Recovered Log 02: Hunting Fractus
20 Dec 2023Arxxuss
LOCATION: Juemuia SY-H d10-25 ABC 1 c I've been skimming along the surface of this godforsaken planet for days now. The reddish surface was warm and pleasant at first, but it's become endless, monotonous, an infinite sea of rock broken rarely and exclusively by the huge silhouette of a dune. It all started so well, back with the ping from the Observatory:
Body ABC 1 c. May host a marked biological and has high biological value.
On further exploration and scanning, I quickly realised that this planet had eight bio scans on it, including an unusual Aleoida variant that I was eager to grab. Seven readouts later, and all that was left was a variant of Osseus, the Fractus specifically. This is no easy species to find: Osseus are usually found in the rocky areas of planets, which this planet had in abundance, but Fractus is more elusive. It grows only at high altitude- something this planet deeply lacks, I grumbled to myself, skimming down into the dark shadow of a valley.
After a day or so I'd found two samples from two very odd locations- both rocky outcrops, perched precariously on the side of one of those gargantuan hills. But I've seen nothing like them since. All of the other hills have been purely sand and dust, no protruding spurs of rock or anything. And I've even seen less of those now. I'd consider abandoning my hunt if I hadn't found two already- I know they exist. But where? Surely I'll find another one. There can't be only two on the entire planet...
I leaned forward in my seat as the Phantom zipped over the crest of the valley, towards a long low humpback of a ridge that'd hopefully lead me to another dune. As I peered out of the cockpit at the racing terrain below, I found myself thinking back to the Bubble. They'd been at work there, on a ship-based scanner that'd allow biologicals to be detected from the comfort of one's ship without ever having to leave, but development had abruptly halted. Empire didn't like it too much, if GalNet is to be believed. I'd applied to get a look at some of the prototypes, but found myself having to leave town before hearing back. That damn Duval family...
There!
The Phantom's engines protested as I yanked the throttle sharply back and to the left, throwing up a shower of reddish spray. Just for a second, a flash of neon green had caught my eye...
The hunt was finally over. I shook my head a little, to clear the annoyance and confusion the last few days had brought, and eased down the landing gear as the final Fractus specimen loomed into view, a beautiful flowering on the desolate landscape.