The pair of fighters escort the survey ship, one flying ahead and below and the other behind and above.
Vertical separation is around 1000'.

"Square spiral square search pattern out to 2,000 feet," promts Brutus. "Then we repeat two thousand feet lower."

======
OOC: Can he see anything more suspicious being that little bit closer?

Stay up, we can't replace the Surveyor easily or any of our people.


I assume we can get a general lay of the land ... water? Mountains, flat lands?

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 8):

Yeah, even from 28,000 ft, you can see the general lay of the land. You would see buildings too if there were any, if it were not for the smoke. But the clouds of smoke bloke a lot from that height. Smoke clouds start to reduce around 10,000-15,000 ft.

Between the clouds of smoke you get glimpses of low lying foothills, plains and river beds beneath.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Clouds mean nothing much to radar, Multispectral viewers can also see in wavelengths less affected by the smoke... and buildings should likely remain, as they did even near ground zero in Hiroshima. Rivers? Lakes? oceans? Major Roads?

I assume we can estimate the relative size of the weapons used by the damage size and patterns.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 10):

There are scanners less effected by smoke, that is true, but they are still effected, and there is a lot of distance with smoke between you and the ground.

You are right about buildings remaining, as would signs of infrastructure, such as roads. But there is no sign of either.

It does not look like nukes were used. Rather, low level fires started systematically possibly by weapons such as flamers.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

OK, so Flamers and a world wide fire, Grand.

Still looking from up here, as we don't need damage from some dumb bug. And the mothership isn't one we want to go scooting aroundin the atmosphere in. Let's deploy the  auto sensor survey package on a lower recon run.  It should be very hard to target with it's combination of speed and the low visibility. Bug locations will be marked and dealt with, but we are looking for survivors from this planet mostly.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 12):

The stats on the auto-sensor package would suggest otherwise. It is a survey package, not a military scout, and the scientists who work it ask if you are sure you want to do that. (Details are on Players Vessels page).

If you are looking for bugs, however, looking for the flamers might be more effective...they are clearly being used to start the fires, and with out them, you might expect the fires to start burning themselves out.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

"Have we scanned enough of the fires to be able to work out a vector on the source, or sources of fire initiation or propagation?" asks Brutus, stretching.

In reply to Fate (msg # 13):

OK, If it has a speedof 1,000 + I am assuing it is moderately quick... many hundreds of miles per hour.
It s also not large and should be a fleeting target at best...  so what am I missing?


We can indeed look for where fires are starting and have a tank go an attack them, although the laser weapons are likely to cause fires as well.

You still have not mentioned water, amounts or locations. Water can be useful for dowsing fires, especially as rain, which might be har to conjure up, but if we can scoop and dump it, we might be aable to direct fires and have them burninto burned out areas.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 15):

Atmospheric resistance. Sensors are primarily external to the hull, so high speed in atmosphere will not do them any good.

But looking for fire sources would work well...they seem to be spread out, so likely the bug are as well.

The planet is only covered by 40% water, so it is pretty dry, but yes, firefighting could likely help. Once the source is deal with.


24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Brutus prods the scientists, "How's it going with getting those vectors worked out? "

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 17):

"Takes time, sir. There is a lot of smoke to filter through. But we can identify a few sources of the fire at least. Sending them across now."

They send through several co-ordinates.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Brtutus checks the coordinates. Do the seem to form any sort of advancing line?

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 19):

Very roughly, yes. But far from a sophisticated pattern.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

"Want to engage this line from behind and at the nearest end, skipper. Permission?" asks Brutus.

Granted, but stay alert. I'll dispatch the other tank as well.

"Aye aye, skipper," replies Brutus with an implied salute.
His craft escorts the science ship to safetly and then heads off on a long arc to approach the end of the 'fire initiation' line low and from the rear.

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 23):

You approach, and are met with heavy laser fire. But the Dinosaur lasers they carry are no match for the heavy armour of the Tanks, and the weapons you have make short work of the 5 firebugs you see near the end.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Circle back and another appraoch along the  'line' to the next node of bugs.

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 25):

The grav vehicles can hover, so if you prefer, you do not need to circle around. You approach the next lot of bugs about a mile away, and fire at most of them. They seem to start spreading out before you got there though...your sensors detect a comms signal from them.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Do we know enough about their language yet to understand the message?
If not, we can record it and note their actions.

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 27):

You know enough to get the gist of what is being said, if not the exact wording with some analysis. it is basically a warning of hostile aircraft. Though short in range, is seems to be repeated along the front.

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

"Can we get a fix on those comms signals? Current locations would be useful!" pushes Brutus. "Or at least the number of repeats for a rough bug head count."

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 29):

Sensors take a few minutes as the signals are sent out.

"Counted 68 signals, Sir. Transmitting locations to you now."

24 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

"Good work!" he commends. With those input to the tactical computer brutus get some straffing runs set up.