The Black Lighthouse ( Onyx Monitoring Station )

POSTED BY: TheLighthouseKeeper
UPDATED: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 13:07
VIEWED: 21069
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THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 1:17 PM

These are the Journals of the Keeper of the Onyx Monitoring Station, on Miranda.
The projects name is Operation Colour Schemer, or OCS
This Stations initial purpose was to monitor how the G-23 Paxillon Hydrochlorate experiment would effect life forms on the opposite side of Miranda.

This island is uninhabited , except for the monitoring team of myself and a rotating Alliance crew of 4 people, every 3 months.
This island, Onyx, has a thriving animal population in the dense jungle that lies just outside the electrified perimeter of this base.

This entry, is part of the story of the VFF ship Tranquility.
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=21&t=37344

This story is meant to be part of the Firefly universe and should not have non-Firefly canon elements. Understand that topics written here,
as in all 'fanfic', will at least be plausible in the Firefly universe.
i.e. No islands are mentioned being on Miranda in Serenity, but obviously there would be water, other land formations, oceans, etc. on any planet that supports life.
This story is meant to promote Joss Whedons Firefly universe but, even so, it may have elements that are inspired by others.

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 1:58 PM

Day 1

I have just arrived here at the Onyx Monitoring Station and was greeted by 4 Alliance project workers on the flat stone landing area
at the base of the Lighthouse, where the station meets the water.
The Black Lighthouse is much larger than it seems at first notice. One can see the Station as you break atmo'.
I'm very tired from the long journey but will write more soon.

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 2:13 PM

Day 2

Today I was awakened by a loud howling sound that seemed to emanate from the top of the tower.
It was the lowest sound i've ever heard.
It seemed to shake all my internal organs.

I asked the project leader what it was and he told me it was to keep the animals from coming out of the forest and on to the base grounds.

Later we walked down a very long path to the bottom of the hill. It seemed to be a mile long.
We soon reached an area that was cleared for growing food.

As we were about to go back to the Lighthouse Station, I noticed what looked like tall silver poles, running the perimeter of the grounds in the distance, at the edge of the jungle.
When I inquired about these, I was told not to go near them.

Maybe it's for the best.

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 2:56 PM

Day 3

The current Alliance team is talking about the next shift that's flying in tomorrow.
I guess this team has already done their 3 month shift.

They seem to be glad that they won't be around for the G-23 projects 'release' next week.

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 3:24 PM

Day 4

The new Alliance team came in the middle of the night and relieved the 1st team... or what I knew as the 1st team.
For all I know there may have been dozens of teams here. After all, this is a highly classified Alliance project.

The new team is much less friendly and more invasive. I shall start hiding this log book and change all my project passwords.

Our research here has been productive.
The height of this station helps with many things.
You can see hundreds of miles from the upper levels, probably more from the top, if they would allow me go go there.

Also, the machinery at the top, although classified, seems to have multiple functions, from the small amount of info that I've gathered.

That 'sonic blaster', for lack of a better phrase is positioned up there, as well as something that I have only heard the previous team mention once,
when they didn't realize I had come back from the small farm yet.

It sounded like some type of technology that locks on to ships in orbit, and interferes with thier navigation and communication somehow.

I hear someone...

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:37 PM

Day 5

Today that loud howling sound came around midday.
a few moments later, a ship fell out of the sky, into the ocean, a few miles off shore.

The Alliance team seemed angry that they could not reach it before it sank.
But they didn't seem remorseful of the people on board that most likely died.

5 days left until G-23 release.

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:49 PM

Day 6

Unbelievable!
Today another ship crashed near us, in the jungle. Just after that howling sound again.
Maybe it's some kind of warning of incoming trouble.

The team scrambled into the jungle to check for survivors. They returned late at night with what looked like body bags.
It was hard to tell. I was inside and it was dark outside. They brought them to the landing dock were a boat was waiting for them.
They loaded the boat, then came back into the Lighthouse to retire to their rooms in the levels above mine.

That was the 1st boat I have seen since I've been here.
I'll ask them about it in the morning.

4 days left to G-23 release.

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:54 PM

Day 7

I asked about the body bags but they said it was all just salvage.

I can still see smoke rising from above the jungle canopy in the distance.

3 more days until the PAX G-23 release.

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:51 AM

Day 8

The smoke is gone today.
I overheard 1 of the team members saying that he is worried about 'prolonged exposure.'
but he stopped talking as I approached.

As I left, another member said quietly:
"That's why we only stay 3 months at a time."

2 more days until the PAX G-23 release.

THELIGHTHOUSEKEEPER

Thursday, April 9, 2009 4:33 AM

Addendum to My day 1 entry

I was too busy and tired to record much on day 1.
I did want to mention how nice my living quarters are.
As soon as i arrived, the 1st team took me to my quarters which are on the 1st level of the Black Lighthouse.
As you walk into the station you go down a hallway that leads into a very large room. It's not round, as one would expect,
but octagonal, with a pass-coded door on each of the sides. Behind these doors are the 8 rooms that are my quarters.
The Alliance workers live on the levels above.

At the center of the main room is an 8 sided table with 8 computer terminals at each of the sides.
This is our central work area for monitoring data that is constantly streaming in from the various input sources around Onyx (this island).
The network of monitoring stations is called Operation Colour Schemer or OCS.

I only wish that I could use the terminals to contact people 'off world',
but the system is a closed circuit which can only communicate with other terminals on Miranda.

This makes my day 1 entry a bit more informative.

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