Lt. Cmdr. Lhandon Nilsen - Darkness must go down the river of nights, dreaming!
Lhandon Nilsen
(( Bridge, Deck 1, USS Tizona ))
The ship had landed, but Lhandon soon learned that Landing Site Beta held one or more surprises for them. It had been decided to land the ship after some quick mental calculations determined that the transporters would have been too slow, even in evacuation mode. Landing the ship, given its size, also meant that triage was easier to manage.
The Tizona had come to a quiet huff as power had been removed from the engines.
Nilsen: Disengaging engines, circuiting thruster exhausts ::the ship gives one final clump:: and we’re down.
Varik, like Lhandon, did not seem to be one to sit still and was clearly getting to work. The Tizona made a quieter clamour as it completed its landing, as if it were resting at the end of a long day and taking off its shoes.
Nilsen: Heh, not bad for someone picking the easy option.
Varik took the chance to clap back.
Varik: You clipped a branch on final but the landing was acceptable for senior command.
The dry tone was met with a smile, and somewhere in the mischievous part of Lhandon’s mind, a new target for well-meaning torment was acquired.
Varik: Lieutenant, what are we looking at?
Zalix: That’s not the colony.
Lhandon too looked at the view screen.
Varik: No signs of life. It appears abandoned.
Nilsen: What is it?
Zalix: Aside from the fact there’s no one home… It has a similar structure and layout, but it’s smaller - like someone built a model. It doesn’t descend into the ground like the real thing either. It’s more like someone put this in front of the cave system as a sort of frontage. Perhaps a living and work space.
Varik: Interesting. (beat) Were there any permits or construction orders filed in the colony records?
The surprise of Landing Site Beta had lain before them. Lhandon tapped on the console to look up the records that Zalix had found a little quicker.
Zalix: Unclear. All I can say for sure is - there are no official records marking or referring to this site.
Varik: Then we begin our investigation there. Alright, suit up.
With the order given, the holodeck crew took over, and the group headed to the shuttle bay to suit up.
(( Surface, Calsa 3 ))
The survival gear they wore was not the height of fashion, but it did not matter, because the programme held another surprise for Lhandon, one they had been delighted to see included. If Varik had been trying to curry favour by letting Lhandon drive the Argo buggy, it had worked.
The buggy shot out of the shuttle bay, which was almost flush with the ground. The ramp had not been needed. Technically, there had not been time to waste, and transporters had remained an option, but the interference had introduced an unnecessary risk. The motor roared as all four tyres found the snow, and a trail of powder was left behind them.
Varik: (shouting over the sound of the engine) Take us directly there, Commander. There is no time to delay. (to Zalix) Can you detect any defensive emplacements or security apparatus?
Nilsen: We’ll be there in no time.
Zalix: Response
They hit a rough patch; the snow covered some rockier paths, and the suspension did its job. Lhandon saw it coming, and a smirk spread across his face when he spotted the angle ahead. The wheels left the ground and caught air. The buggy landed straight and true, and they all bounced in their seats. Lhandon could fly both ships and buggies.
Varik: (shouting) Are you aiming for the rocks, Commander?
Nilsen: Yes.
Zalix: Response
He said it with the biggest smile on his face, laughing. He swore he had been taking it seriously, but the program had been treating him well: landing a starship, tearing across a planet’s surface in an Argo buggy, and not having to worry about a thing, as if the universe had said, “Sure, you’ve been through enough. Have some fun.”
He had been having fun. His foot had grown heavy on the accelerator, and he had the human predilection for piloting vehicles at unsafe velocities.
They went through another rough patch, and Lhandon was reminded of home and the vehicles used on the farm to get around, with transporters usually used only for moving heavy goods.
Varik: (muttering to self) I hope your retirement home has cobblestone walkways.
Zalix: Response
Soon, they approached the faux building, the one that wasn’t the colony, the buggy slowed as Lhandon brought it up to the approach of the building.
Nilsen: What’s your scanners say about this building?
Varik/Zalix: Response
They got closer to the faux building and saw that it appeared to have no entryway. The walls were black and smooth. The structure rose out of the snow like something that had grown there rather than been built. Someone would have expected a proper colony to be all duranium and prefab seams. There were no rivets, visible panels, or windows, only smooth surfaces. It had the shape of a castle. Faint geometric lines pulsed beneath the surface at irregular intervals.
Then, where someone would have expected it, a frame appeared. There was a creak and a scratch as a door opened. A short, wiry, hunched humanoid opened it. They had long blond hair and were balding at the top. They wore a long, black formal coat and gripped both sides of the door. From the back of their throat, they said
Unknown figure: Hello!
Lhandon let Varik take the lead, since it was Varik’s mission.
Varik/Zalix: Response
Tags/TBC
((OOC: Lhandon wouldn’t hear Varik muttering, but I’ve left it in because it’s easier to keep the structure, and it’s too good to take out. Michael, James, feel free to use the NPC as you need!))
Lieutenant Commander Lhandon Joseph Nilsen
Executive Officer & Senior Diplomatic Officer
USS Octavia E Butler
O240007LN1
He/Him/His (Both player and character)