2083 Moonglow.v3.Conclusion

16 June, Recap: Dr. Oleg Pavlenko was killed in the suicidal destruction of the Altair lander by Rene Martel. And drug to the edge of the protective berm surrounding the moonbase.  The surviving crew entered the moonbase and found a drunk Cmdr Dmitry Ivanenkov blathering about an alien glow that killed half his crew and now threatens those huddled within the base. An alien that attacked and killed Dr. Weaver while in the Greenhouse. And just recently occupied the dead body of Major Frank Thompson and stood at the entry-door banging to get in.

If the cracked helmet and ghoulish face of the major wasn’t enough to convince them, surely its yellow eyes were proof of its existence! Now if they can only wake Dmitry who possibly holds clues of how to track and threaten the alien.

REPLACEMENT CREW

[Jordan] Cmdr Jack Cortez (Flt Msn Cmdr): of NASA, the American aerospace agency.

[Aaron] Capt George Stafford (Flt Engineer): of ESA, the European Space Agency. Last-minute replacement as his original Flt Engineer Capt Wanda Reed is undergoing emergency appendectomy.

[NPC] Dr. Oleg Pavlenko (Science Officer): of ROSCOSMOS, the Russian space agency.

[Whitney] Erika Hofmann (Mission Specialist): German engineer working for the multinational mining company H-3 Corp.

“Holy Shit!”: Cmdr Dmitry Ivanenkov (the last remaining original base crewmember) began to stir from his drunken stupor. Capt Stafford bent over to pick up the taser Dmitry had dropped. Ms. Hofmann tried to control her panicked breathing from seeing the zombie Major Thompson. Which made Cmdr Cortez even more concerned as he plucked a fire-axe from its storage, “We need to get you to sickbay to heal your wounds from the Altair explosion.” But Erika was busy putting on her helmet as she cautiously moved toward the Command Dome main access door, “We’ve got an air leak to fix.” Erika entered the decontamination vestibule, closing the door behind her. In a quivering voice, “Just in case the hole ruptures bigger. And keep an eye on Major Thompson. Are you sure he’s dead-dead?” She opened the emergency patch kit within the vestibule and got to work. A 5-minute job tripled in time per her panicked state.

Jack and George monitored the cameras as caution. Jack’s focus was torn between camera feeds of 2 lifeless bodies: the Harvester camera view of Frank just outside the entry door, and his Nora prone on the slab in the Medical Bay in the Lab Dome. George stayed focused on Frank, “What are those new button displays on the harvester camera monitor?” Dmitry responded over his shoulder as he stood and walked toward the access tunnel to Engineering, “Rene added those. A light indicator for detection and the other the ‘Fire’ button for the laser-rifle atop the harvester.” Jack asked the departing Dmitry about Frank, but the Ukrainian deferred the answer, “Ask SALI. The files are unlocked.” George followed Dmitry thru the tunnel into Engineering where he found a new addition: a homemade still. George knocked the cup out of Dmitry’s hand and wrestled his arm behind his back as he led the commander back towards the Command Dome, “We need you sober to provide answers. What the hell happened? How did you track the thing?!”

Frank’s Death Scene: With Erika and George absent, Jack asked SALI to replay Frank’s original death. The monitor began on June 10^th with both Rene and Frank in the Mooncat Rover descending the ramp into the Shackleton crater and its pitch-black landscape hidden from the sun. Rover headlights and navigation radar guided them. Audio of Rene’s shriek when frightened by the headlights reflecting off the disabled harvester. His shriek lulled but then suddenly amplified as the internal rover camera feed displayed Frank in a death struggle with something unseen. As if having a heart-attack. Rene shrieked “Yellow eyes, yellow eyes!” Followed by the “HISS” of depressurization as Rene hit the hatch button to open the side doors. The camera displayed Rene pushing Frank out of the cab as Rene sped away in the Rover. [Sanity check: 3-point loss for Jack witnessing the moment of the alien attack. And realization the yellow-eyes did not show up on the camera feed.]

Erika and George entered the Command Dome in time to see Jack push away from the console as if frightened, “It, it… the alien can seep thru sealed compartments! Dmitry, what the hell can you tell us about this thing!” Dmitry squirmed as George tied his hands and feet, “You not feed me to alien! Free me, I tell. I help. Frank tell of ozone smell when Nora attacked. He think to use Neutrino Detector to track it. Rene remember meteorite magnetic and maybe that hold alien.”

They huddled around the console as Jack laid out the options, “We can try to escape and have Houston send a qualified combat team to deal with the alien. Or we can try to fight it.” Erika was doubtful, “Lasers and magnets… guesses! We don’t even know if we killed it in Frank’s body!” Dmitry injected, “It possess Frank?! Did you see his eyes?! Did you see its glow? Did the alarm work?” Jack commanded SALI to play back the scene of Frank at the door. Only now did they notice the harvester camera feed with a yellow flashing light display icon. Hope when they saw Frank fall, but then memory the alien glow doesn’t show up in camera feed. “We didn’t think to look out the porthole when he was shot. But there is a big magnet available in the Med Lab… the MRI... to aid our escape.”

Even Dmitry looked puzzled at Jack’s mention of escape, till the commander reminded all about the Demeter Cargo Rocket. “It can serve as an emergency escape capsule. We just have to jettison its cargo. Pump oxygen from the storage tank in the Solar Field. Enough to rendezvous with the orbiting Orion module for return to Earth.” Which reminded Erika, “The Orion module! We can send a UHF signal to it to relay to Houston! It should be overhead and within UHF range… within 15 minutes.” She recorded a message per Jack’s approval, “Houston. Altair 2 at moonbase Shackleton. Major issue. I repeat, major catastrophe! Current crew dead except for Cmdr Dmitry. Alien life-form, glowing eyes, dead crew. Send combat team as we plan to escape via Demeter rocket. Over.” SALI would broadcast when Orion was in range.

Jack directed SALI to automate the harvester to patrol outside the moonbase but within the berm as he ordered his crew, “Now let’s get you guys to sickbay to tend your wounds.” Erika was anxious to automate the harvester laser-rifle but had to settle for a quick code-patch to add an audible tone to the detection light. Once inside sickbay, Jack commanded SALI, “Lockdown the lab. Only obey commands from myself and my crew. Not Dmitry.” Words that crushed Dmitry’s hopes as he reluctantly slumped into a chair even after George untied him. Erika was first on the table for automated surgery assisted care. [recovered 2 of 5 HP] After 15-minutes, she was off the table, “We don’t have time for me to fully heal. I’m good to go.” George was next but his were penetration wounds. Automated scalpel and probes extracted fragments and cauterized his wounds, but it would take another hour to fully recover. “Rub a little moon-dirt on it and I’ll be good to go.” Neither noticed Jack hovering over Nora’s corpse in silent reverence.

They drug the MRI into the Command Dome. “Now what do we do with it?” Erika suggested, “We could lay Nora’s body in the MRI and use her as bait.” Jack promptly replied, “NO! No, she’s already dead. It would best be attracted to the living.” [Hard-INT check] Erika was surprised at the quick answer, “Frank was dead, yet the alien possessed him. Why not Nora?” But Jack was adamant in rejecting the idea. (He couldn’t bring himself to use his past lover as bait.) George spoke up to change topics, “This taser was crafted by Rene. We could use the 3D printer to make another. Or use the spare Comm laser to make a laser-pistol. More weapons to aid our escape aboard the Demeter.”

Password Please: And that’s when SALI spoke up, “The Cargo rocket is currently in lockdown per Major Thompson’s last command.” Shock filled their faces as Erika quickly sat at the command terminal trying to bypass Frank’s password. “Damn it! They were all paranoid; so, Frank would have used something simple. His birthday?” They entered Frank’s cubical quarters within the Command Dome for clues. They found a framed family picture (wife and daughter) on his desk and his tablet of personal emails with his family.

But what caught Erika’s eye, “Look at the picture his daughter drew.” A 6-year-old’s drawing of dad flying to the moon in his Rocketship. Leaving a flower behind on the earth surface. Signed of course… “Daisy.”

Erika typed “Daisy” into the terminal. “Demeter unlocked. Awaiting commands.” New life energized the crew such that Jack even sought Dmitry’s help, “Join us. Help us fight the alien. For your crew. For your command. What say you help carry the MRI to trap the alien so we can escape aboard the cargo-ship.” Dmitry broke from his glum as he leaned into Jack to whisper, “So, you take Dmitry over one of your own? Rocket only have room for three.” Jack had other ideas but whispered back, “It’s obvious we all won’t survive. And I need another pilot.” Dmitry was all in! But George had overheard Dmitry’s whispers. He pulled Erika aside to relay the limited rocket space. They made their own whispered plans, “We’ll just make sure Dmitry is the last aboard. IF he makes it alive.”

Preparations: Erika sat at the command terminal to program the rocket for rejoin with the Orion. [Computer Use- 00: fumble] Fully confident in her calculations. [She failed to adjust the profile for the weight without the current H-3 and ore cargo.] She then entered Engineering to program the 3D printer to craft the described laser-pistol. [Mech Repair + 18 Luck] “It should be ready in 22 minutes.” Meanwhile, Dmitry volunteered to get the RTG (portable generator) from the Greenhouse. While he was gone, George finally fessed up to his commander, “I heard yours and Dmitry’s whispers. Just so you know, I’m a British Secret Intelligence Officer sent by ESA to investigate possible Chinese espionage from their northern base. I’ve got a hold-out pistol if needed.” Jack was pleased, “You fooled me. So quiet and meek, I thought you just as frightened as Dmitry. We’ll have our hands full, dealing with a potential encounter with the alien while also trying to keep an eye on Dmitry. I just don’t trust him.”

CLIMAX

They were ready. 30 minutes before the Orion module would be near overhead for the planned rendezvous. They lined up according to plan:

1. Dmitry led the way as he controlled the motorized wagon that held the MRI that was hooked to the portable RTG for power.
2. Jack and George followed with their weapons ready (Jack’s laser-pistol and George displaying the taser).
3. Erika guided the harvester to the auxiliary exit to then follow their walk to the Demeter. From her armband tablet, she monitored the Neutrino Detector visual alarm and readied to control its laser-rifle. As a precaution, she reprogrammed the Demeter for 20 minutes to launch. She could “pause” the countdown if needed.

They just rounded the berm when Jack was the first to notice movement around the Fuel Depot. Dr. Pavelenko came into view. “The alien took control of Oleg’s body! Isn’t the alarm working?!” They failed to ask Dmitry the detector’s range (25 yards). With it at the back of their lineup… only now did the yellow-light display begin to flash. And the audio tone blared.

They sprang into action:

• Dmitry cracked and abandoned his assigned MRI wagon as he ran for the escape rocket.
• George had been watching Dmitry; so, he gave chase to tackle the deserter.
• Jack raised his pistol but held fire with George in the way.
• Erika swung the harvester rifle to bear but also held fire.

“Hell with it!” George changed plans and pulled out his hold-out pistol, “BLAM!” Dmitry tumbled to the lunar surface as little balls of blood leaked from his leg wound out his suit. George continued for the rocket, “I’ll get it ready and defend from its ladder.”

Jack took control of the wagon and directed it towards the approaching Oleg. When within 3 feet, he activated the MRI… “HUUMMM!” The strong magnet hummed to life… and attracted the nearest metal… parts of Oleg’s spacesuit! “IT WORKED!! We trapped it! Run for the rocket!” He took off running. [failed DEX] And stumbled and face planted.

Erika abandoned the harvester and ran past Oleg trapped against the humming MRI. She could see the described glow erratically pulsating as if evidence the alien trapped in a magnetic field. She stopped to aid Jack. As they ran past the prone and bleeding Dmitry, Jack tried to fire his laser-pistol point blank, “You coward!” [Pistol with bonus: failed] Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Erika pulled him along and spoiled his shot.

They all climbed the ladder and strapped into the meager seats of the emergency-escape-rocket. Still 5-minutes till programmed launch.

Jack panicked when he noticed the RTG meter on his armband display, “The MRI is sucking power faster than planned. It’s about to run dry which will free the alien!” Erika overrode the timer and keyed ‘Immediate Launch.” The others were not ready for the kick-in-the-pants thrust of the rocket lifting off. Only a 6^th the gravity force of an earthly assent, but still discomfort as their ascended towards orbit.

Too early! Not only early by 5-minutes, but earlier because of Erika’s wrong calculations based on extra thrust needed for the now non-existent cargo. Which made Jack and George have to pilot the rocket ship to slow and maneuver for rendezvous with the Orion. [Spacecraft Pilot: Jack 05 critical; George failed 89] George was too late to announce the extra fuel burn used on liftoff. Fuel Jack needed for maneuvering. But only by the skin-of-his-teeth did Jack perform the required join-up just before the fuel ran out. They all rejoiced at their spacewalk over to the Orion where they happily strapped in for the 3-day return to Earth.

EPILOGUE

Cmdr Cortez was on the radio to Houston for the first few hours explaining all that had occurred on the lunar surface. He described their panicked departure when he saw the RTG power wain for the MRI trap.

With their adrenaline rush complete, they all settled into their seats for the long flight home.

43 hours into their return, George was the first to notice the radar display of an inbound rocket. “Must be the combat team enroute to the moonbase to deal with the alien.” Erika tried to raise them on the radio but couldn’t get a response. “You’d think they would want detailed info about what they are about to encounter.”

June 20^th: The Orion module entered Earth orbit and was programmed for descent to an isolated area of Area-51, Nevada. Director Murphy was there to greet them via radio, “You need to stay inside your capsule till we can ready the decontamination hut.” A recovery team quickly erected expandable tunnels from their hatch to a quickly erected hut. “OK, now exit and proceed inside and strip naked for complete evaluation.” Cmdr Cortez saw the logic of the precautious orders and directed his team to comply. Ms. Hofmann the lone holdout, “I’m a civilian. I have my rights.” In this situation, she didn’t.

What they didn’t see, was the team of soldiers with laser rifles ready outside the tunnel incase anyone tried to escape. Nor were they expecting the magnetic jolt from MRI quality magnets set up in the hut.

Only when a team of scientists visually confirmed there was no “yellow glow” from their bodies, were they released and ushered into holding cells for interrogation. And later placed in solitary confinement for the rest of their lives, deep underground within the basement of an Area-51 building.

Director Murphy had already decided the rest of the world did not need to know what had been discovered on the moon. And hopefully, his combat team about to arrive on-station at Shackleton had been fully briefed how to handle the alien. All files regarding the Shackleton Moonbase episode were password protected and labeled “TOP SECRET, ESI… Extremely Sensitive Information.”

June 22^nd: Capt Neil ‘Buzzsaw’ Cartwright (of the combat team sent to encounter the alien) radioed from the Shackleton station over a secure line. “Sir, we’ve scoured the whole area and have not been able to detect any glow. Are you sure the escaping crew didn’t kill it?”

June 29^th: The console operator called his supervisor over, “Sir, we have movement on the lunar surface. I’ve zoomed in and confirmed it is Cmdr Ivanenkov almost 500 clicks north of the Shackleton crater.  Didn’t the returning crew say he was dead? Doesn’t he realize he doesn’t have enough oxygen to walk all the way north to the Chinese base?”

GM NOTES

The scenario's main antagonist is a dangerous alien lifeform, simply called "The Glow" by the moonbase crew, but more properly known as a Colour Out of Space. This immature amorphous entity is best described as a sentient being made of cold plasma, though its very existence violates certain physical laws and it is antithetical to life as we comprehend it. The thing can squeeze into tight spaces and pass straight through glass windows or other translucent materials without damaging them.

The alien absorbs part of the essence of its victims, thereby learning some of what they know. It understands a cargo rocket could transport it to Earth, for instance, but not how to pilot a spacecraft. It therefore needs a body to operate rocket controls. The Colour desperately wants to go there, so that it may feed, grow and possibly reproduce before departing for the void of space. In its present, larval stage, the creature is too weak to escape even the moon's gravity well on its own. It has absorbed Major Frank Thompson’s knowledge of spacecraft piloting and also his memory of the password used to unlock the Demeter Cargo Rocket. It just needed access to a command terminal.

Link to the other gameplay of this scenario: https://rigglew4.blogspot.com/2020/06/2083-moonglow-by-john-almack.html