A minor rework in the tasks was the main change this session. Currently the PCs have the following tasks on their lists, with NPCs doing other things in the background. Since most of the PCs are on the technical and support side, most of these are maintenance and improvement things, more than actually doing research work. These tasks are larger scale things than previously, and we are working in time units of a week, so there is time to support other tasks as well.

• Expedition-18 Projects
  • (Eng) Nuclear inefficiency investigation (1/3)
  • (Elec) Backup battery monitoring (0/3)
  • (Mech/Grd) Vehicle design improvements (1/3)
  • (Geo/Eng) Underground base construction (0/3)
  • (Geo/Inv) Magnetic samples (0/3)
  • (Adm/Inv) Inventory & Resupply (0/3)
  • (Adm/Manip) PBS (educational broadcast) segment (0/2)
  • (Secret) The Saboteur? (0/3)
  • (Fun) Tetris (1/3)

Anastasia Volkova has brought the two security people (Jan Pettersson [PC] and Peter Chemerkin [NPC]) into the existence of a potential saboteur on the base. They are to do a very quiet investigation into what might be going on.

Another big development: NIGHT HAS FALLEN. We have a couple of weeks (two sessions) of lunar night to look forward to, making exterior operations more risky.

The interplay of solving problems over a week is quite satisfying, since you can just step over to another PC and help out or ask for some help in most cases. Focusing the tasks has also been useful, since it does not feel like we are the only ones needing to handle things on the base. The implication is of course that NPCs are taking care of other issues in the background, although we are running into them quite often in various ways.

Things are largely focusing in Stankevičius, Volkova, Chemerkin, and Fritz as the most prominent NPCs, who are all interesting and have their own thing going on.

The troubles continue to drive things forward: Agramonte is haunted by past failures and does not want to repeat them, the Cold War has some more stuff in the background ramping up but that is still off in the distance, Wagner had a pretty major crashout as a result of her Trouble which is pretty compelling. This is definitely moving the campaign along in a nice way.

Vehicle Design Improvements - Federico Agramonte

Agramonte is going to take a look at how to redesign things to make them easier and nicer to use. There are two approaches here: do a survey of users and see what pain points exist, or take a joyride and see what seems off. Given the darkness, the interview seems safer.

One MOBEV, three MOLABs available. MOBEV is MOBile ExcaVator MOLAB is MOBile LABoratory

Most hours on the vehicles are: Volkova, Stankevičius, Kadenyuk, Fritz, Faris. Wagner is also on list, but out of base.

Speaking to Stan first, ignoring that Agramonte is not feeling well (overcome by trying to keep critical infrastructure that can kill people maintained). Stan mentions brakes have vibration when applied, also “fire in the life support” is not ideal. Stan is very pleased to have gotten a promotion, ignores/does not notice until end of interview.

Kadenyuk thinks that he has a solution from having worked in his uncle’s mechanic workshop. The brake issue is actually the shocks and suspension: similar wobbling in rough terrain and with elevation changes.

Other interviews report similar issue, but someone else suggests that it is issue with fuel cell and electrical issue. Debris is disrupting Also a complaint that one of the MOLABs smells bad: burned plastic, but has not tried it since the filter issue.

The interviews have not been hugely helpful in distracting Agramonte. Will look at the plans instead of dealing with the actual vehicles for now. Modelling of the issue is behaving weirdly: unusually fast.

• Suspension fails in way that leads to a depressurisation event.
  • Agramonte is not dealing with this well: throws up, visualises blood on the monitor. Actually seems to be a dent, not an actual breach. Looking at some other scenarios: some possible catastrophic failure modes. Imagining suspension issues as being worse than they might be.
  • Rheinhold Fritz comes in and asks if things are OK. Apparently it is fine.

Inventory and Resupply - Jean-Jacques Desjardins

This is complicated due to a data corruption error that completely fried the records for a few months prior to this rotation. Off-site backups exist, but are out of date. Alternative is to talk to a bunch of people and try and reconstruct things.

Going to focus on the most important items: either low counts but critical, or things in constant state of depletion. Can then take a look at usage rates and so on. Most important consumables are food, cleaning supplies, and chemical things like sanitisation alcohol and other solvents. Some steel supplies for the tool shop (millable bars and sheets) are also apparently low.

Foodstuffs and calculations here:

• Critically low on hot sauce, but everything else is about right. Might be under-eating, if anything (chat to medical staff).
  • One of the shelves way back has a container attached to underside with velcro: trade paperback sized Pulled off quietly, it seems to have four/five cylindrical things in there. Locked, but should be easily openable by Pettersson. Is a secret stash of Cuban cigars, possibly a few missing already (space for 8). Smoking is “turbo-illegal”, but there are a few places that one could sneak a skyf. Possibly for trade.
  • Leaves a note “Be careful with these please. Safety regulations exist for a reason.”
• Cleaning supplies: Some toiletries seem a little low, make a note on this
• The lab is a mess. Very poorly organised, finding stuff in places that it should not be. Half-empty bottles of things: opening bottles before finishing current one. Talking to Volkova, some miscommunication between different teams and such - labelling war, different organisation in different labs.
  • She looks exhausted
  • Other science leads push back on complete reorganisation of storage, but a new organisation plan is being implemented, so hopefully will improve with time.

SaboteurSatellite Crash Investigation - Jan Pettersson

Pettersson is going to take a look at this, as a cover for finding the saboteur. Chemerkin likes an experimental approach, testing things and people directly. Pettersson agrees, they will chat to people independently for the most part, mostly splitting along NATO/WP lines. Using Jean-Jacques’ re-inventorying task as a cover to ask about potentially missing material as well.

Does Singer know of anyone else doing anything with the explosives shed: normally only the geologists. Access should be logged, but Pettersson is looking at the inventory and wants to check who might be going in and out. Singer suggests that Stan, Rheinhold Fritz and Kadenyuk probably went over there last. Concerned that Wagner is driving around on her own again - like she is showing off by taking risks. Mentions that Fritz is a little tender from the issues downside in Berlin. Chemerkin should not have told him, there is a reason NASA did not tell us.

Pettersson next talks to Rheinhold Fritz. Tries to lead conversation to subtly lead to answers regarding possible sabotage. Fritz does not notice the switch from satellite to security too much.

• Is Fritz aware of anyone accessing dangerous equipment improperly? Only seems to be the geologists, except when he and Leonid Kadenyuk went with Chemerkin for a small excavation. Kadenyuk set aside some supplies, but Fritz does not remember the details - might still be in the rover, but should be back in the shed.
• Tries to comfort Fritz after last week’s news, this is actually altruistic. Fritz concerned about Agramonte as well - threw up, so possibly food? Wagner is upset about something, Volkova is looking tired and stressed. Generally thinking that people are overly stressed and is worried about the news from downside.

Leonid Kadenyuk:

Rimantas Stankevičius

Underground Base Construction - Teresa Wagner

Long-term plan is to have underground section for additional shielding from cosmic rays and things and moves are finally being made to actually get this done. Need to pick the specific site within the Kepler Crater and do some testing and blasting of those sites. Still needs outside work, but within safety distance, so it will “probably be definitely fine” in the case of something going wrong.

Taking MOLAB, none are ideal: one has life support issue, one has bearing issue that has not been replaced. Is going out alone - technically against the regs, but is close enough to walk home, so it will be fine.

Has a few options of places to check out, will start with furtherest away:

• Crater Wall: Takes some samples to get an idea of construction suitability. This is difficult because of shadows and similar things making visibility tricky. Also tricky to do alone, but there is a latch missing, so assembly can not be completed.
  • Need to find that piece to see if just dropped or in MOLAB or what. Does a bodged temporary fix instead, gets samples and then looks properly for the fastener; seems to have rolled off somewhere and disappeared (for now).
• Other two locations should be more straightforward. The jury-rigged part might get damaged during drive, but will risk it, successfully.
  • Has gotten all three sites sampled.

Comes back to a lab that has been attacked by a label-maker, although things are still not organised correctly.

Of the sites:

• The geology under the base looks to be adequate, but will potentially be impacted by the base itself. Very convenient, but mistakes could have major repercussions.
• The middle area is weirdly not-dense: easy to excavate, but will need additional support for larger structures - needs to be smaller or will be more expensive
• The wall itself is easier to dig, but the geology is much more varied, so construction is more risky and complicated. This is the best option if safety can be overcome, but is also further from the base.

Teresa is leaning towards the middle option.

Cold War Drama

Chemerkin and Pettersson talk about the “orbital redeployments” that they have heard. Possible that satellite comms will go down, so might need to fall back onto hard lines, which link to Camp Goddard, DLB-4 and through Zvezda to Artemis.

Chemerkin will see if he can get advanced warning from DLB-4 if they need to come and get their people. Pettersson has something similar in place to Camp Goddard.

Share (vaguely) some evacuation plans. Probably be able to put everyone into rovers, but it will be cramped.

-# Oh, the tension!

Agramonte’s Haunting

Spinning out about maintenance and worries about things going wrong. People have noticed that he is on edge.

Wagner’s Misogyny

Stan got promoted even if he was a less good option, Teresa is quietly seething. There are some options that are still open, but a bunch of them are being closed because of various “funding reasons” and “different person because we need them now” and so on. Various things are being shut down in her face.

Wagner decides to crash Stan’s celebration party (they are drinking [moderately] illegal moonshine). Grabs his booze, and begins to go off at him. Pettersson attempts to intervene, but is pretty much way out of this depth. He pushes folks out anyway and attempts to therapise regardless. Teresa settles down with a pouch of moonshine.

Volkova comes to find out what is going on, but Agramonte is not paying enough attention to be able to answer. Jean-Jacques gives her a summary and she takes over from Pettersson, escorting Wagner off to recover and write a report.