The
Planet M'lanQuidox 17 is a water world which
way back in time had a large asteroid smash into it. This created a HUGE crater,
causing a crater wall to emerge from the planet's waters. The wall was
incomplete at one point allowing some tidal ingress and egress. The crater
walls are precipitous and soar above the waters. Plant life survived the
asteroid impact and evolved over many millenia and tended to clump together on
the more sluggish waters of the crater, forming floating islands of vegetation,
some many hundred of metres long and wide, that drifted here and there on the
torpid currents. Storms sometimes caused these floating islands to break up,
and sometimes force amalgamation of smaller islands. Low clouds cover the crater
on most days.
On
discovering the unique planet The Commonwealth
of Planets ruled that it should be set aside for scientific study and under NO circumstances should it be
exploited for it’s natural resources (if any). Any breaches would be punished
to the full extent of the law.
Sector
29 Scientific Research Facility -JV was established on a quadrilateral
“island" with a 6 cabin and laboratory drop on one of the few days that
allowed airborne access, and a small team of technicians and scientists were
installed. All communications, scientific, technical and personal were sent via
a Geo-Stat satellite.
The
weekly report has not been received for 6 weeks so a small team of Star Force
Alpha Marines with Engineer and Medic
have been dispatched to investigate and effect any repairs and report
back.
The
team arrived and carefully entered the area. The structures were checked, no
signs of life, the satellite dish was smashed and the generator out of fuel.
The 2 storey lab building looked as if it had been ransacked IT hardware had been
ripped out. The Engineer of the team started fixing the generator and then she
set to work on replacing the satellite dish atop the building. The medic and
team leader carried on searching the building, carrying on until they emerged
on the roof where there was nothing but some of the huge vines that had started
to already to engulf the building.
There
being no other signs of life the remaining marine joined the Engineer on the
roof of the Comms cabin and they quickly got the dish fixed and a test message
broadcast to the Geo-Stat satellite whilst the message was uploading the marine
heard strange noises from the landing stage area and moved onto the adjacent
building and took cover in the vines. His com-link message alerted the other members
of the team. A small submarine had
surfaced at the landing stage and destroyed their boat !
A
landing party disembarked and advanced into the station. Mean while the Alpha
Force Team leader and the Medic climbed down the vines at the back of the Lab. Building
and headed off to join the rest of the team on top of the cabin next to the Comms
cabin. The leader’s idea was to catch the Landing Party whilst they were as far away from the sub as
possible. As the leader and medic passed behind the buildings the Orange Jump
Suited landing party advanced cautiously
through the central open area of the Station. After they had passed by the Marines, it occurred to
the leader that maybe they could take the submarine ! The Engineer and the
Marine shimmied down the fine to the back of the bin and passed along to the
corner of the accommodation line. They could see a sentry up on the ‘sail’ and opened fire, causing him
to drop out of sight. They sprinted for the sub and swarmed up and overcame the
sentry. In an instant they had dragged the casualty below and sealed the outer
hatch.
The
shooting alerted the landing party who sprinted back towards the sub but were
caught in the open by fire from the Team Leader and Medic. Two went down
immediately another soon wounded The Landing Party leader and another returned fire,
wounding the Medic.4made it back to the sun but found the hatches locked and
realised their folly as the Engineer submerged the vessel with them still
banging on the hatch. Three drowned in the process and the one survivor made it
ashore but just hid in the undergrowth.
The
Team leader and the Medic were now in a two against two scrap and managed to down
one of their opponents and the leader barricaded himself in an accommodation cabin
. The fight was over
Subsequent
investigations showed that the Agrax Corporation was prospecting the planet
with the hope of extracting the nutrient rich waters and converting it into
high grade fertilisers for sale to food production planets in the sector. The
Agrax Corporation was dissolved and members of its executive board sent to
penal colonies.
A
good game with my son who was over from Australia.
