Ch1: Disaster!

[Mr. Handy]

"I couldn't actually tell," says Sam, steering for the nearest airlock big enough to allow the ATV entry. "Can't smell a thing with my spacesuit on. Everything looks okay, but I can't tell what's going on inside until we enter. The lights, heat, and power are still on, at least."

[Supercape]

The airlock clicked into place. The ever present thick atmosphere of TItan conducted sound better than on Earth, giving an ominous nature to the silence and small sounds.

Beta base was actually a series of domes, linked by passages, all highly insulated and full of oxygen. The hub, however, was the communal area; a mixture of kitchen, lounge, and operations. It was where everybody (normally) hung out. Doctor Wessex of course was often in the Infirmary dome.

The Worskshop Dome had been slightly damaged in the Earthquake; the robot "Buddy" had been sent out to seal the slow leak. No sign of him outside. Perhaps he was inside the Workshop Dome. Perhaps he had been damaged too.

As they entered the Communal Dome, they were greeted by soft lighting and the pleasant voice of Boss, the base computer.

"Welcome back, Barton, Golightly, and unknown male...Doctor Bloom is delegated officer. Commander Drake is off site. Buddy is in the Workshop, routine maintenance work. Environmental Integrity at 99%. I hope you had a successful mission. As per protocol, I will alert Earth Mission control of presence of unknown male"

Boss had a silky smooth pleasant English voice that was as polite as you could get, even in the most severe of crisis.

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, Boss," says Sam, climbing out of the vehicle. She knows it isn't necessary to be polite back, as Boss is a machine, but she's gotten into the habit. "Where is Dr. Bloom's current location?"

[aine]

Seth climbs stiffly out of the ATV; he's been bumped and bruised and he isn't getting any younger. He looks around, "Nice, not bad for a moon-dump. Hi there, er Boss, I'm Bob Dylan, put me on your list of personnel for the moment please. And can you direct me to the heads please, I need a wash and clean clothes." He turns to Sam. "Hey, is it always this quiet?"

[Supercape]

It is indeed quiet.

"I am pleased to meet you, Bob Dylan" smoothed Boss' voice.

"Doctor Bloom is currently in the Infirmary" said Boss to Sam.

The lights flickered slightly.

"Apologies for the power fluctua-ai-ai-ai-ai-tions" stuttered Boss briefly. "We are still experiencing very minor power system variations. It is presumed that this is due to the Earthquake and the Electromagnetic Storm. Fluctuations are only minor. I have dispatched Robot Buddy to the reactor dome. However, full system analysis and repair by qualified engineer are recommended when convenient. There is no need for alarm..."

Sam was familiar enough with the systems to judge this accurate enough. The brief brown oat and stutter was uncommon but not unheard of during EM flares from Saturn. Even minimal damage to the power system could exacerbate this; although there was no danger of full blown power failure. Probably.

[Mr. Handy]

Sam raises an eyebrow when Seth gives a false name, but she says nothing on the subject. "No, it's not usually this quiet," she says. "I'm the only qualified engineer, so that's going to be on me to fix the reactor. I think it'll hold for long enough to talk to Dr. Bloom, but maybe I'd better so to the reactor first...just in case."

[aine]

Seth continues looking around. "Well you know your own reactor best but I can probably sort it out too - or at least give you a hand. I've fixed them before, up to the SSX54 model anyhow. Point me in the right direction and I'll get there straight after changing."

[Mr. Handy]

"I could use all the help I can get," says Sam, smiling. "Consider yourself my new assistant." She gives Seth directions to somewhere he can get cleaned up and to the reactor. "If you have any questions or lose your way, just ask Boss. I'd better go to the reactor now and get started."

[aine]

Seth nods and heads off to get cleaned up before continuing to the reactor. He admires the latest technology used in the building of the module; it is obviously a pretty new operation.

[DrPeterson]

"Listen, I don't want to get in the way of your engineering, uhm, thing. But I think we should see the doctor first, he may have heard something back from Alpha..."


Hattie gives Seth a worried look and then looks back at Samantha.

"Maybe Dr. Bloom can give Bob Dylan here a quick look-over before we contaminate more of the station."

[Mr. Handy]

"All right, we can talk to Dr. Bloom first," says Sam. "We do need to find out what on Titan is happening. I guess the reactor will hold. Worst that'll happen is a blackout."

[Supercape]

The reactor did indeed hold. It was a tough old bird. There was one more flicker and a bzzzzt! sound, but that was all.

Beta camp, like Alpha camp, was actually a series of domes with interlocking passageways; so in case of breach, any could be sealed. The infirmary dome was, understandably, next to the communal dome. All it took was a few swishing doors, automatic (although they had manual override) and working perfectly, and they were in the infirmary.

Which also looked quite intact. It was true that a few containers had fallen to the floor in the earthquake, but nothing more than that.

And inside, an also intact Doctor Casper Bloom...

[aine]

Seth busies himself in the heads; it's been two months since he had a shower but he works quickly as he has no idea how long his allotted water will last. Then he throws his dirties into a laundry chute and grabs some clean overalls which look about his size. He transfers his belongings around his person and looks at himself in the mirror. "You're getting too old for this business, Seth Hazard, what'chur doing on this dump of a moon base anyhow? Soon as we're off, the better." And then he heads back to the communal area which is now empty. "Er, Boss, have Golightly and Barton gone to the reactor or are did they go see Dr. Bloom?"

[Supercape]

Even a brief shower was interesting with 0.14G. Almost poetic. It was power assisted, but still, the splashes and drips were completely unlike earth, or, for that matter, zero gravity. Fortunately Titan had plenty of water, rationing was not a problem. A key issue in its identification as a future thriving colony. Precious, precious water. Not only useful in itself, but a source of oxygen.

"Doctor Bloom, Ms Golightly and Ms Barton are all currently in the Infirmary, Mr. Dylan" said Boss, pleasantly.

[DrPeterson]

"Doctor Bloom, how good to see you alive and intact. What's going on? We could barely hear you over the EM-interference. Have there been any transmissions from Alpha?"

Hattie bursts into the Medbay, all eyes and questions.

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm glad you're okay too, Dr. Bloom," says Samantha with a smile. "I was able to cut through the EM interference and hear much of your message, but some of it was still garbled. What exactly is going on?"

[Supercape]

Dr Bloom was nervous, sweating, pale. He crouched behind a workstation, eyeing all the doors.

"Beats me" he blustered, before getting a grip on himself.

"But thank God you are here!" he said, hugging his fellow colonists.

"I don't know much more than you. We got a message from Alpha Base, they found something. Something extraordinary. A giant cube, a strange giant cube, at the epicentre of the earthquakes. Some garbled message about a city...As incredible at it sounds, it could only have been extraterrestrial. Nothing natural could have made something so geometrically perfect..."

"Unless the Chinese or something have made something years away from what we know, it must be extraterrestrial. Just think of it!" he stopped to steady himself.

"Unfortunately it all went to shit. Commander Wu dead, Gina...gone, no response. George made it back to the base, but in some sorry state. The ATV was damaged, and George apparently had some kind of psychosis. Victor..he was shocked too, but not completely crazy like George. When they got back to Alpha, George got back he attacked Victor... We haven't heard squat since then..."

"Ron went out to see what happened, but I haven't heard anything. Hell knows what going on. I am half tempted to declare a quarantine. I'd have one of the firearms if I wasn't alone. To be honest I have been scared shitless..." he confessed.

OOC:   For reference (it is elsewhere) Alpha Base consisted of: Mara Wu was the commander of the whole base. George Long was the Chemist, Victor Bergman was the Astrophysicist, and Gina Croft was the Geologist. Beta Base consists of the PCs, Dr Casper Bloom (speaking), and 2nd officer Ronald Drake

[DrPeterson]

Hattie shakes her head, trying to keep up with the rambling doctor.

"Dr. Bloom, please try to keep calm. We're on a moon orbiting Saturn. Everything outside of what we brought here is extraterrestrial."

Despite her excellent academic skills, Hattie wasn't much of counsellor...


"Now, please, try to repeat slowly what happened. How did Commander Wu die? And why did Drake not signal us, we could have easily picked him up in the ATV."

She tried to steer away from mentioning the fire arms.

[Supercape]

Dr Bloom was not well reassured by the questions, and began pacing, wringing his hands.

"It happened so fast...the EM storm, we barely had any communications..." he said, by way of admittedly unhelpful explanation.

He slumped down on a chair and put his head in his hands.

"I don't know how Mara died. Probably only George does, and by the sounds of it, his mind has snapped. Maybe Victor, too..." he sighed. "George was ranting about some buzzing noise in his head, kept repeating the word Yuggoth..."

"They saw something by the cube. Something move. Something aggressive, maybe, or might just be they panicked. Mara got fried, burnt, I don't know...I wasn't there...." he shook his head.

"By Gods, has it come to this? What is out there?"

He gave a suspicious look at Seth Hazard. A highly suspicious look.

"And now this joker turns up...coincidence?" he asked, clearly believing it not to be the case.

OOC:   Spoiler: I just reread my notes and I made a slight goof. Victor Bergman was on the mission from Alpha, and I have edited the above post accordingly

"I have the complete recording of Victor Bergman's message from the Alpha ATV..." said Boss, helpfully from the speakers, and proceeded to play back the full message, free of EM distortions.

*crackle*

Mayday Mayday!

This is Victor. Victor Bergman, from Alpha Base. It’s all gone to hell. Don’t know how long I can speak. Commander Wu is dead. George, George Long, has gone mad, don’t know where he is, but he stabbed me. I’m bleeding badly, but got away.

We found a giant cube, like noting on earth. Must be extra-terrestrial. Might have caused the earthquakes. Possibly some mining equipment. It had unearthed something…magnificent, or terrible. Some city of black stone, carved…impossible angles…like a maze in three dimensions.

Then we saw something move. I don’t know what. Like some bird maybe, except it was no bird. We started to run, seized by terror. Mara didn’t make it. Got fried somehow. Gina…I don’t know what happened to Gina. George and I got into the ATV and sped away. George was babbling, his mind had snapped. Can’t say I was far away from breaking myself. He kept saying “They are buzzing in my head...Yuggoth….Yuggoth….”

Didn’t realise how far George had gone. When we got back to Alpha base he screamed and stabbed me.

Where is Ron? I can’t get through. Damn interference. Got to try and hide, if Long finds me again I won’t get lucky a second time….

[DrPeterson]

Hattie listens to the recording, slack-jawed.

"I...I..you need to check out our latest arrival first, Doctor Bloom. We need to know if he's fit to travel. And then we have to find out what happened to the others, it could be there was some malfunction in their oxygen supplies that caused something along the lines of mass delusions or hallucinations, or...a city..."