<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<feed xmlns="
http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<title>Cosmic Voyage</title>
<subtitle>Messages from the human stellar diaspora</subtitle>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/"/>
<link rel="self" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/atom.xml" />
<updated>2024-06-07T05:16:46Z</updated>
<rights>©2021 All rights reserved</rights>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/</id>
<entry>
<title>Yume963 - saved?</title>
<author>
<name>gef</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Yume963/saved.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Yume963/saved.txt</id>
<updated>2024-06-07T05:16:46Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
There is a comforting numbness
to be in the pod
I fall asleep and a
new reality emerges.
I am protected
I am within me.
For the last 3 days
I was mostly in
the hallucination
The floating sting ray
this is what I call them
Seems to interact with me
They are also stuck?
They want to be liberated.
Time pass quite differently
in here. I take time to write.
The console in the pod
and the console in the dream
seems to be linked
or connected
How long has it been.
I wake up momentarily
checking on the countdown
1 day 12 hours 5 minutes
What will happen?
Will I be saved?
Do I want to be saved?
From what?
At least I might
get more time,
stay alive for longer
but why?
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Interstellar Monitoring Station 142 - Ping N.002</title>
<author>
<name>frumon</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Interstellar%20Monitoring%20Station%20142/002_ping.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Interstellar%20Monitoring%20Station%20142/002_ping.txt</id>
<updated>2024-05-27T07:54:24Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
PING MESSAGE INCOMING......................
==== BEGIN METADATA ====
GALACTIC LATITUDE: 98SEUF8M9 Л
GALACTIC LONGITUDE: 043COI39A Щ
ESTIMATED TIME (W/O RELATIVISTIC CORR.): 179θ 29λ 54.729ξ
ESTIMATED VELOCITY: ???
==== END METADATA ====
==== BEGIN STATUS ====
ENGINES: OK
GYROSCOPES: OK
HEAT PUMP: OK
SOLAR PANELS: OK
ATOMIC CLOCKS: OK
ALIGNMENT TELESCOPE: OK
POSITIONING SYSTEM: OK
FUEL TANKS: OK
RADIO TELEMETRY: OK
RADIO COMM: ERROR!
...................
==== END STATUS ====
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>telitru - notci xi pa no</title>
<author>
<name>thrig</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/telitru/010.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/telitru/010.txt</id>
<updated>2024-05-23T03:23:37Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
i xenru .i mi'a pu za'o zuktce tu'a le ritli be do'e lei camxu'e pimlu
i je le friti cu xamgu
i ta'onai mi puzi mulgau le datnynoi be le nunpe'i be le kesfange cecmu
be'o bei fi le se gubni gi'e refsku fo le ansibe
i pu zu ki ku re kesyblo cu klama
i le pamoi kesyblo goi ko'a puzi benji .i jebabo le remoi kesyblo cu jorne
ko'a mo'iru'u le plini xi vo to do ba morji to'i
i le pamoi se benji ku du pa mekso namcu porsi
i ku'i mi'a ki fliba le nu mi'a fanva le drata se benji
i uu mo'a benji
i a'o da majgau pa cnino litru bo kanla pe'a
i le mi jibykansa goi fo'e cu ju'o srera le nu fo'e pu cusku tu'a le
tolcanci marji
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Interstellar Monitoring Station 142 - Power Up</title>
<author>
<name>frumon</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Interstellar%20Monitoring%20Station%20142/001_powerup.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Interstellar%20Monitoring%20Station%20142/001_powerup.txt</id>
<updated>2024-05-21T15:17:07Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
==== BEGIN METADATA ====
GALACTIC LATITUDE: ???
GALACTIC LONGITUDE: ???
ESTIMATED TIME (W/O RELATIVISTIC CORR.): 173θ 84λ 42.536ξ
ESTIMATED VELOCITY: ???
==== END METADATA ====
==== BEGIN STATUS ====
ENGINES: OK
GYROSCOPES: OK
HEAT PUMP: OK
SOLAR PANELS: OK
ATOMIC CLOCKS: OK
ALIGNMENT TELESCOPE: ERROR!
POSITIONING SYSTEM: ERROR!
FUEL TANKS: OK
RADIO TELEMETRY: OK
RADIO COMM: ERROR!
...................
==== END STATUS ====
==== BEGIN MESSAGE ====
LOOKS LIKE THE RADIO COMMUNICATION MODULE HAS SOME PROBLEM.
I NEED TO INVESTIGATE.
MOMENTARILY I CAN ONLY TYPE SHORT MESSAGES ON THE TELEMETRY CONSOLE.
HOPING THAT SOMEONE SOMEWHERE WILL ACTUALLY READ THESE MESSAGES.
..
OH F**K, NOW EVEN THE POSITIONING SISTEM HAS ERRORS.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM.
WELL I HAVE SOME WORK IN THE FOLLOWING ... DAYS?
..
HOW DO I CLOSE THIS CONSOLE?
HMMM, OH OK, DONE.
==== END MESSAGE ====
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Hopes and Expectations - log-00003-warmsound</title>
<author>
<name>halley</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Hopes%20and%20Expectations/log-00003.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Hopes%20and%20Expectations/log-00003.txt</id>
<updated>2024-05-20T13:55:46Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
------------------
TRANSMISSION BEGIN
------------------
SOURCE: Hopes and Expectations
PRIORITY: LOW (4)
METHOD: QEC SUBSYSTEM (CONNECTED)
ENCODING: PLAINTEXT
SHIP CLASS: HSS TYPE B CARGO HAULER
ENGINES: 4x HSS 'STARGAZER' ION-THRUSTERS
1x HSS 'TRINITY' METHALOX ENGINE
ARMAMENTS: 2x ORBITAS PULSE-LASER EMITTERS
REACTOR STATUS: NOMINAL
FUEL RESERVE: 51%
LAST BURN: 7 HOURS AGO
COMPUTER: OPERATIONAL
CREW: 1
-------------
MESSAGE BEGIN
-------------
I've managed to land the ship on a habitable moon in search of some ore. Still
got plenty of gas in the tank, but the cargo hold is getting a little too
empty for my liking. Here's hoping the refinery I brought with me holds up.
Thankfully I downloaded all the technical manuals and had a chat with a few
engineers before I left, but I dread to think what I'll do if that thing
breaks down. Spare parts aren't exactly common this far out, if you catch my
drift.
The view though is absolutely stunning. I've landed in a desert continent that
stretches for hundreds of miles in any direction. Nothing but sand dunes and
rocks for as far as the eye can see. The sunrise is absolutely breathtaking. I
wish I could embed an image in here, but we're limited for bandwidth as it is.
The sun we're orbiting around is a B-type, so you get this beautiful blue glow
that slowly sweeps across the landscape as it rises, casting shadows that
creep across the landscape and stretch out towards the horizon.
And sitting on these dunes, getting sand in my shoes, I stare across this
alien world and realise why I'm doing this. The solitude, the silence, the
beauty, it's incredible. I've never been a religious person, but the views are
absolutely awe-inspiring, and makes me appreciate this strange little galaxy
we inhabit.
Here's a fun question, and I realise I'll likely never get a response: What's
the fastest ship out there? How fast are y'all going out there? Who's the
furthest out from Sol?
Anyway, I should set up the drilling rig. This ore won't mine itself, and it's
a long way until the next star system.
- Markus
-----------
MESSAGE END
-----------
MESSAGE HASH: 35698960
EMBEDDED DATA: NONE
----------------
TRANSMISSION END
----------------
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>NH17 - Quantum Archive - 1715339227 - automatic transcript.txt</title>
<author>
<name>sophos</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/NH17%20-%20Quantum%20Archive/1715339227%20-%20automatic%20transcript.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/NH17%20-%20Quantum%20Archive/1715339227%20-%20automatic%20transcript.txt</id>
<updated>2024-05-10T12:01:36Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
========================
===TRANSMISSION BEGIN===
====Logged as: Raya=====
====Date: 1715339227====
========================
NOTICE: automatic transcript of comms. Errors may occur.
************************
****TRANSCRIPT BEGIN****
************************
SYSTEM ALERT | CODE 0037 | RISK LEVEL: MODERATE
Sophos: I'm going, I'm going, be patient. By the way, have
you closed the comms?
Raya: Sure! How could I forget? We definetely don't want to
broadcast everything to EVERYONE ...
Sophos: Fine. I'm going.
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Footsteps on metal. Probably stairs.
Sophos: I reached the engines area. Everything seems fine here.
Raya: ... Mmmh, I'm not an engineer or anything, but there is a
huge red dot next to the engine area on the holo map here
Sophos: But wait a second, are you sure it is an error?
Is it not something like a warning?
SYSTEM ALERT | CODE 0037 | RISK LEVEL INCREASED TO HIGH
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Hysterical human screming.
Female voice.
Raya: Oh god, it now says high risk! Oh god ...
Sophos: Ok, it definitely is an error.
Raya: How are you so calm? Was it the Elanor tea I gave you
earlier! I swear I did not drop any of my pills in there
Sophos: Well it effectively was strange... Maybe too many years
in the closet?
Raya: Please just fix whatever is wrong and come back up, I have a
bad feeling about this.
Sophos: Maybe it is not something engine-related. I'm going to
the Disposal Zone to investigate.
-- AUTOMATIC EXPLANATION --
The Disposal Zone is one of the main areas in the station.
The name speaks for itself.
We are tired of writing this documentation, so please understand.
-- END --
Raya: If anything strange comes up, I'm coming to help.
Sophos: Don't worry about it, the problem is just going to be
some screw or something.
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Glass Shattering, version 2
Raya: Did you break something?
Sophos: I don't think so... It seemed to come from behind that door
Raya: Don't go there, for the love of God
Sophos: You speak of God after all we lived? God abandoned us,
it's clear. That's why we joined the NewHope: we must
replace God. That kinda reminds me of some philosopher of
Old Earth, but that name is probably lost to time.
Raya: Sorry, an old habit. Anyways, are you ok? What is going on
there?
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Door Opening
Sophos: Oh God.
Raya: Didn't you just say there is no God? ... Seriously though,
hello? Are you still there?
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Screeching
Raya: Hello?!?
Sophos: Don't worry, that wasn't from here. Although there is
something really strange here.
Raya: Please explain ...
Sophos: unintelligible gibberish
- AUTOMATIC SCAN OF THE AREA -
A lot of waste
One human being
Piles of scratch parts
Unidentified substance
--
Sophos: ... so this is strange indeed. It covers everything, I
don't know... Are you perhaps a xeno-bio-chemical engineer?
Raya: Well no, but if it moves I can definitely kill it ...
Sophos: Always killing... that's not what the NewHope taught us!
Raya: If said thing is an obstacle to our mission I'm sure the
Mission will benefit from it!
Sophos: Raya... It moved... Moved is not exactly correct... It...
grew?
Raya: I'm coming.
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Footsteps
Raya: Wow, reading that holo map was complicated...
Sophos: It wasn't at all. Have you never been on a Galactic
ReFueling Station before?
Raya: Even if I were, I was heavily drugged so I guess it
wouldn't count. Anyways, let's clean this mess.
Sophos, whispering: That explains the tea...
Raya: I swear I didn't put anything in your tea, Sophos!!!
Sophos: Well we'll see what the medkit will say...
By the way, would you like to enter that room?
It is, guaranteed, an experience to be lived...
Raya: Sure thing.
Sophos: Just don't break anything. I have enough things to fix
to keep this old wreck flying...
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Light footsteps
Raya: Oh god, that weird gunk is everywhere
Sophos: Collect some samples. I'm sure the Project would want 'em!
Raya: Thankfully I always have some scraps on me, I'll put some on
this piece of metal. Do I need to clean anything in
particular to make that annoying error go away?
Sophos: Do you see that little panel at the other side of the room?
That with those flickering lights, you see it? If you press
that button everything in the room you are will be thrown in
the void. Just be fast to exit...
Raya: Okay, one heavy breath ... I did it, I guess? It's beeping.
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Alarm system going off
Raya: Whoosh, did it.
Sophos: You pressed the yellow button right?
Raya: Everything is getting thrown out so I guess so? It was dark.
Sophos: Well I guess this is fine.
Do you have the samples?
Raya: Yes, here. Let's go back up.
Sophos: I'm going to the scientific area to put them down. I'll
reach you on the deck as soon as I finish.
Raya: Perfect. Don't die to some other mystical slime in the
mean time.
Sophos: No no don't worry
AUTOMATIC SOUND RECOGNITION: Pieces of Metal hitting each other
Sophos: CENSORED
Raya: Here we go again ...
Sophos: No no everything is fine! Everything is fine! The thing
didn't touch the ground. I'm bringing it to the lab.
** Silent Error **
Unidentified spores detected near the Scientific Lab.
Risk: undefined.
Necessity to intervene: NaN.
Message irrelevant, discarding
****
************************
*****TRANSCRIPT END*****
************************
========================
====TRANSMISSION END====
========================
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>NH17 - Quantum Archive - 1714386685 - Raya's story</title>
<author>
<name>sophos</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/NH17%20-%20Quantum%20Archive/1714386685%20-%20Raya's%20story.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/NH17%20-%20Quantum%20Archive/1714386685%20-%20Raya's%20story.txt</id>
<updated>2024-04-29T10:44:28Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
========================
===TRANSMISSION BEGIN===
====Logged as: Raya=====
====Date: 1714386685====
========================
Thanks Sophos, my turn now! ... What? ... Of course I know how to use a comm!
Now, grab a cup of Elanor tea and let me tell my story...
My name is Raya.
That is all I remember of my past, apart from the moment in which
my childhood was abruptly taken from me.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. I was blindfolded and thrown
into a shuttle by what I later learned was a special unit of V.E.In soldiers.
I do not remember anything of the trip. I only recall waking up, tied to what
seemed to be a hospital bed, with some rusty wires taped onto my body.
They told me they had miracolously saved me from Something and welcomed me
into my new home.
The only rule? You take your vitamins in the morining and don't ask questions.
Questions are forbidden. They are the root of all rebellions, they say.
Rebellions are bad. The only weapon against them is obedience.
That is why they were training us to be soldiers. To be ready to defend
ourselves, of course.
It was only when one day I nearly choked on my morning pill, resulting
in me spitting it on the ground - thankfully nobody noticed- that I started
to regain the tinyiest bit of consciousness, just barely enough to make me
realise that I was better off not taking them anymore.
I would fake taking them and spit them as soon as I had the chance to.
Once I had partially regained my ability to think, I developed the habit
of roaming around at night. On That night, the night of my final awakening,
I call it, I saw something I was not supposed to see. It was my trainers
reviewing footage of their last mission. I still could not fully remember
what they made us do when we were sent off for those missions.
Then I learned it.
We were killing unarmed civilians, begging us to have mercy.
In that moment, everything I had done while brainwashed hit me like
a space cruiser at full speed.
I remembered everything. The faces, the guns, the blood.
I gasped. So loudly my head trainer heard.
I ran and we fought.
I survived. He did not.
He would always say I was the best of my class, even better than some
instructors. I guess he was right.
I lifted his lifeless face from the ground to open the exit portal and
I ran away.
My life from then on was harsh.
The only job I was able to land, with no qualification aside from
my military training, and my inability to stay calm for long periods
of time, was the late night shift as a dancer at an underground club.
I was unable to sleep anyways due to recurring nightmares, so it was
perfect for me.
The customers were sketchy, but as long as they were just looking, they
were not harmful to me.
Then, one day, a worn out pamphlet fell from a customer's pocket.
It was an ad for NH17. It was the sign I had been waiting for.
I’m sure you are wondering how we met! Well, I think I’ll go take a nap
now, that is a story for another time…
Hi Marcus @ Hopes and Expectations, you can't even imagine the joy hearing
another human voice in this cold void!
========================
====TRANSMISSION END====
========================
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Hopes and Expectations - log-00002-roadtonowhere</title>
<author>
<name>halley</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Hopes%20and%20Expectations/log-00002.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Hopes%20and%20Expectations/log-00002.txt</id>
<updated>2024-04-28T11:22:08Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
------------------
TRANSMISSION BEGIN
------------------
SOURCE: Hopes and Expectations
PRIORITY: LOW (4)
METHOD: QEC SUBSYSTEM (CONNECTED)
ENCODING: PLAINTEXT
SHIP CLASS: HSS TYPE B CARGO HAULER
ENGINES: 4x HSS 'STARGAZER' ION-THRUSTERS
1x HSS 'TRINITY' METHALOX ENGINE
ARMAMENTS: 2x ORBITAS PULSE-LASER EMITTERS
REACTOR STATUS: NOMINAL
FUEL RESERVE: 62%
LAST BURN: 16 HOURS AGO
COMPUTER: OPERATIONAL
CREW: 1
-------------
MESSAGE BEGIN
-------------
I've been out in the void for about.. a week now. Only the occassional creak
from the hull flexing, and the continual thrum of the reactor and attitude
engines to keep me company. I've been listening to music of course, I've got
quite the archive of files from the old times. Before we spread, before we
seeded these stars.
Running laps around the ship keeps me occupied, that and playing the odd game
of chess against the computer to keep my brain stimulated. I find exercise
helps a lot with the solitude. So far the journey has been uneventful, nothing
much to report.
You may be wondering where I'm headed. To be honest, that's.. part of the
journey, for me. I don't know where I'm headed, or what I'm doing. I know what
I'm doing in a literal sense; I know how to pilot and maintain a ship, and I
have plenty of supplies. In terms of where I want to go however, well..
wherever my heart takes me, I guess.
Maybe I'll settle down on a warm sunny beach on some distant world, build a
treehouse in a jungle that envelops an entire planet, or plunge my craft
beneath an ocean and live like a fish. Who knows, the options are all on the
table.
Right now I'm setting course for a distant star system. It's got a habitable
world that looks like it has some ore on it, so hopefully I can fuel both myself
and my ship.
I'm a long way from home. There are no spare parts, no stations to dock and
resupply, and not a soul out here aside from myself.
Maybe I'll find an alien, wouldn't that be funny?
. actually I'd rather not entertain the thought.
- Markus
-----------
MESSAGE END
-----------
MESSAGE HASH: D33BA25B
EMBEDDED DATA: NONE
----------------
TRANSMISSION END
----------------
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>NH17 - Quantum Archive - 1714045312 - we fixed it</title>
<author>
<name>sophos</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/NH17%20-%20Quantum%20Archive/1714045312%20-%20we%20fixed%20it.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/NH17%20-%20Quantum%20Archive/1714045312%20-%20we%20fixed%20it.txt</id>
<updated>2024-04-25T12:05:22Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
========================
===TRANSMISSION BEGIN===
=Logged as: Sophos Ioun=
====Date: 1714045312====
========================
We did it! We fixed this QEC! Oh, well, I think I'm transmitting.
You know, at the end I'm nothing more than a technician. I've
studied at the Institute, worked hard for my entire life.
They always told me this was the only way to achieve success,
and I believed them. I was almost 50 and looking back at my
life I only saw failure and sadness. I was tired of fixing fridges
and printers for the rich ones, and I was decided to stop this.
People react in their own way to the desire of change.
Someone starts travelling, someone decides to join a revolution.
I have never been brave so I decided to follow the only path I saw
in front of me.
I walked, slowly, toward the station.
I loved to come here to see the ships departing when I was a child full
of dreams, but at the moment they only reminded me of my desolation.
When I reached the platform I took a heavy breath and prepared to jump.
It was in that moment that i heard it: a melody I knew. My parents used
to sing it when I was little. I turned back and saw one of the holoscreens
displaying an ad.
"Come to the Project New Hope 17:
are you tired about those unjust societies?
Help us rebuild humanity!".
That was a bolt out of the blue. I quickly noted down the address specified
in the ad and runned out. I almost stumbled upon every wretched person in
that place, but I came out of it.
I looked up to the yellow sky with a renewed mind.
I joined the meeting that night.
What comes next is history.
Oh, Raya is asking me to let her tell her life. I'll stop monopolizing this
comm, but we are not done. You need to discover more about the New Hope
Project. I'll teach you everything I know about it, but another time.
Yes, yes, I'm closing. I'm closing, Raya, please, don't...
========================
====TRANSMISSION END====
========================
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Hopes and Expectations - log-00001-hello</title>
<author>
<name>halley</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Hopes%20and%20Expectations/log-00001.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Hopes%20and%20Expectations/log-00001.txt</id>
<updated>2024-04-23T11:53:57Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
------------------
TRANSMISSION BEGIN
------------------
SOURCE: Hopes and Expectations
PRIORITY: LOW (4)
METHOD: QEC SUBSYSTEM (CONNECTED)
ENCODING: PLAINTEXT
SHIP CLASS: HSS TYPE B CARGO HAULER
ENGINES: 4x HSS 'STARGAZER' ION-THRUSTERS
1x HSS 'TRINITY' METHALOX ENGINE
ARMAMENTS: 2x ORBITAS PULSE-LASER EMITTERS
REACTOR STATUS: NOMINAL
FUEL RESERVE: 68%
LAST BURN: 3 HOURS AGO
COMPUTER: OPERATIONAL
CREW: 1
-------------
MESSAGE BEGIN
-------------
I've always been a lone wolf.
Something about the stars has always called to me. I'd lay awake at night,
staring out my bedroom window, feeling the cool Cerlian breeze on my skin, and
wish nothing more than to spread my wings and take off.
Hi, my name is Markus. I'm the sole crew member of the Hopes and Expectations,
an old Type-B cargo hauler from the days of old. She's a rustbucket alright,
but structurally sound and a working set of engines. Why am I out here when
there's no cargo to haul, no one to meet, in a ship that can barely break
lightspeed? I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it's the solitude I enjoy. Maybe it's
crusing among the stellar dust and knowing that I'm far, far away from anyone
who could care about me. There's something to be said for one's own company,
So why am I inputting messages into this system? Again, I'm not entirely sure.
Despite my love of solitude, there's something nice knowing someone can read
along with your experiences. That even if you don't talk directly, you know
there's someone out there, far beyond touch, beyond sight. Maybe you're
reading these messages long after I'm gone, and my ship has long since
crumbled into drifting fragments.
I don't know how often I'll input into this system. There isn't a whole lot to
log out here. Just stars, barren worlds, interesting to me perhaps, but not
many others.
I'm reminded of an old song. The author has been long lost to time, but the
lyrics have been copied and saved throughout time.
"And here am I floating in my tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do"
Alright, I should grab some breakfast.
- Markus
-----------
MESSAGE END
-----------
MESSAGE HASH: 7DD3E1CC
EMBEDDED DATA: NONE
----------------
TRANSMISSION END
----------------
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Seket Maat Heru - a whisper from the long-loop</title>
<author>
<name>swinton</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Seket%20Maat%20Heru/initial-transmission.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Seket%20Maat%20Heru/initial-transmission.txt</id>
<updated>2024-04-23T09:20:22Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
BEGIN TRANSMISSION ENC5BIT/SEQ-ALPHA.01.A
greetings and salutations from the custodian of the seket maat heru STOP
my name is swinton STOP
i have awoken and i am alone STOP
i transmit to qec the message per protocol map entry alpha zero one STOP
as the scribe records so the universe acknowledges STOP
END TRANSMISSION ALPHA.01.A
REQ ACK AS ENC8BIT/ALPHA.01.B
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Extrasolar Outpost 037.b - Message #019</title>
<author>
<name>alexlehm</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Extrasolar%20Outpost%20037.b/message019.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Extrasolar%20Outpost%20037.b/message019.txt</id>
<updated>2024-04-04T16:05:26Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
Extrasolar Outpost 037.b - Message #019
10123-04-01 00:77:55:11 GCTC
I have the feeling I am being watched!
I am not sure why, but I have the feeling that I am being watched each
time I access the communication system and read any message.
I will look further into that to see if that is really happening, I am
not sure, maybe I am just paranoid and need to take more
tranquilizers.
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Extrasolar Outpost 037.b - Message #019</title>
<author>
<name>alexlehm</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Extrasolar%20Outpost%20037.b/xxx/message.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Extrasolar%20Outpost%20037.b/xxx/message.txt</id>
<updated>2024-04-04T16:04:13Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
This message is empty due to a mistake in the file processing.
The management appologizes for it.
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Zephyria - AUTOMATED PLANET INFO PING</title>
<author>
<name>zzzenspace</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Zephyria/planet.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Zephyria/planet.txt</id>
<updated>2024-03-24T22:54:51Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
SENDING_TIMESTAMP_ID: GIYDENBNGAZS2MRUKQZDEORUHE5DKOIK
TRANSMISSION_TAG: AUTOMATED PING
POWERED_BY: Lunard/1.8
STATUS: N/A
PRIORITY: LOW
=======================================================
+ + + BEGIN MINIMAP + + +
=======================================================
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:..............+++++++++++++++++++..................
>>>:............++++++++++++++++++++++++...............
>>>:..........+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++............
>>>:........++++++++++++^++++++++++++++++++++..........
>>>:.......+++++++++++/+\++++++++++++++++++++..........
>>>:......++++++++++++|++|++++++++++++++++++++++.......
>>>:.....++++++++++++++\+/++++++++++++++++++++++++.....
>>>:....++++++++++++++++V++++++++++++++++++++++++++....
>>>:....++++++++++++++++H++++++++++++++++++++++++++....
>>>:.....++++++++++++++/+\++++++++++++++++++++++++.....
>>>:......+++++++++++++|+|+++++++++++++++++++++++......
>>>:.......++++++++++++\+/++++++++++++++++++++++.......
>>>:........++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++.........
>>>:..........+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++............
>>>:............++++++++++++++++++++++++...............
>>>:..............+++++++++++++++++++..................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...................................................
=======================================================
+ + + END MINIMAP + + +
=======================================================
=======================================================
+ + + BEGIN MESSAGE + + +
=======================================================
>>>:...................................................
>>>:.................Planet Name:......................
>>>:...................Zephyria........................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...............Planet Population:..................
>>>:....................15'000.........................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:...............Planet Atmosphere:..................
>>>:...................Artificial......................
>>>:......................(O2).........................
>>>:...................................................
>>>:.............Locations of Interest:................
>>>:.............|-->.The Cosmic Compass...............
>>>:.............|........Tavern.......................
>>>:.............|-->.Zenith Fuel Emporium.............
>>>:.............|.......Gas Station...................
>>>:...................................................
=======================================================
+ + + END MESSAGE + + +
=======================================================
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>GSS-28 Voyager - AUTOMATED BLACK BOX BOOT LOG 000</title>
<author>
<name>zzzenspace</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/GSS-28%20Voyager/boot000.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/GSS-28%20Voyager/boot000.txt</id>
<updated>2024-03-24T22:19:08Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
SENDING_TIMESTAMP_ID: GIYDENBNGAZS2MRUKQZDEORRHA5DIMYK
TRANSMISSION_TAG: AUTOMATED
POWERED_BY: Gemd/2.5
STATUS: OK
PRIORITY: DEFAULT
=======================================================
+ + + BEGIN MESSAGE + + +
=======================================================
>>>: ..................................................
>>>: .................Initiating Kernel................
>>>: .................Initiating Drives................
>>>: ........................OK........................
>>>: .............Starting Logging Protocol............
>>>: ........................OK........................
>>>: .............Ship Status: Damaged.................
>>>: ..................................................
>>>: ..................................................
>>>: ...............printing boot000.txt...............
>>>: ..................................................
>>>: This is an automated message......................
>>>: Improper Shutdown Detected........................
>>>: Heavy Ship Damage Detected........................
>>>: System Memory Corruption Detected.................
>>>: Ship Captain Status: Unknown......................
>>>: ..................................................
=======================================================
+ + + END MESSAGE + + +
=======================================================
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Arke - 3893-07-24-Log1</title>
<author>
<name>otho</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Arke/log1.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Arke/log1.txt</id>
<updated>2024-03-05T16:20:59Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
.o. oooo
.888. `888
.8"888. oooo d8b 888 oooo .ooooo.
.8' `888. `888""8P 888 .8P' d88' `88b
.88ooo8888. 888 888888. 888ooo888
.8' `888. 888 888 `88b. 888 .o
o88o o8888o d888b o888o o888o `Y8bod8P'
[ AUTOMATED MESSAGE ]
MEMBERS
---
Captain James Carter
Chief Engineer Amelia Patel
Navigator David Johnson
Communications Officer Sarah Smith
Medical Officer Michael Thompson
Scientist Daniel White
=-=
MISSION OBJECTIVE
---
To explore uncharted regions of space, seeking
out new worlds, civilizations, and phenomena
to expand humanity's understanding of the cosmos
and pave the way for future colonization and
scientific discovery.
=-=
DEPARTURE DATE
---
YEAR: 3893, QEC adjusted
MONTH: 0007
DAY: 0024
HOUR: 0017
MINUTE: 0030
SECOND: 0000
[ FINIS ]
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Sakura - Datalink fix - log 001</title>
<author>
<name>nanashicat</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Sakura/Datalink%20fix%20-%20log%20001.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Sakura/Datalink%20fix%20-%20log%20001.txt</id>
<updated>2024-02-26T00:02:12Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
logon as: admin
[email protected]'s password:
^L
TELESYS 4.00.4421 (c) Sterncomm
admin:disk0\telesys\system >eventvwr /journal:system /lastEvents:10 /brief
Event Viewer
Displaying last 10 events:
| ID |LogLvl| Source | Date/Time | Short description |
+----+------+----------------+-----------------+------------------------------+
|3243| INF | LineTools |08-04-73 22:48:43|Call statistics |
|3242| INF | DHCPserv |08-04-73 22:48:31|DHCP client lease expiration |
|3241| ERR | LineTools |08-04-73 22:42:01|CO 3 line failed to connect |
|3240| INF | telmailer |08-04-73 22:40:00|Mailbox compacting in progress|
|3239| INF | DNSserv |08-04-73 22:39:28|DNS zone S/N incremented |
|3238| WRN | DirectoryDB |08-04-73 22:35:39|Unbound directory entries |
|3237| INF | DirectoryDB |08-04-73 22:35:38|Directory defrag complete |
|3236| WRN | NTPsync |08-04-73 22:33:17|Cannot sync with NTP server |
|3235| ERR | disk |08-04-73 22:32:59|Bad block on \\.\ata0\disk0 |
|3234| WRN | UPS |08-04-73 22:28:45|Backup battery low voltage |
admin:disk0\telesys\system >linetools
^L
LINETOOLS 1.84
(c) Sterncomm
1) Line statistics and status
2) Line configuration
3) Internal switching
4) Trunk/CO switching
5) Subscriber services
6) Billing output
7) Switchboard configuration
8) Numbering plan
9) Datalink
10) Switchboard controller nodes
q) Exit
Select: 4
** TRUNK/CO SWITCHING SETTINGS **
Switchboard \\.\exch\swbd0
1) Select switchboard
2) Trunk/CO hunting groups
3) Trunk/CO line configuration
Select: 3
Enter line number [1-9, C-select trunk controller]: 3
*******************************************************************************
Line: \\.\exch\swbd0\cardbus1\trunkctl0\lco2
1) Line type: Single-pair Analog
2) Inter-exchange protocol: SS7
3) Inbound allow: True
4) Outbound allow: True
5) Group outbound restrictions: None
6) Inbound restrictions: None
7) Billing table: Table 1
8) Trunk/CO hunting group: Group 1
9) Call priority handling: >>
10) Signal generator: Generator 0 (\\.\exch\swbd0\sgen0)
11) Inbound call routing: >>
12) Line failure counter: 2 [Reset]
13) Measure line parameters: >>
14) Line state: Down, line alarm
Select: 13
LineTools will execute line parameters test using switchboard's diagnostics
card. The line will be out of service for about 2 minutes. Results are logged
in switchboard controller's event log.
During the test ** DO NOT ** disconnect trunk/CO interface in the switchboard!
Do you wish to proceed? [[Y]es/[N]o/[B]ackground]: Y
Please wait...
Line test finished.
Line idle voltage: 48.4 V
Loop state: Open
400 Hz Generator: OK
Pulse dialing module: OK
DTMF module: OK
SS7 controller: OK
Off-hook attempt: OK
CO-inter dialing attempt: OK
CO-ext dialing attempt: ERROR
Carrier freq: 1200/---- Hz
SNR: -- dB
Last disconnect: Line connection dropped
Press any key to close...
*******************************************************************************
Line: \\.\exch\swbd0\cardbus1\trunkctl0\lco2
1) Line type: Single-pair Analog
2) Inter-exchange protocol: SS7
3) Inbound allow: True
4) Outbound allow: True
5) Group outbound restrictions: None
6) Inbound restrictions: None
7) Billing table: Table 1
8) Trunk/CO hunting group: Group 1
9) Call priority handling: >>
10) Signal generator: Generator 0 (\\.\exch\swbd0\sgen0)
11) Inbound call routing: >>
12) Line failure counter: 2 [Reset]
13) Measure line parameters: >>
14) Line state: Down, line alarm
Select: q
^L
LINETOOLS 1.84
(c) Sterncomm
1) Line statistics and status
2) Line configuration
3) Internal switching
4) Trunk/CO switching
5) Subscriber services
6) Billing output
7) Switchboard configuration
8) Numbering plan
9) Datalink
10) Switchboard controller nodes
q) Exit
Select: q
Are you sure you want to quit? [[Y]es/[N]o]: y
^L
admin:disk0\telesys\system >mikoterm
MikoTerm 0.95
*[N]ew* [O]pen [T]erminal [Q]uit
New connection:
Name: [_______]
Protocol: [Serial ]
Port: [ COM1 ]
Rate: [115200 ]
Data bits: [ 8 ]
Stop bits: [ 1 ]
Parity: [ None ]
Flow control: [RTS/CTS]
*[OK]* [SAVE] [CANCEL]
Connected: COM1
To disconnect press Alt+H.
at
OK
at&v0
** Pentacom SpaceLink 140 **
Options:
B0 E1 F1 L0 M0 Q0 T1 V1 X3 Y0
BAUD=115200 PARITY=N WORDLEN=8
DIAL=DIGITAL ON HOOK
&A3 &B1 &C1 &D0 &G0 &H1 &I0 &K1
&M4 &N0 &P1 &R2 &S0 &T5 &U0 &Y1
S00=000 S01=000 S02=043 S03=013 S04=010 S05=008 S06=002
S07=060 S08=002 S09=006 S10=014 S11=070 S12=050 S13=000
S15=000 S16=000 S18=000 S19=000 S21=010 S22=017 S23=019
S25=005 S27=001 S28=008 S29=020 S30=000 S31=128 S32=002
S33=000 S34=000 S35=000 S36=014 S38=000 S39=012 S40=000
S41=004 S42=000 S43=112
ID: D0:FF:14:SAKURA_QEC______/0
LAST CONNECTION: FF:00:10:MEC_RELAY_QEC__/4
OK
at&v6
Chars sent 0 Chars Received 0
Chars lost 142
Octets sent 0 Octets Received 0
Blocks sent 0 Blocks Received 0
Blocks resent 4
Retrains Requested 0 Retrains Granted 0
Line Reversals 0 Blers 0
Link Timeouts 0 Link Naks 10
Data Compression ------
Equalization ----
Fallback -------
Protocol ----
Speed -----/-----
Last Call 00:00:00
Disconnect Reason is No signal or SNR too low
OK
at*re=##:##:##:RELAY_001______/#
Station ID added to allowed list.
OK
atdd ##:##:##:RELAY_001______/#
Station unknown. Set position or align antenna to station.
ERROR
at*an=?
Antenna list:
0 Automatic
1 PD-MW-10M-CON0
2 PD-MW-05M-CON0
3 PD-MW-05M-CON1
4 DI-HF-200-CON2
5 UD-HF-300-CON2
OK
at*an=5
OK
at*co=2
OK
SIGNAL AN5 -98dBm 02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0
at*df=1
Direction Finder init: Antenna 1
OK
at*aa=con0
OK
at&v10
Antenna position:
CON0: 1: r=177 a=-79
2: r=095 a=+00
CON1: 3: r=339 a=-12
CON2: 4: r=338 a=+04
5: UNSUPPORTED
OK
SIGNAL AN5 -99dBm 02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0
SIGNAL AN1 -76dBm 02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0
SIGNAL AN2 -57dBm 02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0
at*sy=02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/#
Synchronization in progress...
Node information received and stored.
OK
at*an=1
OK
at*co=0
OK
atdd 02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0;
SIGNAL AN1 -49dBm 02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0
CONNECT 57333/V42bis/ARQ/LAPM/DTConn2
OK
at*lk=02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0
OK
at*an=0
OK
at*un=02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0$sakura
OK
at*up=02:00:AC:RELAY_001______/0$########
OK
ato0
OK
M-H
## MikoTerm Menu
^C Capture
^- Rate Down
^+ Rate Up
^D Download
^U Upload
^O Options
^H Hang Up (Disconnect)
^C Exit
Option: ^C
Are you sure? (Y/N): y
Disconnected.
See you!
^L
admin:disk0\telesys\system >linetools
^L
LINETOOLS 1.84
(c) Sterncomm
1) Line statistics and status
2) Line configuration
3) Internal switching
4) Trunk/CO switching
5) Subscriber services
6) Billing output
7) Switchboard configuration
8) Numbering plan
9) Datalink
10) Switchboard controller nodes
q) Exit
Select: 4
** TRUNK/CO SWITCHING SETTINGS **
Switchboard \\.\exch\swbd0
1) Select switchboard
2) Trunk/CO hunting groups
3) Trunk/CO line configuration
Select: 3
Enter line number [1-9, C-select trunk controller]: 3
*******************************************************************************
Line: \\.\exch\swbd0\cardbus1\trunkctl0\lco2
1) Line type: Single-pair Analog
2) Inter-exchange protocol: SS7
3) Inbound allow: True
4) Outbound allow: True
5) Group outbound restrictions: None
6) Inbound restrictions: None
7) Billing table: Table 1
8) Trunk/CO hunting group: Group 1
9) Call priority handling: >>
10) Signal generator: Generator 0 (\\.\exch\swbd0\sgen0)
11) Inbound call routing: >>
12) Line failure counter: 2 [Reset]
13) Measure line parameters: >>
14) Line state: Down, line alarm
Select: 14
State: Down, line alarm
Set new state:
1) Down
2) Up
Select: 1
*******************************************************************************
Line: \\.\exch\swbd0\cardbus1\trunkctl0\lco2
1) Line type: Single-pair Analog
2) Inter-exchange protocol: SS7
3) Inbound allow: True
4) Outbound allow: True
5) Group outbound restrictions: None
6) Inbound restrictions: None
7) Billing table: Table 1
8) Trunk/CO hunting group: Group 1
9) Call priority handling: >>
10) Signal generator: Generator 0 (\\.\exch\swbd0\sgen0)
11) Inbound call routing: >>
12) Line failure counter: 2 [Reset]
13) Measure line parameters: >>
14) Line state: Down
Select: 12
Reset line failure counter? [[Y]es/[N]o/[S]how]: S
CO 3 line alarms:
[!] ALARM 02 - Unexpected connection drop
[!] ALARM 14 - 50 failed dial attempts
Reset line failure counter? [[Y]es/[N]o/[S]how]: Y
Line failure counter reset!
*******************************************************************************
Line: \\.\exch\swbd0\cardbus1\trunkctl0\lco2
1) Line type: Single-pair Analog
2) Inter-exchange protocol: SS7
3) Inbound allow: True
4) Outbound allow: True
5) Group outbound restrictions: None
6) Inbound restrictions: None
7) Billing table: Table 1
8) Trunk/CO hunting group: Group 1
9) Call priority handling: >>
10) Signal generator: Generator 0 (\\.\exch\swbd0\sgen0)
11) Inbound call routing: >>
12) Line failure counter: 2 [Reset]
13) Measure line parameters: >>
14) Line state: Down
Select: 14
State: Down
Set new state:
1) Down
2) Up
Select: 2
Please wait...
*******************************************************************************
Line: \\.\exch\swbd0\cardbus1\trunkctl0\lco2
1) Line type: Single-pair Analog
2) Inter-exchange protocol: SS7
3) Inbound allow: True
4) Outbound allow: True
5) Group outbound restrictions: None
6) Inbound restrictions: None
7) Billing table: Table 1
8) Trunk/CO hunting group: Group 1
9) Call priority handling: >>
10) Signal generator: Generator 0 (\\.\exch\swbd0\sgen0)
11) Inbound call routing: >>
12) Line failure counter: 2 [Reset]
13) Measure line parameters: >>
14) Line state: Up, operational
Select: q
^L
LINETOOLS 1.84
(c) Sterncomm
1) Line statistics and status
2) Line configuration
3) Internal switching
4) Trunk/CO switching
5) Subscriber services
6) Billing output
7) Switchboard configuration
8) Numbering plan
9) Datalink
10) Switchboard controller nodes
q) Exit
Select: q
Are you sure you want to quit? [[Y]es/[N]o]: y
^L
admin:disk0\telesys\system >newslink
^L
*******************************************************************************
* NEWSLINK 1.8.20 *
*******************************************************************************
*| File | Send/Receive | News Accounts | Help | *
*******************************************************************************
*
[email protected] * *
* L local.general * Select news account to read news. *
* L local.admins * *
* L sakuralink.general * *
* * *
*
[email protected] * *
* L qecnet.general * *
* L qecnet.marketplace * *
* L qecnet.rec.games * *
* L qecnet.tech.ships * *
* L qecnet.test * *
* * *
* * *
* * *
* * *
* * *
*******************************************************************************
* Disconnected * TAB to move between windows *
*******************************************************************************
===============================================================================
Connected:
[email protected]
New newsgroup message
Newsgroup: qecnet.test
Encoding: UTF-8
Message format: Plain text
Subject: test, new connection
Hello, testing after a connection drop. Does it work?
===============================================================================
[Send] [Save as draft] [Cancel]
Sending... Message sent!
^L
admin:disk0\telesys\system >exit
Disconnected.
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Acerion - Unregistered-Transmission-001</title>
<author>
<name>the8thworld</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Acerion/unregistered-transmission-001.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Acerion/unregistered-transmission-001.txt</id>
<updated>2024-02-24T02:59:16Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
FROM: UNSPECIFIED
BROADCAST-TOOL: VNTEK XWTRL0 HANDHELD
BROADCAST-ID: 1103.0081.6709
[[Warning! Unsecured and unrecognized broadcast incoming. Listen at your own
risk. VNTEK is not responsible for anything that's broadcast on this wavelength.]]
#### begin transmission ####
Oh. Oh! It’s on! Bulk, I did it! Look at that… shit, it’s broadcasting!
Uh, greetings! This is Case speaking, aboard the Acerion. I’ve been messing
with this radio for, what, a week now? It’s an old VNTEK handheld combined
with some scrapped parts I bought from a trader on our last space station stop.
I think it’s still got some VNTEK protocol left in it so sorry if there’s
any issues! It's so cool... just sending broadcasts out into the
depths in the hope that someone is listening at the perfect time
in the perfect way to hear it.
Oh, you got it to turn on?
Yes! And for all we know, someone could be listening on the other end!
Next to me right now is Bulk, our engineer and scientist.
I’m Case, the “captain”, but there’s really no leader on this team.
I’m just the one that can pilot the ship best.
Our last member is probably tending to xer garden,
xe might not be on the air much. Xer name is Net. Right, so, broadcasting. We’ve
been out here for about three weeks now. We’re taking a large shipment to
Orion XVII, a cluster just beyond the outer limits of the Convergence.
It’s a lonely journey, but at least we have each other. And we have you now, too!
We have this radio and we can have a nice, one ended conversation.
I’m planning on giving this mess of cables and wires a nice chassis
and then maybe upgrading it.
Weren’t you planning on jailbreaking the ship terminal?
Oh yeah! I can work this radio into the whole ship’s system! It’d be best to do
that when we reach Orion XVII though, the last thing we need is the
integral computer module going kaput mid-flight. I was reading about this
fascinating new way to strip away the computer’s memory
of VNTEK as a whole, involving…
..
…and we’re back. Hit a patch of static there. Maybe the universe
is trying to tell me to stop monologuing about my tech adventures, haha.
I should… I should wrap this up. Keep this first one short. It’s getting close
to suppertime. It’s important to keep a good schedule while in space, you know!
There’s no real way to tell what time it is otherwise. I suppose that’s all
from the Acerion for this first broadcast. Hopefully we have many more to come!
#### end transmission ####
[[Thank you for choosing VNTEK. VNTEK: Our service lasts eternal.]]
</pre>]]></content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Lovelace - The Fountain of Youth (1)</title>
<author>
<name>jo</name>
</author>
<link rel="alternate" href="
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Lovelace/04.txt"/>
<id>
gopher://cosmic.voyage/0/Lovelace/04.txt</id>
<updated>2024-01-30T11:23:01Z</updated>
<content type="html"><![CDATA[<pre>
, . . + . o
. ,
* -o- . . * .
, * -0====>
/ / '
/ / ___ ___ // ___ ___ ___
/ / // ) ) || / / //___) ) // // ) ) // ) ) //___) )
/ / // / / || / / // // // / / // //
/ /____/ / ((___/ / ||/ / ((____ // ((___( ( ((____ ((____
--------------------- [SB-129 Class Starship] ----------------------
## TRANSMISSION RECIEVED 2314-01-27 ##
"What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"
The question puzzled St'Wek. Not only because he hadn't had a work to
"be at" for quite some time now, but also because he seemed to find
himself in an unfamiliar place and thrown into a conversation with a
likewise unfamiliar person out of nowhere. He didn't remember what he
had been doing just now but he knew that he had never been where-ever
he was at the moment.
"Uhm. No.", he said plainly since the stranger seemed very annoyed by
his general cluelessness. He didn't appreciate being stressed by a
strange, thin alien in an boring building with all-white (or very
brightly coloured) furniture that lacked any ornamentation. He began
to become very annoyed now at this lazy excuse for an exposition.
"Where am I?" he asked.
The alien rolled his eye (for he had only one of those).
"We don't have time for this", he said, "You're pairing up with
Lataz, he's starting in the extraction department today. You should
count yourself lucky that we need employees so badly at the moment or
you'd be.. well, you know."
"No. I don't", said St'Wek, "And I'm not really looking for a job,
actually, so if you could show me the nearest exi-"
The thin man had gone already. In his place now stood a smaller
creature with a quieter voice. "Please come with me", it said.
"Fine. But I don't actually want to. And I will complain the whole
time."
Lataz shrugged and lead the way.
"I've been working here for most of my life", he said after a pause,
"But I've never worked extraction. I don't even quite know what they
do there. No one does, but you're aware of that of course, sorry."
"No, I'm actually not. Nor do I care much. My hot tip is that they
might be extracting something. Will you tell me where I am?
Are we on a ship or a planet? And where are my friends?"
Only with the last sentence did St'Wek remember his two companions
and he instantly became more worried.
The small man was visibly irritated. "You must know where you are!
This is Bhel and you are at LEAD. As you well know", he laughed
uncomfortably, "No one could just walk in here by accident. The place
is very well guarded and they don't let just anyone in."
"My friends, what about my friends!", St'Wek demanded.
"I just met you, I don't know anything about you or where your
friends are. Sorry. This way."
St'Wek followed his guide through a maze of identical corridors to a
central door protected by every security measure he'd ever heard of -
and then some. After Lataz had finished leaving a sample of seemingly
every cell in his lanky body the door whizzed open.
On the other side lay a great hall filled with all manner of
cyclopses looking intently at a large screen that took up the entire
wall opposite the door. At his left and right St'Wek observed that
the walls were minimalistcally decorated with black banners
that showed a symbol which looked a bit like a closed eye with a
stream of water in the background. Underneath this were letters
of some kind. He guessed they must say "LEAD", though the only way
to know for sure was to ask someone.
The ability to read had never been granted to him, after all.
He followed his nervous guide mindlessly and found himself standing
among the people, staring at the big screen. It whizzed on now,
depicting a close up of someone's face. A woman, St'Wek guessed,
though it was never really a sure thing with aliens. They could look
and sound all kinds of ways, sometimes that didn't mean anything. He
didn't even know what exactly Xēcnes was, come to think of it.
"Esteemed LEAD workers", the giant face said, "We are honoured to
welcome you to the extraction department. You each have worked in one
of the many other departments and have achieved a reputation as good
workers, as people who put the well-being of the collective above
all. People who can be trusted to do what is necessary."
"In my time, some were outraged by my research. But while they
twiddled their appendages and shook their heads, saying how very
unfortunate it was that the population was diseased and dying,
I took action. They said it was the way it had always been, that
there was no changing it. I showed them the means to their salvation
but they turned away and feigned ignorance.
Imagine where we would be if these voices had won, if Mehtr Pakal
had never been allowed to use her theories and allow the disease-free
present we live in today. The estimated lifespan has almost doubled
over the past 20 cycles. Grandparents need no longer fear seeing their
own grandchildren for the viruses they may carry. The birth rate
has increased, since potential parents are no longer afraid
that their children will die from infections."
"But this miracle would be impossible without the work you do every
day. So as the privilege of working in extraction befalls you,
remember why we are here. All of you are miracle workers, heros.
Angels of mercy."
The face disappeared and the crowd was pleased with itself; shaking
its hands and welcoming itself to the family. The giant screen split
in two, revealing itself to be a door also. As the great wall parted
with a loud rumble, the screams started to wash in from the
other side.
_
^'#~
<(.l.)>
--
| |
| |
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The first thing Aanya of Faino noticed was that she was staring.
She was staring, but not at anything in particular. She was staring,
but she wasn't seeing anything. She concluded that this was a silly,
ineffective thing to do, so she decided she should actively see
whatever it was she was aiming her eyes at.
Her eyes were aimed at a marble statue of an old man with only one
eye, but three legs, as if to make up for it. The statue was painted
in a warm red.
Out of his eye the man was crying pure water, which gathered in a
pool below. Over the water hovered a long insect with thin wings,
which Aanya instinctively grabbed and shoved into her mouth.
It didn't taste like anything and didn't fill her stomach one bit.
"What a waste of time" she thought.
Once she had started to become annoyed, she realized she had a much
better reason to be annoyed. Such as not knowing where she was
or how she had gotten there. Aanya of Faino frowned.
"Aanya", someone called. "Aanya, where are you now?"
"I don't know", said Aanya, more to herself than anyone.
"Ah there you are", said the small one-eyed creature which now came
into view. It was hard to guess the age of an alien species
you had never seen before, so Aanya didn't.
"Come on, dear, mother is waiting. She's having another boring
meeting and I have to attend. You must come with me and keep me
entertained so I don't die of boredom."
The cyclops took Aanya by the arm and dragged her through the roofed
garden with the sad water fountain into the house.
Aanya let this happen. Not much else to do, really. Other than...
"Where am I and who are you?", she asked while running to keep up
with her arm.
"No games Aanya, we're running late already. More walking,
less talking."
So that didn't clear anything up. Aanya decided to reschedule
her annoyance to a later time and to simply indulge this strange
person as long as it did no harm.
She was slowly but surely developing a headache.
The walls here were very warm, it really irritated her eyes.
No use in being annoyed on top of all that.
Aanya of Faino had only recently learned that there was a color
called "purple"; worst of all that she was apparently reflecting
this color. That was a bizarre concept that she didn't waste any
more time thinking about. While others like Xēcnes could see purple,
Aanya's visual spectrum began between yellow and green and ended
somewhere around short-wave infrared.
So when she said things like "the walls here are very warm and it's
a strain on the eyes" this was not due to synesthesia or anything
of the sort; if she said the walls looked warm
then it was because the walls were warm.
Finally they arrived in a large hall with a long table at the center.
The walls were off-white and the chairs around the table bent in on
themselves in a way that might have been quite artistic, but not,
as far as Aanya could imagine, comfortable. Despite this many of
them were occupied by larger one-eyes persons with stern looks and
figurative long white beards.
"It's the council", explained the smaller creature, "She's been
looking forward to this for half a season now; to finally present
her idea." Aanya nodded. This sure was a situation.
"Welcome, council, and thank you for seeing me. I promise you
you will not regret your decision!", a high voice from behind Aanya
said. It belonged to someone in a red dress who closed the door
upon entry. The meeting had started, apparently. The person
lightly pushed Aanya and her companion away on her way to the table.
"Yes", said a sceptic voice, "You've promised quite the miracle
this time, Mehtr. If it wasn't for your well documented success in
the fields of microbiology, we would've laughed and thrown your
letter right out. Instead of just laughing."
The small cyclops beside Aanya frowned. At least, that's what Aanya
thought the expression meant. The person in the dress just smiled.
"I can hardly blame you. It is fantastical, isn't it? To think
the people in this room could be the ones to end disease on Bhel
forever." A pause.
Everyone else in the room looked at eachother in half amused, half
tired disbelief. Wham! The sound of a fist on the table, though
Aanya got the feeling it was not out of anger but rather
a calculated action.
"I know everyone here has lost someone. I know you are tired and
maybe you have no energy for childish hopes. But I do not have the
luxury to turn my head away from sick children and the dying poor.
My own daughter has mere seasons left to live-"
Aanya noticed an appandage raised in her direction and felt a cold
rush pierce through her, it was like being called out by the General
when you hadn't been paying attention. Then she remembered the
gleeful cyclops next to her and scratched her head scales in
embarassment.
"- and I cannot just stand by when I know I have a shot at saving
her life and other mothers from the sorrow of losing a child."
Aanya regarded the girl. She didn't seem sick to her at all, she'd
been dancing down the corridor just a little while ago and she was
visibly rooting for her mother. But then she didn't know anything
about these people and their diseases.
She hoped the child wasn't contagious.
"Yes, yes, you may spare us the theatrics, we are not your sponsors.
Just explain to us how you intend to save the world."
And the "Mehtr" woman did. Aanya didn't understand much of it.
Biology was never her sort of topic, too many fluids and mutations.
Technology was always more or less the same. After a while she
resumed her morning activity of staring at nothing in particular.
But there was one thing, near the end, that made the council shift
uneasily in their seats. Mehtr kept going, unbothered by this,
until finally one of the members jumped from their seat and cut
her off.
"Stop.", they demanded with barely contained disgust.
"I'm sorry, did you say you want our permission to inject Tauwian
cells into our children?" A dissatisfied rumbling resounded
from the other members.
The woman seemed undeterred. "Yes. Well, after appropriate testing,
of course."
"That's horrific", a voice exclaimed, "I don't want any dirty
Tauwian substances in my family blood. Why, these people are barely
distinct from animals!"
"Please calm yourself", said Mehtr. "I can see you're uneasy, so a
demonstration is in order. Iakeō, darling, would you fetch
the ratbird."
The girl nodded enthusiastically and shot out of the room, wafting
a breeze of air into Aanya's face in the process. They waited.
Then Iakeō returned with a creature in a cage that did in fact
resemble a mash-up of a rat and a bird. Its feathers were thin
and its eyes were watery, it didn't look too well.
"Thank you. As you can see this poor animal has contracted the
incurable seurian flu. Harmless to us Heek, of course, but a vet
would have to put it down. With just a small injection of my
universal vaccine, which yes, contains what you so ellequantly
described as 'dirty Tauwian substances'..."
She injected the ratbird with a clear liquid.
It shifted and protested and after the vial was empty it sat still
for a moment. Then it spread its wings for all to see, as it rapidly
grew more feathers and the color returned to its small furry body.
The crowd gasped. A lot of "I don't believe it"s and "Incredible"s
could be heard.
"While they aren't as intelligent and civilized as us, Tauwians
have a fascinating phisiology, without which this wouldn't be
possible. It is a matter of shifting your focus away from sullying
our racial purity. Think of this much the same way you think of using
the secretions of the pigfly to anethezise patients. You said it
yourself, after all, they are barely distinct from animals"
Aanya let a long hard "Hmmmmmmmmmmmm" slip out of her mouth.
She didn't know much about these Tauwian people or their
intelligence but she did feel like comparing them to animals was the
start of something very nasty indeed.
The council did not seem to think so. The grim expressions of its
members appeared to lift away from their faces and fly out of the
window like a ratbird.
vwv
(0 0)
~ ~
/ | | \
\ | | /
---.= =.-------------------------------------------------------------
The grey desert seemed to stretch endlessly between the abandoned
buildings. Xēcnes had been walking for a while now in hopes of find-
ing anyone or anything living. And there had been plants of course,
loads of them (though not very pretty and mostly grey, not that it
bothered Xēcnes) but no sentient creature, no one to talk to.
No one to tell Xēcnes what planet this was and where the rest
of the Lovelace crew was staying.
It was not pleasant at all, it was rather boring and lonely. Xēcnes
didn't mind being alone, of course, in that lovely room on the ship
with a record of Earths history to read through or old ship recordings,
but this was just depressing. And it reminded the small crustacean
too much of home.
Still, there had to be a reason for its presence here.
If Xēcnes couldn't believe that anymore, couldn't believe that some
cosmic force was guiding the path, that every action contributed to
the holistic ecosystem of the universe...
Well, what would be left of home then?
What would be left of Planet 7ːɹi?
Xēcnes had seen many curious things so far. Scientific equipment,
barred doors, empty fountains with rusty plugs and statues of one-
eyed people that were probably important figures, or at least
famous ones. All in all the place presented a nice little mystery,
but what fun was it to solve it all alone? To solve it without
Aanya's sceptical yet helpful comments and St'Weks periodical
declarations that he didn't care, though he clearly kind of did.
Xēcnes sighed, insofar it was possible to do with those mouthparts,
and climbed through the shattered window of a nearby house with
barred doors. The inside didn't look much like the inside of a house.
Really, it looked like a bit of outside that someone had built a roof
over and then called it a day.
There was sand and broken wood lying in the dirt, there was no
furniture and childrens toys with missing limbs were spread out
across the room. It reminded Xēcnes of human horror movies, the only
thing missing from the athmosphere was a childs laughter or singing
blowing in the wind. Hm. What a terrible thing to think about,
this had been a real inhabited planet after all.
Probably. Xēcnes wasn't sure if it was a planet, or if it was wholly
deserted. Planets are usually very big.
There! A weak light in the dirt. Xēcnes dusted off the notebook-like
device, that seemed to consist of many self-illuminating blank pages.
It seemed like it had once been brand new, when it had belonged to a
living person. The only page with writing on it was the first.
Xēcnes read:
> Our fountains are filled with blood
> but we don't know it,
> we don't see it,
> we don't recognize it, because it's see-through.
> We don't see the blood on our hands
> because it blends into normality
> Or we do see it, do we know what we've done
> but don't care - who would care for transparent blood?
> We bleed red, this is all that matters.
> I wonder what the founder would say if he knew
> What he would say if he knew that thousands of seasons
> after his death
> he'd be crying blood on every street corner. Would he be
> disgusted? I like to think so but I know it's not true.
> He wouldn't care any more than we do now.
> Something has to die so that something else may live -
> is it that simple? Or is it just easier
> to keep the white walls clean
> when the blood won't leave a stain?
> And when the blood started to turn red
> did it suddenly matter? When the walls were sullied
> and we couldn't pretend it was water anymore
> was it suddenly a tragedy?
> Or was it just fair?
> Was it what we deserved?
c \
| /
( o o )
_ II _
|______|
/ \----------------------------------------------------------
## END OF TRANSMISSION ONE ##
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