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Chapter 7 – Time to Wait

Zoe had an insatiable appetite for the great outdoors and adventures. These desires led her to a degree in astrogeology which further led her to numerous uncharted planets and a lonely life. At the moment her loneliness was unimportant. Her current employer, New World Terraforming, a subsidiary of some bio company, had given her an offworld employee badge and a mission to explore a new planet.
“Karek, you see how this flat plain extends for miles in every direction?” Zoe asked her company assigned handler.
Karek responded dryly, “Yes, my eyes still work.”
“I didn’t mean to be obvious. What I’m getting at is the extent of this alluvial plain is phenomenal. Except for the occasional bolder, this land is completely flat. Even the occasional igneous extrusion has been worn smooth to the local elevation. The only evidence of their previous existence is the concentration of ores that have been left on the surface and the sonar reflections from our surface analysis. And, Karek… I’ve finally figured out why,” She said excitedly.
“Mm-hmm” Karek mumbled.
“Yes,” Zoe continued, fully supplying her own excitement, “this wasn’t from one giant river. This plain was caused by a giant ice sheet that ground mountain peaks down and filled in the valleys with glacial sediment.”
“But its 38 degrees at mid-day?” Karek responded finally taking the bait.
“Exactly the reason why we didn’t figure it out before,” she stated using the royal we. “It hasn’t always been this warm.”
“I would guess that 20 to 30 centuries ago this planet’s surface temperature plummeted into freezing temperatures and stayed there for several decades,” she said.
“Mmmhh,” Karek said trying to sound disinterested again hoping it wasn’t too late.
Zoe continued, “Actually, there is some evidence that these ice ages occur quite regularly. I’d think the culprit is P2, that large, hollow second planet in this solar system. Although, I’m not sure why the company hasn’t identified that problem already? Its orbit is close to this planet’s orbit. It must cause a solar shadow every time their orbits sync up.”
“If that’s the case, this planet will have to be listed as uninhabitable due to the extended ice ages. We’d better inform the company as soon as possible. They’ve already spent way too much money terraforming. Whoever, did the initial solar cartography is gonna have a lot of explaining to do,” she said as she marched to the edge of a nearby forest.
Karek had stopped walking as soon as Zoe mentioned “uninhabitable.” He just stood there staring at Zoe’s back. “I should have limited her research. Her job was to find useful resources for a mining operation. These roaming bouts should not have been allowed. Should have stuck to protocols,” He mumbled angrily to himself.
Karek pulled out his sidearm, carefully sighted in Zoe’s head and fingered the trigger.
In mid-sentence, Zoe was no more. Her grand outdoor adventures were ended. Her coveted company badge lay splayed to the side of her lifeless body.
Karek turned around and fingered his comm link.
“Yes?” the comm link announced shortly.
“This is SP-23 noting a close of business,” Karek responded.
After a couple of seconds the voice recovered, “Please confirm ‘close of business.’”
Karek responded, “Yes, close of business.”
“OK, standby. Transportation is en route.”
Over the next hour, Karek found the empty silence very uncomfortable and was very much looking forward to drowning all thoughts and concerns with some of the cheap alcohol found back at base. The Company was certainly taking its sweet time.
He was expecting to hear the sound of a hover boat. Instead, he heard several deep barks as creatures approached him from the south.
Looking up from his misery he was shocked to see a group of 16 or so “dogs” bounding towards him out of the forest with evil eyes. He was able to down 7 of the Company’s experimental xeno-hounds, but, without armor, he was no match for the snapping bites that tore through him.
What was left of Karek had been dragged back next to Zoe’s body to lay there cursed for eternity.
---
Komás had spent the last 2 days carefully laying a rail line that circumvented 3 different biter nests. He would have preferred clearing the sites, but he didn’t have the military resources or time to waste.
Instead, he built bunkers with ALEs at moderate intervals from each other. His main goal was to tap into the nearest coal deposit and deliver those desperately needed resources back to the main base as quickly as possible.
Once a few shipments of coal were supplied back to the base, Komás would return to methodically remove those biter nests and then hunker down for the inevitable rescue.
He had contemplated the need to reunite with the orbiting explorer ship, but just thinking through the required logistics of establishing a surface to space vehicle was too daunting. “Besides, the rescue should be here any day,” Komás reassured himself.
“At last,” Komás sighed as he conjured in the final length of rail just short of the substantial coal deposit.
From his HUD, he noted the proximity of a medium sized nest. “I’ll need to have some ALEs set to address visitors from that direction,” he noted.
Komás placed a networked storage chest at the end of the rail line and inserted several microwarp addresses for wall units, ALEs, power distribution poles and surface mines. Next to the chest he placed the newly manufactured Handy-Bot Uniport with a complement of Con-bots. Then, with a focused thought, Komás’ HUD filled his vision with a local plan view of the area.
Using gestures and thoughts, Komás populated the plan view with ghostly images of walls, laser turrets, and power poles. After shifting a few items around, Komás indicated final agreement with the plan.
Like a disturbed beehive, the Con-bots swarmed out of the Uniport, grabbed various microwarp addresses from the storage chest and hovered towards the construction zone. In short order, the construction zone was filled with re-phased wall units and ALEs. For each wall, a volume of air was evacuated and stirred up clouds of dust that mixed with the rushing volume of air.
Komás didn’t immediately notice the flashing warning or hear the fizzle of a Con-bot in distress. It took several heartbeats before reality pushed through his distraction. By that point, 2 Con-bots had been disabled and several more were starting to falter.
In short order, 2 ALEs swiveled into action and started tracking. Komás followed their movement and identified a group of biters coming from the forest.
Bringing his boomstick to bare, he levelled a couple shots in their direction when a green blob crossed his vision and hit his armor in the chest. Immediately, his armor started sizzling and he could feel the heat from the chemical reaction through his chest. Looking up through the vapors from his melting armor, he saw a movement in the woods.
At that moment, an ALE was hit by three blobs of goo and exploded next to Komás. Under fire, Komás ducked behind the incomplete line of wall. Fortunately, 3 more laser turrets had come online and were now pouring energy into the front line of the mixed group of biters. Unfortunately, more blobs of acid kept hitting and disabling the Con-bots. At about the center of the line, a Con-bot sparked and faltered before an opening in the wall it no doubt had been about to finish.
Pushing forward to cover the opening, Komás was again surprised by a Blueser as it leaped through the opening and started tearing through the ALE next to the opening.
Komás aimed at the monster’s head and released a barrage of ammunition dropping the biter, but also dangerously damaging the laser. Komás turned into the gap in the wall and started laying waste to the nearest group of biters.
Again, Komás saw a blob of green, but this time, he was able to shelter behind the wall before it hit.
Peeking out again, Komás was able to watch as a multi-limbed worm squirmed onto its rear legs and disgorged a blob of green acid towards the nearest ALE. In response, the 6 erected ALEs returned fire and melted the worm back into the ground.
Komás felt his skin crawl as he watched these slithering monsters continue their mindless attack. Slowly, the remaining “Spitters” were dealt with by the remaining ALEs.
With a little breathing room, Komás was able to complete the defensive position. But, with the recent losses, was unable to completely fortify the new mining site. Instead, he opted for 2 forward outposts that would hopefully intercept any attacks on the mining site itself.
Having completed the defensive arrangements, Komás, not expecting much, moved to inspect what was left of these new enemies. As he walked towards the edge of the woods, he had to step over the fast decaying bodies of brother biters and big bluesers. As he reached the woods he saw something flash at him from the grass line.
Looking down, he saw a white plastic card with writing on it. As he picked it up, the rusted chain attached to the card pulled at the bump in the ground and dislodged what seemed like a clump of ground.
As Komas glanced over at the end of the chain he saw the face of a skull looking back at him and let out a shout.
Upon recovering, Komas read the plastic card:
Dr. Zoe Exuper
Astrogeologist
New World Terraforming

To add to the shock, Dr. Exuper had a large hole where her forehead had been.
Komas began to rethink his situation. “I’ve got to get off this planet. I don’t think this is an accident and I don’t think I can wait for a rescue ship anymore.”

good as all what like to his plan to get off this planet?

damn good story cant wait for more chapters

I only recently stumbled upon this in the forums. I would really love to see more chapters!

This is really darn good. the chapters are a little short, but they have really good content.

Moved (together with some other articles) into the new Fan-Art Board. In most cases I left a link to the originating post.

I hope this continues!

Chapter 8 – Homeward Bound, TBD

Komás observed the flat terrain floating past him through the front windshield. Only scattered trees, the electric transmission lines and the regularly spaced bunkers marked the passage of distance as the locomotive and 2 freight cars, filled with urgently needed coal, made the return trip to Main Base at full speed. If the train attracted any attention, Komás wanted the biters and these new “spitters” to follow the train right into one of the new defensive positions rather than have the expensive locomotive receive any damage.
Unlike the other storage systems, the freight cars carried the full mass of the coal being returned to the base. Under this heavy load, the carefully researched design for the railroad system allowed a modest deflection as the rail ties were cushioned into the soil and then rebounded after the train passed.
“Computer,” Komás started. “What do we need to get back to our orbiting ship?”
“In order to return, the explorer ship must first be located.” The computer stated through Komás helmet speaker.
Komás responded, “Can we modify our ground radar units to detect something that deep in space?”
“Assuming the ship has remained in a stable orbit, an array of ground radars may be able to penetrate this planet’s atmospheric distortions and determine the ships location. Would you like this added to the research queue?”
“Not just yet,” Komás replied. “Let’s continue assuming that our crew was able to stabilize the ship’s orbit with the emergency thrusters before retiring into the ship’s sleep cells. And, assuming we can accurately locate the ship, how do we get ourselves up there, repair the damage done to the ship and start heading home?”
“Damage to explorer ship is unknown…”
Komás interrupted, “Assume that all of the electronics are fried and need replacement. We will also need to refuel the emergency thrusters. Throw in some durasteel plating and about 20% more material mass for unknowns. Exclude the mass of my DCV1’s storage. Its reactor should be able to compensate for the required potential energy delta once we are in orbit.”
“Petrol fuel is not ideal…”
“Add rocket fuel refining to our research queue and calculate the required mass using refined fuel,” Komás cut in.
“Further assumptions have been made and are available in the log. We will need 150,000 kg of refined fuel to achieve orbit and for anticipated maneuvers. An additional 50,000 kg will be needed to restore the explorer ship’s reserve fuel supply.”
Komás sucked in his breath when he heard the amount needed. He knew it would be substantial, but he wasn’t prepared for that incredible of an amount.
After a pause, Komas queried, “Computer, How do we handle another neutron explosion?”
The computer paused and then replied, “Insufficient data.”
--
Gans, the Chief Executive Officer of a multi-planetary, Bio-conglomerate, usually summoned his company officers to report directly to him in his office. But he often felt the irrational need to keep all discussions regarding the company’s more circumspect operations safely away from his office, and once again, found himself in the executive elevator plummeting from his penthouse office, and into the sub-surface depths of the headquarters’ building.
The elevator finished its travel and smoothly rotated its curved paneled door to the side to reveal the awaiting Head of Corporate Clandestine Operations in her lavish office.
Gans started without preamble, “Where are we with our acquisition plan?”
Celianna, out of habit, motioned to the awaiting chair as Gans took his seat and then prompted her Auto Assistant to bring up the projected display with another gesture.
The display listed 4 items in green and two items in red.
- Dissolve Grand Intergalactic Insurance – completed. Specified records removed from system using Sygny-2T4 Worm
- Discourage government involvement – corporate responsibility campaign completed. Corporate rescue funds have been reassigned
 - Purchase 17% target company stock – currently own 19% of company’s class B stock
 - Reduce Target Company’s stock value – 2 shell corporations are fully shorting the stock. Brokerage firm has increased premium for short sales. Stock value is falling.

- Clean planet – In process, not confirmed
- Acquire access to executive ownership
“What are our options if we proceed with the final step?” Gans asked.
“I think we have the critical items shored up with contingencies.” Celianna reassured. “However, our latest report hasn’t come through. No reason to be alarmed, it just means we can’t close the loop on our 4th bullet item.”
Celianna continued, “Without confirmation we should assume the worst case and expect that specimen X1 remains active and needs to be neutralized. At this point, exterior influences will increase our risk and should be avoided. This limits our options to accelerating the Xeno production or launching the balance of the Neutron devices, or maybe both.”
Gans shifted in his chair, “Give the order for increased Xeno production. If X1 survives that, and the staged rescue mission attempts a landing, then have the devices target both interplanetary vessels for destruction this time. No more messes.”
--
Director Mubek had consigned himself to one last desperate action. He planned to commission a scout ship to deliver him to the expedition’s planet to investigate and then return.
To that end, Mubek signed the mortgage papers for his last remaining asset. He had considered selling his home as well, but couldn’t bring himself to leaving his family with nothing. Besides, with the high rated, 100 year second mortgage, he wouldn’t be able to squeeze out much more money by selling and adding a rent fee to his expenses. He motioned confirmation to the offsite notary and then blanked the wall screen.
Beneath his stoic exterior was a pit of unending sadness and despair. Mubek’s company value had dropped by over half in the past 2 weeks. Mubek understood some of the anxiety in the market, but the complete loss of faith in his company didn’t make any sense. Although in its infancy, the technology had gained several solid contracts whose value alone would equal the current value of the company’s stock.
“Aren’t people interested in making money off of me?” Mubek despaired.
Just then, a voice announced, “Director Mubek, Tony Peezo with SBC Galactic Investments would like to schedule a meeting with you. He is in the waiting room.”
“Who?” Mubek responded, but the automated assistant judged his tone and ignored the rhetorical question, waiting for Mubek’s real response.
“I will be down in 5 minutes,” Mubek stated.
Director Mubek entered the waiting room and offered his hand to the only person present.
“Mr. Peezo?” Mubek offered.
“Director Mubek. Yes, thank you for meeting me on such short notice.” Tony Peezo replied.
“I wanted to meet you as soon as possible. I didn’t think another day would be wise.” Peezo said.
Peezo continued, “My Company has noticed your current situation and we wanted to extend an offer…”

The plot thickens

Awesome story. I wish I could send you and those poor guys a box of cookies (or some new MK2 armor)!

Please continue the story.

PS: I wish story telling would be automatable. Or is this automatable and you just have to put a bunch of blue cookies MK3 in the producer to speed up the process? (Just joking. Take your time and write a good story)

Wonderful story so far. It has a stellar plot and leaves you wanting more.

Very good reading.

Is this stillbeing worked on?

?

maybe they got a job as a script writer and are writing their 1st cool film script

would be fun to come back to this - some day...