gets him in trouble with the law??

Eddie
-pack rat as much shit from home as possible
-work odd jobs (legal), artist, courier, other suggestions???
-work odd jobs (not so legal), dealing drugs, petty theft, grand theft...spaceship?
-get/sample space drugs?
-nerd out about space
-get arrested???

Peter B
-eat SO much Earth food
-try to barter a ride home and fail :(
-lose May and force people into babyhunt 2024

Jan
-barter and smooth talk her way into as much money as possible
-see what alien fashion is like, sample alien food, fight alien crime
-smuggle herself/others out of here and fail :(

BILLLLYYYYYYY

[doubled_speed]

Spend time with Bro. Come on. DO IT YOU NERD

Plotting with the Soldier

[sinistral]

Oh boy this one is a doozy.

This guy here is Drift Fleet famous so the spaceport will be a exercise in the side effects of ~*~*popularity*~*~. Some beats I'm thinking of hitting:
1. convincing him to use his popularity for the good of the Agrii cause
2. putting on a happy face and acting more open because that's how he was for a large part of his time in the fleet - also just generally appearance cleanup, walking around with the arm uncovered for visibility, accepting that being seen will help smooth the way to getting the supplies the Agrii need
3. convincing him to actually go by Bucky again, which he used for about half of his time in the Fleet
4. setting up as a self defense teacher/teaching workshops on the station, either in exchange for currency or to barter for needed supplies
5. some translation services???
6. the general weirdness of walking around with someone highly recognizable?
7. gifts?? free food???
8. other weirdness???????

In summary, local wannabe hermit finds himself popular and has to not only deal with that, but leverage it to help the Agrii cause (and possibly your characters' individual causes too lbr). Heckling welcome, awkward conversations welcome, assistance for classes welcome, if you can imagine it on an alien space station, I'm sure we can find a way to do it. We can plot here, or you can hit me up via PM or on plurk (sometimesamuse), whatever floats your boat.

Honesty up front: I'm unlikely to put up anything around this event until at least the 15th, because I have enough ongoing threads that I'd like to get a little further to help shape future interactions. I'm perfectly fine with handwaving some earlier event things if you like, or jumping into someone else's post(s), but I have a lot going on with work and I don't want to get too overwhelmed by putting up another toplevel so soon.

Leo plotting~

[faceguy]

idk I'm winging this

Leo will be super excited to be at a real live spaceport and he's going to want to go everywhere and explore! he did slap around the data points until he found the Communications one so he's able to talk to some of the locals, though whether you want him helping you... well I'll leave that up to you.

I don't have any definite plans, he'll probably just be enjoying the experience and goofing off honestly. maybe getting into some trouble? I feel like I have to continue the trend of Leo getting arrested so I'd be down for Shenanigans.

Jon & Albert

[sunglassesincluded]

First of: Neither of mine are involved in any of the actual plot stuffs and therefore be free to roam, stumble across others and get in trouble.

Jon

Jon will make some of the locals surprisingly nervous for some reason. Which will lead to some confusion, venting but also to him making some remarkably good deals. Some locals will just give him stuff and he will end up gathering a bit of a collection of offerings made up of random trinkets and foodstuffs. Mostly coffee.

He will also intercept one of the Temba transmissions to puzzle over at some point but be fairly quick to make sense of it - And why some of the locals are so cautious around him.

Obviously he is available for some very lucrative shopping trips and other shenanigans.

Wesker

Everyone's best friend Albert will do what he does best and that is whatever benefits him most. He will make connections among the Station Security, do some mercenary work as well as get involved in highly dubious deals behind tightly closed doors. His goals entail to gather not only information, but also items, tools and resources to assist him with projects left back on Agra-10 as well as new ones. Daddy needs a rocket launcher...

He is open to be bothered, but he won't be giving any lessons on how to become a professional for black market dealings.

Keith

[tempredmental]

So... Keith got some info about pink aliens. He's already talking to Link about what they've learned so far, but I still have that second "additional info" spot open for anyone who wants to also team up with Keith and work something out.

Additionally, Keith is a DF alum, so he's got some celeb appeal for anyone who wants to leverage that or his apparent position of authority as a Pilot. I'm down for people tagging along to get "bonuses" if they want or for Keith having to rescue people from jail or whatever else. Honestly, him rescuing someone from jail really tickles my fancy because LMAO people did that for him when he was a kid. Oh, how the tables have turned.

Additionally, Keith has really good visual memory, so, if anyone's interested, he can very likely pick up on where the station has and hasn't changed from Drift Fleet days in a kind of vague "it was a long time ago" way... if that's something your character would be interested in or something you want to play with in some way. There are definitely going to be areas where he's going to know where he is and what that section of the station is about.

His visual memory is also going to be helpful in locating needed parts if anyone wants to take him or send him shopping.

As a pilot, and also as a fighter, Keith will probably be picking up some gig work to earn some extra money for things, doing things like "Space Uber" around the station, maybe working some nights at various entertainment venues as a bouncer. Sure, he doesn't look intimidating, but he's scrappy and has a lot of experience. Also, as a pilot, he's allowed to carry a small weapon... so you can rest assured that his bayard is with him at all times.

[serpentigena]

I would be down for some pink alien info teamups!