EXPLORATION LOG 13 : New purpose, Old Enemies
11 Apr 2022Creamy Goodness III
10 - 04 - 08 18:34
Running in the dark on a rocky world is not wise, so one was restricted to the scant few devices on the ship that allow resistance exercises. I fair-rushed my routine so I could set about opening the outpost as soon as possible. Ninette tells me there will not be starlight cast here for at least 12 weeks, so I had to work in the dark. Following Ninettes instructions carefully, I discovered the building was not atmospherically sealed any more. While that is bad news for the integrity of anything inside, its good news for opening the airlock.
The same gritty dust that covers the landscape has found its way inside, making everything look aged and grim. The seals around the flimsy internal doors have cracked and flaked away, meaning there wasn’t a single room untouched by the planet’s corrosive atmosphere.
The biggest room is a sort of laboratory-come-workshop, filled with manually operated controls and machinery. I suppose when one has to bring ones’ own devices, they have to be light and easy to deconstruct. Unfortunately, the up-sticks and resettle aspect of this old equipment means my power link couldn’t interface and power up the camps' computer. I had to wait while Ninette synthesised some adapters before I was able to access the database. Everything was lock and encrypted apart from one video message.
“Hello, I am Doctor Ernest Hochstein. If you are not Creamy Goodness, please feel free to use this facility and some of the supply’s, but be aware my fellow researcher is missing out here tens of thousands of light years away from civilization. This camp is his only beacon and hope of resupply should he find his way back. Thank you for being considerate”
There was a pause, and then the doctor continued.
“If you have returned Creamy, then where have you been? With the Guardians exchanging wild hypostasis about Thagroids and nebula? Hahah, I do hope it IS you old friend, mad ideas and all. We waited as long as we could after the rescue team arrived, but the Cradle spooked them, and they want to go now”
The man, Doctor Hochstein was smiling, and he became very animated at this point.
"It finely finished its cycle and opened very much like an altar at the ruin sites, leaving what I have called the Sigil because it was glowing like a star, floating there. I knew it was a stupid thing to do, but I closed my hand around it, and then the Cradle took off and smashed though the wall. Well, after that upset, the rescue crew insisted we .. We are going home Creamy"
“I hope this is not just a ploy to get out of our little agreement. If you DO find evidence of Guardian or Thargoid life out here, I will gladly give you everything I have on the Cradle and let you take the lead with the Sigil, if not, I get the Fulcrum. Good Luck Creamy, I have left a copy of our data in the dropsafe, and on this system. Come home safely, my friend”
I know the man in the video was referring to my uncle, but hearing the name I use so many times, and the fact I’m out here alone, really does make it feel like that chap was talking to me.
This Doctor and my uncle were out here interfering with alien technology, it would appear. Maybe the Fulcrum the doctor is interested in is the very same Guardian whats-a-m’jig that my uncle gave me before he left for this expedition?
I feel like I recognize the Doctor, Perhaps I saw him around the hose when my uncle came for a visit. He was always bringing home windswept and interesting people. If I can’t find my uncle, maybe I can talk to the doctor about the device. I honestly don’t want to go near it again before I know what it can do. I certainly don’t want to take a salvage crew to my old Conda with that thing sitting there waiting to .. .. do whatever it did to the rotten-sort that came for Mrs Muir.
Whatever may come, I have a task ahead of me now. Retrieving the dropsafe took time, but I wanted it in case I find out the encrypted files are corrupted. Ninette instantly identified one of the file locks. It needs to be opened on the network at home, maybe I'll find the key of opening the others there. If not, I'll have to look for a good hacker.
As for now, I know my uncle and his Orca, The Goodness Beacon, went missing around here somewhere. Time for me to tax my FDS and scan everything I can in the slim hope of finding him.
11 - 04 - 08 14:15
Time for a late lunch. I have made so many little jumps scanning every planet, I lost count hours ago. Even if my uncle stuck with his usual pattern and stayed around 500 light years of the base camp, that's still many hundreds of stars and countless thousands of planets, moons and asteroid belts I should scan if I want to find out what has become of him.
If he has had to gone full Robinson Crusoe, I could be hovering right above him and not know it. Still, I did find this beautiful world, and that has given me a little hope for my lost relative.
There is a chance he's down there somewhere living the simple life with that delightful lady co-pilot, of whom he would often sing high praises. I can see it being a very romantic world to call home with a sky so generously peppered with stars, I wonder it if ever get truly dark down there.
Today, I will end up seeing stars in my sleep. I’ll be so exhausted; that is why ones' log is being assembled now. Think I’ll have an early night tonight and settle on the first planet I run across with more than one G come late evening.
For now, I shall continue the search. Ta-tar log.