NOMIA

Introduction

Rolls of paper on your desk fall onto the floor, scattering as the aircraft continues to wobble. The control panel dials spin in wild directions, lights flashing as you hold on tightly to your seat. 

The starlight blinds you as you wince at its brightness, thanking the tinted view panel of your helmet. This was supposed to be another expedition to Mars, what went wrong?

You glance sideways and notice your backpack.

> Grab the backpack....

Letting one hand go, you grab onto the backpack seconds before it hits the control panel.

You feel your muscles scream in pain as you try to pull yourself back onto the seat.

> Hold on....

You adjust your grip on the seat, but your pinky jams into the side of the metallic arm rest. You let go in pain and close your eyes, ready to embrace the impact of hitting the aircraft walls.

> Ow, that sort of hurts.

You open your eyes and you notice your surroundings.

> What happened?

Engine oil rolls down the cold metallic boards, the air dead with silence.

Your entire body feels sore, but the view in front of you is worse.

> My space ship ...

Dust from outside blows in and the metal boards creak under the breeze. You look around yourself and notice that the airbags were triggered, easing the impact.

> It seems like I crashed onto some planet with no atmosphere....

> Let's explore.

You get up, reaching over to the food pack that lay on its side. Your hands almost reach the pack when a thin, wine red arm swings through the aircraft boards and snatches it away from you.

> What was that? It was... scaly.

You hide in the dark as you peek through the metal boards.

The organism has its back to you, giving you a view of its short but curly tail. It pours the water out of the bottle in the food pack, splattering the liquid over the rocks on the ground. It goes for the freeze dried berries next, ripping open its packaging and stuffing its arms into it.

The batteries of the food pack pops out from the package, rolling towards you.

> Wait a little longer.

You jump at the loud clang the boards make when the aircraft door breaks off, screeching as it drags along the floor for a while. The disturbing noises don't seem to bother the organism at all, almost as if it's deaf.

> Quick, the batteries.

You snatch the batteries and stuff them into your bag, frantic to keep your eyes back on the organism.

> Wait, it's gone?

You sigh as you open your backpack, assembling the ore detector machine. Maybe this could be useful. After all, the bulb on the tail of the organism seems to glow.

> There must be a cave somewhere.

You peek through the metallic boards that kept you in the dark, surveying the surroundings.

> Now, let's actually explore.