Sphere Today, Gone Tomorrow (Darwin-A)
| Season 3, Episode 4 |
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| USS Darwin-A | ||
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 INACTIVE STATUS | ||
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The mission starts off with an awards ceremony! LtCmdr Varaan is promoted both to the rank of Commander and also assumes the role as First officer on board the Darwin. Lt Brell and Lt John Valdivia are promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, with Brell becoming the Chief Engineering Officer. Additionally Doctor Isabel Pond is promoted to the rank of lieutenant and becomes the Assistant Chief Medical Officer. Pond and Ensign Paul Scudder are both awarded the lifesaving Ribbon, FltCapt Renos was awarded the prioner of war ribbon and ne and LtCmndr Icavoc are awarded purple hearts. Ltjg Kurt Logan is awarded the innovation Ribbon and the final ribbon of the evening, the Good Conduct Ribbon is awarded to Logan, Cook, and from the outpost itself, Ens Sindrana.
Additionally the crew has just recently said goodbye to Chief Phillipe Marquette from the engineering department but is now welcoming a variety of new and returning officers that have arrived on the Darwin: LtCmdr Didrik Stennes returning from a short stay on Outpost resuming his post as second officer and lead counsellor. LtCmdr Tovin Aleris assuming a role as a diplomat, LtCmdr Emery Rhyn joining the tactical team, LtCmdr Nathaniel Wilmer is a mission specialist, LtCmdr Rendal Rennyn returning to the Darwin and a new officer, Ens Amira Paulsen both joining the Operations department. And as part of the crew CPO Poppy Reynolds takes on the position as the transporter Chief. And completing the lists of transfers is Kael Wilmer, a 3rd year Cadet
With that the promotion and awards over, the music is turned up and the dancing and merrymaking began.
At the same time, all around the surface of Dyson Sphere doors have opened each with strange sigils doing some sort of countdown. With help from Valdivia an examination determines that there are only 72 hours before the doors will close again! Six exploration teams are organized. Everyone has the same goal: Get in, acquire as much information about the sphere as possible and get out before the timer hits zero!
Once each of the teams received the go-ahead from Renos, the explorations began!
| Notable Sims | |
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| "Sphere Today, Gone Tomorrow" | After years of searching for a way in, the Dyson Sphere of its own accord has finally opened and everyone is poised to see what is inside. The only problem is that the sphere has started a 72 hour countdown. |
Team 1: [Emerald] Leader: FltCapt Renos, LtCmdr Reynolds, LtCmdr Rennyn
Stepping inside the gate Renos and Rennyn enter a small chamber, which without warning sends them plummeting into the unknown at dizzying speeds! Panicked by what appears to be a malfunction Renos calls for extraction. Establishing a lock the Darwin attempts to initiate transport. However instead of bringing Renos and Rennyn back to the Darwin, an energy buildup overloads the transporters and inadvertently transports Reynolds onto the lift. The lift soon slows and deposits the newly formed trio in the middle of a large building.
As the team begin to explore they find a beautiful and spacious atrium filled with huge glass windows. Exotic plants and huge gardens fill the room stretching out as far as the eye can see.
| Notable Sims | |
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| "Sphere Not In Kernzys Anymore" | "As far as the eye can see" |
Team 2: [sapphire] Leader: Cmdr Varaan, Lt Pond, Ens Paulsen
Sapphire Team, upon entering their gateway are encounter to a turbolift they cannot control. When it finally comes to a stop they emerge into the middle of a modern looking city. No life signs, and a large amount of hazy dust in the atmosphere are the only distinguishing features. They begin to explore the streets, looking for anything that may yield clues about what is happening here. Finding a promising edifice they prepare to enter.
| Notable Sims | |
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| "Once More Unto the Breach..." | "Taking the Elevator of Horrors to the Streets of Emptiness" |
Team 3: [Amethyst] Leader: LtCmdr Stennes, Ens Scudder, LtCmdr Tovin, Ens Lambert
Passing through the gateway they entered a small, sophisticated glassed in lift, housed inside a dark grey shaft. As the car descends, it emerges from the shaft several hundred meters above a pristine urban landscape, provided the team with a spectacular view of the city before touching down in the center of a large plaza.
Exploring their surroundings, Stennes observed that there were no people and Lambert discovered a strange electrostatic energy flowing through many of the structures in the city. Tovin recommended the team look for exhibitions of grandeur, indicating administrative or government presence, and Stennes elected to explore such a grand building at the far end of the plaza. Entering the large hall, the team observed intricate designs on the walls and an obelisk in the center, both of which they begin to examine.
Images: The city
Team 4: [Soladite] Leader: LtCmdr Brell, Ltjg Logan, Lt Shayne
The new Chief Engineer, after briefing his team, transported into the hanger room. Leading his team through the Sodalite gate, they found themselves in a lift that began moving shortly after they entered. Within a few moments a series of beeps sounded that repeated. A small interface appeared with a display of glyphs as if wanting them to input a code. When they were unable to enter the correct code the lift halted and ejected the officers onto ominous Crystal walled corridor. A quick examination revealed that the hall extended 200 meters in both directions. With no apparent outlet the trio to begin to look for a hidden panel or way to recall the lift.
While walking Brell felt an odd tingling sensation. A touch revealed another corridor trimmed in the same Sodalite light, shrouded with illusion. However when the illusion dropped it was not just a single tunnel that appeared, but many of them all angling in different directions. Logan commented. "Reminds me of that maze they put those lab rat’s into test their abilities."
Team 5: [Amber] Leader: Lt R’Ven, Hars Vlin, Lt Cook
At the entrance point R’Ven briefs his team, reminding them that with no tactical officer, they would have to protect themselves. Offering both Cook and Hars a phaser rifle, they both decline. The next room beyond the gate was much smaller than the first and once ever was inside began a rapid descent. Several minutes later after coming to a stop the door makes several attempts to open. After a great deal of grinding, shearing and tearing door slid open revealing a fresh air and a clearing. A quick examination shows that they are 200 meters above a settlement that is at least partially overgrown with vegetation. Beyond the settlement is battle scarred valley that separated it from a second city. R’Ven asks for ideas.
Hars suggests looking for water and Cook suggests looking for signs of life. After a moment of contemplation R’Ven agrees. However when his attempts to check in both with the Darwin and then Renos fail, he explains that now they not only must explore, but they also have to find a way out. As Hars started scanning, R'Ven walked a few meters down the overgrown path leading to the first settlement. With still no signs of life showing on his screens something pulled R’Ven off of his feet and into the brush!
Team 6: [Ruby] Leader: LtCmdr Icavoc, LtCmdr Valdivia, LtCmdr Wilmer
Mission Began with Team Ruby meeting up in the Transporter Room. Delayed slightly by a misunderstanding over the difference between smores and snores, the team transports over to the Sphere. After a tentative investigation of the red force field the trio stepped through into a long room with rounded corners. At a question from Icavoc, Valdivia reminds them that everything should be holographed and sent back to Unity. An alarm sounds and with a sudden movement the room rotates and begins a descent into unknown smoke and darkness with the alarm growing louder as they drop.
When the lift stopped and the doors slid open it revealed an engineering complex of some kind . The atmosphere seemed hazy, volcanic ash and sulfur is detected in the air. Icavoc orders a determination of the air quality, before proceeding further. It is quickly determined that although there was a Volcanic eruption going on nearby the air was safe to breathe but that they should limit their presence. Valdivia also tells that the group that he feels that the gravity here is natural, not artificial and speculates that there is a white dwarf at the center of the sphere beneath them.