The sower guessed that everything the vodyani said was true without the connection to the rest of the sowes , it only was able to check it's own databanks , which of course was only filled with its memories and basis data which was needed to establish footholds on new planets.
"Thanks captain for fixing this communication error .If not ordered otherwise , this unit would wish to continue its patrol or serve the mission in another way"
A deep rumble seeps from Decius' chest, as he sits pensively in the recessed gunnery control station. His eyes finally gleam with an air of acceptance, and he turns to Rolak and shrugs an awkward four armed shrug.
"It seems that all conditions are in order."
He returns to the console and monitors the screen, making minor adjustments of his probe's flight path to compensate for communications disturbances. Finally, the Craver turns around again, and addresses the bridge.
"Now that the captain has resolved the conflict, shall we discuss the away team?"
"Fine", Ylona admitted sullenly, feeling embarrassed about this whole misunderstanding. Her gut told her that something was still off about the whole thing, but she wasn't going to push it against the will of the captain, especially without anything concrete to go on.
"Well, Captain, deciding who goes down there is your choice, although I'd wait until the probes are done scanning, so we know what kind of life form we're going to be facing. Still, setting a course to Tanye II", she announced while sitting down and inputting a course for the ship. The Saviour would not follow the still falling probe directly, since it had a better maneuvering capability, and unlike the probe, was not supposed to lithobrake. Still, they would be ten minutes from orbit by the time those probes sent their data.
Satisfied that the problem with the Sower was solved, Valorum turned back to his screen and brought the crew manifest back up. He muses aloud;
"Funny you say that, Decius. Now that I've seen its specifications, 7-1-4 is actually well fit for exploring a ruin; long-range communications, wide-spectrum scanners, a reinforced frame..."
Thinking for a moment, Valorum adds:
"In any case, I would ask that essential personnel stay behind to ensure the ship remains safe; Ylona for navigation, Sister Angela to coordinate engineering, Brother Decius to manage defense, and Brother Corvus to maintain communications with the ground team."
Seeing something of interest in the file of one of his officers, Valorum looks behind him and asks Rolak:
"Brother Rolak, it says on your dossier that you specialize in 'boarding and breaching'. Have you breached any ship as well-armoured as, say, a Cruiser?"
While for everyone else Laudmas' waterfall of words would have been confusing or overwhelming it was the closest Dhanyl has gotten to a Sophon conversation in a long time. Just a big flow of information. Wonderful...
After the robot left the room Dhanyl decided to make himself ready for the expedition, swapping parts of his suit to make it more resistant to the cold environment on Thanye II and packing all the equipment he would need... He would get down there by any means necessary. There where knowledge and secrets down there and Dhanyl would be the one to discover and understand them.
((Sorry for my rather long absence... my old computer gave up and I had to organize a new one...))
"A cruiser? Yes I have at least twice before. Previously I was a sort of repo-man that was usually sent after smugglers who decided they didn't want to pay their debts. They usually used corvette size ships, but occasionally they would have larger vessels." thinking about those experiences Rolak continued.
"However usually I was leading a team much larger than the crew of this ship. Though I doubt i'd need that many men for a boarding action of this variety."
Valorum clarifies to his Lumerian Chief of Security:
"We won't be boarding any ships, Brother Rolak, but the doors of Endless temples are notoriously sturdy. If this ruin turns out to be more than just a small structure, I want to be sure we can...bypass certain obstacles. Besides, your combat expertise would be appreciated as well."
After staring at the crew manifest for a few moments, Valorum recognises a few faces, picks out some of the crew, and in a minute, the primary display on the bridge shows the rough draft of the away team;
Security Detail:
Valorum
Rolak Ven'Vitto
Chidi Tehik
Research and Logistics:
Dhanyl Abhama
Laudmas Acromb
7-1-4-N-7-3-D
Liam Cantari
"I think this team will suffice. Are there any suggestions you would like to voice?"
"Captain," Decius rumbles. "Would it not be important to have you aboard the ship while we launch the away team? It seems a necessity that the captain be the coordinating leader of the ship and the ground operation from a central hub. It would be unfortunate to have you frozen under tons of destabilized ice early in the mission, and you would be prepared to give orders in the case there arises a problem aboard the ship. Should you not send another crew member to do your duty as security? Perhaps a less experienced crew member, someone who has not been on as many formal away missions."
The Craver rages inside, although not allowing it to reach his unchanging surface.
"How dare he subvert my expertise?" Decius thinks to himself. "My race breaches ships just as well. The Saviour can almost shoot its own cannons, I can re-enable the targeting computer in seconds! I haven't had living flesh in decades, and the first chance I have to obtain it is denied to me. Damn Vodyani, they care too much for their personal agendas to see the truth. I suppose his past has not escaped him, an old hatred for us still presides. However, there is little to do to object without it seeming overt that I wish to go."
"Also, who's going to fly the shuttle? I'm qualified, and so is Alice, but I'm not sure about anyone else", Ylona voiced her concerns, "Sure, it's not that hard to fly, but if there's a blizzard or weak ice on the landing spot, just knowing which way to tilt the stick isn't going to be enough." It was a reasonable enough complaint to disguise that what she really wanted was a chance to go down there herself. It might have been nothing but a frozen rock, but it was something new, compared to the by now very familiar surroundings of the Saviour.
Valorum, catching onto what his gunner is insinuating, still seems a little insulted as he explains to Decius;
"You would have me send someone in my stead to lead the crew into a hostile environment, Brother Decius? It's true that some ill fate may befall me if I go, but such could equally be the case with anyone sent down there, and I will not put my crew in any danger I wouldn't put myself through. Besides, someone needs to be able to translate the ruin's markings."
Valorum also concedes to Ylona:
"A fair point, Ylona. You can fly us down. With both of us absent, that would leave shipboard operations in Sister Skeler's hands."
The captain then took a moment to make a call on his communicator to the ship's resident doctor.
"Brother Laudmas, it's Valorum. Your first aid expertise may be needed for an away team. How soon can you be ready for deployment?"
"Commander, I must caution you towards this over sentimentality you seem to express. I would not have anyone be sent in your stead, as you are irreplacable in your post. Your wish to put yourself in danger instead of the crew bestows a needless and irrational risk of failure to the entire ship, and if you should perish on the planet the crew will be at greater danger than if you were still alive and a security team member dead. With all due respect to the officers, I do not believe that the rest of the crew have the mental faculties or the experience to lead the ship in an efficient and survivable manner. I was not asking you to put another in your stead, but to allow for another to perform security and gain experience while you lead from afar. It is of central importance that you survive, at least for longer than several planets. If you should wish to subvert the authority of the experts in the science team and to translate the runes, you could read the messages beamed back to the ship, or even have another crew member such as myself to translate them. You must stay aboard, not for your own protection, but for the protection of the ship and those who fly with it."
Out of nowhere, Valorum's voice hardens as he replies to Decius:
"This is not up for debate, Brother. If you truly value my experience, you will know I have done this many times before. In fact, I have been through too much in my time to be cowed into hiding aboard my ship at the thought of an ill fate. To order my crew risk their lives while mine remains safe is cowardice of the highest order, and no matter my experience, such an act would make me unworthy to be your captain. I will survive the perils of Tanye II's surface where I belong; alongside my crew. Such is not a sentiment; it is principle."
Realising the harshness of his words, Valorum pauses for a moment to soften his tone before adding:
"But if you are so concerned and wish to ensure my well-being, I would not deny you from joining us on this mission."
The Craver stands up from the gunnery platform, his giant form unfolding, six eyes brought to bear upon the belligerent captain. His gaze tightens, and a red glow seems to form around him; a mist of crimson light begins to emanate from his form. The discussion is no longer of whether Decius can go to planet, it is of submission. In a voice of tearing metal, he begins to speak.
"Vodyani, you disregard your ship if I am to leave. Should we be attacked, no senior security officer would be aboard, and the ship would have little defensive capability. Should we be boarded the current security staff would be cut down by the invaders. If it is your decision to seat yourself in the path of danger, then so be it. But I will not have you endanger the crew still aboard and the ship to calm me by allowing me to accompany the mission. Regardless of principle, a captain should always have the best interests of the crew in his mind. You no longer command a ship of thousands of extremely skilled Vodyani who can and will take up your arms should you fall, and it is imperative to the mission that you survive because we have no crew member who can replace you. No. It is clear. I shall stay aboard as my skills are required here. If a captain values his reputation more than the full safety of his crew and is focused more on personal glory that the wellbeing of others, then he should not be captain. That much is clear to me. I hope that you will prove me wrong about yourself, Valorum the fallen saint."
Decius stands perfectly still, and locks his eyes directly onto the faceplate of the captain. Cool metal hums beneath him, and behind him the probes arc slowly towards their destinations in the distance, like the shooting stars and falling sattelites of a long forgotten planet.
“Ah, Captain. I’m sorry for the late response. One of the recruits spilled some coolant and we had to clean it up. I hope everything is alright in the bridge; hope that the shouting was just a minor disagreement.”
The chorus of machines humming and people scuttling around the hangar was a pleasing melody to Laudmas. Progress, was something he enjoyed very much so. After he left the lab, the robot contacted Liam and told him to get everyone that was listed as the “science crew” to the hangar while also wheeling along the “essential equipments” from the cargo bay and research stations.
He handed the assignment only to Liam; as Dhanyl was busy and none of the other recruits seem convincing enough to make sure all the equipment was delivered in perfect condition. All of it had to be calibrated, tested, and hit consecutively to determine how robust it was. Of course the more fragile and expensive equipments were left untouched. Though at times some of the new recruits would dust bits of it and gaze upon its brilliance. Laudmas advised to the recruits that one must take care to view it in only short bursts otherwise it’s greatness would have driven you mad.
Admittedly, the robot was a bit more care-free (a more brash person might even add in “childish”) compared to others but when it comes to working he had a minimum level of efficiency that all must follow. His standards were raised to the top of the bar and anyone that was unable to reach it would be treated below what he would thought of as “useless”. Fortunately, this rather rigorous personality only existed in the workplace; which was something we should all be thankful for.
Tools, equipment, vehicles, suits, and more were all chosen carefully. Hover-bikes were a must-have for such a terrain. They were wonderful. Easily compressible and somewhat cheap to manufacture. When activated, the fusion cores would glow brightly while the monstrous roar of the twin graviton engines jerked the user awake. Amazingly, there were no harmful waste (aside from the occasional excess radiation) and each charge would last roughly about 6 to 10 hours at maximum speed.
The suits however, were not that exciting. They were just another basic necessities needed to be supplied. It was made of stretchable and breathable garments that could fit almost any creature with a bipedal locomotive system and a vertebral column (to clarify, any creature that was shaped like a humanoid). Liquid cooling was used to maintain appropriate body temperature while a simple ventilation system made sure that nasty things like sweat wouldn’t be that much of a problem. Of course, a life support system was also installed.
Besides from those mentioned, science equipments were also packaged in. Unfortunately, to go into detail of all of them would be pure madness.
“The science crew is pleased to announce that we are ready for landing. Let us not wait any further; all of us are eager to set foot on the planet. The only thing we are not prepared for would be dissapointment that not all of us will have the opportunity to go.” With that the robot waited for a response from the captain, along with his impatient colleagues.
"You know what guys, I'm staying out of this", Ylona announced defensively as she felt the air between the captain and the Craver thicken with conflict. It would have been in her power as first mate to tell Decius to shut up, or to just agree with him, giving his opinion more weight. But this kind of conflict of personalities wasn't something you could just solve with ordering people around. She just hoped that Decius and Valorum found a solution that would not blow up in their faces.
Instead, she just concentrated on the probes and made sure they stayed on the correct trajectories, and as Laudmas' call came through, answered that so it would not interrupt the captain: "Good to know Laudmas, but we're still minutes out from orbit even, so no way you can avoid waiting. How about you all go to the loo before we start or something?" Remembering who she was talking to, she added: "Or have an oil change or something."
7-1-4-N-7-3-D had finised his short recharge , normaly it would have taken longer , but the last regular recharge was only a couple of hours ago . It double checked it´s route while hovering to the hangar . The sower hovered over to Laudmas , as it guessed that all important work in the hangar was done and it was alright to talk with the robot.
"This Unit was elected for the ground mission , Data about Thickness of the athmosphere , gravitation and temperature would be helpfull." after 2,85 seconds of silence it added "This Units sensors and tools are tested,configured and ready , but this unit has no sensors for low frequency radiation , is a auxiliar system avaible which this Unit could take with it ?"
((Low frequency radiation is for tainted everything under over 50m wavelenght (some radio is above it some under it)and it can see up to gamma (advanced scanners and such) ))
Valorum's free hand clenches into a fist, Decius' last few words seeming to have struck a nerve. Standing up with Stormbreaker in his grasp, the mostly black, inert parts of his anatomy suddenly flared to life. It was as if his core began leeching into his skin; gold and orange patterns like embers on the wind danced across the once lifeless black metal from which his cloth was wrought. Even his glaive began to flicker and glow with that light. His anger is restrained, only barely, as is the impulse to address Decius by his race as the Craver had just done, but he rumbles nonetheless:
"Listen closely, Decius; first, I have not survived in the most war-prone constellation for more than a hundred years by being stupid. The Vodyani that I have commanded? Those 'thousands' you speak of? Thousands of them still live. The family I made through fire and ash survives to this day not in spite of me, but because of me. I have long since learned the importance of caution, but every move we make on this journey invites risk. We can minimize risk however much we want, but we will never be perfectly safe, no matter the precautions we take, so stop acting like such a thing is possible."
He begins walking towards Decius, around the holo-table, continuing:
"Second, I am not leaving this ship undefended. Every member of this crew was chosen to serve because they're the best of the best. As we saw in the incident a few days prior, Brother Corvus could very well command the Saviour's security personnel in Brother Rolak's absence, and Sister Skeler, the head of Engineering, would remain on the Saviour with more than half of the crew overall.Of all the candidates for the position of captain, she ranked alongside, and possible above, myself. I have the utmost faith in her skills and dare I say that I may leave this ship in better hands given how most of the crew has reacted to me!"
There was venom in the Vodyani's voice, but it too was restrained. Valorum was barely holding back a century of long-buried hate as he addressed Decius, though he may never know that.
"And lastly, why would a Chaplain be the third in command on an exploration vessel? Why would I be placed so high in the command structure with such a seemingly useless set of skills? It's because of all the candidates, I had the most experience with Endless ruins. Vodyani live to find Endless temples; we read and write in their script, speak their tongue as if it were our own, and after so many years of doing so, any Vodyani captain worth his Essence has temple exploration down to a science. I'm going with the away team to do my part, glory be damned, because I know what they may be getting into and I don't want a signal failure to be a death sentence for this away team!"
He finally stood right next to Decius, equal in eight only because his subordinate was standing in the gunnery pit, and growled:
“Well I’m certain the suits that we are going to use will have a way to dispose of biological waste. No need to worry about that and I must thank you for your interest in the well being and waste disposal management of the crew. Also, I hope you’re included in the landing. It’s good to know that there’s a Vaulter watching your behind.”
Just before the robot was about to instruct his crew that landing was imminent, he was interrupted by a small floating ball. It was 7-1-4-N-7-3-D and while he wasn’t that small; compared with Laudmas the difference was noticeable.
When he turned to face the droid, Laudmas noticed the intricate markings on the droid. Normally a droid from the outer rim would have a simple line of symbols etched only on a single part of the body that is to be used as identification. The droid however, had symbols all over its body. No one would personalise a ordinary service bot. Plus the designs. It seemed too obvious. There were ridges which were placed in a circle around it’s body, a droid wouldn’t have such a complicated aesthetic or “tool”. However, Laudmas absolutely had to be sure before he started making assumptions.
“Now I am terribly sorry for doing this but if you please excuse me.” The robot suddenly inched to the droid and grabbed the poor fellow! He then shook the droid quite abruptly.
“Ahah~! You are a Sower! A simple droid wouldn’t tremble in such a way when agitated!”
Laudmas then watched as the hapless droid rose drunkenly upwards.
“I must admit. That was very rude of me and I hope that one day you can forgive me for that. But I honestly did not expected a Sower. I made sure to check the crew list and you weren’t listed there! Terrible apologies but I also must ask you what’s your reason onboard the ship. Hope you can tell the truth.”
The robot could have been more cautious and perhaps even alarmed, but however he had plenty of experiences of them (except perhaps shaking them until they get wobbly) while onboard a certain cruise. They were usually simple creatures linked by a single goal that they wouldn’t mind talking about. Laudmas quite enjoyed their presence. Hard-working fellows with a better ambition than most. What’s not to like about them?
Still, the robot still know better than to not report this event to the others. He sent a “YELLOW” signal to Liam. It was nothing more than a radio wave with specific details on it. Laudmas and Liam adopted this method of communication while on the run. “GREEN” to note that one of them has reached safety, “YELLOW” to be cautious, and for “RED” we can all guess what it means. Fortunately for both of them, there was only a single time where the signal “RED” was issued. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any need for that signal to pop up once on the planet.
(( Eh so just in case, I already asked Pixie if he was okay with me "predicting" some response with the Sower. Mainly him being dizzy. Also have a shot for every time "droid" was mentioned. Bet you won't make it. ))
The Sower was suprissed by the sudden action of Laudmas ,even more that the robot completly ignored its requests. The Sphere recalibrated its floating , getting in a stable position. "This Unit is registered in the Cargo . This Unit is here to support the mission . This Unit still is in need of requested tools and data"
7-4-1-N-7-3-D had a bad feeling , the last person so interrested was the sophon and the Sophon found out about its personality very fast , it had enough of all these curious crewmembers , it probably should have done some things different as it was prepering to come on the ship . Now it was too late .
The sower noticed a radio signal , radio is one of the lowest frequencies it can still detected without addons , the signal made no sense , atleast not for itself , it was worried.
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