Vortex

"Star Trek: Restoration" Episode 6
Into the Betreka Nebula

Fellow role-players, here are my notes for our latest “Star Trek” telecom game on Sunday, 23 August 2015:

“Space, the final frontier. Our starship’s mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life forms and new civilizations, and to boldly go where no one has gone before.”

Almost four decades after the Enterprise E fought the Borg and Remans [ Nemesis ], among others, the United Federation of Planets and other interstellar states in the Alpha Quadrant are slowly recovering from wars and ecological disasters. A refitted vessel takes a new crew on its first missions of defense, diplomacy, and exploration….

Player Characters for Gene D.’s " Star Trek: Restoration" space opera scenario, using D20 Prime Directive, FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures, Bulldogs, and Mindjammer 2e, plus Starships and Spacemen 2e, house rules, Obsidian Portal, Skype, and the Rolz.org online dice roller, as of summer 2015:

  • “Lieutenant Kyerak” [Bruce K.]-male half-Vulcan with ambition and a temper, in the U.S.S. Rotha ’s command division
  • “Lt. Jarric Jameson” [Dexter V.H.]-male genetically modified human colonist (former Maquis) and commando
  • “Lt. Orzzek Kalifa” [Byron V.O.]-male Andorian (blue-skinned humanoid with white hair and antennae), assertive science officer
  • “Lt. Mari Killu” [Sara F.]-female Caitian (felinoid) security/tactical officer
  • “Lt. Boran’ Gorir” [Josh C.]-male Jem’Hadar (Dominion soldier), aggressive envoy/engineer
  • “Chief Ravi Chandler” [Brian W.]-male Altairian human, non-commissioned officer and transporter expert aboard the Rotha
  • “Froot” [Rich C.G.]-male Ferengi (short, large-eared extraterrestrial) merchant and negotiator, DaiMon and owner of the trade vessel Love’s Latinum Lost
  • “Kimbal Tegan” [Beruk A.]-male Trill (long-lived symbiont), operations specialist aboard the Love’s Latinum Lost
  • “Tau” [Drew S.]-male Ferengi, medic aboard the Love’s Latinum Lost

Previously, in “Star Trek: Restoration,” the U.S.S. Rotha faced off against hostile starships in the Neutral Zone and covertly investigated interference in a former Federation member world.

“Stardate 95306.39 (22 April 2418):” The U.S.S. Rotha and the Love’s Latinum Lost leave the Aldebaran system. Capt. Andelina Nobatu orders helmsman En. Brandon Marks to set course for Psi Ursae Majoris because an unidentified subspace signal originates from that area.

Lieut. K’dex points out that the Betreka Nebula is on the way. Not only is it similar to the hazardous Badlands, but it’s also between Federation, Klingon, and Cardassian territory, points out the Edosian science officer.

Capt. Nobatu agrees with Cmdr. Nasami Wahid’s recommendation that the crew go to yellow alert for the duration of skirting the nebula, and the Trill first officer relays her order to Security Chief Pierre McDonnough.

DaiMon Froot requests permission to accompany the Rotha, and Capt. Nobatu reluctantly orders engineer Lt.Cmdr. Akira Gorou to extend the starship’s warp field to enclose the Love’s Latinum Lost.

Lt. Kyerak asks Capt. Nobatu permission to observe her command style so that he may learn from it. The Terran human gives her consent for him to stay on the bridge, as long as the half-Vulcan is able to fulfill his regular duties.

Lt. Jarric Jameson goes to ask Mr. Kyerak a question, but when he sees the officer with the captain, the human colonist turns on his heel and goes the other way down the corridor. Jarric then bumps into a half-Klingon and a Trill.

After listening to Ferengi crewmates Froot and Tau talk about oo-mox (earlobe massages), Kimbal Tegan requests permission to leave the Love’s Latinum Lost for the Rotha. The Trill pilot seeks out Cmdr. Wahid, with whom he has a shared history.

Lt. Orzzek Kalifa conducts research on the Betreka Nebula. The Andorian science officer learns that the nearest charted worlds are the Nuburon colony; Tammeron, known for smuggling biotech; and the former slavers of Skagaran. The nearest U.F.P. members are Risa and Betazed.

Lt. Jameson asks his superior, Lt. Artemis Borellis, for permission to study advanced tactics and munitions in addition to his existing survival skills. The Betazed counselor approves.

Sometime later, the Rotha’s junior officers compare notes in the “Starlight Lounge,” as Bolian bartender Mr. Vallcin provides food and drink. Kimbal notes that the area is rife with smugglers and bandits and recalls a Bajoran prophecy of a wanderer finding paradise.

Back on the Ambassador class starship’s bridge, Lt. Kalifa scans the nebula and finds a protostar emitting charged particles but no warp signatures. Lt. Kyerak takes a shift at the helm, while Mr. Tegan reaches out psionically.

The Rotha detects a Starfleet hull in the nebula. It is the U.S.S. Essex NCC-173, a Daedalus class ship believed lost with all hands more than 250 years before many parsecs away near the Mab-Bu IV.

Mr. Kyerak searches Starfleet records for the Essex crew and learns of Capt. Bryce Shumar, Cmdr. Steven Mullen, and Lt. Morgan Kelly. Orzzek finds that the derelict vessel has lost pressurization and that its warp core has been dumped.

Jarrick checks with Dr. Jones, the holographic chief medical officer, for supplies such as vacc suits for a potential survey of the Essex.

Kimball informs his Ferengi friends of an opportunity for salvage, and Capt. Nobatu approves an away mission. She assigns security officer En. Scalzi to join Lt. Kyerak, Lt. Jameson, Lt. Kalifa, and Mr. Tegan.

Lt. Jameson pilots a shuttle to the Essex. The away team makes its way aft, toward life support. The five explorers hope to restart the antique fusion reactors for sublight power and life support.

Lt. Kyerak then makes his way to the command center, but he finds bridge controls nonresponsive. Lt. Kalifa examines the main computer core and finds corrupted code.

Mr. Tegan and En. Scalzi keep in contact with Lt. Jameson and check sickbay. They report that it has been strangely stripped of medical equipment and move on to main engineering.

Kyerak searches the officers’ quarters and finds that the archives have been wiped. He does find old uniforms and a notebook of Atina Xdar, an Andorian who was the starship’s acting captain when it was disabled centuries ago.

Orzzek observes that the corrupted code in the ship’s computer tries to jump to his tricorder, and he recommends tech quarantine procedures. As Kimball and En. Scalzi search for a ship’s library, Jarric calls them back to the shuttle. He says that he has been unable to raise the Rotha, which is apparently suffering from power fluctuations.

The away team undocks and reads the final entry in Xdar’s journal: “They’ve gotten under our skin. We’re spacing the dead. Remember us….”

While I’m sorry that I missed Jason’s latest “Star Wars: Dark Times” session, I look forward to continuing our adventures tonight and the D&D5e “Vanished Lands” nautical crew tomorrow! Live long and prosper, -Gene

View
6
SEP/2015
"Star Trek: Restoration" Episode 7
Ghost ship and hollow sphere

Fellow role-players, here is my update for our latest “Star Trek: Restoration” session, which Brian S. hosted in Burlington, Mass., on Monday, 23 May 2016:

“Space, the final frontier. Our starship’s mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life forms and new civilizations, and to boldly go where no one has gone before.”

Almost half a century after the voyages of the Enterprise-E, the United Federation of Planets and other interstellar states are slowly recovering from wars and ecological disasters. A new crew takes a refitted vessel to conduct diplomacy, defend life, and explore the galaxy….

Player Characters for Gene D.’s " Star Trek: Restoration" space opera scenario, using D20 Prime Directive, FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures, and Bulldogs:

  • “Lieutenant Kyerak” [Bruce K.]-male human/Vulcan hybrid with a temper, ambitious junior officer in the U.S.S. Rotha ’s command division
  • “Lt. Jarric Jameson” [Dexter V.H./Brian S.]-male genetically modified human colonist (Maquis descendant) and commando
  • “Lt. Orzzek Kalifa” [Byron V.O.]-male Andorian (blue-skinned humanoid with white hair and antennae), assertive science officer
  • “Chief Ravi Chandler” [Brian W.]-male Altairian human, non-commissioned officer and transporter expert aboard the Rotha
  • Mr. Vallcin" [Jason E.R.]-male Bolian (blue-skinned, bilaterally symmetrical humanoid), bartender of the “Starlight Lounge”
  • “DaiMon Froot” [Rich C.G.]-male Ferengi (short, large-eared extraterrestrial) merchant and negotiator, owner of the trade vessel Love’s Latinum Lost
  • “Kimbal Tegan” [Beruk A.]-male Trill (long-lived symbiont), ex-Starfleet operations specialist aboard the Love’s Latinum Lost
  • “Tau” [Drew S.]-male Ferengi, medic aboard the Love’s Latinum Lost
  • “Lt. Mari Killu” [Sara F./absent ]-female Caitian (felinoid) security/tactical officer on the Rotha
  • “Lt. Boran’ Gorir” [Josh C./absent ]-male Jem’Hadar (bioengineered Dominion soldier), aggressive envoy/engineer

Previously, junior officers aboard the U.S.S. Rotha, NCC 1993-C, stopped assassins from disrupting a diplomatic mission and faced off with Klingons, Romulans, and Ferengi in the Neutral Zone.

They also worked with the Love’s Latinum Lost to stop interference with the Aldebaran system, finding spies and averting a civil war in the former Federation colony.

“Stardate 95306.40 (23 April 2418):” In the Betraka Nebula, an away team from the Rotha and Love’s Latinum Lost explored a derelict starship. The U.S.S. Essex, NCC-173, was presumed lost with all hands more than 250 (Terran) years ago many parsecs away.

Lt. Kyerak reviews the last log entry on the bridge of the Daedalus-class Federation starship. “They’ve gotten under our skin. We’re spacing the dead. Remember us,” said Atina Xdaar, an Andorian and acting commander of the Essex.

Lt. Jameson downloads what he can from the ship’s computer core before being forced to stop by a virus. Mr. Tegan relays communications from main engineering, where he attempts to restore power. Security officer En. Scalzi stands by.

On the Rotha, Chief Chandler is unable to maintain a transporter lock on the away team because of power fluctuations. Capt. Andelina Nobatu orders him and Lt. Orzzek to take a shuttlecraft over. Ravi requests Mr. Vallcin because of his immunities.

DaiMon Froot and Tau notice the flickering lights on the Rotha and Essex and raise the Love’s Latinum Lost ’s shields. They also see an unidentified dodecahedral craft docking with the Essex.

Lt. Orzzek, Chief Chandler, and Mr. Vallcin race from the Essex ’s landing bay to join the away team amidships. Mr. Tegan stays in engineering to deal with the mysterious power drain.

Jarric draws his phaser pistol but holds as two robots emerge from the airlock. Cutter and Roller seem surprised to find anyone alive so long after they collected a few previous survivors.

Orzzek and Ravi scan the androids with tricorders, but they don’t match any known design. Kyerak asks the robots where they come from and what happened to the crew of the Essex.

Cutter and Roller say that they come from a larger ship and that the nebula’s electromagnetic properties “were incompatible” with the Federation vessel.

Kimball crawls into a Jeffries tube to manually override the airlock. Vallcin notices the scent of machine oil, confirming that the robots had previously visited the Essex.

Over on the Love’s Latinum Lost, Ferengi Froot and Tau try to communicate with Capt. Nobatu as the Rotha loses power. They also see a larger 12-sided ship come out of warp.

Cutter and Roller explain to Andorian Orzzek and Altarian Ravi that they are members of the lowest caste, with “Light Bearers” and “Sphere Shapers” above them.

However, half-Vulcan Kyerak and human Jarric cut the conversation short, believing that the robots are direct threats to the Federation ships.

Bolian Vallcin tries to defuse tensions by demonstrating how two drinks taste terrible until mixed. Trill Kimball manages to restore functions on the Essex for a second time.

Kyerak and Jarric open fire on Cutter and Roller, forcing them back to their pod. Ravi beams Orzzek over to the Rotha to explain to chief engineer Lt.Cmdr. Akira Gorou how to recalibrate the power relays.

Froot orders the crew of his trade vessel to extend shields around the disabled Rotha. Tau, who is a doctor, not an ops officer, tries to activate a tractor beam and phasers but ends up firing in the direction of the Starfleet ship.

Lt. Jameson, Chief Chandler, and En. Scalzi begin feeling itchy and fear that they are infected by whatever killed most of the Essex ‘s crew. Fortunately, Tau teleports over to treat the interaction between the machine men’s emissions and the local electromagnetic fields.

Capt. Nobatu says that the Rotha isn’t ready to follow the robot ship, so Mr. Vallcin pilots the shuttle, bringing the away team to the Love’s Latinum Lost.

The Ferengi ship follows the larger dodecahedron to its homeworld, which turns out to be a hollow Bernal sphere. The team (with the exception of Froot) disembarks and meets two Sphere Shapers, Prudence and Thrift.

The robots explain that the survivors of the Essex whom they rescued “were too damaged,” so they enclosed their functioning organs in mechanical bodies.

Foresight and Smasher reassure the visitors that they are well, even if they find robot society a bit constraining. Kyerak gives them some of the items retrieved from the Essex, and Vallcin offers a toast to missing friends.

Orzzek notices that the Bernal sphere is built around a stable transwarp conduit, similar to the wormhole near Deep Space Nine. Ravi and Tau are satisfied that the robots are different from the Borg and not a threat, although Kimball and Jarric remain wary.

The Starfleet personnel and their Ferengi and Trill allies part with the robots on good terms and return to the Rotha.

Ambitious Lt. Kyerak reports to Capt. Nobatu on the away team’s findings on the Essex and the machine world.

Lt. Kalifa tells Trill first officer Cmdr. Nasami Wahid that Lt. Kyerak and Lt. Jameson fired on the robots in self-defense. He also notes the strategic importance of the transwarp conduit.

DaiMon Froot tells Tau and Kimball that he remains skeptical about the U.F.P.’s ideals.

Chief Chandler still plans to request a transfer to a less-dangerous post, but Mr. Vallcin has had a taste of field missions.

Capt. Nobatu orders the Rotha to set course for home….

View
28
MAY/2016
D20 "Vortex: Exodus" Update 6.1
Rescue at Beta Canum Venaticorum

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 6.1 of " Vortex: Exodus," which was held on Thursday, 23 March 2017:

In one future, Terran humanity and its creations had colonized the Sol system but still struggled with environmental degradation and internecine conflict. Open and official First Contact with extraterrestrials brought new allies and challenges. The Zarkonian Invasion killed billions, leaving rag-tag fleets of refugees to roam the galaxy, as explorers search for safe worlds….

Player Characters for Gene D.’s D20/D&D5e " Vortex: Exodus" telecom space opera, spring 2017:

  • “James Verian/the Wayfinder” [Dexter V.H.]: male Terran human scout and Ecomancer (Explorer/Mystic), with an “Uplifted” tiger
  • “Sprocket” [Beruk A.]: male Martian cyborg Technomancer and engineer (“near-human” Mystic/Trader)
  • “Xena” [Sara F.]: female “Uplifted” velociraptor archaeologist and medic (Explorer) from Henson IV/“Boobulon”
  • “Tom Hicks” [Bruce K.]: male Terran human space navy officer and pilot (Trader/Warrior)
  • “John ‘Mundungus’ Smith” [Byron V.O./absent ]: male human stowaway, scrounger, and lethal survivor (Trader)

“1 April 2197 A.D./C.E. or 2 Terran Galactic Era:” Zurmiz Krott, advance forces of the dreaded Zarkonian Armada, attack the Beta Canum Venaticorum system, about 8 parsecs from occupied Earth. A new team is sent to evacuate the science station on Henson, a habitable planet orbiting the stars Chara and Asterion.

Martian cyborg “Sprocket” arrives at the station and finds the civilians in a panic. The onetime anti-megacorp hacker and consultant to the Union of Solar Nations space navy checks sensors. As an orbital battle rages, the Zarkonians are closing in on the ground.

Meanwhile, an “Uplifted” velociraptor finds herself in a locked cell as panicked scientists hastily gather their belongings. Henson, also nicknamed “Hefner” or “Boobulon,” is home to descendants of ancient Terran species that were relocated by long-forgotten aliens. Some humans had experimented on these creatures, including “Xena.”

Outside, a Terran Ecomancer hikes through the jungle to assist scattered civilians. “Wayfinder” realizes that the landing zone is back toward the base, so he and his genetically engineered tiger gather some colonists and direct them.

Overhead, a squad of armored space marines jumps out of a drop ship. Terran pilot Thomas Hicks grabs a bystander for directions and orders the troops to spread out to protect the station.

Sprocket sends data to the marines, but the Zurmiz Krott then jam further transmissions. He detects swarms of nanites, or tiny robots, that that the biomechanical monsters have emitted. The quick-thinking Technomancer disables them with an electromagnetic pulse, but he burns out the station’s systems in the process.

Although she is behind transparisteel doors, Xena makes her escape by cutting through the adjacent wall with her claws and hotwiring them. The dinosaur also frees three other test subjects: an “Uplifted” squid named George, an “Uplifted” chimpanzee named Nigel, and a partially disassembled android called 6O97, or “Sonny.” The departing scientists don’t try to stop them.

Wayfinder, who lost his family in the Zarkonian Invasion of Earth, tries to calm the evacuees. However, his tiger senses something coming, and soon all can hear something crashing through the trees.

A triceratops with a mass of nanites clinging to its frill charges! Wayfinder drops his vibrospear and fires his rifle, briefly slowing the possessed beast. James Verian also extends a Mind Shield to protect the civilians from the Zarkonian probes.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the space marines lay down suppressing fire with bursts from their slugthrowers. One of the Zurmiz Krott shifts into a spiked black ball and rolls toward them, and Hicks steps forward to meet it.

The Zarkonian attacker dodges a grenade and extends a spear-like projection at Hicks, but his armor absorbs most of the damage. Other troops aren’t so lucky.

The navy consultant recalls seeing enemies approaching an undefended area of the station, so he runs to plant explosive charges behind the evacuation. On the way, he is surprised to run into Xena, George (in a bucket), Nigel, and Sonny. Surprisingly, the “Synths” agree to help him….

A few years have passed since the rediscovery of mystical powers, First Contact, and the crews of the Blackbird and Pina Colada first wandered the Sol system. About a year [of “game time”] has passed since the voyages of the “Terra’s Pride” task force and the arrival of the Zarkonian Armada….

View
30
MAR/2017
FATE "Star Trek: the U.S.S. Sacagawea" timeline
Updated continuity for the game so far

Timeline:

  • Late 20th to early 21st centuries: Terran nation-states fight “brushfire wars” by proxy; early eugenics and robotics efforts end in disaster; humanity nearly self-destructs.
  • 2063: Zephram Cochrane’s faster-than-light experiments lead to open and official First Contact with Vulcans (First Contact, 1996).
  • 22nd century: Terrans unite and rebuild, begin colonizing Mars.
  • 2151 to 2155: Capt. Jonathan Archer helps found the United Federation of Planets (Enterprise, 2001 to 2005).
  • 2156 to 2160: First Earth-Romulan War; Neutral Zone established.
  • 2233 to 2259: One alternate universe splits off (Kelvin timeline: 2009 Star Trek, 2013 Into Darkness, 2016 Beyond).
  • 2245 to 2265: The Constitution-class cruiser U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC 1701, under the command of Capt. Robert April and Capt. Christopher Pike (Discovery, 2018 to 2020, Strange New Worlds, 2021).

  • 2266 to 2269: The first voyages of the Enterprise under Capt. James T. Kirk in the Alpha and Beta quadrants (original Star Trek television series, 1966 to 1969). The U.S.S. Rustam goes on missions.
  • 2269 to 2270: The remainder of the Enterprise ’s first five-year mission (The Animated Series, 1973 to 1974); journeys of the U.S.S. Eagle, NCC 956 (SUNY-Binghamton, 1988) and Constitution (Virginia, 1993).
  • 2273: The V’ger incident (The Motion Picture, 1979).
  • 2285 to 2286: The command crew of the refitted Enterprise defeats Khan Noonien Singh and Klingons and goes rogue but saves Earth (The Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, Voyage Home, 1982 to 1986).
  • 2287 to 2293: The NCC 1701-A is retired after several successful missions (The Final Frontier, Undiscovered Country, Generations, 1989 to 1994).
  • 2344: The Ambassador-class NCC 1701-C, under Capt. Rachael Garrett, is destroyed, leading to renewed peace talks with the Klingons (TNG “Yesterday’s Enterprise”).
  • 2355 to 2359: First Federation-Cardassian War. Ferengi traders challenge the Federation, as Jean-Luc Picard takes command of the U.S.S. Stargazer.
  • 2364 to 2370: The Galaxy-class U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC 1701-D, conducts diplomacy under Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (The Next Generation, 1987 to 1994). The U.S.S. Venture thwarts Orion pirates and rescues personnel at Xerxes Station (2d20 Star Trek Adventures, Boston, 2017)

  • 2367: The Borg destroy much of Starfleet at the Battle of Wolf 359.
  • 2369 to 2375: The Federation first explores the Gamma Quadrant and is involved in the Klingon Civil War and the Dominion War (Deep Space Nine, 1993 to 1999).
  • 2371 to 2379: The Sovereign class NCC 1701-E fights the Borg and Remans, among others (Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis, 1994 to 2002); the Voyager is stranded in the Delta Quadrant (1995 to 2001); first five-year mission of the Excelsior class U.S.S. Tempest, NCC 2094-B, under “Capt. Tzu Tien Lung” (Virginia, 1994 to 1997).
  • 2380 to 2409: The Alpha and Beta quadrants attempt to rebuild after several core worlds are badly damaged and interstellar states fragment (Picard, 2020; Titan novels and various fan films).
  • 2409 to 2417: Starfleet resumes expansion after another war with the Klingons and Orions, as well as Undine incursions (Star Trek Online MMO, 2010 to present).
  • 1 May 2412 A.D./C.E. (Stardate 889332.7): The Curiosity-class U.S.S. Sacagawea begins exploring the Alpha Quadrant (FATE “Star Trek: Restoration” telecom crew, 2020).
  • 2418 (Stardate 95248): The refitted Ambassador class U.S.S. Rotha, NCC 1993-C, begins its first five-