- RP Date
- YE 46.8
- RP Location
- Arzank II
Arzank II Upper Atmosphere
YE 48.8.8
The air aboard the Xuanwu shuttle thrummed with the deep hum of its engines, a sound that felt almost
comforting to Chief Specialist Vanessa Radcliff. She stood near the viewport, her dark orange-red eyes scanning the distant horizon of Arzank II, the unforgiving desert planet below. Even from orbit, the planet’s vast, barren surface stretched out in hues of burnt ochre and shimmering silver, interrupted only by the dark smudges of ancient craters and the faint gleam of two saltwater lakes, one each at the poles.
The shuttle began its slow descent, the friction from the atmosphere creating a fiery halo around the energy shielding of the craft. Radcliff exhaled, her breath steady. This mission was unlike any other—Arzank II held the promise of vast resources, hidden beneath its sun-scorched crust. Minerals, precious metals, and potential elements that could fuel the Reds’ economic and industrial ambitions. But this was no easy task. The surface temperatures regularly exceeded 70°C, and the planet's atmosphere, rich in nitrogen but lacking oxygen, required the team to rely on advanced arid environmental suits and cutting-edge engineering to survive.
Beside her, Akira Jiro, the team’s expeditionary engineer, checked the seals on his helmet, his voice calm but deliberate. "Everything’s holding steady, Radcliff. The equipment should function, but with the heat down there… let’s hope the maintenance holds up."
Radcliff gave a curt nod. "It’ll have to. There’s no room for failure on this one."
The shuttle’s thrusters roared, the craft shaking slightly as it broke through the thickening atmosphere, the black of space fading into a harsh, blinding blue sky. Vanessa’s thoughts turned to the rest of her team. Each one had been carefully selected not just for their expertise, but for their ability to function under duress. Arzank II was the kind of world that would test even the most hardened of scouts, engineers, and scientists.
The shuttle banked slightly, and Vanessa steadied herself against the frame, her gaze hardening as she caught her first glimpse of the planet’s surface. The terrain was jagged and broken, with endless dunes stretching toward the horizon, their sharp edges carved by relentless winds. To the north, faint plumes of dust storms spun like whirlwinds, heralding the planet’s violent mood swings.
“Ten minutes until landing,” came the voice of the shuttle’s pilot over the comms.
Vanessa turned to face her team, her voice steady but firm, the weight of her recent promotion evident in her tone. "Alright, once we have made touchdown, I want all of our gear off in 5 minutes. We need to validate that the drop zone parameters are legit. This might just be a routine type of mission, but that doesn't mean any of you get to slack off."
The team responded with nods and murmurs of agreement, their faces steeled against what was to come. Vanessa turned back to the viewport, watching as the barren wasteland rose up to meet them. The shuttle descended further, and the heat began to seep through the hull, causing the exterior panels to creak. Arzank II loomed closer, an ancient, inhospitable place that refused to yield easily. But Vanessa Radcliff had never been one to shy away from a challenge.
“Time to show this planet what we’re made of,” she muttered under her breath, her hands tightening on the rail as the shuttle dropped lower. The future was out there, somewhere in the blistering heat and the endless dunes. All they had to do was claim it.
“Prepare for landing,” the pilot’s voice echoed through the cabin.
The adventure had begun.
Surface of Arzank II
Zone 49VDE
Vanessa stared at the surface of the northern pole's salt lake, Daryacheh Sefid (White Lake), through the visor of
her Megumi Series 18 Arid Climate Environmental Suit. Created by Ryu Heavy Industries as an expansion of their Megumi Series of bodysuits and accessories in mid YE 46, it saved the Fujiko Development Corporation the need to task Nepleslian Research and Manufacturing from developing a similar system once plans for Arzank were drafted.
Her suit’s built-in filtration system humming faintly as it drained additional oxygen from her reserves to compensate for the low oxygen partial pressure of the planet. The tan outer layers and the internal mesh of cooling fluid it insulated and protected worked hard to keep her from quickly succumbing to heat injuries.
Vanessa raised up her binoculars to scan the distant horizon, where the crystalline beaches of Daryacheh Sefid shimmered beneath the oppressive sunlight beamed to her visor's HUD. The salt lake, though beautiful in its starkness and dark blue surface, was deceptive in nature to those not versed in survival. A less knowledgeable individual would expand the last of their energy dashing for what they thought was nourishing water, quickening their death in the desert.
Behind her, the rest of the team was disembarking from the shuttle, moving swiftly but deliberately to unload gear and establish the temporary base. Akira Jiro, ever the methodical engineer, was already crouched by the landing struts, checking the integrity of the shuttle’s thermal plating after their descent out of habit. While the energy shielding of the shuttle would have protected against the worse of re-entry, it never hurt to perform routine checks in an adverse environment. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the suit’s climate control fighting against the planet's heat.
He glanced up as Vanessa approached. "This environment is going to be rough on the systems regardless of how tough Ryu Heavy Industries has made this design. Sand gets into everything."
Vanessa nodded, her eyes narrowing as she glanced toward the distant dunes, pointing at a ridgeline in the distance. "Understood. I want you to stay with the shuttle and make sure this turtle remains in working condition as the rest of us head for the ridge. Confirmation of the drop zone’s condition and then gathering early geological samples are top priorities. I don’t want to be unprepared for any surprises that might come our way."
Jiro wiped a hand across his visor, the gesture more instinctive than practical in the sealed suit. "Got it, Chief. She’ll be ready."
Vanessa gave a thumbs up in acknowledgement before she moved toward the rest of the team, watching as they secured their gear to their suits and checked their instruments. Elara Kirilov, the diplomacy specialist, was organizing their communications systems, making sure the FDC’s encrypted channels were live and secure.
Vanessa felt bad for the woman. She was trained to be a diplomat, but there were no undiscovered people here for her to really make use of that skill set. But she was still valuable as the team's communication specialist as despite the relative isolation of the area, Vanessa knew that any slip in communication could mean disaster. Elara gave a quick thumbs-up, confirming the link was solid.
Nearby, Carter Vance, her chosen pathfinder, was scanning the horizon with his own set of binoculars. She smiled to herself, her face hidden by the polarized visor knowing his sharp eyes and instincts were invaluable in a place like this. He caught Vanessa looking in his direction based on her body language and jerked his head towards the ridgeline. "Looks clear, for now. We should be able to confirm if the drop zone by the lake is legit or not from up there. But that dust storm from the east could sweep through in the next couple of hours. We’ll need to keep an eye on it."
Vanessa sighed, not surprised that life would throw in some spice to the mission. "Understood, I want you to determine a fallback point by the ridge in the possibility we have to hunker down to weather the storm. The only reason we didn't land directly there is because the sensors were giving conflicting reports on what was and wasn't land. That needs to be confirmed if we want the command module to get down here so we can really start with our survey of this region."
Vanessa took a moment to glance up at the pale sky, her visor darkening, streaked with bands of white and orange. The sun was a brutal orb, and under its gaze, the surface of Arzank II seemed to shimmer and waver. Looking back down, she signaled with her hands to move forward before pulling her Default Industrial Tools' EnviroPro Environment Scanner.
The journey towards the ridge was slow but exhausting. The terrain, though not mountainous, presented a labyrinth of sharp inclines and jagged outcrops of dark rock that required careful navigation. Vanessa's legs burned with every step as they finally reached the base of the ridgeline, but her focus remained sharp. The EnviroPro Environment Scanner in her hand beeped and buzzed intermittently, feeding valuable data into the unit's topographical and environmental models, helping her to make a rudimentary map of the immediate area.
As they advanced, the heat pressed down, relentless and omnipresent. While the Megumi Series 18 suits were state-of-the-art, even they were being pushed hard to keep up in conditions this extreme thanks to the presence of the atmosphere. While scraping her leg on a rock outcrop, there was a momentary spike in internal temperature. But upon inspection, there appeared to be only minor damage. Nothing a layer of Self-Regenerating Fabric Coating couldn’t seal long enough to allow the suit’s adaptive nanoweave to self-repair.
Beside her, Carter Vance moved with an effortless precision up the ridgeline, his EnviroPro blinking rapidly as he monitored the weather. "That storm’s picking up pace," he muttered, his voice distorted slightly through the suit’s comm system. "We’ve got about 90 minutes before it slams into this area. By then, we need to be either in the shuttle or hunkered down to weather the storm."
Vanessa nodded, glancing over her shoulder at the horizon where the distant dust storm curled its menacing fingers into the sky. "I am marking on the battlenet with map data generated up to now. I am setting the rally point at 1256 7543, the terrain supports establishing a short-term shelter camp," she replied, her voice calm but resolute. "We will all link up there if separated or unable to return to the shuttle. Got it?"
Carter and Elara gave a thumbs-up without Carter taking his eyes off the ridgeline ahead. Compared to the terrain leading to the ridge, the rocks were much easier to keep a steady foothold as they walked up. This allowed them to reach the top of the ridge sooner than expected—within 45 minutes.
From their vantage point, the salt lake stretched before them like a vast, still ocean of dark blue. Daryacheh Sefid, or the White Lake, was starkly beautiful, making the planet feel more alive than before. The shimmering surface reflected the sun’s brutal light, the low angle of the sun reflecting onto portions of the surrounding barren terrain, a mosaic of cracked earth and jagged rock.
Behind them, Elara's voice broke through the comms. "Comms are holding steady. I’m getting a bit of interference from the ridge’s geological makeup, but it’s manageable. We’ll still have clear contact with the shuttle and orbit if anything comes up."
"Good," Vanessa replied. "Keep that link solid. We don’t need any breakdowns in communication."
Vanessa crouched, tapping her scanner to initiate a deeper environmental analysis. "Carter, check the atmospheric stability again. We need to confirm that this place can handle the command module’s weight."
Carter’s scanner flickered and beeped as he analyzed the atmospheric pressure and surface conditions near the lake. "It’s close," he muttered. "The lake’s edge could support it, but the sensors aren’t giving me a clear read. That storm isn’t helping either."
Vanessa sighed, looking out across the lake. "Then we’ll need to get closer. Verify the structural integrity of the soil near the lakebed and confirm it firsthand."
Carter hesitated, glancing at the incoming dust storm. "You sure? The storm is going to engulf this area within 45 minutes. We do not know just how powerful the winds and sands will be. Plus if we get too close and it turns out unstable…"
"We’ll play it safe," Vanessa interrupted. "We can’t afford to lose time, but we also can’t afford to make mistakes."
She stood, motioning for the team to follow her down toward the lake’s edge. To their right, the dust storm crept closer as they quickly made their way down.
As the team moved closer to the edge of Daryacheh Sefid, the rumbling storm in the distance began to build. Vanessa shook off the thoughts of her past and focused on the task at hand. The air around them had grown heavier with particles kicked up by the rising winds, and the shimmering surface of the lake was now flecked with dark patches, hinting at the instability of the terrain.
"Carter, keep scanning," she ordered, her voice more clipped now. "We need every bit of data on that lakebed before the storm hits."
Carter Vance nodded, his eyes glued to the scanner in his hand as he started ramming a rod into the ground to extend his scanner's range and capabilities. Vanessa scouted out a more immediate location to hunker down at. "I’m getting more consistent readings now. The soil is dense enough near the edge, but further out, it’s unstable. I wouldn’t recommend getting the command module any closer than 30 meters from the shoreline."
Vanessa’s gaze swept over the landscape once, the wind howling around them. 30 meters would be tight, but it would have to work. "We’ll mark the perimeter. Get ready to send the data back to the shuttle."
She keyed her comms, reaching out to Akira Jiro. "Jiro, we’ve got a viable site near the lake, but it’s tighter than we’d like. We’re marking the perimeter now. How’s the shuttle holding up?"
"Systems are good, but the dust is starting to collect on the landing struts. I’d recommend we don’t linger longer than necessary," Jiro replied, his voice crackling slightly over the comms.
Vanessa nodded to herself, acknowledging the growing urgency. Her hand instinctively tightened around the EnviroPro as she re-calibrated it to scan the atmosphere. The readouts confirmed her worst suspicion—the dust storm was much stronger than they’d anticipated. A deep furrow appeared between her brows as she absorbed the data. Even at their best pace, they wouldn’t make it back to their fallback point, let alone their shuttle before the storm engulfed them.
She keyed the comms again, her voice calm but decisive. "Jiro, change of plans. We’re not going to make it back in time. The storm’s moving faster than expected. Prep the shuttle for departure, and we’ll reconvene after it passes. We’re setting up camp on location."
There was a slight pause before Jiro’s voice returned, a mixture of concern and agreement. "Understood. We have lifted off. Just give the word when it’s safe to approach again."
Vanessa turned to her team. She motioned towards a wide tower karst angled against the storm. "We need to move fast. That storm’s coming in hard, and we’re not going to outrun it. Get the bubble grenades and portable shelters ready. We’ll weather it on the other side of that karst. The bubble grenades will deal with any surprises."
Carter Vance was already packing up his scanner into a pouch on his belt, his sharp eyes scanning the landscape for a safe route. "Storm’s picking up intensity faster than I’ve ever seen," he muttered, shaking his head. "We’ll be buried alive if we don’t get into cover soon."
"That’s why we’re moving now," Vanessa replied, her voice steady. "I want us set up and ready before the worst of it hits. No slacking—get those bubble grenades ready."
The Galactic Horizon's bubble grenades were a stroke of tactical genius, creating a protective dome of energy that would shield them from the worst of the storm. Combined with their portable shelters, they could create a temporary base to ride out the storm and continue their survey work from relative safety. It wasn’t ideal, but on a planet like Arzank II, ideal didn’t exist.
Elara Kirilov quickly switched her focus to setting up a communications relay. Even in the middle of a storm, they would need to keep contact with Jiro and their mothership, the FDS ' Forge of Erika'. "Comms will be spotty, but I’ll set up a relay," she called out, already adjusting frequencies on her equipment.
Vanessa nodded in approval and motioned for the team to follow her as they moved swiftly toward the ridge, the wind already picking up around them. The sky above darkened as the wall of sand and dust approached with terrifying speed, a roiling, furious mass that blocked out the sun. The ground beneath their feet trembled as the first gusts reached them, whipping sand against their suits with increasing ferocity.
As they reached the designated spot, Vanessa signaled for Carter and Elara to begin setting up their shelters as she prepared to activate the first bubble grenade in the center of their campsite. She placed the cylinder onto the ground and flicked the activation button. The grenade expanded rapidly, a shimmering energy dome unfurling around them, providing a buffer against the incoming storm.
Vanessa's scanner beeped in her hand, displaying the storm’s full intensity now. They had minutes, maybe less, before it would reach full strength. But she could breathe a sigh of relief as they would be protected from the worse of it by the land and the shimmering shield barrier around their location. Seeing that her teammates were secured, she began setting up her own personal shelter.
The Ryu Heavy Industries' Ryūjin Series 1 Portable Shelter used by Vanessa Radcliff and her team is a lightweight, modular structure designed for survival in extreme desert environments. Built with a durandium nanocomposite frame and covered in Adaptive Nanoweave fabric, the shelter is both durable and resistant to the planet's intense UV radiation, sandstorms, and searing heat. The fabric also uses electrochromic technology to blend into its surroundings, making the shelter camouflaged against the desert landscape. Its design allows for quick deployment and environmental sealing, keeping out sand and maintaining a controlled internal atmosphere.
Inside, an oxygen condenser and air filtration system pulls nitrogen-rich air from the outside and increases the oxygen levels required for safe breathing while simultaneously filtering out dust and particulates. An integrated air conditioning system ensures that the interior remains cool during the day and warm at night (but hardly completely comfortable), even when external temperatures exceed 70°C. Powered by a foldable solar array with backup battery cells, the shelter is capable of continuous operation, even during extended dust storms or periods without sunlight. A water condenser also gathered drinkable water from the air, providing a vital resource in the arid environment.
Once the concentration of oxygen within the one-man shelter was safe to do so, Vanessa took off her helmet and placed it next to her. While not exactly ideal, the unexpected storm would buy them more time to gather basic geological samples from the side of the krast, analyze what they had already gathered, for her to plan their next steps. The weight of the mission pressed on her, but she welcomed it. This was what she had trained for.
Vanessa keyed her team’s private comms channel, her voice cutting through the ambient noise. "Carter, I want you to start analyzing the side of this karst. I don't expect we will find anything exciting, but it might give us clues as to the planet's geological history in the region. We’ll gather as much data as we can while we’re sheltered. Kirilov, establish an uplink to the Forge of Erika. I want to send a status report ASAP. Also download any information you can find about the deployment of non-FDC prospectors that might have made claims within this zone."
YE 48.8.8
The air aboard the Xuanwu shuttle thrummed with the deep hum of its engines, a sound that felt almost
The shuttle began its slow descent, the friction from the atmosphere creating a fiery halo around the energy shielding of the craft. Radcliff exhaled, her breath steady. This mission was unlike any other—Arzank II held the promise of vast resources, hidden beneath its sun-scorched crust. Minerals, precious metals, and potential elements that could fuel the Reds’ economic and industrial ambitions. But this was no easy task. The surface temperatures regularly exceeded 70°C, and the planet's atmosphere, rich in nitrogen but lacking oxygen, required the team to rely on advanced arid environmental suits and cutting-edge engineering to survive.
Beside her, Akira Jiro, the team’s expeditionary engineer, checked the seals on his helmet, his voice calm but deliberate. "Everything’s holding steady, Radcliff. The equipment should function, but with the heat down there… let’s hope the maintenance holds up."
Radcliff gave a curt nod. "It’ll have to. There’s no room for failure on this one."
The shuttle’s thrusters roared, the craft shaking slightly as it broke through the thickening atmosphere, the black of space fading into a harsh, blinding blue sky. Vanessa’s thoughts turned to the rest of her team. Each one had been carefully selected not just for their expertise, but for their ability to function under duress. Arzank II was the kind of world that would test even the most hardened of scouts, engineers, and scientists.
The shuttle banked slightly, and Vanessa steadied herself against the frame, her gaze hardening as she caught her first glimpse of the planet’s surface. The terrain was jagged and broken, with endless dunes stretching toward the horizon, their sharp edges carved by relentless winds. To the north, faint plumes of dust storms spun like whirlwinds, heralding the planet’s violent mood swings.
“Ten minutes until landing,” came the voice of the shuttle’s pilot over the comms.
Vanessa turned to face her team, her voice steady but firm, the weight of her recent promotion evident in her tone. "Alright, once we have made touchdown, I want all of our gear off in 5 minutes. We need to validate that the drop zone parameters are legit. This might just be a routine type of mission, but that doesn't mean any of you get to slack off."
The team responded with nods and murmurs of agreement, their faces steeled against what was to come. Vanessa turned back to the viewport, watching as the barren wasteland rose up to meet them. The shuttle descended further, and the heat began to seep through the hull, causing the exterior panels to creak. Arzank II loomed closer, an ancient, inhospitable place that refused to yield easily. But Vanessa Radcliff had never been one to shy away from a challenge.
“Time to show this planet what we’re made of,” she muttered under her breath, her hands tightening on the rail as the shuttle dropped lower. The future was out there, somewhere in the blistering heat and the endless dunes. All they had to do was claim it.
“Prepare for landing,” the pilot’s voice echoed through the cabin.
The adventure had begun.
Surface of Arzank II
Zone 49VDE
Vanessa stared at the surface of the northern pole's salt lake, Daryacheh Sefid (White Lake), through the visor of
Her suit’s built-in filtration system humming faintly as it drained additional oxygen from her reserves to compensate for the low oxygen partial pressure of the planet. The tan outer layers and the internal mesh of cooling fluid it insulated and protected worked hard to keep her from quickly succumbing to heat injuries.
Vanessa raised up her binoculars to scan the distant horizon, where the crystalline beaches of Daryacheh Sefid shimmered beneath the oppressive sunlight beamed to her visor's HUD. The salt lake, though beautiful in its starkness and dark blue surface, was deceptive in nature to those not versed in survival. A less knowledgeable individual would expand the last of their energy dashing for what they thought was nourishing water, quickening their death in the desert.
Behind her, the rest of the team was disembarking from the shuttle, moving swiftly but deliberately to unload gear and establish the temporary base. Akira Jiro, ever the methodical engineer, was already crouched by the landing struts, checking the integrity of the shuttle’s thermal plating after their descent out of habit. While the energy shielding of the shuttle would have protected against the worse of re-entry, it never hurt to perform routine checks in an adverse environment. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the suit’s climate control fighting against the planet's heat.
He glanced up as Vanessa approached. "This environment is going to be rough on the systems regardless of how tough Ryu Heavy Industries has made this design. Sand gets into everything."
Vanessa nodded, her eyes narrowing as she glanced toward the distant dunes, pointing at a ridgeline in the distance. "Understood. I want you to stay with the shuttle and make sure this turtle remains in working condition as the rest of us head for the ridge. Confirmation of the drop zone’s condition and then gathering early geological samples are top priorities. I don’t want to be unprepared for any surprises that might come our way."
Jiro wiped a hand across his visor, the gesture more instinctive than practical in the sealed suit. "Got it, Chief. She’ll be ready."
Vanessa gave a thumbs up in acknowledgement before she moved toward the rest of the team, watching as they secured their gear to their suits and checked their instruments. Elara Kirilov, the diplomacy specialist, was organizing their communications systems, making sure the FDC’s encrypted channels were live and secure.
Vanessa felt bad for the woman. She was trained to be a diplomat, but there were no undiscovered people here for her to really make use of that skill set. But she was still valuable as the team's communication specialist as despite the relative isolation of the area, Vanessa knew that any slip in communication could mean disaster. Elara gave a quick thumbs-up, confirming the link was solid.
Nearby, Carter Vance, her chosen pathfinder, was scanning the horizon with his own set of binoculars. She smiled to herself, her face hidden by the polarized visor knowing his sharp eyes and instincts were invaluable in a place like this. He caught Vanessa looking in his direction based on her body language and jerked his head towards the ridgeline. "Looks clear, for now. We should be able to confirm if the drop zone by the lake is legit or not from up there. But that dust storm from the east could sweep through in the next couple of hours. We’ll need to keep an eye on it."
Vanessa sighed, not surprised that life would throw in some spice to the mission. "Understood, I want you to determine a fallback point by the ridge in the possibility we have to hunker down to weather the storm. The only reason we didn't land directly there is because the sensors were giving conflicting reports on what was and wasn't land. That needs to be confirmed if we want the command module to get down here so we can really start with our survey of this region."
Vanessa took a moment to glance up at the pale sky, her visor darkening, streaked with bands of white and orange. The sun was a brutal orb, and under its gaze, the surface of Arzank II seemed to shimmer and waver. Looking back down, she signaled with her hands to move forward before pulling her Default Industrial Tools' EnviroPro Environment Scanner.
The journey towards the ridge was slow but exhausting. The terrain, though not mountainous, presented a labyrinth of sharp inclines and jagged outcrops of dark rock that required careful navigation. Vanessa's legs burned with every step as they finally reached the base of the ridgeline, but her focus remained sharp. The EnviroPro Environment Scanner in her hand beeped and buzzed intermittently, feeding valuable data into the unit's topographical and environmental models, helping her to make a rudimentary map of the immediate area.
As they advanced, the heat pressed down, relentless and omnipresent. While the Megumi Series 18 suits were state-of-the-art, even they were being pushed hard to keep up in conditions this extreme thanks to the presence of the atmosphere. While scraping her leg on a rock outcrop, there was a momentary spike in internal temperature. But upon inspection, there appeared to be only minor damage. Nothing a layer of Self-Regenerating Fabric Coating couldn’t seal long enough to allow the suit’s adaptive nanoweave to self-repair.
Beside her, Carter Vance moved with an effortless precision up the ridgeline, his EnviroPro blinking rapidly as he monitored the weather. "That storm’s picking up pace," he muttered, his voice distorted slightly through the suit’s comm system. "We’ve got about 90 minutes before it slams into this area. By then, we need to be either in the shuttle or hunkered down to weather the storm."
Vanessa nodded, glancing over her shoulder at the horizon where the distant dust storm curled its menacing fingers into the sky. "I am marking on the battlenet with map data generated up to now. I am setting the rally point at 1256 7543, the terrain supports establishing a short-term shelter camp," she replied, her voice calm but resolute. "We will all link up there if separated or unable to return to the shuttle. Got it?"
Carter and Elara gave a thumbs-up without Carter taking his eyes off the ridgeline ahead. Compared to the terrain leading to the ridge, the rocks were much easier to keep a steady foothold as they walked up. This allowed them to reach the top of the ridge sooner than expected—within 45 minutes.
From their vantage point, the salt lake stretched before them like a vast, still ocean of dark blue. Daryacheh Sefid, or the White Lake, was starkly beautiful, making the planet feel more alive than before. The shimmering surface reflected the sun’s brutal light, the low angle of the sun reflecting onto portions of the surrounding barren terrain, a mosaic of cracked earth and jagged rock.
Behind them, Elara's voice broke through the comms. "Comms are holding steady. I’m getting a bit of interference from the ridge’s geological makeup, but it’s manageable. We’ll still have clear contact with the shuttle and orbit if anything comes up."
"Good," Vanessa replied. "Keep that link solid. We don’t need any breakdowns in communication."
Vanessa crouched, tapping her scanner to initiate a deeper environmental analysis. "Carter, check the atmospheric stability again. We need to confirm that this place can handle the command module’s weight."
Carter’s scanner flickered and beeped as he analyzed the atmospheric pressure and surface conditions near the lake. "It’s close," he muttered. "The lake’s edge could support it, but the sensors aren’t giving me a clear read. That storm isn’t helping either."
Vanessa sighed, looking out across the lake. "Then we’ll need to get closer. Verify the structural integrity of the soil near the lakebed and confirm it firsthand."
Carter hesitated, glancing at the incoming dust storm. "You sure? The storm is going to engulf this area within 45 minutes. We do not know just how powerful the winds and sands will be. Plus if we get too close and it turns out unstable…"
"We’ll play it safe," Vanessa interrupted. "We can’t afford to lose time, but we also can’t afford to make mistakes."
She stood, motioning for the team to follow her down toward the lake’s edge. To their right, the dust storm crept closer as they quickly made their way down.
As the team moved closer to the edge of Daryacheh Sefid, the rumbling storm in the distance began to build. Vanessa shook off the thoughts of her past and focused on the task at hand. The air around them had grown heavier with particles kicked up by the rising winds, and the shimmering surface of the lake was now flecked with dark patches, hinting at the instability of the terrain.
"Carter, keep scanning," she ordered, her voice more clipped now. "We need every bit of data on that lakebed before the storm hits."
Carter Vance nodded, his eyes glued to the scanner in his hand as he started ramming a rod into the ground to extend his scanner's range and capabilities. Vanessa scouted out a more immediate location to hunker down at. "I’m getting more consistent readings now. The soil is dense enough near the edge, but further out, it’s unstable. I wouldn’t recommend getting the command module any closer than 30 meters from the shoreline."
Vanessa’s gaze swept over the landscape once, the wind howling around them. 30 meters would be tight, but it would have to work. "We’ll mark the perimeter. Get ready to send the data back to the shuttle."
She keyed her comms, reaching out to Akira Jiro. "Jiro, we’ve got a viable site near the lake, but it’s tighter than we’d like. We’re marking the perimeter now. How’s the shuttle holding up?"
"Systems are good, but the dust is starting to collect on the landing struts. I’d recommend we don’t linger longer than necessary," Jiro replied, his voice crackling slightly over the comms.
Vanessa nodded to herself, acknowledging the growing urgency. Her hand instinctively tightened around the EnviroPro as she re-calibrated it to scan the atmosphere. The readouts confirmed her worst suspicion—the dust storm was much stronger than they’d anticipated. A deep furrow appeared between her brows as she absorbed the data. Even at their best pace, they wouldn’t make it back to their fallback point, let alone their shuttle before the storm engulfed them.
She keyed the comms again, her voice calm but decisive. "Jiro, change of plans. We’re not going to make it back in time. The storm’s moving faster than expected. Prep the shuttle for departure, and we’ll reconvene after it passes. We’re setting up camp on location."
There was a slight pause before Jiro’s voice returned, a mixture of concern and agreement. "Understood. We have lifted off. Just give the word when it’s safe to approach again."
Vanessa turned to her team. She motioned towards a wide tower karst angled against the storm. "We need to move fast. That storm’s coming in hard, and we’re not going to outrun it. Get the bubble grenades and portable shelters ready. We’ll weather it on the other side of that karst. The bubble grenades will deal with any surprises."
Carter Vance was already packing up his scanner into a pouch on his belt, his sharp eyes scanning the landscape for a safe route. "Storm’s picking up intensity faster than I’ve ever seen," he muttered, shaking his head. "We’ll be buried alive if we don’t get into cover soon."
"That’s why we’re moving now," Vanessa replied, her voice steady. "I want us set up and ready before the worst of it hits. No slacking—get those bubble grenades ready."
The Galactic Horizon's bubble grenades were a stroke of tactical genius, creating a protective dome of energy that would shield them from the worst of the storm. Combined with their portable shelters, they could create a temporary base to ride out the storm and continue their survey work from relative safety. It wasn’t ideal, but on a planet like Arzank II, ideal didn’t exist.
Elara Kirilov quickly switched her focus to setting up a communications relay. Even in the middle of a storm, they would need to keep contact with Jiro and their mothership, the FDS ' Forge of Erika'. "Comms will be spotty, but I’ll set up a relay," she called out, already adjusting frequencies on her equipment.
Vanessa nodded in approval and motioned for the team to follow her as they moved swiftly toward the ridge, the wind already picking up around them. The sky above darkened as the wall of sand and dust approached with terrifying speed, a roiling, furious mass that blocked out the sun. The ground beneath their feet trembled as the first gusts reached them, whipping sand against their suits with increasing ferocity.
As they reached the designated spot, Vanessa signaled for Carter and Elara to begin setting up their shelters as she prepared to activate the first bubble grenade in the center of their campsite. She placed the cylinder onto the ground and flicked the activation button. The grenade expanded rapidly, a shimmering energy dome unfurling around them, providing a buffer against the incoming storm.
Vanessa's scanner beeped in her hand, displaying the storm’s full intensity now. They had minutes, maybe less, before it would reach full strength. But she could breathe a sigh of relief as they would be protected from the worse of it by the land and the shimmering shield barrier around their location. Seeing that her teammates were secured, she began setting up her own personal shelter.
The Ryu Heavy Industries' Ryūjin Series 1 Portable Shelter used by Vanessa Radcliff and her team is a lightweight, modular structure designed for survival in extreme desert environments. Built with a durandium nanocomposite frame and covered in Adaptive Nanoweave fabric, the shelter is both durable and resistant to the planet's intense UV radiation, sandstorms, and searing heat. The fabric also uses electrochromic technology to blend into its surroundings, making the shelter camouflaged against the desert landscape. Its design allows for quick deployment and environmental sealing, keeping out sand and maintaining a controlled internal atmosphere.
Inside, an oxygen condenser and air filtration system pulls nitrogen-rich air from the outside and increases the oxygen levels required for safe breathing while simultaneously filtering out dust and particulates. An integrated air conditioning system ensures that the interior remains cool during the day and warm at night (but hardly completely comfortable), even when external temperatures exceed 70°C. Powered by a foldable solar array with backup battery cells, the shelter is capable of continuous operation, even during extended dust storms or periods without sunlight. A water condenser also gathered drinkable water from the air, providing a vital resource in the arid environment.
Once the concentration of oxygen within the one-man shelter was safe to do so, Vanessa took off her helmet and placed it next to her. While not exactly ideal, the unexpected storm would buy them more time to gather basic geological samples from the side of the krast, analyze what they had already gathered, for her to plan their next steps. The weight of the mission pressed on her, but she welcomed it. This was what she had trained for.
Vanessa keyed her team’s private comms channel, her voice cutting through the ambient noise. "Carter, I want you to start analyzing the side of this karst. I don't expect we will find anything exciting, but it might give us clues as to the planet's geological history in the region. We’ll gather as much data as we can while we’re sheltered. Kirilov, establish an uplink to the Forge of Erika. I want to send a status report ASAP. Also download any information you can find about the deployment of non-FDC prospectors that might have made claims within this zone."
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