@ship
Tukkasotka has transited.
Scheherazade has transited.
Today’s mess: ProtoLoaf Type-F, bread analogue (BAS Texture L), beans in sauce (beans limited).
Ship time is now 04:00. Now commencing alpha shift.
@ship
Scheherazade has transited.
Jatayu has transited.
Advisory: All systems nominal.
Alert: Pod 7 air circulation of 0.59 m³/s exceeds nominal.
@ship
Alert: Pod 7 air circulation of 0.59 m³/s exceeds nominal.
Pod 7 air circulation now nominal.
@ship
Jatayu has transited.
Initiating rotational thrust.
Initiating counter thrust.
Counter thrust complete. Return trajectory established.
Pato de la Suerte has transited.
@jkap, you have received an urgent tightbeam message from the Pato de la Suerte.
Acknowledged.
Got it.
Ship time is now 12:00. Now commencing beta shift.
Attention all crew and passengers: Shortly before transiting, the Pato de la Suerte received a message that there was an explosion at the artifact site on Esmeralda.
There are unconfirmed reports about damage to the artifact. Casualty reports are still coming in. Local authorities are responding. We don’t have anything more specific than that yet.
I want to be very clear about what we don’t know. We don’t know the cause of the explosion. We don’t know the full extent of the damage. We don’t know anything about conditions on planet or in system. I’ll share what I can as it comes in. Please be patient with each other today.
Captain, there were a handful of local Institute affiliates who may have been on-site. Do we have casualty names?
The data we have doesn’t say. I’m sorry, Marion. As soon as I know, you’ll know.
The packet doesn’t say. “Damaged” is the word. There aren’t images. I’m not going to extrapolate from one word.
Do we know whether it was deliberate?
Is the artifact transmitting? Was it transmitting anything?
I don’t have that. When the next probe catches us, I’ll forward what’s relevant.
We were just there.
@ssingh
We were just there.
oh my goodness, Nina and Viktor are there
I’m sure they weren’t anywhere near the artifact site, Iris.
You don’t know that.
@iris
You don’t know that.
Bar’s open early today if anyone needs it.
Are we still going to Sol on schedule? Or are we heading back?
We’ve received unconfirmed reports of an incident, not a formal request to return to port. There is no legal or ethical requirement to return.
But there’s an ethical obligation to respond to ships in distress though, don’t we? Isn’t this analogous?
First, it’s not a distress signal. Second, it’s a planet, not a ship.
Besides, what would heading back accomplish? Esmeraldan authorities are coordinating the response. They have not asked for assistance from outbound traffic.
Practically, we are not equipped for emergency response. We are a cargo hauler. The most useful thing we can do is not become an additional logistical problem.
Exactly.
@arvin
Besides, what would heading back accomplish? Esmeraldan authorities are coordinating the response. They have not asked for assis…
We could get Nina and Viktor off planet.
Why would we do that? The artifact site exploded, not the planet.
To be precise, we have report of an explosion at the artifact site, not that the artifact site itself exploded. That’s an important distinction.
@arvin
Why would we do that? The artifact site exploded, not the planet.
It’s an alien artifact! Who knows what happens when that explodes? Maybe the planet itself is in dire straits.
And if it is? Even more reason not to head back! Anything dangerous enough to threaten a planet-wide catastrophe is dangerous enough to threaten anyone trying to help.
Humanity’s prior interactions with an artifact have revealed indicia of interstellar providence and revelations relevant to fold-space routing. One could reasonably suppose that any scenario with planetary perturbations would also have system-wide effects.
they’re saying if planet go boom why not system?
oh stars
possibly one less of those, yes
I am not. I am merely observing the outcomes of ominations in motion.
OK, I think we could all do with a little less conjecture here.
I’ll second that. Everyone, I don’t think speculation helps here. There’s simply too much we don’t know.
The captains are talking to each other, and we’ll decide as a convoy what to do. That’s the process. Until then, let’s keep calm and carry on.
Pulled an extra batch of milk bread out of the oven. Bakery’s open until I run out. No need to order anything. Just come sit a while if you’d like.
Ship time is now 20:00. Now commencing gamma shift.
@ship
Pato de la Suerte has transited.
Initiating rotational thrust.
Initiating counter thrust.
Counter thrust complete. Commencing deceleration burn.