Carlos, isn't exactly rolling in nuyen. Actually, quite the opposite. So, uh... 12k is a massive investment for him (just for the rating 3). He'd prefer to avoid any situations where he might need more than one passable ID (he already has 1). His recommended course of action is killing them before they can ID you. Or at least before they can flag that SIN.

Well Gunner Blythe does not have anywhere near the nuyen to outlay for such expenses. If I read that correctly that is 26,000+ nuyen up front, not later. Way too much for Gunner Blythe. He has a rating 4 fake SIN and 6 fake licenses.

It looks like we will be using our own SINs fake or not until we get a better cash flow.

Why are we bothering to get Diesel Marine fuel off the books?

WMS

Re Diesel: Exactly my question, but that's how it was ordered.

Re IDs: You all do realize the following, I hope:

A. This is at sea. DNA collection would be a fruitless endeavor for any forensics investigators.
B. Hiding your face = No photos!
C. Caseless weapons = No brass to police!

You don't even need to kill them, either. Narcoject is your friend. Especially since ship crews are, generally speaking, *cheap labor*. Nobody is going to cyber a freighter crew beyond the bare minimum if they don't have to.

Nonetheless. Piracy is still a hanging crime in most countries, but life is just as likely. Piracy with murder is a guaranteed hanging crime.

OK why are we attempting to get into a dry dock?

Lets also talk about why we are attempting to buy Diesel Marine off the books at a cost of 120% per liter?

WMS

I will let your comrades answer those questions.

No one is buy diesel. It's been arranged that we can if we want to.

No one is going into Dry dock, it's been arranged that we can if we want to. If nothing else Litany might crash the yacht when reversing away from the parking buoy. The fact is we intend to engage in some high risk ventures with a high probability of incurring damages to our vessel. Having a place to get it fixed might possibly be useful.

No one is buying fake sins, it's been arranged if we want to. You don't have to get one.

Apparently you don't want to. That's fine, I'm not making anyone do anything. Do what you want. It would be nice to know what that is instead of constantly finding out what you don't want in response to things other people are presenting.

Re fuels supplies, it might be a nice thing if our official recorded, trackable fuel purchases actually support our story that we couldn't have possibly sailed the Thundercloud to wherever some act of piracy occurred because it far far away from where we could have gotten on the amount of fuel we purchased. However, if you really don't want our covert operations to be covert, we might as well buy our guns and ammo from Stuffer Shack as well rather then the fixers and shadow gun suppliers as well. The simplest alibi is going to be the ascertainable fact we couldn't have been where it happened because we simply couldn't have been there.

And having one fake SIN isn't enough, what happens when that SIN gets associated with a crime? There's an APB out on it? Whip out your non existent alternate SIN when pulled over by customs?

I'm just opening up the worlds of possibility, if you are not interested, or if you have alternatives, then please bring them up.

@Penta. Litany will cancel the request on the Fake SINs for everyone, but go ahead with the 6k for the alternate papers for Thundercloud.

won't be surprised if next time it takes longer to get them.

@DireRadiant

OK thanks for the clarifications.

I did not say I did not want to, about the fuels and dry dock, I was seeking the reasons for same.

Battle Damage may not allow us the luxury of shopping for a dry dock. What might be good is finding out how many dry docks in the region can accommodate a vessel as large as ours, and how long each dry docks waiting list is.

As for traceability,,,unless someone is using a sextant and a chart, the GPS system can and does a good job of tracking anyone that uses the GPS system. I do not know if LORAN C+ is still in use in 2070, but with the advent of GPS it would be at least a back up system. The ease in which the computer systems/Matrix is in SR4 are broken into, an even encrypted GPS transmissions can be cracked.

As for the Fake SINs, as of right now my character does not have the cash on hand for such. Yes it will be on the long list of things to get/do when we have a positive cash flow.

WMS

@Dire
I think it was prudent to get information and have options.

@WMS
I agree, while the option exists, I don't see a need at this time to buy it 'off the books'.

@All
Unless I miss my guess we are getting the following:

[750] 15x Skin-links
[500] Satellite link
[1800] 600xGEL for White Knight LMG
[800] "Lucky Lady" decals to covers names/numbers & a Jamaican flag
[800] "Gulf Whore" decals to covers names/numbers & an Aztlan flag
[800] "Fidel XIII" decals to covers names/numbers & a Cuban flag
[6,000] One set of fake papers for the ship. {What? Where?]

11,450 Total. I'm sure Johnny and Litany can front the money required from their starting money.

If I missed anything or there is anything incorrect, let me know.

So we don't also want the planned route nor the ship layout for the Benito Juarez?

WMS: No, I am -not- going to list every dry dock in the region that could fit the Thundercloud. It'd give me carpal tunnel, because it's a big freakin region.

@Penta
Ok so for repair work needed a dry dock we have alot of options then.

@All
Any ideas on getting any info on the course of our target vessel?

Any Decker/Rigger/Technomancer contacts to look into it?

WMS

WMS...I'd like you to explain to me what a passage plan is.

I mean, think about that for just a moment...

"The Pilotage Passage Plan is merely a recommendation of the preferred route to be taken by vessels when navigating in the indicated area/s and any Pilot or Master should exercise his own discretion and be prepared to depart from the Pilotage Passage Plan when circumstances dictate."

Sorry the only times I was allowed to stay on the bridge for any great lengths of time, typically resulted in my knocking my Captain to the deck, and laying loops of sound powered phone cord down, to get the Commodores feet caught, and hunkering down in my skivvies while holding a .45, and attempting to look mean. For some reason they kept me off the bridge but very brief times.

Yes I understand but there are only so many ways a ship in the limited navigable space of the Caribbean can get there, having a passage plan gives us a starting place. We can always gamble on the one of the "choke" points, and lie in wait there.

WMS

Yes, a passage plan is a lot like a flight plan.

I'm not sure whether your story could possibly be for real.
But nonetheless.

There are actually precisely -two- ways to get from the Panama Canal to the eastern coast of North America. Consider such things, everyone.

@Penta
When you are 6' 5" in height, weigh in at 245 pounds, and you chest block your Captain while on a darkened bridge at night, me being the one whose eyes have not yet adapted to the dark, heading the Quartermasters Chart Table to log a report.

I by experience(I had hit them enough) knew where all fixed objects on the bridge were. My Captain was in my direct line of travel. He could see me, but I could not see him. My Captain came to about mid chest level on me. I was moving at a brisk walk, he was standing still. We collided. He fell backward onto his arse, and laid out flat. I said excuse me thinking it was the messenger of the watch, logged my report with the Quartermaster. I then left the bridge at a brisk walk. No one on the bridge said a word at this point.

After I had left my Captain proceeded to laugh his arse off. He said it was "Cow in the Head Lights" he knew I could not see him, but he could not move. Everyone though he was going to move to avoid my passage. From what I was told the entire bridge crew was laughing about it.

Next time I came on the bridge, the messenger of watch announced "Rover is on the Bridge". I heard a scurry of movement, that being my My Captain getting out of any paths I might take, to get to the Officer of the Deck or the Quartermaster's chart table. When I reported to the QM he told me who I had knocked down. I was expecting something bad to happen to me, but it did not happen.

Next morning at Quarters, my Division Officer and Chief Petty Officer gave me ribbing for knocking the Captain down. Funny thing is right after that I no longer had night Roving Patrol Watches.

[750] 15x Skin-links
[500] Satellite link
[1800] 600xGEL for White Knight LMG
[800] "Lucky Lady" decals to covers names/numbers & a Jamaican flag
[800] "Gulf Whore" decals to covers names/numbers & an Aztlan flag
[800] "Fidel XIII" decals to covers names/numbers & a Cuban flag
[6,000] One set of fake papers for the ship. {What? Where?]
[2,000] Passage plan for the Benito Juarez
[500] Ship layout
13,950 Total

Ok, looks like we have a list.

Redjack and I have been discussing engagement options, and our current plan is this:
Johnny, Gunner, and Franklin as a boarding party
Cuda nav, Carlos damage control, and Litany gunnery/etc on our ship.

Go in at night, get close enough for Ewar on the ship(with stormcloud to extend range),roto-drone for air support, boarding party leaves to take control over the ship. Pintle turret of our ship helps capture enemy ship shooting crew w/gel rounds. Popup turrets if needed. Once we control their ship, pull alongside, and use the crane to load cargo.

Any comments/concerns with this plan?

OK Gunner Blythe can go in with the Stoner firing Gel rounds also.

Hope everyone on the boarding party can tread water at least.

WMS

Nothing major, kind of a strong arm approach. But it's not like we have a lot of options. Litany doesn't mind the big strong men going where they can get shot. I suppose if Johnny is in the boarding party it doesn't do for her to go along as well. OTOH, I think Litany is going to be really sad at missing any kind of party.

No realistic plan for boarding, looting some boxes and making it seem like we were never there?

Note that shooting at someone on another ship is only reasonable with gel rounds if they actually show themselves on deck, and there a lot of places on the ship that aren't exposed.

Works as a basic plan, the whole point is for us to have an exercise in working together. I'm in.

Penta, could we have picked up one of those clay target flinging things for us to practice shooting?

I suppose. Um, price 2000 yen. I have no idea what the targets themselves cost.

Ah. They don't let blind guys do skeet shooting, so I had no idea.

Okay, 200 yen for the launcher, no idea what the targets cost, let's say 2y/target.

Quick poll for my shipmates. It appears that primarily DireRadiant and myself (and to a lesser degree WMS) like putting in fluff posts for our characters. I don't want to rush anyone, nor leave anyone behind, instead find that happy medium for posting.
Narse - Are you still with us?
Tarantula - Did I call that right for you?

In the interest of keeping the game moving on, I will continue to keep post forward unless someone objects. This is merely my attempt to insure that the game does not go stagnant and keep us moving forward and not to offend any of my team mates. If this does not work just post here or feel free to PM or IM me.

Thanks!
-RJ

@Redjack

No problem here.

WMS

My posts aren't entirely fluff, I don't bother writing unless there's information to convey, it might be purely character motivation, but I always try to communicate some useful content. For instance as Litany is leaving the chapel you might pick up that she is wearing rubber soled shoes and moves quietly, which implies some stealth. I try to pay attention to the details.

You all speak as if fluff posts are a bad thing.

I generally regard things that differentiate role-playing from roll-playing as fluff elements, so no insult intended regarding my choice of words.
I like posts that establish a personality, link points in time together, etc.. They help me to get more into a game.

Sorry I've been out of touch for a bit, a fiber optic line went down near here and consequently so did my internet connection. Apparently its working now though, so I should be able to resume posting regularly.

Anyhow, you called right on the fluff, I probably would post some, but I'm not really that confident in my role playing ability. My limited experience in games has involved a lot of hand-waving. So I am more used to role playing responses rather than taking the initiative. It remains to be seen if this tendency will change over the course of this game.

By all means keep on posting your fluff, I think it really helps the game and might give me something that I can respond to. (plus I enjoy reading it.)
That being said, I think that we are in a period where we need to drive the game to a point where it starts driving itself. That is to say: nothing is really happening plot-wise so I for one am not really sure what I am supposed to be doing. It seems strange, but I guess I am referring to short term objectives. Right now the short term objective is just to find the Benito Juarez, right? I don't feel their is an active role I could take to help accomplish this objective. So I don't know what to do with my character. We're either going to find it or eventually realize that we missed it, just about the only thing Carlos can do at this point is take some Observe in Detail actions hoping to notice something. My point is that I can't really motivate the story at this point, so someone else will have to do it. I will try to make an IC post very shortly though.

On the subject of motiviating the story:
I vote we get that passage plan and then patrol some choke points so we have a chance at finding the Benito Juarez.
If no one objects, lets get on it.

Edit: Ooops. just realized we already obtained the passage plan, I need to read more carefully.

Do we have climbing gear in our equipment? If I remember right moving from a yacht to a freighter might involve a wee bit of climbing even without considering we get a bit damp in between.

@Dire
No climbing gear that I know of.

@Penta
Based upon the plans to the ship we receive of the Benito Juarez, will we need climbing gear to access the ship or is there a landing or something we can access from?

One of you has a grappling hook and rope, I remember that much. It's not perfect, but you could use that to board. Otherwise, no, I see no climbing gear.

Yeah, I'm the one who has the grapple gun & rope.

Hopefully we can use the ladder hanging off the side of the ship. I can swim but climbing is not a skill he has.

We need a mage with levitate or magic fingers.

WMS

Wow, so... ideas on how to get up the ship? Gecko gloves are worthless. Magnetic cyberlimbs anyone?

The ship has a retractable crane to move cargo.

As to getting aboard the other ship... Looks like we may need a few more motorized, waterproof grappling guns..

Or you could just get climbing gear. I forget how much it is, but it'd be easy to get legally.

200 nuyen a set.

"Climbing Gear: Includes an ascent/descent harness,
gloves, carabiners, crampons, and so forth."

Litany will buy 5, plus the clay pigeon target shooting machine and supplies.

Brings it to ~ 10,000 in the hole.

Right. *waves GM wand* Done.

Don't forget grapple guns and rope?

Grapple guns are cheap too, and then everyone can climb up their own rope.