Ziirkaa spends much of his time before transit compiling a report of everything we know about Milthana. The report includes physical and social conditions like atmosphere, known dangers, maps and system charts, and any details about the colony before contact was lost.
In his preparation for the journey, Vathan pretended that he was just guiding another hunting trip, so he dressed the part: sturdy, breathable, and many pocketed shirt and pants, sturdy leather belt and calf height boots, an undercover vest faced in matching leather, an occasional wide-brimmed hat, and a sidearm in a hip holster. He customized his weapon and armor purchases for the crew for whom he could get preferences.
Vathan could not believe that he was going to explore the stars until they finally departed orbit. He pinched himself several times to test if he was instead dreaming. He wore a perpetual grin on his face for the couple days to and through the jump point. He was one of the more socially comfortable of the crew during the first couple of days, because it was just another hunting party for him. His hunting parties consisted of mostly inexperienced hunters traveling for weeks far from the comforts of civilization. They became mini-societies, where Vathan was most comfortable. He circulated among the crew being friendly with everyone with two exceptions. He gave Captain Ceres practiced deference for a commanding officer to whom he respected and Annara from personal history.
Milthana
Milthana
Main sequence FV-6
Orbital Slots
Milthana 0-1 - Empty
Milthana 2 - Milthana I (Rocky heavy metal world, semi-molten)
Milthana 3-5 - Empty
Milthana 6 - Milthana II (Habitable) +1 Satellite
Milthana 7-9 - Empty
Milthana 10 - Asteroid belt
Milthana 11-12 - Empty
Milthana 13 - Milthana III (Rocky World)
Milthana 14 - Empty
Milthana 15 - Milthana IV (Rocky world)
Milthana 16 - Empty
Milthana 17 - Milthana V (Small Blue Gas Giant)
Milthana 18 - Empty
Milthana 19 - Milthana VI (Ice Ball)
Milthana II :
Year : 12.4 Standard Years
Planetary Diameter : 6650 kilometers
Gravity : 0.79
Density : Very Dense
Axial Tilt : 50 degrees
Length of Day : N/A (Tidal Locked)
Atmosphere : Very thin / Tainted (High Sulfur content)
Surface Liquid : 50% (along twilight border)
Average Temperature : 35C
Indigenous Life : None
Milthana II is a marginally habitable planet with free standing liquid water along the twilight zone. The planet is tidally locked, meaning it always shows the same face to the sun at all times throughout it's year.
A band of the planet 400 kilometers wide contains a marginally habitable zone. The atmosphere is oxygen/nitrogen, but contains high amounts of sulfur and carbon monoxide, requiring breathing filters. Rain is both common and acidic. There is no native life.
The planet is rich in heavy metals, especially in the 'blast wastes', the sections of the planet exposed to constant sunlight, where temperatures reach an average of 95C.
The colony consisted of a domed city built on the planet's equator in the twilight border. At the time of lost contact, the colony consisted of 40,000 inhabitants, with another 5,000 scattered throughout the system.
Holt sits at her position on the bridge, watching the main screens intently.
This is it. We're almost there...
Suddenly, the screen changes and Holt feels... something wash through her. It tingles, especially in her scalp, but the experience in not pleasant.
But her real wonder comes from looking at the new display, at the new star in front of them, and the rocky planets that orbit it. Holt, her jaw slightly open, is speechless.
Letting go of the parade uniform didn't bother Ceres the slightest, it was the absence of the ordinary day-to-day wear that pained her the most. She had worn this sort of gear nearly every day for almost 1/3 of her life - and before that she had dreamt of it. Without it, she felt naked. And ... what the heck does people wear normally ?!. But luckily, the hired-in choreographers were able to help - twenty-four hours later she hand a small pile of things to pick from.
//
Immediately before the transition, Ceres issued brown paper bags to all the crew as regulations dictated for first-time jumpers. Some people were more sensitive to the jump then others - and perhaps the excitement would be too much.
After the jump, her face faded into a greenish hue. She gritted her teeth and tried to fight it but ... couldn't. She doubled over clutching the bag, emptying both lunch and breakfast into it. After a moment she sat straight, still pale, and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Still, she couldn't help but smile. Weakly, she laughed -
"*Yey!* It worked - Milthana here we come!"
She stood up, steadying herself on the chair and peered at the screen still with a grin plastered on her face. The bag she handed to one of the redundant ensigns on-board to take away.
"All right! Give Milthana City a customary hailing on all channels just to be safe then set a course. And fetch one of the bottles of champagne - I need to get this taste out ..."
As the ship's systems spin back up after the jump distortion fades, sensors begin to register the system. Confirmation goes from 98% to 100% that this is Milthana system.
It will take approximately 38 hours for the ship's sensors to do a detailed sweep of the system. There will be approximately 1/12th of the system that it won't be able to scan due to the system primary blocking the sensors.
If the ship moves at maximum speed, it will take it 13 days to reach Milthana II. To reach Milthana V will take 10 days, and then another 16 days to reach Milthana II. Note that the ship can refuel either in the atmosphere of Milthana V, or by landing in or near water on Milthana II.
The heavy sulfuric acid content on Milthana II will require extra time to purify, and prolonged exposure can eventually damage the ship (although it would take decades to do so). Milthana V will require about 10 hours to fully replenish the ship's fuel if it's completely empty, and require a piloting check every hour to keep the ship stable in the gas giant's atmosphere.
Doctor Ziirkaa puts a hand on Holt's shoulder. He says quietly so no one else can hear, "All that work, It was worth it Doctor Holt... We are in a new star system. What ever else happens, take solace in knowing... You helped make the Captain puke on her own bridge."
He winks, and then asks the captain in an audible voice, "Permission to assist on the bridge for the time being, Captain? I should like to assist in monitoring sensors."
"Granted!"
She motioned with her hand for him to come forth and get to work. Ideally, she wanted to start playing with the instruments herself - but in her current state, it was probably better to let the others handle it. For now.
Well then....
The two days went slowly, she had dresses in her normal business clothing, no point hiding what you where in civilian life. Most of the crew kept there distance from her. One she was an officer, two she was a Noble but most of all three, she was a Telepath and others not wanting to spend to much time in your company was par for the course. She was used to it, how ever the fact that Vathan positivity hid from her was disconcerting. She had not known he had been affected so deeply by the events four years ago. If she had she would never have asked for him on this mission. But that was her mistake and now she would have to live with it. The good thing was he did as ordered and was as committed as ever to his work. She could live with his need for space, so long as he kept doing his job. Over the two days things seemed fine so she did not push the matter.
The day of the jump her PDA blinked on with a message, pre recorded and placed in her Psy-Corps database.
Message View in Privet
She headed to her room and locked the door, with the screen facing her on her bunk she opened it. It was a codded message from one of her PSI-Academy teachers. Happy to know you well, and doing historic things Blur Blur then down to the nitty-gritty. Teleportion, more to the point the ability to make a local personal jump points. They said some at the academy could do it, very skilled and talented individuals. His letter came as a shock, he felt that with the practice she could become one such. That dropped her jaw, yes she had been tested but this was the 1st time any one at the academy has subjected she could do it. But then he went on, he wanted to do an experiment, simple really, when the ship was to jump he wanted her to place her mind around the ship and feel the jump. She had the talent he was convinced. She was not so sour, but she could try. This may be her only chance to do it and the notes she made could be sent back with the ship or drone. She wiped the message and headed out to check there things once more.
For the jump she had gone to her room and placed herself in her webbing.
The Navy would look after things, she would just get on the way. She had been thinking most of the day about the request from the Academy. There could be risks, could it kill her? she felt fear and dread, but a feeling she must try. As the time came up for the jump, she let her mind expand out feeling the area of the ship and the space just around it. Cold harsh space and the thin skin of the ship, inside heat. She felt the Jump drives build up power then open the jump point. Then nothing, nothing at all, no pain, no heat cold or any thing. It was like her powers had just be turned off. An add feeling then, in a moment space once more, the ship and crew. She closed her mind, bring it back in then lay there Perplexed for a wile.
Nothing, warp space feels of nothing. Well that will make for a dull read back at the academy.
She got up and headed to the flight deck to see what data was coming in.
Annara comes to the Command deck looking a bit flummoxed.
"Permission to observe Captain?"
She asks as she seems to take her mind of what ever it was, and get back to the job at hand.
"Granted again. Just don't get in the way."
She nods towards Ziirkaa "Put up the visual sensor data on the auxiliary screens - so the rest of the crew can get a share of the wonder."
"Aye Captain, least useful data on auxiliary screens."
Go's to one side and looks over the data coming in.
She checks the emotions of the crew around her.
Holt giggles faintly at Ziirkaa's comments. but replies "Now now Dr. Ziirkaa, surely you find the sight of all of this just as amazing as the rest of us."
Looking over the historical shot of the colony, Holt smiles and says "I, for one, can't wait to see how that dome was constructed."
Ziirkaa finds nothing in the system resembling life. No radio emissions, no power sources. Of course, even radio-thermal generators only last 200 years or so.
With no power, finding any ships still existing in the system is going to be difficult, they will be basically big rocks. The crew have 3 drones they can send to investigate specific places. Possible locations of ship or salvage would be :
A) Milthana II orbit (obviously) They had a space station, although it's not on sensors, so it's likely fallen out of orbit due to lack of power and maintenance.
B) Milthana City, Milthana II The city should still be there, even if it's ruins.
C) Milthana V Orbit The system had a large belter population doing asteroid mining, and required a large fuel supply. There was a fueling ship that would pull hydrogen from the gas giant and take it to the belt and space station routinely. At one time, it used to transit to Telthani regularly to sell cheap fuel to the space station there.
D) Asteroid Belt The system's asteroid belt had dozens of small outposts at one time, where the belters lived and worked and traded.
E) Anywhere else The system is a star system, no telling where things might have drifted to over the last 400 years.
The ship proceeds at full speed toward Milthana II, it's sensors sweeping out ahead, looking for any sign of life, and finding none.
Three days out, it detects something in the L5 Lagrange point, following the planet around the sun. Further scanning finds an old Exeter class mid-range bulk freighter. Records from before the long night indicate that the Griffen Resplendant, an Exeter class freighter out of Klathaway was in Milthana to pick up a load of refined titanium. The ship has no signs of power. Scanner indicates it's been damaged by sitting in space so long, but appears to be in one piece. Mostly it's micro-meteorite strikes and weathering damage from solar winds.
Two days out, the ship detects the city, where it's supposed to be. There's no hint of power in the city, just a large chunk of metal. No radio transmissions.
One day out, the ship detects what could be the station. There is debris on the dark side of the planet, about a quarter mile under the ice. Amount and spread is consistent with a space station sized object impacting on the surface after uncontrolled re-entry.
Upon arriving, the ship goes into orbit easily enough. The local weather looks brutal, despite the thin atmosphere. Near constant storms, tornadoes, 100 mph winds, acidic rain. Still no sign of power emissions from the city. Visual scans from orbit show that several large sections of the dome have collapsed, allowing the weather into the city.
She go's to see the Captain.
"A suggestion if I may Captain, If we can told a low orbit over the city for a few minuets, I can scan the City for life form up here, precise timing will be needed but it can be done."
Ziirkaa frowns,"That is unfortunate, I was rather hoping the dome would be intact. I will see if I can find some liquid water near the dome or the highport crash site."
There is water at the dome site, it's salty and acidic, but could be used. The crash site is on the darkside, and is frozen solid. Likely what happened was the crash melted the ice, and then it formed back over it.
Annara stands and look at the monitor locating her to the dome city, the she closes her eyes, after a few minuets beads of sweat form on her, what ever she is doing seems to take all her concentration, then she breaths out in one long breath. Before opening her eyes and saying.
After saying that she, slumps down to the floor out cold.
"Captain, Liquid water confirmed by the Dome site for refueling. Apart from that I have nothing to suggest that one site will be more profitable for exploring than another."
"Fair enough. I want hourly checks on the purifier/refinery for the first twelve hour - to see how bad it really is." She nods to Ziirkaa, but her eyes are locked on Annara - eagerly awaiting the psions findings. "If we can locate life, we will set down close - else we will start with a spot suitable for refueling and then move on to the dome."
Annara sense nothing with a nervous system. There could be cockroaches and centipedes, or lichen and fungus, or algea, but she wouldn't be able to detect that.
The ship slices through the thin atmosphere with little difficulty, zooming down toward the dome'd city. Ceres has little trouble, even with the ship sliding sideways from time to time in the wind sheers and driving acidic rain.
She brings it in for a landing in a shallow bay that has 3 foot waves that slam uselessly into the hull. She points the nose into the wind, leaving the engines pointed toward land. That leaves the drop ramp dropping into 2 feet of acidic water, but nothing it can't handle for awhile.
The fuel scoop drops hoses into the water on either side of the ship and begins slurping up water, running it through filters, and then cracking it into oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen goes into the ship's stores, until they are topped off, and then is released mixed with surface air to cut down on the chances of a fire.
The city is about 2 miles away. An old stone road is nearby leading toward the city, apparently this cove was used for landing previously, perhaps even sculpted for it.
"Okay then people! I want the ATV up and running within five. Suit and gear up. Vathan, since Annara is out you'll be in charge of security for the first expedition."
"Nothing the no higher life forms at all"
Sleeps.
She calls in the other two marinas get the ATV ready for the trip out to the city. As she has not found life she asks for a Survey load out, ship suits, filters, Personal and pre mounted weapons.
She asks Vathan to have his demolitions ready for obstruction removal and entry cutting, he should know what that means.
Gomez she asks to get the salvage kit, lifting gear and LIDAR scanners placed on the ATV for the Navy.
She will ask if they have any other suggestions.
Once done she will make clear her orders to Gomez and Vathan.
Her Ships suit helm up, she says
"Our job is simple, get the Navy to the site, aid in any salvage work, Keep them safe from any found dangers then bring them back alive with what ever they deem fit to bring back. Other that that use your initiative, but its safety fist on this op we are in no rush here."
Once checks she will go see the Captain and say they are ready to move out with what ever Navy crew she thinks fit.
Holt tries to contain her excitement, and says, slowly "May I recommend myself or Dr. Ziirkaa? Our technical expertise may be valuable."
Ok, on the one hand, the planet is a death trap. On the other, SQUEE we're actually going to go walk around on another planet! And the stuff that might have survived in that dome! This could be so cool!
Wile talking over who should go and what they should do wile in the city, Annara takes out an item she has the one the Navy Techs make for her.
In some simple cloth a small black glass plaque on which is written.
In remembrance to brave souls that lost their lives here.
Our sister colony who perished in such a long night.
They shall forever be remembered by us,
our hopes and prayers will forever be with them.
"I thought it fitting to lay a plaque Capitan in remembrance to those lost here."
Doctor Ziirkaa suits up for landing party duty. Now comfortable with the procedures of using vac suits, he slides into the "civilian model" vac suit provided for him. He loads his back-pack with medical supplies, a med kit and the doses of medical slow, combat drug, slow drug and medical drug; he slips his snub pistol and an extra clip into one of the front pockets on the suit.
Once set, he makes his way down to the vehicle bay.
The APC thrums to life, and despite it's age, it handles solidly. Only one of the two fusion plants is active, the other is on standby to conserve fuel (it takes 30 seconds to bring it on line).
The cargo hold depressurizes, the ramp drops, and the outside air pours in to mix, full of dampness and sulfur. Nothing the ship's systems can't handle though. The APC slides forward down the ramp, hovering several feet above the ground. Then it shoots forward sending up a rooster tail for the first 50 feet until it gets over the beach, at which point it sends up a rooster tail of sand, the pulse of the grav motors making the ground underneath vibrate, and the wind of it's passing pulling the loose water and sand up into the air. Not as high a roostertail as a wheeled vehicle would make, but it's presence is somehow reassuring.
The grav units then pick up in cycle, and the APC shoots skyward, bypassing the old road and zooming over craggy outcroppings, taking the shortest route toward the city. The driving rain and wind barely move the massive vehicle, given it's density and surface area. A lot of metal in a small area gives it more stability in the wind than even the ship that carried it here. Plus the grav motors were built for this type of environment.
Gomez pilots it with ease, bringing it down in front of the massive pair of doors that lead from the beach to the city. The doors are etched with acid and corrosion. No electronics respond to the automated request to open, the airlock dead as the city it guards.
Comes back into the APC after looking at the doors, as the side door closes she says over comms.
"up and over Gomez, let's fine a way in v one of the cracks in the dome. The crews coming after us may need the doors intact so blowing them is out."
Vathan suits up and stows his weapons belt, go bag, and rifle in the APC. He carefully loads the explosives. Then, he readies the APC with Gomez. His ready position is in the turret seat.
When they set out, his senses lock up into wow, while his muscle memory and training attempt to treat this as just another excursion.
Gomez grunts an acknowledgement, and takes the grav APC up and over the dome. It takes about 15 minutes to fly around and find a decent place to fly in, but he finds a large hole in the dome nearly on the opposite side from the doors previously looked at.
Once inside, he sets it to hover about 300 ft up over the remains of the city's central park. The park is brown with dirt and has skeletal trees still reaching toward the sky. The central lake is still there, but it has an unhealthy yellowish tinge from sulfur.
"Ok, we're here..." Gomez says, his hands busy on the controls running through a scan. "Government complex is north, per the old maps, and the dome appears intact. The primary medical complex is to the east, although it looks like it's been exposed to rain. There's also a public stadium to the west, next to the entrance to the underground refining complex. Finally there's the domestic sectors to the south. Those appear to have been the worst damaged by dome collapse."
She waits as his scan data comes in, and Gomez relays the info.
"ok this a preliminary ground sweep, government complex 1st, Vathen will stay her with with his charges, Gomez also, if we need the APC I will call. I realt do not like the idea of blasting, this place is so old the one Bang the whole dome may come down. So if your up for a walk lefts get outside. But no getting into places you can't get out of, daft 1st. Ok EVA in 5, muster behind the APC."
She is 1st out and waiting for them when they come.
Ceres gloomy mood quickly fades as the close in with the dome, the promise of adventure and premise of visiting her first 'alien' city outweighing the fact that it is more like a necropolis then anything else. A grand monument to human ingenuity - and its vulnerability. Needles to say, her nose is plastered against the window/screen as often as possible.
//
"Affirmative. The Governmental building first. I want to know how long they kept records - if we are in luck, some diligent scribe wrote down the very end. Perhaps we can find some hints about the whereabouts of the ships!"
Gomez nods and powers the grav APC toward the government center. Oddly, there are no wrecked vehicles or bodies on the streets. They are eerily empty, as if someone had built the city as a show model, rather than a place for people to work and live.
Gomez brings the APC down on the courtyard in front of the main government center complex. An old flag still flaps desultory in the faint breeze, it's once bright red and gold colors now dull with age.
The complex was once a marvel of engineering, the corporation that founded the colony had set it up to eventually be a planetary capitol complex, so it was much vaster than anything the colony needed. As the group enters it through a plexaluminum door that squeals on it's hinges, they are met with what was once a neat and well appointed central lobby area. It's as big as a football field, with chairs and couches for relaxing, artwork on the walls, and sculptures, some of which have crashed into the ceramacrete floor as centuries passed.
There is a 'you are here' tri-corner kiosk that is not powered up. Someone has painted a fairly detailed map of the city on it using fine lines that look to have been done by hand. Red X's mark several points, this building, the open stadium, and the loading complex (next to the stadium, by the underground processing center). Additionally, there are yellow X's scattered around the city, including one over the government complex.
One the other two sides of the kiosk, is writing, one set in yellow, one set in red. The red side says only 'LOCATIONS OF MASTER MAPS' and lists the stadium and the loading center. The other side in yellow says 'LOCATIONS OF DATA PACKETS'. The government center lists 'Sub-Basement 4, Parking Area, Armored Ore Transport, Access Code DKS121DH87, Bring Generator'.
"Woah. Grand!" Ceres takes a moment to admire the sight, the grandness and stillness of it all. "Okay then - It seems someone left signs behind. And seeing an utter lack of bodies, is it safe to assume the dome city was evacuated? But to where in that case ..."
Talks a image of the map, then looks around.
"that seems to be the case, I'll get the jenny from the APC and we can head down. If the colony was evacuated, then it will make our life simpler"
She gots it with jump cables and heads down v the map.
Ziirkaa touches the sign with his suited hand. "We seem to have a trail of breadcrumbs." Ziirkaa looks around ominously, "They are waiting for us... somewhere... They probably retreated to the minimum life support footprint they could find. That way they could last as long as possible." He shakes his head and starts walking back toward the APC.
Holt, as she suited up to face the dangerous surface of the planet, was still excited, but her excitement had been tempered by the reality of what these ruins meant. Annara’s plaque was poignant and readily brought an understanding of the catastrophe that had happened here.
Still, she packed her tools, gathered her equipment, and prepared for the journey. They were going to make history today, whether that history was to discover something amazing, or to catalog the events that had occurred here, she had a job to do.
- - - - -
As the APC travels around the dome, Holt stares out at the foreign landscape and the ruins of what seems to have been a prosperous people, lost in thought.
This dome must have been such an amazing feat of engineering, to allow something as fragile as a human to survive on a planet such as this. How long did it take to create? How many of these failed on other worlds before this design was accepted? Did the people always trust it? Were they still here when it failed? Why did they top maintaining it?... So many questions… If only there was someone around to answer them…
- - - - -
Holt stepped out of the APC and approached the government complex, looking over it’s architecture and engineering. And upon entering it, Holt is amazed at the opulence that went into it’s construction. Even when the others are looking over the map, Holt has walked over to the reception desk, examining the unpowered controls and panels that have been left to the ages.
The reception area is neat and clean, as if the person who was last here had cleaned it up before going off to wherever they went. The controls are slightly more sleek and advanced than the ones back home, but the touch panels are familiar, but dark without power.
--------------------------
After returning to the APC, Gomez is easily able to navigate around the building to get to the parking garage. Without power to the gate, he has to slam the APC through the aluminum bar to enter though, but the bar was designed to snap off if a civilian car hit it, much less a military APC.
Following the directions, they find a sub-level parking area that's had all the vehicles removed. They do pass a handful of vehicles, all coated in a thick layer of dust. The only vehicle on this level, however, is a big bulky six wheeled armored vehicle.
Thick metal sheets have been attached to it, as if to provide extra protections. The jobs are obviously done on site, as there's welding slag on the ground around the vehicle. Two panels are, however, bolted on rather than welded on. The first one is a smaller one with a yellow X on it. The second is a larger one that covers the rear half of the vehicle and has a large yellow X on it.
The bolts are all rusted solid.