Science Fiction Horror Thriller Limited Run CLOSED ALIEN: Submersion

IC: Alison Smith
Providence Colony Conference Room

They had arrived at their destination. Alison tried to remain professional, but her mind was in turmoil as she was very excited. All her years of preparation had finally paid off. She was finally going to do real research in the field, outside of the Solar System and she was now in the conference room on an alien planet.

Alison had met the others, had logged their medical information, she was going to use it as a baseline and do regular follow-ups and see how the new environment had changed them. If at all.

She had also noted the captain’s attempts at secretly looking at her. Alison was aware she was an attractive woman, but had never been much interested in long-term relationships. The doc had always found them too… distracting. But was not opposed to the idea though…

The other person she saw was a corpo representative. Hopefully he was not going to step on her toes and would allow her to do her job. So she had noted to make nice with him, you never knew.

The android, Gabriel, would be very helpful and she would have to check with the Wayland-Yutani rep whether she could use his assistance in processing the data.

But first things first… Doctor Smith turned her attention to what they were being shown. The footage seemed to be coming from underwater. She frowned, not sure why she was there. She was no astrophysicist or whatever… The signal and all that jazz were beyond the scope of her expertise.

But the image showed something unexpected… “Is that a spacecraft of some sort?” she asked out loud not hiding her shock.

TAG: @Vehn @greyjedi125 @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

IC: Lawrence Garcetti
Location: Providence, LV-827

Over the next three months Lawrence tried to be the prefect gentleman. Meetongs, greetings and of course medical checks with Dr Smith.

Nothing further arrived from the Network or from HQ, so it seemed the guys and girls on LV-827 had found nothing further.

That was until the meeting.

They had found something definitely. Dr Smith noted that it looked like a ship of some kind and Lawrence agreed.

The wheels began to turn in his head. If that was where the signal was coming from then it had to be investigated. Protocol demanded it.

"I would say it is a spacecraft" Lawrence replied "And since we now know the signal came from this then it has yo be investigated as per Weyland-Yutani mandate".

"For those of you that don't know should certain conditions arise, which in this case they have, any signal should be onvestigated and possibly decihered as it could possibly be a distress beacon".

He turned to Gabriel to get his thoughts as an analyst.

TAG: @Vehn, @greyjedi125 , @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Gabriel V
Providence Colony

The three months aboard the USCSS Serapis were productive ones, as Gabriel interacted with the ship’s crew. During that time he was able to make almost everyone feel at ease around him, with his courteous manner, charm and recurring wit acting as a vanguard for his personality, he estimated he was viewed more as a ‘person’ than ‘artificial’.

Several of those on board were so at ease with him, they began confiding in him, speaking candidly. He could indeed conform this; for in all interpersonal relationships, ‘trust’ was commensurate to ‘vulnerability’.

It was a natural disposition of the human condition.

That’s how he could tell that Captain Harrow was likely maintaining himself outside his ‘orbit’, purposefully so. That was an intriguing case study, but not a critical one, as it did not negatively impact the ship’s operation or in any way diminish the mission’s success.

As projected, their arrival at LV-827 had gone smoothly, however there seemed to be some excitement developing down in the colony. At the first possible opportunity, Gabriel availed himself to any and all information concerning Providence Colony. Everything from structural schematics, full roster of personnel, desalination plants and processes, working schedules, transportation, vehicles, maintenance and more. He would need all this information if he were to be effective.

As the designated ‘Special Advisor’ and’Analyst’, it was his duty to objectively see ‘ahead’ as well unravel any issues from ‘behind’, not only on technical and logistical matters, but also with mostly anything affecting the crew, colonists and ultimately, the success of the mission.

Thus far, everything progressed in a smooth fashion. The Serapis Team was called to join the Lead Scientist and Colony Director, Dr. Shannon Torrence, nearly as soon as they had arrived; a Conference Room was already prepared for them ahead of time.

Once there, Gabriel greeted Dr. Shannon cheerfully as well as Mr. Acevedo. First impressions were always important, no matter the situation. Taking his designated seat at the table, Gabriel sat and waited for the meeting to begin.

In short, it was revealed that the signal in question was not of human origin. That assertion in itself carried some heavy implications, especially from a Weyland-Yutani standpoint. Certainly everyone could ‘agree’ on that.

‘Count yourselves Lucky’ Dr. Torrence had said.

Gabriel smiled for effect, but he knew there was no such thing as ‘luck’ in the universe. Every action and reaction had a cause, an origin. The only mystery left unresolved was that of ‘creation’, of ‘life’ itself. Man’s present challenge aside from that, was exploring the vast universe which they inhabited.

For Gabriel, it was of great interest, that the storms that plagued the colony would ‘coincidentally’ cease upon the arrival of the ‘Serapis’. That divers were sent to investigate the signal at the first opportunity was ‘logical’ and expected, especially after the long waiting period. One could even surmise that doing so was a predetermined ‘reaction’.

Most intriguing indeed.

Gabriel turned to the viewing screen when the time came, but also patched his data device to the feed. He wished for ‘real time’ technical telemetry on his personal screen, as he did not find it distracting whatsoever.

It did not surprise him that one of the divers sounded impatient; this was only ‘natural’, of course. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before an object came into view.

On that account, Gabriel raised a single eyebrow, for effect, of course.

It was 'curious' that no one had reacted to the 'momentary loss of transmission', but remained solely focused on the discovery. Gabriel swiftly entered an inquiry regarding the status of the divers, even as he listened to the comments that followed.

“Is that a spacecraft of some sort?” Dr. Smith inquired.

Gabriel determined that this was only a ‘guess’…an assumption made from a first impression.

“Hmmm….” Gabriel made a ‘thinking’ sound as he studied the vid screen.

"I would say it is a spacecraft." Representative Garcetti seemed to agree.

The Weyland-Yutani rep turned to face Gabriel who responded with a small nod and a soft smile. He well understood Garcetti’s nonverbal gesture: his opinion was being requested.

“Well, it certainly looks like a spacecraft from here…” he partially agreed. “But we should wait confirmation for after we've ‘salvaged’ it from the ocean floor.”

That would be the logical next step.

“As for the signal itself; Well, now that we have a source, we should not only attempt to decipher it, but should also determine the signal’s strength and range - and possibly estimate how long it’s been sending. Language, technology, space faring capabilities, these are the hallmarks of a High Civilization. Assuming the signal is indeed a distress call, then it is meant to alert someone, either for them to receive - for we assume that this someone is likely able to respond - or….”

Gabriel casually regarded Garcetti.

“….the signal could be meant to keep someone from approaching, if it’s not a call for 'help', but a 'warning'.”

A nod is offered.

“As of this moment, there is no way for us to know for certain which of the two options the signal falls under, that is, unless we learn more about the submerged vessel and what could have caused it to ‘go down’. As is, there were no reports of debris in orbit or floating in-system from what I understand...Isn't that right Captain?"

Gabriel merely side glances, to see if Captain Harrow concurs.

"This fact merely suggests this may have occurred a long time go, by our standards. ”

Gabriel pauses and looksnto each of his seated associates, ending with the Colony Director. He does refrain from mentioning the 'coincidental' weather event, as he does not have enough data to postulate any useful information....yet.

“Back to you Dr. Torrence.” He says, inclining his head respectfully.



Tag: @Vehn, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @TheAdmiral

 

OOC: This update moves us right along. Buckle up and enjoy.

GM Update I: ​

IC: Doctor Shannon Torrence/Captain James Harrow/Vince Acevedo/Chief Shayna Walters
Providence Colony Conference Room

Shannon crossed her arms as more data was streamed into the room via the display mounted on the wall. She listened quietly as her new team begin to hypothesize, and in some cases blatantly insist, on the next step. None of the conversation surprised her. She’d had months to process her own suspicions, her own thoughts, and her own fears as to what lay waiting for them on the ocean floor.

She caught a nod from Captain James Harrow in response to Gabriel’s question.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Doctor Torrence said as she looked at Doctor Alison Smith, “I think we’re all in agreement as to what the object transmitting the signal from the ocean floor truly is: an alien spacecraft. We don’t know how it got here. We don’t know why it crashed. We don’t know much of anything and frankly that has me concerned.”

She paused before continuing, “Representative Garcetti is correct in that we have a mandate now to explore this find. Gabriel you mentioned raising the ship from the seabed. I don’t have the time nor the inclination to do that. There are a number of things that could go wrong down there if we attempted such a move. Since Weyland-Yutani is generously financing this entire operation, and we have discovered something of value that might need further investigation, we are contractually obligated to know more. That’s where this team comes into play.”

“Suddenly it all makes sense,” Captain James Harrow grumbled as he shook his head. The extra layover for Serapis above LV-827 still bothering him.

“I’m sorry?” Doctor Torrence asked.

Captain Harrow didn’t respond. He was done with the conversation.

“Chief Walters, I read your file, you’re quite the pilot amongst other things,” Doctor Torrence said, “that submersible make it down from the Serapis in one piece?”

“Yeah,” Chief Shayna Walters replied, “it did.”

“Good,” Doctor Torrence said, “because I need you to take us down there and dock with the ship.”

“Us?” Chief Walters replied.

“Everyone in this room,” Doctor Torrence clarified as she turned to the others, “and you’re all going to help make this discovery the find of the century.”

“I should stay topside” Vance Acevado piped up, “I want to make sure I get that signal cleaned up before you launch. Oh, and we’re only getting a brief reprieve from the storms. Next one lands in six hours. I don’t know how long its going to last.”

Doctor Torrence grimaced. She’d been on LV-827 for awhile now and still the severity of the storms bothered her. Fortunately the submarine was docked in its pen at the base of one of Providence Colony’s resupply hangars. It was protected from the elements and could come and go as it pleased.

In that moment a diver’s voice broke the relative calm of the room and said, “We’ve found an entry hatch. I repeat we’ve found an entry hatch. Everything looks to be intact and holding against the pressure down here. There’s something else. Something about the ship design. I can’t put my finger on it.”

“I’ve heard enough. Recall the divers,” Doctor Torrence said, “it’s our turn.”

---

​

Providence Colony Submarine Bay
08:30 PM Local Time

IC: Chief Shayna Walters




Chief Walters clambered down the conning tower ladder and slipped into the control room of the midget submarine dubbed affectionately by the crew of the Serapis as Iron Lady. The nickname had stuck one night over a Serapis crew poker game in which Chief Walters had lost a bet to Captain Harrow. It was a story for another time.

Shayna heard the hatch clang shut above her as Providence Colony technicians sealed the occupants inside. She looked behind her before grasping the controls to make sure everyone was ready to go. There were a few looks of apprehension, but everyone seemed eager to see what was down there on the ocean floor. At least that was what she thought she saw.

“Diving now,” Shayna called out as an alarm sounded throughout the interior as the submarine disappeared below the waters of the recovery pool and into the depths beyond.

Shayna checked her readouts as the submarine began a lazy dive down toward the source of the signal. Powerful lights illuminated the thick glass cockpit in front of her. Occasionally fish or similar sized sea creature would rear its strange shape into view but largely the ocean was void of any marine life that she could ascertain.

“Estimated arrival in ten minutes,” Shayna called out to the others strapped in behind her, “make sure you have your respirators handy in case we have a bad seal. At this depth we’re all likely to be crushed pretty quickly.”

She meant that comment as a joke but she knew the science types wouldn’t find it that funny. They were all so serious. So focused. As if the entire world could be divided into the organized and the chaotic. She’d been around countless research personalities in her time hauling for Weyland-Yutani. They were all the same. Arrogant, egotistical, and overtly intelligent.

​

A beeping on her heads up display, or HUD, indicated that the ship was close. Shayna flicked a few switches to cut forward momentum and ease off on the dive planes. She rotated a nearby dial as the lights facing forward tilted downward ever so slightly. An image came into view filling the forward canopy glass for all to see.




“She’s a good size,” Shayna commented as her eyes went wide, “Torrence did those divers get you any data on the scale of the ship?”

“About the size of the Serapis,” Doctor Torrence replied from the back, “why?”

“I’m just wondering if there’s more than one way in and out,” Shayna said aloud.

“Probably,” Doctor Torrence replied.

Shayna shook her head in disbelief as they slowly traversed the hull of the derelict vessel. The materials used on the hull looked strangely familiar but she wasn’t sure where she might have seen them. There was a considerable amount of marine life that had attached itself to the hull making the ship appear relatively alien in nature. The ship looked different this close than what they'd seen on the video in the conference room.

“There’s our hatch,” Shayna said as she eased off on the throttle and gently guided the submarine to a halt, “initiating docking procedures now.”

The submarine deftly floated over the hatch leading into the ship’s interior. Quietly, slowly, the submarine descended on the hatch and with a thunk made contact. A green indicator light above Shayna flashed as a watertight seal was acquired. Shayna pulled hard on a lever to confirm the seal was tight. She flicked a few more switches as sensors scanned the interior of the ship. The results that came back were surprising.

“That’s odd,” Shayna said loud enough for everyone to hear, “oxygen levels are suitable for human occupancy. Pressure is holding steady. No sign of water entry in our immediate vicinity. I thought you said this ship was alien?”

“It is,” Doctor Torrence groaned. She was ready to get out of her restraints.

She quickly unbuckled herself and clambered down to the docking hatch built into the floor of the submarine’s cargo area. She flashed a grin to Captain Harrow as she walked on by with a crowbar in hand. She set the crowbar aside knelt down and placed both hands on the hatch wheel and spun it counter-clockwise. She grunted as there was some resistance at first. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the hatch sprung inward revealing thick metal doors beyond.

“Now the fun begins,” Shayna said with a grunt as she jammed the crowbar where the metal doors joined together.

“Need a hand?” Captain Harrow called out.

Shayna nodded as the two used their strength to pry the thick metal doors apart. A whoosh of stale, cool, air hit them hard in the face. Shayna cried out as the air reeked like a tomb. A rotting tomb. The smell quickly dissipated as the doors were finally pried to their most open extent.

Shayna was about to reach for a flare when lights erupted in the hallway of the derelict vessel. Hall lights. Welcoming lights. She looked up at the others, all gathering around, as she slowly made her way onto the deck below.

After a few minutes she called out to the others.

“Come on in, the water’s fine!”

​

Tag: @greyjedi125; @TheAdmiral; @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

IC: Lawrence Garcetti
Location: Providence, then heading to the ship, LV-827

Of course Lawrence would be coming along, as representative of WeylandYutani he had to verify the find and see if it was anything that the Company needed to know about.

And which perhaps could make them a lot of money. The Nostromo had tried and failed. This time there would be no failure.

Of course the problem was that because it was underwater and they had to travel there by submersible he couldn't wear his suit. Just an uncomfortable skin tight suit.

What the others would make of this whole thing he did not know. But what he did know was this ship was worth looking at. And whatever lay within it was worth exploring.

Eventually they got there and after a bit of heaving they got the hatch to ship open. And after getting basically an all clear signal it was time to head in.

Lawrence slowly climbed down. Of course whether he climbed back up again remained to be seen…...

TAG: @Vehn , @greyjedi125 , @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Gabriel V
Into the Deep

His only response was to ‘shrug’ his shoulders and make an ‘innocent’ facial expression, his hazel-green eyes seemingly growing even bigger as if in apology.

The alien ship would not be raised from its watery tomb after all, which was- in his estimation- a very human mistake to make. However, news of an imminent storm front rendered the matter moot. Coincidence? No such thing.

Gabriel could see the effects of their excitement, which was caused by the very idea of potential profit and accolades. Thankfully, he would attempt to be the voice of reason among them, always for the better.

The order to recall the divers was given and for ‘Team Serapis’ to take their place. The scene reminded Gabriel of those old western movies depicting the events during a ‘gold rush’. The historical records were not as kind in their reports, unlike the more idealized cinematic depictions. He’d need to monitor for certain behaviors - just in case.

From what he surmised, the team had roughly six hours of operations before the next storm hit. Gabriel engaged his data pad and sought to connect with the Providence Colony databanks. He conducted a search for the effects the storms had locally, both above water and below sea level.

Falling into his designated role, Gabriel remained silent for most of the journey to the ‘alien ship’. In this way, he could commit all that transpired to memory: The crew, their actions, reactions and the varying conditions throughout their first mission together. As they went, he took note of the Iron Lady’s speed, distance and time spent in transit from the submarine bay to their target location.

Ten minutes.

Chief Walters seemed confident with the submarine’s controls. That was good. Representative Garcetti didn’t seem too keen on his wetsuit, but seemed otherwise collected. Doctor Torrence did her best not to let her ‘eagerness’ show, with moderate success.

All around them there was darkness and peace. The only light source came from the submersible, which disturbed the waters as it went. Within moments, parts of the alien ship were illuminated by the searchlights.

‘Fascinating’ Gabriel heard himself whisper.

He listened and took in what information was given. The wreckage was ‘about the same size as the Serapis’.

‘That’s curious. What are the odds of that…’ He mused to himself. Once again, Gabriel requested access to all present and future data regarding the alien ship. He would need that information, which was critical for his function. He put priority on sample reports, which the divers would be taking back to the lab, or so he hoped.

The docking procedure had gone without a hitch, further conforming Chief Walter’s proficiency. That she’d found oxygen levels and pressure readings ‘odd’ caused Gabriel to glance her way for a brief moment. Gabriel made a mental note to approach her in conversation, should a chance present itself.

It was interesting observing both the Captain and the Chief open the sealed hatch doors. Silently, he timed their efforts and found the results within acceptable parameters. Once the doors opened, the air levels pressurized. Gabriel immediately scented the mixture associated with decay and began to run a ‘probable cause’ subroutine. The parameters were too numerous at the moment and would need to be narrowed down as the mission proceeded. The sooner the better, of course.

Yet another oddity greeted them. The Chief was about to light a flare when the ‘lights’ came on. Once again, Gabriel glanced at the Chief, then took furtive glances at the rest of the crew. Query: What kind of energy source could last for as long as the ship had been submerged? A priority tab was created for this.

Also of interest was what the lights revealed.

Gabriel was not the first to enter the derelict ship, nor the second. Those honors belonged to the Chief and the Representative, respectively; but he made sure to enter next after them.

“Fascinating.”

Gabriel descended with feline grace and looked about, taking it all in. This was his first time aboard an ‘alien’ ship as well.

“How interesting.These corridors are in relative proportion to our physiology - and the lights, they confer to our visual spectrum.”

Gabriel now looked back at the rest of the crew.

“Do you have any idea what that means?” He asked, not really expecting an answer. Certainly, no one here wished for a remedial course on parallel evolution, so he simply turned back around, checking for any new updated data or telemetry.

“Do you see any writing anywhere? We need to decipher their means of communication if we are to understand any of this.”

The ship itself was an incredible find. A wealth of knowledge was likely all around them, but there was also the question of ‘nature’. What kind of beings built this ship.

That too deserved a priority tab.


Tag: @Vehn, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Alison Smith
Providence Colony Conference Room

Alison felt stupid asking such an obvious question, but she could not stop herself from doing it. After all, all this was new to her. The whole situation made her mind race with the possibilities. An actual alien craft on an alien world…

Somewhere at the back of her mind an alarm sounded. This was not a mere coincidence, but she was too busy thinking about studying the physiology of an actual extraterrestrial. Despite her main area of expertise being humans, she was still a scientist.

Her eyes widened when she heard about going down to the spacecraft. Alison was about to protest that she had no practical field experience, especially underwater… but her curiosity was eroding her resistance. If only she remembered the old proverb about cats being curious…

**********

Once on board the sub there was a bout of claustrophobia. It was a natural reaction. They were cramped in a tight space going down into the dark abyss. Primordial fears of the dark and the unknown.

Alison remembered something about how the oceans held scarier stuff than space. The irony was not lost on her. The quote was about Earth’s oceans and here they were, underwater on an alien world going to board an unknown ship holding who knows what.

They should have brought more safety measures, but the whole thing was so impromptu. There were a number of things that could go wrong. There might be alien pathogens floating inside that could kill them instantly, or worse have them survive long enough for them to bring them to the colony and kill everyone there.

The doctor wrinkled her nose at the stench. You never get used to the stench of decay. There was a sense of unreality to the whole thing. Maybe that was what making history felt like? After all they were the first ones entering an actual spaceship.

Well… technically not true if all those stories from the mid 20th century were correct and about that Air Force Base in Nevada….

But those did not count, given that they were shrouded in myth and legend. Alison sighed and stood up to follow the group in.

“One small step for man.” she said dryly.

TAG: @Vehn @greyjedi125 @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

GM Update:

​

IC: Doctor Shannon Torrence
The Ship
LV-827
5.5 hours Before the Storms Return

Doctor Shannon Torrence glanced up and down the corridor. They were at a three way intersection. The lights were quite bright indicating that the ship had no problems accessing power. Faint writing at one end of a bulkhead wall caught her attention. She almost thought she could read the painted letters but time and perhaps the physical changes this ship had undergone resting on the ocean floor made the letters indistinct and hard to discern.

“I can’t make out the writing over there,” Doctor Torrence replied pointing to the distant bulkhead, “it doesn’t look human but I can’t be sure.” She looked over at Gabriel.

“The construction,” Chief Shayna Walters said as she wrapped on the bulkheads with a closed fist, “it looks so human.”

“That’s impossible,” Doctor Torrence corrected, “LV-827 is an uncharted world. We’re the first humans here.”

Doctor Torrence launched right into it, “I recommend we split up into three groups. We can cover more ground this way. So, here’s how this is going to work. We all have reliable communication headsets. I’ve got the main line back up to the surface on mine. Acevedo is keeping me updated on the weather amongst other things. As you may already be aware a storm is coming in. We only have so much time down here. We stay in contact with one another. If anyone, and I mean anyone, finds anything of remote interest you radio it in. I don’t want any surprises. Something isn’t right about this ship and I want us all to remain alert.”

She let that sink in for a few seconds.

“Doctor Smith and I will form one team, Representative Garcetti and Captain Harrow will form another, and Gabriel and Chief Walters will make up the third team,” Doctor Torrence instructed, “and since we don’t have a layout of the ship we’re going to be mapping everything as we go. Take this thing nice and slow. We are at a three way intersection and there are conveniently three teams. We’ll explore in each direction and reconvene at this spot in three hours. That should give us enough time. Hopefully by then we’ll have some answers.”

“If you have any questions or concerns radio them in and watch yourselves,” Doctor Torrence said, “we’re underwater. Strange things can happen. Good luck.”

Doctor Torrence turned to Doctor Smith and said, “We’re heading down that corridor. Hopefully your professional expertise can help us down here. As they say two minds are better than one."

OOC: This gives us all a chance to have some joint conversations with the GM. Flesh out our characters. Dive further into the mysteries and explore the ship. I will start a separate PM with all of you from our OOC thread and we will advance the story through our individual experiences.

Tag: @Jerjerrod-Lennox; @TheAdmiral; @greyjedi125

 

OOC: Many thanks to @Jerjerrod-Lennox for this joint post. As a reminder this takes place simultaneously with the other joint posts going on. A certain character will have bold text throughout to differentiate their lines.


IC: Captain James Harrow/Lawrence Garcetti
The Ship

Captain James Harrow navigated his way down his assigned route. He watched as the others split up and went their own way. He looked over at Representative Garcetti and then returned his attention to the corridor at hand. They walked for awhile making several twists and turns before the pair made their way to a door that was slightly ajar.

"You get paid extra for this kind of work?" Harrow asked as he stepped closer to the door.

"If you are enquiring whether I get paid hazard pay for this, sadly not" Lawrence Garcetti replied, the suit he was wearing was making him seriously uncomfortable.

"And if you were wondering about your share, don't worry. If this comes good you are guaranteed by law to get a share of the prize. Let's see if there is anything behind door number one?

"All I want to do is get home," James replied, "but you probably already knew that the Serapis was delayed for two additional weeks. Company orders. I guess the suits back on Earth think we've found something. Well, right now, we haven't found..."

The door that was ajar suddenly burst open.

James took a step back and upon seeing nothing decided to enter the room. It was a barracks. Crew housing. Row upon row of bunks. Sheets were still tucked in as if the crew were awaiting a final inspection. He flicked on a flashlight and examined the long, rectangular room.

"I count nearly eighty beds," James said, "all empty. All pristine. It's like the crew, if there was a crew, never got a chance to use them. Strange."

His eyes settled on a set of doors at the far end of the room. He walked over to them and hit the button to engage the mechanism that opened them.

A figure loomed before him with strange blue skin and glowing eyes.



This was looking strange to Lawrence already. Beds made up and not looking like they had been slept in? How could eighty people have disappeared so quick?

The blue skinned figure in front may have answers Was it alien or a synthetic?

"My name is Lawrence Garcetti" he said to the blue skinned form "And this is Captain James Harrow. We have discovered a signal coming from this ship and have come to assist. Can you tell us what has happened?"

"Where are your crew?"

Captain Harrow waited for the blue skinned creature to respond to Garcetti's questions. He eyed the form suspiciously unsure if it was a synthetic or alien. He'd never seen anything like this before. A moment later the blue skinned form opened its mouth to speak.

"All visiting corporate representatives must report to their nearest synthetic," the blue skinned form said in a low, gravelly voice, "I'm inexpensive, reliable, you know my face, the Working Joe."

A synthetic Harrow realized.

"Working Joes," Harrow repeated.

"That is my designation," the Working Joe replied, "and in answer to your question Lawrence Garcetti I do not know of any signal. I am only here to keep the ship functioning for when it is time for the crew to awake from hypersleep."

"Well I hate to break it to you but your crew seem to have disappeared" Lawrence responded simply.

"You also seem to have crashed on LV-827, a colonised planet. Where were you supposed to be going?"

"The crew is safe. They're in hypersleep," the synthetic replied, "and I do not know anything about LV-827. We are still journeying to our original destination of Earth. I hope you have enjoyed your stay and remember Seegson: Tomorrow, Together."

The blue skinned synthetic moved on its way.

Captain Harrow glanced over at Garcetti and grunted, "I'd say the poor thing is confused. We need to get going and find out more about what happened. I think we can say with confidence, however, that this ship is not an alien ship. More like a Seegson vessel of some kind. Let's keep moving."

The pair continued their exploration moving beyond the barracks. Minutes later they arrived in a long chamber full of hypersleep beds. They appeared to be occupied though the power to them had long since been shut down.

Seegson. So it was one of Weyland-Yutani's competitors maybe? It sounded like they were doing what the Nostromo did, heading back to Earth but it seemed they had gotten waylaid.

"Well the synthetic is going to get quite a shock when it realises what's gone on" Lawrence said looking around at the now dead crew.

"The ship must have gotten here somehow, crashed maybe. But if the crew were asleep, who sent the signal? Because so far there seems to be noone awake aboard".

"And if the ship ran into difficulty then someone must have been awake or the ships computer did something".

"No kidding," Harrow replied as he began to examine the hypersleep pods, "whatever happened the crew definitely didn't make it. Based on the size of the ship I'm guessing that's not the only synthetic around here. I heard a few things about the Working Joes. They seem dumb and complacent but they can be dangerous. If their security protocols get running they are relentless. I heard they were designed by Seegson to look like synthetics so people wouldn't mistake them for humans. You know, now that I think about that, Weyland-Yutani could pull a page from that book."

Harrow made his way down the narrow aisle with hypersleep pods all around.



A sound behind the two men got Harrow's attention. He turned just in time to see a figure emerge from the darkness. The man looked like he'd seen better days and he looked a bit sweaty as if he'd been working out. He carried a heavy duty wrench in his hands.



"Hey there, buddy, we're here to help," Captain James Harrow said raising his hands to show he didn't mean any trouble.

Harrow looked over at Garcetti. Maybe the suit could smooth the situation over.

Lawrence gave the man one of his easiest smiles "Easy there, we've come to help you. My name is Lawrence Garcetti, this is Captain James Harrow of the ship Serapis".

"We came to investigate a signal that was being sent by your ship. We met a synthetic who sadly seems to not know anything. But you might be able to fill in the gaps".

"You were heading back to Earth but ended up here on LV-827. What happened?"

"Lieutenant Peter Schaffield, pilot," the man replied as if finding his voice, and his name, for the first time in years.

Peter looked back and forth between Lawrence and James. His eyes were frantic. Almost drugged looking.

"LV-827? We're way off course. We should've been well on our return journey from LV-709 by now," Peter said, "what year is it?"

"2138," Captain Harrow replied.

"No," Peter said as he shook his head, "that's all wrong. You're wrong! It's 2128!"

"I'm telling you its the year 2138," Harrow insisted, "do you know anything about the signal?"

"Why do you keep asking me about a signal?" Peter questioned growing more frantic by the moment, "I was in hypersleep and the next moment alarms are blaring and I'm popping out of my chamber. It was all I could do to keep the Working Joes going. Especially after the crew..."

Peter trailed off.

"I don't know anything about a signal. Nothing at all. I don't even know how we ended up here. I'm so confused," Peter said clutching his head.

"So I ask again" Lawrence said calmly "What can you tell us about this ship? What went wrong?"

"USCSS Rutledge," Peter replied, "carrying heavy machinery for a Seegson mining colony on LV-709. Good size ship. Good crew. Ninety workers were unloaded on LV-709. We took on some cargo and the 90 workers that were rotating back to Earth. As you can see they're all dead. I only remember bits and pieces about what happened next. Do you have others with you? Perhaps it would be better if we shared a meal together. It's been a long time since I've had company."

Harrow glanced over at Garcetti and then put a hand up to this headset, "Walters, Harrow here. We've found someone. Recommend meeting in the mess."

"Lead the way," Harrow said as Peter took the initiative.

Harrow turned to Garcetti as Peter emerged out of earshot and held him back slightly, "I want your eyes on this guy. I don't trust him. For starters what the hell was Seegson doing way out here? This isn't their territory."

"It's Weyland-Yutani's" Lawrence growled "I'll need to contact the Network. Seems we have a competitor trying to muscle in on our territory. Which eill not go down well at HQ".

"They don't know about the signal which means we could have someone else aboard who sent it. Or the ship's computer has gone haywire".

"This guy is literally crazed. If he wants to off us he's going to have some tough resistance"

Captain Harrow nodded his head in agreement, "I'm not going down without a fight. We better catch up with him before he does something really crazy like let all the ocean water in to kill everyone on board."

Harrow quickened his pace to keep up with Peter all the while thinking one thing:

I'm not getting paid enough for this.

Lawrence shook his head and followed.

He hoped that was the only crazy person he would meet today.

Tag: @Jerjerrod-Lennox; @greyjedi125; @TheAdmiral

 

A super exciting combo with our awesome GM!!

---

IC: Chief Shayna Walters & Gabriel V
The Ship

"Ok pretty boy let's go," Shayna said to Gabriel as she began to head down their assigned corridor.

She walked past the faint writing. Next to to the nearly illegible text was a faded logo. It's yellow color having long since lost its luster. She tilted her head studying the logo for a moment trying to rack her mind as to where she'd seen such a thing.



"That symbol look familiar to you at all?" Shayna asked.

Gabriel smiled in response to the Chief’s use of a complimentary social designation. He did not detect any contrary tones in her inflection, as the very same term could be used in a derogatory fashion, for such was the dual nature of the human experience.

In this thinking, a preponderance of random coincidences strongly suggested a purposeful design. All he was missing was empirical proof in order to connect the dots. Gabriel was close to seeing it, he could ‘feel’ it. He was almost certain there was an outside influence guiding the mission, hidden behind an exponential number of layers and logistical red herrings, but not so far removed that he would miss it altogether.

Were he like his fellow crew members, he would be side-lined as a ‘conspiracy theorist’, but the reality and actuality of acting without proof or probable cause would be certainly have worse consequences for a ‘person’ like him.

Still, the success of the mission remained a priority, despite this fact.

Thus, Gabriel followed Chief Shayna and eager expression plastered on his kouros-like features. His internal clock was already counting down for the return trip in three hours, even as he moved to regard the symbol on the wall.

Gabriel stood still as his hazel-green eyes examined the symbol and the faded writing they had encountered.

“You know, I could begin reconstructing these language patterns should we there enough data on them. The sooner that happens, the sooner we can know what they mean…”

He did not need to trail off as he did, but it was a pause that was necessary in casual conversation.

“This symbol does appear familiar, but as is, I’ll need to conduct some cross-referencing with our Earth-database to narrow down any possible matches - assuming it has origins on Earth.”

Gabriel turned now to face the Chief.

“I must confess, it would be more accurate to say, ‘we are the first humans to be here- to our knowledge’.”

Gabriel looked around, indicating their surroundings with the motion.

“The interior dimensions of this ship not only appear designed for, but are also well suited for humanoid interaction. The chances of an ‘alien race’ - ‘coincidentally’ - achieving such a parallel feat are astronomical on a level that can only be computed.”

Gabriel’s gaze remained on Chief Shayna, studying her reaction. He only averted his eyes for a second to glance at the read-out on his data pad. The teams were moving apart with every passing moment and he wished to confirm the strength of the comm-signal, both theirs and the one coming from the ship itself.

“There is no such things as coincidence.” he reminded in a casual tone. “Only meticulous design.”

He smiled softly then in a most reassuring manner.

"I like the way you think," Shayna replied with a grin as she continued their walk, "meticulous design. Like engineering. I can get behind that. Also, between you and me, we need to find the source of that signal. Doctor Torrence seems to have forgotten in all this excitement that our primary objective is to decipher that signal and figure out where and how this ship came to be resting on the bottom of the ocean floor."

A set of double reinforced doors were reached at the end of the corridor. Shayna hit the access button and was surprised to see them slide open revealing a very large cargo bay stacked nearly wall to wall save for aisles to move between with crates.

The cargo bay.



"There's a computer console over here," Shayna said, "can you access some of the files? Perhaps we can find out what happened to this ship and why everything appears so familiar."

“Engineering….” Gabriel echoed aloud, feeling something stir in his memory, but yet miss the mark. It was the oddest sensation, the kind that literally defied description.

Personally, he was pleased that he was not the only one who thought of the numerous ‘coincidences’ as ‘odd’, for logistically, these were highly improbable conditions, given what was thus far known - yet they were present. Randomness had to be factored-out if their situation was to make any ‘sense’, which in turn raised some truly ‘heavy’ questions that clearly, no one was ready to ask, much less answer - with perhaps one exception: Chief Shayna Walters.

Yes. It seemed he would be getting along swimmingly with the Chief.

Gabriel’s ruminations lasted as long as a heartbeat, if that at all. He casually cleared his throat as any normal being would, to indicate a re-centering of one’s wandering thoughts.

“I concur in regards to the ship’s signal.” He affirmed easily, “That is indeed a top priority.”

Gabriel felling step with the Chief as they continued deeper into the ship, coming now to reinforced double doors which slid open with surprising efficiency for a derelict ship.

More coincidence.

Gabriel was about to search for access panel when the sight of the cargo bay drew his attention. It wasn’t that the would forget the access panel off-hand, but rather that its importance would lower in priority in view of what could yield even greater answers.

“How is this even possible?” Gabriel felt comfortable making that comment aloud in the presence of the Chief. He surmized since their thinking aligned presently, it was safe to verbalize such thoughts. Her reaction would also indicate whether or not he should continue.

“We should inspect those crates then….”

Gabriel would have continued if it were not for what the Chief had found.

A computer console.

At least it certainly looked like one.

“See, more evidence of humano-centric design.” He said, his hazel-green eyes now studying the console with great interest.

Her repeated use of the word familiar automatically triggered cross-referential sub-routines within him, but so far they yielded no actionable results. Needless to say, the search parameters would be ongoing…

“Well, I guess we can start with the basics.” Gabriel declared, sparing the doctor a confident smile as he ‘cracked-his-fingers’ for dramatic effect.

Gabriel let out a single breath, then set his hands upon the console and began typing with such speeds that his fingers seemed to blur.

He began speaking words like ‘Earth. Life. Space.Void. Light. Thought. Serapis. Fire. Numbers. Red.…’ So forth and so on in a plethora of languages with varying linguistic roots. He also began to modulate his voice to affect different genders and ages. Current systems required not only a biometric component, but also a verbal ( sound ) one as well.

‘Weyland. Yutani. Moon. Known. Yellow. Unknown. Alien. Father. Mother. Engineering. Planet. Death….’

He kept alert and watched for any significant reaction to his input.

“Chief, Are there any .keywords. you would like me to attempt?” He said as he continued to work.

Should there be no reactions to his attempts, Gabriel would then transition to attempt connecting his data pad to the console, should there be anything like an access port available.

Chief Shayna Walters was impressed at the speed by which Gabriel worked. His mind and body appeared by all rights to be the pinnacle of human creation. Clearly there was a love, so to speak, and care that had been given by his creators. Then she caught her thoughts in mid stream. This was Weyland-Yutani they were speaking about. They didn't care about anything but profit.

She peered over Gabriel's shoulder as he worked. Her eyes tried to keep up with the changing computer screens but he was going so fast. Too fast. She wanted to cry out for him to slow down but she admired the way he moved and accessed the information. One word came to her now from the depths of her mind. A word that sent chills down her spine.

"Seegson," Chief Walters whispered as if she'd said a curse.

The computer, able to pick up audio, chimed and a vast display of information erupted in front of them. The logo that they had seen back on the hallway brilliantly illuminated on the screen followed by wall to wall text that appeared to be cargo manifest logs.

Shayna covered her mouth as a horrible realization hit her hard in the gut. Suddenly everything made sense.

"This isn't an alien ship at all," she breathed, "this was a Seegson colonization vessel. Somehow they crashed on LV-827. Or something brought them down...."

“Tomorrow, Together….” Gabriel heard himself say almost as a reflex.

Gabriel regarded the Chief and could well understand the apprehension etched upon her facial features. The history of ‘Seegson’ could be said to be a cautionary tale, among many other things. That fact alone made the mystery of the derelict ship a critical priority.

How long ago had they been sent out from Earth? What was the nature of their mission? What went wrong? There were just so many questions that needed answers.

“computer, access the ship’s security logs….” Gabriel said, even has he also attempted to manually access to the database. There was no reason to believe the computer would comply to his voice commands.

“I’m going to try and clean up the language encryption now that we know the ship’s origin.” He declared to Chief Shayna.

Gabriel’s alacrity was undiminished as he sought to extrapolate as many answers in the shortest amount of time as possible.

“We should update the others of our findings, it should facilitate their progress.” He informed the Chief candidly, almost as if they were speaking about the weather.

“This ship is relatively the same size as the Serapis and would require more or less the same number of personnel to operate, give or take a few- yet there is no sign of its crew anywhere. That’s very curious. Also, the presence of a crew manifest is standard procedure, so I’ll attempt to access that as well - not to mention deciphering the repeating message- which is still a priority.”

Gabriel intended to work as many angles as he could simultaneously. He entered a query as to the content of the crates in the cargo bay.

“Did you work for them?”

Gabriel asked with casual familiarity as he continued with his process, only briefly glancing at the Chief. That she even remembered Seegson subconsciously meant there was a connection already there. That could also help with figuring out what could have gone wrong, assuming of course, the cause for all of this was human error.

"Yeah I worked for them," Chief Walters admitted, "about eight years ago. Couple small hauls. Nothing too big. Weyland-Yutani wasn't sending as many missions out then and Seegson had my ticket off Earth. The jobs went without a problem. Got paid and went about my business. I heard later as Weyland-Yutani really got going with exploration that Seegson was not a good employer. Based on what happened here I can confirm."

She scanned one of the files that flipped past the screen.

"Wait, stop," Shayna barked peering around Gabriel's shoulder, "there's some useful information here. USCSS Rutledge left Earth in 2125 bound for LV-709. A mining colony. They were carrying heavy equipment and what appears to be a decent sized workforce of 90 workers to replace 90 that were coming home. They got there, off loaded their cargo and took on the replacement crew, and headed back home. Wait, I see they found something deep in the ground on LV-709. Several somethings. It doesn't say what...."

Shayna walked over to one of the crates and shone a flashlight. She grunted unable to see the interior even with the help of a flashlight. She noticed the lid was slightly loose and with a tiny shove she was able to dislodge it from its attachments. She stepped back as her eyes rested on something she'd never seen before in all her travels. Something unnatural.



"It's empty," Shayna observed, "what is this thing?"

Gabriel complied with the Chief’s instructions with keen deftness. He found himself feeling pleased to work with Chief Shayna. Not once had she made a single untoward remark concerning his personhood. In retrospect, none of the crew aboard the USCSS Serapis could be said to have made the expected ‘faux pas’. Perhaps there was a quantifiable improvement to be acknowledged, not just in the general acceptance of those like himself, but in the current culture as well.

That Chief Shayna so readily confessed her past employment with ‘Seegson’ was both personally heartening and a critical key to their investigation. Her familiarity with the failed megacorp made accessing the ship’s computer database a non-issue.

Truly, the derelict ship, or rather, the USCSS Rutledge was not by definition an ‘alien’ ship ( which could now be confirmed as non-alien, as opposed to a prior declaration made by Dr. Torrence), but an earth vessel on a mission.

Gabriel did his best to extract as much pertinent data as possible concerning the Rutledge’s mission to LV-709. Whatever the crew had found there was marked as unknown or unclassifiable.

“Well, that’s not very helpful.” Gabriel found himself commenting, eve as he suddenly heard the chief exclaim out loud. Peripherally, he'd been keeping an eye on her, seeing how there was still a great deal of unanswered questions regarding the ship and its crew. Yet, it appeared the Chief had found something…

“Let’s have a look", he said as he walked over.

Gabriel could see quite well in low light so he found the Chief’s flashlight emitting more than adequate illumination. As he stood there, Gabriel tilted his head twice, trying to find a point of reference to describe what he beheld.

Nothing came to mind.

“This is definitely an alien organism.” He concluded assertively through his observation.

“We should contact Dr. Smith and update her of our find.”

Gabriel could have gone ahead and done the deed himself, but he was aware that Chief Shayna was the one 'in-charge' of their two-person party, and by default should be the one to make certain decisions. Besides, she was an extremely capable woman.

“I’ll dig deeper into the ship’s database and see if I can find anything relevant data about…..this.”

Shayna slowly backed away nodding as she did so. She tapped her headset and radioed out to Torrence.

"We've found something down here in the cargo bay."

A voice, Harrow's came back on the radio as well, "We've found something as well. Actually its a someone. Recommend you come back and rendezvous at the mess."

Shayna looked over at Gabriel and said, "We'll have to look later. Can you pull up a ship schematic at all? Harrow's found something and he wants us to meet in the mess hall."

"Already on it."

Once again, Gabriel's nimble digits seemed to blur upon the computer console.

"Found it."

In no time he was able to project a schematic of the ship for their viewing convenience. He also downloaded the pertinent information to his data pad. There was no such thing as 'too much information' as far as he was concerned.

"I've highlighted the mess hall and plotted a visual course. It's not too far."

With that done, Gabriel nodded at the chief and made ready to follow her to the agreed rendezvous vous point.

As for Harrow's remark on finding someone, Gabriel's silently wondered with one word:

Alive?


Tag: @Vehn, @Jerjerrod-Lennox , @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Doctor Shannon Torrence/Doctor Alison Smith
The Ship

Doctor Torrence made her way swiftly down the appropriate corridor. She was determined to get the ship mapped and head back up to the surface before the next storm rolled in. She'd spent enough time on LV-827 to know that once a storm set in there was nothing happening, anywhere.

The pair passed several doors. None of them appeared to be working. At the end of their corridor was an elevator. Torrence slipped in with Smith at her side and hit a button. The arrow indicated up and with a whoosh they were climbing to another level inside the vessel.

"You have lots of experience with extraterrestrials?" Torrence asked making small chat with her scientific counterpart.

Alison has been distracted by the novelty of it all. It was both terrifying and exciting. Her mind was racing with all that needed to be done. What scanners and probes she needed to bring. Where to start. She was like a kid at Christmas and it was not her specialty!

It was then when she realized that Doctor Torrence asked her a question. Alison blinked as if coming out of a trance. "Oh." she chuckled "Well I specialize on humans and how they adapt to changes of worlds." she sighed "Though I had to take some courses on alien flora and fauna, but nothing sentient." she shrugged.

"I don't miss university. The labs, the tests, the pressure of it all," Torrence replied, "out here in the field is where the real work begins. Where we can truly become our best selves."

The door opened revealing the bridge of the ship. Displays were still illuminated as if the crew had just arrived for their shift. Computers whizzed and hummed. A digital display of a planet erupted before them spinning slowly on axis. Everything appeared in working order. Her eyes shot over to an insignia on the wall with the words, USCSS Rutledge.

"Not an alien ship," Torrence said sounding incredibly disappointed, "not an alien ship at all. Still, we need to find that signal and figure out what it means."



Torrence made her way over to the planet and studied the slowly orbiting sphere for a moment. For a moment she thought the image was of LV-827. Then it dawned on her that it was an entirely different planet.

"Something went very wrong on this ship," Torrence realized, "very wrong."

Alison looked down disappointed. She was so hoping it was an alien ship. "Well, this is my first time in the field so to speak." she shrugged and walked around. "We have to find the crew or what is left of them." she added "At least that is part of my specialty." the doctor sighed and shook her head.

And she had her hopes up for something exciting, like discovering the first sentient extraterrestrial being. That was going to put her name in the history books. Along with her preliminary works on the bodies...

But alas it seemed it was some unfortunate crew that wanted to make an emergency landing only to find there was ... well... there was no land.

Torrence completely understood where Smith was coming from. She too was hoping for a lasting breakthrough that would enshrine her in the pantheon of scientists that the corporations on Earth revered. To find a derelict human ship was something else entirely.

"Torrence?" It was Acevedo.

"Yeah, what is it?" Torrence said as she continued to look at the diagram of the planet before her.

"That signal from the ship? I have it cleaned up," Acevedo announced.

"Play it," Torrence ordered as she patched it through the main speaker system on the bridge.

"This is the UCSS Rutledge we're going down over an unknown planet. I repeat we're going down! Send all help! Send all the help you can!..Must...se..ure.....A...ien.....specimen..."

The transmission cut out.

Torrence looked over at Smith.

"Sounds like he said Alien specimen..."

Torrence didn't wait to get an approval from Doctor Smith when a new voice came across her headset. It was Harrow.

"Doctor Torrence, we've found someone. We're rendezvousing in the mess."

Torrence looked around the bridge and realized she had all they needed.

For Now.

Tag: @TheAdmiral; @Jerjerrod-Lennox; @greyjedi125

 

OOC: Disclaimer: Slightly graphic depictions ahead.

​

Chapter Two: The Discovery
​

USCSS Rutledge
Not So Very Long Ago

Peter Schaffield opened his eyes.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sleeping. Hours. Maybe even days. What he did remember of the last few days was lucid, monotonous, and filled with the tedium of maintaining a ship in an unnatural environment. He remembered going down to the cargo bay. One of the Working Joes had sent him down there. Something about an unspecified cargo.

He smacked his lips together and felt an odd taste in his mouth. He grimaced as he sat up in his bed and wiped his mouth clean noting with disgust as something sticky, slimy, and clear clung to his fingers.

What in the hell? He thought as he shook his head, confused.

He made his way over to the mirror and examined his face. Everything appeared normal. The sticky residue was largely removed by the one swipe. Perhaps he’d been dreaming hard and drooled. He wasn’t sure. His eyes settled on some markings around his neck. Red, swollen, almost as if he’d been choked.

Had I fallen against something? I don’t remember anything like that. He wondered as he threw on his clothes and made his way into the ship’s corridors.

A clanging sound caught his attention. That was the docking hatch. He hadn’t heard that sound in years and for a moment he thought his ears were playing tricks on him. Then the lights came on followed by the sound of footsteps and voices.

He retreated into the shadows of the ship. Worried, confused, and with a slight bit of indigestion….

---

​

~ USCSS Rutledge Mess Hall

IC: Chief Shayna Walters

The image of the alien object in the cargo bay burned inside Chief Shayna Walters’ mind as she gathered in the mess hall of the USCSS Rutledge. Introductions had been made and mere formalities seen to as the rest of Team Serapis examined the disheveled figure of Peter Schaffield. He was sitting before them chewing quietly on a meal that looked less than appetizing.

Walters hadn’t felt hungry and one glance at the others indicated they had more important things to do than eat. They wanted answers. They all wanted answers. The group waited for Peter to finish eating. Finally, after a long while Peter put down his fork.

“I suppose you all want to know what happened to the Rutledge. Here’s what I know. I left Earth in 2125. It was just another job for Seegson. We took our three year journey out to LV-709. You know a routine run of heavy mining equipment and their crew, dropped off the 90 miners that came out with us, and took 90 on for the return journey home. Everything went smoothly. Seegson, as you know, has Working Joe synthetics that are supposed to keep the ship running in optimal conditions while the humans sleep in their cryochambers. Being the pilot I had no reason to think we’d run into any problems.”

Peter Schaffield let the information percolate around the room. He took a swig of liquor before continuing with his story. “But we did. I later found out we ran right into a problem. Somehow a derelict refinery, thank you Weyland-Yutani, had floated into our flight path and we collided with the damn thing mid trajectory. I awakened from cryosleep to alarms. Lots of them. I quickly headed to the bridge and discovered that the Rutledge was in a hard descent down to the ocean surface of LV-827. Propulsion power was out. Controls were shot. I tried to get engines back online but the gravitational pull of the planet was sucking us right down to the ocean depths. We hit hard, miraculously the ship held together, as we sunk down to the ocean floor. I suppose that’s when the signal you found started emitting. A distress signal.”

“What about the rest of the crew?” Doctor Torrence asked, “Why didn’t they wake up from hypersleep?”

"The crew….” Peter didn’t get a chance to finish as Walters cut him off.

“Gabriel and I found an alien specimen down in the cargo bay. It looks like, I don’t know, some sort of cocoon or egg but it was empty,” Walters described, “what is that thing?”

Torrence leaned forward. She and Doctor Smith had listened to the distress signal that Peter had presumably created. In the distress call he had mentioned something about an alien specimen.

“I didn’t know about that cargo until recently…” Peter started to say but then fell quiet. His mouth gave a slight tick as the muscles in his face fell into a disquieted resting position.

Peter grunted, wiped his mouth of some food, and leaned forward to say more when he spasmed. Spasmed hard. He began to cough and then cried out as his spasms threw him back against the seat. His eyes seemed to bulge a bit from his head as he clutched at his chest. He fell against the table as blood piddled out of his mouth.

“Hey, easy there,” Torrence said as she leaned forward to comfort Peter and get him stabilized,“easy!”

“Help me!” Peter cried out in a frantic, painful, manner, “Someone help me!”

Just then a bulge formed in his chest right below where the rib cage meets the soft tissue of the abdomen. He spasmed again and flipped onto his back, arms and legs splayed out in an awkward angle, and hit the table hard shattering glass and sending utensils flying. The bulge in his chest grew bigger, larger, even seemed to take shape, and then finally ripped through his flesh in a relentless tide of broken bone and crimson.

Walters cried out and shrieked in horror as hot, sticky, blood hit her hard in the face. She backed away from the awful display stepping right into Gabriel’s reassuring form. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably as she attempted to process the entire scene.

Torrence’s face was absolutely drenched. She slipped and fell hard against the floor as Captain Harrow leaned over to help her back on her feet. The pair eased away from Peter’s spasming body. Horrified looks on their faces.

All eyes were now fixated not just on Peter but what had emerged from his chest: an alien creature.



The creature hissed and shrieked, studying its surroundings, before ripping away from Peter’s lifeless body and disappearing into the dark depths of the ship. No one gave chase. Not yet anyways.

“What was that thing!” Shayna cried out in horror, frantically glancing around, as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

Tag: @Jerjerrod-Lennox; @greyjedi125; @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Alison Smith
USCSS Rutledge Mess Hall

Alison was still overcoming her disappointment that the discovery of the century turned out to be just another human ship that had crash landed when they met with the sole crew member that they could find.

She did a preliminary examination. Everything seemed in order. The man was sporting a healthy appetite, which was to be expected. So they waited for him to finish with his meal.

Alison would need a proper lab to run some tests to see if everything was really alright. Besides, he could be a good subject for study. There was no telling how long he had been in stasis underwater and what effects that had on him.

Another thing she itched to study was that large egg thing. Maybe she could get that recognition after all. If only it were of a sentient being and not some animal. Though who knew what constituted a sentient being when you dealt with ET.

She half-listened to Peter’s accounts of the events when Alison noticed a change in his demeanor. It started subtle but then quickly turned into a violent spasms. She cussed at that and reached to help when she noticed his shirt bulging at the chest area.

Her eyes widened, what was going on!? Had he contracted something, a parasite of sorts!? If only they were in a proper lab, she could have picked it on…

Torrence was helping him, though there was not much that could be done. Alison was thinking frantically. She turned to find a kitchen knife or something sharp. Not the best idea under the circumstances, but maybe she could excise or help it get out without killing him…

The rational part of her mind knew that this was wishful thinking. There was no way that she would not kill him in the process. They needed to be in a sterile environment, with him properly sedated and so on…

She turned around when she heard the wet sound of a burst chest and the shrieks of horror. Alison barely had time to register the… thing sticking out of the opening. If she were to open her eyes even wider they would surely fall off.

She did not have time to scream or do anything before the thing disappeared.

“What was that!?” she repeated Shayna’s question.

TAG: @Vehn @Jerjerrod-Lennox @greyjedi125

 

IC: Lawrence Garcetti
Location: USCSS Rutledge, LV-827

Well that was a turn up for the books.

It seemed that the survivour they had found was carrying some sort of creature.

But for takong a shot at Weyland-Yutani, he probably deserved it. But the creature...was it linked to the egg Gabriel had found? At least they had found out what the signal contained.

But was this what the Nostromo had found? They had investigated a signal and came to grief after that. Were these two now inexorably linked?

Would Gabriel be repulsed by this or amazed? Dr Smith was horrified. He moved over towards his fellow Brit to check on her and perhaps get answers on what that thing was.

But the potential for Weyland-Yutani…

It was marvelous.

TAG: @Vehn , @greyjedi125 , @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Gabriel V
Mess in the Mess Hall

One would think they were all fortunate, now that they’d found a living crew member of the Rutledge. One could hope to finally get some answers to the myriad of questions surrounding the derelict ship.

As a curtesy to Mr. Schaffield, he had decided to remain in the background and assume the role of observer. Gabriel surmised that the more senior members would wish to have their questions answered first.

The quiet spectacle of everyone waiting and watching for the moment when Mr. Schaffield finished having his meal seemed somewhat odd and particular all at once, though he believed he understood the unspoken societal behavior it was born from.

Such mores were based chiefly on the established status quo of the times.

If he could, Gabriel would have commended the Providence Team for their collective patience and Mr.Schaffield for getting ‘right down to business’ as soon as he had finished.

As if to confirm the matter, Mr. Schaffield supposed correctly. What did happen to the Rutledge was quite likely the number one question at that very moment. Gabriel watched and listened as the disheveled man began to tell the tale . He found the revelation of the ship having ‘Working Joes’ intriguing and made a mental note of it. The part about an actual collision with an abandoned Weyland-Yutani refinery would need corroboration as to a cause, assuming the report was truthful. Long range sensors would have picked up any objects in the ship’s trajectory and the onboard computer would automatically plot a course correction to avoid said collision. This was standard procedure in all space faring vessels.

Hmmm. Intriguing.

Gabriel’s hazel-green eyes turn to regard Doctor Torrence after her statement. Was she assuming that the rest of the crew did not wake up from hypersleep? Had she searched the Rutledge database just before the meeting, or was it just professional conjecture?

Indeed, the question about the crew was a critical one, but there would be no direct answer, as Chief Walters quite suddenly interjected herself, no longer able to contain her curiosity regarding the strangely sinuous ‘egg’.

Gabriel watched the man lie about the egg. His own body language had given him away immediately. Then something else began to happen. Mr. Schaffield began to exhibit pain responses. Slight ones at first, then becoming more intense and pronounced with every heartbeat. The man spasmed then coughed, then appeared to be having a full on seizure.

At the man’s cry for help, Gabriel was ready to move in and assist, as he possessed Emergency Medical Training, but Doctor Torrence had already moved to provide the necessary assistance, though to little effect. A sizable protrusion emerged in the middle of Schaffield’s chest, the pain sending the man thrashing to the floor. The protrusion continued to grow rapidly, to the detriment of Mr. Schaffield, before it finally burst in a visceral eruption.

Both Chief Walters and Dr. Torrence were spattered with Mr. Schaffield’s ejected blood, fractured bones and viscera. The two females reacted in like manner a they shrieked in terror and surprise. Gabriel was there to steady Chief Walters, but was unable to catch Dr. Torrence.

Gabriel did not miss a single moment as a curious creature emerged from Mr. Schaffield’s ruined chest cavity: This....was....an actual Alien lifeform.

‘Fascinating….’ Gabriel heard himself whisper.

His gaze never left the ‘worm-like’ alien as it slithered away into a dark recess. Everyone was still recovering from the sudden shock and violent death suffered by Mr. Schaffield. Gabriel was literally proof against such situational events, though perfectly capable of emulating such a reaction. In this case, that would not be necessary.

Gently, he squeezed Chief Walter’s arms in a reassuring manner. “You’re safe while I’m here.” He intoned evenly and confidently. “One moment….”

Gabriel stepped away from the Chief and came to kneel beside Mr. Schaffield’s body. He wished to study the exit wound. How had the creature gotten inside of the dead man. Furthermore, he also wished to take a better look at the blood trail left by the alien creature. After a moment, Gabriel reached out his hand and closed Schaffield’s vacant and staring eyes, reducing the grotesque effect of the man’s contorted expression in the last moments before he expired from his agonies.

So many, many more question rippled through Gabriel's ever evaluating mind. The innumerable possibilities and probabilities that were to be considered, were quite astronomical. As he continued to listen to the conversation in the Mess Hall, Gabriel chose an opportune moment to gaze over his shoulder and share a look with Representative Lawrence Garcetti.

No words needed to be spoken.


Tag: @Vehn, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @TheAdmiral

 

GM Update​

IC: Doctor Shannon Torrence
USCSS Rutledge
Mess Hall

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Doctor Torrence remained fixated on the blood dripping down Peter Schaffield’s hands as they lay draped on either side of the table that had become his final resting place. Her eyes slowly wandered to the bloody cavity that now existed in his chest before moving upward to the terrifying face, mouth agape, frozen in horror and pain. It was a small measure of peace to see Gabriel close the eyes of a man who had suffered an agonizing death.

May he find peace in the next life Torrence thought as she struggled to regain her composure.

Torrence walked away from the others for a minute. She fought hard to take deep, calming, breaths. As the leader of the team the responsibility for the entire success of the mission weighed heavily on her shoulders. Success to her, she was positive now, meant something very different than what it might mean to the others. Watching Schaffield die like that was enough to make her want to get back into the submersible and never return. Then again if she did than she wouldn’t have a career any longer.

No, Torrence thought, there must be another way. I can still salvage this. I can still make my mark.

Torrence turned around to the others and announced, “What just happened was entirely unexpected. We have to look at this situation as it is not as we want it to be. What we know is that an alien creature just burst out of Schaffield’s chest and is loose. I don’t know anything about what kind of alien this is but I think we can safely assume that its intentions are hostile.”

She let her words hang in the air before continuing.

"Having said that I believe that in the interest of science, and perhaps Weyland-Yutani,” Torrence shot a glance over to Garcetti, “we need to do everything within our power to take the creature alive and bring it back up to the surface where it can be properly studied, researched. Now by my reckoning we have very limited time before the next storm rolls onto the surface. That doesn’t mean that when the storm comes in we’re trapped down here. It just makes getting back to the colony harder. A lot harder.”

“Easy for you to say,” Walters piped up, “that storm is gonna make that ten minute trip feel like three hours if we don’t get out of here. There’s lots that can go wrong. Lots that has already gone wrong.”

Torrence ignored Walters and continued, “There’s still a lot about this ship we just don’t know. I mentioned earlier that I thought that the crew didn’t wake up from hypersleep. That hasn’t been confirmed. Just conjecture on my part. There may be more of them out there. More of the crew that we haven’t met. I for one want nothing to do with those synthetics. It’s bad enough that Weyland-Yutani has synthetics that look exactly like people. Creeps me out. At least Seegson did humanity a favor and designed the Working Joes to look exactly like what they are: machines.”

“I say we split up into teams and go after the thing!” Captain Harrow suggested.

"Go after it with what? You see any weapons around here?” Shayna questioned.

“Enough!” Torrence said raising her voice, “I know we’ve all been through a lot. We need to stay focused here, people. Do we have anything on the sub that can track this thing? Anything at all?”

“Yeah,” Shayna said as she processed, “we’ve got motion detectors. We use them for search and rescue operations.”

“Take Harrow with you. Go get them and bring them back,” Torrence ordered, “as for the rest of you I’m all ears as to how to proceed."

OOC: Doing a slightly different kind of update on this one. Essentially its a choose your own adventure. I'm good whether everyone "votes" to remain together as a large group, splits up into the same groups that we had before, or flies solo.....The choice is yours.

Tag: @Jerjerrod-Lennox; @TheAdmiral; @greyjedi125

 

IC: Gabriel V
Subroutine trigger

He heard the entire exchange, of course. How could he not, being present and all- not to mention his ‘perfect memory’. However, it was curious that a specific string of words caused a most curious sensation that defied description.

Gabriel V replayed it in his mind for verification:

“I for one want nothing to do with those synthetics. It’s bad enough that Weyland-Yutani has synthetics that look exactly like people. Creeps me out. At least Seegson did humanity a favor and designed the Working Joes to look exactly like what they are: machines.”

There was a slight tilt to Gabriel’s head and a slight arch to his left eyebrow, but he did not turn to look at Dr.Torrence, or anyone else for that matter. He did not want to give a wrong impression or feed into a sense of perceived ‘unpleasantness’, for that would be ‘counter-productive’. However, the statement was immediately evaluated, which created his first ‘amber’ file.

‘Prejudicial mores’ had been found to be -and classified as- ‘harmful’ to the continuation of any species, chiefly that of humans. While it is true that such practices could not be completely abolished or eradicated in a sentient species without one running the risk of being guilty of the very thing, yet, the directive to decimate incidences of evolutionary stagnation remained, for such behaviors were detrimental to the whole.

Within Gabriel, the prescribed mission parameters were realigned to accommodate for the new information.

Presently, orders were being given. Schaffield's body seemed already forgotten, or was at the every least being placed at a lower priority in the scheme of things. Gabriel adopted a placid an pleasant manner as he spoke next.

“I shall be assisting Captain Harrow and Chief Walters with the technical calibrations of the motion detectors. The more accurate and efficient the sensor package is, the more time is saved on the mission. Less ‘false-positive’ pings mean we get to return to the Providence in time for diner.”

With a plain nod and a polite “Please, excuse me”, Gabriel proceeded to follow after the pair.


Tag: @Vehn, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Lawrence Garcetti
Location: USCSS Rutledge, LV-827

It seemed Dr Torrence had the same idea as he had. Capture the creature and bring it back to the labs for testing and who knows what might come out of it.

He was standing by Dr Smith, the way the medical officer responded to the survivors death….what would she think of the creature? Or all of this for that matter?

There were suggestions flying around. Gabriel it seemed had decided to split off and help out with the motion detectors. And had taken Torrence's comment about synthetics in stride.

Lawrence didn't mind synthetics at all. They did jobs humans could not and tended to get on with those jobs. They were excellent science officers and advisors. Gabriel seemed so far to be one of them.

Of course Lawrence had his own plans but he was not going to say anything out loud.

"So" Garcetti said to Dr Smith "Shall we stay with Gabriel and the others? Or do you want to split off with me to see if we can flush this thing out?"

TAG: @Vehn , @TheAdmiral , @greyjedi125

 

IC: Alison Smith
USCSS Rutledge Mess Hall

Once Alison managed to calm herself down she approached the man’s body. If anything she could study the remains, there should be something left of the alien organism inside in the chest.

Her heart was beating fast and hard and there was screeching in her ears. Mostly ignoring what was being said. She needed to focus on her work and not fall into panic. It usually helped. The darker part of her psyche was rather giddy in anticipation in studying the body and then the alien.

“When you go to the sub, please bring a body bag. I need to seal…” she indicated at the cadaver with her head “I want to study him in the lab, there might be other things lurking inside.”

Alison then realized that she was being addressed. She blinked, focusing on the corpo man. “I don’t think it is a good idea to go after the thing without motion sensors. It looked predatory and quite agile for its young age, so we should presume it has great hunting skills, despite the alien, pardon the pun, environment.”

TAG: @Vehn @Jerjerrod-Lennox @greyjedi125

 

GM: Update​

IC: Doctor Torrence


Torrence watched as Gabriel, Harrow, and Walters left the mess hall. She knew they’d be back soon and she could rely on them to help apprehend the alien creature that was now loose and who knew where on the Rutledge. She could see that Gabriel and Walters worked well together. She hoped that would continue as the mission commenced.

Torrence turned to Doctor Smith and Representative Garcetti. She could tell that Alison wanted to study the dead body of Peter Schaffield right in front of them. It must’ve been the biologist in her Torrence thought as Smith requested a body bag. She also noted that Garcetti seemed particularly interested in apprehending the alien creature. Even to the point of perhaps putting his own safety at risk.

She was about to speak when a set of doors at the end of the mess hall opened revealing a pair of Working Joes. Their rubbery, fake skin, glowing eyes, and disturbing motions caused Torrence to take a step back. She scrambled to find something to defend herself as the Working Joes lingered over Peter Schaffield’s body.

“Stay back,” Torrence warned the others.




“Peter Schaffield, deceased, traumatic death probable cause,” one of the Working Joes stated.

“Must take his body to the laboratory,” the other Working Joe replied, "for storage."

Did he just say laboratory? Torrence thought as she watched the Working Joes haul Peter’s demolished body away.

Torrence looked over at Smith and Garcetti, “Since neither one of you can agree on what to do I think we should follow them. If this ship has a working laboratory, we could build something to disable the alien and bring it up to the surface. At the very least we can find out more about what exactly the Rutledge was up to before the crash. It’s going to be awhile before Walters is back with the motion detectors. This gives us a chance. A chance to turn the tables.”

Torrence cautiously made her way behind the Working Joes. The synthetics were unnaturally strong and left a trail of blood behind them as they carried Peter’s broken body. She glanced behind her to see if Garcetti and Smith followed but didn’t let her gaze linger long. She wanted to hope that the laboratory in the Rutledge was fully functional. If so it would make this experience far more palatable.

Down one corridor, around a corner, around another corner, and finally Torrence found herself near a series of double doors. She halted just out of sight as the Working Joes entered the double doors and peered around the corner. She saw the lights come on in the room beyond revealing a laboratory. The Working Joes disappeared into the laboratory and then a few minutes later they reemerged without Peter’s body. Torrence hugged the wall as the Working Joes marched past and disappeared into a service elevator. She breathed a sigh of relief.

​

Torrence slinked into the laboratory and what she saw made her cover her mouth. Two of the three large containers filled with fluid showed an additional alien specimen with a long tail and numerous legs. One of the containers was empty. She studied the image for a moment. It wasn’t like the creature that burst out of Schaffield. It was something else. Something equally disturbing.

​

Her eyes flicked over to Schaffield’s body as her thoughts ran wild. She ran over to a laboratory computer and was relieved to see that it still had powered supplied to the unit. She navigated her way through the files on the computer console and frowned as she came across one titled: “Experiments.”

Torrence accessed the file and read aloud to herself fight off the creeping sensation that all had not been right on the Rutledge when it went down.

“Experiment with xenomorph has gone poorly,” Torrence read, “all efforts to utilize this incredible biological specimen have failed. Our selection of eggs has dwindled. We have little options now but to release one of the facehuggers, seen here in the display containers, into the ship in the hopes that something good will come of all this and that our experiment can be salvaged.”

Torrence stopped reading.

“This message was created only a couple of days ago,” Torrence breathed.

OOC: With the holidays fast approaching, response time will be extended, if you so desire. If you choose to remain behind in the mess hall that is fine with me. Just providing this update for those who may want to move their characters along to see more mysteries of the ship revealed.....

Tag: @Jerjerrod-Lennox; @TheAdmiral; @greyjedi125

 

***GM APPROVED***
Character Sheet:



Name: Ostro
Age: Perpetual Thirties
Gender: Male
Civilian Occupation:
Weyland Synthetic Researcher
Bio:
Ostro was designed by “The Company” to serve a purpose, to accomplish where organic life cannot. His programming includes the Rule of never harming humans, however, there is a bypass. His real purpose may be for good or ill.

 

IC: Ostro
Providence Colony

Ostro’s black sockets filled with a red light. He felt his entire shell hum to life, if indeed it was life. Rising from his regenerator, he stretched his tall framed body. He walked to a mirror and looked at his pale complexion and dark black hair. Most of him was passable for homosapian, save his eyes and cold demeanor. He had been one of first on Providence Colony, sent by “The Company,” and until now he had been in stasis, waiting. His head flooded with data that uploaded as he fed his translucent hand into a console.

A ship had been found beneath the surface. With precious cargo.

Ostro craned his neck as he heard the coms from the divers.
He stepped to a window that look into abyss of the sea. He felt an odd sensation for a synthetic, comfort, looking in the oceanic void.

Determined to make himself useful, Ostro left his regenerating chamber, and made his way down the halls of Providence.

His eyes changes from a garnet hue to white as he held a datapad, and disseminated the information into his cortex, and entire body. For his head unlike humans was not the only storehouse of knowledge.

TAG: @Vehn

 

IC: Lawrence Garcetti
Location: USCSS Rutledge, LV-827

Lawrence was not quite sure why Dr Smith wanted to have a look at the body right in front of Torrence and himself.

Well maybe it was more Torrence's cup of tea than his.

But it looked like Seegson had other ideas because before anybody could get a good look at the deceased the body was taken away by their synthetics.

Torrence suggested they head to the laboratory and since Lawrence supposed there was nothing else to do they might as well check it out. They were in the competitions territory.

And the more Lawrence could report back to HQ on, the better.

He decided to follow Torrence, whether the good doctor Smith would follow was another question.

When they arrived there were….what were they? Some sort of creature? And more was revealed, it seemed Seegson might have been up to human experimentation. Especially with these xenomorphs and facehuggers.

"Two days ago?" Garcetti responded with a raised eyebrow "Well, well it seems Seegson have been hiding some dirty secrets in their closet".

Of course Weyland-Yutani could be accused of the same…

"This sort of human experimentation….it is unheard of I can tell you. If the whole crew are gone then what I can say is one of these creatures could have gotten them all".

"The survivour it seems had no idea what was going on but you can bet someone did and decided to have a play around. But this creature that has gotten loose…."

He smirked slightly "Seegson lost their chance. Now it's our turn to grab it".

TAG: @Vehn, @TheAdmiral , @greyjedi125

 

IC: Ostro

The Android made his way down the hall to a hatch. His eyes cycled between white and red. He placed the datapad in his pouch. And pressed a red console.

A alert chimed.

WARNING!

The seal broke and water began to flood in, Ostro felt the cold liquid pass over him, his brown hair now disheveled and his eyes solid red. He leapt into the flow and kicked his feet from metal hatch into the sea, now weightless, he turned and resealed the hatch. There floating in the vast expanse of the watery realm, he surveyed and saw a single pod submarine attached to the haul, hidden to the untrained eye. He stroked with his hands, and kicked tell he reached it. He opened the hatch of the cock pit and fit his frame inside, resealing, and pressurizing. The inside was drained of water, though it did not matter, for he needed not the life air of humanity, oxygen being a element that separated his creation from theirs.

Two flood lights came alive and a small propeller began to turn as the pod descendant down to the Rutledge.

Ostro had his orders from The Company.

TAG: @Vehn

 

IC: Alison Smith
USCSS Rutledge Mess Hall

Alison almost jumped and gasped in distress when the freaky humanoids appeared. She had never been up close to a Working Joe. They were more unnerving than the creature that had bursted out of the man’s chest.

She stepped back as instructed, but had to resist the urge to push them away from the body. They were disturbing their study material! But when one mentioned a laboratory Alison relaxed slightly. It was good news. She could start studying right away! There was no time to waste, the body was still fresh and there could be things to be learned from the area where the parasite gestated…

“Yes, yes…” Alison said absently and followed Torrence and the synths. Nothing had prepared her for what she saw in the laboratory. There were spidery creatures in tubes. She could see that Nobel prize… though it seems someone had beat her to it judging from what Doctor Torrence was reading.

Alison approached one of the tubes to get a better look. “We should go through the rest of the reports.” she turned her head, she was all business at this point. At least she could build upon someone else’s work and hopefully finish their experiments.

TAG: @Vehn @Jerjerrod-Lennox