I chuckled a fair bit as the pair pelted back down the corridor. Aye, it was a fairly mean stunt to pull, but we'll consider this a lesson well learned.
In truth, those kids didn't stand a chance of gaining entry to the sub pens, even if they tried sprinting an access code using their PDAs. JUNO's core AI has total control over The Broch and Kaori-san no-shima, and no amount of button-mashing would get them past any of the restricted access doors in either station. To be completely honest, those MAX-SEC door keypads aren't connected to anything but the base security system. They're essentially just clever props designed to keep any potential intruders busy for a while.
I paged DIGBY on internal commlink. "In roughly fifteen seconds, a pair of kids will be passing through Ops Plaza at a respectable clip. Please intercept and escort them back to their elders."
"Aye, Sir. Do you require any further action to be taken?"
"Negative. I conjure they've got the message. By the by, mate... How are things going in there?"
"Remarkably well, Sir. Transmitting video feed now. Time compression factor, one thousand."
I was transported back to the Lava Castle, first-person perspective. Astonishingly, IANTO has done far more than merely stitch together our raw mission footage into a rough sort of documentary. He's turned our video-feeds into a stunning two and a half-hour feature film, comparable with any of the finest 'bug hunts' spawned during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Even though I experienced this encounter first-hand, I saw those same events unfold through the eyes of my companions. It was an eerie sensation, almost hyper-real in its intensity.
By virtue of his Life Sciences core programming, IANTO knows precisely which human sensory inputs to manipulate in order to elicit a particular emotional response, and he has made excellent (if somewhat disturbing) use of that knowledge. The faintest sound, every fleeting shadow seemed to foreshadow something terrible; an artful series of subliminal cues finely calculated to increase tension in the audience with each passing moment. No false starts, no cheap jump-scares. When the Kharaa are finally revealed, every encounter becomes a visceral and desperate fight for survival. And you're in the thick of it.
On a sudden impulse, I fast-forwarded to the Onos ambush. My swan song, as it were. I felt myself knotting up inside as the event played through once more, acutely aware that everyone watching this film would see me 'die' here, at least in that particular incarnation. And yes, it was an extremely unpleasant experience as I revisited this moment. I might even go as far as saying it was traumatic. Looking back on it, I have to admit mine was an utterly ignoble death. Being trampled and gored by a rampaging Onos is not a good way to go. There's absolutely nothing heroic about it. You might as well stand in the middle of a maglev track, it's basically the same end result.
As my mind wandered among these morose thoughts, I noticed that the audience had fallen strangely silent. Up to this point, they had been cheering and hollering with wild abandon as we chewed through successive waves of Kharaa, guns a-blazing. We were the Good Guys. We were winning. We were indomitable.
Until now.
+++ ARGUS ALERT: PRIORITY ONE > WARP SIGNATURE DETECTED > VESSEL ENTERING SYSTEM +++
And more on topic, I'm assuming that Warpers are attacking, but what for? Is this a case of the Warpers in Black, trying to take privileged video feed from Selkirk & Co.?
Well, Warpers are telepathic so I'm wondering if they've tuned into the colonist's thoughts and have mistaken the video for their enemy attacking the place.
"This is Terran Confederation Ship Carl Sagan. Captain Jens Halvorsen, commanding officer. Responding to Alterra Corp automated beacon transmission. Is anyone receiving me?"
"We read you, Captain Halvorsen. Alexander Selkirk, acting Captain of TCS Aurora. It is imperative that you hold your position once deceleration manoeuvres have been completed. I say again, hold your position. Do not approach any closer than 10 AU of Alpha Hydrae IV until advised that it is safe to proceed. Sending data-burst packet with full details of the situation down here. Please stand by."
"Message received and understood, Captain Selkirk. I'll contact you again in one hour's time. Halvorsen, out."
By the time I reached the Bridge, JUNO, IANTO and DIGBY were already at their stations. I felt it best to keep this development under wraps for the time being, at least until we've determined the exact nature of the Carl Sagan's mission. There would be no point in telling the colonists that a rescue ship has arrived, only to find out that its primary mission prevented their return to Terran space for months or even years. Since the Sagan is most likely a commercial vessel, the Captain's mandate in a rescue situation only extends to rescuing personnel in actual distress and ensuring their safe return to the nearest space-port. Unfortunately, there is no time frame legally specified for that eventual return. It all boils down to hard-nosed economics. It can cost billions of Credits to commission a starship's voyage, and the mission's financial backers will certainly demand tangible returns for their investment. Sadly, the eternal gratitude of a few dozen castaways doesn't feed the bulldog.
And if the truth be known, our colonists are not in any immediate peril. Far from it, in fact. Halvorsen would be entirely within his rights in refusing to rescue them.
"Okay JUNO, what do we know about the Sagan so far?" I inquired, settling into my chair.
"Scanning complete, Sir. Alterra Corp Hephaestus-class construction vessel, Mass, 750,000 metric tonnes at 1g. Alcubierre warp propulsion drive, equipped with advanced Dark Matter reactors, Gen III sub-light plasma engines. No atmospheric flight capability. Eight Percheron-class cargo transports, six survey shuttles, six zero-g tugs and fifty multi-purpose drones onboard. Crew complement, 1,100. Vessel is configured for deep-space mining and materials processing."
"Well, that's a relief. She's a big puppy, but at least she won't be digging any holes in our back yard."
"Unless the Sagan's crew have orders to construct a STARFISH installation planet-side, Sir." IANTO observed bleakly. "However unlikely that probability might be, it does represent a considerable cause for concern."
I frowned. "Too bloody right. If that's indeed the case, we've got to convince them to revise their plans. If needs be, we might be able to spare them some material from the Borealis construction stockpiles, rather than have some muckin' great juggernaut ripping the seafloor out from under us. I would'na stand for that, and Father of Tides would'na be well pleased, either. When Halvorsen gets on the blower again, I'll be taking pains to touch upon this very subject... Mark my words."
Employee safety and well-being is every corporation's top priority, didn't you know that? Safety first! Safety isn't just a motto, it's the Alterra way!
"Message received and understood, Captain Selkirk. Halvorsen, over and out."
In regards to your earlier reply, no problem, just shocked after reading so long to actually reach the temporary end!
Pet peeve of mine by the way, over and out is horribly, horribly wrong.
A pet peeve of mine is being 'corrected' by someone who clearly does not understand what's going on.
Cease and desist, forthwith.
Captain Halvorsen has just received a large data-packet transmission. It will take him some time to process the information.
Halvorsen is most definitely signing off, and will re-initiate the conversation when he's good and ready.
Amazing work as always Bugzapper.
May I have your permission to publish this story on fanfiction.net?
Absolutely not. Sorry.
I hate to sound 'precious' about Aurora and Borealis, but that would be comparable to displaying artwork in a public urinal.
After expending considerable time and effort on these stories, the last thing I want is to have them rubbing shoulders with abysmal
Harry Potter/Twilight crossovers. No thanks.
"Message received and understood, Captain Selkirk. Halvorsen, over and out."
In regards to your earlier reply, no problem, just shocked after reading so long to actually reach the temporary end!
Pet peeve of mine by the way, over and out is horribly, horribly wrong.
A pet peeve of mine is being 'corrected' by someone who clearly does not understand what's going on.
Cease and desist, forthwith.
Captain Halvorsen has just received a large data-packet transmission. It will take him some time to process the information.
Halvorsen is most definitely signing off, and will re-initiate the conversation when he's good and ready.
Umm.. Sorry to interject, but:
"Message received and understood, Captain Selkirk. Halvorsen, over and out."
Directly translated, that would message say, "Message received and understood, Captain Selkirk. Halvorsen, over to you {AKA, I'm expecting your response}, and terminating communications now."
Unless something has changed (which is possible, however unlikely) in the hundreds of years from now when this story takes place, the phrase over and out is about as appropriate for ending communications as a Michael Bay movie is for depicting realism: you'll only find it in Hollywood.
I read earlier in the stories that he accepts constructive criticism. I'm a qualified radio operator from back when I was in cadets years back, it's something that if you're in the right channels you can learn from being 13, but many don't get that chance. I was honestly only trying to provide a little bit of knowledge and be helpful, and actually updating it to follow the way modern radio users do (and I assume would continue doing until over/out become redundant.) would take holding back space for a second.
There's no need to be condescending, any stopping/implying you are taking a break because you want to just spite people trying to help you is hardly a good trait. I fully get Bug that some people have been rude and nasty, but again, just trying to help. I also fully get what's going on, I was merely stating I was sad that I had reached the
Unless something has changed (which is possible, however unlikely) in the hundreds of years from now when this story takes place, the phrase over and out is about as appropriate for ending communications as a Michael Bay movie is for depicting realism: you'll only find it in Hollywood.
To avoid any confusion, let the record show that I wasn't meaning to show contempt for our most esteemed author with that comment, but rather Hollywood, for not doing their research and foisting that phrase upon an unknowing public. I just re-read my comment and I suppose it could have been taken as a personal barb, which was not at all my intent.
Precisely one hour later, Halvorsen's image appeared on the main Bridge monitor. According to readings obtained from our ARGUS satellite array, the Carl Sagan has been 'parked' outside the asteroid field surrounding the system's only gas giant, Alpha Hydrae V. It appears that Halvorsen has taken my warning quite seriously. I believe that we may be able to have a civilized chat after all.
"Good morning, Captain Halvorsen. Welcome to the Alpha Hydrae system."
"Thank you, Captain Selkirk." Halvorsen replied warmly. "Frankly, I'm astonished to find anyone alive down there at all, let alone a thriving Terran colony. Given your initially bleak situation, you've achieved something truly remarkable here. An extremely impressive effort, Sir."
So far, Halvorsen seems like a pretty decent chap. Early fifties, lean of frame and an honest face as weathered as the timbers of a Viking longship. He's got the Long Stare; probably travelled more than a few parsecs in his time. I conjure he might be on first-name terms with every member of his crew.
Yes. I'm definitely getting a good read from him.
"Thank you, Captain Halvorsen... So, might one enquire what brings you to this delightful corner of the Ariadne Arm? The scenery is lovely, though some of our neighbours are a wee bit worrisome."
He caught my meaning immediately. "Ah yes, the Kharaa. Actually, they're the main reason we're here. We've been contracted to build a phase gate in this system. The TSF Brass have plans to push deep into Kharaa territory and take the fight into their core systems." He lowered his voice, speaking man to man. "Personally, I'm not convinced that's an entirely sane notion, but what else can a man do? If it were up to me, I'd send in a fleet of Dreadnaughts and glass those bastards. If some fools want to put beardless boots on the ground, it's not my place to argue. I only build the bloody gates."
I nodded soberly. "Aye. We go where we're told, and that's the end of it. Still, I take it you saw how we dealt with our wee plague? I'm thinking those TSF lads could use something along those lines. A synthetic enzyme, based on a natural substance that we discovered down here. Absolutely lethal to Kharaa DNA, and a perfect doddle to brew once you have the art. Reckon they'd be interested?"
Halvorsen grinned broadly. "Hell yes! You could practically name your own price, man!"
"Nay, I would'na be asking one. If it wipes out Kharaa to the very last, it's payment enough for me. Now, my burning question is... Where exactly are your gate construction materials coming from?"
Without a beat of hesitation, Halvorsen replied. "The asteroid belt, mainly. It all depends on the relative abundance of the various elements needed for this project." He consulted a nearby read-out. "Survey analysis looks promising for most of the raw materials, although usable radioactives are a bit on the scarce side out here. We might have to look planet-side for those."
I waved dismissively. "We're able to gather those for you. No problem. Now, this brings me to my next question. Can you spare an atmospheric shuttle? We need to get a supply of vaccine up to you, and my home-brew rockets are too slow. Bear in mind, it will have to be sent down unmanned to get past that Precursor energy weapon. As far as I know, a quarantine's still in effect down here."
Héloise chose that precise moment to enter the Bridge. Judging by her expression of annoyance, we're all about to cop a serve for bailing out on movie night. Before she could speak her mind, her eyes went saucer-wide at the sight of Captain Halvorsen's face on the monitor.
Whoops. The cat's out of the bag now. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she slid up alongside me.
"Who's this?" she stage-whispered, slyly jabbing an elbow into my ribs.
"Héloise, meet Captain Jens Halvorsen, of the Alterra ship Carl Sagan. They entered the system just over an hour ago. I sincerely apologise for not letting everyone know the minute it happened, but we had to make absolutely certain that there was no cause for alarm. You know how it is."
Halvorsen's left eyebrow lifted noticeably at my last comment. "You were expecting some trouble?"
I grinned. "Always. Never had a new face pass through here without raising some kind of a rammy. It makes a refreshing change to finally meet someone friendly. Anyways, I'm forgetting myself... Captain, Héloise Maida; my boon companion and one of my dearest friends. Naturally, I'm well pleased to include my android crewmates among that number. Meet JUNO, IANTO and DIGBY."
Halvorsen nodded pleasantly as each was introduced in turn. "So, Captain Selkirk... How should we best proceed from this point? The Carl Sagan doesn't need to approach any closer to Alpha Hydrae IV, although we will need to send freighters down to the planet at some stage. Mainly for replenishment of our protein stocks and seawater for processing into deuterium. I'm also thinking that my crew will want shore leave, particularly when word gets around your planet is hospitable."
"Most definitely. Although the colony of Kaori-san no-shima is capable of supporting a reasonable number of additional personnel, I feel that a purpose-built facility would be more suitable for your crew's needs. Now, I'm not saying that there would be any serious friction between your crew and our colonists, but it might be best to avoid having to deal with that possibility, wouldn't you say?"
Halvorsen nodded sagely. "Absolutely. They're a disciplined shower of louts, but you never know what to expect once the sun dips below the jib." He chuckled, "Still, I'll read all of them the Riot Act before unleashing those jokers planet-side. They shouldn't give you the slightest lick of trouble."
A sly smile dawned on my face. "I've just had a wee idea, Captain Halvorsen... I'm broad-waving you one of our latest escapades. Just tell your chaps that if they've any notions to misbehave, they'll most certainly run afoul of our friendly Shore Patrol. I conjure they'll get the message, five by five."
Halvorsen and I spent another hour or so hammering out the finer details, but it looks like this is the chance we've been waiting for. With a working phase gate in the system, Borealis won't be facing a 50-year slog once it finally breaks atmo. Only three weeks of subjective transit time is needed to reach the next gate at Omicron Leonis, then it's an equally quick hop through each of the gates at Gamma Crucis, Alpha Geminorum, Procyon and the fabled Tannhäuser Gate at Sirius. Next stop, Sol.
It briefly occurred to me that I could have asked Captain Halvorsen about hitching a free ride back to Terra, then I thought better of it. I'm considering a far larger picture. Halvorsen told me that it will take nine months to build and align the phase gate. If nothing else goes awry (Powers forfend that!), we stand a good chance of having Borealis completed and ready for launch in six month's time. Aye, we're going to climb back up that long ladder under our own steam.
Whoa... Amazing story... I can't believe I'm caught up already! I very excitedly look forward to the next installments in the story! Great work @Bugzapper . You have set a wonderful example of professional story writing and have inspired me in my current writing of my own fan story, 'Splash Down'.
0645 hours. That time of day when a body weighs up its desire to sneak an extra fifteen minutes of rack time, or succumb to the siren song of breakfast. Right now, I could murder a mug of tea and a proper fry-up. While it's true that I don't actually need to eat, the fact remains that I still desire to do so. The crew are of a similar mindset on this subject. Mealtimes are a valid recreational activity for us. Apart from the basic chemical energy that we receive, the notion of conviviality at the mess table has become an essential aspect of our daily routine. In fact, we tend to get things done more efficiently by discussing the nuts and bolts of a task over a brew beforehand. A slap-up evening meal and a spot of carousing is our way of celebrating a passable day's work. Believe me, it goes far deeper than shoveling perfectly good human food into four sub-miniature bioreactors.
We genuinely appreciate this experience in a way that most humans probably wouldn't understand.
First order of today's business is to brief the colonists on the Carl Sagan's arrival. The mess deck was already in full swing as we entered, alive with the clatter of serving trays and its usual hum of conversation. Suddenly, someone noticed us coming through the doorway. The chatter stopped abruptly as if a switch had been thrown. As one, the colonists rose from their seats and bowed solemnly in our direction as we walked towards the auto-galleys.
" Héloise, Dear Heart..." I muttered apprehensively, "What's all this bowing business about?"
"Ah, I forgot," she giggled, playfully tweaking my beard. "You weren't here when our movie was playing last night." Héloise said airily, "Everyone saw how bravely we fought the Kharaa. Beaucoup tears were shed when my handsome Captain fell in battle, tres grande tristesse... So many, many tears. Now you are back among the living, and we are all mighty heroes. We were magnifique!"
"Oh, ye gods..." I groaned. "All this situation needs now is a Hans Zimmer soundtrack and us doing the obligatory slow-motion walk. Bloody hell, I only wanted to grab a bite to eat."
"You might as well become accustomed to it, Sir." JUNO observed dryly, "We have."
I gritted my teeth in a vague approximation of a modest smile, nodding and exchanging a few mumbled pleasantries with the colonists as we passed by.
Even DIGBY was intent on making a meal out of my discomfort, although his deadpan suggestion of having Ensign Savini scattering rose petals before our feet cracked me up quite nicely. Might as well roll with it for now, because I'll be dropping something even bigger than a cinematic Kharaa frag-fest on those colonists by the time everyone's starting their second cuppa.
When I judged the time was right to speak, I called the colonists to attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated. Last night, a Terran starship entered our system. The TCS Carl Sagan has been sent here to construct a phase gate; one that will allow us to return to Terra in a vastly shorter time-frame than we first envisaged. However, the arrival of the Carl Sagan does not mean that rescue is imminent. The phase gate will take nine months to construct and calibrate to reach operational status, and Borealis will be ready for launch in approximately six months. Our return flight will take a little over one Solar year, at most. You have my word on this. Thank you."
the_marinerUS of AJoin Date: 2016-12-29Member: 225653Members
Nice to see Mr. Zimmeman is still relevant in the future. And slo-mo walks! It appears cheesy movies are alive as ever.
Just a few questions, though:
1) I understand that Selkirk eventually realized he didn't need to return home, but before then, how come he didn't construct a ship to escape? He's clearly able to do so in Borealis, and it doesn't really seem as though he was incapable of doing so at the end of Aurora Falls. He and the crew could already have used construction drones and the gear salvaged from the Aurora and the Magellan bases to build a ship that would get them back to Federation space.
2) Over the course of 80 years before Borealis begins, how could Selkirk not discover the Lost River? He had all of that time to survey 4546B, and somehow didn't stumble upon it by accident? It's got entrances in the Blood Kelp Zone, Lava Zone, and Deep Grand Reef, so it's not like he could really miss it.
3) Will Selkirk & co. ever visit the Twisty Bridges/Arctic/anywhere outside of the current in-game map?
4) What the hell is an Anderson key???
I'm sorry if this comes off as me being nitpicky, it's just that this has been bugging me for some time and I thought I might as well ask.
Curious to see how Selkirk manages to talk down the Precursor AI controlling the quarantine weapon in six months. It materialised as soon as the Sea Emperor heard about the Kharaa's return, so I'm wondering if he could also call off the quarantine if he were satisfied each and every colonist leaving the planet is clean.
But until then, I get the feeling that something bad will happen.
1. The events in Borealis Rising wouldn't happen. I distinctly recall someone asking for a sequel.
2. As in the game, Selkirk's progress is gated by what he has previously discovered or created. Furthermore, there has to be a valid reason to enter unknown or dangerous locations, considering that the known hazards of this world are formidable in their own right. Any explorer worth his/her salt will not knowingly go into harm's way, unless they are reasonably confident of being able to deal with an unknown threat of potentially greater magnitude. No point in creating additional problems for yourself, if they can be avoided.
3. See above. If a location is irrelevant to the story as a whole, it won't be visited. If a location is relevant, it will be visited when the plot requires its discovery.
4. An Anderson Key is a handheld, high-torque motorised drive tool, used to manually unlock and open un-powered hydraulic bulkhead doors.
Maintenance and Security department use only. Not intended for general crew issue.
As a general writing principle, I take the Gwahir Defence. (Also known as: "Why didn't Gandalf ask one of the eagles to drop The One Ring in Mount Doom?")
If you want a story roughly the same length as the user's manual for an electric frying pan, that's definitely the route to take.
Events and encounters occur for specific purposes, at least as far as this story is concerned. Occasionally, I'll even 'hang a lantern' on something, only to completely ignore it for a couple of chapters. It's a time-tested writer's trick to determine who is actually paying attention to the story. When I'm reading, I find it most beneficial to return to any 'uncertain' passages in the story to discover any subtext that may be concealed in events and character dialogue, rather than concoct my own theories as to what is actually happening.
There may be Red Herrings, false starts and seemingly irrelevant side-show action dotted throughout this text, but the story will eventually unfold exactly as originally intended.
Even though a location is known to exist, it requires a specific sequence of events to incorporate that location and its inhabitants into the story.
If the story does not require this discovery to take place, it will not occur. There's no point to introducing every single location and creature merely for the sake of 'completeness'. Locations and creatures may not be discovered at all, unless the narrative requires their presence. Whole areas of the planet may be completely overlooked, and there is no absolute requirement that Selkirk and Co. needs to carry out a comprehensive survey of an entire world unless it is essential to their immediate needs.
A real-life example of accidental discovery: I used to scuba dive at Flinders Pier in Westernport Bay (Victoria, Australia). It's a popular spot, frequently used as an open-water training site by local dive schools. There's no telling how many times the seafloor around there has been thoroughly traversed during the past half-century or so. One day, I happened to look down and spotted the bottom of a glass bottle, scoured translucent by wave action and sand. I retrieved it, only to discover that it was a completely intact 'marble-stopper' bottle from the 1900's. The glass had turned beautifully opalescent. A positively miraculous 'find', considering where I found it. Pure, blind luck.
Comments
In truth, those kids didn't stand a chance of gaining entry to the sub pens, even if they tried sprinting an access code using their PDAs. JUNO's core AI has total control over The Broch and Kaori-san no-shima, and no amount of button-mashing would get them past any of the restricted access doors in either station. To be completely honest, those MAX-SEC door keypads aren't connected to anything but the base security system. They're essentially just clever props designed to keep any potential intruders busy for a while.
I paged DIGBY on internal commlink. "In roughly fifteen seconds, a pair of kids will be passing through Ops Plaza at a respectable clip. Please intercept and escort them back to their elders."
"Aye, Sir. Do you require any further action to be taken?"
"Negative. I conjure they've got the message. By the by, mate... How are things going in there?"
"Remarkably well, Sir. Transmitting video feed now. Time compression factor, one thousand."
I was transported back to the Lava Castle, first-person perspective. Astonishingly, IANTO has done far more than merely stitch together our raw mission footage into a rough sort of documentary. He's turned our video-feeds into a stunning two and a half-hour feature film, comparable with any of the finest 'bug hunts' spawned during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Even though I experienced this encounter first-hand, I saw those same events unfold through the eyes of my companions. It was an eerie sensation, almost hyper-real in its intensity.
By virtue of his Life Sciences core programming, IANTO knows precisely which human sensory inputs to manipulate in order to elicit a particular emotional response, and he has made excellent (if somewhat disturbing) use of that knowledge. The faintest sound, every fleeting shadow seemed to foreshadow something terrible; an artful series of subliminal cues finely calculated to increase tension in the audience with each passing moment. No false starts, no cheap jump-scares. When the Kharaa are finally revealed, every encounter becomes a visceral and desperate fight for survival. And you're in the thick of it.
On a sudden impulse, I fast-forwarded to the Onos ambush. My swan song, as it were. I felt myself knotting up inside as the event played through once more, acutely aware that everyone watching this film would see me 'die' here, at least in that particular incarnation. And yes, it was an extremely unpleasant experience as I revisited this moment. I might even go as far as saying it was traumatic. Looking back on it, I have to admit mine was an utterly ignoble death. Being trampled and gored by a rampaging Onos is not a good way to go. There's absolutely nothing heroic about it. You might as well stand in the middle of a maglev track, it's basically the same end result.
As my mind wandered among these morose thoughts, I noticed that the audience had fallen strangely silent. Up to this point, they had been cheering and hollering with wild abandon as we chewed through successive waves of Kharaa, guns a-blazing. We were the Good Guys. We were winning. We were indomitable.
Until now.
Say it ain't so!
And more on topic, I'm assuming that Warpers are attacking, but what for? Is this a case of the Warpers in Black, trying to take privileged video feed from Selkirk & Co.?
This cliffhanger is on point.
Got myself in an editing tizzy and the dreaded Subnautica Spam Filter (TM) done whupped mah butt.
Harsh.
A starship.
Stay tuned...
Wait...
WHAT!
Is this Tomar's drinking buddies coming for round 2?
The suspense is maddening!
It's been over a hundred years. They would be a bit late.
Yeah, didn't quite think that one through.
If you just hit save and ignore the message, then refresh the page, it does actually save your edit (as you're an Advanced Android User™).
"This is Terran Confederation Ship Carl Sagan. Captain Jens Halvorsen, commanding officer. Responding to Alterra Corp automated beacon transmission. Is anyone receiving me?"
"We read you, Captain Halvorsen. Alexander Selkirk, acting Captain of TCS Aurora. It is imperative that you hold your position once deceleration manoeuvres have been completed. I say again, hold your position. Do not approach any closer than 10 AU of Alpha Hydrae IV until advised that it is safe to proceed. Sending data-burst packet with full details of the situation down here. Please stand by."
"Message received and understood, Captain Selkirk. I'll contact you again in one hour's time. Halvorsen, out."
By the time I reached the Bridge, JUNO, IANTO and DIGBY were already at their stations. I felt it best to keep this development under wraps for the time being, at least until we've determined the exact nature of the Carl Sagan's mission. There would be no point in telling the colonists that a rescue ship has arrived, only to find out that its primary mission prevented their return to Terran space for months or even years. Since the Sagan is most likely a commercial vessel, the Captain's mandate in a rescue situation only extends to rescuing personnel in actual distress and ensuring their safe return to the nearest space-port. Unfortunately, there is no time frame legally specified for that eventual return. It all boils down to hard-nosed economics. It can cost billions of Credits to commission a starship's voyage, and the mission's financial backers will certainly demand tangible returns for their investment. Sadly, the eternal gratitude of a few dozen castaways doesn't feed the bulldog.
And if the truth be known, our colonists are not in any immediate peril. Far from it, in fact. Halvorsen would be entirely within his rights in refusing to rescue them.
"Okay JUNO, what do we know about the Sagan so far?" I inquired, settling into my chair.
"Scanning complete, Sir. Alterra Corp Hephaestus-class construction vessel, Mass, 750,000 metric tonnes at 1g. Alcubierre warp propulsion drive, equipped with advanced Dark Matter reactors, Gen III sub-light plasma engines. No atmospheric flight capability. Eight Percheron-class cargo transports, six survey shuttles, six zero-g tugs and fifty multi-purpose drones onboard. Crew complement, 1,100. Vessel is configured for deep-space mining and materials processing."
"Well, that's a relief. She's a big puppy, but at least she won't be digging any holes in our back yard."
"Unless the Sagan's crew have orders to construct a STARFISH installation planet-side, Sir." IANTO observed bleakly. "However unlikely that probability might be, it does represent a considerable cause for concern."
I frowned. "Too bloody right. If that's indeed the case, we've got to convince them to revise their plans. If needs be, we might be able to spare them some material from the Borealis construction stockpiles, rather than have some muckin' great juggernaut ripping the seafloor out from under us. I would'na stand for that, and Father of Tides would'na be well pleased, either. When Halvorsen gets on the blower again, I'll be taking pains to touch upon this very subject... Mark my words."
Employee safety and well-being is every corporation's top priority, didn't you know that? Safety first! Safety isn't just a motto, it's the Alterra way!
May I have your permission to publish this story on fanfiction.net?
In regards to your earlier reply, no problem, just shocked after reading so long to actually reach the temporary end!
Pet peeve of mine by the way, over and out is horribly, horribly wrong.
Over in radio terms means standing by for reply, to indicate the channel has been freed up for a response.
Out means ending call. Over and out means "Waiting for a reply, now shut up."
A pet peeve of mine is being 'corrected' by someone who clearly does not understand what's going on.
Cease and desist, forthwith.
Captain Halvorsen has just received a large data-packet transmission. It will take him some time to process the information.
Halvorsen is most definitely signing off, and will re-initiate the conversation when he's good and ready.
Absolutely not. Sorry.
I hate to sound 'precious' about Aurora and Borealis, but that would be comparable to displaying artwork in a public urinal.
After expending considerable time and effort on these stories, the last thing I want is to have them rubbing shoulders with abysmal
Harry Potter/Twilight crossovers. No thanks.
Umm..
Directly translated, that would message say, "Message received and understood, Captain Selkirk. Halvorsen, over to you {AKA, I'm expecting your response}, and terminating communications now."
Unless something has changed (which is possible, however unlikely) in the hundreds of years from now when this story takes place, the phrase over and out is about as appropriate for ending communications as a Michael Bay movie is for depicting realism: you'll only find it in Hollywood.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_and_Out --> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_procedure
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/over_and_out
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=over and out
Anyone else feel like nit-picking, second-guessing, shit posting or just plain 'not getting it'?
Let me know when that 'entitled' feeling subsides.
Just stop. Don't spoil it for the rest of us.
Finally. Someone gets it.
@Enderguy059 : Your new title is 'Voice of Reason'.
Be thou a Gode Knight.
I read earlier in the stories that he accepts constructive criticism. I'm a qualified radio operator from back when I was in cadets years back, it's something that if you're in the right channels you can learn from being 13, but many don't get that chance. I was honestly only trying to provide a little bit of knowledge and be helpful, and actually updating it to follow the way modern radio users do (and I assume would continue doing until over/out become redundant.) would take holding back space for a second.
There's no need to be condescending, any stopping/implying you are taking a break because you want to just spite people trying to help you is hardly a good trait. I fully get Bug that some people have been rude and nasty, but again, just trying to help. I also fully get what's going on, I was merely stating I was sad that I had reached the
While also bumping you and paying you a compliment that your story is so good I was sad to have reached the end.
To avoid any confusion, let the record show that I wasn't meaning to show contempt for our most esteemed author with that comment, but rather Hollywood, for not doing their research and foisting that phrase upon an unknowing public. I just re-read my comment and I suppose it could have been taken as a personal barb, which was not at all my intent.
"Good morning, Captain Halvorsen. Welcome to the Alpha Hydrae system."
"Thank you, Captain Selkirk." Halvorsen replied warmly. "Frankly, I'm astonished to find anyone alive down there at all, let alone a thriving Terran colony. Given your initially bleak situation, you've achieved something truly remarkable here. An extremely impressive effort, Sir."
So far, Halvorsen seems like a pretty decent chap. Early fifties, lean of frame and an honest face as weathered as the timbers of a Viking longship. He's got the Long Stare; probably travelled more than a few parsecs in his time. I conjure he might be on first-name terms with every member of his crew.
Yes. I'm definitely getting a good read from him.
"Thank you, Captain Halvorsen... So, might one enquire what brings you to this delightful corner of the Ariadne Arm? The scenery is lovely, though some of our neighbours are a wee bit worrisome."
He caught my meaning immediately. "Ah yes, the Kharaa. Actually, they're the main reason we're here. We've been contracted to build a phase gate in this system. The TSF Brass have plans to push deep into Kharaa territory and take the fight into their core systems." He lowered his voice, speaking man to man. "Personally, I'm not convinced that's an entirely sane notion, but what else can a man do? If it were up to me, I'd send in a fleet of Dreadnaughts and glass those bastards. If some fools want to put beardless boots on the ground, it's not my place to argue. I only build the bloody gates."
I nodded soberly. "Aye. We go where we're told, and that's the end of it. Still, I take it you saw how we dealt with our wee plague? I'm thinking those TSF lads could use something along those lines. A synthetic enzyme, based on a natural substance that we discovered down here. Absolutely lethal to Kharaa DNA, and a perfect doddle to brew once you have the art. Reckon they'd be interested?"
Halvorsen grinned broadly. "Hell yes! You could practically name your own price, man!"
"Nay, I would'na be asking one. If it wipes out Kharaa to the very last, it's payment enough for me. Now, my burning question is... Where exactly are your gate construction materials coming from?"
Without a beat of hesitation, Halvorsen replied. "The asteroid belt, mainly. It all depends on the relative abundance of the various elements needed for this project." He consulted a nearby read-out. "Survey analysis looks promising for most of the raw materials, although usable radioactives are a bit on the scarce side out here. We might have to look planet-side for those."
I waved dismissively. "We're able to gather those for you. No problem. Now, this brings me to my next question. Can you spare an atmospheric shuttle? We need to get a supply of vaccine up to you, and my home-brew rockets are too slow. Bear in mind, it will have to be sent down unmanned to get past that Precursor energy weapon. As far as I know, a quarantine's still in effect down here."
Whoops. The cat's out of the bag now. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she slid up alongside me.
"Who's this?" she stage-whispered, slyly jabbing an elbow into my ribs.
"Héloise, meet Captain Jens Halvorsen, of the Alterra ship Carl Sagan. They entered the system just over an hour ago. I sincerely apologise for not letting everyone know the minute it happened, but we had to make absolutely certain that there was no cause for alarm. You know how it is."
Halvorsen's left eyebrow lifted noticeably at my last comment. "You were expecting some trouble?"
I grinned. "Always. Never had a new face pass through here without raising some kind of a rammy. It makes a refreshing change to finally meet someone friendly. Anyways, I'm forgetting myself... Captain, Héloise Maida; my boon companion and one of my dearest friends. Naturally, I'm well pleased to include my android crewmates among that number. Meet JUNO, IANTO and DIGBY."
Halvorsen nodded pleasantly as each was introduced in turn. "So, Captain Selkirk... How should we best proceed from this point? The Carl Sagan doesn't need to approach any closer to Alpha Hydrae IV, although we will need to send freighters down to the planet at some stage. Mainly for replenishment of our protein stocks and seawater for processing into deuterium. I'm also thinking that my crew will want shore leave, particularly when word gets around your planet is hospitable."
"Most definitely. Although the colony of Kaori-san no-shima is capable of supporting a reasonable number of additional personnel, I feel that a purpose-built facility would be more suitable for your crew's needs. Now, I'm not saying that there would be any serious friction between your crew and our colonists, but it might be best to avoid having to deal with that possibility, wouldn't you say?"
Halvorsen nodded sagely. "Absolutely. They're a disciplined shower of louts, but you never know what to expect once the sun dips below the jib." He chuckled, "Still, I'll read all of them the Riot Act before unleashing those jokers planet-side. They shouldn't give you the slightest lick of trouble."
A sly smile dawned on my face. "I've just had a wee idea, Captain Halvorsen... I'm broad-waving you one of our latest escapades. Just tell your chaps that if they've any notions to misbehave, they'll most certainly run afoul of our friendly Shore Patrol. I conjure they'll get the message, five by five."
Halvorsen and I spent another hour or so hammering out the finer details, but it looks like this is the chance we've been waiting for. With a working phase gate in the system, Borealis won't be facing a 50-year slog once it finally breaks atmo. Only three weeks of subjective transit time is needed to reach the next gate at Omicron Leonis, then it's an equally quick hop through each of the gates at Gamma Crucis, Alpha Geminorum, Procyon and the fabled Tannhäuser Gate at Sirius. Next stop, Sol.
It briefly occurred to me that I could have asked Captain Halvorsen about hitching a free ride back to Terra, then I thought better of it. I'm considering a far larger picture. Halvorsen told me that it will take nine months to build and align the phase gate. If nothing else goes awry (Powers forfend that!), we stand a good chance of having Borealis completed and ready for launch in six month's time. Aye, we're going to climb back up that long ladder under our own steam.
That's the stuff of legends.
We genuinely appreciate this experience in a way that most humans probably wouldn't understand.
First order of today's business is to brief the colonists on the Carl Sagan's arrival. The mess deck was already in full swing as we entered, alive with the clatter of serving trays and its usual hum of conversation. Suddenly, someone noticed us coming through the doorway. The chatter stopped abruptly as if a switch had been thrown. As one, the colonists rose from their seats and bowed solemnly in our direction as we walked towards the auto-galleys.
" Héloise, Dear Heart..." I muttered apprehensively, "What's all this bowing business about?"
"Ah, I forgot," she giggled, playfully tweaking my beard. "You weren't here when our movie was playing last night." Héloise said airily, "Everyone saw how bravely we fought the Kharaa. Beaucoup tears were shed when my handsome Captain fell in battle, tres grande tristesse... So many, many tears. Now you are back among the living, and we are all mighty heroes. We were magnifique!"
"Oh, ye gods..." I groaned. "All this situation needs now is a Hans Zimmer soundtrack and us doing the obligatory slow-motion walk. Bloody hell, I only wanted to grab a bite to eat."
"You might as well become accustomed to it, Sir." JUNO observed dryly, "We have."
I gritted my teeth in a vague approximation of a modest smile, nodding and exchanging a few mumbled pleasantries with the colonists as we passed by.
Even DIGBY was intent on making a meal out of my discomfort, although his deadpan suggestion of having Ensign Savini scattering rose petals before our feet cracked me up quite nicely. Might as well roll with it for now, because I'll be dropping something even bigger than a cinematic Kharaa frag-fest on those colonists by the time everyone's starting their second cuppa.
When I judged the time was right to speak, I called the colonists to attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated. Last night, a Terran starship entered our system. The TCS Carl Sagan has been sent here to construct a phase gate; one that will allow us to return to Terra in a vastly shorter time-frame than we first envisaged. However, the arrival of the Carl Sagan does not mean that rescue is imminent. The phase gate will take nine months to construct and calibrate to reach operational status, and Borealis will be ready for launch in approximately six months. Our return flight will take a little over one Solar year, at most. You have my word on this. Thank you."
Just a few questions, though:
2) Over the course of 80 years before Borealis begins, how could Selkirk not discover the Lost River? He had all of that time to survey 4546B, and somehow didn't stumble upon it by accident? It's got entrances in the Blood Kelp Zone, Lava Zone, and Deep Grand Reef, so it's not like he could really miss it.
3) Will Selkirk & co. ever visit the Twisty Bridges/Arctic/anywhere outside of the current in-game map?
4) What the hell is an Anderson key???
But until then, I get the feeling that something bad will happen.
1. The events in Borealis Rising wouldn't happen. I distinctly recall someone asking for a sequel.
2. As in the game, Selkirk's progress is gated by what he has previously discovered or created. Furthermore, there has to be a valid reason to enter unknown or dangerous locations, considering that the known hazards of this world are formidable in their own right. Any explorer worth his/her salt will not knowingly go into harm's way, unless they are reasonably confident of being able to deal with an unknown threat of potentially greater magnitude. No point in creating additional problems for yourself, if they can be avoided.
3. See above. If a location is irrelevant to the story as a whole, it won't be visited. If a location is relevant, it will be visited when the plot requires its discovery.
4. An Anderson Key is a handheld, high-torque motorised drive tool, used to manually unlock and open un-powered hydraulic bulkhead doors.
Maintenance and Security department use only. Not intended for general crew issue.
As a general writing principle, I take the Gwahir Defence. (Also known as: "Why didn't Gandalf ask one of the eagles to drop The One Ring in Mount Doom?")
If you want a story roughly the same length as the user's manual for an electric frying pan, that's definitely the route to take.
Events and encounters occur for specific purposes, at least as far as this story is concerned. Occasionally, I'll even 'hang a lantern' on something, only to completely ignore it for a couple of chapters. It's a time-tested writer's trick to determine who is actually paying attention to the story. When I'm reading, I find it most beneficial to return to any 'uncertain' passages in the story to discover any subtext that may be concealed in events and character dialogue, rather than concoct my own theories as to what is actually happening.
There may be Red Herrings, false starts and seemingly irrelevant side-show action dotted throughout this text, but the story will eventually unfold exactly as originally intended.
Even though a location is known to exist, it requires a specific sequence of events to incorporate that location and its inhabitants into the story.
If the story does not require this discovery to take place, it will not occur. There's no point to introducing every single location and creature merely for the sake of 'completeness'. Locations and creatures may not be discovered at all, unless the narrative requires their presence. Whole areas of the planet may be completely overlooked, and there is no absolute requirement that Selkirk and Co. needs to carry out a comprehensive survey of an entire world unless it is essential to their immediate needs.
A real-life example of accidental discovery: I used to scuba dive at Flinders Pier in Westernport Bay (Victoria, Australia). It's a popular spot, frequently used as an open-water training site by local dive schools. There's no telling how many times the seafloor around there has been thoroughly traversed during the past half-century or so. One day, I happened to look down and spotted the bottom of a glass bottle, scoured translucent by wave action and sand. I retrieved it, only to discover that it was a completely intact 'marble-stopper' bottle from the 1900's. The glass had turned beautifully opalescent. A positively miraculous 'find', considering where I found it. Pure, blind luck.
It happens.