Futuristic 2240: The Nova Terra Expedition

[Unbreakable Patches]

10...
You can feel the electricity in the air as the countdown begins. Your crew-mates are close by, watching through the enameled windows.
9...
The tension is unbearable as the populous of the space station look onward to the stars.
8...
What will be waiting for you on Earth? Will there be anything similar to the way it was before?
7...
Will humanity's landmarks be stripped from the land, covered in dense blankets of moss and life? They always said that nature would reclaim it's territory.
6...
You receive a reassuring look from one of your fellow passengers, but it does little to ease your churning stomach.
5...
Your mind starts to wander to more outlandish theories, thinking of the possibilities waiting for you on the New Earth.
4...
Those thoughts turn to grim realizations, and then to foreign and terrifying creatures.
3...
Would you even survive long enough to get there?
2...
Well, it's not like you can turn back now.
1...

Your brain begins to turn to mush as the sheer force of the launch pushes you into your seat, and you are unable to even blink. The speed of it all is blinding, and before you know it, you are drifting in the outer reaches of the colony's atmosphere. It doesn't take long for the artificial gravity to take a hold on the ship, and the nausea is washed away as you look through the windows into the twinkling abyss.



With current technology, the scientists overseeing the project estimated at least two weeks of travelling before the ship can safely enter Earth's volatile atmosphere, giving you and your team ample time to get to know each other. The colony is massive, and not many of you are familiar with each other. The most you would know, having been debriefed shortly before the launch, is their names and specialization.

Before someone can cut the inspired silence, a transmission begins blaring over the notification system.
Message ID reads as Director Cole.​

 

[PinkChiffon]

Daniel would be absolutely full of it if he said he wasn’t nervous out of his mind. The sheer force of takeoff was churning his stomach, and he was absolutely white knuckling it, just waiting for it all to be over. The sensation seemed to last forever, even though logically Daniel knew it was only a moment. The artificial gravity took hold, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off his body and Daniel took a deep breath. He glanced around his fellow passengers, wondering how they were faring with it all.

 

[screaming armadillo]

A veteran of a hundred launches in and out of simulation the immense g-force pressure no longer turned William Francis Sharpe’s stomach into knots. He stared straight forward with an almost serenity while his mind, which was not completely unfazed from liftoff, went elsewhere until the weight eventually left his body. He scratched an inch on his nose that had been unbearable the instant he was able. And since the ship didn’t go boom he could say with certainty that phase one was complete.

So now comes the part of space travel everybody enjoys. Doing anything, and William has seen just about anything, to pass the time. Should make great reading and listening on the daily updates for the superiors. William was just beginning to wonder if this mission was actually an elaborate punishment when the notification came in. Naturally he affixed his focus to the message.

 

[Soap]

Eden's eyes were tightly shut for the first few second as the racking from the ship shook her body, feeling the headache come her way with the occascial wave of nausea, and for a second she was sure she was about to lose her lunch before it all came to a slow, quiet stop. She rose her eyebrow and glanced around. You'd think for someone who lived on a ship and who spent years studying it would be at least a bit used to space travel now, right?

Not exactly. Eden hated it.

Just because she knew the in and outs of a ship, and had to make sure it actually flew correctly... doesn't mean she had to like it. The brunette unbuckled her seat and walked forward to the window, gazing at the stars and the planet they were soon to set on. She was excited... and scared in a way. Anticipation was fueling her body, and Eden wasn't even sure if she'd be able to sleep tonight. "People used to dream of seeing Space up close and personal. Now, we dream of seeing Earth." With a small shrug she glanced the rest of them.

"Well, dreamt. I guess."​

 

[Aleki]

Aleki grunted as he felt the sharp pull of the ship entering FTL travel. He shook his head as he muttered
“ you never get fucking used to the damn jumps.”
He said as he unbuckled from his seat. The ship was still moving and he understood the basics. He stretched abit as he knew muscles could be strained and even damaged during jumps. He still kept himself in peak performance condition. He wore his guard gear but he was forced to store his firearms, and bladed weapons in his footlocker and that was in the colony security crate. He shook his head as he looked around and sighed as he slipped on his wrist communicator.he grunted and muttered
“ looks like I need to meet the Director. I don’t care what he has to say. I am just here to aid in keeping folks alive.”
He said in a grumble. His hair was black, he had hazel eyes and looked to weight about a hundred eighty pounds and looked to be be in his early twenties. He also had a well built body that was made to kill and nothing else. He sighed as he looked around the entire group around him. He noticed eden “ still not used to the jumps?” He said with a soft smirk as he stretched his body just like he had been trained in the army.

 

[_Exodus_]

Jeanie had spun around in the zero gravity ship.
“Ya know, I could get use to this,” Jeanie noted doing a few summersalts, “how long until we get to fight some monsters? If there is a dinosaur it’s going to be great.”

 

[Unbreakable Patches]

The console made an electronic beeping noise, and static flooded the speakers for ten seconds straight. After the auditory bombardment, the director's voice could be heard clearly over the engines.

"Evening participants, I do hope the launch went well. We're estimating at least two weeks of space flight before touching bases with Old Earth, if that wasn't already clear. Good luck, we gave this expedition everything we had, and not to pressure, but a lot is running on this. Now, I'm legally required to answer any questions before I end the transmission so if you've got something to ask please do so now."

While the director babbled on, answering the questions (hopefully) thrown at him from the crew, the look outside was mildly homesick-inducing as the colony station flew further and further from view. It would be a long time before anyone saw this place again, so it was advised to take a good look at it while you still could.

"That's all? Good. Again, best of luck, and we wish you the best here at Colony 13. Godspeed, NTE."

:END_TRANSMISSION:​

 

[PinkChiffon]

Daniel sat in silence for a few moments after the transmission had ended. His heart rate finally began to go back to normal, his launch anxiety was easing. It looked like the crew he was with seemed to be shaking it off as well. “I mean, two weeks ain’t so bad.” He stretched his arms out, looking around at everyone. While he spoke with some optimism, two weeks is a long time to be stuck with people you don’t know hardly at all. “I wonder what it’ll be like... you knows, once we land. If it’s really like what they’ve been telling us.” He pondered allowed.

 

[screaming armadillo]

William had no questions since all of them were answered by those who pushed this job onto him. However he isn’t fool enough to believe that the total unfiltered truth was given. It is well known the best way to keep a secret between three is to kill the other two. Better to not poke into any messy business. Maybe he was also jaded into assuming nothing but the same would be given from the Director. As if to affirm his reasoning that nagging voice in his head blew up at the word ‘participants’. Of course it was used because everybody, or mostly everybody volunteered, but good luck explaining that to the paranoid mind.

Turning his attention to the scout he couldn’t hold back this time, “Two weeks will seem a long way off in three days.” His gravelly tenor carried well and contrasted sharply with the blithe expression he carried.

Then he switched his attention to the giddy biologist, her earlier remarks and cartwheels amused the soldier but he hadn’t the time to respond. “As for your monsters. Try not to run out and get killed when we land.”

 

[Aleki]

Aleki nods as he rubbed his forehead
“ I have to agree. I already have some gear set up. From what I was told is that I am to help with infrastructure and security. I already made load out kits. You will love yours.”
He said with a soft smirk to William. He was given full access to just two out of the twenty 3D printers and had a surprise for when they landed. He nods as he motioned towards the scout.
“ listen up. I have a hundred fifty pound bag for you to train with. We hate for you to lose muscle mass. So meet me at the training bay. Same for the rest of you. If there are monsters on earth then I want us prepared. I have kits for each of us just so we all know our jobs. Show up or not. We each have a roll to play here. My pay is bigger the more folks survive this mission.”
He said as he started to walk towards the training bay. He hated going days without any real training but he was forced to do so just so he was relaxed.

 

[_Exodus_]

“I already know my job and I will try not to die,” Jeanie admitted following Aleki.
She had no idea how the ship worked, but apparently it worked just fine.
“Maybe we could watch movies or play long games to pass the time. You know time isn’t very relevant in space.”

 

[Unbreakable Patches]

There was an unmistakable tension in the air, thick enough to even be cut in half. There might be some time before actually touching down, but that did nothing to ease the electricity the shuttle. Minutes went by as the the station finally dipped out of view, becoming little more than a speck on the infinite horizon of space.

There was not much to do on the shuttle, and personal amenities would be the saviors of their bored patrons. However, the shuttle did contain basic living needs, such as a kitchen, washroom and various recreational games (though extremely compacted and simplistic).

Boredom would be a killer on this flight, but it would be made up for when the touch down commenced. For now however, patience is key.​

 

[screaming armadillo]

A raised brow was the only reply to Aleki, curiosity started to creep through William. Frankly he had been thoroughly miffed that command didn’t even allow the rifle he had spent years with. Not even a lousy sidearm. He had spent an inebriated night contemplating if that meant he didn’t need any serious gear, or if they had low expectations of William returning. The memory of that night reminded him to look over every item in supply. But that comes later, for now he followed a few steps behind Aleki which put him also behind Jeanie.

“Don’t be surprised if you’re ordered to give detailed reports of indigenous creatures around our LZ.” William left out the part that he was the one that pushed for those reports before adding, “Even if they died out two hundred years ago.”

 

[Aleki]

Aleki smiled as he offered a dark grin “ I have a list of gear but sadly I can’t give you all real ammo. So I guess you have to get used to the grip of the weapons.” He said as he pulled out a keycard and opened up a locker. In it had a set of simple military armor and of all things. A 3D printer as a final touches to a special weapon. He smiled as he pulled it out and held a broken down middle of the rail gun.” Hunters will carry this. It is a 487 rail gun. It fires shells that go up to Mach six. So please note that each firing will do some real damage but this smaller can lessen the recoil so it would only dislocate your shoulder if you don’t hold it right. Keep it tucked tight. Kay? You also get your armor. Locker six. In there you have a pistol and a small SMG. It will come in handy if we face more then one creature. Also the scope is a recon scope that marks targets and will aid in ensuring the safety of the encampment. Our lead scientist will carry a simple pistol and a rifle.” He said as he offered her a mark seven pluse rifle. “ it holds seventy rounds of caseless ammo and has a hair trigger with a shotgun on the under barrel. Do note it does have abit of a kick so aim for center of the mass.” He said with a smile.