At the Edge of the Universe

"It's all fun and games at the edge of the universe". That's what it said on the brochure anyway. No, really, the Europa expedition actually printed leaflets with that slogan on it. Don't think it convinced very many potential recruits into signing up.

Regardless of the ill-informed ad campaign, you are part of the permanent staff at Ragas Oceanic Research station - situated on the ice sheets of Europa. It's a pretty boring gig, all told. Sure there's a lot of science to be done, mapping the endless salt-water ocean - but there's also a lot of downtime. So, amidst all the science and "wonder of exploration" you have to find something to do with your time. 

In between scientific missions, some of the support staff have taken to conducting unauthorized drone races through the waters, using the base's waverider buoys as checkpoints. Cutting through the water at excessive speed, shaving a few seconds off of the previous best time. Finding ever more complex and innovative ways to keep the security staff from catching on to what you were doing. It provided plenty of entertainment for a time. 

It ultimately proved to be your downfall.

Ten days ago, one of the drones went missing during one of the unsanctioned races. Explaining that you had lost a drone due to a bout of "boredom" to the base commander was not a particularly pleasant task. Immediately, the races were shut down and all those involved were ordered confined to their quarters when not engaged in scientific research. You also were fined two weeks worth of pay docked to cover the cost of the lost drone. It was timeout and missed allowance, but for adults. 

The punishment didn't last long, because two days after the punishment had began communications with Earth were completely severed. You were left stranded at the edge of inhabited space. Then, one by one, our oceanic instruments began to go offline; the outer ones at first and then the ones closer to the base. Each instrument transmitted back a few seconds of strange song, almost like whale song but twisted..and more sinister.

Five days ago, the dreams began. Dreams of the depths, floating ever downward into the blissful embrace of the cold. Haunting and beautiful. Horrifying.

The first death occurred not long after that. A scientist opened the airlock out into the ocean without a pressure suit. In the moments before the pressure equalized ejecting him into the frigid waters, he could be heard saying: "The song calls to me. It calls to us all. It's out there. In the deep."

Since then, mysterious deaths have continued - sometimes your fellow researchers disappear without a trace, others mysteriously drowned in their quarters. What was even more troubling, there are signs that you're not alone in here - movement at the edge of your vision. Scraping and scratching noises. Unexplained smells.

Amidst it all, the song. You can hear it clearly now, and you know where it's coming from. You're convinced you can find it out there - you could take one of the manned craft into the ocean, and find the source.

But the next support ship arrives in just over a week - bringing potential rescue. Do you attempt to hold out until then, or do you take to the depths in search of the source of the song? 

Areas of Note: Ragas Oceanic Research Station, The Deep Ocean Sub, "The Song From the Deep", The Supply Ship

Goal: Hold out until the supply ship or head into the depths and find the song in the deep.