Deep Red
- Thread starter Insight
- Start date
Well, it seems I spoke too soon. Carry on, then, sorry.[/sblock]
Insight
Adventurer
Sounds great! So, I guess that the PCs would be that follow-up team of astronauts...
[sblock]Actually, no. In my conception of this game, the PCs will come along some time after the final events of this log. The team that's sent to Deep Red will arrive in about a week (from the last post I made). That still gives us a good month and a half of logs til "the end".[/sblock]
Last edited:
Insight
Adventurer
June 8
TriCalc confimed what I've been thinking for the past twelve hours. The source of that second transmission is the southern slope of Calaveras Mons. If only I could get eyes down there to see not only what could be transmitting these beeps, but also to learn the fate of my scouters. Perhaps when the explorers come...
I pulled up what my libraries have on the Calaveras Mons area. Some rovers were sent there in 2018. Calaveras Mons was for a long time called Ascraeus Mons. Calaveras got its new name from Dr. Stan Carver, who lived in Calaveras County, California, his entire life. Dr. Carver revolutionized the study of Martian vulcanology and renamed several of the active or recently-dormant volcanoes in the area. Of course, Calaveras County, on Earth, looks nothing like the 21 kilometer behemoth I see in these images.
The rover images I found from that 2018 expedition don't reveal much of the coordinates I seek. Mostly red rocks, boulders, and broken lands. All of Mars' southern hemisphere looks like this, so I should expect nothing less. The "canals" famously thought to hold the prospects of life, are nearby. For a long time, astronomers believed that the canals were proof that life had existed or still exists on Mars. Of course, scientific explorations of Mars in the latter part of last century and to the present day have revealed these canals to be nothing more than collapsed lava tubes.
Still, interest in Mars and its exploration have not abated. Our own President Gill tells the story that, as a boy, he wanted to grow up to be an astronaut so that he might be the first man to set foot on Mars. That wasn't to be, of course, as my own mentor, Dr. John Fowler, had the honor almost a decade ago. Sadly, it is unlikely that the first Martian colony will be built under the Gill administration; his successor is likely to be the one to complete it.
Sometimes, I wonder why we even want to colonize this dead world. Sure, Mars possesses a wealth of natural resources. Beyond simple mining, however, what reasons other than novelty could draw someone to want to live on Mars? I suppose business interests aside, simply being part of the first settlement outside the Earth astrosphere would be something of an accomplishment. Count me out, though. A year orbiting this red planet is enough for me.
TriCalc confimed what I've been thinking for the past twelve hours. The source of that second transmission is the southern slope of Calaveras Mons. If only I could get eyes down there to see not only what could be transmitting these beeps, but also to learn the fate of my scouters. Perhaps when the explorers come...
I pulled up what my libraries have on the Calaveras Mons area. Some rovers were sent there in 2018. Calaveras Mons was for a long time called Ascraeus Mons. Calaveras got its new name from Dr. Stan Carver, who lived in Calaveras County, California, his entire life. Dr. Carver revolutionized the study of Martian vulcanology and renamed several of the active or recently-dormant volcanoes in the area. Of course, Calaveras County, on Earth, looks nothing like the 21 kilometer behemoth I see in these images.
The rover images I found from that 2018 expedition don't reveal much of the coordinates I seek. Mostly red rocks, boulders, and broken lands. All of Mars' southern hemisphere looks like this, so I should expect nothing less. The "canals" famously thought to hold the prospects of life, are nearby. For a long time, astronomers believed that the canals were proof that life had existed or still exists on Mars. Of course, scientific explorations of Mars in the latter part of last century and to the present day have revealed these canals to be nothing more than collapsed lava tubes.
Still, interest in Mars and its exploration have not abated. Our own President Gill tells the story that, as a boy, he wanted to grow up to be an astronaut so that he might be the first man to set foot on Mars. That wasn't to be, of course, as my own mentor, Dr. John Fowler, had the honor almost a decade ago. Sadly, it is unlikely that the first Martian colony will be built under the Gill administration; his successor is likely to be the one to complete it.
Sometimes, I wonder why we even want to colonize this dead world. Sure, Mars possesses a wealth of natural resources. Beyond simple mining, however, what reasons other than novelty could draw someone to want to live on Mars? I suppose business interests aside, simply being part of the first settlement outside the Earth astrosphere would be something of an accomplishment. Count me out, though. A year orbiting this red planet is enough for me.
Last edited:
Insight
Adventurer
June 10
I received a strange distress call this morning from Attenborough, the other orbital station circling Mars. A product of British design, Attenborough was taken over by the European Space Agency a few months ago. I didn't think anyone was station there, until the message this morning. It came from none other than Lloyd MacLaren, a fellow astronaut and a Scotsman whom I'd met during a joint NASA-ESA exercise at Cape Canaveral, Florida, about five years ago. Lloyd and I had roomed together for the weekend and got along pretty well. Small solar system!
Apparently, the life support sub-system at Attenborough had gone offline, which automatically prompted a call to Deep Red. When Lloyd got on the line, he let me know that everything was fine. I wonder if maybe it was an ice-breaker or an opportunity to talk. Lloyd and I talked for probably half an hour. He'd been on Earth more recently and had some news I'd missed. Probably the most staggering was that California had seceded from the U.S. I guess they took Texas' example from a few years ago. Looks like the entire western half of the country is about to attempt to break away. War is on the horizon. Again. I hope my brother Clark can stay out of it this time.
Lloyd and I also talked about the transmissions from Mars. The Attenborough had picked up on the second transmission, but not the first. I told Lloyd in very broad terms about the first transmission, but, owing to NASA's orders, I was prohibited from revealing specific details. Lloyd, who's much more talented in theoretical mathematics than I am, promised to try to decipher the second transmission and let me know what he discovers, if anything.
I received a strange distress call this morning from Attenborough, the other orbital station circling Mars. A product of British design, Attenborough was taken over by the European Space Agency a few months ago. I didn't think anyone was station there, until the message this morning. It came from none other than Lloyd MacLaren, a fellow astronaut and a Scotsman whom I'd met during a joint NASA-ESA exercise at Cape Canaveral, Florida, about five years ago. Lloyd and I had roomed together for the weekend and got along pretty well. Small solar system!
Apparently, the life support sub-system at Attenborough had gone offline, which automatically prompted a call to Deep Red. When Lloyd got on the line, he let me know that everything was fine. I wonder if maybe it was an ice-breaker or an opportunity to talk. Lloyd and I talked for probably half an hour. He'd been on Earth more recently and had some news I'd missed. Probably the most staggering was that California had seceded from the U.S. I guess they took Texas' example from a few years ago. Looks like the entire western half of the country is about to attempt to break away. War is on the horizon. Again. I hope my brother Clark can stay out of it this time.
Lloyd and I also talked about the transmissions from Mars. The Attenborough had picked up on the second transmission, but not the first. I told Lloyd in very broad terms about the first transmission, but, owing to NASA's orders, I was prohibited from revealing specific details. Lloyd, who's much more talented in theoretical mathematics than I am, promised to try to decipher the second transmission and let me know what he discovers, if anything.
Insight
Adventurer
June 13
The shuttle arrived early. The first thing that I noticed was that it was a brand-new shuttle. I'd heard that NASA was incorporating some Red Star design and that much was evident. This new shuttle, Chimera, was sleek and powerful-looking, much more advanced than the dinosaur that brought me to Deep Red a year ago.
Drs. Olney, Dixon, and Hines described their mission as simple survey. They had been slated to come to Mars about a year from now; my discoveries only hastened NASA's plans.
Dr. Hines revealed to me that one of the mission's priorities is to look for underground sites for a colony. He explained that Mars is thought to have massive subterranean pockets and that placing the colony below the surface is preferable because the colony would be better protected against harsh Martian elements.
Nemekov never spoke to me. He was pretty quiet. His beady, dark eyes scanned Deep Red's hardware as he took notes on his wristie. I know that Red Star is responsible for Deep Red's network and scientific instruments. Nemekov also studied my custom-built SETI interface. I wonder what he wants with it.
I questioned Dr. Dixon about possible survey sites. When I began to offer suggestions about prime locations, based on my past year of remote surveying Mars, Dixon cut me off and said that the team already had a list. He had his orders and the team would stick to the mission. Dixon couldn't tell me where they were surveying. This bothers me. What does NASA and Red Star have to hide from me, of all people?
The shuttle arrived early. The first thing that I noticed was that it was a brand-new shuttle. I'd heard that NASA was incorporating some Red Star design and that much was evident. This new shuttle, Chimera, was sleek and powerful-looking, much more advanced than the dinosaur that brought me to Deep Red a year ago.
Drs. Olney, Dixon, and Hines described their mission as simple survey. They had been slated to come to Mars about a year from now; my discoveries only hastened NASA's plans.
Dr. Hines revealed to me that one of the mission's priorities is to look for underground sites for a colony. He explained that Mars is thought to have massive subterranean pockets and that placing the colony below the surface is preferable because the colony would be better protected against harsh Martian elements.
Nemekov never spoke to me. He was pretty quiet. His beady, dark eyes scanned Deep Red's hardware as he took notes on his wristie. I know that Red Star is responsible for Deep Red's network and scientific instruments. Nemekov also studied my custom-built SETI interface. I wonder what he wants with it.
I questioned Dr. Dixon about possible survey sites. When I began to offer suggestions about prime locations, based on my past year of remote surveying Mars, Dixon cut me off and said that the team already had a list. He had his orders and the team would stick to the mission. Dixon couldn't tell me where they were surveying. This bothers me. What does NASA and Red Star have to hide from me, of all people?
Insight
Adventurer
June 14
Early this morning, the team was quickly to Chimera, which was linked to Deep Red. There, the shuttle will stay until the team returns from Mars and heads back to Earth. Chimera's payload includes an advanced surveyor vehicle known as EROS - Exploration Reconnaissance Onsite Surveyor. This thing is tough enough to survive a fall of several miles through Mars' light atmosphere, land safely, and drive around the Martian landscape, taking readings and providing four inhabitants with life support and other needs. Onboard supplies are supposed to last the team for seven days. Dr. Dixon told me that EROS has a "jump jet" that propels EROS vertically through the atmosphere and into low orbit. Once EROS is there, Chimera will detach from Deep Red and retrieve the vehicle.
Glad I'm not going on this crazy idea of a mission. Still, I'm very curious about what it is they hope to find down there.
I've got that eerie feeling of being very alone again. At least until Lloyd calls me with the good news.
Early this morning, the team was quickly to Chimera, which was linked to Deep Red. There, the shuttle will stay until the team returns from Mars and heads back to Earth. Chimera's payload includes an advanced surveyor vehicle known as EROS - Exploration Reconnaissance Onsite Surveyor. This thing is tough enough to survive a fall of several miles through Mars' light atmosphere, land safely, and drive around the Martian landscape, taking readings and providing four inhabitants with life support and other needs. Onboard supplies are supposed to last the team for seven days. Dr. Dixon told me that EROS has a "jump jet" that propels EROS vertically through the atmosphere and into low orbit. Once EROS is there, Chimera will detach from Deep Red and retrieve the vehicle.
Glad I'm not going on this crazy idea of a mission. Still, I'm very curious about what it is they hope to find down there.
I've got that eerie feeling of being very alone again. At least until Lloyd calls me with the good news.
Insight
Adventurer
June 16
Lloyd called me this morning. I thought maybe he had a breakthrough on deciphering the second burst transmission. Unfortunately, he's as stumped as ever. Lloyd is concerned that his government minders might be spying on him and his activities. Luckily, they don't really have the ability to spy on our sub-space conversations; they are short-wave and cannot be picked up unless a receiver is within perhaps a kilometer of either orbital station or between the two. Lloyd told me that he suspects that the transmission is indeed a message and not random beeps. This confirms my initial feelings about these transmissions. Someone on Earth must agree. They wouldn't have passed my report on up the chain unless they had deciphered something more than the generalities Lloyd had come up with. What do they really know and why do they keep it from me?
My thoughts turn to the combined NASA - Red Star team now deployed in the EROS vehicle on Mars' surface. What do they know about the transmissions, if anything? If they do know anything, they certainly didn't tell me during their twelve hour stay on Deep Red. That Nemekov certainly seemed to be behaving strangely. I wonder if my scientific instruments could somehow track what the team is doing down there. Maybe I'll give it a try.
Lloyd called me this morning. I thought maybe he had a breakthrough on deciphering the second burst transmission. Unfortunately, he's as stumped as ever. Lloyd is concerned that his government minders might be spying on him and his activities. Luckily, they don't really have the ability to spy on our sub-space conversations; they are short-wave and cannot be picked up unless a receiver is within perhaps a kilometer of either orbital station or between the two. Lloyd told me that he suspects that the transmission is indeed a message and not random beeps. This confirms my initial feelings about these transmissions. Someone on Earth must agree. They wouldn't have passed my report on up the chain unless they had deciphered something more than the generalities Lloyd had come up with. What do they really know and why do they keep it from me?
My thoughts turn to the combined NASA - Red Star team now deployed in the EROS vehicle on Mars' surface. What do they know about the transmissions, if anything? If they do know anything, they certainly didn't tell me during their twelve hour stay on Deep Red. That Nemekov certainly seemed to be behaving strangely. I wonder if my scientific instruments could somehow track what the team is doing down there. Maybe I'll give it a try.
Insight
Adventurer
June 17
Rusty just told me that plans are ramping up to move belt miners from the Ceres and Pallas asteroids to Mars. It seems odd to me that they would be planning such a move at this stage unless they had some pretty solid information from the team planetside. I can't imagine they've found anything substantial in three days. Things are moving so fast. Maybe too fast.
I started working on a solution to track the NASA - Red Star team. Deep Red has some incredible instruments used to track my scouters, all of which are now dead. I managed to extract an energy signature from EROS as it launched, so I've been focusing on locating that down on Mars. My initial findings, which took me about four hours to determine, have shown me EROS' landing point and where it went thereafter. It landed at Terra Meridiani, a plains area not far from Calaveras Mons. I'm not at all surprised they headed west not long after they landed.
It occurs to me that I probably should have warned the team about what happened to my rovers.
Rusty just told me that plans are ramping up to move belt miners from the Ceres and Pallas asteroids to Mars. It seems odd to me that they would be planning such a move at this stage unless they had some pretty solid information from the team planetside. I can't imagine they've found anything substantial in three days. Things are moving so fast. Maybe too fast.
I started working on a solution to track the NASA - Red Star team. Deep Red has some incredible instruments used to track my scouters, all of which are now dead. I managed to extract an energy signature from EROS as it launched, so I've been focusing on locating that down on Mars. My initial findings, which took me about four hours to determine, have shown me EROS' landing point and where it went thereafter. It landed at Terra Meridiani, a plains area not far from Calaveras Mons. I'm not at all surprised they headed west not long after they landed.
It occurs to me that I probably should have warned the team about what happened to my rovers.
Insight
Adventurer
June 18
The energy signature from EROS indicates that it has stopped somewhere near Calaveras Mons. It's been in the same spot for the better part of four hours. This is the first time I've been able to determine that EROS has stopped for a significant length of time. I don't know if Calaveras is where the team intended to stop all along... or if something has happened to them. It's entirely possible that the team has exited the vehicle and is conducting ground surveys; that is what they were sent to Mars to do, after all. Why do I have the sickening feeling that something has gone wrong?
***
Lloyd just called from Attenborough Station. He has some big news about the second transmission. He says that the entire message loops three times in 13.1 seconds. Lloyd thinks it might be an automated message, which makes sense to me. If the message is indeed automated, I wonder what that means for the possibility that something is alive down there. I wonder how long that automated message has been on a loop.
Lloyd hasn't been able to translate the message into anything meaningful in English or any of thirteen other Earth languages he's tried. He mentioned the possibility that the message may not be translatable; it may be a simple mathematic code meant to alert passersby that something is on Mars. Something of interest. Or something to fear.
The energy signature from EROS indicates that it has stopped somewhere near Calaveras Mons. It's been in the same spot for the better part of four hours. This is the first time I've been able to determine that EROS has stopped for a significant length of time. I don't know if Calaveras is where the team intended to stop all along... or if something has happened to them. It's entirely possible that the team has exited the vehicle and is conducting ground surveys; that is what they were sent to Mars to do, after all. Why do I have the sickening feeling that something has gone wrong?
***
Lloyd just called from Attenborough Station. He has some big news about the second transmission. He says that the entire message loops three times in 13.1 seconds. Lloyd thinks it might be an automated message, which makes sense to me. If the message is indeed automated, I wonder what that means for the possibility that something is alive down there. I wonder how long that automated message has been on a loop.
Lloyd hasn't been able to translate the message into anything meaningful in English or any of thirteen other Earth languages he's tried. He mentioned the possibility that the message may not be translatable; it may be a simple mathematic code meant to alert passersby that something is on Mars. Something of interest. Or something to fear.
