Moon Base Gamma Niner

[Recklessfireball]

For threads taking place at the PGC Moon Base on Ark 9...

[Recklessfireball]

In the few weeks since your arrival, you've all been spending your time familiarizing yourself with the layout of your new home on Moon Base G-9. The bases facilities are impressive, and you've learned to appreciate the many training and recreation amenities at your disposal. Still, despite all the comforts and the buzz of activity as the stations employees go about their busy lives, you're each starting to get a bad case of cabin fever. It's something of a relief then, when your chronocoms activate and transmit the following message:

Attention all PGC Employees- will the following S.E.T. team operatives please report to the Administration Dome, Situation Room 3, as soon as possible; Alvin Bishop, Akai Ceere, Sseela K'tan, Marcus O'Riley, Stan Steelsmith, Alex Stern, Nuk, and Vombis.

I repeat... will the following PGC employees please report to the Administration Dome, Situation Room 3, as soon as possible; Alvin Bishop, Akai Ceere, Sseela K'tan, Marcus O'Riley, Stan Steelsmith, Alex Stern, Nuk, and Vombis.

That will be all.

[Argennian]

Markus nearly jumps off his bunk when he hears his name called on the intercom. Already trying to keep himself calm, he throws down his latest issue of a local pulp fiction rag he's been reading over and over and gathers up his gear. He hurries out the door of his quarters and heads for the administration dome, trying not to look too eager!

[NJWilliam]

Hearing the all on his chronocom, Alex stops by his bunk to grab his survival rations and rope, before heading to Situation Room 3. He allows himself a brisk walk, and uses his Empathy to send what he thinks are appropriate feelings of cautious urgency as he keeps his eyes open for the others making their way to the same room.

[rremedio]

Akai vanishes his musings and stops staring at his sword, heading promptly to the Administration Dome. He's excited with the possibility of leaving the base and stay a while in the outdoors.

[Blackrazor]

Nuk sits up on his bed of empty duralloy cargo containers, and adjusts his comonical* noting the time. Using an Ogrun stylus on his beddside datapad Nuk punches up a map that will take him to the administror's office - directions that will accommodate his considerable size.

Satisfied with his route, he reaches out and pulls back the blue plastic tarp that is the front wall of his apartment. The cargo bay beyond is dimly lit - containers of all shapes and colors piled high in neat towers.

Plodding towards the faraway exit, the Ogrun's heavy footballs echo lonely in the dark.

*comonical (com monical) -a head device that rests around the ear with a tinted eye piece on which data is projected. It acts as a chronometer, communications unit, translator and data interface/projector. Like those energy readers from Dragonball Z.

[greyarea]

Vombis "Bob" the Dralasite

Bob stretches and checks to make sure his gear is all ready. Then he heads out to the Situation Room with the others.

I sure hope this isn't just a drill, he says.

[Recklessfireball]

Moving right along...

Within the hour, everyone arrives at the Administration Dome. A corporate clerk with a data pad, meets you at the door outside of Situation Room 3. Checking off your names and noting your time of arrival, she impatiently directs you to take a seat before the podium that overlooks the room. Shortly after everyone's seated, the bases Chief of Operations, Franklyn Doyle, walks in.

Doyle is a tall, broad-shouldered man with close-cropped red hair and hard features. Somewhere in his middle thirties, he has a confident, commanding bearing, and steely gaze. As he steps up behind the podium, the observant among you might notice the handle of a custom auto pistol, peeking out from a shoulder rig beneath his trench coat, lending credence to the rumor that Doyle is no mere desk jockey, but once served as a planetary scout aboard a UPF survey vessel.

Powering up the podium mike, he lets his penetrating gaze sweep over each of you, in turn, then says, “Ladies and gentlemen- my name is PGC Chief, Frank Doyle, and I would like to personally welcome you to our team as you prepare to embark upon a rewarding new career, and the greatest adventure of your lives.”

Taking a moment to let the magnitude of this statement sink in, he continues. “You've had a few weeks to settle in here, at Gamma Niner, and I know you've all had a chance to meet and get to know each other, so I'm not going to put you through the “Tell us all a little bit about yourself” routine. The food in the canteen is bad enough, without subjecting you all to that kind of torture.”

He smiles faintly, proving he is, in fact, capable of having a sense of humor, then becomes serious once more. “Suffice it to say, that you all have your own reasons for being here, and you all have some unique skill or talent to contribute to the team. I know this, because I personally evaluate and pick all my operatives- and as a retired, ten year veteran of the Planetary Survey Administration, you could say I have some experience in this field.”

He pauses for a moment, growing more somber, then adds, “None the less, I want to make absolutely sure that each of you knows what you're getting into here. During my tenure in the PSA, I was privileged to take part in the discovery and exploration of seven worlds, and to make first contact with two alien civilizations. I was also wounded five times, got lost in the wilderness for nearly a month, was captured and held hostage by hostile natives, and watched two of my best and oldest friends die in front of my eyes.

Make no mistake, my friends- this job is dangerous. If you accept it, you will face mental and physical hardships that you can barely begin to imagine. You will be challenged. You will be transformed. But those of you that return, if you survive, will look back on this experience as the proudest and most exhilarating period of your lives.

In a moment, I'm going to issue you your field assignments. I want you to take a little time to evaluate everything I've said, and make sure you're prepared to accept your billet. Because once you touch down at Base Camp, you're stuck there until the supply shuttle returns, at the end of the month. Now, before I start the field briefing, does anyone have any questions?”

[greyarea]

Vombis "Bob" the Dralasite

Vombis raises a pseudopod and says, A question? Yeah, why is the sky blue?

He titters at his own "joke" for a while and soon realizes he might be alone. He looks around and then shrinks back. No, no questions...

[NJWilliam]

Alex slightly shakes his head no in response to the Chief's question, and decides to stop broadcasting any emotions with his empathy.

[rremedio]

Akai nods indicating that he doesn't have questions while he thinks about Bob's "joke". "We are about to prove if any sense of humor is better than no sense of humor, like people say", he thinks to himself.

[Blackrazor]

The Ogrun stands impassively in the back of the room, focused to learn what needs be done to gain victory in the upcoming challenge.

[Bhart]

Bishop spits the toothpick from his mouth and raises a hand. "Yes sir, I was wondering, If something does happen to us does the company send our pay and other belongs back home. I've got folks depending on me and well, I want to be sure they'll get my things and pay. You know just in case."

[Recklessfireball]

Doyle glances over at the Dralasite, looking briefly annoyed at his quip, then smirks slightly, despite himself. "A sense of humor. Good- you're going to need that."

Shifting his attention to Bishop, he says, "Yes, we'll see that all your personals are returned home as well as paying for any burial arrangements- in the unfortunate event that that should be necessary. Our accounting department can have a portion of your wages placed into direct deposit, in bank accounts accessible by your dependents, if you desire. Talk to Linda, the lady that took roll when you arrived, if you'd like to make arrangements."

Doyle looks around the room. "Anyone else?" he asks.

[NJWilliam]

Alex coughs slightly, and asks,"Since we'll be on planet for at least one month, who could we speak to about an advance on our pay so we can be better equipped to advance the company's interests?"

[Recklessfireball]

Doyle nods. "That's a good question, Stern. I know some of you arrived at G-9 on short notice, and may feel a little light on gear. After the mission briefing, I'm going to take you all down to the armory to meet our supply officer, Mr. McTaggert, who will issue you some prototype gear we'd like to to test for our R&D department. Additionally, when you touch down at base camp you'll be given a months worth of rations, transportation, and some other gear as we've deemed necessary. If you have some particular concerns that you feel haven't been addressed, ask me about them after we're finished at the armory and I'll see what I can do."

When he finishes, he looks around the room expectantly. "Anyone else?"

[Recklessfireball]

"No one else?" Doyle asks, after a lengthy pause.

“Now then,”he continues,“I'll be breaking you up into two separate S.E.T. Teams. S.E.T. 1 will consist of Bishop, Ceere, Steelsmith and Stern. You'll be deploying at Base Camp Alpha. S.E.T. 2 will consist of K'tan, Nuk, O'Riley and Vombis. You'll be deploying at Base Camp Cappa.

Standard Deployment is for a period of one month. You will have specific mission objectives to achieve within that time frame. There are typically three of these, designated as primary, secondary and tertiary objectives. If you complete the primary mission objective, you can return to Base Camp and spend your remaining time however you please, until the supply shuttle arrives to return you to Gamma Niner. Completing the Primary objective will earn you the standard 1,000 credit payout. Each of the other two mission objectives will earn you 500 bonus credits each. Additional pay bonuses for exemplary job performance and retrieval of valuable artifacts may also apply, at managements discretion. Once back on G-9, you'll have a two week furlough, where you can rest, relax and, if you wish, take advantage of our state-of-the-art Hypno-training facilities, before you're redeployed for a new mission.

Now, lets get down to specifics. S.E.T. 1, your primary objective is to find a lost, scientific research team from Zebulon University, that set out over a month ago to collect samples for their xenobiology department, and escort them back to Base Camp Alpha. They were due to arrive back at Base Camp a week ago, but failed to return on schedule, and we've been unable to contact them via chronocom or to pinpoint their position with orbital scans.

We do know that they planned the route for their expedition to take them into sector 1613(here, Doyle flips a switch on the podium, and a holographic projection map of the Ch'Vax jungle, identical to the one posted in the MAPS thread, appears), where they were going to comb the wreckage of a crashed orbital shuttle, at the request of the Rim Coalition, in the hopes of locating the bodies of the crew to return for burial. You may want to start your search here.

For those of you who haven't yet read the planetary data files we downloaded to your computer terminals, the Coalition lost the first orbital shuttle they attempted to send down to the Tetrarch City at coordinates 2302, back when Ark 7 was first discovered. Some automated defense system apparently regards any flying, inorganic object, approaching within 50 kilometers, to be a threat, and is programmed to use deadly force to eliminate that threat- which is why we are deploying you well outside of that 50 kilometer radius.

Your secondary objective, is to journey north and east, through the river valley here(he points to the center of the map projection for emphasis),to the base of the plateau, just below the Tetrarch site at coordinates 2302. The purpose here is to blaze a trail, establishing a route for any future expeditions to the city, and to record all new types of flora and fauna encountered, perhaps bringing back samples for PGC's biosciences division, if the opportunity presents itself.
Your tertiary objective, is to find a way up the escarpment, to the city above. Once you make the summit, you are to carefully recon the outskirts of the city, taking sensor readings and map coordinates, and making notes of anything unusual in the area. If you feel confident in doing so, and can figure out a way to gain entry, you may also explore any structures you come across, though it is recommended that you wait until we've had a chance to evaluate the sensor data you've gathered, as it's possible that the city may have ground based defenses, similar to its air defenses, which could pose an extreme hazard to anyone who comes too close.

Be advised that the jungle is teeming with deadly apex predators and dangerous forms of plant life. Be on guard at all times, while traveling. It's recommended that guards be posted in shifts, throughout the night, when pitching camp.

Let's move on to S.E.T. 2. (Doyle flips a switch again, and now the display flickers and changes to a map of the Drus Badlands). You're primary objective will be to take an explorer to coordinates 0201, and attempt to establish trade relations with the Bru'Kai who inhabit the Mesa Hold located there. You're authorized to trade foods, medicine, and luxury goods in return for similar goods of Bru'Kai manufacture. What we are really interested in, however, is intelligence about the Tetrarch city at coordinates 0101, and getting a sense of how the Bru'Kai might feel about us exploring it, and if they could be of any help to us in doing so. Given the close proximity of their settlement to the city, management feels there's a strong chance they may know something of value.

Your secondary objective is to detour to the mountain range at coordinates 0806, to scan the area and assay for Berylliumite deposits. Orbital scans indicate there may be a rich deposit here, ripe for mining and exploitation. See if you can verify this, and bring back a sample for our Geosciences division. If you find signs of any other valuable minerals, make a note of these and bring back samples of them, as well. Be extremely cautious when exiting the explorer during site assay. Remote sensor buoys we've deployed have captured footage of extremely large and deadly predators that roam the area. You can access the data from your terminals in your quarters, for more information.

Your tertiary objective is to journey south and east, into the hard pan, to find and establish relations with the nomadic Bru'Anshi tribes that dwell there. We know a little about the Bru'Anshi from our interactions with the Bru'Kai, but we've had no direct dealings with these people, ourselves. You are authorized to forge trade agreements with the Bru'Anshi, with the same stipulations as regard the Bru'Kai. You may wish to begin your search at one of the three oases discovered in the orbital scan at coordinates 1114, 2014 and 2409, as pictured on the map here. It's almost certain that the water resources there will be frequently utilized by the tribes that live in the area.

Lastly, I'd like to say a word about communication. When ground-side, your chronocoms will have a maximum range of 5 kilometers. Initially, we set up orbital communication relays around the moon, but we discovered that the Tetrarch cities emit a low level ionization field out to about 250 kilometers that significantly interfere with satellite signals.

We haven't yet determined if this is part of some sort of electronic defense system, or if it's merely a side-effect of whatever powers the cities themselves. Regardless of the actual reason for the interference, one noticeable side effect- apart from the reduced effective range of your comm units- is that messages delivered from G-9 to the moons surface, and vise-versa, don't make it about a third of the time, and when they do, some of the content may be missing or garbled. R&D is working on signal boosters to work around this issue, and even have some portable models on the drawing board, but until they finish a working prototype, we'll just have to do the best with what we've got.

Now then, I realize that's a lot to absorb in one go, so do I have any questions?”

[greyarea]

Vombis "Bob" the Dralasite

Bob says to one of the others in an aside: Wow, he's splitting us. That's interesting.

He raises a pseudopod and asks: Do these Bru'Kai or Bru'Anshi speak the same languages as us? Otherwise, is there some sort of translator?

[Rotten]

Stan Steelsmith

"Yea, sorry for being late. I haven't gotten used to this planet yet and I was taking a nap. I'm in by the way. Is the air breathable there or do we need an apparatus?"

[Recklessfireball]

In response to Vombis's question, Doyle replies, "K'tan brought her personal poly-vox unit with her to G-9, and we've programmed it with all known languages of the planets indigenous species, so you should have no difficulty with communication. The program isn't always perfect, though, so you may experience the occasional translation quirk, here and there."

Turning to Stan, he says, "That's ok, Steelsmith- just don't make it a habit. To answer your question, yes the atmosphere is breathable; very oxygen rich, in fact. Also, gravity is just barely below one G, so you should feel stronger and more invigorated than usual."