Let's play: SCRAMming up!

[Shroom Man 777]

CONTRIBUTES more TURDS to the EFFORT

[Zixinus]

Now that SHEP has been SUFFERRING ENOUGH and LIKELY TO DIE due to FREE-FLOATING PARANG, I CALM DOWN.

Beatings from COWARD WHO COULD HAVE SAVED HIS DOG IF HE FOUGHT HIS OWN BATTLES leaves several bruises and cuts but because the COWARD FOUGHT IN RETARD RAGE, he DID NOT DAMAGE ANYTHING IMPORTANT. Likewise IRRITABLE DOG, who is not used to fighitng in ZERO-G managed to AVOID MAYOR ARTERIES, especially trough the FLIGHTSUIT. However, I suffer penalties to FOCUS that AFFECTS NAVIGATIONAL, PILOTING and ANARCHIST SKILLS.

SAY "We should look to see whether we can dock with a space station. With luck, we might get a chance to phone our clients to tell them where to go and that we'll be slightly delayed," I suggest.

PROCEED to MAKE TOURNIQUET from SPARE CLOTHING (that is NOT FLIGHTSUIT). LAMENT that I no longer have any PÁLINKA to address the pain or disinfect myself.

[PeZook]

DECISION TIME

Boosting the MAGNIFICENT SPACEPLANE to POLAR ORBIT will require FUEL. Namely, MAIN ENGINE FUEL.

Due to your ASCENT PROFILE during the GREAT ESCAPE (II), you were PUT on the CORRECT TRAJECTORY using MAIN ROCKET ENGINES.

You have 73% of MAIN ENGINE FUEL left. You have 90% of SCRAM ENGINE FUEL LEFT.

You can DUMP your SCRAM FUEL and ATTAIN ORBIT much EASIER and BURNING less MAIN ENGINE FUEL (OPTION A)

You can RETAIN your SCRAM FUEL but be LEFT in ORBIT with SIGNIFICANTLY LESS MAIN ENGINE FUEL in the TANKS.(OPTION B)

Or make your OWN OPTION KNOWN.

You have enough MAIN ENGINE FUEL for a RAPID RE-ENTRY, allowing you more TIME before having to RE-ENTER. You have to be IMPECCABLE with your TIMING as there will be LITTLE OPPORTUNITY to ADJUST your COURSE should you MISS OKHOTSK.

You retain SCRAM FUEL allowing for MANEUVERS in the UPPER ATMOSPHERE. You will BARELY have enough MAIN ENGINE FUEL for a MINIMUM ENERGY RE-ENTRY, giving you about HALF the time of OPTION A before having to RE-ENTER and making RE-ENTRY itself much LONGER, straining the HULL PATCH.

What do you do?_

[Eternal_Freedom]

REALISE a DECISION must be MADE QUICKLY.

AFTER EXPELLING SHEPP FROM AIRLOCK, HOLD CONFERENCE with ZIXINUS. SUGGEST we DUMP SCRAM FUEL and go with OPTION A. It leaves us with MORE AND BETTER OPTIONS.

[FaxModem1]

Upon reviewing options, WCDG votes for OPTION A, because we have BADASS PILOTS and MAD SCIENTISTS on this SPACEPLANE.

[Scottish Ninja]

"We will have to do this right. But dumping SCRAM fuel is best."

[Darkevilme]

SAUVE PLAYBOY votes A. Option B sounds more likely to be fatal. We still need to make the SPACESUIT functional using only supplies available onboard for either option to work though.

[FaxModem1]

WHITE CHINESE DELIVERY GUY tells SUAVE PLAYBOY: "We're working on it. Once this spacesuit is ready for you, you can inspect under the wing."

[MKSheppard]

MAKE BURN. LAUGH as SHEPP becomes IMPLAED on the FREE-FLOATING PARANG.

LAUGH INSANELY AS PARANG DOES LITTLE DAMAGE AS IT BOUNCES OFF HIM.

(Fools, remember the XR-2 does not have that much acceleration in orbit. If it was capable of enough acceleration to slam the PARANG through my chest with enough force to IMPALE ME, all of you would suffer massive amounts of broken bones, since you are all FLOATING IN THE CABIN.)

GRAB PARANG AND USE IT TO FEND OFF CRAZED HUNGARIAN'S ATTEMPTS TO KILL ME.

NOTICE LARGE IRRITABLE DOG BLEEDING LIKE CRAZY.

BEGIN CRYING LIKE A BABY.

FIND MEDICAL KIT AND OPEN IT UP. HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO BEGIN. REMEMBER THAT SMARMY SAILOR KNOWS BASIC FIRST AID.

[FaxModem1]

"For Goodness's sake..."

WCDG takes FIRST AID KIT from RIANN SHAP and takes PAINKILLERS from FIRST AID KIT and ADMINISTERS it to WOUNDED DOG.

"At least let it die comfortably."

[Simon_Jester]

MAKE BURN. LAUGH as SHEPP becomes IMPLAED on the FREE-FLOATING PARANG.

LAUGH INSANELY AS PARANG DOES LITTLE DAMAGE AS IT BOUNCES OFF HIM.

(Fools, remember the XR-2 does not have that much acceleration in orbit. If it was capable of enough acceleration to slam the PARANG through my chest with enough force to IMPALE ME, all of you would suffer massive amounts of broken bones, since you are all FLOATING IN THE CABIN.)

Spoiler

On the contrary, we are BUCKLED UP

[Zixinus]

f it was capable of enough acceleration to slam the PARANG through my chest with enough force to IMPALE ME, all of you would suffer massive amounts of broken bones, since you are all FLOATING IN THE CABIN.)

It can still cause a PRETTY SERIOUS WOUND, even a LETHAL ONE IF IT HIT YOUR STOMACH. You are not wearing armor: a sharp bit of metal can will penetrate even fairly little acceleration.

[PeZook]

Spoiler

It can actually do about 2Gs without SCRAM fuel and with about 60% main engine fuel still left.

Everybody is STRAPPED IN except for ZIXINUS, who was busy trying to kill SHAPP right before the burn happened. And, obviously, RI'ANN SHAPP, LARGE IRRITABLE DOG, COMBAT JANITOR TROPICAL BEAUTY and possibly SMARMY AMERICAN SAILOR were also floating around the cabin.

WHITE CHINESE DELIVERY GUY and MAD SCIENTIST had enough time to strap in because they were not involved in a fight and understood what ETERNAL FREEDOM was saying (unlike TROPICAL BEAUTY)

I guess there's gonna be another MAN HEAP on the bulkhead

[PeZook]

Spoiler

It's also an interesting question I am unable to answer: if the body and sharp bit of metal is floating in freefall, will the blade bounce off the body due to FUCKER NEWTON, or could it possibly penetrate?

I figure what would happen is that the parang hits the bulkhead first and "drops flat" in the same way it would drop on a floor, then SHAPP falls on top of it, since both it and SHAPP would accelerate at roughly the same rate WRT the spaceplane, except the parang is in the passenger cabin while SHAPP is closer to the cockpit.

So it would be like falling on a knife that's on the floor ; Possibility of a cut, but not stabbing.

[Scottish Ninja]

Also: GLARE at WCDG and SUAVE PLAYBOY. "Is not democracy. How many hours do you have in logs of spaceplane flight?"

[Simon_Jester]

MAD SCIENTIST proclaims UNCONDITIONAL TECHNOCRATIC LOYALTY to JUDGMENT of (EXPERIENCED?) SPACEPLANE PILOTS who HAVE TO FLY THIS THING.*

*May God help them, for FUCKER NEWTON will not.

Spoiler

It's also an interesting question I am unable to answer: if the body and sharp bit of metal is floating in freefall, will the blade bounce off the body due to FUCKER NEWTON, or could it possibly penetrate?

I figure what would happen is that the parang hits the bulkhead first and "drops flat" in the same way it would drop on a floor, then SHAPP falls on top of it, since both it and SHAPP would accelerate at roughly the same rate WRT the spaceplane, except the parang is in the passenger cabin while SHAPP is closer to the cockpit.

So it would be like falling on a knife that's on the floor ; Possibility of a cut, but not stabbing.

Spoiler

So, SHAPP has FALLEN ON HIS SWORD in REPENTANCE for his REPEATED ATTEMPTS to KILL US ALL, including HIMSELF... but SCREWED IT UP?

[FaxModem1]

"FUCKER NEWTON won't help them, so how about we do by giving them all the mathematical help they can get?"

WCDG finishes REPAIRING BEST SPACESUIT and gives it TO SUAVE PLAYBOY.

To PLAYBOY:

"Make us proud."

[Darkevilme]

SUAVE PLAYBOY examines the SPACESUIT for still existent HOLES and, if he finds NONE, puts the SPACESUIT on while offering up a prayer to JIMMY HENDRIX AND BUDDY HOLLY that the suit is actually REPAIRED and will allow him to survive in the VACUUM OF SPACE which he now prepares to enter, moving into the AIRLOCK and carrying the IMPROVISED HULL SEALANT.

[FaxModem1]

WHITE CHINESE DELIVERY GUY operates the AIRLOCK CONTROLS to let SUAVE PLAYBOY out, closing the INNER AIRLOCK HATCH, DEPRESSURIZING OF AIRLOCK, THEN OPENING EXTERIOR AIRLOCK HATCH.

[Zixinus]

GESTURE IXNAY to WCDG.

GLARE WITH MURDEROUS RAGE AT SHEP. FIND LONG PIECE OF WIRE in POCKET that I probably FORGOT ABOUT while UNPACKING THE RAVENSTAR.

GENTLY KICK OFF to GET BEHIND DISTRACTED SHEP. USE WIRE AS GAROTE on SHEP. PLACE FEET AND BODY in a POSITION from where he CAN'T REACH ME.

OFFER SHEP AN OFFER HE CAN'T REFUSE:

"Doggy is dead. I really don't like killing dogs. That makes me even more angry. You're still alive however pales compared to that, you vindictive little shit. We wouldn't have had to land in Austria like that if it weren't for you shit. But here's the thing: we have a hastily patched-up spacesuit and an emergency. I saw you out there: you're good at EVA, better than our marketing man. So I had an idea: you take the spacesuit and apply the patch. You need to do it because it's the only we survive and you'll survive. If you do it fast enough, I'll promise to keep keep the doors open before our window and let you in. If you don't, we'll have to buy another spacesuit. How's that sound. It's certainly a better deal than what your fascist comrades can gave you, because unlike them, I do keep my word."

EDIT:
Damnit guys, you beat me to it.

[FaxModem1]

WCDG closes NOSECONE before SUAVE PLAYBOY can leave, RE-PRESSURIZES AIRLOCK, and opens INNER AIRLOCK HATCH.

"Change of plans PLAYBOY, we're giving RIANN a chance to exonerate himself."

[FaxModem1]

WHITE CHINESE DELIVERY GUY waves REPAIR KIT in front of SHEP.

"What do you say? Are you going to redeem yourself?"

[MKSheppard]

TAKE REPAIR KIT. TELL THEM THE DOG BETTER LIVE.

[Shroom Man 777]

BEFORE SHAPP LEAVES

GIVE HIM A DEEP KISS

"For luck."

ROBOTIC FOOT begins to PLAY DRAMATIC MUSIC for SHAPP's EVA

[FaxModem1]

WCDG tells SAILOR to HELP DOG.

"We can at least do that."