Mission to Mars
Chapter 1-in orbit
A/N:-So, here comes another LiS story...I'm not even sorry. I have no idea where this came from but thought the premise was just too good to pass up. I'm back from my two weeks away so expect updates for the other stories to follow within the week but for now, enjoy this random ass story.
As usual, the story will contain more than the highlighted four characters. Max, Chloe, OC and Rachel are the highlighted four but the other main characters are: Kate, Warren, Brooke, Juliet, Dana, Zach, Nathan and Daniel. Each character is important and has a role to play in the narrative.
As with all my LiS stories, it's an AU so no time powers etc etc, you guys know how it is now. I'd like to continue this but that all depends on the feedback I get. If you want to see more, let me know! I'm going for something along the lines of Dr Who meets Mass Effect meets Alien so let me know if I've hit the nail and whatnot.
In the year 2028, NASA had finally developed technology and recourses to launch a human colony effort to Mars. Candidates were selected and placed through a vetting process in order for NASA to decide who would be the best for the expedition.
The Candidates were chosen from the applicants at random and each one had a different background and skill set that was needed for the mission. Their unique capabilities are what ties them together.
They all have undergone rigorous training over the last few years in order to make sure they are prepared for any situation that they'll find themselves in. It is hoped that not all protocols and conditions will be needed and a peaceful colonisation will go ahead.
Initial scans and surveys show no life form to be present apart from safe background bacteria and fungi native to the planet's surface. The colonists have undergone training to deal with any contact made to sentient life whether it be friend or foe, it is hoped the latter is not needed.
The candidates were selected from people at the start of adulthood (18) and so they would develop along with their surroundings. It is hoped to reach Mars by 2040, with the colonists at the age of no older than thirty years of age.
It is currently 2034 and the mission has received the green light; the rocket will launch on March 13th of this year and is hoped to reach Mars by November 8th of the same year. Habitation construction is already underway by unmanned mechanical drones and is estimated completion by August 24th. Maintenance drones will run on a cycle to ensure that the station remains airtight and habitable until the colonists arrive.
The station will consist of a massive biodome that will be responsible for all the oxygen and grown food the station receives a command nucleus that will house the main part of the station, a research lab, medical bay, armoury and detention centre, gym and exercise court, recreational area and a maintenance centre. Each candidate will work in their respective specialist areas as they survey the planet.
If everything goes according to plan, full scale colonisation of Mars is set for 2100, the turn of the century.
Each candidate's file is on record and contains all their information that NASA needs. They have all been assigned specialist roles to fulfil on the ATLAS 1 station.
Colonist files for Operation: Red Dawn
Captain Maxine Caulfield
D.O.B-September 21st 2008-25 at the time of launch
Role-Commander Caulfield will lead the colonisation effort and is responsible for the completion of the mission. She will have full command and is expected to lead the crew to success and prosperity.
Additional Notes-Captain Caulfield was selected as Commander after the leadership trials of 2032 and received her commission in November of that year. She excels in personal relationships and is believed to be the glue that will hold the crew together.
1st Lieutenant Aaron Heartfield
D.O.B-April 19th 2008-25 at the time of launch
Role-Lieutenant Heartfield will act as second in command and head of security aboard ATLAS 1. He will provide assistance to Commander Caulfield as well as ensure the safety of the other members of his team. All security problems are to go through him as per the training.
Additional Notes-Lieutenant Heartfield excelled at weapons training and problem solving amongst the other members of his crew. He is firm but fair and will make the right decision for the mission. His likeable nature makes him the optimum choice for second in command and received his commission in November of 2032.
Sentinel Chloe Price
D.O.B-March 11th 2008-26 at the time of launch
Role-Sentinel Price will support 1st LT Heartfield in keeping the peace on board ATLAS 1 station. She will report directly to Lieutenant Heartfield and will be above anyone else and can detain anyone, even the Captain if necessary action is deemed and will answer only to the head of security.
Additional Notes-Sentinel Price showed an extreme temper during training at the Blackwell space centre. She dislikes taking orders but respects Lieutenant Heartfield and Captain Caulfield. She is a childhood friend of the Captain and has immense chemistry with her and the two are able to work brilliantly as a unit. Her aggressive nature could prove to be both useful and troubling for the mission.
Medical Officer Kate Marsh
D.O.B-September 12th 2008-25 at the time of launch
Role-Dr Marsh will be responsible for the treatment and care of the crew members aboard ATLAS 1. She will head all treatments and have top priority on safety issues such as contamination and isolation. She will make the final call on if a crew member is fit for active duty.
Additional Notes-Dr Marsh's increased interest in medical care sparked in 2030, prompting her to undergo her PhD in medicine. She completed her PhD in the summer of 2033 and was commissioned to Second Lieutenant by the end of that year to serve as the resident Medical officer aboard ATLAS 1.
Medical Assistant Dana Ward
D.O.B-July 11th 2008-25 at the time of launch
Role-M.A Ward will assist Dr Kate Marsh aboard the ATLAS 1 station and assist her with any medicinal problems during Operation: Red Dawn. Dr Marsh will oversee the treatment of crew members and M.A Ward is to assist her in any way possible.
Additional Notes-M.A Ward showed a deep caring for the other members of the initiative and as a result underwent a Level 3 in pharmaceutical assistance and medical care.
Technical Officer Brooke Scott
D.O.B-February 4th 2008-26 at the time of launch
Role-Technician Scott is responsible for the creation and upgrading of the mechanical automatons aboard the ATLAS 1 station. She will oversee their design and creation as well as operate the mapping drones that will scout the planet's surface and denizens.
Additional Notes-Technician Scott showed a brilliant understanding of mechanical contraptions at the Blackwell Space Centre during her training. Her keen intellectual mind and eagerness to work on the drones during her downtime earned her the role of lead technician for the Red Dawn initiative as well as a commission to Second Lieutenant in 2032.
Science Officer Warren Graham
D.O.B-November 20th 2008-25 at the time of launch
Role-Dr Graham will be responsible for analysing minerals and other similar properties during the initiative. He is tasked with finding ways to grow vegetation on the planet's surface, making colonisation efforts easier.
Additional Notes-Dr Graham showed an interest in Geological Science during his training at the Blackwell space centre and sat a PhD in that field in 2031, becoming a doctor and achieving a commission to Second Lieutenant by 2033. He fits the role of science officer naturally.
Operator Nathan Prescott
D.O.B-August 29th 2008-25 at the time of launch
Role-Operator Prescott will assist Technician Scott with the upkeep and maintenance of drones and automatons aboard the ATLAS 1 station. He will not act without direction from the lead technician but is free to pursue his own projects if permission from the lead technician is granted.
Additional Notes-Operator Prescott was highly unstable at the time of joining the initiative in 2028. After spending time working on mechanical contraptions with Brooke Scott, he was able to find his niche and continue training without any incidents. The position was assigned to him as a way to keep him calm but also put his talents to use.
Councillor Juliet Watson
D.O.B-May 15th 2008-25 at the time of launch
Role-Juliet Watson will take the place of councillor and psychiatrist aboard the ATLAS 1 station. She will offer support to the members of her crew and assist with any personal, confidential problems they might have.
Additional Notes-Juliet's knack for helping others and being a shoulder to cry on saw her undertake a diploma in psychology and sociology that she sat back to back throughout her training in the Blackwell space centre.
Horticulturist Daniel De Costa
D.O.B November 1st 2008-25 at the time of launch
Role-Daniel De Costa will oversee the growth and upkeep of all the plants aboard the ATLAS 1 station. He is responsible for maintaining all grown produce and distribution of them to crew members and the upkeep of the oxygen supply.
Additional Notes-Daniel was chosen as the stations Horticulturalist due to his caring nature and quickness to adapt to job roles. He was placed on a vegetation course in 2032 and achieved the highest results possible. His dedication and kind nature towards others made him an obvious choice.
Navigator Rachel Amber
D.O.B-July 22nd 2007-26 at the time of launch
Role-Navigator Amber will be responsible for the mapping of the areas around the Gale crater. The ATLAS station will be set up within the crater and it will be Navigator Amber's job to discover paths that can be used by the team to reach other areas above and below the planet's surface. Alternatively, she'll be responsible for the direction of the shuttle and ensuring that it stays on course.
Additional Notes-Navigator Amber was the only candidate to be chosen above the age of 18. She excelled in personal relations as well as the ability to find multiple solutions to a problem. Her can do, persevering attitude is what earned her the role of Navigator.
Mechanic Zachery Riggins
D.O.B-January 9th 2008-26 at the time of launch
Role-Zachery will assist any member of the station leadership with menial tasks such as heavy lifting and manual labour. He is responsible for the maintenance of the station and ensuring the mechanical drones do repair's right. He is responsible for all the maintenance of the shuttle and station as well as the drones and what they work on.
Additional Notes-Zachery showed low intelligence during his training at Blackwell Space centre but a keen mind and interest for fixing things. As long as someone did the mental job, he'd do the physical part, earning him the role of the mechanic for the initiative. Despite being a labouring job, his position is not to be considered below anyone else. He underwent a Mechanics course in 2031 and completed it to a high standard in early 2033.
November 8th 2034-Aldrin shuttle in orbit over the Gale crater
"Well, there it is; home for the foreseeable future" Warren announced as he looked out of the starboard porthole of the shuttle. "It's really something else, a scientific marvel" Warren admired the station that was sitting inside of the crater.
"You'll be able to see it soon, now hurry up and strap in, we're beginning our decent" Aaron called from his seat.
"Ok, ok, I'm coming, sheesh" Warren muttered as he floated over from the window in low gravity.
Everyone was sitting in chairs that had bracers come over the top of the shoulders, kind of like old carnival rides. Warren enjoyed floating around but would rather be sat in a seat than all of a sudden drop to the floor when the artificial gravity kicks in.
They were all dressed in orange jumpsuits, not their first choice of clothing but it was compulsory for them to wear during spaceflight. Upon entrance into the station, they'd be free to change into something more comfortable. Uniformity was a key part of the crew and aimed to be followed as best as possible.
Everyone was strapped in when Brooke started to speak:
"Rocket levelling up in three, two, one" the entire crew was turned sideways as the rocket rotated 90 degrees. "Reversing thrusters and beginning decent; we should be on the ground in ten minutes"
"How many drones in the facility?" Max called over.
"Scanner indicates forty seven drones currently in operation with a further 153 on standby in storage. We shouldn't see any until we reach the nucleus" Nathan replied from his seat next to Brooke.
As the rocket descended, the crew remained silent; each of them were overwhelmed by the fact they were about to be on the surface of Mars. After nine months, it was finally about to happen. The sound of the thrusters died down and the artificial gravity kicked in but after that, it was silent. The crew left their seats and prepared to board the ATLAS 1 station for the first time.
"This is it, here we go" Juliet chirped as the crew entered the airlock.
Before the decontamination started, the computer called out: WARNING! Umbilical not detected. Harbour not achieved
"What the fuck is she talking about?" Zach blurted out.
"It's nothing; the umbilical cord hasn't been extended from the main base. Give me some time and I'll reroute one of the drones to extend it manually" Brooke addressed as she looked at her PDA device on her left wrist.
"As you were Brooke, I'll go out there myself and do it, it'll be quicker" Max ordered as she turned to the locker in the airlock.
"You don't have to do this yourself Max, I'll do it" Aaron chimed in as he made his way through the crowd.
"I know I don't have to but I want to, it's my job to make sure you all get here safely so I'll be the one to go out there" Max chuckled as she placed a helmet over her head. "If you wanna help, give me a hand to get the propulsion pack on" Max called back.
Their orange suits were designed in a way that they'd be able to go outside for short periods of time on the planet's surface. The propulsion pack had small jets that kept them from floating away as they'd move forward. The whole suit was a slimmer alternative to the bulky counterpart they'd be wearing during longer ventures onto the planet's surface.
The rest of the crew cleared out of the airlock as Max prepared to go outside.
"All systems green, opening outer doors now" Warren stated over the intercom.
Max breathed hard, she wasn't sure what to expect but figured it would be something new entirely. As the doors opened, she was blinded initially by the sun's rays. She placed her left hand up to block it out as she stepped forward. Max was overwhelmed at the sensation; she slowly stepped out of the airlock and made her way to the main station. She still couldn't believe she was on Mars.
"Max, you ok?" Aaron asked over the intercom in her helmet.
"I'm fine, it's really beautiful out here, you guys should be jealous" Max joked as she pushed on. "I can see the station, it's about fifty metres away, it shouldn't take long for me to reach it"
"Hey Max, how does it feel to be the first human to step foot on Mars?" Aaron asked.
Max stopped and looked down at the ground; as she looked at the footprints in the sandy rock behind her, she realised it. She was the first human to set foot on Mars. She was lost for words as she pressed on.
The crew waited patiently for Max to reach the other side; they were so close, yet so far from their goal. They all waited with baited breath, hoping Max would get to the other side safely. The seconds seemed like years as the crew patiently awaited the signal from Max.
Umbilical extending, stand by the computers automated voice said over the shuttle's intercom. There was a mass sigh of relief from the entire crew; Max had made it safely and they were about to enter their new home. Aaron waited for the decompression to end as the doors hissed and ached, his hand anxiously on the lever, ready to open the door.
After what seemed like an eternity, the computer's voice finally signalled the decompression complete. Aaron pulled the lever and the doors shot open; they were greeted by a smiling Max who threw her helmet into Aaron's hands.
"Hang that up for me will ya; we got a space station to see"
The crew made their way down the long grey corridor that connected the shuttle to the main base. It was a plain grey colour with lights at intervals on each side of the walls and emergency unlit lights in the floor. The corridor spanned roughly three metres in height and was bigger than they would have anticipated.
They reached the door that connected the tunnel to the nucleus; this would serve as their command centre while they conducted their tasks aboard the ATLAS 1 station. The Red Dawn initiative was probably the most ambitious project the human race had ever undertaken and right now, their actions would decide the future of the human race. No pressure or anything.
The door opened and they were met with a glorious sight. Monitors and consoles littered the spherical room with keyboards and screens for every occasion. The walls were a bright stainless white with the desks being a stainless shiny black and the floors the same off-grey colour as the tunnel.
In the middle of the room sat the Captain's desk; a large table with three separate screens and keyboard that was connected to all three. There was monitoring equipment already set up in the forms of lenses and vials ready for study. The nicest addition had to be the large black leather chair that sat behind the desk.
Each area had a designated space for each team member to work from whenever they weren't in their designated labs or areas. They would only be intended for small time work as any major project in their field would be handled in their specialist room where their more adept equipment would be stationed.
Max walked upto her desk and sat down; the screens turned themselves on with the words Welcome Commander Caulfield across the screens.
"How did it know it's me?" Max asked as she stared at the monitors.
"The sensor chip in your PDA that holds you biometric ID" Brooke replied as she leaned down next to Max.
Max just looked at the thick-watch like device on her wrist; it was black with silver and red buttons all over the straps. There was a three line break at the top where she could speak into and reach any other crew members, like a radio as well as make announcements through the PA system.
Max studied it as she realised that each crew member had different biometric ID therefore there was no need to worry about security. The screen responded to Max and would open up her desktop but if someone else's ID triggered it, it would respond differently with their account rather than hers. She was fascinated to say the least.
The crew looked around the nucleus, getting familiar with its functions and facilities. They all felt like a child with a new toy. Only this one was sitting inside a crater...on Mars...running on a nuclear reactor...
Chloe looked at one of the maintenance drones as it walked idly past her. They were humanoid machines that stood at 6ft and were made out of white carbon fibre. They lacked any facial features save a slit in the bottom of the face where sound would be broadcast from, sort of like the machines mouth. They had six fingers on each hand and two small outcroppings, one on each side of the head that had the sensors and transmitter arrays built in. They freaked Chloe out and she didn't like them nor did she trust them.
"Ok everyone, come here" Max ordered as she brought up a 3D model of the ATLAS 1 station. "We're here, the nucleus; built into the Aeolis Mons mound" Max pointed at the dome that had been built into the elevated ground in the middle of the crater. "The shuttle is located here in the Aeolis Palus section to the north west of us. It's the deepest part of the crater and allows the engines room to fire up without causing damage. The science lab is located to the east and the Tech lab to the west" Max stated as she pointed out two smaller domes attached to the nucleus by their own tunnels. "The Biodome is located to the far south here and the maintenance bay is off to the south west" all of the tunnels led from the nucleus to their respective domes on the model. "The Med lab is located here, just south of the Tech lab" Max pointed at a small tunnel connecting the Tech lab dome to the Med lab dome below it. "The security office, Armoury and detention centre are a few metres away to the south east, connected by this tunnel here. Juliet, your office isn't on the map is it's located here in the nucleus, through those doors over there. Finally, the rec centre and mess hall dome is north of us here and connected to that is the sleeping quarters in its own dome off to the right here. Now, report to your respective offices and meet back here within the hour, we have a lot to go over, dismissed"
And with Max's exposition over, the crew disbanded and made their way to their respective areas. They'd need to check in via the mainframe to alert it to their presence and let it know they'd arrived. As Max stood up, she was stopped by Rachel.
"Hey Max, you never said where I'd be working" she asked as she met Max's gaze.
"Well since you'll be going outside, you literally just go to whichever airlock is closest, suit up and leave. All data and accounts you need can be recorded and viewed from your terminal here in the nucleus but apart from that, your office is outside" Max replied with a smile.
"Sounds good to me, a free spirit like me wouldn't be able to work well in a cramped up space like this. Well in that case, I'm gonna go get changed and take a shower before anyone else" Rachel was gone before Max could say anything else instead she just sat at her desk and started reading mission parameters while she waited for the crew.
Time passed and eventually the whole crew had showered and changed into clothes they'd find more comfortable. Aaron had a black shirt on with a khaki green jacket that was left open and the sleeves rolled up. His ID tags were on display over his shirt and glistened in the light as he leant against one of the desks. His cargo pants were the same green as his jacket and held a black pistol holster on his right thy. The bottom of his pants were tucked into the top of his black boots, offering a much more cleaner and smarter look.
Chloe's look was almost identical except she wore a green tank top and black jacket. Her dog tags had been attached to her bullet necklace and rested on the outside of her shirt.
Kate's look was much more suited to her job description; she had a white lab coat that was buttoned up with assortments of pens and utensils in her pocket. Her brown skirt and black top was covered up due to the length of the coat but her black shoes were on display.
Warren looked as if he wasn't wearing a uniform at all; his white buttoned up shirt was covered by a red sweater with the sleeves rolled up with the only visible piece of it being the white collar. He wore a pair of black skinny jeans and brown formal shoes made out of suede.
Brooke had a much shorter white lab coat that only came down to her waist. It was unbuttoned and revealed a lilac shirt underneath it. She also wore her trademark black skirt with red tights and Doc Martins on the lower half of her body.
Zach had a padded blue buttoned up shirt jumpsuit as well as a pair of brown dungaree's and brown work boots. His outfit was very simple and suited his job perfectly.
Nathan had a white shirt and dark red jacket as well as a pair of black boots and cargo pants. His outfit reminded him a lot of what he wore when he was at the Blackwell space centre and made him feel a lot more calmer.
Rachel wore a green jumpsuit and black boots. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail and her earring remained on display as always. Several bracelets were on her right wrist and her PDA sat on her left.
Max wore a light blue long sleeve shirt that was tucked into a pair of grey cargo pants. She had black boots and a black zip up jacket as well as her dog tags that were on display.
Everyone was finally more comfortable and had begun to settle into their new home. Now the hard work would begin.
"Ok, for the remainder of the day, I want you all getting familiar with your stations and getting used to how they work. Tomorrow, we're gonna send Rachel out to gather some of the sand and rocks for study. I wanna start that sooner rather than later. Nathan, I want you to analyse all the drones, even the ones in storage. I wanna be sure they're in working order; Zach will give you a hand" Nathan and Zach nodded at Max's command even though they didn't want to spend their first day doing it. "Brooke, how soon can your observation drone be ready to fly out?" Max asked.
"Not long, I'll need to calibrate some of the sensors and update its mapping region but other than that, no more than a few hours" Brooke answered as she uncrossed her arms.
"That's the plan for the rest of the day; get to your stations and start to work. We didn't come all this way just to admire the view" Max joked, earning a few laughs from the crew. "I'll see you all at dinner, dismissed"
Aaron and Chloe headed down to the security office; they'd have control of the security drones and would need to update the friendly parameters before use. As the only two crew members that are allowed to openly carry firearms, they'd need to ensure that all others are locked up and accounted for as well as all riot gear is stored correctly and efficiently.
Warren made his way to the science lab where he'd need to oversee the storage of all his equipment that the drones would be offloading from the shuttle. He'd need to make sure everything was in the right place.
Kate and Dana headed to the Medical Lab where they'd have to get all medicinal items stored and functioning properly. Things like the decontamination room seals had to be checked and that the isolation bay was secure.
Rachel prepared herself for her expedition that she'd undertake in the morning. She got on her terminal and ensured that her routes and paths were all mapped out ready. Once that was done, she'd have to prepare her suit for outside travel sooner rather than later.
Juliet unloaded all the crew's files in her office and had them on hand if need be.
Zach and Nathan headed down to the maintenance bay to get started with their assignment. They weren't too pleased with it but they didn't have a choice, orders were orders.
Brooke prepared the Tech lab, making sure all components were in place and that all the stations systems were working. She'd have to start work on the UAV drone to help Rachel's navigation. That was something she was looking forward to.
Daniel had to ensure the soil was fit for vegitation growth and that the trees were fine. No trees equals no oxygen which equals death.
Max just sat at her desk and made her way through boring file after file; she wanted to get it all out of the way as soon as possible.
Introductions had been done and their tasks had been set; now would begin the long process of the colonisation of Mars.
A/N:-So, that's the first chapter; it was mainly an introductory to how everyone is different in terms of appearance to what you'd expect. Despite them all being a few years older, I'd still like you to envision them as they'd look in the game in terms of facial features and looks. Obviously the attire is different as it's a different time and they're in space so I hope the picture I painted is good enough.
The next chapter will be longer as it will actually go into what the characters will be doing and what their roles entail aboard the ATLAS 1 station. There will be a lot of interlocking plot and shit so the storylines will eventually go somewhere. Their personalities are gonna be the same in game, just hindered slightly due to them training with each other for like six years and also they know what's at stake and know they need to cooperate.
I took influence form Dr Who episodes like the impossible planet and the waters of Mars when deciding what they'd look like so if that helps you paint a picture, go have a look at those. The base itself was ripped straight out of The Waters of Mars episode, that's the design exterior I was going for.
The Gale Crater is an actual location on Mars; I did some research prior to the writing and decided that this would be the setting for the station. I'd check out Wikipedia when reading the story as it might help envision what the station would look like and where everything would be.
I ask for patience as the story quality will only go up; this chapter was purely to paint a picture of what was happening and how the setting differs from the traditional LiS one. A lot more dialogue and character arks will be painted and developed in the next chapter so I ask you to wait until then.
As always, Review, follow and favourite, it means a shit tone to me. I'd like to continue this story but that purely depends on the feedback I get from you guys. Tell me what you liked, what you hated and what you'd change and I'll see what I can do. Until next time!