Location: I06 - Yetornius
Tags: Vehicle, Spaceship / Airplane, Exploration, AG, Octan
++Start data transmission++
Pombe to John Hannibal: package received. Thanks again, John, for delivering my hover chair. Getting around Yetornius will be that much easier with it. By the way, that's an impressive barge you've got there. When are you going to let me take a ride on it? Alright, alright, see you later.
Hmm...time to open the crate and assemble my ride according to Big Z's instructions....
To tell you the truth, I'm anxious about this mission. I'm scared of what I may find. I guess I can chat a bit while I put this thing together.
About two years ago, the legendary Octan explorer, Wick Nole, asked me to mentor a promising young explorer named Isabel Novak. Wow...I mean, THE Wick Nole actually knew who I was and asked me to train an Octan employee. I was honored beyond belief. How could I refuse?
In any case, Isabel turned out to be quick study...faster than I was at her stage. We performed exploration missions together for the corporation and before long she had proved beyond capable of conducting these missions by herself. I was proud to be her mentor, but I can't kid myself here. It's easy to be a good teacher when you've got a good student.
Then came the day I knew would come: she asked to undertake a solo mission. Based on her records, she'd earned it. But I was scared, not because I thought she was incapable, but because until that point, she had never known failure. I was afraid she was over-confident. And in this line of work, some serious self-doubt can save your life.
I had just come back from my solo mission on H06, when I found out that she wanted to take on an ambitious mission. The protocols state that Octan employees may not go beyond one planetary system outside our region of dominance as part of our mission here in Andromeda. However, Isabel was confident she could jump two systems away and explore. I didn't like it, but she put in the request and the mission was approved.
I still remember the final mission briefing with Jebediah O'Reilly and Dr. Danielle Long in a meeting room aboard the O.C.S. Axle. We went over the particulars of what was expected: I06, otherwise known as Yetornius, was a truly inhospitable planet. Based on Octan probes, it had severe volcanic and seismic activity coupled with extremely hostile predatory lifeforms, which could be harvested for biomass. I still remember that meeting. Jebediah went over combat and safety protocols with Isabel. Dr. Long went over scientific precautions, all while sipping that drink I owed her from my last mission.
Everything, at first, seemed to have gone well. She reported in regularly, stating that she had made it to Yetornius and that she had located potential lifeforms that could serve as biomass. Then, she missed a check in. And another one. And another one. I was nervous.
Then my nervousness became fear.
Once we officially dominated H06, I immediately put in a request to search for Isabel. Request granted.
I asked Big Z and Jon Horsleben about the most nimble vehicle that would allow me to quickly locate Isabel on a planet like Yetornius, and they agreed that the hover chair that I'm now almost done assembling was the most ideally suited. I had tested it back in the engineering bay of the O.C.S. Axle, and I had no issues with it.
One last panel...there we go.
Finished.
Powering up.
All systems nominal.
Everything checks out.
Now...let's look for Isabel.
Her last transmission was from coordinates not too far from here.
...
...
Just over this ridge.
...
Oh my...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo...Isabel...
...
...
...
Hold on...(sob)
Give me a moment...(sob)
...
Explorer Pombe checking (sob) in. Isabel Novak's remains (sob) identified.
...
Transmitting coordinates.
...
...
H-her vehicle is not present (sob). Probably engulfed by the lava....
These creatures...near her remains...they d-don't look hostile nor predatory. Something's not right. Isabel faced much scarier lifeforms than these during her training. She would not have fallen prey here. Maybe she was careless?
Poor Isabel...
++End data transmission++
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