Mini-Event

[mnemosynecrew]

EVENT

One day, the Mnemosyne's sensors registers something unusual and the CL-10s light up to show a faint blip on the available short-range scans. Passive systems initially marked it as debris, but now L3TH3's own analysis reveals distinct structural patterns - artificial, deliberate. A derelict vessel.

The object hangs in the void, its silhouette jagged and uneven, as if time and space had waged a slow, corrosive war against it. Its hull is composed of a dark, matte material, absorbing most of the light from the surrounding nebula. Occasional metallic glints hinted at fractured plating, edges sharp like broken glass. It's small enough to take one, maybe two passengers. Not a ship to travel the ends of space with.

The vessel's shape is similar to a manta ray with a lattice of interwoven plates, some half-collapsed, others eerily intact. Small, irregular openings dotted its surface, their purpose unclear. Sections of the hull appeared fused, as though reshaped by intense heat or pressure. Faint scorch marks suggested prior damage, but there were no visible signs of propulsion systems or weaponry.


The Mnemosyne's scanners continue to sweep the ship, pulses of blue light rippling over its surface. The analysis returned incomplete data:

Material Composition: 47% unknown alloys, 32% organic compounds, remaining elements unidentifiable.
Power Signatures: Negligible. Residual traces of energy detected in isolated regions.
Life Signs: None detected.
Radiation Analysis: No hazardous emissions identified.
Quarantine Measures: Establishing containment procedures for potential recovery operations.

As the Mnemosyne drifts closer, external cameras capture the vessel in greater detail. The nebula's soft pink and purple hues frames the derelict ship, its battered form casting long shadows across the void. Automated proximity lights from the Mnemosyne illuminates portions of the alien craft, revealing intricate surface etchings - patterns resembling flowing script or circuitry, carved deep into the hull.

It drifts silently, its history unknown, its purpose long abandoned. Yet its presence in uncharted space raised questions that neither the Mnemosyne's crew nor its AI can yet answer.

---

Welcome to a little mini-event to stir things up over the Holidays! Crew can decide if they want to examine the ship further, take it into the hangar or leave it where it is.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[mnemosynecrew]

[lastdecember]

The hull is battered and cracked in places: is there any obvious source for this damage? Does it look like burns from an energy weapon or torn holes from a projectile, or outward-facing fragments from an internal explosion?

[mnemosynecrew]

The damage was definitely from the outside, with the way the direction the panels are cracked, and the scorch marks are small, maybe the size of a football. Closest would be damage from energy rather than physical projectiles. Question is if it's from some natural space storm or weapons.

Whoever was in it definitely didn't survive if they stayed inside.

[tarakan]

Is there anything that looks like a name or a designation on the hull of the ship? Or at least, anything readable for our gang?

[mnemosynecrew]

There's the etchings on it, but nothing that's close to any known Tellurian language.

[lastdecember]

Are there drones on the Mnemosyne that can operate outside of the ship at enough distance that they could explore the derelict vessel, or was Wolfwood talking out of his ass again?

[plantussy]

There are! Not only are there cleaning bots on the outside that cleans things, but there are also drones ready to be deployed to take samples and such. They kind of look like this!

[itdoesntlikeyou]

How much additional data about the ship will drones be able to get from visual close up? And will they find anything that looks like a people-appropriate entrance?

[mnemosynecrew]

The drones will get more accurate measurements, as well as up-close imagery. They'll take photos and video of all the etchings, a few scrapes of the hull as samples and anything else you direct them to to. They also check out the back of the ship, which appears to have a hatch in it for entering.

Re: QUESTIONS

[anesthetic_rage]

Oh yeah, quick late silly question:

Were we supposed to post a thread starting the acquisition ourselves, or will that potentially be incorporated based upon player consensus in a future event?

[plantussy]

Feel free to start a thread! I have eyes on things so I can butt in with details as it goes on!

Re: QUESTIONS

[itdoesntlikeyou]

Jumping in to say I didn't want to jump in first thing with just being on the ship without letting everyone do some IC contributions to planning, but I'm absolutely down for some acquisition and exploring threads :>

SCI_R_0

[itdoesntlikeyou]

Investigation proposal: All crew members who directly investigate the vessel should remain in space suits at all time. Additionally, all crew physically interacting the vessel should be accompanied by Security and maintain audio contact with base ship.

[Why is Rin assuming that they're going to investigate the ship? Well. They are, aren't they? It's a weird ship in space.

They've clipped some images from the initial scans, though, and noted them as worthy of investigation - those designs, the section of the ship with enough space to serve as some kind of crew quarters, and so on.]

[lastdecember]

Investigation counter-proposal: you keep your ass on THIS ship so that whatever killed THAT crew doesn't get brought back here.

[itdoesntlikeyou]

Likely factors in vessel's loss of function: Loss of ships systems leading to suffocation and/or starvation after remaining in unknown space for too long, rather than biological weaponry.

Do you have additional safety protocols to propose, Coordinator Wolfwood?

[Excuse you Wolfwood they didn't say they were going over. They just implied it by suggesting the protocol in the first place.]

[plantussy]

Do you think we can do any exploring with it remaining out there? It's small, after all. Looks smaller than one of our shuttles, and it's probably not pressurized any more.

[itdoesntlikeyou]

Safety protocol would require use of spacesuits regardless of whether the investigation is performed in vacuum or a pressurized environment, and ship protocol may call for additional quarantine and decontamination regardless. An abundance of caution is recommended.

SEC_Z_Massani

[anesthetic_rage]

We will want at least one security team member to remain behind. Keep us staffed regardless of quarantine protocols after decontamination. I'll volunteer to go on board one way or another if that's necessary.

This thing's too big a deal to not at least look at.

[itdoesntlikeyou]

Confirmed, Security Agent Massani.

Operations Coordinator Wolfwood has suggested an initial drone run. I am putting together a relay system now - to share items of interest and identify points of concern. Additional in-person surveying may be required if interior scanning is not possible, due to interference from unknown alloys.

ENG_V_Saverem

[plantussy]

It's difficult to continue with the point of our journey - researching new worlds and life - when stepping outside the ship might give us the illness. Is that still a risk or was it localized?

[tarakan]

The initial stage of the contagion came from testing samples from the nebula: dust and gases. If we implement a strict decontamination policy as well as a quarantine, that should be enough to counter the risk.

Considering how short staffed we are, I think it would be foolish to overlook something that might be of use.

[plantussy]

It sounds risky. Then again, we could learn a lot from this ship. I'm just worried.

[ Short-staffed also means they can't lose anyone to this! ]

SEC_Z_Massani

[anesthetic_rage]

Hilbert's going over the whole decontamination process. It's definitely a risk, but the potential rewards are significant.

We're going to want to go nuts on that decontamination protocol and quarantine if we do this.

SEC_Z_Massani

[anesthetic_rage]

So, I'm assuming we're investigating this. Bring the hand sanitizer. And the napalm. We need to sterilize this ship and the hangar we bring it into if we do this thing. Quarantine on top of that.

Much as I don't love the risk, reward's too big a deal. Do we have anything that can minimize space walk time? I don't like the idea of being out in this nebula, for a pretty good god-damned reason.

[plantussy]

We could take one of the shuttles. I'm not sure if anyone has a pilot's license, though.

[ They're out of luck on official pilots, but maybe someone else knows how to fly. Vash personally gave up driving any kind of vehicle more advanced than a bicycle long ago, so he can't help. ]