“Vortex: Terra’s Pride” Update 5c.39 — Maneuvers and missions

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.39 of the “Vortex” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 7 July 2013. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures/Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges ?

FATE 3e “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” (Team 3/5c) telecom Player Characters, as of summer 2013:

Acting crew of the experimental scout ship Blackbird:

“Capt. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K., primary]-male Terran “near-human” (cyborg), former Interplanetary Patrol officer and member of the Blackbird and Dauntless crews; homeworld security task force commander

“Hector Chavez” [Beruk A., primary]-male Terran human, former spy and crewmember on theAppomattox, cautious engineer and communications expert

“Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O., primary]-male Terran “near-human” (genetically modified) xenobiologist, curious and planetary patriot; with robot PEPE

“Lt.Cmdr. Tela” [Sara F., secondary/absent]-female Tharian (gargoyle-like alien), escapee from the Encegulans (slug-like slavers), fond of humans; engineer with boyfriend Kedar

“Chris McKee /Agent Prometheus” [Josh C., primary/absent]-male Terran human, former assassin for the eugenicists at Black Box Security Co., sniper and seeker aboard the Blackbird and Pina Colada

“Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C., primary/absent]-male Pomuyan (blue telepathic humanoid alien), irrepressible mystic and thrill-seeking galactic hitchhiker

“Chiron” [Dexter V.H., primary/absent]-male (secretly android) pilot, assigned to assess and protect humanity

See other records for the previous crews of the Blackbird, Appomattox, and Gryphon.

Homeworld security ships — A Terran task force

“26 to 28 August 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” Lt.Cmdr. Sebastian Growlick [Bruce] destroyed the frigate Crazy Horse in an attack on the Zarkonian Armada at Wolf 359, and the rest of the “Terra’s Pride” homeworld security task force regrouped at Procyon.

The Blackbird heads back to the Ilokar battle group in the Asteroid Belt to report on its encounters with the enemy at Sirius and Wolf 359. The explorers find the Union of Solar Nations (U.S.N.) space navy busy with the evacuation effort.

First, the Blackbird must pass the Shaka Zulu battle group in solar polar orbit. Raptor II-class fighters fly escort, as Adm. Joseph Ochieng sends his regards to the crew of the Sovereign.

Capt. Kevin Reese, Dr. Srinu Pahul, and Hector Chavez then report to Col. Shan Gray and Adm. Jacques Pons. Kevin is relieved to learn that his sister in law Jennifer has been given a berth in a ship leaving the Mars Confederacy. Adm. Pons awards Lt.Cmdr. Growlick a posthumus medal for his valor.

Kevin also passes on a status report from the Terran outpost at Camp Alpha, which is about to be overrun by the armada. Hector mentions reverse-engineering of alien force-field technology to provide ships with a tunable energy shield.

Srinu shares medical data gathered from his patients aboard the Crazy Horse. Polarian (amphibious humanoid alien) and other survivors had described the Zarkonians, but humans haven’t yet studied the crustaceans firsthand.

The U.S.N. officers ask what missions “Terra’s Pride” is considering. Dr. Pahul recommends heading toward Oasis Station, which could be a destination for human refugees. Hector notes that there are three slower-than-light generation colony ships behind enemy lines that could be informative if they haven’t been found and destroyed.

In addition, Chris had noted that an abandoned mining site at Van Maanen’s Star revealed Precursor (ancient alien) technology that might be helpful in the fight against the Zarkonians.

Col. Gray, once Kevin’s superior in the Interplanetary Patrol, confers “Ranger Corps status” on “Terra’s Pride,” granting its ships’ commanders wide latitude in deep space, even though they still report to the U.S.N. chain of command.

Capt. Reese requests three Transit (faster-than-light) drives to bring to the generation ships, the Firebrand, the Nova Aquarius, and the Faithful Starlight. Hector and Tela recall encountering similar colonists aboard the Chengdu and Zheng He.

Adm. Pons says that the Ilokar is escorting a civilian fleet to Fomalhaut, Phi Ceti, and Chi Orionis, then possibly to Oasis Station, about 30 parsecs from Earth. He orders every outbound Terran vessel to take on as many passengers as possible.

As waves of Zurmiz Krott (biomechanical probes) attack Eclipse Station on Saturn’s moon Titan, as well as the Venusian Finance Union, the scout ship Blackbird leaves the besieged Sol system.

Capt. Reese sends Capt. Helena Cain and Lt. Nathan A. Jessup on the corvette Dauntless to Epsilon Eridani, with Phi Ceti as a backup rendezvous. Cmdr. Jasmine follows with the Pina Colada, and Capt. Elektra Contos brings up the rear in the Tigress. The task force still has three zero-point devices.

Meanwhile, the Blackbird returns to Sirius to see if there is any debris worth salvaging from the Crazy Horse’s attack. Kevin pilots defensively, and Hector detects 50 Zurmiz Krott and 20 Zarkonian fighters in the area, as well as the remnants of 12 Zarkonian vessels and four Kutalrin (vulture-like cyborg) scavengers.

Srinu activates the Blackbird’s stealth suite as a small Gustrall (antlered, orange-furred, raptor-like alien) warship enters the system. The Zarkonians swarm the unlucky arrival, allowing the Terrans to retrieve some ship fragments undetected.

Capt. Reese boldy takes the scout craft around Sirius, as Dr. Pahul sets containment protocols for a mostly intact Zarkonian corpse. Chris is interested in studying alien technologies such as a computer fragment, and Hector records everything for later analysis.

After avoiding another firefight, the Blackbird heads to Epsilon Eridani to meet with its sister ships….

Dexter, Sara, Josh, and Geoff, we missed you during this “Vortex” session! I look forward to continuing our latest party’s adventures! -Gene

P.S.: Here’s a quick overview of past “Vortex” teams:

Party 1 (1982 to 1984): The Zarkonian Bomb, a screenplay by Gene D., Carlo R., and Bill B., at A.S.H.S. (and the AD&D1 “Vanished Lands”)

Party 2 (1984 to 1986): “The Adventures of Jason Delmar,” short stories by Gene D. (and Star Frontiers games)

Party 3 (1986 to 1988): “Vortex,” a role-playing game by Gene D. and David I.S., at SUNY-Binghamton (and Shadowrun games)

Party 4 (1996 to 1999): “Vortex: C.D.I./ Venture,” using GURPS 3e Space, in Northern Virginia (and GURPS“Voyagers II: Adventures in the Dimensional Corps”)

Party 5a (2010 to 2011): “Vortex: the Blackbird,” using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures, Massachusetts

Party 5b (2010 to 2011): “Vortex: MarSoupAil,” using FATE 3e, Massachusetts (and one-shots)

Party 5c (2011 to 2012): “Vortex: the Gryphon,” using FATE 3e, online

Party 5c.2 (2012 to present): “Vortex: Terra’s Pride,” using FATE 3e Bulldogs, online

“Vortex: Terra’s Pride” Update 5c.38 — remember the “Crazy Horse”

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.38 of the “Vortex” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 30 June 2013. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

FATE 3e “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” (Team 3/5c) telecom Player Characters, as of summer 2013:

Acting crew of the experimental scout ship Blackbird:

“Capt. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K., primary ]-male Terran “near-human” (cyborg), former Interplanetary Patrol officer and member of the Blackbird and Dauntless crews; homeworld security task force commander

“Lt.Cmdr. Tela” [Sara F., secondary ]-female Tharian (gargoyle-like alien), escapee from the Encegulans (slug-like slavers), fond of humans; engineer with boyfriend Kedar

“Lt.Cmdr. Brun Bearhammer” [Geoff C., secondary ]-male Martian Ursoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” bear), former wrestler, pilot

“Tariq Asrad Saladin” [Beruk A., secondary ]-male Terran “near-human” (mutant) wanderer with a past, investigator

“Chris McKee /Agent Prometheus” [Josh C., primary ]-male Terran human, former assassin for the eugenicists at Black Box Security Co., sniper and seeker aboard the Blackbird and Pina Colada

“Lt. Nathan A. Jessup” [Byron V.O., secondary ]-male Terran human, gung-ho Union of Solar Nations space marine and pilot

“Enkidu Aristheon” [Dexter V.H., secondary ]-male Seranen (pale empathic humanoid alien) exile, wilderness survival expert curious about Terrans and the Zarkonian threat; with sphinx-like companion Glaucon

See other records for the previous crews of the Blackbird, Appomattox, and Gryphon.

“22 to 25 August 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” At Sirius, the Blackbird dropped sensor buoys and encountered unidentified alien vessels. Its crew also saw for the first time the fearsome Zarkonian Armada, which was headed toward the Sol system.

Meanwhile, the rest of the “Terra’s Pride” homeworld security task force checked in at the Wolf 359 outpost. The Pina Colada and Sovereign rescued the Nethian ship Fourth Wing and lured two Psi Eaters (cloud-based energy entities) to help defend Earth.

The Dauntless, Crazy Horse, and Tigress stayed closer to home, reporting to the Union of Solar Nations space navy and picking up evacuees and weapons.

Lt.Cmdr. Tela tries to diagnose what is hampering the Blackbird ’s Transit (faster-than-light) drives, preventing the scout ship from leaving the Zarkonian-occupied solar system. Capt. Kevin Reese recommends scanning the area, and Tariq Asrad Saladin soon detects Transit inhibitors on the unidentified vessels.

Lt.Cmdr. Brun Bearhammer keeps the cloaking device active and quietly maneuvers behind iceball planet Xylanthia to avoid Zurmiz Krott (biomechanical probes) and Zarkonian fighter craft. Kevin goes to engineering to help Tela.

Tariq empathically senses the Blackbird ’s frustration and sluggishness, and the mystic and Kevin go to the flight bay to find and deactivate the alien system they retrieved. Chris McKee readies ion cannons.

Inside the alien ship, the Terran explorers find a vulture-like pilot, whom Chris determines was killed by a gamma ray blast from the Zarkonians. They manage to deactivate the Transit inhibitor, which Tariq plans to study later.

Capt. Reese orders Lt.Cmdr. Bearhammer to set a course for Procyon. The Blackbird reunites with the rest of “Terra’s Pride” at the binary star system.

On the way, Kevin checks the Olvar Star League database and identifies the dead scavenger as a Kutalrin. Tariq warns him about cybernetic modifications. Tela makes sure they’re inactive.

The command crews of the Terran task force meet to discuss their next moves. “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron] had planned to use criminals aboard the Crazy Horse to provide human life signs for a Trojan horse attack on the Zarkonian Armada. Instead, he acquired terminally ill and vegetative patients.

Terran space frigate — The Terran frigate “Crazy Horse”

Several of Dr. Pahul’s crew mates have moral qualms, and robot nurse MEGAN attends to his patients. Chris notes that any attempt to study the armada would have to occur at Wolf 359, now that it has passed by Sirius.

Engineer “Hector Chavez” [Beruk] strengthens the Crazy Horse’s defenses and loads three zero-point devices, plus nuclear warheads. Tela suggests using a distress signal to lure the enemy and spider drones for tracking.

“Cmdr. Jasmine” [Sara] says farewell to “Lt.Cmdr. Sebastian Growlick” [Bruce], who gives her the Sash of Giganta and volunteers to pilot the Crazy Horse. The Felinoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” lion) makes a microjump in the Wolf 359 system and charges at the 3,000 Zarkonian ships.

Lt. Nathan A. Jessup hangs back in the Kutalrin ship to relay telemetry back to the rest of “Terra’s Pride.” The Zarkonians rake the Crazy Horse with beam weapons, and the frigate explodes, destroying two capital ships and about dozen smaller enemy vehicles.

Even as the humans celebrate their first engagement and mourn for Sebastian and others’ sacrifice, Nate spots two Zarkonian fighters headed his way. Brun brings the “Dauntless” around to retrieve him, and he and Chris destroy two pursuers.

The Pina Colada, Blackbird, Dauntless, Sovereign, and Tigress fall back to Alpha Centauri. They are hailed by Spaceman Peter Jones, whose squadron is on patrol for Camp Alpha.

Capt. Reese reports to Lt.Col. Hollis Shelman aboard the battleship Lionheart. He also delivers some recorded video to help boost the morale of Earth’s defenders.

Jasmine and Brun set a course for Van Maanen’s Star so that their task force can join some of the rag-tag fleet fleeing Earth….

Byron and Dexter, we missed you at the “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” telecom space opera! Byron, I hope you’re feeling better. Janice and I enjoyed our vacation in Seattle, but I’m glad to get back to our games.

Note that each of your Player Characters now has 40 skill points. Let me know how you’ll spend them, and have a good week, -Gene

Sightseeing around the Emerald City

As I’ve already mentioned, Janice and I did what tourists are expected to do in Seattle — visit the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. We did get rained on, but less than expected. There was no shortage of things to see in the city, and we got glimpses through the mist of the green and mountainous Northwest beyond.

Gene in Seattle — Looking out from Seattle

On Sunday, June 23, Janice and I went to historic Pioneer Square. We had a real character as our guide during the Underground Tour, and we also enjoyed browsing at the Magic Mouse toy store and the Seattle Mystery Bookshop. We also checked out the impressive modernist Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library, which was only a block from our hotel.

We walked up to Kobe Terrace Park, but we didn’t fully explore the International District, where many Asian-Americans live. After the harbor cruise the next day, we wandered among the tourist traps of various piers before heading to the Seattle Aquarium. It might be smaller than the New England Aquarium, but it was informative about how humans have both lived off the sea and (belatedly) tried to protect it.

We also saw some fun public sculpture and goats grazing beneath an underpass. As I noted in my blog post about Seattle food, Pike Place Market was great, while Pacific Place and other urban shopping malls cater to the locals and business people. I’ve been asked whether I was interested in visiting the headquarters of Microsoft (or Wizards of the Coast), but that would have been too much like work.

I’m glad that Janice and budgeted most of Tuesday, June 25, to see the Museum of Flight, which is next to Boeing’s sprawling campus. It featured lots of exhibits on the entire history of aircraft, from the Wright brothers through the World Wars and the International Space Station.

We’ve been to the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., as well as the Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport, and this was as impressive as either of those. Among the aircraft we saw were the P-51 Mustang WWII fighter, the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, and one of the jets designated as Air Force One through several presidential administrations.

Wednesday, June 26, was the quietest day of our vacation, since we expected heavy rain (which never came). We went to the Seattle Art Museum, which had small but strong collections of ancient through modern art. I didn’t take many photos in the museums because most prohibited the use of a flash. Janice and I also visited some art galleries and shops of First Nations or Native American art such as Northwest Tribal Art.

The next day, Janice and I visited Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. We admired the architecture and meticulous gardens. The Royal B.C. Museum was one of the highlights of our trip, including a recreation of a Western town in which you could enter rooms in each building, ranging from a saloon to a train station to a fancy 19th century hotel.

We also checked out the spectacular dioramas at Miniature World, which is similar to Roadside America in Pennsylvania. I got a new sun hat at the Tilley store, and we viewed nature art at the Robert Bateman Centre before heading back to the clipper to Seattle.

On Friday, June 28, we walked to the Olympic Sculpture Park and Myrtle Edwards Park for a mostly clear view of the Olympic Mountains. We then walked to Seattle Center, spending our last afternoon in town in the same way we had spent our first one — near the iconic Space Needle.

The EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum focuses on popular culture. It was cool to see the artifacts from Jimi Hendrix, local band Nirvana, and the “Women Who Rock” exhibit. Of course, the exhibits on science-fiction icons, fantasy world-building, and classic horror movies were of particular interest.

On a related note, Golden Age Collectibles in Pike Place Market had a wide selection of comic books and games, and I’ve known Seattle for years as the setting for the Shadowrun cyberpunk/fantasy tabletop role-playing game.

At the Pacific Science Center, we saw the usual planetology and paleontology exhibits, as well as the Air Racers IMAX film, which was timely because of our visit to the Museum of Flight.

I did check e-mail periodically during the vacation, but it was nice to get away from the usual routine. I did follow the news, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings on the Voting Rights Act, which I disagreed with, and the Defense of Marriage Act, which I’m glad was struck down, as were people who gathered at the courthouse near our hotel.

In future trips to the Pacific Northwest, Janice and I hope to see more of the great outdoors, First Nations and Asian culture, and maybe other cities, such as Portland and Vancouver. I’d be happy to return to Seattle anytime!

Since then, I’ve been busy catching with work (especially after the latest reorg), gaming, and genre TV. I look forward to seeing friends during the coming weekends.

Restaurant ramblings in Seattle

While Janice and I were on vacation in Seattle in late June, we settled into a routine: Wake up later than we would back home, find a nearby place for breakfast, go sightseeing, and then head back toward our hotel for dinner. Still, we found a wide range of moderately priced and good meals.

Pike Place, Seattle — Janice at Pike Place Market

Since the Renaissance Seattle is in the downtown business district, we had no trouble finding breakfast joints — during the workweek. The YMCA’s Delinomore had a cool communal feel, while Market Fresh, Mel’s Market, Simon’s, and Sister’s Garden Café all catered to office workers.

On the way to and from Seattle, we grabbed a bite to eat at the airports, such as from Sandella’s Flatbread. On our first night in Seattle, Janice and I had a good Mexican-American meal at Tacos Guaymas on the Harbor Steps, followed by gelato at Bottega Italiana (the first of a few desserts there).

After skirting the International District, we had dinner on Sunday, June 23, at O’Asian, a quiet and upscale Asian restaurant. The next day, we had an excellent lunch at Delicatus in Pioneer Square, followed by dessert from Cow Chip Cookies. On Tuesday at the waterfront, Janice and I had an OK lunch at the Alaska Sourdough Bakery.

The Wings Café at the Museum of Flight had a great view of airplanes, both part of the collection and taking off and landing. We had wraps during our cruise to Victoria, B.C., but I would have liked to try out a Scottish pub if we had more time.

Over the course of the week, we enjoyed dinners and beers at Mod Pizza (great thin-crust pies), the Elephant & Castle Pub, Kell’s Pub, and Bruno’s Italian/Mexican Restaurant (a family establishment that was more harmonious than you might think).

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the great eateries at the famous Pike Place Market. Sure, some of the many vendors are tourist traps, but there is enough fresh seafood (some of it airborne), curious arts and crafts, and produce to keep a browser busy and happy for a day or two. In our case, mainly June 24. Janice picked up some chocolates for her co-workers, but I don’t think mine would appreciate smoked salmon.

Janice and I aren’t coffee drinkers, so we only peeked into the original Starbuck’s. We did sample cheese from Beecher’s and Mt. Townsend Creamery, pastries from Piroshky Piroshky and Three Girls Bakery, and chowder from Pike Place Chowder (which I had learned about at the Newport Chowder Fest). I definitely recommend Seattle to seafood fans.

The Arsenal at Seattle Center was also a gourmand’s paradise. We ate on June 28 at Bigfood Barbeque and Confectional Cheesecake, and we got fresh-squeezed lemonade from a booth next to proficient Latin American street musicians in the shadow of the Space Needle.

My last look at Seattle (for now) will focus on the tourist attractions we visited.

Seattle 2013: Planes, trains, and boats

Janice and I vacationed in Seattle, Wash., from June 22 to 29, 2013. Although Janice had attended a conference there years ago, this was my first trip to the Pacific Northwest.

We flew via JetBlue from Boston’s Logan Airport, and we took a train into downtown Seattle. We found it quieter and cleaner than its counterparts in Boston or New York. Janice and I then walked up a steep hill to the centrally located Marriott Renaissance Seattle. Since the weather was nice during our first afternoon in the city, we went to the Space Needle, a landmark from the 1962 World’s Fair.

Contrary to popular belief, Seattle is not rainier than many other North American cities. The Olympic Mountains screen Puget Sound from rain coming off the Pacific Ocean. In the week we were in town, there were several overcast days, but we actually had more sun than rain. We also escaped the heat wave that had started affecting most of the U.S.

Sticking with the transportation theme, Janice and I took a harbor tour aboard an Argosy Cruise Lines vessel on Monday, June 24. The City Pass was a good deal for discount tickets to several attractions. We got good views of the Seattle skyline and massive container ships and cranes.

For the most part, Janice and I did most of our sightseeing on foot, and I’m glad that we didn’t have to drive anywhere or pay for parking. We walked to Pike Place, Seattle Center, and Pioneer Square. I was curious about the monorail, but trolley cars up some of the hills would have been more helpful. On Tuesday, June 25, we took a bus to the excellent Museum of Flight outside the city.

On Thursday, June 27, Janice and I took a Victoria Clipper to scenic Victoria, British Columbia. On the way, we glimpsed otters, dolphins, and numerous sea birds. There were fewer homeless people in the Canadian provincial capital than in Seattle, but everyone was friendly and polite on both sides of the border.

I’ll discuss restaurants and various attractions more in future posts.