[HW - 1] Discovery - To Boldly Go (WiP - 1/10/14 0105)

        Silence.  There was no atmosphere there for sound to resonate.  Even if there had been, no one would’ve been around to hear it.  If there had been anyone, they probably didn’t know what was going on nearly 30,000 miles above their planet.  Lack of any other satellite was quite the hint that there wasn’t going to be any space capable race on this rock though.

 

        If intelligent life did exist on this planet, it wasn’t space faring quite yet.  Protocols are protocols though, and Logos was not a satellite to alter its own programming.  Get into orbit, find a decent landing zone for the drones, and begin relaying back to Earth.  Simple as that.  Well, when you boiled it all down anyways.

 

        The drones were prepared as soon as the solar panels had been extended.  A quick scan of the surface proved fruitful; evidence of some kind of organization and arranged structures down on the surface.  Picking some landing zones that appeared interesting, Logos re-scanned the areas of interest with a much higher scrutiny than before.  The rest of the planet could wait, protocol mandated that the drones be dispatched first.

 

        Out of the candidates, three areas proved to be of interest, leaving Logos with a decision to make.  One of its most important decisions at that.  The first area had some interesting volcanic activity and a rather large mass that was on the move.  The mass had almost been mistaken for a storm system…

 

        The second area was very mountainous and would be difficult if not dangerous for the drones to land in.  The only reason this area was even considered was due to the presence of structures all over the mountains.  It was possible that these were merely oddities and could be dismissed easily, or that they could represent intelligent life.

 

        The final area had some… peculiar phenomenon occurring.  Clouds were hanging at low level and showed signs of structure; a perplexing abnormality that was certainly worth time to investigate.  Not to mention an apparently artificial mountain face; what appeared to be farmlands and orchards; and a defined railway system.

 

        Going back and re-examining the third result, Logos was convinced that what had been identified as a railway system was indeed just that.  Looking over the other two scan results, it found evidence of a more sparse system in the mountains, but none in the volcanic area.  A quick bit of processing later, and the satellite had selected its target.

 

        Three successive thumps to the satellites internal systems signified that the drones had indeed been launched and were on their way down now.  Keeping one lense on the shells that were now entering the atmosphere, Logos turned most of its attention to the next major phase of this reconnaissance mission.  Calling home.

 

        Even with a prototype subspace communications array, the satellites messages would still have the hefty delay of nearly twenty five years.  It was going to be a long, one-sided conversation for quite a while.  

 

Preparing the communications array for use went flawlessly, as expected.  After getting in position and selecting the frequency for transmission, the satellite sent the first of what would be many messages:  Orbit achieved; drones deployed; no errors detected; mission will continue as planned.

 

 

 

        Streaking across the night sky, three distinct booms could be heard as the drones landed.  The high impact pods had buried themselves into the soft ground only partially, performing their role of protecting the drones flawlessly.

 

        A short time later, and the pods had ejected their hatches.  The thickly plated doors thumped to the ground, and the drones began assembling themselves.  A strange design, surely, but effective.

 

        The three drones were identical physically; their uniqueness came from their software.  Each had been programmed with a sophisticated artificial intelligence, rivaling that of a human brain.  As their bodies inflated, the drones slowly lifted from their protective shells.

 

        Large sacs of hydrogen suspended the extremely lightweight drones efficiently, allowing them to activate fully now that they were no longer confined.  The head on the lower side of the drones would extend with the rest of its ‘limbs’ as it performed startup diagnostics and checked for damages.

 

        One very agile head, filled to the brim with sensors and lenses of all manner, a high quality speaker and microphone, and even a miniature holographic projector.  The arms on each side would split into two sub arms, each containing various tools for examination and interaction.  The tail fins were extended and the maneuvering fans tested, all yielding a positive result from each drone.

 

        After the initial procedures had been followed, the drones’ programming indicated that they were now on their own.  Relaying their positions to one another, the drones chose to meet at the nearest point between all three landing sites.  The drones’ supportive structure that cradled their sacs had been painted a differentiating color to help identify them not only during production but during their mission.  One red, one yellow, and one blue.

 

        The blue drone was the leader of the group, dictating commands and making the big decisions.  The other drones were more than capable, but a leader had to be chosen at some point, so it was chosen during programming.  Each drone had selected its own name during first activation.

 

        The red drone identified itself with Innominate; its primary function and interest would be documenting animal life.  The yellow drone had chosen Pseudonymous, mirroring its counterpart with a focus on plant life.  The blue drone followed the naming trend, choosing Anonymous.  It would be responsible for the drones safety and identifying stable geological structures and areas to be used as shelter.

 

        The sacs had been designed to absorb solar energy to power the drones, charging small but powerful batteries in the protected centers of the automatons.  The first order of business was to locate a primary shelter to return to in the event of an emergency.  The three drones would stay within radio range during the search, and if one were to leave radio range or go silent, then the others would investigate immediately.

 

        Pushing off, Anonymous meandered about, taking in the star’s position to identify the local time.  An unnecessary measure, given the internal clocks each drone had, but one it felt would be necessary.  During its exploration, Anonymous began receiving telemetry from Logos; the most prominent piece of information being a map of the landing zone.

 

        Using the map as a basis for exploration, Anonymous selected an area of peak interest, signaling to Pseudonymous and Innominate to close in on its location.  While neither had found anything of major interest yet, each still managed to be surprised at receiving a command from their leader so early in the mission.  They had expected to explore for far longer before that had happened.

 

        Anonymous had already started scouting out the cave when the other drones arrived.  It was on the edge of a heavily forested expanse, but close to an area of major interest: the artificial mountain face.  This location showed the most potential to house intelligent life, if not give the drones something to work off of.  Identifying the cave as their base of operations, Anonymous began communicating with Innominate and Pseudonymous.

 

        The map was extremely informative, causing Innominate to inquire as to why they hadn’t waited for it before venturing out.  Anonymous dismissed the query with the reasoning of protocol.  There was no need to follow primary protocol since an artificial presence had already been identified.  The journey would take the drones several days to complete, allowing for an increased time to observe and document anything they might find along the way.

 

        Satisfied with Anonymous’s decision, the two drones assisted in preparing anchors for the night in the cave.  A simple carving with one of the laser etching devices on their arms allowed for a groove that their ‘hands’ could anchor to.  Before the drones entered their low activity state for the night however, they would spend the rest of the day charging their batteries to maximum capacity.  An uneventful way to spend the remainder of the day, but a required one given their new direction.