Posted by Lieutenant Dr. Solomon Kane (Chief Medical Officer) in Main SIM: To The Research Platform
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Although the planet seemed to get bigger for a moment, the approach pulled off quite quickly and they began to ascend, Zish honing in on the orbital research platform they were heading to.

GM notagm

OOC: [will explain more about it soon]

Kane watched and waited. The shuttle was weird, but he knew that it would… probably… get them where they needed to go.

Kane, CMO

Chris was seated and looked at the awe inspiring planet before them. These were times he loved being in shuttles. “Zish. Will the radiation be acceptable to humans on that station or will we need suits?”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

“If you are referring to solar radiation, it will not be an issue. the structure of the station, while damaged, is still in good enough shape to shield against solar radiation and contain an atmosphere. As for ionizing radiation from the accident zone, it is negligible outside of a three-foot radius around the pad, and even that is contained within a forcefield. You will not require suits.” Zish explained, as they flew up on an approach vector to the orbital research platform. It was tilted to the side a little, and there were a few small vessels attached by tethers to the station - they seemed to be correcting its orbit to prevent destabilization or descent into the atmosphere. The station itself had a long spire going up, and another spire going down, with a disk-shaped section in the middle. There didn’t seem to be any visible damage, other than the odd tilt.

GM notagm

Kane watched as the shuttle came around and made its way to the platform. As they settled down, he said “So is the listing form the accident then? Or was there something else that happened?” and he unstrapped and grabbed his bag.

Kane, CMO

“From the accident. The implosion damaged the internal stabilizers in the platform,” Zish explained, bringing them up against the platform, then docking with it. The hole in the ceiling opened right up again and the ladder pushed up into the research platform’s docking room.

Once inside, they were greeted with a similar visual design to the larger docking station. “We make our Space Stations with the same methods that you use to make all your ships. Our living ships dislike being tied down to a single point.”

GM notagm

OOC: The following is posted after being written by both Travis and myself

IC:

The shuttle was vacated and the party was led through the platform’s corridors and to the lab.

As the assembled individuals entered the room, the damage was more than evident. Black scorch marks and bits of equipment littered the floor. The destruction could be seen emanating from a central point… a still glowing transporter pad in the center of the room. A force field surrounded the three-foot diameter area, and an occasional spark of blue or orange sent a tendril of energy against the inside of the field causing it to shimmer into view. A Galdori Technician said “That is residual energy from the pad. The energy field itself is no more, but we are taking precautions.”

Chris went near the transporter but kept a one-meter distance from it to investigate it closer.

As everyone looked around, Kane watched the pad. The sparks made the hairs on his neck stand up. Something about it just felt… wrong. He pulled his eyes away from it and began to look around the rest of the room.

As people looked around, the Galdori technician said “Odd. I’m getting some fluxes in the forcefield. There’s an energy increase in the pad. I’m not sure what…” and his voice was cut short as the sparks inside began arcing constantly and growing larger. Unfortunately, that happened right when Taggart was the closest to it.

Chris’s eye got wide as he saw what was happening in front of him. The energy he felt coming off this thing was massive and yet Chris could not move. He couldn’t move and he did not know why. It could be that the energy was keeping him inn place, his own curiosity or he was scared, all he knew was he couldn’t move or even speak at this time.

Kane’s eyes grew large and he yelled “Taggart!! Get down!!” and he ran at the Captain, shouldering him out of the way right when the field collapsed and a massive bolt of blue-orange plasma shot form the pad… and hit Kane directly in the middle of his back. But instead of incinerating him, it wrapped around him and drew him to the pad. The surge in energy caused the pad to glow so bright that it created a white glow around the pad and Kane.

Chris, seeing this, got up from the floor as fast as he could and tried to reach for Kane while yelling his old friends name, “Kane!!!!”

The CMO was fighting to get free. A scream escaped him as he was dragged slowly further and further into the energy field. “Mother F^%$er Piece of S&^t!” he yelled and then reached out and grabbed the closest thing he could…. Taggart’s hand. “Pull, you bastard!” he yelled.

Chris grasped the hand and began to pull with all of his might. He was just a little concerned that he might be hurting Kane a bit because he was using his cybernetic arm and hand, but that concern went right out the window compared to what was happening right now. “I’m trying! This thing is very strong!”

Pull as he might, Kane was moving backwards. Suddenly, the anger in the face of Kane vanished. He looked at Taggart and did something few had ever seen him do… he smiled. He shook his head at Taggart and said “Not gonna happen.”

Seeing the frustration go away from his friends face Chris knew the next move. “The hell you do! You’re not giving up and I’m not giving up! Fight you bastard!: Chris was straining at the exertion he was doing to keep his friend from dying but he didn’t expect Kane’s next move.

Kane let go with one hand and said “Always knew I’d die doing this.” And his free hand swung and punched the Captain in the jaw, knocking him backwards and away from the field… just as it vanished. Nothing was left of the tattooed, wild haired Doctor…

… except the hand that Taggart had held onto.

Lieutenant Solomon Kane, Former Chief Medical Officer, USS Chernov

Recovering from the surprisingly hard blow he lunged at the transporter pad in a last-ditch effort to save his friend but was too late as Kane was already gone from existence. At the same time the Galdori technician was able to close and secure the platform once more. “Secured!” the Technician said.

Chris looked down and saw his old friends’ hand still clutched in his and he stared at it for what seemed like hours to him but was only a few moments before cradling the hand in his arm and letting his Captains role take over. “Everyone out and away from this place including all Galdori. Move out!” He said all that with surprising confidence and authority but those that truly knew the Captain would have heard breaks in his voice. Chris backed out of the room being last too make sure that there was no one left and to see if Kane would magically reappear like an old magicians’ trick but to no avail. Whispering in the direction of the pad. “Farewell my friend and thank you.” Crying as he left and boarded the shuttle. “Let’s go.” He said with a finale to his tone and he still cradled his friends’ hand.

Captain Chris Taggart, CO

Zish watched the situation pass with an odd amount of stoicism. He watched the Captain walk away, and blinked a couple times as the man retreated into Jolinar, his vessel. The Councilor stepped over to discuss briefly with the technician, who expressed extreme confusion over the event. “I swear, Councilor. That should not have happened. It has been weeks since the accident, and we have been in and around the entry pad many times without incident.”

Zish glanced over at the pad. Whatever… residual energy had been there was completely gone. “Tell me… was it energetic like that before our arrival?”

“No, sir. It has been black, unpowered ever since the incident, but the moment you and Jolinar docked and these Federation people stepped into the platform, this energy began to build up inexplicably. I felt a presence as well, I don’t know how to explain it.”

“A shadow?” The Arwan technician nodded, his ears pulling back. Zish put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Va’al has seen it fit to take this man into his fold, perhaps…”

He glanced towards the ceiling, eyes going blank for a brief moment. “Ah… I see.” Zish then turned to follow Taggart into Jolinar. “You have forgotten something, Captain,” the Raka said, jumping onto a seat next to the man. “I bring you two things. A message, and a reminder. First the message, from my patron God, Va’al. Va’al has expressed deep regret for your loss of a comrade, but assures me that this has not been his end. Merely… the beginning of a new journey. Etro, God of the Journey, carries him, not Va’al.”

“My reminder comes from myself. Your friend is gone, but there is another who may yet depend on you for assistance. Please help me save my scientist and your Tactical Officer. My technician assures me that the freak energy blast has dissipated entirely. I understand if you yourself wish to remain on Jolinar, but if you would allow your scientists to take a look at our research, they may be able to provide the breakthrough we need for this rescue attempt.”

GM notagm trying to salvage this sim.