Mora / Mora

Jun 27, 2025 6:25 pm

"So my old Commander always said two important things. Never assign to malice that which you can to incompetence. And always look for the crooked logistics guy!"

"That is good advice from your Commander."

"I'm thinking we've been passed off some dodgy parts at one of our last few stops. Unless I'm well off base obviously?

"That is a possibility," Tamm replied. "But, it's a waste tof time to try to track it."

Last edited June 27, 2025 6:29 pm

playbydave

Jun 28, 2025 2:41 am

Mora / Mora

OOC:

Rin is still aboard as a crew member, but lets it be known that he will be Leaving the MISS FORTUNE at Mora.

"Sorry everyone, but this Free Trader gig just doesn't fit for me. I'm a lot more comfortable with a regular pay check and a Guild Berth, even if there isn't so much potential for profit. Think I can get my ship-share refunded? I'm not asking for salary or share of profits; just a simple refund. Can you manage that? It would help me a lot!"

Bronz Bautista

dabaggins

Jun 28, 2025 3:04 am

Mora / Mora

Bronz glanced between Leilani and Tamm. Maybe it was just cheap parts. He wouldn’t rule it out. Might even be more common on legit gigs like this. But back in his old life, being too trusting usually meant waking up with a knife in your side... if you woke up at all.

So he said nothing, let them follow their thinking, and quietly kept the other possibilities in mind.

"If it’s just shoddy parts, shouldn’t take long to trace where the failure started. And if we find something else while we’re in there… well, at least we’ll know what we’re dealing with."

playbydave

Jun 28, 2025 3:05 am

Mora / Mora

Infotainment channels all have the same lead story: Food & Beverage Workers Union is threatening a work slowdown or possibly even a full 'strike' of the main starport within the week if the main vendor, Bulwark Services Ltd, doesn't pledge to improve working conditions and upgrade employee quarters. Commentators note that a strike two standards past resulted in the company pledging improvements, but labor representatives claim that the promises were only partially fulfilled. "We're not wanting more pay or better medical; that's covered. But the housing on the station continues to be substandard. And working conditions are terrible! No increase in pay would be worth putting up with the crap we have to! There's too much credit-pinching and not enough concern for Sophonts!"

Mora's main stock market is showing steady increases over the past 6 months; nothing spectacular but a big improvement from the long-lasting recession that accompanied the end of the 5th Frontier War. Labor market is moderately weak and unemployment stands at around 7-percent, a point down from a year ago. The asteroid-belt mining outlook is good, with new capital investement from "Sternmetal Horizons" an Imperium MegaCorporation of some renown.

Mora's premier league Grav-Disc team (The Comets) is currently in second place in the subsector, and will be traveling to Pallique for the championship tournament. Fornice's team (Star Dust) is in first and favored to win the championship. Betting volume is heavy, with "The Comets" currently getting favorable 2:1 odds.

playbydave

Jun 28, 2025 3:11 am

Mora / Mora

dabaggins says:

Bronz glanced between Leilani and Tamm. Maybe it was just cheap parts. He wouldn’t rule it out. Might even be more common on legit gigs like this. But back in his old life, being too trusting usually meant waking up with a knife in your side... if you woke up at all.

So he said nothing, let them follow their thinking, and quietly kept the other possibilities in mind.

"If it’s just shoddy parts, shouldn’t take long to trace where the failure started. And if we find something else while we’re in there… well, at least we’ll know what we’re dealing with."

Engineering Log shows the parts in question were installed (replaced) nearly four standards past at Byret/Mora during a full yearly maintenance. Their expected life-span is 8 or more years, so they were well within their expected use range. The energy transfer matrix is a robust system and failure is unusual to the point of being 'rare'. Part serial numbers indicate they were manufacture by a subsidiary of Ling Standard Products. (If you wish to investigate further, please describe what you want to do and give an appropriate dice roll!)

Bronz Bautista

dabaggins

Jun 28, 2025 3:26 am

Mora / Mora

Bronz scanned the engineering logs, eyes narrowing as he tapped the date of the last check. He raised an eyebrow but kept his thoughts to himself.

Turning to Leilani, he said, "This’s more your specialty. Once we dock, let’s tear it down and make sure there aren’t any more ‘rare failures’ waiting to hit us."

OOC:

What Bronz idea is when the engines are completely shut down to open them up and make sure the proper parts are in place and look like they have the expected wear, but also if there is anything there that doesn’t see as if it shouldn’t be.

I expect this is ENG-2 + INT and +1 if anyone assists.

Rolls

Check Engines for parts and wear (ENG2+INT) - (2d6+2+1)

(66) + 3 = 15

playbydave

Jun 28, 2025 7:17 pm

Mora / Mora

A "complete teardown" (inspection) of the power-plant and maneuver drives will take several days (possibly more than a week) and requires the services of a dockyard. If Bronz proposes only doing what can be done by the crew without outside help, it will still take several days and will not qualify as "complete". If the power-plant has to be shut down that means the ship will be effectively 'dead' for whatever time it takes to make the inspections. This is not a simple or quick procedure!

OOC:

No such thing as a free lunch!

Louis Claude Rains "LC"

Muns

Jun 28, 2025 10:48 pm

Mora / Mora

playbydave says:

OOC:

Rin is still aboard as a crew member, but lets it be known that he will be Leaving the MISS FORTUNE at Mora.

"Sorry everyone, but this Free Trader gig just doesn't fit for me. I'm a lot more comfortable with a regular pay check and a Guild Berth, even if there isn't so much potential for profit. Think I can get my ship-share refunded? I'm not asking for salary or share of profits; just a simple refund. Can you manage that? It would help me a lot!"

Miss Fortune Crew Galley – 3.5 Hours Before Orbit, Mora System

LC set his mug down with a soft clink, having just listened to Rin’s request with a steady expression. No visible surprise, no disappointment—just the faint trace of a resigned, knowing smile. He gave a small nod before replying.

"Rin… I appreciate you being up front about it. Life on a Free Trader isn’t for everyone—it’s a mix of risk, duct tape, and prayer. If you’ve got a steadier berth lined up through the Guild, I don’t blame you for taking it."

He leaned back slightly, folding his arms.

"Now, about that ship-share…"
He let the words sit a moment before continuing, evenly but firmly.

"Our charter's pretty clear: shares represent equity, not deposits. That said—we’ve still got your full 62,000 credits intact in escrow. You haven’t drawn against it, and you’re not asking for profit, which I respect."

LC inclined his head just slightly.

"I’ll authorize the refund in full when we reach Mora Highport. Once we dock, and you've signed the release paperwork, you'll get your credits back clean—no red tape."

He offered a brief, genuine smile.

"Thanks for pulling your weight while you were aboard, Rin. You were steady, reliable, and no drama—which puts you in rare company. If the Guild doesn’t keep you busy, you know how to reach us."

He extended a hand across the table.

"Safe ports and clear lanes, Mister Bauer."

Muns

Jun 28, 2025 11:14 pm

Mora / Mora

dabaggins says:

Bronz scanned the engineering logs, eyes narrowing as he tapped the date of the last check. He raised an eyebrow but kept his thoughts to himself.

OOC:

What Bronz idea is when the engines are completely shut down to open them up and make sure the proper parts are in place and look like they have the expected wear, but also if there is anything there that doesn’t see as if it shouldn’t be.

The GM wrote:

playbydave says:

A "complete teardown" (inspection) of the power-plant and maneuver drives will take several days (snip) This is not a simple or quick procedure!

OOC:

I was expecting the Engineering division to conduct something along the lines of a diagnostics Bit-In-Test (D-BIT) sometimes called a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) on the engineering systems for the Power-Plant, J-Drive and M-Drive.
The FMEA is a procedure for analyzing each potential failure mode in a product to determine the local and end effects of a failure on the product. When the analysis is extended to classify each potential failure mode according to its severity and probability of occurrence, it is called a Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). The FMECA provides failure modes, failure detection methods, and severities associated with a product. The FMECA also identifies when the effects of a failure can be detected using BIT. The alternative to utilizing a FMECA are to develop BIT tests based on knowledge of how the product works, and not whether a BIT test needs to be developed for a particular fault that is critical to product performance. This type of testing is a standard we built in with our materiel developer after a Vendor for a OPFOR radar system did not meet performance specs and the Materiel Developer had to go through Army Acquisition Command to have the vendor released from contract for not meeting the parameters in the contract for the product. We had the materiel developer institute this for all products after this. That was due to the out materiel developer built testing command products and they were not use to building products for training that had to have a standard of reliability for multiple and repeated use. Not like the testing community that may use the Threat product once or twice for testing. This is a standard in military and aerospace trouble shooting as most if not all components are Line-Replaceable-Units (LRUs). I made the error in seeing the problem from my experience and not others. Sorry, I should set out expectations so we don't have the team taking apart the ship's components to the J-Drive that we don't need to. I was sort of expecting the Engineers look at the data from the normal BIT and D-BIT and then put the data into a historical D-BIT for the ship (should be in the logs) and then run a FMECA program to see if there is LRU that is out-of-tolerance or is sending/reporting something/data that is not right. THEN when we get to the port we can schedule to go to a shipyard and have the LRU removed and then sent in for complete end-to-end testing against factory specs.

So my idea was: out of Jump enroute to Mora, we do the FMECA-style log analysis. Once at Mora, we offload cargo and passengers, run a full diagnostic in port, and—if needed—have the yard pull and test the suspect LRU under factory conditions.

Thanks, and I appreciate everyone’s patience while I recalibrate between my real-world experience and our shared game setting!

Last edited June 28, 2025 11:19 pm

Louis Claude Rains "LC"

Muns

Jun 28, 2025 11:24 pm

Mora / Mora

Once LC is getting the information;

BIC: Engineering Galley Alcove – En Route to Mora, Hour 4
LC speaks to Tamm, Bronz, and Leilani as he reviews the diagnostic displays over his shoulder, mug in hand.

"Here’s what I want, folks—nothing invasive yet. We’re not tearing open drives unless we have to and I don't think you ever advocated for that."

He glances between them, calm but serious.

"Start with the onboard BIT logs for the powerplant, maneuver, and jump systems. Pull the historical D-BIT reports tied to the overhaul work. Look for any anomalies—out-of-tolerance values, unflagged degradation, or mismatched serials on LRUs."

He taps the console with two fingers, then looks at Leilani, then to Bronz and then finally to Tamm to signify he is the lead.

"Crosscheck them with the manufacturer tolerances if they’re on file. I want us thinking like we’re building a failure analysis—what could’ve gone wrong, where it shows up in the logs, and how we catch it before it becomes a problem."

He looks to Leilani last, more thoughtfully.

"You’ve seen how the Navy does this. Anything that smells wrong to your ears or instincts—chase it. Merchies don’t always look where you do."

With a quiet breath and a dry smile, LC steps back.

"If this is just bad luck, we’ll find nothing. If it’s something else... I want to catch it while we still have orbital velocity and not drift."

HE then pauses and says;
"I appreciate your hard work on this."

playbydave

Jun 28, 2025 11:35 pm

Mora / Mora

OOC:

I'm wanting to take the Engineering discussion out of this thread and into the rules discussion topic/heading. I've just gotten started with that. But I think the bottom line is that the game functions at a very abstract level and is FICTION. The main problem I see is aligning my preconceptions and imaginings with yours so that we avoid "gotcha" moments and associated bad feelings. The main thing remaining for this thread is character expectations: ie what benefit do the characters believe their efforts might achieve?

Note: MISS FORTUNE has just come out of a Yearly Maintenance, thus it can be expected to work well. BUT nothing as complex as a starship is completely immune to problems. There's always something.....

dabaggins

Jun 29, 2025 2:31 am

Mora / Mora

OOC:

I'm fine with the revised suggested plan of action. As an engineer Bronz would have known what the proper steps were.

Just hoping that my dice roll still applies. :)

Leilani Nekaii

TiffanyKorta

Jun 29, 2025 4:36 am

Mora / Mora

"Well, I used to serve on the bigger ships, so we'd kick in the second power plant and take the original offline!" she gave a embarrassed little shrug

Though not want to leave it at that, and added after thinking for a few minutes.

"Though Mora is a Class A port, and has a naval base. So we might be able to borrow some time on their virtual testing systems. It won't be quite as thorough as stripping things down, but it'll help narrow things down substantially and be much quicker. But..." she gave the old Terran intake of breath when an engineer was about to talk about expensive, "... going to probably cost us a big favour. So we can figure something else out if you don't want to deal with the Navy in any way."

Packratt66

Jun 29, 2025 12:12 pm

Mora / Mora

Muns says:

dabaggins says:

Bronz scanned the engineering logs, eyes narrowing as he tapped the date of the last check. He raised an eyebrow but kept his thoughts to himself.

OOC:

What Bronz idea is when the engines are completely shut down to open them up and make sure the proper parts are in place and look like they have the expected wear, but also if there is anything there that doesn’t see as if it shouldn’t be.

The GM wrote:

playbydave says:

A "complete teardown" (inspection) of the power-plant and maneuver drives will take several days (snip) This is not a simple or quick procedure!

OOC:

I was expecting the Engineering division to conduct something along the lines of a diagnostics Bit-In-Test (D-BIT) sometimes called a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) on the engineering systems for the Power-Plant, J-Drive and M-Drive.
The FMEA is a procedure for analyzing each potential failure mode in a product to determine the local and end effects of a failure on the product. When the analysis is extended to classify each potential failure mode according to its severity and probability of occurrence, it is called a Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). The FMECA provides failure modes, failure detection methods, and severities associated with a product. The FMECA also identifies when the effects of a failure can be detected using BIT. The alternative to utilizing a FMECA are to develop BIT tests based on knowledge of how the product works, and not whether a BIT test needs to be developed for a particular fault that is critical to product performance. This type of testing is a standard we built in with our materiel developer after a Vendor for a OPFOR radar system did not meet performance specs and the Materiel Developer had to go through Army Acquisition Command to have the vendor released from contract for not meeting the parameters in the contract for the product. We had the materiel developer institute this for all products after this. That was due to the out materiel developer built testing command products and they were not use to building products for training that had to have a standard of reliability for multiple and repeated use. Not like the testing community that may use the Threat product once or twice for testing. This is a standard in military and aerospace trouble shooting as most if not all components are Line-Replaceable-Units (LRUs). I made the error in seeing the problem from my experience and not others. Sorry, I should set out expectations so we don't have the team taking apart the ship's components to the J-Drive that we don't need to. I was sort of expecting the Engineers look at the data from the normal BIT and D-BIT and then put the data into a historical D-BIT for the ship (should be in the logs) and then run a FMECA program to see if there is LRU that is out-of-tolerance or is sending/reporting something/data that is not right. THEN when we get to the port we can schedule to go to a shipyard and have the LRU removed and then sent in for complete end-to-end testing against factory specs.

So my idea was: out of Jump enroute to Mora, we do the FMECA-style log analysis. Once at Mora, we offload cargo and passengers, run a full diagnostic in port, and—if needed—have the yard pull and test the suspect LRU under factory conditions.

Thanks, and I appreciate everyone’s patience while I recalibrate between my real-world experience and our shared game setting!

OOC:

with what you said, I gotta wonder if you know any of the ADA instructors at Sill! 😝

playbydave

Jun 30, 2025 4:18 am

Mora / Mora

OOC:

Bronz's dice roll still applies! Timeline would be:

First Day: Arrival and docking. All hands on deck, help with passengers as well as 'normal' securing M-drive and refreshing/inspecting other systems (life-support, gravitics, etc. So no getting to the "tear down" until the following day.

Second Day: In lieu of helping with commercial activity or taking personal leave, the Engineering Crew performs a full systems check starting with the power-plant and power distribution systems (where the current fault occurred. That will take (GM fiat) 30 sophont-hours, ie with 3 crew it will take a full day of work. Additional systems checks can be performed with each major system taking the same amount of time. So, for instance, a full check of the Maneuver Drive will take another day...

Each work-day dedicated to Engineering tasks other than the standard first day and last day in port reduces the number of commerce related tasks the Engineering Crew can perform. Currently that means 1 of 3 possible commerce-tasks has been lost. Additional days dedicated to Engineering will take away additional tasks or personal leave time.

Tamm had the Engineering Section do a similar sort of thorough check upon taking possession of the ship from the Bank of Fornice. So most of what you find simply confirms what has already been logged. Components look good, are all within their expected life-spans, and everything is up to 'spec'. Bronz has confidence in the finding of no component issues at this time.

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