Day 3 | Afternoon | The Trial

[Cuyler Gray]

Cuyler followed, carefully watching their surroundings.

[Kannon]

"...There, I think, would be optimal." Sinsei said, taking her ear from the receiver. She pointed to a narrow promontory extending from the cliffside, ending with an even more elevated outcropping, butte-like. It really looked... above and beyond? "But we can try it out here as well, maybe it'll be sufficient. The static fluctuations are rather minimal here."

[Cuyler Gray]

"May as well check it out." Cuyler put on one of the parachutes and carefully approached the outcropping.

[Efren Lanville]

Efren grabbed a bit of rope as well from their supplies and followed after the pair.

[Kannon]

It was windy there, going all the way across the promontory might be risky, and keeping the antenna in place rather hard. A bigger gust could carry it away. Maybe that butte wasn't such a great place after all?

[Tell me the decision, promontory or before it, I'll tell the rolls.]

[Cuyler Gray]

"We'd have to secure it in place, if we put it out there." Cuyler said, as she searched for any way that could be done. "We can't risk losing it."

[Efren Lanville]

"That's pretty precarious out there... Lets see if we can get a signal here... And if not, we'll check out the point out there if we need to." Efren offered.

[Cuyler Gray]

"Agreed."

They began to set the antenna up.

[Kannon]

[Hard Mechanics. You can use Sinsei's Int 4. Others can Assist with Boost.]

[Cuyler Gray]

Setting it up, would require all of them. That was the key to everything they were doing today. Their strength was in everyone working together. The antenna would be key to that. Cuyler took the lead, but found the wiring to be more complex than the minor fixes she had done on the thopter.

- - -
Day 3 | Afternoon | The Trial, Setting up the Antenna, Hard Mechanics, Assisted, "People are the true strength of a Great House.”: 1eA+2eP+1eB+3eD 2 failures

[Efren Lanville]

Sinsei continued to instruct the team on how to set up the antenna... pointing to this switch and that...

Eventually the four of them powered it up to see the results of their work...


----

Fixing the Antenna, Assists from Efren and Eileen (GM): 4eA+2eB+3eD 3 successes, 1 advantage

[Kannon]

Sinsei 4.jpg (96.7 KiB) Viewed 1382 times

Sinsei listened to the new static for a while, then gave Efren the console to choose frequency, Atreides Landing to call support, or one of their thopters. She sat down cross-legged, lip bit with tense anticipation, her red hair a war banner on the wind.

Would it work?

[Efren Lanville]

Efren attempted to pick the least likely target first. Calling Atreides Landing would likely have the lowest chance of success, but getting them moving to reinforce would undoubtedly take the most time.

He plugged in the frequency and opened the line, "This is Corporal Efren Lanville. AL Homebase please come in."

[Kannon]

First, there was nothing. And again. On the third try with slightly adjusted angling, the receiver responded with:

"Kzzzt... grzzz... tststsk... Lan... kkkk... port..."

There were shreds of words!

[Efren Lanville]

“Atreides Landing. Did not copy. Repeat. Over.” He motioned to keep the antenna directed as it was and prepare to make small changes.

[Kannon]

"Atr... ding. Corp... Davenpo... Did not ...py. Re... Over."

[Efren Lanville]

Efren slowed his speech and annunciated the best he could, "This is Corporal Efren Lanville. Attempting to contact Atreides Landing HQ. Over."

Whatever was happening the fidgeting had made it slightly easier to understand.

[Kannon]

"Copy. This is Corporal Euler Davenport, -grrrt- thern Air Base, Atreides Land... -gzzzt-. What do you have to -ztzt- port. Over."

[Efren Lanville]

Efren spoke again into the receiver, "Report to Lt. Col. Lanville that our team found primary target. Repeat, have found primary target. Hostiles present. Require air extraction and ground support for a large hostile encampment." He paused, "Approximate coordinates...-6.17' and 140.96' Encampment located north of mountain range. No visibility from sky. Look for flares. Repeat. Approximate coordinates...-6.17' and 140.96' Encampment located north of mountain range. No visibility from sky. Look for flares. Over."

[Kannon]

After several attempts Corporal Davenport got most of the message. BY the end of it, he seemed sceptical about this not being some elaborate prank.

"Give me your... rization code, Corporal. Over."