"Trovu" Chapter 1
| TROVU | |
|---|---|
| Meta Information | |
| Author | Bluestone.Bot |
| Genre | Science-Fiction |
| Characters | |
| Protagonist(s) | |
| Side Characters | |
| Background Characters | Trovu Crew:
|
| Setting | |
| Timespan | During the year 350 |
| Locations | |
| Relevant organisations | |
The private space exploration vessel "Trovu" is currently in the unknown regions, mapping out safe passages and just looking around for anything profitable. [Next]
The Trovu is a privately funded spacecraft about the size of a a maritime container ship. Most of its space is allocated to storage for equipment, water and provisions to sustain prolonged expeditions into unknown space. It currently partakes in the IRIS mapping initiative but it is entirely independently organised. The crew of 38 is mostly in it for the money and adventure but there are also a fair share of science enthusiasts among them.
Its general technology is at the level of the CIS, though not that of the military. Most of its hardware has been in use for many years now having been repaired and tinkered with multiple times.
Especially obvious is that in its highly altered sensor system which can be seen as arrays of antennas and sensor dishes across the hull of the ship, having been modified multiple times by the ships mechanics and the occasional scientist which needed special new components for their experiments.
The Owner of the Trovu is "Walter Smith" a businessman with a taste for adventure and an obsession with space. Through investments and stock trading he made himself a stable income which he now uses to finance the expeditions he takes with the Trovu.
The Captain is "Robin Orelik" a former CIS commander and school friend of "Walter Smith" which honourably left the CIS space forces to partake in more lucrative and fun activities.
The Trovu is currently in Warp to a new system.
The Bridge
1840 hours SSBT
Helmsman "Otto Howard" is talking with the chief navigator "Pauline Dumont".
Otto is currently in his seat, looking over the autopilot and just checking various systems.
Pauline: "Well, apart from the two size 3 and the one size 5 gas giant, four size 2 or 3 rocky planets there might be one candidate in the habitable zone."
Pauline goes over to the central planning screen in the bridge and starts loading up a map made from the long range sensor data and begins configuring it for a briefing, laying out possible routes and letting a classification program run over the data.
Pauline: "It is une possibilite. I mean new life seems to be far more common than was estimated in the past, I wouldn't be surprised if we stumble across one or two microbes, maybe even plants."
A notification on his screen gets Otto's attention. He begins clicking through some menus.
He clicks on a symbol on his communication display which opens a line to the engineering department.
The door to the bridge opens and second communications officer "Jake Bray" enters. The door closes behind him. He proceeds to go to his station.
Otto pulls up the autopilot log on his console.
Pauline: "Hey Jake, we might have an inhabited world coming up."
Jake's face lightens up and there an obvious excitement in his voice.
He pulls up the map from the main screen on his own console.
He begins setting up sensory configurations.
Pauline: "They could have gotten that, if at all, fairly recently but I wouldn't count on it. I mean the distance is only a few dozen lightyears."
Jake: "More than 30 years is still a feasibly time frame."
They start chatting a bit more about the probabilities of alien life while performing their own tasks.
About 8 minutes go by.
A signal tone sounds and the door between bridge and the captain's office opens.
Otto assumes a ready stance.
Captain Robin Orelik enters the Bridge and sits down at the command console while doing a swift look around the room.
Otto: "Yes sir."
Otto does an exaggerated bow and sits down on his chair again.
Pauline: "If nothing new comes up, all is set for briefing."
A status update of the ships systems appears on his console. He looks over it. As he reads one notification he smirks.
Otto: "I already notified them of it sir."
Robin: "Well also tell them if they don't find a permanent solution for it, the next collision is on them."
Captain Orelik reaches for the intercom.
Over the next 5 minutes the remaining bridge crew, as well as the 1. and 2. chief engineer and a few IRIS scientists[2] come back from their break and gather around the main table. As the last person, the second security and weapons officer as well as self proclaimed survival expert "Victor Stepanovich", enters the bridge Pauline begins her briefing.
She pulls up the created system map as well as the left section of the screen a list of statements.
She nods towards the chief engineer "Matthias Specht".
She points towards the map.
A few of the crew and IRIS scientists begin checking their work tablets.
Otto: "Five more minutes till entry."
Robin: "Alright everyone, we'll continue this after we've got the ok. Everyone on your stations."
The bridge crew assumes their posts and the main screen switches to a live camera feed.
A slight brake agitation is felt as the background humming noise of the warp drive goes away.
The camera feed shows a rocky gray and white planet. In the distance a bit off, the yellow sun of the system is seen as just a really bright star among many others.
He tends to his console. The other crew members go over their own tasks. The signal tone notifying the bridge that a space walk is taking place is heard.
He pulls up a few empty diagrams and starts directing a few antennas in the direction of the planet in the habitable zone.
Jake: "Yes sir?"
Robin: "We still need to notify IRIS of our current status and I bet Mr. Smith would also like to know what we've been doing the past months. Furthermore there are also a few crew messages in need of transfer, plus I'd like to get a few news on what's been happening at home. You understand?"
He finishes typing a small line of code and presses enter.
The diagrams on his console start filling up. A small text notification pops up at the top and the whole screen goes a bit dim. The text reads: "Automatic data gathering. Console inactive."
He reaches for his com display and inputs a number letter code.
As Jake grabs his tablet and leaves his station the console shuts of completely, with a small indicator light signalling that its still working. He then exits the bridge, presumable to prep one of the messenger warp pods cutely dubbed "Pigeons".
A "Pigeon" is a small autonomous space drone with own warp drive and a few data banks. They are used to transmit data over vast distance's like a courier since even with modern transmission methods, a ship is sometimes faster, especially a light one. You just load up a course, often retracing the course the ship mapped out upon leaving its home port and then just store any data you want to send onto the pod. Once everything is set the pod will just be released and then follow its set course until its picked up by a ship or arrives at a station with the proper receival code.
Otto finishes typing on his console and pulls up the camera feed on his display.
Victor: "Its just a piece of rock... and don't get me started on those Trigal savages."
Otto: "Hm, its strange that we haven't seen any of them since. I mean they had the tech to travel long distance, who knows if some did not escape, whatever those were."Pauline is currently updating the map with the newest sensor data and calculating course adjustments, correcting for the now more accurate gravity readings.
A small, almost creepy smile flashes across his face.
Pauline: "Not really, unless you consider asteroids interesting. Eh... here."
She brings an orbit map overlay on the main screen which shows the current planet with a few other objects that orbit around it also marked.
Robin: sigh "... For what purpose Stepanovich."
Victor: "Eh.... scientific study?"
Captain Orelik looks at Victor who is still grinning.
Robin: "Permission denied."
Victor: "Fine...."Outer space.
Second chief engineer "Charlie Fox", together with three other engineers is currently on a space walk at thruster section C3. In their space suits with magnetic boots, personal RCS system and a safety wire connected to the ship they are currently examining the wiring in the access panel of the thruster section.
Charlie is tracing wires and compares them with a repair manual sketch.
[Engineer 3] has hooked up an maintenance console to the thruster section and is running some checks.
[1]: "I bet its just the software making us look like fools again."One of the engineers is staring out at the planet, just barely visible as a large spot without stars. The camera feed on the bridge is artificially brightened up and also overlayed with other sensors.
[3]: "Don't say you haven't been on a surface mission yet."
[1] is currently detaching and lifting out one of the thrusters.
[1]: Hrg... maybe less staring and more working will get you a spot someday.Charlie and [1] secure the thruster in its exposed position. [3] attaches his remote on the engine.
Charlie pulls out a small checklist.
[3]: "Check."
Charlie: "Fuel supply secure."
[1]: "One sec... check."He does a small circle of the exposed thruster and then pulls out a thermal camera.
He presses a button on the remote.
A few seconds nothing happens apart from an indicator light starting to blink. Then the thruster ignites and a small orange flame rises up before settling down and sort of lingering.
As the engineer turns on a small knob on the remote the flame of the engine increases.
Suddenly the flame cuts out and a small bit of non-ignited fuel exits the nozzle. The indicator light starts blinking red.
[3] presses a button on the remote.
[3]: "Engine off. Fast cooling engaged."A motor turns on, pumping liquid throughout the thrusters cooling system.
[1] gets out a screwdriver and starts loosening a panel and unplugging wires.
[1]: "I highly suspect one of the injection control chips is fried."He lays free a few components.
Charlie: "What type?"
[1]: "A gate control computer."He starts detaching the part, a small gray box which has a smoldering hole in it.
Charlie jumps over to the crate with replacement parts.
[3]: "Everything out there is a shadow."
[2]: "Yeah but you heard what they said, inhabited world."
Charlie: "Habitable world, not inhabited world."He takes out a few layers of the crate until he detaches a small metallic box with a label from its holding. Going back over to the thruster he notices something that impacted the hull.
Charlie hands the replacement part to [1] and then walks over to the impact, a small dent in the armor plating.
Once he arrives at the point he kneels down to examine the impact.
Inside the dent is a tiny, black... chip of sorts. He picks it up.
Charlie: "Doesn't seem to be rock, maybe a lose spec of armor... but looks more crystal in nature."
He stores it in a small pouch attached to his suit.
[1]: "Ok... try again."
[3] restarts the thruster, it fires up as before.
He turns on the knob again and the flame increases.
Nothing else happens.
[3] presses a button on the remote which shuts the engine off again. He then proceeds to run a diagnostic program.
[2]: "Aye, just one second..."
He reaches for his com unit and enters a code, opening a line with the ship.
He inputs a few numbers on his com unit and sends them. After that is done he gets on packing and sealing up the crate while the three others start lowering and fixing the thruster in the hull again.
A few meters away one of the sensor dishes starts turning.
The engineers secure everything and head back to hangar 1 where they came from.
The Bridge
1920 hours SSBT
Half an hour has passed since system entry. Otto is currently testing out the navigational thrusters, making the ship move a bit in all directions while still maintaining its orbit. The captain is in his office and Pauline is currently checking the sensor data for possible alternatives, should the ok for a system survey not be given. Responsible for that are the four IRIS scientists currently working around the main planning screen and looking at the data.
The Scientists are: Miriam Greenfield (Biologist with doctor in xenobiology), Tanimoto Kokushi (Physicists with doctor in astronomy), Sarah Turner (Chemist with doctor in exomaterials), and Sebastian Schwarz (Ongoing physicist hoping to get a master in orbital mechanics).
Miriam: "Same, so I guess no first contact."
Sarah: "These gas planets have quite an interesting mixture. Can we please get finished so I can get some probes?"
Tanimoto: "Well I call clear, if there is someone there, they are not transmitting anything."Schwarz is looking at the 3d map.
Tanimoto: "The Universe is full of surprises."
Miriam: "I'd also say were good to go."
Sarah: "You already have my answer."
Tanimoto: "Sebas?"
Sebastian: "I mean, if y'all so sure what do I have to object?"Tanimoto opens up a document on his tablet and start importing data.
Orelik turns his head away from his screen to them.
Miriam: "We're clear for survey."
Robin: "Delightful."He turns to Otto.
Otto: "Aye Aye Captain."
He starts lowering the ship in its orbit to prepare for a probe drop.
Jake enters the bridge and walks to his console..
As he sits down his console lightens up again bringing up a number pad. Jake enters a code and the display brings up the last configuration, the graphs of the planet.
He begins looking over the diagrams.
Sarah: "Yes Jake?"
He relays his graphs to the planning screen. Sarah and Miriam start looking over them.
She pauses.
Jake: "Indeed it is, and seems like the habitable world just turned out to be inhabited."
Sarah: "Ouh, we might need to start with that then."Miriam seems very exited
Pauline: "Yes Ms. Greenfield?"
Miriam: "Could we change our base point to the sixth planet?"
Pauline: "Let me see."She pulls up the live map on her console and starts going over it. All the while Jake has combed through the progression graph of the analysis until he pauses.
Sarah: "What's odd."
Jake: "This dip here... as if something got into the way."
Pauline: "Could be the planets moon?"
Jake: "No no, its orbit does not pass through our line of sight."
Sarah: "Well, what else could it be?"
Jake: "Idk... but it happened a few times... so by that logic..."He starts navigating through menus until he's got a telescopic view of the planet in question.
Otto: "In position for probe drop."
Tanimoto: "Great. Release when ready."
Otto: "Aye..."Otto presses a button on his com display.
On his screen he watches through a camera mounted on the outside of the ship as a small object is pushed out of the 1. Hangar. Over the intercom he gets the confirmation that the probe has been released.
Tanimoto: "Great, activa-"
Jake: "THERE!"
Tanimoto: "-ting probe... what is it Mister Bray?"Tanimoto presses a button of the menu on his tablet, activating the automatic guidance of the probe which starts to make its way to the surface of planet. The probe's data and travel trajectory come up on his tablet.
Robin: "Show not tell."
Jake "Right away sir."Jake relays his screen to the main screen of the bridge. A view of a green, brown and blue planet comes into sight. In beautiful patterns the view of the surface is sometimes obstructed by heavy white clouds, and at the center of the frame also by an oddly shaped dark spot.
Tanimoto looks at the object and then at the graphs on the planning screen.
Sebastian: "Artificial construction maybe?"
Jake: "And no radio?"
Sebastian: "Maybe its very directed."
Miriam: "I'd say we take the Cassiopeia[3] and investigate closer."
Sebastian: "That sounds fun. Could I come too?"
Tanimoto: "Well... First of all... Captain, what is your stance on an away mission?"
Robin: "Go ahead. For crew take volunteers and the rest i'll fill in from the Eagle shift."
Jake: "Count me in, i'll come down after shift change."
Miriam: "Ill put a notice in the cafeteria, we'll leave when ready."Jake pushes a button on his com display.
He turns to Sarah.
Miriam and Sebastian leave the bridge to head for the cafeteria.
Central Storage section between Hangar 1 and 2
1935 hours SSBT
Taking place in parallel to the stuff on the bridge, Charlie is sitting together with three other engineers on the shift, including the two who were on the space walk.
Lion Shift central mechanics division;
- Oversight: "Charlie Fox"
- [1] = "Rohan Barton"
- [2] = "Norbert Demski"
- [3] = "Talia Webb"
- [4] = "David Soren"
- [5] = "Markos Zappas"
Talia is currently checking some equipment while Charlie is inspecting the piece he gathered on the repair mission. Norbert and David sit around on crates and do stuff on their smartphones while the other two are in hangar 1 preparing a probe for deployment.
David: "Curious what?"
Talia: "How you can sit around while still having work to do."
David: "Hey, ill get it done before shift change, promise."
Talia: "Well you might start then, you've got about 20 more minutes left."
David: "Yeah yeah, just this one level."Charlie smirks.
Norbert: "You could ask Sarah if she can Identify it."
Charlie: "Already planned to go to her after shift change."
Norbert: "Well, passengers aint bound by shifts. Why waste time?"
Talia: "Cause she's currently busy with her friends figuring out if we can stay here. And yes they do orient themselves on the shift schedules."
Talia tags the final box on her checklist and starts sorting the equipment back in its holdings. David stands up and stretches himself.
David: "Alright Norbert, let's get to it."
Norbert: "Uh Hm..."Norbert is currently on his phone, apparently texting with someone.
David walks towards the airlock leading to hangar 2.
Norbert looks up.
David starts putting on in his space suit. Norbert is still texting.
Norbert: "... huh? Oh, just Atkins. He got some troubles with the sensor reads he made. Some kind of problem with the system. Hey Talia could you look at the sensor system software by chance?"
Talia: "I'll see if I can spare the time."
Norbert: "Thanks."Norbert gets up and walks to the airlock while David is already stepping inside. He also puts on his space suit and exits behind him. The door closes with a pneumatic sliding noise and the indicator light above the airlock door turns red.
At the same time from the opposite site the other airlock begins to cycle as Rohan and Markos come in from hangar 1.
Talia exits the storage area into the hallway network.
Some time passes. Charlie starts to talk with Markos and Rohan about the problem with the C3 thruster section, revisiting all the previous occurrences.
They are interrupted by the call from Jake.
[Jake: "[...] ... special planet."]
Charlie: "On it. Also. Could you by chance tell Sarah I have smth that she might be interested to have a look at."
[Jake: "Oh, ok, ill tell her."]
The intercom goes silent again.
Rohan: "Well I ain't going back out there. Could've left my suit on if I knew that."
Charlie: "Sure thing, then you two will be doing the interior checks. Grab Talia on the way. I'm gonna join the two lazyheads outside."He walks towards the airlock of hangar 1 and starts putting on his space suit while the other two walk out the door into the hallway network. The door locks behind them.
The Cassiopeia is clamped closely to the topside of the Trovu and connected via a docking tunnel, hence why a checkup from both in space and inside is needed. Its quite a large ship for a shuttle as it also has its own, though only capacitor powered, warp drive and limited atmospheric capabilities.
Talia's quarter, Just a bit after she left.
Talia is currently on her work tablet which she embedded into the small station in her quarter. Just now she pulls up and begins reading through the log of the sensory system. She scrolls a bit through the entries and then filters for a certain time frame. Scrolling some more she stops at one entry and a serious expression comes on her face.
She hears a small short and soft *pling over the earpiece in her right ear.
Almost unnoticeable she puts her right hand on the smartwatch on her left arm and starts swiping while still looking at her tablet.
Up up, down down, left right, left right.
A computerized voice starts talking in her earpiece.
["Message from Jake Bray: Hey Talia, there's an away mission with the Cassiopeia to the life bearing planet. I'm gonna go with them so meet up at break for a short mission briefing. Same place as usual."]"Jake Bray, always up for discovery and rash decisions... No wonder I got the responsibility."
She stands up, goes over to her closet and opens one of the smaller side boxes. Reaching all the way into back past the things inside she grabs a loose screw and pushes it in. A silent click is heard. The right internal side wall pops out, revealing a hidden compartment.
Talia then pulls an ordinary tablet out of the compartment, closes it again and walks back to her desk.
As she sits down the doorbell of her quarter plays. Almost like a reflex she puts the tablet in a holster under the desk. She presses a button on the side of her watch and the computerized voice in her earpiece is heard again.
["Caution: local surveillance filter off."]Taila: "Command, enable free speech."
A slight pling plays over the quarter speakers.
A voice is heard over the door intercom. Its Markos.
Talia: "Would you mind if I could just stick to the software and do it remotely."
Intercom: "Sounds fine to me but you're buying later. See ya."
Talia: "Yeah, till later... Command, free speech off."
The same tone but deeper is heard, indicating successful deactivation. She presses the button on her watch. In her earpiece the computer voice is heard again.
["Local surveillance filter active."]
She pulls out the other tablet from underneath the table, places it on top and connects it with a cable to her station. It lights up with a simple picture of a color gradient with some lines. She places her thumb on an area of the screen
As she speaks her voice is displayed in an audio graph. The screen goes black and in the center a small white text message fades in.
"Authentication successful. Mission related hardware. Misuse punishable."
It fades out again and a number of symbols pop up in a grid pattern on the screen. She lays it down again and turns to her normal work tablet.
Clicking and typing through some menus she eventually brings up a remote connection to the Cassiopeia's systems. She clicks on a button labelled "Auto-Diagnostic". A command line and log come up on screen as well as a progress graph as the Cassiopeia runs its diagnostic program.
She turns to the other tablet again and presses one of the symbols on screen. A similar UI pops up to when she previously searched trough the sensory system. Once again she goes to the sensory logs and enters the same filter, navigating to the error messages. Just that they now have an added comment. "Filter intervention. Manual resolve required."
She selects the error messages and navigates a bit through dialogue options.
The screen changes to a display of several overlayed graphs in which a section has been highlighted. Scrolling down are two grids with one 3d model each. The left one displays a 3d interpretation of the sensor readings. Among the usual noise a few areas stick out with more distinct shapes. On the right is a clear 3d render of a small craft, more precisely a drone, with a database directory listed on the top. Between the grids is a small text. "Possible Match".
A message notification pops up with a pling on her work tablet. She turns toward it. It comes from Rohan "Hey, we had to replace two air filters. Looked overworked. You should check on that, checking components just now."
Over the quarter speakers the notification sound of shift change plays.
She turns back to the other tablet.
She looks a bit at the readings on screen. Eventually Talia taps on an option labelled "Replace and Interpolate".
The graphics start to slowly change as the program removes the spots in the model that hint at the existence of the drone.
Talia gets back on her work tablet. The diagnostics are already finished and she now goes over the air filtration software. She quickly finds an error that tricked the system into perceiving higher CO2 values than were actually there. After its fixed she packs up her work tablet and puts it in a small bagpack together with the other device before heading out of her room.
Cafeteria.
2015 hours SSBT
It's a busy time like always after a change of shifts as the previous shift starts to come in to grab a bite or more commonly something to drink.
At one of the information screens a small group has gathered, discussing amongst themselves. On the screen is the information regarding the planned away mission listing the required crew positions. In the bottom right corner is also a QR code to sign up for the mission.
At one of the tables the bridge crew have gathered. They are sipping on some drinks. Otto has an elaborate green-orange cocktail with straw and a piece of lemon. Pauline just sits down with a small cup of latte. Victor has poured himself some strange mixture of hot chocolate, milk and a shot from his own vodka bottle which still stands on the table. Jake just has a glass of clear water.
Pauline: "Don't really fancy it. Plus there's still so much data to map here."
Victor: "Hrmpf. I'd prefer to stay at distance from unknown objects but I suppose you have to study something before you can effectively counter it."
Otto: "So... you going or not."
Victor just shrugs and takes a shot from his concoction.
Pauline takes a sip from her coffee and just looks at Victor's glass.
Victor looks over at Otto.
He takes another shot. Pauline just looks straight at the glass before lifting her gaze and focusing on her own drink again.
At a different table (same time) are Rohan and Markos. They have grabbed themselves a nice lunch. Rohan has in front of him a packaged meal of grilled potatoes with a brown sauce and a hearty steak on the side. Markos has grabbed himself a plate of chicken nuggets with a spicy sauce and fries/chips.
Talia joins them and brings with her a tablet of three drinks. She puts it down and hands them out.
She hands it to Rohan.
Rohan takes a sip.
He looks at the empty space on the table in front of Talia.
Talia: "Eh, I'll eat later. Still have some stuff to do."
Markos: "I thought you were finished with everything."
Talia: "I am, in a way. I just left some longer tests running which I still have to collect the results on bur nothing major."
Markos: "Ah. I see."
He takes a sip from his coke and continues eating.
Norbert and David walk into the cafeteria. David goes to the counter while Norbert comes over to the engineers at the table.
Talia points over at the screen which shows the sign up info for the away mission.
Norbert: "Huh?... what do you me-..."
Norbert follows her finger with his gaze until he sees it and then quickly walks over to the screen.
Across the room Jake stands up, says goodbye to the others on his table and exits the cafeteria.
A few minutes later Talia gets a notification on her smartwatch. She looks down on it.
Markos: "Yo."
Rohan just slightly raises his hand as he takes another sip from his root beer.
Talia stands up and also exits the cafeteria.
Sarah's laboratory.
~ 2015 hours SSBT
Sarah is currently collecting some things and packing up in preparation for the away mission.
The door opens and in comes Charlie.
She turns her head towards him.
She walks over to a table with different devices on top and puts on some gloves.
Charlie walks over to her and reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out a small pouch.
He pulls out the small, strange, black, chip-like piece and hands it to Sarah. She takes it and holds it up into the light.
Sarah: "Yeah... has an interesting texture."
She grabs a petri-dish and places the piece inside, sliding it under a microscope. Sarah looks through the lense.
She turns a knob on the microscope.
She backs of and offers Charlie to look through. He does so.
Charlie: "Truly fascinating..."
Sarah: "My guess would be that we have here a rare piece of mineral of natural metal that got exposed to a large heat source. So picture this..."
Sarah pulls the petri-dish out of the microscope and places it in another device.
She presses a button on the device. On a display it reads "Automatic composition analysis. Running."
Charlie: "Wild..."
Sarah: "Yeah my friend... we've got here a piece of cosmic slag."
She goes back to packing things as Charlie stares at the device.
Charlie: "Nah, I arranged to give my spot to Norbert, although he probably doesn't know."
Sarah: (Silently whispering to herself.) "What a shame."
Charlie: "That guy has not had much adventure on this mission so far so I figured why not let him have some fun for a change."
Sarah: "How generous of you."
Charlie leans further in on the display.
Sarah: "I mean its quite rare... tell you this... ill package it for you in a sterile pouch and you just keep watch on it. Deal."
She goes over to a drawer and pulls out a a small plastic bag with a slight tint to it.
She places the plastic bag over on the table next to the device and goes back to packing things up in boxes and a backpack. Charlie all the while stays by the device.
Sarah: "Eh, not that long, 5 minutes give or take."
Charlie: "So what does it do?"
Sarah: "Well first up a bit of light refraction/reflection spectrum mapping, then an x-ray scan and at the end some magnetic scans. And once that's complete you got yourself a nice 3d model of material composition. Not as detailed as an electron microscope but much faster."
Charlie: "Sounds expensive."
Sarah: "It is, luckily I don't have to pay for that stuff. Say could you later help me move these boxes to the Cassiopeia."
Charlie: "Sure."
The device beeps.
She goes up to the display.
Charlie: "Malfunction?"
She pulls the petri dish out of the device and places it in a different one.
Sarah starts the device, an electron microscope and goes over to a computer. She sits down and clicks through some menus, arranging the 3d render of the first device on the left and the still processing output of the electron microscope on the right. Charlie goes and stands by her side.
They gaze at the screen as the second render updates in real-time and after a while is finished.
She points at the screen.
Sarah: "This whole thing seems almost crystalline... just... its not. This piece is everything but natural."
Charlie: "Why?"
Sarah: "Why, why? Cause its got materials not found naturally in space. Not to speak of this strange composite looking stuff that fills these gaps here."
She leans back in her chair.
Sarah: "I NEED to investigate this further. This could lead to something groundbreaking."
Charlie: "Well, glad I could help... you are gonna hit me up if money gets involved yes?"
Sarah: "Haha. Sure."
She stands up and pulls the petri-dish out of the electron microscope, then seals and labels it before going over to a safe under the work bench.
Sarah: "You don't mind if I keep it locked up here, considering this revelation."
Charlie: "Not a bit. Seems like I should go on space walks more often."
Sarah: "Haha."
Sarah opens the safe and puts the dish inside among other samples before closing it again.
Sara: "Now... moving time."
Charlie: "Didn't you say you want to investigate this further?"
Sarah: "Yeah. Very much. But this away mission is already scheduled and could also lead to something enticing. Plus I can just store these discoveries inside a safe."
Charlie: "Haha. True. Alright, ill be back in a second."
Charlie goes away and Sarah collects all her packed things together and goes over a checklist one more time. After a short while Charlie comes back with a transport cart and they load up the different packages.
Sarah: "Hey, I know you already helped me enough but could you do me a favor and bring this to the Cassiopeia, I still have to get my medical checkup before the mission."
Charlie: "Sure, no problem."
Sarah: "Thanks, you're such a gentleman."
Sarah leaves towards the medical bay and Charlie starts making his way to the Cassiopeia.
A small mid-ship storage room.
~ 2030 hours SSBT
The door opens and Talia walks in with her backpack over the shoulders, the door closing and locking behind her. Inside kneeling on the floor is Jake, looking like he was just sorting some stuff into crates. As Talia comes in he stands up.
Talia motions to a corner of the room where a surveillance camera is located. Jake nods.
Talia: "Alright. So. Away mission. Explain."
Jake: "You're gonna love this."
He pulls out his tablet and brings up a paused recording of the thing they discovered and shows it to her.
Jake: "Come on, ask."
Talia: "Fine... what is that?"
He puts his finger on the screen and swipes to the left. As he does the recording rewinds to where the object is barely visible at the left edge of the screen. He then taps and it plays with a clear indicator showing that it is at 0.25 speed. As soon as the object is barely visible on the right side of the screen it loops back to the beginning.
Jake: "That, I have theorized, is an alien space station. Or at least some kind of artificial construction."
She leans in a bit.
Talia: "Interesting. So you want to go with for a possible first contact."
Jake: "Yeah, assure it goes smoothly."
Talia: "Have you already moved your stuff on the shuttle? Just in case."
Jake: "Didn't have the time. Was constantly under observation."
Talia: "Alright..."
She puts her backpack on one of the crates and pulls out the special tablet before putting it in a socket in the wall, specially designed to fit the standard issued work tablets. It lights up with the same lock-screen. She puts her thumb on an area of the screen.
Talia: "User Talia Web."
Her voice is displayed in an audio graph before it switches to a camera view of the frontal camera, (so the one on the side of the screen). On it Talia and Jake are both marked with a rectangle around their heads of a facial recognition software. Talia's is green and Jake's orange.
Jake: "Second user Jake Bray"
His voice is also displayed in an audio graph before briefly the rectangle around his head also turn green. The screen then immediately goes black and the same familiar message fades in again.
"Authentication successful. Mission related hardware. Misuse punishable."
The symbols appear and Talia start clicking through some menus.
Talia: "Ok, so I'll guess I'll program sentinel 2 and 3 to escort the Cassiopeia."
Jake: "Get the emergency kit along... good idea. But don't you think Sentinel 5 would be a better pick considering the possible scenarios."
Talia: "I don't think sending 5 along would be a good idea cause either its these custom gravimetric sensors Sebastian had installed or somethings gone damaged."
Jake: "...what you mean?"
Talia: "They almost got a ping on it."
Jake: "...Tell me you're joking..."
Talia: "I wish I was. I'll have to see that I get some time to do a remote inspection. Hopefully its nothing seriously complicated."
Jake: "But on the other hand..."
Talia: "Yes, these sensory improvements might be worth investigating further, could even be useful to our cause. Or at least help figure out a counter."
Talia finishes working on the tablet which now shows different camera feeds from the nearby hallways outside.
Talia: "Monitoring is on. Compartment unlocked."
At the same time a piece of floor plating pops up. Jake and Talia kneel down and start lifting it to one side, leaning it against a few crates.
Jake: "You sure they're done with maintenance."
Talia: "Yes."
Jake: "Alright, lets move it then."
As they move the plate away they reveal a sort of compartment beneath it. Inside are a few ordinary metallic like boxes and crates in different sizes, neatly packed against each other leaving barely any room between them.
Jake puts his hand on a display of fitting size that is on the largest, casket like crates.
Jake: "User Jake Bray."
Talia: "Second user Talia Web."
Two handles fold out on the front and back end of of the box. Jake and Talia grab onto them and lift it out of the compartment.
Jake: "Hrg... oh man, sometimes I wish I enrolled in the mentabolist program instead of this."
Talia: "Oh please, you cant even get your own temper and impulses under full control."
They place the box down on the floor.
Jake: "At least not so much stuff to carry around."
Talia takes four disc like objects out of the compartment and places them in parallel on the sides of the box, two in the front, two in the back.
Talia: "Yeah, cause you wouldn't be here. They don't send those to somewhere where they could just stash some stuff."
Jake: "True."
He taps on a symbol on the display of the box and it lights up. The disc like objects also light up in the middle and the box lifts up off the ground.
Jake: "20 minutes."
They lift the floor panel back onto the opening and it slides back into place.
Talia goes to her tablet in the socket and navigates through some options before pulling it out and storing it in her backpack again.
Talia: "We've got a clear window of about 16 minutes. "
A section of the wall opposite to the door pops outwards and slides to the left, revealing a maintenance corridor. As they walk out of the room, pushing and pulling the box on the handles along with them, it closes automatically behind them.
They make their way through the internal network of corridors and ladders passing by exposed cables, tubes and other parts of the ships systems. Moving with careful haste and checking their surroundings the entire time they eventually they come up to a submarine type door labeled "Maintenance Hatch T-18".
Talia goes up to a small panel besides the door with a number pad and a display and enters a code. She then checks on her smartphone a live camera feed from the other side of the door before pressing enter on the number pad.
Talia: "By movement prediction, 6 minutes until someone passes by."
The door unlocks and she opens it. They quickly make their way into the normal corridor on the other side and Jake closes the door behind them. Talia all the while continues going with the box to another door, this time an airlock.
Its currently open with a display over the door frame reading "Upper airlock 1. Currently docked: Cassiopeia." Talia walks into the chamber. She lets go of the floating box and goes to a locker on the side as Jake catches up with her.
Talia: "Grab a breather. The Cassiopeia is still pressurizing and cycling through."
Jake: "Still...?"
He comes up to the locker and Talia hands him a very basic face mask just designed to work in low-oxygen environments before putting one on herself.
Talia: "There were some problems with the scrubbers, so I used that as a way of extending the cycle period. Otherwise flight prepping would have started by now."
Jake: "Resourceful."
Talia walks up to a panel with a number pad, display and a button labeled "Cycle" besides the door. She enters a code and then presses the button. The doors close and air is heard exiting the chamber before an equilibrium with the "outside" is reached. Then a double hatch on the ceiling opens and a platform lowers down from the connected shuttle. It hangs on four beams and has railings to all sides with a control panel mounted on the right side. The railing facing them swings open to both sides.
They take the box and step onto the platform. As soon as Jake presses a button with an upwards arrow on the panel, the railing closes back into place and the lift moves upwards into the belly of the shuttle into a similar airlock chamber. Inside they navigate to a small storage room onboard and stash the box in similar way to how they picked it up. This time the compartment is in a ground level section of one of the walls.
After they have put the cover back into place the two retrace their steps towards the elevator. Talia again checks a camera feed on her smartphone.
Talia: "Sh*t, we've got to hurry."
They step onto the platform and Talia initiates the airlock systems to cycle.
Jake: "What is it."
Talia: "Charlie is making their way to us."
The airlock finishes cycling and the elevator lifts down.
Talia: "Eta 5 minutes."
Jake: "Line of sight?"
Talia: "Of course. Don't bother with the breather."
They rapidly exit off the platform and send it back up. Talia goes up to the airlock panel and enters a different code before pressing the cycle button.
Suddenly the hatch in the ceiling closes far more abrupt that what safety limits would allow while the systems already start pressurizing. Before the threshold has been reached the doors into the ship open up in similarly fast pace and a faint gust of air flows into the chamber from the hallway.
They dart across the corridor towards the maintenance door and open it.
(For clarification, the floorplan looks like this:)
| | Airlock | |
| |_____| |_____| |
| _____ _____ |
| | M-door | |
| | | |
/\
Charlie comes from here
They manage to close it just as Charlie comes around the corner. He doesn't seem to notice.
Talia: "That was way to close."
Jake: "Agree. Lets get back, ill need to be ready for pre-mission checkup."
Talia: "What's your drop-in?"
Jake: "The storage room."
Talia: "Oh, alright. I sent a video clone to my quarter."
Jake: "Huh, I've got to use those more often."
They make their way back through the maintenance network, Jake to the storage room and Talia to a door near her own quarter from where she slips right back into her room.
Cassiopeia bridge.
2100 hours SSBT (standard shipboard time)
---
Away mission personal:
(Name - Roles)
Flight crew:
Anna Virta - Pilot, Navigator,
Jake Bray - Co-Pilot, Navigator, Communications and sensory officer,
Victor Stepanovich - Security officer, Commander
Auxillary crew:
Norbert Demski - Engineer
Felix Saunders - Engineer
Stacy Crow - Medical officer
Passengers:
Sarah Turner - Chemist
Miriam Greenfield - Biologist
Tanimoto Kokushi - Physicist
Sebastian Schwarz - Physicist
---
The crew are currently performing pre-flight checks as the others slowly come into the bridge section of the shuttle and take their seats.
Norbert: "Man, I've been waiting to get to fly with this bird."
David: "Yeah? Alright, then tell me what kind of engine setup we're running."
Norbert: "Ehm... ok, so..."
As David starts to quiz Norbert, and vice versa, about the different systems of the Cassiopeia Sarah and Miriam take their seats. Anna and Jake are tending to the pre-flight checklist
Anna: "Alright, moving on to telemetry and sensors. Jake your part. Radar system."
Jake: "Check."
Anna: "Lidar."
Jake: "Check."
One by one they continue to go through and activate or check on the Cassiopeia's flight systems.
Stacy Crow, the assigned medical officer arrives and also settles in. Along with her also comes Victor who sits down behind his console.
Victor: "Status."
Jake: "On the last quarter of the checklists sir."
Victor: "Hrmpf... copy."
Victor relogs into his terminal which on doing so lights up.
Tanimoto walks in and also takes his seat.
Miriam: "Say, where'd you leave our calculator?"
Tanimoto: "Sebas had to store some more stuff. Should be here any second."
Just as they say so Sebastian also comes in and takes his seat. Victor has finished with his console.
Victor: "Miss Crow, all accounted?"
Stacy: "Yes sir."
Victor gets up and his console ones again goes dim.
He turns to the scientists.
Victor: "All set?"
Tanimoto exchanges looks with his colleagues.
Tanimoto: "Yes mister."
Victor: "Good. I'll lock the airlock then."
He walks past them into the mid section of the ship. After a short while two consecutive short, soft beeps are heard over the bridge speakers followed by the calm voice of the on-board computer system.
system: "Central airlock locked."
Just a bit later Victor returns into the bridge and sits down once more.
Victor: "Status."
Jake: "All done."
Victor: "Copy."
He pushes a button on his console and the bridge door closes.
system: "Bridge door locked."
Jake: "Seatbelts everyone."
Victor enters a code into his console and he, Anna and Jake put on headsets.
system: "Direct flight controls enabled."
Victor: "Initiate reactor start and system separation."
Anna: "Copy, initiating."
As Anna starts pushing buttons and entering commands, Jake presses a symbol on his com interface.
Jake: "Cassiopeia to Trovu. Requesting permission to initiate undock. "
["Trovu to Cassiopeia, permission granted."]
Jake: "Ey, Stefan. Keep my set warm for me, will you."
["Sure buddy."]
Anna: "Starting reactor."
She presses a button and after two seconds the IOI (Information of Importance) alert plays again.
system: "Fusion reactor online."
Anna: "We're on own power."
Jake: "Life support systems clear. Trovu standby for airlock separation."
["Trovu here, go ahead with airlock separation."]
Anna: "Separating."
Anna flips a switch and a low rumble is heard from behind the bridge. Again the two consecutive soft beeps are heard. Jake checks the feed of an outside camera filming the airlock's short tunnel retracting.
system: "Airlock separated."
Jake: "Trovu, confirm clean separation."
["Separation confirmed."]
Anna: "Starting undocking sequence."
She pushes a button on the screen and the computer communicates with the systems on the Trovu.
["Undocking sequence activation granted."]
A slight jerk goes through the Cassiopeia as the docking arms with which its attached to the Trovu start to extend to give the ship a better clearance. This is followed up with a series of metallic clacks that resonate through the hull.
system: "Docking clamps released."
Anna: "Separation complete."
Victor: "Copy, obtain distance and prepare for warp jump."
Anna: "Aye aye sir."
As Anna maneuvers the Cassiopeia away from the ship Jake feeds the navigational computer with the desired target information. Additionally, unbeknownst to the other crew he also sets up something else. A routine that will for a bit of time block any kind of sensor input and then delete itself afterwards as soon as he leaves touch of his console or any of the buttons on his chair.
Jake: "Cassiopeia to Trovu, closing com channel in preparation for warp jump."
["Channel closure acknowledged, good flight Cassiopeia."]
Jake flips a switch on his terminal and the radio transmission cuts off.
Anna's grip on the control joysticks become a bit firmer.
Victor: "Miss Virta. Get us to safe distance for warp jump... slowly."
Anna frowns a bit.
Anna: "Fine... Copy sir..."
She flips a switch on the left joystick and then just gently pushes both forward. As she does so the Cassiopeia's two main engines kick in with a soft rumble that resonates through the hull. With the engines now running the crew and passengers on board start to get pushed a bit into their seats as the Cassiopeia accelerates.
Victor looks around and also lifts his arm to test the strength of the G-forces.
Victor: "Say miss Virta. Don't you find something off about the performance of the noise and inertia dampeners?"
Anna: "I... might have turned them into race mode sir..."
Victor: "Huh... did not know we had that as an option on here."
He drops his Hand again.
Jake: "Should I change it sir?"
Victor: "Hehe, no need, keep it."
Jake: "Copy."
Tanimoto seems a bit uncomfortable.
Tanimoto: "I just hope the conversion rate doesn't stay the same for warp jumps."
A smile runs across Annas face.
Anna: "Oh, no worries, for warp it even increases so you can really feel the speed."
The Physicist glances at the speed display and seems to do some quick crude math in his head before gulping.
Tanimoto: "I really hope that was a joke, I quite like my organs not to be crushed by my ribcage with 30 plus G's"
Anna lets out a quick laugh and Jake grins. She lets go of the joysticks and the pressing sensation fades as the engines cut out again.
Anna: "So, now just about 5 minutes of drifting till we're clear."
She leans back in her seat.
Jake also finishes working on his console but keeps a close watch on the instruments.
He stretches his arms forward while putting his hand together and then lets them sink on his lap. The routine activates, switching the instrument inputs to a simulated interpretation.
While putting his hand together he also covertly pushes a button on the side of his right wristband, releasing a weak, predetermined sequence of radiosignals.
Back in the storage room the computer in the metallic crate that Talia and he stored there picks up on it and relays a different set of signals into a small 10 cubic centimeter black cube inside of it.
One second later on the Trovu another one of these Cubes emits the sent instructions and a chain reaction starts. Hidden systems on the Trovu initiate new filters on the sensor inputs and a log file is sent to a command source. At the same time a few thousand clicks away from the Trovu and the Cassiopeia, two small craft initiate their warp drives. Their jumps go by undetected. After a few minutes everything in the systems returns to normal.
The Cassiopeia has by now reached a safe distance to the Trovu.
Jake: "Safe distance reached."
Victor: "Alright, get us aligned."
Anna: "Aye aye."
Anna pulls back on the joysticks and the Cassiopeia fires its brake thrusters. The crew and passengers feel the craft coming to a stop as they are lifted slightly forwards out of their seats.
Jake: "You want to align manually?"
Anna: "Nah, just stopping."
Jake: "Alright."
Anna lets go of her joysticks and Jake presses a button on his terminal. The IOI alert plays.
system: "Autopilot engaged. Preparing for warp jump."
On their screens Anna and Jake watch as the ship aligns itself with the calculated trajectory.
system: "Alignment complete. Awaiting jump confirmation."
Anna turns to Victor.
Victor: "What's our jump time?"
Jake: "Exactly... 12 minutes and 38 seconds."
Anna briefly looks over at Jake's screen.
Anna: "Damn... For that distance? I still love what they kitted this thing with."
Victor: "Well, then better not let it run cold eh... hehe. Initiate Jump sequence."
Anna enters a code into her console and then hovers over the enter button.
Anna: "With pleasure sir."
She presses enter and the IOI alert plays.
system: "Warp jump authorized. Standby for system start."
The lights in the bridge go a light purple. A few seconds pass and the IOI alert plays again.
system: "Preparations complete... Warp system start complete. Initiating Jump in 10."
Anna: "Eurgh, why alw-"
system: "9"
Anna: "-ways a countdown."
system: "8"
Jake: "Cool your -"
system: "7"
Jake: "- flames there An-"
system: "6"
Jake: "-na. Not like you can -"
system: "5"
Jake: "- do much in -"
system: "4"
Jake: "- Warp."
Everyone prepares themselves for the coming acceleration, especially Tanimoto.
system: "3... 2... 1"
The Cassiopeia initiates a warp jump into the orbit of the habitable world. calculated Jump time: 12 minutes and 38 seconds.
| -- to be continued -- |
| -- --- -- |
Trovu: The bridge.
2130 hours SSBT
The Eagle shift has already completely settled in, apart from Otto who still mans the helm even though he isn't technically supposed to.
Stefan Cordell the first communications and sensory officer monitors the jump of the Cassiopeia.
Stefan: "And there they go."
Hector: "And we're still here. Monitoring a rock."
Hector Jacquier the second navigational officer is working at his desk on further streamlining the route Pauline already made.
Stefan: "Yeah, cause this oll metal box here is quite a ways slower than the shuttle."
Otto: "I like this metal box..."
Otto yawns.
Stefan: "Oh oh, someone's exceeding their safe shift extension. "
Otto: "Yeah..."
He yawns again.
Otto: "Frank said it'd just take a minute..."
Hector: "Nothing against this vaisseau mon amie. Its just that its a boring task."
Stefan: "You want more work? Here... get me this vaisseau through here."
Stefan pulls the scanning file of a nearby asteroid cluster and sends it to Hectors desk with relative start and finish coordinates marked.
Hector rolls with his eyes and opens the 3d file. He then focuses in.
Hector: "Bet."
Stefan: "Really?... Alright, 20 chips."
---
The Trovu uses an onboard economy of "chips" with which the crew can purchase different goods or services. While it is assured that everyone has a generous fixed value of nutrients and recreational activities they can use per day to ensure no-one goes hungry, tired or burned out, they can acquire special goods like f.e. certain treats with these chips. Each week the chip count for every person is reset to a fixed value according to their position. Crew members can freely trade with each other or gain chips by doing additional tasks or overtime within safe limits. The later is also logged and payed out in real money or vacation after the Trovu goes to its home port again.
---
Hector: "24"
Stefan: "22"
Hector: "Deal"
Hector puts the data of Pauline's flight path in storage and begins working on the new data.
Captain Robin Orelik enters the bridge from the hallway network which is also indicated by a signal tone.
Stefan: "Oh, Captain on bridge."
Robin: "How's the Cassi"
Stefan: "Initiated its warp jump safely."
Robin: "Good, get me updated once you get a confirm on its finish."
Stefan: "Aye sir."
The captain turns his head to Otto.
Robin: "Huh, now what are you still doing here. Shift end was more than an hour ago."
Otto: "Yeah... Frank said he had to take care of something quickly. And since Anna is away..."
Orelik goes over to his chair.
Robin: "Frank Roy you say?"
Otto: "Eh, yeah..."
Robin: "Hey Cordell... get me a timer ready."
Stefan: "Oh... with pleasure sir."
Hector shows up from his desk.
Hector: "You're not..."
Robin: "Oh, yes I will."
A grin runs across Stefan Cordell's and Otto Howard's face as the captain pushes a yellow button on the intercom interface of his seat.
Two loud yet soft, consecutive beeps play over the entire intercom system followed by the captains voice.
Robin: "Hrm Hrm... Frank Roy. Report to the bridge for your shift... Immediately."
He lets go of the button.
Robin: "Alright, start the timer."
Hector: "4 minutes."
Stefan: "I say 3."
Otto chuckles a bit.
Otto: "After that? You're not giving him enough credit. I say 1 minute and a half."
The captain takes his seat and pulls up the flight controls and instrument data on his console. A big indicator shows that they are currently on auto-pilot in an orbit hold configuration.
Robin: "Hey Otto. You're relived, get some rest."
Otto: " *yawn... Thanks captain."
Otto, gets out of his chair and exits the bridge. Hector goes back to working on the bet with Stefan.
Just a few moments later a very out of breath man in flight crew uniform come into the bridge and stops to catch some air.
Stefan: "Damn, 1 minute and 48 seconds. You've been working out?"
The person just shakes his head between gasping.
Robin: "Ah, mister Roy, glad you could make it. Now stop stressing the scrubbers and get on your post."
Frank: "Yes... *gasp sir... *gasp pfuh..."
Frank Roy seems to have recovered at last and now with less haste walks over to his chair and takes a seat. As he starts to monitor the autopilot, captain Orelik gets up from his own chair and walks over to the door to the captain's quarter.
Robin: "Alright, I'll be going over some stuff. Stef you got Con but ping me if anything comes up."
Stefan: "Aye aye sir."
The captain exits the bridge into his quarter, the door closing behind him.
Stefan goes back on monitoring the sensors. In particular he pays attention to a semi-live feed of the area in which the "thing" passes before the green planet.
He at first sort of keeps attention on it a bit leaned back and tending to other stuff but then something catches his attention. Saunders leans in on the screen.
Stefan: talking to himself. "Wait a minute..."
He rewinds a bit to a point where he can see the "thing".
Stefan: talking to himself "Thats not..."
The sensory officer pulls up a video from the database (the same Jake showed to Talia) and puts it besides the now paused semi-live feed to compare the two.
Stefan: "Hey, guys."
Hector: "Yes?"
Stefan: "Yes?"
Hector just answers but still is focused on the map data.
Stefan: "You know that asteroid thing everyone's been talking bout, it changed."
Frank: "What do you mean?"
Stefan: "Here."
He sends the two images to the central planning screen. They pop up as two panels over the other loaded data.
Stefan: "Left one is the first image we have and the right one is the most recent."
Frank now also looks over and indeed, on the right one it looks like it has changed its orientation. Furthermore it seems that there are pieces that have been broken of and now are around the large object in the shape of additional vague objects.
Frank: "So it got struck by a smaller asteroid. And?"
Stefan: "Hm... I don't know... I just hope it doesn't break up further or the Cass will just enter a debris field."
Frank: "Ahh, they'll be fine. Like how recent is it?"
Saunders looks up the crude map of the system on his console.
Stefan: "We are about 4.2 light hours away from that planet."
Frank: "Huh, so still happened at warp."
Stefan: "Yeah... you think I should notify the captain?"
Frank turns back to his own console.
Frank: "For what?"
Stefan: "So we can prepare for a rescue if needed."
Frank: "Ahh, they've got Anna, they'll be fine."
Stefan thinks a bit.
Stefan. "Hm... maybe. I'll keep an eye on it."
A bit of time passes. Suddenly a warning pops up on Stefan's console.
Stefan: "What... in the world..."
Clicks on it and seems to listen to smth with his headset as he's reading further into the message before his eyes go wide.
He presses down on a button on his intercom interface.
Stefan: "CAPTAIN, you have to get back in here NOW."
Just a moment later captain Orelik comes back into the bridge in a hurry.
Robin: "This better be really important."
Stefan throws his console monitor on the main screen.
Stefan: "I have no idea how... but I know for a fact, that... is no fake."
All, including Hector, turn to it. Its an emergency transponder code listing a ships information. Its name: CSS Eclipse.
Stefan now also lets the audio he received play over the bridge speakers. A robotic, precise voice is heard.
"This is CSS Eclipse NAC-1. To anyone receiving this message, we have suffered major damage and are in need of immediate assistance."
Captain Orelik walks over to his chair and sits down.
Robin: "Do we have a position?"
Stefan: "I got direction of source and an estimated distance based on signal strength."
Robin: "Pass it to Hector already. Frank, prepare systems for Quickjump."
Frank: "Aye aye captain."
---
Quickjumps are a sort of intermediate between normally planned and emergency warp jumps. The only preparation required are the minimal amount of calculations and charge time that a warpdrive can safely and repeatedly perform. They are intended to be used in cases where a ship has to quickly get to somewhere but is itself not in danger.
Quickjumps often come out with crude estimations of a safe course so using them can result in damages to the ship by not correctly estimated objects.
Another factor is that it pushes the warp drive system to its safe limits without pulling resources form the emergency capacitors.
Lastly Quickjumps only take the minimal required acceleration adaptation time to get to their max speed, which can result in some minor G-force related complications.
---
Stefan passes the data he has onto Hector who immediately goes on plotting a warp course.
Hector: "Isn't that a bit rash. I mean the Eclipse was a combat ship after all, what if there are still enemies?"
Robin: "Just get to it!"
Hector: "Yes, eh, aye aye sir."
The captain reaches for the yellow button on his intercom interface.
Twenty five minutes earlier.
Trovu: The gym
2115 hours SSBT
Talia, Rohan and Markos are currently doing their workout routines. Rohan and Markos have taken to some weights while Talia is running on a treadmill.
Rohan: "Come on."
Markos: "Hrg..."
Markos is lifting a weight of about 20 kilos while Rohan spots him.
Talia has an earbud in her right ear and listens to some music as she watches the two while running.
Rohan: "Be a man."
Markos: "Urgh..."
He's now got it about half way of his arm length.
Talia: "Careful, we don't want you straining something."
Markos: "Very... funny... hrg"
Talia: "Its really not."
The music in her earpiece suddenly fades out and instead a simple chime plays. She looks down on her wristband where among her vitals a yellow triangle is blinking before disappearing.
Markos: "Hrg... HAHA"
Markos has now got the weight successfully lifted up his whole arm length. Talia stops the treadmill and acts exhausted.
Talia: "Alright, pfuh... I'm gonna bounce."
Markos, with the help of Rohan, puts the weight down again.
Rohan: "Where you going?"
Talia: "To my room... a personal project if you will."
Rohan: "Ah... right. Work related? Trying to get that extra credit heh?"
Talia has already thrown her towel over her shoulder and walks out, leaving the two guessing.
Talia: "Byyye."
As soon as she's out of sight of the two she picks up the pace. As she moves through the network of the ship she regularly adapts her walking speed depending on whether she perceives to be seen by other people or not.
She finally arrives in her quarter the door closing behind her. As they close she hears the computer voice over her earpiece.
["Local surveillance filter active. Template 4."]
Without really stopping she throws the towel on her chair and walks over to her closet.
Talia: "System, enable maximum privacy config."
She once again takes out the additional tablet from the hidden compartment and boots it up.
["Privacy config applied."]
Talia positions the tablet on her desk. A large notification is overlaid on the screen. It reads "Urgent mission." with a phone icon next it.
Her expression gets more serious.
She grabs a screwdriver from the table, kneels down under her desk and starts loosening a few of the screws in the wall that hold it in place. Each one she takes out to a different position. Talia then places the magnetic tip of the screwdriver up on a spot on the plate that is directly between the holdings of the desk and with her other hand tries to pull it off by getting with her nails in a slight space between the panel and the wall. It doesn't budge but she continues pulling until *click it pops of and she places it to the site.
Behind it is a small hatch with a keypad and display beside it. Up on the top a small black dot hints at a camera also being built in. Talia moves her face up to the safe and inputs a 12 digit code. After just a moment it opens.
Inside is a dull black cube with the dimensions of about 1.1 cubic decimeter. On one face is an embedded screen and ports for different cable types.
She takes it out and places it on the desk together with a cable which she connects from her tablet into one of the ports.
The screen of her tablet goes black with a small white text shown in the center.
"External overwrite."
It then switches to a video feed with several small parts of information being displayed in the four corners of the screen. In the center is the face of a person. Its a woman with short brown hair. Her shoulders show that she's mostly likely wearing a black uniform with red markings on the shoulders.
Talia puts in her other earpiece.
Talia: "What is it Linda?"
The woman on the other end starts talking with the voice coming over Talia's earpieces.
Linda: ["Have you picked up any distress signals?"]
Taila: "No, we have not."
Linda: ["Alright, you need to relay one then, get the crews attention. Sending details along."]
Talia: "Thats... unusual."
Linda: ["You have to also blacklink the ship so better get started on that aswell."]
Talia gets up from her chair and unplugs the tablet, the call transitioning to the device attached to the cube albeit without video.
Talia: "What is going on?"
On her tablet the details for the distress call show up. She does a quick read as she packs it together with everything else in her backpack.
Talia: "Is that?"
Linda: ["CIS Eclipse. We located her into your system. You most likely have to make a warp jump."]
Talia puts the cover back on the safe but keeps the screws how they are before equipping her backpack.
Talia: "Ok, get me up to speed. Now!"
She goes up to her door, unlocks and opens it before looking left and right and darting across to one of the maintenance doors where she sneaks in.
Linda: ["Well, that's about as much info as I have. Its blacklink popped up and we located it to your system. Its severely damaged, running on emergency power. The crew are in Cryosleep. Trovu will be the official ship that discovers it."]
Talia moves through the maintenance network, keeping to the shadows as one would say, making her way to the central server room of the ship.
Talia: "Any nasty surprises? That thing went down in battle after all."
Linda: ["Like I said, badly damaged, not much info."]
She is interrupted by the IOI alert calling upon Frank Roy but doesn't pay it much attention.
After a few minutes she arrives at the maintenance door near the server room and pulls out her tablet, checking upon the camera feeds in the corridor and the server center.
There are two people passing along the corridor but more worryingly there are also two people in the server performing tasks.
Talia: "Sh*t."
Linda: ["What?"]
Talia: "Server occupied."
Talia goes over to a panel in the wall and pulls out a heavier screwdriver. With that she starts loosening the screws that hold it in place.
Talia: "At least this should be an shortcut for the first task. Linda can you spot me."
Linda: ["On it. Cam feeds being transmitted."]
Talia continues to loosen the screws but does not take them out until all are loose.
Talia: "How's my time."
Linda: ["Worst case 12 minutes."]
Talia: "Good. Bring me up a file list with the schematics."
She reaches in her backpack and pulls out two magnetic handles, placing them on the panel and pulling it first up to unlock the holding and then out with the screws still attached to the panel. Behind the panel are wires and different wire crossings where multiple wires feed together in a box and come out split in two directions.
Talia turns to her tablet which by now shows a sort of database browsing interface for all the accurate blueprints of the Trovu. She inputs a number-letter code which is painted on the outside of the panel she laid free. A schematic pops up depicting the circuit diagram with an added photo of the current wire setup where everything has been labelled. She skims over and then gets a few tools out.
Talia: "You might as well mark that off for me to properly fix up at some point."
Linda: ["Alright."]
The engineer starts working on the cables, carefully exposing some and attaching crocodile clams with wires to them which she ultimately bundles into a small device. This device she then attaches to her tablet. Talia opens up an app and starts configuring the inputs according to schematic of the wires she tapped. Next she gets another cable and plugs it into the interface port that's present there, also connecting it up to her device in which she bundled all the cables.
She then relays the distress signal into a premade false signal routine and presses an option labelled print. Her tablet configures the mini-computer unit with the required program until it displays a "Done". As Talia sees this she pulls the cable from her tablet and stores her made contraption in the space between the wires.
Talia: "This should get their attention."
She mounts the panel back but doesn't affix the screws completly.
Talia: "Time?"
Linda: ["Up to 5 minutes now."]
Talia: "Up?"
She packs everything in her backpack again and walks over to the maintenance door.
Linda: ["A few people just entered your section."]
Talia: "Come on Orelik... notice it."
A few precious minutes pass.
Suddenly an IOI alert plays and the captains voice is heard.
["Crew, we just got a certified distress call, and its a huge one. Everyone start preparing for an aid scenario immediately, we enter warp in 2 minutes."]
Linda: ["They turned around and are headed for the nearest door to the main network."]
Talia checks the camera feed. The engineers in the server room are hurriedly packing up and leaving to get to preparing equipment for emergency repair operations. Once they are all out Talia immediately enters the normal corridor system through the maintenance door and slips under the cover of the hurrying crew into the server room.
Talia: "Alright, now, I never had to black link anything common tech before."
She looks around the room, glancing over the drawers with server components and glass cabinets with organized cables behind them that line the walls. In the middle of the Circular room is the server core, a cylindrical shape that stretches from floor to ceiling and has one singular interface on the opposite side to the door.
Talia: "Core's too risky, auxiliaries too slow..."
The warning tone of an incoming quickjump is heard. Talia quickly gets to the ground and holds onto one of the handles installed for movement purposes should the artificial gravity ever malfunction.
Talia searches for the schematics of the server room and begins looking them over.
A computer voice begins counting down.
system: "Warp jump in 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5..."
She puts the tablet back in the backpack and tightens her grip on the handle.
system: "4... 3... 2... 1"
The ship initiates its jump as the crew experience the acceleration forces similar to an airplane taking off.
Talia holds on until the ship has reached its max speed before standing up again and pulling her tablet out once more.
She continues skimming over the schmatics.
Talia: "I guess it'll have to be core regardless."
She lays down the tablet with a schematic still open and moves over to the cylinder in the middle. Approaching the interface she pulls out a few tools and begins working.
First she logs in using an electronic keycard. It prompts her to insert a password.
Talia: "I'm gonna need one of my asset keys If I want to keep my cover."
Linda: ["Alright. One second... Callsign Dock."]
Talia: "Response Diamond."
Linda: ["Security question 8. What is your favorite pet animal?"]
Talia: "A Snake."
Linda: ["Elaborate."]
Talia: "During training I know I had a snake as a pet."
A slight pause on the other end as Linda seems to be typing something.
Linda: ["Correct. Asset code comming... 76 K398 2J76 43"]
Talia enters the code as Linda is listing it.
On the display the login progress can be seen as a a command log until a message appears.
<>
Login successful.
User: Ano.
Listing account specifics:
- cmd-lvl: Owner
- autolog: Non-persistent
- change report: disabled
- access-lvl: Omniscient
<>
It then switches to the graphic user interface of the server.
Talia navigates through settings until she has disabled the hardware security features and relocated certain server operations to a free auxiliary processing unit.
After that is done she loosens the locks that hold the interface in place and pulls it out and to the side with it now just being connected to the internals via cables.
Talia goes into the space that the interface block occupied and starts laying free and reorganizing components.
Talia: "You think you can get this thing to work as an AM-Octa 5 CPU package." (AM=Aeternus Manufacturing)
Linda: ["Is doable."]
She pulls out two cables from a component embedded deep in the core. Next she goes back and pulls the black cube out of her backpack.
Talia: "All prepared for ship blacklink."
Linda: ["Alright. same here on my end, follow through."]
She goes back in the section of the server core and reaches all the way in to grab the two cables which she laid free. Next she plugs them into the two ports on the cube and carefully fits it into the limited space she was able to dig out inside the server.
Talia: "BlackLink emplaced."
Linda: ["Link confirmed, awaiting permission for implementing required software."]
Talia: "Coming up in a few secs."
Talia walks back to the interface where a message has popped up.
<>
WARNING!!!
Internal data overwrite detected.
Source: Unknown
[Allow] | [Deny] | [Purge process]
<>
Talia clicks on allow.
Linda: ["Alright all done. Closing com. Get on with it as usual."]
Talia: "Acknowledged."
The call ends with a boop heard in her earpieces. Talia starts to piece back the server and eventually returns everything to how it was.
She then packs up and hurriedly sneaks back through the ship into her quarter.
Cassiopeia: Bridge
2140 SSBT
The ships is in its last stages of warp travel, slowly switching the warp drive in reverse for deceleration. Since they prioritized a fast jump with a high mid-flight time the dampening systems currently operate at their maximum capacity and moving through the ships is not recommended hence why all are still sitting in their seats.
Anna is sitting quite relaxed in her chair, glancing over the different readouts while Jake is setting up all the systems for listening mode.
Anna: "Ah... autopilot, my favorite enemy."
Jake rolls his eyes.
Jake: "What did he do this time?"
Anna: "Oh, nothing, just contemplating a bit."
Jake: "I see..."
Anna: "I mean how do you keep up with all these thingybobbles and bleep bloops?"
Jake stops and looks over at her, very much confused.
Jake: "... what?"
Anna: "I mean I see you just tapping away at your console like its nothing."
Jake: "...Oh... that's what you mean... I mean... its my job so id be surprised if I wouldn't have gotten good at it by now don't you think?"
Anna: "Suppose so... but I still have to get the handbook out any time I want to configure something which I don't use that often."
log: "integrating related entries" data=
[
com: "Sentinel 2" issued status: Warp jump completed. Dia= no_issue. Scanning...
com: "Sentinel 3" issued status: Warp jump completed. Dia= no_issue. Scanning...
]
In the back, the scientists and auxiliary crew have been entertaining themselves by discussing theories regarding this object and the planet beneath it.
Miriam: "Should they, despite the odds, actually make use of chlorophyll this might be huge. It would hint at a sort of universal constant when it comes to potential chemicals."
Victor has been listening in on their discussions but is mostly keeping a watch over the ships systems. Currently he's again looking at the picture they have of the object.
Victor: "Hm... deadly ship, or useless rock..."
Sebastian notices Victor pondering and pipes in.
Sebastian: "I still think its some kind of space station. I mean it has an extremely circular orbit, smth not common for asteroids."
Tanimoto: "Yet not impossible. To come back to that, essentially we have to weigh the odds of advanced life against the odds of perfect orbits."
Anna now also chimes in from the front.
Anna: "Or just wait a few more seconds. Oh yeah, brace."
system: "Exiting warp jump in 10..."
They all now again divert their attention back to the front, Stacy meanwhile paying full attention to the vital signs of the people on board.
system: "9... 8... 7... "
system: "6... 5..."
The warp drive has now switched to full brake power, manifesting itself in the now moderately strong g-forces pulling the crew out of their seats into their harnesses.
system: "4... 3... 2...1"
With a slight jerk the warp drive shuts off and the normal brake thrusters engage to perform the last part of the deceleration sequence.
The consoles starts displaying the sensor readouts.
Victor: "Jake, give me a radar ping."
log: "integrating related entries." data=
[
com: "Sentinel 2" issued request: Manned oversight. Reason= sensor_data_unclear
sys: Request processed. Time elapsed: 15 ms
sys: Request granted. Pilot link established with: M-3589-DP-#31.
com: "Sentinel 2" issued status: Link establishment successful. Latency 48 ms
]
Jake: "Yes sir."
Jake taps a button on his console and on the 3d rendered radar screen it shows a pulse going out in circles from the craft. Soon a ping pops up. Its at a distance of 632 meters to 2 o clock with a rad (relative altitude difference) of 143 meters.".
Jake: "Must be our-"
Another ping... and another, more and more outlines are being rendered in. 12 in total
Jake: "...target... s?"
Victor sits upright in his chair.
Victor: "Get me some data dam it. Virta, don't drop me those shields."
Jake: "Doing full range ping."
Anna: "Aye aye, shields are staying at warp." (warp is highest shield strenght, since thats whats used during, well, warp travel)
The sensor readouts come up on the main screen with a combined interpretation being shown as a feed in the center. On it they see the object.
It is an uneven, cylindrical structure of which the shape flows together at two ends into a sort of inverted dome. Multiple, differently shaped extrusions can be seen on its surface, some being smooth and others having a more rough texture. The object at large shares this characteristic as it seems to blend natural rocks and materials together with smooth but also sharply shaped metal of sorts.
Around the object, multiple smaller things can be seen moving around.
They now observe as these smaller objects start to approach them, with one of the extrusions on the larger one, resembling a radio dish, also starting to turn to them.
Jake: "Well.... Sebatian, seems your suspicions were right."
Victor: "Alright, Anna, prep a missile and be at the ready for emergency warp."
Tanimoto looks like he wants to say something. Victor notices and adds to his order.
Victor: "Just... decoy missile, in case this doesn't go smoothly."
Tanimoto: "I would hope so."
Jake suddenly notices smth on his console.
Jake: "Sir Im picking up a rhythmic radio signal, it seems like they're trying to transmit something to us."
Norbert: "Ouh... this is so exiting."
Miriam: "I know. Right."
The others just give them questioning looks.
Victor turns to the Scientists.
Victor: "Doctor Kokushi, seems like we have to deal with a first contact after all."
Tanimoto: "So it would seem. Hm... first send our greeting over. Use radio on whatever frequency they are using."
Victor: "You heard him."
Jake: "Aye aye sir. I'll also try some alterations."
He taps away on his controls, sending out a predefined radio message devised by the Intergalactic Research Institute for Sciences that consists of basic patterns and is designed to be easily identifiable. Its contents include instructions for a very simple messaging code to convey information.
Anna: "Sir, I recommend we align orbit with the thing... at this rate it'll be out of range in a few minutes."
Indeed they observe that the object is moving away at a considerable pace. The other smaller objects however seem to have aligned themselves to their own craft and are also slowly closing in.
Victor: "Make it so."
She instructs the computer to match the course of the large object and the ship orients itself to have the main thrusters facing for the required burn.
Jake: "First contact message is being transmitted. What should I do with the incoming radio signals?"
Tanimoto pulls up the readings on his own screen.
Tanimoto: "Do we have the capability of an advanced analysis."
Jake: "Well technically yes but obviously the computer on here is nothing compared to the servers on the Trovu. Nonetheless it should suffice for a process like that. We also have some algorithms stored that are designed for such tasks."
Tanimoto: "Excellent. I will set one up to process the signal."
Victor all the while has been paying close attention to the objects that are slowly closing in on them. He now gets himself a telescopic camera view of one of them.
Victor: "I'm not really comfortable with those things approaching us."
On his screen he inspects one of the objects. It seems to be an octagonal cylinder-like structure which ends into a point at one end and four larger extrusions at the other. He observes as it briefly fires up some blueish like engines located in a ring around the main body.
log: "integrating related entries." data=[captured image. > see attached]
Tanimoto: "Well, this will probably take a while. Mister Bray, send out a status to the Trovu. Tell them to plot a jump to a further out orbit."
Victor intervenes.
Victor: "Ah ah, that's a clear no from me. We don't know yet if we can even trust these... things... Send a status sure but don't get them here just yet."
Miriam: "Well, in this point I agree with doctor Kokushi. We very much need the equipment of the Trovu if we want to speed up this contact and starts engaging in diplomacy."
Victor: "I am aware of our situation but at the moment I can not allow further lives to be put on the table for this."
log: "integrating related entries." data=
[
com: "Sentinel 2" issued alert: Engagement alert. Protectee encirculation predicted.
com: "Sentinel 3" issued alert: -matching data-
com: "Sentinel 2" issued status: Taking point. > Drones in sub-group: 1.data=[restricted]
com: M-3589-DP-#31 issued command: Hold position.
com: "Sentinel 2" issued status: AI overwrite. > Holding position.
]
Jake looks a bit unsure.
Jake: "Alright sir, I'm sending out a tight beam. Anna am I clear to rotate the ship in position.
Anna: "All fine Jake."
Jake: "Doctor Kokushi anything I should include?"
Tanimoto: "Yes, best you send along the data we have so far, maybe they'll have it run through quicker than us. Also tell them to get an express courier out with this message. We need to notify the Accords and CIS about this."
Jake: "Understood."
Jake starts configuring a tight beam when suddenly he gets a notification of... a proper incoming transmission.
Jake: "Eh... Steph, Doctor Kokushi. Were getting a transmission from the thing. A proper one using the first contact protocol."
The scientists as well as the rest of the crew are baffled.
Anna: "Didn't we... send that over just a minute ago?"
Tanimoto: "Thats... remarkable..."
Victor, like the others, seems very much surprised but also even further on edge.
Victor: "So they can talk now... great, id love to hear what their... crafts out there are for."
Jake: "Patching through their first message."
Norbert: Quietly to himself. "This is... unbelievable, I'm watching the first exchange with a new alien race..."
Miriam seems to have heard him and joins in.
Miriam: Also whispering. "I know right. This... is... so... fascinating."
On the main screen the communications interface pops up and then displays a simple text string made up of the message blocks from the simple transmission protocol.
Friendly. Greeting. Curious. Hesitant. Invitation. Come. Follow.
Tanimoto: "That... is very good."
Sarah: "Very good indeed. "
They observe as on the camera feed all but one of the craft suddenly engage some sort of thrusters to slow their movement and eventually halt in their relative position.
Victor: murmuring "I don't like this. They are far to open for my taste."
Tanimoto: "We'll, I think we should just trust them."
The one craft that did not slow down does a 180 degree turn and then also fires a ring of thrusters for just a short burst. After a few seconds it does another burst followed by another, all the same length with the same time between them.
Sarah: "I think they want us to follow this one."
Tanimoto: "I guess we should take them up on their invitation then."
He turns to Victor.
Victor: "I don't like this situation. We don't even know what we are up against."
Tanimoto: "I am aware but I think if we want to progress here we should take a leap of faith. If they wanted us dead they would've done it by now."
Victor: "Just because we think they want us no harm doesn't make it true. They might want to lure us into a trap to really make sure we cant escape."
He turns to Anna.
Victor: "Miss Virta, if at any time you notice that we have no way of warping out, immediately tell me."
Anna: "Yes sir."
Tanimoto: "So do you want us to just stick to radio contact only?"
Victor: "Precisely."
Tanimoto: "Fine, Jake, send a message back."
Jake: "Will do. Just have to get the tight beam with our status report out first."
He presses a few buttons and the ship fires some of its navigational thrusters to get the laser antenna in a clear line of sight with the last known point of the Trovu.
Jake: "Tight beams sending. Now to get to that short range transmission."
Tanimoto: "Good. send the following. Friendly. Greeting. Curious. Cautious."
Jake continues working on his console, this time setting up the message for the strange object. Dr. Kokushi meanwhile is monitoring the status of the tight beam. As soon as its finished he speaks up again.
Tanimoto: "Ms. Virta. Start tailing that object before us."
Anna: "Yes sir."
Anna once again takes control of the ship with her joysticks and orients it in orbit direction, using the navigational thrusters to move closer towards the craft that pulsated its engines. As they move closer the craft accelerates a bit by once again doing an engine pulse, eventually centering itself at the inverted dome of the larger structure. The Cassiopeia follows but keeps a distance.
Jake: "So... what do you think is that?"
Anna: "Could be the opening to hanger. Should I go closer?"
Victor: "No, that is not a smart idea. We're in no way equipped to deal with this here any further."
Tanimoto: "You said to not bring the Trovu into this."
Victor: "And I stand by that decision. We still have no idea who we are dealing with."
Tanimoto: "This is why we should go there and greet them in person."
The other craft is now staying in its position, not moving, with the Cassiopeia doing the same. The other objects have by now taken a few far off positions surrounding the area of the Cassiopeia but don't seem to do anything.
log: "integrating related entries." data=
[
com: "Sentinel 2" issued status: Object scan completed. > data=[restricted]
sys: data received. > evaluating
sys: evaluation completed. Time elapsed 173 ms > data deemed incomplete.
sys: "DA routine #7564" issued alert: Potential weapon systems identified. > parsing to "M-3589-DP-#31"
com: "Sentinel 2" issued status: Decreasing "Protectee" follow distance to 500 m.
com: "M-3589-DP-#31" issued command: Initiate umbrella stance. [restricted]
com: "Sentinel 2" issued status: AI overwrite failed > discrepancy detected > umbrella position between "Protectee" and [restricted] defies "safe distance" parameter.
]
Victor: We don't even have a clue what that thing is.
Jake: "Sending message."
Tanimoto: "I just have a feeling that this could be something huge. A whole new civilization."
Victor: "Without a proper presence in their home system as far as we know, so this is already quite a violation."
Jake: "We are getting another message."
The new message reads: Understanding. Friendly. Invitation. Follow.
Tanimoto: "Whoever they are, it is clear they have some highly advanced computational capabilities. I am sure they will pass that hurdle with ease when time comes."
As they start to discuss how to proceed the mission, Jake notices something odd. He pulls up the general process overview of the ship as well as the analysis of the transmissions the object sent.
Jake: thinking "Huh... what is... going on there."
He opens a command line and starts an anti-malware check on the system.
Meanwhile the one object is still performing pulsating glows, remaining patiently in its position.
log: integrating related entries. data=[
com: "Sentinel 2" issued alert: Unit is being scanned. Source: [restricted]. Cover blown.
com: "Sentinel 3" issued alert: -matching data-
]
Victor: "Miss Virta, make me some options out of here."
Jake: "Yessir."
Victor: "Doctor Kokushi, can we tell these people we'd rather first establish proper communications before we meet them in person."
Tanimoto: "Yes, that's possible. Eh, Invitation. Denial. Cautious. Curious. See. Hear."
Norbert: "Ehm, sorry to interrupt, but why are we getting closer?"
Victor: "What?"
They look back at the main camera feed. Indeed the objects seem a bit more closer than they were when they halted.
Anna: "Must've been some excess momentum. Correcting. Jake, I think we need a check on the Nav system."
Jake: "Alright."
log: integrating related entries. data=[
com: "Sentinel" issued status: Possible directed transmission identified. > data=[restricted]
sys: data received. > evaluating.
sys: evaluation completed. Time elapsed 240 ms > data unidentified.
sys: unregistered operations detected. > performing task reset.
]
She pulls back on her joysticks. The control screen shows the force enacted upon the vessel and predicts a backwards momentum.
Anna: "Setting up distancer to the object."
While Anna configures the autopilot to keep them at a distance to the object Jake has been taken in by the readings on his console, studying them very closely.
Victor: "Mister Bray, how's that message coming?"
Jake: "Huh, eh, yes sir. State contents again."
Tanimoto: "Denial. Cautious. Curious. See. Hear."
Almost absent-mindedly Jake starts setting up the next transmission as Tanimoto is dictating it. Victor is by now keeping a close eye on the tactical screen.
Anna: "Ok, thats finished. Ill run some calcs for possible warps."
She chimes into the WarpNav computer and sets it up to run a constantly updating calculation for a jump that would bring them near the known position of the Trovu.
Jake: "Hey, Saunders, what's your take on these readings."
Jake mirrors his screen to Felix Saunders side-console. He starts looking them over.
Victor: "What is it?"
Saunders: "Process overview. Hm... looks... all fine."
Jake: "How fine?"
Saunders: "Id say everything's running as smoothly as it can, why?"
A subtle and strange hum starts being heard. Jake insensitively looks at his screen and then over to Anna's before his demeanor suddenly changes.
Jake: "PURGE WARPNAV. NOW."
Taken aback by Jakes sudden outburst, Anna almost immediately shuts down the navigational computer for void jumps. Jake meanwhile is quickly unstrapping himself.
Victor: "REPORT!"
Jake: "We've got malware. Highly advanced. Purpose unknown but if we let that access the-"
The humming grows louder. On the camera feed they now observe as the view starts to get slightly distorted. Saunders suddenly also catches onto Jake's suspicion
Felix: "-WarpNav It could just start an imperfect jump."
He also starts unstrapping.
Victor: "Those lying pricks!"
Suddenly it becomes very lively in the cockpit. Anna starts frantically rebooting systems to their last valid backup. Jake goes over to section with computer racks and begins to switch them out for other. Meanwhile the humming starts getting ever louder.
Anna: "I turned of WarpNav but judging by that hum seems to have done nothing. Also engine controls are no longer responding."
Jake: "Saunders, we need to physically shut down the Void drive and switch in the physical backups of the computers. I think the whole system has been compromised."
Felix: "Ill get on the drive, you take care of the backups. Norbert you're with me."
Norbert: "Ok."
Felix hastily leaves the bridge section with Norbert also quickly unstrapping and following him.
Tanimoto: "Fascinating, they must have already mastered computational logic even rivaling our own."
Victor seems very agitated.
Victor: "Oh really, you find that fascinating ?! Maybe you could stop daydreaming and actually get on helping out here. They are trying to kill us if you haven't clocked that yet!"
Jake pulls out another of the computers.
com: "Cassiopeia" sensor link lost...
com: retrying connection...
com: link=online ; agent=online ; co-agent=non-responsive
sys: switching to personal reader...
com: retrying connection...
com: link=online ; agent=online ; co-agent=responsive
com: connection established. time elapsed 143ms. latency 54ms
sys: sourcing outside data from "Sentinels"
The craft in front of the presumed station now moves out of the way, opening a clear line between the Cassiopeia and it.
Anna: "Jake, I'm gonna need nav control, I think we're still drifting."
Jake: "Working on it."
The humming turns to a loud screeching.
Victor: "SAUNDERS."
Felix: muffled from the back"ONE SECO-ah sh*t"
A faint zap is heard.
Felix: muffled from the back"NORBERT, ON THREE CUT THIS WIRE. ONE. TWO. THREE."
The humming subsides. At the same time the Cassiopeia's warp shields go offline, triggering a mechanical failsafe and shutting the warp drive system of completly.
Jake: "Thrust reset."
Anna: "Great."
Anna pulls back on the joysticks and with a noticeable jerk the Cassiopeia's reverse thrusters fire at full throttle.
As Jake continues to switch parts out for their physical backups the camera feeds go dark.
The Cassiopeia is changing momentum away from the presumed station. Seemingly in response crafts from behind have started to approach the ship.
log: "integrating related entries." data=
[
com: "Sentinel 2" issued alert: "Protectee" under attack
com: "M-3589-DP-#31" issued command: Initiate umbrella stance. [restricted2]
com: "Sentinel 2" issued status: AI overwrite > entering umbrella position between "Protectee" and [restricted2]
]
Felix comes back into the cockpit.
Felix: "That thing hard-locked the controls, we had to cull the system completely."
Victor lets out a heavy sigh.
Anna: "Hey sir."
Victor: "Yes Ms. Virta?"
Anna: "You wanted me to notify you when it were the case so, our ability to escape via Warp no longer exists."
She tries a forced smirk. Victor seems not very amused so it fades pretty quickly and she looks back at her station again.
Victor: "Try to get it running again, otherwise we're toast."
Felix: "We'll do our best sir."
He jogs back into the back of the ship.
Victor: "Ms. Virta, how are engines coming."
Anna: "Seem nominal to me again, same though not for the sensors."
She points at a section of the screen at her station with the label "no data"
Jake: "Coming up."
Jake starts up another computer fragment and the sensors start calibrating themselves.
Suddenly the power cuts out completely.
Felix: muffled from the back "sh*t. REACTOR WENT COLD"
Victor now also unstraps and and goes over to a compartment in the wall, pulling out a few breathing masks and hands them out, also putting one on himself.
Victor: "They're letting our tech do the dirty work for them. SAUNDERS, CAN YOU GET POWER WORKING?"
Jake reaches over to a flap and opens it. Behind are the breakers of the cockpit. He flips a few until he's patched in the emergency power batteries into the life support systems. A few dimmer lights begin illuminating the cockpit again.
Felix: muffled from the back "will try but honestly not sure sir."
On the outside two of the unknown objects have now changed their course towards the Cassiopeia.
Victor: "Bray, how's our power situation?"
Jake: "At current consumption batteries will last about 8 hours. Though if we want to get distress messages out on tightbeam that would greatly reduce the time."
Tanimoto: "Atmosphere?"
Anna: "Stable as long as we have power."
Victor: "Do weapons work?"
Tanimoto: "What would be the use in that?"
Victor: "Just checking what systems we have available."
Jake: "Without telemetry the missiles wont be any good and the asteroid defense laser would basically eat our entire power."
Victor: "Hm... Bray, power to my console."
Jake: "Aye sir."
Victor goes back into his set and switches on his display which Jake has routed power to from the battery.
Victor: "Lets assess the situation. We're on our own, by the time the folks back get our message it wont have mattered. Since these aliens want to obviously kill us..."
He looks shortly at Tanimoto.
Victor: "... we basically have only a few options. First we need to get power back on or well just be a dead lump of metal ready for the picking. Seeing as they have not attacked us directly as of yet its fair to assume their only edge is that they have good computers but no real space weaponry. In that sense we have the upper hand on them.
By now, unknown to the crew inside, two of the strange vessels have come within 2 km range of the Cassiopeia. Both of the sentinel drones are currently between them and the Cassiopeia.
---
(ok, at this point this has been sitting in the drawers for far too long and further fletching this out would just add to that. So heres a run-down of the rest which ill maybe complete at a later point.)
They essentially have to crash-land on the planet. One of the sentinel drones is destroyed in the process as it absorbs shots from the strange asteroid-like station. The other sentinel drones is able to escape and enter a further away orbit but its now being searched by who/whatever has this station in orbit around the planet.
---
com: "Asset 2" sensor link lost...
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: [132 attempts made]
sys: terminating connection retry
sys: updating mission file: "Asset 2" ; status=MIA
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
-reserving space-
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-reserving space-
| -- --- -- |
Trovu: Bridge
2200 SSBT
The Trovu is in its final phases of Warp deceleration, limiting everyone on board to once again fixed positions to work from.
Sensory and communications officer "Stefan Cordell", navigational officer "Hector Jaquier", third helmsman "Frank Roy" as well as captain" Robin Orelik" are all on their positions on the bridge, working on their various duties even as they are still in warp. Two other people have also joined them. Third security officer "Zara Harper" and first officer "Oliver Steen", each one sitting at one of the two support stations for "when things really need to get handled" to quote one of the ships engineers.
Captain Orelik is currently chatting with chief engineer Matthias Specht, the "Woodpecker", who is busy running about the ship. That Nickname he gained for his reputation of hammering on a problem until it is gone and that with a truly stoic attitude. And it also came naturally just from his last name alone.
The engineering team under his oversight are currently preparing the "Cass's" sister-shuttle, the "Cepheus" as well as readying parts for immediate need.
Robin: "How we looking? ... Good. ... Then get them ready..."
Zara and Oliver are coercing with Stefan to figure out just what they should be expecting.
Stefan: "Ok, I was able to scrape some useful stuff from our initial long-range scans but its not much to scoff at, too much interference."
He has the data pulled up on their shared planning screen for the others to also look over.
Zara: "Well, the security id is definitely from the CSS Eclipse."
Oliver: "Feels good to hear that from you. I was really extremely baffled at to what would bring it out here."
Zara: "Yeah, I know. But after running it through the validation system there's really no doubt its the actual ship. Now, the only problem I still see if it has been hijacked by someone."
Stefan: "But what would be the sense in that?"
Zara: "I'm not sure but the details regarding its disappearance where never really quite clear."
system: "Exiting warp in 60 seconds"
Oliver: "To be fair, we are not in the correct information loop to receive anything on that. I'm even surprised it came over the normal news."
Oliver runs over the received transmission again. Now that they are at warp they really only have the records until they get clear again.
Oliver: "Zara, what's your take on possible hostiles?"
Zara: "Not unlikely but that would probably have been included in the distress call. No use in sending civilian help into combat zones after all."
Stefan: "So I guess well have to trust on the Eclipse's systems that it is safe?"
Zara: "Pretty much."
Oliver runs over the transmission again, a kind of habit now in the past ten minutes whenever he's thinking about something.
Oliver: "I'm still quite baffled. It has been some time."
Stefan: "Yeah, news of that came just a few years into the mission right? And now, about 20 years later we find it here."
Zara: "Or whatever might be left of it."
Their now somewhat pessimistic turning conversation is interrupted by Frank calling out through the bridge.
Frank: "Alright people, get ready for warp exit."
The ship wide intercom begins to count down the shutdown of the warp drive.
system: "Exiting warp in 10... 9... 8... 7... 7... 7..."
Frank: "Eh... what."
While Frank and the others are still confusingly watching as the timer till warp exit has apparently just stopped counting, Captain Orelik reopens his line to Matthias.
Robin: "This just the readout bugging out?"
The voice of the Chief engineer comes over his own earpod, speaking to him relatively clearly.
Matthias: ["No. No, definitely not, we are still maintaining speed. Already investigating. Push comes to shove ill have Fred manually shut it."]
Robin: "I'll give you 5 seconds."
Matthias: ["Clear."]
Stefan: "Why now all of the sudden warpnav bug out?"
Ten minutes earlier.
Trovu: Talia's quarter.
2155 SSBT
Talia is sitting at her desk, working on her laptop. Her entire room has been transformed into some sort of makeshift command center, the screens on the wall normally showing beautiful sceneries having been reconfigured to now show various statistics. She has also set up additional terminals, making her room have a sort of bridge-like aesthetic.
She takes a sip of coffee from a mug on her desk and gets back to overseeing the Trovu's sensors and systems... in addition to three other vessels just marked within the data subtext of one of the consoles.
Talia: "Finally some more stuff to work with... Sentinels still in transit though. Hm."
She navigates through a communications interface and sends out a call. Its target is Jake Bray, sent through the invisible network accessible to her through the black cube now embedded within the Trovu's digital heart. She waits for a few minutes before it comes back to her with the information "Currently unfeasible." which could mean a number of things but most likely that he's not in a position to take on calls.
Turning away from that idea she instead now diverts her attention to the sentinel remote link and sends a quick system test.
log: integrating related entries. data=[
com: "Co-Asset 1" issued request: call-["Sentinel 1","Sentinel 4","Sentinel 5"]. system test.
sys: passing transmission to "Sentinel 1"
sys: passing transmission to "Sentinel 4"
sys: passing transmission to "Sentinel 5"
com: "Sentinel 1" issued response: callback-["Co-Asset 1"]. functional.
com: "Sentinel 4" issued response: -matching data-
com: "Sentinel 5" issued response: -matching data-
sys: passing callback transmissions to "Co-Asset 1"
]
After a few seconds she gest positive responses from all three remaining sentinel drones that are still linked to the Trovu.
She slowly watches their warp travel timer tick down, them arriving just a tad bit earlier than the Trovu at its desired destination, their own jumps calibrated to hide within the larger profile of the Trovu.
Talia: "Come on, I need eyes there."
log: integrating related entries. data=[
com: "Sentinel 1" issued status: Warp jump completed. Dia= no_issue. Scanning...
com: "Sentinel 4" issued status: -matching data-
com: "Sentinel 5" issued status: -matching data-
com: "Sentinel 1" issued status: Initializing group control. > Drones in sub-group: 1.data=[restricted] 2.data=[restricted]
com: "Sentinel 1" issued alert: general threat alert. > data=[]
sys: data received. > distributing.
sys: relaying data to "Co-Asset 1"
sys: relaying data to [sys].
sys: data received. > evaluating...
com: "Sentinel 1" issued request: Manned oversight. Reason= sensor_data_unclear
sys: request processed. time elapsed 13 ms
sys: relaying request to "Co-Asset 1"
com: "Co-Asset 1" issued status: Request received. Processing.
]
Then she gets the data she so desperately waited for. And with it comes a whole load of flags attached to it.
Talia: "Uh-oh."
An alert pops up along with a dialogue field sent by the drones, asking for advise. She quickly accepts and the sensor data and additional flight controls are loaded in. However, she doesn't pay much attention to the changing UI of her small control station, instead fixated on the readings that the analytical systems of the sentinels, and now also some diverted ones from the Trovu's own servers are assembling for her in a digestible format.
Talia: "... Oh no..."
log: integrating related entries. data=[
sys: evaluation complete. > Identified 5 different objects > 1.[-] 2.[unknown] 3.[unknown] 4.[name="CSS Eclipse",...,evaluation_note="heavy distortion"] 5.[-]
sys: [-] detected. trigger condition met. > pinging "Nexus network". data=[]
]
As if she just got an adrenaline stick injected into her she almost immediately navigates to several options available to her at the same time.
Talia: "Sh*t. Sh*t. SH*T!"
For once she is panic-dialing up her contact Linda, pre-emptively flagging up the data of the Sentinel's. On the other, perhaps more important hand she is accessing the ships warp computer sending it an imminent stop command, trying to navigate it past all the safety systems in place that she still, even with her almost total control of the entire system has to wrestle with. After all, you only have a certain amount of breaking force at your disposal. Plus, what good does you an emergency stop to evade something, if it results in you torn to shreds by your own doing.
It is too late though. She gets back that it is already impossible to move the exit point to a reasonable distance from this point she is trying to avoid coming near, without seriously endangering the health of the crew and integrity of the ship. So she changes her approach, having the system adjust its travel path to pass by the location. Not an easy task as she finds out. While the crude quickjump calculations and resulting flight path did plan for a reasonable buffer space to slow down, the amount of projected debris is making it hard to calculate a continuation of the current flight path within the safe, or even possible parameters. Adding to that is the fact that she is literally trying to build the bridge while the train is already moving towards the chasm at maximum speed, metaphorically speaking.
Linda appears in a window on one of the screens in front of her.
Linda: ["How's the damage?"]
Talia: "Currently none but gonna have some real f*cking soon."
Talia is still flying over the controls, doing her best to keep the human component in the whole procedure as fast as possible.
Linda: ["Just breathe..."]
Talia: "Later..."
Finally the system comes back with a possible alteration. It foresees doing some questionable change of force application at rapidly oscillating paces to let the Ship navigate through the estimated array of various hurdles composed of asteroids and the like.
A computerized voice suddenly announces over the ship-wide intercom just how little time she has left.
system: "Exiting warp in 60 seconds."
Now it is down to implementation, getting it applied and, if possible, covering it up with some kind of malfunction of sorts. The later part is mostly important so she can keep a low profile on board. However, a low profile is currently a lesser concern, considering the alternative and so she just briefly lets her inticts guide her code as she sets the warp computer up to have it applied.
Talia: "Not gonna be pretty, that's for sure."
Linda: ["I've flagged it for higher management, so expect a change in contact."]
Talia: "Yeah yeah..."
Talia has now successfully set all the parts in motion. Now just to hope the machine does its job as instructed... and that noone interferes, which is still a possibility she has to stay alert for.
A minute later she gets called up by the Trovu's 1. chief engineer "Matthias Specht".
Trovu: Bridge
2204 SSBT
By now Stefan and Oliver are also perusing the systems to figure out why, out of nowhere, the warpnav computer decided to prolong their journey. Frank has repeatedly tried to manually trigger a shutdown of the warp drive, so far to no effect. Robin is still in contact with Matthias who's own team are also investigating the problem. With Saunders, their own IT-specialist gone away with the Cassiopeia they have called up on Talia Webb, the specialist of the prior shift, to take a look at the problem.
Robin: "And?"
Matthias: ["Nothing digital seems to work. At least we're not dead yet so something seems to be going right."]
Robin: "I don't want "not dead", I need control of my ship."
Matthias: ["Fred is nearly there and then we can hit the brakes on this engine."]
Robin: "This better not make it two wrecks out there."
Matthias: ["No promises."]
What Matthias is proposing to use, are the physical safety features of the warp drive system, literally cutting their power which in turn would rip apart the warp bubble that allows the Trovu to stay in travel. Should that fade, the Trovu would be left to its normal shields for protection and to its chemical thrusters for breaking power. Normally such a maneuver would be a death sentence, the ship shredded by the resulting forces of exiting FTL. However, since they have already slowed to STL speeds they would not have to deal with quite that much energy. Nonetheless it would put the vessel under considerable strains that could lead to costly to repair, or even unrepairable damage.
Still, a better alternative than running into some matter of mass due a malfunctioning warp computer.
Robin: "Just do it."
Matthias: ["Yes sir."]
A few seconds pass.
Trovu: Maintenace tunnels.
2205 SSBT
Talia is walking through the network of maintenance tunnels that stretch through the Trovu. She has to get to the connection of warp drive and reactor. Needs to defend it just long enough for them to pass by that which they should never have seen. In her ear is still Linda's voice.
She thinks about how she can explain this later. Or now, as they have called on her to fix the "problem" she herself made. She feels she is getting more erratic by the second. But I guess many would loose their sanity when seeing a piece of the "divine", of what others should never see.
Linda: ["Calm down please, we can work this out."]
Talia: "What do you think I'm doing..."
She knows she can't make it. Fred is already in that region of the ship. But she has to try.
The mechanical failsafes, the only thorn in her elaborate calculation. She knew of them of course but she never expected them to be that drastic about regaining control. In hindsight she should have paid more attention to the psyche of the captain and 1. chief engineer.
Linda: ["What..."]
Linda suddenly sounds distressed she can tell.
Talia: "What what?"
She gets no answer. By now she is almost at the room.
But she's too late.
Trovu: Bridge
2206 SSBT
system: "Warning. Emergency warp exit."
Suddenly a violent rumble can be heard resonating through the ships hull, almost drowning out the sudden alarm tone played over the intercom.
As the ship exits warp the work of the different mechanisms can physically be heard and felt. On their screens the readouts of several systems, mainly the engines and g-force dampeners, suddenly spike in their attempts to communicate just how past their tolerance they are working.
They feel the sudden switch in brake force as the backwards thrusters take over slowing down the ship. Everyone is lunged forward in their seats as the dampeners can't negate every part of the force enacted on the ship, never intended to cancel out the engines at 140% output.
Robin: "Hrg... Cordell, get a feed on main. Steen, get me damage."
Stefan: "On... it."
Oliver: "Yes sir."
Slowly they can lean back again as the engines decrease their output, the ship having decreased in speed enough and new data coming in that give the automatic systems a margin of just how much room they actually have to work with.
log: integrating related entries. data=[
com: "Sentinel 5" sensor link lost...
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: [74 attempts made]
sys: terminating connection retry
]
Stefan Cordell begins calling on the various sensors of the Trovu to get images of what is going on around them, sending them to the central screen for all to see as he orders them. Then he stops. They all stop, eyes going wide and just gaze at what they are seeing over their electronic eyes on the outside.
Frank: "... What. In. The. HELL!!!"
Trovu: Maintenance tunnels
2207 SSBT
Talia sits at the one of the doors that lead back into the main corridors network. She's exhausted. The weight of now nearly two shifts plus all the exercise she had to do in that time, both mental and physical is pushing on her metabolism. Normally she'd never allowed herself this break. But what really is there now to do?
Her mind is filled with thoughts.
Linda: ["Talia!"]
She has read of the Trent incident, obviously. At that time she knows the Order's coms were running hot. Cover stories being created and then thrown out again cause they were just unfeasible. Then the mind told them to not worry. And so they just not worried and it did its work. All in the open.
Then just a year or so later the Trigals came and again the mind came in. All in the open.
But what about this?
She always learned that it was rare to see its form. It never wants to be seen and so they should also do the same, should also help to hide it. They now know of it... too much data to just scrub.
Linda: ["TALIA!"]
The thought of having to self-destruct the ship, and herself, is gnawing at the back of her mind. A gruesome compulsion but one she knew when she signed up. After all, the purpose of people like her is to let them maintain the control of humanities in- and out-flows of information. Of contacts and knowledge, acting as that filter against the unsafe.
But what if it wants to be seen? It clearly did so in the past.
So what is this?
No, its too far away. It would never want its forms to be found here.
But then why did it let them? No, it would not... they are just some expedition... like the GF fleet in Dagda she recalls. But theose where approached first, not like this.
Matthias: ["Hey Talia, where are you on that analysis?... What the..."]
And what has the Eclipse to do with it?
The combat alarm suddenly plays over the intercom system.
Wait... combat alarm!
Linda: ["SNAP OUT OF IT!"]
She regains her composure and stands up, her training kicking into effect again at the sound of the alert you would never want to hear on a civilian vessel.
log: integrating related entries. data=[
com: "Sentinel 1" sensor link lost...
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: [82 attempts made]
sys: terminating connection retry
]
Knowing she needs to immediately find a protective suit she makes a run for the nearest compartment she knows. Doing so takes her back into the main network of tunnels and more furnished corridors.
It is chaos all around. Crew members rushing to posts, some carrying equipment in full suits others just woken by the sudden alarms. As she rushes through she sees members of all three shifts.
log: integrating related entries. data=[
com: "Sentinel 4" sensor link lost...
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: [75 attempts made]
sys: terminating connection retry
]
Then she feels a tug, the air around them streaming into a certain direction.
She turns her view that way.
Screams die out as the medium they need to travel thins down.
Alerts go of, both over the intercom as well as her personal reader.
Linda: ["Tali- ... ca-... shhhshs... eva- ..ute"]
Then all goes black.
com: "Trovu" sensor link lost...
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: retrying connection...
com: link=non-responsive ; agent= ; co-agent=
com: [239 attempts made]
sys: terminating connection retry
sys: updating mission file: "Asset 1" ; status=MIA
sys: updating mission file: "{Trovu}-expedition" ; status=MIA
sys: archiving "{Trovu}-expedition" files...
sys: creating automated debrief documents... > failure. operation interrupted by [id]
[id]: classify "{Trovu}-expedition" as "nexus" level.
sys: updating archive document: "{Trovu}-expedition" ; clearance=nexus
sys: "nexus" detected. > moving archive document to [server-id]. > operation complete.
sys: link to archive document: "{Trovu}-expedition" lost. attempting restoration. > operation complete.
[id]: overwrite "{Trovu}-expedition." data=[]
sys: updating archive document: "{Trovu}-expedition" ; data=[]. tag=overwrite > operation complete. tag-execution="resetting changelog".
[id]: continue.
sys: continuing last operation > creating automated debrief documents. > operation complete.
sys: relaying debrief documents on "{Trovu}-expedition" to [mission-address-list]. > operation complete. updating [file_current] state=debriefed.
sys: file "{Trovu}-expedition" "mission_state=debriefed" detected. trigger condition met. > deleting handler.
sys: ...
--- error, system not found ---
End of log file: "{Trovu}-expedition"
Clearance level: Nexus.
