<div align="center">(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs44/f/2009/059/1/e/Jungle_outpost_by_AndreeWallin.jpg)<br/><em>A Research Outpost on Sepik Planet</em></div><br/><br/>Planet Sepik loomed large in the view finder. It lay directly ahead of the<em>RI Swallow</em>as the ship came out of its Hyper-drive sequence, slowing down as it did so. The Hyper-Jump had landed them far closer then normal to a planet, mostly due to the fact that it had been deemed to do so. The Hyper-Drive could only be initiated and terminated in Space that was clear of traffic and other inhabitants. A collision of any sort would have been fatal at best, which is why specific shipping lanes were designed for Hyper-Drive. That left plenty of space to be attacked by Space Pirates, but the<em>RI Swallow</em>had passed through inhabited Space with no major issues.<br/><br/>All those on board had, of course, gone into Cyro-Sleep for the Hyper-Drive segment of their journey. Early experiments with passengers that hadn't been in Cyro-Sleep had been, well, lets just say they hadn't had pleasant results. The Ships automated systems kicked in and began to inject the passengers and crew with a concoction of Drugs designed to slowly warm the body and restore vital functions of the body. Of course, not everybody reacted favorably to the concoction of drugs coursing through their bodies. Sickness, Nausea, Fainting, and in rare cases Death, were all common symptoms of being awoken in such a manner.<br/><br/>Captain Peter Simon had fallen to hands and knees when he had been awoken and vomited the contents of his stomach - which wasn't much, other then the nutrients that had been injected into their bodies during the Hyper-Drive. He had been through Cyro-Sleep more time then he could count in his lifetime, and he had thrown up after every single one. It always left him feeling nauseous and queezy and took about a day to pass completely. Which is why he had instructed the Ships Computers to wake him a day ahead of everyone else.<br/><br/>Peter enjoyed those 24 hours of solitude, his crew sleeping frozen in their Cyro-tubes. He had taken a steaming hot shower to truly awaken himself before dressing in his Captains Uniform. Then he had walked around the ship, inspecting every nook and cranny, making sure nothing had dislodged and that their precious cargo was still intact. He had never fully trusted an AI to report on a ships condition and could only be reassured by a humans presence on such matters.<br/><br/>He had returned to the Bridge as he felt the Hyper-Drive start its slowdown, allowing the casings over the windows to be withdrawn. Peter had stood, silently, for several minutes as Planet Sepik filled his view, growing larger and larger with every passing second. Only then did he turn his view to the rest of the System. It had been a long time since he had been anywhere where the presence of man - or Alien - was missing. There were no cities visible, no space craft racing around, no space-stations floating around. Nothing. It was almost eerie in how alone they were.<br/><br/>He had, of course, scanned every frequency for some sort of communications chatter but had found none. Even focusing the scan around the vicinity of Sepik Colony had produced nothing but silence or static. Their communications array on the planet was truly dead. On the off chance that they were able to receive and not send a signal, he had broadcast a message to the surface, stating that they were the 'rescue team' with the capabilities to fix the communications array and resupply.<br/><br/>The remaining time, he spent updating his journal and sending communications back to Home Command, updating them on their status and what the immediate future held. There were certainly no outward signs of hostile action so he let himself relax. Until the ships AI informed him the rest of the crew were about to be awoken. Peter grinned and made his way to the Cryo-Hold, to greet his crew in their crippling state.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Posting Guide:</strong><br/><br/><div class="codeheader">Code: <a class="codeoperation" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return smfSelectText(this);">[Select]</a></div><pre style="margin: 0; padding: 0;"><code class="bbc_code">Name:<br/>Location:<br/>Tagged:</code></pre><br/>