IC-Ep 4-Take the Long Way Home(Everyone else)

[smug_jaguar]

"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]

[aine]

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?

[Lynx]

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].

[Mr. Handy]

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.

[SSior.27]

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."

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,I forgot to mention it, but everyone is now fully healed during the long flight.

[aine]

'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?"

[Mr. Handy]

"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."

[CrackheadC.]

"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?

[aine]

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."

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,You may each roll Idea once. However, there is a limit to what you'll learn from it. It will give you some things that might be useful, but not step by step instructions for how to best proceed.

[CrackheadC.]

Roll,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3643632/]Idea 75% (1d100=40)[/url] Hopefully that will give me something to work with, but I'm a bit stumped at the moment.

[smug_jaguar]

Mr Handy,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3643804/]1d100 = 45 (70), Idea Roll[/url]

[aine]

Karin racks her brains and has a few ideas

[Lynx]

mr.handy,Juliette got a [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3644422/]65 of 65.[/url]. just as clueless as I feel about the game lately. Juliette will try to find outwether or not someone is planning a rebellion.. as she knows things will go shit if they do... in reality rebellions never work out to well. And Juliette honestly suspects Karin.

[SSior.27]

Stumped,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3644822/]In character[/url], and in real life.

[Mr. Handy]

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.

[aine]

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?

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,[b]Lt. Hu[/b] is also a capable pilot, though he is not as good as the others. [b]George Bond[/b] can fly the ship too, though you haven't as yet recruited him.

[aine]

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?"