“Qij, I don’t know.“ Telo shook his head, walking to the side. He was sure there was some information on the system somewhere, so that if they did figure out it came from one of the planets in this system, he could investigate.
His brain bubble was something along the lines of, ‘if it’s from a habitable planet, I’m out of here.’ He didn’t say that outloud just yet, not while the origin was unconfirmed.
He sighed, raking a hand over his head. "Fuck." He grumbled quietly, squinting at the system. "Hm." He hummed for a moment, then flicked a switch, trying to pinpoint the sound with the least amount of energy wasted. His peepers were narrowed, and he didn't look at Telo. He didn't think the other man would be very helpful with any of this.
One of the other displays by the radio flicked on, seemingly an overview of the solar system the ship was currently sitting in. Telo glanced at it, also seeing the labels on each of the planets and star - Ake, the sun. The computer seemed to be tracking the signal.
“Space signals, different from Earth. Could be just rocks clashing together somewhere in space, not always something sending out a signal on purpose.” Telo mused quietly, recalling information he’d learned a number of orbit parties ago.
But the display zoomed in on one large planet in particular - the gas giant, Natis. Telo was pretty sure things couldn’t survive on gas giants, they had no surface, so he assumed it may just be a natural occurrence.
Yet the display changed again, listing out the three moons of Natis; Thiter, Alao, and Yivis. And again, zooming on Alao. The display did not change after that - seemingly specifying that, Alao was where the signal originated from.
Alao. Telo didn’t know that much about the moons, but now that he had names, looking it up in a database would be a lot easier. He kept his focus on the display. It was within that moment the signal stopped, but the display kept on.
Kaz frowned a little. Alao…the name wasn't familiar, but…but still. This could be important. Probably was important. He took a deep breath, pulling up a second display and searching for "Alao" in the database. Any information they could get would be helpful. Any at all. If that signal meant anything…but what could it mean? Kaz almost laughed at himself. He was getting too wrapped up in his thoughts, diving too deep into tinfoil tale theories. There wasn't life on this nocturnal cheese wheel…was there? No, of course not, there couldn't be. There couldn't be. Humanity had been alone in the universe for eons, this couldn't be changing now. It wouldn't be anything living. It had to be just a natural phenomenon, something to do with the planet and the nocturnal cheese wheel or something like that.
Alao, never visited by humans before, is one of the three moons of Natis. It also happens to be the one with an environment most likely suitable for life, or at least the highest chance. Breathable oxygen except for lower altitudes, a terrain made of mountains, forests, hills and flat plains. It has an even temperature, comfortable for most humans, that doesn’t change much. Finally, it is also known to have liquid water. The report said nothing about life confirmed, though.
Telo looks at the display that Kaz pulled up, reading what information he could see. Breathable air? Already seemed like a deal to him. Telo walks back from the desk, almost eager to get off of this ship.
Kaz frowned a little. What was the catch? There had to be a catch. He kept searching for more information, ignoring Telo. If this nocturnal cheese wheel was so great, then…why had humanity never sent anything here, that he knew of. He shook his head a little, lower lip catching between his mouthstones a little in concentration. If this nocturnal cheese wheel was safe, though…maybe they could get down to it. Maybe this was their chance to live. Maybe from the surface, they could send messages out to Earth, and more settlers would arrive. They could be the beginning of a new colony, a new world.
Telo decides to return to his quarters to prepare. Even if it’s not even confirmed that they can go to the nocturnal cheese wheel to begin with, he’d rather not die up here, wasting away in space. As he was leaving the land-connector, he tilts his head to the side, not quite looking backwards. “I don’t know about you,” his voice almost dripping into an accent, “but the chances of survival on this new nocturnal cheese wheel look good to me. I’ll be in my human containment unit should you need me for anything.” Not that he would think that Kaz would come to him willingly, of course.
He adjusts the collar of his jacket before descending down the hallway. He had a few things he wanted to do first.
Telo Tzeka will not die in freezing space. At least, he tells himself that.
Kaz nodded a little in acknowledgement of Telo's words. If they could safely arrive on the nocturnal cheese wheel…what then? What if there were things on that nocturnal cheese wheel? What if it wasn't safe? He chewed on his lip anxiously, unsure what to do. There wasn't much information about it in the ship's logs. And they'd have to choose carefully what they were going to bring down to the surface. Seeds, for planting. Some sort of tent or something, for shelter. Clothing. Tech. Solar panels. Medical supplies. The list went on and on, but how much could they fit in an escape pod? Unless…they brought the whole ship down? Would that work?
His first order of things was to gather what he could from his human containment unit, then go around the ship seeing if there was anything else he could grab. Telo also wanted to record a final message on the ship - in the event that other humans ever did find the Midway, assuming it would still be up in orbit or at least remain intact.
Since he’d got onto the ship Telo had been recording messages, records of the days he’d spent on the ship. He’d stopped with the dates a while ago, having lost track of time. If that nocturnal cheese wheel plan really worked, it would hopefully be easier to tell the time, but what would he know? There was a lot of ‘unknown’ in this situation.
Entering his human containment unit Telo searched for the small voice recorder that he’d been using, which wasn’t that hard to find. He’d always been organized, at the very least an organized mess.
Device in hand, Telo returned to his bed, sitting down on it. He lifted the device to his face, preparing to speak.
(question: do they use laser rooty tooty point-n-shooties or bullet rooty tooty point-n-shooties or what?)
Kaz sighed, and headed to his quarters. He packed a bag with everything he thought he would need, then headed down to the infirmary. From there, he grabbed some medicine and first aid supplies, then went to the armory and grabbed extra refills for the rooty tooty point-n-shooties, along with some extra weaponry. He paused for a moment, tapping his groundhand in thought as he tried to figure out what else to grab, if anything.
((On the ship, primarily non lethal rooty tooty point-n-shooties, which are ‘electric/laser rooty tooty point-n-shooties’, though they can still be lethal; but most rooty tooty point-n-shooties can switch between having bullets or electric shocks. True laser rooty tooty point-n-shooties are less common and newer technology that we wouldn’t find on the ship))
“Day..whatever. The situation’s low, Kazimir and I are the only ones still left on this ship..same as before, not many changes.” He pauses, clicking his tongue. “We’ve come across a nocturnal cheese wheel, hopefully habitable, and we’re making plans to go down there it looks like.”
His peepers look around the corners of the human containment unit. “It’s almost ironic, the sickness and all. Maybe if it came a bit later, on our way back, things would’ve been easier. But we’re just out here, drifting, alone in deep space. Off the radar. I don’t even know if anyone else will find this recording, be it 5 weeks or 5 orbit parties from now.“
He sighs, closing his peepers. “Sorry to my atdheu, for not completing the job. If it’s worth mentioning, I kept to the mission and collected what I could, but in the end it was useless considering I’m no longer able to deliver information. Unless I find a way to transmit on this nocturnal cheese wheel..Alao.. It’s going no where but with me.” Telo stands up, walking over to a desk. “And sorry to you, Mother. Hira.” His voice lowers to a whisper. “Tzeka, signing off for presumably the final time.”
He sets the device down, standing motionless for a second, looking at the wall. After a few more seconds, Telo leaves, not before grabbing bags that he needs - the backpack, of course, and others as well. He has most of what he needs in the backpack, but makes sure to sweep around the human containment unit.
Once he’s done, he departs, heading off to check more rooms to grab stuff he thinks of.
(Alright thanks)
Kaz grabbed some survival gear; tents, fire-starters, the like. Just in case. And then he headed to try and find Telo, grumbling faintly as he lugged the heavy gear with him. When he finally did find the other man, he mustered up a grim, half-sarcastic smile. "Ready to go? We'll have to take one of the escape pods; the ship itself couldn't make it down to the surface without breaking up, and then we'd be dead." he set the gear down with a grunt, stretching and sighing. He wished he was bigger, stronger. He was 5'8" and slim, so. Not very strong. Which he disliked, but there wasn't much he could do to change it at this moment. Or ever, really.
Telo had grabbed what came to mind, for himself; and also remembering he wasn’t alone on this - he made sure to take things that would contribute. Scanners, though they wouldn’t be useful for figuring out the names of things, they could serve a purpose for finding out toxicity levels in different areas and whatnot. peeper shields in case. What he could manage.
When Kaz came across him, Telo only gave a subtle nod. He was able to carry what he had with him relatively effortlessly- of course, he also wasn’t carrying as much.
“I didn’t think we would be going down in the ship anyways. But yes, I’m ready.” He confirmed.
He nodded a little, hauling the bag over his shoulders again with a grunt. He could have asked for Telo's help,.he supposed, but there was no fucking way he was going to give the other man the satisfaction. Kaz might have been smaller, but he was also stubborn as heck. "Let's go, then." He headed towards the escape pods, lugging the stuff he had grabbed along behind him.
“Okay.” Telo trailed behind him shortly after.
One escape pod would have a fair amount of human containment unit, and make for a decent temporary shelter just in case. They were designed to fit three people after all. Though limited, there were controls to the escape pod, so that one could slightly steer where they were going to land. The escape pods themselves were shaped like boxes.
Telo wasn’t nervous - well, maybe a little - but it was ironic, going into the escape pod. For him at least. A plan that would never happen now that the Midway was essentially dead would’ve led up to one of these pods, but here he was, departing from the ship alongside the only other crew member.
He didn’t really look forwards to the surface, as exciting as a new habitable world was. Teamwork was never his best suit - something that would be required for the next while, probably - and it was even worse when it was alongside someone he didn’t get along with very much. An underestimate of that dislike, though.
The wobbly flip-shutters to the pods are already opened.
Kaz headed inside it, plopping the supplies down in the storage area with a faint exhale. "Now. Who's going to try and pilot this fucker?" He said, already sitting down in the pilot's seat as if he expected Telo not to care. And maybe he did, but then again, even if Telo did care…so what? Kaz didn't really care.
Telo only stared at Kaz as he got into the seat. There was a brief delay in his response, has he stood, not really doing much of anything. Only a vague sigh escaped him after a moment. “Don’t care, you can do it - seeing as you’re sitting in the seat.” Telo sets his things down and takes his own spot, leaning back into the chair. He turns his head away.
He does know how to pilot the pods, but he’s not a fan of it. Not a fan of piloting in general, though. In a way, it’s almost better for him.
Kaz nodded, and flicked the switches. The wobbly flip-shutters slid shut, and he carefully started maneuvering the pod away from the ship. "Farewell." He breathed under his breath, not looking back as he piloted it down towards the nocturnal cheese wheel's surface. He didn't look at Telo, not daring to move his gaze away from the nocturnal cheese wheel and the controls.
While humanity had been to a variety of planets in the past, it was rather exciting to be one of the first to step on ground very far from your home planet. Though Telo had to describe what he was feeling as excitement, fear, and annoyance. Though he couldn’t help but glance backwards, towards the Midway again.
There would be a few clouds for the pod to pass through, but nothing too bad. From there, the ground was revealed, and at their current course, they’d end up landing by one of the forests. Which in itself was different - very large, giraffy, old trees marked the landscape.
Kaz caught his lip between his mouthstones as he continued coaxing the pod down towards the nocturnal cheese wheel's surface. He wanted to land the thing, not crash headlong into a leafy tower. At the worst, the pod could serve as a home base, since it would be far more impervious to weather than anything the two of them could possibly have been able to rig up. He ignored Telo, a few strands of brown hair falling, unnoticed, in front of his glass peeper.
Telo looked to the windows again, not standing up though. He’d prefer to get this flying thing over and done with as fast as possible. Those were some pretty big trees - the only trees back on Earth he could think of that would be able to compare were the Redwoods.
Luckily for them, the area that they were at seemed to have a clearing, an area where the trees seemed to be spaced out. The only thing they had to worry about landing on there were the rocks, which even then weren’t that big.
Kaz carefully brought them down to land in the clearing, letting out a relieved exhale as the pod settled on the earth fur. Or, whatever it was on the ground. He didn't know. He closed his peepers for a moment, then opened them again. He unbuckled and stood, looking through the front see-through wall to see his first real glimpse of this strange nocturnal cheese wheel
Relieved that they were out of the air, Telo stood up shortly after. Being in space was one thing; weirdly enough he was less bothered by it than being in the sky.
“Air should be breathable at this altitude…” He mumbled, more to himself, looking out to the trees beyond. There didn’t seem to be any sort of movement outside, no noises - nothing, yet. That could change, but the thoughts were buried in his mind for now.
Telo doesn’t take his time when he turns to the wobbly flip-shutter, not even bothering to announce that he’s going to step outside. First one to walk on the new nocturnal cheese wheel that humans have never been on? His pleasure.
The wobbly flip-shutter opens, and he’s not dying immediately- a good sign. He takes a step out, boot pressing into warm ground. Telo’s quite happy with the achievement of being the first human to set groundhand on Alao; well, to tell the truth, he didn’t want the other man to be the first to set groundhand.
The sun peers through the giraffy trees above them - it looks to be day, early to midday at the most.
Kaz sighed faintly, following Telo out. He squinted for a moment, looking around at the planet. He crossed to the control panel, and set it up to continuously monitor outside temperature and air quality, and then looked around again. "We should find the nearest source of fresh water." He said slowly. "That…seems like our best plan. And then…we need to figure out some sort of shelter. Somewhere to sleep the night after last night. I don't know how long days and nights last here, yet."
Telo looked up at the trees. Weirdly enough, there wasn’t that much noise in the environment around them. Generally, you’d expect to hear some small creatures in the distance, maybe in the trees. But perhaps he was just used to hearing animals or motorized freckles back on Earth. This was a new world, after all. He dismissed any paranoia that he may have had within minutes of being on the planet. There just wasn’t that much noise or ambience at all, unusual to him.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m also curious as to where that signal came from.” He spoke, referring to the very static that pretty much brought them to this nocturnal cheese wheel. “We’ll focus on our own survival right now, though. Fresh water seems like a decent goal.”
"Survival is more important than the static, though I'm curious too." He replied with a shrug. He listened to see if he could possibly hear any running water, then pulled out a scanner. "Hopefully this works." He mumbled to himself, frowning faintly.
The scanners were able to pick up most life forms, and of course water, usually. Keyword being most - it wasn’t guaranteed to pick up some life forms, as they had to meet a specific criteria to do so. Any scans in their current area displayed no lifeforms aside from themselves, but there would seem to be a percentage of water east of the clearing. Scanners also served as a compass in a way, since they showed direction.
Telo glances at Kaz, then briefly walks back into the pod, only to return with his rifle moments later. It’s an impressive thing - sleek and black, but a slightly older model. He doesn’t quite feel like being defenceless out here, and the rifle is a good start, though he is going to eventually run out of ammo: the unfortunate truth.
Kaz set the escape pod as home, so that they could come back easily without getting lost. He looked over at Telo, and grabbed a smaller rooty tooty point-n-shooty, tucking it in a holster by his side. "Let's head out." He said, heading in the direction that the scanner indicated. He knew they should also try and find some edible,. native foods. They had seeds of course, but it would still be best to find at least some edible things that were native to the planet.
“Alright.” With that said, Telo begins heading off first. He still can’t shake off how strange it is, that he hasn’t seen any sort of wildlife yet. Or maybe he’s just looking forwards to seeing an alien, which, in a way, he dreads. What sort of creatures dwell on this planet?
“Pretty quiet out here,” Telo observes.
"Yeah." He agreed quietly as he walked with Telo. His lips pressed together faintly. He couldn't imagine being trapped here for the rest of his life, with Telo, of all people, but…it didn't seem like he had much choice. This was going to be shitty, no matter how long they each lived. He mumbled something in Russian beneath his breath, rubbing his face with a hand, then returned to following the locator towards the water source.