|
Post by The Tired God on Jun 12, 2014 1:07:01 GMT -5
With the crew of the Paragon off on their own, doing as they normally did, the sleek ship lifted up and out of Ferrum's atmosphere and quickly into the blackness of space. Cate's fancy and skilled flying got them to the edge of the system fairly quickly, before the jump to hyperspace was required. From there, the ship would reach DF 37b and touch down within two hours. For a planet in uncharted space, it was awfully close to populated space. Then again, hyperspace travel went much more smoothly and quickly between solar system due to the lack of adjustments needed.
Two hours was what everyone had before the boarding ramp would be down and they would be at the coordinates Finch left them with, half a mile outside an Adimar ruin, still too far out of sight behind hills and rocks and other things that could block sight.
The planet itself was brown, with no vegetation as far as the eye or scanners could tell. No oceans or weather patterns besides very dry winds, either. No life whatsoever, though it was rich with oxygen. The temperature was a little chilly, at forty-five degrees Fahrenheit, but winds were low today, thankfully. Climate was typically very dry, with little moisture to allow for clouds.
The planet ran on a 32-hour cycle, and the current time was the Earth equivalent of 1300, with the sun high in the sky, shining blue and casting little warmth on the planet's surface.
The landscape was hilly where they landed, and otherwise mountainous with deep valleys and massive canyons that put the Earth's Grand Canyon to shame, like massive gouges on the planet's surface.
|
|
|
Post by Silas Sedgewick on Jun 12, 2014 1:16:43 GMT -5
Silas spent her two hours showing the fancy diplomat around the ship, showing her every nook and cranny and place she felt was important or at the very least interesting. She shared basic information about herself and the others, telling her about how she used to work for the Narid and about her skills as a gunslinger, trying to seem impressive.
She left the decision on whether she would unpack her things in the large solo cabin our in the crew quarters, explaining no one would mind either way, and she'd likely be better off in the large cabin. So long as allowed visitors and didn't mind the Narid tech borrowing the shower.
Once the tour and unpacking were both finished, she gathered her things and prepared for landing, one of the first the step off the ship and take a deep breath of air. "I'm the first person to step on this planet since the Adimar," she mused out loud, grinning to herself.
|
|
|
Post by Angélique Bellerose on Jun 12, 2014 2:02:12 GMT -5
That fancy diplomat didn't seem to mind the extremely thorough tour, or at least did a really superb job of pretending she didn't. She did genuinely enjoy the conversation, sharing a little of her upbringing, and stories of the social chess game of high society. It also helped give her time to chose between the two locations to unpack, but eventually Angelique came to the conclusion that she would unpack in the Cabin, as Finch suggested to all of them. She of course didn't mind visitors, and kept the door to it open to any who would need use of it while she wasn't sleeping, and hopefully Silas would understand that 'when changing' was also implied.
She took the rest of the time to quickly change into something more suited for the job. She layered an espresso leather motorcycle jacked over a billowy robin's egg chiffon blouse that buttoned from collarbone to belt. Tucking it into her fitted camel toned slacks, she finished it off with a belt and riding boots that matched her coat. Running her fingers through her curls, she pulled it up into a quick messy bun and left it as is. After dusting her face with powder, and grabbing a day-pack, she made her way to the door. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Angelique reached into a pocket and pulled out a pair of oversized sunglasses, opting to view the planet from behind them.
|
|
|
Post by Dominica Garza on Jun 12, 2014 2:55:11 GMT -5
Dom watched the scanners carefully as they exited the system, looking for any possible sign of trouble. Nothing came about this time though. Things stayed pretty quiet in the cockpit, at least until Silas brought the tour in. Dom gave a quick rundown of the ship's armaments and had some brief conversation with Angelique before Silas whisked her away again.
With the ship safely in hyperspace Dom put Admiral Flipper back in his seat and went back to the crew quarters to check her gear and get ready. She looked at the freshly empty spot in her locker and grumbled as she reminded herself she needed to pick up the next vids of Tetsukagami Prime the next time she was in broadcast range of a civilized planet.
After the short time passed she headed down the ramp, prepared for almost anything. Dressed in military surplus fatigues with a blast vest under her jacket. Her shotgun was strapped across her back, a pair of blaster pistols at her sides and her collapsed sword hanging from her belt she grinned and took a breath of fresh air. She fiddled with the emergency respirator that hung from her neck and then pulled her goggles over her eyes and activated the HUD. She gave Angelique a little smirk as she came down the ramp. "Nice outfit."
|
|
|
Post by Cate Baxter on Jun 12, 2014 11:31:22 GMT -5
Cate waited for the go ahead before firing up the Paragon and getting her smoothly out of atmosphere and into hyperspace as soon as they were clear. Only a slight hitch would be felt as the ship made the jump, hardly noticeable compared to standard jumps. The only notable difference to her usual routine was when Silas and Angélique came in on the tour.
Needless to say the cockpit was unlikely to be what the diplomat expected of the sleek ship. It looked more akin to some frankenstein combination of a college dorm and the bedroom of an eight year old. A bin of laundry sat off to the side, a not-insignificantly sized pile of stuffed animals and a blanket were also near the pilot's seat.
Cate exchanged a few pleasantries when the pair entered, but was otherwise focused on getting the ship ready for the jump. There was one last surprise when the pair turned to leave, a "Hang in there" cat poster plastered onto the back of the door.
With only two hours flight, Cate did little but focus on flying the ship until they pulled out of hyperspace and brought down for a landing. With her attention on flying, she would be one of the last to step down onto the planet. She was garbed in her usual sweatshirt, a bright pink tank-top worn underneath and loose tan cargo pants. She had a pistol holstered on her belt and her walking stick in hand though she wasn't using it right now.
|
|
|
Post by Keani Evans-Pritchard on Jun 12, 2014 13:21:56 GMT -5
Keani busied herself in the galley once they were clear of atmo, prepping the meal that would await once the crew was back from exploring the ruins. She made conversation with Silas and Angélique when the delicate diplomat stopped into the galley on their tour of the Paragon, showing off the various stores and gizmos contained within. Once they left to explore more of the ship, she jumped back onto the meal.
Two hours passed quickly by the time the food was done. Cleaning up the galley, Keani slipped the meal into a stasis unit to keep it preserved and warm until they were back aboard. Dusting off and closing up the galley behind her, she found herself in the crew quarters, getting changed into a plain jumper and slacks. She holstered the repeater onto her hip, giving it a reassuring pat before leaving the bunk area.
The counselor stretched her arms overhead while walking down the ramp, staring off over the horizon when she reached the bottom. "Fortune and glory, right?" she asked, coming from behind Silas and Angélique. "Sounds like you're ready to put your name in the history books if everything goes well."
|
|
|
Post by Glendan Finnigan on Jun 12, 2014 15:51:08 GMT -5
Finn spent the trip between Ferrum and 37B in engineering, splitting his attention between three tasks. The first was monitoring the engines for any hiccups that might arise in transit, as the last thing he wanted to happen was for them to drop out prematurely and be stranded on a desolate planet outside of colonised space. This consisted of comparing current power input levels to the drive against the trend of successful flights, watching the engine temperature and adjusting the coolant flow as needed, and making sure the structural integrity of the ship was taken care of by the inertial dampeners.
The second task was preparing his gear for landing. Finn was like a kid in a candy shop, and was piling items on his workbench with gleeful abandon. Engineering would be a barren hole in the ship if he was able to take everything he wanted; scanners, transit containers, ropes, lights, tablets, tools, clamps, and even a jury-rigged jack for plugging into Adimar computers (Never tested, obviously). The DOLLY unit the ship owned was parked nearby, and had it's back covered and uncovered with the equipment in various configurations, as Finn tried to ensure he'd need as few trips as possible to get everything out onto the planet.
The third task consisted of the rooms view-screen being active. On it was displayed a running loop of various Adimar experts, discussing their theories on the technology and lost civilization. He had it playing at 1.5x speeds, with not enough time to take in all the information he desired.
When the 'tour' swung by, they'd find him in the midst of this chaotic storm at his workbench. A jukebox near the door was adding to the confusion, the lyrics of late-twentieth century masterpiece sung along just beneath the stuffy voices from the screen's lectures.
Chapter read and lesson learned I turned the lights off while she burned So while she's three hundred degrees I throw the sheets off and I freeze
Finn only briefly acknowledged and welcomed Angélique and Silas to the room before returning to his work, answering any questions to him in a distracted manner and leaving the bulk of it to the Narid tech. His focus was on preparation, and nothing else.
Despite this, when they landed on the planet, he was the last to arrive at the door of the ship, still in the process of pulling on his gear. Cargo pants, boots, a brown undershirt and jacket, a vest laden with tools and small data pads, and a goofy looking pair of goggles completed his outfit for this expedition. A small sub-machine gun hung on a strap at his side, the low height of the weapon amply suggesting how it was carried only out of obligation, and in his hands he held a tablet that he used to direct the over-burdened DOLLY trundling along behind him.
"We're here! We're really here!" he giggled to himself, jogging down the ramp and onto the ground to cast his gaze about the planet. "A whole world of Adimar technology, untouched! This's amazing! Fantastic! Abs'lutely barry, this is!" he called out, his accent growing a bit stronger as his excitement grew.
|
|
|
Post by The Tired God on Jun 12, 2014 16:25:48 GMT -5
The landscape around the ship was as brown and rocky as things got. Cate had to land the girl down in a small valley, otherwise the rocks and crags would make it impossible to touch down without the ship getting scratches or damaging the landing gear.
As the crew gathered at the bottom of the boarding ramp, they began to learn just how thick the oxygen was. At nearly double the amount of oxygen on Earth and most colonized worlds, it felt like they were breathing in fog or soup with how thick it was. Adverse effects would include slight light-headedness and a general feeling of euphoria, much like being high without losing cognitive ability.
On another note, injuries sustained would heal much faster due to the richness of the oxygen in the atmosphere.
The area around the ship was riddled with hills and sudden holes in the ground, some valleys and others fissures. At the top of the hill one could see for miles in all directions, as each hill was just smaller than the one they were on, and the mountains were much further away.
The ruin they were looking for would be in the same direction as the ramp was down, towards the North, which was where the sun would set on this planet.
|
|
|
Post by Silas Sedgewick on Jun 12, 2014 16:31:57 GMT -5
Silas was dressed in her usual getup, with her blast-vest and brown trench coat, twin pistols at her sides and slightly covered by her coat. She took one look at the newest addition to the crew and flashed her a knowing grin, as she moved towards the hill to start walking up it. "Not a bad idea," she said, referring to the sunglasses.
Getting over the hill was easy enough, and thankfully it was one of the taller ones in the immediate area, but there were plenty of others to climb over yet. "We know what direction we're going?" she asked.
|
|
|
Post by Angélique Bellerose on Jun 12, 2014 17:16:43 GMT -5
"Thank you, I prefer to look good while being practical." She chose the outfit based on the planet's absurdly lengthy days, since the shirt's material offers exceptional air flow. Offering Silas a smile in return as she adjusted her sunglasses. Her confidence ended there however upon noticing everyone's choice of weapons, making her feel rather naked without one of her own. She was a terrible shot anyway.
The vacant land was breathtaking to her in it's own way. Ferrum was far from underpopulated, and the few places she had been to otherwise were not that different. Her closely monitored upbringing prevented exploration, so the view would remain ever beautiful to her.
A broad smile sketched across Angelique's face as she took a few steps forward.
|
|
|
Post by Glendan Finnigan on Jun 12, 2014 20:11:19 GMT -5
Finn hurried up the hill as fast as the DOLLY would follow, scrolling through maps and notes on his tablet with gleeful abandon. His euphoria only boosted by the air, he practically bounced as he took it all in, eager to get to work.
"So close, so close~" he sung to himself, horribly off key but uncaring. "Think o' it! Who knows wha' we'll fin'! A 'ole heap of Adimar goodies and tech, jus' waitin' for us! Th' basis of our entire technological development in the las' century, possibly even preserved!" He was getting ahead of himself now, building the ruins into a treasure trove without seeing them.
|
|
|
Post by Cate Baxter on Jun 12, 2014 23:47:22 GMT -5
Cate grunted as she made her way up the hill. She was hardly the most fit of individuals, and while the gravity did make a difference she still wasn't overly happy to see the terrain. It was definitely going to hurt when the meds ran their course after this sort of workout.
Reaching the top of the hill, she couldn't help but smile at the untouched land stretching out ahead of her. The uniqueness of the situation certainly wasn't. "Ya know. This place could be a colony some day. Ain't far out an' plenty o' air to breathe. Wonder why we ain't got anything here yet." She looked back to the others, "Anyone know anythin' about this place? Asides what Finch had to share."
|
|
|
Post by Dominica Garza on Jun 13, 2014 0:21:21 GMT -5
"Hm.. Usually planets don't have enough oxygen.. This one actually has too much. Should make it easy to Terraform." Dom smiled as she crested the hill. She kept a hand near one of her sidearms just in case but felt rather at ease in this barren landscape.
"Any readings yet, Finn?" She tapped the button on the side of her goggles to check for any heat images, pausing for a moment to make sure there wasn't anything about to pop up from under them.
|
|
|
Post by Keani Evans-Pritchard on Jun 13, 2014 0:32:21 GMT -5
Keani kept stretching while they were moving over the landscape, almost springing along in the lower gravity. It wasn't that low compared to more standard worlds, but it made enough of a difference giving her the extra stride. Inhaling deeply, she looked over the horizon before pausing on the hill.
"Maybe Central didn't want to move in on a world that had Adimar stuff left behind," the counselor answered while glancing to Cate. "I don't think the Narid would've agreed to any colonies while there's an untapped resource just begging for them to get their little pincers on. A few years, another decade or so, maybe..." She shrugged, looking over to Finn and his sensors. "All I know is it's a rock. A pretty healthy rock, by the way the air tastes."
|
|
|
Post by The Tired God on Jun 13, 2014 10:43:33 GMT -5
The trip was hardly exhausting for the crew. All practiced in the art of walking, the lighter gravity certainly made their trip easier, though if anyone was going to have a problem it was Cate. Thankfully the euphoria would kick in there and the double amount of oxygen would help with her muscle injury.
As the crew climbed their third hill, they would begin to realize just why this planet hadn't been settled yet. Or why no other planet was like it in the colony systems. Though one could acclimate to the amount of oxygen, it was long work to do such, and first impressions left most almost out of breath. The air was so thick it required breathers to open their mouths and drink deep, unable to rely on their noses or just little gasps of air.
The terrain itself seemed harmless enough, though quite barren, until the ground rumbled and some distance away, as they all climbed to the top of a hill together, a massive sinkhole formed, going who knows how deep. Furthermore, several rocks were covered in small barbed points, which Cate noticed right before she touched one for support. Any amount of testing would reveal that anything placed on these barbs would not come off.
Further testing by the extremely curious would reveal that there were signs of life in the cores of the boulders, so small and hidden behind a layer of minerals that large scans couldn't pick them up.
After stumbling and fighting to draw breath for just under a mile, the crew then found themselves standing before something no human had seen before, but since the first contact with the Adimar, and even then perhaps not in this condition.
It came out of nowhere. Massive doors built into a hill as they walked on by, nearly passing it in their excitement, or frustration, had it not been for the diplomat's keen eyes. The metalwork was unlike that any of them had ever seen, and it was perhaps one of the few ruins that had doors to it, as none of them had ever found doors in their way after the Narid had picked these places clean.
Twenty feet tall and likely thick enough to survive any sort of extreme weather conditions, the doors were imposing as they were . . . clean. Not a scratch or smudge or sign of dirt on them, and most intimidating yet, no knob or handle or console in sight. These were gates, built to protect the secrets of the Adimar from those that would steal it.
|
|