Synopsis

Per Aspera Ad Aspera was the first public round of 35 Below. It was the only round without antagonists, and served as an introduction to the environment and mechanics of 35 Below.

In orbit of X4-6A, the crew emerge from 53 days of cryosleep aboard the FTL vessel NSS Intrepid and are greeted by JOE, the expedition’s artificial intelligence stand-in for Central Command, welcoming them to their new home. The crew spend some time in orbit, familiarising themselves with each other and their ship, and dealing with their first round of appendicitis. This will not be the last time that this happens.

After some preliminary checks, command initiates the landing sequence, putting the ship down in the far south eastern corner of the crater Banshee Pit. The crew disembark and begin to set up the beginnings of a future colony, outlining rooms and setting up the cargo landing pad, so that JOE may deliver equipment from the orbital station.

The remainder of the shift is marked by intermittent snow storms and assaults from the wildlife, all of which are repelled by the well armed Security force. A basic meteorology setup is installed, giving the crew forewarning of future storms.

As the meteorology computer predicts a massive storm on the horizon, the Captain declares the name of this burgeoning colony Thundrando, and raises the flag, before returning to the NSS Intrepid to shelter with his crew.