Journal of Sally Acorn
(Temporarily Repurposed to Miles Prower)
Date: December 3rd, 3234
Entry Made 1111 (11:11 AM)
Dear Journal,

::DATA STREAMING - REMOTE ACTIVATION::
::USER TRANSMITTING DATA... RECIEVING...::

::BEGIN STREAM::

(W) Keep up, Prower! Make sure you don't slip on the ice!"

(M) Yes, Dr. Wei! I don't want to fall into the cracks!

(W) Just stay with rest of the group! Don't stray too far from the group. Gill, make sure that you watch him!

(G) Yes, sir. Come on kid. I know you want to look at every crack and snowball, but you're going to get lost, and we won't even know it.

(M) I'm NOT going to get lost!

(G) Funny, I heard a guy say the exact same thing before he got lost and we never saw him again. Turns out the fool fell into a sinkhole four hundred feet deep.

(M) I *won't* get lost.

(W) Can we get moving here? That anomaly is still waiting out there! We're kilometres away from a major archaeological dig, and we're talking about getting lost?

(G) No sir. I'm just telling Prower not to get lost, lest he meet an unfortunate end.

(W) Well stop it. I'm getting creeped out.

(G) As you wish, sir. (Egghead)

(W) What was that?

(G) Just a bit of static feedback. Probably bouncing off a radiation cloud.

(W)Hmm. Indeed.

(R) Dr. Wei, might I ask why we are approaching the anomaly on foot?

(W) Dr. Richard, the ice crust is unstable the closer we get to the anomaly. Most likely it's an air pocket that's underneath the crust caused by friction by Jupiter.

(R) Still, I thought it would have made more sense to bring in the landing craft.

(M) I think Dr. Wei is correct. The ice may be broken, and it's not that we're worried about. Trapped Oxygen will escape from, the pockets and pulverize whatever's on top. Think of it like getting hit by a
shotgun.

(G) Since when do you know what getting hit by a shotgun looks and feels like?

(M) I've been on missions with my friends.

(G) A mission with your Freedom Fighter buddies doesn't compare to what we do.

(M) I was in the Battle of Carson Valley.

(G)Holy crap. You were in that mess?

(M) I was on the insertion team. I was one of the first to go into that Factory.

(G) Other parts of my unit were involved. Is it true that the guy you were trying to capture...

(M) Robotnik.

(G) Right... froze people? He turned them into statues?

(M) I don't like talking about this... No, not exactly. They aren't statues... they turned your men into robotic shells. They have no motion and have no free will.

(G) Hang on, I've heard of this before from another guy. Why are Humans so different? Why can furries move around?

(M) Mobians can move around because... they... you know what? I don't know. I just don't know why.

(W) Maybe if our department gets funding we can find out why!

(R) Quit your complaining Eugene. You're in geology, not transfiguration.

(W) Dr. Wei to Ponce de Leon: How are we looking up there?

(PDL) Keep on your heading for a while longer. You should be near the anomaly. Something's going nuts with our imaging scanners. They're going haywire whenever we try to get a hi-res scan of the area.

(M) Very suspicious. Don't think many crashed meteors can do that.

(PDL) You're on your own for visual confirmation, but you should be right on top of the target in as soon as fifteen minutes at your current pace.

(W) Thanks, Ponce. Wei out.

(M) You know, I wonder why we didn't get a car or something like that to get here quicker? It's not easy to walk this way on foot.

(G) So what makes you think it's going to be easier if we got a rover? Look at the landscape, kid. Any car that tries to get over these jagged outcroppings is going to have much more than a scratched paintjob I can assure you. If we had a pressurized rover, we would be risking a hull breach. Walking is the safest way to get there.

(M) Why couldn't they drop us in?

(R) What, like those Helljumpers? We're scientists, not soldiers! Well, with the exception of this gentleman along with us.

[[Area surrounding group drops in altitude rapidly, ~700 feet in depth]]

(M) Oh Mobius!

(G) Oh WOW. What do you think could have done this?

(R) What do you think, Eugene? Tectonic movement?

(W) No, unlikely given the nature of the beast. We can assume that the ice above sits on an ocean layer. No tectonics would take place or affect the surface.

(R) Well what about one of those air lakes underneath the surface?

(M) No, doctor. The ice cracks are too smooth in the edges. If one of the ice lakes breached the surface, it would likely be in a sinkhole-like structure, and there would be jagged edges as ice chunks chip away at the sides of the ejection tunnel.

(W) Astute assessment, Mister Prower. But... I have absolutely no idea what this is then!

(M) Have you ever suggested that... somebody lowered the ice?

(W) What, you mean like dug the ice out? With tools? Mister Prower, we are scientists, not novelists!

[[Prower proceeds to face Dr. Wei down by looking at him dead in the eye. Prower only comes up to Wei's collar, despite being in a bulky pressure suit]]

(M) Not novelists? OK, here's a bit of knowledge for you: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective character Sherlock Holmes told John Watson that 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth!' The phenomenon that we are witnessing here does not correspond to any natural theories about why a mass of ice appears to have been sunk nearly a thousand feet with polymer-smooth edges! Nothing corresponds to a natural solution, so with that evidence in check, we must concede that this is an artificial phenomenon!

(W) But... that's... that's not right... it... Ugh. Alright; it's clear that whatever we're dealing with here is beyond what we can deduce with our empirical methods. I am forced to accept that there may be some artificial influence here... but I REFUSE to believe that the Echidna were here!

(Q) Dr. Wei, it's not professional to assume a belief on that magnitude. I for a fact believe you place precedence on locating sites of Forerunner occupation. Please set your bias aside and wait until we find suitable evidence.

(W) You're right Qek. Now... how do we get down here? Seven hundred feet is a long way, and even with the low gravity it's not a favorable drop.

(M) Maybe we should look for a staircase or an elevator? Since this area was probably formed by artificial means, one would assume that the creators would want to reach the entrance.

(G) I'm no scientist, but I think that's a certainty, kid.

(W) Wei to Ponce de Leon, can you spot any manner of descent for us to get to the bottom of the crater? Updating visuals!

[[Four second pause]]

(PDL) We're a bit past your position, but we can scan the area now; thanks for the upload. Scanning... that's odd... there looks like... some sort of lift system built into the ice!

(W) Say again, Ponce? Did you say a lift system?

(PDL) Not sure... still can't get a good visual. Ground team, be advised that we will be passing over the effective radio transmission range soon. We have twenty five minutes of good COM status. We'll try to bounce signals off of the moons or the rings, but quality will drop.

(W) Understood. Not a problem. Ground team out.

(Q) A lift system! Do you think the Echidna built it?

(M) If they did, did they build it for personal transport or cargo?

(R) No, I think it would be cargo. It would be simpler to put a structure on the surface otherwise...

(M) Or someone really likes their privacy.

(G) I wonder how you call the car then.

[[The Corporal leans over the edge, causing a panel to appear in thin air, startling Gill.]]

(G) JESUS! That scared me!

(W) I guess it keeps you on your toes then. Now, this is a lift panel. Looks holographic. Richard, your thoughts?

(R) Force feedback seems to be positive. We should just touch it.

(M) But... what symbol for down?

[[The men look amongst themselves, waiting for an answer]]

(Q) I... I am not sure, Mr. Prower. Perhaps we should look for an image or a pictogram representing descent.

(M) Look, here it is! This symbol points towards the ground like an arrow. That's got to be it.

(G) You mean like any other elevator? Kid, this is a thousand years old; who knows what that symbol actually does!

(M) We're scientists! We find out!

[[Prower taps the symbol. Everything seems calm, but then a coil of rings appears over the edge. The coils then open, which suggest that it might be a lift of some sort]]

(R) Well I'll be. It's an elevator after all.

(W) It's in perfect condition! The vacuum protected it from damage. Look at the aesthetics on this thing! Geometric patterns were carved into the metal. This has to be titanium or a very dense metal!

(R) Yeah, titanium, it looks like. Good lord, is that diamond?

(W) 24 karat lift system!

(Q) Doctors, I respectfully suggest that we get on before it disappears.

[[It's at this time the group discovers that there is no floor to the elevator. A series of suspended rings goes far into the ice shelf.

(G) Got to admit, it's not very tempting to step into a shaft with no floor.

(M) There's got to be a gravity system of some sort. I mean, who would build something like that and not intend for us to use it?

(W) Maybe it's broken.

(Q) I will test it.

(W) Qek, are you sure?

(Q) Positive. Someone has to take the initiative here.

[[The Gallvente steps into the shaft. For a split second, he is walking on thin air, but he rapidly slips away from sight.

(W) GELL!

(Q) I'm all right Eugene! Mr. Prower was right. There's something holding my mass. I'm descending towards the ice shelf! How exciting! There's signal interference coming up, probably from the anomaly itself. I'm getting heavy static! By the Gods, this is magnific –

(R) Gell, can you hear us?

[[White noise]]

(G) He must have dropped out of signal range. Either the ice is too thick to let the radio waves get out, or there's some sort of jamming device in that structure.

(M) You know, if you're right, who built it then? This was over a thousand years ago. The echidna came here in secret with a handful of Human scientists. Why would they set up a jamming signal?

(R) Probably because they knew someone would come along eventually. I'm going in. See you all in the lobby.

[[Doctor Garrett steps into the elevator and is dragged away.]]

(R) Signal looking good so far... man, what a view. Yup, I'm getting static. I can see Gell below me right now. How's your signal? Good. Mine's starting to screw u—

(W) Well we at least know that they're all right. Who's next?

(M) I'll go.

(W) Very well.

(G) I guess I'll be staying up here until you're gone, Dr. Wei. I'll guard the perimeter.

(W) With what your bare hands?

(G) I'm a yellow belt in shu-chan-wo, Doc. I can handle myself.

(W) Right... Shǎguā*

[[Tails looks over the edge and feels a bit of apprehension. Suit monitors show that his blood pressure is above normal. He takes several deep breaths and steps into the shaft, feeling a pulling sensation in his stomach as he is drawn towards the ice shelf at a great speed]]

(M) WOO! WOW!

(G) You alright?

(M) Yeah! This is awesome!

[[SIGNAL DEGENERATING]]

(M) I'm almost through the ice! Look at this detail! They carved life size statues into the ice!

[[WARNING: EXTREME SIGNAL DEGENERATION. TERMINATION IMMINENT]]

(M) I'm almost to the bottom! He Docs, how's the view down there?

[[SIGNAL LOST. ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE SIGNAL... Failed]]

::END ENTRY::