To Boldly Go

[Wayne23]

12/2: 87-60 over Campbell here. We were up only 2 at the half but we rocked in the 2nd. 25, 6, 6 for Rowl, 21 for Howe, 10, 11, 3 for C Scot Nels. +10 RBs, 11 TOs.

We're 3-2 after dropping our first 2 games.

Reptiles large and small roam the planet below us. When I say large I mean dinosaur large. We can't tell if they are actually like the dinosaurs from Earth's distant past but they may be.

This is a vicious world, and would be impossible for us to live on. We searched a few of the bigger islands but the reptiles are on all of them.

But we're staying in orbit. Our paleontologists are tremendously excited, and they'll get the opportunity to study the animals for about a month. They want to actually shuttle down to the planet but the Captain has said no to that. It is clearly way too dangerous. The carnivorous reptiles are not only huge, they are lightning quick. There's no way to be safe down there.

[Wayne23]

12/6: 88-55 over Chicago ST. 20, 6 for Nels, 18, 5 for Howe, 11, 17 for Rowl. +32 RBs.

The team is definitely playing well right now. The competition isn't all that strong but still, I'm loving these wins.

The entomologists are having as much fun as the paleontologists. The botanists are having lots of fun, too.

All of them want to get to the surface and do some real science, but the Captain is still saying there's no way that will happen. The scientists say this is a once in a lifetime experience and those opposed are saying it's a one off- related to this planet but not really significant to any other planet.

The arguments are raging. I'm keeping my mouth shut but I'd be delighted to take a bunch of scientists and guards down there. Ruby says absolutely not, but she's the only one I've told, and as long as the Captain stands firm it's moot anyway.

[Wayne23]

12/9: 69-67 at Longwood. We were awful in the 1st half. Down by as many as 18, and down 14 at the half. Their bench absolutely killed us in the 1st, particularly inside. We made some adjustments and came out of the locker room fired up. We kept cutting into the lead and finally took our first lead with 5:02 left. It was back and forth after that. It was tied with 11.2 left when Mike Morr grabbed an RB. I usually don't call a TO in that situation. I don't want the D to be able to get set up the way the other coach wants it. Instead we go over these situations at every practice. We passed it around and got it inside to Mike Morr who banked a six footer for the win.

Cris Stry led us with 22 and 6. Ed Howe had 16, 2, 3. Morr had 13, 7.

Stry played through a banged up hip.

12/10: The Captain is sending a shuttle down to the planet. It's a compromise. Twelve armed guards will go down. They will set up a 3D printer which will build a 15x12 structure. Inside it they will set up a holo chamber. The guards will get several varieties of plant life, a few species of insect, will trap and anesthetize some small animals and will attempt to anesthetize a few of the dinosaur type animals, and take tissue samples. All of this stuff will be brought inside the holo chamber where extensive testing will be performed by holo scientists, under the direct supervision of our scientists, who will be observing from the Meltor. It doesn't give the scientists the opportunity to get on planet and to interact with the samples directly, but it's almost as good, and it's a lot safer. All of this will take some time to set up but we think it will happen in about a week. Oh, I will pilot the shuttle.

[Wayne23]

12/13: 79-41 over Northwestern ST here. This one was a total mismatch. 20, 9 for Mike Rowl, 15 each for Howe and Stry. 6, 11, 6 for Nels. +17 RBs, 5 TOs. We were really on our game tonight.

Preparation for the shuttle landing on planet are ongoing. It is scheduled for the 17th, if the weather is clear down there.

I haven't talked all that much about life on the ship. Conditions are cramped. There's no way a ship carrying 600 can provide free space, large corridors, high ceilings- any of that. We all live in quarters that are really tight when both residents are "at home." Ruby and I have devised ways to keep out of each others way, and they mostly work, but not always. We do sometimes bump into each other or need to wait for the other one to pass before we can go where we're going. Each cabin features a small shower and smaller sink, and has a coffee/tea/hot chocolate/hot and cold water machine. People don't eat in their quarters but a cup or glass of something can be nice. I'm a coffee addict; always have a cup nearby. So the machine gets lots of use. Ruby drinks 2-3 cups of tea a day while she's here.

As I said the corridors are narrow with seven foot ceilings on most decks. There are rules of etiquette that govern how to pass through if you meet others. They work because everyone pays attention to them. The dining halls are cramped as well. There's room to sit and put your food down, and room to eat it, but barely. The bridge is compact. It's a little more roomy than any of the other places I've mentioned but it's still crowded, just not AS crowded.

Some areas need room- the hydroponic gardens, the water recycling/production area, the waste recycling/reclamation area...

When people need to stretch out they go into the holo chambers. There's unlimited space in those since they're set up in such a manner that they sort of bend the rules of time and space a bit to provide more space than is actually there by any measurement. Don't ask me how that's done, but downhill skiing, mountain climbing, boating trips, even long ones, marathon running- all of those are done and many other things.

So we get by, but everyone looks forward to being on an actual planet again, where there will be plenty of room by comparison. It won't happen on this planet, but we're hopeful we'll find our new home soon.

[Wayne23]

12/16: 58-62 at Grambling. Lowest points scored all season. It's hard to win when you only score 58. 20 TOs hurt us. 14, 15 for Nels, 19, 4 for Stry. No one else did much.

12/17: Rainy and overcast on the planet so we're postponing until tomorrow.

12/18: A sunny day. On our way.

12/19: It's nearly midnight and we just arrived back on the Meltor. The trip was a disaster and I feel very fortunate to be alive.

We landed in a nice flat meadow, not far from a forested area, and the twelve guards all got out and looked around.

We did extensive atmospheric testing as soon as the shuttle landed. All testing indicated that the air was breathable and posed no danger. The gravity was .76 of Earth normal, and the atmospheric mix was all but identical to what we were used to. This allowed us to work in shirtsleeves, which made everything a lot easier.

After surveying the area carefully the guards found a spot to set up the 3D printer and set it to work printing the structure.

It took most of the day to print the building, as expected. Two guards stayed near the shuttlecraft and the printer and the other ten went off to find specimens.

They started with the plants and insects, and by lunchtime they had what they wanted.

After lunch two guards went looking for likely places to set traps for small animals, and the other eight went looking for dinos to sedate. The traps would capture but not kill the small animals, which would be sedated for study.

I stayed near the shuttle but observed the printing of the structure and what I could see of the efforts of the guards. My two guards were very alert, turning regularly in all directions to avoid any surprises. The afternoon continued that way.

As dusk approached the other guards returned. A few small animals had been trapped but no dinos had been encountered.

By this time the structure was up and the holo chamber was being activated. After dinner the guards brought all of the specimens they had gathered into the various labs inside the holo and the holo scientists and our scientists on board the Meltor began working. They worked all through the night and well into the second day.

The guards and I slept inside the shuttle with two guards being awake and on duty just outside the shuttle at all times.

It was a quiet night. There were the usual night sounds that one would expect, but no surprises and no indication that we were in any danger.

Day two, today, started off with breakfast, and then the ten guards set off to try to find dinos.

My two guards and I stayed near the shuttle.

Things were quiet for a long time. We had lunch and then I took a nap.

I was awakened mid-afternoon by very loud animal noises, the sounds of weapons being fired, and lots of shouting and screaming.

By the time I got outside I saw something I will never forget; something that will haunt my dreams for as long as I live.

I saw our guards, all ten of them running for their lives, being pursued by two huge beasts. The beasts were 20-25 feet tall, and they overcame the guards in no time, and each... ate one. They picked them up in their jaws, shook and bit, which killed the guards. They then began to eat them, which I will not describe. I didn't see much of it, but what I saw won't leave me. This slowed them down enough for the other guards to join me and my two guards, who had taken refuge in the structure. Very shortly thereafter the beasts, evidently leaving the scene, trampled the eight foot high structure, knocking most of it down, crushing most of the rest of it.

When we were able to get out we found that two additional guards had been killed inside the structure, one other had a fractured leg, and another had both an arm and a leg fracture.

When we looked over at the shuttle we saw that it too had been trampled.

We cared for our wounded inside the structure. Two guards and I went to the shuttle. It was destroyed. Nothing worked or ever would again.

We returned to the structure. After a lot of searching around to assess damage and to see what if anything still worked, we found we were able to send a signal to the Meltor. We sent a Mayday, explained the situation, and waited inside the building, or what little was left of it, hoping that the dinos would not return.

About two hours ago one of the only two working shuttles on the Meltor landed near the building. We loaded our wounded and our two dead inside, climbed in, and headed back to the ship.

I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. The Captain wants to debrief all of us but the doctors have insisted that we need rest before that can happen.

[Wayne23]

12/20: 64-51 over Cleveland ST here. We were up 21 at the half and never challenged, but we were awful in the 2nd half. Good thing we'd built up that big lead. 16, 11 for Nels, 18 for Howe, 11, 9 for Rowl. 8 TOs.

I was debriefed by the captain and some of the security team this morning. I didn't have a lot to say about the tragic part of our stay on the planet but they wanted to know about anything I'd seen and heard both before and after the incident. I really saw nothing to indicate we were in any danger at any time other than when the danger actually struck.

The surviving guards had a lot to say about what happened and what preceded the tragedy.

They went off in search of dinos and took a long time to find any. When they finally did, after lunch, they were quite close to where the rest of us were. They followed the procedure that had been put in place. They spotted the two dinos, moved close to them quietly, and fired tranquilizers at them. The tranqs had no effect at all. They were then spotted by the dinos, fired more tranqs, then fired their rifles. None of that had any effect. All the while they were moving toward the shuttle and the building. The dinos stalked them, but cautiously at first. Finally the dinos realized they were in no danger and struck. At that point the guards came into our view and we watched as they were slaughtered.

No one saw the dinos attack the shuttle or the building so there's nothing to report regarding that.

The scientists got most of what they needed, but of course nothing related to the dinos.

There will be a full investigation, and I suspect the Captain is probably in a lot of trouble for allowing the expedition. I don't think he should be the scapegoat but some of the responsibility is definitely his.

[Wayne23]

12/23: 73-64 over Pereverterian here in our final pre-conf. game. We were up 21 at the half and never threatened in the 2nd. 19, 7 for Nels, who has improved steadily through the season so far. 14, 10 for SF Kris Hank, his best game to date. 15, 2, 3 for Howe. 8 TOs.

8-3 for the pre-conf. season; RPI #141. Howe leads us with 19.0 PPG, and Stry gets 5.5. We expected our points to come from the outside and they have. Nels leads with 9.6 RBs and Rowl gets 8.7. SF Kris Hank surprisingly leads us in assists with 5.3; add that to his 7.0 RBs and he really contributes a great deal without scoring much.

We're +12.1 PPG, +11.7 RBs, -1.9 TOs.

We've held services for our four dead, burying the two bodies we recovered in space. The two injured guards are recovering from their physical injuries but one is a psychological wreck. He's going to need a lot of help before he's ready to go back to duty, or to any semblance of a normal life.

12/24: The investigation is ongoing. The Captain named a panel of five to conduct it. He did that very fairly. None of the five are particular friends of his, and none are line officers or members of the leadership group.

We left orbit earlier in the day. It took some careful plotting to set a safe exit route through the three planets, and I piloted us out of orbit and away. As happened during entry we ran into one spot when the ship experienced a lot of turbulence and everyone was shaken up a bit. We secured everything very carefully so there was no damage, and we knew to expect it this time so everyone was well strapped in.

Now we're on our way to another star, about 7 months away. There are two planets in the Goldilocks zone and there may be a moon that also has the possibility of being habitable. We'll see. We're taking in long range data and info but we won't know the really important things until we reach orbit.

12/28: I was called to testify in the investigation of the incident that happened on planet. Everyone who was in the landing party has been called to testify, as has the Captain, the First Mate, and several other line officers.

The committee is very serious in their approach and more than a little bit intimidating in their approach, or trying to be, so it seems. I just answered the questions. When asked to speculate or to second guess the Captain I did not do so. My Council backed me up on that and the committee didn't push too hard, thankfully.

[Wayne23]

12/30: 83-79 over Buffalo here to start conf. play. We led by as many as 24 but nearly blew it. With 2:12 left they took a one point lead. Fortunately, we came back. 17, 4, 4 for Howe, 13, 6 for Nels, 12, 7 for Rowl, 14, 5 for Morr.

1/3/2102: 70-56 over Bowling Green here. We led all the way and were never challenged seriously. 18, 1, 5 for Howe, 13, 11 for Mike Rowl. We had 7 TOs and forced 31(!).

The investigation into the Captain's actions is ongoing. I hope it doesn't turn into a witch hunt. I think he acted prudently. There was no way to prevent what happened once we actually got down to the planet. Of course the question of whether we should have done that is at the heart of the matter. Easy to second guess after the fact...

[Wayne23]

1/6: 59-77 at Akron. Not a surprise. They're one of the best teams in the conf. 22, 10 for SG Cris Stry but no one else did much. +21 RBs but a horrific 29 TOs.

1/10: 73-67 at Western Michigan. Good road win! We took an early lead and led most of the way but never by more than 11. Still, when we needed to make a play we made it. 27, 0, 6 for PG Ed Howe, 10, 14 for Nels. +13 RBs.

Life on a ship. I've talked about it some but it's far from glamorous. We do our work, what there is of it. Much of the work is done by computers and robots but some of us retain control. I pilot, as do the other pilots. Our decisions are based on the info we get from the computers but we do the actual work. Many people supervise and/or oversee the bots and computers, just making sure that things go as they should.

After much thought and discussion most people's work hours have been lessened some so they have more free time. People spend it learning new things and in recreation. The Captain mandated that everyone learn a second specialty or skill. That would give us redundancy in case something unforeseen were to happen, and it gave us all more to do, teaching and learning.

People learn other things. The computers allow people to study just about anything that they can think of, and given the education and temperament of most of us on board, we are a crew of eager learners.

And then there's play. People play the available sports and games, but they spend more time in the holos than on traditional sports and games. So much is available there; again, if you can conceive of it, most likely a holo program can be designed. I'll talk about some of the more exotic holo programs at some point.

[Wayne23]

1/13: 72-62 over Central Michigan here. Down 7 at the half. Our big guys asserted themselves in the second. Nels wound up with 14 and 14, Rowl had 15, 8, 3.

1/17: 85-71 over Toledo here. Took a long time to break this one open. We finally did at about the 35 minute mark. 17, 5, 3 for Nels, 18, 2, 3 for Howe, 13, 8 for Stry, 13, 6, 4 for Morr.

We're 13-4, 5-1, tied for best record in the conf., tied for 1st in the East Div. With Miami.

Conditions are cramped on a ship. Just about every video about ships that go through space depicts all these wide open spaces, wide corridors, high ceilings, spacious rooms... It doesn't work that way. There simply isn't room for that. Except where absolutely necessary corridors are narrow and low ceilinged. Living quarters are compact, even crowded. Most rooms are no bigger than they need to be.

You get used to it. Claustrophobics don't go to space. It becomes natural to make room for the other person. You don't leave an empty seat at a table in the cafeteria.
You stay in your own space.

This can cause problems for some people. Most of us just go with it but it seems to make a few people cranky. They don't do well, and interventions are usually needed to re-order their approach and how they deal with this.