Logbook entry

The Azura; HIP 83237 3b -27.4437, 143.7251 : Site 16

12 Feb 2021Feldbibliothekar
Starting this log now. I'm obscuring any dates and will post randomly and out of order for self preserving purposes. These sites are already well known and seem to be nothing more but mere touristic amusement of today. This will not stop me from being a bit more cautious.

Site 16. An abandoned settlement. The forefront-purpose doesn't seem to be known or of interest anymore. As it turns out, any of these abandoned settlements already found are following the same kind of pattern: Mostly uninhabited systems with single settlements and research bases build on low-gravity moons. About 100 colonists or settlers are the median. There are Settlement Comms Log Uplinks, which are accessible from the outside via normal Data Link Scanners. Except from the usual Data Uplinks, nothing more can be pulled from their network mainframe than snippets of conversations and logs. Nothing seems to be complete or even somewhat contextual. Real information, real links are almost always obscured. It's puzzling as to why there is still this information available and quite volatile too. Maybe it's all of the same fabric. Maybe not. This galaxy is governed by misinformation and cloaking maneuvers as it seems.

5 downloadable logs:

   SECRETS AND LIES 1/5
   Personal Log:

   We’re in bad shape. Somehow our food reserves have become spoiled. There was no sign of damage or tampering.

   We started rationing and Mr Leon, our corporate liaison, has contacted the company to see if we can get resupplied.

   If we can’t get more food then I don’t know what we’re going to do.


   SECRETS AND LIES 2/5
   Personal Log:

   It’s been weeks and no word from Corporate. Mr Leon, just nods and says he’ll send another situation report and that the company is sending help as fast as it can.

   I feel guilty, he is handling this really well and doesn’t seem to take all his ration. I don’t know how he does it. You have to admire the guy.

   We’re going to start losing people soon. I don’t have the heart to tell them that we’re down to the last few scraps. Rationing isn’t going to save us.


   SECRETS AND LIES 3/5
   PersonaI Log:

   We cremated three more today. That makes seven dead in total. I fear the rest of us won’t be too far behind them. We’re all so weak now, barely able to keep ourselves going.

   I don’t know what his secret is but Mr Leon seems to be the least affected by the lack of food. I’m starting to trust him less and less as the days go on. How can he look so well and not be as weak as the rest of us. He has to be hiding something.


   SECRETS AND LIES 4/5
   Personal Log:

   That lying sack of filth. I’m going to kill him!

   He got careless, didn’t lock his door or log out of his terminal. Guess he thinks we’re all so weak that he doesn’t have to take precautions anymore.

   Well I found out his secret. He’s been giving reports to Corporate alright, just not the kind we thought. And that’s not the only thing I found. They’re experimenting on us and that toad is helping them. He has memo after memo discussing the “initiative” as he calls it. The food was designed to go off, they planned it. He watched us struggle and die while he was back here with enough food to last us all for six months.

   He watched and… and… took notes. I’m going to kill him!


   SECRETS AND LIES 5/5
   Corporate Memo:
   Sent: 26 May 3286 06:23 UTC
   Ref: Site 16 no longer viable.

   Site shutdown with immediate effect. All resources and confidential materials uploaded to core database.

   Regarding ongoing situation: Corporate Liaison Mr Leon­ deceased. Cleaning squad sent to prepare site for next initiative cycle.

   Commence site cleansing immediately.

   Message ends.




The Site was able to be found by triangulating and deciphering the data found on 3 different listening posts around star systems in proximity of 30 to 60 ly.

1. HR 6514 A
   LISTENING POST SIGNAL LOG
   …Encoded Message MPG-270-A Detected…

   Matches signal detected at listening posts: (wredguia it-j b51-2, col 285 sector km-v b18-3)

   Approximate Signal Range: 31-33 LY

   It’s been weeks and no word…. Iong:143.72519 ..we’re going to start losing people soon…..

   …Signal Lost…


2. Wredguia IT-J b51-2 A
   LISTENING POST SIGNAL LOG
   …Encoded Message MPG-270-B Detected…

   Matches signal detected at listening posts: (hr 6514, col 285 sector km-v b18-3)

   Approximate Signal Range: 39-42 LY

   lt’s been weeks and no word,… lat:-26.44374 ..we’re going to start losing people soon…..

   …Signal Corrupted…


3. Col 285 Sector KM-Vb18-3 A
   LISTENING POST SIGNAL LOG
   …Encoded Message MPG-270-C Detected…

   Matches signal detected at listening posts: (hr 6514, wredguia it-j b51-2)

   Approximate Signal Range: 56-59 LY

   It’s been weeks and no word…. 3 b ..we’re going to start losing people soon…..

   …Carrier Signal Lost…




What can one make more out of this information?

Pure corporate greed? Selling experiment data for cash? To whom, by whom?

Another case of trickle down misunderstanding of orders? Overreach of the Defense departments as usual?

But ... why? They starved some colonists to death on a small planet with no chance to escape. This isn't new. Whoever conducted these experiments would have hundreds if not thousands of logs from the last millenia for the same simplicistic setting. What were they looking for and why should they repeat this process - again and again - I assume for quite some time. What were they looking for? Exceptional behaviour? Outstanding candidates who survive the ordeal by making hard sacrifices? Such morbid recruitment tactics can be easily replicated with virtual reality settings where the user forgets that he isn't in any danger. That's quite common knowledge.

I assume more sinister motives. Some kind of very dumb and very perverted survivalists philosophy.

It might be even a forgotten project. Automated and under unassuming management bubbles. Repeat the same process. Generate slightly different data. Bulk them up, compare, differentiate, report, repeat.

Classify as unclear, unsolved.
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