[Begin a Session: Seemingly unrelated situations are shown to be connected. +1 Momentum (10)]
Breaker's Log - Day Four
The shuttle crash site was closer to the landed starship than Ramshackle was, so it made sense to camp here for the night. Even though the shuttle had settled a bit following my first excursion here, I felt it would be safest to spend the night inside it. JONES was stationed outside, on low-power mode. His sensors should alert me to anything approaching the site.
[Face Danger: +Wits, 4+4 vs 7/9. Weak. -1 Momentum (9)]
We didn't encounter any hostile fauna or raiders throughout the night, but I didn't sleep as well as I would have liked. Every little groaning sound inside the shuttle, every little bump, every little sound outside seemed to wake me, as if danger awaited. In the morning, we loaded up the rover. I was bringing the ship's computer, memory core and flight recorder with us, in the hopes that we might be able to extract more information once we reached the salvage vessel.
[Challenge: "Find the salvage vessel" (Dangerous)]
[Undertake an Expedition: +Wits, 6+4 vs 7/10. Weak. Mark progress (2). Lose Momentum -1 (8)]
[Endure Stress -1 (4). +Spirit, 1+4 vs 2/3. Shake it off, +1 Spirit (5)]
I was not as well-rested as I'd like to be, setting off on a journey into an area I knew only from my map. We traveled a little slower as a result. JONES was unusually inquisitive and talkative, examining each new thing with a sense of curiosity. I didn't expect that from a bot. I would have been glad for the conversation, strange as it was, but I was worried that its chatter might alert any dangerous animals or people in the area. I told him to be quiet unless he detected a threat.
[Undertake an Expedition: +Wits, 1+4 vs 5/10. Miss. Pay the Price (75)]
[Endure Harm -1 (4). +Health, 4+4 vs 6/9. -1 Momentum (7), +1 Health (5)]
Keeping on course meant driving through an area of prickly succulent plants. The spines were painful and caused skin irritation, but I knew that too many of them would probably lead to a reaction. We carefully navigated through the area, trying to avoid driving past or through the densest areas.
[Undertake an Expedition: +Wits, 4+4 vs 6/9. Weak. Mark progress (4).]
[Endure Stress -1 (4). +Spirit, 1+4 vs 1/1. Strong hit with Match. +1 Spirit (5), Opportunity (46)]
As I rolled along wearily, I noticed that the sand and soil in the area had been disturbed. I dismounted to examine the area and I discovered footprints and tire tracks. They were fairly recent, as they had not yet been erased by winds or drifts.
[Secure an Advantage: +Wits, 1+4 vs 2/5. Weak. +2 Momentum (9)]
I wasn't sure if the tracks were left by raiders, or possibly someone else. I didn't know of any other settlements or inhabitants. We had to proceed carefully, but it was a sign that we were heading in the right direction.
[Undertake an Expedition: +Wits, 2+4 vs 4/8. Weak. Mark Progress. Peril.]
Following the tracks, I eventually noticed a plume of dust ahead of us, toward the horizon. I paused and got out my binoculars, hoping to see who or what lay ahead.
[Secure an Advantage: +Wits, 4+4 vs 1/2. Strong. +1 Forward, +1 Momentum (10)]
A few kilometers ahead of us, I saw three people. Two were riding in a buggy similar to mine, another was mounted on a bike. I could not make out too much detail because of all the dust, but they were heading in the direction of the landing site. I had to get there before they did, but if they were raiders there would have to be a fight sooner or later.
[Undertake an Expedition: +Wits, +Forward. 2+4+1 vs 2/9. Weak. Mark Progress (8). Peril]
The way I figured it, there were only two possible encounters. If these people were descendants of the crew, or other settlers, I should be able to interact with them peacefully. If they were raiders, taking them by surprise before they reached the landing site was preferable to giving them a chance to find it and possibly either steal the ship or set up defensive positions there. I sped up, hoping they would not look back and see me approaching.
As I closed in on the vehicles, I could see their clothing and gear were cobbled together from whatever they could find. These people were definitely raiders. Taking them out would keep Ramshackle and any other settlements safer, so I accelerated the buggy to top speed and drew my pistol.
[Enter the Fray: +Edge, 4+3 vs 3/5. In Control]
[Challenge: "Defeat the raiders" (Dangerous)]
[Strike: +Edge, 6+3 vs 3/6. Mark progress twice (4). In control.]
Drawing closer, I aimed not at the biker, but at the driver of the buggy. I fired a few shots and found my target. The buggy slewed from side to side. The passenger tried unsuccessfully to get the buggy under control. Leaping from the vehicle, she shouted a warning to the biker.
[Strike: +Edge, 1+3 vs 1/1. Strong hit with a match! Mark progress twice (8). In control.]
The biker did not appear to have heard the warning over the sound of the vehicle's motor, but turned when they noticed the others were not keeping pace. I stopped my buggy and took careful aim at the biker. He was hit by my fire and fell from the bike, which crashed into the other buggy. Two down, the only bandit remaining was on foot - but no longer caught unaware.
[Gain ground: +Heart, 4+3 vs 4/5. Strong. Mark Progress (10). +1 Forward. In Control]
[Take Decisive Action: 10 vs 6/9. Strong hit.]
The last raider dove for cover behind the damaged buggy. I took careful aim, waiting for her to pop up and try to get a shot off. My patience was rewarded a moment later. The bandit peeked out over the fender, pistol in hand. I did not miss.
I hurried over to the raider vehicles. All three of the bandits were definitely dead. The bike and buggy looked like they had been jury-rigged from whatever scrap and parts they could find. Even my fellow villagers of Ramshackle would say it was junk. With the help of JONES, we dragged the bodies together and quickly covered them with sand and dusty soil. I checked their supplies, and found a little bit of ammo, some water and food that smelled safe to consume.
I wanted to burn the vehicles so that no one else could take them, but I knew that the smoke might attract the attention of others. So I stripped out the most useful components (including the batteries), punctured the tires, and hastily tore out some important wires.
[Secure an Advantage: +Edge, +Forward. 2+3+1 vs 2/4. Strong. +1 Forward]
I was confident that we would not be pursued and that anyone who found the ruined vehicles would not be able to use them. We had traveled quite a distance today, but according to my map, I was close to the landing site. It was late afternoon already, and I hoped we could arrive in time to do a careful inspection of the ship, and move it if possible.
[Undertake an Expedition: +Edge +Forward, 5+3+1 vs 3/3. Strong hit with a Match. Mark Progress (10). Opportunity: "Refuge offers a place to hide, plan or recover"]
[Finish an Expedition: 10 vs 1/7. Strong. +2 ticks to Discoveries legacy track]
As I crested a ridge, I could see my prize before me, tucked into the shelter of some surrounding rock formations. I stopped and examined it from a distance. It was a Vulture-class salvage vessel, so named for its shape and the grappling booms on the front of the ship, which could be swung forward to grasp a module or part to move or remove it from a ship. The name "Scrounger" was painted on the side, and it seemed fitting. The scene matched what I expected from the log entries - a camp had been set up around the vessel, but the shelters and crates around the ship had been scattered and covered by wind and weather.
(Courtesy Johann Schepacz)
The ship looked intact, and I didn't see any sign that it was occupied, so I made a careful approach on foot. The camp site was abandoned and no one had been here for quite some time. I hurried back to the buggy and rolled it down to the landing zone. JONES dismounted to help me evaluate the condition of the ship.
[Gather Information: +Wits, 5+4+1 vs 1/4. Strong]
The ship appeared to be in perfect condition, protected from decades of wind and weather by the surrounding rocks. There was some superficial wear on the paint, and drifts of sand had accumulated around the landing gear. It was sealed tight, and there had been no visible attempts to force entry.
I was starting to realize that the bandits must have only recently heard of the ship and didn't know exactly where to find it until now. I would definitely want to get this thing aloft and out of the area before more of them came around.
"JONES, help me get this thing unlocked and let's have a look inside," I told my bot. It trundled up the ramp and paused by the airlock, extending a probe from its hand into the control panel.
[Secure an Advantage: +Health, 3+3 vs 9/9. Miss. Burn 10 Momentum (reset to 2). Strong hit with match! +3 Momentum (5), +2 ticks to Discoveries legacy track]
"How did you manage that so easily, JONES?" I asked the bot. "You didn't seem to have any problem unlocking it at all."
"I remembered!" JONES proclaimed. "I am learning to reroute my memory banks. I will help you set up new codes to secure your ship!"
[Breaker gains his fourth asset: Starship]
[Repair: +Health, +Gearhead. 6+4+1 vs 4/7. Strong. +2 Momentum (4)]
JONES and I ran a diagnostic on the ship's systems. Power and fuel levels were good, and only minor repairs were necessary to restore the ship to fully operational condition. We set up new security and access codes, and by mid-evening the ship was ready to launch!
JONES seemed to be as excited as I was, if that was possible in a bot. It was pumping its arms in the air, chanting "Fire it up! Fire it up! Fire it up!"
I strapped myself in to the pilot's seat, throttled up slowly and pulled the yoke back gently. I could feel the ship rising out of the sand as the engine exhaust blew it away. In a moment, we were aloft and heading back to Redhaven as the sun set.
