“Space the new frontier. These are the voyages of the Her Majesty’s Star Ship Endeavour. Its five year mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilisations; to boldly go where no Englishman has gone before.”- Captain James T Cook
Captain’s Log: 15 March 1895 – Mercury
Following the Admiralty’s orders, our next stop was Mercury. To find what was happening we had to land in what appeared to be abandoned and ruined city in the day/night divide of the planet. The Sun’s energy scorched everything on the day side while the night side was permanently frozen. In the narrow zone between these areas we discovered the abandoned and half ruined city.
The city was divided in parts, one part abandoned buildings but looking well maintained, a central park area and the other side just ruined buildings.
I order the crew to prepare to land and took the usual away team of two five man squads of Royal Marines, two five man squads of crew members led by a lieutenant and a squad consisting of myself, Dr Banks, Mr Solander and his assistant plus my trusty man Cheerful Rodgers.
As usual we deployed the Gatling guns to protect the landing zone.
As soon as we landed and deployed we were instantly attacked from all around by some mechanical devices. Dr Banks informs me they are called robots.
Dr Banks was eager to get his hands on some specimens so the squads went out to engage.From the central park area a group of colourful robots appeared while from the abandoned city another group emerged with hostile intent.
From the ruined and the park area great horse like machines also appeared and began firing on us.
Immediately the Gatling guns opened up and bullets felled many of the machines.
The Marines engaged the Park Robots but lost two of their number.
On the other Park the crew engaged Park Robots as well and loss two men.
The Marine squad that moved down the street also lost a man in combat with some city robots
At the other end of the street large walking quadrupeds move to attack us.
The City Robots killed some more marines, the sergeant only being saved by the “red shirt rule” and killed one of the crew who had been sent to support them.
Luckily the threat from down the street was minimised by two of the large Robots being destroyed by the gatlings.
In the other park the sergeant was the only survivor and he pulled back with a robot captive.
With robots still attacking from all sides and having lost many men I called for an immediate evacuation. The crew and two remaining marines fell back to the ship.
The Gatlings covered our withdrawal, destroying some of the large robots coming at us from the park.
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| Hideous statue of the robots ruler |
Casualties had been heavy. The Gatlings cover the withdrawal. Further robots appeared from the ruined city area. A large robot came close to the ship.
The ships Gatlings destroyed the closing Robot while the crews moved their carriages into the ship. The new arriving robots continue their advance.
We escape this accursed place.
Aethergram to the Admiralty
Sirs, I recommend strongly that no further expeditions be sent to Mercury. The remaining inhabitants, if I can call them that are vicious killers. At best it is a place for a penal colony and no gentleman should be exposed to this dreadful place.
"Excellent" said Admiral Burns. We will encourage the French and Prussians to establish a colony there. It should keep them busy!"
