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Post by wolflet59 on May 24, 2006 6:06:54 GMT -5
BBWWaaMMM !
one of the mine shafts erupts a great cloud of dust in an explosion that shakes the air around you
It causes a scurry of activity - miners exit shafts, people come out of the portakabins - a couplr scramble over to the dust area
Another blast without warnings or site permission! they can't do it - theres hell to pay for this, theyre off site right now..
Ballastor storms off in a right royal rage leaving you none the wiser..
A small dumptruck driven by a dusty orc, and filled with rubble (?) drives past.. You all take notice of it - as there is a dusty, black dustbin lid sized drone with legs and heavy tool attachments sitting on top of the pile.. Did it give you a sly sideways glance with its beady lenses..?
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Post by Braddoc on May 24, 2006 16:36:48 GMT -5
Four-Eyes observed the area and crosses 'eyes' with the mining drone "Stupid drone thinks he's human..", but his mind quickly returned to the task ahead.
"Say Lucille, Fryer made me think of somethin'..while they're all busy with kickin' out those who don't fill up the paperwork for makin' bombs go off, we should fix their antenna..not only it'll give you to chance to contact your supplier and make some creds, but maybe they might trow in a few extras your way for fixin' their stuff..wadda say?"
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Post by wolflet59 on May 26, 2006 7:04:25 GMT -5
I suppose you could do that - depends on your expertise -you'd have to clear it with Ballastor first, but yeah - it is a good way of getting everything up an running
First the big antenna, drone problems, explosions , my deal, your pay.. all falls in line!
Fixing the tower is an industrial scale job - you should be able to see it from here up the mountainside - you'd have to sort out who's paying you for the job to start with, Ballastor is not free with the cash or the favours, as you may have noticed.
Sure enough a 30ft transmitter staging tower is visible higher up the steeper slopes of the mountain. Built on an outcrop overlooking this and the next valley giving a good transmission boost for the whole area. A copter trip of a half hour? on foot.. half a day..? There are lots of vehicles around you could probably use or hire. Maybe pull in a favour from the police?
As you all know, power is near enough free with the advent of cold fusion generators years ago, beamed power works well, though cabling is still used extensivley in localised areas. Lots of armoured industrial cable on this site, and a reactor that churns out the juice, size of a large wagon 'container', humming away NNF paint worn logo - Non Nuclear Fuels inc. A series of smaller transformers then spread octopus tentacles around the site. Health and Safety would have a fit! But that's all there is up here, and no beurocracy, except Ballastor, who is currently organising a search team...
It looks as if youve been dropped in the middle of things, but there is little explaination about what and how things work, except that it seems as if Ballastor is in charge, but of what?
Another dumper (carries about half a ton - only a small site vehicle) chugs on past driving off to a crushing station. You watch the operation.. rubble goes into a hopper passed through big granite rollers, pulverised and collected into the dumpster again, very inefficient - no chemicals no iron crusher, sorter - very... 'traditional' you note.
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Post by Braddoc on May 26, 2006 20:22:03 GMT -5
"Hmm...yeah, 'must admit I more into security systems than communications.." Four-Eyes turns to Fryer and Nina "How 'bout you guys? Know somethin' that can get that antenna fixed?" He then turns back to Lucille, keeping an eye on the dumper taking another load. "What's Ballastor's job here anyway? He's the quartermaster or the head honcho?..I'm no mining expert, but the place looks like one big patch-up job after another..no discipline either, explosions on the ground is one thing, but underground? They're nuts!" He lights up a smoke, giving quick glances at Ballastor scrambling to get some arms to get the possible survivors, or bodies out of the mine shaft.
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Post by wolflet59 on May 27, 2006 20:32:42 GMT -5
Ballastor grumbles his way upslope again Looks like the shaft was empty but the place is a real mess - shook up nearby drills as well, Things can get real nasty underground with any shocks like that - more work, more complaints, I should stop looking for that pocket - it used to be called the motherload, but these new calderas, once you get a flow, around the margins is where the minerals get deposited, metals, stones and lots of sulphur an mercury.
It could be stripped out but that would lose its value eh Lucille? Thats why we hand collect and sell the stuff on to the pointy-heads down south, cant get enough of it! I should sell up - gawd knows Ive had enough offers an threats
I had a claim on this place before the Dance threw it up into the air - noone bothered me then, but since these profitable eruptions - this realy is a gold mine! some have been here for ten or more years, but most are get rich quick, and get thrown out for unethical practice or just plain leave, I have first refusal on any small claim left by the owner.
Hey is that one of our security rovers in your bus....
Ballastor strides on and looks at the drone in pieces... ten calms down a little when he hears the story and sees the new electronics..
We can check these components out then track down who installed them - wait a mo, this second one doesnt have any new circuitry installed, did it too attack you or did you ignore the drone warning signs an just blast it good..?
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Post by Braddoc on May 27, 2006 21:07:26 GMT -5
Four-Eyes listened to Ballastor, still smoking his smoke, as he explained the situation..So the elves were intrested in the minerals? Wonder why..
"Warning sings? The modifid one fired 3 shotgun shells at us..th'other one came toward us, swinging left and right, looked like an attack patern, dunno know about you Ballastor, but I can't take a shotgun blast to the chest and call it a friendly tap, and you can't just walk to a drone and start a conversation too y'know..same on the outside, 'didn't debate if it was friendly or not."
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Post by wolflet59 on May 28, 2006 9:22:59 GMT -5
the swaying pattern is just a search mode, having a look at the roads an forest clearings.. but seems like someone has tampered with the first drone, and removed the warning signs.. more bloody work!
You can take the drones to Jakey - he runs the maintenance for them part-time as well as keeping the power running for the site. He should have been out to fix the transmitter as well. But thats just too much at the moment. Now if you folks want to work off the cost of the drone repairs - the one you shot down for fun, we can come to a deal...if youve got electronics skills and know a little about transmitters
Lucille gives him a sharp look
The Nerve - you penny pincher! the fraggin drones under your control attacked my bus, could have killed us.. now, I could demand you ground every one and have em checked out - before you try to worm a free job out of my crew.
The transmitter needs to be repaired so I can contact my man to get our deal sorted -
your guy can repair the mast - looks like youre trying to get him to cover too much Ballastor, do you get him to stick a broom up his arse and sweep the floor as well?
It is up to you what you want - the machine parts that you need are on the bus, so I need a communication link.
You got problems with your drones, but thats your problem.. Now I have a crew here that may be able to help out - for a bonus. They are under contract for 500 a day each, you got to pay them, and me. Put it this way anyone who can drop two drones aint going to be troubled by them
Now its up to you guys - with Ballastor in a more co-operative frame of mind, anyone got any good ideas..?
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Post by Ron Jeremy on May 28, 2006 11:48:52 GMT -5
(ooc, i didnt think that we stopped and picked up the second drone?)
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cxtwo
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Post by cxtwo on May 28, 2006 13:15:21 GMT -5
" Well I can fix electronics but a job this size , don't know ." Fryer looks at the others " I got a microtronic tool kit for small jobs but this could be any thing ."
" As for fixing or paying for the fixing of your drones good luck with that . They attacked us , we defended ourselves . That's the way I see it . If you'd like to talk about hiring us to see if we can fix the tower well I maybe able to do something there . Won't know for sure until we see the problem ." Fryer says as he checks hi micro tool kit . " Also not sure what supplies we may need to fix it once we see it . I don't think this little kit can do it ."
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Post by wolflet59 on May 28, 2006 18:51:12 GMT -5
People always collect anything worth a few grand - so the poor drone will have got hauled aboard -
but youre right Fryer you dont know the size of the job and you would think you would need industrial sized tools and spares. This aint household stuff.. though...who knows.
Tool kits will allow you to repair circuitry,, this may involve mechanics.. big stuff needs parts usually, but a competent spark could jury-rig until the parts arrive
Looks like you are aiming to fix the transmitter -do a whole lot of good for the valley! You could take quads and Jakey with a box of industrial spares... few hours out, a few hours back...couple to solve the problem..
(OOC it would be nice to keep everyone together, it is hard to deal with split scenes! multitasking male again..So unless anyone has objections, youre making the run to fix the transmitter with Jakey)
Quad terrain bikes - easy to drive, you only need a check once you encounter real difficulty.. throttle, brake, steering. You got camp equipment (pink/purple swirly sleepingbags..) Jakeys spares and whatever personal gear you need to zip up the track to the transmitter.
You start off early morning 7.00 as the light comes over the mountain tops - if you want to investigate anything in the camp - please tell me what youre looking for - otherwise its an extra 500 cr bonus for the day!
The bikes make good time out up the track - around 10.00 you find a fallen tree.. four of them.. the roadblock is at a nasty bottleneck - steep slope one side, thick saplings the other - it'll take a half hour to haul the quads over the trees..
They have been recently sawn - sap is still sticky, you can smell the pine oils
couple of hours to go to the antenna site on quads, much longer on foot with all of your gear...
Bugger it.. you haul the bikes over the felled pines - Jakey comes up trumps with a chain saw to cut a hole in the topside branches , and you haul and drive over these big pines, resettle yourselves then drive on...an hour later at a second bottleneck more freshly felled trees blocking the way. the transmitter is about an hours walk away.
Next person posting makes the descision, on foot for an hour - or hack and haul for another half an hour ...
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Post by Braddoc on May 29, 2006 17:17:33 GMT -5
(Hack and haul, clearing the way will make the trip back less back-breaking..don't have anythiong to say or do, we're just making our way there..oh wait..)
Four-Eyes will keep an eye for any wildlife, neutral or aggressive, normal or paranormal, that might follow them..not to mention for any drones.
percept (in case you need it) [dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][rand=38725265577479264955939797882982246971017508388126621515964972502]
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cxtwo
Shadowrunner
I have made 268 posts
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Post by cxtwo on May 29, 2006 19:07:24 GMT -5
Fryer looks around Trying to spot who are cutting down there trees . He climbs off his bike and walks over to Hunter " Lisen Omae I just had a thought , but I can't do it . How about let's taking a look at the stumps of these trees to see if we can find any tracks . "
Perception Int - 6 ( 4,3,17,2,1,2 ) I was only looking for some one trying to ambush us . Not for tracks . If he did spot spme one he steps closer to however is closest to him to give them a heads up .
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Post by wolflet59 on May 30, 2006 8:17:48 GMT -5
chainsaw cuts into the tree stump - nothing pecial, no boot-scuffs next to any of the stumps,
Noone nearby - couple of birds you can tick off in your spotting books, squirll or two..
A way through is cleared eventually, an off you go!
The forest thins out higher up the steeper slopes, by mid afternoon you are at the transmitter site. Chain fence surround locked gate. Inside is the 40 ft transmitter tower, lots of dishes and arials transformer boxes and wiring conduits. A beamed power receiver connects to a block of batteries. Jakey has the skills - any one want to help out and cut the time down - after lunch?
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cxtwo
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Post by cxtwo on May 30, 2006 13:12:02 GMT -5
Fryer will help out . But keep an eye out for the people with the chainsaws . Last time I checked trees don't cut themselves down .
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Post by wolflet59 on May 30, 2006 16:10:18 GMT -5
Here Fryer, look at this..this is sabotage - someone has cut through the cabling here - not any main power lines - it is the secondary cables, nice clean cuts, aint no birdies.. and here, an here .. someone hads done a job on this.. its going to take a good while putting the wiring back together...
A jackdaw flies overhead, close to the mast, and is greeted by a silver flag that flips up then back down scaring the bird away from a potential nesting site.. the mast is well protected against casual intrusion - a big copper lightning rod runs down to the batteries, the chain fence stops big and small critters theres not much inside if they do climb in anyway.
Sabotage, why prevent communications?
anyone with electronics can help with the wiring - a simple job, strip the wire remove the snipped stub, reattach the new link, theres just a lot to do. You could pitch in and strip wires for a few hours - and allocate a tick to electronics B/R later on, an easy but long boring job..
Jakey has a roll of armor-plas heavy gaffer tape - for now - but it will need better when theres time - or some sort of surveillance and a deterrrant. The whole job takes untill late afternoon/early evening - you could travel back reasonably easily in the dark, as long as there are no major mishaps... or stay the night in your bivvi-bags and a quick shelter...
Next post, please make a descision! night ride or cozy campsite?
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