The Shared Starship Superdraft

[Psybolt]

Episode Element Pick 2:  Poisonous shipment of fish (attempt to kill captain)

[Cancer]

Episode Element: Planetary Rotwasp and Space Maggots

 

The Planetary Rotwasp is a hundred-kilometer spacegoing organism which implants its eggs in planets, and the resulting Space Maggots consume the planet from the inside out and leave it a lifeless, shriveled husk.  Multiple eggs are implanted in a planet, they consume the planet and ultimately each other, leaving at most one to emerge from the worthless remnant and go off into the Galaxy seeking another world to parasitize.

 

Before Space Maggot infestation (7 views of the same world)

 

End product of Space Maggot infestation

 

Missing from those images is scale information.  The healthy world is a bit over 5000 km in diameter.  The remnant is about 360 by 250 km.

 

Our ship is the first to encounter the products of such infestation, and end up in battle against the rotwasp they encounter.

[death tribble]

Episode feature pick 2

A large planet which has jungles resembling those on Earth.

[Pariah]

I have a couple of tenuous ideas for an episode, but nothing solid enough to draft from yet. I may hold off for a couple of days and then make several picks at once.

[death tribble]

I was going to yell 'You can't do that !' but the I realised I needed to ask the question. Would cliches be a legitimate episode pick ?

[csyphrett]

I would like to pick the fast growing vines from Jumanji

CES

[Hermit]

Episode one element: The Captain  and Crew learn once already committed that the Colony Settlers in Cold sleep are prisoners being sent to set up a Penal Colony! Their crimes are classified. Are they murderers? Merely underiables being disposed of for defying an Authoritarian government? The Crew doesn't know yet.

 

Episode two element:  The Rotwasp encounter damaged the ship, and power is fading fast. The Powerstone is used as the source of power until repairs can be complete, though how long it will take to replace the parts needed is unknown.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Episodes 1 & 2 elements: the star crossed lovers

 

She's a princess from an ancient warrior race that believes matrimony is fatal. (Betty White as Luisa)

He's a spoiled prince from a race of aged intergalactic traders. (Leslie Nielsen as Matt) 

 

Their forbidden love could bring entire civilizations to the brink of disaster! 

[Sociotard]

Episode Element: The ship is haunted by the ghost of a dead supercomputer. (The Postman)

Episode Element: Lanning's "Ghost in the Machine" monologue (I, Robot)

 

Quote

There have always been ghosts in the machine. Random segments of code, that have grouped together to form unexpected protocols. Unanticipated, these free radicals engender questions of free will, creativity, and even the nature of what we might call the soul.

 

Why is it that when some robots are left in darkness, they will seek out the light? Why is it that when robots are stored in an empty space, they will group together, rather than stand alone? How do we explain this behavior? Random segments of code? Or is it something more?

 

When does a perceptual schematic become consciousness?

 

When does a difference engine become the search for truth?

 

When does a personality simulation become the bitter mote... of a soul?

 

Lets see how HAL reacts!

[Bazza]

3 hours ago, Pariah said:

I have a couple of tenuous ideas for an episode, but nothing solid enough to draft from yet. I may hold off for a couple of days and then make several picks at once.

 

Me too. Maybe yours can be Part 1 and mine Part 2.

[Old Man]

Episode Element 2: Pandora (Avatar)

 

[Bazza]

Episode elements 1 & 2: Gollum (Smeagol) & Orange Lantern Power Ring. 

 

His 'Precious'.

 

[death tribble]

Episode element 3

A hostile alien on the planet.

You guessed it !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator_(film)

[Cancer]

I've had a concept for a handful of episodes hinting that there exist entities which engineer entire galaxies the way humans engineer major infrastructure projects like dams, freeway systems, and major port facilities.  Not sure there's been speculations of entities operating on this scale before, at least on TV.

First episode in this thread (I imagine you'd have one or two of these in a season, farming out this idea out over multiple seasons) has the ship and crew encounter a gravitational slingshot of unprecedented scale.  While small ones have been built for use as mass drivers within a star system (and making one of these is a terrifying engineering task, fraught with dangers that usually override the utility of such a system), this one is scaled up by almost a factor of a million.

 

In the opening sequence, the ship is buffeted by the strong, contorted gravitational fields in and around the structure, and tidal forces that nearly tear it apart.  After backing off and doing a few "orbits" of the structure ... it is star-system in size ... it becomes apparent that it is a coherent structure of intense gravitational fields in a configuration that cannot possibly be natural.  The difficulty is that by its nature the structure is surrounded by intense and variable warps in space-time so that only very short range sensors can examine the pieces of it.

 

The assembly itself is cylindrical (though that isn't apparent at first) about the size of a star system (roughly 200 AUs long by 20 AUs in diameter), and consists of a few dozen black holes of varying mass held in relative position by gravitor-repulsor systems of stupendous power (individual units in the structural system are powerful enough to unbind a Sun-like star).  When something is put into the launch nexus of the structure, it is accelerated to very nearly lightspeed, and it seems that anything small enough to fit in the structure will be launched (so stars and binary star systems, and individual black holes, seem to be the intended projectiles).  It makes more sense as a delivery mechanism rather than a weapons system; the background of galaxy cluster gravitational fields means the trajectory cannot be counted upon once the "projectile" has gone a hundred megaparsecs or so.  The assembly isn't aimed at anything in particular at this time (just a line out of the Galaxy, Local Group, and Local Supercluster tht isn't along the way toward any particular galaxy or galaxy cluster).  Nothing seems to have been launched recently ... but anything beyond ten megaparsecs now would be redshifted into indetectability.

 

The exhaust from the launch (which also carries the reaction momentum, leaving the assembly intact and in place) is a highly relativistic jet of hundred-million-degree but very tenuous plasma, which is highly collimated and escapes the galaxy, much like the gas expelled from a quasar accretion disk that builds double-lobed radio sources.  The radiation from such jets is (again) beamed strongly away from the source of the jets, so nothing of the sort if obvious at this time.

 

The launch operation would be horrifically obvious in gravitational waves, but since it seems not to have been triggered in a long time, there's nothing in the historical record that corresponds to such an event.  In electromagnetic phenomena, as long as projectile and exhaust beam aren't pointed at you, you wouldn't notice.

 

The implication is that some conscious entity or civilization is delivering pieces of our galaxy to an unknown extragalactic location, and whatever that is, it maintains coherent thought and plans over at least hundreds of millions of years.

[Sociotard]

Lest we forget what happens when astronomers touch science fiction.

[csyphrett]

Episode element three is an infestation of fairies granting wishes. Think of a crowd of Fairly Odd Parents just bringing in anything anybody says

CES

[Bazza]

9 hours ago, Cancer said:

I've had a concept for a handful of episodes hinting that there exist entities which engineer entire galaxies the way humans engineer major infrastructure projects like dams, freeway systems, and major port facilities.  Not sure there's been speculations of entities operating on this scale before, at least on TV.

First episode in this thread (I imagine you'd have one or two of these in a season, farming out this idea out over multiple seasons) has the ship and crew encounter a gravitational slingshot of unprecedented scale.  While small ones have been built for use as mass drivers within a star system (and making one of these is a terrifying engineering task, fraught with dangers that usually override the utility of such a system), this one is scaled up by almost a factor of a million.

 

In the opening sequence, the ship is buffeted by the strong, contorted gravitational fields in and around the structure, and tidal forces that nearly tear it apart.  After backing off and doing a few "orbits" of the structure ... it is star-system in size ... it becomes apparent that it is a coherent structure of intense gravitational fields in a configuration that cannot possibly be natural.  The difficulty is that by its nature the structure is surrounded by intense and variable warps in space-time so that only very short range sensors can examine the pieces of it.

 

The assembly itself is cylindrical (though that isn't apparent at first) about the size of a star system (roughly 200 AUs long by 20 AUs in diameter), and consists of a few dozen black holes of varying mass held in relative position by gravitor-repulsor systems of stupendous power (individual units in the structural system are powerful enough to unbind a Sun-like star).  When something is put into the launch nexus of the structure, it is accelerated to very nearly lightspeed, and it seems that anything small enough to fit in the structure will be launched (so stars and binary star systems, and individual black holes, seem to be the intended projectiles).  It makes more sense as a delivery mechanism rather than a weapons system; the background of galaxy cluster gravitational fields means the trajectory cannot be counted upon once the "projectile" has gone a hundred megaparsecs or so.  The assembly isn't aimed at anything in particular at this time (just a line out of the Galaxy, Local Group, and Local Supercluster tht isn't along the way toward any particular galaxy or galaxy cluster).  Nothing seems to have been launched recently ... but anything beyond ten megaparsecs now would be redshifted into indetectability.

 

The exhaust from the launch (which also carries the reaction momentum, leaving the assembly intact and in place) is a highly relativistic jet of hundred-million-degree but very tenuous plasma, which is highly collimated and escapes the galaxy, much like the gas expelled from a quasar accretion disk that builds double-lobed radio sources.  The radiation from such jets is (again) beamed strongly away from the source of the jets, so nothing of the sort if obvious at this time.

 

The launch operation would be horrifically obvious in gravitational waves, but since it seems not to have been triggered in a long time, there's nothing in the historical record that corresponds to such an event.  In electromagnetic phenomena, as long as projectile and exhaust beam aren't pointed at you, you wouldn't notice.

 

The implication is that some conscious entity or civilization is delivering pieces of our galaxy to an unknown extragalactic location, and whatever that is, it maintains coherent thought and plans over at least hundreds of millions of years.

 

Ummm. This is similar to an idea I have. Maybe we can/could collaborate? 

[Cancer]

Send me a PM and we'll talk.

[Psybolt]

3rd episode element:  Man behind the attempted murder and overtaking of ship... Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg

 

[Old Man]

 

"I can't believe they won't give us the unobtainium," Jayne said as the four of them left the Home Tree.

 

"Even though it would mean the total destruction of their civilization?" asked Commander Ivanova.

 

"Or because you pulled a gun on the chief's wife?" Dr. Lazarus broke in.

 

"Look, I wanted to negotiate from a position of strength."

 

"When we were surrounded by four hundred nine-foot-tall savages?"

 

"Fine, next time Marvin can lead the discussion," Jayne said.

 

"Oh, I'm sure I could find a way to do worse," the android moaned. "It's the only thing I'm good at."

 

"Has anyone ever told you you have an annoying voice?" Dr. Lazarus asked.

 

"Shut up, everyone," Ivanova snapped in disgust.  She thumbed her communicator.  "HAL, away team is ready to return.  Open a mirror."

 

"Certainly, Commander," HAL's voice answered smoothly.  "Wormhole instantiating."  A silvery portal opened in front of the away team. 

 

"Do you think we're going to get distorted again?" wavered Marvin.

 

"Don't worry," Ivanova replied, "I promised HAL that the next time he pulled that fun house mirror trick I'd have him wiped.  Now let's get out of here before the natives find us."  She stepped through.

 

In an instant the foursome found themselves in the transporter room back aboard the ship.  Quickly they inspected each other for deformities.  "There, see?" Ivanova said.  "Everything is perfectly-- who are you?" she asked, surprised.

 

"Very funny, Commander," answered the strange pointed-eared man before them.  "Were you able to secure the unobtainium?"

 

Episode element 3: Spock!

 

[Bazza]

8 hours ago, Cancer said:

Send me a PM and we'll talk.

 

Will have to do it tomorrow. #sorry. 

[Cancer]

Next Episode Element: (This one again is within the meta-theme started in my post above, that there are galactic engineers.) A gravity tractor made of a Klemperer rosette of black holes. 

 

How to stars get moved into the the vicinity of the gravitational slingshot, so they can be launched across intergalactic space?  (As I can say with complete confidence...) The only real way to move stellar-mass objects as you want is using a gravity tractor, and the best source of gravity is a black hole.  More mass means more pulling power, and the faster you can move things around.  But to do it with a Klemperer rosette (which gives better fine control, and a more stable and symmetric tractor field) means you need multiple massive objects of the same mass.  And where do you get those?  And how do you get multiple matched ones?  And how do you get those into that insanely-unlikely configuration?  Again, this cannot possibly be natural, but it implies energy sources and engineering ability far in excess of anything that exists, even in the galaxy in which our ship exists.

 

The ship again encounters buffeting from strong tidal stresses, and investigating warily after their initial encounter with the slingshot, finds this to be a single hexagonal rosette of 80-solar-mass black holes, moving across the Galaxy at sub-light but very significant speed (no one quite knows what happens if you try to put a black hole into warp, but some theories suggest production of a fireball that'd destroy everything within a kiloparsec).  It is moving away from the slingshot (one can easily extrapolate its velocity vector backwards), and toward the Large Magellanic Cloud, with an estimated time of arrival of about 200,000 years.  It might even get there before S Doradûs blows up...

[Tjack]

8 hours ago, Old Man said:

 

"I can't believe they won't give us the unobtainium," Jayne said as the four of them left the Home Tree.

 

"Even though it would mean the total destruction of their civilization?" asked Commander Ivanova.

 

"Or because you pulled a gun on the chief's wife?" Dr. Lazarus broke in.

 

"Look, I wanted to negotiate from a position of strength."

 

"When we were surrounded by four hundred nine-foot-tall savages?"

 

"Fine, next time Marvin can lead the discussion," Jayne said.

 

"Oh, I'm sure I could find a way to do worse," the android moaned. "It's the only thing I'm good at."

 

"Has anyone ever told you you have an annoying voice?" Dr. Lazarus asked.

 

"Shut up, everyone," Ivanova snapped in disgust.  She thumbed her communicator.  "HAL, away team is ready to return.  Open a mirror."

 

"Certainly, Commander," HAL's voice answered smoothly.  "Wormhole instantiating."  A silvery portal opened in front of the away team. 

 

"Do you think we're going to get distorted again?" wavered Marvin.

 

"Don't worry," Ivanova replied, "I promised HAL that the next time he pulled that fun house mirror trick I'd have him wiped.  Now let's get out of here before the natives find us."  She stepped through.

 

In an instant the foursome found themselves in the transporter room back aboard the ship.  Quickly they inspected each other for deformities.  "There, see?" Ivanova said.  "Everything is perfectly-- who are you?" she asked, surprised.

 

"Very funny, Commander," answered the strange pointed-eared man before them.  "Were you able to secure the unobtainium?"

 

Episode element 3: Spock!

 

 

I heard this in my head when I read it and realized that Marvin and Dr. Lazarus have the same voice.

[death tribble]

It is not clear in the instructions so let me ask it clear.

Are we drafting episode elements that we use or that other players will use ?

[Sociotard]

The elements YOU will use in YOUR episode. The crew and ship elements are common to us all.