Yep I'm back. My absence was nothing more than lack of motivation, school, and work getting in the way. However, the yearn for writing is ever growing and Palmer and Jeff have been working on that base for a LONG time now so I figured we should check in on them soon!
A few days passed and the base had been completed. They disposed of the skeletal remains and after using a fair amount of titanium to seal off the shattered glass that served as the only entrance into the abandoned alien aquarium, an oxygen converter was installed inside the titanium wall in order to produce oxygen from the water outside. The oxygen was then pumped into the aquarium as the water was drained. They then installed a series of air scrubbers on the ceiling and hooked them into the oxygen converter in order to periodically replace the air and keep it circulating. Afterwards they installed a bulkhead in the titanium wall that served as the coupling point between the base and the outside world. A hallway extended from the bulkhead into a stack of three multipurpose rooms. From this central tower another hall extended both on the left and the right. One side connected to another stack of 2 multipurpose rooms in which was housed a large aquarium where they could store food and study the fauna of the area. On the other side of the central tower extended a hall that lead to a room Jeff had built with a schematic he made up himself. The room was designed with surveillance and defense in mind leading to them dubbing it the "Scanner Room." Using an amalgam of the seamoth's terrain scanner, the seaglide's map, and the cyclop's sonar, Jeff was was able to create a holo map in the center of the rounded room that would show the position of lifeforms, the shape of terrain surrounding them, as well as give geographic scan data which would help with finding resources. In addition to this, Jeff modified the drone schematics from the mobile vehicle bay and combined them with the camera tech from the cyclops in order to make submersible surveillance drones that could be piloted from the scanner room. These drones could be positioned strategically around the base and the surrounding brine river in order to give motion alerts and a visual feed. This would not only help with security, but would also help with locating valuable minerals before going out to collect them; saving time and energy. Jeff even went a step further in the area of defense by installing a Sally-operated torpedo defense system to the outside of the alien research facility. In four locations around the perimeter of the facility, he installed torpedo turrets which could be used to identify, target, and promptly eliminate threats such as a warper. Being Sally-operated, the turrets could be fired on command from a PDA, or automatically by Sally. Jeff and Palmer then installed thermal plants and a power line at some nearby volcanic vents that provided a good source of thermal energy. Finally, inside the air-tight aquarium-turned-terrarium, they began to terraform the ground in order to plant plants from the surface that could provide both a food source and appealing scenery.
With the base built, the defenses in place, and the power flowing, they then got to work on repairing The Determination and Talon. The Determination didn't take long but Talon had suffered many punctures in her hull which required much more careful attention. However, it wasn't long before the spry little seamoth was back online. While Jeff did most of the repair work, Palmer used the time to learn more about the brine river they had come to call "The Lost River." The minerals here were plentiful as were the dangers. The brine river was very acidic and the local fauna proved quite aggressive leading to the loss of two drones. Over time, Palmer encountered Ghost leviathans quite frequently on his drone runs. This cave system seemed to be a safe haven for the ghostly hammerheads. Prey was abundant. Predators, if any, would likely be unable to reach them here and their delicate bodies were safe from the sun. Palmer had even encountered two much smaller Ghost Leviathans which proved his suspicion that this place was likely a prime breeding ground. They had essentially built their base in a hornets nest. Maneuvering around here would need to be extremely precise and timed correctly in order to avoid an unwanted encounter. There were many passages and sanctuaries to the left of their base that the Ghost Leviathans frequented. However, to the right of their base, Palmer discovered that the temperature slowly increased and the frequency of thermal vents followed suit. Exploring further, he discovered a strange yet beautiful natural structure. A massive tree or coral of some kind grew up from the center of a large section of the cave. The tips of its 'branches' swelled to small bulbs of blindingly bioluminescent blues and pinks, turning the surrounding cave walls into splashes of bright color. In the center of the tree was a large membrane similar to the membrane trees found in the grand reef only the interior of this membrane sack appeared to resemble an embryo. This was truly the strangest and most intriguing example of plant-life on this planet they had yet encountered. As he continued past this area, the temperature and depth continued to increase until the drone eventually reached its maximum signal range. Reluctantly, Palmer opted to place a few drones in this hotter area at the edges of their range to monitor if any Ghost Leviathans or unknown creatures made their home in such heat. Further exploration would require a signal booster or a maned expedition. As Palmer was finishing up his reconnaissance, Jeff opened the door to the scanner room.
He stepped his left foot through the bulkhead and the other he rested on the rim of the bulkhead portal.
"I've finished up the repairs and I double checked everything. We're set!" He said as he wiped his brow, "Discover anything else out there?"
He brought his right leg down to the floor and began walking toward the center holo map. Palmer stood at a console on the side of the room gripping a control stick that sat just below a screen. He turned around toward Jeff and leaned his shoulder up against the wall.
"Nothing much today, but I've found the edge of our drone range, and there's a pretty amazing bit of flora there. Temperature keeps getting higher down there too."
Jeff shifted his gaze from the holo map to the screen that showed the feed of one of the drones. This one was looking right at the large tree-like structure. He squinted his eyes and walked up to the screen with his arms crossed.
"Wow, no kidding! Its like a light show down there."
"Yeah I say we make a trip over there at some point to scan it and grab a sample. Plus we'll need to head that way to explore beyond the drone's range or set up a signal booster there."
Jeff looked to Palmer and back to the screen, "What about the Ghost Leviathans? You see any in that area yet?"
"Not yet, but its too early to tell. I'd give it a week more at least to see if they come that way. Something tells me that heat is a deterrent to most of the creatures here though. I haven't seen a prowler or any of the smaller fish in that area. Only the jelly rays seem to be fine with that temperature so far."
Jeff shifted his posture and propped himself up against the wall, "Well I say we're in for a little bit of rest around here. Last two weeks have been nothing but exploration, building and repairs since we came down here and I don't know about you but I'm about ready to chill for a few days. Maybe see if I can't put together an instrument of some kind. Its been a long while since we've heard music."
"Sound's good to me! But there's one last thing we've forgotten to do before we can finish the base."
"Name it?"
"Yep. And I've been thinking about it for a bit. This base is a bubble of air hundreds of meters down. In many respects its kinda like an oasis in the middle of a desert, only reversed."
"Oasis huh?" Jeff stroked his chin and realized he hadn't shaved since planet-fall. "Oasis... I like that. After a long trek through hundreds of meters of water this place is definitely a God-send. Somewhere to feel safe... to relax..."
"So Oasis Base then?" Palmer said.
"Oasis base." Jeff said with a smirk.
Palmer looked up at the ceiling, "Alright Sally, you heard that. Base designation: 'Oasis Base.'"
"Designation confirmed," Sally echoed.
Jeff tilted off the wall and rested his hand on Palmer's shoulder, "Alright, let's go see what we got for food around here."
Comments
Sorry if this is too soon for a threadbump, I’m relatively new here and I’m not graced in the ways of threadbumping etiquette.
He hasn’t been online in months... i hope he’s okay...
Giving up is trash. Keep waiting.
IT'S BEEN HALF A YEAR!!!
That doesn't mean you have to rush it, just wait, no matter how long it takes.
I guess I'm being agresivr because I really love this series and have been waiting forever...
I've been here since it's start.
Cool to see where it's going.
now
-INSERT RANDOM WITTY QUIP HERE-
So, 2018?
2019? Anyone?
*sorry this is totally in the wrong place*
King of thrones song intensifys
Yay the forms Isn't dead yet
Chapter 46: An Oasis
A few days passed and the base had been completed. They disposed of the skeletal remains and after using a fair amount of titanium to seal off the shattered glass that served as the only entrance into the abandoned alien aquarium, an oxygen converter was installed inside the titanium wall in order to produce oxygen from the water outside. The oxygen was then pumped into the aquarium as the water was drained. They then installed a series of air scrubbers on the ceiling and hooked them into the oxygen converter in order to periodically replace the air and keep it circulating. Afterwards they installed a bulkhead in the titanium wall that served as the coupling point between the base and the outside world. A hallway extended from the bulkhead into a stack of three multipurpose rooms. From this central tower another hall extended both on the left and the right. One side connected to another stack of 2 multipurpose rooms in which was housed a large aquarium where they could store food and study the fauna of the area. On the other side of the central tower extended a hall that lead to a room Jeff had built with a schematic he made up himself. The room was designed with surveillance and defense in mind leading to them dubbing it the "Scanner Room." Using an amalgam of the seamoth's terrain scanner, the seaglide's map, and the cyclop's sonar, Jeff was was able to create a holo map in the center of the rounded room that would show the position of lifeforms, the shape of terrain surrounding them, as well as give geographic scan data which would help with finding resources. In addition to this, Jeff modified the drone schematics from the mobile vehicle bay and combined them with the camera tech from the cyclops in order to make submersible surveillance drones that could be piloted from the scanner room. These drones could be positioned strategically around the base and the surrounding brine river in order to give motion alerts and a visual feed. This would not only help with security, but would also help with locating valuable minerals before going out to collect them; saving time and energy. Jeff even went a step further in the area of defense by installing a Sally-operated torpedo defense system to the outside of the alien research facility. In four locations around the perimeter of the facility, he installed torpedo turrets which could be used to identify, target, and promptly eliminate threats such as a warper. Being Sally-operated, the turrets could be fired on command from a PDA, or automatically by Sally. Jeff and Palmer then installed thermal plants and a power line at some nearby volcanic vents that provided a good source of thermal energy. Finally, inside the air-tight aquarium-turned-terrarium, they began to terraform the ground in order to plant plants from the surface that could provide both a food source and appealing scenery.
With the base built, the defenses in place, and the power flowing, they then got to work on repairing The Determination and Talon. The Determination didn't take long but Talon had suffered many punctures in her hull which required much more careful attention. However, it wasn't long before the spry little seamoth was back online. While Jeff did most of the repair work, Palmer used the time to learn more about the brine river they had come to call "The Lost River." The minerals here were plentiful as were the dangers. The brine river was very acidic and the local fauna proved quite aggressive leading to the loss of two drones. Over time, Palmer encountered Ghost leviathans quite frequently on his drone runs. This cave system seemed to be a safe haven for the ghostly hammerheads. Prey was abundant. Predators, if any, would likely be unable to reach them here and their delicate bodies were safe from the sun. Palmer had even encountered two much smaller Ghost Leviathans which proved his suspicion that this place was likely a prime breeding ground. They had essentially built their base in a hornets nest. Maneuvering around here would need to be extremely precise and timed correctly in order to avoid an unwanted encounter. There were many passages and sanctuaries to the left of their base that the Ghost Leviathans frequented. However, to the right of their base, Palmer discovered that the temperature slowly increased and the frequency of thermal vents followed suit. Exploring further, he discovered a strange yet beautiful natural structure. A massive tree or coral of some kind grew up from the center of a large section of the cave. The tips of its 'branches' swelled to small bulbs of blindingly bioluminescent blues and pinks, turning the surrounding cave walls into splashes of bright color. In the center of the tree was a large membrane similar to the membrane trees found in the grand reef only the interior of this membrane sack appeared to resemble an embryo. This was truly the strangest and most intriguing example of plant-life on this planet they had yet encountered. As he continued past this area, the temperature and depth continued to increase until the drone eventually reached its maximum signal range. Reluctantly, Palmer opted to place a few drones in this hotter area at the edges of their range to monitor if any Ghost Leviathans or unknown creatures made their home in such heat. Further exploration would require a signal booster or a maned expedition. As Palmer was finishing up his reconnaissance, Jeff opened the door to the scanner room.
He stepped his left foot through the bulkhead and the other he rested on the rim of the bulkhead portal.
"I've finished up the repairs and I double checked everything. We're set!" He said as he wiped his brow, "Discover anything else out there?"
He brought his right leg down to the floor and began walking toward the center holo map. Palmer stood at a console on the side of the room gripping a control stick that sat just below a screen. He turned around toward Jeff and leaned his shoulder up against the wall.
"Nothing much today, but I've found the edge of our drone range, and there's a pretty amazing bit of flora there. Temperature keeps getting higher down there too."
Jeff shifted his gaze from the holo map to the screen that showed the feed of one of the drones. This one was looking right at the large tree-like structure. He squinted his eyes and walked up to the screen with his arms crossed.
"Wow, no kidding! Its like a light show down there."
"Yeah I say we make a trip over there at some point to scan it and grab a sample. Plus we'll need to head that way to explore beyond the drone's range or set up a signal booster there."
Jeff looked to Palmer and back to the screen, "What about the Ghost Leviathans? You see any in that area yet?"
"Not yet, but its too early to tell. I'd give it a week more at least to see if they come that way. Something tells me that heat is a deterrent to most of the creatures here though. I haven't seen a prowler or any of the smaller fish in that area. Only the jelly rays seem to be fine with that temperature so far."
Jeff shifted his posture and propped himself up against the wall, "Well I say we're in for a little bit of rest around here. Last two weeks have been nothing but exploration, building and repairs since we came down here and I don't know about you but I'm about ready to chill for a few days. Maybe see if I can't put together an instrument of some kind. Its been a long while since we've heard music."
"Sound's good to me! But there's one last thing we've forgotten to do before we can finish the base."
"Name it?"
"Yep. And I've been thinking about it for a bit. This base is a bubble of air hundreds of meters down. In many respects its kinda like an oasis in the middle of a desert, only reversed."
"Oasis huh?" Jeff stroked his chin and realized he hadn't shaved since planet-fall. "Oasis... I like that. After a long trek through hundreds of meters of water this place is definitely a God-send. Somewhere to feel safe... to relax..."
"So Oasis Base then?" Palmer said.
"Oasis base." Jeff said with a smirk.
Palmer looked up at the ceiling, "Alright Sally, you heard that. Base designation: 'Oasis Base.'"
"Designation confirmed," Sally echoed.
Jeff tilted off the wall and rested his hand on Palmer's shoulder, "Alright, let's go see what we got for food around here."
With that, they walked back towards the bulkhead.
*shrug* I hope everyone comes back but I'm just doing this because I love this story and I said I would finish it so that's what I'll do.