The ends and the beginnings (26/03/3304, updated)
27 Mar 2018Archived
Previously in James' LogbookAfter returning from their first Guardian ruins James left Prof. Goldstein on Freeport and resumed doing missions for Sammy and Terran Colonial Forces, waiting for either information about improvement of Sib's health or new tasks from the Prof. After a few days the old scientist asked Barrett to land on the station and came down to the ship to talk to him...
***
Landing Pad 42
Freeport
LP 32-198 System
Prof. Goldstein was sitting in the commander chair, flipping switches of the now - asleep vessel. James sat on the front display panel with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He was slowly getting accustomed to a somewhat cranky behaviour of his passenger and he knew that he just needed to wait.
"You said something, James?"
"Aye. I was asking how did it go with the data we gathered the other day. At the ruins?"
"Oh, that. Very good. Very good indeed. Though it would have been better if you could visit this Meene system and try to get that deciphering code from Ram Tah. Yes, that would help" - Goldstein absent-mindedly switched the Master Arm to on. James raised his brow.
"So did you make any progress at all?"
"As a matter of fact I didn't, though I did learn some fascinating things about the type of data storage used by the aliens. It is much more efficient in every possible way than ours. If..."
"But you didn't learn location of any other ruins?"
"I have, but through different channels. Take a look at this” - Goldstein took his datapad and activated the uplink. James got up and came closer to read the message.
Dear Professor,
Certainly! There are 7 active obelisks on site, and all the objects needed to interact with them are present on site as well (full selection of Guardian objects). There are two duplicate obelisk pairs, so only 5 Guardian Codex Logs can be obtained from the site. Entries include, Logs 14, 16, 17, 20, and 27. Four Sentinels guard the site and very little cover is provided from their attack angles when they show up (typically when you approach the relic near the center of the site), and they have taken my SRV shields offline almost immediately with combined fire on several occasions while researching, so caution is advised. Sadly there is no data core at the site. Not much else of note about the location. I hope I've been of assistance!
P.S. No need to pay, if you're human you get my data. I wish you the best of luck, Professor!
CMDR Deltus Infinium
"Fair play to you, professor! That sounds.. intriguing. Where are these ruins?"
"COL 173 SECTOR DZ-D C13-2 Planet: 12 A" - Goldstein didn't read the name, he remembered it - "still, I understand now that in order to correctly read the information from the obelisks we need to have the deciphering code and some of the artifacts".
"Fine, I'll go to Meene. It is only 5 jumps, no big deal. Got to take some corporate hotshot for Sammy to do some sightseeing anyway, might as well add it to the programme of the trip".
“Splendid. I will need a few more days to prepare after you bring me data from Ram Tah".
"On it, prof."
***
Deep Space
Asellus Primus System
"Incoming priority message" - announced Betty.
"Thank's lass, bring it on the comms panel, please" - James reduced the throttle to zero and stretched in his command chair, trying to fish out a bag of whiskey from the special container behind it. As he was reading, his hand was gradually moving, while he himself was leaning closer to the display.
Dear James,
If you have received this message it means I am dead now.
Sorry to have let you know like this, I leave this message, or rather my last will to you as in the past month we grew quite close ,and not having a family anymore there is noone else I can share anything with.
You know I had some strange deals recently with the imperials as much as with the Dragons of San Tu, It seems I was not ready for that kind of undercover warefare and some better agents got the best of me unexpectedly.
When I joined the ranks of Rear admiral we all received a briefing letting us know, owning a Federal flagship will always attract unwanted attention...
If I may ask something of you...after all you still owe me 16 tons of gold... Hope you have more than that by now, but if you truly were my friend please seek out my only living relative my cousin :
Matthew Matt Horner, he is around the sector in Asellius primus, Eraning, or LHS 3006 (there was a reason I chose that post as rear admiral- to stay close to him) he is growing up to be a great pilot maybe even better than I was.... At least he was always hanging out at the simulators.
But now with me gone he will have no one to show him the ropes, and teach him about the wonders and dangers of this wonderful Galaxy. And I know no better person than you to be that someone!
I hope you will seek him out, he will be soon turning 18 and that means he will be able to fly a ship... terrifying.
Thank you James, for your friendship and everything,
Always yours,
Blasius
If you have received this message it means I am dead now.
Sorry to have let you know like this, I leave this message, or rather my last will to you as in the past month we grew quite close ,and not having a family anymore there is noone else I can share anything with.
You know I had some strange deals recently with the imperials as much as with the Dragons of San Tu, It seems I was not ready for that kind of undercover warefare and some better agents got the best of me unexpectedly.
When I joined the ranks of Rear admiral we all received a briefing letting us know, owning a Federal flagship will always attract unwanted attention...
If I may ask something of you...after all you still owe me 16 tons of gold... Hope you have more than that by now, but if you truly were my friend please seek out my only living relative my cousin :
Matthew Matt Horner, he is around the sector in Asellius primus, Eraning, or LHS 3006 (there was a reason I chose that post as rear admiral- to stay close to him) he is growing up to be a great pilot maybe even better than I was.... At least he was always hanging out at the simulators.
But now with me gone he will have no one to show him the ropes, and teach him about the wonders and dangers of this wonderful Galaxy. And I know no better person than you to be that someone!
I hope you will seek him out, he will be soon turning 18 and that means he will be able to fly a ship... terrifying.
Thank you James, for your friendship and everything,
Always yours,
Blasius
James sat petrified for a long, long time, looking straight ahead. He then read the message again - once, twice, several times. He clenched his fists, opened them again. He wiped his eyes with his fingers and took a deep breath. Finally, he punched the coordinates for LHS 3006 and engaged the FSD.
***
Deep Space
Eranin System (Alliance Space)
Interdiction ring appeared on the HUD. The small Eagle tried to escape, but after maybe 5 seconds of futile attempts its pilot gave up. Both ships tumbled from supercruise into the normal space.
James deployed his hardpoints and targeted the vessel that he just have pulled out. The other commander also readied his weapons and opened up the comms.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" - there was some degree of anger, but also panic in the young pilot's voice - "I am going to blast you to pieces!".
"Go on, lad. Try"
The red fighter began shooting. His pulse lasers and multicannons were hitting "No Leaf Clover's" shields but without any visible effect. James watched calmly as his adversary circled around trying to chew through his first ring of defences for maybe 30 seconds. Finally, he turned the Chieftain around and fired a long burst from large beam laser. Shields of the Eagle went to zero in a matter of a few seconds.
"Alright, I get your point" - now panic was mixed with fear, though Barrett had to admit that the young man was masking both pretty well - "what do you want from me?!"
"Matthew Horner. Do you know a man by the name of Blasius Hajdu?"
"And if I say I do?"
"Blasius is dead. I'm sorry, lad... Your uncle is dead."
update
***
Stars and Stripes Bar
Leonard Nimoy Station
LHS 3006 System
"Why did you have to pull me out of supercruise, deploy weapons and all that, grandpa? Why not just talk to me?" - young Matthew was playing with his drink, a gin with tonic. From what Blasius said he has just turned 18, though he looked a bit older than that. Still, a complete greenhorn.
"To teach you something, lad. If you want to survive out there, you need to learn. A lot".
"Aha. So now you found me because my uncle asked you to and you will play a role of a mentor?"
"Listen, kid. Your uncle was a fine man, one of the finest I knew. I also had a debt I never got to pay back. I've shown you his last message and I intend to do what I can to make sure you survive."
"I can take care of myself, grandpa".
"No ya can't. In the first five minutes you made three grave mistakes, lad. No wait - four."
"Enlighten me then."
"Oh, I will. First: when you noticed I was following you - and I wasn't trying to hide at all - instead of jumping or opening comms you started to scan me. Mistake".
"No - because you jumped to Eranin as soon as I started my scans".
"Yes, and that brings me to the second one. You followed and when you entered the system, all I needed was just to fire up the interdictor".
"But..."
"And then the third one. You submitted. Flying an Eagle you submitted to a Chieftain that never hailed you, hinted what he might want from you. You should have tried to escape"
"Yes, but..."
"And then there was the fourth one. You were cocky. Being clearly in the loosing position you tried to play the tough guy. Let's assume I was a pirate pulling you out to check your cargo. In 9 cases out of 10 I'd scan you and let you go or ask to drop whatever you had in that tiny hold. But if I saw you were acting up, I'd just shoot you and take the spoils. Space is a dangerous place, lad. Stomach it".
They fell silent. Finally Matt spoke, looking James in the eye for the first time since they sat in the bar.
"Will you try to find out what happened to my uncle?"
"Aye, lad. I will. And you are going to help me".