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Qorgonox Log Entry – 811.23
This is the first entry in our logs since we crashed. As the communications officer for the Qorgonox (please see included ship diagram for reference), it has fallen upon me as part of my official duties to record the events of our time here on this planet while also continuing to send distress signals hoping to facilitate a rescue. This is in line with AEXOR3 emergency protocols.
I have been instructed to begin this first entry with a brief synopsis of the events of the past week. The Qorgonox was in Thyrimos per our most recent assignment. We were working deep in the ring and the operation was going smoothly. I had just completed my shift-cycle and a number of us had signed off and headed to the stasis pods for some rest. Whatever happened to the Qorgonox took place while I was in the stasis pod, so I am unable to report on what caused the ship to veer off course and crash. The few of us who survived this crash were in the pods, which is lucky for us as the stasis chamber was one of the only parts of the ship that remained intact after the crash. We have been unable to find the route data or incidence recorders for the ship, which means we do not even know where we are, nor can we report with any certainty on what happened.
Vellok was the first of the crew to rise from stasis. He woke the rest of us up. Thankfully our suits remained intact and functional since they were stored in the chamber with us and thereby also escaped any damages from the crash.
Precautions have been taken per standard AEXOR3 operating guidelines. The air on the planet proved to be breathable, but we wore our full helmets and kept our suits sealed for the first day just in case the atmospheric readings changed. That first day was the hardest. We scoured the area, but all we found was burning wreckage and bodies. As far as we can tell, we are the only survivors. There are just 6 of us left.
Our first priority, per AEXOR3 protocols in the case of a stranding of a crew, was to set up camp. Our suits’ range detectors showed life forms in the area, but with no idea where we were or if those life forms were friendly, we had to assume they were not and proceed as such.
We have thankfully found some of the Qorgonox’s equipment to still be usable, including perimeter stanchions that we were able to use to make a sizable space for camp. A nearly intact container is the center of that camp and we’ve moved as much of the equipment as we could find inside. Once camp was set up, we went back for the bodies of our fellow crew members. They have been buried in the flats near where the engines of the Qorgonox now rest.
Our first night in the camp was understandably uneasy. We agreed to run shifts with two guards awake at all times to monitor the feeds. The planet looks desolate to the eye, but our readings continue to show life and movement, even if we cannot see it. Something is definitely out there.
The next few days proceeded in expected fashion. We gathered equipment and salvaged whatever we could from the wreckage. We’ve found most of the ship, but there is still no sign of the recorders. Lots of the equipment was damaged, but thankfully many of the items had backup units onboard as well. This comm-unit was assembled from the pieces of a few broken ones. It seems to now be working, so I can use it to record these events and begin sending distress signals.
Per AEXOR3 protocols, now that we have established camp and a means of broadcast communications, we will spend the next cycle sending out regular distress calls on all available waves. If no response has been received at the end of that cycle, we will move into the Outward Exploration phase and attempt to find fully sentient natives.
As a salvage vessel, the Qorgonox is light on weaponry, but we have managed to find a few weapons should we need to move into that Outward Exploration phase. An argument has been made that we should move into this phase sooner, but so far we are sticking to company protocols. Personally, I believe the point is moot. We have now been here for days and we have seen no signs of orbital travel in the skies. Wherever we are, I believe it is in the largely unexplored areas on the edge of the Fourth. I fear that we are on our own out here, and that no one will be coming to rescue us.
Sorry. I know I am not supposed to inject personal opinions into these reports. I should stick to the facts. I will endeavor to do so in future log entries.
::/DISTRESS SIGNAL – AEXOR3 VESSEL DESIGNATION:QORGONOX REQUESTING IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE. Current location = Unknown. Current status = 6 surviving crew members. Currently safe. No native contact made. COMM BAND REPLY REQUESTED. IMMEDIATE EVACUATION REQUESTED./::
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Published on 07.26.23