Posted by Lieutenant Commander Magnús Pétursson (First Officer) in Main Sim Tour of the Military Instillation

Posted by Gamemaster GM Kate (GMT) in Main Sim Tour of the Military Instillation

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Thomas McGregor (COS) in Main Sim Tour of the Military Instillation
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
As the Genesis officers sat in the shuttle en route to the military installation several things might catch their attention. The first was the design of the ship taking them there. It was not like the boxy-shaped shuttles of the Federation. The lines were sleek and smooth resembling a ripple of water on a pond with the nose and tail tapering to points around the bulbous-shaped crew area. There were no outward markings, indications, or indentations on the craft minus the slim lines where the entry hatch resided and the area around the viewport. This ship resembled more of a stealthy fighter craft than a transport. It did not take too much imagination to guess the ship was designed to evade detection. The question was from whom. The obvious answer was the Gorn but sometimes the obvious wasn’t the right answer.

‘Nice,’ Thomas thought to himself upon seeing the sleek shuttle. It looked to him a little like a blown glass bauble one might hang from a Christmas tree.

Inside the ship the control panel displayed the familiar readings one would expect on a shuttle with time, distance, and vector. All of this was easily visible to anyone on the shuttle. Two other displays might pique one’s interest if noticed. The first was that there appeared to be only three points of civilization on the topographical display. One was the massive capital city they had just left. The second was a city close to the same size as the Captial in the northern area of the continent. The last was a city, again the same size at the other two, but sprawled along the coast. This was the city they seemed to be headed to. From a tactical standpoint, it lacked the things most military facilities tended to use such as cover. It was lying out in the open avoiding any use of hills or mountainous terrain that lay above it and below it. It was almost as if the base was placed their to avoid such geographical landmarks.

Thomas took note of this as well, but immediately thought it was more a decoy location, with the actual base most likely substantially built below-ground and possibly well away from the top-side facility. It was how he would have done it, especially if he was expecting an attack at any moment.

The second display was far more curious. It displayed Beltran’s moon along with what appeared to be a countdown. The clock below it showed that whatever they were monitoring on the moon would occur in the next twelve hours.

GM Kate

Magnus looked at the display “If I may ask, is the location for your Military installation a strategic or Cultural choice?” He asked not really expecting an answer.

XO

“We only occupy this continent on Beltran. The other side of the planet has not seen colonization due to the atmospheric storms you encountered coming dirtside,” the pilot stated over his shoulder. “The base has been there for a few millennia in different states. In our early history, it was a shipping port. It supplies the smaller cities up and down the coast.” From where the security people sat, the viewport switched to a new screen suddenly showing many more points where there was a population of civilians. All along the coast and throughout the interior of the continent , the screen showed that the barren space was not devoid of life but filled with cities. The cities were separated by considerable distances as if they were intended to be isolated. So to answer your question it is both. The site is historical but now it is strategic.” Using his finger he created a triangle showing how the military base, science facility, and capital created a pyramid with 90% of the cities encased in the space. “Our shields create an illusion that there is nothing between the three areas. It is helpful living this close to the Gorn.”

Magnus listened with great interest, it was the most the Staff Officer had spoken at once “Clever use of available space and misdirection. Adapting to one’s environment is crucial” His tone showed that he was truly impressed with their ingenuity.

Thomas pointed to the moon display. “And may I ask what you’re expecting to happen to or with the moon later today?”

COS

“The moon will be in Ang pag-aani. Translated that means the harvesting. In the past, our planet was attacked by enemy forces when the moon was in this celestial position. It’s one of our more revered time for celebrating our survival and mourning those that have been lost.”

Beltran Military Pilot

Magnus mouthed the word, testing the phrase and memorizing it “Will it be acceptable for us to partake or observe the celebration or is it preferable for strangers to abstain?” He asked as he considered the tragedy of an entire species having holidays dedicated to alien incursions, there were too many who suffered such fates, Earth had been fortunate that Vulcan was one of the closest systems.

XO

Hearing that, the hairs on the back of Thomas’ neck stood up. For it to have become an observed celebration, it had to have happened more than once already, what was to say it wasn’t about to happen again?

Especially, as the attache said, living so close to the Gorn…

COS