( text )

[darkart]

The following is a report of the events that occured during the 32nd jump related to the reconnaissance mission into the ship's undocumented corridors lead by Commander Shepard. Perceived delays are the result of attempts to clarify information.

AFTER ACTION REPORT
TQ RECONNAISSANCE, TRANQUILITY

MEMORANDUM FOR: All Tranquility Passengers
FROM: Prof S. Snape, contributions via K. Bishop, M. Hill
SUBJECT: After Action Report, 32 Jump Cycle Exploration and Reconnaissance and Concurrent Incidents

The following is information regarding:

• Reconnaissance Deployment
  
• Distress Signal Incident
  
• Passenger Involvement
  
• Evolved Hallway Phenomenon
  
• Reconnaissance Operative Memory Loss
  
• Current Hallway Status

[ Attached files:
- After Action Report, 31 Jump Cycle Exploration and Reconnaissance
- Map/schematic of the explored area originally included in the above report, with minor additions made, and notes about significant inconsistencies
- Select audio files of distress messages that were made public
- Audio file of unknown origin
- The original audio and text transcription of Shepard and Javik's last transmission ]

Mission personnel consisted of five fireteams made up of three or four field operatives each, with each team reporting to one assigned communications liaison stationed in an inhabited ship area. Fireteams Agincourt, Hastings, Shasta, Nairobi and Perugia left known inhabited areas of the ship on Jump Cycle Day 8 of the 32nd Jump Cycle. Each team was equipped with standard rations for eight days per operative; per fireteam: one container of dyed fluid for manual location markings, one medical kit, one 3-dimensional mapping device, one magical communication device, one control device for a modified maintenance drone. Agincourt carried one two-way radio acquired from mining colony Arima, the matching two-way radio left with their communications liaison. Hastings and Perugia carried network equipment to be set up at various intervals (see attached map) intended to widen the network range.

All teams experienced expected phenomenon immediately upon entrance into the hallways such as but not limited to the sensation of descent, the feeling of being watched, tapping noises, and minor visual and auditory hallucinations. At approximately 1300 hours on Jump Cycle Day 11, all communications failed. Fireteams discovered remnants of paintings on the corridor walls, but were unable to make reports due to communications being down. Content/subject of those paintings is undetermined due to the state they were found in.

The time shortly after communications failed marks the beginning of a period of that would be suppressed in the minds of the field operatives. Details of what went from this time until the time field operatives were reached by other passengers remain largely obscured; more information on this below.

On Jump Cycle Day 13, distress signals originating from the communication devices of members of each fireteam began to reach passengers in known areas of the ship. At the time of this writing, every fireteam member was found to have sent at least one distress signal except two members of fireteam Agincourt, Lydia Shepard and Javik. Each distress signal was garbled and differed from one to the other, except for a singular phrase: “You have to come help.” This coincided with the disappearance of several passengers, most of which indicated prior to dropping out of contact that they were going into the hallways to reach missing 'loved ones' not known to be on board, and could not be deterred. In addition, an audio transmission was received by the network from an unknown source of an unidentified person begging for help.

A large-scale rescue effort was deployed on Jump Cycle Day 15; the exact number of participants was not recorded. Previously described expected hallway phenomenon occurred and was experienced by all parties. In addition: more pronounced hallucinations of persons believed to be the former crew of the Tranquility due to the jumpsuits they appeared to be wearing. Hallucinations showed crew members in a variety of states including calm, panic, disheveled, injured, etc. In rare instances when phantom crew members were observed interacting with each other, they were violent towards one another. Allowing a phantom to pass through a person caused an extreme burning sensation that subsided slowly, but left no apparent damage or ill-effects once it had dissipated.

Passengers on the rescue attempt became lost, most became separated from their companions. After an undetermined length of time, doors appeared in the hallway corridors. Inside each doorway was a recreation of a place from passenger homeworlds, and contained a 'monster', either a ship-native manticore or one potentially native to the recreated area (inconclusive; exact specifications unknown). Leaving one recreated zone led to another, and so on. Some zones did not contain monsters, but 'people' whose apparent purpose was to try and convince or force passengers to pass through a doorway that exuded bright white light. Many became violent.

Missing reconnaissance field operatives were found in zones with 'people', and were in unresponsive states until touched physically by another passenger. Previously mentioned periods of memory loss suffered by operatives persisted until they were found in their respective zones and retrieved by passengers; upon waking, operatives stated they had no memory of how they got there, or anything that had happened after communications failing.

Passengers who went into the hallways searching for familiar persons were found in various zones, alert and cognizant of the situation. Escape from the recreated zones and the hallways was precipitated by the physical collapse of the zones. Clarification on the identity of 'people' is not currently available. No persons not already known to be passengers about the Tranquility were collected.

Passengers began returning to the inhabited areas of the ship on Jump Cycle Day 22, and no passenger returned after Jump Cycle Day 26. All passengers who entered the hallways as part of the rescue attempt returned. All passengers who entered the hallways supposedly in search of persons not known to be aboard returned. Two members of fireteam Agincourt, Lydia Shepard and Javik, did not return. All other members of each fireteam returned.

Though nearly a fortnight passed since the deployment of reconnaissance fireteams and the return of all parties to known areas of the ship, no passengers or field operatives were in any state of malnutrition. Injuries sustained by passengers were incurred due to 'monsters' in recreation zones, unsafe environmental elements, and altercations with 'people' or other passengers. Some passengers with health conditions dependent on time found said conditions in a state of flux, worsening or suppressing at random and without adherence to any apparent schedule.

On Jump Day 29/30, concurrent with the countdown to the jump, the missing fireteam Agincourt operatives made contact with the network. They reported that all teams were taken into an unknown area, and that this area was safe from the effects of the jump. For unknown reasons, Shepard and Javik left the safe zone. Though their exact condition during and after the jump cannot be determined, both are presumed to have been killed in action due to being out of stasis during the jump. Details and location of the area described remain undetermined.

On Jump Cycle Day 10 of the 33rd Jump Cycle, a follow-up excursion into the hallways was made. Two teams, each made up of three operatives, were sent to make short trips into the hallways to assess the status of the area. Each team traveled far enough into the halls that the "standard" hallway phenomena reported previously would be expected to occur. No expected phenomena occurred. Instead, operatives found themselves unable to travel further than ten yards into the corridors before emerging where they had begun. Repeated attempts to enter the hallways from different starting points yielded the same results. Due to the timing, coincident with of another modification of the ship's internal structure (the disappearance of the decommissioned genetics department laboratories), it is assumed that this change was made over the jump; details beyond speculation are unavailable at this time.

As of the 34th Jump Cycle, memory loss in original reconnaissance field operatives has persisted, but many operatives have reported memories returning to them. The amount of memory recovered and the time it's taken to do so for each operative has been inconsistent. All operatives interviewed for this report have stated that they went into a white door, consistent with what was reported by Shepard and Javik in their transmission, with memories before and after in various states of obfuscation. It is unknown at this time if operatives will regain full memory, or what timeline can be expected for subsequent recovery.

With the death of the reconnaissance project's leader and the apparent inaccessible state of the hallways, it is unknown if or when the project will continue.

[ ooc: Huge enormous over9000 thank-you to alsohawkeye's player who wrote probably a third of this +
the rockstar that is 2leftfeet for nailing down dates and details. lmk if you notice any huge errors! ]

Comments

text. shield encrypt

[brainsqueeze]

At least no one's made any moves yet.

∞

[darkart]

It's a non-issue with the hallways looping.

[brainsqueeze]

But there's planning before that. Unless it's been selective nothing's gotten around about it.

[milagros]

No malnutrition - I'm assuming no dehydration, either? Has this phenomena occurred previously?

[darkart]

Correct.

Recon operatives experienced the same on the previous exploratory mission. I've not come across any documented instances of starvation or etc due to being isolated in the ship, though there very well could be ones that have simply not been documented.

[milagros]

Interesting. And I understand the death rate here is lower than I might guess?

[ private 0% encryption ]

[sorrycharles]

we should try again.

∞

[darkart]

To what extent are you considering?

[sorrycharles]

a single team testing starting points for any change in ship behavior since the last attempt

as a start

text;

[prehendere]

If anyone who reads this is planning to take the lead on investigating once more - someone who I hope has long-term experience on board this ship and the welfare of everyone at heart - I was given nine maintenance droids by Commander Shepherd in our first and unfortunately last communication. I've been working on adapting them for exploration since then.

[darkart]

If there's anywhere to explore, they'd certainly end up useful.

[seidhr]

What attempts have been made to retrieve these lost memories?

[darkart]

That is a private matter for operatives to share about or not at their individual discretion.

[seidhr]

While I realise waiting and hoping is a time-honoured tradition amongst certain peoples,
like as not, any coordinated effort would be more effective.

text;

[51stcentury]

With their disappearance happening right before the jump and the investigation having to wait until after, I hate to say it, but there really was no luck of finding anything to begin with. Who knows how long we spend in those pods each jump.

[darkart]

'Assumed dead' and not taken for explicit fact is a formality. [ And not him being sentimental. A lot of his more bleak opinions have actually been kept out of this thing. ] Shepard did urge us to find Javik's communicator, which may still exist, but there's no real way of getting out there to look for it.

[ TEXT ]

[embellishing]

If this project was to continue, I would like to volunteer my services.

[darkart]

It'll be kept in mind.

100% private, talilock.

[darkart]

[ After he's talked with Erik a bit-- ]

I'll need to speak with you about this before you engage anyone else on the subject.

text;

[de_void]

i should be able to get back to you about the murals in the next week, barring other complications

this all looks great tho

[darkart]

I'll be here.

text;

[nothebestacronym]

i'd like to offer up me services if the project does get continued.

[darkart]

Who are you?

late late laaaaaaaaaaate oops

[makedo]

spent much time on this?

[ and, in a separate text under a relatively heavy encryption: ]

attano's asked me to assume command of whatever's left of this recon. doesn't seem to be very much of it.

brad-chan's encryption

[darkart]

There are a few interested parties, and I know a few more who might simply be willing to go along.

You want to do it?