ATCNet - 3rd Formidine Rift Expedition - Report 4
14 Sep 2020Belexticus
> Welcome to the ATC Sisyphus Local Network.> Terminal ready. Standing by.
> CONNECT HOME
> net://1432.129.987/ATC/OOCA/Sais41.90625~-112.5625~-36.4375
> Establishing subspace network connection…please wait…
> Enter clearance code: ************
> Please wait…
> Seeking carrier wave…
> Carrier wave established. ATCDalgarno/432G/δ32.91,α+23.66
> Connection established 233107UTC/33060914
> Connection stable. Ready for transmission.
> Welcome to ATCNet. Stand Together, CMDRs.
> Enter login: X9W-40WSISYPHUS/BELEXTICUS
> Enter password: **********
> Select subnetwork:
- Office of Adjutant to the Admiral
- Squadron Command & Fleet Support
- Office of Corporate Affairs
- Directory of CMDRs
- Public ATC Intranet
- Gumster’s Bar & Grill
> 3
> Welcome to the Office of Corporate Affairs subnetwork.
> CONNECT OOCA/ATCNET_NEWS/DISTRIBUTION/INBOUND_SUBEDIT
> Connection established.
> User BELEXTICUS verified. Ready for submission.
> ATTACH FILE/33060914FORMIDINE;33060914IMAGEPACKET
We have received a signal from Dalgarno Ring carrying the news of the assassination of Prince Harold Duval. These nefarious Marlinists seem hell bent on overturning the influence of the Empire and even though we are thousands of light years away, the threat of these terrorists is ever present. It seems that the rogue software installed in the carrier’s navigation computer has not been entirely removed; our watch fell asleep in sight of Hegua CM-O d6-10 but awoke around LD-S C4-0, despite there being no jump scheduled. What this is all about we do not know yet, but we won’t let it deter us from our main mission. We’re only three days out of Saisiyat but it seems like we are beyond the very limits of civilisation. Passing the Wayfarers Graveyard and approaching the centre of the Formidine Rift, the density of the stars has become less and less, being replaced by the blushing beauty of magnificent nebulae and stellar nurseries and, despite the diminishing presence of the human race, we feel more connected than ever.
We have pressed onwards through IC 1805 and Hypoae Ain, in awe of the growing presence of the Heart & Soul Nebulae. Brilliant red, pink and orange clouds of gas and dust, swept across deep space like spilled paint. Taking refuge at Base Camp, a starport dug into a vast asteroid in the Soul Sector, the blackness of the universe gave way to vibrancy. This is one of the few places we have encountered with a permanent human presence this far out, an extraction concern called the Soul Nebula Mining Partners. We arrived at a time of great civil unrest as a marauding fleet of pirates, the Lucky Hand Gang, drew our bold pilots into combat once again. Thankfully, two-bit brigands are no match for the pilots of Artemis Corporation and our boys scored many kills for the forces of good.
Forward to the Eafots Sector, the high gain antennae of the ATC Sisyphus have detected strange beacon signals emanating from a number of unusual satellites. Chief Technician Svetlana Zhusko, the carrier’s expert in cryptography and signal analysis, was able to decode the locations of several abandoned human settlements and the Star Marshal immediately ordered the carrier to investigate them. We had heard about such things before, but the excitement of actually finding these sites was energising. We have located four in total and all of them are associated with Project Dynasty. Dr Bowman confirmed this by analysing several data packets that had been captured from the sites by our survey teams. The bases were staging posts for an expedition to seek out safe havens for humanity in the case of a Thargoid invasion. It seems that none of the crews made it back alive and the logbooks we have recovered make for grim reading.
Our next destination shall be the Zurara, the fabled megaship also part of this forbidding and mysterious project. Star Marshal Commander Eben knows the route like the back of his hand; it shouldn’t be long before we reach the deepest reaches of this terrible place and locate this cold, dead, enigmatic vessel.
This is CMDR Belexticus, speaking to you from the Formidine Rift Settlements, for ATCNet.