Mission Brief

[Joe Manning 0]

It was the calm before the storm in the space high above Zoalus IV. The engineers were running the final checks on the equipment from Xorax colony, and the scientists were scanning the planet's surface. Reports made their way to Joe's ODRI, where he sifted through last-minute information before committing to a plan of action.

 

The latest findings from the science team intrigued him. That there were biological lifeforms on the surface was neither surprising nor mysterious. Previous expeditions to the planet had uncovered a number of species that had learned to adapt to the drone defense systems, one way or another (by staying away from protected zones in most cases). The snake-like creatures discovered by Alex and Sal were unusual for two reasons -- their habitat was the most densely developed area of Zoalus, and they fed off a form of radiation that was not present naturally in the star system.

 

Site 8 interested the security staff as much as it interested the scientists. It was a volcanic island, though its imposing cone was not scheduled to erupt for another 6 or 7 months. Skyscrapers lined the northern shore, where they would no doubt offer breathtaking views of the annual eruptions. Pher speculated that this was once a resort site, though without more knowledge of the Zoalus culture, guesses were the best anyone could accomplish. Structures were also built high up in the forests north and west of the volcano, a curious way of living that, perhaps, offered clues about their one-time inhabitants.

 

Like any site on Zoalus, Site 8 was patrolled by roaming security drones that opened fire on any intruders. According to the science staff's scans, many of the snakes were moving about on the surface. Could they evade detection by the drones? Such an attribute would certainly interest Joe. Did they possess a means of quickly escaping approaching drones? Or did the drones simply ignore them? The targetting preferences of the security drones were yet another on the list of items to be determined.

 

The snakes' taste for delta radiation was even more curious. A biological organism would not develop the ability to derive sustenance from delta radiation lightly. The absence of an alternative menu, such as might be brought about by defense drones that opened fire on anything that moved, could certainly be a contributing factor. The presence of delta radiation upon which to feed would be an essential one. Without any significant concentrations of delta radiation in the Zoalus system, there had to be a source on the planet. After all, it wasn't too often that ships parked in orbit of Zoalus IV and started feeding the creatures with active scans. If something at Site 8 was emitting delta radiation, Joe was interested in it.

 

"Mr. Macen, I think your colleagues might agree that Site 8 would be a good starting point for us. Send your findings to Captain Maxwell and find out what he thinks."

 

Joe looked over at Pher and Troy. "Meanwhile, let's ready a probe for launch. It's time we give the planet's defenses a little test run."

 

The storm. Trying to land on a volcanic island with functional and active ground-to-air laser turrets and flying security robots. This was where the crew would really start earning their paycheck.