Arrival - 0.1
- Location
- universe
"-elling you, it's fucking aliens man."
Already, there is a loud conversation occurring on the other side of the passenger compartment, emanating from a huddle of raucous guards. Despite the identical and heavily armoured uniform they all share, their boisterous comradery is obvious, making you smile.
This is a refreshingly expressive interaction compared to what you usually encounter in high society, so you pay close attention.
"Fuck off Jeff! The eggheads would've told us if it was aliens... Besides, it's probably a rebel outpost or some shit," the large one replies gruffly, sitting between his two conversation partners and gesturing in frustration.
"'Sides, it's not like that Englanosia thing – This job was specified as anti-resistance from the get go. Give those damn conspiracy theories a rest for fucks sake."
This veritable bear of a man sounds majorly annoyed, and for a moment you are tempted to interject on his behalf – Both to inform them of how unlikely extra-terrestrial life being discovered is, and to shut up the groups' red haired joker.
However, your choice is taken away from you by a musically soft feminine voice, coming from somewhere behind you down your aisle.
You pause momentarily in response, because you recognise it well.
She's Angelina Caulfield, another famous young explorer of this age, responsible for more than a quarter of the greatest recent expeditions succeeding – all despite her middle-class background. She's a woman of such dedication and skill that she impacted the industry as a whole with her achievements by the age of 20. Mirroring your own career in scale and notoriety, she quickly carved out a niche for herself over the last few years as a stellar research leader.
You had looked forward to meeting her in person before arriving here, knowing that she had been sent to the capital ship you were stationed at. Suffice to say, you had not been disappointed; she was just as charismatic in person as depicted in recordings, but also conveyed a sense of innocence and kind-hearted spirit that's hard not to find endearing. A shock compared to the confident and brazen young dreamer you followed online before coming here.
Turning to look at your team leader, you watch her stand up mid aisle and wave in the soldier's general direction – a motion that rustles her flowing brown hair and highlights those attractive facial features of hers. She may wear baggy and unflattering research equipment like the rest of you, but she somehow looks good in it – a feat you quietly envy.
"H-hey!" she exclaims, simultaneously energised and disarmingly peaceful, like a kitten meowing towards a sabretooth. This doesn't stop her from exuding command with her actions, though.
With a determined pout, she continues in that pleasant tone of hers, "We are only here to discover information, not make it up in ignorance! Let us first explore this so-called temple, before deciding what's inside of it. Isn't that the spirit of adventure, anyway?!"
Whilst you doubt the necessity of her impassioned rant, you can't help but feel encouraged by her point of view. In fact, your already enthusiastic mood brightens in response to her interjection.
You are glad that she's the one leading this expedition, by merit of her personality and achievements alone.
Further conversation is stalled for the moment however, by a deafening announcement from the shuttle's loudspeakers – something that visibly disappoints those guards, apparently.
"Attention all passengers. Please return to your seats and attach the safety harnesses provided. We will soon be entering the atmosphere of Mesa-06. Further turbulence should be expected due to harsh weather conditions."
The interruption over comms is jarring, compared to the relatively relaxed conversation you were listening to earlier. Despite it's helpful words, you can't help but be annoyed by its grating and static filled military brand speakers, so different to those used in civilian craft. What you wouldn't give to be in your families private ship right now.
Looking around at the drab fixtures and peeling grey paint, you feel a small pang of homesickness, before you bury it harshly under your mounting excitement for the expedition. Soon, you will be entering one of the most well documented ecological events in the universe and you would not let a lack of common comforts hinder that!
The vaunted storms of this planet – A once in a lifetime experience.
You had all been warned of this event beforehand and how dangerous they could be of course, but you couldn't dismiss a desire to see them in person rather than recorded on-screen. That near constant need to experience excitement was drawn to this occurrence like a moth to a flame, stoked overtime by video evidence and speeches regarding its grandeur.
Apparently, as a direct consequence of this place's unusual element S quantity, vast storms and violent weather patterns completely span its surface. Not only are most star ships impossible to land here, it also prohibits the transportation of element S in large quantities – not just due to unreliable mid-flight storage methods, but because of something in the clouds that interferes with the confusing material.
Past experiments of this phenomenon had turned out to be… explosive, in the fiercest sense of the word. Science has yet to find an answer to these grave questions, but hopefully the discovery of new and relevant information could help. That was the purpose of this journey, after all.
By looking out the window, you can see the brown orb of your destination swelling ever larger and more expansive upon your approach. Wracked with those famous weathers, its surface appears to undulate with wisps of brown and smooth cream, never settling against the starry backdrop of space.
However, you notice that there is time for a small chat with the others before arrival, as you are still some distance away from the cloud cover. Buckling into your seat like the announcement suggested, you turn your attention back to your fellow passengers, those who would accompany you on the trip of a lifetime.
Who to chat with, though?
[] converse with:
-[] The Guards. They seem like a good laugh and could even save your life in the future. You should foster good relations and comradery!
-[] Angelina. You both share interests, why not discuss them? She seemed interested back on the capital ship and you should know more about your team leader.
-[] The researchers. These people will be who you trust down there to uncover information - Best to get a good impression of them beforehand so that things go smoothly.
Already, there is a loud conversation occurring on the other side of the passenger compartment, emanating from a huddle of raucous guards. Despite the identical and heavily armoured uniform they all share, their boisterous comradery is obvious, making you smile.
This is a refreshingly expressive interaction compared to what you usually encounter in high society, so you pay close attention.
"Fuck off Jeff! The eggheads would've told us if it was aliens... Besides, it's probably a rebel outpost or some shit," the large one replies gruffly, sitting between his two conversation partners and gesturing in frustration.
"'Sides, it's not like that Englanosia thing – This job was specified as anti-resistance from the get go. Give those damn conspiracy theories a rest for fucks sake."
This veritable bear of a man sounds majorly annoyed, and for a moment you are tempted to interject on his behalf – Both to inform them of how unlikely extra-terrestrial life being discovered is, and to shut up the groups' red haired joker.
However, your choice is taken away from you by a musically soft feminine voice, coming from somewhere behind you down your aisle.
You pause momentarily in response, because you recognise it well.
She's Angelina Caulfield, another famous young explorer of this age, responsible for more than a quarter of the greatest recent expeditions succeeding – all despite her middle-class background. She's a woman of such dedication and skill that she impacted the industry as a whole with her achievements by the age of 20. Mirroring your own career in scale and notoriety, she quickly carved out a niche for herself over the last few years as a stellar research leader.
You had looked forward to meeting her in person before arriving here, knowing that she had been sent to the capital ship you were stationed at. Suffice to say, you had not been disappointed; she was just as charismatic in person as depicted in recordings, but also conveyed a sense of innocence and kind-hearted spirit that's hard not to find endearing. A shock compared to the confident and brazen young dreamer you followed online before coming here.
Turning to look at your team leader, you watch her stand up mid aisle and wave in the soldier's general direction – a motion that rustles her flowing brown hair and highlights those attractive facial features of hers. She may wear baggy and unflattering research equipment like the rest of you, but she somehow looks good in it – a feat you quietly envy.
"H-hey!" she exclaims, simultaneously energised and disarmingly peaceful, like a kitten meowing towards a sabretooth. This doesn't stop her from exuding command with her actions, though.
With a determined pout, she continues in that pleasant tone of hers, "We are only here to discover information, not make it up in ignorance! Let us first explore this so-called temple, before deciding what's inside of it. Isn't that the spirit of adventure, anyway?!"
Whilst you doubt the necessity of her impassioned rant, you can't help but feel encouraged by her point of view. In fact, your already enthusiastic mood brightens in response to her interjection.
You are glad that she's the one leading this expedition, by merit of her personality and achievements alone.
Further conversation is stalled for the moment however, by a deafening announcement from the shuttle's loudspeakers – something that visibly disappoints those guards, apparently.
"Attention all passengers. Please return to your seats and attach the safety harnesses provided. We will soon be entering the atmosphere of Mesa-06. Further turbulence should be expected due to harsh weather conditions."
The interruption over comms is jarring, compared to the relatively relaxed conversation you were listening to earlier. Despite it's helpful words, you can't help but be annoyed by its grating and static filled military brand speakers, so different to those used in civilian craft. What you wouldn't give to be in your families private ship right now.
Looking around at the drab fixtures and peeling grey paint, you feel a small pang of homesickness, before you bury it harshly under your mounting excitement for the expedition. Soon, you will be entering one of the most well documented ecological events in the universe and you would not let a lack of common comforts hinder that!
The vaunted storms of this planet – A once in a lifetime experience.
You had all been warned of this event beforehand and how dangerous they could be of course, but you couldn't dismiss a desire to see them in person rather than recorded on-screen. That near constant need to experience excitement was drawn to this occurrence like a moth to a flame, stoked overtime by video evidence and speeches regarding its grandeur.
Apparently, as a direct consequence of this place's unusual element S quantity, vast storms and violent weather patterns completely span its surface. Not only are most star ships impossible to land here, it also prohibits the transportation of element S in large quantities – not just due to unreliable mid-flight storage methods, but because of something in the clouds that interferes with the confusing material.
Past experiments of this phenomenon had turned out to be… explosive, in the fiercest sense of the word. Science has yet to find an answer to these grave questions, but hopefully the discovery of new and relevant information could help. That was the purpose of this journey, after all.
By looking out the window, you can see the brown orb of your destination swelling ever larger and more expansive upon your approach. Wracked with those famous weathers, its surface appears to undulate with wisps of brown and smooth cream, never settling against the starry backdrop of space.
However, you notice that there is time for a small chat with the others before arrival, as you are still some distance away from the cloud cover. Buckling into your seat like the announcement suggested, you turn your attention back to your fellow passengers, those who would accompany you on the trip of a lifetime.
Who to chat with, though?
[] converse with:
-[] The Guards. They seem like a good laugh and could even save your life in the future. You should foster good relations and comradery!
-[] Angelina. You both share interests, why not discuss them? She seemed interested back on the capital ship and you should know more about your team leader.
-[] The researchers. These people will be who you trust down there to uncover information - Best to get a good impression of them beforehand so that things go smoothly.
