Mission Log
"2635 hrs... should that be entered as their mission day 1 or our mission day 2?"
Mining is going smoothly. Just a little more time and the drills will be working at full capacity, then stand by to ensure all the systems are working and then we will launch. After that, the site will work on its own for a month while we set up more bases in other locations.
I'm supposed to be going on a scouting mission in a few more hours. Asteri apparently picked up some infrared signatures and seismic activity down south of the base. I should mention Beta II is volcanic. If an eruption that will destroy the base is going to happen, we would rather know now so that all the equipment can be saved. Fingers crossed that it will not blow up as soon as I get there.
-----------------------------------------------------
Audio/Video Transcript
Location: Pod 746, Sector 84
Time: Mission Day 4, 0625 (Beta Day 2, 0625)
Tara: Captain, the Hornet is ready.
Cptn. Jackson: Good, I'll begin the mission then. Notify Asteri, we'll leave as soon as I return.
Tara: Yes sir.
System: Hornet ship launched, bearing south.
Time: Mission Day 4, 0711 (Beta Day 2, 0711)
Hornet: Tara? Come in.
Base: Receiving...
Hornet: I'm approaching the site, ETA 10 minutes. Preliminary observations indicate this is not a large eruption, no volcanic ash in sight.
Base: Copy that, proceed with caution.
Hornet: Roger.
Time: Mission Day 4, 0714 (Beta Day 2, 0714)
Hornet: Tara? Come in, Tara!
Base: What's the matter, did something happen?
Hornet: Affirmative, I'm receiving radio contact.
Base: Radio contact?! What does it say?
Hornet: Can't tell, just sounds like gibberish to me.
Base: Send me a recording, and hold your position.
Hornet: Copy that, preparing to record.
Base: Received, beginning analysis... well, it's definitely not natural.
Hornet: Should I keep going?
Base: Be slow, and careful.
Hornet: Roger.
Time: Mission Day 4, 0721 (Beta Day 2, 0721)
Hornet: Reporting, I've arrived at the site of the temperature and seismic anomaly. I... I believe I'm looking at a base.
Base: One of ours?
Hornet: Architecture looks right. Sweeping in for a closer look... Base seems to be active, I can see dust from the drill sites, layout and infrastructure are consistent with a phase 1 satellite base. Should I attempt contact?
Base: Negative. Return to base for now.
Hornet: Maybe I can land here? Run a check on the...
Base: That's a negative, return to base.
Hornet: ...Roger, setting return course.
Location: Pod 742, Sector 84
Time: Mission Day 4, 0801 (Beta Day 2, 0801)
Cptn. Jackson enters the central command room. Tara form projected.
Cptn. Jackson: Why'd you make me come back? We could have commandeered that base.
Tara: I've been analysing the radio transmission you received. It wasn't directed at you.
Cptn. Jackson steps out of the pod. Asteri and Tara forms projected in front of the pod.
Asteri: What happened?
Cptn. Jackson: We found a human base...
Asteri: And?
Tara: Then we came under attack from some hostile forces.
Asteri: Hostile forces? What hostile forces?
Cptn. Jackson: We didn't stick around to find out. (lets out breath) Well, I think we found a good reason as to why the mission almost failed.
Author: Captain Nathan C. Jackson
Mission 1, Entry 2
The time of writing this is 2635 hours. That sounds, looks and feels wrong in more ways than one. I can imagine the confusion an officer on the starship will feel reading the surface logs already.
"2635 hrs... should that be entered as their mission day 1 or our mission day 2?"
Mining is going smoothly. Just a little more time and the drills will be working at full capacity, then stand by to ensure all the systems are working and then we will launch. After that, the site will work on its own for a month while we set up more bases in other locations.
I'm supposed to be going on a scouting mission in a few more hours. Asteri apparently picked up some infrared signatures and seismic activity down south of the base. I should mention Beta II is volcanic. If an eruption that will destroy the base is going to happen, we would rather know now so that all the equipment can be saved. Fingers crossed that it will not blow up as soon as I get there.
-----------------------------------------------------
Audio/Video Transcript
Location: Pod 746, Sector 84
Time: Mission Day 4, 0625 (Beta Day 2, 0625)
Tara: Captain, the Hornet is ready.
Cptn. Jackson: Good, I'll begin the mission then. Notify Asteri, we'll leave as soon as I return.
Tara: Yes sir.
System: Hornet ship launched, bearing south.
Time: Mission Day 4, 0711 (Beta Day 2, 0711)
Hornet: Tara? Come in.
Base: Receiving...
Hornet: I'm approaching the site, ETA 10 minutes. Preliminary observations indicate this is not a large eruption, no volcanic ash in sight.
Base: Copy that, proceed with caution.
Hornet: Roger.
Time: Mission Day 4, 0714 (Beta Day 2, 0714)
Hornet: Tara? Come in, Tara!
Base: What's the matter, did something happen?
Hornet: Affirmative, I'm receiving radio contact.
Base: Radio contact?! What does it say?
Hornet: Can't tell, just sounds like gibberish to me.
Base: Send me a recording, and hold your position.
Hornet: Copy that, preparing to record.
Base: Received, beginning analysis... well, it's definitely not natural.
Hornet: Should I keep going?
Base: Be slow, and careful.
Hornet: Roger.
Time: Mission Day 4, 0721 (Beta Day 2, 0721)
Hornet: Reporting, I've arrived at the site of the temperature and seismic anomaly. I... I believe I'm looking at a base.
Base: One of ours?
Hornet: Architecture looks right. Sweeping in for a closer look... Base seems to be active, I can see dust from the drill sites, layout and infrastructure are consistent with a phase 1 satellite base. Should I attempt contact?
Base: Negative. Return to base for now.
Hornet: Maybe I can land here? Run a check on the...
Base: That's a negative, return to base.
Hornet: ...Roger, setting return course.
Location: Pod 742, Sector 84
Time: Mission Day 4, 0801 (Beta Day 2, 0801)
Cptn. Jackson enters the central command room. Tara form projected.
Cptn. Jackson: Why'd you make me come back? We could have commandeered that base.
Tara: I've been analysing the radio transmission you received. It wasn't directed at you.
Cptn. Jackson: Well, why would it be? It's not like the base knew I would be there.
Tara: It was directed at another base...
Cptn. Jackson: There are more?
Tara: ...and it was a distress signal.
Cptn. Jackson: Distress signal? All the more reason I should have landed there then!
Tara: Then why was the call not directed at you? Or transmitted in some form of radial signal instead of a directed communication? I think there's something else going on here.
Cptn. Jackson: I'm heading back to the base, prep the Hornet for...
System: Warning, radar detecting object on a collision course.
Tara: Huh?
Cptn. Jackson: Wha-
Object collides and explodes, Cptn. Jackson, unprepared for the jolt, falls over. Tara's form disappears.
Cptn. Jackson: Report!
Tara: Minor structural damage, multiple radar contacts inbound, they appear to be missiles!
CPtn. Jackson: Missiles!?
Second volley hits, pod shakes violently. Structural damage rising.
Tara: We can't take much more of this! After a certain damage threshold, the pod will no longer be able to dock or launch!
System: Ground radar picking up contacts inbound from south-west-west. Warning, contacts appear hostile and armed.
Cptn. Jackson: Tara! Do we have any weapons?
Tara: Negative!
Cptn. Jackson: Then prep for abort! Tell Asteri we're launching!
Tara: Sir! Prepping for launch!
-----------------------------------------------------
Internal Log: Day 4
Transcender System
Abort launch successful
Pod status:
Structural integrity: 72%, Outer shell breached- sealing off affected areas
Broadcasting status and plotting course to last known location of Transcender
Transcender located, plotting course
Retrieval of 746
-----------------------------------------------------
Audio/Video Transcript
Location: Launch bay, base pod 746
Time: Mission Day 4, 1432
Cptn. Jackson: There are more?
Tara: ...and it was a distress signal.
Cptn. Jackson: Distress signal? All the more reason I should have landed there then!
Tara: Then why was the call not directed at you? Or transmitted in some form of radial signal instead of a directed communication? I think there's something else going on here.
Cptn. Jackson: I'm heading back to the base, prep the Hornet for...
System: Warning, radar detecting object on a collision course.
Tara: Huh?
Cptn. Jackson: Wha-
Object collides and explodes, Cptn. Jackson, unprepared for the jolt, falls over. Tara's form disappears.
Cptn. Jackson: Report!
Tara: Minor structural damage, multiple radar contacts inbound, they appear to be missiles!
CPtn. Jackson: Missiles!?
Second volley hits, pod shakes violently. Structural damage rising.
Tara: We can't take much more of this! After a certain damage threshold, the pod will no longer be able to dock or launch!
System: Ground radar picking up contacts inbound from south-west-west. Warning, contacts appear hostile and armed.
Cptn. Jackson: Tara! Do we have any weapons?
Tara: Negative!
Cptn. Jackson: Then prep for abort! Tell Asteri we're launching!
Tara: Sir! Prepping for launch!
-----------------------------------------------------
Internal Log: Day 4
Transcender System
Abort launch successful
Pod status:
Structural integrity: 72%, Outer shell breached- sealing off affected areas
Broadcasting status and plotting course to last known location of Transcender
Transcender located, plotting course
Retrieval of 746
-----------------------------------------------------
Audio/Video Transcript
Location: Launch bay, base pod 746
Time: Mission Day 4, 1432
Cptn. Jackson steps out of the pod. Asteri and Tara forms projected in front of the pod.
Asteri: What happened?
Cptn. Jackson: We found a human base...
Asteri: And?
Tara: Then we came under attack from some hostile forces.
Asteri: Hostile forces? What hostile forces?
Cptn. Jackson: We didn't stick around to find out. (lets out breath) Well, I think we found a good reason as to why the mission almost failed.
Comments
Post a Comment