icekatze
Active Member
- RP Date
- YE 45.3
- RP Location
- An Unnamed Planet Rimward of the Ayumi Nebula
hi hi
An Unnamed Planet Rimward of the Ayumi Nebula
Surface gravity: 8.13 m/s^2
Atmosphere: 434.73 kPa (Argon, Carbon Dioxide)
Current Surface Temperature: 29°C
Dusty brown clouds reached through the otherwise blue sky in bands, stretching from horizon to horizon above the rocky landscape. Near a lake's edge, a lone figure sat on the shore in a folding chair with a fishing pole, the line bobbing gently in the water. The lone figure didn't react to the rumble of an approaching all-terrain vehicle, nor the crunching sound of footsteps atop the water smoothed pebbles.
"Uhh, Haruko, sweet? What are you doing?"
A voice came through their helmet comms clearly and a hand gently touched their shoulder.
"What does it look like? Fishing." Haruko said, looking over her shoulder.
"You know there's no life on this planet, let alone fish, right?"
"My dear, naive little Tsugumi. You really don't understand the soul of fishing."
"I certainly thought I did, but now I'm starting to question. Starting to question a lot of things actually. You know I love ya' and all your weird little quirks, but this one..." Tsugumi said in a light-hearted tone, giving Haruko's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You didn't introduce fish here, did you?"
"No, no. Of course not." Haruko shook her head, "But just imagine the prestige if I caught something."
"Haha! Wouldn't that be something. But if you want to discover some new alien life, we'll have to set a course toward some uncharted worlds instead. Don't get me wrong though, just seeing new sights is enough for me. Speaking of, Tomo and Shiori are getting ready to explore that network of magma tunnels we scanned earlier, do you want to come with me? They're extensive and twisty."
"Of course. The fish will wait." Haruko said, slowly getting to her feet. "The expedition is properly logged, right? Last time Shiori didn't..."
Before Haruko could finish though, she was interrupted by a burst of static and another voice over the helmet comms.
"Hello, hello? Haruko-anego? Are you reading me?"
"Yes, I read you."
"Sorry to interrupt, but... We were going through some of Tomo's soil samples and the AI threw a caution and warning flag. Something about a bio hazard? Might be a false positive, but the computer seems pretty confident. I'm still trying to get more details, but you said to contact you right away if there was trouble."
"Tsugumi and I are headed back." With the flip of a switch, the fishing line began rapidly reeling in. "Call everyone else back too."
"Understood."
By the time the comms cut out, Haruko and Tsugumi were already in the ATV and turning back the way it came.
"What do you think it is, some kind of space monster or secret bio weapon? Do you think we're really in danger?" Tsugumi asked as she accelerated over a rocky mound, nearly catching some airtime.
"No. One of the previous visitors probably dumped their waste and let it blow in the wind, but let's err safe side."
Whether or not Tsugumi had anything else to say, she kept to herself the rest of the way back. Anyone who knew Haruko would recognize her serious business face. Gravel gave way to rough stone as they left the waters edge, but Tsugumi deftly maneuvered around boulders and over the rolling terrain. It only took a couple of minutes before they rounded the last hill and onto a wide alluvial fan where the Baka-no-Ichigei, a newly converted EX-40 style Princess Class, was standing.
Haruko pressed a few buttons and the vehicle lift started carrying them up, but when the inner airlock door didn't open, Tsugumi spoke up.
"The doors? Oh wait, I get it. We're finally using the decontamination system, aren't we? Awesome!"
"Tsugumi dear, I really can't tell if you're joking or not."
"No no, I'm serious!" Tsugumi said as she stood up and held her arms out, just in time for the outer airlock to seal shut and the atmospheric cycler to start pumping, along with an extra mist of disinfectant. "See, if you can't appreciate routine things the first time, they'll never get any love. An entire R&D section probably poured their heart and soul into creating this very moment."
Watching her partner's antics, Haruko stifled a laugh. After all, she was supposed to be in serious business mode. But it didn't take long for the inner airlock doors to cycle and the lift rose the rest of the way into the vehicle bay. After parking the ATV and stowing their helmets, Haruka and Tsugumi headed for the lab.
Without waiting for the lift to arrive, they took the access ladder straight there. Inside, one of the crew members was having a conversation with the computer while another scrolled frantically through some document on their palm computer.
"Learn anything new?" Haruko asked.
The crew member startled, but even after taking a moment to compose themselves they still looked shaken. "Oh, yes... The AI thinks the sample contains a degraded organic substance of Mishhuvurthyar origin. We're still trying to confirm, but if it's true... Haruka-anego, what do we do? Do we pack up and go?"
Tsugumi frowned when Haruko didn't answer immediately like usual. Rather, a handful of tense seconds passed first.
"No. That won't be necessary." She paused again, but after seeing the others still watching expectantly, she added, "You said the sample was degraded, right? This is probably leftover debris from decades ago. It wouldn't have been unusual for an undocumented skirmish to take place in this region, and we're not the first to visit since then. Once your analysis is finished, we'll risk a hyperspace comms pulse back home to report it, though I doubt it will amount to much. We'll implement some extra safety precautions and look for a source point, but unless we find signs of recent activity, there's no point in jumping at ghosts."
"And if we find signs of recent activity?"
"We run." Haruko replied in an instant.
With that, the discussion was definitively over. Haruko and Tsugumi left the lab crew to their work as Haruko headed to her office to write up a new safety briefing with Tsugumi following along.
"We're staying, so... We still get to explore the tunnels later, right?" Tsugumi asked.
"Of course." Haruko said.
"Searching through some dark and twisty tunnels does have a different mood to it now, doesn't it. A little extra spice of danger? What could be lurking around the next corner? Exciting, no?" Tsugumi said with a grin.
"Exciting is not the word I would use." Haruko said, "But I am not letting you out of my sight. Someone has to keep that thrill seeking of yours in check."
"Hey!" Tsugumi cried in mock indignation. "I'm the one sticking to you. If it weren't for me, you'd probably spend all day smoldering in silence."
Once again, Haruko could only stifle a laugh.
An Unnamed Planet Rimward of the Ayumi Nebula
Surface gravity: 8.13 m/s^2
Atmosphere: 434.73 kPa (Argon, Carbon Dioxide)
Current Surface Temperature: 29°C
Dusty brown clouds reached through the otherwise blue sky in bands, stretching from horizon to horizon above the rocky landscape. Near a lake's edge, a lone figure sat on the shore in a folding chair with a fishing pole, the line bobbing gently in the water. The lone figure didn't react to the rumble of an approaching all-terrain vehicle, nor the crunching sound of footsteps atop the water smoothed pebbles.
"Uhh, Haruko, sweet? What are you doing?"
A voice came through their helmet comms clearly and a hand gently touched their shoulder.
"What does it look like? Fishing." Haruko said, looking over her shoulder.
"You know there's no life on this planet, let alone fish, right?"
"My dear, naive little Tsugumi. You really don't understand the soul of fishing."
"I certainly thought I did, but now I'm starting to question. Starting to question a lot of things actually. You know I love ya' and all your weird little quirks, but this one..." Tsugumi said in a light-hearted tone, giving Haruko's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You didn't introduce fish here, did you?"
"No, no. Of course not." Haruko shook her head, "But just imagine the prestige if I caught something."
"Haha! Wouldn't that be something. But if you want to discover some new alien life, we'll have to set a course toward some uncharted worlds instead. Don't get me wrong though, just seeing new sights is enough for me. Speaking of, Tomo and Shiori are getting ready to explore that network of magma tunnels we scanned earlier, do you want to come with me? They're extensive and twisty."
"Of course. The fish will wait." Haruko said, slowly getting to her feet. "The expedition is properly logged, right? Last time Shiori didn't..."
Before Haruko could finish though, she was interrupted by a burst of static and another voice over the helmet comms.
"Hello, hello? Haruko-anego? Are you reading me?"
"Yes, I read you."
"Sorry to interrupt, but... We were going through some of Tomo's soil samples and the AI threw a caution and warning flag. Something about a bio hazard? Might be a false positive, but the computer seems pretty confident. I'm still trying to get more details, but you said to contact you right away if there was trouble."
"Tsugumi and I are headed back." With the flip of a switch, the fishing line began rapidly reeling in. "Call everyone else back too."
"Understood."
By the time the comms cut out, Haruko and Tsugumi were already in the ATV and turning back the way it came.
"What do you think it is, some kind of space monster or secret bio weapon? Do you think we're really in danger?" Tsugumi asked as she accelerated over a rocky mound, nearly catching some airtime.
"No. One of the previous visitors probably dumped their waste and let it blow in the wind, but let's err safe side."
Whether or not Tsugumi had anything else to say, she kept to herself the rest of the way back. Anyone who knew Haruko would recognize her serious business face. Gravel gave way to rough stone as they left the waters edge, but Tsugumi deftly maneuvered around boulders and over the rolling terrain. It only took a couple of minutes before they rounded the last hill and onto a wide alluvial fan where the Baka-no-Ichigei, a newly converted EX-40 style Princess Class, was standing.
Haruko pressed a few buttons and the vehicle lift started carrying them up, but when the inner airlock door didn't open, Tsugumi spoke up.
"The doors? Oh wait, I get it. We're finally using the decontamination system, aren't we? Awesome!"
"Tsugumi dear, I really can't tell if you're joking or not."
"No no, I'm serious!" Tsugumi said as she stood up and held her arms out, just in time for the outer airlock to seal shut and the atmospheric cycler to start pumping, along with an extra mist of disinfectant. "See, if you can't appreciate routine things the first time, they'll never get any love. An entire R&D section probably poured their heart and soul into creating this very moment."
Watching her partner's antics, Haruko stifled a laugh. After all, she was supposed to be in serious business mode. But it didn't take long for the inner airlock doors to cycle and the lift rose the rest of the way into the vehicle bay. After parking the ATV and stowing their helmets, Haruka and Tsugumi headed for the lab.
Without waiting for the lift to arrive, they took the access ladder straight there. Inside, one of the crew members was having a conversation with the computer while another scrolled frantically through some document on their palm computer.
"Learn anything new?" Haruko asked.
The crew member startled, but even after taking a moment to compose themselves they still looked shaken. "Oh, yes... The AI thinks the sample contains a degraded organic substance of Mishhuvurthyar origin. We're still trying to confirm, but if it's true... Haruka-anego, what do we do? Do we pack up and go?"
Tsugumi frowned when Haruko didn't answer immediately like usual. Rather, a handful of tense seconds passed first.
"No. That won't be necessary." She paused again, but after seeing the others still watching expectantly, she added, "You said the sample was degraded, right? This is probably leftover debris from decades ago. It wouldn't have been unusual for an undocumented skirmish to take place in this region, and we're not the first to visit since then. Once your analysis is finished, we'll risk a hyperspace comms pulse back home to report it, though I doubt it will amount to much. We'll implement some extra safety precautions and look for a source point, but unless we find signs of recent activity, there's no point in jumping at ghosts."
"And if we find signs of recent activity?"
"We run." Haruko replied in an instant.
With that, the discussion was definitively over. Haruko and Tsugumi left the lab crew to their work as Haruko headed to her office to write up a new safety briefing with Tsugumi following along.
"We're staying, so... We still get to explore the tunnels later, right?" Tsugumi asked.
"Of course." Haruko said.
"Searching through some dark and twisty tunnels does have a different mood to it now, doesn't it. A little extra spice of danger? What could be lurking around the next corner? Exciting, no?" Tsugumi said with a grin.
"Exciting is not the word I would use." Haruko said, "But I am not letting you out of my sight. Someone has to keep that thrill seeking of yours in check."
"Hey!" Tsugumi cried in mock indignation. "I'm the one sticking to you. If it weren't for me, you'd probably spend all day smoldering in silence."
Once again, Haruko could only stifle a laugh.
