Ship:
Exploration
Scarab or Scorpion
Surface scanner
Permit:
Possibly...
Medium Landing Pad
Difficulty: Expert
Duration
Max distance
As an apprentice journalist on The Interstellar Times, the editor has sent you to Lehtonen Orbital in 9 Aurigae to assist Humphrey Penworthy, an old school hack renowned across the Galaxy, not only for his incisive investigative journalism, but also for his tendency to talk in riddles.
At the station bar you approach a man wearing outdated clothes talking to the bartender about a very old looking wine bottle. That must be Humphrey drinking the rare Saxon Wine, produced only in this system to replicate ancient Earth's most famous vintage.
'You must be the new researcher', Humphrey says, 'I need you to go to one of the seven memorials, read through the lists and find a particular name. You are looking for an honorary CMDR from ancient times, both an officer and a knight, famed for standing up to a terrible Outbreak. Do that and you might just earn the right to help me research my feature article further. No time to explain more now, you're distracting me from my vintage 93 Saxon!'
Saxon Wine: how on earth did they make it so good?
To progress to the next Step, travel to a system containing one of the seven memorials and find the first and last names of this honorary pilot.
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Humphrey Penworthy, an old school journalist
Humphrey: 'Not the best of starts is it? You are looking for any of the Galaxy's so called Pilots' Memorials, which can be found in seven different systems, but this is not the time for a holiday to Colonia. Once you arrive at one of these systems, use your scanner to find and then target the Memorial. Next, read through the lists to find the name of a pilot whose full title includes both an officer rank and the honorific typically awarded to a knight.'
At the Pilots' Memorial, the long list evokes tales of bravery, camaraderie and dedication to the community. Names such as CMDR Pulsarshark, Joe Plater, Stuart 'Baron Von Zoomski' Marshall, Hermes, Uncle Sasha and CMDR Beaker.
You are moved by the words that accompany the Memorial: 'Remembering those lost to us in life, in the knowledge they will live forever amongst the stars.' Such poignant, such dignified words.
The actual name Humphrey needed will no doubt be familiar to many CMDRs, but in case not, you can find out more about this honorary pilot here. The Galaxy's community certainly knows how to stay in touch with its past.
The Pilots' Memorials used to look like this...but sadly no longer
A scroll... in the 3300s!
After transmitting the name to Humphrey, your on-board computer soon alerts you to an incoming reply. Curiously, this takes the form of an antique scroll. No doubt one of Humphrey's famous riddles to test your powers of investigation.
To move to Step 3, solve the riddle and enter the name of your next destination.
Humphrey's Ancient History Lesson #2: 'Not you again....you youngsters really do not know your history. On Earth there were two ancient civilisations whose influence still permeates throughout the Galaxy. Greece and Rome. The swan is a reference to a very old myth involving an important Greek god. The drawing shows the remains of an ancient Roman temple, amazingly still standing in the Forum Romanum after some 3300 years. Either of these clues should help identify the system you need to go to.'
You may have worked out which system to go to, but Humphrey didn't exactly provide much else in the way of instruction. What should you do?
Check your navigation panel, after scanning the system if needed. Find the nearby Listening Post and head towards it. You didn't really need to click on that button did you...?
You arrive at the right location, upload the data and send it to Humphrey.
The Listening Post reveals a short poem read in a sombre and reflective manner, no doubt in dedication to a CMDR. You do wonder, however, how Karsuki Locusts have managed to infiltrate the electronics...
'Les sanglots longs
Des violons
De l’automne
Blessent mon cœur
D’une langueur
Monotone.'
'The long sobs
Of violins
Of autumn
Wound my heart
With a monotonous
Languor.'
More information on this Listening Post can be found here.
In addition to the Pilots' Memorials, there are several individual memorials to be found in the bubble and beyond. These are dedicated to CMDRs and their loved ones, such as Brutal Deluxe, Hirobadger, McKinnon, Evelyn Faye Roy and many others.
After transmitting the available data to Humphrey, a response soon arrives. No thanks or words of encouragement, just a picture with lots of figures, some holding flags. Must be another initiative test...
Can you decipher this to reveal your next destination and accompanying instructions?
Humphrey's response: 'Oh dear, I am not sure if you are cut out for this. Any decent journalist should know their Sherlock Holmes...'
Time to search up this strange sounding name and associated codes.
You realize the message referred to Nervir A 2, a gas giant you cannot land on, so you may need to use your Detailed Surface Scanner to map the orbiting planets for clues. What's Humphrey on about telling me to rest?
Once you find and land at the right site, you get into your SRV to explore. The site is eerily quiet and likely long abandoned. Whilst scooping up some materials lying around, you notice a comms log uplink. This reveals that the whole site is a memorial, perhaps left as a kind of permanent museum in honor of the engineer and pioneer who worked there.
Time to report back to Humphrey with your findings and who knows, you may even be offered a glass of Saxon Wine for your efforts...
A memorial to scientific achievement...
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Credits
1. Main image - CMDR Exorcist, from a moving and beautifully shot film of CMDR OrangePheonix's trip to the CMDR Mckinnon memorial, which can be viewed here
2. Image of the four Pilots' Memorials - CMDR Johann Bererund
3. CMDR Chelito for reading the extract from the poem Chanson d’automne
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You can automatically finish this adventure by logging in to the site with your Frontier account.
You can also share your snapshots on discord in the channel #trophées !
CMDR Aymeric4506 September 3310
CMDR Karl berg06 September 3310
CMDR DATIUS06 September 3310
The following CMDRs have also completed this adventure:
