Forum Game: the UEFS Shrike

[WHAM]

> Think: Boarding Protocol

The Jibril will extend a boarding bridge, a sort of metallic tube with a number of airlocks built in, and attach it to the primary external airlock on the Shrike's hull. Once the seal is complete, the boarding team will pass the airlocks and enter the Shrike.

Once there the boarding team will first establish communications with the Jibril, and then move on the secure their mission objectives.

While the Shrike is considered a friendly ship, the status of it's crew and security systems are unknown, so the boarding party consists of MARINES equipped for full-scale shipboard battle, mostly for their own protection.


> Whistle "What shall we do with the drunken spaceman" to hide your impatience.



You whistle impatiently. After the first few tunes, the comms-officer joins in. A few moments pass.

"20 seconds to docking, slowing the Jibril down." -the commns officer intones after your musical number ends.



> Ask for more information about the WEIRD READINGS. Preferably before docking is complete.

"Still no idea what they are, captain. They come and go irregularly, and I'm still not entirely sure if it's even a signal and not just a malfunction or random noise. The Jibril's computers are working on decryption protocols and signal identification algorithms to see of we can learn more."




You feel the vibrations running through the hull of the Jibril change.

"Captain, we've reached the Shrike. Extending the docking bridge now."

You watch as the holographic shapes representing the two ships morph and change shape. The narrow passage of the docking bridge extends slowly from the Jibril and finally reaches the Shrike.
The dots representing boarding team's position enter the first of the three airlock segments of the connecting bridge.

It's quiet.

[JudasFm]

> Order two of the more experienced Marines in the boarding party to remain at the first airlock, just in case there's trouble aboard and we have to make a rapid exit. They can provide covering fire for anyone needing to get off the Shrike in a hurry.

[Crimson Wizard]

Can we actually command marines on per-person level? I've got an impression that they have their own plans for this operation.

"Sir, me and my men will use the ship-to-ship triple-airlock docking bridge to transit from the Jibril to the Shrike. Once aboard, we will establish a communication uplink via the transit bridge if possible, and via the wireless gear if not. After this, we have two objectives:

One: search and rescue, if necessary, any members of the Shrike's crew and transport them to the Jibril.
Two: study the current status of the Shrike's drives to see if the ship's engines can be used to transport the ship under it's own power.

Our team will report back to you every ten minutes while aboard the Shrike. In case of emergency the transit bridge can be separated and me and my men can exfiltrate using our suits to minimize any danger to the Jibril.

Hrrrmmmmm.... how do I say this.... forgive my English...
> Recall the level of command you have over marines (whether you may command them on will, including orders contradicting with their primary task).

[cat]

> Contact marines and ask for status report

[NightHawk]

>Grab a coffee and wait for the team to report in.

[JudasFm]

Can we actually command marines on per-person level? I've got an impression that they have their own plans for this operation.

I wondered about that myself, but thinking about it, I don't see why not. Our character is the captain of the ship, after all. Rather than the Marines operating completely separately and having nothing to do with the bridge, I was under the impression that a squad of Marines had been placed at our disposal to command as we see fit

[WHAM]

> Order two of the more experienced Marines in the boarding party to remain at the first airlock, just in case there's trouble aboard and we have to make a rapid exit. They can provide covering fire for anyone needing to get off the Shrike in a hurry.



You nod to yourself as you note that the marines are following the boarding plan you previously revised. Two of them are staying back in the first airlock, while the other two, along with their gear, are moving on through the second one.

After a short while the two leading marines cycle the third airlock and enter the Shrike, their signal becoming weaker as they pass beneath the shielded hull of the spaceship.


> Contact marines and ask for status report



"Master Sergeant, give us a SITREP." -you send over the comms.

A slightly distorted image of the marine comes over, the ship's computer clearly struggling to create a coherent comm-link despite the packet loss and noise.

"Captain, we-- reached th-- Shrike. No sign of cre-- o far. Setti-- p a communications upl-- ndby."

The link shuts down and you are left to wait.


> Grab a coffee and wait for the team to report in.

You decide to send someone to fetch a cup of coffee, despite the inherent dangers of handling a steaming hot cup of liquid while unable to see your own hands in realspace. Just as you are about to make the call, the comms-officer speaks up.

"Captain... you might want to see this." -the Comms officer says, sounding noticeably confused.

"What is it?" -you ask.

A virtual screen flashes up, a signal visualization.

"This is the odd signal you picked up." -you ask.

"Yes captain."

"And it's coming from the shrike?"

"Yes captain."

"What is it?"

"It's... symbols and letters, transmitted in the open as non-standard audio data, coming from somewhere withing the Shrike. Sir, it's a sequence of smiley faces."



You watch as the visualization flickers and flashes through a sequence of images.

[Crimson Wizard]

Are we allowed to use external tools in this game?

I used this: https://www.gif-explode.com/

The letters are:

8) N O H U R T B A A D N O 8)

But since the game characters cannot see my post, maybe

> Order comm officer to split the stream into separate symbols

[WHAM]

Are we allowed to use external tools in this game?

Everything is allowed.

[cat]

Let's google the walkthrough

[selmiak]

_T_T 

>ask 2 marines in airlocks to relay and amp up the communication signal with the 2 marines inside the shrike

[NightHawk]

"Captain, we-- reached th-- Shrike. No sign of cre-- o far. Setti-- p a communications upl-- ndby."

Captain, we have reached the Shrike. No sign of creatures so far. Setting up a communications uplink standby.

>Tell the fireteam about the signal message and tell the airlock team to move up to the third airlock.

[Crimson Wizard]

Captain, we have reached the Shrike. No sign of creatures so far. Setting up a communications uplink standby.

I thought he meant "no sign of crew" or "crew members". I guess "creatures" suits too though, since they are all creatures as well .

[NightHawk]

Crew works too but we don't know what might be on the Shrike or why it didn't report in.

[Stupot]

We have to assume it was 'crew' but nice catch that it could have also meant 'creatures.'

It may be that the Marines have actually been sent to locate a stash of cream puffs.

[WHAM]

> Order comm officer to split the stream into separate symbols

"Store those symbols for later use, and see if the computer can dig up anything else." -you bark at the comms-officer.
He nods, too busy with work to formulate a reply.

> Ask 2 marines in airlocks to relay and amp up the communication signal with the 2 marines inside the shrike

"Marines, see if you can get us a better signal with the boarding team until-"



"CAPTAIN!" -the comms-officer shouts. You see it too: energy readings from the shrike, massive cascades of power running through the ships hull. You've never seen anything like it, especially not on such a small ship as the Shrike.

> Tell the fireteam about the signal message and tell the airlock team to move up to the third airlock.

"Marines, we are receiving an unknown signal from the Shrike, along with anomalous energy readings. Airlock team, move up to the third airlock and-"



The floor underneath your feet shakes and shudders, and several things happen in the span of a few seconds.

Your comms-officer blinks out of the virtual command space, seemingly ejecting himself back into the real world in an instant. There are shouts of alarm both outside of the command bubble as well as on the radio. Several voices all at once exclaiming surprise, emergency and terror.



Then, before you can even say a word, the seemingly dormant Shrike fires it's particle lances all at once, a feat completely and absolutely impossible according to the sensor readings, as well as the laws of physics. Most of the lances are fired wildly at random directions, perhaps to score the surface of a distant world some years from now, but several manage to hit the Jibril. You catch a glimpse of the green system-icons turning yellow, red or blinking out completely as they stop responding.



Your mind reels in shock and your eyes are filled with static and blue sparks as the virtual reality bubble around you collapses, sending you reeling as your body falls to the cold metal floor of the command bubble. You barely register the comms-officer pulling on your arm, dragging you away from the wildly swinging wires and sparks and flames.

The Jibril shakes and shudders ever more violently and you can hear screams from beyond the door. The deafening noise of alarms, explosions and screams drown out the words as the comms-officer shouts at you, his eyes wide with terror.

There is another explosion, followed by the silence of unconsciousness.



---

*BEEP*

---

*BEEP*

---

*BEEP*

---



The chirping sound echoes around your head. Your eyes are closed, but you can feel the weightlessness around you, and hear the silence of vacuum, apart from the repeating beeping sound.

Your mind reels from the shock of being forcibly removed from the virtual command space, leaving you with a horrendous headache that you can only describe as about fifteen migraines at once. Every muscle aching, every inch of skin like pins and needles and every nerve sparking with pain, you gag, eyes still firmly closed, but manage to avoid vomiting. Small mercy.

*BEEP*

What is that incessant beeping noise!?

[JudasFm]

> Sniff the air and see if it smells like a hospital (disinfectant, etc)

[Mandle]

you gag, eyes still firmly closed,

>Open eyes

[selmiak]

not goood! So:

you gag, eyes still firmly closed,

>Open eyes

[Crimson Wizard]

E: Actually, since we sniff and open eyes, what about
> Try to explore the surrounding space with your fingers.