IC - 3 - Engineering - Kiara and Sam

[Mephistophilis]

Mike puts his hands up, 'Hey, I don't know, not my department.' He takes the datapad and taps a few icons before handing it back. 'Looks like the last person to take the copter out was Sergeant Montrose. It doesn't say what happened to it but I can't find any record of a quake at the time. Maybe you could ask him?'

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, we'll be sure to do that," says Sam. "What about these power outages? Have they only been happening in the last few months, or have they always been occurring?"

[jp1885]

“Copters? That how you get around outside? Must get pretty stormy up there: I always pictured you guys lumbering around in spacesuits.” Kiara grins sheepishly.

[Mephistophilis]

Mike says 'I've only been here for the last year, been having outages and tremors as long as I've known. They were really bad a few months ago but they've slackened off a bit recently. Something to do with the ice volcanoes, or so they say.'

He looks to Kiara, 'We mostly use the maglev to get around between the colony and the pumping stations. But sometimes we need to go and check on the pipelines and the copters are pretty good for that. I don't fly myself but a few of the guys can pilot them, apparently it's pretty easy in the thick atmosphere and low gravity, but visibility is a problem and we stick to the low atmosphere cos the wind really picks up as you get higher.' He gives a smile back, 'And once we get where we're going, pumping stations or wherever, it's big bulky surface suits again. We don't need space suits cos there's fairly normal atmospheric pressure, but it's bloody cold, there's no oxygen, and it's easy to go flying in the low gravity so we have weighted magnetic boots, air supplies, and heating elements.'

[Mr. Handy]

"That would be the cryovulcanism," says Sam. "We'll want to get out to Pumping Station 1 next. Can you please arrange that?"

[Mephistophilis]

'I don't need to organise that' says Mike, 'Just head to the central hub station under the administrative building, you can catch the maglev train from there. Goes straight to Pumping Station 1.'

[Mr. Handy]

"Okay, thanks," says Sam. She turns to Kiara. "Ready to go?"

[jp1885]

“Almost,” answers Kiara. “I’d quite like a rundown on how the pumps work first.“

She smiles at Mike. “Scientific curiosity.”

[Mephistophilis]

Mike shrugs and takes the datapad. He briefly explains that the pumping stations sit on the edge of the methane sea of Ligeia Mare, partially floating on the surface. The pumps themselves are pretty conventional, sucking liquid methane out of the sea, purifying it, and then sending it to the central facility of Barnard's Rest through miles of pipeline that spread out from the colony like a spider’s web. Each of the five pumping stations is worked by a crew of ten per shift and is accessible via high-speed magnetic rail.

[jp1885]

Kiara thanks Mike, apologising for bothering him before indicating her readiness to visit the pumping station.

[Mr. Handy]

Sam heads to the train with Kiara.

[Mephistophilis]

After a short walk to the administrative building Kiara, Sam, and Moses find themselves in the central hub station. They board one of the maglev train carriages, gleaming silver metallic capsules that can seat around eight people snugly. After punching in the destination the carriage rotates on a central turntable until it is angled down towards the tunnel marked 'Pumping Station 1'. There is a low whine which escalates into a high pitched buzzing and the carriage accelerates down the track, through the tunnel, and then out into the hazy red of the Titan atmosphere. The passengers feel the significant acceleration of the train, a marked contrast to the weak gravity of Titan.

Within a few minutes they pass through a craggy and eroded landscape to a flatter more undulating methane ice surface. They can see the imposing bulk of the pumping station coming into view and beyond it the vast smooth methane sea of Ligeia Mare. While the sky has the orange glow of Titan's atmosphere the sea has a glassy black surface.

Upon arriving in the station and after the airlock has refreshed the air the three of them find themselves standing in a dome shaped hub area, a large reinforced window shows the large pump control centre outside the station where several figures in bulky Titan surface suits are walking around. Inside the dome there are racks which might hold a dozen surface suits, and there are four unused suits left.

[Mr. Handy]

Sam picks out the suit that's closest to her size and suits up in it.

[Mephistophilis]

OOC,Roll Zero/Low G to get the suit on, take a bonus die if someone is helping, if the helper has a higher skill they can roll and take a bonus die instead

[Mr. Handy]

Sam expertly puts on her suit and then helps Kiara with hers.

OOC,Zero/Low G roll (50% skill) to put on the suit: [dice]0[/dice] Zero/Low G roll (50% skill) to help [b]Kiara[/b] put on her suit: [dice]1[/dice] Bonus die: [dice]2[/dice]

[jp1885]

Kiara gratefully accepts Sam's help and is soon waddling about in suit, unused to earing such bulky apparel.

"Walking in this is gonna be interesting..." she says, looking for a way our of the dome towards the pump.

[Mephistophilis]

OOC,Moses Zero/Low G 50%,[dice]0[/dice]

Moses struggles into his surface suit. These have heavy magnetic boots and multiple head-lamps built into the helmet, in order to actually examine the pumps in the hazy twilight of Titan. These suits are designed to be easy to put on or take off, with the main portion of the suit (complete with attached gloves and boots) being pulled on like a bulky pair of coveralls and zipped up the front, an insulated flap snapping into place to protect the zipper from freezing. The helmet screws into a reinforced collar, and the air supply and batteries powering the suit’s lamps and heaters are worn like a backpack. Strapped to the leg of the suit is a can of instant sealant.

OOC,Surface suits provide 4 armour, but you don't want a penetrating injury in this atmosphere.

[Mephistophilis]

It takes five minutes’ to transition from the oxygenated atmosphere of the colony to Titan’s atmosphere through the airlock. Kiara, Sam, and Moses find steel-plated walkways bolted into the ice to walk on, the magnets in their boots providing enough attraction to keep them from bouncing off with each step.

Additionally, a tether connected to the suit can be clipped to a series of raised railings, connected to the walkways and to the platform the pumping machinery is mounted on, to further ensure against anyone taking an uncontrolled leap. Moses immediately clips on his tether.

The pump itself is a large cylindrical silver metallic machine mounted on the end of the platform which protrudes out over the black methane sea. Tendrils of flexible tubing radiate out from the machine into the sea while looking behind them the investigators can see more rigid metallic piping disappearing into the orange haze back towards Barnard's Rest.

Several people in surface suits are busying themselves about the machine, adjusting levers, inspecting dials, and shaking out tubing. One of them with red stripes on their suit appears to be directing the others with hand gestures and periodically pointing to his helmet.

OOC,A successful Computer Use and you can turn on the in suit radio to the correct channel and then direct the others what to do. Moses Computer Use 40% [dice]0[/dice] - Moses has succeeded so you can either try yourselves or follow his instructions

Moses adjusts something on his control panel and then points to his helmet trying to convey a number with the bulky fingers on the suit.

[jp1885]

Computer use 65,[dice]0[/dice]

Kiara slowly fiddles with the comms controls until she finds the correct channel. Once completed she gives a thumbs up.

Listen (just in case She needs to hear through static) 20,[dice]1[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

Sam is unable to get to the correct frequency on her own, so she follows the others' instructions.

OOC,Computer Use roll (55% skill) to tune to the correct frequency: [dice]0[/dice]