Velocity Outline

The research vessel The Vivaldi has a goal of jumping far in space to start an expedition to colonize other planets. Upon jumping, an explosion occurs on the ship and they are sent somewhere strange (later shown to be the future). They happen upon an advanced civilization who has the technology to communicate with them. The civilization works to try to get them back home, though they do not know where it is. They must work together to try to figure it out.

You learn that this is humanity in the future (200 years or so), after colonizing planets are maintaining their role in the universe.

The ship engine has a plate on it that says "Kibu" (a play on the word Ubik). During an explosion, the ship can experience similar phenomena in Ubik with time regression.

This will be a sci-fi murder mystery. The second lieutenant will be the killer. He will murder them in a manner of someone from the past, versus using a method that a futuristic person would use. He is, in fact, and ideological ancestor of the current anti-science fundamentalists.

Chapter 1
The Vivaldi is nearly ready to take off. The 3 military crew discuss the security of the ship and talk about the anti-science fundamentalists of their time. Desmond seems a bit soft on them, saying we should try to understand people who we do not agree with. The Vivaldi has to spend several days to travel away from close proximity to the planets to use their technology. We find out some of these relationships between these people, including how much of a pain Rose Camisa seems to be. We also find that Bodhi seems to have a soft spot for April May June. The Vivaldi attempts to create a wormhole to go to a far away place for their mission. Immediately upon the jump, an explosion happens and a strange feeling comes upon the ship. They scramble to investigate the issue and another explosion happens and everything stops. They look outside and appear to be in a strange place, with a strange planet in the distance.

Chapter 2
Soon after, a strange ship comes upon them and attempts to communicate with them. The technology difference makes it difficult. They physically leave the ship, floating in space, and uses the control panel on the outside of a door to close the interior door and open the exterior. They go in, the exterior door closes, and the people open the interior door and investigates. The team leader collects the crew and brings them down to the planet.

Chapter 3
The ship is identified as the Vivaldi and the crew is questioned separately. The characters all tell them about themselves. Desmond says that he comes from a principled family, with traditional values, and that he believes in heirarchy - hence his miliary job. They are given all sorts of tests. They are given vaccines and anti-bacterials since they will have no immune defense for future bacteria. The Captain is met by the leader of the planet's high representatives. The planet is unified, ran by a large government. They prioritize science and progress and appears to be a bit of a utopia. Once they are validated, they are welcome with huge fanfare (by Aurik Damiran). No one on either side can really believe the situation.

Chapter 4
The crew is outside, with escorts, learning about the planet (which has been terraformed from a partially Earth-like planet). They are attacked by anti-science fundamentalists. They escape narrowly and the fundamentalists are apprehended, at least the ones that are still alive. They are taken to the estate of the representative (Damiran) and are explained the details of the anti-science fundamentalists. They are asked to stay in for the night, this is to be their home for the time being. They are told about the anti-science fundamentalists, how they are the have been around for perhaps 200+ years. They have been trying to get their hands on some of the artifacts so that they can use it for propaganda. After dinner, they go to the artifact room. They are walking around separately, with some things being explained by the Damiran and Kotln Hill. Most of them have information placques like in a museum. Rosa Camisa is murdered (stabbed) in a hallway right outside of it. This room is fairly large and has large displays within it. You CANNOT SEE everyone in the room since there are so many things in the way. Police are called once the body is discovered. Captain Bodhi asks to be involved in the investigation, as they are strangers to this place.

Chapter 5
All of the people at dinner are questioned individually, Captain is sitting in on them. Everyone will alibi someone else, at some point! These are all of Vivaldi crew, the rep Damiran and assistant Kotln, the butler and a couple staff including a cook, head of security - this is the suspect list. The butler will later be found to be an anti-science fundamentalist that, of course, did not do it. There were several guards outside but they were pair off and there were security cameras that gives them all alibis. You discover that Rose often flirted with Joshua Long, the First Lieutenant's husband. This makes them both suspect as either of them might act to stop her affect on their marriage. Rose also flirted with Pete Williamson, who is in a romantic interest of biologist Anissa. You find out that she claimed that one of Ryuji's invention was her own. Pete tells you that Desmond Riel is mad that Aly was promoted and given the First Lieutenant role. You find out that he wanted it for some additional access to sabotage the Vivaldi, as he was the one who sabotaged it.

Chapter 6
The butler is questioned without Bodhi as he is one of their citizens, and is found to be an anti-science fundamentalist. He admits to turning off the security cameras in the room so that he can steal something. Damiran and his guards take him to the holding room. He is held in a room, during the investigation. Damiran tells Bodhi that he has just come from the butler and informed him of his rights. Damiran points out the guard watching the butler as [guard name]. Bodhi waves to him. This familiarity will be useful when Desmond goes in by himself, and when the guard casually states something about Bodhi's team questioning the butler a second time. He suggest they keep questioning the others as the butler will fall apart on his own (as we will see, he is weak-willed and will agree to kill himself for his cause later). Ai Wu is questioned and she gives highlight's some things that Rose told her in psychiatry sessions. She said that Rose told her that Doctor Kamala Brimble had been using drugs to get high, which is obviously something that could cause her problems if it were discovered. Rose walked in on Kamala, and Kamala told her not to tell anyone. Elijah, April, and Hans are around to just support, individually, some of the stories that the investigators have heard. Desmond goes to the butler, and asks to see him and is left alone. Desmond is seen coming from the room that the butler is held in by Elijah. He tells him that he wanted to know "why the guy did it". The butler is still alive and well at this point.

Chapter 7
Koltn is interviewed at this time. It becomes apparent that he has little motive to do anything about this. You may find that he is unhappy with his role as assistant but this results in no motive. Bodhi confides in April June that he is struggling to see a connection. He says that he is disappointed to find out that many of his crew actually had a reason to dispose of Rose and he wasn't aware of it. Some of the people are seen talking to each other in secret, like the Pete/Josh (confiding that Rose was flirting with them both) & Anissa/Ai (also with Anissa confiding with her about the flirting). Hans and Elijah as seen talking, too. Captain Bodhi is getting increasing suspicious of all of 6 of them along with the others with discernable motive (Kamala and Ryuji). Aly and Desmond aren't really giving him any suspicion (Don't summarize any of these facts). Everyone is alibi'd by everyone else, at some point.

Chapter 8
Bodhi asks Aly to go with him as his second in command to go talk to butler again. The guard comments "you guys are questioning him again?". Bodhi pays no mind, not really knowing what he's talking about. They question him and Damiran comes in and asks him to come outside of the room where the butler is kept, leaving Aly in there alone with him. He came to tell Bodhi about an artifact going missing, a dagger kept by an old war hero of yesteryear. The butler was obviously frisked before being put in there. Bodhi comes back in and asks about the dagger and he says nothing. What we will find out later is that Desmond told the butler that he will finish his mission if he kills himself. As a zealot, he will comply. For now, they give up questioning him and leave his room. Moments later, the guards yell and we find out that the butler has died by the missing blade.

Chapter 9
Bodhi asks Damiran to call everyone into the main room and he will explain what happened with the situation. He explains the puzzle and Desmond is apprehended.