NationStates Jolt Archive

Many clusters of stars orbit our own galaxy, relatively close in proximity to the ends of the spiral arms, but far away from most civilised centers of life. Inside was no sign of an advanced civilisation, at least not any outward signs. On dozens of worlds within this isolated star cluster were many great cities. Empty, abandoned and all sharing the same architecture. No one had as of yet made landfall on any of these worlds, but if they did they would find great cities, designed to house millions upon millions of souls. Many pieces and examples of civil technology were also in place.

The cities stood silent and empty, simply waiting for someone to find them and the mysteries they held. However if one stayed in them long enough, they might find shadows moving where they shouldn't, or hear sounds of movement where none had been seen. Either that or they would walk away with riches from some lost civilisation which is ripe for the plucking. Only time, and the discovery of these worlds by some party or another..would tell.

A small fleet of black ships appeared in the system. Seemingly melting into existence in the blackness of space. Each one bore only one marking, a set of claw marks on the nose in place of a ships name. One battleship, 4 destroyers, and sixteen frigates. Appearing behind the lot was a heavy freighter.

X stood on the bridge of the battleship Crown of Swords. "Ok, this is the place. The drone picked up masses of technology. I want a drop ship primed for alpha team, tell the hauler to be ready to start salvaging. Scan for the planet that has the largest concentration of buildings. I want to find their capital. If you can find the largest data repository you can." The bridge crew began to go about their tasks as X left the bridge, "You have the con Captain." He said as he left. The human simply sighed and stepped up to the captains chair, continuing where X had left off. "All ships fan off and search. But stay in formation with the bigger ships. I don't want to be caught with our pants down.

In the battleships small bay, a drop ship was being prepped. Inside sat 11 others, each one looked the same save for the weapons they carried. As X made his way to the drop ship he linked back up with the rest of his team. "Ok, this is a recovery mission. We're going to find their data repository and download it." As X stepped into the bay he continued, stopping next to an equipment cart. "We are to retrieve any data possible. I don't want to hang around longer than we have to. I don't have to tell you what kind of strange things lurk in ghost towns." The rest of Alpha team chuckled. They knew all too well the natural and supernatural things that tended to inhabit lost cities and ghost ships. He picked up a rather large looking rifle, slinging it over a strap to hang on his back. strapping a large black holster to his right hip which held a modern variant of the old P90. Strangely none of them held extra ammo. X checked his suit status before boarding the drop ship.

At that instant the com inside the bay flicked to life. "Captain Winters here, We've located the most likely location for the information we're looking for. Well, most likely 3 locations. One is a ship foundry. Our scans show that it holds an extensive data hub. The second is a military complex, also holding a large data hub. The third is in the capital. There is another hub in what appears to be the capital city. Alpha team is to divide into 3 groups, Halo drop and retrieve the information from each of these hubs. Understood?"

Alpha team saluted in unison, X standing at the entrance of the drop ship, right fist clasped to his chest like the rest of them. "Understood." The screen went blank, the drop ship doors began to close as the ship powered up around them. X took a seat with the rest of the team. The magnetic locks on the seat securing him firmly inside the ship.

The dropship left the Crown of swords bound for one of the planets. As it skirted over the planet the sound of the bay decompressing was audible with a long hiss. The bay door at the back slowly opening to show the black of space, the planets curve played out below them. "Ok team. squad 1 will be with me, we're hitting the foundry, squad two, your taking the capital, squad 4, you have the military base. Squad 3, Alpha 7 squad 2, Alpha 8 squad 4 Alpha 9 your with me in squad 1. Our designations will be teams A B and C respectively." a note appeared on each of alpha teams HUDs as a garbage can lid sized device was lowered in front of them.

"Ok team. Drop in T minus one minute. Rule one!"

The team responded in unison. "Nobody gets left behind, the pack protects its own!"

"Rule two!"

"All weapons are primed at all times."

"Rule three!"

"All targets are hostile until proven otherwise!"

"Rule four!"

The team in unison stood, clasping the entry shields infront of them and turning to face the exit. "When in doubt, empty the mag!"

X called out as him and 3 others stepped out of the drop ship.

"Rule five!"

Over the coms he heard his team. In the bay some of the team threw their fists in the air. "Don't drop the soap!"


The outer temperature began to climb as they fell. Team one raised their shields as they bodily aligned themselves. Like skydivers they hit the outer atmosphere. The temperature climbing as a bubble of orange grew brighter around him. X checked his trajectory. They would drop in above the foundry no problem. Descent would be simple enough.

The other two teams stepped out at their designated points, repeating the actions of the first team. The three teams breaching the atmosphere, discarding the plates of near slagged metal of their Entry shields. Plummeting at what soon became terminal velocity. "Engage landing procedures as normal, Keep your weapons hot Alpha team. This could be just too good to be true."

Each member unslung a similar rifle, A C10MK2 30mm rail rifle, loaded with an extended magazine of 10 tungsten steel spikes. Save for five, X and the leader of team B both unslung similar rifles, a C12MK3 sniper rail, loaded with a full mag of 40 clusters of tungsten steel spikes. The sniper scopes linking with the suits HUD. The three soldiers from squad 3 who had been split amongst the three teams, carrying what looked to be some form of small assault weapon, A Type 2 lightning gun, firing a cohesive stream of electricity out to 150 feet. The team flipped themselves around at a pre-determined height, firing personal thruster systems from their backs to slow their descent. a single greed pellet firing the instant they hot 40 feet off the ground. The pellet impacted and ballooned out in a fraction of a second into a blob of green. The teams landing in their blobs, slowing to land gently in a crouch on the ground. The blobs dissolving into mist around them.

Meanwhile in space. The 4 destroyers fanned out, 3 frigates flanking each one. Their mission was to locate anything in the orbits of the nearby planet, 4 frigates remained with the Crown of swords and the freighter. The dropship maintained a stationary orbit over the planet.

Fire retrieval team A: X looked at the foundry. The massive buildings near the construction area seemed like a good place. "All teams, engage optical cloak and proceed with primary objectives." X and the rest of his team flickered with rainbow colors before seeming to fade away. X signaled to advance. Heading for what appeared to be the foundry headquarters, which was the objective locater for the hub was, two stories below the ground. The team advanced at almost a dead run, covering the short distance to the target building. Their HUD sensors reaching out into the building as they gathered around its entrance.

Fire retrieval team B: Alpha 4 wasted no time as he and his team sprinted down the street towards what looked to be some sort of capital building. His and the rest of his small teams motion sensors reading only the 4 of them. The Bio sensors reading the same. Though the motion sensors range was only a hundred feet. The bio sensor scanned over what was visible, highlighting living things in blue on the HUD. Em scanners did the same in yellow. Anything the motion sensor picked up was circled in red. The team moved swiftly. though under the effect of optical cloak that only fooled simple sensors. staying mobile ensured that if something did attack them, they'd already be a moving target.

Fire retrieval team C: Alpha 10 and the rest of his team sat crouched outside the base. "12 what do you see." The raptor in question ducked back down into the small culvert/makeshift trench, clasping a sleek rifle, a C13MK5 anti armor rail rifle. "Looks empty. I'm not picking up any defenses. But we should proceed with caution." 10 nodded, peeking up himself, scanning for EM signatures, having his HUD highlight anything that looked like hidden defense turrets. He pulled a small sphere from his belt and flung it into the air. The sphere darting towards the base, broadcasting the EM signature of a drop ship. This was to test to see if any turrets were indeed active.

Not even dust rose up to meet the explorers as they made planetfall. Not a flock of avians screeching away in fright. No scurrying rodents or even insects walked these lonely, deserted streets. Just the howling of the wind through the cavernous valleys of buildings greeted the ears of the landing parties. The most immediate impression they would have is of the sheer size of the architecture. Everything was built for space, even though it was quickly apparent by looking at doorways and windows that the original occupants had been of roughly human size.

The second thing that would strike the landing teams was that, despite the complete and utter lack of life, even movement in this forgotten city, life teemed outside of its walls, many kilometers away. Grand statues and monuments littered the streets. Adorned with precious jewels in such great numbers that there were no shadows cast by them, such was the reflected light. The statues portrayed human looking figures, with perfect physiques and long flowing hair. They were adorned in gem encrusted armour, carrying weapons forged purely from synthetic jewels, many meters long. It was a dazzling sight. To some for the sheer beauty of the carvings, to others for the sheer greed of seeing so many precious gems in one place.

The explorers had found a treasure trove, but one fact would trouble all of their minds as they searched through the abandoned layers of the city. There was not even so much a spec of dust adorning any part of this great city. It was perfectly clean, sanitary in every way.

***Fire Retrieval Team A***

The team made excellent time to the foundry, nothing stood in their way and even the great underground bunker was easily breached. The door wasnt even locked. As they took the great lifts down in to the depths, they were greeted by an awe inspiring site. They were overlooking a massive cavern, that disappeared in to the distance. Inside of it were rows upon rows of massive storage tanks, beside them lay great angular machines, presumably factories or other manufacturing centers. All was silence, and it was flooded by a bright, white light. The echoing footsteps of the team could be heard clearly for a great distance as they cleared the many meters of stairs and landings to the foundry floor.

A few minutes of searching would reveal a treasure trove of raw materials. Formless molecular soup used in the synthesis of raw materials. Techno-alchemy. The team had surely discovered a great treasure. The machines beside them were more foreign to their eyes, some time would have to be taken to study them before their true purpose would be revealed. However an educated guess would state they had to do with the synthesis or transportation of raw materials from the vats.

If the team wished to know more they would have to stop, and study what they had found.

***Fire Retrieval team B***

Alpha 4 and his team would also find, like the rest of their compatriots that nothing moved, nor breathed within the confines of the city. Their careful movement through the streets would show the same sights that greeted them on their arrival. Massive buildings, with hanging gardens and even small parks on every level as well as huge, gravity defying bridges spanning from ground to rooftop. However sight seeing was not the order of the day for Alpha 4's retrieval team. They were heading to what at least appeared to be the main administrative building for the city. It was massive, built on an island in the middle of a massive artificial lake, connected by great bridges to the rooftops and city streets below.

It rose high in to the sky, dwarfing the buildings below it with its majesty. It was adorned with great statues, mimicking those on the boulevards and in great open parks littering the city. As they neared the Administration building they saw no sign of any defenses..of..anything but the great buildings that surrounded them. Still any members of the team who were more "sensitive" then others, or simply more superstitious would not be able to shake a bad feeling, or at least the simple feeling of being watched.

The great doors of the Administration building were several meters tall, and pure platinum. Whoever had built these structures definetly had a flair for opulence. The sheer wealth surrounding the landing team would likely be enough to dissuade any macabre thoughts about this lonely city, resting upon a world on the edge of the galaxy.

***Fire Retrieval Team C***

Despite the obvious presence of defensive weaponry, nothing happened to the simple drone that flew overhead. More extensive scans quickly determined that their was currently no power in this portion of the city. A quick check with other members would determine that the entire power grid was offline, or at least dormant. Much like the foundry the doors to the bunker complex were unlocked.

Inside the team would find itself surprised. Quite unlike many such installations, it was characterised by great long tunnels of over fifteen meters in height. They were made, at least at first glance for the rapid movement of massive amounts of war materiel. Here at last a team would find some form of power. Ranging in multiple floor levels of the facility were platforms along the walls. They had simple stairs leading to platforms that ended after a few short feet. However a control panel in the wall, when activated projected a three by three meter wide disc of force. When stepped on it would move up to three people quickly to the next platform, where they could ride another disc to the next and so on. This system, presumably lead all the way in to the heart of the complex.

The depths of the facility beckoned the team onwards.

***Space***

All was quiet above this lonely world. Nothing much of interest was occuring in the system. Simple movement of celestial bodies and asteroids would be all that those on sensor duty would watch.

Fire Retrieval team A: X moved up to the Vat, taking a detailed molecular and composition scan of the vat as well as taking detailed schematic scans of the equipment before heading on to the HUB. Picking up their pace as they moved on to the prize. X kept his scanners up, not taking any chances. "Team A to retrieval teams, Approaching foundry HUB. Power is offline. Continue with primary objectives."

Fire Retrieval team B: Alpha 4 lead his team onward, also not taking chances on the emptiness. No amount of opulence or apparent safety would dissuade Alpha teams caution. Past experiences rang out in each of their minds. Each one staying alert for anything. The team proceeded into the building. moving down into the basement to the HUB room.

One of the others, Alpha 5, slipped two hockey puck sized objects from clips on his waist. Running a line from each one into what the Tech sensor identified as the mainframes power input. Clipping the two disks together, one on top of the other and plugging them in using a universal adapter. The two miniature gravity induction cores cycling up slowly to match the systems input requirements. Alpha 5's EM sensor and tech scanner notifying when the system was at its optimum level. Slipping out something the size of a deck of cards he clipped it to the side of the mainframe as the system began to relay the data back to the Crown of Swords. "Team B at the capital HUB. Power is off line, Data retrieval going smoothly."

Fire Retrieval team C: The team didn't bother with using the lifts. stepping off and using their personal flight systems. Descending the shaft in a small formation, quickly dropping to the bottom to land gracefully. "HUB is half a click that way." Alpha 10 said, gesturing for the others to move out. They moved at a dead sprint. Rifles at the ready. "Team C to teams A and B, Approaching the HUB, Power in the military base is operational."



In space, The crown of swords began an in depth scan of the planets surface. searching for anything living. Charting its topography and recording the layout of the cities. The 4 destroyer teams scanning the system for any metalic objects in orbit of any of the other planets. Anything that could be retrieved for tech or material beyond asteroids. The Crown of Swords retrieving the data stream from team B, recording it into a stand alone memory bank in case of any virus programs. "Signal the Kergerin that we've located the motherload. an abandoned system full of planets."

***Fire Retrieval Team A***

The scan of the vat's contents went off without a hitch. They revealed that the contents were some form of base molecular soup. A liquid philosophers stone. However knowing what was in the soup and using it was a totally different matter. The machines beside the vats would likely hold clues to using their contents.

As the team moved through the factory complex, they couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched, despite the lack of any signs of whoever built this place still residing here.
motion scanners showed nothing, nor did scanners.

Moving to the main computer core was rather easy, the entire facility had been built for ease of transportation of goods and personnel.

***Fire Retrieval Team B***

The administrative building was far less opulent on the inside. Instead dormant desks and view systems filled the many offices inside. Rather then entrust all of the relevant data to one mainframe, it was seperated in to hundreds of different cubicles. This was to ensure that in the case of damage to the building itself, that a lucky hit or calamity could wipe out the mainframe and data stored only within this building. The artisans of this star cluster surely had a very complex..and paranoid bureaucracy. The information inside was scattered all over the building and it would take hours, if not days to secure it all.

***Fire Retrieval Team C***

The data download was going well. For about fifteen seconds at least, before a massive power surge fried the node the team was using. Security systems inside the military complex were incredibly tight. On closer inspection the team would find that on unauthorised tampering, military hardware would destroy itself rather then allow itself to be used. This was accomplished through genetic scans, and the raiders did not match the original architects, though it is likely their form may have at least been similiar.

Retrieving any data, or anything of use from the military complex would require people with a rather broad base of technical knowledge, and a fair deal of equipment. Equipment the fire team likely did not bring with them.

***Orbit***

Nothing was out of the ordinary, though it this system was remarkably active with stellar phenomena. Plenty of asteroids floated around, filling the systems outer rims like a thick soup. Thousands of them were on orbits that brought them close to the sun. The fact that this planet was not protected by a defense net of some sort against the asteroids was either a worriesome sign, or a testament to the technology of the builders. Some unknown device could be creating a gravitational effect, some would think. Or maybe the owners arent as gone as it looks, would be the thought on others minds.

Fire Retrieval team A: X linked up to the hub. His method was a bit different. Hardline linking a small data pad to the hub. He then slipped out a small box, plugging the datapad into it then plugging the box into his suit. The micro computer implanted in his brain linking to the microcomputer in the suit. He closed his eyes and saw the screen. He began to ghost hack the HUB. The rest of his team taking up defensive positions.

Fire Retrieval team B: "This is Alpha 4, we're going to need a while to get any data from the capital building. Its all spread out over a network, and we cant power all of it." The reply from X was short. "Rodger that, cancel objective and proceed to second objective." The second team responded in unison, "Yes sir." The team moving out of the building and onto its roof. Taking defensive positions. "Team B in position at second objective."

Fire Retrieval team C: Alpha 10 took a step back, shaking his head before removing the equipment. "We're gonna have to do this the old fashioned way..." He muttered, signaling for the group to move out. "This is Alpha 10 to alpha team. Objective failure, it looks like there was a security failsafe on the HUB. Its fried, we're gonna find the armory, see if we cant recover anything useful." The reply was short and brief. "Rodger, be quick, then proceed to second objective." The team moved out of the HUB room, following digital maps from deep earth scans of the base. "Alpha 10 to Crown of Swords, we need a deep imaging scan of the complex. We need to find the armory." He looked over the basic map, which simply showed rooms and halls, but nothing more. There was a rather large room that looked to be a hangar though he wasn't sure.

Orbit: The crown of swords focused its surface scan on the military building. compiling from its various scanners a detailed layout of the inside of the complex. The Crown of swords, like all red talons ships, were part scout vessel. Every ship had to have the capability to function and survive without support vessels. Even the frigates carried a wing of interceptors. The two destroyer teams continuing to scan the system, set up in a triangle pattern around the planet with the Crown of Swords and its eight frigates making the third point.

The Pegasis sailed through hyperspace towards its destination, the Crown of Swords and its escort. 5/4 sat back in the captains seat on the huge bridge. Yawning slightly as he looked out of the large shielded windows that made up half of the bridge.