DAYNE: "Yaba, yaba, yaba..."
VAMPERINA: "Dayne wants to know specifically how we are all going to survive on the surface of Black Moon. He does not yet have full access to his Ionic Machine. He has enough access to create a limited version of the Machine, but it will not be at full strength. For example, he could create it to hold and protect up to 8 people, but it will not be as strong as it could be, and would not be able to move very fast. It will also not be impervious to all senses. Basically he just wants to know if we are counting on him using his Ionic Machine or if we have other resources."
VAMPERINA: "As far as I know, we need his Ionic Machine. If I am counting correctly, we have four people who can survive on the surface of Black Moon with no problem. We also have a total of 3 vacc suits between us and the escape committee stash. That leaves four people needing to use the Ionic Machine, is that correct? If so, then I will tell Dayne that he needs to plan on using his Ionic Machine to transport 4 people. From talking to Dayne, it sounds like making the Ionic Machine impervious to senses takes a lot of energy and, if he doesn't worry about that, then he can have everything else without much difficulty."
VAMPERINA: "Also, we should decide now who will use the suits and who will travel in the machine. Dayne says that the machine can travel up to 45 MPH on it's own."
GM: From experiments that you have done with the Ionic Machine, you know that it weighs about 500 kg and, while hugely improved over your initial tests (and even tests that you did a couple of months ago), is still somewhat fragile as a vehicle and could break apart if handled too roughly. If handled with care, it can be lifted and carried as long as the person carrying it did not accelerate too quickly.
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GM: Looks good. When you send me the actual spreadsheet, I will send the allowed tools for next month. Not sure it really matters if you are going to escape in seven days but I'll do it just in case you decide to delay for any reason.
JACK: Actually there is one reason to delay a bit more, if noone else is too fired up to go right away, and that's to let us work on our mindblocks a bit more, and I suppose earn a bit more creds. I can currently carry the Ionic Machine, but it's a bit of a strain, so my enhanced strength could use a bit more work ;) I can't leap with the thing anyway because of the sudden acceleration/deceleration, but I'm hopeful that if we find a ravine that's hard to cross with the combination of Curt's ability (shapeshift into a bridge?) and my strengh to carry it across we'll be fine. As far as I know Vamperina is also strong enough, so we could carry it between the two of even more easily, to manage the bulk, but that would require more creativity from Curt to make a big enough bridge (not sure it's possible). I guess it also depends on how hard it is to get a handhold on the machine to carry it.
GM: In Ionic Machine form, it is easy enough to get a grip on the machine. And, yes, during your tests, Vamperina was able to lift the machine.
VAMPERINA: (after talking to Dayne) Dayne definitely has no problem waiting another month or three to get more access to his machine. Speaking for myself, I'm tired of this place and would like to escape as soon as possible if we have a reasonable plan in place; and I think we do. By the way, I think I miscounted before. I believe we have a total of 12 people, not 11. We should distribute people in such a way as to be able to keep up a good pace and reach Circle City as soon as possible. Dayne says that his machine can make 45 KPH. Is there anyone else that can maintain that kind of speed or do we need to set a lower speed? I know Scooter has a power that lets him run very fast but does he have access to it or is it mind blocked. Jack, I believe you are in the same boat with a fast movement power, but not enough access to it."
AXEL: "The place that we are going is not actually in Circle City. It is about 10 kilometers outside Circle City on the prison side, and so is about 90 kilometers from the prison. It is a sealed house that is owned by Parl Klive. From there, I will be able to contact Parl and he will come out to meet us and will be able to smuggle us into Circle City."
CURT: While not excited about it, Curt says he doesn't mind waiting if we need to.
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NOBODY: Eli points out that he has had good success with helping Max break down one of his blocks. The old man is willing to switch to helping break down the block for the Ionic Machine, or whatever the group thinks is the most important.
SURGE: "How long did this take to do? I'm not sure if we have enough time before our escape but it would be good to keep this sort of help in mind after we escape. I know that two of my blocks would be very helpful if broken. They aren't needed for the escape but once in the Circle City they would be of much more use."
NOBODY: "It's not a guaranteed instant breakthrough, but I could probably double, or more, the breakthrough rate of anyone in our core group. If it is all we have to focus on, with minimal distractions, then we should be able to make breakthroughs in a matter of weeks instead of months, especially since everyone has had a year to work on reducing their mindblocks."
SURGE: "How long do you need to spend with the person to break the mindblock? Is this the sort of process that you stay with them the entire time they are working on it or is it more of an hour's worth of work and the rest is done on their own? Thus how easily could you get this started on several of us?"
NOBODY: "This isn't just an easy fix, Surge. There is no special 'trick'. You are entirely misunderstanding. I give up time in my attempt to break through my blocks in order to spend all of that time aiding someone else. So how long each day do you take to work on breaking down your mental blocks? All I am saying is that with my mental abilities, I can actually help others, while someone else without my abilities can only help themselves. Also, with my mental strength, I can significantly improve the rate of breaking through the mind block."
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NOBODY: During one of the days that Eli is using the compass and geiger-counter, he would like to take the cold lamp and go out into the escape cavern to add it to his mental map and get it oriented, plus to check the radiation levels. If possible, he would also go out the "airlock", but he would like to have somebody accompanying him, just in case.
JACK: As of now the coldlight lantern Curt used for exploration is expired, and since you can't start the next one without committing to it (can't turn it off) it's not possible for you to do this with one of those. If Surge wants to take you in there with a mining light that he keeps powered for you, that's fine with me.
NOBODY: "That sounds like a good plan, Jack. Surge, it should only take a short time, will you give me a hand?"
Surge: "Certainly."
GM: Nobody get's his mental map oriented. He also finds that the radiation levels in the escape tunnel are low at the bottom and drop to nothing as you climb the long tunnel.
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I believe that there are only three issues that need to be resolved before I send the next turn.
1. When do you want to escape? You can do it as early as day 8 of month 23 but a couple of people have mentioned waiting around a little longer to break mind blocks. One thing I want to make clear is that Dayne does have enough access to his Ionic Machine to carry 8 people at 45 mph with life support, as long as you are not worried about the fact that the Ionic Machine will not block any senses.
SURGE: I say we go asap. The longer we wait the more chance the guards have to catch us in our plans. Also, at any point the machine shop might get swamped and they'd call me back. I really can't risk that. Finally, I believe we have our blocks to the point where we can escape fine.
NOBODY: "I was thinking that we would leave asap as well. For those who want to work on breaking down their mental blocks, we would be able to progress more rapidly if we were simply hiding out until the heat is off. It would be the perfect situation for such a mentally intensive activity while minimizing our physical activities. I also agree with Surge that the risk of discovery grows daily."
JACK: More time = better machine = better sense-blocking, and we may need more flexibility/speed with it in order to get it formed properly at the right place in the tunnels, per my other email. We could always use the additional Cr250 too ;)
VAMPERINA: "I also say we go now. It would really suck if some fluke event happened that completely screwed up our plans. Dayne has said that he has enough power to create a usable machine."
GM: Of the ESC members, Dan and Felip would like to leave as soon as possible. Axel has no problem delaying a month or two.
SURGE: Can Dayne shape the ionic machine at all? My thought is we need stealth more than speed. How many of us will be able to maintain 45kph? I would like to have his machine be able to pass through the ravines and such. Maybe make it more cylindrical. Can Dayne make it the same color as the moon's surface if need be so it would blend? Or can he make it appear like a geologist's explorer vehicle?
VAMPERINA: Vamperina translates the question to Dayne and listens to his reply before answering. "Dayne says the he has some control over the shape of the Ionic Machine and can make a cylinder. He cannot make it blend in with the surface though. In fact, the machine will not block ANY senses. In other words, it will be completely transparent.
NOBODY: "Didn't we have a tarp in our gear? If not, can we get one, or just sneak down some really stained linens/blankets. If the IM is totally transparent, then those inside could simply cover themselves, and by changing the shape of the tarp/sheet/blanket occasionally (by pushing up in different spots or just moving where they are sitting), seriously mess with aerial survelliance."
VAMPERINA: "I'm not sure that would work. The Ionic Machine is not invisible. Maybe transparent was the wrong word to use. It is actually translucent. It's still pretty obvious."
JACK: Could the tarp be draped over the top of it to make it less conspicuous?
GM: Yes, that could work.
2. How long is Etienne going to wait, after the group goes through the hole, until he triggers the cave-in? One issue to keep in mind is guards. If a guard happens to walk by the secondary shaft that contains the escape tunnel after you have all gone through, and doesn't see anyone there and hears no sounds of mining coming from the shaft then the prison is not going to assume that anyone died when the tunnel caves in. Given the proximity of the secondary shaft to the lift shaft, guards do walk by there at least 2 or 3 times a day. This may or may not be an issue but I wanted to point it out.
NOBODY: Eli could possibly emulate the sounds of work by using his TK to just whack around with tools. It can easily reach through the escape hole. Of course, the guards moving around will negate using the entire shift to get distance from the prison. Doesn't mean that some of us can't leave early in the shift while the rest of us keep working. If Axel can get a hold of his buddy quickly, we might even get picked up be a vehicle partway.
SURGE: Yeah, I'd say that the slower members get a few hours head start. Nobody comes to mind. You move really slowly right? Have our primary miners in the shaft just before the cave-in. If for some reason the guards come down and check on us they would see some members missing but we could play it off as they went elsewhere to mine. If they don't come down and check on us we'll be free to trigger it. Etienne would give us a few minutes head start. That way we should be fairly certain the guards won't happen by at that point.
NOBODY: "If the guards are being lazy, and maintaining a fairly regular schedule, then we can plan to go shortly after they do a walk-through. That would be really ideal as they could be witnesses having seen us in the same area as the cave-in."
GM: The guards do not follow a regular schedule.
JACK: If we have 5 fast people keeping up pretenses in the mining shaft during that day, giving the slower people 3 hours headstart (into the caverns, but that's not even enough time to reach the upper cave), wait for the first guard pass, then take off, with Etienne triggering the cave-in 2.5-3 hours later, I think that's pretty good. Unlikely to get spotted by a random guard walk-by, and most reasonable headstart, with most of us outside the caverns with about an hour's headstart jogging, and the fast people almost caught up.
GM: If you wait 2.5 to 3 hours before Etienne triggers the cave-in, there is still a moderately good chance that a guard will walk by. Remember that the shaft is right next to the lift shaft.
JACK: Then let's say 1.5 to 2 hours? Whatever headstart is very likely to not get spotted by a guard, yet gives us the most time.
3. Exactly how are you getting to Circle City? Who is going to ride in the Ionic Machine? Who is going to walk/run/fly? Who will be wearing vacc suits? What will your over-the-ground speed be?
SURGE: Surge will most likely fly as I'm faster that way. I would want to make sure that I can skim the ground as to reduce my exposure to radar.
SURGE: I think we need to list out our travel speeds to make this decision. Nobody, while he can survive on the surface, can't move fast, right? So either we'd want him in the machine or have Jack/Curt carry him. Curt, can you by chance turn into a rolling machine-thingy?
SURGE: So can everyone indicate if they need a vacc suit and their max sustainable speed?
SURGE: In general the most important thing is to not be discovered. I'd say while we're within the 30km of the prison we be extra careful and move under darkness. Once outside that perimeter I'd say we haul our butts as best we can. Especially if we can make the ionic machine appear like a normal vehicle.
JACK: Are you sure moving under darkness isn't worse? Won't they have their scanners tuned to IR at that point? We'd show up more strongly on IR at night on a cold moon than on normal vision in daylight...
Here is the relevant info for Vamperina and the NPCs. Speed listed is their max SUSTAINABLE speed based on movement modes that they currently have access to (i.e., not mind blocked).
Vamperina - 47.5 kph Run - Needs Vacc Suit
Arpad - 40.5 kph Run - Needs Vacc Suit
Scooter - 26 kph Run - Needs Vacc Suit
Dayne - Needs to be in Ionic Machine
Axel - 17 kph - Needs Vacc Suit
Felip - 17 kph - Needs Vacc Suit
Dan - 14.5 kph - Needs Vacc Suit
Nobody - 13 kph - Doesn't Need Vacc Suit
Curt - 26 kph - Doesn't Need Vacc Suit
Max - 34.5 kph - Needs Vacc Suit
Jack - 43 kph - Could use Vacc Suit
Surge - 57 kph - Doesn't Need Vacc Suit
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CURT: I was thinking. I'm almost thinking it's better if Etienne was not even in the area when the collapse happens. If he is in the area when the collapse happens, he's going to at the very least get questioned about it. Which, just may put enough suspicion on the situation that they may put out a warning about a possible escape. If no one is around when the collapse happens, I would think there is going to be a lot better chance of them not getting over concerned about an escape at least for a few days. Also, if Etienne causes the escape, there is going to be a rope in the vacinity correct? If we do it, the rope is going to get buried in the rubble. All in all, I think the cons outweigh the pro's in having Etienne help us.
GM: I'll assume this is brought up early in the discussion since the direction that the supports are pulled out has some effect on how the cave-in is set up. It will be easier to pull straight out, as Etienne was planning on doing to trigger the cave-in, but he can also set it up to pull a different direction. It doesn't really matter to him.
SURGE: Surge nods in agreement, "I have to agree. I've been thinking about these same possibilities and maybe everyone is better off if we pull off the cave-in. Once Etienne has finished helping us prep it he can then go off on his own and not be concerned with a high chance of being linked to our escape or cave-in."
JACK: Jack seems puzzled by your concern, "We're not talking about response time in a matter of 2-3 seconds here guys. Etienne can cut/break the rope to leave the end hidden and retreat to an inconspicuous distance down a side shaft nearby, if this is what we decide. This assumes that the rope doesn't pull free, there's every chance he can pull it clear of the cave-in before it is covered. I think his risk is minimal if he plays it smart. I definitely like the idea of more of a headstart, but I can live with it if we don't do it. If we aren't going to use the good headstart, we can still use a mediocre headstart with all of us in the upper cave ready to go when Curt pulls the rope, he should be able to catch up with us on foot, especially since he can make it through the narrow sections of tunnel most easily being a shapeshifter.
JACK: I agree with wanting to be in one group out on the surface as much as possible, but we can't afford to go at the slowest person's pace for an additional 4-5 hours (the length of time it takes a slower person to traverse the natural caves from bottom to top). The issue then becomes if Curt might get lost, so we should just pick a landmark on the horizon to make toward, and converge on it.
JACK: One thing I just thought of: can the Ionic Machine fit through the hole with the tarp? Dayne needs time to form it in an actual atmosphere, with the riders inside it with him the entire time, right? Then they have to move through that tarp hole? Do we need to enlarge it or can he keep the machine 'slightly flexible' long enough to get through before he hardens it up into its final form, yet still providing atmosphere for those inside? Do we need to have Nobody help him unblock the power so he can form it faster while everyone (the riders) holds their breath outside the tarp instead?
VAMPERINA: (translating for Dayne) The Ionic Machine is basically a big box and Dayne is unable to change the shape at all (I was wrong earlier when I said he could). It will not fit through the tarp. It will not even fit in the upper cave. Dayne will need a vacc suit for an hour to create the Ionic Machine and then a vacc suit will be needed to ferry people to and from the airlock to the machine. Otherwise, once it is created, he can carry himself and 7 other people at a sustainable speed of 45 kph.
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CURT: I think the group should travel as one group personally once were on the surface. I would think the chances of being spotted would be greater for 2 groups than they would for one group.. |