As the Discovery settles into low orbit, you note the rich, green surface of the planet below. Suddenly, a ruby beam seems to leap from the surface and strike Discovery! The ship begins to tumble out of control, and you are thrown into the straps of your chairs.Miraculously, everyone is OK.Wilson shouts into the intercom, "Tredd! Damage report!" as he struggles with the controls. You hear "Wait one…" from the intercom, accompanied by a few gruff curses in the Dralasite language. After a stomach-churning moment, Discovery settles down. "Guidance restored, main engines off line," Tredd announces from Engineering.
You look up and the entire front viewport is occupied by the planet surface. "Looks like we're caught in the planet's gravity well," Wilson says. "Hang on, we're going in!"
As the spacecraft enters the atmosphere, the viewports black out to protect you from the intense heat of entry. After a few moments of buffeting, they become clear again, revealing a blue sky and rich landscape. Wilson, still trying to slow the ship's rate of decent, says "Looks like we're going to set down in that forest. The landing is going to be rough, but strap yourselves in tight and we'll live. Make sure you get a good look at the lay of the land as we go down, we might be here a while."
The forest area is generally 100 km north to south, and about 20 km wide. It is surrounded by flat grassland, extending north and east as far as you can see. To the south lies ocean, possibly 50 km away. To the northwest lie tall mountains, about 50 km from your probable crash site. To your west lies a vast desert. Far to the north, you can barely make out more forests and another large body of water.
Wilson wrestles with the controls, bringing Discovery into a shallow dive. He selects a large clearing area, and, firing full reverse thrusters, sets the spacecraft down. You are violently thrown up into the straps of your couch, and you hear the sickening sound of rock against metal, then all is still and silent.
Wilson orders that the crew check for damage. Tredd reports that the damage to Discovery is minimal. There is some minor engine and hull damage, but nothing that he can't fix. He estimates a repair time of about 10 days. Some electrical systems were damaged by the weapon, including the radar, energy sensor, and subspace radio. Nothing else is seriously damaged (including everything in the cargo hold).
Wilson says "Well, it's pretty clear from the attack on Discovery that someone or something intelligent is here, or was here at one time. Let's keep radio chatter down to a minimum. If you see intelligent life, avoid contact. Observe only. If you find yourself in combat, watch your ammo. Discovery doesn't carry extra."The crew collectively decides to set up a local time reference frame. Sundown is defined at 10:00, and sunrise is 0:00. Wilson announces that he and one other NPC will strike out the following day in the jetcopter for a preliminary expedition. To decide who this other person is, consult the following priority list:
The Discovery's crew goes to sleep in the ship after setting the proximity alarm. If anything approaches the ship, the computer will awaken them, so there is no need for a sentry.