Marooned on Giri Minor
That night, the Orion dispatches three shuttles to the crash site. Ibanz has shared with them your warnings about the light-sensitive creatures, so the incoming craft land as close to your camp as possible, with external lights a-blazing. It is difficult on your eyes, but it seems to work; the beetle-crabs are a no-show.
Several medical teams spill out of the shuttles, as well as a security detail to set up a periphery. The medics rush to Dr. Munro's improvised "Med Bay," and quickly come to the conclusion that the best option is to transfer all of the injured people up to the Orion, which is awaiting in high orbit. Without further delay, they begin to load the patients into the nearest shuttle.
Meanwhile someone with a medical-grade WristComp comes up to you and gives you an on-the-spot diagnosis, but it's nothing that you haven't known all along: you have a broken rib. It's a relatively minor injury, and the medic is able to repair the fractured bone in a matter of minutes.
With all of the commotion, you never notice when the broad-shouldered man with the captain's stripes on his uniform tunic exits one of the craft. He finds the doctor who is evaluating Commander Andrade, who says something to him that you are unable to hear. He then seeks out the next highest-ranking officers on site, which are Lieutenants Nimjey and Oviedo-Nandez. Nimjey seems to be providing the captain a status update, and at several points he nods in your direction. Upon the third nod, the captain turns and sees you.
You are surprised when the captain strides over in your direction. Like most command officers, this man exudes self-confidence. He walks through the chaos of the crash site like he is the director of a holo-drama, and everyone here are his cast members and hired stagehands. You are a little confused, because you're not sure why such a person would be interested in you.
But he approaches you with his right hand extended. "I am Captain Ynthramanni from the Starship Orion," he says. "Lieutenant Nimjey tells me that it was you who found a way to communicate with us."
"Well, sir, what I found is this old ship," you say, gesturing to the 200-year-old space yacht you found. "It only had enough power for a single flight, so I figured the best thing to do was to bring it here and let the engineers work on it."
"Smart thinking," Ynthramanni says to you. And then regarding the ship: "Whooh, would you look at that. A Dartani Cruiser, if I'm not mistaken. Where did you find this?"
"There was a hangar hidden up on a small mountain a few kilometers from here."
"That's outstanding. And you found this and piloted it back to the crash site, while Commander Andrade was incapacitated? I'm impressed."
"Thank you, captain."
"But if you don't mind, let's head back to the Orion. It's getting chilly here, and these people need food and medical attention. Come. You can ride with me."
As you approach the captain's shuttle, the two Belson children run to join you. After so much time camping out in the chaotic space of the cargo hold, the clean orderliness of the shuttle interior is a refreshing sight. You step inside, with Yiggy and Easa holding each of your hands. But when the kids see a sack of fresh oranges on one of the shuttle's seats, they let go and run for the fruit.
"Help yourself!" the captain says. "There will be plenty more to eat when we reach the Orion."
Nimjey, Oviedo-Nandez, Gunder, and Ibanz take seats alongside you. As you settle in, you see that this humble little craft is far more sophisticated than the transport vessel you had served on for so long; rather than a standard helm, this ship is piloted with a holo-virtual control system. A heavily-tattooed pilot stands at the ready.
"I think we're good to go, Hinju," Captain Ynthramanni says, and the pilot engages the controls. With a holo-virtual system, the ship is piloted not by pressing buttons, but by the skilled motions of the pilot's body. It turns out to be quite the expressive performance. With a lifting of his shoulders, Hinju commands the shuttle into the air, and then forward across the landscape by thrusting his arms just so.
The Orion is in a high orbit around Giri Minor--hopefully high enough to avoid the debris. You have seen her moored at Star Base Ishtria on occasion, and she is always a breathtaking sight: the spherical main hull; the eight hyperspace field generators circling the disc-shaped Hoshino Drive near the aft; the long engineering section that connects the drive to the sphere like a giant bundle of conduits; the red-and-white design scheme, common to all naval vessels in the Fifth Fleet; 1200 meters in length with a crew of five hundred.
The shuttles enter a large flight deck near the rear of the ship, and your pilot ends his artistic performance with a graceful landing. A support crew is on hand to assist the survivors, with a special focus on Commander Andrade, as well as Dr. Munro and her collection of wounded personnel.
Several medical teams spill out of the shuttles, as well as a security detail to set up a periphery. The medics rush to Dr. Munro's improvised "Med Bay," and quickly come to the conclusion that the best option is to transfer all of the injured people up to the Orion, which is awaiting in high orbit. Without further delay, they begin to load the patients into the nearest shuttle.
Meanwhile someone with a medical-grade WristComp comes up to you and gives you an on-the-spot diagnosis, but it's nothing that you haven't known all along: you have a broken rib. It's a relatively minor injury, and the medic is able to repair the fractured bone in a matter of minutes.
With all of the commotion, you never notice when the broad-shouldered man with the captain's stripes on his uniform tunic exits one of the craft. He finds the doctor who is evaluating Commander Andrade, who says something to him that you are unable to hear. He then seeks out the next highest-ranking officers on site, which are Lieutenants Nimjey and Oviedo-Nandez. Nimjey seems to be providing the captain a status update, and at several points he nods in your direction. Upon the third nod, the captain turns and sees you.
You are surprised when the captain strides over in your direction. Like most command officers, this man exudes self-confidence. He walks through the chaos of the crash site like he is the director of a holo-drama, and everyone here are his cast members and hired stagehands. You are a little confused, because you're not sure why such a person would be interested in you.
But he approaches you with his right hand extended. "I am Captain Ynthramanni from the Starship Orion," he says. "Lieutenant Nimjey tells me that it was you who found a way to communicate with us."
"Well, sir, what I found is this old ship," you say, gesturing to the 200-year-old space yacht you found. "It only had enough power for a single flight, so I figured the best thing to do was to bring it here and let the engineers work on it."
"Smart thinking," Ynthramanni says to you. And then regarding the ship: "Whooh, would you look at that. A Dartani Cruiser, if I'm not mistaken. Where did you find this?"
"There was a hangar hidden up on a small mountain a few kilometers from here."
"That's outstanding. And you found this and piloted it back to the crash site, while Commander Andrade was incapacitated? I'm impressed."
"Thank you, captain."
"But if you don't mind, let's head back to the Orion. It's getting chilly here, and these people need food and medical attention. Come. You can ride with me."
As you approach the captain's shuttle, the two Belson children run to join you. After so much time camping out in the chaotic space of the cargo hold, the clean orderliness of the shuttle interior is a refreshing sight. You step inside, with Yiggy and Easa holding each of your hands. But when the kids see a sack of fresh oranges on one of the shuttle's seats, they let go and run for the fruit.
"Help yourself!" the captain says. "There will be plenty more to eat when we reach the Orion."
Nimjey, Oviedo-Nandez, Gunder, and Ibanz take seats alongside you. As you settle in, you see that this humble little craft is far more sophisticated than the transport vessel you had served on for so long; rather than a standard helm, this ship is piloted with a holo-virtual control system. A heavily-tattooed pilot stands at the ready.
"I think we're good to go, Hinju," Captain Ynthramanni says, and the pilot engages the controls. With a holo-virtual system, the ship is piloted not by pressing buttons, but by the skilled motions of the pilot's body. It turns out to be quite the expressive performance. With a lifting of his shoulders, Hinju commands the shuttle into the air, and then forward across the landscape by thrusting his arms just so.
The Orion is in a high orbit around Giri Minor--hopefully high enough to avoid the debris. You have seen her moored at Star Base Ishtria on occasion, and she is always a breathtaking sight: the spherical main hull; the eight hyperspace field generators circling the disc-shaped Hoshino Drive near the aft; the long engineering section that connects the drive to the sphere like a giant bundle of conduits; the red-and-white design scheme, common to all naval vessels in the Fifth Fleet; 1200 meters in length with a crew of five hundred.
The shuttles enter a large flight deck near the rear of the ship, and your pilot ends his artistic performance with a graceful landing. A support crew is on hand to assist the survivors, with a special focus on Commander Andrade, as well as Dr. Munro and her collection of wounded personnel.