NationStates Jolt Archive


The Probe... [Closed]

Lord Atum
08-02-2006, 18:47
In the occupied territories of New Haven, on the former capital world, a seemingly forgotten ‘monument’ in an open field began moving, a ring of symbols on its surface rotating. Pieces of it began to glow with an inner red light as the device came to life. There were nine visible symbols, seven of which began glowing in a clockwise order, until the final and uppermost one was illuminated.

A flickering light appeared inside the ring, bursting upwards from the ring, and snapping back to form a well of what appeared to be water. Slowly, an object that consisted of a domed upper ‘head’ section, with manipulator limbs coming from it, like a metallic jellyfish floating in the air, emerged upwards. An eerie buzzing sound accompanied the probe’s motor units as it hovered away from the stargate and began examining its environment.

The stargate was intact, obviously, but there was no sign of its dialling device. Instead, it was connected to two rusted objects [vehicles?] the probe’s recognition algorithm tagged them, examining the cables that lead to the downed stargate. They had evidently been used to power it. The probe hovered to the more intact vehicle, and began looking for an entrance, noting down what it surmised to be weapons, and storing images of them, as it did so.

Ignoring scant traces of gamma radiation, it lowered itself into the pilot’s compartment, and began storing images of the controls. When the probe satisfied itself that it had gathered sufficient data on the tank, it rose and looked around once more. In the distance a major settlement was visible. Some kind of expansive conurbation, that the probe considered rather advanced looking.

Summarising that the risk of detection and destruction was too great, it slunk back into the vehicle, and began transmitting a subspace message to its distant master.


On the distant world of Mnewer, Atum, the so-called god and tyrant of millions of people was thinking, as he often did, of the many low-level wars his servants were engaged in, products of his own aggression. His gloved hands steepled in front of his masked face, he considered the holographic map of his vast domain with wicked amusement. There were those out there who hated his dominion, he knew. But the noose was tightening on those traitors and rebels. Eventually, his spies would find them, and when that day arrived, he would rejoice in their slaughter.

A small light flickered on his control console, and he punched the button in irritation as his daydream was disrupted. A selection of two-dimensional images appeared where the hologram had been previously, and he examined them critically. The stargate surprised him, when he had first discovered this world, it had been so thoroughly guarded that the expedition he had sent to reconnoitre it had not returned. That seemed like a lifetime ago, and he wondered how much these stubborn people had been through since that time in order for their civilisation to have discarded such a valuable object in the apparent middle of nowhere.

Perhaps, he wondered, they had been attacked, and had been attempting to move the gate to a safer location when their vehicles – he found those intriguing – had been disabled. If so, might their civilisation have been decimated, or even better, destroyed, in the mean time?

There was one option that sprang to mind. Send forces to investigate.


Minutes later, the probe rose, and began moving towards the city.
Zepplin Manufacturers
08-02-2006, 23:12
Official Log Monitoring SI workgroup 438

C128 - Exotic Energy Pulse detection confirmed, re deploying orbital recon assets.
C138 - Artificial event horizon detection / planetary location ID: 349-2339 Object Catalogue ID: Disused Stargate, marked rendered unusable by local forces, technological base non compatible with company equipment.
C148 - Artificial Event horizon emergence complete, Arming Authorisation granted to platform ZMSF 43329 UT, CAP 43 , 34 and 8 elements are repositioning
C158 - Expedite CAP arrival, confirmation object exiting event
C128 - Confirmation exit of unidentified object.
C128 - Object Energy emissions are of non regular identification
C138 - Object emissions bands match most common Stargate users Goa'uld, Archive ID 349.34943.3 G, Feudal, Possibly Hostile
C148 - Repositioning authorisation granted to platform ZMSF 43329 UT,
C128 - Authorisation granted for displacement matrix
C183 - Orbital holding zone prepared and standing by
C128 – Engaging displacement matrix lock
C128 – Engage displacement
C183 – displacement failure, possible sub space band buffer field detected in operation
C128 – CAP assets to emergency super cruise, ZMSF 43329 UT to commence active traverse and set as failsafe measure
C334 – Response on hold, security measures to be held, engage contact but proceed with probe extraction.


148 kilometres above the surface and 430 kilometres to the east the dull silver cylindrical mass of Doomsday class platform 43329 UT had lain sedately in its orbital path, it was now however actively distorting gravity as its limited graviton engines repositioned it. As this occurred it began unfolding like some byzantine emperors clockwork toy as energy sink sails unfolded and wave guides extended. Within it the exotic matter decay reactors flared into life as its primary weapons systems hauled themselves online.

T3304 ZMAF Aerobot “Charlies Hovering Hoover of orange flavoured doom” was a 320 ton air borne horribly beweaponed tear drop carrying enough energy armament to vaporise a large town in a salvo. Designated by the control workgroup as combat air patrol unit 34 at present “Charlie” was assigned as squadron lead of the 239th forward air patrol squadron Corins Clams “That Silver Lining is filled with led”. On its darkened battle synthetic alloy hull, presently cooled to match the surrounding atmosphere as it made its subsonic approach a dozen hatches slammed open as various weapons and high energy scanners whined to power. Charlie then lit up the designated target with several hundred megawatts of illumination across the EM spectrum and as he dropped below 130 kilometres per hour his battle screens hummed on.

“Unidentified probe this is the ZMSF, this world is under Concordat interdiction, identify yourself at once or prepare to be seized”

With that over “Charlie” began to deploy his grapnel field generator with something approaching the quite glee of an angler.
Lord Atum
08-02-2006, 23:31
The probe halted as the aircraft approached, looking at it. It took a still capture of the vehicle and sent it to its remote master. The probe’s eye, distinct from the glowing band around the base of its head, regarded the object hovering, no, looming, over it.

Its simple programming considered its options. It could attempt to fight this target, but the sheer size of this opponent meant that no course of action save self-destruction would even scratch it.

It could attempt to flee, but it had observed that its opponent was considerably faster than it was. It could play dead, but the opportunity to do so appeared to have been expended. Instead it twitched its legs in what would be, in a human, agitation,

The air vessel said something, and the probe recorded. It felt a gravitational field seizing it, and struggled, using its own anti-gravity generators to apply a counter-force. This proved futile, and the probe designated itself as captured, then sent a plaintive message back to its maker, before folding its limbs up and reducing its gravity drive’s power to zero. Play dead, its action governing software suggested, was the optimal course of action.

The probe dialled its batteries down to minimal power, and continued recording, switching to its internal memory buffer, and ceasing its telemetry flow. The exterior light faded and it remained inert. If it were human, it would have felt smug…