Élite Dangereuse - The Ariane's Pride Disaster

The Ariane's Pride Disaster

Adventure summary:

Mandated by the Galactic Insurance Company, you are sent to a crash site to assess a loss. What was supposed to be a routine inspection will gradually uncover some strange inconsistencies.

The recap

Ship:

Exploration

Scarab or Scorpion

Surface scanner

Cargo hold:

5 Cargo T

Medium Landing Pad

Difficulty: Beginner

Duration

1H30

Max distance

140 LY

The Ariane's Pride Disaster

ByCMDR swaatche
06 June 3311
400 points
1 badge
Made with

This adventure explores one aspect of the A Conspiracy Made of Silence.

Although this is a stand-alone story, some elements are linked to it.

To avoid spoiling the plot, certain optional details will be marked: ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️.

Galactic Insurance Company offices

It's 8:30 in the morning, and like every morning, you're browsing through your files over a cup of coffee.

And like every morning, a new claim awaits you. This one comes from Ariane Key, commander of Ariane's Pride, a Type-9 Heavy declared destroyed several weeks earlier in a crash on HIP 32001 3A.

== Galactic Insurance Company ==
Accident Report Form – Claim Request
Document Ref. : GIC-CLAIM-F42

1. Contract holder information

Full name: Ariane Key

Pilot ID: AK-147-B2110448.EL

Insurance policy no.: GIC-T9-CIV-29288-AX9

2. Insured vessel information

Vessel name: Ariane's Pride

Ship type: Type-9 Heavy

Registration : ██████

3. Incident details

Estimated time of incident: +/- 17:40 Galactic Standard Time

Location: Planet HIP 32001 3A

4. Claimant's declaration

"During a commercial transit between the HIP 32001 system and Cerritics, my ship was violently impacted by a space object, probably a comet fragment. The impact damaged several critical systems, including secondary propulsion, generators and inertial control.

With the gradual loss of power, I was forced to make an emergency landing on planet 3A in the HIP 32001 system. The rough terrain caused severe damage to the hull, rendering the ship irreparable on the spot.

I was able to salvage a few personal effects, but the rest of the cargo and equipment is lost.

I therefore request payment of the indemnity provided for in my contract GIC-T9-CIV-29288-AX9."

5. Signature

I hereby declare that the information provided is accurate and complete. Any falsification may result in prosecution under articles GIC-212 and 213 of the Galactic Insurance Code.

Electronic signature : A.Key-[BIO-ID:AK-147-B2110448.EL]

A suspicious request

Following a scandal about a secret base, you remember that she had been reported missing... In order to recall the facts, you search your archives for the Imperial Herald article that had made the headlines.

A GHOST LABORATORY AND A BANNED MILITARY SERUM

An independent commander recently uncovered the existence of an abandoned secret research base on the desert moon. Dubbed MIR-14, the complex is believed to have been used to develop an experimental military serum designed to amplify the violence and fighting spirit of soldiers.

According to the messages found on site, the project, initially intended for medical purposes, quickly went off the rails. The compound was said to have provoked unstable, even lethal, behavior in the human guinea pigs. Transferred to military control, the research team was forced to continue despite the dangers. One of the scientists eventually sabotaged the installation, freeing the test subjects before opening the station to space.

The case comes to the surface thanks to an investigation launched after the discovery of suspicious movements on an abandoned base leading to the discovery of a wreck, the Ariane's Pride, whose cargo would have contained some of the serum. The MIR-14 base, now destroyed, lifts a corner of the veil on a project whose very existence defies ethics - R.J.Lovell

This sudden return of Ariane's Pride to the surface greatly intrigues the Galactic Insurance Company.

As an agent-expert, your role is simple: assess the damage and confirm that the cause cited is indeed a malfunction or natural accident, and not pilot error or, worse, fraud!

You're all too familiar with the procedure and the pilots who try to abuse the system.

Digital files pile up on your desk.

Not so long ago, you shared an office with a colleague. Since his disappearance in a field accident, the files have been piling up too fast. But the case of Ariane's Pride intrigues you...

You take the file and go to the crash site.

Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step

Crash site

A few hours later, you land not without difficulty on a steep surface. The Pride is there, dislocated, lying on its belly. At first glance, the impact has been violent.

You go out with your VRS to inspect the area and look for clues to corroborate the statement.

- Go around the camera looking for any comet impacts. Don't forget to take photos of them for your report.

- While inspecting the craft, you discover the Type-09 registration. This crucial detail was hidden in the accident report.

Noted in your report :

Password:

You also retrieve the two logbooks. They confirm an emergency message about a comet impact.

The name of another vessel also appears: the Winter's Grasp. According to the papers, it responded to Ariane's Pride's distress signal and rescued the pilot to Gooch Hangar in the neighboring system: Baliscii.

GIC - Internal Investigation Note

Agent : [Confidential Name]

Réf. : GIC/NIE-7845-AK
Object : Crash site inspection – Ariane’s Pride

Findings:

- Wreck located on HIP 32001 3A. Type-9 confirmed.

- Registration number found: JJ-30K (hidden in application).

- Side impacts, suspected comet impact trajectory.

- Logbook: mention of a rescue by the Winter's Grasp.

>>> Next step: Go to Gooch Hangar for verification.

Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step

Gooch Hangar

Gooch Hangar station, an unpretentious outpost, welcomes you under harsh light and moderate traffic. You're here to track down the Winter's Grasp.

Once you've landed, you go to the landing bay security department. In exchange for authorization from the GIC, you are provided with a video recording from the dockside cameras.

After several hours of viewing, finally the Winter's Grasp approaches and docks at quay n°03. Her name is visible on the hull.

Note the arrival time of the Winter's Grasp in your report (hh:mm):

Password:

The Goosh Hangar technical officer assisting you in your investigation informs you that a distress signal from the Winter's Grasp is still active in the system, an echo now out of date, but maintained in service in accordance with protocols.

Under interstellar regulations, wreck recovery and debris clean-up must wait until the legal six-month deadline has expired, allowing the pilot to send in his claim and, above all, a GIC inspection.

GIC - Internal Investigation Note

Agent : [Confidential Name]

Reference: GIC/NIE-7845-AK
Object: Confirmation of the changeover from Winter's Grasp to Gooch Hangar.

Findings:

- ASP Winter's Grasp identified on video recording.

- Landing confirmed at 04:57 GST

- Information on a distress signal transmitted by the Winter's Grasp, coordinates transmitted.

>>> Next step: Investigate the location of the Distress Call: Winter's Grasp signal.

Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step

Distress signal

The distress signal detected leads you to a point lost in the darkness of the system.

The coordinates are correct. As you emerge from the supercruise, your radar panics: three inert masses drift slowly into the void. You approach, headlights on, engines slowing.

Yet there's no trace of the Winter's Grasp. It seems to have disintegrated. Just a few pieces of the ship floating here and there in the void prove that it was indeed present here.

The first ship is an Anaconda, charred, with no visible sign of identification.

The second ship... a Type-9. You approach cautiously to reveal its registration.

Note this in your report:

Password:

The same as Ariane's Pride... Something's not right.

You now approach the third vessel. Also a Type-9, you look again for its registration, which you also note in your report:

Password:

Doubt gave way to amazement: the two Type-9s bore the same registration as the wreck found on HIP 32001: JJ-30K.

You triple-check. Same designation, same markings. Three supposedly unique ships. All supposed to be Ariane's Pride? A registration error? You ask GIC for the list of assets in Ariane Key's name.

While waiting for them to send you the information, you look at these four unreadable black boxes... Yet one of them is emitting a distress signal. It must be possible to recover something. By changing the frequency of your data scanner, you obtain a file of one of the tags: LOG_FRAG_RECOV.BAT.

SYSLOG// BEACON-ASP – Partial sync attempt
Decoded: Distress Call: Winter’s Grasp

TIME [--:-8] = digit '8' position confirmed.

#Note: Time data corrupt. Apply pattern check manually to re-sync.

You'll have to manually re-synchronize the beacon's internal clock to recover its transmission time.

You must have four full balls to successfully re-synchronize : ● ● ● ●

● → one of the digits is correct and in the right position.

○ → one of the digits is correct but in the wrong position.

- → one of the numbers is wrong.

The order of the symbols does not indicate the position of the submitted digits.

Launch TIME4SYNC application

Note the time (hh:mm) the Distress Call: Winter's Grasp tag was sent in your report:

Password:

This information is crucial: it proves that the Winter's Grasp has not been destroyed. At least, not here, as people are trying to make out.

Indeed, less than an hour after the distress beacon was transmitted, it was parked at Gooch Hangar. Your intuition is confirmed: this signal is nothing but a carefully prepared staging.

GIC - Internal Investigation Note

Agent : [Confidential Name]

Reference: GIC/NIE-7845-AK
Object: Inspection of the Winter's Grasp distress signal.

Findings:

- 2x Type-9 Heavy

- 1x Anaconda

- Presence of hull fragments from the Winter's Grasp.

- Both Type-9s have identical registration numbers to the wreckage of HIP 32001 3A: JJ-30K.

- 4 unreadable black boxes
- Beacon transmission time: 04:18

- Suspicious staging. Express request for Ariane Key's possessions.

>>> Next step: Return to Gooch Hangar for a thorough inspection of cargo movements.

Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step

Cargo

Back at the Gooch Hangar, you start gathering the missing pieces. After staging its destruction at 04:18, the Winter's Grasp landed at 04:57, as the video confirms. But what was it doing here?

You then ask to consult the cargo bills for loading bay n°03.

Time    | Action | Type          | Ship Name       | Cargo Wgt  | Cargo Type (1)

00:12   | Arr.   | Keelback      | SV-Lancer       | 84         | n.c.
01:05   | Dep.   | Keelback      | SV-Lancer       | 12         | n.c.
01:33   | Arr.   | Type-6        | Dust Hopper     | 96         | n.c.
02:10   | Dep.   | Type-6        | Dust Hopper     | 38         | n.c.
02:45   | Arr.   | ASP Scout     | Red Hawk        | 34         | n.c.
03:23   | Dep.   | ASP Scout     | Red Hawk        | 87         | n.c.
03:40   | Arr.   | Cobra MkIII   | Burntail        | 18         | n.c.
04:18   | Dep.   | Cobra MkIII   | Burntail        | 9          | n.c.
04:57   | Arr.   | ASP Explorer  | Winter’s Grasp  | 76         | n.c.
06:48   | Dep.   | ASP Explorer  | Winter’s Grasp  | 0          | n.c.
07:42   | Arr.   | Sidewinder    | Hollow Echo     | 4          | n.c.
08:19   | Dep.   | Sidewinder    | Hollow Echo     | 1          | n.c.
08:44   | Arr.   | Type-9        | Spiral Frigate  | 0          | n.c.
09:33   | Dep.   | Type-9        | Spiral Frigate  | 76         | n.c.
10:47   | Arr.   | Type-9        | Aurora’s Echo   | 740        | n.c.
11:22   | Dep.   | Type-9        | Aurora’s Echo   | 420        | n.c.
11:56   | Arr.   | Sidewinder    | Green Echo      | 2          | n.c.
12:45   | Dep.   | Sidewinder    | Green Echo      | 3          | n.c.
13:13   | Arr.   | Hauler        | Dust Spear      | 28         | n.c.
14:01   | Dep.   | Hauler        | Dust Spear      | 32         | n.c.
---
(1) Content hidden in accordance with the Commercial Confidentiality Act 
(Art. 46-B, Federal Code of Space Commerce)

Two hours after arriving, the Winter's Grasp has left empty. But just as surprising, as you rummage through the slip, you notice an unusual cargo transfer.

Note in your report the name of the vessel that requires further research:

Password:

The Spiral Frigate, a type-9, left with exactly the same cargo weight as the Winter's Grasp: 76 tons. A dubious coincidence. You then demand the flight plan of the Spiral Frigate.

==============================================================================
FLIGHT PLAN – SPIRAL FRIGATE / CARGO VESSEL
==============================================================================
DEPARTURE STATION : BALISCII / GOOCH HANGAR (BAY GH-03)
DESTINATION : LHS 2429 / HAWKE SETTLEMENT (NO PAD)
DEPARTURE TIME : 09:30 GST
VESSEL TYPE : TYPE-9 HEAVY
REGISTRATION ID : ██████
RADIO CALLSIGN : THREE-ZERO-KILO
FLIGHT RULES : IFR (AUTO-NAV JUMPS)
CRUISE SPEED : MAX. 30 LY PER JUMP (TOLERANCE 0.5)
FLIGHT LEVEL : HYPERSPACE LANE AUTO
EST. DURATION : 04h15

TOTAL DIST : 135.09 LY
TOTAL JUMPS : 6
CARGO TYPE : ██████████████████

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLANNED ROUTE AND WAYPOINTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEG SYSTEM NAME IDENTIFIER ETA (GST) DIST NOTES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- BALISCII GH-03 --- 20.64 LY DEPARTURE CLEARANCE
01 KAMUTI --- 10:03 29.65 LY TRANSIT JUMP
02 CHOTHE --- 10:28 16.06 LY TRANSIT JUMP
03 ISHTAR --- 11:02 24.18 LY TRANSIT JUMP
04 POLLUX --- 11:44 30.12 LY TRANSIT JUMP
05 LHS 2157 --- 12:27 14.44 LY TRANSIT JUMP
06 LHS 2429 HS-00 13:15 --- FINAL APPROACH

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL REMARKS & NOTES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Flight authorized for a route with 3 refueling stops.
• Departure from Gooch Hangar recorded on Bay Surveillance Record GH-CAM-51.
• Last known contact: “Control, initiating frame shift sequence. Out”

On paper, everything looks good. But reality tells you otherwise. After simulating the destruction of the Winter's Grasp on a rescue mission, Ariane Key has come here to discreetly transship with another Type-9.

Make a note of the destination installation in your report:

Password:

GIC - Internal Investigation Note

Agent : [Confidential Name]

Reference: GIC/NIE-7845-AK
Object: Inspection of the Winter's Grasp distress signal.

Findings:

- The Winter's Grasp left Gooch Hangar, cargo hold empty, at 06:48. Destination unknown.
- The Spiral Frigate took off at 09:33 with 76 tons of freight - weight corresponding to the cargo initially assigned to the Winter's Grasp.
- Flight plan: destination LHS 2429, Hawke Settlement.

- Suspected illegal transfer and logistical conspiracy.

General comment:

Irregularities in documents and flight plan have been noted such as masked registrations and missing cargo data. Consider requesting an outpost inspection.

>>> Next step: Search for the Spiral Frigate at Hawke Settlement.

Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step

Hawke Settlement

You ask the plant manager about the Type-9 that's supposed to deliver the cargo from Gooch Hangar. He frowns, then consults his terminal.

This one? No, we've never seen him here. The flight was registered, but he never showed up on approach. No contact. No landing.

On the other hand, several unidentified surface impacts have been recorded in the vicinity of its ETA(*). But given the gravity of this planet, objects fall every day. Mostly asteroids. Without a distress signal, you understand, we don't move. Too much risk for our teams.

(*)Estimated Time of Arrival

The explanation is logical... but you feel that these impacts need to be verified.

The technician sends you a list of impacts covering the period around 13:15, the ETA of Type-9.

------------------------------------------------------
│ Time │ Impact Force │ Latitude │ Longitude │
------------------------------------------------------
│ 12:01:12 │ 4,24 MN │ -12.537° │ +87.214° │
│ 12:14:43 │ 3,97 MN │ +03.812° │ -72.653° │
│ 12:27:17 │ 7,61 MN │ +45.204° │ +28.736° │
│ 12:34:25 │ 31,23 MN │ -21.909° │ +11.570° │
│ 12:39:48 │ 34,84 MN │ -14,170° │ +131,143° │
│ 12:58:09 │ 5,10 MN │ +02.013° │ +76.927° │
│ 13:04:22 │ 28,5 MN │ +17.406° │ -48.933° │
│ 13:10:16 │ 11,50 MN │ -33.112° │ -92.486° │
│ 13:17:03 │ 64,11 MN │ +36.421° │ +89.005° │
│ 13:21:29 │ 17,83 MN │ -14.875° │ -15.367° │
│ 13:28:57 │ 25,71 MN │ +06.111° │ -32.049° │
│ 13:31:08 │ 11,29 MN │ -43.290° │ +07.392° │
│ 13:46:45 │ 29,52 MN │ +18.877° │ +33.006° │
│ 13:52:12 │ 8,82 MN │ -05.740° │ -60.115° │
│ 13:59:34 │ 22,62 MN │ +49.932° │ +26.778° │
│ 14:12:01 │ 31,17 MN │ -31.559° │ -84.221° │
│ 14:17:27 │ 10,95 MN │ +12.503° │ +04.906° │
│ 14:19:13 │ 27,51 MN │ -09.621° │ +39.874° │
│ 14:23:36 │ 6,40 MN │ +40.221° │ -19.374° │
│ 14:29:59 │ 4,95 MN │ -19.000° │ +58.239° │
------------------------------------------------------

You get out your calculator to estimate the impact force of the Type-9 and find the crash site.

The (simplified) calculation formula to be used is F = M x G

F = impact force in Newton

M = unit mass in kg

G = planet's attractive force

You can find the mass on ship configuration sites such as Coriolis.

G = planet gravity x 9.81

...to add the cargo mass of the Type-9 to its own mass ;)

Indicate the precise time (hh:mm:ss) of impact that corresponds to the crash of the Type-9. And go to the corresponding coordinates to find the wreckage.

Password:

Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step

The last wreck

You go to the impact coordinates and see massive, jagged debris thrown dozens of metres. The impact was unusually violent. The ship's hull is ripped open, charred in places. The bow has been literally swallowed by the rock.

As you walk around the aircraft's wing, you discover its registration: JJ-30K.

It's the fourth. And now, for you, it's no longer a surprise.

The force of the impact ejected the precious cargo it was carrying.

This cargo undeniably represents the raw material for the serum produced on MIR-14.

A theft of the cargo or a conflict with its sponsors prompted Ariane Key to orchestrate her disappearance by redirecting her pursuers to the MIR-14 base, with the aim of highlighting the incident there and thus creating a diversion.

A notification from your handheld terminal finally informs you of the receipt of a message from the GIC.

Dear Agent,

Please find enclosed your request transmitted from the Sirius Gov notary archive.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ID         | Type     | Designation      | Status             | Registration     
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 AK-T9-001  | Type-9   | Ariane's Pride   | Declared destroyed | ██████           
 AK-T9-002  | Type-9   | Spiral Frigate   | n/a                | ██████           
 AK-T9-003  | Type-9   | Unknown          | n/a                | ██████           
 AK-T9-004  | Type-9   | Unknown          | n/a                | ██████           
 AK-ASP-01  | ASP Exp. | Winter's Grasp   | Presumed destroyed | ██████           
 AK-SRV-01  | SRV      | Scarab Mk IV     | Presumed destroyed | -               
 AK-ACC-01  | Account  | Personal Credit  | Balance: 92.72 M cr| -                 
 AK-ACC-02  | Account  | Personal Account | Balance: 2K cr     | -               
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cordially,

Important Note: Starting this cycle, the submission address for investigation reports has been changed to reports@gic-net.com. Please take this into account for your future submissions.

| From : registry@siriusnotary.gov
| To : operations@gic.net
| Subject : RE: List of the Insured's assets AK-147-B2110448.EL

| Dear Ms. Niels,

| Please find enclosed the extract from the notary's inventory relating to

| to the insured AK-147-B2110448.EL

| Sincerely,
| Armand Leksen,
| Certified Registrar – Sirius Gov Notarial Exchange

|| From : operations@gic.net
|| To : registry@siriusnotary.gov
|| Subject : List of the Insured's assets AK-147-B2110448.EL

|| Hello,

|| Please send us the complete list of assets declared by

|| the Ariane Key insurer (GIC File: AK-147-B2110448.EL), including

|| all spatial units, associated accounts

|| and equipment recorded in your archives.

|| Sincerely,

|| Johanna Niels
|| General Operations - GIC
|| Complex Claims Division

More hidden data... but that's not the only thing that's bothering you. Look at it later. You close the file and drag it into the documents folder attached to the case.

Taking up the thread of your investigation, you record the cargo found near the wreck :

Password:

GIC - Internal Investigation Note

Agent : [Confidential Name]

Ref: GIC/NIE-7845-AK
Object: Failed flight tracking from Gooch Hangar

Findings:

- The Type-9 from Gooch Hangar never arrived at its destination.
- An impact revealed wreckage of a Type-9 bearing registration JJ-30K.
- The high gravity of LHS 2429 1 (2.81 G) may have contributed to the crash.

- Cargo found on site: Hafnium 178.

Once the step is completed, proceed to the next step

The fall of Ariane Key

This is the fourth vessel identified under the registration JJ-30K. At this point, it can no longer be a matter of administrative error or simple coincidence. Ariane Key has orchestrated a sophisticated illegal trafficking network, using a fleet of identical vessels to complicate the tracing of its activities.

Ruined, cargo lost, fleet dismantled. Ariane Key was left with only one option: try a compensation claim to recover a share of its losses.

She probably didn't expect you to be so determined to follow the trail this far.

You are finishing writing your report on Acaba Dock, the station orbiting LHS 2429 1 :

Final Investigation Report - File GIC/FIR-7845-AK

For Galactic Insurance Company

1. Following the claim filed by Commander Ariane Key concerning the destruction of the Ariane's Pride on HIP 32001 3A, a full investigation was carried out.

2. The wreck found on site features a JJ-30K registration, absent from the form, and shared by three other vessels discovered during the investigation.

3. Analysis of flight logs, video surveillance and logistics slips indicate that the Ariane's Pride cargo was discreetly transferred to Gooch Hangar via the Winter's Grasp, then loaded onto another Type-9, the Spiral Frigate, also registered as JJ-30K.

4. The elements gathered demonstrate the existence of a large-scale illegal transport fraud involving the use of vessels under the same registration.

5. Lately, to stage his demise in a funeral scene, several ships have been deliberately sacrificed.

6. But the insured, remaining unaccounted for to this day, crashed into LHS 2429 1 before reaching its destination. The cargo recovered from the site will be handed over to the authorities.

Conclusion : Confirmed Fraud.

File forwarded to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.

No compensation to be paid.

Appendices :

- F42 Accident Declaration Form

- Video extract GH-CAM-94.mov

- Cargo Manifest (Gooch Hangar - Dock 04)

- Spiral Frigate flight plan

- List of insured property AK-147-B2110448.EL

Enter the recipient's e-mail address for sending the survey report:

Read the e-mail from GIC carefully.

Password:

Case closed. Well done, Commander!

You let out a long sigh;

You turn off the VPN, close the interface, stretch, and grab your jacket.
You've heard that the resort bar is hosting an e-jazz concert tonight. You've earned yourself a drink.

As you cross the threshold of your cabin, a brief notification sound resounds on the terminal.
A message...

You stop for half a second... then shrug: the music in the distance is calling you.

'We’ll see about that tomorrow.'

You leave the terminal flashing behind you, isolated in the gloom of the cabin...

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 !

Podium

CMDR …

14/03/1337

CMDR …

14/03/1337

CMDR …

14/03/1337

And…

The following CMDRs have also completed this adventure: