Even if you're not wearing a felted hat or grey raincoat, you're feeling up to solving a new riddle. And that's just as well...
It would appear that a signal of activity has been detected in a location formerly monitored by the authorities.
This place was supposed to have been unoccupied for ages and had been left abandoned. It was watched over only by a few budding detectives thanks to a tool found on the black market...
Apparently, the signal comes from the Synuefe QA-U d4-27 system. Despite the fact that it's pretty far from your location, there's surely some interesting information to be found and a good story to pass on to Galnet Digest. At any rate, that's what your instinct tells you.
You enter the coordinates into your on-board computer, wondering where this story is going to take you.
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The Hideout
After a long journey and several coffees, including one spilled on the floor, here you are at last: Synuefe QA-U d4-27!
The system is far enough away from the bubble and from passing ships, perfect for setting up a pirate hideout.
Now all you have to do is find the hiding place... But where do you start?
🔍 For simplicity's sake, the pirates have set up their hideout on the planet closest to the star.
Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step
Suspicions
It doesn't take long to spot their hideout.
The pirates' hideout is in sight
Either you have particularly sharp instincts, or this hideout is very poorly hidden.
You recognize the base: it's the one you saw in the photo a few hours earlier.
There are SRV tracks leading straight inside. The pirates must have removed the evidence on their way out.
But perhaps a trace remains...
Without further ado, you disembark with your SRV to explore the area, and your curiosity is quickly rewarded :
GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY
If I hadn’t shot him we would have been knee deep in police by now.
Do you want us to get caught? Is that it?
If you didn’t want to get your hands dirty, you shouldn’t have signed up to this.
If we hadn’t vented the ship, the crew would have called the police and we’d be so much space dust.
Stash the loot and make sure any transponders are disabled. We didn’t steal these things just for someone to track them down. We’ll come back in a few days to collect it once the heat is off us.
Strange... Normally, pirates rarely store goods for such a long time. These must have been very special.
Rummaging through one of the empty sheds, you stumble across a forgotten document.
It's bound to contain information that will help you keep track of your goods.
What is the name of the ship on which the goods were sent?
Password:
Bingo, this receipt is a gold mine!
The goods hidden here were therefore moved and sent on a transport vessel: the Ariane's Pride.
The only other information we currently have is the system in which the ship is due to make its first stop: HIP 32001.
So this is the next destination...
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The First Stop
You're new to the system.
At first glance, there's no sign of the ship in the signals. Maybe that's good news... well... not sure.
Either the transport ship has left the system, or it's stayed... for good!
Your instincts have never deceived you, you sense that the Ariane's Pride is hidden here somewhere. Find it!
Something is hidden on the first moon (a) of one of the planets.
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The Ariane's Pride
After a long search, you finally find the missing ship... And as you feared, it's nothing but a carcass.
The remains of Ariane's Pride.
Thanks to your SRV, you can explore the remains of the ship. No trace of cargo, everything has disappeared, with the exception of the black box of the aircraft :
Commander's log: Ariane Key
I can’t believe I survived, the ship is totalled and there is no way I’m getting off this rock without help.
Communications are sketchy at best and I don’t even know if this is getting out.
The ship scanners did show some ships in my sector before they died.
Hopefully one of them will pick this up and come get me.
Commander's log : Ariane Key
I had lost hope, thought I was never getting out of here. But then I heard the landing thrusters.
Someone picked up my signal and I have to say an Asp has never looked so welcome.
This was a close call and I thank my lucky stars that the Winters Grasp and her commander were not a pirate ship looking to pick my bones.
I’ve rescued what I can of my personal belongings, the insurance will cover the rest. We’re heading to Gooch Hanger in Baliscii, where with luck I’ll be able to get a transport home.
Poor Ariane could be saved by the Winters Grasp, what a relief! As a bonus, you even know where to find her: the Baliscii system.
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The Winter's Grasp
During the FSD journey, you think back to Ariane's words. She didn't seem at all aware that she was carrying something of great value. At no point did she try to save her merchandise;
So much so that she let her rescuers recover her entire cargo.
Suddenly, your onboard computer signals a distress call... You can't believe your eyes!!!!
Without wasting a second, you hurry to the position of the ship in distress;
With a bit of luck, you'll be able to rescue them and finally find out the contents of the Ariane's Pride cargo ship!!!
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Cliffhanger
Once again, you're too late...
Ship debris
A battle took place here. That's for sure!
You begin to think that the attackers knew what the Winter's Grasp was carrying.
Among the remains of an Anaconda, two Type-9s and other unidentified debris, there are four black boxes... strangely enough they're all empty.
You're no cybersecurity expert, but as far as you know, only military technologies are capable of deleting the contents of a black box.
Luckily, you're resourceful, and among the debris you manage to find a workable part.
...A logo and a half-faded inscription? What could it possibly mean?
From which system did this ship come?
Password:
The Facece system, The bastion of the Imperial army. This is all getting stranger and stranger! Furthermore, the mention STAR PATROL refers to troops stationed near a system's star. They've surely been dispatched here in a hurry.
Something must be orbiting Facece's star, that's for sure!
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The Destruction of the Majestic
You soon find what you came for: An Imperial capital ship... well, at least what's left of it.
Scrap of a capital ship.
You can hear a commotion, imperial agents are on site to secure the perimeter. The incident must be very recent.
Decidedly, those you're looking for are always one step ahead of... CAPITAL SHIP SIGNATURE DETECTED!
The arrival of INV Achenar's Will on the scene stops you dead in your tracks.
Still, it's a real boon for you. This cruiser was probably guarding something related to our history. Maybe even the key to it all.
All you'd have to do is retrace its route... Surely, with its registration and one of your black-market tools, you could retrace its route;
What is the registration of the INV Achenar's Will?
Password:
Child's play!
All you have to do is enter the registration number into your on-board computer and you're ready to go....
... Search... Matrix creation... Route calculation... Data export...
🪐 Col 285 Sector FL-X b17-3 A 2 a --- MIR-14
You now know your new destination.
Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step
The MIR-14 Laboratory
You've just arrived in the system and you're already heading for the moon A 2 a.
You get more information about your destination en route, it's a medical research base.
What could this place be hiding?
Once there, this deserted place will make your blood run cold.
As you explore the empty complex in search of the last word in this investigation, you discover four recorded messages:
CANNOT GET OUT - 1/4
When we first ran tests on the compound we thought it could be used as a mood inhibitor to help tackle anxiety and other mental afflictions.
Early results were very promising. But we were so wrong.
CANNOT GET OUT - 2/4
Some of the test subjects had a very different reaction to the treatment.
It seemed to heighten their aggressive tendencies, some manifesting this in self harm or vocal outbursts.
But in a small percentages it turned them into monsters, capable of the most horrific violence.
CANNOT GET OUT - 3/4
When the company found out they marketed it as a success, selling the research to the military.
Under military control we were forced to keep working on this new programme. To create a serum that could be given to soldiers and other military personnel to make them into better killing machines.
Those who refuse to work on the project are "reassigned", as our new bosses say. We knew exactly what this meant;
Gods help me I wasn’t strong enough to be one of them.
CANNOT GET OUT - 4/4
I can’t go on with this mockery of science. I wanted to help people, not turn human beings into rabid killing machines.
This is my confession and a warning to others. The military will stop at nothing to get an edge over their enemies. Even if that means destroying thousands of lives in the process.
Tonight I released the test subjects into the settlement. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I knew what that would mean. Everyone… dead… or worse. I can hear them hunting for me, but it’s too late. It’s all coming down.
I can’t afford to let anything from this place get out into the hands of any power. I’ve destroyed all the data I can find and my final act will be to vent the settlement, open it up to space. That should kill everyone one left alive in here.
This cannot get out. This cannot get out.
So this was what the Imperial army was so keen to hide: An experimental serum designed to increase soldiers strength. With the recent events, they were surely planning to invade the solar system to take control of it with this super army.
This scientist showed extraordinary courage by destroying the base at the risk of his life. Unfortunately, a shipment of the serum was recovered and ended up in the hands of a band of pirates.
Who knows if there are any left.... In any case, you've done your best CMDR, You can feel proud for yourself. There's only one thing left for you to do, pass on this mysterious story to Galnet Digest!
