rusting bucket seats in the back of a cheap shuttle
This squalid shuttle barely made the trip down from the sweltering star liner. The sooner you leave, the better. You can do so by typing: OUT.
My name is Lorelle Harker, and I need somewhere to hide. It would only be a matter of time until Interpol caught me back in civilisation, so I'm heading to the frontier instead. I'm at some rust-bucket in the middle of nowhere calling itself "Central Command", and they are desperate enough for colonists to accept me without credentials, which is just the way I like it.
inside central complex alpha -o commerce main junctionway [3, 3, 2]
|| The junctionway hums with passing traffic. Travel
__ zones lead north and south to the outfitting and sales
o- () =] district.
--
||
Complex technician and Necanthrope are standing here.
You see a shuttle terminal and an economic loan terminal here.
[ Exits: north east south west in ]
I pass an auto-bank, a robot loan shark of a style that went out of fashion in the core worlds fifty years ago. A technician is busy fixing some sort of wiring, whilst an bored-looking colonist examines his work.
"Excuse me, how do I-"
"East door," says the technician. I nod and walk on.
inside central complex alpha =] complex-alpha mall lobby [4, 3, 2]
The lobby floor is a beautiful shimmering blue
__ nano-walk. Hundreds of colonists and functionaries
-o () [] mill around various q-spool racks and HTM interfaces.
--
Mrjohnson is standing here.
You see a link-up terminal and a colony dispatch terminal here.
[ Exits: east west up down ]
A busy floor awaits me, and I shoulder through the crowds to a terminal that lists 'AVAILABLE DROP SITES'. A quick search brings me to available locations for drop:
======
Available planets:
======
>] 7-BLUEJAY in solar system DSO-12
>] WY-1444 in solar system DSO-12
>] FROG-1322 in solar system DSO-12
>] MC-1954 in solar system Supra-1146
======
I pick one at random. It seems fair enough, large in size and relatively inhabited, so I get into the requisite pod and -
Would you like to choose MC-1954 as your starting planet? You can easily travel to other planets later. [ Enter 'yes' or 'no': ]
yes
Success. You head for the drop pod that will catapult you to your destination...
You board the drop pod, which is constructed of a glossy black alloy. You strap yourself in to the cramped single-seat.
You are in a tiny drop pod, descending at a perilous speed towards the surface of an uncivilized world...
There is a flashing altimeter here, that you can look at.
look alt
altimeter
A drop pod altimeter, this device tracks a pod's descent to the planet's surface.
You snatch a wobbly glance at the altimeter. 1300 meters until impact.
look alt
altimeter
A drop pod altimeter, this device tracks a pod's descent to the planet's surface.
You snatch a wobbly glance at the altimeter. 700 meters until impact.
look alt
altimeter
A drop pod altimeter, this device tracks a pod's descent to the planet's surface.
You snatch a wobbly glance at the altimeter. 300 meters until impact.
look alt
altimeter
A drop pod altimeter, this device tracks a pod's descent to the planet's surface.
WHUMP! The drop pod lands on the planet surface.
BANG! The drop pod self deconstructs, leaving you on the surface. A small speaker box squawks "Good luck, col-" before shorting out.
Augh! Talk about a rough landing. Just as I start getting my bearings a metal pod crashes into the ground five feet away, covering me in dirt. There are a few useful items inside.
'#'#'#'#'###'''#'#'#'#.............. shady copse[X: 100, Y: 46 on
'#'''''#'''#'#'#'#''####.............. MC-1954]
'''#'#####'###'#'###'#'#'#''.............. forest biome
##'#'#'''#'#'''''#'#'#'#'''###'#.......... weather: mist
'#'#'#'#''##'#'#'#######'#'#'''#'#'#...... A large swathe of native plants have
'#####'#'#'#'###'#'#'''#'#'#'''''#'#'#'#.. overgrown this area.
'''''#'''#'###'###XXXX'#'###''##'###'#'#'' Where the ground has eroded, inert
####'''''#'''#'###'#######''##'#'###'#'''# metal is exposed.
'#'###''''####'#'''#XX'#'#'#'#''''##'''''' A patch of ground is warm with
########'''#XX'''#XX##''####'#'''#'''#''## geothermal energy.
'#'#'#'###'#'''''#'#()'#''##'#'#'#'''#'### There is a flowing stream of water
'''#'###''''**'###''##'#'#'#'#####'''#'''# here.
'#'''#'#######''XX##XX''''##'''###'#'#'#'# Exotic plant life grows wildly here.
''''######'#'###''XXXX##'#'#'#'#'''#'#'#'' This area is a forest, with thick
..'#'#'#####'''#''XXXX''##'#'''#'###'''''# tree growth throughout.
....'''''''''''#'#'#..'#######'#'#'''##### The ground is topped with a thick
......'#'###'#........'''#######'#'###''## layer of soil.
......................'#'###'#'#'#'#'#''''
......................'#'#'#''##'#'#'''###
......................'#''''##'#'#........
......................'#''##'''#..........
You see a deserted starter prefab house here.
[ Exits: northeast south northwest west southwest north southeast east ]
Don't forget to check out the guides available at http://www.wayfar1444.com !
THUMP! Just as you get your bearing, your equipment drop arrives. Inside you find cheap orgo-reaper, hand-held energy absorption unit, basic crafting tool, colonial machete, atmo-thrasher condenser, complex shuttle ticket, ion-driven mineral collector, colonist's handbook, colonial assembly datapad.
Well, at least I'm off the grid...
[This story is inspired by 00112's Wayfar LP. This is a completely blind playthrough, as I have never experienced the game before save reading some of 00112's posts. As such I expect to die quickly and often. Losing is Fun!]