Finally, a mission manifest! And blasters… Why you’ve just made this simple!
[x] b5 Mission 3 - About Face
[x] b10 - Unizone Cloaking Device (+2 ST)
> Remaining StarBits: b4.4
If the Smiling Dingo can’t take on a few pirates, however would I become a hat wearing badass?
I’m trying to imagine the look on the pirates’ faces when they see the armada of ramshackle rockets, floating theme bars and guitars coming their way.
I have a bad feeling about mission 3.
First, Charybids doesn’t need militia. We’ve already proven we can hold off an entire ICUP invasion fleet. So who is paying for all the blasters?
Second, I do not trust this militia’s motives. I had a brief dealing with some of them last week, and they reminded me of these guys. None of them had the right accent.
Lastly, I always worry when a large, centralized quasi-government calls competitors “Pirates”: that’s what the ICUP called us back in the day. I suspect we may have more common interest with these “pirates” than Unizone wants us to know.
Every captain should take the mission that tickles their fancy — but pay attention, make friends, and try learn more about what is really going on. I don’t trust Unizone one whit on this one.
“Each Propulsion/Utility Tentacle(hereafter referred to as ‘PUT’) is a Class 1E sentient mechanism, capable of managing its own functions with minimal pilot input when needed. It may be useful at first to think of them as your ship’s crew.”
-from Chapter One of Ninth Brain: Getting The Most Out Of Your StarMollusk
In the cockpit, Dexter placed the SQUID on his head. The ship’s consensus grid settled around his mind. “What’s the word, Sam?”
1::8 Nominal
1::3 Any luck on that cloak?
5 How about the bobble we saw?
“Sorry, it’s all a bit out of our budget at the moment. Octotechs don’t come cheap.”
7::8 That’s what you get for buying from an artisinal shipwright.
1 We should have joined up with the Moose and Beard back at Duck’s. It looks like they made out okay.
2::6 Good thing there’s work on the 'net. Pick one?
“It looks like we could pull a few milk runs without stretching our credit. There’s also that chatter about supplying the CM with blasters. What do you think?”
1::4 BUTTER.
5::8 GUNS.
“I’m with 5::8 on this one…we’re not exactly the toughest rig, though. We’ll have to use our wits.”
1::8 
1::8 
“Good plan. Let’s load up!”
Purchase: None.
Mission: 3 - About Face
Dexter Stochastikos, Stellar Manifold Mollusk (Mark I)
[ INT Cosmosword, Mess hall ]
Browf is sleeping on the seat of the curved booth, antlers hanging off the end.
+ CAPTAIN, RECEIVE MISSIONZONE UPDATE +
Browf awakes, banging his head up the underside table. Now thoroughly awake, he sits up, rubbing his head with his forehoof.
“shazbot, what me drink last night… me remember … very little…”
+ WOULD LIKE RECEIVE DUCKS BAR RECAP? +
“no. no no no. some thing best left forget”.
“hmm these shield boosters look accept, but no afford and turn profit. No store this day.”
. . .
“Browf think want honest work, no want become war profiteer. BAMBI, lock in Mission 2. me go rest antlers while mission details receive.”
“and what use moose have for hat? why so hat serious?”
Browf retreats to the captain’s quarters, closing the door behind.
No purchases
Mission 2 Accepted
Do Space moose usually where plaid with stripes? Or is Cpt Browf blazing new sartorial ground?
–Falkayn
Just be glad they are wearing pants.
Natasha, Captain of Audacious Blip, choose to “roll the dice” (to use distasteful, imperialist idiom) on this first mission and not purchase any upgrades at this time.
Great Space Moose Collective, БПMК, best served by Audacious Blip performing mission number 1.
“where these pants come from? Browf never seen these in life? red corduroy… ?! now me really no want know…”
“Oh, yeah, I put you in those pal. It seemed, indecorous where you had passed out with… well, neverrmind. Feel free to keep them or whatever, I don’t need them back.”
[Lazlo is hunched over another bulb of Old Fangled, muttering to himself as his eyestalks quickly skip across the readout of the Unicorp Mission Monitor™.]
“Courier? Milk run to Merced? Pfah. Do I look like some sort of errand boy sent by grocery clerks?”
[Upon reading the mission details for About Face, the pigments of his carapace writhe with colorful emotion.]
“I asked for a mission. And for my shins, they gave me one. Damn shame to have to take it on credit. ‘Credit’ is a polite way of sayin’ ‘Get buttered, Shelly’. Better hope that coating of ablative hull grease was worth it, cause daddy doesn’t plan on walking around like some hatless sap any longer than he has to.”
[While muttering to himself, Lazlo produces a comically-oversized cigar from Charybdis only know where, quickly clips the end with a claw, and manipulates it with his mouthparts.]
“Awright, schweethearts - these blasters ain’t gonna ship themselves through pirate-infested sectors. Mama didn’t drop no clutch of cowards, you can bet your last StarBit on that. You call it losing hull integrity? I call it molting.”
Mission 3 - About Face (on credit)
Pilot Lazlo “Scuttle” Deepwalker of the Didn’t See That Coming.
@patrace - given that the BASD1 universe didn’t have Space Lobsters or Space Moose, is there anything we should know about these races?
It’s not a good night if you don’t end up with a pair of corduroy trousers.
No credit at the store. You’ll probably want to pay off that money before too many rounds elapse.
“Fast” is tied to Engineering.
A hearty breed with a gruff exterior who value their independence. Space Moose roam the stars in solitude and despite having a reputation for being quick to anger, are actually quite peaceful creatures when left to themselves. Games of strategy and lengthy tomes of knowledge, these are the secret joys of the Space Moose.
The Space Lobster is a durable creature, the most well suited to the rigors space. They have an unfair reputation for being dim and are quite defensive about it. They enjoy dance, battle and drink.
Self-interested cooperation is the basis for all success
(stepping out of character)
I think you have that backwards: You want to define space lobsters as completely as possible before Patrace brings the plot to a boil, so to speak.
You can do this on your own, or draw on other references. My own character was pilfered from lesser known Poul Anderson short stories. I think of Space Lobsters as what Landau becomes in Bruce Sterling’s Cicada Queen short story. But really, it’s up to you to take the Space Lobster idea somewhere. You’re off to a great start!
In BSD 1, there were rounds where certain missions were restricted to particular species. Those missions were generally highly profitable. But it all worked out in the end, because patrace runs a scrupulously fair game. That, and he can change the rules whenever he feels like it. So don’t sweat game mechanics.
Develop character and build narrative – that’s where the fun comes from, and a surprising amount of Grit.
( stepping back into character)
Space Lobsters are new around here, at least in these numbers. Few know much about them, but I have to say that was one impressive flush of color.
I think of Space Lobsters as being happiest in the cold dark voids of space, where they have the greatest control over their immediate environment. But Space Lobsters come in stunning variety, (including non-cybernetic! ) so I am eager to learn more.
With greater understanding, I am sure we can find ever more mutually profitable exchanges.
Enjoy Today. Make Money. Stay Alive
David Falkayn
Captain, Muddlin’ Through
What’s the difference between band The Sons of Skrillex and a Space Moose?
The Space Moose has horns in the front and its asshole in the back.
What’s Pan-Galactic Lobster Fiction author Crabby Lobstorow’s favourite part of the I.C.U.P. Constitution?
The Copyright Claws.
Well, let’s see here, what option tickles my mechanical carapace today…
I can take a low key courier mission, which would actually sound rather pleasant if I had been in a lot of fire fights lately and needed a break from the action, but we’re just getting started here and I’m looking for action.
I could deliver high end goods to the people who literally make the money. They sound like good people to know, especially since I’m rather new in the area and don’t really have many business contacts yet. Maybe these so called brilliant minds can help me with my ship’s engineering. And if they turn out to be complete assholes, at least I’ll know who to rob later…
Option three is delivering weapons to the army type folk. Also probably good people to know, as long as they like me, I’m sure they could help me better outfit my ship, since I am a bit light in the firepower realm of things and if anybody knows guns it’s the militia. Besides, you never know when there will be a coup and these folks will be running things around here. Of course that sort of thing leads to unstable business…
The third mission is the most lucrative, but I’m not just in this for the quick buck. I want to have a long, successful career of making the quick buck.
I’ll go with mission 2. It’s more likely I’ll be able to get in with the militia folk after having been screwed over by the blue bloods than the rich will accept me after having been a gun runner. Besides, maybe they’ll need somebody to test out the new gold hot tub I’m bringing. I’ll just have to be sure not to leak oil while I’m in it.
I’ll also take the Unizone Communications Enhancement Software Kit(+5 EN) to ensure I take as little damage as possible and make me, if temporarily, the fastest transport available for hire in the quadrant!
Starbits: b22.8
Mission: -b10
Upgrade: -b10
Result: b2.8
Also - they make a particularly lovely Thermidor.
(stepping out to join you)
Aha - I wasn’t entirely sure if we were working with a blank slate or if our trusty GM had a rough framework in mind. Was concerned about contradicting canon with character development. Although having seen what happens so far when 40+ happy mutants sit down to fly imaginary spaceships, I should have probably expected that we get a delicious tabula rasa.
(and back into character)
“In spite of all that smooth skin? You gotta point there, bub. And I been wonderin’ about somethin’: how many of your siblings do you humans normally have devour before you grow large enough to be safe? All of them? I know human litters are pretty small, so I’ve been tryin’ to figure out how it all works.”
