The secret of the Hesperus (Part 2)
15 Mar 2024Haraldsen
Classified Azimuth Biochemicals Log Entry: 00024633 This is a confidential file, intended for the eyes of senior officers and personnel only. The following is an account of incidents recorded and documented by security personnel at the time of the event. This information was originally recorded by the commanding officer of the security forces involved during the course of the event: Security Officer Major Umaru of the Hesperus, to be stored on data orb as per standard operating procedures. This data orb was later discovered with the dead body of said person. The content recovered from the orb is as follows:
Security Log Entry 1 - 31130501.76.
Aboard the Azimuth Biochemicals megaship, the Hesperus.
A few hours ago, we received word that a new guardian site has been discovered somewhere in the vicinity of Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2, which has sparked great excitement. This discovery, if authentic, may bring about an unprecedented revolution in scientific and technological fields, but at the same time, it has brought with it a new level of paranoia. Rumor has it that Pharmasapien has also been alerted to the existence of this discovery. They will surely want to gain access to the guardian site as soon as possible to conduct their own research, as it is expected of all companies involved in this field of work.
Security Log Entry 2 - 31130602.29.
Aboard the Azimuth Biochemicals megaship, the Hesperus.
After initial inspections were conducted at the site, our science teams soon began to realize that there were some very strange aspects about this discovery. In fact, as one member of the research team described it to me, it seems that there was a wreckage buried next to this particular site which does not correspond to anything else found elsewhere in the galaxy. Although initial findings suggest that this could be an unknown Guardian vessel, I am skeptical about such conclusions, considering our limited data thus far. However, there is something else about the wreckage that has me worried: an unexplainable sense of uneasiness which seems to surround the area in an almost tangible way. Scientists and crew members feel it, and so do I. It's as if this wreckage holds secrets we're not prepared to handle yet. It could very well be nothing, but it's best to play it safe.
Security Log Entry 3 - 31130622.14.
Aboard the Azimuth Biochemicals megaship, the Hesperus.
I am becoming concerned by some recent developments which have taken place aboard this ship. One of the scientists, Dr. Paxson, has recently been exhibiting unusual behavior that worries me. At first, it seemed like she was experiencing some kind of illness, but after speaking with her further, she revealed to me that she had been hearing voices - strange voices. Dr. Paxson claims to hear them constantly now, whispering in her ear and talking to each other in her mind. They tell her secrets she doesn't understand. Sometimes, they tell her things that seem to make sense; sometimes, they tell her things that make no sense at all, yet still somehow feel right to her. When she tells me about these strange occurrences, I don't know what to believe or how much of it to believe, but there is something there that's not right. There must be something more going on here than just a simple illness or illness related mental instability.
Security Log Entry 4 - 31130624.18.
Aboard the Azimuth Biochemicals megaship, the Hesperus.
Another disturbing incident occurred earlier today aboard this ship, during one of my regular inspections. It involved Private Ricardo again. Apparently, he became quite violent all of a sudden and attacked some other members of the crew who were having breakfast together. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but he had to be restrained by security forces. I have no idea why Ricardo did this, but it seems like something serious may be happening here aboard the Hesperus, so I need to find out what's going on. Maybe these things are related to each other somehow...
Security Log Entry 5 - 31130707.43.
Aboard the Azimuth Biochemicals megaship, the Hesperus.
Something has been going on aboard this ship for a while now and I need answers! First, I've had multiple reports of unusual activity in several locations around the ship - strange noises coming from the cargo hold, items moving about seemingly on their own, unexplained disappearances, and sightings of shadowy figures appearing and vanishing before people's eyes. There is something wrong here aboard this ship and I have no idea what it could be, but whatever it is, I am sure it's linked to this recent spike in reports from members of my security staff about hearing voices and experiencing hallucinations. But more worrying is that several members of the Hesperus crew have recently gone missing as well, and nobody has been able to find them anywhere aboard the ship... I need to get to the bottom of this!
Security Log Entry 6- 31130712.09. Final entry.
Aboard the Azimuth Biochemicals megaship, the Hesperus.
The situation has turned critical. Our ship has been overrun by Pharmasapien sleeper agents who were part of our crew! My fellow security officers have been slaughtered in a surprise attack while I somehow managed to escape from security quarters. Now, I find myself in a state of disbelief and confusion. I'm not sure what to make of these events, and I feel guilty for letting so many innocent lives be taken so easily. I will not give up on the Hesperus just yet though, and especially not on my duty to protect our discovery. I can only hope that I'll manage to make it to the bridge where I hopefully will be able to store sufficient information on this data orb for someone out there to pick up the pieces left behind and piece it all together, otherwise our mission is doomed...
Linked Classified Azimuth Biochemicals Field Report: 000200325
This information was copied from the data storage of the Hesperus bridge computers by Security Officer Major Umaru. It originates from a former Azimuth Biochemicals Outpost, located near the Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2. This data has been transmitted to the Hesperus previously, intact, and is cited here with some omissions to prevent certain unnecessary attention by external parties to the following report.
To: Dr. Valerie Bennet, Azimuth Biochemicals - Project Director.
Classification: Secret.
Subject: HESPERUS - Archaeological Assets Evaluation (DA-NALOT-003)
Content: As per standard procedures, we have made a thorough analysis of all archaeological assets discovered, some of which have been brought aboard the Hesperus by now. Our preliminary results are included in this report, along with a suggested course of action. It has been determined that due to the unique and valuable nature of these discoveries, they should be placed under high security measures in order to protect them from misuse. We have observed numerous traces indicating ongoing operations by our competitors to gain access to our discoveries. We recommend that efforts are immediately stepped up in order to counter their influence on our assets. In addition, we would like to suggest that this discovery should not be allowed to fall into the hands of any other party who might be hostile towards Azimuth's interests. Further details are provided below:
Alien ship wreckage: The most significant discovery uncovered during our examination of the Guardian ruins consisted of a wrecked Guardian ship. We have categorized this wreck as Category-1 archeological asset and have created a detailed survey. (Location and further information is available on request). The ship appears to have been destroyed when its engines exploded, resulting in extensive damage to its hull and internal structures upon impact.
Advanced scanning and cloaking technologies, as well as other technological assets that could prove useful in military applications: If these technologies were to fall into the wrong hands, they would give whoever controls them a distinct advantage over the rest of the galaxy. This possibility should not be ignored and must be considered when deciding upon any future course of action regarding this discovery. With all that said, it is our recommendation that further research be conducted on this find, however it should be done carefully and privately, behind closed doors where no one else will ever know about it. As always, any experiments conducted should be run under maximum security conditions.
Mysterious symbols: No direct translation for these symbols has been found to date, but their structure appears to resemble similar patterns observed elsewhere within the galaxy. We are currently continuing to study these mysterious symbols with the hopes of eventually finding their meaning and uncovering what secrets they may hold, although we currently have no leads as of yet.
We are also concerned by recent reports of widespread hallucinations experienced by members of staff working in the outpost and aboard the Hesperus, which may be linked to the discovery. While the exact cause of these hallucinations remains unknown, it is possible they are related to an unknown hazard present within the wreck.
Personal account by: Dr. Benjamin Lewis. Chief Scientist at Azimuth Biochemicals
Azimuth Base, Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2.
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