Marooned on Giri Minor
When you and Indrian catch up, Hatuso has the housing for the comm array mostly taken apart. You watch as your crew mates examine the damaged system, which the ship needs in order to keep in constant contact with a network of interstellar relays by means of a hyperspace signal.
Indrian points to a component and says, "This relay here overloaded and caused our initial failure, I think, but that puncture is something else. That looks like it occurred since we've entered orbit."
"Keep me posted on your status," Siggo says. "All I need is to reestablish a signal with Ishtria, and then we can be on our way."
"Understood," Indrian says.
"Captain, while the chief is working on the array, I want to take a quick visual inspection of the rest of the ship," Hatuso says. "If there are microasteroids in orbit around Giri Minor, there may be damage to other parts of the ship."
"That sounds like a good idea," the captain agrees. Hatuso then thrusts away over the starboard side of the ship without another word.
So far you have just been an observer in all of this, and your mind has been wandering ever since Hatuso mentioned Giri Minor. The planet is directly above you, an unremarkable brown world with dusty-looking clouds and what appear to be dried-up lakes. You know you've heard the name before, but where? That's it: history class!
"Correct me if I'm wrong," you say, "but isn't Giri Minor the site of that abandoned colony from 200 years ago?"
"Maybe," Indrian says. "History never was my strong suit."
"Yeah, I'm sure of it," you say. "A group of outcasts from Old Earth tried to settle here, but not long after they arrived a large interstellar object collided with one of the moons, and the shift in gravity tilted the planet and caused an environmental disaster. When rescue crews came to evacuate the survivors, the people had gone mad and tried to take over the starship."
"Well aren't you just the professor!" Siggo says, and then he sings,
Something must be making him uneasy, because that's another reason why he often sings.
"Professor," he says, meaning you. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure," you say.
"I'm not getting any signal from the lieutenant," Siggo says. "Can you take a quick recon and tell me if you can make visual contact?"
"Will do," you say.
Indrian is busy making spare parts for the comm array with the help of the FabBot, so you thrust away first to the starboard side, and then to port. You see no sign of Hatuso, but what you do see is shocking: the port hyperspace field generator has been sliced open! You report your findings over the comm.
"Chief! Professor! Both of you get back in here now!" Siggo says with an uncharacteristic amount of urgency.
"Sir? I'm confused," Indrian says. "Shouldn't we assess the field generator first? We have no comm relay yet, and with no generator we won't be leaving the system. If it's just another puncture from a small hunk of moon debris or whatever, I can repair that in a few minutes."
"I really think you guys ought to come in," Siggo says.
Indrian points to a component and says, "This relay here overloaded and caused our initial failure, I think, but that puncture is something else. That looks like it occurred since we've entered orbit."
"Keep me posted on your status," Siggo says. "All I need is to reestablish a signal with Ishtria, and then we can be on our way."
"Understood," Indrian says.
"Captain, while the chief is working on the array, I want to take a quick visual inspection of the rest of the ship," Hatuso says. "If there are microasteroids in orbit around Giri Minor, there may be damage to other parts of the ship."
"That sounds like a good idea," the captain agrees. Hatuso then thrusts away over the starboard side of the ship without another word.
So far you have just been an observer in all of this, and your mind has been wandering ever since Hatuso mentioned Giri Minor. The planet is directly above you, an unremarkable brown world with dusty-looking clouds and what appear to be dried-up lakes. You know you've heard the name before, but where? That's it: history class!
"Correct me if I'm wrong," you say, "but isn't Giri Minor the site of that abandoned colony from 200 years ago?"
"Maybe," Indrian says. "History never was my strong suit."
"Yeah, I'm sure of it," you say. "A group of outcasts from Old Earth tried to settle here, but not long after they arrived a large interstellar object collided with one of the moons, and the shift in gravity tilted the planet and caused an environmental disaster. When rescue crews came to evacuate the survivors, the people had gone mad and tried to take over the starship."
"Well aren't you just the professor!" Siggo says, and then he sings,
The mountains of Tyuu
And the ocean of Kaitoo
Will never keep me from loving you-uu!
And the ocean of Kaitoo
Will never keep me from loving you-uu!
Something must be making him uneasy, because that's another reason why he often sings.
"Professor," he says, meaning you. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure," you say.
"I'm not getting any signal from the lieutenant," Siggo says. "Can you take a quick recon and tell me if you can make visual contact?"
"Will do," you say.
Indrian is busy making spare parts for the comm array with the help of the FabBot, so you thrust away first to the starboard side, and then to port. You see no sign of Hatuso, but what you do see is shocking: the port hyperspace field generator has been sliced open! You report your findings over the comm.
"Chief! Professor! Both of you get back in here now!" Siggo says with an uncharacteristic amount of urgency.
"Sir? I'm confused," Indrian says. "Shouldn't we assess the field generator first? We have no comm relay yet, and with no generator we won't be leaving the system. If it's just another puncture from a small hunk of moon debris or whatever, I can repair that in a few minutes."
"I really think you guys ought to come in," Siggo says.