Post by ingen on May 24, 2022 14:54:49 GMT
It was dawn over the port of Calix on the Free Planet of Ponta. News of the discovery of the Wandering Tuffet, or Concameratus Sandersonii in egghead-speak, had made little impact on the locals, but a steady trickle of adventurers, academics and other freebooters had been arriving on the planet in the hopes of discovering this rare and exotic plant.
There was only one region the Tuffet was confirmed to have been spotted in; the Sapphire Valley several hundred kilometers west of Calix. Frequent thunderstorms in the monsoon season, combined with thick canopy jungle, made flying directly in almost impossible, so many adventurers were using Calix as a base camp before trekking in on foot or in wheeled vehicles...
The bustling city awaited, with stores, local guides, rental facilities and more. Rumor even had it that Professor Sanderson herself was still about...
-
The 7 crew strong of the 'VNK Smelosk' had been in the port city of Calix for 3 days now. A science vessel from the Socialist Republics of Imaginarium, it was one of the first vessels to venture outside of the Laptev home space in decades, and was part of a controversial new mission from the central government; one which sought to find “solutions” to the economic and cultural stagnation that had plagued the Republics these last years. The mission had come with a heated debate, as had any topics that had suggested Imaginarium leave the comfort and safety of their home world and it’s locale, and as such, and in the spirit compromise, had been ill funded, much to the annoyance to the ship’s captain: Zahida Sabirova.
The 3 days had been frustrating. Whilst the crew had gained vital information (and discovered they were certainly not the first, nor last to come as budding adventurers to the planet), they had had to spend much of the time trading off goods to raise capital (good provided by the “state” for trade, an irony not lost upon the captain). Returns had been modest, although Gunnery Sergeant Zubkov Christov Mikhailovich (known as ‘Big Zub’) had found talent in selling Grozny Whiskey for decent hard currency, and the crew now found itself in an amount they had hoped would be able to buy them a guide, or transport, or both.
“So it is decided then.” Zahida declared to the crew.
They were all assembled. Big Zub has poured the traditional shot of the whisky that would be used in the closing toast of the crew meeting. Alongside him, ship engineer Shahnoza Yakubova, Computer Scientist Komil Shakirov, the twins and co pilots Dmitri and Dasha Plotnikova and the Akili Bandi (the artificial life form) known simply as “Artur”, who was also the ship’s biologist, doctor, and all round science expert.
“I, along with Zub, Artur and Dasha will form the away party. Will seek out a guide with the funds we have. Failing that we will try to secure maps and transport for a trip westward. Ideally I’d like both, but beggers can’t be choosers comrades.”
“I still think that I should be going captain…” interrupted Dmitri. The twins bickering had annoyed everyone on the voyage, and the captain herself was done with politeness.
“You have made your point quite clear Dmitri, but I wont have it. We need hands to stay behind with the ship, conduct our maintenance and make sure she is ready for…whenever it is we need her…and besides, whilst you and your sister are both wonderful pilots, your sister is a better shot…Oh don’t give me that face Dmitri.”
The face in question was one of shock and repulsion, his sisters on the other hand, smug pride.
“That is the final say.” Zahida continued “We leave in an hour”
She raised her glass upwards before the whole crew shouted “TEBE!” as the meeting formally closed.
The hour went by, and with resources packed. The party of 4; Cpt Sabirova, Big Zub, Dasha and Artur made their way down the ship’s rampway, and into the busy streets of Calix in search of a potential guide…
-
Mission log, CSV Doolittle, date...
"Oh, hell," Commander Westen sighed, hitting the button to pause the recording. "Mandy, what's the date today?"
["ISA Standard, Commonwealth Standard, or New Commonwealth Standard?"] The ship's AI replied over the speakers.
"ISA Standard. I still haven't managed to figure out your nonsense stardate thing."
Mandy couldn't help but let out a computerised giggle. "You've been here 40 years, Harry. You still haven't figured it out?"
"I was never good with numbers. Sue me. The date?"
"Thank you."
Mission log, CSV Doolittle, 20th of July, 2585. We've just arrived at the--
"Fuuuuuuuck..." Harry grumbled again. Mandy was kind enough to pause it for him before a curse was placed into the official record. "What's the system we're in?"
["ALC-115306."] Mandy giggled. ["That one's excusable. If my memory wasn't stored digitally, I'd probably have forgotten that one too."]
"Right. Thank you. Okay, third time's the charm!"
Mission log, CSV Doolittle, 20th of July, 2585. We've just arrived at the ALC-115306 system, near the planet 'Ponta', where we've heard rumours of motile flora roaming the surface. Extreme Botany will be very interested in adding a few samples to their little freak show, I'm sure. We've run standard insertion protocol, and I'm just about to gather a team to set up a base camp on the surface, that will be studying these organisms in their natural habitat. With any luck, we'll also be able to form a relationship with the locals. Although their society seems to be insignificant on the galactic scale, we could use all the friends we can get.
Harry opened his eyes again, as he realised something. As he looked down, the ship's cat, a Maine Coon named "Queen", entered his view. The cat let out a happy meow.
"Did you just... meow through that entire thing?" Harry stared, more curious than annoyed. The cat just stared back, purring. "Did you just ruin my recording?"
"Meow?"
"Mandy, did Queen just meow through my entire recording?"
["Playing back... it looks like she did."]
"Ffffffuuuuuuuck..." Commander Westen ran a hand over his face. This was going to be a long day.
-
In a snap of light, stretching back into infinity at incredible speed, the unmistakable profile of a Janeway-class starship appeared at the edge of the system. 650 metres long, sleek yet angular, the Commonwealth's pride and joy. Out from its missile launchers came a dozen probes, launched in sequence, one for every planetary body in the system, except the habitable world, Ponta, receiving an entire quintet of them.
"Standard insertion protocol complete," remarked Officer Metharom from the operations console. "We should start getting data from them over the next week or so. Astrogation reports that they're setting a course for the sixth planet now."
"Good," Commander Westen nodded. "Science, are you confirming the readings from our first-in probes?"
"Yes sir. We're getting exactly what we expected. Infrared readings from Ponta confirms the presence of a low-level spacefaring society, basic FTL travel from our gravitational surveys."
"Shall I send them a greeting?" Metharom asked.
"Wait until we're a bit closer, Kanya. AM radio isn't that good at our separation."
"Right, Commander. I'll prep the standard greeting."
"Good! I'm going to pop into my quarters for a bit to record the log. Kanya, could you prep a list of names of those interested in joining the field team while I do that?"
"Will do, Commander."
-
Research Expedition A-3
Audio Mission Log 1
This is Gkari, head biologist of this Research Expedition to the Free Planet of Ponta. We have landed at our destination, hence this log. The journey here was quite exciting- it only took about a a week, but what a week it was. We encountered so many new intelligent species in trade posts and port cities I had to restrain myself from asking each and every single one of them for a physical examination.
But that isn't important to the mission itself. We're currently staying in Calix, the city closest to the last sighting of the Sandersonii, otherwise known as it's more childish name the "Wandering Tuffet." We've spent the last three days in the city preparing and getting ourselves familiar with the town- After all, we need a strong foundation and home base before we can go wandering off in the wilderness. That is a somewhat difficult task, as civilizations outside of the Dominion seem so very discordant compared to Cykolos. Everyone has their own opinions, the rulers of course but even the workers and the warriors have their own thoughts to give. It seems rather inefficient to me, but many of these civilizations are far more powerful than us, so who am I to judge?
In any case, we're about to go on our first journey out. I've done some basic studies on the ecosystem of the surrounding jungles, but it's nothing compared to how much Screlsk has poured over the wildlife database. I've barely seen them since we set off from Cykolos, and he insists he needs at least another week to prepare for survival and hunting on this planet. However, I think we've delayed plenty already, and I've worked with the man for years. He's almost certainly overpreparing.
Finally, I've heard some reports of others looking for the Sandersonii. I haven't encountered any of them myself, but if we happen to meet on the road and we both share the goal of scientific discovery, I struggle to see why we shouldn't aid each other.
I shall record another log once this initial expedition is complete, successful or not. From blood and bone!
-
Some time later, the Doolittle entered orbit. A few good-hearted arguments with the local government, and a promise to not cause too much trouble, was all it took to authorise a decently sized base camp, just outside Calix's limits.
The back and forth between the cruiser and the planet was a tremendous thing, for such a little thing: shuttles flew back and forth at all hours, and even the ship's massive modular shuttle made more than a few appearances, with the purpose of transferring vehicles to the ground. From there, they would run excursions into the jungle, securing a way to this Sapphire Valley, and with any luck, finding a clearing to make the arduous process of back-and-forthing a little less tedious.
The other half of the mission, meanwhile, was to meet the locals. Back home, a world like this would have been a target for the Commonwealth Philanthropic Initiative, but in these strange times, Foreign Affairs was looking to form deals with anybody and everybody, to the point of egocasting a diplomatic team straight to the Doolittle.
The modular shuttle was currently in its mobile lab configuration, unloading specimen containers and large, supposedly portable scanning units from its shuttle bay. That was the only part of the camp that was really off-limits to outsiders, and it was more for fear of somebody stealing the keys and going for a little joyride. The rest of the place was, for a temporary camp, almost inviting. Tents that once where white had long since been painted a myriad of colours, and filled with all sorts of surprisingly comfy beddings. A little al fresco field mess had been set up, and from the smells occasionally emitted from the cooking area, somebody was working on something truly divine. Occasional CSF crewmen in their white jumpsuits dotted the area, chatting when they weren't busy setting up, transporting something, or working on data from the forward teams. A good 250 people, a quarter of the crew, had set up for the next few weeks, examining this new world and its strange creatures in close detail.
The nations currently visiting Ponta, however, would not be the only ones. A much younger nation in the galaxy at wide, the foreign Grand Pyrhus Cosmic Empire, in their short time being in this reality, had quietly been listening and watching on the sidelines, learning about their new galaxy, and overheard word about the unique creature discovered on Ponta, and being in need of a sustainable source of food, but also wanting to study the creature to learn about its unique biology, as the research that could possibly be gained could aid their station, DSS-2251, in creating a sustainable, replenishing air supply. They dispatched a small group of 5 ships- one science vessel, the Discovery, and four escorting vessels: ECT-8327 and ECT-1202, both Defender class Escorts, and DCH-2281 and DCH-9881, both being Dych class Corvettes. This is the tale of the 5th Deep Space Exploration Group, and their endeavors to seek out this new creature on Ponta.
[DSSV Discovery, Ship Log]
Discovery has at last entered the system we seek: Ponta. The ship has conducted a planetary scan and after some processing, has found a suitable spot to land- a port named Calix. Discovery herself is slated to land in the port and offload equipment to search for, and if possible, take samples from the creature called the "Wandering Tuffet." The ship's captain, Adelhardt Erardo, will lead an expedition team into the site where the Tuffet was reportedly sighted, and from there, conduct their research. Given that other curious scientists, and possibly individuals with more malicious intent are present, the Captain has requested that three of our escorts remain in orbit to provide protection to the planet and the scientists that come to visit. It's a risky move, but it's one that must be done to ensure that nothing ill happens to this special discovery.
-
The Imaginariumese were accosted almost immediately as they headed down the street, which was much like the port area of any major city, with vendors offering their wares at once-in-a-lifetime discount whilst others offered to show them around town. Did they want food? A drink? Gambling? Some friendly company?
It was not long, meanwhile, before a stranger approached the CSF camp. Riding one of the preferred local mounts, a burly beast with a thick body, short back legs and long forelimbs, a slightly elongated neck and a horse-like head, he approached in silence, sliding from its back and taking a moment to light a cigarette before pacing over. Dressed in cheap worker's jeans and a black bomber jacket, he was a human or human-adjacent, with a shaved head and a five-o-clock stubble.
"Morning," he said in a gravelly voice.
The DSSV Discovery was hailed by the spaceport. Such a large ship could just about be accommodated in one of the larger landing fields, but it would cost extra. Payment would be accepted in the universal currency of SIGEC, at two millicents a day. The value of a SIGEC fluctuated, but was usually around the price of a nice house on a reasonable planet, or a luxury groundcar.
-
The bustling streets of Calix were still quite overwhelming for the gang of 4 Imaginariumese, as they left the dockyards and the Smelosk behind. The venders and their market stalls reminded Zahida of the “Yurynki” (the “Legal Markets”) from back home in the Ingoan Republic; the small local produce sellers whose trade of goods was still tiny enough not to be swamped up in the state system, albeit that this market seemed to have much more to offer…some things that would perhaps be frowned upon back home.
Big Zub, despite the overwhelming nature of being crowded, was enjoying the experience. Amongst the several sellers, he had spotted a tobacconist selling the real stuff, not that damned synthetic stuff he had had to smoke on the journey over…but despite his best puppy dog eyes at his captain, Zahida reminded him that “We don’t have spending money…” before relenting and telling him “…listen if we have enough after we arrange transport and a guide, then maybe you can help get yourself a treat…”
Despite the patronising tone, Zub couldn’t hide a grin of excitement, and even more determination to find a guide as soon as possible.
Up front of the group, walking side by side, Dasha and Artur scanned the streets, being approached by vendor after vendor. Friendly rejections of those offering food, drink, and company were given, but Dasha herself spotted what she thought to be an older, trustworthy gentleman seller, who if they couldn’t provide them with what they wanted, could (she hoped) at least point them in the right direction. She approached, Artur in tow, putting on her most approachable smile, and speaking a loud in a refined, albeit heavily accented universal common:
“Excuse me sir, I do not mean to bother you, but I am hoping you can help me. My friends and I are looking to hire transport, and potentially even a guide or even someone with knowledge of Sapphire Valley.”
-
An hour after recording the audio log, The Expeditionary Force finally begins to set out on it's first mission. Gkari had intended to leave right after he was finished, but Screlsk had taken some convincing to actually set off. He now trails behind the Biologist, looking resentfully ahead towards their mounts: A quintet of six foot tall, gazelle-like vehicle-beasts, each with slightly concave backs able to hold about 4 Cykons each, though one seat was already filled by their respective Cjiu handlers. Most of the rest of the seats are filled by the twelve other members of the Expeditionary Team, all of which have various expressions of relief in their eyes after waiting in the relatively uncomfortable "saddles" for an hour.
Behind the main caravan are three larger, elephantine beasts with huge, thick legs and carrying a massive amount of cargo on it's back, including food and water, camping supplies, scientific equipment, domestic warbred kennels for defense, and various Cjiu sitting and hanging from the 8-foot tall beast.
Once Screlsk and Gkari get onto the frontmost mount via a short ladder, the Head Biologist nods towards the Cjiu driver, and the entire caravan begins trundling down the road out of the city.
-
The stranger didn't even make it two metres into the camp before being accosted by a group of very friendly crewmen, interested in everything from his genetic makeup ("a human-alike in an entirely separate universe, how fascinating!") to his clothes ("is that leather? I've never seen leather before"), a few offering gifts for coming to visit ("try my stew! It's made from local animals!"), but mostly by biologists interested in his mount ("do you mind if I insert a nanoswarm into you to map your internal organs?"). Out came the omni-tools and the scanners almost immediately, blooping away as a dozen different medical scans went through. They're not exactly hospital-grade X-rays, but he might want to take a couple of anti-rads afterwards, just in case~
Once the crowds peeled away, only a couple were left. A woman, observably in her mid-40s (rare for the Commonwealth, where anti-aging pills are handed out like candy), tall with thick black hair, leaned on a fence next to him. "Cigarette, eh? I'll take one if you're sharing. Don't mind my friends, they just love meeting new folks. You get used to it after a while."
-
Aboard the Discovery, Captain Erardo, understanding that his vessel is somewhat large for a spaceport, agreed to the terms given by the spaceport's control officials.
Captain Erardo: We can make necessary payments to land, we apologize in advance for any inconveinance this may cause. Our vessel, through an error of my own fault, was equipped with the wrong type of small craft, and we cannot ferry the necessary equipment down to your surface without having to land somewhere and offload them conventionally. Just provide us the coordinates, we'll land, and settle payment shortly afterwards.
He spoke this in a smooth, assuring tone, as he was not unfamiliar with having to communicate with spaceport control throughout his career as a ship captain. Some were pleasant, some just wanted to get talking over with, and some were outright rude in some cases. But, this was no matter, as he now had a ship to land.
Captain Erardo: Helmsman, bring us down into atmosphere. Land at the coordinates provided by Ponta's spaceport control. I want a nice, clean landing, and I'd rather not be holding up other planetary traffic while we land.
GPCNSV Discovery Helmsman: Aye, sir. Bringing the ship down at once.
The Discovery's descent towards the surface was a gentle, slow landing, and while the ship was small by GPCE standards, she was still fairly heavy, given her armor and other heavy equipment the ship was complimented with. Her braking engines, maneuvering thrusters, and her anti-gravity repulsors underneath the ship occassionally ignited or briefly shimmered on as the helmsman controlled the ship's descent. Once in atmosphere, the ship was kept in a holding pattern over the landing zones allocated on the surface for larger ships. The bulky armored vessel was a sight to see from the surface, it's smooth yet menacing profile either invoking feelings of awe, or in some cases, fear, as the vessel almost looked more a warship than a peacetime science vessel.
-
The elderly gentleman proved quite voluble, and pointed them towards a bar in the distance. Heading inside, they were met by a wizened old Zentheran, a giant lizard with a crest of red spines along its back. Small for one of his species, barely 8 feet tall, he had greying scales that looked almost like muttonchops. He gulped down his drink and introduced himself, in a faintly terrifying voice, as Zal'ger.
"Oh I can show you around alright. Payment up front,"he said in almost flawless Common that suggested he had spent many years away from home.
--
Children followed the Expeditionary Force for a short way outside the city, laughing and trying to get the strangers' attention, but eventually they trailed off or were collected by annoyed parents, leaving the expedition to make its way through lush lowlands, past increasingly sparse farms and towards the outskirts of the jungle. Ahead of them, a huge cloudbank began to form, looming over the towering triple-canopy jungle that was their destination...
--
The stranger's hostile gaze and lack of response soon convinced the others to leave him be, but after a moment's studied gaze at the woman he tugged a packet of smokes from his pocket and offered her one, and a light.
"People get bored," he said by way of answer, then squinted at their complex camp. "What brings you here?"
--
As the Discovery began its landing, it found the landing pad already crowded with people. Some were just interested to see a vessel shuttling supplies down in this way, whilst others had scented mercantile opportunity and were already trying to hawk supplies, maps, equipment and fresh food to the offworlders
-
“Zal’ger, I am Captain Zahida Sabirova of the Imaginese Science Vessel Smelosk. This is my Gunnery Sergeant Zubkov Mikhailovich, that there is Lieutenant Dasha Plotnikova, and finally that is Artur, Lieutenant and Chief Biologist aboard our boat.”
Zahida said, pointing to each member of the crew, who nodded upon their introduction.
She had never come across a Zentheran before, but had read about them in her prefight research, and the descriptions did not do them justice. The gentleman was huge…bigger than Big Zub himself, which incidentally Zahida noted was not popular judging by the looks on the Gunnery Sergeant’s face.
“What we need is a guide into the Sapphire Valley…and transport, ideally. We have a small amount of funds available for this…what’s your best price?”
-
"Well, uh, that depends. Who's 'you', and where's 'here'?" Ada takes the cigarette and ponders it for a long moment, before lighting up. "Oh, it's been so long. These are actually illegal back home, y'know. Can't even get a good drink unless you're willing to brew it yourself, or buy it from one of those weirdo hipster folks that do the microbrewing thing. Wish they'd told me that before I moved..."
A moment passes before she remembers the question. "Oh, right, why are we here. I'm assuming you don't want the philosophical answer - you seem the practical sort - so I'm going to guess... the CSF, and this planet. Well, the brass smelled the scent of something scientifically fascinating, and couldn't stay away. As for me? Well... I'm here 'cause I'm here. Even the oh-so-utopian Commonwealth needs espatiers on occasion."
Off in the distance, another rover departs for the valley, this one full of equipment for setting up comm lines, evidently meaning that either they've found a clearing for a base, or they've given up and are just setting up in the valley itself.
-
"Storm on the horizon." The Field Expert reports, binoculars in hand. "I can see that, Screlsk. Do we need to make camp?"
Screlsk is silent for a moment. "We could make it to the edge of the jungle before the worst of it reaches us, if-"
"Excellent!" Gkari interrupts. "Contiune." He gestures to the driver.
"I was going to say if we get lucky. I wouldn't risk it."
"Oh, we'll be fine, Screlsk. It's just a little rain, anyhow."
"Very well..."
-
Crew from the Discovery had to politely decline some of the advances of the merchants, their faces adorned with polite smiles as to not upset the locals. One in particular stated to one merchant about where to go regarding making barters with the ship. "You can talk to our quartermaster about deals such as this," she said kindly, "He can sort out what's available for trade or what we'll be needing for our visit here." As the crew ensured that the ship wasn't crowded by the locals, several vehicles rolled out from the bay closest to the ground. These were modified vehicles originally used by the military, now repurposed for scientific use. They were adorned with complex sensor arrays, external equipment such as jerry cans, radios, and bulky cases containing more fragile equipment.
Aboard the ship, one of the ship's security detail was in search of the quartermaster so trade could be carried out. "No, THIS one goes here. How many times do I have to repeat myself to you? You've been here for what, three months and I still have to educate you about this?" Ah. There he is. The guard thought to himself after hearing the heavy-accented shouting emitting from Cargo 7, where the quartermaster ususally resided. Upon entry, he spoke plainly. "Not to our surprise, we have locals eager to trade and sell us wares. I think its best you get out there and handle it, Ansel." Ansel was the quartermaster's last name, and he was usually addressed in such a manner, even when off-duty.
"Oh, you don't say?" Ansel replied, with a tone that definitely implied that he was expecting this. "Gimme a few minutes to get this one sorted out and I'll be out shortly." He gestured to a rather flustered looking enlisted crewmember, whom was apparently under his guidance and jurisdiction. "Aye, but don't be too late. They may end up trying to look for you themselves." The guard jested to Ansel before turning about and leaving, missing the dismissive gesture given by the Discovery's quartermaster.
-
Zal'ger whuffed, and then after casting an iridescent eye over the strangers, crossed his arms and uttered a number that made them gasp. It was quite a chunk of their funds, but he assured them it included the best transport possible for the region; a pack of android mounts, durable and most importantly rust-proof.
Meanwhile, the stranger squinted at the rover in the distance and then nodded non-committally. "Well, enjoy the smoke. Good luck out there," he said before turning to stroll sedately away, seemingly content with what he had discovered. He pulled up a datapad of some kind on his wrist and began inputting information into it as he went...
Screlsk and Gkari's confidence did them credit, but they had barely made it to the edge of the jungle when the downpour started in earnest. What had been a light drizzle rapidly accelerated into a heaving downpour, hammering at their heads and turning the ground underneath into slush, deafening them as the marble-sized droplets crashed off the thick, broad leaves of the canopy layers like drums.
-
The group scoffed at the figure suggested by Zal’ger. This was going to take up all of their funds, which dawned on Big Zub mostly, as he realised there would not be enough left to buy “authentic tobacco”.
The group conferred quietly for a moment.
“I think captain that whilst this figure is indeed large, that we will perhaps not get a better opportunity with the funds we have available.” Spoke Artur, the Akili Bandi lifeform, an artificial lifeform now given full rights as a species within the Socialist Republics.
“From my studies of barter culture, as well as the study of market based systems, I believe that we are getting what some colloquially refer to as ‘a bang for our buck’.” He continued.
“Sadly, I am inclined to agree captain,” Big Zub sighed “I don’t know if I trust this lizard man, but I don’t know if we have any other options right now.”
“Dasha? What about you? Do you agree?” Zahida asked.
“I do captain. I have no better options.”
“Ok then,” turning back to Zal’ger “You have yourself a deal. How soon can we depart?”
-
Ada blinks, confusedly. "Uh. Okay? You... you too..." For a good minute, she just sat there, puffing on her cigarette and wondering what the hell just happened. Did she just get played like a flute?
Meanwhile, things continue at the CSF camp! While there's been a few back and forth, a small group of folks have gone into the city for the purposes of cultural exchange, goods exchange, invites to be friends, and maybe just searching for this mysterious Doctor Sanderson. A pair of mostly normal-looking humans accompanied by a synth and... a ball of tentacles? Riding in a CSF jeep, with a cockpitless five-metre-tall industrial mech lumbering beside them. Was the mech being remotely controlled? At what looked like a bazaar, the group stopped and disembarked, before they split up to look about for anybody that might be interested in having a chat.
-
As the rain starts and the canopy overhead thickens, Gkari gestures to the driver, who nods and stops the strider, It's legs folding outward as it lays on the muddy floor of the jungle. Behind the lead animal the other seven walkers also stop and sit down, and immediately the Cjiu on the backs of the haulers begin unloading temporary camp supplies, including tents, rations, and some sleeping rolls while leaving scientific supplies, weapons, hunter and guard warbred, and more permanent camping supplies like a portable kitchen and foldable beds on the animals, kept dry by plastic tarps.
Gkari's feet sink into the mud as he jumps off his vehicle along with Screlsk. Gkari looks up into the canopy, the sun dim through the leaves and the overcast sky. They could've kept going- Cykons didn't mind the rain or mud and neither did the striders, but the rough undergrowth of the forest along with the wind and reduced visibility would be far too dangerous to continue. Didn't want one of the striders falling over and possibly injuring a scientist or important equipment.
Before Gkari could make a snide comment to Screlsk, however, one of the scientists riding in another beast ran over, feet splashing. "Sir!" She said to Gkari. This was Yils, the team's botanist and junior member. "Sir! May I begin study of the local flora?" Yils had practically begged to go on this expedition, not only to study the Tuffet but the other plants of the alien world. She was competent and Gkari liked her so he had agreed. "Yes. Just nothing too large- we're setting off again in the morning."
"Of course." she replies and runs off, probably to inspect some shrub.
Gkari turns to Screlsk, smiling. "See? We're fine! No broken ankles, no smashed equipment, and we're still on pace to get to the planned permanent camp by tomorrow."
Screlsk just grumbles.
-
Around now was the time that Ansel, after hassling his subordinate further regarding storage, had begun to make his way out of the ship, taking a lift down the lower hanger where the remainder of the ship's scientific vehicles and equipment were being offloaded. Been a fair time since we've been given a mission this important. I can only imagine what we'll find out here. He mused to himself as he exited. The guard from earlier spotted him and waved the quartermaster down. "There you are!" He called out to Ansel, "The locals, I must say, are rather persistent in their trade offers, but now that you're here, perhaps we can finally come to a reasonable agreement with them?" Ansel could now see the crowd around the ship's landing zone. Persistent indeed. This is gonna take a wee bit to get all squared away.
"Alright," the quartermaster spoke up, "I'll be the one to take any trade or sale offers on behalf of the ship. We're here on a scientific expedition, and if anyone here has anything that you believe can be of use to us, speak to me about it." His heavy accent and loud voice stood out from the crowd, which was a trait many of the Discovery held in high regard. Even for an enlisted member of the crew, he certainly had the qualities of an officer, and it could come in handy on this expedition if needed. Nearby, several modified "air-cars" painted in metallic, glossy silvers and greys, began to hum quietly to life, their antigravity drives lifting them off the ground. They were equipped with various sensors, antennae and other equipment, one even having a ground radar package mounted where its trunk would originally be located. A pair of quad-rotored drone craft were also offloaded from the ship, each with a nose mounted camera. These were obviously for forward observation ahead of the group, and with two, it was likely that there would be two teams assigned on this venture. Qhatever it might be for, as far as the locals were concerned, it was potential profit.
-
Zal'ger smiled, revealing terrifying teeth, reaching out his datapad to accept payment. "We can set off now, if you like. Follow me."
Sure enough, he led them out of the bar and down a couple of street to a small mews yard, where sure enough metallic horses stood frozen at rest, or else were being tinkered with by a small alien covered in fur who grunted and swore at a particularly truculent component. He barely glanced up as they arrived, but Zal'ger didn't seem to mind. He spoke in a strange, alien language to the mechanic who replied with a short grunt of affirmation and waved at one of the bays, and that was that. Zal'ger turned and gestured to a cluster of the horses.
"Those are ours for two weeks. Get mounted up and we'll go pick up supplies on our way out of town," he explained, crossing to one and clambering smoothly onto its back, flicking a switch between its ears. It immediately came to life, whickering in a hollow but convincing imitation of a real animal.
--
It was rough going on the trail towards the forest, and soon it began to narrow. Ahead it was little more than a footpath, but just as the heavy canopy began to thicken overhead, one of the CSF rovers rumbled unknowingly towards a trap. Someone had laid a simple landmine in the centre of the path, cased in a protective shell that made it appear like any other rock to casual scans, though close examination would reveal its true nature. Deeper in the forest, a figure watched intently from beneath a camo-shroud...
--
Gkari and his team were setting up camp in the pouring rain when Yils took off into the undergrowth to study the flora. She found some interesting plants, including a vine that had bright yellow buds which contained what looked like nuts, but something else lurked nearby. Watching her from beneath the lowest level of plant life were four pale green eyes above a mouth full of rancid, jagged teeth. The predator watched, waiting silently for her to come closer....
--
Ansel found himself immediately swarmed by local vendors waving goods at him. Some were offering fresh foods, others trail rations, yet more various gadgets and gear for the backwoods, whilst some even offered weapons both mundane and bizarre, and a man at the back even waved a sign for a taxi service.
An aircar swept up to the scene, and through the crowd pushed a woman in relatively well-tailored outfit, backed by two guards wearing simple ballistic vests and carrying some kind of truncheon, who parted the crowd for her.
She offered a brittle, false smile to Ansel. "I am with the port authority, here to collect your wharfage fees," she explained, yelling to be heard over the din. "That'll be 20 millicents for the week!"
-
“I can honestly say I have never seen anything like these in my entire existence.” Cautiously spoke Artur, taking in the huge mechanical beasts. “Mr Zal’ger, are these quite safe?”
“Hey! You wanted new experience Artur, well here’s one. Don’t be fretting now! They nothing but big horses see. Nothing to be scared of!” Big Zub shouted over at the metallic man, gesturing to follow suit, and mount the steel horse, as the big man had done.
The gang steadily mounted their steads, making sure the small amount of equipment they carried along with them was strapped tightly alongside. It was uneasy going at first, only Big Zub himself seemed at home on the backs of the machines, but as they started to move in tandem, the group as a whole gradually got to grips with the operations, finding it surprisingly easier than they had imagined.
“Mr Zal’ger, if you would do us the honours, let us kick off this expedition!” the Captain shouted over at their host.
-
"Whoa, hold up," Crewman Al-Tehrani said, holding up a fist. Slowly, the rover rolled to a stop. "Recon drones picked up something odd. Heat sig, just off our path."
"Could it be an animal?" The driver replied.
"If it is, it's a biggun."
"Right. Should we path around?" The driver asked. Al-Tehrani just responded by jumping out the side of the rover and moving ahead, sensor scope on their assault rifle scouting the way ahead. "Fuck... alright, folks, looks like we're having an impromptu snack break. Smoke 'em if you got 'em."
-
Yils studied the odd vine buds for a moment before plucking out the nut and pulling it apart with her fingers. The inside was almost furlike in nature, with soft, fluffy tissue. Perhaps it was premature, thought Yils as she reaches for a second to compare. Before she can open this one, however, she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. Instinctually, she dodges to the side causing the predator to miss it's intended target- her neck- and instead latches on to her arm. She falls, the weight of the hunter pushing her to the ground as she yelps in surprise and pain.
She immediately begins scrambling for a weapon as the thing starts to shake it's head, her hands finally grasping the hunting knife at her belt before stabbing it directly towards the beast's head.
-
Now, Ansel has dealt with a variety of individuals in his life, and he’s seen all sorts of expressions during goods trade and purchases as his ship’s quartermaster. These fake smiles were one of these things he’s picked up on, and more often than not, meant unpleasant news. Usually a scam of some sort or an attempt to extort the Discovery, so he decided to do what he’d do best. “Ah, you’re here to collect our fees? I’m fairly certain the Captain will have our daily fee logged, I’ll give him a quick call and double check our rate. Ya see, last time we had to land for an operation akin to ours, we had a bit of an… attempt to swindle us of our hard earn wages, and while this was a long time ago, we still remember it as if it were yesterday. Excuse me for a few moments.” Ansel spoke politely to the woman and her false smile, but he was doubtful of the wage. He was certain that docking cost around… 4 of these “millicents” he’s heard about. Sure, their fleet had been in this new galaxy for some time and were integrating into the new currency system, but for him, it was still confusing. No matter; he had a job to do as quartermaster. Lifting his left arm, he typed into his Class 4 Holopad, the screen projecting from a watch-like band around his wrist. Got someone claiming to collect our wages. What’s our fee, Captain? He typed and sent this to Erardo, and patiently awaited a reply. 2 millicents a day, given our method of landing. This was all Ansel needed. “My apologies, ma’am, but I’m afraid you must be mistaken. Spaceport declared our payment to at 2 millicents per day. Are you their representative? If you are, we can give them a call to determine if there’s a mix-up on our behalf.” He spoke politely once more. Sure, he admitted to himself that he was being rather nice to this individual, but they were still ultimately guests on this world, and to stir up trouble would be nothing short of impolite and out of term for them, especially given their species.
-
The horses the Imaginese had acquired proved more biddable than regular horses, even if they were somewhat noisier. The mounts slowly but steadily carried them out of the city and towards the jungles. Way to their south they could see a plume of smoke arising in the distance, just inside the treeline, and they could feel the first hints of rain as they approached a storm that was battering the eastern fringe of the jungle ahead of them.
"So what is it you want in this Sapphire Valley again?" asked Zal'ger, his mount comically small beneath his reptilian bulk.
Al-Tehrani moved just in time to see a bloom of fire as the figure in the undergrowth fired. A small anti-armour munition, tipped with explosives, roared towards the rover. It was not a complicated affair, but that would be of little comfort to the explorers as the rocket sprang from the bushes towards their lead vehicle.
Yils' knife scored along the jaw of the beast, juddering against some kind of scales that shimmered in the dull light. Blood sprang forth and it recoiled, roaring in pain, then bit at her leg. Two forward-facing eyes fixed on her leg, whilst on the sides of the head sat another pair, the left-hand one of which fixed Yils herself with a hungry glare. Four legs, in a sprawling layout, scrabbled in the dirt whilst a powerful tail with a feathered tip thrashed at the undergrowth wildly.
_
The woman offered an ingratiating smile. "I am Adjutant Tandis and yes, that's 2 millicents per day plus administration fees and port insurance, payable up front per week, for 20 millicents."
The amount was not particularly high - a millicent would buy a single fast food meal on one of the core worlds, but Ponta was not a core world. The crowd had mostly fallen silent, enjoying the show. They had seen the port authorities do this to foreigners hundreds of times and it was funny every time, especially if the offworlders disgreed. Whichever side lost, the citizens were always entertained
-
As the water began to bounce off their metallic steeds, the party began uncovering rain covers, ponchos of sorts which they wrapped around themselves in the hope of some protection from the elements. Big Zub breathed in heavily as he did so, almost in preparation for an inevitable “sniffle” that would come with being caught in a storm.
Zahida looked over her crew before turning back to Zal’ger.
“Truth be told Mr Zal’ger, we aren’t entirely sure. You’ve heard tales of these ‘Wandering Tuffet’ no doubt. Certainly, from my understanding we aren’t the only ones interested. Well, we’ve been sent to study them…if we can find them…again my understanding is that even that could be quite difficult.”
-
Yils scrambles to her feet, shaking as she brandishes her knife in front of her, the tip pointed towards the beast as she stands defensively. Fortunately she hadn't gone far from the camp and already two guards with pistols and domestic Warbred had begun to run to her aid, yelling for additional help. Until they reached her, however, she was locked into a nerve wracking standoff with this beast.
-
Ansel seemed intrigued. Alright, so she was genuine. He quickly replied to his Captain, whom upon reading this, decided it best to not object to this nor argue it; this was a more distant world, they were still guests, and they had gone to lengths to land in-atmosphere, which given the size of their ship, was an inconvenience. “Apologies, Adjutant. Our weekly dues shall be forwarded immediately. Is there a preference as to how Ponta goes about collecting port fees? Is a physical transaction preferred or is a digital transaction preferred?” He spoke politely, though he still was a bit suspicious. While their presence was not immeasurably short in the galaxy, Pyrhus was still in the side of due caution to their surroundings and neighbors. Even the crew watching could tell Ansel was a little suspicious.
-
Zal'ger shrugged. "It won't be that difficult," he said, then turned back to glance at Zahdia "with such an experienced tracker as me, of course!" he added hastily, wagging a finger. He was interrupted, however, by a roiling explosion in the distance in the direction of the CSF expedition, the shockwave reaching them faintly even here as a plume of flame and smoke climbed into the sky, creeping through the canopy a way away from them.
"Whoa," said Zal'ger, his bluff facade stripped for a second. "Someone's having a bad day?" he said lightly, only a trace of concern creeping into his voice.
-
The strange beast was about to lunge, but then the clamour of the others and the unfamiliar sounds of the Warbred spooked it. It backed up a few steps and then turned, whip-fast, into the undergrowth and disappeared, leaving a rustling of ferns behind it as quickly as it had come.
-
The Adjutant smiled, relieved. "Digital will do fine," she said, with a nod, transmitting a holographic payment code to the ship's public comm system, before offering a shallow bow and turning to leave. The crowd seemed disappointed, and one yelled something in the local language, tossing a half-empty container of some kind of fast food towards both Ansel and the Adjutant. Almost immediately, one of the huge enforcers with her muscled into the crowd, baton raised angrily
-
“I trust in your guidance Mr Zal’ger.” Zahida retorted, wanting to express her confidence in their guide, and also keep him in their good books as they explored this strange new world.
They heard the explosion ripple through the jungle, and a cloud of smoke puff above the canopy.
“Oh shit!” Big Zub exclaimed. “That doesn’t sound good. You think we should go check it out Captain? Maybe folks hurt.”
“I’ll defer to our guide Comrade Mikhailovich. Zal’ger…you know the terrain better than us…I put that explosion some distance to the South East of us.”
“About 3.5km by my estimations” Artur interjected.
“Indeed…would it be wise for us to go that way…see if our assistance is needed?”
-
"Two minutes! Two minutes into this expedition, and someone has ALREADY BEEN MAULED!" yells Screlsk directly to Gkari's face. Ylis, of course, had been rushed to the newly set-up medical tent moments before, still bleeding quite heavily from where the beast had latched onto her arm. Meanwhile, Gkari looked quite troubled. "I agree this is unacceptable, Screlsk. Please, do not let anyone wander off alone again and set up a perimeter."
Screlsk looks like he's going to start yelling again. But before he does, he decided better of it and just storms off to follow Gkari's orders.
-
Ansel was surprised by the crowd’s reaction; why would they do this? This only puzzled him more as two of the Discovery’s security members quickly took position around him, guarding the quartermaster from anything else that could be hurled at him. Once again, the payment was delayed, and the drama could continue to circulate as he was withdrawn to the safety of the Discovery.
”Something more is going on here than we really know about.” Ansel thought to himself, looking out to the crowd surrounding the ship, and the enormous enforcer, baton in hand, aggressively watching the crowd. Sure, this was a backwater world, so to say… but something still felt not quite right. He would think on this more and confide in the Captain.
Meanwhile, some of the vehicles that had off-loaded were idling nearby, maps and other goods acquired via the brief bits of trade before the Adjutant’s arrival. They had few atmospheric craft available, only a pair C-21 Ravens and UH-45 Sparrows for defense. Their ground compliment was a series of hovercraft and one T58 APC with a light plasma cannon. They were waiting for, ironically, Ansel to tag along, as well as their expedition leader, whom was currently aboard the Discovery with the Captain, being briefed over said expedition one final time.
-
Zal'Ger shook his head. "*You wanna waste your time and money? Who knows what's happening there...you paid me to guide you, not get involved in a war. If you wanna go then be my guest but I ain't coming with."
-
There was no sign of the beast that had attacked them, other than a trail of broken plants leading into the undergrowth and some sprays of blood where the scuffle had taken place. The rain was still beating down hard, however, and quickly even the evidence of the attack had been subsumed by the muddy jungle floor.
_
With Ansel and the others retreating back into the ship, the crowd simply milled about, frustrated but cowed by the arrest of one of the troublemakers, who had been hauled away by the Adjutant and her guards as they departed. Eventually the crowd dispersed, going back to their work or wandering off to find other entertainment, leaving only a couple of vendors still hoping that the newcomers might spend a bit more coin
-
“No no, that is fair.” The Captain replied. “We will continue on track.”
“Say Zal’ger, how long we going to be on these things?” Big Zub asked, motioning to the steel horses that they travelled upon.
“…and, what is the likelihood of us finding this local fauna? Do you have any hints or tips on finding them?” Artur asked.
-
Rather than spend, the Discovery's crew opted to wait and let things settle down a bit first; venturing back out at this moment could lead to potentially disasterous incidents. One guard in particular felt this. He shuffled a bit, nervous that something could possibly break out again.
This isn't the best atmosphere to be in, The guard, named Olek Lakshmana, pondered to himself. Given how bad that reaction was, I do hope the lads in our science vehicles can hold their own. Well, of course they can, they've got armored cars. But... I can't help but feel like more is going on here than we're really seeing. If only I could do some investigating of my own.
He sighed, watching Ansel speak to several of the other guards inside the ship for a brief moment. He looked just as wary now, speaking in more hushed tones to the guards he was talking to. They nodded occassionally, and then departed when he seemingly shooed them off. They returned outside, but remained close to the ship. Olek couldn't tell, but they were watching the Adjutant and her own guards rather closely. Ansel had indeed grown wary, especially given the crowd's reaction to a seemingly polite deal with the Adjutant. If Ansel was suspicious, then the crew all had reason to be wary, as the quartermaster had been on enough worlds to know at the very least that a reaction such as that had to indicate trouble of some sort. The true expedition could wait, at least for now. What was needed was the trust of the public, and to find the roots of a possible new issue, if the quartermaster's hunch was indeed correct.
-
The camp was on high alert for the rest of the day. Ylis got the medical attention she needed. Some stitches were necessary but she should be back up on her feet in a couple days. In the meantime, the rest of the camp began to study the flora and fauna of the surrounding area while staying within the perimeter. Most of the scientific equipment stayed packed, however, so only the lighter and smaller devices were used, limiting the extent of the research, especially in the genetics department.
-
The Imaginese passed under the canopy, the rain slackening somewhat as the triple layer of foliage sheltered them, the ankles of their mechanical mounts flaring out baskets to stop them from sinking into the mud. Zal'ger seemed less agitated now that they were in the cover of the jungle, and glanced back at Big Zub.
"Not long. I know an easy route right over the crest and into the Sapphire valley, one that those other teams in their trucks won't be able to use. As to whether we find these beasts...that's up to you!"
--
In the distance from the Discovery, at the next field-turned-landing-pad, the CSF were in a panic, something perhaps to do with the plume of smoke in the distance. A buggy set off towards it, whilst the others began repacking their camp, loading it into shuttles to leave without explanation.
Approaching the camp was a bald man in a leather jacket, smoking a cigarette as his narrowed eyes swept over the Discovery and its crew. He strolled at a leisurely pace, his boots kicking up dust from the well-travelled pathway.
--
The rain hammered down on the offworlders, but luckily for Ylis and the rest the monster did not return. It obviously had no desire to take on a dozen humanoids and their watchdogs, far more than it had bargained for, and had slunk off into the undergrowth. They were relatively undisturbed, although some small kind of tree-dwelling vertebrates with prehensile tails sat and watched them for a while, and at one point a tiny goat-sized herbivore stumbled into their perimeter and then bolted, squealing in alarm
-
“He is right Mikhailovich.” Sabrinova reinforced. “Let’s get started shall we?”
She took a breath, before bursting into commands.
“Artur, scan the surroundings. Set a perimeter for life forms of large scale. Filter for carbon dioxide inhalation. That should narrow down the search, and hopefully point us in the direction of our finds. Dasha, I want you scanning the rest of this jungle. Any additional information we can find maybe useful…and Zubkov…keep an eye on the surroundings. I don’t know what caused that explosion, but let us not be caught off guard. Weapons at the ready please…”
-
The explosion had definitely caught the attention of the GPCE ground crew, and several had gone over from the ground crew to investigate as to why they were leaving. Olek was one of them, and he was the first to ask:
“Hey! Where you lads going? Someone could be hurt from that; aren’t they one of yours?”
He would’ve continued, but the Discovery had ordered its two UH-45 Sparrowhawk rotorwing utility crafts to investigate the plume of smoke, and if possible, search for survivors.
Meanwhile, in the expeditionary group, they got the word; begin their search for this creature, and obtain information, samples and whatever could be gained, but without displacing it from its environment. The convoy of modified air cars , the sole T58, and one of the C-21 rotorwings began powering up, with the huge quad-engined craft lifting up from a dorsal hanger in the Discovery, and the convoy began their trek out into the wilderness, in search of their objective….
-
The perimeter was kept up all night with a rotating guard to protect the scientists sleeping within
The next morning, after the wake-up calls were rung, the camp was alive with activity. People bustled around, Corushan and Cjiu alike getting a quick breakfast and repacking what little had been unpacked the day before.
The sun had barely risen by the time the caravan set out for their final destination through the forest. The line of vehicle-beasts trudges along, going slowly as not to trip or stumble. Fortunately the final campsite is not far, but at their current pace and current route (one that avoids thicker and more dangerous parts of the forest) it should still be dark by the time they arrive.
-
The next day
Despite their trials and tribulations, the three surviving groups made it to the valley without further incident. The fabled Tuffett beasts were so close they could almost taste them, and yet there was still work to be done. To find them, and then to secure one and make it back out with the sample for study....
The sun rose over the verdant green valley, lined on its steep slopes by thick jungle, whilst a wide, shallow river snaked towards distant mountains, surrounded by lush meadows that broke up the emerald treeline
-
For the 4 crewmen of the VNK Smelosk, the journey into the valley, despite the downpour of rain, was pleasant. Ponta reminded them very much of the landscape of the Dolina within the Socialist Republics, a place popular for its tropical get away for many citizen, and whilst this jungle remained wild and untamed, there was a certain familiarity to the climate that eased the journey.
Once upon the cusp of the valley itself, focus returned to the job at hand, and the attempt to track and locate a Tuffett. Artur, the AI, once more went to work scanning the local, narrowing the parameters of his lifeform search. He went to adjust the fields to scan for plant life, with the variation of movement, the hope being that it would be enough to filter out the rest of the vegetation and locate a Truffett. Before he could do so however, the scanner, uninhabited by his variations, began to show signs of humanoid life within the valley.
“Hmm….Captain…Mr Zal’ger. I appear to be picking up other humanoid life within his valley. I know we are not alone in our search for these Truffetts, but perhaps we should monitor their paths, or indeed contact them, so as not to experience any complications further down the line?”
“You maybe right Artur” the captain replied, cautiously. “Comrade Plotnikova, perhaps you could open an all channels communication. Suggest to any and all helpful parties that the valley is hard to cover, and if we all are seeking the same goal, it maybe worth consolidating our efforts?”
Dasha nodded, accepting the command from her captain, before producing the message and punching it into the ether.
-
It took all day for everything to be unpacked, set up, and for the camp to settle into it's somewhat permanent new location, surrounded on three sides by jungle and the other by a small river for clean water. Some important equipment includes:
-A genetic sequencer
-A few small development vats for if more guard Warbred or needed, or if some die
-A communications disc for interacting with the nearest town and the Dominion
-A toxin analyzer and a cure synthesizer for poisonings and venomous animal attacks
-Four medical cryptosleep caskets for medical emergencies that cannot be treated on-site
Once dawn breaks, work is immediately started, with samples taken from the surrounding flora and fauna, and four teams sent out to look for the Tuffet. Two are sent up the valley and two are sent down the valley and told to spread out.
It's only later on that first day that the message from the Imaginarium is received, and a message is quickly sent back.
"Greetings, fellow men of science. We had suspected other had come looking for the Tuffet, and we are happy to find other like-minded people out there. We would like to accept your offer of mutual aid, however we will be required to ask our superiors for permission first. However, while we await confirmation, if you wish to come talk in person, we will transfer our coordinates."
-
The search was intense, long and harsh on the Discovery's crew. For several days, the expedition team, supported by the tiltrotor helos that were launched, searched for their quarry; a Tuffet for research, development, and agricultural enhancement of their current worlds. For days, they chased the supposed trail of one these unusual creatures. All seemed lost; had they failed to reach one of these creatures? Did the various other factions they had noticed here beaten them to the punch? But, at this very moment, when the crew was about to call it, they received the message from the VNK Smelosk's own crew. An offer of a joint search? This was too good an opportunity to let slide; if they had a slight clue as to where one could be, then the team could secure themselves, and possibly their aid, Tuffets for research!
"Forward this to the Captain!" Olek's voice called from within the T58, now on his shift of operating the vehicle's short and long-range radios and commlinks. If there was a chance, the slightest chance of success, he'd try his hardest to ensure it.
"On it, stand by!" A fellow operator next to him answered. Her name badge said "Arlette." She, like most of the Discovery's crew, was an experienced member of the ship's expedition team, and usually worked alongside Olek in on expeditions. The message shared by the Smelosk was sent to the Discovery. Minutes passed, the two operators waiting anxiously. A message finally came back. "CLEARED FOR JOINT OPERATION," popped up on the screen for their long-range comms.
"Perfect. I'll issue a reply." Olek began to send and broadcast a message to the crew, hoping they'd pick up their reply to their message...
-
“Captain, we seem to be getting responses.” Dasha said, alerting the group to the messages incoming. It had not taken long for the replies to arrive, much to Zahida surprise, and now she found herself rushing to compile an adequate response to scientists from the Discovery and Dominion. Everyone seemed friendly enough, and the replies suggested that no one had yet found the “Tuffets”, but their motivations on finding the lifeforms had not been determined, and Zahida herself felt that whilst cooperation was necessary, she wanted to play some cards close to her chest.
She mused for a second, before composing the Imaginese response.
“Ok, Dasha…respond with this: Thank you both for your response, I hope we can work together in achieving what is clearly a goal that we all share. We will happily come in person to speak with the Dominion scientists, and suggest that the crew of the discovery does as well, so that we may speak face to face, and get a better understanding of what we all can offer to the project.”
-
"Excellent," The Dominon sends back a few minutes after the previous reply was received. "We eagerly await your arrival. Coordinates are attached."
-
Olek and the crew of the T58 grinned in eager anticipation that only scientists on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery could make. He quickly issued his reply, wasting no time to entail his agreement.
"I'm proud to hear that you're of the same mind as we are for a joint expedition. We will gladly await coordinates so we may meet up and provide our resources for mutual benefit."
-
“They are more than willing to meet with us. They have provided us with these coordinates.” Dasha explained to the group, pointing out the spot on the map on her data pad now labelled ‘Dominion’.
“Good work Dasha,” Zahida nodded, tapping the young comrade on her shoulder as a show of appreciation. “We better move. Their location is not too far, albeit it will still take us some time to walk there. We all good to go?”
Even if the group had felt tired, none of them shared it, as they ploughed on through the jungle, heading in the direction of their new destination. Once more, Big Zub took the lead, along with the hired guide, Zal’ger. Zahida followed swiftly behind, with Dasha and the AI Artur closely on her heels. Conversation was kept to an absolute minimum, as they conserved their energy, each keeping their thoughts of hot food, tired feet, and worries of the jungle to themselves. Only Artur’s thoughts drifted towards the mission at hand; the AI running various scenarios after scenarios for their coming interactions.
He felt as frustrated as an Akili Bandi could get, as he mentally kept running into the same roadblock; “how could they trust other parties? What compromises would have to be made to guarantee some form of success? What if they were betrayed?” The logical conclusion was that despite their supposed openness, there was every chance that the members of the Dominion and the crew of the T58 could betray their trust at any moment. The 4 person squad would not last long. He dwelled on his thoughts. The solution sadly obvious.
“If we are to succeed here, the other parties must be broken.” He thought.
-
As the small group enters into the camp, they are greeted by the sight of a bustling scientific encampment, with Cykons buzzing around setting up equipment and collecting samples, along with a couple of Warbred and their handlers acting as guards.
Gkari, seeing the four arrive, strolls over and excitedly introduces himeslf "Greetings! I am Gkari, the head of this expedition. Who do I have the honor of meeting?"
-
The first thing to arrive from the GPCE’s group were the Sparrowhawk helos. Two buzzed overhead, slowly circling the area, awaiting for the ground team to arrive. Then, a small convoy of assorted vehicles, including the T58, arrived at the encampment, stopping nearby. Olek, Arlette and the rest of the group stepped out, greeting the others.
“Apologies if we’ve arrived a bit late, there was a bit of a hold-up.” Arlette spoke up first, “I can safely presume the rest of you are the ones who reached out?” She stated this politely, a calm, neutral expression adorning her face.
-
The 4 crewmen of the VNK Smelosk, accompanied by Zal’ger, made their way, with pace, through the vegetation, towards the coordinates provided for the Dominion base. They soon found themselves dropping upon the outskirts of the camp, the buzz and hum of activity meaning that wildlife gave the site a wide birth. Big Zub motioned for caution, spying upon its people before confidently summarising that this was the place their maps pointed them towards, as if the rest had any doubt.
They moved in tandem, arriving as a group, Zal’ger and Big Zub at the rear, Zahida, Dasha and Artur in front. A hurry of individuals raced from place to place, seemingly paying them no attention, until Zahida spotted what she assumed to be a meeting of Dominion and GPCE parties. Their décor and aesthetics were unalike, their equipment seemingly different. All sure signs of 2 alien cultures meeting for the first time. ‘Now, to be 3 alien cultures’, she thought. She brought forth a single wave, before announcing their presence.
“Greetings.” She said with a smile, the likes of which her team did not replicate, instead looking pensive. “My name is Captain Zahida Sabirova of the Imaginese vessel 'VNK Smelosk', and this is my crew, and our guide Mr Zal’ger. We are honoured to receive your invitation to meet here and look forward to working together. You are from the Dominion and GCPE, correct?”
.
Before a response could be given, a thunderous voice shouted from behind her.
“Hey, friends. You got any food or drink here? We’ve been walking a while…” Big Zub said, undermining the captain’s formal greeting, to which he received a murderous glare from Zahida.
“Comrade Mikhailovich, you forget yourself and run the risk of making a fool of yourself in front of new colleagues…” Zahida said, through gritted teeth, as she threatened the man with a hand signal. “Apologies, friends…we have been on the move for some time now, and unlike yourselves, we have yet to establish a base of operations or to be…so…supported by in our expedition.”
“Mikhailovich maybe correct captain.” Artur interjected. “Food and drink is often a wonderful custom for getting to know each other…perhaps a meeting in a more relaxed location would be beneficial to all?”
Zahida again gave a threatening look, but returned to give the Dominion and GCPE scientists a grin.
-
Olek, Arlette and their colleagues were trying to keep straight faces having witnessed this exchange. It felt relatable, like they were looking in a mirror and seeing how they acted at times.
“We would be delighted to have such a meeting. We can send our Sparrowhawks back to our ship to collect some extra supplies to prepare meals for everyone, if you all like.” Olek spoke up first. He knew the Captain wouldn’t squander a good diplomatic opportunity… even if it gave poor Ansel an aneurysm.
“We can also get a camp set up. We’ve been fairly mobile for this expedition, and haven’t really stopped to really establish a full base of operations aside from our starship.” Arlette pipped in, in which her words got nods from their fellow members. One got up on comms to inform the circling Sparrowhawks that they might be heading to the Discovery. Another tried reaching out to the Discovery’s skipper, but his holopad was giving him trouble, as this individual wasn’t particularly careful with it at times. Another expedition teammate came to help, softly scolding him as well.
“We… do hope you’ll all be good with this. We only wish to return the hospitality you offered us in a joint effort.” Olek said, a bit bashful over his team’s own bantering and eagerness to try and gain allies.
-
JADE COURIER NETWORK
NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED
On the independent planet of Calix, scientific explorers from Imaginarium, the GPCE, and Cykolos have successfully completed a joint mission to discover the Wandering Tuffet, or Concameratus Sandersonii, a miraculous species of plant which is semi-ambulatory and which can be harvested for incredibly nutritious 'meat'. This discovery is expected to help mitigate the soaring cost of foodstuffs in some of the poorer regions of the Tuvian Arm and beyond, and several investors and corporations are already putting in applications for breeding stock and DNA samples to create their own herd-gardens.
This achievement did not come without cost, however, as unfortunately members of an exploratory team from the Meridian Commonwealth were ambushed by unknown assailants, with six team members being killed. The price of progress is always steep, but this sacrifice makes the breakthrough that will save so many lives all the more poignant. Their murderers are still unknown and the Adjutants of Calix have posted a reward for information that leads to their arrest.
There was only one region the Tuffet was confirmed to have been spotted in; the Sapphire Valley several hundred kilometers west of Calix. Frequent thunderstorms in the monsoon season, combined with thick canopy jungle, made flying directly in almost impossible, so many adventurers were using Calix as a base camp before trekking in on foot or in wheeled vehicles...
The bustling city awaited, with stores, local guides, rental facilities and more. Rumor even had it that Professor Sanderson herself was still about...
-
The 7 crew strong of the 'VNK Smelosk' had been in the port city of Calix for 3 days now. A science vessel from the Socialist Republics of Imaginarium, it was one of the first vessels to venture outside of the Laptev home space in decades, and was part of a controversial new mission from the central government; one which sought to find “solutions” to the economic and cultural stagnation that had plagued the Republics these last years. The mission had come with a heated debate, as had any topics that had suggested Imaginarium leave the comfort and safety of their home world and it’s locale, and as such, and in the spirit compromise, had been ill funded, much to the annoyance to the ship’s captain: Zahida Sabirova.
The 3 days had been frustrating. Whilst the crew had gained vital information (and discovered they were certainly not the first, nor last to come as budding adventurers to the planet), they had had to spend much of the time trading off goods to raise capital (good provided by the “state” for trade, an irony not lost upon the captain). Returns had been modest, although Gunnery Sergeant Zubkov Christov Mikhailovich (known as ‘Big Zub’) had found talent in selling Grozny Whiskey for decent hard currency, and the crew now found itself in an amount they had hoped would be able to buy them a guide, or transport, or both.
“So it is decided then.” Zahida declared to the crew.
They were all assembled. Big Zub has poured the traditional shot of the whisky that would be used in the closing toast of the crew meeting. Alongside him, ship engineer Shahnoza Yakubova, Computer Scientist Komil Shakirov, the twins and co pilots Dmitri and Dasha Plotnikova and the Akili Bandi (the artificial life form) known simply as “Artur”, who was also the ship’s biologist, doctor, and all round science expert.
“I, along with Zub, Artur and Dasha will form the away party. Will seek out a guide with the funds we have. Failing that we will try to secure maps and transport for a trip westward. Ideally I’d like both, but beggers can’t be choosers comrades.”
“I still think that I should be going captain…” interrupted Dmitri. The twins bickering had annoyed everyone on the voyage, and the captain herself was done with politeness.
“You have made your point quite clear Dmitri, but I wont have it. We need hands to stay behind with the ship, conduct our maintenance and make sure she is ready for…whenever it is we need her…and besides, whilst you and your sister are both wonderful pilots, your sister is a better shot…Oh don’t give me that face Dmitri.”
The face in question was one of shock and repulsion, his sisters on the other hand, smug pride.
“That is the final say.” Zahida continued “We leave in an hour”
She raised her glass upwards before the whole crew shouted “TEBE!” as the meeting formally closed.
The hour went by, and with resources packed. The party of 4; Cpt Sabirova, Big Zub, Dasha and Artur made their way down the ship’s rampway, and into the busy streets of Calix in search of a potential guide…
-
Mission log, CSV Doolittle, date...
"Oh, hell," Commander Westen sighed, hitting the button to pause the recording. "Mandy, what's the date today?"
["ISA Standard, Commonwealth Standard, or New Commonwealth Standard?"] The ship's AI replied over the speakers.
"ISA Standard. I still haven't managed to figure out your nonsense stardate thing."
Mandy couldn't help but let out a computerised giggle. "You've been here 40 years, Harry. You still haven't figured it out?"
"I was never good with numbers. Sue me. The date?"
"Thank you."
Mission log, CSV Doolittle, 20th of July, 2585. We've just arrived at the--
"Fuuuuuuuck..." Harry grumbled again. Mandy was kind enough to pause it for him before a curse was placed into the official record. "What's the system we're in?"
["ALC-115306."] Mandy giggled. ["That one's excusable. If my memory wasn't stored digitally, I'd probably have forgotten that one too."]
"Right. Thank you. Okay, third time's the charm!"
Mission log, CSV Doolittle, 20th of July, 2585. We've just arrived at the ALC-115306 system, near the planet 'Ponta', where we've heard rumours of motile flora roaming the surface. Extreme Botany will be very interested in adding a few samples to their little freak show, I'm sure. We've run standard insertion protocol, and I'm just about to gather a team to set up a base camp on the surface, that will be studying these organisms in their natural habitat. With any luck, we'll also be able to form a relationship with the locals. Although their society seems to be insignificant on the galactic scale, we could use all the friends we can get.
Harry opened his eyes again, as he realised something. As he looked down, the ship's cat, a Maine Coon named "Queen", entered his view. The cat let out a happy meow.
"Did you just... meow through that entire thing?" Harry stared, more curious than annoyed. The cat just stared back, purring. "Did you just ruin my recording?"
"Meow?"
"Mandy, did Queen just meow through my entire recording?"
["Playing back... it looks like she did."]
"Ffffffuuuuuuuck..." Commander Westen ran a hand over his face. This was going to be a long day.
-
In a snap of light, stretching back into infinity at incredible speed, the unmistakable profile of a Janeway-class starship appeared at the edge of the system. 650 metres long, sleek yet angular, the Commonwealth's pride and joy. Out from its missile launchers came a dozen probes, launched in sequence, one for every planetary body in the system, except the habitable world, Ponta, receiving an entire quintet of them.
"Standard insertion protocol complete," remarked Officer Metharom from the operations console. "We should start getting data from them over the next week or so. Astrogation reports that they're setting a course for the sixth planet now."
"Good," Commander Westen nodded. "Science, are you confirming the readings from our first-in probes?"
"Yes sir. We're getting exactly what we expected. Infrared readings from Ponta confirms the presence of a low-level spacefaring society, basic FTL travel from our gravitational surveys."
"Shall I send them a greeting?" Metharom asked.
"Wait until we're a bit closer, Kanya. AM radio isn't that good at our separation."
"Right, Commander. I'll prep the standard greeting."
"Good! I'm going to pop into my quarters for a bit to record the log. Kanya, could you prep a list of names of those interested in joining the field team while I do that?"
"Will do, Commander."
-
Research Expedition A-3
Audio Mission Log 1
This is Gkari, head biologist of this Research Expedition to the Free Planet of Ponta. We have landed at our destination, hence this log. The journey here was quite exciting- it only took about a a week, but what a week it was. We encountered so many new intelligent species in trade posts and port cities I had to restrain myself from asking each and every single one of them for a physical examination.
But that isn't important to the mission itself. We're currently staying in Calix, the city closest to the last sighting of the Sandersonii, otherwise known as it's more childish name the "Wandering Tuffet." We've spent the last three days in the city preparing and getting ourselves familiar with the town- After all, we need a strong foundation and home base before we can go wandering off in the wilderness. That is a somewhat difficult task, as civilizations outside of the Dominion seem so very discordant compared to Cykolos. Everyone has their own opinions, the rulers of course but even the workers and the warriors have their own thoughts to give. It seems rather inefficient to me, but many of these civilizations are far more powerful than us, so who am I to judge?
In any case, we're about to go on our first journey out. I've done some basic studies on the ecosystem of the surrounding jungles, but it's nothing compared to how much Screlsk has poured over the wildlife database. I've barely seen them since we set off from Cykolos, and he insists he needs at least another week to prepare for survival and hunting on this planet. However, I think we've delayed plenty already, and I've worked with the man for years. He's almost certainly overpreparing.
Finally, I've heard some reports of others looking for the Sandersonii. I haven't encountered any of them myself, but if we happen to meet on the road and we both share the goal of scientific discovery, I struggle to see why we shouldn't aid each other.
I shall record another log once this initial expedition is complete, successful or not. From blood and bone!
-
Some time later, the Doolittle entered orbit. A few good-hearted arguments with the local government, and a promise to not cause too much trouble, was all it took to authorise a decently sized base camp, just outside Calix's limits.
The back and forth between the cruiser and the planet was a tremendous thing, for such a little thing: shuttles flew back and forth at all hours, and even the ship's massive modular shuttle made more than a few appearances, with the purpose of transferring vehicles to the ground. From there, they would run excursions into the jungle, securing a way to this Sapphire Valley, and with any luck, finding a clearing to make the arduous process of back-and-forthing a little less tedious.
The other half of the mission, meanwhile, was to meet the locals. Back home, a world like this would have been a target for the Commonwealth Philanthropic Initiative, but in these strange times, Foreign Affairs was looking to form deals with anybody and everybody, to the point of egocasting a diplomatic team straight to the Doolittle.
The modular shuttle was currently in its mobile lab configuration, unloading specimen containers and large, supposedly portable scanning units from its shuttle bay. That was the only part of the camp that was really off-limits to outsiders, and it was more for fear of somebody stealing the keys and going for a little joyride. The rest of the place was, for a temporary camp, almost inviting. Tents that once where white had long since been painted a myriad of colours, and filled with all sorts of surprisingly comfy beddings. A little al fresco field mess had been set up, and from the smells occasionally emitted from the cooking area, somebody was working on something truly divine. Occasional CSF crewmen in their white jumpsuits dotted the area, chatting when they weren't busy setting up, transporting something, or working on data from the forward teams. A good 250 people, a quarter of the crew, had set up for the next few weeks, examining this new world and its strange creatures in close detail.
The nations currently visiting Ponta, however, would not be the only ones. A much younger nation in the galaxy at wide, the foreign Grand Pyrhus Cosmic Empire, in their short time being in this reality, had quietly been listening and watching on the sidelines, learning about their new galaxy, and overheard word about the unique creature discovered on Ponta, and being in need of a sustainable source of food, but also wanting to study the creature to learn about its unique biology, as the research that could possibly be gained could aid their station, DSS-2251, in creating a sustainable, replenishing air supply. They dispatched a small group of 5 ships- one science vessel, the Discovery, and four escorting vessels: ECT-8327 and ECT-1202, both Defender class Escorts, and DCH-2281 and DCH-9881, both being Dych class Corvettes. This is the tale of the 5th Deep Space Exploration Group, and their endeavors to seek out this new creature on Ponta.
[DSSV Discovery, Ship Log]
Discovery has at last entered the system we seek: Ponta. The ship has conducted a planetary scan and after some processing, has found a suitable spot to land- a port named Calix. Discovery herself is slated to land in the port and offload equipment to search for, and if possible, take samples from the creature called the "Wandering Tuffet." The ship's captain, Adelhardt Erardo, will lead an expedition team into the site where the Tuffet was reportedly sighted, and from there, conduct their research. Given that other curious scientists, and possibly individuals with more malicious intent are present, the Captain has requested that three of our escorts remain in orbit to provide protection to the planet and the scientists that come to visit. It's a risky move, but it's one that must be done to ensure that nothing ill happens to this special discovery.
-
The Imaginariumese were accosted almost immediately as they headed down the street, which was much like the port area of any major city, with vendors offering their wares at once-in-a-lifetime discount whilst others offered to show them around town. Did they want food? A drink? Gambling? Some friendly company?
It was not long, meanwhile, before a stranger approached the CSF camp. Riding one of the preferred local mounts, a burly beast with a thick body, short back legs and long forelimbs, a slightly elongated neck and a horse-like head, he approached in silence, sliding from its back and taking a moment to light a cigarette before pacing over. Dressed in cheap worker's jeans and a black bomber jacket, he was a human or human-adjacent, with a shaved head and a five-o-clock stubble.
"Morning," he said in a gravelly voice.
The DSSV Discovery was hailed by the spaceport. Such a large ship could just about be accommodated in one of the larger landing fields, but it would cost extra. Payment would be accepted in the universal currency of SIGEC, at two millicents a day. The value of a SIGEC fluctuated, but was usually around the price of a nice house on a reasonable planet, or a luxury groundcar.
-
The bustling streets of Calix were still quite overwhelming for the gang of 4 Imaginariumese, as they left the dockyards and the Smelosk behind. The venders and their market stalls reminded Zahida of the “Yurynki” (the “Legal Markets”) from back home in the Ingoan Republic; the small local produce sellers whose trade of goods was still tiny enough not to be swamped up in the state system, albeit that this market seemed to have much more to offer…some things that would perhaps be frowned upon back home.
Big Zub, despite the overwhelming nature of being crowded, was enjoying the experience. Amongst the several sellers, he had spotted a tobacconist selling the real stuff, not that damned synthetic stuff he had had to smoke on the journey over…but despite his best puppy dog eyes at his captain, Zahida reminded him that “We don’t have spending money…” before relenting and telling him “…listen if we have enough after we arrange transport and a guide, then maybe you can help get yourself a treat…”
Despite the patronising tone, Zub couldn’t hide a grin of excitement, and even more determination to find a guide as soon as possible.
Up front of the group, walking side by side, Dasha and Artur scanned the streets, being approached by vendor after vendor. Friendly rejections of those offering food, drink, and company were given, but Dasha herself spotted what she thought to be an older, trustworthy gentleman seller, who if they couldn’t provide them with what they wanted, could (she hoped) at least point them in the right direction. She approached, Artur in tow, putting on her most approachable smile, and speaking a loud in a refined, albeit heavily accented universal common:
“Excuse me sir, I do not mean to bother you, but I am hoping you can help me. My friends and I are looking to hire transport, and potentially even a guide or even someone with knowledge of Sapphire Valley.”
-
An hour after recording the audio log, The Expeditionary Force finally begins to set out on it's first mission. Gkari had intended to leave right after he was finished, but Screlsk had taken some convincing to actually set off. He now trails behind the Biologist, looking resentfully ahead towards their mounts: A quintet of six foot tall, gazelle-like vehicle-beasts, each with slightly concave backs able to hold about 4 Cykons each, though one seat was already filled by their respective Cjiu handlers. Most of the rest of the seats are filled by the twelve other members of the Expeditionary Team, all of which have various expressions of relief in their eyes after waiting in the relatively uncomfortable "saddles" for an hour.
Behind the main caravan are three larger, elephantine beasts with huge, thick legs and carrying a massive amount of cargo on it's back, including food and water, camping supplies, scientific equipment, domestic warbred kennels for defense, and various Cjiu sitting and hanging from the 8-foot tall beast.
Once Screlsk and Gkari get onto the frontmost mount via a short ladder, the Head Biologist nods towards the Cjiu driver, and the entire caravan begins trundling down the road out of the city.
-
The stranger didn't even make it two metres into the camp before being accosted by a group of very friendly crewmen, interested in everything from his genetic makeup ("a human-alike in an entirely separate universe, how fascinating!") to his clothes ("is that leather? I've never seen leather before"), a few offering gifts for coming to visit ("try my stew! It's made from local animals!"), but mostly by biologists interested in his mount ("do you mind if I insert a nanoswarm into you to map your internal organs?"). Out came the omni-tools and the scanners almost immediately, blooping away as a dozen different medical scans went through. They're not exactly hospital-grade X-rays, but he might want to take a couple of anti-rads afterwards, just in case~
Once the crowds peeled away, only a couple were left. A woman, observably in her mid-40s (rare for the Commonwealth, where anti-aging pills are handed out like candy), tall with thick black hair, leaned on a fence next to him. "Cigarette, eh? I'll take one if you're sharing. Don't mind my friends, they just love meeting new folks. You get used to it after a while."
-
Aboard the Discovery, Captain Erardo, understanding that his vessel is somewhat large for a spaceport, agreed to the terms given by the spaceport's control officials.
Captain Erardo: We can make necessary payments to land, we apologize in advance for any inconveinance this may cause. Our vessel, through an error of my own fault, was equipped with the wrong type of small craft, and we cannot ferry the necessary equipment down to your surface without having to land somewhere and offload them conventionally. Just provide us the coordinates, we'll land, and settle payment shortly afterwards.
He spoke this in a smooth, assuring tone, as he was not unfamiliar with having to communicate with spaceport control throughout his career as a ship captain. Some were pleasant, some just wanted to get talking over with, and some were outright rude in some cases. But, this was no matter, as he now had a ship to land.
Captain Erardo: Helmsman, bring us down into atmosphere. Land at the coordinates provided by Ponta's spaceport control. I want a nice, clean landing, and I'd rather not be holding up other planetary traffic while we land.
GPCNSV Discovery Helmsman: Aye, sir. Bringing the ship down at once.
The Discovery's descent towards the surface was a gentle, slow landing, and while the ship was small by GPCE standards, she was still fairly heavy, given her armor and other heavy equipment the ship was complimented with. Her braking engines, maneuvering thrusters, and her anti-gravity repulsors underneath the ship occassionally ignited or briefly shimmered on as the helmsman controlled the ship's descent. Once in atmosphere, the ship was kept in a holding pattern over the landing zones allocated on the surface for larger ships. The bulky armored vessel was a sight to see from the surface, it's smooth yet menacing profile either invoking feelings of awe, or in some cases, fear, as the vessel almost looked more a warship than a peacetime science vessel.
-
The elderly gentleman proved quite voluble, and pointed them towards a bar in the distance. Heading inside, they were met by a wizened old Zentheran, a giant lizard with a crest of red spines along its back. Small for one of his species, barely 8 feet tall, he had greying scales that looked almost like muttonchops. He gulped down his drink and introduced himself, in a faintly terrifying voice, as Zal'ger.
"Oh I can show you around alright. Payment up front,"he said in almost flawless Common that suggested he had spent many years away from home.
--
Children followed the Expeditionary Force for a short way outside the city, laughing and trying to get the strangers' attention, but eventually they trailed off or were collected by annoyed parents, leaving the expedition to make its way through lush lowlands, past increasingly sparse farms and towards the outskirts of the jungle. Ahead of them, a huge cloudbank began to form, looming over the towering triple-canopy jungle that was their destination...
--
The stranger's hostile gaze and lack of response soon convinced the others to leave him be, but after a moment's studied gaze at the woman he tugged a packet of smokes from his pocket and offered her one, and a light.
"People get bored," he said by way of answer, then squinted at their complex camp. "What brings you here?"
--
As the Discovery began its landing, it found the landing pad already crowded with people. Some were just interested to see a vessel shuttling supplies down in this way, whilst others had scented mercantile opportunity and were already trying to hawk supplies, maps, equipment and fresh food to the offworlders
-
“Zal’ger, I am Captain Zahida Sabirova of the Imaginese Science Vessel Smelosk. This is my Gunnery Sergeant Zubkov Mikhailovich, that there is Lieutenant Dasha Plotnikova, and finally that is Artur, Lieutenant and Chief Biologist aboard our boat.”
Zahida said, pointing to each member of the crew, who nodded upon their introduction.
She had never come across a Zentheran before, but had read about them in her prefight research, and the descriptions did not do them justice. The gentleman was huge…bigger than Big Zub himself, which incidentally Zahida noted was not popular judging by the looks on the Gunnery Sergeant’s face.
“What we need is a guide into the Sapphire Valley…and transport, ideally. We have a small amount of funds available for this…what’s your best price?”
-
"Well, uh, that depends. Who's 'you', and where's 'here'?" Ada takes the cigarette and ponders it for a long moment, before lighting up. "Oh, it's been so long. These are actually illegal back home, y'know. Can't even get a good drink unless you're willing to brew it yourself, or buy it from one of those weirdo hipster folks that do the microbrewing thing. Wish they'd told me that before I moved..."
A moment passes before she remembers the question. "Oh, right, why are we here. I'm assuming you don't want the philosophical answer - you seem the practical sort - so I'm going to guess... the CSF, and this planet. Well, the brass smelled the scent of something scientifically fascinating, and couldn't stay away. As for me? Well... I'm here 'cause I'm here. Even the oh-so-utopian Commonwealth needs espatiers on occasion."
Off in the distance, another rover departs for the valley, this one full of equipment for setting up comm lines, evidently meaning that either they've found a clearing for a base, or they've given up and are just setting up in the valley itself.
-
"Storm on the horizon." The Field Expert reports, binoculars in hand. "I can see that, Screlsk. Do we need to make camp?"
Screlsk is silent for a moment. "We could make it to the edge of the jungle before the worst of it reaches us, if-"
"Excellent!" Gkari interrupts. "Contiune." He gestures to the driver.
"I was going to say if we get lucky. I wouldn't risk it."
"Oh, we'll be fine, Screlsk. It's just a little rain, anyhow."
"Very well..."
-
Crew from the Discovery had to politely decline some of the advances of the merchants, their faces adorned with polite smiles as to not upset the locals. One in particular stated to one merchant about where to go regarding making barters with the ship. "You can talk to our quartermaster about deals such as this," she said kindly, "He can sort out what's available for trade or what we'll be needing for our visit here." As the crew ensured that the ship wasn't crowded by the locals, several vehicles rolled out from the bay closest to the ground. These were modified vehicles originally used by the military, now repurposed for scientific use. They were adorned with complex sensor arrays, external equipment such as jerry cans, radios, and bulky cases containing more fragile equipment.
Aboard the ship, one of the ship's security detail was in search of the quartermaster so trade could be carried out. "No, THIS one goes here. How many times do I have to repeat myself to you? You've been here for what, three months and I still have to educate you about this?" Ah. There he is. The guard thought to himself after hearing the heavy-accented shouting emitting from Cargo 7, where the quartermaster ususally resided. Upon entry, he spoke plainly. "Not to our surprise, we have locals eager to trade and sell us wares. I think its best you get out there and handle it, Ansel." Ansel was the quartermaster's last name, and he was usually addressed in such a manner, even when off-duty.
"Oh, you don't say?" Ansel replied, with a tone that definitely implied that he was expecting this. "Gimme a few minutes to get this one sorted out and I'll be out shortly." He gestured to a rather flustered looking enlisted crewmember, whom was apparently under his guidance and jurisdiction. "Aye, but don't be too late. They may end up trying to look for you themselves." The guard jested to Ansel before turning about and leaving, missing the dismissive gesture given by the Discovery's quartermaster.
-
Zal'ger whuffed, and then after casting an iridescent eye over the strangers, crossed his arms and uttered a number that made them gasp. It was quite a chunk of their funds, but he assured them it included the best transport possible for the region; a pack of android mounts, durable and most importantly rust-proof.
Meanwhile, the stranger squinted at the rover in the distance and then nodded non-committally. "Well, enjoy the smoke. Good luck out there," he said before turning to stroll sedately away, seemingly content with what he had discovered. He pulled up a datapad of some kind on his wrist and began inputting information into it as he went...
Screlsk and Gkari's confidence did them credit, but they had barely made it to the edge of the jungle when the downpour started in earnest. What had been a light drizzle rapidly accelerated into a heaving downpour, hammering at their heads and turning the ground underneath into slush, deafening them as the marble-sized droplets crashed off the thick, broad leaves of the canopy layers like drums.
-
The group scoffed at the figure suggested by Zal’ger. This was going to take up all of their funds, which dawned on Big Zub mostly, as he realised there would not be enough left to buy “authentic tobacco”.
The group conferred quietly for a moment.
“I think captain that whilst this figure is indeed large, that we will perhaps not get a better opportunity with the funds we have available.” Spoke Artur, the Akili Bandi lifeform, an artificial lifeform now given full rights as a species within the Socialist Republics.
“From my studies of barter culture, as well as the study of market based systems, I believe that we are getting what some colloquially refer to as ‘a bang for our buck’.” He continued.
“Sadly, I am inclined to agree captain,” Big Zub sighed “I don’t know if I trust this lizard man, but I don’t know if we have any other options right now.”
“Dasha? What about you? Do you agree?” Zahida asked.
“I do captain. I have no better options.”
“Ok then,” turning back to Zal’ger “You have yourself a deal. How soon can we depart?”
-
Ada blinks, confusedly. "Uh. Okay? You... you too..." For a good minute, she just sat there, puffing on her cigarette and wondering what the hell just happened. Did she just get played like a flute?
Meanwhile, things continue at the CSF camp! While there's been a few back and forth, a small group of folks have gone into the city for the purposes of cultural exchange, goods exchange, invites to be friends, and maybe just searching for this mysterious Doctor Sanderson. A pair of mostly normal-looking humans accompanied by a synth and... a ball of tentacles? Riding in a CSF jeep, with a cockpitless five-metre-tall industrial mech lumbering beside them. Was the mech being remotely controlled? At what looked like a bazaar, the group stopped and disembarked, before they split up to look about for anybody that might be interested in having a chat.
-
As the rain starts and the canopy overhead thickens, Gkari gestures to the driver, who nods and stops the strider, It's legs folding outward as it lays on the muddy floor of the jungle. Behind the lead animal the other seven walkers also stop and sit down, and immediately the Cjiu on the backs of the haulers begin unloading temporary camp supplies, including tents, rations, and some sleeping rolls while leaving scientific supplies, weapons, hunter and guard warbred, and more permanent camping supplies like a portable kitchen and foldable beds on the animals, kept dry by plastic tarps.
Gkari's feet sink into the mud as he jumps off his vehicle along with Screlsk. Gkari looks up into the canopy, the sun dim through the leaves and the overcast sky. They could've kept going- Cykons didn't mind the rain or mud and neither did the striders, but the rough undergrowth of the forest along with the wind and reduced visibility would be far too dangerous to continue. Didn't want one of the striders falling over and possibly injuring a scientist or important equipment.
Before Gkari could make a snide comment to Screlsk, however, one of the scientists riding in another beast ran over, feet splashing. "Sir!" She said to Gkari. This was Yils, the team's botanist and junior member. "Sir! May I begin study of the local flora?" Yils had practically begged to go on this expedition, not only to study the Tuffet but the other plants of the alien world. She was competent and Gkari liked her so he had agreed. "Yes. Just nothing too large- we're setting off again in the morning."
"Of course." she replies and runs off, probably to inspect some shrub.
Gkari turns to Screlsk, smiling. "See? We're fine! No broken ankles, no smashed equipment, and we're still on pace to get to the planned permanent camp by tomorrow."
Screlsk just grumbles.
-
Around now was the time that Ansel, after hassling his subordinate further regarding storage, had begun to make his way out of the ship, taking a lift down the lower hanger where the remainder of the ship's scientific vehicles and equipment were being offloaded. Been a fair time since we've been given a mission this important. I can only imagine what we'll find out here. He mused to himself as he exited. The guard from earlier spotted him and waved the quartermaster down. "There you are!" He called out to Ansel, "The locals, I must say, are rather persistent in their trade offers, but now that you're here, perhaps we can finally come to a reasonable agreement with them?" Ansel could now see the crowd around the ship's landing zone. Persistent indeed. This is gonna take a wee bit to get all squared away.
"Alright," the quartermaster spoke up, "I'll be the one to take any trade or sale offers on behalf of the ship. We're here on a scientific expedition, and if anyone here has anything that you believe can be of use to us, speak to me about it." His heavy accent and loud voice stood out from the crowd, which was a trait many of the Discovery held in high regard. Even for an enlisted member of the crew, he certainly had the qualities of an officer, and it could come in handy on this expedition if needed. Nearby, several modified "air-cars" painted in metallic, glossy silvers and greys, began to hum quietly to life, their antigravity drives lifting them off the ground. They were equipped with various sensors, antennae and other equipment, one even having a ground radar package mounted where its trunk would originally be located. A pair of quad-rotored drone craft were also offloaded from the ship, each with a nose mounted camera. These were obviously for forward observation ahead of the group, and with two, it was likely that there would be two teams assigned on this venture. Qhatever it might be for, as far as the locals were concerned, it was potential profit.
-
Zal'ger smiled, revealing terrifying teeth, reaching out his datapad to accept payment. "We can set off now, if you like. Follow me."
Sure enough, he led them out of the bar and down a couple of street to a small mews yard, where sure enough metallic horses stood frozen at rest, or else were being tinkered with by a small alien covered in fur who grunted and swore at a particularly truculent component. He barely glanced up as they arrived, but Zal'ger didn't seem to mind. He spoke in a strange, alien language to the mechanic who replied with a short grunt of affirmation and waved at one of the bays, and that was that. Zal'ger turned and gestured to a cluster of the horses.
"Those are ours for two weeks. Get mounted up and we'll go pick up supplies on our way out of town," he explained, crossing to one and clambering smoothly onto its back, flicking a switch between its ears. It immediately came to life, whickering in a hollow but convincing imitation of a real animal.
--
It was rough going on the trail towards the forest, and soon it began to narrow. Ahead it was little more than a footpath, but just as the heavy canopy began to thicken overhead, one of the CSF rovers rumbled unknowingly towards a trap. Someone had laid a simple landmine in the centre of the path, cased in a protective shell that made it appear like any other rock to casual scans, though close examination would reveal its true nature. Deeper in the forest, a figure watched intently from beneath a camo-shroud...
--
Gkari and his team were setting up camp in the pouring rain when Yils took off into the undergrowth to study the flora. She found some interesting plants, including a vine that had bright yellow buds which contained what looked like nuts, but something else lurked nearby. Watching her from beneath the lowest level of plant life were four pale green eyes above a mouth full of rancid, jagged teeth. The predator watched, waiting silently for her to come closer....
--
Ansel found himself immediately swarmed by local vendors waving goods at him. Some were offering fresh foods, others trail rations, yet more various gadgets and gear for the backwoods, whilst some even offered weapons both mundane and bizarre, and a man at the back even waved a sign for a taxi service.
An aircar swept up to the scene, and through the crowd pushed a woman in relatively well-tailored outfit, backed by two guards wearing simple ballistic vests and carrying some kind of truncheon, who parted the crowd for her.
She offered a brittle, false smile to Ansel. "I am with the port authority, here to collect your wharfage fees," she explained, yelling to be heard over the din. "That'll be 20 millicents for the week!"
-
“I can honestly say I have never seen anything like these in my entire existence.” Cautiously spoke Artur, taking in the huge mechanical beasts. “Mr Zal’ger, are these quite safe?”
“Hey! You wanted new experience Artur, well here’s one. Don’t be fretting now! They nothing but big horses see. Nothing to be scared of!” Big Zub shouted over at the metallic man, gesturing to follow suit, and mount the steel horse, as the big man had done.
The gang steadily mounted their steads, making sure the small amount of equipment they carried along with them was strapped tightly alongside. It was uneasy going at first, only Big Zub himself seemed at home on the backs of the machines, but as they started to move in tandem, the group as a whole gradually got to grips with the operations, finding it surprisingly easier than they had imagined.
“Mr Zal’ger, if you would do us the honours, let us kick off this expedition!” the Captain shouted over at their host.
-
"Whoa, hold up," Crewman Al-Tehrani said, holding up a fist. Slowly, the rover rolled to a stop. "Recon drones picked up something odd. Heat sig, just off our path."
"Could it be an animal?" The driver replied.
"If it is, it's a biggun."
"Right. Should we path around?" The driver asked. Al-Tehrani just responded by jumping out the side of the rover and moving ahead, sensor scope on their assault rifle scouting the way ahead. "Fuck... alright, folks, looks like we're having an impromptu snack break. Smoke 'em if you got 'em."
-
Yils studied the odd vine buds for a moment before plucking out the nut and pulling it apart with her fingers. The inside was almost furlike in nature, with soft, fluffy tissue. Perhaps it was premature, thought Yils as she reaches for a second to compare. Before she can open this one, however, she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. Instinctually, she dodges to the side causing the predator to miss it's intended target- her neck- and instead latches on to her arm. She falls, the weight of the hunter pushing her to the ground as she yelps in surprise and pain.
She immediately begins scrambling for a weapon as the thing starts to shake it's head, her hands finally grasping the hunting knife at her belt before stabbing it directly towards the beast's head.
-
Now, Ansel has dealt with a variety of individuals in his life, and he’s seen all sorts of expressions during goods trade and purchases as his ship’s quartermaster. These fake smiles were one of these things he’s picked up on, and more often than not, meant unpleasant news. Usually a scam of some sort or an attempt to extort the Discovery, so he decided to do what he’d do best. “Ah, you’re here to collect our fees? I’m fairly certain the Captain will have our daily fee logged, I’ll give him a quick call and double check our rate. Ya see, last time we had to land for an operation akin to ours, we had a bit of an… attempt to swindle us of our hard earn wages, and while this was a long time ago, we still remember it as if it were yesterday. Excuse me for a few moments.” Ansel spoke politely to the woman and her false smile, but he was doubtful of the wage. He was certain that docking cost around… 4 of these “millicents” he’s heard about. Sure, their fleet had been in this new galaxy for some time and were integrating into the new currency system, but for him, it was still confusing. No matter; he had a job to do as quartermaster. Lifting his left arm, he typed into his Class 4 Holopad, the screen projecting from a watch-like band around his wrist. Got someone claiming to collect our wages. What’s our fee, Captain? He typed and sent this to Erardo, and patiently awaited a reply. 2 millicents a day, given our method of landing. This was all Ansel needed. “My apologies, ma’am, but I’m afraid you must be mistaken. Spaceport declared our payment to at 2 millicents per day. Are you their representative? If you are, we can give them a call to determine if there’s a mix-up on our behalf.” He spoke politely once more. Sure, he admitted to himself that he was being rather nice to this individual, but they were still ultimately guests on this world, and to stir up trouble would be nothing short of impolite and out of term for them, especially given their species.
-
The horses the Imaginese had acquired proved more biddable than regular horses, even if they were somewhat noisier. The mounts slowly but steadily carried them out of the city and towards the jungles. Way to their south they could see a plume of smoke arising in the distance, just inside the treeline, and they could feel the first hints of rain as they approached a storm that was battering the eastern fringe of the jungle ahead of them.
"So what is it you want in this Sapphire Valley again?" asked Zal'ger, his mount comically small beneath his reptilian bulk.
Al-Tehrani moved just in time to see a bloom of fire as the figure in the undergrowth fired. A small anti-armour munition, tipped with explosives, roared towards the rover. It was not a complicated affair, but that would be of little comfort to the explorers as the rocket sprang from the bushes towards their lead vehicle.
Yils' knife scored along the jaw of the beast, juddering against some kind of scales that shimmered in the dull light. Blood sprang forth and it recoiled, roaring in pain, then bit at her leg. Two forward-facing eyes fixed on her leg, whilst on the sides of the head sat another pair, the left-hand one of which fixed Yils herself with a hungry glare. Four legs, in a sprawling layout, scrabbled in the dirt whilst a powerful tail with a feathered tip thrashed at the undergrowth wildly.
_
The woman offered an ingratiating smile. "I am Adjutant Tandis and yes, that's 2 millicents per day plus administration fees and port insurance, payable up front per week, for 20 millicents."
The amount was not particularly high - a millicent would buy a single fast food meal on one of the core worlds, but Ponta was not a core world. The crowd had mostly fallen silent, enjoying the show. They had seen the port authorities do this to foreigners hundreds of times and it was funny every time, especially if the offworlders disgreed. Whichever side lost, the citizens were always entertained
-
As the water began to bounce off their metallic steeds, the party began uncovering rain covers, ponchos of sorts which they wrapped around themselves in the hope of some protection from the elements. Big Zub breathed in heavily as he did so, almost in preparation for an inevitable “sniffle” that would come with being caught in a storm.
Zahida looked over her crew before turning back to Zal’ger.
“Truth be told Mr Zal’ger, we aren’t entirely sure. You’ve heard tales of these ‘Wandering Tuffet’ no doubt. Certainly, from my understanding we aren’t the only ones interested. Well, we’ve been sent to study them…if we can find them…again my understanding is that even that could be quite difficult.”
-
Yils scrambles to her feet, shaking as she brandishes her knife in front of her, the tip pointed towards the beast as she stands defensively. Fortunately she hadn't gone far from the camp and already two guards with pistols and domestic Warbred had begun to run to her aid, yelling for additional help. Until they reached her, however, she was locked into a nerve wracking standoff with this beast.
-
Ansel seemed intrigued. Alright, so she was genuine. He quickly replied to his Captain, whom upon reading this, decided it best to not object to this nor argue it; this was a more distant world, they were still guests, and they had gone to lengths to land in-atmosphere, which given the size of their ship, was an inconvenience. “Apologies, Adjutant. Our weekly dues shall be forwarded immediately. Is there a preference as to how Ponta goes about collecting port fees? Is a physical transaction preferred or is a digital transaction preferred?” He spoke politely, though he still was a bit suspicious. While their presence was not immeasurably short in the galaxy, Pyrhus was still in the side of due caution to their surroundings and neighbors. Even the crew watching could tell Ansel was a little suspicious.
-
Zal'ger shrugged. "It won't be that difficult," he said, then turned back to glance at Zahdia "with such an experienced tracker as me, of course!" he added hastily, wagging a finger. He was interrupted, however, by a roiling explosion in the distance in the direction of the CSF expedition, the shockwave reaching them faintly even here as a plume of flame and smoke climbed into the sky, creeping through the canopy a way away from them.
"Whoa," said Zal'ger, his bluff facade stripped for a second. "Someone's having a bad day?" he said lightly, only a trace of concern creeping into his voice.
-
The strange beast was about to lunge, but then the clamour of the others and the unfamiliar sounds of the Warbred spooked it. It backed up a few steps and then turned, whip-fast, into the undergrowth and disappeared, leaving a rustling of ferns behind it as quickly as it had come.
-
The Adjutant smiled, relieved. "Digital will do fine," she said, with a nod, transmitting a holographic payment code to the ship's public comm system, before offering a shallow bow and turning to leave. The crowd seemed disappointed, and one yelled something in the local language, tossing a half-empty container of some kind of fast food towards both Ansel and the Adjutant. Almost immediately, one of the huge enforcers with her muscled into the crowd, baton raised angrily
-
“I trust in your guidance Mr Zal’ger.” Zahida retorted, wanting to express her confidence in their guide, and also keep him in their good books as they explored this strange new world.
They heard the explosion ripple through the jungle, and a cloud of smoke puff above the canopy.
“Oh shit!” Big Zub exclaimed. “That doesn’t sound good. You think we should go check it out Captain? Maybe folks hurt.”
“I’ll defer to our guide Comrade Mikhailovich. Zal’ger…you know the terrain better than us…I put that explosion some distance to the South East of us.”
“About 3.5km by my estimations” Artur interjected.
“Indeed…would it be wise for us to go that way…see if our assistance is needed?”
-
"Two minutes! Two minutes into this expedition, and someone has ALREADY BEEN MAULED!" yells Screlsk directly to Gkari's face. Ylis, of course, had been rushed to the newly set-up medical tent moments before, still bleeding quite heavily from where the beast had latched onto her arm. Meanwhile, Gkari looked quite troubled. "I agree this is unacceptable, Screlsk. Please, do not let anyone wander off alone again and set up a perimeter."
Screlsk looks like he's going to start yelling again. But before he does, he decided better of it and just storms off to follow Gkari's orders.
-
Ansel was surprised by the crowd’s reaction; why would they do this? This only puzzled him more as two of the Discovery’s security members quickly took position around him, guarding the quartermaster from anything else that could be hurled at him. Once again, the payment was delayed, and the drama could continue to circulate as he was withdrawn to the safety of the Discovery.
”Something more is going on here than we really know about.” Ansel thought to himself, looking out to the crowd surrounding the ship, and the enormous enforcer, baton in hand, aggressively watching the crowd. Sure, this was a backwater world, so to say… but something still felt not quite right. He would think on this more and confide in the Captain.
Meanwhile, some of the vehicles that had off-loaded were idling nearby, maps and other goods acquired via the brief bits of trade before the Adjutant’s arrival. They had few atmospheric craft available, only a pair C-21 Ravens and UH-45 Sparrows for defense. Their ground compliment was a series of hovercraft and one T58 APC with a light plasma cannon. They were waiting for, ironically, Ansel to tag along, as well as their expedition leader, whom was currently aboard the Discovery with the Captain, being briefed over said expedition one final time.
-
Zal'Ger shook his head. "*You wanna waste your time and money? Who knows what's happening there...you paid me to guide you, not get involved in a war. If you wanna go then be my guest but I ain't coming with."
-
There was no sign of the beast that had attacked them, other than a trail of broken plants leading into the undergrowth and some sprays of blood where the scuffle had taken place. The rain was still beating down hard, however, and quickly even the evidence of the attack had been subsumed by the muddy jungle floor.
_
With Ansel and the others retreating back into the ship, the crowd simply milled about, frustrated but cowed by the arrest of one of the troublemakers, who had been hauled away by the Adjutant and her guards as they departed. Eventually the crowd dispersed, going back to their work or wandering off to find other entertainment, leaving only a couple of vendors still hoping that the newcomers might spend a bit more coin
-
“No no, that is fair.” The Captain replied. “We will continue on track.”
“Say Zal’ger, how long we going to be on these things?” Big Zub asked, motioning to the steel horses that they travelled upon.
“…and, what is the likelihood of us finding this local fauna? Do you have any hints or tips on finding them?” Artur asked.
-
Rather than spend, the Discovery's crew opted to wait and let things settle down a bit first; venturing back out at this moment could lead to potentially disasterous incidents. One guard in particular felt this. He shuffled a bit, nervous that something could possibly break out again.
This isn't the best atmosphere to be in, The guard, named Olek Lakshmana, pondered to himself. Given how bad that reaction was, I do hope the lads in our science vehicles can hold their own. Well, of course they can, they've got armored cars. But... I can't help but feel like more is going on here than we're really seeing. If only I could do some investigating of my own.
He sighed, watching Ansel speak to several of the other guards inside the ship for a brief moment. He looked just as wary now, speaking in more hushed tones to the guards he was talking to. They nodded occassionally, and then departed when he seemingly shooed them off. They returned outside, but remained close to the ship. Olek couldn't tell, but they were watching the Adjutant and her own guards rather closely. Ansel had indeed grown wary, especially given the crowd's reaction to a seemingly polite deal with the Adjutant. If Ansel was suspicious, then the crew all had reason to be wary, as the quartermaster had been on enough worlds to know at the very least that a reaction such as that had to indicate trouble of some sort. The true expedition could wait, at least for now. What was needed was the trust of the public, and to find the roots of a possible new issue, if the quartermaster's hunch was indeed correct.
-
The camp was on high alert for the rest of the day. Ylis got the medical attention she needed. Some stitches were necessary but she should be back up on her feet in a couple days. In the meantime, the rest of the camp began to study the flora and fauna of the surrounding area while staying within the perimeter. Most of the scientific equipment stayed packed, however, so only the lighter and smaller devices were used, limiting the extent of the research, especially in the genetics department.
-
The Imaginese passed under the canopy, the rain slackening somewhat as the triple layer of foliage sheltered them, the ankles of their mechanical mounts flaring out baskets to stop them from sinking into the mud. Zal'ger seemed less agitated now that they were in the cover of the jungle, and glanced back at Big Zub.
"Not long. I know an easy route right over the crest and into the Sapphire valley, one that those other teams in their trucks won't be able to use. As to whether we find these beasts...that's up to you!"
--
In the distance from the Discovery, at the next field-turned-landing-pad, the CSF were in a panic, something perhaps to do with the plume of smoke in the distance. A buggy set off towards it, whilst the others began repacking their camp, loading it into shuttles to leave without explanation.
Approaching the camp was a bald man in a leather jacket, smoking a cigarette as his narrowed eyes swept over the Discovery and its crew. He strolled at a leisurely pace, his boots kicking up dust from the well-travelled pathway.
--
The rain hammered down on the offworlders, but luckily for Ylis and the rest the monster did not return. It obviously had no desire to take on a dozen humanoids and their watchdogs, far more than it had bargained for, and had slunk off into the undergrowth. They were relatively undisturbed, although some small kind of tree-dwelling vertebrates with prehensile tails sat and watched them for a while, and at one point a tiny goat-sized herbivore stumbled into their perimeter and then bolted, squealing in alarm
-
“He is right Mikhailovich.” Sabrinova reinforced. “Let’s get started shall we?”
She took a breath, before bursting into commands.
“Artur, scan the surroundings. Set a perimeter for life forms of large scale. Filter for carbon dioxide inhalation. That should narrow down the search, and hopefully point us in the direction of our finds. Dasha, I want you scanning the rest of this jungle. Any additional information we can find maybe useful…and Zubkov…keep an eye on the surroundings. I don’t know what caused that explosion, but let us not be caught off guard. Weapons at the ready please…”
-
The explosion had definitely caught the attention of the GPCE ground crew, and several had gone over from the ground crew to investigate as to why they were leaving. Olek was one of them, and he was the first to ask:
“Hey! Where you lads going? Someone could be hurt from that; aren’t they one of yours?”
He would’ve continued, but the Discovery had ordered its two UH-45 Sparrowhawk rotorwing utility crafts to investigate the plume of smoke, and if possible, search for survivors.
Meanwhile, in the expeditionary group, they got the word; begin their search for this creature, and obtain information, samples and whatever could be gained, but without displacing it from its environment. The convoy of modified air cars , the sole T58, and one of the C-21 rotorwings began powering up, with the huge quad-engined craft lifting up from a dorsal hanger in the Discovery, and the convoy began their trek out into the wilderness, in search of their objective….
-
The perimeter was kept up all night with a rotating guard to protect the scientists sleeping within
The next morning, after the wake-up calls were rung, the camp was alive with activity. People bustled around, Corushan and Cjiu alike getting a quick breakfast and repacking what little had been unpacked the day before.
The sun had barely risen by the time the caravan set out for their final destination through the forest. The line of vehicle-beasts trudges along, going slowly as not to trip or stumble. Fortunately the final campsite is not far, but at their current pace and current route (one that avoids thicker and more dangerous parts of the forest) it should still be dark by the time they arrive.
-
The next day
Despite their trials and tribulations, the three surviving groups made it to the valley without further incident. The fabled Tuffett beasts were so close they could almost taste them, and yet there was still work to be done. To find them, and then to secure one and make it back out with the sample for study....
The sun rose over the verdant green valley, lined on its steep slopes by thick jungle, whilst a wide, shallow river snaked towards distant mountains, surrounded by lush meadows that broke up the emerald treeline
-
For the 4 crewmen of the VNK Smelosk, the journey into the valley, despite the downpour of rain, was pleasant. Ponta reminded them very much of the landscape of the Dolina within the Socialist Republics, a place popular for its tropical get away for many citizen, and whilst this jungle remained wild and untamed, there was a certain familiarity to the climate that eased the journey.
Once upon the cusp of the valley itself, focus returned to the job at hand, and the attempt to track and locate a Tuffett. Artur, the AI, once more went to work scanning the local, narrowing the parameters of his lifeform search. He went to adjust the fields to scan for plant life, with the variation of movement, the hope being that it would be enough to filter out the rest of the vegetation and locate a Truffett. Before he could do so however, the scanner, uninhabited by his variations, began to show signs of humanoid life within the valley.
“Hmm….Captain…Mr Zal’ger. I appear to be picking up other humanoid life within his valley. I know we are not alone in our search for these Truffetts, but perhaps we should monitor their paths, or indeed contact them, so as not to experience any complications further down the line?”
“You maybe right Artur” the captain replied, cautiously. “Comrade Plotnikova, perhaps you could open an all channels communication. Suggest to any and all helpful parties that the valley is hard to cover, and if we all are seeking the same goal, it maybe worth consolidating our efforts?”
Dasha nodded, accepting the command from her captain, before producing the message and punching it into the ether.
-
It took all day for everything to be unpacked, set up, and for the camp to settle into it's somewhat permanent new location, surrounded on three sides by jungle and the other by a small river for clean water. Some important equipment includes:
-A genetic sequencer
-A few small development vats for if more guard Warbred or needed, or if some die
-A communications disc for interacting with the nearest town and the Dominion
-A toxin analyzer and a cure synthesizer for poisonings and venomous animal attacks
-Four medical cryptosleep caskets for medical emergencies that cannot be treated on-site
Once dawn breaks, work is immediately started, with samples taken from the surrounding flora and fauna, and four teams sent out to look for the Tuffet. Two are sent up the valley and two are sent down the valley and told to spread out.
It's only later on that first day that the message from the Imaginarium is received, and a message is quickly sent back.
"Greetings, fellow men of science. We had suspected other had come looking for the Tuffet, and we are happy to find other like-minded people out there. We would like to accept your offer of mutual aid, however we will be required to ask our superiors for permission first. However, while we await confirmation, if you wish to come talk in person, we will transfer our coordinates."
-
The search was intense, long and harsh on the Discovery's crew. For several days, the expedition team, supported by the tiltrotor helos that were launched, searched for their quarry; a Tuffet for research, development, and agricultural enhancement of their current worlds. For days, they chased the supposed trail of one these unusual creatures. All seemed lost; had they failed to reach one of these creatures? Did the various other factions they had noticed here beaten them to the punch? But, at this very moment, when the crew was about to call it, they received the message from the VNK Smelosk's own crew. An offer of a joint search? This was too good an opportunity to let slide; if they had a slight clue as to where one could be, then the team could secure themselves, and possibly their aid, Tuffets for research!
"Forward this to the Captain!" Olek's voice called from within the T58, now on his shift of operating the vehicle's short and long-range radios and commlinks. If there was a chance, the slightest chance of success, he'd try his hardest to ensure it.
"On it, stand by!" A fellow operator next to him answered. Her name badge said "Arlette." She, like most of the Discovery's crew, was an experienced member of the ship's expedition team, and usually worked alongside Olek in on expeditions. The message shared by the Smelosk was sent to the Discovery. Minutes passed, the two operators waiting anxiously. A message finally came back. "CLEARED FOR JOINT OPERATION," popped up on the screen for their long-range comms.
"Perfect. I'll issue a reply." Olek began to send and broadcast a message to the crew, hoping they'd pick up their reply to their message...
-
“Captain, we seem to be getting responses.” Dasha said, alerting the group to the messages incoming. It had not taken long for the replies to arrive, much to Zahida surprise, and now she found herself rushing to compile an adequate response to scientists from the Discovery and Dominion. Everyone seemed friendly enough, and the replies suggested that no one had yet found the “Tuffets”, but their motivations on finding the lifeforms had not been determined, and Zahida herself felt that whilst cooperation was necessary, she wanted to play some cards close to her chest.
She mused for a second, before composing the Imaginese response.
“Ok, Dasha…respond with this: Thank you both for your response, I hope we can work together in achieving what is clearly a goal that we all share. We will happily come in person to speak with the Dominion scientists, and suggest that the crew of the discovery does as well, so that we may speak face to face, and get a better understanding of what we all can offer to the project.”
-
"Excellent," The Dominon sends back a few minutes after the previous reply was received. "We eagerly await your arrival. Coordinates are attached."
-
Olek and the crew of the T58 grinned in eager anticipation that only scientists on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery could make. He quickly issued his reply, wasting no time to entail his agreement.
"I'm proud to hear that you're of the same mind as we are for a joint expedition. We will gladly await coordinates so we may meet up and provide our resources for mutual benefit."
-
“They are more than willing to meet with us. They have provided us with these coordinates.” Dasha explained to the group, pointing out the spot on the map on her data pad now labelled ‘Dominion’.
“Good work Dasha,” Zahida nodded, tapping the young comrade on her shoulder as a show of appreciation. “We better move. Their location is not too far, albeit it will still take us some time to walk there. We all good to go?”
Even if the group had felt tired, none of them shared it, as they ploughed on through the jungle, heading in the direction of their new destination. Once more, Big Zub took the lead, along with the hired guide, Zal’ger. Zahida followed swiftly behind, with Dasha and the AI Artur closely on her heels. Conversation was kept to an absolute minimum, as they conserved their energy, each keeping their thoughts of hot food, tired feet, and worries of the jungle to themselves. Only Artur’s thoughts drifted towards the mission at hand; the AI running various scenarios after scenarios for their coming interactions.
He felt as frustrated as an Akili Bandi could get, as he mentally kept running into the same roadblock; “how could they trust other parties? What compromises would have to be made to guarantee some form of success? What if they were betrayed?” The logical conclusion was that despite their supposed openness, there was every chance that the members of the Dominion and the crew of the T58 could betray their trust at any moment. The 4 person squad would not last long. He dwelled on his thoughts. The solution sadly obvious.
“If we are to succeed here, the other parties must be broken.” He thought.
-
As the small group enters into the camp, they are greeted by the sight of a bustling scientific encampment, with Cykons buzzing around setting up equipment and collecting samples, along with a couple of Warbred and their handlers acting as guards.
Gkari, seeing the four arrive, strolls over and excitedly introduces himeslf "Greetings! I am Gkari, the head of this expedition. Who do I have the honor of meeting?"
-
The first thing to arrive from the GPCE’s group were the Sparrowhawk helos. Two buzzed overhead, slowly circling the area, awaiting for the ground team to arrive. Then, a small convoy of assorted vehicles, including the T58, arrived at the encampment, stopping nearby. Olek, Arlette and the rest of the group stepped out, greeting the others.
“Apologies if we’ve arrived a bit late, there was a bit of a hold-up.” Arlette spoke up first, “I can safely presume the rest of you are the ones who reached out?” She stated this politely, a calm, neutral expression adorning her face.
-
The 4 crewmen of the VNK Smelosk, accompanied by Zal’ger, made their way, with pace, through the vegetation, towards the coordinates provided for the Dominion base. They soon found themselves dropping upon the outskirts of the camp, the buzz and hum of activity meaning that wildlife gave the site a wide birth. Big Zub motioned for caution, spying upon its people before confidently summarising that this was the place their maps pointed them towards, as if the rest had any doubt.
They moved in tandem, arriving as a group, Zal’ger and Big Zub at the rear, Zahida, Dasha and Artur in front. A hurry of individuals raced from place to place, seemingly paying them no attention, until Zahida spotted what she assumed to be a meeting of Dominion and GPCE parties. Their décor and aesthetics were unalike, their equipment seemingly different. All sure signs of 2 alien cultures meeting for the first time. ‘Now, to be 3 alien cultures’, she thought. She brought forth a single wave, before announcing their presence.
“Greetings.” She said with a smile, the likes of which her team did not replicate, instead looking pensive. “My name is Captain Zahida Sabirova of the Imaginese vessel 'VNK Smelosk', and this is my crew, and our guide Mr Zal’ger. We are honoured to receive your invitation to meet here and look forward to working together. You are from the Dominion and GCPE, correct?”
.
Before a response could be given, a thunderous voice shouted from behind her.
“Hey, friends. You got any food or drink here? We’ve been walking a while…” Big Zub said, undermining the captain’s formal greeting, to which he received a murderous glare from Zahida.
“Comrade Mikhailovich, you forget yourself and run the risk of making a fool of yourself in front of new colleagues…” Zahida said, through gritted teeth, as she threatened the man with a hand signal. “Apologies, friends…we have been on the move for some time now, and unlike yourselves, we have yet to establish a base of operations or to be…so…supported by in our expedition.”
“Mikhailovich maybe correct captain.” Artur interjected. “Food and drink is often a wonderful custom for getting to know each other…perhaps a meeting in a more relaxed location would be beneficial to all?”
Zahida again gave a threatening look, but returned to give the Dominion and GCPE scientists a grin.
-
Olek, Arlette and their colleagues were trying to keep straight faces having witnessed this exchange. It felt relatable, like they were looking in a mirror and seeing how they acted at times.
“We would be delighted to have such a meeting. We can send our Sparrowhawks back to our ship to collect some extra supplies to prepare meals for everyone, if you all like.” Olek spoke up first. He knew the Captain wouldn’t squander a good diplomatic opportunity… even if it gave poor Ansel an aneurysm.
“We can also get a camp set up. We’ve been fairly mobile for this expedition, and haven’t really stopped to really establish a full base of operations aside from our starship.” Arlette pipped in, in which her words got nods from their fellow members. One got up on comms to inform the circling Sparrowhawks that they might be heading to the Discovery. Another tried reaching out to the Discovery’s skipper, but his holopad was giving him trouble, as this individual wasn’t particularly careful with it at times. Another expedition teammate came to help, softly scolding him as well.
“We… do hope you’ll all be good with this. We only wish to return the hospitality you offered us in a joint effort.” Olek said, a bit bashful over his team’s own bantering and eagerness to try and gain allies.
-
JADE COURIER NETWORK
NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED
On the independent planet of Calix, scientific explorers from Imaginarium, the GPCE, and Cykolos have successfully completed a joint mission to discover the Wandering Tuffet, or Concameratus Sandersonii, a miraculous species of plant which is semi-ambulatory and which can be harvested for incredibly nutritious 'meat'. This discovery is expected to help mitigate the soaring cost of foodstuffs in some of the poorer regions of the Tuvian Arm and beyond, and several investors and corporations are already putting in applications for breeding stock and DNA samples to create their own herd-gardens.
This achievement did not come without cost, however, as unfortunately members of an exploratory team from the Meridian Commonwealth were ambushed by unknown assailants, with six team members being killed. The price of progress is always steep, but this sacrifice makes the breakthrough that will save so many lives all the more poignant. Their murderers are still unknown and the Adjutants of Calix have posted a reward for information that leads to their arrest.