Last night, I started this session with the intent to explore a new planet. The initial prompt I wrote was:
You are an explorer on an away mission doing interstellar planetary research. Your name is Gibson. Your crew is on a new planet trying to get to know the inhabitants. You are just here to fit in and learn about the culture.
The AI added the rest of the prompt, which "raised the stakes" so to speak. This is understandable because the training data for the AI probably includes relatively little sci-fi scenarios. And the ones it does have are probably pretty simple. In other words, the AI probably doesn't know about missions to planets that don't have any ships involved. It jumped to the conclusion that if there's no ship, then the ship must be lost and needs to be rescued.
I've noticed that the AI has trouble with multiple objects of the same type. In this case, there are two ships and it couldn't remember which one was lost. So I worked that into the scenario as well.
You'll also notice that occasionally I will try to course correct the story if something doesn't make sense. What you won't see is that I use /revert quite a bit when it goes completely wrong. The /revert command reverts the last action allowing you to pick a different action.
Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/F_dg3zc95Jc
You are an explorer on an away mission doing interstellar planetary research. Your name is Gibson. Your crew is on a new planet trying to get to know the inhabitants. You are just here to fit in and learn about the culture. Your ship, the Triton, has been lost under mysterious circumstances and you have been assigned as pilot for this small ship called the Retriever by Captain Vahlat of the Retriever, who has been assigned as your first mate for this expedition.
Look at the captain.
The man looks up from his book and stares at you. "I am sorry, but I do not think that will be necessary. I am a man of science, not of faith. I would be happy to serve you in any capacity that you require me to do.
Examine the book.
You take a deep breath and open it to a page marked "Science".
“Do you think we should make contact with the rest of the team?”
You ask if there is anything you can tell them, but he says he doesn't know yet. He says he's going to have to talk with them before making a decision. He then turns back to his books and continues reading.
“What are your orders?”
"My orders? My orders are simple. I'm going to have to talk with you, and your team, and your captain before making a decision.
“Should I make contact with the inhabitants?”
"I don't know yet, but it's something that needs to be done. We're all on the same side here, so it makes sense that we should work together in the future."
“Captain, this planet is very Earth-like. The inhabitants might have information about the rest of the Triton crew.”
You explain that you've heard that the Retriever was lost, and that it was found in a different part of space. The captain seems interested in your theory, but he says he needs more information first.
“I think there has just been a mix-up, is all. Sometimes this kind of thing happens in deep space. Both ship crews think the other ship is lost.”
You explain that you've heard the Retriever was found, and that it was found in a different part of space. The captain seems interested in your theory, but he says he needs more information first.
Go to the mess hall.
You walk over to the mess hall and see a large group of people eating. They look at you, and you feel like you're being watched. They're all staring at you, and they seem to be looking for something.
Ask about the Triton.
"Are you the one who found the Retriever?" you ask. They look at each other, and then they nod enthusiastically. They tell you everything they know about the Retriever, including how it got lost in the first place.
“Maybe I switched realities.”
They seem to be surprised by this suggestion, but they don't argue. "Maybe I switched realities," you repeat. They nod again, and you continue.
“Maybe in my original reality, the Triton was lost. But in this reality, the Retriever has been lost.”
They seem to be surprised by this suggestion, but they don't argue. "Well I guess I'll be finding out soon enough," you reply. Then you turn to leave the mess hall and head back to your room.
Activate computer console.
You press a few buttons on the console and a holographic image of a human male appears on screen. He looks at you with an expression of confusion and asks what you want to do next.
“Scan the planet for any crew members.”
The hologram of the human male looks at you with an expression of confusion and asks what you want to do next. You press a few buttons on the console and a holographic image of a human female appears on screen.
Run a diagnostic.
The hologram of the human female looks at you with an expression of confusion and asks what you want to do next.
“I seem to be unfamiliar with this interface.”
The hologram of the human female looks at you with an expression of confusion and asks what you want to do next.
Deactivate console.
You deactivate the console, which causes it to disappear from view in front of your eyes.
Go see the captain.
You walk over to the captain's chair, which is still in front of his desk, and sit down in it. The captain's head pops up from behind his desk, and he smiles at you as he sits down in his chair behind it.
“I don’t think I’m in the right universe.”
You look around the room, but you can't find anything that would indicate that you are. The only thing that seems out of place is the computer terminal, which is now connected to a small device that sits on top of it.
“These consoles don’t work the way I expect. I think this, as well as the Triton and Retriever situation, might be evidence of some kind of reality displacement, sir.”
You look around the room, but you can't find anything that would indicate that you are. The only thing that seems out of place is the computer terminal, which is now connected to a small device that sits on top of it.
Ask for permission to go down to the planet.
You ask for permission to go down to the planet. The captain gives you permission, and you head back up to your quarters. When you get there, you tell your new crewmates about your trip to the planet.
Prepare for the trip.
You prepare for your trip to the planet. Your ship, the Retriever, is equipped with a number of weapons, including a turret mounted on its stern. You also have a small shuttlecraft, which you use for quick trips between your home and your destination.
Board shuttlecraft.
You board your shuttlecraft and fly off into space. As you travel through space, you see a number of planets in various states of development.
Find planet to land on.
As you travel through space, you see a number of planets in various states of development. The Retriever lands on a world covered with vegetation and covered with a thick atmosphere. It's a lush world covered with life and covered with life’s natural resources.
Exit shuttlecraft.
As you exit the shuttlecraft and walk towards the surface, you are suddenly attacked by several creatures who attack you and your crew.
Speak to creatures.
As you speak to the creatures who attacked you, they explain how they came to be here and what their purpose is here. They explain that they were once humans like yourself, but then something happened to them and they became what they are now: monsters.
“Take me to your leader.”
You say "Take me to your leader." and the creatures begin following you as if by instinct. As soon as the creature leader sees you he turns his back on his fellows and begins walking towards you in the opposite direction from where he came from.
“Hello, there. I am Gibson from another reality. I’m searching for the crew of the Triton.”
You say "Hello, there. I am Gibson from another reality. I'm searching for the crew of the Triton.
“What do you call your people?”
You ask "What do you call your people?" and the creature leader answers, "We are called the Mantis People, but we are not a race in our own right, we are just one of many species that make up this world's ecosystem."
“Have you seen anyone like me?”
You ask, "Have you seen anyone like me?" and the creature leader replies, “Yes, I have seen many people like you before.
“What is your name?”
You ask, "What is your name?" The creature leader replies, “My name is Seska.” You reply, “I don't understand.” The creature leader replies, “Seska means 'little one' in our language.
Show Seska a picture of the Triton.
You show Seska a picture of the Triton. He looks at it for a moment and then says, "That's the ship." He continues to look at it for a moment longer before he says, “I've never been on that ship before.
“Where did you see it?”
You ask, "Where did you see it?" and he replies, “I saw it when I was a child.” The next day you and the rest of the crew board the ship.
Examine the ship.
As you examine the ship you find that it is in good condition. It is a large vessel with a large cargo hold. It seems to be well maintained and has no obvious damage. There are several rooms on the vessel that seem to be for storage of various items.
Go to the bridge.
As you enter the bridge you find that it is in good condition. There are several consoles and controls that seem to be for navigation or other tasks. There is also a door that leads to a room with several more consoles and controls.
Activate science console.
As you activate the science console you find that it works and you see a holographic display of what appears to be a computer screen. As you study the screen, you notice that there are several screens similar to this one and they all appear to be connected to each other in some way.
Open the ship’s log.
Opening the Ship's Log, you read, in part: "This was my first voyage aboard this vessel. I am very glad to have made this journey with my crew and friends. We will meet again soon on the surface of this planet."
Read the latest log entry.
Reading the latest entry, you read, in part: "We have been attacked by an unknown species of creatures. They are vicious and fast enough to outpace our ships weapons.
Use the science station to scan for missing crew members.
You use the science station to scan for missing crew members, but you do not detect any life signs on board or anywhere else on board the vessel.
“Is anyone here?”
You say, "Is anyone here?" and then you hear a voice from somewhere in the room, but you cannot tell where exactly. The voice sounds like someone who is crying, but you cannot tell if its tears of pain or tears of joy.
“It’s ok. My name is Gibson.”
You say, "It's ok, my name is Gibson." and then you hear a voice from somewhere in the room, but you cannot tell where exactly.
Search for missing crewmember.
You search for missing crewmember, but you do not detect any life signs on board or anywhere else on board the vessel.
Locate the voice.
You locate the voice, and it seems to be crying, but it sounds like a woman's voice. It seems to be coming from a small computer terminal and she is crying her eyes out. She looks very scared and desperate, so you decide to try to help her as best as possible.
“What is your name?”
You ask, "What is your name?" and then you hear a faint laugh coming from the terminal. It sounds like a child laughing. It seems to be coming from inside the room. Then you hear a faint scream followed by another laugh. Then another scream followed by another laugh and then silence...
Examine the terminal.
You examine the terminal and you see a screen that displays a single image of a woman with long brown hair and wearing a dark blue jumpsuit with yellow trimming. She has two small scars running down each side of her face, one on each cheek.
“Where are you?”
You ask, "Where are you? Where are you really? I've never seen you before in my life! Where have you been hiding all this time? Why have you been hiding away? Tell me the truth!"
“Are you on this ship?”
Adjust terminal.
The woman looks at the screen, and she says, "...Yes. I am. I was born here on this ship. I was born here in the nursery, in the nursery with all of your children." She continues to cry as she says this.
“Where are you now?”
She continues to cry, and she says, "...I'm in the nursery. I'm in the nursery with your children. I'm in the nursery with your grandchildren. I'm in the nursery with your great grandchildren..."
Go to the nursery.
You enter the room where you saw the woman crying, and you see that it is indeed a large room filled with cribs, cribs, cribs...and more cribs. There is no furniture in sight, just cribs. The woman cries some more as you look at her.
“I don’t remember any of you.”
She continues to cry, and she says, "...No. No, I don't remember any of you. My memories have been wiped clean. All that's left is the memories of the people who were here before me...and they're all gone now."
“I was looking for the Triton. It looks exactly like this ship. Seska even thought this was the same ship. But obviously it’s not.”
The woman continues to cry, and she says, "...It's not? Then what is it? What did you do to me? What did you do to my mind?"
“What is your name?”
She begins to sob as she answers, "...My name is...my name is...my name is..." You continue to stare at the screen as the woman begins to talk. She begins to tell you her story.
She says her name is Adella and she was from the planet before the Triton arrived.
Adella: My name is Adella. I lived on a planet called Klyton. Klyton, like most planets, had a government. The government on Klyton had a king and queen who ruled over it together.
“How long ago wasn’t this?”
Adella: ...It wasn't long ago. It was a few years after the Great Thaw happened when my world became a democracy and the king and queen were replaced by a council of advisors to rule over us.
“We were sent here to observe, but something happened and the Triton was lost. Then, I think I ended up in another reality. It’s a complicated story.”
Adella: Yes, it really is a complicated story. But you can help me out a little bit. You: What do you mean?
”How can I help?”
Adella: I want to know how to get back home, and I want you to help me find out how.
”Maybe we can help each other.”
Adella: Oh, yes, we can definitely help each other.
”Ok, then. I think we should start by locating my original crewmates.”
Adella: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
”Follow me.”
You walk down the corridor and you see the room where you first met your crewmates and they are all in there talking about their adventures on the ship and how they met each other.
”Oh. They're all here, I guess.”
You see the room where you first met your crewmates and they are all in there talking about their adventures on the ship and how they met each other, but you don't recognize any of them because you've been away so long from this world that you don't even remember their names anymore.
”Well, I don't know if you are the crew from my reality. But that’s space exploration, right?”
You see the room where you first met your crewmates and they are all in there talking about their adventures on the ship and how they met each other, but you don't recognize any of them because you've been away so long from this world that you don't even remember their names anymore.
That's probably an unsatisfying conclusion, but it's to be expected with these adventures. 😂
Also see my previous adventure: https://steemit.com/@inertia/quest-for-the-count-of-larion