Autonomous orbital colony Omega-1

D

Dougverse1

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Original poster
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In orbit of the Arcturus star system, there is a single habitable planet, arcturus-Omega. It is considered one of the few
potential habitable worlds for humankind, after their long expansion into the stars. Humanity, known for its endless
conquest and insatiable greed and hunger, has destroyed most of the worlds they have attempted colonization of. Arcturus was one of the stars that humanity has long since avoided, which is uncannily mostly due to superstition, and heresay on the parts of the drifter caravans that have passed the world. Or rather, those who hadn't.

Recently, an observation post had been set up in orbit of the habitable world in said system. Soon enough, that post became a bustling center for trade and interstellar commerce, with a newfound bounty of resources. Strangely, however, after a matter of 5 years, every citizen on orbital colony Omega-1 had left, or disappeared. Of course, those who left comitted suicide soon after, the reasons to which are still under observation. Soon enough, the colony was abandoned completely once again. The strange omens surrounding the world once again rose. However, now, after many years, humanity cannot afford to ignore this precious and bountiful world, and is therefore comissioning a major corporation, Vectorcorp, to gather what information they can from the now defunct Omega outpost, in order to find out what exactly caused the strange disappearances, suicides, and other deaths. They have sent out a team to carry out this objective. The team is comprised of 6 members, each of which dedicated VectorCorp staff.

The team is also being ordered to observe what they can on the planets surface before returning, however, that is a secondary objective.



Heading the team is captain Mark Cohen, a taller, lean man. His complexion is somewhat soft, despite his military service, but handsome. (that is, he has a very honest face.) His hair is short and black, always kept clean and proper. He is known for his kind and charismatic personality,caring for the lives of his fellow crew over his own, but willing to lead them into certain death if necessary. He was born into a working class family, and worked his way up through the ranks of VectorCorp to attain the status of captain of his own vessel.

Currently, the vessel is en route towards the old orbital colony.


Main Characters:

Captain Mark Cohen
Player: Dougverse
Age: 31
Role: Captain

appearance:
6'1", slim, short black hair. Very clean cut, and has a soft complexion. His eyes are a soft shade of Hazel, and none of his features come off as particularly intimidating. In fact, he comes off as rather nondescript to many people. He is dressed in the VectorCorp standard white captains uniform.

Personality:
He is a very kind, and charismatic leader. What he lacks in proper tactical knowledge, he makes up for with his gung-ho attitude and outgoing personality.

Strengths:
He is an excellent strategist, as well as a great social motivator. He often times makes up for his lack in skill with his interpersonal strengths and ability to motivate others. He also is extremely booksmart, having an expert knowledge of physics and aeronautics, which gives him an edge on leading a spacecraft crew.

Weaknesses:
It's usually the actual application of his strategies and tactics where he falls short. He's great at planning, but often times finding solutions on the fly is where he falls short.



Character: Vincent Havlicek
Player: Dougverse
Role: Pilot
Age: 23

Appearance:
Vincent stands at roughly 5'8". He has a lean, and well toned body, befitting of a pilot. He has a hard edged, but very handsome face. His sharp blue eyes and short stubble give his complexion a bit of an aggressive vibe, while his wavy, short brown hair gives him a bit of a boyish charm. He usually wears the standard issue olive green pilot jumpsuit, leaving the front zipper of the outfit open, revealing the white t-shirt he wears underneath.

Personality:
Vincent is a nice and very energetic guy, who really tries to be friendly to anyone he meets. He's quite naiive about the way the world works,
only just really discovering more about the inner workings of the corporation as he became a pilot for their exploration missions. However, he has faith in his fellow man, too much sometimes. He is a very faithful friend, but sometimes finds himself easily taken advantage of. He is, however, very confident in his own abilities, and wishes to use his piloting skills to help others. Yet, he often times has found his piloting skills have been used for purposes he often deems less than ethically correct, usually by circumstance. (think being made to pilot a craft used to drop nuclear ordinance on civilians)

Strengths:
Piloting and hand to hand combat.

[/b]Weaknesses:[/b]
Often times thinking for himself is a bit of a problem for him, and it takes him a little push in the right direction to get him working.



Name:
Zoe Kanavos

Age:
30

Role:
Medic

Appearance:
Zoe stands at 5’ 7” with a figure that is thin and curvaceous. She has oval shaped eyes with brilliant green irises. Her skin is very pale with freckles stretching across her nose, and some speckled on her arms. The length of her red hair stops at her shoulders and is often times tied into a ponytail. Usual attire is similar to how a lab scientist or doctor might dress. Typically, she wears black pants with a solid coloured blouse and her white coat over that. She even wears a stethoscope around her neck, and she’s never without convenient medical supplies in the large pockets. For self-defense, she carries a handgun at her waist at all times. Also, she is seen wearing a pair of glasses more often than not.

Personality:
Zoe is a very compassionate woman. It’s her job to keep the crew healthy and mentally stable, so she acts as more than a doctor; she’s also a counselor. She does her best to be supportive and understanding of any ally’s situation. Sweet as she seems, Zoe can be pretty aggressive. If you refuse a treatment, argue with her or do something idiotic, she shows more of her fiery side. This is not a woman you want to upset.

Strengths:
So that she isn’t completely defenseless on duty, she’s been trained to an expert level of martial arts. Zoe is also agile and has decent stamina. She’s crafty, too. Any object within reach can be made into a weapon, or a complicating contraption for her benefit, such as traps. Plus, she’s a doctor. Having her around guarantees good health!

Weaknesses:
Zoe carries a gun, yes, but it’s a simple firearm. Anything more complicated or heavy is misplaced in her hands, unless you trust her to figure it out. Additionally, her eyesight is not the greatest. She isn’t blind without them, but reading and focusing on an image will become challenging.


(other NPC's will develop as the game goes on!)
 
The look on Zoe's face was focused, yet content as she sketched words on a paper held to a clipboard. Every so often, her eyes looked over her glasses to read labels on medicine bottles that were shelved above her. At this moment, she was taking inventory for her supplies. It was helpful for helping keep track of how quickly she and the crew went through certain items. That way, she could be better prepared for voyages to come. Some of her tools would need replacements soon, too. Once you lost or broke an object, you'd need the spare, so she needed a spare for the spare!

While scribing, she mumbled the names of pills to herself, along with everything about them; recommended doses, milligrams, how many in each bottle. Zoe was a highly organized woman, which shined brightly in her notes. There was a satisfied smile on her lips now. The stocks in the medical bay were decent, by her standards. When she looked at her paper, there wasn't much to demand. Yet. They still had a ways to go, so much could change between now and then. At least now, she had a nice setup on a sheet of paper for keeping track of future uses of equipment.

The clipboard was then hung on the wall with the pen hidden in the clip. Zoe adjusted her coat while straightening her posture, then she turned to a nearby mirror. Bashfully, she smiled at her reflection. She never thought herself ugly, but she always thought her freckles made her looks silly, despite that her being a 'ginger girl' was cute.

'What else is on my agenda?'

With no ailments to treat, there wasn't much for a medic to do. She supposed she'd look into more research on their destination, so she could prepare for any known sickness that could be obtained. From what she knew already, this trip came with so many risks. Hopefully, she could prevent the misfortunes that explorers before them had to suffer. The people of this crew meant the world to her. Zoe would do her damnedest.

For now, she peeked out a window of the medical bay with her arms folded over her chest.
 
The research class vessel Vega glides silently along through the ether, seemingly alone in this glistening sea of stars. It was an isolating feeling, traveling through the vast depths of this glowing galaxy, and yet, at the same time, from any observers view, lightyears away, everything looked so close together. Such was the lament of captain Mark Cohen as he focused intensely out the window of his craft, his brow furrowed. He was entranced by the landscape laid out in front of him, sparkling like a box of jewelry just waiting to be grasped. One of the crew members breaks his near-meditative state by announcing their current position relative to their destination. He nearly jumps at the remark, spouting an angry retort to his subordinate.

"Why can't the whole damn galaxy be as close together as those stars out there? Tell me!!" The tall captain remarks, folding his arms. His subordinate shrugs, his face in a look of both shock and confusion at his captains comment. Captain Cohen shakes his head, dismissing his remark. "I'm sorry, homesickness is gettin' to me." He says, a smile warm enough to melt ice crossing his face. "Maybe I need some coffee..." He says, rising from his seat. The very same crewmember coughs when he does, mumbling something under his breath. When asked to speak up, he explains that the remaining coffee and other caffeine stimulant rations, at least the allotted amount for this portion of the journey, have been used already. The captains face grows cold. It was as if someone had just dumped a box of dry ice on his head, then thrown him in a freezer. "W-what did you say?" he inquires, keeping his voice as calm as possible in the face of this tragedy. As his fears are reaffirmed, he can almost feel a tear coming to his eye.

However, this man has a contingency for his shortage of stimuli. A newfound hope, in the face of utter despair, now radiates in his weary brain. He walks briskly from the bridge of the ship, on a determined path towards the medical bay. "We may have no caffeine.... but those eggheads in the medical bay are sure to have something even better.... like amphetamines!" He says to himself, chuckling as he struts down the halls of his ship. He arrives at the medical bay promptly, announcing his presence with an over the top greeting.

"Hellooooo doctor! This is your captain speaking! We're having a bit of a problem, and you're the only one who can fix it!"
 
Footsteps were echoing towards her and just as she turned away from the window, the source was at the medical bay. Zoe spotted the Captain, who greeted her with enthusiasm. She smiled at him and gave a respectful nod with her head, then made her way over to him. She paused nearby a cabinet filled with supplies, her hand reaching for the handle and hooking onto it.

"What's the problem, Captain?" she asked him in a concerned, yet calm voice. This must not have been a huge emergency, see that he was chipper at the moment. That did not keep her from worrying, though. Sometimes, these people didn't respond to bad situations the way that they should. Then again, there were those drama queens that got jumpy just from a cut on their finger...

While awaiting a response, she briefly looked him over. As a doctor, and a friend, she was ever watchful of the crew members' images. Any noticeable change in weight, mood and whatever else could get her attention right away. She wanted to be sure they were taken care of, physically and mentally.

By looking at Mark's eyes, she could tell he needed... Something. They looked tired, despite how awake he acted. He needed a nap! Or, some caffeine. Surely, there was a dose of something or other that she could offer. Instead of making her guess, she just smiled again and waited on his request.
 
"You know, I haven't been sleeping well lately." The captain says, inviting himself into the medical bay with a brisk walk, looking around at all of the tools and medicine kept therein. As his eyes fixate on any given object in the room, he seems to get lost in thought for a moment, before he shakes himself back awake. "But, you see, time is of the essence if we wish to make it to this station, and I personally feel that I would be wasting time by taking a nap at this point." He says, before yawning, his arms outstretched. "I would have caffeine... or coffee...... but a certain first mate who shall not be named has deemed us out of caffeine rations for this leg of the trip!" He declares, followed by a roll of his eyes.

His tired eyes light up before his big question. He places a hand on a nearby medical table, coming dangerously close to knocking over any equipment or medication placed on it. "So, I figured, you, being a doctor, might have something that could keep me awake and alert for the rest of this journey!" He smile is wide as he eagerly awaits her response.
 
"No more coffee?"

Zoe herself was dismayed to hear this. Even if she didn't always get a cup of coffee for herself, she really enjoyed the aroma of it. Sometimes, that was enough to wake her right up. Perhaps, she'd sneak that into her inventory notes... Surely, their providers wouldn't want to deprive them of such an important beverage.

When she spotted his hand move to a table of fragile equipment so carelessly, she felt her heart jump with fear. Immediately, she reached out and touched his hand, her thin fingers wrapping around it so she could move it. A light shade of red painted her freckled cheeks when she did so. The act was done impulsively, but he'd understand, wouldn't he? Zoe was only thinking of her precious medical supplies, after all. If he damaged anything or spilled a bottle of pills, she would have gotten furious.

"I can help you, sir," she assured him, biting her lower lip and gently letting go of his hand so it was closer to the edge of the table. Zoe then turned to the cabinet beside her and shuffled through some items organized neatly on the shelves. "We have caffeine pills. Hmmm..."

A bottle of the mentioned drug was taken out and set down on the counter nearby her before she looked at him again, curiously looking over his face. "How come you haven't been sleeping?" she asked him, genuinely concerned. Zoe wanted to tell him to take a nap anyway, but she understood his reasons for not doing so. They were getting closer and closer to their target.

"I'm going to give you a caffeine pill. One of these is like drinking two cups of coffee. I really do recommend you sleep as soon as you can, though. You'll need it." Zoe made half a smile while offering one of the 200 mg tablets to him.
 
The proud captain laughs at her remark of sleep. "Sleep? Why, if I were to sleep for but a single moment during this excellent voyage, I might miss the glorious sea of stars before us! That, and I cannot sleep in good conscience when I run the risk of not being there for my dear crew when they need me most... just because I'm... sleeeeeping..." He says, the mere utterance of the word sleep causing him to yawn. He puts a hand over his mouth to stifle it, but his drawn out yawn comes out at an embarrassingly loud volume in spite of his feeble attempts to stop it. He then proceeds to rub his weary eyes with one of his fingers, supporting his weight by leaning against the counter he had placed his other hand on. After he regains his composure, Mark promptly asks if he could borrow one of the caffeine pills, attempting to keep his voice chipper, but his current state of drowsiness beginning to impede his ability to keep his same charismatic and animated attitude.

Slowly, he reaches out for the pill, gently grasping it from her hand. However, his hand remains in hers for a moment as he once again spaces out, his drowsiness not allowing him to focus on something for over a second without his heavy eyes starting to fall shut, like two massive iron doors. That moment continues as he tries to fight himself from nodding off. He nearly passes out and collapses into the poor medic, his weary body too exhausted to hold up his own weight. Over an 80 hour period, he had not had a single minute of sleep, so it was understandable that he was beginning to simply shut down.
 
The level enthusiasm was dropping significantly, even after she offered the caffeine capsule to him. They were hand in hand again because he was dozing off right then and there! Zoe was willing to wait patiently for him to take the pill and be on his way, but the poor man was about ready to collapse. No amount of medicine could treat this; it was worse than she imagined. Mark needed rest. Nothing more of less.

"All right, Captain. Change in plans." Zoe gave a stern look above her glasses as she looked up at him, noting his distant facial expression. She gave his hand an assuring squeeze before letting it go so she could pocket the caffeine pill. Only seconds later did she return his hand to hers, and use her other arm to loop around him. That way, he could properly lean on her for support if need be.

Slowly, she was making her way over to the closest bed in the medical bay with her Captain in tow. "You must take a nap. I'll watch over you, and alert your second-in-command of your... Break," she told him in a soothing voice. This man trusted her with his life and frankly, his life was very precious to her. Zoe had to take the best possible care of him, no matter how reluctant he'd be. By the time they reached their landing, he needed to be in good shape.

"And please, do ask if you need anything else."
 
By the time the medic could finish her statement, the captain was fast asleep, the only response he gave was snoring. Fortunately, there were many open cots in the medical bay for him to rest on for the captain to rest on. He, thankfully, was already in a deep enough sleep that the next message broadcasted over the ships intercom system would not wake him up.

"Attention crew, this is the first mate speaking. We have just reached the final stretch of this trip, we are currently half-a parsec away from our destination, at the projected rate, we will arrive in about 10 hours,"

After a brief pause, he continues his announcement with a somewhat fitting comment. "If you need rest, now would be the time to do so. It might be last time in a while you'll get this opportunity. When we arrive, we get right to work!" With that, the transmission closes, the hull remaining silent. If one were to look outside of the ship, they would be able to see a glowing light in the distance, one that was beginning to grow larger at an increasing rate. That light was the very star they were approaching, and yet, it didn't seem like a beacon of hope for weary travelers, as much as a growing ominous presence in empty depths of space. If one were to stare at the burning ball of hydrogen too long, it appeared as if tendrils of light were extending from the star itself, reaching out to grasp any onlooker and drag it into the burning core of the sun.
 
Zoe sat down on the bed beside him, taking the time to catch her breath and listen to the intercom message. As she listened on, she took off her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. Seeing her Captain fall asleep the way he did was having an affect on her. This reminded Zoe that she, too, was tired. She didn't stay awake for extended periods of time, but there had been nights when she kept waking up and having to wait a while to go back to sleep. That was a very annoying pattern.

"Ten hours," she said under her breath, looking to Mark after putting the glasses back on her face. With luck, he'd stay slumbering until it was time to get to work. She stared at the man for quite a while, lost in thought. He was a hard worker; she worried about him sometimes.

While standing up, she gave his hand a gentle pat and walked over to a plush chair tucked beneath a desk. The wheels made a soft noise against the floor as she pulled the computer chair out and sat down, then she flipped open a laptop. Zoe glanced at one of the windows while the computer booted up. Their course was not quite what she thought it would be. Things seemed to be getting darker, even scary. Watching as long as she had been was sending chills up her spine. Biting her bottom lip, she folded her arms on her chest and rubbed at her upper arms as if she were warming herself up.

Instead of staring longer, Zoe's eyes went back to her laptop. The screen shined brightly with images and words, immediately getting her attention.
 
Hours pass, nothing seems to happen on the ship. However, much of the crew is focused intently upon what is before them. They work in an almost absolute silence, many suffering slight paranoia towards the upcoming star. However, aside from the slight paranoid delusions that plague some of the crew on board, nothing happens. About 8 hours after he was put to sleep, the captain begins to stir. He stands almost immediately, and begins to pace throughout the medical bay. He appears to be sleepwalking, as he speaks, muttering some kind of unintelligible tongues. It seemed entirely unlike the captain, as if there was nothing there for that moment. He walks past the medic, without noticing her presence. While it almost seems like he has no knowledge of where his or what he is doing, his far from lucid beeline towards the door of the medical bay seems to have a very specific intent behind it. Something seems strange about his actions. He stops as he reaches one of the viewing windows in the halls of the ship, staring at the star before him. His eyes are open, but entirely lifeless. He is breathing and moving, but very much unconscious.
 
Zoe had fallen asleep in her computer chair after a while, the screen of her computer giving off a faint, white glow from the web page she pulled up. She was leaning back against the chair with her head propped up on the back of the seat, her legs completely straightened out to help keep her from falling since her rear was barely on the chair anymore. Her glasses were even still on, and her hair was flowing like a cascade of strawberry red.

She would have stayed asleep if her Captain didn't start stirring in his rest. Zoe woke up the instant she heard noise, her back straightening and her eyes blinking several times, albeit tiredly. Quickly, she adjusted her spectacles and stood up, looking in his direction. There was an unpleasant rush of drowsiness coursing through her from the sudden get up, but she tried to ignore it for his sake.

With a look of confusion, she followed the sleep walking Captain out of the medical bay, one hand scratching at her head while the other slipped into a pocket of her white coat. "Captain Cohen?"

There was no response. He seemed to be in a trance, especially when he stopped in front of the window to gaze at the menacing orb not too far from them. There was that shudder up her spine again... Instead of focusing on that, she focused on Mark. Something about their location in space just really made her feel uncomfortable.

"Captain Cohen?" Zoe repeated herself, and gingerly set her hand on his shoulder.
 
The sleepwalking captain jumped when the medic tapped him on the shoulder, letting out a surprised yelp. "W-What am I doing here?!" He says, looking around. "I thought I was supposed to be in bed!" He says, looking around to assert his location. He takes a few deep breaths before stretching and yawning. "Well....... either way, I'm feeling better now. Tha....."

His sentence is broken as he stares out the porthole at the solar system before him, the star that merely a dot beforehand now a much more massive glowing orb in the distance. He stares blankly for a few moments once again, before shaking himself out of the trance. "What a strange spectre this colony is..... The mere sight of it makes me uncomfortable....."

Obscuring the star was debris, old ship wreckages and abandoned space stations. As they drew closer, they realize the debris field is massive, spanning many miles of space. It was a foreboding steel graveyard, one that slowly began to surround and envelop the vessel. As they moved closer to the planet, it felt as if the skeletons of the ships around them were closing in on them, like walls in the vast depths of space moving to crush anyone who wished to endeavor further. Outside, a cold, lifeless body floats by the window, its frozen face contorted in pain. Despite being long dead, the corpse had not yet shown signs of decomposition. Instead, it seemed to remain a testament to the horrors that tainted Orbital Colony Omega. That is, until the body collided with the ship, shattering as if it were made from glass.

Mark shudders, averting his gaze from the porthole. "I'm going to return to the bridge. I'm certain they'll be needing me soon."
 
A lump formed in her throat as they watched on, spotting more and more gruesome images outside of their ship. This was a floating graveyard combined with a dumpster! The entire time she stood there, she was motionless. Zoe didn't even seem to blink. That was, until a corpse floated nearby and broke into thousands of pieces when it made direct contact with their window. That made her jump backwards and gasp, her heart pounding fiercely. She'd seen many unfortunate happenings in medical facilities, but... That was genuinely terrifying. Not something she would soon forget.

"Right... All right," she replied meekly, when Cohen said he'd be returning to the bridge. In her mind, she was screaming for him to stay nearby. While a strong woman, she loathed the idea of being left alone anywhere at anytime after experiencing that moment staring out into space.

After composing herself, Zoe turned away from the window and slowly made her way back to the medical bay. There were things to prepare for now that they were almost to their destination. With a sigh, she pressed a fingertip to the center of her glasses to push them upward. This was going to be her most interesting mission yet, if not scariest.

Zoe then stopped a moment to look over her shoulder to her Captain. She remembered something. "Will you still need that caffeine?" Following that, she showed half a smile. "And... Please... Be careful, once all of this begins."