Dawn's Tale Prologue:
[
Several light-years from the system 44 Sol (our solar system), sometime during
the temperate period before the end of our last Ice Age, some 130,000 years ago
or so...
Partial Star log records of Life Transport Alexandria as recorded within a
distress beacon launched from the ship:
Captain Torbin's entry Eridani Date 14546:1536, twelve years 120 days ship's
relative time(.85c) since departure
0.35 LY from 44 Sol and far off planned flight plan from 82 Eridani II to Eta
Cassiopei IV
Engineering reports heavy damage to systems from our accident; four crew members
did not come out of their cocoons. Chief says we'll be lucky to make it to 44
Sol; energy reserves are below 24%, and we'll have to bring our cargo out of
their cocoons if the system's asteroid field has no Trilium 426 to replenish
energy supplies. Distress beacons have already been dispatched, but I don't
expect help for at least two years assuming another star ship is anywhere close.
Otherwise, help could be twenty years or more away, it's 20 LY back to home
world and 19 LY on to the water world we were bound for. I just hope 44 Sol has
a tropical planet, our cargo is conditioned for our destination; we don't have
the supplies for them to survive a temperate or cold world until help arrives.
Date 14594:1015, Captain
Good news and Bad. We have dropped below relativistic speed and entered the
system. Stellar cartography reports this system has been charted but not
surveyed. Geologic probes show no signs of trilium or other minerals we can
process; reserves are barely enough to maintain stasis in the cocoons. Probes
into the inner system indicate the 2nd or 3rd planets as possible water or
tropical worlds. Engineering says we will have to land somewhere soon, to
attempt repairs or wait for rescue. Whatever the planet turns out to be, it'll
have to do.
Date 14598:0805, Captain
Now in geopolar orbit around the 3rd planet. Close probes showed 2nd to be too
hot even for our worker bees, and 4th was too cold and dry even for the crew.
Science says the 3rd planet is perfect- 73% water and an estimated mean temp of
63 degrees. They think the equatorial regions should range from 70 degrees to
100 degrees most of the time; the only drawback- the planet is in the temperate
period between ice age cycles and is due for another cold spell in 20,000 years
or so. I'm glad we are expected at the colony on Eta Cassiopei IV; they need our
cargo's aquatic abilities, I hope we'll be long gone before it gets cold here. A
beacon broadcasting our position and situation has been released. Engineering is
preparing to land, and we're in for a rough one.
Date 14602:1664, Captain - five hours after landing
Barely made it to ground, we put down near an inland sea surrounded by several
large continents. A few casualties: Simons in engineering is dead as well as
junior operations officer Buncombe, and the chief was hurt. He's well enough to
supervise and Doc says he'll be OK if help isn't too late. We've brought out the
cargo to save our reserves, remaining energy should be enough for emergency
lights and communications for at least several years. Chief says we are
definitely stuck 'til help arrives; this planet has some interesting ores, but
nothing we can use to refuel the ship without a massive processing plant. In his
typical cheery tone he said there's no use in repairing our systems without
fuel. Its been amusing watching our hairless work drones, they're in the water
frolicking naked like the ape-like creatures we've seen. We've lost track of
some of them; fortunately they're genetically different enough from the native
apes that we'll be able to track down them all when a ship arrives. They're able
to fend for themselves well enough that I expect only minor depletions before
our extraction. They seem to be able to determine what foods are safe to eat
instinctively so I've ordered our food supplies rationed only to the crew. Our
science officer has supplemented our diet by watching which fruits the drones
pick.
Date 14602:1449, Science Officer's Log - two hours after landing
Cycling of Stasis Cocoons has begun. Mutation warning lights have appeared on
units 45, 46, 84, and 126, but with only myself and a junior officer right out
of Academy I don't have time to investigate. Captain wants the units shut down
so we can save power for minimum life support and communications. So far I
expect only one actual failed cocoon, there wasn't as much damage as in the
forward area with crew cocoons. Our cargo is already starting to stir.
I've looked out the window and have seen some interesting flora and fauna. Hope
to have time to do some cataloging while we wait for rescue. The humanoid apes
seem interesting in particular, there is one species that walks upright and
seems to use animal skins for clothes.
Date 14987:0853 or there abouts, Captain
Its been over a year local time and no sign of rescue or radio contact with
other ships. I wish we had a larger crew; with 23 people I just don't have the
resources for an extended stay. Help may never come unless a passing ship heard
our distress call. Since we're so far off course, decades will likely pass
before we see a ship; assuming they've realized we're stranded. The drones are
all over the place now and run naked in and out of the water like nothing was
wrong. I'm beginning to think running around nude is not such a bad idea; my
last uniform is badly torn. Its too bad we don't have the genetic conditioning
for prolonged water exposure. When we get back, I'll have to tell the genetics
boys they did a great job on this batch...
Date 15672: time midday, First Officer
The captain was killed 3 days ago by one of the native large animals while
hunting. Supplies are gone, as well as the last of the ships energy reserves,
our efforts on the comm. channels have got no response . We've about lost hope;
rescue still hasn't come, and our remaining Science officer says we can't
survive much longer than twenty more years on this planets food sources without
synthetic supplements... I do not expect to make anymore log entries, after
encoding this log along with full sensor and library logs into a beacon, I've
launched it into a far orbit. I don't expect to see a rescue ship. Those crew
members with family already on Eta Cassiopei included personal messages;
fortunately due to the nomadic nature of space travel most of the crew have no
families.
Date more than 10 years after last post:
The last beacon continues broadcasting its distress signal as it drifts in Sol's
Oort cloud. Its diagnostic system has failed to detect a blown power amplifier.
Its signal can only be heard within 4 AU. or so. Earlier beacons were picked up
but only indicated approximate flight path; no sign of the location beacon was
ever found. Debris was found floating near where the ship was first damaged.
Search vessels cruised within long range scan distance to 44 Sol, unable to
detect signals from the Alexandria's signal and unwilling to waste years on a
out of the way voyage, they continued on... Command eventually listed the
Alexandria as missing and presumed destroyed.
As the Alexandria's remaining crew sits hopelessly waiting for a ship to come,
the drones obliviously play and mate in the warm tropical water.
End Prologue
]
