∞ Premise ∞
IASC-9300 Crucible
- The Crucible is a ship with a curious mystery. It's passengers awake in their cabins with no memory of boarding the ship, buying a ticket, or hearing about the voyage; some might not even know what spacecraft are. The passengers are made up of individuals from many worlds and many times, who have no idea why they are onboard or why their rooms look as though they've already lived in them for some time. The only contact they have is with Captain Ganymede, who makes periodic announcements via the holographic communication system in place throughout the ship. There is no communication with the rest of the crew or the outside; ship's operations are automated and the captain is regularly unavailable to speak one-on-one with any passengers, despite frequent requests.
The Crucible is a ship with a few problems. Passengers will notice a few glitches during the first month of the voyage. Sinks may only produce cold water; the restaurants might stock nothing but cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There could be a few laughs over private messages being transmitted publicly; some passengers are likely to be amused by having all their clothes claimed by laundry bots. But the captain will assure everyone that these technical difficulties will be fixed in no time.
The Crucible is a ship with more than a few problems. During the second month of the voyage the troubles will not be quite as amusing. Gravity failing in cabins or recreation areas could cause terrible accidents. Chemicals of unknown origin and unknown effect could be pumped into the air. Security might not recognize a valid ID and imprison innocent passengers on a whim. The captain will promise that nothing is wrong.
The Crucible is a ship with a dangerous secret. In the third month passengers will witness 'holes' opening up within the ship; these 'holes' could be portals to other dimensions, through which people, items, and creatures could emerge in ever-increasing numbers. Whole portions of the ship could be replaced with something else entirely. The restricted sections of the ship will open on their own, but passengers might not like what they find when they go there. It will no longer be safe to trust the captain.
The Crucible is a ship with an inescapable destiny. Should the passengers choose to fight their way to the bridge, past ruined corridors and blasted walls, they will find the captain's corpse still in his chair, ruined by three months of decay. An explanation for the messages he had been sending will have to remain undiscovered: the passengers will have learned that the ship is heading directly towards a black hole. They can attempt to alter course or escape, but the ship's controls will be unusable and all the escape pods and smaller craft will be gone.
At 11:59 PM on the last day of the third month, the ship will enter the black hole. At 12:01 AM on the first day of the first month, the characters will awaken in their cabins to the captain's morning message.
The Crucible is a ship on a voyage that has no end.