Last night’s Battlestar Galactica RPG game was fantastic. It was one of those nights where all the plyaers were on it, all the characters got to not only do story-specific tasks but were able to have role playing/character development moments that were fun for all. As a GM, I was heartened by the fact that a half-assed plan and a vague idea of where the overall campaign is going combined with some inspired mental tap-dancing to create a spooky and intellectually engaging plot.

Having completed their murder mystery, it’s time for Aegis and her task force to set up for the Armistice Line to set up a forward operating base for their forays over the line into Cylon space. We opened with the master chief leading a bunch of the wrenches down to fix a problem with the magcats in the launch bay. There were comic moments where they are completely thwarted by a single, stubborn bolt holding the access panel closed. The new player/character got to experience the mundanities of service life — 0500 PT, communal showers in the general heads, breakfast on the fly as new NCO she gets the crap supervisor jobs. The CAG has to get the plan of action for their jump to the Polyxena system right.

The commander get s a gift from the chief engineer and master chief — a scanning electron microsope the engineer managed to appropriate from her last assignment at Scorpia Yards. Now they can identify Cylon tissue by the silica fiber optics and molecular machines’ signatures. Additionally, the master chief stole the material for a state-of-the-art holotank for their war room. Think Surface, but in 3-D. Of course, everyone’s first thought…we can get the 3D Pyramid games on this!

They jump to Polyxena, site of their first mission, wher they had been very cursory on their search before bugging out. the observation post is still abandoned, and the ancient tylium mine facility that had been discovered by the miners on the moon, and which the post had been conducting archeological research on, is still accessible.

While damage control teams get the observation post back online, a DC team under the ship’s CAG, Dr. Gio Mellor — an archeologist from the Sagitaron dig (search the site for the appropriate AAR), and the intelligence NCO head into the dig site. They get further than the crew did last time and discover several things in the dark, minute ammonium atmosphere of the old mine:

1) The doors to the mine were blown open by a shaped charge. 2) There is evidence of a fight. Shell casings from two different kinds of rifle — small caliber (.27 cal they later learn) and a mid-caliber (.335 cal.)…nothing they know of in use today. The dispersion of the shells suggest small caliber was used by the facility defenders. 3) Computers with keyboards in an unknown script. Some paper notes that have survive the ages, as well, with the same script. 4) All of the furniture, clothing, etc. is slightly larger than one would expect for humans, but is still recognizably human. 5) Coins with the symbol of Zeus on them… ( ♃ ) 5) They find musical instruments, personal items, and other humanizing trinkets in the labyrinthine living area. 6) The mine was extensive and equipment easily on par with current technology.

Lastly, they find a last stand with a line of armed remains protecting a group of unarmed remains. Most are skeletal, now, but a few were in space suits and are mostly intact. They look human.

The night ended with no answers, and they were shipping the bodies up to the ship for autopsy and analysis.

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