Expedition to Planet Wight

[Lord.MacRae]

Expedition to Planet Wight

The Kopernikus, the research and scientific spacecraft of Bretonia Mining and Fabrication, undocks silently from Fortitudine. An Impressive view of sensor arrays, docking bays, thrusters, engine parts and observation decks. If anyone watching the scene through the windows of the Tea & Pea Bar, he would have been astonished and speechless. The ship is manouvering through the asteroid field with pulsing thrusters to get some distance to the station.

If there would have been any noise in the vacuum, an incredible bang would have thrilled the space station as the main engine had started. The Kopernikus turns its forefront towards the only near planet, Planet Wight, translucencing through all the pieces of rock. Planet Wight, the destination.

On the main bridge of the vessel, Captain Allen Carter issues a command to the Helmsmen Cassiopeia Johnson. Also attendant, Chief of Science Miranda Cardinal and Chief Engineer James Hamingten, the crew of scientists and technicians belted to the acceleration seats in their quarters.

Captain: Acceleration to 3 G Miss Johnson and keep an eye on the asteroids. Our shield can take much, but not everything.
Helmsmen: Aye,sir.
Captain: Why the hell did the Lord order us to come back from our deep space mission in the Omicrons and our investigations of the Alien Organisms. Just because of that Gaian girl's baseless pronouncements? I hate that Asteroid field, I hate that ice planet ... what the ... did you just see that?

Helmsmen: Copy that sir, perhaps a joke of some miners?
Captain: I hate jokes! Well, Madam Cardinal, what chance do you expect that we find any microorganisms on that growler?
Chief of Science: To be honest sir, zero. After the atmosphere was ripped away in that ancient catastrophe and the temperature is constantly lower than -50°C. To be precise from -92°C to -64°C. The planet also has no warm inner core and according to that no ocean under the layer of ice. That planet is just like a big ice cube and nothing else.
Captain: Now I hate that mission even more. That Lord must have too much money to invest into a Gaian chimaera. I hate h... dislike MacRae for that! He should better keep on flying his Shetland transport instead of keeping us from serious work.
Helmsmen: Sir, approaching the planet. Proceed to our destination for landing?
Captain: Yes Miss. *sighs*
Helmsmen: Normally we would enter the atmosphere now sir, but the planet has none, haha.
Captain: Good one Helmsmen, good one. Well perhaps the Gaians started a terraformation here, hahaha!
*Whole bridge laughing, more because of the Captain trying to be funny than because of a good joke*
Helmsmen: 100k and approaching .... 80k ...... 50k ......... 30k ........ landing thrusters activated.

Chief Engineer: All systems green and ready for touch down.
Helmsmen: 5k ..... thrusters on maximum. 3 ...2 ... 1 ... touch down. The Kopernikus has landed sir.
Captain: Good work Miss, well done.

---

[Lord.MacRae]

Captain: What a sad place, I hate it. Only ice everywhere and nothing else, annoying. Did the sensors pick up any useful information Madam Cardinal? Microorganisms perhaps or that Cambridge professors with their students?
Chief of Science: No Sir, no lifeforms and no energy signature detected, either the Gaian lied just trying to legitimate his agressions or they all froze to death.
Captain: Perhaps this research mission will change to a hearse mission soon ... I really hate it. So, Madam Cardinal please show me the near area on our main screen.

Captain: Mmh what a nice and pleasant view! I can not think about something more wonderful ... perhaps I buy some land here and build a holiday home. *Sarcasm*
Chief of Science: Captain, as there will be still 10 hours of daylight, should we start the investigations?
Captain: You are right madam, Mr. Hamingten please let your crew prepare the planetary research vessel, we should do some scans in a 1000k range today to study the near sourrounding.
Chief Engineer: Aye sir! *speaking into his headset* Boys let's get the Galilei ready for action. Activate the reactor and do the prior take off check-ups.

Chief Engineer: Galilei ready, hangar doors opened, ignition and take off.
Captain: Thank you Mr. Hamingten, good and fast work of your crew. Please initiate a spiral search pattern and report any anomalies asap.
*Two hours later*
Chief of Science: Captain we have a contact. A structure responding to our magnetic scans. We are going to land the Galilei and then investigate in our spacesuits.
Captain: Acknowledged Madam. I did not believe we would find something interesting soon. Perhaps that mission is not that stupid after all.

Chief of Science: We found something under a 4 meter layer of snow, currently my scientific crew are salvaging it. Here we go. First scan results and visual data on the main screen sir ... it's .... a ..... ah we have a match in the database .... a Gallic spy sattelite sir.
Captain: Ok madam, that mission is that stupid again. Any other useful information?
Chief of Science: No sir, no contamination, no microorganisms, it's just a wrecked satellite. Perhaps we should try to download the mission log?
Captain: Make it so, but do not waste too much time and restart the search pattern again.
*Seven hours later, sunset is near, it is getting darker*
Chief of Science: Contact Sir, its organic. Two biological sensors detected it.
Captain: You are kidding me Chief? I hate being fooled.
Chief of Science: I would never ever do that Sir, I am hundred percent serious! Landing initiated and the scientists are starting the outdoor misson in their spacesuits.

Captain: Come on, I hate to wait. What is it? Really microorganisms? I would have to bother the Lord in his actual base building service. He probably is flying around in his Shetland the whole day with supplies and he normally is a little pissed then.
Chief of Science: They reached the area of the contact. Organic contact affirmed with low range sensors. It's in the ice under a deep snow layer, as it is organic it will take a little to dig to it.
*A scream echoing in the communication channel, unbelievable fear in the voice*
Captain: What the hell! Everything ok with your crew?
Chief of Science: Receiving visual data Sir, redirecting to the main screen.

---

[Lord.MacRae]

Captain: What in the name of Gaia is that? Its a frozen hand right. Oh my ..... Ok fingerprint scan and DNA anlaysation immediately. Then check it with the Sirian inhabitants database!
Chief of Science: Sir, we discovered more bodys under the snow layer, 12 in total.
Captain: I want to know who they are! Get them in the mortuary, autopsy them and tell me the names and the cause of death.

Chief of Science: Captain, we have a match. The Gaian was right, these are the bodies of 3 Cambridge Professors and 9 students ..... what a tragedy.
Captain: Hm, any reasons for their deaths? Accident or Crime? Any evidence for them being killed by Gaians who pretended to protect that fake microbes?
Chief Engineer: I think we found the reason Sir and there are apparently no Gaians involved in that. The reason is a simple snowslide from that mountain over there ... they just have been buried alive .... without any hope ..... but I am no detective Sir. If there had been some kind of force or anaesthetisation prior or if the snowslide was triggered ....
Captain: Please transmit that information to Cambridge University and to BPA. Perhaps they want to do further investigations. Ok, then lets resume the scans with the Galilei again and finish that quick, I want to leave that hostile planet.



*five ours later*
Chief of Science: Captain, scans are completed. We scanned the whole planet, the surface, the planetary crust, a molecular analysis of the snow and ice, every internationally accepted scanning method existant and even some own developments.
Captain: The methods are nothing I want to know anything about Chief. I want to hear the results!
Chief of Scienece: Hm, yes ok Sir. We found no life on that planet. Nothing anymore. No organic tissue and traces of DNA, if there had been some, the vacuum and the temperatures wiped them out again. The only remains of what possibly could have been some kind of ... well .... life ... are these molecules ... but ..... the degradation progressed so far. There is no proof that is was something organic and certainly not alive. Have a look on the data,Sir.

Captain: Thank you Madam Cardinal, then that is it, Miss Johnson prepare for take of, we leave that iceberg!
Helmsmen: Aye captain. *Speaking into her headset* Prepare for lift off in five. Acceleration seats now! 3 ... 2 .... 1 .... here we go!

---

[PaQuan]

Captain: What in the name of Gaia is that? Its a frozen hand right. Oh my ..... Ok fingerprint scan and DNA anlaysation immediately. Then check it with the Sirian inhabitants database!
Chief of Science: Sir, we discovered more bodys under the snow layer, 12 in total.
Captain: I want to know who they are! Get them in the mortuary, autopsy them and tell me the names and the cause of death.

Chief of Science: Captain, we have a match. The Gaian was right, these are the bodies of 3 Cambridge Professors and 9 students ..... what a tragedy.
Captain: Hm, any reasons for their deaths? Accident or Crime? Any evidence for them being killed by Gaians who pretended to protect that fake microbes?
Chief Engineer: I think we found the reason Sir and there are apparently no Gaians involved in that. The reason is a simple snowslide from that mountain over there ... they just have been buried alive .... without any hope ..... but I am no detective Sir. If there had been some kind of force or anaesthetisation prior or if the snowslide was triggered ....
Captain: Please transmit that information to Cambridge University and to BPA. Perhaps they want to do further investigations. Ok, then lets resume the scans with the Galilei again and finish that quick, I want to leave that hostile planet.



*five ours later*
Chief of Science: Captain, scans are completed. We scanned the whole planet, the surface, the planetary crust, a molecular analysis of the snow and ice, every internationally accepted scanning method existant and even some own developments.
Captain: The methods are nothing I want to know anything about Chief. I want to hear the results!
Chief of Scienece: Hm, yes ok Sir. We found no life on that planet. Nothing anymore. No organic tissue and traces of DNA, if there had been some, the vacuum and the temperatures wiped them out again. The only remains of what possibly could have been some kind of ... well .... life ... are these molecules ... but ..... the degradation progressed so far. There is no proof that is was something organic and certainly not alive. Have a look on the data,Sir.

Captain: Thank you Madam Cardinal, then that is it, Miss Johnson prepare for take of, we leave that iceberg!
Helmsmen: Aye captain. *Speaking into her headset* Prepare for lift off in five. Acceleration seats now! 3 ... 2 .... 1 .... here we go!

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