Posted Dec. 21, 2022, 11:36 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Ethan Nash (Chief Engineer) (David Shotton)
Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in MAIN SIM - away team to the planet (XO, Tigress, Nash, and anyone else that wants to join)
Posted by Gamemaster Deus Ex Machina (GM) in MAIN SIM - away team to the planet (XO, Tigress, Nash, and anyone else that wants to join)
Posted by Lieutenant Cara Esmé O’Farrell (Counselor / Education Specialist) in MAIN SIM - away team to the planet (XO, Tigress, Nash, and anyone else that wants to join)
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Snip
The planet had not been like this. Over the course of the last few thousand years, it became less habitable for humanoids and warm-blooded creatures. It was hard to tell if the atmosphere thinned thus releasing the heat to space or the star itself cooled and decreased the temperature of the planet. Or another possibility that pollution blocked the heating rays of the sun and over the centuries dissipated along with the atmosphere.Cara looked up raising her chin so she could look straight in at the XO. “Well bridge scans told us they were using the geothermal energy at this location. I would wager a good guess part of that was for survival. Geothermal energy can be harnessed for a lot, beneficial and destructive. So far the building seems quite unwelcoming by our standards. But if this was built by an alien race it could be quite welcoming, we just don’t understand the tech. Defense, but against what? The Darkness? That might be too simple a conclusion.” She nodded and backed up down the path a bit and pulled a pair of old fashioned binoculars out of her pocket. Sometimes the eyes saw what a tricorder did not. She slowly scanned what she could see of the building, looking for distinguishing architecture that might indicate a purpose or the people that built it, identifying marks, signs of life, anything that might give a clue. Then she did the same for the surrounding land. Perhaps even a door or entrance way built away from the building to control the flow of traffic in or indicate an emergency exit.
O’Farrell
“I can’t see this being much defense against the Darkness,” he mused. “Perhaps the Darkness is a more recent event in the area as well. This kind of facility would stand out and not be of much help against an anti-proton weapon.”
“Well scans show this is a recent climactic change based on cosmic standards,” Lexi qualified it. “I am getting all kinds of reading but there is enough nickle readings in the soil to indicate the volcano blew at some point. It would have been enough to cause a vast cooling and then greenhouse event but those effects would only have lasted a few decades.” Lexi’s voice trailed off as she thought about the situation. Looking at the XO she continued. “I think we could be looking at a Great Permian-like event where several things combined to destroy this world and make it less habitable for humanoids and warm-blooded creatures over the past few thousand years. The atmosphere is far thinner than normal but this is typically a slow event that would allow life to adapt much like it does in mountainous regions. This is only a hypothesis but the star around this planet is a white dwarf. Stellar cartography is keeping an eye on it and it is stable but white dwarfs send out pulses of energy that can strip away the atmosphere. So we are either dealing with a society that had some form of pollution that killed the planet or the star cooled and has been sending pulses of solar winds down stripping the environment. This could be why the Darkness might be avoiding the planet. Nothing like dodging pulsar energy to give a getaway a bumpy ride.”
“In short, we are still working on how things may have been,” Jen said, not surprised, but with a definite tone of ‘I’m impressed’ with her suppositions. “Good catch on the nickel.” A blast of cold jarred him. It was nice but even he squinted into it. Cold was nice. He was on the fence with too much wind.
The binoculars didn’t reveal too much beyond what the eye could see. However, this location was well situated as there was a natural nook that the base was built into.
GM
“Not much visually to give any clues, Cmdr. Other than it seems they build this structure in a natural nook. Given the apparent age, there is no telling with the naked eye if this was the only option or had other natural benefits,” O’Farrell told him. It wasn’t much other than the builders had a grasp of geological impact on building and resources.
O’Farrell
He looked at the others and stood aside to make the panel visible to them. “Ladies and gents, this looks to be our keyhole. Let’s find the key.”
- Jen, XO“Open says-a-you,” Lexi word played the old-fashioned open sesame saying as she took a step back. The XO was a Marine and was far better equipped to take out something if anything was behind the door.
Lexi Robbins, Science
Neither ‘open says you,’ nor ‘open says me,’ seemed to have any positive effect.
Jen figured that this was something that could be overcome. It had not been opened perhaps in a millennia. Who was to say it wasn’t stuck or jammed. But that said, it looked like something that could be picked. It had power and it was warmer inside with an atmosphere of sorts. There was no life detected beyond. Still, Jen shifted to the side to allow him to have a view of the entry but not a fully direct path. He said to those about him. “Tech level of this door’s machinery?”
- Jen, XOTech was hard to pin down to a specific age but mid to late 22nd century Earth would be fairly accurate. The deeper scans were able to reveal microscopic fragments of DNA within the porous nature of the pad. Even centuries of sandblasting, time, and sunlight didn’t destroy all of it, but deteriorated it to a point where one could no longer tell what the race the DNA was from, but it was now clear that the ‘palm’ scanner would sample the individual’s DNA and if the DNA matched it likely would open. What it would do if the dna didn’t match was unknown.
While the authorities were working on the door, Jen pondered just transporting them in. However, since they found a possible doorknob as it were he was fine to let the troops work at it. It would be a good exercise for them and, perhaps for them, the cold might speed them along. For him, he found the cold a pleasant change and was willing to let things go for a little while longer before taking what may be considered the ‘easy’ path. He tapped his badge to give an update to the ship.
=^= Jen to Atlantis. We are at the door to the structure. It’s very weather beaten but we believe we have found a powered panel and hope to be through shortly. The weather is .. like a day at the beach. =^= He let out a smile as he said that.
- Jen, XO=/\=You have a locked door you are trying to pick=/\=Kelly sounded almost heartbroken. =/\=Understood. If you need a hand or a battering ram let us know. Keep us appraised of your situation. Kelly out.=/\=
Kelly Bordeaux
=^= That does sum it up, Captain. Perhaps it is frozen, and we may need you to come down with some .. de-icer. =^= Jen replied.
Jen, XO“Too bad we don’t have a Bolian here,” Lexi rubbed her hands to warm them up even though they were covered in gloves. “Back at the academy once we had this training sim about being held, hostage. As you know their internal chemistry can be corrosive soooo,” Lexi waggled her head. “We all turned out back and then the lock to the door was suddenly open.”
Jen’s antennae stopped in mid sway and his head swiveled to look at Lexi. “That is curious. Bolians have tended to be very active communicators in my experience.” Which, in his expression essentially meant they never shut up. “I’ve not one heard one so boasting of that aspect of their .. personality.”
- Jen, XO
“Not that type of chemistry,” Lexi laughed. “More of the metabolic chemistry.”
“Since we are without a Bolian, any chance you can override this thing if we take the panel off,” she asked Nash.
Lexi Robbins science.
As long as it wasn’t boobie trapped and there wasn’t any obvious signs. A talented electronics or/and genetics specialist would have a decent chance in overriding the system.
OOCL There isn’t a note on your character of those specific skils so I’ll allow you to play that out if you want to give that a go.
GM
Standing around in the cold was not going to get anything done.
Pulling off her glove, Lexi looked at Nash. “Okay so if I turn out to have my palm stuck to this thing,” she blew on her fingers as if to warm them up, “I am going to expect your engineering genius to get me off of it so I am not like one of those kids that stick their tongue to a frozen pole.” She placed her hand on the panel and waited.
Lexi Science
“You’ll be fine,” Nash smirked evilly. “If not and you get your palm stuck to it. I’ll just use my Engineering genius and make like a Bolian. I can’t rust it open but I’m sure pee will make your hand unstuck.”
Nash
© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service
Version 1.15.11
RSS Feed