It's real. All of it. Alien base interior breeched, alien sentries, computers, a star map
29 Jun 2017Vizz Curio
::CMDR Vizz Curio on the Jupiter Jazz, in low orbit of HIP 14909 2 A::::personal log::
I'm still reeling from what I saw last night. When I took off to leave, I was compelled to stay. I couldn't plot a course for Maia or 64 Arietis for resupply, afraid this didn't really happen, that looking back at my photos that they were somehow fabricated and not taken with my own cybernetic eyes.
It's real. All of it.
And so I put the Jupiter Jazz into a low geosynchronous lunar orbit here to keep this new, fifth Thargoid base site in view of my ship's sensors while I tried to sleep; failing to do so as I contemplated life, the universe, and the alien things I now have secretly in my cargo hold...
Yesterday I met CMDR Delco and a mutual friend at the Trout n' Hook tavern, a fine little place our friend has been building. (Planet & system location intentionally omitted.***) After clinking some drinks and a lot of laughs with a lightning storm in the background, conversation spookily steered toward the Thargoids. I had already heard in the past day that two more alien base sites had been discovered, and CMDR Delco had updated information on two more in addition, and rumors of investigators using the alien artifacts to get the massive doors to open and allow entry. He had the system and lunar coordinates queued up.
As it was late on his world, our friend was ready to head home and for bed. We bid him farewell and returned to our ships, excitedly plotting our courses for the system HIP 14909.
Dropping into orbital cruise around 2 A, another reddish moon full of craters, we quickly homed in on the alien site. Similar to the other one, yet it seemed a little bigger.
We landed and deployed in our SRVs. We quickly noticed something new: sentries! Or drones of some sort, flying devices with mechanical bits and lights patrolling the site.
Awash with curiosity I drove close to one, observing its movements and twitches near something glowing green on a rock. When I finished my data scan of it, this thing turned and looked directly at me. Then a maw opened up, pointing its spikes at me and a bright yellow light began to shine.
I didn't hesitate, it's not in my nature.
I subconsciously already assumed I was about to be the latest Thargoid casualty to their mysterious corrosive green acid so I gripped the trigger of my SRV's turret tightly and didn't let go until the thing exploded in a shower of sparks and shrapnel. Then another nearby suddenly turned toward me and floated over in a hurry. I blasted it to pieces too. In the debris I noticed a few alien parts and materials, circuitry and something like energy cells. My scanner initially labeled these as "unknown". I scooped them up and have stashed them in a secret compartment on my ship... no one else noticed...
As this was happening, CMDR Delco saw the massive door to the structure open, and got on comms to check the situation. Several other commanders were on location and had discovered how to open the door using an Unknown Artifact or Probe. We came around the structure and were let in by one of the commanders already inside.
The interior of this Thargoid base is truly alien. The walls aren't metal but seem to be alive. Half bone and half tough flesh. There are massive power cables that line the corridors and pulse with flowing energy. Some kind of thick webbing along the ceilings.
There were several large chamber rooms with what seem like alien computer systems. Unknown devices were on the ground and after failing to get a good scan, I scooped one up in my SRV's small cargo hold. Almost immediately my on-board computer starting lighting up every warning light, telling me the SRV was taking damage to various systems. I dropped the device from the hold pronto. I won't be doing that again without being prepared.
In the middle of the entire subterranean base is a very large room. At its center is a massive organic computer-like system structure that hums and sparks. "Imposing" hardly describes it:
I tried to stream a live video feed back to my ship, but Sheila couldn't get the signal, and I noticed my own holo-HUD was occasionally glitching out its entire display. Alien tech was interfering with our systems. Fortunately my new cybernetic eyes allowed for still image capture.
Some of the commanders were experimenting with the 3 glowing seemingly-holographic floating globes interfaces, putting different items in them. One by one the human objects were rejected, but the Unknown Probes and other alien items were eventually accepted and held in place in the stasis fields. When 3 were in place at the same time they locked in, the system seemed to be powering up, and this massive device's lighting shifted to an orange hue as it lit up:
(One of the scavenger sentries is visible to the right.)Then... nothing happened. We paused there for a moment, perplexed and expecting.
CMDR Delco had the idea to do a data scan of the central unit to investigate any change. And that triggered the reaction.
It happened over the course of 2 seconds, but felt instant. It was beautiful. It was calming. Dozens upon dozens of glowing particles spiraled out from the central unit, lighting up the ceiling:
A star map!
But not of the Milky Way? There weren't enough spiral arms.
I can't say how long the star map continued to project until it faded; we were star-struck and in awe and time faded away.
After the star map disappeared, we finished exploring the base and exited. I lifted off my ship and launched in my Imperial Fighter to survey the site from the sky. It did seem to be larger than the first site we visited...
I flew in & redocked on my ship and went to plot a course for 64 Arietis to resupply and repair my SRV at Weyn Dock, but I had this odd, unsettling sensation; a gut-feeling that I shouldn't leave.
This is too big, too important to fly away from. I may be one of the few commanders who can give an accurate testimony to what's been found in these days before whatever is happening happens. And I'm not yet sure if it will be a good thing or a catastrophic one.
::end transmission::
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***We were all in Anyland (VR sandbox game/program) at a tavern our friend built, having fun and sharing YT videos. Then CMDR Delco and I switched into Elite Dangerous.
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