ten_fwd | [Away Mission:] Arrivals Post, Alemar III (Party Post!)

"Welcome, everyone, to geothermal field two-nine-one," Dr. Johanna Sk'Amor says, once everyone has gathered in the entryway.

The shuttlebay the group has just left is behind them, while the large entrance to the facility is directly ahead. The building is quite spacious, and despite the high volume of visitors no one is cramped for space while standing here. It's like a museum lobby, with fixtures in the center of the room and wings on either side. While the design is not as bright and clean as the Enterprise, the high ceilings and white walls give a feeling of spaciousness. To the right is the main observation room, where the convex wall making up one full corner of the drilling facility is primarily floor-to-ceiling windows. The vistas beyond are stunning: tall, grey mountains and low valleys, all covered with snow. To the left is a winding staircase that leads to an upper level, and beyond that are several labs.

"This is one of five scientific outposts located on Alemar III," the doctor continues. "At one time we had seven, but two have been destroyed by earthquakes. Alemar III is highly geologically active, so our remaining facilities have been reinforced to withstand even the most devastating natural disasters. There's nothing to worry about, our engineers are some of the best in the quadrant, but if you feel some tremors while you look around just keep in mind that this is normal.

"Two of our outposts are at the polar north and south of the planet, while the other three, this one included, are evenly spread across the globe. Our staff is small, only about ten scientists and five archaeologists, and enough engineers to keep everything in working order. In all, the entire planet only has about ninety occupants at any given time. It's rare that we're able to entertain guests.

"If you'll follow me, I'll show you some of the work we accomplish here."

[ooc: This post is open to those who signed up for our game plot only! As it's being run party post style, all characters are encouraged to tag in and mingle; since teams have not been divided yet, any participating character can tag anyone else, you don't have to stick only to those on your teams. You may also tag in as many top level threads as you choose if you're doing the full tour, just be sure your character ends up in the room where their team will be positioned for the rest of the plot (for those who will be divided in the mines due to cave-ins, the main mine connects to many other rooms and alcoves, so simply tag in under the Main Mine subheading and have your characters move around the different passageways to explore. Wherever rocks fall, that's where the rooms will be divided). Threadhopping and backtagging are encouraged! This post will remain open for as long as it takes all characters to tag in.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The surface of a planet.

Don't mind Eleanor. She just grew up at the bottom of the ocean, and has never seen the sky from this side before.

At least she has traded in her nightgown for something like a boilersuit, something like the older girls back home wear, and proper boots. Caves are cold, aren't they?

She'd always imagined she'd first see the surface with her father, that they'd go up to the lighthouse and he'd take her hand so she'd know she was safe--he was from the surface, all that sky wouldn't bother him at all. And they'd find a ship and sail far away, to wherever he was from; Kansas, maybe, like the Oz books.

But this isn't Kansas. There are mountains. And her father's not here--she hadn't had a chance to try her resurrection plan, so he's still quite dead, his body still lying where he had fallen ten years ago.

Maybe she should've stayed on the ship. There's nothing like travel to make a person feel alone.

Right by Eleanor, clustered with the rest of the ship's group, James has his hands in his pockets, wishing that maybe he'd had an extra jacket or something - not that he's comfortable, exactly, with wearing something a replicator made.

But his only other option is his school blazer and he loathes that thing.

He surveys the new planet they've arrived on, his expression as calm as he can keep it, but it's not hard to see that, despite his best efforts, he's impressed. Impressed and a little in awe. That he can be here right now, on another planet after disembarking a bloody spaceship instead of being back home on Earth, stepping off a boring ol' train.

"Christ."

Be very, very careful when ordering clothing from the replicator. It can go wrong easily, if you don't want to wear a jumpsuit or dress like some sort of peculiar space-shaman.

"Those mountains are big, aren't they."

She's very glad for the enclosed space. There are plenty of big rooms in her city; that sort of space doesn't bother her. Just the sky.

Billy is easily swept up in admiring the scenery, but these mountains and this technology can't hold all of his attention. He eventually looks back at his fellow tourists, where he sees someone he faintly recognizes.

"What do you think so far?" he asks, flashing what he hopes to be a friendly smile. She's thinking about something, clearly.

"It's a bit overwhelming," she admits.

Most people have probably been places before. Most people have probably come from planets, and maybe they're new to this planet, but they're not new to planets in general.

It's a good way to feel out of place. She should've stayed on the ship.

"Definitely. And I'm not fond of---that."

There's a faint trembling. He leans hard against the wall and exhales. "Considering I lived near a fault line, I should be used to it, huh? But it's probably not much to be concerned with. But I guess you came from a quieter place, miss?"

"All our power at home is geothermal," she says. "But the city's foundations are... not floating, not exactly, but there's shock absorption. It's all done with hydraulics. The ground may move but the buildings don't, not to the same extent."

The part where she lives is in the most geologically-active area of the city, but it's also completely suspended, so they never feel anything.

"I doubt that can be done in a facility that's just tunnels underground. But they'd have to reinforce in other ways, wouldn't they? They wouldn't bring us somewhere unsafe."

"...I'd assume not," Billy hoped, though he looked like he wanted to ask more questions about this geothermal power. It seemed absolutely interesting.

"They've just requested our---Starfleet's help, right? No malevolence involved."

He hoped. Again.

"That depends on whether you trust Starfleet," she says quietly, glancing around. "Which I'm not sure I do. Is four hundred years long enough to eradicate the negative traits of humanity? Are they really so... so altruistic as they say? No money for anything. I don't trust that."

She's the product of two failed utopias. Trust is in as short supply in her city as new shoes are.

"I see your point," Billy had to admit. "I've always hoped better natures would prevail, and I would love to believe the world can be this way. I hope it can be, someday. But I don't know if it can ever be."

He rubbed at his temple, frowning at the personnel passing by.

[Away Mission:] Arrivals Post, Alemar III (Party Post!)

Eleanor

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