Location: any “A” or “B” Starport
Patron: Wealthy young adult,
Torbin Pennington (human male, age: 20)
(stats: 877899. Driver (grav) – 2, Streetwise – 0, Gambling – 1)
Required skills and equipment: Characters with engineering, electronics and mechanical skills will be very useful. The PC’s total skills must allow them to operate a starship without any help.
Players’ Information:
Down on their luck and looking for work, the PC’s encounter a young man who calls himself Torbin “the Turtle.” He says he is the new owner of a used yacht renamed, the Terrible Terrapin. It is a Prince G’Vare class yacht that has been sitting idle adjacent to the starport for a handful of years. He says he bought it outright and he needs a crew to bring it back to life.
He says he is the son of a wealthy megacorporate big-wig who considers him an embarrassment. He cashed in his inheritance and he wants away from the family’s underhanded mind games. All he wants is the freedom to find some secluded garden spot in the universe, where a person of his worth is appreciated and welcomed. His interests are his grav bike, good food and whatever farmer’s daughter he can spend money on at the local watering hole.
He will hire the PC’s to repair his ship, to fly him off the rock they are on now and to get him out of any trouble he may get into. He will bankroll all of the ship’s repairs and any gear that is needed to outfit the yacht for space travel. The rates he offers are double the normal amount offered for their skills. In short, he wants people he can rely on.
Referee’s Information:
Torbin may not be nobility, but he is spoiled rotten. Self-centered, somewhat naïve and ego-centric, most people want to pound him into the dirt after spending more than an hour with him. He does have a substantial amount of money (all of it in hard currency) and it is kept in several locked cases in his quarters on board. His true focus is running his grav bike at insane speeds, gambling with the locals and chasing skirts – no matter the consequences.
The ship, however is a much bigger mess. In its current state it is not flight-capable. The following systems need to be repaired and/or replaced:
Jump Drive – the energy feed from the jump bubble projector to the engines has been broken in several places. This wiring needs to be replaced.
Maneuvering Drive – the pump that feeds fuel to the engine’s reaction chamber needs to be replaced.
Power Plant – the very first thing that needs to be brought on line is the ship’s internal power. The fusion core is intact, but it needs to be cleaned completely. This means every part needs to be disassembled, cleaned out and reassembled.
Life Support – the ship’s CO2 scrubbers and heating coils are broken and need to be replaced.
Ship’s Thrusters – the small maneuvering jets on the starboard side are clogged and need to be broken down, cleaned and reassembled.
Ship’s Computer – the computer is totally incapable of holding power for more than ten minutes. An entirely new computer is necessary, as well as the software to run the ship.
Bridge controls (helm) – most of the power cables to the controller systems for the helm are not usable.
Bridge controls (navigation) – the controls are completely useless. A new console is needed.
You get the picture…
(Other system needing work include the power transfer conduits, the ship needs new sensors, the galley needs to be cleaned and new equipment installed, the ship’s internal gravity needs calibration and there is a persistent smell that remains elusive). But the airlocks operate perfectly!
Outcomes:
1. Torbin is in no hurry to get his ship off the ground. The PC’s will need about two to three months of solid work to at least get the ship space-capable. Torbin sleeps most of the morning in his cabin and not long after he wakes up he leaves on his grav bike for the day. He will be impossible to find until he returns from his forays into town. After the ship jumps a couple of times he will seek to sign the crew to longer term contracts.
2. Torbin is impatient to get off the ground. The ship will need plenty of time to find and fix everything and Torbin is useless when it comes to repairs. He will get underfoot in the early afternoons after he sleeps off his nightly activities and then disappear until the next morning. After the ship jumps a couple of times he will seek to sign the crew to longer term contracts.
3. After a month of repairs, an agent of Torbin’s rich father shows up looking for him. The agent delivers the message that Torbin needs to return to the Imperium to become a part of the family’s dynasty. After much arguing, Torbin agrees to return, but only after the crew fixes his ship and he returns in his ship. The PC’s are released after his return to the Imperium.
4. After a month of repairs, a group of locals appear at the ship one morning, looking for Torbin. Apparently one of his encounters with a farmer’s daughter has resulted in a pregnancy. He is forced at shotgun to marry his new bride and he is expected to settle down and make a life on this planet. He gives instructions to the crew to finish repairs and to come get him (he uses the word “rescue”) off this rock. After jumping to another subsector, he will see if the PC’s want to sign on for longer contracts. He will be grateful and accommodating in his offers.
5. After a month of working on the ship, the PC’s discover that the elusive smell is actually a nest of rat-like reducers that like chewing on the ship’s interior cables. This will delay the repair time by at least a month.
6. After a month of repairs, Torbin is killed in a tavern brawl. In his quarters there is a holovid cube projector that contains his last will and testament. His wish is to have his body returned to his family back in the Imperium. He awards the ship to the PC’s for their faithful service to him.