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

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[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.]

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As you continue away from the entrance, you'll notice a bank of elevators set into the interior walls. A short distance from them, a few computer terminals stand. These terminals operate all main systems connected with the facilities, both above- and belowground. They are currently manned by an engineer, humanoid but neither Almarian nor Human, and a Starfleet officer is standing nearby helping upgrade the systems.

There is a large, round table spread with some refreshments. Fruits, distinctly alien and uncommon to anything you'd see on Earth, soft edible skins in a variety of colors, all with their own flavor; nuts and seeds, varying from the size of a sunflower seed to the size of a walnut, yet again not quite like anything from Earth; fresh breads, some as dark as pumpernickel and as light as your common wheat bread; and sweet baked goods resembling cookies, cakes, and sweet buns. These have been laid out for the guests to enjoy, and everyone may help themselves if they choose.*

Directly in the center of the room is the large, floor-to-ceiling drill and well. It's circled all around by a guard rail, the nose pointed deep into the ground. Large hoses connect to the base of the well, leading off toward closed doors, where one can assume the energy they're harvesting is being stored. There is a computer terminal on each side of the drill, one manned by another scientist, this one Almarian. The drill is on, and the scientist is currently operating it. If you look down you'll see that the hole in the ground goes on for several miles, the bottom too far down to see. The drill is laser-based, and operates in sustained blasts.

"This is where our geothermal drilling operations are conducted. As you can see, we cut a borehole deep into the surface to extract the planet's natural heat. Once harvested, that heat can be converted into other forms, such as electrical generation. With enough, we're hoping to power all operations spanning Alemar III, in addition to the needs of Alemar IV. It's clean, renewable energy, virtually untapped and constantly reproduced, so you can imagine our excitement, but please, don't stand too close. That hole could be five kilometers down or more, so you don’t want to fall in."

As the drilling continues, a small earthquake rumbles through the facility. It’s nothing more than a gentle shake and a low noise, but Dr. Sk'Amor still comments on it before moving on to the next room.

"You see what I mean about the activity underground? Drilling can sometimes trigger earthquakes, so while we are operating you can expect to feel more of those."

[*If you do help yourself to some of the food, please limit yourself to three items, ie: no more than your character can carry comfortably. Hoarding will be frowned upon! ;)]

As you are led away from the drill, the room opens up into an observation area. Spaced out along the wall of windows are personal computer terminals; these produce a hologram window, about three feet wide by two feet tall, that overlay the scenery beyond. You can touch any part of the window to zoom in, or focus on one area in particular. As you do so, information about the landscape is provided for you.

"Our facilities are located in a mountain range along the interior of the continent, where the first colonists to settle on Alemar III crash landed ages ago. If you look toward the upland plateau to the east, you can just make out the scar where the flagship crashed and plowed forward for almost two miles. It's been softened in the time since and by natural shifts in the landscape, not to mention buried under snow and ash, but it's unmistakably there.

"There aren’t many lifeforms on Alemar III; most died out when the supervolcanoes erupted centuries ago -- but you can see vegetation is starting to come back here and there; lichen and a few stunted trees, some scrub brush. We're so far inland that there’s little precipitation, but the mountains hold plenty of geothermal energy, which is necessary to sustain life in the absence of farming.

"While our main objective here is to harvest the planet's energy, plans to terraform and resettle Alemar III are underway. The planet is a blank canvas, and since we know it at one time supported a variety of flora and fauna, we're confident it will take well to terraforming once our team of engineers and paleoseismologists better understand what is going on beneath the surface, and correct it. The two facilities at the planet's poles are where our main terraforming operations are being conducted."

After giving everyone a chance to admire the scenery, Dr. Sk'Amore leads them back through the main room toward the other wing.

Ascending a low, spiral staircase, the group enters one of several laboratories housed in the facilities here on Alemar III. This lab (and the adjoining library below), are dedicated to the work of the five archeologists mining the mountains behind the drilling operations. There are computer terminals lining the wall to the right of the door, and directly in front of the group is a large, round object. This is a sophisticated cataloging machine, which can take and produce holographic images of any artifact, determine its carbon date, and provide other scientific details about it. As such, it stores all info on every artifact uncovered and logged to date. Currently, an archeologist is placing a clay pot on top of the flat sensor, and a line of blue energy begins to travel up the pot, taking in every dimension. Soon, a perfect hologram of the pot appears directly overhead.

"As you can see, this lab is being used to clean and catalog the artifacts we are uncovering during our work here. Despite being related to the original settlers of Alemar III, we don't know much about them. Most of what you see was excavated from a cave a few kilometers north, which we've determined held some significance for the colonists who settled here in the mountains. We've found remnants of food offerings and precious metals, which suggest they used the cave for some form of religious ceremony. Please, feel free to have a look around at some of the artifacts, but do not touch anything."

All empty tables and flat surfaces are covered with artifacts and the necessary tools to study, clean, and log them. There are old paper volumes, painted jars, utensils for eating and working, musical instruments, eve some paintings on canvas as well as rock that has been carefully removed for study. The bookshelves on the lower level of the room contain a number of books and data pads, as well as glass cases protecting some of their more precious finds. Behind one glass case is a particularly beautiful geode, the clear crystals within sparkling brilliantly. All around the room, archeologists are busily at work. They are not all Almarian, some are human and others simply humanoid.

While members of the tour look around at all the artifacts, a particularly beleaguered engineer comes up to Dr. Sk'Amor with a report for her. The seismic equipment is acting up -- some are registering tremors and others aren't, in patterns that don't make much sense. They don't follow typical geologic activity. While she must agree this is curious, her first priority is their visitors, so she tells him to keep an eye on the readings and let her know if there are more changes.

"If you'll follow me, I'll show you to where we are currently excavating," she calls, smiling like the immaculate tour guide she is.

As the tour continues on past the living quarters and back to the main area of the aboveground facilities, guests are loaded into the elevators in manageable groups. Once everyone, for the most part, has congregated in the large open room underground, the tour can continue.

This area of the mine is the most complete. The walls are practically straight up and down, with lights installed casting everything in a nice, pure glow. Right beside the elevators is a communications panel -- nothing very advanced, just a simple handheld receiver and an intercom system, connected to similar panels scattered throughout the mines as well as aboveground. Behind them and to the right is a finished room with a door, behind which bunks are lined up. Many of the archeologists' living quarters are down in this area of the facility, and right next door is a small clean room with controlled atmospheric settings, so they can examine artifacts that are too frail to move upstairs. Branching out in all directions are passageways, some broad and well-lit, others more cramped and dark.

"We have determined that this area was once a rather large city," Dr. Sk'Amor begins. "Everything that once stood on Alemar III has been buried under rock and solidified lava, which makes the process of finding each settlement a real challenge. Sensors don't work well here, due to the strange composition of the rock on this planet, as well as the atmospheric conditions that disrupt your ship's 'transporters' and communications systems. As we find artifacts, we must mine around them very carefully to be sure we don't destroy what's hidden underground.

"As we've been mining, we've been uncovering more and more of these interesting crystals you'll see scattered around all of the caves. Their composition is quite baffling, and they’re a mineral that is only found here on Alemar III, not on any of the other planets in this star system. They seem to conduct energy remarkably well. Our scientists have begun harvesting them for study; it may be that we can use them as a natural source of power for our equipment, with a little modification. At any rate, they're pretty to look at."

As visitors move throughout the caves, they'll see more of these crystals protruding from the walls, ceiling, and floors throughout. Some of the more natural passages are covered with cave paintings, remnants of natural caves that existed when the first settlements were built here. These paintings depict a number of flora and fauna that were once indigenous to Alemar III, as well as some depictions of daily life for the Almarians who once lived here. There are a number of miners working throughout the caves, some in the clean room, others operating excavation tools in the newer caves. For some it is delicate work -- small picks, brushes, and spades -- for others, heavier equipment is digging out passageways and clearing away large rocks.

"Please, be careful," Dr. Sk'Amor says, as the group begins to fracture; "but do enjoy some careful exploration. Just be sure you return here in twenty minutes; we'll continue upstairs in the main lobby where some refreshments will be served, and I'll happily answer any questions you may have."

It's close quarters getting down, but the hilarious part is the part The Doctor really didn't expect at all. He and Jack were still ill at odds in passing waves, and Rose was still oblivious to both the reasons, caring about the reason, or caring about anything but everyone getting along. But something happened somewhere between yesterday, and today, and the shuttle ride.

This sort of giddy infectious sort of glee, where they started looking out the windows, talking about what might be down there and then making comments about earlier trips. And the sorts of trouble that each other shouldn't have gotten in or get into, again, here. Which may have led to insults and laughter (from the Doctor and Jack), and some hand and shoulder smacking smartness (from Rose), before they all poured out of the shuttle bay and into a tour, making faces and telling each other to be serious.

All of them. To each other. Or swearing they were. Which only made it worse.

And led to apologies to the tour guide, that truly did not come near apologetic enough.

Edited 2014-07-27 04:28 (UTC)

There's nothing like the feeling of stepping out onto a new world for the first time.

Admittedly, stepping off a shuttle from the Enterprise is quite different to walking through the Stargate with his team, but it's still the same sense of adventure, of amazement, of discovery. If anything, it's more exciting, more unknown, because he hasn't been briefed on the MALP telemetry, hasn't read mission reports from previous visits, knows only what they've been told so far by the Enterprise crew.

This place is amazing. He's brought one of the notebooks he's made with the ... replicators with him, and he's clutching it to his side, looking around, first out the windows at the mountains, then over at the spread of fruits.

Well. He can't turn those down; he can never get enough of trying out new foods, and these are fruits he's never seen before. He tries one now and pockets some more for later, before he turns to look at the drill.

He's seen a little of the mining operations on Kelowna, so that draws his interest.

Especially after what she says about the heat providing a clean, renewable energy source. What they couldn't use something like that for on Kelowna.

Aeryn has been following along. Somewhere dutifully in the line. Nowhere near the front, but not exactly taking up the rear either. Definitely not one of those people oohing over the library, and definitely she's so far from the people cooing about the crystals in the walls.

If she turns to make some comment to John, about how some people shouldn't be allowed to live or be taken out of their rooms, and then realizes, facing a wall that he isn't there, hasn't been there all day, again? Well, Aeryn giving that new wall an annoyed frown, like it personally slighted her, isn't entirely unlike the way she's looked at everything else so far.

This.

This is what he's missed.

This is what he's waited more than a century for, as much as answers. As much as that deeply serious conversation he and the Doctor had in Ten Forward that day. That was what he needed, the answers to the great dilemma that his life's become.

But what he's missed is this. It's getting slapped on the shoulder by Rose when he reminds her of some of their previous travels, it's the sudden bursts of laughter, new laughter, different laughter, from the Doctor. It's stepping out onto a new world and forgetting to pay too much attention to the tour guide to start with because he's so caught up in the sheer giddy delight of having his two dearest friends with him again, like he'd thought he never would.

It's even the apologetic, charming smile that completely fails to convince anyone.

"She's hard work," he murmurs, as much to himself as to Rose, who he's just nudged with his elbow. "So serious."

Billy is enamored with everything he's hearing and seeing. It's a wonder merely to be off the Enterprise, and to learn more about this era to boot? He's devouring every bit of information he can. He's had to jog to catch up with the group more than once due to his tendency to linger.

He longs to explore, but his desire to hear everything he can keeps him rooted to the main area.

"Isn't it absolutely amazing?" he gushes, gazing at the crystal. "Harnessed properly, you could really speed things along. And if terraforming was successful...wow. There's so much untapped potential."

He eagerly thinks back on everything he's picked up, licking the taste of the strange fruit from his lips. This is one of the best trips ever.

Edited 2014-07-28 14:19 (UTC)

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.

Sigyn hadn't wanted to come along. He can't blame her, really--twelve thousand years underground can leave a person less than enthusiastic about a bit of spelunking, and anyway someone had to stay behind to babysit the whiskey. But he wishes she were here, not because she'd enjoy it, but because then he'd have something to do with his hands besides don't touch anything.

So he's got his hands clasped firmly behind his back as he leans close to look at things. It's interesting to see other people's offerings, a window into what they hold dear and what they're willing to give in order to ensure it.

For his brother's people, it was blood for blood, suffering (preferably other people's) for power. For Loki himself, he'd never wanted blood; instead, people had cast their children's baby teeth into the hearth-fire, a token both worthless and priceless, endearingly precious yet something even his people could afford. Loki, watch over my child. Make her clever. Make him strong of heart. And he'd made their offerings into a necklace, baby teeth strung like beads, and he resists the urge to touch that now too.

Hands still clasped firmly behind him as he leans in to watch the scanning of the pottery. What would the people who'd left these gifts think about their offerings being disturbed? If they were still alive, that is.

To be honest, most of this was completely over Shotaro's head. He kept his hands to himself for the most part, but he did occasionally poke or prod at things around him. Never with any intensity, really. Until he accidentally knocked over a small stack of books. He brought his hand up to adjust his hat, trying to look like he hadn't had anything to do with it.

All the same, he was glad to be off the ship. Now if only they hadn't traded one technologically controlled atmosphere for another, and get somewhere with a proper amount of breeze. Ah, well, beggars can't be choosers.

Watching Philip get so excited about all the science brought a fond smile to his face, though. Even if the content was beyond him, hearing the excited chatter of his partner made it worth it. While at home, he might have a bit less patience, here he didn't have any cases he was trying to work on, so it wasn't as though he had anything to distract him from.

But he gave that interruption a bit of a curious look. Something didn't feel right. Someone would only consider interrupting the good doctor if they thought it was important. He filed that away for later, though. The doctor didn't seem concerned, so he didn't get too worried about it.

He draped his arm across Philip's shoulders. He flipped his hat off and attached it to his belt in the usual way. "Helluva setup they've got here."

They'd been on the Enterprise for so long that the novelty had started to wear off, and Philip had just grown bored and restless. This was a wonderful change of pace.

Though he tried to keep his ears open for whatever information Dr. Sk'Amor might have to impart, Philip also stopped to stare at basically every little thing they passed. The technology in the science lab was of particular interest. He rambled at Shotaro about how advanced everything was, here.

He shot Shotaro a fondly skeptical look at that arm drape, but he didn't shrug away from it. Instead he just gestured to the cataloguing machine's holographic display. "Do you see this? It's a far cry from the novelty holographic imaging of Earth in 2011."

Yes, all your drilling and whatnot is quite fascinating. But K'ehleyr found herself a bit distracted by the spread. Eating for two, and all. She made a few fruits disappear into her satchel and worked her way through a small handful of nuts in fairly short order.

She listened politely, but plainly didn't like the small tremors. At the first shaking, she stopped in her tracks and found something to hold on to. She kept from looking too worried, but instead her face was a little pointedly stony.

He really couldn't resist reaching his hand out to prod at the image. But his hand passed right through it. He dropped his arm from around Philip. "Haaah?" Yeah, totally over his head. "This is all pretty crazy..."

But the actual physical artifacts he could understand better than all the technology around him. It was weird how a people that were once similar could end up so disparate that they were such a mystery. Well, maybe they had it figured out, anyway.

Shotaro's bafflement was kind of endearing. Not as endearing as it had been a few weeks ago, when Philip was freshly restored and everything about Shotaro was endearing, but still somewhat so.

He leaned in closer to get a better look at the holographic image. "It's a simple progression of technology. I'm sure that our world will develop something similar in time. In fact, with my increase in knowledge after viewing everything this time period has to offer, it's inevitable."

He chuckled a little bit. "Are you saying you might try to build some of this stuff when we get home?" He really wasn't surprised. He'd probably found some room in that brain of his for all kinds of Starfleet tech. But then, having a replicator in the office might be kind of handy. Akiko wouldn't complain at all, it would reduce most of their expenses to nil.

"I very well might." He grinned. "It would revolutionize everything!"

Sorry, Partner, but someone has to be the rational one here. "But how are you going to explain where the idea came from?" Though he thought he knew what the response was going to be.

"I'll tell the truth," he replied with a quizzical glance at Shotaro. "Why?"

Okay, he guessed wrong. "Sure, Akiko and Terui might believe us, but if you tried to tell this story to anyone else they're going to think we've actually gone crazy." Instead of the usual Narumi Detective Agency eccentricities.

"The technological advances I'll be providing will more than corroborate the story."

If Major Carter or Colonel O'Neill were here, they'd almost certainly be commenting on the grin that sparks to life across Jonas' face as soon as he enters the laboratory.

It's amazing.

There are so many things here that Jonas lags behind from the tour group, leaning down to stare into the cabinets, first at the geode then, moving on, to some of the examples of metals.

"Offerings to their gods," he murmurs. There's nothing there that looks anything like the Goa'uld artefacts he's used to cataloging, and that's of as much interest to Jonas as the things themselves. This is a world that wasn't settled by Stargate, that didn't suffer from the ravages of slavery to the Goa'uld.

He's checked what seem to be the most notable history texts he can access in the Enterprise's computers, and none of them make any mention of the Goa'uld. Or the Stargate. Or the Ancients. Some of the stories are there, in their mythological forms, but none of the historical facts he know to be true.

And that makes this archaeology even more interesting to him.

Now this room is the reason Clay got into that horrifying contraption and came down to the surface of this dead planet. He walks over to the cataloging machine and starts to 'play' with the controls. He is not as technologically proficient as many of the other newcomers but he is a quick study.

The academic is studying the artifacts for himself. Particularly anything that has to do with that cave. After all religion is his specialty. In fact he wonders if they anthropomorphised any creatures on this planet. If they worshiped them. How did they pick their gods? Some are obvious, most cultures tend to worship the sun and moon, the rain. He wonders if these settlers were like that as well. Though if they arrived by spacecraft did that mean that their religion was further evolved? Though according to these archaeologists these people provided offerings...

The werewolf is wrapped up in academic queries as he studies the artifacts. For the first time since he has arrived that tweed jacket and slacks seem to suit him. He actually looks like he is professor, or could be.

His stomach is almost growling as it has been hours since he has eaten so he takes to the table of food. Fortunately for him he isn't picky about what he eats. Though first he does as discrete of a sniff as possible to check for drugs, or a drug like smell. Because while he isn't a doctor he knows the general aroma, at least if they are like those found on Earth. Once he has cleared them he then starts to eat. Trying everything, and trying to be as discrete as he is capable, because he is eating far more than a normal human male would consume. He eats at the table but then doesn't take anything with him for the rest of the tour, because he didn't bring a bag.

Clay wonders if the drilling has anything to do with the earthquakes, after all earthquakes are shifts in tectonic plates generally trying to relieve pressure, but what if they are drilling on or near a fault line.

Edited 2014-07-27 13:39 (UTC)

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Page 1 of 14

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

Main Room: Aboveground Facilities

Observation Room: Aboveground Facilities

Science Lab & Library: Aboveground Facilities, Upper Level

Down the Elevators: Main Mine, Underground Facilities

Trio (though you can threadjack any of the three of them)

Jonas

Aeryn Sun (OTA)

Re: Trio (though you can threadjack any of the three of them)

Billy Cranston

Eleanor

Loki

Aibous and OTA

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K'ehleyr doesn't like earthquakes ):

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Jonas

Re: Science Lab & Library: Aboveground Facilities, Upper Level

Re: Main Room: Aboveground Facilities