On a Mule, Darkly

Here's a bit of blog housekeeping I should have done long ago. Before I loaded up the Mule here, I was blogging away sporadically at Dark Dimension. While that blog is often beset by me meandering around personal ruminations and book and movie reviews, a substantial number of posts there dealt with Iron Crown Enterprise's late, lamented, and, now, often expensive-to-buy Middle-earth Roleplaying (MERP) sourcebooks. Detailed and well-put-together, with an obvious affection for and knowledge of Tolkien's world, the MERP sourcebooks are easily used for just about any roleplaying game. To see me blather on about them in an often elegiac and stream-of-consciousness way, click on the MERP. You can also find the link to them to the right on the Dark Dimension home page.

Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega: Part 17: Deck 1 - The Agrifrigate: City Domes One and Two, Garden Domes One and Two

The oddly named Agrifrigate came about its appellation as the result of a now long-forgotten ship architect who wanted to tweak the noses of the space navy. After grudgingly accepting the loss of a potential battleship hull to become Warden's Codicil, the reallocation of another warship hull to Warden's construction set off howls of protest. That ship's architect, when presenting the final plans, blandly noted that "Agrifrigate" was chosen as the term used for that outrigger portion of the Warden out of respect and honor for the warship it might have become. No one was buying it, but the damage was done.

The Agrifrigate is another outrigger attachment to the Warden, connected to the great ship with three massive struts. Largely intended as the platform upon which a series of domes would be placed, the Agrifigate also has its own set of sensors, controls, and propulsion systems. While it would never have the range or speed of Warden, the Agrifrigate was meant to detach from its mothership after arriving at the Xi Ursae Majoris system and ferry the domes to whatever destination the crew determined would benefit from them most. Now that the terraforming of Scion and Essence has been completed and suitable cities constructed before the order could be given to detach the Agrifrigate, the domes now remain as integral parts of Warden. In fact, they may contain the salvation for Warden and its crew.

Citydome One is an anomaly. It contains a thriving, human civilization. When Warden passed through the radiation that wreaked so much havoc, the medical technology in Citydome One had progressed enough that much of the worst or most radical effects were avoided. The medical staff of Warden had critical lapses in judgment, refusing the help of Citydome One as unnecessary. Before the med centers of Warden realized that the crucial advances of the Citydome were all that could mitigate the damage, the disaster overwhelmed them. Citydome One and Two locked all entrances into themselves, and waited and watched nervously over the long years as the Warden became a bizarre wilderness.

Brief incursions by hostile mutants into Citydome One a century after the initial disaster shocked the citizens. The decision was made to not simply lock all entrances, but to permaweld them shut and reinforce all bulkheads shared with Warden itself.  Centuries later, the population of the dome has become pessimistic and paranoid, believing they are last vestige of civilization not just on Warden, but in the galaxy. Locked within their databanks lay some potentially paradigm-shifting advances, from medical advances that seem miraculous, to theoretical models that, if applied to Warden's mighty thorium fusion drives, could allow the ship to breach the light barrier. The trouble is, the citydome-dwellers' technical know-how has eroded and their civilization has stagnated, rendering most of them incapable of making use of the advances left by their forbears. Still, there is some hope left. Acceptance of the few mutants among the population has begun to grow, helped by some very public and beneficial deeds performed by some of these mutated folk. These heroes attempt to instill some optimism into their fellow citydome-dwellers, confident that there is still a chance for life beyond the dome.

Citydome Two has fared even less well. Its population was hit hard by the radiation disaster. It had begun to recover when a massive meteor struck the dome, smashing a huge hole in it. Force fields kept the atmosphere contained, but the citizens of the dome had grown so fearful of the chaos that swept Warden that they refused entrance to the repair-bots sent to restore the dome. When a strong force of mutants invaded, the chief among them decided to cut power to the city, not comprehending the danger. The force fields blinked off and the atmosphere was vented into space; all within the dome died, both mutant army and citizens. Now it lays empty of both life and air. No resources were allocated to repair it, as nothing now lived there. But much of the resources of the city are still intact.

Garden Dome One is another haven of tropical and subtropical flora and fauna. There is a sense of calm here that is unusual for the Warden. The peaceful attercops, mutated garden spiders about the size of large dogs, have built a civilization of contemplative sages in this dome. Some few wander Warden's decks in search of truth, but most return here. Their flame-resistant webs are spun into intricate works of art meant as the foci of meditation. Many attercops are entranced by the stars outside their dome when the night cycle comes, and spend long hours mentally connecting the points of light with "memory strands" of "thought webs." This mental discipline has granted them the ability to shrug off any type of psychic intrusion or attack. While non-violence is their first tenet, they can and will defend themselves and innocents. This dome is one of the safer places anywhere on Warden, for those who come with no ill intentions.

Garden Dome Two was once an experimental environment, constructed to replicate the ecosystem of the American West and Southwest of approximately half-a-million to fifty thousand years ago. Revivified species, like cave lions, short-faced bears, mammoths, and woolly rhinos shared the plains and hills with horses and retrocamels. The radiation disaster did little damage to the reconstituted species, besides increasing the size of some of them, but many mutations occurred among the species which had been left without genetic alteration during the initial design of the dome. Centuries later, the dome is riotous with life. Among the apex predators are the cal-then, or Roach Lords. Almost three meters long and possessed of frightening intelligence, the legendary toughness of their ancestors is as increased as their size. Vicious and evil, cal-then will attack anything fearlessly if hungry. Only their tendency to fight among themselves keep them in check.

An intriguing organization also makes this dome their home. The Restorationists have made it their mission to gather all the information about and artifacts of the pre-radiation-disaster civilization of Warden. Decades of wandering the ship and recovering artifacts, recordings, and oral histories have given them a surprisingly accurate picture of what life was like for the original crew. Skilled with technology and possessing a reasonably accurate layout of the Warden, the Restorationists are the only beings short of the original crew who could expect to restore the ship to at least a semblance of what it was. Their base, housed in an old veterinary station, is filled with recovered tech items, and is, effectively, close to being a functioning control station for Warden. Only a small staff mans it, as most Restorationists are out and about on Warden's decks, seeking out more information and technology. While most Restorationists are unmutated humans, the organization is accepting of any sentient being who values the recovery of what was lost. Most of the mutants, particularly the animals and plants who have attained sentience, are more interested in building a new civilization than rebuilding the old one. Still, despite this difference in philosophy, all agree that restoring a stable society built upon learning from past mistakes is a noble goal, and recovering all the technology and knowledge that was lost or misplaced is a good way to go about that.

Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega: Part 16: Deck 1 - The Codicil: Command Nucleus, City Dome Three, and the Stratonome

The Codicil is an outrigger part of Warden, attached in a rather awkward-looking way to the main hull of the huge ship. In fact, the Codicil was laid down as a completely separate vessel, and attached to Warden as the core hull for a flagship of a colonial space navy. Once intended as a battleship, the hull was converted during construction to a massive command-and-control facility, with some of Warden's most powerful sensor arrays attached to it. The sleek, clean lines of the battleship shown in the blueprints ended up a boxy, almost forlorn attachment to the colony ship's bulk.

The Command Nucleus was the heart of Warden during the colony ship's early years. Essentially taking up most of the Codicil, the Command Nucleus is, or was, a de facto starship on its own, meant to be detached someday from Warden. Its large sensor arrays and interior space consisting of crew quarters, bridge facilities, labs, and machine shops, indicated it was meant to become an exploration vessel, scouting out Warden's surroundings, including other star systems, as well as fulfilling its role of flagship of a potential navy. It is now mostly empty; the mutant wars that raged throughout Warden took their toll. The counterattacks by the crew eventually bled the Command Nucleus dry, so that when the evil mutants finally attacked en masse, it was undermanned. The remaining crew fought heroically, and the mutant army's back was broken. But the crew had been killed to the last man, with no one to halt the looting done by the remnants of the mutant horde.

City Dome Three is a small, efficient bedroom community that once housed the crew of the Command Nucleus. It is now an eerie, empty place, with the few visitors to it telling tales of ghosts and invisible monsters haunting the neat, friendly-looking streets and neighborhoods.

The Stratonome is an unusual section of the Codicil, attached almost as an afterthought when room for it on the main hull of Warden was not available. It is commonly called the Air Deck, and was designed as a sanctuary for avians. Its three-kilometer height, augmented by holographic projections of even greater altitudes, seems to stretch on forever. The hulls are designed to be cliffs well-suited for use as aeries. The floor is a great grassland, teeming with prey animals for the raptors, and is also home to a variety of plains-loving herbivores, from horses to giraffes. The aft of the deck contains a series of lakes, ponds, and marshlands. An aesthetically beautiful deck, the Stratonome was as affected by the radiation disaster as any. Many mutants resulted, though the great wars passed this deck by. Mutations range from the more "common:" the massive thunderbirds and giant flamingoes good examples of gigantism; to the bizarre: the three-clawed flying fungoids called the obb, which take down prey with a combination of intense radiation emitted from their single eyes and psionic abilities. However, three main mutant species dominate the deck.

The flynn are winged humans. They have an allergy to grass and soil, so spend their lives on the wing, exulting in the sheer freedom of flight. While vegetarians (non-intelligent plants only!), the flynn seem to absorb sunlight or a facsimile of it, and can generate a blinding light from their outstretched wings. Generally benevolent, they take little interest in most others, though they will aid those in need if within sight of them.

The hawkoids are vaguely humanoid raptors. They are aggressive, and view most other life as prey. They are always on the hunt, battling the flynn and the great eagles for air superiority. Hawkoids evoke fear in those they attack, a terror so great as to paralyze most victims.

The houyhnhnm rule the grasslands. Intelligent horses, these mutants have impressive mind powers and an equally impressive opinion of themselves and their natural superiority. They use devolved humans as servants, treating them affectionately as pets. The houyhnhnm are aware of intelligent humans and humanoids, though rarely see them, outside the ever-moving flynn. Should they encounter such, they will at first mistake them for devolved humans. When they realize the mistake, they will be immediately apologetic. Still, they maintain an air of condescension that is unmistakable.

The culture that has developed on the Air Deck is loose to the point of non-existence. The numbers of the flynn keep the hawkoids in check, and the houyhnhnm maintain a fairly benevolent society, at least to those they consider intelligent. Still, the flynn are flighty and short of attention, the hawkoids scheme constantly, and the houyhnhnm are oblivious to the growing unrest among the devolved humans.

Next: Part 17: Deck 1 - The Agrifrigate: City Domes One and Two, Garden Domes One and Two

Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega: Part 15: Deck 1: Observation Domes One and Two, Garden Dome Three, and the ADSEST

It is a bit of a misnomer to call Warden's topside "Deck One," but somewhere in the design and construction phases, the name was applied and, subsequently, stuck. Deck One is where some of Warden's most important facilities are attached to the ship.

The various domes and protuberances that make up the "deck" caused more than a little consternation among the military folk involved in the design and construction of Warden and her sister ships due to their vulnerability. In particular, the military contingent fiercely insisted the Command Nucleus and ADSEST be placed deep within the ship. They were eventually overruled, with the civilian authorities dismissing any plans for making Warden more like a military ship than need be. The only concessions won by the military were twofold. One, the main command facilities, the Command Nucleus and ADSEST, were made to be detachable from the ship, with their own propulsion systems. Two, the location of the Secondary Bridge was only known to those with top security clearance, constructed and placed by androids and robots directed by the command staff of the back-up crew. The military grudgingly accepted these two concessions, though even they had to acknowledge that the Warden and her sisters were still powerful vessels, nearly invulnerable to any combat vessel built by humans.

Directly attached to Deck One are Observation Domes One and Two, and Garden Dome Three. These will be dealt with here, while the rest of the components of Deck One will have entries of their own.

Observation Dome One is relatively small, about 30 meters in diameter, and is home to a one of the most advanced telescopes ever produced. Multi-spectrum scanning, optical observation, and cutting edge computer data analysis equipment makes this telescope facility able to accurately detect and directly observe Earth-sized planets out to ten light years. There are two very comfortable workstations in the dome, and during Warden's active era it was considered a coveted position among the scientific contingent of the crew. The dome had sat empty and idle for centuries, maintained by robots.

Observation Dome Two is considerably larger than One, measuring a kilometer in diameter. While equipped with a variety of telescopes and scanners, it is also filled with many laboratories of various sorts. Most interesting of all is that the dome is home to a cult of computer-worshippers called the Followers. The Followers search for any working computer, and venerate it by placing replacement components and other electronic devices near and around it. Thus, any visitors to the dome will be struck by the neatly-stacked quantum-crystal drives, dormant android minds, and handlabs that surround virtually every work station. The Followers are garbed in tattered IT-crew uniforms, handmade jumpsuits, and strange white shirt/black-pants-and-tie ensembles. Most carry fairly crude mock-ups of handlabs that they periodically wave about or speak to, which is their form of prayer. Any visitor who goes to touch any of the computer equipment will be ordered away with an irritated "MOVE!" by any nearby Follower. The Followers believe in the superiority of computers, namely the ship's AI, and will brook no interference by lesser beings. Warden's AI has been carefully and quietly observing the Followers since it came back online; when it decides to directly communicate with them, it will be a transformative experience for the cult.

Garden Dome Three was designed as a showcase, where climates and terrains not represented elsewhere on Warden were displayed on a rotating basis. It served as both a rest and recreation area for the crew, and as a large environmental laboratory for the scientists who made up the terraforming crew. When the radiation disaster struck Warden, the exhibited environment was a desert. The flora and fauna survived well, becoming tougher and even more able to survive harsh environments. Two of the more common, and dangerous, inhabitants are the horl choo and kai-lin. The horl choo, or porcupine plant, is an aggressive, ambulatory mutation, that can fire deadly poisonous quills with surprising range and accuracy. The kai-lin is a two-legged lizard-like plant, dragging its thick tail-root about to find moisture and carrion. Beyond these, there is a spectrum of cacti and other arid-adapted plants, mutated into tougher, but still familiar, forms. More enigmatic inhabitants of the dome include the armahellos and the elusive, strangely-intelligent Warden coyotes, which are among the few mammals able to exist in the brutal desert environment. Even more mysterious, if they even exist, are the shadow mirages that explorers of the dome have claimed to see, shimmering in the distant heat, flickering from point to point like reflected sunlight. Some assert these are mutated humans, absorbing cold in some impossible vibratory exchange, constantly seeking areas where the temperature is a degree or so less intense. They are particularly active, allegedly, during the dome's night cycle, gorging on the welcome cool of the dark.

ADSEST, or the Administration and Security Station, is, or was, Warden's main security headquarters and location of its brig. It contains the barracks and armory of the now long-gone security team. Now it is staffed by androids and robots, though between the attrition of centuries of chaos and war, and command overrides by Warden's AI and its formerly rivalrous constituent fragments, even the automated staff here is threadbare. The last of the human security personnel, dying of radiation and seeing no chance of relief, programmed the security 'bots and 'droids to attempt to maintain order and security as best they could. After so many years of turmoil, this resulted in wandering mechanical marshals which have attempted to bring order to the ship one village or dome at a time; some have found kindred spirits among the Ranchers of the Ranch Deck. With so many of its staff wandering the ship, the ADSEST is often an empty, lonely place, its equipment standing at the ready to be used to restore order.

Next: Part 16: Deck 1 - The Codicil: Command Nucleus, City Dome Three, and the Stratonome

Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega: Part 14: Deck 2: Wilderness Deck

Warden's "wilderness deck" has seen more warfare and damage than any other deck. The most vicious of the fighting between mutant factions took place here, with many long years passing with brutality the dominant theme. Eventually, though, attrition and Pyrrhic victories began to add up. The remnants of the worst of the evil factions faded into nothingness, with isolated individuals and bands of thugs all that's left of once-unbeatable forces.

Warden's reactivated automated environmental action systems repaired the damage done to the ecosystem, bringing the entire deck back into a steady-state condition. Rolling wooded hills, craggy bluffs, densely-packed forests, and a pleasant - if a bit cool - weather cycle makes this deck resemble the wilderness of much of Earth's northern hemisphere. Once blasted, torn, and burned, there is now a feeling of timelessness here, a sense of something patiently waiting in silence.

The main population here is descended from the downtrodden folk who bore the brunt of oppression by the warring factions. Once freed of the servitude and torment, these peaceful folk began to rebuild. New social systems began, towns and settlements were built, and the wilderness was made just a bit more friendly near the new population hubs. Further out, pioneers sought solitude, carving an existence with their own two (or more, as the case may be) hands (or equivalent manipulative organs).

Still, the danger has not left deck two. A few renegades that remain of the one-time ruling forces band together on occasion to ambush and prey on the weak, while packs of sawheads scour the forests for lone travelers, battling timber wolves for supremacy. The mysterious farwalker hyperions skirt the edges of civilization on unknown errands. Above, the sentinel eagles carry out their endless patrols, on the watch for the plasma wyrms that seem to come and go in a blink of an eye. The wilderness here is beautiful, but it will consume the unwary.

In addition, strangers to the deck need to take care that they don't project an air of danger to the ordinary folk here. They were once helpless to throw off the yoke of enslavement, their frustration growing to epic proportions before freedom was theirs. This memory of servitude and annihilation has served to created a culture of rugged individualists who can and will join forces if any sign of potential oppressors should appear. Deck two may appear to be an empty wilderness ripe for exploitation, but the inhabitants here think of it as theirs and theirs alone.

Next: Part 15: Deck 1: Observation Domes One and Two, Garden Dome Three, and the ADSEST

Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega: Part 13: Deck 3: Cargo Deck

Deck three may be the most hostile of Warden's decks. A darkened vacuum, mostly empty, this deck was set aside to store the vast terraforming machinery and fabrication facilities necessary to provide a livable environment for the colonists. That task was completed many long years ago, on two Earth-sized planets and a number of smaller outposts scattered among the other celestial bodies of the Xi Ursae Majoris system. Before the ship's systems could begin the task of building more such equipment, the Warden was overcome by chaos, its preprogrammed tasks put on hold. Further, an asteroid that made it past Warden's point defense managed to punch a hole into the ships thick armor, venting the atmosphere into space. Disabled and confused to begin with, the ship's AI set aside the task of repairing deck three. With no inhabitants or ecosystem of its own, the deck took low priority. So now it lays silent and mostly empty.

Any who try to access deck three must pass three security checks, each entailing increasingly loud, bright, urgent alarms. If intruders do manage to open the hatches, either by security scan or by force, the atmosphere of the accessway will rush to fill the vast void. Unprepared beings may well be swept along into the vacuum, and must find their way back to the hatch before it shuts.

While the deck is, indeed, mostly empty, "empty" is a relative term in such a large open area. The equipment left is surprisingly voluminous. Much of it is shipboard fabrication units, intended to build more terraforming equipment and factories. But even Warden's AI and its attendant robots and androids wouldn't recognize a mysterious collection of machinery scattered unobtrusively throughout the equipment logged on Warden's manifest. What this equipment is and where it came from - and why it does not register on Warden's sensors - are all mysteries awaiting a time when the deck is again accessible.

Next: Part 14: Deck 2: Wilderness Deck

Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega: Part 12: Deck 4: Water Deck

There is a calm serenity to be found on this deck. The visitor will immediately be taken by the expanse of water stretching off into simulated horizons, with the occasional brief rainstorm breaking the monotony. Islands can be seen scattered about, with seabirds wheeling about them. Midway through the deck, a great transparent partition separates the deck into two lakes; even now, holo-infographics label one half as the freshwater preserve, the other being for saltwater. Below the surface, the partition simulates upthrust subaquatic mountains, designed to keep the inhabitants from swimming into the partition. Above, a simulated blue sky delivers gentle breezes that caress the peaceful-seeming islands. There is a calm about the place that evokes a feeling of eternity, as though a part of the primal ocean of Earth has been sent out among the stars.

When Warden was still fully operational, deck four was among the most popular recreation areas on the ship. The islands were sculpted to resemble various Earthly islands in miniature, from Hawaii to the windswept, cool isles of the northern latitudes. Resorts and small harbors drew the majority of the visitors. The flora and fauna of the islands was varied, with their main similarity being their attractiveness to human sensibilities. Below the waves, the ecosystem was even more diverse, attracting divers. It was Warden's permanent vacation spot.

Yet deck four was not only for fun. It was the ship's main water reservoir, with great pumps providing water when and where it was needed. Fortunately, each deck was designed to be self-sufficient, so while deck four saw its reserves tapped occasionally, it was mostly intended as a wildlife preserve and basis for planetside aquatic ecoforming. Robotic mining shuttles would explore surrounding space to find sources of water ice, or hydrogen and oxygen, to replenish any water that was lost due to unforeseen emergencies. The great war that raged across all decks of the ship saw all manner of violence, including the flushing of huge amounts of water from decks in order to break sieges or punish enemies, so Warden's mining shuttles saw more use than their builders ever imagined. In fact, even now they are still trying to bring the water content of the ship back to its initial levels. Still, deck four remained serene and timeless, its waters so vast that even the losses could not truly be felt here.

The radiation that engulfed the ship did little obvious damage here. Water absorbed and blocked much of it. Still, enough of it was strong enough to penetrate deep within the lakes, subtly mutating a number of species. The jetpikes streak through the depths, staying well clear of the massive philosopher-sharks. Lullaby coral sends out its gentle susurration, luring in prey to be absorbed, while the hula-kelp entrances viewers with its hypnotic subsurface dance. From somewhere within the unlighted depths, a strange keening song can be heard, the source ever-elusive, with the voice burrowing into the mind of the listener. The song causes an emotional void to be felt in the victim, pulling them ever deeper. The radiation did not create the bizarre menagerie of other decks, but there seems to be a waiting intelligence here, cold, new, and curious.

Next: Part 13: Deck 3: Cargo Deck