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==== A new Space Race ====

Date: January 30, 2015\\
Characters in attendance: Hex, Lady Paladin, 99, Quantum, Shimmer\\
Experience awarded: 2

The aftereffects of the Seattle Event are still being felt. The world, or at
least the Pacific Northwest, is changing in its attitudes towards superheroes.
They are welcomed more than they ever were, seen by most as the only way to deal
with superpowered or supernatural threats.

The acclaim for the Rose City Five is huge. Many interviews, stories, and
articles discuss the group and what they did in Seattle. Amazingly enough, long-
range video from a drone caught the ending conflict between the RC5 and the
Technomancer, and most importantly, Shimmer using his own body from stopping the
bomb from exploding, and his transformation. He was in hospital for a few weeks,
but there was always a group of fans and well-wishers outside of the hospital.

Finally, Shimmer is out of the hospital, and different; his powers transformed.

The city schedules a celebration for the team at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The
governor and the mayor are there, as well as other dignitaries. It seems as if
half the city had turned out. Everyone gives speeches. Brought out at the end to
give a small speech is Daniel Dunlap, the sponsor of the group, who talks about
how great the team is, and how lucky Portland is to have them.

Afterwards, back at headquarters, Mr. Dunlap talks privately with the team,
again thanking them for their service. But he asks them for a favor. He goes on
to describe a problem that might affect the whole world. He tells them that a
friend of his, "Mr. M", had recently launched a large number of small satellites
to provide world-wide internet access. But Mr. M had discovered that somebody
else had hijacked the satellites, and were planning on using them for disrupting
communications across the globe. They were able to track the source of this
hijacking signal, and it was coming from orbit. Daniel Dunlap was asking the
team to go into orbit and investigate the signal, and stop it. The team agreed.

Mr. Dunlap met the team at a remote location outside of North Plains, where he
had the capability to get the team into orbit and back. Out there, the heroes
see a space capsule big enough to hold all of them, but no rocket. They realize
that it is a prototype SpaceX Dragon capsule, and the mysterious "Mr. M" is Elon
Musk. The team is given a quick overview of the capsule workings, and each given
a spacesuit. When they ask how they will get into orbit, Mr. Dunlap says "She
will" and Super Star shows up. With a pair of boot jets to help her, she is
capable of getting the capsule into orbit and back down again. So the team
straps in and she takes off, carrying them into orbit.

After fifteen minutes or so, the heroes are in orbit. Super Star guides them to
the source of the signal. They can't see much, but can barely make out the dim
outline of a black alien spacecraft.

{{spaceship.png}}

There is a ramp on the lower side, with a human-built space capsule docked to a
bulkhead built on the ramp. There is another docking clamp on the bulkhead, and
Super Star maneuvers their capsule onto it. Pressure holds, the lights are
green, and the hatch swings open.

The heroes have had no experience in zero gravity, and have difficulty in moving
around. Inside the ship, they enter a large cargo hold, which has several pieces
of human-type equipment, electronics for transmitters, and the necessary
supplies and oxygen tanks. Also there are three villains tapping into the
satellite network, and ready to attack the heroes: Tronix, a female gadgeteer;
Cosmonaut, a mysterious person? in a Russian space suit, and Catosphere, a
spherical beast that slightly resembles a cat, with nine cat heads and nine sets
of claws. The fight commences.

The heroes are hampered, because they have no skills in zero-gravity combat.
Tronix has power over machines as well as over minds, and the Catosphere can
devastate with its many claws, and the villains are skilled in zero-G combat.
But the cat-beast is incapable of sustaining its high number of attacks, and
Lady Paladin takes aim at Tronix, and eventually the heroes win the fight. After
securing the prisoners and disabling their electronics, the team investigates
the ship.

The spaceship is not of Earth origin, and appears to be completely powered down,
until Quantum is able to communicate with it, apparently through his nanobots.
The ship is old, broken, making its own repairs, and communicates via simplistic
icons and images. The rest of the ship is empty, no people, bodies, or anything
organic. The previous owners appeared to be humanoid. The group discovers a
small landing craft on a lower deck, which does turn on and is able to
communicate with the heroes (but still in the simplistic icon method). The team
jams the captured villains in the capsule, jettisons the docking structure to
burn up in the atmosphere, and Super Star takes the villains in the capsule
down. The rest of the team comes back to Earth in the landing craft, and
discover that it can be cloaked, or present an image of a normal aircraft, so
that they can use it for their own purposes without raising questions.

==== GM's Notes: ====

This game was somewhat based in reality. Elon Musk actually wants to put up a
bunch of small Internet satellites, and that gave me the idea. I wanted to try a
different environment, and zero gravity sounded interesting. But mostly I felt
that it was time for the team to get their own flying vehicle, and this was a
good excuse. I was getting a little tired of figuring out the details of how the
team gets to the villains, and a flying vehicle fixes that.

The spaceship was actually one I had drawn up over thirty years ago for a
Traveller game, but I never used. I figured, why come up with something new?
Here's the original drawing, but I will tweak the interior a bit eventually.

{{spaceship_full.png}}

==== Tronix =====

^ VAL ^ CHA ^ Cost ^ Roll ^ Notes ^
| 10 | STR | 0 | 11- | HTH Damage 2d6 END [ |
| 19 | DEX | 18 | 1 | |
| 12 | CON | 2 | 1 | |
| 20 | INT | 10 | 13- | PER Roll 1 |
| 25 | EGO | 15 | 1 | |
| 18 | PRE | 8 | 13- | PRE Attack: 3 1/2 |
| 8 | OCV |  |  ||
| 8 | DCV |  |  ||
| 10 | OMCV |  |  ||
| 10 | DMCV |  |  ||
| 6 | SPD | 40 | Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,  ||
| 25 | PD | 23 | 25/30 PD (0/5 rP  ||
| 20 | ED | 18 | 20/30 ED (0/10 rE  ||
| 8 | REC | |  ||
| 80 | END |  |  ||
| 10 | BODY | |  ||
| 60 | STUN |  |  ||
^ Movement ^ Cost ^ Meters ^ Notes ^^
| RUNNING | 0 | 12m/24m | END [1] ||
| SWIMMING | 0 | 4m/8m | END [1] ||
| LEAPING | 0 | 4m | 4m forward, 2m upward ||
| FLIGHT | | 12m/24m |||
| Characteristics Total: 262 |||||
^ Cost ^ Powers ^^^^
| 24 | Resistant Protection (5 PD/10 ED) - END=0  ||||
| 10 | Clinging (normal STR) - END=0  ||||
| 18 | Life Support (Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing) - END=0  ||||
| 5 | Mental Awareness - END=0  ||||
| 12 | High Range Radio Perception (Radio Group) - END=0  ||||
| 15 | Mental Defense (15 points total) - END=0  ||||
| 5 | Power Defense (5 points) - END=0  ||||
| 6 | Mental Group Flash Defense (6 points) - END=0  ||||
| 32 | Spatial Awareness (Unusual Group) - END=0  ||||
| 12 | Flight 12m - END=1  ||||
| 75 | Attacks: Multipower, 75-point reserve - END=  ||||
| 6f | 1) Cyberkinesis: Mind Control 12d6 (Machine and Additional Class of Minds classes of minds) (65 Active Points) - END=6  ||||
| 7f | 2) Mental Illusions 14d6 (Machine and Additional Class of Minds classes of minds) (75 Active Points) - END=7  ||||
| 6f | 3) Plasma grab: Entangle 5d6, 3 PD/3 ED, Sticky (+1/2) (60 Active Points) - END=6  ||||
| 6f | 4) Mental Blast 6d6 (Machine and Additional Class of Minds classes of minds) (65 Active Points) - END=6  ||||
| 5f | 5) Blast 12d6 (60 Active Points); No Knockback (-1/4) - END=6  ||||
| Powers Total: 244 |||||
^ Cost ^ Skills ^^^^
| 3 | Acrobatics 13-  ||||
| 3 | Breakfall 13-  ||||
| Skills Total: 6 |||||
^ Cost ^ Talents ^^^^
| 6 | Environmental Movement (no penalties on)  ||||
| Talents Total: 6 |||||
^& Base Points: ^^ 518 ^^ ^
| Experience: || 0 || |
| Experience Unspent: || 0 || |
| Total Character Cost: || 518 || |

==== Cosmonaut ====

^ VAL ^ CHA ^ Cost ^ Roll ^ Notes ^
| 50 | STR | 40 | 19- | HTH Damage 10d6 END [5] |
| 16 | DEX | 12 | 12- | |
| 20 | CON | 10 | 13- | |
| 10 | INT | 0 | 11- | PER Roll 11- |
| 10 | EGO | 0 | 11- | |
| 10 | PRE | 0 | 11- | PRE Attack: 2d6 |
| 8 | OCV | 25 |  ||
| 8 | DCV | 25 |  ||
| 3 | OMCV | 0 |  ||
| 16 | DMCV | 39 |  ||
| 5 | SPD | 30 | Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12  ||
| 10 | PD | 8 | 10/30 PD (0/20 rPD)  ||
| 10 | ED | 8 | 10/20 ED (0/10 rED)  ||
| 8 | REC | 4 |  ||
| 60 | END | 8 |  ||
| 10 | BODY | 0 |  ||
| 80 | STUN | 30 |  ||
^ Movement ^ Cost ^ Meters ^ Notes ^^
| RUNNING | 0 | 12m/24m | END [1] ||
| SWIMMING | 0 | 4m/8m | END [1] ||
| LEAPING | 0 | 16m | 16m forward, 8m upward ||
Characteristics Total: 239 |||||
^ Cost ^ Powers ^^^^
| 15 | Cannot Be Stunned - END=0  ||||
| 12 | High Range Radio Perception (Radio Group) - END=0  ||||
| 15 | Active Sonar (Hearing Group) - END=0  ||||
| 30 | Life Support (Immunity All terrestrial poisons; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases; Longevity: 200 Years; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing) - END=0  ||||
| 45 | Resistant Protection (20 PD/10 ED) - END=0  ||||
| 20 | Mental Defense (20 points total) - END=0  ||||
| 10 | Clinging (normal STR) - END=0  ||||
| 11 | Leaping +12m (16m forward, 8m upward) (Accurate) - END=1  ||||
| 5 | Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) - END=0  ||||
| 15 | Maneuvering gun: Blast 4d6, Area Of Effect (8m Cone; +1/4), Attack Versus Alternate Defense (Resistance to cold; +1) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), 4 Charges (-1) - END=[4]  ||||
| Powers Total: 178 |||||
^ Cost ^ Skills ^^^^
| 3 | Acrobatics 12-  ||||
| 11 | Breakfall 16-  ||||
| Skills Total: 14 |||||
^ Cost ^ Talents ^^^^
| 6 | Environmental Movement (no penalties on)  ||||
| Talents Total: 6 |||||
^ Base Points: ^^ 500 ^^ ^
| Experience: || 0 || |
| Experience Unspent: || 0 || |
| Total Character Cost: || 437 || |

==== Catosphere ====

^ VAL ^ CHA ^ Cost ^ Roll ^ Notes ^
| 20 | STR | 10 | 13- | HTH Damage 4d6 END [2] |
| 22 | DEX | 24 | 13- | |
| 12 | CON | 2 | 11- | |
| 10 | INT | 0 | 11- | PER Roll 11- |
| 15 | EGO | 5 | 12- | |
| 10 | PRE | 0 | 11- | PRE Attack: 2d6 |
| 10 | OCV | 35 |  ||
| 8 | DCV | 25 |  ||
| 3 | OMCV | 0 |  ||
| 7 | DMCV | 12 |  ||
| 6 | SPD | 40 | Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12  ||
| 20 | PD | 18 | 20/30 PD (0/10 rPD)  ||
| 20 | ED | 18 | 20/30 ED (0/10 rED)  ||
| 8 | REC | 4 |  ||
| 100 | END | 16 |  ||
| 10 | BODY | 0 |  ||
| 60 | STUN | 20 |  ||
^ Movement ^ Cost ^ Meters ^ Notes ^^
| FLIGHT | | 16m/32m | ||
Characteristics Total: 213 |||||
^ Cost ^ Powers ^^^^
| 10 | Claw hold: Clinging (normal STR) - END=0  ||||
| 16 | Flight 16m - END=2  ||||
| 14 | Life Support (Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing) - END=0  ||||
| 15 | Active Sonar (Hearing Group) - END=0  ||||
| 8 | Mental Defense (8 points total) - END=0  ||||
| 5 | Nine arms: Extra Limbs (9) - END=0  ||||
| 80 | Hand-To-Hand Attack +8d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2), Penetrating (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/2) (100 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/4) - END=4  ||||
| 30 | Resistant Protection (10 PD/10 ED) - END=0  ||||
| Powers Total: 178 |||||
^ Cost ^ Skills ^^^^
| 10 | Rapid Attack  ||||
| Skills Total: 10 |||||
^ Cost ^ Talents ^^^^
| 6 | Environmental Movement (no penalties on)  ||||
| 3 | +1/+1d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters)  ||||
| Talents Total: 9 |||||
^ Value ^ Complications ^^^^
| 25 | Physical Complication: Can't move in gravity (Frequently; Fully Impairing)  ||||
| 15 | Enraged: When grabbed (Uncommon), go 14-, recover 14-  ||||
| Complications Total: 40 |||||
^ Base Points: ^^ 450 ^^ ^
| Experience: || 0 || |
| Experience Unspent: || 0 || |
| Total Character Cost: || 410 || |

And finally, since I said those words during the game, and regretted saying them
the instant they came out of my mouth, here's a little something from Jim:

**All Out of Love--Air Supply**
(placeholder--because I, Jim the Lesser, am Evil)

//I'm lying alone with my head on the phone
Thinking of you till it hurts
I know you hurt too, but what else can we do?
Tormented and torn apart
I wish I could carry your smile in my heart

For times when my life seems so low
It would make me believe what tomorrow could bring
When today doesn't really know, doesn't really know

I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you?
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong

I want you to come back and carry me home
Away from these long lonely nights
I'm reaching for you, are you feeling it too?
Does the feeling seem oh so right?

And what would you say, if I called on you now
Saying that I can't hold on
There's no easy way, it gets harder each day
Please love me or I'll be gone, I'll be gone

I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you?
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong

What are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?

I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you?
I can't be too late, I know I was so wrong

I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you?
I can't be too late, I know I was so wrong

I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong
I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you

I know you were right//