Pegasus Run 3305 - Days 47 & 48
15 Nov 2019Flemish Jack
08:36:52 11-13-05Providing overwatch for local mining operations in Ratraii isnt bad work. Doesn't pay nearly as well as exploration, but one could easily make a living at it. With a few sorties completed we've cleared more than 2 million in bounties. Ms. Todd has gotten more comfortable with the Condor and has been putting some serious heat on target. Signing her on is looking more and more like a solid tactical decision. Secured from flight operations after roughly 12 hours, RTB Colonia Dream for refuel, restock, repairs, and some sack time. I think we'll be in the proper non-murdery frame of mind to head back to Bolden's to have that follow-up discussion with Gates.
22:19:23 11-13-05
Dropped into Tir and arrived at Bolden's without incident. Gates wasn't surprised to hear from us and was eager to share additional information his team was able to dig up while we were away. When confronted about our recent experience at the crash site, his calm response was, "why didn't you scan the crash site at a safe stand-off distance first and approach under concealment? You are former military aren’t you" Valid points. So yeah, okay I forgot to conduct proper reconnaissance prior to our low altitude overflight, but all-in-all we didn’t get shot. I responded by reminding him that under normal operational circumstances we’d have been provided an intelligence package that would include potential hostile forces location and strength. Also a valid point. For the amount of money he’s being paid a heads-up would have been nice. It's also entirely possible I flipped him off (showed him the krux if you will). It's possible.
After the brief debate, Gates provided us with another potential lead in the Luchtaine System. Rumor has it there is a derelict Banner Class Cargo Ship that may lead to additional clues. Very little is known about why it’s there and what exactly happened to the ship and its crew. We’ll head that way in the AM to see what we can see.
06:14:39 11-14-05
We arrived in the Luchtaine system and began scanning. We discovered a high powered omnidirectional distress call and adjusted vector to intercept. Upon arrival at the Megaship in real space, due to past experience with Gates’ failure to share important information, we spent a few minutes scanning the area for threats. Nothing found so we closed on the wreck for some close in work. According to reports this ship has been dead-in-space for more than a year after being disabled by terrorists. Oddly or interestingly the ship still appears to have power. She’s maintaining station keeping and multiple powered systems continue to periodically arc into space.
Our first order of business, as suggested by the information Gates provided, was to investigate escape hatches for survivors. It would be crazy if her brother was one of those aboard. We sent a limpet in close to crack the hatch. Several pods were ejected after the compartment was vented. We picked them up. None were her brother – because that would be way too easy. On the bright side we should be able to reunite a few of the missing with their families once we RTB. Good karma.
Next on the list: infiltrate the ship’s systems to pull ship’s manifest, internal messages, and flight logs and flight plan from the black box. We hit the primary comms array with a limpet, gaining access was a snap – to find that all internal communications and logs not related to the persistent distress call had been forensically purged. I say forensically because whoever did it was thorough, beyond the distress call repeat command and a few cryptic garbled communications hinting at a coordinated terrorist attack there was nothing. Not even fragments.
In a last ditch effort to not leave empty handed we conducted a close in visual inspection of externally mounted cargo containers. Now one would naturally expect there to be Caine-Massey containers on a cargo ship, they being a galaxy spanning megacorp after all - of course we found several, but here’s the interesting part: each of the containers had been opened carefully, almost surgically. For those with experience with hatch breakers, you know that these little guys tend to cut through hull plating rather efficiently with zero concern for what’s on the other side.
The Caine-Massey containers had not been opened remotely. Whomever did it, did it EVA, with handheld cutters. Why? We suited up and disembarked for a closer look. What we found is very confusing. The containers were empty – to be expected – but seemed to show some evidence of human habitation, scratched hash-marks as though counting days and other graffiti was found in each. What the hell?
While we still haven’t found any conclusive evidence that the Type 9 crash site nor the derelict Banner Class have direct links to her brother’s and the expedition’s disappearance, assuming that these are linked suggests an even deeper conspiracy than we thought. Why would Caine-Massey be smuggling people? Was it a rescue or a kidnapping or something else?
14:09:17 11-14-05
Returned fundamentally empty handed to Gates’ office. We requested a meeting in a security enclosure on approach to discuss the circumstantial thread. Request granted we deposited all of our wireless electronic devices in a lockbox and followed Gates into a secure meeting room where we divulged the limited information we had gathered at the wreck site. Had I not been actively looking for his response I would have missed the very brief flash of fear on his face as she explained what we found in the containers. The professional mask was quickly back in place. He had nothing further for us and requested we leave as our business was concluded. Before we left the secure space he whispered something to Ms. Todd, shook our hands, and escorted us through the security checkpoint to retrieve our belongings. When I asked Ms. Todd what was said she simply shook her head and left for the station hangars. I followed.
Once outside the station’s no fire zone and in super cruise she told me what he said. He told her we were potentially moving in to very dangerous waters and to be careful. He told her for his own safety he was out, but that we should head to TolaGarf’s Junkyard in Kojeara to meet with one of his contacts there; a local bartender that served as one of his links to the criminal element and a hub to the Colonia Region underground rumor mill. Finally, a clandestine meeting in a seedy bar – thought it would never happen.
The clock is ticking and we need to rally up with the rest of the expedition before we get behind schedule. I’m hoping that Ms. Todd’s search for answers isn’t a wild goose chase.
Until next time commanders, fly safe.
Flemish Jack - OUT