Traveller Campaign

[sunjester]

Great stuff, I'm looking forward to the next instalment.

[flamingpig0]

I question the wisdom of giving an important mission to anyone called Melvin

[Ithoriel]

This is great. I look forward to a) the next instalment and b) the TV mini-series and inevitable spin-offs!

[fsn]

Sorry chaps. The next episode is going to be a long one.

It's also got some dark themes, which have grown from the story and are not in any way meant to be a reflection of modern political issues.

Also, I have a new phone and I've lost all my photos. If I remember I'll do some staged shots - sort of LI (low intelligence) generated.

Quick recap on dramatis personae

The Warspite Crew
York (age 34) – unspoken leader of the Warspite crew. Good in combat and with computers; competent in space skills
Lydia (age 34) – York's sidekick and maybe more?.  Good in combat and with people; competent in space skills. Currently recovering from being hit by a large axe on a low tech planet.
Rowan and Alder (age 32)– twin sisters with a military background. Very good at killing in a wide range of ways. You know the "I know 23 ways to kill you with this spoon" people? Rowan and Alder know another 4. At least.
Alexander (age 52) – Warspite captain and pilot. Good at space skills and commerce; has seen a pistol and knows which way to point it. Currently hobbling around after being shot in the leg.
Janine (Age 48) – irritable medic – good at medical stuff - very good. Alexander's cohabitee.
Alison (Age 46) Invalided out from the army, works as a bodyguard to Smita. Good in combat. Her icy persona has been melted somewhat in her motherly approach to Smita.
Smita (Age 23) – nice medic – fresh out of medical school. Now a somewhat potent psionic.
Quillam (age 52) – gruff Navy CPO. Good at keeping ships going.
Sean (Age 24) – Has Marine basic training and some experience in gunnery. Works with Quillam at keeping the ship going.
Melvin (Age 800+) - Robot rescued from Brenda. Refused a new body so looks like an 800 year old robot. Newly trained as steward and medic.

PEM Crew
Janey (age 25)  PEM1 commander and driver. Likes big machines and fixing them. A lover, not a fighter.
Firz (age 23) PEM1 drone operator and gunner. Vargyr. Likes to read.
Patra (age 24) PEM2 commander and gunner. Lost an eye in a mission a few years ago.
Bora (Age 22) PEM2 driver. Fresh out of training.

Archaeologists
Professor Exe (age 54) "Famed" archaeologist, leader of the team whose mission is not quite clear. Currently in a coma after being shot in the head.
Rese (Age 35) Obviously ex-military bodyguard(?) for Prof Exe. No apparent archaeology skill.
Stine (age 28) and Breen (age 24) Rese's lackeys.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Canna wait, stage away!

[fsn]

Janine and Smita had been slowing reducing the medication that had kept Professor Exe unconscious. Rese had sat by the bed for days; sleeping there and having Stine bring her food. Rese sat as if on guard, her attention rarely on the patient, ever watchful and suspicious of the ministrations of Janine and Smita.

Rese made sure she was present when the Professor's eyes fluttered and then opened. Her lips moved. Rese pushed Smita roughly away, and bent her head to catch the Professor's words. Smita's hands glowed, but Janine put a restraining hand on her arm, and waited patiently for the bodyguard to move away.

"You sure?" Rese asked Exe roughly, then stalked from the medic bay, calling for York.



Firz plonked herself down on her deeply padded chair in the cockpit on PEM1.
"I have a maintenance issue to report."  Janey paused in her checklist and looked at her co-pilot. The Vargyr's ears were erect. Firz was excited.
"Yessss?" Janey asked suspiciously.
"Well ..." Firz sat forward, hands on knees ".. I have discovered that the intercom in the cabin has a fault."
"Yesss?"
"And whatever the indicator is in the cabin, the microphone is always switched on in the cabin. If we switch it on then we can hear everything they say.  As long as we disengage our microphone then they won't know we can hear them." Janey looked disapprovingly at Firz through narrowed eyes.
"You " she said pointedly "are a naughty, naughty Vargyr – and I wish I'd thought of it first." If Firz hadn't been a well tutored Vargyr she would have wagged her tail.

"One more thing ... what do you know about Purity?"
"Well,  " considered Janey, "Sean and I have done a lot to rid me of mine ..." Firz essayed an eye roll.
"No, no, it's with a capital P ... like a ... " she was calling up information on her screen, reading quickly. "... oh."
"What?"
"I found a badge in Rese's bunk. It just said 'Purity', but had a decapitated Vargyr head on it ... like this ..." she turned the screen to Janey.

The Purity Cult had existed for centuries. It was an extreme pro-human movement which believed that only humans should be allowed to exist. "Lesser species", including Vargyr, should not be tolerated or better still eradicated. Furthermore, they thought that psionics was evil and a degeneracy that also needed to be expunged. Their fortunes had ebbed and flowed, sometimes they held sway on certain worlds, prosecuting vicious campaigns against non-humans. Other times they were limited to terrorist activities, assassinations or just protests which turned into riots. About a hundred years ago, a concerted effort had largely crushed the Purity Cult, and it had been driven deep underground. Suspicions remained that the Purity Cult still existed, and was just waiting to rise again.

Some time later, Janey and Firz watched as the pinnace from the Warspite set down, and the archaeologists Rese, Stine and Breen followed at some distance by the crew of PEM2 disembarked and made their way to the PEM.

The door to the cockpit opened and Rese stood there, glaring at the crew.
"PEM2 will lead. I want two drones up at all times out to the front and flanks. I don't want to be surprised." Rese was impatient, motivated.
"Check." Answered Janey. "Where are we going?"
"That's been told to PEM2."
"How long will we be travelling?"
"Until we stop." With that Rese slammed the door to the cockpit.
"That's us told." Murmured Janey. Firz had basically tried to fold herself into the background when Rese appeared, and slowly sat up, ears folded back and twitching in her distress. She got up and moved to the cockpit door, locking it.

Bora's voice came from PEM2.
"PEM2 leading off. You OK back there?"
"We're fine Bora. You have lead. We're putting up drones."

Janey switched on the intercom, ensuring her microphone was disabled. For some minutes all that was heard was the sound of the archaeologists moving gear and settling in for a long drive. Then there were the sounds of drinks being poured.
"So glad to get off that damned ship." This was Rese. "I felt they were watching me all the time, listening to everything."
"The Professor?"  It could have been Stine or Breen, they sounded alike.
"She gave me the final piece. We're heading there now. Purity will rise." There were intakes of breath as if something that had been bottled up could finally be said out loud.
"Purity will rise." One of the others repeated the phrase, savouring it.
"How is the Professor?" Someone asked. Rese barked a laugh.
"Who cares?  She had served her purpose. We will find what we seek." The archaeologists were obviously well versed in speaking cryptically.
"And the message?"
"The message went with the courier. Whoever returns will be with us."

Janey turned to her comms panel and hoped she could contact the Warspite.



Sean, in full military gear, stood to attention in front of York. Quillam lounged behind him, leaning against the wall.
"Sir, I have a request" Sean barked. York looked at Quillam. Quillam shrugged.
"Relax Sean. We're not in the services any more." The young man, tried, but failed to relax his stance. York looked at Quillam who made "carry on" gestures
"OK Sean, what is your request?"
"Sir, I request the use of a ground vehicle."
"On the ground?" The Marine faltered slightly.
"Err .. yes Sir."
"And, presumably, you'd like the use of a pinnace to get the ground vehicle to the ground." A moment of consternation flitted over his face, but he recovered his Marine stance.
"Sir, yes please Sir."
"Why?"
"To catch up to the PEM, because I believe there is foul doings afoot."
"Foul doings afoot? Is that something they teach you in marine school?"
"No Sir, but I believe Janey ... the crew of the PEM is in danger and I wish to provide what succour I can."
"Sean," York sighed, "There's a pinnace ready with an ATV loaded. Rowan and Alder are in it, waiting to go. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go fly the damned thing because my other two boat pilots are wounded." He got up and left.

Sean stood for a moment, processing, then he turned to rush after York.
"Chief," he said to Quillam "are you coming?"
"No Son. You've got this."

[O Dinas Powys]

Oooooooo...

[fsn]

Smita entered the medic bay. Exe lay in the bed, still as a corpse except for the eyes that watched every move of the young doctor.
"I don't want you." She hissed. Smita was taken somewhat aback. "I want the other one. Not you."
"Oh. Of course. May I ask why you don't want me to tend you?"
"Because " Exe spat "you are one of them."
"Them?"
"The unnatural ones." Exe pointed at her head. "The ones who are wrong up here. Manipulators and deceivers ... unnatural." She coughed. A trail of drool ran unheeded down her cheek.
"You mean people who have psi abilities?" asked Smita quietly, reflecting on her recent change of heart on this matter.
"When Purity rises, you and all your ilk will be wiped away ... and all the degenerate beasts ... the dogs and the lions and the ... " Exe's eyes were bright with fervour, fanaticism. "wiped away, so that decent humans can live unafraid."
"What makes you say I have psi ability?"  Smita retained her professional manner with difficulty.
"I can smell it on you." The tiny professor sneered.
"Really?" Smita cocked her head in question. "Perhaps you have some psi ability yourself." With that she turned and marched from the room, hoping Exe wouldn't see the shaking that was taking hold of her body.


Janey pulled the drone into a final circuit. Once Firz had launched her drone, Janey would land hers for recharge and relaunch. They had been travelling for some hours. As far as Janey could tell they were travelling in a straight line, headed directly for who knew what.  The terrain of Eric rolled by in flat greyness, broken by clumps of clumps of exotic flora. Some of these plants were big enough to hide threats in, so Janey and Firz had to fly their drones close enough to investigate. It was tedious and boring work, demanding high levels of concentration.

Occasionally Janey would tilt her drone to see far behind the PEM. A vehicle was behind them, catching up fast. Sean was there. He was coming.

"Stopping in one minute." Bora's cheerful voice came over the intercom. Janey idly wondered why Patra never used the intercom. Either Patra thought it beneath her or she really hated Janey. Alternatively, Janey thought more charitably, Patra had delegated the task to the youngest member of the crew as a vital function.

Janey wheeled her drone ahead of the PEM. The seemed to be heading for one of the enigmatic high level trackways that had stood on Eric for many centuries. There were a few clumps of the huge plants, but otherwise their destination seemed nothing special.

"Up." Firz was confirming that she had launched her drone. Janey put hers into a landing profile.

The door behind them slid open and Rese was there again.
"Keep the drones flying. This is dangerous territory." Janey wondered how Rese made that assessment. They weren't that far from the Town's new sensor network, besides which Warspite was probably tracking them from orbit. She had no time to respond before Rese had slammed the door shut and was gone.

As her drone was charging, Janey watched as the three archaeologists dismounted from the PEM. Stine and Breen carried rifles and shovels; Rese hefted a long bag. What that could contain, Janey had no clue. They seemed to be very casual about operating in dangerous territory. They did not wear armour and their weapons were slung over their shoulders. Rese seemed to be consulting a screen, pointing and waving and stamping about until finding the required spot under one of the legs of the trackway. Stine and Breen laid their rifles aside carefully, and began to dig.

"Contact." Firz was professionally cool reporting the potential threat. "Three fast moving vehicles, twenty miles out. Heading straight for us." Janey clicked on the intercom and repeated the information. She watched Rese stand and put a hand to his ear as if listening. Crafty Rese had taken a remote headset with her.
"PEM2. Detach and engage." Rese ordered.
"No!" Janey new that the PEM was not a combat vehicle and a single PEM module would be no match for a determined enemy. The fight in the Town had shown how vulnerable a PEM module was to even the lightest of infantry support weapons.
"Stand down PEM1. I have command. PEM2 proceed as instructed."
"Sorry PEM1." Bora sounded genuinely apologetic. "Detaching."
Janey felt the shudder of decoupling, and PEM2 trundled through the high legs of the trackway.  Now, she felt alone. She tilted her drone to see how far away Sean was, and as dismayed to see how far behind he still was.
   

Smita had been looking at the history of the Purity Cult. She had watched so many scenes of attacks, riots,  murders. Scenes of barbaric executions, of terror attacks and unmitigated massacres. An old man had his brain surgically destroyed because he had won the lottery twice, so was accused of being prescient. A species of gentle tree dwellers poisoned because they were deemed to be too close to achieving higher cognitive abilities because they had constructed bridges between their trees. Vargyr children torn apart by ferocious dogs in what Purity considered to be a fitting irony.

Smita shut off the images. She tried to sleep but the images came back to her interspersed with the voice of Exe saying they would be "wiped away". Could this happen again? Could Purity rise? She found herself in the medic bay. Exe was asleep. Unbidden, Smita's green glow flared then died as she sought control. She looked at the tiny body. She could see the pulse in the throat, the chest rising and falling in deep regularity. She reached out with her mind. She felt the pulse. She went under the skin to the carotid artery. Gently she pressed on the artery, felt it depress. Shocked, she withdrew her mind, and found she was panting, clammy skinned, exhilarated.  The image of the bloody muzzles of enraged dogs came to her, and she reached out with her mind again. This time she reached her mind to the skull, through the temple to the brain. She dived deep into Exe's brain, her fists balled and then moved apart as if tearing ... and in Exe's brain an artery twisted, strained and tore. Exe grunted in her sleep but did not wake.

[fsn]

Patra was having a frustrating time. They had closed with the raiders, who had evaded to attack from a different. It was like a limbering freighter being nipped by agile fighters. Surprisingly, the raiders contented themselves with popping at the PEM with small arms. If just one the three stopped for long enough to drop off someone with a missile, PEM2 would be in trouble.

Patra used the autocannon firing short bursts at long range without apparent effect. She grimaced.
"Ever have the feeling we're being kept away?"  Bora grunted and threw the PEM into what was supposed to be a tight turn in order to keep one of the raiders from being able to attach the vulnerable rear of the PEM. Patra fired off another burst, which caused a raider to veer off.
"I swear, I'm tempted to try a missile." PEM2 carried missiles, but they were of the artillery type rather than the anti-vehicle type. They would make a big bang, but a nimble raider could probably be well away before it impacted. Besides, they only carried four and there were no spares in this star system. Bora grunted again.

"Stop!" Patra ordered. She looked at the screen. They were over 10 miles from PEM1, which was almost directly behind them.
"Reverse. Back up. We're going to rejoin PEM1. Just keep our nose pointed at the raiders. "
"Good call." Bora threw PEM2 into reverse and the big vehicle began to shuffle backwards. The raiders fussed around, staying carefully out of autocannon distance.


Stine was digging her third hole. Breen was on her fourth. Rese was showing increasing irritation, the gesticulating getting wider and more descriptive. Sean was close now. Janey could see that his vehicle would be with them in just a few minutes. A sense of relief flooded over her. Her drone was flying circuits round PEM1, whilst Firz's drone kept an overview of PEM2's battle.

Firz had just noted PEM2's slow reversal when Stine popped up from her hole and waved. Rese ran over and knelt as Stine pulled a box from the round. Janey estimated it to be maybe three feet long, and maybe a foot deep and wide. Rese grabbed the box and opened it. Presumably it had no lock, or Rese had the key.  From the box, she pulled a white sheet – a cloth. As Stine and Breen knelt before her, she shook. The white cloth caught the eye and looking out her port Janey could see it had something written on it – "Purity".       
 
Reverently, Rese refolded the flag and put it back in the box., The box she put in the long bag. As Stine and Breen began fillign the holes they had dug, Rese walked slowly towards PEM1, bag in hand, satisfied smirk on her face.

Fifty yards from the PEM, Rese laid down the bag and unhurriedly opened it. She pulled a single shot missile launcher from the bag and deliberately aimed it at the cockpit of PEM1.

Sean was too late. He knew he was too late. He watched in horror as the missile struck behind the cockpit of PEM1. A bright explosion and the cockpit disappeared.

Sean was out of the vehicle, charging towards Rese.
"Steady Marine." Alder's voice cut through his rage. He slowed his run, finger white knuckled on his gauss rifle. His breath came as sobs, and his hands shook. He was only dimly aware that Alder and Rowan had peeled off to engage Stine and Breen in a firefight. Sean was totally focused on Rese who waited for him, arms raised, a smile of her face.
"I'm unarmed. Please don't shoot me." The tone was mocking. Rese pirouetted so that Sean could see she carried no weapons. "I think your girlfriend may be a little bit dead. Oops."
The fire on PEM1 crackled and Sean's attention was momentary drawn to the sound. Rese moved like a greased snake. She slapped the Gauss rifle away from her, and moved to grab Sean by the arm, spinning him around and throwing him to the ground. She followed this with a vicious kick to the head, the effect diminished by Sean's Marine helmet.
Sean rolled and came to his knees. He caught the foot aimed at his face and pushed. Rese fell back, but was up on her feet immediately. They circled like wrestlers, Rese smirking and taunting the young Marine.
"Your bed's gonna be very cold. Not like your girlfriend. She's really hot now." Rese laughed at her own joke, and Sean moved in, feinting a jab, but changing to a kick aimed at Rese's knee. Rese turned so the kick landed on her thigh. Painful but not damaging.
"Got to do better than that Kid." She mocked. "Did you know your girl and that dog were at it?" She laughed again.
Sean launched himself at her. If she was expecting another feint, she was wrong. He leapt at her, hands wrapping around her throat, body pressing her backwards. For the first time Rese's confidence faltered. She beat at Sean's ribs, but his armour took the blows. She tried to scratch at his face, but his elbows were well spread so she couldn't reach. She tried to knee him in the groin, but he grinned mirthlessly as her knee met armour.
Rese began to panic as she began to feel consciousness fading as Seans fingers pressed deeper into her throat. She fell backwards and the sudden movement caused Sean to lose his balance and he fell with her. She sucked in air as his grip released and fought to control the fight. She struck his face with her elbow and again and again and again, repeatedly until his nose broke and his eyes filled with blood. His vision blurred and his body seemed to lose strength. She rolled and rose to straddle him, a knife appearing in her hand.
"Pathetic." She snarled. Through blooded eyes, Sean saw Rese above him, knife in hand, farmed by the burning PEM1. He watched as if detached as the knife rise waited for the final strike. It didn't come. Instead Rese's chest gouted blood. With a surprised look, the archaeologist toppled off Sean and not the dust.

Firz spat at the corpse. Her clothing was burned and torn to shreds. She was covered in blood and her fur was charred and smoking in places. She held a shard of debris from PEM1 in both hands, ready to strike again if necessary, but seeing that Rese was in fact dead, she allowed herself to collapse.   

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Blimey! 

[fsn]

Last bit for this round, I promise.
The cruiser Marcher Lord hung over Eric. Captain the Lord Dyer Dunn had decamped to the Town and had set up camp in the restored town meeting place. He sat behind a repurposed dining table and interrogated Patra, then Bora, the the two together. Eventually he called for dinner and dined with the crew of PEM2 in as much style as the town could muster. He was an amusing host, whose severe, professional persona had dropped when it came time to eat.
Dunn had watched the video captured by PEM2's cameras. He'd witnessed the futile battle with the raiders, and approved of the retreat to PEM1. He gasped when he saw the burning wreckage of the explorer, and nodded approvingly when Bora was seen to have entered PEM1, only to withdraw seconds later – driven back by the flames.
"I tried to extract the PEM2 log, but it had been melted to slag. The cockpit was totally wrecked, both by the blast and the fire. We looked for the bodies of the crew, but found nothing." Explained Bora.
"Indeed." Dunn swirled some local distillation with pretensions of being brandy around his glass. He sniffed and grimaced, but manfully took a sip.
"You brought back the others though." Bora shuddered at the memory of collecting the bodies of Rese, Stine and Breen.
"Was there anything else?" he asked casually.
"Like what, Sir" chipped in Patra.
"Don't know to be truthful. Why were you all out there anyway? What were they digging for?" Bora and Patra exchanged glances.
"We have no idea, Sir. We just drove the PEM."
"Quite so. Quite so."
"Can't the Professor help? She must know." Bora said brightly.
"Ah. Regrettably not. Sudden brain aneurysm. The doctors on Warspite did a good job, but ... just one of those things."  The PEM crew looked dutifully crestfallen.


Lydia and York awaited them outside. Patra nodded, and carried on, but Bora ran to them and hugged each in turn.
"I'm so glad to see you both, I hoped I would."
"How are you?" Asked Lydia. "How did it go?" Bora smiled a wan half smile."I'm fine. It went well, I suppose. The PEM2 video, shows that we were telling the truth, but I think we only know a little of the story.  Captain Dunn is going to send out some parties to investigate." She shrugged.  "I'm going back on the courier. When I get back, I think I'm going to resign and ... I dunno ...maybe go back to school or start a farm or ... "
"Start a machine shop?" Offered York.
"Yes, that would be nice."
"What about Patra?"
"Oh, she's a hero, going to lead the search parties. She'll likely get a medal and a promotion. Certainly will have more tales to embellish."
The said their goodbyes and Bora hugged them both again.

They were on the pinnace on the way back to Warspite, before they talked about what had happened.
"She's a good person." Offered York.
"Yup, and I know where she lives." Added Lydia. He looked at her askance.
"Is that a threat?"
"On the contrary, I think that machine shop could maybe do with a little seed money." He laughed.
"I like the way you think." They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Dunn is Purity?" York asked.
"For certain." Lydia agreed.
"I feel the need to be in another system." He said.

Again they sat in silence. Lydia played with the seat belt across her body. "
"This damned thing scratches." She undid the belt and then prodded her clothing. She put her hand into her top and pulled out a carefully folder piece of paper. 
"I've been fondled." She observed.
"Lucky you." York had been concerned with flying the pinnace so had missed her antics.
"No ... I have a letter. " She turned it over in her hands before unfolding it. In large girlish hand she read ...
"Dear Lydia.
I hope this finds you and York and everyone on Warspite well. I hope that includes Janey and Firz.

Rese never showed much of an interest in the PEM. If she had, she'd have known about the emergency hatches in the cockpit. When I went on board PEM1, I saw they had been tripped, and there were no bodies in the cockpit or under it. There were no raiders anywhere near PEM1, so it makes sense to me that Rese was responsible for what happened to PEM1.

On the way back to Town, I made sure to drive PEM2 in the tracks of whatever ground vehicle you came in just to hide them a bit. Patra didn't notice, she was too busy having the vapours and trying to contact someone in Town.

I don't know what was behind it all and I don't want to know. I think it is probably dangerous and I don't need that. I hope you have Janey and  Firz and they are well enough.

Yours sincerely

Bora"

"That's a very dangerous letter." Said York.
"It is. Do I destroy it?"
"Why not show it to Janey and  Firz first?" Lydia refolded the letter and put it back in her top.
"Where in blue blazes did she get paper in Town?" 


Epilogue 1
Janey lay on the bed, her body covered in bandages and burn salves. She would recover, but it would take a while. Sean stood beside her, his battered face a mask of pain and misery.
"I wish I could hold you." He said.
"I do too." She smiled through cracked lips. "But I hurt all over."
He stroked a strand of her hair that lay on the pillow.
"Your beautiful hair." He said.
"It'll grow back." Her clawed hand delicately touched the side of her head which had been shaved so the wound there could be attended to. "I hope."
Sean laughed. It wasn't much of a laugh, but it helped. His Janey was still there – broken, battered and burned, but still there and would get better.
"If I sit beside you, can I hold your hand?"  She winced as he took her fingers in a grip that bespoke desperation and helplessness and want, but the contact soothed him and he relaxed his hold without letting go. He settled in the chair beside her, the tension draining from him as he realised that things were going to be all right. Shortly, his eyes drooped and he fell into that space between wakefullness and sleep. As he drifted away, he thought he heard Janey say "do you think we could have a baby?"
The thought didn't disturb him enough to stop him falling into a deep restful sleep.

Epilogue 2
Firz lay on the bed, on her side Vargyr style, looking remarkably like her ancestral wolf. Her back and shoulders were a continuum of pain. She was considering asking for some pain medication when the door chime sounded. She reluctantly gave permission for her visitor to enter. She knew it wouldn't be one of the doctors – they just came in unannounced, but she was surprised to see Quillam shuffling nervously from foot to foot in the doorway.
"Can I come in?" he asked. More from curiosity, she assented with a nod. The engineer stood over her, unable or unwilling to speak his message. He took off his cap, to expose his balding head beaded with nervous sweat. He passed his cap between his hands for a few seconds, still apparently unsure of what to say. Instead, he reached into the multi pocketed waistcoat he always wore, and pulled a book from a pocket. He thrust it at her.
"Here." He said. "It's for you." With the dam burst, he began to babble "Janey said you liked books and I know all your books got destroyed in the PEM ... and it was Lydia's idea that we make you one ... I don't read much and a screen is so much easier ... but Alex said a physical book was something better and ... well, Janine printed it out ..." he scratched his chin, a rasping sound from the stubble "... and I didn't know we had a printer on board... and then we didn't know what book to print and York said Alice in Wonderland ..." he paused again "... don't know it, I think it's about some woman in a club or a park or something ... and I sort of put the printed pages in a cover."
He proffered it again. She took it. Quillam had never had much dealing with physical books, that was obvious. The cover was skillfully made of some resin, a dull utilitarian solid unattractive brown. Rather than being one single piece, the cover was made of three pieces, joined by hinges. On the front was stencilled "Alice in Wonderland" in stark white utilitarian lettering. It was the ugliest books Firz had ever seen, but also the most wonderful gift she had ever been given.
She nodded up at the Engineer, not trusting that her voice would not betray her emotion. It was enough for Quillam. He nodded and put his cap on and beat a hasty retreat.
Left alone, Firz clutched the book to her chest, and indulged in a few moments of ... feeling. She had lost everything in the PEM. Her personal device with the pictures of her family, her books and her career. When the PEM exploded, her life was destroyed  with it and she became no-one.  Now she was on the Warspite and no-one seemed interested in making her leave. Perhaps she could stay. Perhaps this effectively but artlessly created book was the beginning of a new Firz.
As she always did when life threatened to overwhelm her, she opened the book and began to read. "Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it..."

Epilogue 3
York was sat in the crew lounge, a mug of tea in his hand. He slipped it slowly, hunched froward staring intently at the box the Purity flag had been stored in. Lydia approached, a demure smile on her face, a mini-battenberg on a plate.
"How much?" She exclaimed.
"What?" he asked. Her hand shaking slightly she as she set the plate down.
"Sorry,  I thought you said a number ... a really big number of credits."
"No ... at least I don't think so ... but I was thinking about a big number of credits." Absently he picked up the mini-battenberg and took a bite, his concentration fixed on the box.
"It's a box." Lydia prompted.
"And so much more." She waited patiently as he finished the small cake. Then she punched him on the shoulder. York rubbed her shoulder, but continued his examination of the box.
"See the markings inside?" She peered closely. York had removed the silky liner and on the black inner of the box were small etchings, coloured black so to be almost invisible.
"They're a code. It's an old code, from about a hundred years ago, so Athene was able to crack it in a few minutes." He resumed starting at the box. She punched him again on the shoulder.
"It's a list of bank accounts." York continued, rubbing his shoulder again. "Hundreds of them."
"And they add up to that really big number of credits?" Lydia asked enthusiastically. For the first time, he looked at her.
"No. That's one account."
Lydia sat down beside York, leant forward and stared at the box. For a few minutes they sat in silence.
"Whose money is it?" She asked eventually.
"I think it's the funding of Purity." She whistled.
"We're rich." Lydia's tone was flat.
"We're already rich." Without looking at her, York put his hand on hers and squeezed. Normally, this would have elicited some reaction from Lydia, but she was still trying to come to terms with the enormity of the discovery.
"It's not our money." he said.
"Do we want to give it back to Purity?" York responded with one of his rare curses.
"Then what?" Lydia reached out to the box, as if touching it would help. It didn't.
"That's the problem. I only looked at one account. I don't know about the others. I'd like the money to go somewhere ... useful and safe. To be used for good." He smiled faintly. "If that doesn't sound too ..."
"Goody-goody?" She asked.
"Goody-goody." He agreed. They returned to silent contemplation of the box.
"So we need someone to find these accounts, clear them out so that Purity doesn't get their hands on it and use the money for good."
"We do." He looked at the plate as if mildly surprised to find it empty.
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, apparently unaware that they were holding hands.
"Sir!" Lydia went to snap her fingers, but became aware that her hand was still enfolded in York's. She looked at their hands. He looked at their hands. He squeezed gently. She squeezed back.
"Sir who?" he asked mildly.
"Sir ... you know ... Sir .. the multi-billionaire who did the thing and upset all the you know and now he lives on a yacht full of women." York frowned in concentration. They mystery of the Purity box seemed more easy to decipher than Lydia on turbo-brain. He looked at her blankly. She took a deep breath.
"Sir." She began again. "He invented that fusion power thingy, then basically gave it away. He made billions – no, I don't know how you give away something and get billions from it, but that must mean he's a financial genius. Anyway, he annoyed the wrong people so they dropped a big rock on his house from orbit and killed his family. Now he lives on a super yacht, going from place to place apparently randomly doing good deeds and having a good time. He's got loads of charities and programmes and things – gives away loads of money to worthy causes. If anyone can find and reuse the Purity money it's Sir."
"A yacht full of women." York mused. It showed how excitedly distracted Lydia was that she didn't punch him on the shoulder again.
"Yes, he found out that nearly all assassins are men, so he thought that by employing only women he would reduce the chances of an assassin getting close to him."
"Sounds perfect ... Sir being the one to use the money I mean." As one, York and Lydia sat back and sighed the sigh of people who had solved a mighty problem.
"Do you want to let go of my hand?"
"Not really."
"That's fine."

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Nice ending

[fsn]

Quick note:

Since this is supposed to be a RPG, I crate a story thread then game it out. Sometimes the die do not cooperate and I have to adjust the narrative. The thread for this episode when something like - Exe wakes up - PEM goes a-hunting - Warspite follows - battle - happy ending. When I started I had no idea what Rese was searching for. It was at times a fortune, a hidden city, Ancient artifacts, and the Grave of the Martyr. (No I don't know what that means either.) I've been reading some of the Sharpe books recently and the Purity banner was inspired by the Gonfalon of Sant Iago in Sharpe's Rifles. Only at the end did I discover it was tied to many, many fortunes.

Sean was late. he was supposed to have got to Rese before she could destroy PEM1. He and Rese went three rounds of hand to hand combat and he did get his backside kicked with some really bad dice rolls. Fortunately, I wasn't going to let Janey and Firz die, so they formed a convenient deus ex machina.

The Purity Cult was something that sort of got invented on the way. I mean, the flag had to belong to someone, and had to mean enough to kill for.

Yes, the raiders are Purity.
Firz is using the Purity flag as a bedspread. 

I have now generated another unresolved side quest.

• The magically appearing and disappearing life forms on Brenda
• Did Alison have a baby If so, what happened?
• Is there something odd about the origin of the twins? Are they maybe genetically modified super-soldiers?
• Melvin has to meet Bowery Lexal
• Warspite has to find Sir
• Did the Purity Cult bomb the Mind of Man?
• Find a book ship for Firz

 

For clarification, Sir and his yacht and his crew were generated when I bought the 2016 Mongoose Traveller books. I created a spreadsheet to generate the basic stats and origin planet type for any number of characters. This saved a lot of time and dice throwing except I mucked up the formulae and everyone was female. Yes I could have fixed the formula and rerun - but where's the fun in that. Yes, I did forget to fix the problem before I generated the PEM crew. Yes, I have fixed it now. 

One interesting problem in the Traveller universe is how to meet someone. There are no subspace frequencies, and messages travel only as fast as the jump drive ship. If someone is 3 jumps away, and then it will take six weeks to send them a message and for them to turn up. If you don't know where they are ... and they're constantly moving ... the maths get messy.

I apologise again for the long screed. The battles themselves were very quick in real time, but the write up was fun. Thank you. 

[fsn]

Nice ending

Thank you. 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

 

[Techno 3]

Really good stuff, Nobby.

[Ithoriel]

A great story, well told.

That was fun!

I get the feeling Purity would get on well with Humanity First from my imagined universe.

In my background HF are in perpetual struggle with IDIC. Is there a party actively opposed to Purity in yours?