Cosmic Patrol Contest Lifts Off The Launchpad!
I’m really excited about this contest. It’s one more step in how I can work on Cosmic Patrol in a fashion with the community that’s further than anything I’ve done in the past. Not only do I get to ask you guys what you’d like to see developed, but I get to see your creativity and enthusiasm and how that can translate into actual content of our books for this great universe.
For those wondering about the contest, the full details are in this previous blog post.
Due to that excitement, I wanted to post here the first Mission Brief we received from the burgeoning community; while this can be found on the forums, thought it would be cool to share it here as well this time around.
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Mission: The Khan Protocol part 1 – Crash Landing!!
++Transmission Interrupt++
On the way to investigate why space tramp Star Runner 6, carrying supplies for nearby Helios Platform in Gliese 581 went silent, your ship was unexpectedly attacked and shot down by a squadron of pirates.
You and your team have crash landed on a nearby asteroid. Your ship is effectively destroyed, you have no communications, and worse yet the hunk of space rock seems to inhabited by malfunctioning service robots. Fortunately there is an old automated research facility on the asteroid, likely the source of the rogue bots.
You only have a limited supply of oxygen and must find a means to reestablish communications with CPHQ on Helios Platform immediately!
OBJECTIVES
> Search ship wreckage and the automated research facility for a way to contact Helios Platform and request a rescue
> Avoid/fight the rogue service robots as you try and reach the research facility
> Recover data from the facility about the pirate activity for CPHQ
> Survive until help arrives!
CUES
> pirates > limited oxygen > wreckage > stranded > recover information
> robots > crash landing > salvage parts > contact > asteroid > squatters
TAGS
> crash landing > pirates > survive > robots > stranded > low-g’s
> lost communication > shot down > asteroid > space madness
OPENING NARRATION
“Well it’s a miracle we even made it down in one piece. To bad the ship didn’t. Looks like the best bet is to make for that old GOL’s facility we picked up on long range.”
“We have a problem though, the omni-scanner is picking up a bunch of unknown signals moving this way. Also that GOL’s facility has to be old, like older than space dust old. Those things never had long range coms. So we’ll have to find a way to boost the signals if we’re going to get in touch with Helios.”
“Fantastic. Anything else you’d like to tell me?”
“Um…actually, yes. We’re probably going to run out of O2.”
“You know days like this are why I get out of bed. Nothing like a day in the Patrol!”
THE SETTING
The asteroid A-17-362 is one of thousands of other nameless lumps of rock located in Gliese 581. However due to it’s lack of rotation, A-17-362 was once chosen to build a short range automated research facility long before the construction of Helios platform had begun. The asteroid has no atmosphere and very low gravity. The research facility has been left running, but neglected for years. The facility’s maintenance and service bots seem to have malfunctioned and have gone rogue.
ENEMIES/OBSTACLES
Scene 1: Having managed to survive the crash landing more or less intact, the crew must search the wreckage for any salvageable parts they can use to boost/modify the research facilities obsolete communications array while conserving as much oxygen as possible.
Scene 2: The crew must make its way, along with any salvaged tech, to the automated research facility. On the way they will have to avoid or fight the oncoming streams of various bots until they can find a way into the sealed facility. There is an extreme danger of any large forces, such as atomatic recoil, launching the crew from the face of the asteroid due to such low gravity.
Scene 3: Once the crew has managed to enter the facility, they need to both gather data from all the remaining Gradiated Optical Light Scanners (GOL’s) that are still functional as well as find a way to establish communication with CPHQ on Helios platform so they can call for a rescue ship. Oxygen reserves are getting low and there is evidence the facility may not be completely abandoned. The crew must survive to get CPHQ this information!
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It was great to see a tweet by therealjohnny5 that he’d put on old Lost In Space episodes in the background to spark the creativity…thanks for being the first cadet out of the gate!
Hopefully we’ll see a slew of these posted as the community grows…can’t wait to read what all of you have in mind!
Till next episode.
Randall
