jtougas

"Beep Beep Beep.." Commander Carol Mayer shook herself out of the daze that had come over her. Too much looking out of the view screen at nothing had made her almost drift off. "Damn survey missions" she mumbled under her breath. She took a quick look around to see if anyone had noticed her lapse. On the console in front of her was a small screen that showed a bluish green planet some two light years ahead. Superimposed over the image was the survey probes initial assessment it read:

Planet Name: UNC-134.B
Classification: UNC (Unclaimed)
Approximate Size: 1.12 Earth
Gravity 1.12g
Atmospheric Class: Earth like
Lifeform Class: Undetected
Usuable Resources: Yes

Assessment: Further Investigation is Recommended....

Carol smiled for what felt like the first time in months. FINALLY there was a planet that maybe, just maybe would fit the requirements of the company, and she could get back to Earth and out of the coldness and loneliness of space. She watched the planet slowly rotating and couldn't help but notice a chill on her skin....

Commander Mayer scanned the newest probe data while her first officer hovered over her shoulder. "Damn it" She thought to herself, "This rookie is going to have us all out here for weeks if I let her send that report. Anomaly my a**." Even as she said it she wondered if she was trying to convince her X.O or herself....

Commander Mayer returned from breakfast to discover that the survey computers "auto-name" function had been triggered. The program was used to make the writing of reports about various regions of the surveyed planets easier, Mayer hated the program. the names it spat out were invariably English sounding (it had been written by a British officer) and the names hardly ever bore any relevance to the landforms being named. "Steady now girl." She mumbled to herself it was early and there would be plenty more to complain about during the course of the day, no use using it all up on the auto-name program. She also noticed her small bridge staff circling around the science monitor. Looking at her "master" monitor she noticed that the resource allocation data had been processed during the night. She took a deep breath and prayed to herself "Please no Nexium or Uranium" If either one of those were found in any significant amounts the company would NEVER let her go home.....

Lunch came and went with still no response from the company survey office. Commander Mayer felt her mood go from foul to worse. "Of course there's no response girl" she said to herself, "There all too busy counting their money and patting each other on the a**". She took a deep breath and looked out the view screen once again. Deep down inside of her lurked a scientist and even 10 years with the company had not managed to rip it completely out of her. She had to admit it WAS and interesting planet. Large land forms dotted a light blue sea. She could see the bowls of gigantic calderas that rivaled the size of any in the claimed galaxy. Her inner scientist was just starting to emerge when comms chirped. "Okay girl" she said to herself "let see what these a**holes think..."


Carol Mayer shuddered at the cold recorded voice of her supervisor. "Commander Mayer planet UNC 134.B will hereby be renamed Valkos all reports form this time forward will be forwarded to company security and to this office." "Damn." she said aloud now they had NAMED the damn planet there was no leaving now she was to take orbit and continue the scans until the landing team arrived in two weeks. Her supervisor had been especially interested in the life form report and wished it to be repeated. Not that the presence of life in any way would hinder the company's plans to strip this world of all it's available resources. Mayer shuddered again but she was not quite sure why.....

Commander Mayer sat in her ready room watching planet UNC-134.B slowly spin beneath her. She refused to call it "Valkos" to give it a name made it real and the fact that she would be stuck out here indefinitely could NOT possibly be real. She wished she didn't need the money so bad. She could just go back to her farm (or what was left of it..) and raise a few animals and drink herself to oblivion but she knew without the money this survey mission would bring none of that would happen. And to make matters even worse (as if that was even possible) the survey computer had revised it's initial assessment of the life form classification. Now it seemed that there might be life here after all. Mayer knew what the company did when they found life on one of these worlds, if it was non-intelligent they mostly left it alone, but if it was sentient all bets were off and Mayer had no desire to be present at ANOTHER genocide....

A new adventure begins with Commander Carol Mayer and planet UNC 134.B...

This map was created for the December Challenge.