CHAPTER 5: IC - At Sea > NYC to Panama

[jrod]

I would like to hold a class on general first aid during day 2 of the journey for those willing to attend.

[royya]

You can count me as a participant doctor
Father Rucker says with a smile.
You can practice live demonstrations of those who engage in the fist fights on deck

[BenTheRat]

If Martin is feeling well enough he'll attend.

[Job]

That evening of Sept 12th, Professor Moore posted the next day's schedule of events on the large chalkboard in the ship's mess hall.
NOTE: Most courses will change at the beginning of the next week. Professor Moore highlights all additions and changes in the schedule by circling them in green chalk (i.e. in green text below).

Wednesday 13th September 1933
Latitude: N 33° 10’
Longitude W 74° 00’
Google Map travel path
Sunrise: 05:38
Sunset: 18:04
Todays Weather: Overcast, light rain
Wind Speed: 20-25 mph

Today's Classes:

Instructor / Topic / Location
Morning:

• P Rucker / Morning Breakfast Prayer / Ship's Mess
• Sykes / Introduction to cold-weather clothes and equipment / Officer's Mess
  --- STUDENT: G. Barrow
• Greene & Watkins / Antarctic First-Aid / Ship's Medical
  --- STUDENT: C. Bardier
• P Rucker / Antarctic Paleobiology / Ship's Mess
  --- STUDENT: J. Poole

Afternoon:

• G & N Sorensen / Technical Climbing / Crew's Mess
  ---STUDENT: P. Rucker, J. Poole
• P Miles / Aeroplane Maintenance / #2 Tweendeck Hold
• Eriksson / The Pabodie Ice-Drill Operation / #1 Tweendeck Hold
  --- STUDENT: C. Bardier
• ***Boxing Fundamentals will not be held again until next week

Evening:

• Ø Raknes & F Guerini / Mountain Rules / Ship's Mess
  --- STUDENT: P. Rucker
• Griffith / Antarctic Geology / Officer's Mess
  --- STUDENT: J. Poole
• D Halperin & C Bardier / Aerial Navigation / Expedition Lab

Signup for this Saturday:

• Greene / 10-lap Race / Main Deck

[OOC - Note that there are weeks worth of courses during our voyage and the list will normally change week to week. So don't worry about missing out on anything. Be sure to let me know which courses your characters plan to attend because there will be a chance for increasing skill points.]

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Job. (the tortured one)

[Job]

If Martin is feeling well enough he'll attend.

By the evening of Sept 12th, four days after Martin received his burns, he is mobile and starting to wean himself off his pain medication. He finds that he continues to need more rest than usual and that he does need a low dose of morphine a few times a day to tolerate the pain of his burns.

By the morning of the 13th, he will be able to attend classes but not able to participate yet in physical events.

Martin only,Minus 10% to gain a skill point due to haze effect from morphine

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Job. (the tortured one)

[Túrin Turambar]

James Poole will attend the Paleobiology in the morning, the Climbing in the afternoon and the Geology in the evening.

[Job]

Our expedition members arise on the morning of September 13th to find that it is cloudy and raining, although warm. The waves are small and the ship continues to make good progress. You can smell the coffee brewing as you make your way down to the ship's mess.

Father Rucker,Royya, you are welcome to make a post if you'd like wherein Father Rucker opens the day with a short prayer. I won't ask this of you every day, but it might be fun to read Father's opening words. :)

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Job. (the tortured one)

[royya]

Father Rucker opens the day with a prayer.
“Oh, blessed lord, thank you for another day we wake up to see the sun and for putting food on our table and ..."

OOC,I’m not familiar with Christian prayers :)

[Job]

Father Rucker opens the day with a prayer.
“Oh, blessed lord, thank you for another day we wake up to see the sun and for putting food on our table and ..."

The mess hall occupants all quiet down--some had to be prodded into silence--and a number of the crew members quickly doff their caps as Father Rucker stands and begins his prayer. Immediately after Father Rucker finishes, the ship's mess once again fills with chatter, laughter, and plates and dishes clattering.

Towards the end of the meal, James Starkweather and Professor Moore both enter the Ship's Mess. James clears his throat and begins, "I want to thank you all for your enthusiastic participation in yesterday's sessions! This is a splendid start to our voyage and I want to emphasize how important it is for everyone to take advantage of our travel time. Soon, we won't have such luxury.

Photo of James Starkweather

"As a group, you men represent all that I had hoped for! Whe..." Doctor Moore briefly interrupts James by tapping him on the shoulder and whispering in his ear, then James begins again, "Ah, thank you Bill, and also our lady! I cannot leave out our courageous pilot, Camille Bardier..." He nods towards Camille. "Where is there another organization knit together as this one? Outwardly, it appears to lack the factors that make for stability and cooperation in civilization. There can be no promotion for work well done--no increase in pay. Many of you are either volunteers or else receive only what is necessary to support your families during your absence. There is only one thing holding us together, disciplining us, identifying us from any other collection of persons on the high seas. It is the fact of loyalty! Loyalty not only to a common purpose; but loyalty according to the various ideals we live by; loyalty to family, to country, to men, even to self. In this affinity, I place my hope. There is no other bond on earth, save this, that will see men through an Antarctic expedition and the other experiences that lie ahead of us!

Thank you, and now Bill has a few words.

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Job. (the tortured one)

[taokan]

Camille will attend the Antarctic First-Aid / Ship's Medical class in the morning, the The Pabodie Ice-Drill Operation in the afternoon, and will of course give her own lecture in the evening. She also has plans to compete in the race, should she not win by default from lack of challengers.

[Job]

Thank you, and now Bill has a few words.

Professor Moore stepped forward and addressed the crew.

"I'd like to first echo James' earlier comment that our expedition is proceeding very well and that I believe that we have gathered the most capable and talented team on this earth. We are uniquely qualified for this endeavor!


This morning I only have one other detail to mention to everyone. I checked in on all classes yesterday and am a bit concerned that the Peter Sykes' class, the Introduction to cold-weather clothes and equipment, was not very well attended." Moore paused as he looked across the room, his gaze stopping at Pierce Albemarle, Douglas Halperin, and you. He continued, "Peter's course is essential and, I daresay, could be life saving. During his class, you will practice how to put on and take off your gear, and how to avoid the build-up of moisture that can accumulate, for example, through the simple act of exerting yourself and sweating. He will also cover the correct use of snow boots and skis which will be necessary for our occasional journeys away from camp. There really isn'’t ever too much that you can know about such things.” I will be stopping by again tomorrow and hope to see a better turnout.

That is all."

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Job. (the tortured one)


As James stated, I believe that the

[Job]

Later that evening, James Starkweather called Øyvind over while walking the deck:
"“Damn good boxing earlier, Øyvind! Keeping yourself fit eh? Nothing like a little sporting competition to keep the morale up!”

"“I was a dab hand myself at Eton and Oxford, school champion in fact. So I'm looking forward to a little competition when you take out the next bloke!”

“Right then, must dash! Looking for those doctors, Greene and Watson, to suggest a few things for sporting tournament, more damn good idea I must say!”"


Louis Laroche stopped to visit with Martin LeBlanc while Martin slowly walked around the ship, getting himself back in condition:
"How are you doing, Martin? I heard of your daring rescue of Camille! Very courageous!

"Hey, I just thought that I'd invite you to my radio cabin aboard ship for an interview some evening. I send radio broadcasts once a week to our news teams in New York City and I'm sure that they would love to hear your report."

Photo of Louis Laroche, above, at work.


Paco Guerini pulls Father Rucker aside after his morning prayer:
"Hola Padre. I want you to know that I like your prayer today. Very much. It means a lot to me. Gracias, Padre."


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Job. (the tortured one)

[BenTheRat]

Martin will attend the cold weather intro then take a break, and if feeling well enough try to attend the Mountain rules evening class.

[Anatomist]

Later that evening, James Starkweather called Øyvind over while walking the deck:
"“Damn good boxing earlier, Øyvind! Keeping yourself fit eh? Nothing like a little sporting competition to keep the morale up!”

"“I was a dab hand myself at Eton and Oxford, school champion in fact. So I'm looking forward to a little competition when you take out the next bloke!”

“Right then, must dash! Looking for those doctors, Greene and Watson, to suggest a few things for sporting tournament, more damn good idea I must say!”"

'Takk takk' 'Mr Starkweather' 'i havent won anything, but i have broken some jaws at the bar' 'got mine broken once too' Øyvind takes a boxing stand 'This i learned of my cousin Jan Egil who boxed some on the Continent, Spain and France.'

“Right then, must dash! Looking for those doctors, Greene and Watson, to suggest a few things for sporting tournament, more damn good idea I must say!”"

'Well, have a good day, Sir'

[royya]

Addressing Paco Father Rucker say
I'm glad son, in the place we are heading to, faith is needed in addition to cold weather outfit and skills. You are welcome any time for a talk with me.

[jrod]

Watkins would like to attend technical climbing in the afternoon and mountain rules in the evening.

[Job]

14th & 15th September, 1933

The next two days pass rather uneventfully, and I assume that everyone will attend similar classes each day, so this posting will cover the activities for both September 14th and 15th. Below is the schedule of events on the large chalkboard in the ship's mess hall.

NOTE: A number of courses are expected to change on the day afterwards, September 16th. If you'd like to take a different class than shown below, or would like to teach a different class on September 16th, please let Professor Moore know.

Ship's Mess Corkboard (you can add notes to this corkboard!)
Latitude - Sept 14: N 27° 88' / Sept 15: N 20° 84'
Longitude - Sept 14: W -75° 05' / Sept 15: -73° 78'
Today's Weather - Sept 14: Rain / Sept 15: Sunny
Wind Speed - Sept 14: 20-25 mph / Sept 15: 10-15 mph
Updated Google Map travel path

Classes on Sept 14 & 15:

Instructor / Topic / Location
Morning:

• P Rucker / Morning Breakfast Prayer / Ship's Mess
• Sykes / Introduction to cold-weather clothes and equipment / Officer's Mess
  --- STUDENT: G. Barrow, M. LeBlanc
• Greene & Watkins / Antarctic First-Aid / Ship's Medical
  --- STUDENT: C. Bardier
• P Rucker / Antarctic Paleobiology / Ship's Mess
  --- STUDENT: J. Poole

Afternoon:

• G & N Sorensen / Technical Climbing / Crew's Mess
  ---STUDENT: P. Rucker, J. Poole, W. Watkins
• P Miles / Aeroplane Maintenance / #2 Tweendeck Hold
• Eriksson / The Pabodie Ice-Drill Operation / #1 Tweendeck Hold
  --- STUDENT: C. Bardier
• ***Boxing Fundamentals will not be held again until next week

Evening:

• Ø Raknes & F Guerini / Mountain Rules / Ship's Mess
  --- STUDENT: P. Rucker, M. LeBlanc (tentative), W. Watkins
• Griffith / Antarctic Geology / Officer's Mess
  --- STUDENT: J. Poole
• D Halperin & C Bardier / Aerial Navigation / Expedition Lab

Signup for this Saturday:

• Greene / 10-lap Race / Main Deck
  --- PARTICIPANT: C. Bardier
  What? Noone wants to race against Camille?

Aboard the SS Gabrielle


Above Photo: First Officer Turlow is photographed while calling for "ALL HANDS ON DECK!"

On the morning of the September the fourteenth, First Officer Turlow calls for a lifeboat drill, the morning classes are interrupted and all expedition members and non-essential crew members are called to assemble on the Gabrielle’'s Boat-Deck and don life-jackets. Officer Turlow looks on, glancing at a stop watch and occasionally shaking his head. Once everyone is accounted for, Turlow laughs, then announces that that was the very worst effort that he has ever witnessed. Another drill will be held in a few days.

The rain showers come and go throughout most of the fourteenth and as the Gabrielle continues to cruise southwards, everybody settles into the ship’s routine.

The ship's crew are everywhere, mixing and mingling with the explorers whenever they are off-duty. They are a social bunch, though most have little in the way of education. Despite their good nature, however, it is impossible to hide the fact that explorers are very much intruders their world. Some of the crew are garrulous, but others watch quietly and make no friendly gestures. There is even, at times, a strange sense of unease in the air, as if the explorers are objects of suspicion or fear.

In contrast to the ship's crew, the captain and the ship’s officers are quite friendly in a professional way. First Officer Turlow is in charge of the expedition’s affairs and deals with most enquiries that members of the expedition team make.

Ship Crew vs. Camp Crew,Note that the "Ship Crew" are those individuals who will remain on the ship when the USS Gabrielle arrives in Antarctica. The "Camp Crew" (or sometimes called the "Expedition Team") are those individuals--in particular, the player characters--who will leave the ship, set up camp on the ice, and explore the continent.

As the sun slips below the horizon that evening on the fourteenth, the clouds have finally broken. The wind drops and that night is clear and star lit.

The fifteenth is hot and sunny with very few clouds visible. The Gabrielle is south of Florida now and passes through the Bahamas during the day. The stewards are busy throughout the day supplying refreshments to all of the classes.


Photo Above: Chief Steward Jack Whitney is all business as he serves the team.


Photo Above: Steward Adam Henning politely enquires about further drinks.

Gone are the sudden cold squalls of the north Atlantic; now the air is heavy with moisture, warm and oppressive, and the rain--when it comes every couple of days--is soft and clean. All in all, it is an idyllic life. The only ones who do not seem to appreciate it are the dogs. At least once an hour they moan and howl loudly. Their cries echo weirdly throughout the ship, seeming lost and very sad. Late during the night of the fifteenth the Gabrielle turns South-East as she begins to sail around Cuba.

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Job. (the tortured one)

[Job]

George Barrow and James Poole have noticed that Vito Luizzi (cabin-mate, engineer and demolitions expert) has been very quiet lately, ever since the fire on the NYC docks. When George and James first met Vito, he seemed friendly and easy-going, but now he's much more reserved and often stays in the cabin. He was not injured during the fire as far as you know. Whenever you ask Vito if he is OK, he simply responds, "OK. Grazie".


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Job. (the tortured one)

[Anatomist]

George Barrow will attend the Afternoon class whit G & N Sorensen on Technical Climbing.

And barrow suggest to Mr. Moore he can do a class on life in Antarctica, penguins, sea lions and whales. How do they survive?

[Anatomist]

George Barrow and James Poole have noticed that Vito Luizzi (cabin-mate, engineer and demolitions expert) has been very quiet lately, ever since the fire on the NYC docks. When George and James first met Vito, he seemed friendly and easy-going, but now he's much more reserved and often stays in the cabin. He was not injured during the fire as far as you know. Whenever you ask Vito if he is OK, he simply responds, "OK. Grazie".


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Job. (the tortured one)

George Barrow would, if not preoccupied whit own problems, take care of the obvious sadden man. But in light that James Poole also sees this, George decides to let the man take care of it.

'Hey James' he whispers 'talk to the man, i think he need to talk out something that preoccupies him'