Play@YSDC

Charon's Ferry - Space
1030 GMT - Tuesday, August 9, 2112

General Richard Pryce, Lt. Colonel Howard Bruce, and Captain Karin Bauer entered Charon's Ferry through the airlock that connected her to Persephone. "Go ahead to the medical bay, Captain," the general said. "The chief and I will head to the bridge."

Major Natalia Orlova remained in the command chair on the bridge, waiting for the general to come and relieve her. Captain Juliette Desjardins was at the helm, keeping the ship on course back to Earth. The trajectory the general had given her was a good one. However, the journey would take over two months. That was a lot of time, though they had managed it on the way out to Pluto. Of course, things had been more upbeat then.

Sergeant Heinrich Kohl, Private Alison Silver, and Private Robert MacCrimmon stood in a cluster in one corner. "Permission to head to the medical bay, Sarge?" asked Robert.

"Granted," the sergeant said, his voice gruff. "You may go too, Silver."

Private Sofia Torres was torn. She wanted to stay and watch the captain fly, but she did want to get treatment after being exposed to the bizarre alien weapon. Juliette will still be here when I get back, she thought. There'll be plenty of time later. She turned to Lt. Hu Xiang. "Sir, shall we go to the medical bay as well?"

Lt. Colleen Rose stayed at the communications station.

Private George Bond was in the engine room, making sure that the flow of power was uninterrupted.

Alison slowly worked her way to the medical bay, calming down quite a bit. They were home free as far as she was concerned. Sure it would take a long time to get back home, but it would be pretty hard for the Mi-Go to get to them now.

When she arrived at the med bay she relaxed at a table and waited for the doctor. She felt comfortable enough to eventually take off her helmet, but she kept her gun on her - in fact she was reloading and maintaining it until she was to be examined herself.

Karin hurries to the med bay and opens the door, she is surprised to see Alison already there and eyes up the gun she is holding, She is looking very worried and not at all relaxed considering they have escaped Pluto."At ease Private. Can you give me an account of the wounded please?" She drops her bag and fire extinguisher on the bed and goes to the comm unit. "Sergeant Kohl report to the med bay immediately." Then she turns to Alison, "I'll give you a quick examination while we wait for the Sergeant. You can put the weapon on the side there. Now, any physical wounds? Headaches, dizzyness, memory loss? What's green and hairy and goes up and down?" Karin quickly applies the arm-wrap to Alison, conects it to the machine and waits for a read-out.

Mr. Handy,Psychology 30, medicine 70,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3605671/]1d100=77, 1d100=72[/url]

OOC,Should I be using psychoanalysis or psychology?

Hu looks at Sofia and nods, unharnessing and leading the way. The past hour's events seemed like a blur and he was sort of lost in a fog.

Sergent Kohl looks questioningly at whoever his superior is, and if he is given permission, walks to meet Karin Bauer in the med bay.

Alison greets Karin with a face of similar anxiety, but puts her gun back in its holster nonetheless. "An account of the wounded, sure. A bunch of us got hit with this fog. My guess is that it was poisonous, but since we were in suits it was only freezing cold. That's what got Robert bad." Alison's voice seemed to crack and she seemed to leave herself a little as she talked about what happened, "Me, I got hit with some sort of... well a lightning bolt or a taser or something. I would have died if it was for the LT."
Alison looked up at Karin, "Lt. Barret is dead. He got hit right after he woke me. If he'd just kept going he'd be alive now and not wherever those things dragged his body."

She choked up a bit thinking about it, but carried on, "So I guess I don't have any physical wounds like holes you can patch up, but that gun did a number on my heart. No headaches, dizziness or memory loss to speak of. And really, Captain? Is this the time for riddles?"

Alison let the doctor go to work, but remained alert. She wouldn't feel safe until they were well on their way back home.

OOC,Yes, Psychology is the right thing to roll to diagnose someone's mental state. Psychoanalysis will be useful for long-term treatment, which can help people recover some Sanity during the long voyage home. I'm sorry I posted for your character, smug_jaguar. For some reason I had you listed as MIA, though I can see you posted less than two weeks ago.

Natalia nodded to Heinrich, and he headed off the bridge with Xiang and Sofia. A few minutes later, General Pryce and Lt. Colonel Bruce arrived. Natalia stood from her chair and saluted. "Welcome aboard, sirs!" she said.

General Pryce nodded and returned the salute. "As you were, Major. I relieve you."

"I stand relieved, sir."

The general sat down in the command chair.

In the medical bay, Karin could find nothing major wrong with Alison. She had been exposed to extreme cold and was somewhat worse for the wear, but a few weeks of rest would set her to rights.

"Aye, I've never felt such cold," said Robert. "Alison saved me, and Lt. Barrett saved both of us. I'd never thought much of him before, but he was a real hero. It took courage for him to face those beasties and sacrifice himself."

Heinrich, Xiang, and Sofia arrived just as Karin finished examining Alison.

OOC,[b]Karin[/b], you may now examine someone else. If you do, please roll Medicine and Psychology again.

Juliette used the scanners on the ship to scan the vast areas of space behind them. She did not want to be taken by surprise. She half listened to all dialog, and silently sang on an song from the old earth.

"This is Major Tom to Ground Control.-I'm stepping through the door-And I'm floating in a most peculiar way-And the stars look very different today."

"Yes Private." Karin replies grimly, "This IS the time for riddles, it's the only thing we have that keeps us human." She gives Alison a hard look, 'You are not amused?" As the others arrive she takes the equipment off Alison. "Well Private you have not suffered any lasting damage, you've been very lucky. And although you have the LT to thank for saving your life, you are in no way responsible for his death." Karin gives her a searching look. "We'll speak again. For now, unless the sergeant has other plans, would you mind guarding the med bay from the corridor, casual like? We'll keep the door open, I want you to hear what's going on but let me know if anyone else approaches."

Karin turns to the others, "Okay, I'll examine Private MacCrimmon next, everyone else listen carefully while I work. " She attaches the scanner to Robert's arm and goes through the checks speaking quietly, "We have a problem. The General and Lt. Colonel Bruce are under the control of the Mi-Go. Unfortunately I have no physical evidence but I'll stake my career on it, possibly my life too at this rate."

Psychology medicine for Robert,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3607362/]1d100=25, 1d100=91[/url]

Alison returns Captain Bauer's look, "There is more to humanity than dumb jokes you know, like empathy or anger." As she is released from the diagnostic machine she flexes her arm and manipulates her joints to stretch everything out - she didn't like be trapped in the machine.

At Bauer's order, Alison salutes and gives the rote "As you say, ma'am," before heading to the door.

Alison will set herself up just outside of the door where she stands leaned against the wall as if she were simply waiting for one of the others to finish their medical examination. But when Cpt. Bauer stated she believed the General and Lt. Colonel were under Mi-Go control, Alison immediately unholstered her gun. She kept the gun at her side, but began looking for one of the poisonous extinguishers or aerosol containers - she had left her own where she was seated on the bridge.

"Oh god, they are here with us... They know where we are... They are going to find us and take us." Alison begins as she searches for the poison.

Hu looks around for any possible way their conversation can be heard. Com-links which are on, surveillance, etc. "What makes you say that? Other than the rushed evacuation. You don't have physical proof, but there must be something to bring on your suspicions."

Alison could see that Karin and Robert both had extinguishers.

Sofia gasped. "What should we do?" she asked. "What could we do?"

Karin Bauer,[b]Robert[/b] seemed in a similar condition to [b]Alison[/b]: he was clearly injured, but there was nothing more she could do for him and he would heal over time. He was definitely shaken by his experiences, but he didn't seem to have any lasting psychological harm from it. Some counseling during the course of the journey home would be a good idea and would help him at least partially recover from the shock. You may roll Psychology and Medicine again for your next patient.

OOC,[b]Xiang[/b], please roll Spot HIdden. Even if you fail, you do know that the Peace Forces are extremely security conscious. It's highly likely that there would be a way to monitor everything that was happening in every part of the ship.

Alison turns to Karin and Robert, "Give me one of those extinguishers. If the poison kills the Mi-go, maybe it will break that control over them. I'll spray them and deal with the consequences. Failing that... how sure are you that they are being controlled?" Alison half-whispered to the people inside. "I won't spend another 2 minutes on this ship if they are under control, let alone another 2 months."

Hu continues to look around, but can't see anything blaringly obvious. "Be careful what you say," he says looking at Allison and Karin. "We don't know who's listening. Coms, cameras, we could be on someone's monitor right now. But I'd still like to know what you base your thinking on. Just... carefully."

"You can have mine," Robert said to Alison, "but don't you think that's risky? I dinna ken it would work, anyway. It kills the Mi-Go dead, but it wouldna affect a human under their control."

"Maybe," says Alison as she takes the extinguisher. "If it has no effect on humans it won't hurt them. You all said that the Mi-go were like a fungus. What if they control people by putting a spore or something in their brain. This might kill that spore and make them normal again." Alison shakes her head, "I don't know this is all so crazy."

"Apart from the scrapes and bruises, you're alright Robert. I know you're pretty shook up but we can talk about it once things have quietened down. But you're ready to resume duties. Okay Sarge, you next please, I want to get the security personnel done first. Just in case." Karin says ominously. As the sergeant sits down she bends her head over him while she preps the equipment and talks quietly. "You're right Hu, but we must make a plan. I was always a bit unsure about the General and certainly Bruce, they've been acting unlike themselves; more than could be put down to the circumstances. Colonel Patel realised something was up but I just wasn't sure. The Sergeant will back me up on this. After spending more time with them on the Persephone, I did some discreet checks and they are not themselves. I tried putting the Chief under for a while but there was no change. I don't know if it is mind control from afar or if the Mi-Go are in the bodies or if they have manifested themselves as the two men. They seem like humans medically but I can't tell if the General and Chief are recoverable."

"If the two of them are in fact infected with spores, we need to deal with it long before we touch back down on Earth" adds Kohl quietly, "I for one refuse to be responsible for unleashing these creatures on our planet."

"Captain, perhaps as the ship's medical doctor you can suggest that all crew members need to be sprayed with this extinguisher in the even of a Mi-Go contagion attaching to one of us? The LT. Colonel and General would agree, it would only be reasonable." Alison suggested.

Karin looks at Heinrich as she straps on the scanner to his arm, "Indeed Sergeant, we can't allow them to get to Earth, who knows how many people they could infect. As Chief of security now, you are best qualified to come up with an offensive against them. I don't suppose they would come quietly if I asked them." She turns to Alison, "I don't think the fungicide spray will work to prevent contagion- it is only harmful to actual Mi-Go in theory. It probably won't work on the General and Chief either as they seem to be human. We have to alert Captain Desjardins too- and protect her as she is our ticket home. I would imagine the Mi-Go would be just as keen for us not to get back to alert Earth as we are to prevent them arriving there. A conundrum. Also, we need to convince everyone else to support us against the Mi-Go, it's going to look like a mutiny."

Mr. Handy,Psychology, medicine for Kohl[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3612095/]1d100=82, 1d100=65[/url]

"I think our first move should be to disarm and contain them. That way, they will be unable to interfere with our journey home," suggests Heinrich.

"Once we have them immobilized, would it be possible to discern whether or not they are infected by a biological contagion, or purely under psychic control?" he then asks Bauer.

On the bridge, Juliette kept her eye on the scanners, completely oblivious to what was going on in the medical bay. The scanners showed nothing but empty space. There were billions of miles of it between Charon's Ferry and Earth. Even the asteroid belt was avoidable thanks to Pluto's odd orbit that was at an angle to the plane that contained the rest of the solar system. There were only hundreds of thousands of miles of empty space between the ship and Pluto.

Karin completed her examination of Heinrich.

"Maybe I could talk to Juliette - I mean Captain Desjardins," suggested Sofia. "I won't be able to speak to her in private on the bridge, but I can approach her when she goes off-shift."

Karin Bauer,[b]Heinrich[/b] was in excellent physical condition, and he seemed all right mentally. [b]Karin[/b], you may now roll Medicine and Psychology for your next patient.

Karin finishes her examination of Heinrich, "Thankyou Sergeant, you are as fit as ever." She smiles and then says loudly, "Okay Hu, lets have you up next." Karin examines Hu and then continues to speak with her voice lowered."If we contain them then they will be released as soon as we hit dirtside. The General is the Kaiser's best buddy and it will be his voice against ours. It will be court-marshal, prison and happy Mi-Gos for all of us." Karin pauses to let this sink in.

'If we were certain there is no recovery of either men back to their true selves it would be an easy decision with a swift outcome. But I don't know how this mind-control thing is working; I'm fairly sure there is no biological contagion as yet. I'm not a physiologist and can't tell if the mind control is permanent. How can it work over such vast distances- surely it can't, otherwise they'd have reached us on Earth ages ago." Karin frowns, 'Should we search the ship inside and out in case we have stow-aways? Does anyone know Major Orlova's movements on Pluto?"

Karin Bauer,[b]Lt. Hu Xiang[/b] was suffering mild aftereffects of exposure to extreme cold, but he was recovering nicely and she was able to treat him. His mind was as strong as ever. [b]Karin[/b], you may now roll Medicine and Psychology for your next patient.

Xiang felt much better now that Karin had treated him.

"Sofia, can you sit on the bed next please." Karin gives the others a chance to consider plans while she examines Sofia's mental and physical well-being. While waiting for the results to come through she opens the comm link. "Captn. Desjardins, this is Captn. Bauer. Could you visit the med bay for a check-up at your earliest convenience please?"

"Oh, that's an even better idea!" said Sofia.

Karin Bauer,[b]Sofia[/b] was in similar condition to [b]Xiang[/b]. [b]Karin[/b], your Medicine roll failed, so she did not get back her lost HP yet. However, you may try First Aid. If you succeed, she recovers it.

"I don't think it's a good idea to leave those two alone on the bridge,"says Kohl, leaving the med-bay to join the General and Chief on the bridge.

Mr. Handy,Sorry, put two rolls in automatically by mistake so ignore second roll. 1staid: 75%[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3617428/]1d100=61, 1d100=63[/url]

Karin spends a bit longer patching Sofia up. "There you go, all better. Sergeant Kohl has a good idea; we should all get back to our normal duties for the moment so we don't arouse their suspicions. We must think of a way to get a message back to Earth about the Mi-Go colony on Pluto. Hopefully Captain Desjardins will have an idea about that."

Hu nods thanks to the doctor, still in thought. "First thing's first. Maybe you should run a diagnostic in them as well, standard procedure and the like. One or two of us could be here in case all hell breaks loose. Then we can deal with our return to Earth."

"We won't be able to communicate with Earth until we're much, much closer," said Sofia. "The signal strength is too weak out here with just the ship's communications facilities. The Styx Base communications array could do it like it did on the way to Pluto, but we didn't have time to bring it back with us. We'll have to get almost as close as the orbit of Mars before we can send them a message, and that will be nearly two months from now. Lt. Rose knows a lot about communications. If there's a way to amplify the signal somehow, she'd be the one to do it."

Karin frowns, "Drat, I'd forgotten we'd only a small relay on board. The General is an excellent pilot so he could easily fly Bruce and him home with us safely out of the way. We must contrive to leave a message secretly on board to warn Earth. Even if none of us make it. You're right Lt Hu, I'll check everyone on board." Karin opens the comm unit, "Major Orlova, Maam. The med bay is now free for your examination if you would care to make your way down." She switches it off. "Okay, as soon as she arrives everyone else scram. Lt Hu, as Major Orlova is your boss would you mind staying? I'll want your opinion of whether she is acting her normal self or not. Here, sit at this computer and pretend to be doing something on it."

Juliette frowned as the message came through about a medical check up. She had not seen any combat and was feeling fine. She looked up at General Pryce. "Have you ordered a full check-up on all crewmembers sir? As I have seen no combat I do not see the necesity of a medical check up at this stage. Or are you bringing her back on the Persephone so that we will be without medical attention the entire trip home?"

"I did not order it," General Pryce told Juliette. "Captain Bauer is doing this of her own initiative, but it is not a bad idea. You may go to the medical bay. I can take the helm. The Persephone will remain docked unless we need to detach her for some reason. That will conserve fuel."

"I'm on my way," Major Orlova reported over her communicator. "Let's go," she said to Juliette as she headed off the bridge.

Sergent Kohl passes Juliette on his way to the bridge, trying his best to throw a meaningful glance her way. He then continues to the bridge, saluting both the General and Chief before taking a seat in whatever available chair.

Mr Handy,Kohl will keep a close eye on both the Captain and the Chief, and will have his hand as close to his sidearm as possible without it seeming suspicious. He is especially watching for any attempt to interfere with the ships sensors or navigation.

As allways reluctant to relinquish the control to anyone else, Juliette transferred the helm to the General and headed towards the Sickbay with Major Orlova. She winked at Heinrich as he passed her. And as she saw Sofia in the sick bay she smiled at her. "Good work on overriding the Bases system private Torres. Hope you did not recieve any permanent damage in the fight against the monsters." She looked at Captain Bauer and a trace of uncertainty could be seen in her face as she said: "You are checking everyone up, Captain? Might I ask why?"

Hu nods and goes to a terminal where he can keep the screen somewhat hidden and have a good look at events.

Karin looks up as the Captain and Major enter the medbay. "Thankyou for coming down. This is just a general examination so I can record your health for the journey home. Captain, I'll check you first. I know you didn't have any combat but you did head out onto the planet surface and we've all hit high-stress levels recently." Karin scans Juliette and asked her the necessary psychological questions. "Thankyou, all done. Could you wait here until I've done the Major, it won't take long." Karin then repeats the process with Major Orlova.

Mr. Handy,Juliette: medicine/psychology [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3620851/]1d100=69[/url] [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3620852/]1d100=70[/url] Maj. Orlova: medicine/psychology[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3620853/]1d100=45, 1d100=10[/url]

Alison follows the Sergeant to the bridge and takes a seat next to him, leaving the doctor to do the convincing.

"Thank you, ma'am!" said Sofia, smiling at Juliette. "I'm glad Sergeant Kohl was able to make it back to the ship after all. I just wish Lt. Barrett could have made it too. I'm fine, now that I've had my checkup."

Karin Bauer,[b]Juliette[/b] seemed in good health, both mentally and physically. So did [b]Natalia[/b], though she was a little shaken from her encounters with the Mi-Go. She was displaying normal human emotions, including some anxiety, but also relief. [b]Natalia[/b] did seem to be keeping part of herself hidden, but politics being what they were, that was probably healthy too.

Heinrich watched the general pilot the ship on the bridge. The sensor and navigation displays continued to function normally, and Charon's Ferry maintain her course while accelerating at a constant rate of Earth-normal gravity.

Karin looks at Hu to see if he has any remarks about his superior but she is reasonably happy to proceed. She bends down to look at Hu's screen while she talks quietly to the major and Captain Desjardins.
"Do you remember when General Pryce ordered the death of Colonel Patel? It wasn't a combat situation but she was shot out of hand. The General is under the control of the Mi-Go; the Colonel realised this and so the Mi-Go had her destroyed. LT Colonel Bruce is also similarly affected. I am absolutely certain of this now."

Hu glanced up to speak quietly. "I wasn't there when it happened, but just how sudden it was... it definitely was not a part of some protocol. Aliens or not, a man who pushes through that fast as judge, jury, and executioner is not to be trifled with."

"Indeed he is not," said Major Orlova, who looked startled when Karin made her accusation. "That fact should make us pause and think. I do recall, and it was Lt. Colonel Bruce who ordered Colonel Patel's death, not General Pryce. The general was in the colonel's custody at the time - and you were with her, Captain. We are out on the frontier, and it seemed reasonable for the security chief to carry out a summary execution to put down a mutiny. He does have the authority to do such things in an emergency situation. I would be very careful how to proceed from here. If - and I emphasize if - they have fallen under alien control, we need proof of it to be certain. There is no rush - we have ample time to find the truth. What evidence convinces you of this conclusion? Who else have you told of your suspicions? And what exactly do you suggest we do about it if our leaders are pawns of the Mi-Go? Execute them? How would that be any different from what Lt. Colonel Bruce did - aside from the fact that he had authorization and we would be breaking every rule in the book?"

Karin Bauer,[b]Natalia[/b] seemed nervous and worried now that [b]Karin[/b] had told her the situation.

Juliette involuntarily took one step back as she heard what Captain Bauer had to say. "I am not one to judge anyone. Lt.col Bruce was under a lot of stress, just back from alien imprisonment. Walking into an evident mutiny. His senior boss taken prisoner by his other boss. There are protocols for his behaviour. There are also protocols concerning this discussion and they do not look good in our favor. I agree with Major Orlova. We must be very careful with what we say and presume. Under no circumstance will I be part of any conspiracy againt my peers. BUT on the other hand, it is good to hold our minds open to the fact that ANYONE amongst us can be under their influence. I have wondered why Col. Patel did mutine the way she did. She seemed rash and out of control too. There is definetely something weird going on.". She looked at all present. "Too be honest, so far my strongest suspision has been against you Capt. Bauer. You are the one that has been most exposed to both the Mi-goo, the weird strangers on the base, part of Colonel Patels mutiny as her medical aliby and the only one having access to us all in private consultations. Even so I have not made a move against you, or vented any secret suspicions, as there is no evidence of you beeing under their influence, your actions say you are on our side. And likewise we could reason on every personels actions and find argumenst to enhance our suspicions. But one thing is to have a suspicion and stay alert if they proves to be true. Another side is to act on suspicions alone. Juliette stopped to let her word sink in, studying each one, trying to judge their reactions.

Karin rubs her eyes, "I'm glad you brought that up Captain as it is only my word against two superior officers'. Who is to say I haven't been brainwashed and this is a ploy to demobilise the two most important men on the ship? I agree with you; on the face of it it is I who should be watched carefully." She stops to ponder for a moment. "I have told everyone other than the two officers about the situation; the more humans that know the better. I have no actual proof; it is only my expertise on these matters that I have to go on. I think that I myself cannot make any decisions over this matter, it is up to the rest of you to make the correct judgements and I pray they are the right ones. I do ask that I may keep my freedom on the ship so I can continue to observe everyone's mental states."

Juliette sighs.. "I am in no position to restrict your actions. Also I have no wish for it. I just needed to explain to you, and the rest here, that we are not entiteled to go behind our superiors backs. They have protocols they follow. We must follow ours until they are out of line. And so far, they are not. But if we continue to meet like this, we are. Suspicions are just suspicions. They must be adressed correctly.

As Alison sat on the bridge with Sgt. Kohl, Lt. Colonel Bruce, and General Pryce she grew more nervous. I can't just sit here, if there is some way I can confirm the captain's suspicions I have to try. I won't stay on this ship for more than two months with Mi-Go in disguise.

"Lt. Colonel, General. If I may speak freely," Alison started, "We have a long trip ahead of us, I was wondering if you might tell me something. Lt. Colonel, what happened while you were with the Mi-go? Did they say anything to you or do anything to you? Did you see what happened to the crew of the Persephone? I just wonder what the might do to Lt. Barrett's body... cut it up or worse? It's all so awful."

Alison took care listening to the Lt. Colonel's responses. She had worked closer to him than the General and hoped that it would help her get the same sort of insight that the Captain had - looking for indications that he might be under control or just not himself.

Alison spoke up to the General, "And Sir, I know that the Mi-Go are awful...monstrous creatures, and I am not questioning your orders - it is far too late for that anyway, but why did you shoot the one in the medical bay and then quickly comply with their demands for us to leave?" She tried to tread as carefully as possible with her line of questioning. "Will The Kaiser be okay with us abandoning our base? Won't be be considered traitors or cowards for submitting to the aliens?"

Alison took a deep breath before her last question - the one she knew would make or break her decision and decide whether she makes it home in chains, a body bag, as a traitor or a hero."I know that Summary Execution of dangerous and seditious traitors is on the books - I mean, I pulled the trigger on Colonel Patel myself. But was there no other way? With respect sir, the Colonel's temporary relief of your command was also an acceptable course of action based on the circumstances and the hostile actions against the Mi-go."

Rolls,I'm going to make two Psych rolls, if there is anything else that might help me decide whether they are under control or not let me know. [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3624117/]Psychology (55%) for Lt. Colonel Bruce (1d100=63)[/url] [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3624122/]Psychology (55) for General Pryce (1d100=23)[/url] Hah, maybe some good luck would be in order too

"Well spoken, Captain Desjardins," said Natalia in the medical bay. "Someone overhearing our conversation could construe this talk as treasonous. Telling all and sundry may not have been wise, Captain Bauer. Are you certain you can trust everyone else? All it takes is one person to inform the general or the security chief, and your career is finished - possibly your life as well. And that's even assuming they're not under alien control. If they are, the consequences would be even worse. I know that Lt. Colonel Bruce must be under a cloud of suspicion considering that he was held by the aliens for some time, but the same is not true of General Pryce. And I would remind you that, if not for the general's intervention, you would have been executed right along with Colonel Patel. If they are both being influenced by the Mi-Go as you suggest, it makes no sense for them to work at cross purposes. I agree with Captain Desjardins. As long as the general and security chief pose no threat and take no hostile action, there is nothing we can do. We can observe, but without proof we cannot act."

On the bridge, Lt. Colonel Bruce first addressed Alison's questions about being in Mi-Go custody. "I was treated well, Private, all things considered," he said. "I was injured slightly when they shot me and seized me, but I will recover. They told me that they were going to negotiate my exchange for one of their own, which they did. Their underground base was fascinating. There was a room where the crew of the Persephone were housed, and I was able to speak to them as well. They gave me messages to take back to their families and friends on Earth. They were preserved alive inside metal cylinders. The technology used to do this is far in advance of our own. The Mi-Go said that the Persephone crew could be kept alive indefinitely."

"When I first saw the Mi-Go," said General Pryce, "I was so disturbed that I lost control and fired at it instinctively. I instantly regretted it, but it was too late. All I could do afterwards was to try to limit the damage I had caused. I had to agree to the Mi-Go's demands at that point. Not only were they within their rights, but it was the wisest course of action. There is value in being able to retreat when the situation calls for it. Had we stayed and fought, as Colonel Patel had wanted to do, the Mi-Go would have slaughtered all of us. Earth would never have known about the potential threat, and our fate would have been as much a mystery as that of Captain Kowalski and his crew. This way, Earth will be forewarned and can prepare a proper response. If it means war, we will be in a better position to win. And it may yet mean peace, which is my hope. Had we done otherwise, there would have been no chance for peace - the ultimate goal of the Peace Forces. As for what Alexander Kaiser will think, leave that to me. He and I are old friends, and I alone can convince him of the justness of our course of action. It was my decision alone, and it will be my responsibility alone. Everyone else was following my orders."

Lt. Colonel Bruce looked at - looked through - Alison when she asked him about Colonel Patel's execution. "There was no other way, Private. Colonel Patel's rash actions were an obvious threat to our security and our continued survival. Every second she continued to live was another opportunity for her to put us all in further danger. You did the right thing. Never doubt that."

General Pryce nodded. "Colonel Patel's mutiny was not justified, no matter how much she tried to hide behind procedures and protocols. She disagreed with my decision to evacuate, but instead of trusting and obeying her commander, she took it upon herself to change matters. She betrayed her oath and let her ambition cloud her judgment."

Alison Silver,[b]Alison[/b] couldn't tell much about [b]Lt. Colonel Bruce[/b]'s mental state, but he seemed to be as security-conscious as always. [b]General Pryce[/b] was very calm, perhaps unusually so, though he had always been extremely stable - except for that brief break in the Styx Base medical lab. Alien control was a possible explanation for his behavior, but it wasn't the only one.

Juliette nodded as Major Orlova spoke.

"Captain Bauer. I am using my gutfeeling now. It has gotten me out of most of the pinches I have been in. It says to stay calm and keep our heads cool.

The Mi-goos range is possible not this farstretching. They are not following us, nor have they blown us out of the sky, which worries me enough to say that there is something not quite right here. There is something that is not as it should, but this feeling of paranoia might also be of their dooing. Getting us all so paranoid that we kill each other off by ourselves.
But that seed of disruption we can snuff out.

As for our return to earth and the possible contagion landside. What we CAN do is talk to the General and the security chief to relay our worries. The ships could dock with one of the scientific spacestations before returning to earth, definetely not at military one. Checking the ships, the computersystems, the personel for possible contagion so that we under no circumstance let the Mi-goo get an easy access to Earth. Besides, none of us should talk to Kayser in person before we are checked out. I think that a comlink would be safe, but I am not completely convinced."

Juliette paused and smiled her most reassuring smile at Captain Bauer.

"You see, I am also worried about contagion, but for now I am just praysing the fact that we are crossing the Styx the right way, moving back to the land of the living. We should have a postbattle talk and some refreshment to celebrate our release and let out some steam."

Juliette suddenly had an afterthought: "I wonder." She changed her com to the channel of the spacesuit Brook used. "Hello, is anybody in there?"

for all to see,Of course the last frase is said to the tune of Pink Floyds Comfortably numb. And I just had to do something Dr.Whoish. Like talking into a comlink that just should not reach the reciever. Hoping for a dr.who moment.

Not knowing why she did it, she had a strange feeling that if she could only get in touch with the strangers, they might have the answers she wanted.

Alison sighed. She worried that he line of questioning would have been seen as seditious and that her superiors would have reacted poorly - though that would have only confirmed to her that there was something wrong with them.

"In jars...and alive indefinitely? That is really disturbing. I don't know why they wouldn't have brought them along to return to Earth with us, or what it means for the fact that they took Lt. Barrett." Alison responded.

"I think you always feel something when you kill another human being. Even if you say it was the right thing to do - even if she was a traitor, it just feels wrong to kill someone." She said to the Lt. Colonel. Alison noticed his semi-robotic response, like it was almost rehearsed, but other than that she couldn't get a good read on the man. It was always business as usual for her.

But the General bothered her more. Yes, he had always been a calm man and yes, this seemed like how he should act in this situation, but it just didn't sit right with her. "As you say, sir. We could have at least sent a message to Earth ahead of us, but I guess none of us were really thinking quite straight." Colonel Patel didn't seem to want to really seize power. What would have been the endgame there? She gets control for a few hours? There is no glory, no reward involved - ambition didn't seem like a likely motivation. As for hiding behind regulations, it seemed that her superiors were doing the same.

Alison could do nothing more than wait. For the remainder of the trip she would keep a close eye on both the Lt. Colonel and the General and never be too far from her weapon. She had no love for the Kaiser and his regime, but an alien strike would just as easily ruin her life as anything they could throw at her.

Karin smiles a little sadly, "Well, we all know where we stand. That's a good idea, Captain, about docking at a space station first; it would be good to get us all examined by experts before meeting anyone else. Including the Kaiser. And you are right; we could all do with some relief. Would you mind asking 2nd Lt. Rose, as morale officer, to organise something for us if it is acceptable with General Pryce." Karin gets up and gestures to the door for Juliette. "Just before you go Captain, is it worth carefully searching the Persephone? I'm wondering if the Mi-Go only have short range mind control then maybe some of them are closer than we think. There was only time for a short pre-flight check before we left; maybe some of them got on board while she was out on Pluto."

Mr. Handy,Once Juliette has left: Karin sits down beside Natalia. [i]"I'm sorry Major, this is a serious upheaval for you. If I'm right then you will be in charge of bringing us and our message safely home. You can count on Sergeant Kohl to help you though, he's the strong and dependable type."[/i] Karin smiles, [i]"Apart from our small alien problem and possible crew mutiny, what else is troubling you?"[/i] (Rolls, bad ones! in case I need them: [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3625746/]1d100=60, 1d100=79[/url]

There was no reply to Juliette's transmission. Of course, the suit's communicator only had a range of a few miles. Out here in the vastness of space, that was nothing.

Natalia nodded at her suggestion. "Yes, when we reach Earth orbit we should dock at Med Center 1," she said. "It's commonly used for medical quarantine for returning astronauts who might have been exposed to contagions, which would be standard protocol in our case. Some of the finest doctors work there, though that's no knock on your own abilities, Captain Bauer. Nobody will set foot on Earth until the staff at the space station gives them a clean bill of health."

Karin Bauer and Hu Xiang,"I am saddened at the loss of [b]Lt. Barrett[/b]," [b]Natalia[/b] told [b]Karin[/b] when [b]Juliette[/b] had left. "I wish that all of us had made it out alive, but his death was not in vain. I heard he died saving [b]Private Silver[/b]. He was a bright and accomplished scientist - not quite so much as you, [b]Lt. Hu[/b], but still a valuable member of the expedition. He was also the one who developed the aerosol fungicide, was he not? Without that, our losses would have been far worse. He will always be remembered as a hero."

Karin Bauer,[b]Natalia[/b]'s sorrow at [b]Lt. Barrett[/b]'s death struck [b]Karin[/b] as genuine. You had already rolled Medicine and Psychology for [b]Natalia[/b] in an earlier post. The [i]Persephone[/i] is a small ship, and you had seen pretty much all of it while you were aboard. It's unlikely that something the size of a Mi-Go could be hidden aboard, but not impossible. At least one of the Mi-Go was very small.

On the bridge, Lt. Colleen Rose raised an eyebrow when Alison mentioned sending a message.

"Ah, I had actually thought of it," said General Pryce. "However, the communications array had been sabotaged sometime between yesterday and this morning. Lt. Rose discovered it. We could still receive messages from Earth, but we could not transmit. I had ordered her to keep it secret for the time being while she investigated discreetly, so as not to cause undue alarm or to tip off the saboteur. It is possible that Colonel Patel was the saboteur. I hope that is the case, and that we do not have another traitor in our midst."

"We cannot rule out the possibility, sir," said Lt. Colonel Bruce. "We must maintain our vigilance. If anyone does anything suspicious, report it at once."

The general nodded. "Yes, you are right, of course."

"Thankyou Major, It was awful sitting in the Persephone, knowing you were all in danger on the planet below and not being able to do anything. Lt. Barrett was very brave, it is sad that he died so young." Karin sighs. "Well, I have my reports to write, thankyou Lt. Hu for your insight, I think you deserve some down-time now if the Major permits." Karin lifts an eyebrow at Natalia, "Do you think we should have some sort of get-together, a few drinks etc. It would help people find closure from Pluto and we could toast Lt. Barrett. And the original crew form the Persephone, poor sods, who are still alive down there." She adds darkly.

Mr.handy,Juliette shoots Captain Bauer a displeased look, as she tells Juliette to go fix things with a handgesture and not the correct politeness Juliette would herself give one of equal rank. The observant one should notice the look. Juliette has been extremely honest with her thoughts about the Captain to check her reactions, and it is alarmingly compliant. And now she does excactly what Juliette reacts upon. Gets the one that disagrees with her out of the way. And will Juliette get into the main cabin in time to hear about the sabotage?

"Certainly Captain. I could do that. Major Orlova, Private Torres. Lt. Hu" Juliette nods at them and leaves quickly for the bridge.

"Yes, an excellent idea," Natalia told Karin. "I'll go up to the bridge and pass it on to Lt. Rose right now. Lt. Hu, you're on your own time now. I'll see you later."

"I'd better get back to the bridge too," said Sofia. "My station's there." She followed Juliette and Natalia back to the bridge.

OOC,[b]Juliette[/b], you haven't heard anything that was said on the bridge up to this point, but you get there in time to hear what anyone says from this point forward,

"How long will it take to repair the comm array?" asks Sergeant Kohl, "'We should inform the planet of any possible danger before we reach it,"

Juliette placed herself next to Heinrich as she came in on the bridge. But his comment dried her smile off her face. "Is the com-array destroyed? What is going on? I ran diagnostics just recently. What has happened?"

"You misunderstood, Sergeant," said General Pryce. He turned to the new arrivals and returned their salutes. "The communications array on Styx Base is the one that was sabotaged. That one would normally have the range to reach Earth, but we were unable to transmit, only to receive. I had tried to notify Earth of our discoveries earlier this morning, only to discover that I couldn't. Lt. Rose then detected the sabotage."

"I was unable to repair it," said Colleen. "A key part had been removed from the relay, and all of the spares in storage were also missing."

"Communications on the ship are working perfectly," continued the general. "Unfortunately, we do not have the range to reach Earth until we get much closer. Correct, Lt. Rose?"

"Yes, sir. We need to reach the orbit of Mars before we can get a signal through. That'll take almost two months. The shipboard communications weren't designed to communicate directly with Earth. We were able to do so on the way to Pluto because we carried the base's main array with us, which we installed when we assembled Styx Base. Even if we had had time to bring it with us, there'd be no fixing it without the proper spare."

"Can you enhance the range of our ship's communications?" asked Natalia.

"Possibly, but not by much. Even by boosting the range to maximum, we'd still need to be past the asteroid belt before we could get through."

"I see. Captain Bauer also suggested that you organize a gathering for everyone this evening to raise our morale, and that we honor the memory of Lt. Barrett."

"Good thinking," said General Pryce. "See to it, Lt. Rose."

"Yes, sir," she said.

Karin sits at her computer, carefully writing a detailed report of everything that has happened and writing all medical details that she collected about the Mi-Go. She saves one copy in the usual file, one is hidden in amongst 'Supplies and sundries'. She prints two out, one she tapes to the inside of her med bag and the other she puts into a alu canister and tapes this inside the fuse panel of the medbay.

Sergeant Kohl will not let his guard down, and also work to keep himself physically fit and capable. Working out and target practice and the like.

Mr Handy,He will also get jiggy with Cpt. Desjardins if the opportunity presents itself.

Handy,Alison will retire for the day. For the remainder of the trip she will continue to carry her gun as well as a small aerosal of the fungicide under the guise of maintaining security protocols. She will continue to keep a close eye on the Lt. Colonel and the general-noting any changes in behavior throughout the trip. If she encounters anything too suspicious she may take action

.

Karin will go about her usual duties, she will monitor the psychological well-being of the crew and she offers a counseling service if anyone needs it.

Hu sets up with his datapad to review the information brought with him, resigned to leaving all that hardware behind. He keeps a wary eye on everyone but makes no moves on his own until something eventful happens.

Handy,If we get to the Mars orbit without any progress, he'll check with the Dr. and the others present since time is running short. But that'll be weeks away.

Colleen was able to modify the shipboard communications to maximize the effective range. They will now be able to communicate with Earth once they've passed the asteroid belt. At that distance it will still take several minutes at light speed for the signal to reach Earth, double that for a round trip to hear any reply.

Alison Silver,You only have fire extinguishers on the ship, One of the smaller aerosol sprays went with the TARDIS, and [b]Lt. Barrett[/b] had the other one.

OOC,[b]Karin[/b], you may make a Psychoanalysis roll for each person you counsel. I'll allow this to include yourself. If you succeed, you may roll 1d3, and that person gets back that many Sanity points for the first month of therapy, up to the starting Sanity level. If you fail, the patient gets no benefit. [b]Natalia[/b] will go for counseling. She has lost 3 Sanity points, so she can get the maximum benefit. Other characters who can benefit are [b]Juliette[/b], [b]Colleen[/b], [b]Heinrich[/b], [b]Alison[/b], and [b]Robert[/b]. All of those who are NPCs will also want counseling, and the PCs probably will anyway, so you might as well go ahead and roll for them all. Everyone may roll Psychology for observing people's mental states over the coming month, except for [b]Karin[/b] and [b]Alison[/b], who have already rolled.

Karin tells everyone her office is always open.

Mr. Handy,Psychoanalysis rolls (51%) [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3634967/]General Richard Pryce 1d100=33, Lt. Colonel Howard Bruce 1d100=71, Major Natalia Orlova 1d100=57, 1st Lt. Hu Xiang 1d100=20, Private Sofia Torres 1d100=95, Private George Bond 1d100=26, Captain Juliette Desjardins 1d100=20, Lt. Colleen Rose 1d100=93, Sergeant Heinrich Kohl 1d100=30, Private Alison Silver 1d100=79, Private Robert MacCrimmon 1d100=70, Karin 1d100=70[/url] Points healed: [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3634977/]Pryce 1d3=1, Xiang 1d3=2, Bond 1d3=2, Desjardins 1d3=1, Kohl 1d3=2[/url]

Juliette is not one for voluntaty counciling, so she will not seek out Capt.Bauers office unless ordered by he chef. She is her flirty normal self. Extremely correct when she is on duty. Flirty and happy when she is off duty. She will be urging Sofia on to search for bugs in the Ships systems. Keepnig track (much more than on the trip out) of every essential supportsystem, radiosystem and the fuelsystems.

Everyone settled into a comfortable routine during the lengthy trip home. Nothing eventful happened during the first month.

OOC,[b]Karin[/b], you may make another set of Psychoanalysis rolls for the second month. Around the end of the second month, the ship will be close enough to Earth to communicate. Many of the people you rolled for the first time would not benefit (those already at maximum Sanity). [b]Heinrich[/b] got 2 Sanity back so far. [b]Juliette[/b] declined counseling, so she does not get any back. [b]General Pryce[/b] and [b]Lt. Colonel Bruce[/b] also declined. You should roll for [b]Natalia[/b], [b]Colleen[/b], [b]Heinrich[/b], [b]Alison[/b], [b]Robert[/b], and yourself this time. For each success, please roll 1d3 to see how many Sanity points are recovered in the second month.

Karin Bauer,[b]Karin[/b]'s continued observations of the general confirmed her suspicions. He was not the man he used to be, though the difference was very subtle. Had she not known him personally and been a skilled medical professional, she probably never would have seen through his facade in the first place. He did nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary, and there was nothing specific on which she could put her finger. He also seemed as if he knew that she knew, but he didn't seem to care.

Karin continues to counsel Colleen and the security team (not Bruce who declined on her offer). Other than doing her necessary duties, the rest of the crew rarely see her. She sits on her own at meal times and plays with her food, obviously lacking any appetite. Her face is drawn and tired and, in her down time, she sits at one of the few windows staring out into space.

Counseling results,The second month of counseling: [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3636496/]Karin, 1d100=70, Natalia 1d100=87, Colleen 1d100=62, Heinrich 1d100=34, Alison 1d100=19, Robert 1d100=41[/url] Recovered points: [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3636497/]Heinrich 1d3=1, Alison 1d3=1, Robert 1d3=3[/url]

Mr. Handy,I decided that Karin is too funked with her inside knowledge to recover any sanity points so changed the roll order, is that okay?

During her counseling sessions it is readily apparent that Alison harbors a deep fear of the Mi-Go after her encounter with them. Alison often seems paranoid that the Mi-Go could be following them and like Karin she has her suspicions about the General being under Mi-Go control. She is rather tight-lipped about it in sessions, worried that they might be recorded and overheard by others, but Karin gets the impression that Alison's fear will cause her to take action if she has her suspicions confirmed. Alison will also detail her conversation and impressions of the two COs when she was in the bridge at the beginning of the trip.

Otherwise during the trip Alison remains vigilant in security and continues to keep an eye on the commanding officers, looking for anything that she deems suspicious. Other than her sessions with Karin she speaks mostly to Robert, but otherwise keeps to herself.

Over the trip, Hu kept an eye out to gauge how everyone is faring after the events. He feels strangely insightful.

Handy,That is my Psychology roll, [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3637442/]1d100=23[/url]. Apologies for lack of notation. Couldn't log in for whyever from this computer. On vacay with the wife at the in-laws' and my lappy doesn't like their wifi, haha.

Karin Bauer,Yes, that's fine.

Hu Xiang,[b]Xiang[/b]'s observations of [b]General Pryce[/b] and [b]Lt. Colonel Bruce[/b] did confirm that something was different about them. Then again, none of them would ever be the same again. The general had always been a calm, rational man, but he seemed especially so now, devoid of emotion. The security chief had always been a serious man - deadly serious - but he too seemed even moreso than ever, and he also showed no trace of emotion any longer. He had been known to get angry in the past, but he never once did during the lengthy voyage. It fit [b]Karin[/b]'s theory that their minds were somehow under alien control, but there was no proof of it, and nothing specific on which he could put his finger.

Alison Silver,[b]Alison[/b]'s continued observations of the general seemed to confirm her worst fears and [b]Karin[/b]'s suspicions. He had always been a calm, rational man, but he seemed especially so now, devoid of emotion. It did fit the theory that his mind was somehow under alien control, and she was more convinced than ever that [b]Karin[/b] was right, but there was no proof of it, and nothing specific on which she could put her finger.

Alison and Handy,Karin points to a small fire extinguisher sitting by her med bag. [i] "I don't think the fungicide will work on their human bodies, I'm fairly sure it's only their minds that are affected. But how? How can they control their minds over such a distance? Nobody has found any Mi-Go hiding on the ship. There's no sign of any surgery for brain transplants. I just can't work it out!"[/i] Karin looks haggard. [i]"Sorry, I'm not getting much sleep at the moment. I told the General my fears ages ago so he knows what I think. And yet he does nothing. I guess he knows that once we reach the space station he'll order my, and anyone else's arrest. Then he'll have plenty of time to influence his best friend The Kaiser. Who pretty much controls Earth. They won't mind sitting through any quarantines. The doctors won't pick anything up; as you know, it's just our intuition, we have no proof."[/i] Karin looks hard at Alison. [i]"Everything he says is so damn reasonable. 'We must alert Earth of the Mi-Gos presence'. And then he'll tell the Kaiser the Mi-Gos should be welcomed with open arms. But we must still alert Earth. And then, then we must not allow Pryce and Bruce to reach Earth alive. I don't know how many of the crew will back us or Pryce. Can you subtly find out? Then we can make a plan. I want to search the ship again myself. There's nothing else I can do yet. "[/i] She smiles wanly, [i]"But there's no harm in trying the fungicide. If you can wrangle a way of spraying a bit in the air near, say, Bruce without alarming him. Perhaps get him to test it for security or something."[/i]

Karin carefully searches the ship.

Spot hidden if neccessary,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3638256/]Spot hidden (40) 1d100=29[/url]

During the course of the month Alison begins to discuss her fears and observations with each of the other crew members, starting with Robert and Heinrich. She tries to speak with each crew member privately, when she has them alone she brings up her concern that they are somehow being followed, that after watching them for a month the General and Lt. Colonel are not themselves like Karin said. "The Mi-Go chased us off of Pluto for simply hurting one of their own, before we left we killed a few - how do you think they will react? Don't you think that warrants a little more concern from our higher-ups? Yet they show nothing." Alison will say.

If Alison gets the impression that the other crew members are also concerned about the possibility of some sort of control of Mi-Go attack, she will continue by saying that something needs to be done - before they cross the asteroid belt.

If she gets the impression that the other crew members are unconvinced or too 'pro-Kaiser' then she will just drop the subject after bringing up her concerns.

When Alison approaches Hu about her concerns, he agrees quickly, relieved to have someone to share the same concerns with. "But what can we do about it without getting ourselves executed? We need to figure if there is some way they're receiving a signal or if..." Hu pauses since the next part is so outlandish. "If their minds aren't their minds at all. Like a computer hard drive being overwritten or... Replaced."

"I didna notice anything different about them," said Robert when Alison approached him. "I'm just not sure what we should do. Nothing's happened so far. What you're talking about is dangerous. You could get killed, like Colonel Patel. I want to take action, but I'm just not sure."

OOC,[b]Alison[/b], you'll need to roll Fast Talk to convince [b]Robert[/b] of the need to do something. [b]Karin[/b] and [b]Xiang[/b] may try as well, though they should roll Persuade, which they have at a higher level. [b]Heinrich[/b] may try Persuade as well if he wishes. He could also simply order [b]Robert[/b] to go along even if he isn't convinced.

Alison frowns, "It's a tough decision Rob. But remember, the Lt. Colonel had us pull the trigger on the Colonel. She was outgunned four to one. It wasn't necessary ther eto take that course of action. But right here, right now I think it is necessary. What if we get to Earth and the General and Lt. Colonel tell everyone that the Mi-Go are peaceful, or that there is nothing to be worried about? Will anyone listen to our protests, or will we just look unhinged compared to the two 'calm' and emotionless COs we brought back?"

Roll,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3638865/]Fast talk 55% (1d100=89)[/url] Fail

"I will not pull rank on you in this Robert," Heinrich says, "But something needs to be done. I will not be responsible for bringing alien agents onto our planet, regardless of their rank,"

"Some things are more important than the chain of command, but you must be prepared to accept the consequences,"

Persuade,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3639159/]1d100 = 65 (15)[/url]

Karin sits next to Rob at breakfast to talk to him but she just can't think how to begin. and she just shoves her space rations around on the plate.

OOC,Is it worth us trying to persuade Colleen and Sofia? Are they being played by people or are they now npcs?

Juliette is beeing moody. At times happy, at times quiet. She spends some time off the helm with Sofia. Trying to get her to teach her some fancy computerskills. She does not notice anything odd about her fellow travelers. But beeing bored and paranoid she searches the ship, top to bottom, even the Demeter, looking for the trap she is sensing is going to spring on her.

mr. Handy,Juliette [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3639883/]sucks at empaty but it good at spotting hidden[/url].

Robert sighed. "I understand, but think how it would look if we killed them - that's what you're talking about, right?" he said. "We'd all be traitors. Who would listen to us then? I'm not afraid for myself, but I don't want anything to happen to you, Alison. Or to you, Sarge. Look, I willna say anything about this to anyone, but I think this is a bad idea. We don't even have any proof."

OOC,[b]Sofia[/b], [b]George[/b], and [b]Colleen[/b] are currently NPCs whose players haven't posted in a long time, and [b]George[/b]'s player withdrew from the game. You can try to roll Fast Talk or Persuade on them. If their players later return or they get new players, they are free to act how they wish in spite of the rolls. Also, these characters may have their own agendas and could act how they choose regardless of the rolls' results.

Juliette Desjardins,During the journey, [b]Juliette[/b] searched both [i]Charon's Ferry[/i] and [i]Persephone[/i] thoroughly, as well as the [i]Demeter[/i]. She could find nothing out of the ordinary. There was nowhere a Mi-Go could hide on the ships that she did not check, unless they came a lot smaller than she had seen, and no trace of their presence anywhere.

Amongst the group of conspirators... Hu hates that word... Hu shares his concern based on what Robert voiced. "To get proof, we have to do an in depth analysis of their minds and bodies." He looks at Karin. "Apologies, but I don't know if we have adequate means up here to do so. Technologically speaking, of course." He lets out a sigh. "We would have to risk it until our medical check in Earth's orbit. But by then it might be too late. If we wait for concrete evidence, it might be too late."

'Amongst the group of conspirators' Karin shudders. She hates this feeling of paranoia and subterfuge. She thinks back to long ago when she used to surf the South African waves to the raw power, freedom and simple choices. She doubts whether she'll be there again. Still,

Amongst the group of conspirators Karin says,"Then we must force them to show their hands before we make contact. Then, if we kill them, they will be part of the losses on Pluto and we are acting in defence. I feel that after we pass the asteroid belt and we are in range, then we have returned to the home side and it would be classed murder." She pauses, "It will be exceedingly difficult to catch them out because they act so rationally. I haven't managed it so far. Anyone got any ideas?"

"I dinna ken how to trip them up," said Robert, "but it'd be murder if we killed them before we're through the belt or after. We canna get away with pretending they died on Pluto. Everything's logged on this ship, and they record their own personal logs too, which will be encrypted. There will be other evidence they were aboard, like oxygen consumption statistics. Once we return to Earth, they'll go over this ship with a fine-toothed comb. If they find something, or if they find out something that should be there is missing, we've had it. You canna kill Alexander Kaiser's personal friend and expect to walk away like nothing happened."

"I hadn't even thought about that..." Alison says in despair. "I mean, I didn't expect to get away with it... But I don't really know how to get them to trip up - I just know in my gut that they aren't themselves." Alison stares hopelessly at the floor, "The only thing I can think of is to make sure they know that the Mi-Go are a real threat and to keep watch on the COs even when we get back to Earth... that or one of us kills them and claims that they were under Mi-Go control..." Alison says that last part knowing that no one would agree that it was a viable course of action, but as a last resort in the event of clear evidence of mind control it was the only option she could see.

Handy,Any chance of an Idea roll bearing fruit on how to make the COs slip up or are we on our own here and its time to just call it?

In a heavy voice, "You are right, murder would make us even less human than them. I only thought, if we could prove they were Mi-Go somehow, then we'd be justified." Karin ponders, "I could test them again and then say they are unfit for command, and, just to be safe, would they mind stepping down from command until we are back at the space station. At least then it would all be in the report, following correct procedure and Earth-Command may ay least be wary when we docked. They couldn't afford to risk the Kaiser, even for his best friend."

Karin Bauer/Heinrich Kohl/Alison Silver,The conspirators found they had quite a dilemma. There did not seem to be any obvious way to trip up their commanding officers. They appeared to be perfectly human, and all medical tests confirmed that they were. If they were under alien mind control, proof would be hard to find, if not impossible. In the end, it would be up to each of them to make a decision. This was not the sort of problem that had a simple or obvious solution that would result in a happy ending for everyone. It was not clear how the aliens' control could be broken. Killing the aliens who were doing the controlling might do the trick, but you cannot kill what you cannot even detect. Killing the people being controlled could work, but at what cost? It was the only apparent way to save Earth, but to do so would mean compromising what it meant to be human and quite probably sacrificing themselves. If they did this, the saviors of mankind would no doubt be branded as traitors and hunted mercilessly for their trouble. They did have an ample supply of fuel thanks to [i]Persephone[/i]'s additional reserves, but there seemed to be nowhere they could go in the solar system where they would be safe if they took control of the ship. The outer planets' moons had colonies, but they were in communication with Earth and under [b]Alexander Kaiser[/b]'s authority. [i]Charon's Ferry[/i]'s arrival would surely be reported, along with [b]General Pryce[/b]'s absence. They could try to incite a rebellion, but even if they managed it, [b]Kaiser[/b]'s forces would be sure to stamp it out once reinforcements from Earth arrived. Returning to the inner planets would mean an even swifter death sentence. And the Mi-Go were in charge of Pluto. In spite of the genius of [b]Major Orlova[/b] and [b]Lt. Hu[/b], the secrets of faster than light travel still eluded them. Without the equipment in the lab back on Styx Base, a breakthrough seemed even more unlikely. It would take many years to reach the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, at the maximum achievable sublight speeds, and their supplies and life support would not last anywhere near that long. If murder was their intention, there were more subtle ways of doing it than simply walking up to someone with a gun and opening fire. As a doctor, [b]Karin[/b] had knowledge of poisons and could concoct them in the medical bay, though delivering them might be tricky. Not only that, but an investigation would surely be conducted upon their return to civilization, which could still doom them. They could also just lie low and proceed to Earth, hoping to convince the authorities of alien mind control, but without proof it would be a difficult sell. Also, [b]General Pryce[/b] had plenty of clout and would be sure to use all of it. They could still find themselves condemned if they spoke out. Alternatively, they could proceed to Earth and say nothing, in which case whatever the Mi-Go had planned would proceed until they tipped their hand. By then it might be too late. The conspirators had a chance to save their lives, but what fate would befall Earth?

Juliette Desjardins,[b]Juliette[/b] could not be certain about [b]Karin[/b]'s intentions, but she had good reason to be suspicious. [b]Karin[/b] had seemed to be working with [b]Colonel Patel[/b] during her short-lived mutiny, but the general had averted the security chief's suspicions, likely saving her life - and [b]Heinrich[/b]'s. He too had seemed to be part of the plot. How much did he know? How much would he be willing to tell her if she talked to him alone? Was there something going on between [b]Karin[/b] and [b]Heinrich[/b]? She couldn't tell, but one suspicion led to another. It did seem likely that [b]Karin[/b], and probably others, were planning something underhanded. [b]Juliette[/b] might be able to find out more by playing along with whatever they had planned and infiltrating [b]Karin[/b]'s cabal.

Karin quietly talks through the options with the others. She admits she has already considered poison in her darkest hours but that would be no different to a gun- murder. She had already tried making Bruce unconscious but he was still weird when he woke up. She suggests the option: of secretly warning Earth that the ship is carrying some sort of alien contagion that will affect Earth as soon as they dock. Would that be possible? Any option that involved flying anywhere other than back to Earth Base (e.g. to confront Mi-Go on Pluto) was no option as the only pilots were the General himself and Capt. Desjardins who didn't seem concerned about the problem and was unlikely to alter course. She also suggests confronting the General with his psychological profile to see what he does. Any other ideas?

Karin waits to find Capt. Desjardin for a quiet chat. "Captain, I know we haven't seen eye to eye and I can understand why you may distrust me; I'm sorry you haven't been in for counseling. It's not good to keep things bottled up inside. I should know." she says ruefully. "I'm afraid we will be putting Earth in grave danger if we dock. I fear we are allowing the Mi-Go a foothold on our planet. There is no proof for we are dealing with something alien. maybe I am just paranoid but it isn't just me who has seen signs that something is very wrong on this ship." She sighs. "If I do nothing to save our planet for fear of being wrong and the worse happens..." She looks at Juliette candidly. "What should we do?"

Juliette looks up at Karin, cradling her cup of cappucino in her lap. Off duty she allways lets her long brown hair hang loose. She has taken off the uniform jacket and her shoes, and she is lounging in her bunk reading on her tablet. "Might I ask what kind of evidence and who is it that has seen this evidence? I have been searching the ship, top to bottom, and found no trace of the Mi-goo. And just what is it you want us to do? Why do you believe we will be able to fight the mi-goo onboard in outer space? The Mi-goo were flying around outside on pluto, do they even need air?"

Juliette takes a sip of cappucino. "I am sorry for what I said to you earlier. But the only one on ship that acts irrational to me is you. You were in on Patels mutiny, and that is the only reason for my wanting to listen to you now. I want to know why you were able to first say that the General was unfit, then say that he was fit, then back to unfit again. You are beeing, what is the english word for it...." As she searches for an unknown word Juliettes accent is more french than ever. She frowns as she searches her mind."Indécis... indecisive. That's the word. Please explain so that I can understand your decisions." Juliettes grey eyes studies Karin as she takes yet another sip of her Cappucino.

Karin sips her herbal tea and smiles wryly. "Too right I was indecisive. When everyone and everything is shouting otherwise it is very difficult to stick to one's own theory. I could have handled it better" she admits. "Back on Pluto, the General was acting odd; unlike his usual self and different to his evaluated psychological profile. Then, when Col. Patel, my direct superior, voiced her own apprehension about him I used my doctor's prerogative to remove him from command pending a medical analysis. It seemed the safest thing to do. It was all done to correct protocol. If the analysis was good he could be reinstated, if not then we'd least got him before he caused trouble. Obviously he called court martial for all involved but that was by the by.

The trouble is, Patel wanted to call off the evacuation and Heinrich and I couldn't understand why. Plus, my examination seemed to suggest he was fine; physically excellent, mentally stable. So I had to allow him to be reinstated. He promptly had Patel killed. Which was again unlike his profile but I'd done the evaluation and there was nothing else I could do."

She sighs. "You know everything else. Except when I was with them on the Persephone. Then I had time to evaluate Bruce psychologically. He was devoid of any emotion, wooden and expressionless; totally unhuman in this respect. The Doctor Storey wondered if mind-control had been applied by the Mi-go to Bruce. The General stuck up for Bruce when I gave him my report and I realised, he too, is suffering form this same emotionless mind-state. I'm not the only one who has seen it. I think the General knows I know but he doesn't care- what can I do?"

Karin finishes her tea. "So there you have it. We are carrying an unprovable menace back to Earth. I have some questions. One, the Mi-Go can travel in space but why have they not reached Earth before? Is it too far-do they need a vehicle? Two, The Mi-Go killed the first crew and Earth knew nothing about them still. Now they are allowing us to travel back with knowledge of their existence. Why? Actually, they didn't kill the crew, they've kept their brains alive in tanks apparently." Karin shudders. "And three, do you think the Mi-Go are benevolent or hostile?"

Mr. Handy,Karin tells a similar story to Major Orlova so that at least all the senior officers are aware. It doesn't matter if they go blabbing to the General because Karin knows he knows she knows. Her theory is the more people that know, the better and more chance a warning can get through to some one on Earth. Even to the Resistance.

Karin says to the conspirators, "At least make sure the message gets through to Earth: there are hostile aliens on Pluto called the Mi-Go and they have captured the crew of the Persephone."

In early October, Charon's Ferry finally passed the asteroid belt and made her way into the inner solar system. The crew was now in the home stretch, and the ship was finally close enough to communicate with Earth using Colleen's range-boosting modifications.

"Sir, we can transmit to Earth now," Colleen Rose told General Pryce on the bridge.

"Good," he said. "Open a channel, please."

"Yes, sir." Colleen did as ordered and spoke into the microphone. "This is Lt. Colleen Rose aboard Charon's Ferry calling Earth. General Pryce would like to speak to you."

There was a long delay while the message transmitted. Even at light speed, it took several minutes for the signal to reach Earth, and several more for the reply to return. It finally came: "Charon's Ferry, this is Earth Command. We've had no communications from Styx Base for nearly two months and heard no response to our hails. General Pryce, please explain the situation."

The general approached the microphone and spoke into it: "Earth Command, this is General Richard Pryce. It was necessary to evacuate Styx Base and return to Earth. I accept full responsibility for this decision.

"We were unable to contact Earth sooner, as the Styx Base communications array had been sabotaged sometime on 8 or 9 August. On the morning of 9 August, Captain Juliette Desjardins discovered an unusual rock formation which she discovered concealed an underground tunnel. Exploring it, she found and recovered the long lost Persephone. It was in the possession of a previously unknown alien race called the Mi-Go. First contact with them did not go well. When she returned with Lt. Colonel Howard Bruce and Lt. Hu Xiang to retrieve the Demeter, which she had had to leave on the surface in order to retrieve the Persphone, a group of Mi-Go came out of the rock formation and approached them. Lt. Colonel Bruce was captured, but the others returned safely to base with both craft and Captain Desjardins also captured one of the Mi-Go that had been waiting inside the Demeter. It is my recommendation that she be awarded the highest honour for her heroism and bravery.

"The Mi-Go are a highly technologically advanced species. Captain Karin Bauer has conducted a full medical examination of the Mi-Go that we had captured, and we are bringing her data back with us. They are somewhat insectoid and crustacean in appearance, but they are unlike any known life form. They are, at least in part, composed of fungal matter. We also recovered the energy weapon carried by the Mi-Go, a handheld electrical gun. Our science and engineering staff managed to reverse engineer this weapon and adapt it so that it is usable by a human. The initial test showed it to be very powerful, superior to our latest blaster pistols. We have this weapon with us as well. These creatures have a very disturbing appearance that can induce a fear reaction in those who observe them. When I went to see the captive Mi-Go, I was affected and shot it. It proved resistant to firearms, and while little physical damage was done, the incident made diplomacy difficult. The Mi-Go insisted that we leave Pluto, which is their planet, and return to Earth. The Mi-Go also said that the crew of the Persephone attacked them. They survived, but were injured badly. The Mi-Go are keeping them alive and said they would arrange their repatriation to Earth. We were able to arrange a prisoner exchange, and several Mi-Go brought Lt. Colonel Bruce back to Styx Base. They returned him to us when we released the Mi-Go we had, though they remained in the base to ensure that evacuation proceeded in an orderly manner.

"I regret to say that it did not. Colonel Indira Patel disagreed with my decision to evacuate, and she took advantage of the confusion to instigate a coup against me. Fortunately, Lt. Colonel Bruce and the other security officers were able to put the mutiny down and restore me to command. Colonel Patel was summarily executed at Lt. Colonel Bruce's order. There were also four human visitors who had somehow found their way into Styx Base shortly before we made first contact, all of them unregistered. They were led by a Mr. Story, who claimed to have invented a new variety of transmat with the range to reach Pluto. All attempts to analyze or enter his transmat capsule were unsuccessful. One of the Mi-Go escorted the visitors to their capsule along with Sergeant Heinrich Kohl during the evacuation. From the report of the incident, it seems that they balked when the Mi-Go insisted on accompanying them to Earth in their transmat. That Mi-Go was killed, and the other Mi-Go who remained in the docking bay regarded this as a breach of our agreement and attacked the base personnel still in the bay. Thanks to the courage of Lt. Edward Barrett, Private Alison Silver, and Private Robert MacCrimmon, the Mi-Go were defeated. However, Lt. Barrett was slain, and one of the Mi-Go escaped with his body. Other members of the crew were injured, but they have since made a full recovery. We were able to bring out both the Persephone and Charon's Ferry.

"I will deliver a more detailed report upon our arrival. Our ETA to Earth is approximately six days. We request permission to dock at Medical Centre 1 for quarantine and complete examinations before being permitted planetside. Pryce out."

The twenty or so minutes that passed before the reply came seemed to go by very slowly. At last it came: "General Pryce, this is Earth Command. Permission granted. Welcome home."

Karin prepares a full medical report on the Mi-Go, including their highly evolved medical skill and possible mind-control abilities. This she gives to Colleen for forwarding. "So they can prepare the necessary quarantines and examinations for us."

"Yes, ma'am," said Colleen. She transmitted the data to Earth Command.

Six days later, Charon's Ferry approached Earth orbit at last. Medical Center 1 was a large space station in high orbit. Constructed in the mid-21st century, it has been used since then to quarantine returning astronauts until they could be medically cleared to return to Earth's surface. The crew of the Persephone would have docked here had they succeeded in returning from Pluto before Charon's Ferry had even departed.

"Open a channel, Lt. Rose," said General Pryce on the bridge. "Request permission to dock."

"Yes, sir," said Colleen, complying. She spoke into the ship-to-ship communicator. "Medical Centre 1, this is Charon's Ferry requesting permission to dock."

"Permission granted, Charon's Ferry," replied a man's voice. "The primary docking bay is being opened now. After docking is complete, all personnel will disembark. You will each be taken to isolation rooms for full examinations, and you will be kept isolated from each other for the duration of your stay."

Once the space station's docking bay dome finished opening, the general addressed Captain Juliette Desjardins. "Take us in," he said.

OOC,[b]Juliette[/b], please roll Pilot Space Transport at double your skill. This means you will only fail on a 100.

Juliette docked with near-perfect smoothness, as always. The docking bay was soon sealed and repressurized.

"Charon's Ferry, this is Medical Center 1," said the man on the communicator. "We are ready to receive you now."

"All right," said General Pryce, unbuckling his straps and standing up. "Let us disembark."

OOC,Nobody has posted in over a week, and only one player has posted for more than the last two weeks. If nobody posts in the next few days, I'll assume that everyone disembarks and goes quietly into isolation and quaratine and then bring things to a close.

Karin has written her reports, hidden extra copies around the ship and alerted the crew. There is nothing else she can do with no support. She hopes that by being calm and professional people may respect her judgement.

At the call to disembark, she picks up her bag and computer and goes meekly into quarantine. As the airlock hisses shut behind her hope dies within; she is about to be processed and there is nothing she can do about it.

The medics stare at her as Karin tries to explain her theories about mind control. They are not impressed.

Without proof, Karin was unable to convince the medical staff. From the course of treatment they gave her, it was clear that they believed she was suffering from space madness. She had failed to act before reaching Medical Center 1, and now it was too late. Events would take their course.

OOC,Episode 4 concludes in the following thread.

Epilogue