as written by Lobos, Zarhara, and Tiko
The Fire of Life angled in for an approach vector, the navigation officer and the corvette’s AI working in tandem. To observers, the operator looked to be asleep, locked in heuristic communication with the AI in what was a merging of minds organic and machine, amplifying the abilities of both. There were few shudders of re-entry turbulence, easily smoothed into minor quivers by the internal inertia dampeners. Within thirty seconds, however, the vessel smoothed out, Kyle clicking his own crash couch’s bands off. “Re-entry complete, slowly descending from...9.4 kilometers up. Sensor, external cameras on main screens if you would.”
What they were met with was images of a ghost city. The months hadn't been near enough to clear the skies of the smog of pollution, but as they neared the capital not a shred of life seemed to stir. The streets were devoid of people as bits of trash blew along the ground, and not even so much as a wild-animal was coming up on their sensors. It was as if everyone had simply packed up and left. The atmosphere was reading as stable though, and the air capable of sustaining life.
Quiet on the bridge, as they descended in a spiral pattern for the surface. Nearing, they proceeded cautiously, checking a chosen landing site for stability before finally extending landing gear and touching down near the palace. Rising, Kyle pinged his three off duty personnel to draw weapons and proceed to the airlock to do perimeter check. “Alright. Two minutes for the advance team to check around, and we can take a look ourselves. Atmospheric readings look normal enough.”
Two minutes later, and the airlock cycled again, this time allowing everyone to disembark.
Damion exited the ship, he could see the palace in the distance, behind him his aid followed.
“What is going on here…” Damion muttered as he looked around in confusion.
Shreya was the last to exit the ship and she raised an arm to her mouth as the polluted air of the planet filled the ship. She coughed into her arm several times before stepping out after the rest of them. Her partner, Aarika, was at her side, but the two members of the royal guard had been instructed to remain with the ship to help safeguard it. She trusted in Kyle’s choice of escort for their venture planet-side, and the atmosphere of Niihama was notoriously noxious to avorians. The fewer of them exposed to it the better. Aarika had advised they remain aboard the ship as well, but she hadn’t heard any of it. Two months on that ship had her more than willing to endure the polluted air if it meant getting outside even for a short while.
Things were no less eerie down here on the ground though. It was as if life had simply ceased to exist in an instant. Abandoned cars filled the nearby streets, and the Imperial Palace appeared to sit as empty as the rest of the city.
as written by Lobos, Zarhara, and Tiko
The SDS Fire of Life slipped out of tunnel space quietly, dark procedures in play as it drifted from momentum away from the muted exit signature it’s jump had made. Passive sensors looked around, the three man bridge crew studying their stations closely as Lieutenant Kyle Oglivy watched over them.
“That’s strange.” Sensor reported. “I’m not getting anything on quiet-scopes.”
“Sweep one with active, then back to dark and air-maneuver right three ticks and down two,” Kyle murmured. “Comm, any chatter?”
“Nothing, sir.”
The Piranha-class corvette swept ahead with a burst of active sensor transmissions, cleverly disguised to appear as ambient static noise, then cut the superluminal waves and used bursts of stored CO2 to alter its vector, still drifting quietly through the void. On the bridge, Sensor glanced to the lieutenant. “Still nothing, sir. I’m not picking up anything at all.”
“Wide band hail, Comm.” Oglivy frowned. “Message is ‘Anyone out there?’”
Turning to the SEC representative behind him, Kyle rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment. The Comm operator murmured into his instruments at his console. “What do you think?”
Damion paused a moment, he had been observing the actions of the crew. He placed a hand on his chin.
“Something’s not right here, no chatter or ships from what I understand.”
“I’m not an expert on space travel so forgive me if I come across as insulting, we are within the Amaterasu system correct?” He asked.
Kyle nodded. “According to the charts, we’re at the edge of the system drifting inwards at…” He glanced over at the nav console. “Roughly three kilometers a second. Anything that should be in this system is well within range of our sensors, but we’re not picking up any take. Hell, it looks like Niihama is dark, and that’s troubling.”
The door to the bridge hissed open to admit the Volarian Ambassador, Shreya. Of everyone aboard the ship, the young avorian woman seemed the most out of place and she was clad in Volarian finery as she entered. Even two months aboard a cramped ship hadn't been enough to sway her into leaving behind some of the luxuries of home.
She walked slowly and purposefully though as she joined Kyle and Damion.
"Any news yet?" she asked.
Her grasp of the Terran tongue was fluent, but thickly accented.
Damion turned as the Ambassador entered the bridge. He nodded in greeting, “Things aren’t looking good.The Lieutenant was just informing me that we have arrived in the Amaterasu system, however, there isn’t any comm traffic or any detectable ships in the system, the planet appears to be dark as well.” He stated.
Nodding, Oglivy grimaced. “Unless our instruments are off, we’re not getting anything. It’s possible, but the only way to be sure would be to head in system. Possibly go planetside to take a look.”
Scowling slightly, the lieutenant continued. “Which, under normal circumstances, would be routine. But these aren’t normal circumstances. There are unknowns in the equation, and both of you are on my list of remaining safe. However,” He held up a hand to stall protesting. “This is also a joint venture. So, thoughts?”
"It would serve little purpose to come this far, only to leave without answers," Shreya answered.
“Agreed, there’s little point in coming this far, I think we aren’t going to get answers unless we go planetside.” Damion said.
Nodding with a grimace, the lieutenant excused himself, seating at his command station. “Nav, how’s the tunnel lanes look from here to Niihama?”
“Pinging...got it. The cartography lanes are still viable, Loot. Five seconds, give or take few fractions.” The woman replied.
“Plot the jump then. Comm, you’re on standby. Sensor, bring the battlescreen up to full strength, we are going hot. Actives up, broadcast IFF tags.” His own contributions were warming the guns and synchronizing the ship’s AI into the flight crew’s operations. Nav pumped a fist, then flashed fingers, counting down silently.
Five. Four. Three. Two. One. The external displays went dark for a few moments, the internal lights illuminating the bridge, before the cameras saw around them again, the viewscreens showing Niihama dead ahead. Kyle checked the ranges, nodding absently. “Good plot, Nav. Ten Kay kilos up. Comm, anything?”
“Nada boss.”
“Alright, Mrs. Shreya, Mr. Damion. Last chance is you have second thoughts. If not, buckle in.”