EFA Choose Your Own Adventure Ep. 1 "Crash Landing"

The rocky ground below you grows rapidly closer as you do everything in your power to slow your descent. The ship shakes and trembles as flaming pieces break off, scattering into oblivion. You hear yells and shouts from the crew behind you. At the last second the retro thrusters kick on, and you're slammed into your seat harness as the ship slows. The ground is still coming fast and you pray it will be enough.

The impact is like nothing you’ve ever experienced. The ship crashes into the ground, flipping twice before sliding to a stop. For a moment you’re certain the devastation is total. The cockpit is completely destroyed and a quiet alarm rings on your suit as it reacts to the toxic atmosphere pouring in around you.

You fumble with the straps of your harness, releasing yourself. You attempt to push off the chair, momentarily expecting the weightlessness of space you’ve grown accustomed to over the past two months. But, of course, you go nowhere. Under other circumstances this would have been funny, but you feel no urge to laugh now. Standing up the old fashioned way, you call to your crew. “Anyone still back there?!”

“I’m alright.”

One voice. “Could be better.”

Another alive. “That was a close one.”

Three! All three are alive and conscious! “I’ve had better landings.” You say in an attempt at good humor. “Anyone injured?”

“Don’t think so.” Comes the reply.

Feeling a little dazed, you look over the numerous controls in front of you. “I’m going to see if the distress signal is still working.”

You find the distress beacon control and activate it. At first nothing happens. Then the speaker system inside the ship turns on, repeating the prerecorded distress signal. You stand still, holding your breath for what feels like an eternity. At last a voice comes over the intercom. "Paradox Mission, this is space station Alpha, manual distress signal received. What’s your status?"

“Alpha, good to hear your voice. We suffered an asteroid collision while traversing the Atalian star system. The collision damaged our drives and navigation systems. The damage forced us to attempt an emergency landing on the surface of the planet known as Atalix. All crew members are alive and accounted for.”

“Good, what is the status of your vessel?”

You converse with mission control and they present rescue options. You’ve landed in an old meteor crater and are surrounded by rocky hills and cliffs. The terrain and hostile weather of your landing site make it impossible to land the shuttle within the crater, but mission control offers two possible landing sites. One to the planet’s North, is closer but more difficult to access.

Another to the East of the crater is further away, but erosion has created a much smoother path. Mission control warns you that the seasonal storms are worsening in your area and that time is of the essence. Which landing spot will you choose? North or East?