Seeking the Truth #1: The Package
08 Mar 2021Patrick Bietruch
Hello commanders! Long time no see! I'm the guy looking for his father and finding clues from his old ship that he left me almost 20 years ago (Searching for Answers entries). As you can imagine, I haven't been able to dig up any more of my father's entries from his old Cobra mkIII. However, there is something else I need to write about.
I received a package exactly a week ago. It arrived at the Ride Gateway station in the G 203-47 system, where I currently live. People at the station said it "just showed up" there, no one knows who the sender is and no one knows who left it there.
Of course, I opened the box immediately, not thinking too much about the dangers it might pose, as my curiosity would not let me wait any longer. Inside I found a device resembling the Full Spectrum System Scanner, as well as an enigmatic letter.. Here's what it says:
"72 101 108 108 111 32 67 77 68 82 32 80 97 116 114 105 99 107 32 66 105 101 116 114 117 99 104 44 10 121 111 117 32 100 111 32 110 111 116 32 107 110 111 119 32 109 101 32 105 110 32 112 101 114 115 111 110 32 98 117 116 32 73 32 97 115 115 117 114 101 32 121 111 117 32 116 104 97 116 32 121 111 117 32 104 97 118 101 32 104 101 97 114 100 32 97 98 111 117 116 32 109 101 32 97 108 114 101 97 100 121 46 32 73 32 107 110 111 119 32 121 111 117 114 32 102 97 116 104 101 114 32 97 110 100 32 119 97 110 116 32 116 111 32 104 101 108 112 32 121 111 117 32 117 110 99 111 118 101 114 32 116 104 101 32 116 114 117 116 104 46 32 84 104 101 32 99 111 110 116 101 110 116 115 32 111 102 32 116 104 105 115 32 112 97 99 107 97 103 101 32 119 105 108 108 32 104 101 108 112 32 121 111 117 32 102 105 110 100 32 104 105 109 46 32 73 32 100 111 32 110 111 116 32 110 101 101 100 32 105 116 32 97 110 121 109 111 114 101 32 98 117 116 32 121 111 117 32 115 117 114 101 108 121 32 100 111 46 32 10 10 73 102 32 121 111 117 32 101 118 101 114 32 102 101 101 108 32 108 111 115 116 44 32 103 111 32 98 97 99 107 32 116 111 32 116 104 101 32 118 101 114 121 32 98 101 103 105 110 110 105 110 103 44 32 119 104 101 114 101 32 105 116 32 97 108 108 32 115 116 97 114 116 101 100 46 10 126 32 77"
It's an ASCII cipher, nothing very hard to crack. After decryption, this is the message I got:
"Hello CMDR Patrick Bietruch,
you do not know me in person but I assure you that you have heard about me already. I know your father and want to help you uncover the truth. The contents of this package will help you find him. I do not need it anymore but you surely do.
If you ever feel lost, go back to the very beginning, where it all started.
~ M"
I have no idea who this "M" person might be. If I were to believe them, this person knows my father. I have no reason to believe that this is true, but on the other hand I have no other ideas as to where or how to look for my father. I can mount the scanner on one of my exploration ships no problem, so the question is: where and what should I look for? If you have any ideas, please contact me.