Random Kingdom
01-08-2005, 00:20
<Ascending to 45 metres above base level. Please keep all limbs inside the elevator. Thank you.>
The capsule containing seven humans, three geckoids and a variety of devices sealed and began to slowly climb the shaft. Outside, a silo opened, and a module was also lifted.
"Jeez, it's a lot smaller than it looked in the simulators."
The module was connected to cables from above, hoisted out of the hole, and fixed into position some feet from the ground. Part of the silo closed off leaving a gap to accomodate the blast. A platform extended from the elevator shaft, and connected with a port in the module. Doors on both ends opened, and the capsule hit the top.
<Please alight the elevator and reset the locking pin.>
The ten hurriedly traversed the platform, illuminated against the dark night by flashing cameras and spotlights, and climbed into the small spacecraft. The platform withdrew back into the tower and the door slammed shut. The capsule instantly hurtled down its path, taking the shaft down with it.
Inside the module, which was to later become the main section of the "Ark", five of the seven humans climbed down the ladder-like grooves in what would be the ceiling (if the module was horizontal) and into the specially prepared vertical-gravity room. The other two, Atria Blackman and Simon Rogers, strapped themselves into the piloting chairs (which were freely rotatable on one axis to accomodate for orientation changes), and the geckoids (who were more tolerant of being tilted in strange directions) strapped themselves into chairs fixed into the front section.
Inside the grav-room, the seven were watching the countdown on a small monitor. The countdown itself was fuzzy (it only decreased in increments of ten seconds) to minimize tension.
Suddenly, the fission reactor on the back of the module kicked in. The chambers of the module blacked out as the power cords from the base disconnected and retracted into the launch towers. The windows had already been covered, and the inhabitable areas were soundproofed.
And all went silent...
The capsule containing seven humans, three geckoids and a variety of devices sealed and began to slowly climb the shaft. Outside, a silo opened, and a module was also lifted.
"Jeez, it's a lot smaller than it looked in the simulators."
The module was connected to cables from above, hoisted out of the hole, and fixed into position some feet from the ground. Part of the silo closed off leaving a gap to accomodate the blast. A platform extended from the elevator shaft, and connected with a port in the module. Doors on both ends opened, and the capsule hit the top.
<Please alight the elevator and reset the locking pin.>
The ten hurriedly traversed the platform, illuminated against the dark night by flashing cameras and spotlights, and climbed into the small spacecraft. The platform withdrew back into the tower and the door slammed shut. The capsule instantly hurtled down its path, taking the shaft down with it.
Inside the module, which was to later become the main section of the "Ark", five of the seven humans climbed down the ladder-like grooves in what would be the ceiling (if the module was horizontal) and into the specially prepared vertical-gravity room. The other two, Atria Blackman and Simon Rogers, strapped themselves into the piloting chairs (which were freely rotatable on one axis to accomodate for orientation changes), and the geckoids (who were more tolerant of being tilted in strange directions) strapped themselves into chairs fixed into the front section.
Inside the grav-room, the seven were watching the countdown on a small monitor. The countdown itself was fuzzy (it only decreased in increments of ten seconds) to minimize tension.
Suddenly, the fission reactor on the back of the module kicked in. The chambers of the module blacked out as the power cords from the base disconnected and retracted into the launch towers. The windows had already been covered, and the inhabitable areas were soundproofed.
And all went silent...