There was definitely a situation brewing here. My next job was to make Reef Base look a little more 'lived in'. It was a simple matter of strewing a few items of clothing carelessly around, leaving lockers open and allowing a few day's worth of meal trays and coffee mugs to accumulate on any handy flat surface. I wanted to convey a particular impression to our visitors, and let their preconceptions take care of any finer details. If they were to enter any of my other bases or outposts, they would find them all effectively blacked out and containing nothing of any real interest. Even if they succeeded in getting power restored to these installations, there was no way of accessing the higher functions of either AI. All Fabricator consoles save those in Reef Base were now little more than glorified vending machines, command-locked into Autistic mode. The intruders could now ferret around as much as they pleased, although their efforts would yield absolutely nothing of value.
IANTO still needed a dedicated Fabricator installed at Reef Base. If this practical exercise in maskirovka took a wrong turn at any stage, I conjured it would be a sound idea to have him available as backup for JUNO. Our intruders may be tempted to use slightly more robust methods of obtaining information after their initial failures, and might possibly damage one or more of the consoles housing her personality core. Creating and securely storing a backup of JUNO was the next immediate task. I already had a backup of IANTO in his upgraded form, so that was one less job to take care of.
After downloading JUNO's backup, I took both core transfer modules out to the Aurora monument and stowed them inside the Lifepod I had previously secreted in the obelisk's foundations. The surface access hatch to the pod was concealed under one of the decorative metal inlay plates set into the plinth, and could only be unlatched from underneath. There was also an underwater entrance to this cache, although particular caution was required when using it. The entire area was swarming with Biter fish, and the access tunnel itself was guarded by a healthy crop of hanging stingers for most of its length.
Good luck getting into that one, Pally.
I soon found out why I had never bothered to grow a beard before. I had not been using Depil-foam for at least a week now, and my face itched like crazy. I found some solace in a bottle of vintage Glenfiddich, its consumption being spaced over a couple of days so that I kept a clear head. Naturally, the empty bottle joined other 'dead Marines' on the floor of the habitat, subtly adding to its growing ambience. My personal ambience was also proceeding apace, undoubtedly hastened by skipping most of my daily hygiene routines.
Two days later, they turned up.
I was in the middle of eating lunch (Peeper Surprise à la Creepvine) when I heard the main airlock cycle. As I was about to bolt into the central corridor, I suddenly realised that I was only wearing my skiddies and a t-shirt. I hesitated briefly, decided that pulling on a pair of pants was too much bother and shot out of the doorway regardless. First impressions were absolutely essential.
"My God... Rescued at last!" I howled.
I came to a halt in front of a group of five, still dripping water from their recent swim. I rushed forward, grabbing for the hand of the nearest diver. She drew back, obviously repelled by my appearance. I fell to my knees, sobbing with gratitude.
Uh... in experimental, there is a new lifepod message. May want to retcon.
Also nice job, been reading this. I assume the topmost message refers to the floater island and the abandoned bases are the wrecks of the people who were meeting up there.
Maybe the player isn't expected to be there until it makes sense to have enough time passed for their deaths. As for the middle one, the coordinates presumably would be around when it says they were attached, but none are heard.
EDIT: are you aware of the active lava zone?
It's like below the lava castle. Various updates on trello may refer to it as the 'Emperor Prison'. Think about that.
Pretty interesting. There's enough evidence and I may have been told by an UWE person that it pertains to the story.
After removing his diving helmet, one of the men stepped forward.
"I am Invigilator Galen Tomar, Torgaljin internal security division. You are Engineer Selkirk, yes?"
"Aye, that's me. There's no-one else here. All dead, all gone." I said, eyes downcast.
I looked this Tomar character over from head to foot. He had a certain manner about him that instantly grated upon one's nerves. One hundred per cent Belter, for certain. His aura of arrogance suggested he might even be a mid-tier corporate princeling let slip off the leash, eager to make his way up the ladder, regardless of how many others he stepped on in the process. I had no way of determining his precise rank, since the symbolic meanings of Belter hair-patterns and facial tattoos are something of a mystery to outsiders such as myself. I had met a few Belters during my time with Alterra, but there was something about their general demeanour that seemed 'off' in some undefinable way. Putting it plainly, Belter nobles weren't the sort of folk you'd want as a best mate.
They were an impenetrable lot. It looked like Tomar would be doing all of the talking. The other four were merely there to look menacing. I ushered them into the base proper and led them to Port Hab One, the least messy of the four living modules. I farted about in there for a bit, ineffectually trying to clean the place while keeping up a constant stream of aimless chatter. As I pottered about, I kept a surreptitious eye on their expressions. It proved to be a most enlightening experience.
"So you received my message? I never thought I'd see another human soul on this godforsaken world, let alone five at once. I canna tell ye what it feels like to be left alone for so long. Please tell me you're not like the others... They said they were coming for me, but they never arrived. Are ye coming to take me home again, Sir?"
One of the heavies rolled his eyes and lightly nudged his companion's elbow. It didn't take a lip-reader's skill to make out his assessment of my mental state. I dialled it back a wee touch to keep it vaguely credible and give them the impression that I hadn't quite lost all of my marbles. Yet.
"You'll have to watch yourselves here, it's a dangerous place. It's even worse at night. Stay away from the wee caves, and listen for the sounds the fishes make. That's the only way to stay alive."
"What do you mean, stay away from the... little caves?" Tomar inquired, eyeing me suspiciously.
"There's a red fish that explodes after it chases you down. It lives in a black pod that springs open when you get near it. One almost killed me, Sir. I can show you the bruises on my chest, if you like."
"That won't be necessary." Tomar said curtly. "I'm afraid that your eventual rescue is of secondary importance to our original mission objectives, and we shall have to discuss this matter at a more convenient time. Now, if you will excuse us, we shall depart. Good day to you, Engineer Selkirk."
"No! Don't leave me behind! I don't want to be left alone to die here!" I pleaded.
Halfway to the airlock, Tomar paused in mid-stride and turned around, smiling nastily.
"Ah. I believe that I can comfortably accommodate your request. At least partially."
But what if they broke it before coming? Then again, wouldn't JUNO or IANTO alert him? Also, wasn't another Valkyrie Field mentioned? Maybe another lifepod? If he hooked that one up too, and they didn't know... uh... yeah. Although IIRC he hid his own lifepod.
But what if they broke it before coming? Then again, wouldn't JUNO or IANTO alert him? Also, wasn't another Valkyrie Field mentioned? Maybe another lifepod? If he hooked that one up too, and they didn't know... uh... yeah. Although IIRC he hid his own lifepod.
I wonder if hooking up a second lifepod to it might make two of him...
Also, this is likely unimportant, but what about the monolith (or what's left of it)? Is that too unrealistic to add in? Or maybe it could tie in to the warpers somehow. Not begging, but it'd be kinda cool in a sense if that was the warpers' home - the current rendition of it is up to the surface of the water or so, so they don't have to be on land, but they have access to land with water on it.
Pardon if this is really stupid, but... yeah.
What a prick. Still, Alexander's plan worked: he was able to discover Omar and his cronies disposition and "fake" his death. I have the sneaking suspicion that they will soon incur the wrath of Manannán's natives and get their comeuppance, whether it be from the Warpers or Binky the reaper.
What a prick. Still, Alexander's plan worked: he was able to discover Omar and his cronies disposition and "fake" his death. I have the sneaking suspicion that they will soon incur the wrath of Manannán's natives and get their comeuppance, whether it be from the Warpers or Binky the reaper.
Super looking forward to the next update.
And he and his friends won't have the experience Selkirk has (painfully) acquired...
At least it wasn't quite as painful this time around.
My long-shot gambit was paying off. Home ground advantage. I awoke in the Lifepod once more. Curiously, there was no residual sensation of blind terror following my revival. I had already anticipated Tomar's actions to some extent, and even trained myself to expect death at any moment, so the only coherent sensation that remained was a feeling of mild surprise. As murders go, it was refreshingly quick, merciful and clean. This Tomar fellow obviously took pride in his work.
I dressed quickly, climbing into an armoured wetsuit as an added precaution. There wasn't much chance of being shot again, although I had to make it back to Reef Base as quickly as possible. This meant passing uncomfortably close to Aurora's stern and traversing a Stalker-infested Creepvine thicket. I conjured one death per day was quite sufficient. The PowerGlide DPV was fully charged and ready to go. Better grab a blade or two, as well as a Stasis Rifle. As much as I'd like to laminate that dirty scunner Tomar against one of the hab's walls with a solid graviton pulse, I wanted him very much alive for this phase of the operation. I collected one final item from the stowage locker, tucked it into the suit's thigh pocket and exited the roof hatch.
I raced full-bore through Reaper territory. I didn't even bother to look around first. The screaming roars that erupted behind me were more than enough warning. The PowerGlide could easily outpace any Reaper on the straight, so I ploughed on straight as an arrow, staying as close to the surface as possible. Reapers liked having a wee bit of depth beneath their keels, so to speak.
"JUNO, I'm back. Status report on Reef Base, please."
"Invigilator Tomar and his team are currently ransacking the base. They are particularly interested in securing any data storage devices. One operative has been tasked to hack into the Fabricator terminals, the others are engaged in a manual search. What are your orders, Captain?"
"Activate MARTIAL protocols in all facilities. Set Condition Black. Remote sensors online, weapons hot. Do not engage any intruders unless fired upon. Await my command."
"Acknowledged, Captain. I detect that you have a Reaper in close pursuit. Will you require assistance? Red Dragon's ETA for extraction is two minutes at your current coordinates."
"Negative, JUNO. This lad's coming to the party. I want them to see what they're really up against."
"Understood, Sir. Please be aware that the Reaper's acoustic profile matches the subject encoded as 'Ahab'. Vocalisation frequency indicates that this creature is now in attack mode. Doppler tracking confirms 75 seconds until intercept. Target velocity is increasing. Caution. Extreme danger, Captain."
I chuckled raggedly. "That's just the way I want him... Mad as a sack full of cats. Okay, bring all the Cyclops in, JUNO, super quiet. Bottom out and hold station at the northern border of the Grassy Plateau biome."
I dived to 50 metres, vectoring towards the rocky outcrop next to the starboard side of the moon pool. Ahab's bellowing echoed through the gloom, growing ever closer by the second. I shut off the DPV and positioned myself above a brain coral, allowing its exhalations to replenish my air cylinders.
IANTO chimed in. "Target Ahab velocity is unchanged. Time to outer perimeter, 10 seconds."
"Fire when ready, IANTO. Lock him down nice and tight until he's needed."
"Affirmative, Captain."
IANTO opened fire on Ahab. A brilliant blue flare erupted in the gloom beyond the Creepvine. I was watching the window in the portside hab module, and it was apparent that the ruckus out here had attracted an audience. I counted at least three of them standing at the viewport, leaving two still unaccounted for.
"JUNO, what's the situation in there?"
"One operative is still attempting to gain access to the base's systems via the moon pool modification terminal, and the other is searching the aft hydroponics compartment. Stand by... She is returning to the forward section."
"As soon as you've got at least four in the same compartment, light 'em up. I'll take care of the hacker."
"Affirmative, Captain. Internal defence system is now active. Targets acquired."
I broke cover and headed for the moon pool, stasis rifle at the ready. A quick underwater check of the pool walkway revealed that the hacker was elbows-deep in the guts of the Seamoth mod terminal, and he wouldn't be able to spot me climbing out of the pool. Perfect. I retracted my fins and climbed out of the water. Crouching low and keeping the base's sub Harpoon One between me and his line of sight, I was able to edge around far enough to get a clear shot. The Torgaljin goon froze in the stasis bubble. I darted over and slapped two transdermal tranquiliser patches on either side of his neck, then waited for the stasis bubble to collapse. He dropped to the deck, well and truly out for the count. Two solid bands of hull tape secured his wrists and ankles. That guy wasn't going anywhere.
As I crept down the corridor towards the forward section, I heard the stasis cannon fire. The entire hab was enclosed in a shimmering sphere of energy, freezing the four Torgaljin intruders in elegant attitudes, strangely reminiscent of a Renaissance tableau. I quickly served them in the same fashion as their computer-savvy friend, leaving all four trussed-up like Christmas turkeys. I decided to hang around long enough for the field to collapse, just for the sake of a good laugh. Sure enough, when the bubble faded, all four toppled over in a most pleasing manner. Tomar and that particularly lippy goon face-planted heavily, bringing a delighted smile to my face. All in the name of Science, of course. Experiment successful: Gravity works.
I checked out of the viewport to see whether IANTO had managed to snare Ahab. There should be another stasis flare any second now... Yep. There it goes. Now I'm free and clear to lug these bastards back to their Cyclops and make a good start on their education.
Before leaving the A-01 and returning to Reef Base, I took a quick side trip to the pumpjet shroud. The device I installed beneath the service access plate was not much larger than an ice hockey puck, although it was certain to make life 'interesting' for our Torgaljin friends. Consider it my parting gift.
Niiiiiiice. Though why didn't Kirk bring the Reaper on their *expletive*s after somehow getting them awake, out of the base? Whatever, still turned out great.
Niiiiiiice. Though why didn't Kirk bring the Reaper on their *expletive*s after somehow getting them awake, out of the base? Whatever, still turned out great.
The Torgaljin goon froze in the stasis bubble. I darted over and slapped two transdermal tranquiliser patches on either side of his neck, then waited for the stasis bubble to collapse. He dropped to the deck, well and truly out for the count. Two solid bands of hull tape secured his wrists and ankles. That guy wasn't going anywhere.
As I crept down the corridor towards the forward section, I heard the stasis cannon fire. The entire hab was enclosed in a shimmering sphere of energy, freezing the four Torgaljin intruders in elegant attitudes, strangely reminiscent of a Renaissance tableau. I quickly served them in the same fashion as their computer-savvy friend, leaving all four trussed-up like Christmas turkeys. I decided to hang around long enough for the field to collapse, just for the sake of a good laugh. Sure enough, when the bubble faded, all four toppled over in a most pleasing manner.
might want to rethink your ?wording, ?internal logic/consistency:
in the first instance Selkirk had to wait for the bubble to collapse before securing the guy, in the second, he goes in the bubble and trusses them up before it collapses......
OK! This story was amazing! But now! It just went from 0-100 so fast I think my head just exploded! I love this kinda stuff! You are such an amazing writer! Sad there hasn't been any response from one of the devs! I do believe they ARE reading your wonderful story though!
Comments
IANTO still needed a dedicated Fabricator installed at Reef Base. If this practical exercise in maskirovka took a wrong turn at any stage, I conjured it would be a sound idea to have him available as backup for JUNO. Our intruders may be tempted to use slightly more robust methods of obtaining information after their initial failures, and might possibly damage one or more of the consoles housing her personality core. Creating and securely storing a backup of JUNO was the next immediate task. I already had a backup of IANTO in his upgraded form, so that was one less job to take care of.
After downloading JUNO's backup, I took both core transfer modules out to the Aurora monument and stowed them inside the Lifepod I had previously secreted in the obelisk's foundations. The surface access hatch to the pod was concealed under one of the decorative metal inlay plates set into the plinth, and could only be unlatched from underneath. There was also an underwater entrance to this cache, although particular caution was required when using it. The entire area was swarming with Biter fish, and the access tunnel itself was guarded by a healthy crop of hanging stingers for most of its length.
Good luck getting into that one, Pally.
I soon found out why I had never bothered to grow a beard before. I had not been using Depil-foam for at least a week now, and my face itched like crazy. I found some solace in a bottle of vintage Glenfiddich, its consumption being spaced over a couple of days so that I kept a clear head. Naturally, the empty bottle joined other 'dead Marines' on the floor of the habitat, subtly adding to its growing ambience. My personal ambience was also proceeding apace, undoubtedly hastened by skipping most of my daily hygiene routines.
Two days later, they turned up.
I was in the middle of eating lunch (Peeper Surprise à la Creepvine) when I heard the main airlock cycle. As I was about to bolt into the central corridor, I suddenly realised that I was only wearing my skiddies and a t-shirt. I hesitated briefly, decided that pulling on a pair of pants was too much bother and shot out of the doorway regardless. First impressions were absolutely essential.
"My God... Rescued at last!" I howled.
I came to a halt in front of a group of five, still dripping water from their recent swim. I rushed forward, grabbing for the hand of the nearest diver. She drew back, obviously repelled by my appearance. I fell to my knees, sobbing with gratitude.
Also nice job, been reading this. I assume the topmost message refers to the floater island and the abandoned bases are the wrecks of the people who were meeting up there.
Maybe the player isn't expected to be there until it makes sense to have enough time passed for their deaths. As for the middle one, the coordinates presumably would be around when it says they were attached, but none are heard.
Nope. Too far in to even consider a major retcon job like that.
Assume that an alternate reality is now in effect.
EDIT: are you aware of the active lava zone?
It's like below the lava castle. Various updates on trello may refer to it as the 'Emperor Prison'. Think about that.
Pretty interesting. There's enough evidence and I may have been told by an UWE person that it pertains to the story.
I already have. Stay tuned.
"I am Invigilator Galen Tomar, Torgaljin internal security division. You are Engineer Selkirk, yes?"
"Aye, that's me. There's no-one else here. All dead, all gone." I said, eyes downcast.
I looked this Tomar character over from head to foot. He had a certain manner about him that instantly grated upon one's nerves. One hundred per cent Belter, for certain. His aura of arrogance suggested he might even be a mid-tier corporate princeling let slip off the leash, eager to make his way up the ladder, regardless of how many others he stepped on in the process. I had no way of determining his precise rank, since the symbolic meanings of Belter hair-patterns and facial tattoos are something of a mystery to outsiders such as myself. I had met a few Belters during my time with Alterra, but there was something about their general demeanour that seemed 'off' in some undefinable way. Putting it plainly, Belter nobles weren't the sort of folk you'd want as a best mate.
They were an impenetrable lot. It looked like Tomar would be doing all of the talking. The other four were merely there to look menacing. I ushered them into the base proper and led them to Port Hab One, the least messy of the four living modules. I farted about in there for a bit, ineffectually trying to clean the place while keeping up a constant stream of aimless chatter. As I pottered about, I kept a surreptitious eye on their expressions. It proved to be a most enlightening experience.
"So you received my message? I never thought I'd see another human soul on this godforsaken world, let alone five at once. I canna tell ye what it feels like to be left alone for so long. Please tell me you're not like the others... They said they were coming for me, but they never arrived. Are ye coming to take me home again, Sir?"
One of the heavies rolled his eyes and lightly nudged his companion's elbow. It didn't take a lip-reader's skill to make out his assessment of my mental state. I dialled it back a wee touch to keep it vaguely credible and give them the impression that I hadn't quite lost all of my marbles. Yet.
"You'll have to watch yourselves here, it's a dangerous place. It's even worse at night. Stay away from the wee caves, and listen for the sounds the fishes make. That's the only way to stay alive."
"What do you mean, stay away from the... little caves?" Tomar inquired, eyeing me suspiciously.
"There's a red fish that explodes after it chases you down. It lives in a black pod that springs open when you get near it. One almost killed me, Sir. I can show you the bruises on my chest, if you like."
"That won't be necessary." Tomar said curtly. "I'm afraid that your eventual rescue is of secondary importance to our original mission objectives, and we shall have to discuss this matter at a more convenient time. Now, if you will excuse us, we shall depart. Good day to you, Engineer Selkirk."
"No! Don't leave me behind! I don't want to be left alone to die here!" I pleaded.
Halfway to the airlock, Tomar paused in mid-stride and turned around, smiling nastily.
"Ah. I believe that I can comfortably accommodate your request. At least partially."
That's when the bastard shot and killed me.
I do hope that this isn't the end...
Don't worry, he has the lifepod-res thingy. As long as no one breaks that, he can die all he wants.
I wonder if hooking up a second lifepod to it might make two of him...
If i could have given 5 Awesome to your last segments i would have! keep up the good work bruh!
Pardon if this is really stupid, but... yeah.
Super looking forward to the next update.
And he and his friends won't have the experience Selkirk has (painfully) acquired...
My long-shot gambit was paying off. Home ground advantage. I awoke in the Lifepod once more. Curiously, there was no residual sensation of blind terror following my revival. I had already anticipated Tomar's actions to some extent, and even trained myself to expect death at any moment, so the only coherent sensation that remained was a feeling of mild surprise. As murders go, it was refreshingly quick, merciful and clean. This Tomar fellow obviously took pride in his work.
I dressed quickly, climbing into an armoured wetsuit as an added precaution. There wasn't much chance of being shot again, although I had to make it back to Reef Base as quickly as possible. This meant passing uncomfortably close to Aurora's stern and traversing a Stalker-infested Creepvine thicket. I conjured one death per day was quite sufficient. The PowerGlide DPV was fully charged and ready to go. Better grab a blade or two, as well as a Stasis Rifle. As much as I'd like to laminate that dirty scunner Tomar against one of the hab's walls with a solid graviton pulse, I wanted him very much alive for this phase of the operation. I collected one final item from the stowage locker, tucked it into the suit's thigh pocket and exited the roof hatch.
I raced full-bore through Reaper territory. I didn't even bother to look around first. The screaming roars that erupted behind me were more than enough warning. The PowerGlide could easily outpace any Reaper on the straight, so I ploughed on straight as an arrow, staying as close to the surface as possible. Reapers liked having a wee bit of depth beneath their keels, so to speak.
"JUNO, I'm back. Status report on Reef Base, please."
"Invigilator Tomar and his team are currently ransacking the base. They are particularly interested in securing any data storage devices. One operative has been tasked to hack into the Fabricator terminals, the others are engaged in a manual search. What are your orders, Captain?"
"Activate MARTIAL protocols in all facilities. Set Condition Black. Remote sensors online, weapons hot. Do not engage any intruders unless fired upon. Await my command."
"Acknowledged, Captain. I detect that you have a Reaper in close pursuit. Will you require assistance? Red Dragon's ETA for extraction is two minutes at your current coordinates."
"Negative, JUNO. This lad's coming to the party. I want them to see what they're really up against."
"Understood, Sir. Please be aware that the Reaper's acoustic profile matches the subject encoded as 'Ahab'. Vocalisation frequency indicates that this creature is now in attack mode. Doppler tracking confirms 75 seconds until intercept. Target velocity is increasing. Caution. Extreme danger, Captain."
I chuckled raggedly. "That's just the way I want him... Mad as a sack full of cats. Okay, bring all the Cyclops in, JUNO, super quiet. Bottom out and hold station at the northern border of the Grassy Plateau biome."
I dived to 50 metres, vectoring towards the rocky outcrop next to the starboard side of the moon pool. Ahab's bellowing echoed through the gloom, growing ever closer by the second. I shut off the DPV and positioned myself above a brain coral, allowing its exhalations to replenish my air cylinders.
The board is set. The pieces are in motion.
Edit: Just realised, he's bringing a reaper to a gun fight.
PS, write faster at this quality please - the tension is near unbearable!
Agreed. Have been refreshing a fair bit today waiting for stuff. This is like the ultimate cliffhanger, with Ahab following him.
"Fire when ready, IANTO. Lock him down nice and tight until he's needed."
"Affirmative, Captain."
IANTO opened fire on Ahab. A brilliant blue flare erupted in the gloom beyond the Creepvine. I was watching the window in the portside hab module, and it was apparent that the ruckus out here had attracted an audience. I counted at least three of them standing at the viewport, leaving two still unaccounted for.
"JUNO, what's the situation in there?"
"One operative is still attempting to gain access to the base's systems via the moon pool modification terminal, and the other is searching the aft hydroponics compartment. Stand by... She is returning to the forward section."
"As soon as you've got at least four in the same compartment, light 'em up. I'll take care of the hacker."
"Affirmative, Captain. Internal defence system is now active. Targets acquired."
I broke cover and headed for the moon pool, stasis rifle at the ready. A quick underwater check of the pool walkway revealed that the hacker was elbows-deep in the guts of the Seamoth mod terminal, and he wouldn't be able to spot me climbing out of the pool. Perfect. I retracted my fins and climbed out of the water. Crouching low and keeping the base's sub Harpoon One between me and his line of sight, I was able to edge around far enough to get a clear shot. The Torgaljin goon froze in the stasis bubble. I darted over and slapped two transdermal tranquiliser patches on either side of his neck, then waited for the stasis bubble to collapse. He dropped to the deck, well and truly out for the count. Two solid bands of hull tape secured his wrists and ankles. That guy wasn't going anywhere.
As I crept down the corridor towards the forward section, I heard the stasis cannon fire. The entire hab was enclosed in a shimmering sphere of energy, freezing the four Torgaljin intruders in elegant attitudes, strangely reminiscent of a Renaissance tableau. I quickly served them in the same fashion as their computer-savvy friend, leaving all four trussed-up like Christmas turkeys. I decided to hang around long enough for the field to collapse, just for the sake of a good laugh. Sure enough, when the bubble faded, all four toppled over in a most pleasing manner. Tomar and that particularly lippy goon face-planted heavily, bringing a delighted smile to my face. All in the name of Science, of course. Experiment successful: Gravity works.
I checked out of the viewport to see whether IANTO had managed to snare Ahab. There should be another stasis flare any second now... Yep. There it goes. Now I'm free and clear to lug these bastards back to their Cyclops and make a good start on their education.
Before leaving the A-01 and returning to Reef Base, I took a quick side trip to the pumpjet shroud. The device I installed beneath the service access plate was not much larger than an ice hockey puck, although it was certain to make life 'interesting' for our Torgaljin friends. Consider it my parting gift.
Wait and see.
might want to rethink your ?wording, ?internal logic/consistency:
in the first instance Selkirk had to wait for the bubble to collapse before securing the guy, in the second, he goes in the bubble and trusses them up before it collapses......
Just doesn't quite feel spot on....
Edit: dho! the evil face dosn't work.