Elsewhere

>You might not know what to do, but maybe, just maybe, your ComPad does. There should be compressed survival lessons files that'd be useful right now, even if you should've learned all of this before. Maybe snoozing in physiology wasn't such a great idea after all!

>More hands mean more skills and knowledge that would otherwise be lost would be at our disposal. Let's hope they can survive.
>You could the water, but they could use the water more. Get only a little. You can survive a few hours and/or a day with little water.
>We have little use of a flying machine. We sure can scrap parts of it.

First things first, get them out of that flight suit. At the very least get the helmet off.

Once they're out of the suit, it might be clearer exactly what's wrong.

>You might not know what to do, but maybe, just maybe, your ComPad does. There should be compressed survival lessons files that'd be useful right now, even if you should've learned all of this before. Maybe snoozing in physiology wasn't such a great idea after all!

First things first, get them out of that flight suit. At the very least get the helmet off.

Once they're out of the suit, it might be clearer exactly what's wrong.<br>

Seconding both of these. Also, do CPR.

Also, do CPR.

That... that might be a bit difficult. Their physiology isn't what you're used to.

What you can do after caring for the new arrival is look for a 'black box' recorder and emergency transmitter. You want to know where they came from and how they got here. Sending an SOS signal with a device designed for that very purpose is far more sensible than etching a metal pillar... as long as the people that'll follow it are friendly.

Give the pilot as much water as they can handle once you get their helmet off, and drink the rest. Both of you will be dead soon without a source of fresh water anyway. Might as well keep your strength up for searching.

The aircaster's cargo space can make a decent shelter for you and the pilot tonight. Better not to scrap the glider just yet.

---

Suggestions:Show

The thing is though, now that you know they're not dead, it'll be entirely your fault if they do die. Just keep that in mind.

>More hands mean more skills and knowledge that would otherwise be lost would be at our disposal. Let's hope they can survive.

>You might not know what to do, but maybe, just maybe, your ComPad does. There should be compressed survival lessons files that'd be useful right now, even if you should've learned all of this before. Maybe snoozing in physiology wasn't such a great idea after all!

Deep down, you know that it's the scared and desperate parts of you, telling you the pilot probably won't make it. Mostly so you can feel justified in taking their things and leaving them to their fate. You also know that, if you did that, the guilt would keep eating at you forever. Stealing their water to stave off your own dehydration, and taking their very warm-looking flight gear to stay comfortable tonight might save you, but it'd guarantee they wouldn't survive too. It's as good as killing them.

You should at least try to help them recover. After all, you weren't planning to survive here on your own; you were expecting to meet up with a team of other explorers and colonists, before you and Dee Dee wound up being sent somewhere else. You may not know where your team is, but if this pilot makes a recovery, that means having another friend in this place.

If, of course, they turn out to be friendly...

Regardless, you decide you're going to at least try to help the pilot. And since you have no clue what you're doing, you pull out your handy Quantum ComPad. Before you left on this mission, you were sure to load this thing up with libraries worth of texts and guides, and all the top-rated utility software you could pirate off the Laynet. You're certain there's something on here that could help you treat the unconscious pilot...

Dex's Logic (★) and Quantum ComPad (★) are tested:Show

9+1 (Fate) +1 (Logic) +1 (Quantum ComPad) = 12 (Compromise)

After scanning through your software library, you find a medical tool on your ComPad. It was based on an older military triage AI, turned into an overpriced commercial product, then hacked for folks in cities where there wasn't much medical access.

You boot it up. With any luck, it'll offer some help in treating the unconscious pilot.

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Welcome Dr. TEAM_LIBREWAREZ, to MyTriage Pro. Please type or say the symptoms affecting the patient, and any related circumstances or context.
[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]Okay... so, I found the patient unconsciousness. They're breathing kinda slow? They were in a crash. They had protective gear on and hit the sand, so it might not be that bad, but they're out cold.[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Thank you. We understand the symptoms to be "Comatose," "Slow or Shallow Breathing," and "Blunt Trauma." Before we continue, is the patient bleeding, bruised, burned, or suffering from obviously broken bones?[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]Uh, I don't actually know? Their legs look... weird? But they're still wearing their gear, so I haven't actually checked.[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Understood. Please check the patient for the symptoms "Bleeding," "Bruised," "Burned," or "Broken Bones," before continuing. We will wait. If you need assistance during the diagnosis, please ask.[/box] [|] [/2x1]

Suggestions:Show

First things first, get them out of that flight suit. At the very least get the helmet off.

Once they're out of the suit, it might be clearer exactly what's wrong.

You're hoping you don't have to deal with anything like that, but you may have to. Regardless, though you're no medical expert, you're pretty sure you'd have an easier time seeing those injuries with that helmet and flight suit out of the way.

You close the water flask, set it next to your shoes, take a deep breath, and give the pilot's helmet a quick wiggle. It seems to be fastened on securely, and doesn't budge. The pilot is collapsed face down, in a way that both makes it hard to move the helmet, and also doesn't look too comfortable. You take a moment to roll their upper body onto their back, being careful not to disturb their weird-looking and possibly broken legs. You'll worry about those later.

Once their body is reclined on the sand, you reach under the bottom of the helmet and fumble around blindly with your fingers for a bit. In time, you find some straps fastened under the pilot's chin. With some more blind fumbling, you eventually succeed in finding the buttons that secure the straps and helmet.

Being extra careful not to wrench anything, you carefully lift the helmet free from the pilot's head.

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]What the heck...[/box][/2x1]



After removing the helmet, a shaggy mess of surprisingly blue hair spilled out, followed by a pair of very large, very pointed, very fuzzy brown ears. Given the size and shape of the helmet, they must have been folded up inside. They... she? The pilot doesn't look like any person you've ever seen.

Not by a long shot.

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Did you need some help performing the patient diagnosis?[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]Uh... maybe? The patient apparently isn't... Human?[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Understood. Unfortunately, MyTriage is not designed for Veterinary Medicine. Would you like to launch MyVeterinarian?[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]N-no! I mean she's not... a Terran? She's an Alien?[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]We're sorry. We can't match a diagnosis to the statements "Not a Terran" or "An Alien." Please clarify.[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]Well, okay, uh... she looks normal Human-shape. But her face is covered in brown fuzz? She has huge ears? And her nose has these cuts or ridges that... remind me of something?[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Thank you. "Hirsuitism," "Swollen Ears," and "Nasal Lacerations" added to Symptoms.[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]Wait, that's not what I meant! What I'm trying to say is that her... oh! Holy crap, that's what her nose reminds me of. She looks like Alf. Except she's got blue hair.[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]We're sorry. We can't match a diagnosis to the statement "Looks like Alf." Please clarify.[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]This is not gonna help the diagnosis, but Alf was a video series from another Terra, about a...[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Very well, disregarding. Would you like to continue the patient diagnosis?[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|]

Oh yeah, of course. But that... that might be a bit difficult? Her physiology isn't what I'm used to?

[/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Understood. If you need further assistance during the diagnosis, please ask.[/box] [|] [/2x1]

You take a moment to chastise the part of your brain that saw a literal alien person on a literal alien planet, and rather than focusing on literally saving her life, decided to dredge up literally the least flattering comparison imaginable to a literal muppet. Then decided to share that thought with a medical AI that could literally not give fewer shits.

Where's Dee Dee, when you need them?

Suggestions:Show

Give the pilot as much water as they can handle once you get their helmet off, and drink the rest. Both of you will be dead soon without a source of fresh water anyway. Might as well keep your strength up for searching.

You suppose you could try to get them some water to drink. If they've been unconscious for a while, they might be a little dehydrated.

>You could use the water, but they could use the water more. Get only a little. You can survive a few hours and/or a day with little water.

You do your best to refocus your efforts on the injured alien pilot. If she's been knocked out for a while, you realize she might be as dehydrated as you are. Since you don't know what else to do for her right now, you decide to split the remaining water with her. You fetch the flask, open it again, lift and tilt the pilot's head with your free hand, then pause when you realize her mouth is closed. You feel weird about putting your fingers in another person's mouth. Instead, you try to use the neck of the flask to pry her mouth open. As you do, you catch a glimpse of what might have been unusually pointy canine teeth. Very unlike Alf, you think, until you abruptly stop thinking that. Because what the actual heck.

Re-refocusing, you slowly pour water into the unconscious pilot's mouth, a bit at a time. After a delay, she seems to swallow it by reflex, though she doesn't stir. In time, you get her to drink about half of the water. At least, you sure hope she's swallowing it, and not breathing it in or something. Or maybe that's no big deal, since she's a literal alien? Heck, maybe she doesn't even need water?

You realize you're kinda going into this whole Alien Medical Care thing with a lot of assumptions. But, to be fair, you've never been around an alien before, and weren't exactly expecting to meet one today. Sometimes when watching Star Trek, you'd wonder what it'd be like to meet an actual alien. Back then, you'd have thought it would be a bigger deal? But... it's kinda just a thing.

Huh.

Anyway, you retrieve the flask, wipe off the rim of it, and drink the other half of the water yourself. It's cool against your throat, and extremely refreshing. You hadn't realized just how dry your mouth had gotten until now. You drain the rest of the flask in little time. Once the last drops are gone, you seal it up and set it back down with your shoes. You still feel thirsty, but you do feel a bit better.

---

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Our best matches for the conditions you have reported so far are: "Coma" and "Concussion," with the possibility of "Minor Blunt Abdominal Trauma". The patient's care should be a Moderately High Priority. Would you like to hear our Treatment Recommendations for the patient?[/box] [|] [/2x1]

By now, you've finished your diagnosis of the pilot's condition, with some guidance here and there from the medical software of course. Thankfully there were no major injuries, apart from the sudden stop that knocked her out, plus some bruising on the forearm and side she landed on. As it turns out, the pilot's weird looking legs weren't broken after all either! Just naturally sorta... backwards? This caused a fair bit of confusion for the AI at first, since it was made for Human physiology. Once you figured out how her knees bent differently than yours, you just made some mental adjustments on the tests, and everything seemed fine. As far as you could tell, anyway.

However, the whole diagnosis process ended up running significantly longer than it might've for someone with more experience, and took up a good chunk of your evening. You can't see the sun over the hills anymore. Judging by the darkening of the sky, you're pretty sure it's nearing Twilight.

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]Yeah. What do you think we should do for the patient?[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Our recommended course of action would be to contact Emergency Medical Care. Your current location is "NODE INVALID; LAYLINE CONNECTION NOT FOUND." Unfortunately, we have no registered medical facilities in your location at this time. You will need to contact Emergency Medical Care on your own.[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]That's not gonna happen. We're basically in the middle of nowhere right now. And the only vehicle around is the one the patient crashed.[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Understood. Would you like to hear our Medical Care Guidelines for the patient?[/box] [|] [/2x1]

[2x1] [|] [box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/dex_left.png border=32]Yeah, please. Just let me know what might help her recover.[/box][/2x1]

[2x1][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/info.png border=32]Understood. Medical Care Guidelines for patient are as follows:

Keep the patient warm and dry. Check their breathing and pulse regularly. If either stops at any time, begin Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Roll the patient onto their side, supporting their body by bending the topmost leg, so that hip and knee are at right angles. Keep legs elevated relative to the head to improve blood flow, and tilt the patient's head back to keep their airway open. In the event that the patient regains consciousness, engage them in conversation to check for abnormalities in cognitive function.

Do not administer CPR unless the patient's breathing or pulse have stopped. Do not elevate the patient's head on a pillow, or give the patient food or drink while unconscious, to prevent risk of asphyxiation. Do not slap or splash water on the patient to attempt to revive them. Do not leave the patient unattended for a significant length of time.[/box] [|] [/2x1]

Committing the last bits of medical advice to memory, you finally stow your ComPad. A little late on the "No Food or Drinks" warning there, you think... but that sounds pretty doable otherwise. With the way the sky is darkening, it wouldn't be safe to leave her unsupervised for very long anyway.

Speaking of which, you should probably start thinking about what to do with the Twilight, while it lasts.

Suggestions:Show

What you can do after caring for the new arrival is look for a 'black box' recorder and emergency transmitter. You want to know where they came from and how they got here.

>We have little use of a flying machine. We sure can scrap parts of it.

The aircaster's cargo space can make a decent shelter for you and the pilot tonight. Better not to scrap the glider just yet.

Evening is coming fast, but a few ideas come to mind. For one, you could unearth the wrecked Aircaster, use some sand or dry and hopefully non-deadly grass or something, and convert the cargo bay into a simple, cozy shelter for the evening. It won't be the most comfortable thing, but at least it'd be warm and dry. You'll probably only be able to pack 2 people inside, judging by the size... which means you'd also need to pick which of the three of you would be exposed to the elements tonight.

Alternatively, you could just scrap the half-buried Aircaster instead. Use the wing material to make a bigger shelter, dig for a transmitter or something to contact wherever this glider came from, rig up a heater or a power supply, or... well, you could maybe figure something else out too. But there's no guarantee you'd find anything of use in there, let alone make something that works. And you haven't really had the time to check if this glider might still be operational after the crash...

Whatever you do, you'll have to manage your time carefully.

[box=#993399 border=2]What do you do?
> [/box]

---

PARTY ROSTER:

Dex Wright, Human TechnicianShow

[2x1][|][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/item.png border=16]Quantum Compad (Communicator, Computer, Database, Illegal, Unreliable):
Unlicensed, military-grade handheld computer. Loaded with information and utility software, mostly pirated. Powerful but temperamental, after many, many repairs.[/box][/2x1]

---

>There's bound to be some rations somewhere.

>Scavenge the vehicle. There's bound to be things of use in there. The vehicle is also currently more useful if it were in some other form.

>There's bound to be some rations somewhere.

Whether they're edible is another question.

Firstly, inspect the ship to see if it has helpful supplies, be it rations, tools for the maintenance of the ship, equipment that could help you get a better knowledge of your bearings or, most importantly, a means of communication. Ships usually have radios or transmitters, right?

However, if any food is found, maybe you should refrain from eating some right away. You don't know if you can eat the same food as a literal alien being, and even if you can, you don't know if they would be happy if they found out that you ate their food and drank their water without permission. You already did one of those things, doing the other may be pushing it a bit. Avoiding conflict would be the best for both of you.

Secondly, if the cargo bay has enough space for you and the pilot, have Dee Dee just outside the ship's entrance. Being a robot, they should do just fine exposed to the elements as long the weather is relatively nice. If anything, being placed just at the door will allow both of you to quickly reach each other if anything happens.

Also, if the pilot happens to wake up while you are sleeping, it would be rather useful to have a very logical synthetic individual being there for squash any misunderstandings.

Misunderstandings are quite easy to happen when you wake up confused, hurt and surrounded by strange people, after all.

Also, the pilot seems at least somewhat mammalian? At the very least, you know you won't be working with totally different physiology, such as whatever a trochanter is, or whatever a unicate process does. Knowing spider leg parts or bird bone protrusions will get you nowhere as of now, though, so proceed to put her in the cargo bay. Do not put anything from outside on her, as there's no telling how heavy metal poisoning will affect her.

---

Wasting no time, you set about excavating the crashed Aircaster with your hands and feet. Thankfully, whatever fumes were coming out of the exhaust port have dissipated by now, so you shouldn't have to worry about an electrical fire, or whatever was going on in there. The front of the glider is embedded pretty well into a mound of metallic sand, ploughed up when it skidded into the beach. The grains are loosely packed though, so clearing the mound away from the front of the wings and body doesn't take as long as it could have.

Before long, you've exposed the front end of the pilot's harness and arching control-rails on top, where the pilot holds themselves in position, and the Aircaster's throttle and steering is done. After that, you begin digging into the sand to excavate the underside, eventually exposing the chubby manta-ray shaped frame, a pair of skate-like landing rails on the underside, and the wide, round front-facing air intake for the glider's single jet engine. You do your best to clear the sand out from the intake, but you're worried some might've gotten worked into the jet itself, so that'd definitely need a more thorough cleaning before you try turning on the engine to see if this thing still flies.

Once the underside is free mostly, you give the Aircaster an experimental pull, and are surprised by how light it is for it's size. Despite the 6 meter wingspan and chubby engine body, you are able to wriggle it out of the sandy divot by hand, and drag it onto level ground. It'd be pretty heavy and unwieldy, but with some effort you could probably even carry this thing, if you wanted to.

Suggestions:Show

The pilot seems at least somewhat mammalian? At the very least, you know you won't be working with totally different physiology, such as whatever a trochanter is, or whatever a unicate process does. Knowing spider leg parts or bird bone protrusions will get you nowhere as of now, though, so proceed to put her in the cargo bay. Do not put anything from outside on her, as there's no telling how heavy metal poisoning will affect her.

Secondly, if the cargo bay has enough space for you and the pilot, have Dee Dee just outside the ship's entrance. Being a robot, they should do just fine exposed to the elements as long the weather is relatively nice. If anything, being placed just at the door will allow both of you to quickly reach each other if anything happens.

Also, if the pilot happens to wake up while you are sleeping, it would be rather useful to have a very logical synthetic individual being there for squash any misunderstandings.

Misunderstandings are quite easy to happen when you wake up confused, hurt and surrounded by strange people, after all.

After fumbling around for a latch, you eventually find the way to open the top-facing rear hatch covering the glider's cargo bay. The interior is roughly the width of a car trunk, not too tall, and running the length of the glider's central body. It's also completely empty. If this is designed like the Aircasters you're familiar with, the floor of the cargo compartment can be removed, granting access to the power cells, jet engine, and some of the internal components. Of course, you leave all that put for now. You've got another use in mind.

Remembering the advice of the Medical program on your ComPad, you support the unconscious alien pilot by the underarms, and drag her across the smooth grey sand. Once in position, you bend at the knees, scoop her up in both arms, and with great effort lift her up into the glider's open Cargo Bay. Struggling, you set her down heavier than you wanted to, though the pilot doesn't seem to care; she's still out cold. You carefully maneuver her into the compartment feet first, braced on her side the way the Medical program suggested, and with her head under the open hatch.

Looking at it, the interior should be big enough to shelter both you and her, but it's a claustrophobic fit; with the rear hatch open, there's just enough room for two people, with very little wiggle room, and very little overhead space. But it should be warm and dry, and certainly better than sleeping out in the open.

Suggestions:Show

Firstly, inspect the ship to see if it has helpful supplies, be it rations, tools for the maintenance of the ship, equipment that could help you get a better knowledge of your bearings or, most importantly, a means of communication. Ships usually have radios or transmitters, right?

However, if any food is found, maybe you should refrain from eating some right away. You don't know if you can eat the same food as a literal alien being, and even if you can, you don't know if they would be happy if they found out that you ate their food and drank their water without permission. You already did one of those things, doing the other may be pushing it a bit. Avoiding conflict would be the best for both of you.

>There's bound to be some rations somewhere.

Whether they're edible is another question.

By now, the sky has grown dim enough that you're beginning to see the first stars, while the planet's ring glows with a moonlike brightness. With the pilot safely in the makeshift shelter of the glider's cargo hold, and the fading bits of twilight still lingering, you set about taking stock of the newly-excavated Aircaster. Just how damaged is it, and can you salvage anything useful out of it? And are there any supplies squirreled away somewhere?

Dex's Logic (★) and Electronics (★★★) are tested:Show

10+2 (Fate) +1 (Wits) +3 (Electronics) = 16 (Success)

Dex's Wits (★) are tested:Show

9+4 (Fate) +1 (Wits) = 14 (Compromise)

[box=#993399 border=2]1) It's impossible to tell the full story, but you've got a good guess for what caused the Aircaster to crash. What was it?
>

2) You expected to be salvaging the glider, but after checking it over you're pretty sure you could repair it! Pick 3:
> Repairs will be unreliable. It will work for a few hours at best.
> Rather than a few hours worth of repairs, it'll take most of a day to fix.
> It won't fly as fast, nor maneuver as well. Aircaster loses 1 Technique (and -2 Max Energy).
> The hull was damaged badly in the crash. Aircaster loses 1 Integrity (and -2 Max HP).
> Some components are fried. You'll need to get replacement electronics from somewhere.
> The battery is drained. It's going to need a recharge from somewhere before it'll fly.

3) Secured to the Pilot's Harness atop the glider, you find a small pack. What's inside? Pick 2:
> Two useful pieces of gear, one electronic, and one a simple analogue tool. What are they?
> An airtight metallic pouch advertising a single preserved meal, and a second full flask, with the same make as the pilot's. What is in each?
> A basic ComPad with 2 known devices in it's connection history, though neither are online right now. What are they named, and when were they last connected?
> A hand-drawn map on paper, with the Metal Spire and coastline marked. 2 other locations are marked; one nearby with terrain around it, one far away, with question marks by it. What kind of terrain was drawn around the nearby location, and what are they each labeled?

4) What do you do, as Dusk falls?
>[/box]

---

PARTY ROSTER:

Dex Wright, Human TechnicianShow

[2x1][|][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/item.png border=16]Quantum Compad (Communicator, Computer, Database, Illegal, Unreliable):
Unlicensed, military-grade handheld computer. Loaded with information and utility software, mostly pirated. Powerful but temperamental, after many, many repairs.[/box][/2x1]

OTHER:

Aircaster, VehicleShow

[2x1][|][box=https://solifuge.github.io/elsewhere/chat/item.png border=16]Alien Pilot (Unconscious):
Not a Terran, but vaguely resembles Terran mammals. Not sure if she's more bat, cat, dog, or Alf.[/box][/2x1]

---

>It was an issue with the electronics in the steering and control systems and you know why; there's a powerful EMP device attached to the fuselage. They probably attempted an impromptu landing but were without effective braking to slow down the impact.
>> Hull impact damage is significant and shorted electronics will need to be either replaced or jury-rigged with flux and solder, but you've fixed the boards on similar craft before. Sadly, there's no easy way to access wires damaged by the induced voltage spikes let alone test the craft's circuitry without partial disassembly. You're confident in the repairs but it's not gonna be easy, or fast.
>>> Luckily, they've got some useful stuff on hand. There's an emergency repair kit, missing a few things but with good quality solder and other bits and pieces, though not enough to fix a whole logic board. Seems like the pilot was attempting in-flight repairs, but didn't quite realise how hard it'd be! There's a sealed flight recorder next to it; you could extract its memory module and plug it in to your ComPad to try and hack into the metadata, but it'll be rendered inoperable in the process. There's one other thing; an survival map with co-ordinates you can cross-reference with the recordings, if you access them. There's something marked as a 'safehouse' nearby, with a glyph resembling a cave or maybe a large underground structure. You can read most of it thanks (mostly) to your Communications studies, but there's some really odd alien marks around another marked. It's surrounded by thick, tall forests and looks ancient and mysterious, but you don't know what to expect.

=> Recall DeeDee, who's hopefully finished by now and see if you can hook them up to the vehicle batteries for a limited recharge. If it's light enough, haul the glider together into whatever that safehouse is - it's probably their intended destination after the accident and being underground means not being exposed.

> The aircaster seems to have been damaged in a fight, or perhaps sabotaged. The stabilizer fins are perforated and one of the fuel lines desperately needs replacing. The electronics systems also seem to have been hit by a power surge, frying some of the circuits. The hull won't hold up too well either

> The speed and maneuverability will suffer permanently
> Some of the electronics are irreparably damaged
> The hull was damaged quite badly.

>Thankfully, it's not all bad. Inside the pilot's harness is an electronic multi-meter and scanner, good for diagnostics, as well as a folding multitool. It won't be as good as a dedicated tool, but it'll cover a wide variety of bases. There's also a map with a rocky area with a waterfall marked "campsite" and the question-marked area labeled "Origin".

>Catch Dee Dee up to speed and see if they've found anything else. Then, prepare for nightfall - you don't know how cold it'll get here. It might be a good idea to sleep next to the pilot to keep both of you warm.

>The Aircaster seems to show many, many small holes in... pretty much everything. This may of been some ring matter destabilized from the actual ring, or it may've been some shots from a weapon. Either way, it's gonna cause the repairs to take a long while, and it seems that the particulates took out some pretty vital stuff, like the stabilizing gyros, autopilot system, as well as others, and it seems like you won't be able to repair the hull back to its original integrity, at least not for now. Though, not everything is bad. There's a small generator, as well as a multitool made out of some metal. There's also a map. One part is a pockmarked area, surrounded by a forest, labeled "Camp crater". The other is an area with no detail other than "Spooky dungeon/ruins/whateverthisisjustdontgohere" and a total abuse of skull-and-crossbones. Sounds dangerous. Anyways, you should probably find a way to charge Dee Dee up with the Aircaster's battery, once they come back.

1> The aircaster seems to have experienced an electrical short which caused it to lose power. The exact 'how' is unknown, but it seems like it was sudden enough that the pilot lost and wasn't able to regain control of the craft. Were they possibly descending?

2> Due to the electrical short, some components are fried and the battery was drained. You'll need to get replacement electronics from somewhere and it's going to need a recharge from somewhere before it'll fly. Thankfully, it isn't as damaged as it could be as it'll only take most of a day to fix.

3> Two useful pieces of gear, one electronic, and one a simple analogue tool were found. The analogue one appears to be... some form of compass? It doesn't quite look like the compasses you've seen before but it seems to operate like one. And is that electrical one a.. magnetometer? Were they measuring magnetic fields? Could an unstable magnetic field have been what brought down the glider? Weirdly... the compass seems to shift poles if you walk a bit. It pointing towards the Metal Spire if you move closer to it. However, if you move away from it the needle seems to shift to some other point.

You also found a hand-drawn map on paper, with the Metal Spire and coastline marked. 2 other locations are marked; one nearby with terrain around it, one far away, with question marks by it. They were labeled in a script you don't understand, but the terrain-one appears to be flat-land... maybe plains? And seems to be marked as if... as if... Is there an airstrip there? Maybe that's where the flyer was gonna land. The question-marks-one appear to be farther away but is in the direction where you woke up. Maybe they were investigating where you or your crew landed?

4> You would try to get within range so Deedee can hear you shout. Since you really should meet up with them, or at least tell them you've found something. But you're unsure if you'll be able to find your way back. It's gotten dark quickly, and getting lost now could be fatal. Looks like you'll have to try to camp by the glider for the night and hope Deedee will be alright alone. Maybe you can make a fire using the surrounding grasses (so long as you're careful to not touch them with your bare hands) and some flotsam or inconsequential debris from the glider.

Maybe you can make a fire using the surrounding grasses (so long as you're careful to not touch them with your bare hands) and some flotsam or inconsequential debris from the glider.

Don't do this. This would probably cause some of the heavy metals to be released into the air and that would be Bad For Everyone Involved.