"When the sun no longer shines, when the stars
drop from the sky and the mountains are blown
away, when camels great with young are left
untended and the wild beasts come together,
when the seas are set on fire and men's souls are
reunited, when... the record of men's deeds are
laid open, and Heavan is stripped bare, when Hell
burns fiercely and Paradise approaches; then
each soul shall understand what it has done."
-The Qu'aran
81st Surah
The cold underground chamber waited a hundred and fifty years, dark and oxygenless. Near one end sat six high-tech coffins, glass frosted by temperatures within the hovered far below freezing. Another far larger shape squatted unseen nearby.
Suddenly, relays began clicking as the computer received the long-awaited ELF recall code signal. red lights began flickering to life on the control panel. First one, then another, then a dozen. One by one the red lights turned green. Red emergency lights came on, reflecting off the rough concrete walls and smooth floor with a dim reddish glow. The inert gas filling the room was sucked out, replaced by oxygenated atmosphere. Batteries were charged. The magnetic bottle in the Ranger's power cell was powered up and the fusion reaction initiated.
The computer lacked a CRT screen, not even a monochrome one. Instead, it possessed a primitive analogue display where idiot lights, dials and displays conveyed a bare minimum of information. Thre was a clicking as the computer read out an alphanumeric code that was backlit for visibility:
RECALL CODE
AUTHENTICATION A U 1 6 8 B B 3 D 0 0 9 R 4 1
CURRENT DATE 02 02 2141
Then it shut down.
All at once the freeze chambers lit up from within. Microwaves warmed flesh. Drugs were injected into veins. Pneumatic arms delivered CPR to start hearts beating again. Soon, the sleepers awoke, confused and disoriented as the lids to their cryotubes hissed and opened to the cold air.
They were alive!
You awake as your tubes open, clad only in your underwear. IV tubes stick out of your arms. Pads trailing wires are stuck to your scalp, torso and limbs. The room is dimly lit but still, the light hurts your eyes.
Around your neck is the MPID card that will unlock the locked drawers at the base of the tubes that hold your clothing and weapons.
WAKEUP PROCEDURE:
- Get fully dressed.
- Verify bolthole integrity with visual inspection.
- Determine cause of wakeup via analogue console display. If wakeup was initiated by breach or structural failure, initiate immediate evacuation and defensive protocol.
- RTO and/or TL verifies recall code is authentic via display.
- If recall code is authentic, Team Leader deploys periscope to raise antenna.
- RTO contacts Prime, Regional or Group command while TL surveys outside area.
- After receiving instructions from command via radio, team undergoes post-wakeup medical examination, equips personal gear, cleans and loads their personal weapons, inspects the team equipment, loads and preps vehicle for exit.
- TL may elect to have one or more team members exit via personnel exit to provide cover for vehicle exit and inspect door for exterior blockage.
- Controls for main vehicle door and hydraulic rams are activated.
- Any and all remaining team members mount up vehicle.
- Vehicle exits bolthole.
FINAL NOTES:
- Nominal time period between wakeup and full team deployment is around 2 hours. This leisurely pace is predicated on the fact that after years of dormancy the team will not be able to function at peak efficiency if pushed too hard, too soon. If they waited that long they can wait a little longer and make sure they are really ready to go.
- If the TL deems it necessary he or she can order the team to arm up immediately, but as team weapons are coated in oil to preserve them a cleaning is recommended first.
- Authentication was via daycodes cross-referenced in code books (CEOIs) carried by the team RTO.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:07, Tue 17 May 2016.