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Capt. Coates: This is Captain Coates. We have reached orbit. I have positioned the Rocinante between the K-S Sun and the Nimbus. C.ME. Alvarez has detected no anomalous readings aboard the Nimbus, so he and C.OO. Arlotti have transported aboard. Extraction Team Gamma-Seven is currently en route to the research site. Everybody, please check in to confirm commlink integrity.
C.ME. Alvarez: This is Alvarez. I read you, Captain.
C.OO. Arlotti: This is Arlotti. Loud and clear.
C.O. Belloc: This is Commander Belloc. We read you, Captain. Sound off, men.
SPC. Rathcliffe: Ho!
SPC. Holst: Ho!
SPC. Lovejoy: Look, I’m here, alright? Let’s not turn this into a Christmas jingle.
Capt. Coates: Commlink confirmed. I am reading no interference between our transmission and headquarters. Everything we say will be transmitted, so keep that in mind.
SPC. Holst: Pretty sure the Captain’s talking to you, Vinny.
SPC. Lovejoy: Whatever. If those pricks at headquarters have a problem with me, they shouldn’t have picked me for this mission.
C.O. Belloc: We have made contact with the research site. Preliminary scans show there to be extraordinarily high levels of radiation. There’s no way we’ll find any survivors down here.
Capt. Coates: Confirmed, Commander. Please sweep for bodies. We’ll need them for an autopsy report.
C.O. Belloc: Roger that. Specialist Rathcliffe and I will take the lower levels. Holst, Lovejoy, you sweep the upper canopy.
SPCs. Holst, Lovejoy: Roger.
Capt. Coates: Commander, is it…wise to put those two together?
SPC. Holst: Sounds like the Captain’s calling you out, Vinny.
SPC. Lovejoy: Sounds like he’s calling us both out, you nimrod.
C.O. Belloc: I know they come off as a couple of bumbling idiots, Captain, but they work well together. I trust them to get their job done.
SPC. Lovejoy: I am both touched and offended, Commander.
Capt. Coates: Very well, Commander. I’ll leave it to your discretion.
C.O. Belloc: Specialist Rathcliffe and I are descending into the lower canopy now. Confirm that you are still reading us through the radiation.
Capt. Coates: Confirmed. Proceed.
SPC. Rathcliffe: So this is Yggdrasil. The world tree.
C.O. Belloc: Rathcliffe, turn on your flashlight. It’s getting darker the farther down we go.
SPC. Rathcliffe: No, look, Commander – the trees are luminescent. It’s...kind of beautiful.
C.O. Belloc: I don’t care. We’re not here to admire the scenery. We need more illumination. Turn on your flashlight.
SPC. Rathcliffe: Yes, Sir.
Capt. Coates: Keep me advised, team. Alvarez, have you discovered anything aboard the Nimbus which may give an indication as to why the radiation levels on the planet are so high?
C.ME. Alvarez: Negative, Captain. I’ve run a diagnostic on the navigational systems, and both attitude control and global positioning are undamaged. It appears the ship hasn’t moved from this spot since it arrived. Whatever the source of the radiation on the planet is, I can tell you it isn’t solar.
Capt. Coates: Understood, Chief. Arlotti, do you have anything to report?
C.OO. Arlotti: Nothing substantial, Captain. A scan of the communications system confirms that it is operable. I am attempting to access the ship’s logs for retrieval, but the file system isn’t exactly what I would call…standard. I would suggest setting up a commlink between the Nimbus and the Rocinante and simply transferring the entire memory core, but that would include all of the ship’s operational logs, navigational charts, and an awful lot of junk data that we just don’t have room for. If you could give me a few minutes, I can read through what I think might be some crew logs and collect them into a single directory before I transfer them.
Capt. Coates: Agreed, Chief. Take whatever steps you deem appropriate. Commander, how goes the search?
C.O. Belloc: Nothing significant to report, Captain. So far, the area appears pristine. No bodies, and nothing showing up on our scans. However, I will note that the radiation levels are even higher in the lower canopy than they were on the canopy surface.
Capt. Coates: That would be consistent with the research log.
C.OO. Arlotti: Captain, I’ve found what looks like a series of research notes. I believe they belonged to the Chief Biologist. I’ll open a datalink and begin transferring them, although they seem to be scattered over several directories, and a lot of them look fairly irrelevant.
Capt. Coates: Understood. Datalink confirmed. Read through them and transfer whatever files you find that appear valuable.
C.OO. Arlotti: There’s one in particular that looks promising. Will advise.
SPC. Holst: Shit! Son of a bitch!
C.O. Belloc: Holst? Holst, report.
SPC. Holst: Sorry, Sir. Must have accidentally stumbled into a low-hanging branch. Just startled me, is all.
SPC. Lovejoy: It looks like it’s caught on the back of his suit. I’ll try to disengage it. Hold still, Ray.
C.O. Belloc: Let’s try to keep the comm traffic clear of any unnecessary–-shit!
SPC. Lovejoy: Commander?
C.O. Belloc: Sorry, I guess I can’t take my own advice. One of these trees – there’s a knot on the trunk that…I swear, it looks just like a human face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything–-fuck! Rggghh!
SPC. Rathcliffe: Jesus! Fuck!
*gunfire*
Capt. Coates: Belloc? Rathcliffe? Report!
SPC. Rathcliffe: Fucking Christ! A vine just…it just grabbed the Commander!
C.O. Belloc: Get this…fucking…rrrraaAAAAHHHHH–-
SPC. Rathcliffe: Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
*gunfire*
SPC. Lovejoy: Rathcliffe, what the fuck is happening over there?
SPC. Rathcliffe: It just…it just ripped him in half! Fucking God, it ripped him right in half!
SPC. Holst: Vinny…I don’t…urgh.
SPC. Lovejoy: Mike, withdraw immediately. Captain, there’s a tear in Ray’s exosuit. He doesn’t look so good. The radiation might be getting to him. Recommend immediate evac.
Capt. Coates: Agreed. Get out of there.
*gunfire*
SPC. Rathcliffe: FUCK! NO! AAAAAGGHHHH--
SPC. Lovejoy: Mike? What the fuck is happening?
Capt. Coates: Lovejoy, I’m showing no life signs in Belloc, Rathcliffe, or Holst. I order you to withdraw immediately.
SPC. Lovejoy: What the fuck are you saying? Ray’s right here. I’m helping him back to the shuttle. Whatever happened to Belloc and Rathcliffe, Ray and I will--
*gunfire*
Capt. Coates: What was that? Specialist Lovejoy? Do you copy?
C.ME. Alvarez: Captain, what’s happening down there?
Capt. Coates: I don’t know. I’ve lost life signs on all four members of Gamma-Seven. I’m ordering you and Chief Arlotti to return to the Rocinante immediately. I’m calling off this mission.
C.ME. Alvarez: Copy that. No, hold that, Captain. The shuttle is leaving the planet. The docking mechanism onboard the Nimbus has been activated. There may be an auto-return function on the shuttle. I’ll head down to the docking bay to confirm.
Capt. Coates: Roger that, Chief. Arlotti, are you done transferring the files?
C.OO. Arlotti: Most…most of them, Captain. There’s one I’m transferring now. I think…I think it might have something to do with what happened down there.
Capt. Coates: Well, finish the transfer, then head to the docking bay with Alvarez and return to the Rocinante.
C.OO. Arlotti: R-roger.
C.ME. Alvarez: The shuttle is docking. I detect no life signs aboard. It must be an auto-return mechanism after all. Alayna, head on down whenever--
C.OO. Arlotti: No! The shuttle’s not unoccupied! Alvarez, get out of there, now!
C.ME. Alvarez: Say again, Arlot--
*gunfire*
Capt. Coates: What the fuck -- I’m showing no life signs in Chief Alvarez. Arlotti, do you have any idea what’s happening over there?
C.OO. Arlotti: Shit shit shit shit--
Capt. Coates: Chief! Chief, I need you to stay calm! Tell me what’s happening! I’m reading an overload of the Nimbus’ FTL reactor! Talk to me, Alayna! Alayna!
*gunfire*
Capt. Coates: Chief, are you alright? What was that?
C.OO. Arlotti: Dammit, I don’t think I killed it. But I think it’s wounded.
Capt. Coates: What is? Alayna, that reactor is going to implode in less than thirty seconds. Please advise!
C.OO. Arlotti: That thing…the thing that used to be Holst. It’s listening to everything we say. I used the overload to bait it onto the bridge. It might try to stop the overload, but I don’t think it has time. I’ve wounded it for now, so I think I can make it to the shuttle. We have to get out of here, Captain.
Capt. Coates: Confirmed. Just get to the shuttle, Chief.
*gunfire*
C.OO. Arlotti: Shit, it’s still right behind me!
Capt. Coates: Are you wounded, Chief?
C.OO. Arlotti: No, Sir. I’m aboard the shuttle. I’ll try to jam the docking bay door behind me so it can’t follow. I’ll be aboard the Rocinante in a few moments.
Capt. Coates: Make it quick, Chief. The Nimbus’ reactor has reached its sustainable threshold. It will implode any moment now.
C.OO. Arlotti: It just did, Captain. Half the ship just…vanished. But I’m clear. I’m returning to the Rocinante.
Capt. Coates: Confirmed. Initiating docking procedures. Headquarters, this is Captain Coates. I can confirm the loss of all members of Gamma-Seven, plus Chief Alvarez. Chief Arlotti and I are the only survivors. We will be departing as soon as she is aboard. I am officially declaring this mission a failure and advising against additional rescue or research missions. I will…Alayna, you’ve been shot!
C.OO. Arlotti: What? Oh, just a graze on the arm, Captain. Nothing serious. Let’s get the hell out of here.
Capt. Coates: Agreed. We’re now initiating…FTL…urgghh.
C.OO. Arlotti: Captain? Are you alr--oh, God. Oh, God, no.
Capt. Coates: Alay…naaahhh.
*sobbing*
C.OO. Arlotti: No, no, Captain. Oh, God.
*gunfire*
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