Play@YSDC

[OOC: Ok, I've started this thread just for your three characters so that you can follow your own set of posts more easily.

As this thread runs simultaneously with the main IC thread, please keep an eye on that as any events not limited to your investigation will be posted there, and that is where any other characters can interact with you. If anyone else joins your investigation they can start posting in here as well.]

Here are the last two IC posts from the main thread, that relate to this investigation:

Decrepit wrote: "Well, all right then," Jack says to Sean and McRaven. "I'm happy enough to help if you think it really would be help. It's clear I don't know my stem from my stern when it comes to boats--ships, I mean. See?" He chuckles a little.

"One thing we might want to know is who would have unquestioned access to the reefer. I mean, I really haven't been paying attention, but can just anyone go down there unchallenged? Maybe, but my sense is that people belong in certain places and they're noticed if they're not. We also seem to be looking for someone fairly clever but either not too experienced in sabotage or not inclined to harm us fatally. As bad as the damage is, we can recover from it, especially if we turn back or delay our voyage.

"I think we also might want to think about what some key points of the ship are so that we can keep watch. We can't guard everything, of course, which is why there's all the more need to think about what's vital. If someone wants to keep hurting us, how would he do it?"

Steerpike wrote: McRaven ponders on Jacks words for a moment.
"Hell he'd go for anything that would force us to turn back. He's gone for the food, he could just as easily target drinking water, fuel for the aircraft or the aircraft themselves...so i think some of us should check over that. While Jack..."

McRaven then lapses in silence, looking around him and at the crew.

"You know when we were digging around while back in the states....the sailors were a close knit bunch, I wonder if whoever is doing this is like us...a stranger, someone new, recently joined...maybe you should check that out"

[OOC: You three don't seem to need anything from me just yet, so I'll leave you to it for now.]

As the three investigators discuss their next move Olof enters the cabin...

"Yes," Jack says, "I think it's quite possible that the saboteur, if that's what we've got, is a relative stranger around here. I'll try to ask the captain about that, but I don't want to start a witch hunt.

"Believe me, I've participated in a few--hell, even started a few," he adds ruefully.

"I'll also try to find out the routines around the reefer. I'll admit that I haven't been paying that much attention to how things work around here. As far as I know, anybody could be allowed access, but maybe that's not true."

"Hello, friend," Jack says amiably to Olof upon seeing him enter. "How goes it?"

"Hi Jack." He also nods to the others in greeting. "I have found something strange and worrying." The engineer pauses shortly unsure how to continue. "I did some repairs to the refridgeration system. I was able to fix the piping, although the cooling system will not run without cooling agent. When I worked I discovered this." Olof holds out the part of the corroded pipe for inspection. "I suspect that someone has sabotaged this pipe with some sort of corrosive agent, probably an acid of some sort. I'm going to the laboratory to see if I can identify the chemical which was used for this... sabotage. I think that you would know that we might have a saboteur on board." The Swede's accented speech together with his facial expression shows who worried he is about the matter.

"It's good to have some confirmation, even if the truth hurts," Jack says. "In the meantime, I think some of us had already jumped the gun on--er, come to the conclusion that there was a saboteur. The evidence was purely circumstantial, though; this is a solid lead."

Jack pauses to scratch his head for a moment. "I don't know what the other fellows think, but I think you should go ahead and try to find out what you can about that pipe. Meanwhile, I'd better see if I can find out something from the captain. Anybody got any other--or better--ideas?"

"It would be great if you could check out what kind of acids there is available on board. Perhaps the saboteur found the tools on board. I do not think he carried it with him. Good luck" Olof says and turns and heads for the laboratory.

"Ok, seems we have a plan here" says McRaven.
"Jack can check with the capt, Olof can go check on the chemicals...I guess Sean and myself can go check on the aircraft and fuel...lets say we meet up in the mess before lights out"

There's about an hour or two left until lights out.

Owner's Suite / SME Expedition Laboratory

There is nobody else current making use of the expedition's makeshift office / laboratory so Olof gets to work immediately, it could be a long night. He is glad to find that Starkweather has managed to stock the lab with everything that he should need tonight.

[OOC: Henrik, please make a chemistry roll of Olof, I'll give a +20% bonus as you are working in a well stocked lab]


The Bridge

Jack finds a weary looking Captain Vredenburg at work on the bridge. The captain looks resigned as he sees Jack enter the bridge, he speaks with more than a hint of irony, "Hello Jack, what can I help you with?"


Main Deck - Above the #2 Hold

Sean and McRaven borrow a flashlight each and head for the number 2 hold, which seems the most logical place to start - the #2 tween deck hold houses Kitt's Boeing aircraft The Shackleton while the #2 lower hold contains both Ralph DeWitt's Fairchild Monoplane RF Scott and the entire supply of fuel for the expedition.

When they arrive they are surprised to see that the small hatch leading down to the Tween Deck is already open. Glancing through the hatch they see that somebody is already using a flashlight down there, inside the Boeing's fuselage.

"Captain," Jack says, returning the greeting. "I'm sure you're busy, so I'll keep this short. I'm hoping you can tell me who might have had unquestioned access to the reefer." Hoping to forestall the obvious questions, Jack hastens to add, "I'm not interested in a story or in stirring up trouble. I just want to stay alive long enough to do my job and get back home.

"Is it someone's job to be in charge of it, or can anyone from your crew have access to it? You'll have to forgive my appaling ignroance about naval matters."

Olof immediately gets to work. An analysis can hopefully be done in this well-stocked laboratory.

McRaven, on seeing the torch with the plane, quickly enters and issues a challenge

"Ok who the hell is that down there!"

Steerpike wrote: McRaven, on seeing the torch with the plane, quickly enters and issues a challenge

"Ok who the hell is that down there!"

There is no reply to McRaven's challenge.

Decrepit wrote: "Is it someone's job to be in charge of it, or can anyone from your crew have access to it? You'll have to forgive my appaling ignroance about naval matters."

"Well Jack, there should be only about a half dozen people who have regular access to that hold."

"Lets see, there's Whitney the chief steward , Abraham the cook , the two mess-boys Henning and Scott, and Price the storekeeper. And of course First Officer Turlow periodically checks all of the holds for shifting cargo."

"Mr Turlow took a look at the damaged pipe though, he said it appeared to just be caused by corrosion. An unfortunate incident, but sadly all too common whilst at sea."

OOC: Sorry for not replying sooner, the network went down at work on Friday.

McRaven looks over to Sean noddign briefly, then heads in turning his flash light in the direction of the intruder.

"Stop whatever you're doing and come forward right now" he shouts

Looking to McRaven.

"This may have to get physical, keep your wits about ya"

Adding to his partner's challenge...

"Alright enough of this, if you won't come out We'll just come in after ya"

OOC; Sorry for my absence there, read back up on everything and here I am =)

Kitt storms out, looking extremely irritated. "I am busy, you know? You've made me forget exactly where I've looked at already. I might have to start over to be sure no saboteurs have wrecked my plane!"

The Adrenaline rush leaving him, he sighs with relief and some embarrassment.

"Forgive us Ma'am , we were actually checking on things to as you appear to be. Making sure no more of the equipment is tampered with. You can hopefully understand our suspicion, what with strange lights and all."

Although relieved, he bites back an angry response before answering

"Like Sean said, we're here to check on the equipment, but honestly Miss Kitt, when there is someone who means us harm, you ought not to have come down here on your own"

"They injured a fridge, not a person," says Kitt. "And if you're that concerned, then stay on guard or come and help me." With that, she goes back to her job before she forgets where she was up to.

Henrik wrote: Olof immediately gets to work. An analysis can hopefully be done in this well-stocked laboratory.

Sorry, real life went crazy after my last post and I never replied to your post.

Olof's analysis of the damaged pipe section establishes that the corrosion was caused by a powerful acid, almost certainly sulphuric acid.

Olof is satisfied that his work has given some solid results. He tidies up after himself thoroughly and then goes to find Sean, McRaven or Jack. He begins with looking in the cabin he is sharing with Jack.

Raiko wrote: "Lets see, there's Whitney the chief steward , Abraham the cook , the two mess-boys Henning and Scott, and Price the storekeeper. And of course First Officer Turlow periodically checks all of the holds for shifting cargo."

"Mr Turlow took a look at the damaged pipe though, he said it appeared to just be caused by corrosion. An unfortunate incident, but sadly all too common whilst at sea."[/color]

"Hmm," Jack says. "Very helpful. Thank you, Captain. I assume these men are experienced and vouched for." He says it as a statment but hopes to leave enough opening for the captain to raise any doubts that he might have. Jack knows sailors and men in the service (in one form or another) are touchy on matters of honor, and he doesn't wish to imply anything.

McRaven chokes back an angry response, and decides to check the exterior of the aircraft, muttering angrily to himself

The Boeings are dismantled for transit. The #2 tween deck hold contains the Shackleton (Kitt's designated aircraft), and also the expedition's two spare engines.

The fuselage in lashed down and covered with a 38 foot canvas tarpaulin, which Kitt has pulled back enough to access the interior.

The two wings and the four engines (2 for the Shackleton and 2 spares) are stored in crates which have also been securely lashed to the deck whilst in port.

McRaven begins looking around the exterior of the Shackleton's fuselage, uncovering and recovering it with the tarpaulin as he goes.

[OOC: I'll wait to see if there is any further conversation between you before I post anything else.

@Steerpike: I let Laraqua choose which of the three Boeings is Kitt's as she stated that Kitt was heading to her own aircraft. McRaven will pilot one of the other two Boeings either the 'Weddell' or the 'Enderby', which would you prefer?

Halperin will pilot the remaining Boeing, while DeWitt will fly in the Fairchild (RF Scott)

These are just your 'primary aircraft' each pilot will actually probably fly all four aircraft at some time or other.]

Vredenburg raises an eyebrow at Jack's leading comment, "As you know I haven't actually commanded the Gabrielle before, although I have worked with Mr Turlow and one or two others in the past."

"There are a few newcomers, but I'm more than happy with the crew and I'm sure they can all be trusted."

"If you like I could arrange a chat with Mr Turlow, so that you can voice your concerns. He's a very busy man, but I'm sure he could spare a few minutes."

[OOC: You can continue with your chat or head back meet with Olof and the others.]

"I'm sure you're right, Captain. I did remember that you were new here to this command, but I assumed that you men of the sea had your ways of finding out the bona fides of your shipmates.

"I would, of course, appreciate talking to Mr. Turlow, but only for the information he could supply about the others. I'm sure his conduct is beyond reproach." Jack says the last more as a way to try to stay in the captain's good graces than as a fully honest assessment. Yet, he supposed, if Turlow wanted to take them out, he'd have other ways of accomplishing the same goal, and without leaving traces that others could pick up on.

"Would it be convenient now to talk to him, or should I come back?"

The Bridge

"Well as I said, I'm more than happy with the crew. And you're right, if someone was 'faking it' I'm certain that they would have been found out by now."

Captain Vredenburg shakes his head, "But sadly being a bona fide sailor doesn't prevent someone from also being a saboteur. I'm happy for now to continue under the assumption that the leak was an accident, as Mr Turlow has suggested. However if you find any real evidence that there is a saboteur aboard this ship I promise you it will be taken most seriously indeed, I will not allow the safety of my passengers and crew to be compromised."

"Mr Turlow stands the four-to-eight watch. I expect he'll be sleeping at the moment, but he'll be here on bridge during his morning watch and then probably somewhere on deck until his afternoon watch."

SS Gabrielle - #4 Tween Deck Hold

Kitt returns to checking out the Shackleton's interior while McRaven and Sean take a look around the outside of the fuselage. They don't find any obvious signs of sabotage.

They also take a quick look at the crates containing the Boeing's wings and engines, all six crates are securely strapped down to the deck. The crates themselves are nailed shut and fitted with integrity seals by the Boeing engineers who disassembled the aircraft. They have clearly not been opened by anyone since the aircraft were disassembled in New Jersey.

The only exception is a single engine crate that was opened up during Patrick Miles' aircraft maintenance classes; that crate is nailed shut and secured to the deck, but Boeing's integrity seals have obviously been broken.

[OOC: That's all you have time to check tonight if you want to meet up with Olof and Jack before lights out as planned. Kitt finishes her work for the night at about the same time

In the morning you could either continue checking out the Shackleton, or take a look at RF Scott and the fuel barrels in the lower hold. If you decide to break open the crates housing the wings and engines you risk making a saboteur's job easier.]

"Thank you, Captain, for your time and for your help," Jack replies. "I'll be certain to let you know what we find out, if anything. We certainly have a common interest here." He smiles grimly and prepares to seek out the others, particularly Olof.

A sigh escapes...

"The thing that troubles me Mr. McRaven is I know something is amiss on this ship, but where is it...and will we get it before anyone is harmed?"

Sean rubs his chin a bit as he looks around.

"I suppose we will continue tomorrow eh?"

McRaven looks over towards Sean.

"Aw hell, mac...call me Bill...the only guy who calls me Mr McRaven is my bank manager!"

The pilot looks around him one last time.

"You're right though...something is very amiss. We can check the seals on the engines and wings tomorrow along with the fuel. We need to get back and find Jack, see if he learned anything"

The four of you all meet up back in Jack & Olof's cabin then.

Dr Greene is sat in the crew's mess chatting to Professor Graves, so it's safe to talk for now.

[OOC: Once you've said what you need to I'll move onto the next morning, unless anything terrible happens in the night of course.]

[OOC: Yeah, like I really trust Dr. Greene!]

"... So that's about all I found out." Jack says. "I should probably talk to Turlow, but I'm not sure he'll be that much more help than the captain. While I imagine neither is above suspecting a crewman, neither is likely to accuse one, either, unless presented with clear evidence.

"Now that we know who had regular access to the reefer, perhaps we can narrow down our efforts."

"Interesting. We have to look into those persons. As I suspected the sabotage was done by an acid, probably sulphuric acid. I don't believe that is something the saboteur carried with him, but something that can be found on this ship. The question is: where? If we could pin-point those places and match them with the people who has access both to those places and the reefer, we might narrow or search somewhat." Olof pauses to let the information sink in and to await the reactions of the others.

"Good thinking, Olof," Jack says, grinning. "Yes, that seems the way to go to me -- if we could determine who would have access to both the acid and the reefer, we might just have our man.

"Listen, though," Jack says after a pause. "Do you fellows think we need to free-lance this? Know what I mean? If we have evidence, I'm not sure going to the captain would be all that bad of an idea. He seemed quite open--to me, anyway--to the idea that sabotage was a possibility, though he thought an accident more likely.

"Of course, we could always take the cloak-and-dagger approach."

All OOC:

Decrepit wrote: [OOC: Yeah, like I really trust Dr. Greene!]

I meant that he was out of earshot in the mess, while you four met back in the cabin. As Greene shares the same cabin as Jack and Olof I thought it was important for you to know where he was; there are several other NPCs in the crew mess, but I didn't bother with them.

**************

I propose to post details of the next day or two in my next post (I'm enjoying the game, but I'd like to get to Antarctica sooner or later )

I'm assuming that McRaven and Sean will start off tomorrow by checking the seals on the wing/engine crates in the #2 tween deck hold, then spend most of the day checking out the Fairchild and all those fuel drums in the #2 lower hold.

Assuming they don't find anything there, they'll check out the other two Boeings in the #4 Hold the following day.

Meanwhile it looks as though Jack and Olof plan to look for a source of Sulphuric Acid, and try to find out who had access to it.

I'll wait another day or so while your characters chat, if I've got the wrong idea about your plans for the next day or two then you can either correct me OOC, or make it clear that your character has other plans in your IC posts.

Feel free to update whenever you like, dear Keeper

I'll be moving things on soon, hopefully this evening. I was just waiting for the conversation to finish in the other investigation thread.

Everyone's ready to move on now, but I just need to double check a couple of details before I make my new posts.

Keep watching this space.

Hopefully after finally finishing this very, very long day we can finally make some headway (I never knew before this, that there was some sort of invisible wall near the equator that prevents further progress )

[OOC: Since your plans are so similar I've assumed that one way or another Kitt joins with Sean and McRaven checking the aircraft.]

Work checking the holds is slow going, with the main cargo hatches closed up whilst at sea everything must be done either by torchlight, or by rigging the heavy cluster lights from the Bosun store. Also everything must be done manually as the closed hatches prevent the Gabrielle's cargo cranes from being used to manipulate the cargo (this will be more of a problem for Callum & James who are checking all of the holds in thread#2 - Isugtag [/b]has also joined them).

Tuesday 26th September, 1933

It takes a few hours of Tuesday morning to finish checking the Shackleton in the #2 Tween deck hold. The radios and other electrical components of the flight deck appear to be ok, all of the integrity seals on the engine and wing crates are undamaged, and the single unsealed engine used for maintenance class is checked and found to be in perfect condition.

The crate is shut back up, and re-secured to the deck.

There is also a heavy pallet of kerosene tins stored in this hold, but it's does not appear to have been tampered with.

The rest of the day is spent down in the #2 lower hold checking the Fairchild Monoplane RF Scott, and the top layer of fuel drums (the lower layers are virtually impossible to check while at sea, but they're also sabotage-proof).

No signs of sabotage are found.


Wednesday 27th September, 1933

If takes the whole day on Wednesday to check the other two Boeings (Weddell and Enderby), stored in the #4 hold (one in the lower, on in the tween-deck) there are only two engines per aircraft here, as the only spares are stored with the Shackleton.

All the engine and wing crates for both aircraft have fully intact integrity seals, neither fuselage shows any sign of sabotage, and all of the cockpit equipment appears to be undamaged.

The only other thing stored in the #4 hold is the expedition's supply of explosives. All of the dynamite is stored in a small makeshift 'bunker' in the #4 Tweendeck hold. The bunker is 8 feet square with heavy wooden walls, the whole structure is surrounded by sandbags. A heavy padlock has been fitted to the door, which thankfully does not appear to have been tampered with.

If you want to access the explosive store First Officer Turlow has the only key to the lock.

The #4 Tween Deck hold is also the only means of accessing the damaged Reefer store. Even though it isn't working, now that the ammonia smell has gone it's still the best place to store the remaining food including the boxes of pemmican, the messboys (Scott and Henning) pass through the #4 hold several times during the day to access the reefer, so do the dog handlers (Erik Frodesen and Olav Sørensen) who need to get pemmican for the dogs.

[OOC: Note: Callum, James and Isugtag were due to search the #4 hold on the same day, I've assumed that you bump into them and that they agree to move onto the #3 store instead.]


Jack and Olof:

Jack and Olof spend two fruitless days trying to find where the sulphuric acid could have come from, and who would have access to it.

The only sulphuric acid legitimately on-board the Gabrielle is in the expedition lab (where Olof did his forensic work), but all of the acid in there is accounted for. In any case all of the expedition team have access to the lab/office, and any number of crew members could have sneaked in. It's mostly used as an office by Starkweather and Moore, but is often empty.

It would appear that the saboteur must have brought their own acid on board.

Thursday 28th September, 1933

I'm not sure what your plans are for today, as all of the planes have now been checked. However there is another disturbance that morning, see the main IC thread.

"This seems fruitless." Olof's mood has worsened. At first the thought of doing some detective work appealed to him, but the lack of progress, the shortage of good food and the mood of the crew have infected the Swede as well. "What do you suggest we do? It seems as our saboteur has got away. Perhaps we just keep our eyes open for anything suspicious and out of place."

"I tend to agree with you, Olof," Jack says, disappointedly. "I was hoping we'd find a common denominator between the acid and the reefer, but it looks like that's a dead end. We'll just have to wait to see what happens, be on our toes, that's all."

Decrepit wrote: [ooc: Did Jack ever talk to Turlow? Jack doesn't feel as if he has any basis upon which to accuse or even suspect Turlow, so he'd just be asking about the five or so people the captain mentioned as also having access to the reefer. Mainly, he's just on a fishing expedition, looking for any hint dropped, but he's not really expecting much of anything to be revealed to a lubber--and a reporter--like him.]

Sorry I missed that while writing huge posts about cargo holds.

I'll post a reply during the weekend.

OOC: Can we post in the main thread again? Perhaps we should post in both?

Nevermind.