Élite Dangereuse - Un soutien festif

Festive support

Adventure summary:

A strange inventor asks for your help to save the Christmas spirit. He asks you to deliver his inventions, but the list has been damaged. Only a Christmas hero can succeed!

The Recap

Exploration ship

6 tons of cargo

Difficulty Beginner

Date

3309

Lore

Christmas

Duration

1h30

Max distance

140 YL

Festive support

ByCMDR OptimusKoala
22 December 3309
450 points

Unfortunately, this adventure is no longer available in-game.
If you've already done the Christmas quest 3309 or 3310, please refer to the end of the adventure to find out how to return it and earn the points.

You're enjoying a relaxing moment to savor a hot chocolate at the Condit's Legacy bar in the Thanatos system. The artificial snow diffuser has been on the move for a few days now, dressing the resort in a beautiful blanket of white. As you watch the aerial sweep of decorated fir trees across the resort, you receive a message from a certain Harlan Harksing. Who could be bothering you on Christmas Eve?

A strange request

You finish your cup of hot chocolate in a hurry and climb back into your ship, decorated in Christmas colors for the occasion.

You open your mailbox and read the message you've just received.

Commander, I need your help!
The name's Harald Harksing, and I am a man of technology.

My mind is a cacophony of gadgets, gizmos and gimmicks. You wouldn't believe the wonderous creations that litter my workshop. I'd be delighted to give a tour one day, but I've been told that the area is a ‘hazardous environment' by the local security team. No technological revolution comes without risk, I say!

Still. this does bring me to my dilemma - the databank of recipients for my yearly festive giveaway has been corrupted! I attempted to recontextualise the granular paradigms through the proactive network vortals buried within the proprietary operating system's holistic functionality. Somewhat foolishly, | now admit. My hand-written letters containing names, locations and such have been scrambled.

Would you consider decoding these messages and delivering my packages? I'd be willing to provide a veritable bounty of goodies if you choose to do so!

You can find me at Angel Station in Calhuacan. I await your arrival with fervent anticipation!

A very unusual request, but you're tempted by the adventure.

Your FSD is hot and the Calhuacan system is in sight. Ahead CMDR.

Once you've arrived at Angel Station, proceed to step 2

An inventor in need

You arrive in the Calhuacan system and can easily reach your destination.

Angel Station

As soon as you set down, you receive another message from your new friend.

Welcome to Angel Station, Commander!

I am delighted that you are here. Hopefully to help distribute my inspired inventions across the bubble, where delighted recipients will no doubt declare this holiday season to be the greatest ever.

Your instructions are to collect Festive Gifts from the Angel Station commodity market. I have marked the containers to ensure you receive the correct gifts. Should you lose them or trade them at locations other than those named in the encrypted messages, you'll need to return here to collect a replacement.

Scan the beacon outside Angel Station - ifyou haven't already! - to collect the scrambled messages. Once your clever little brain has figured out how to decipher them, visit each named location and sell a Festive Gift to the commodity market. The cargo crews will ensure the correct package reaches the intended recipient.

Each message is signed with my name. Perhaps this offers a starting point for decoding the text.
l've arranged for rewards to be assigned to you with each delivery. Best of luck. Commander!

Harald Harksing

A reward for every delivery? Now you're definitely more interested...
Fill your cargo hold with festive gifts and scan the famous beacon near the station. Scan the beacon and go to step 3

Message 1

Scanning this beacon reveals a series of 6 damaged messages. You'll have to decipher them to discover the 6 destinations where you can deliver your festive gifts.

Harald Harksing's beacon

Here's the first message:

Up Kbtnjob Ibmtfz, Nz benjsbujpo pg zpvs dbsffs lopxt op mjnjut. Bt b gpsnfs Qsftjefou pg uif Gfefsbujpo, ju jt tbgf up tbz bsf pof pg uif nptu sfnbslbcmf joejwjevbmt pg zpvs hfofsbujpo.

Fwfo uipvhi zpvs ufnqpsbsz njtqmbdfnfou bcpbse Tubstijq Pof xbt op epvcu ejtpsjfoujoh, zpv ibwf sfuvsofe up tfswjdf bt b Gfefsbm bncbttbeps gps qfbdf boe hppexjmm.

J pggfs zpv b uplfo pg uif tbnf hppexjmm, xjui uif vunptu ivnjmjuz. Nbz ju csjhuifo vq zpvs pggjdf bu Cmpdi Tubujpo.

Zpvst jo sftqfdu,
Ibsbme Ibsltjoh

The message is badly damaged... But still, there's a chance of finding its original contents and discovering the first destination to deliver festive gifts.

By applying a rotation of 1 (ROT 1) the text is legible.

Once you've found your first destination, go on to step 4

Message 2

Bravo, you've managed to recompose the message. You've reached your first destination without a hitch.

The first destination

Once you've sold at least 1 ton of festive gifts, you'll receive a confirmation message.
It's time for the second message.

Gl Svxgll Nliwzmgrxfh Wfezo,
Blf ziv z xsrow lu xlmhrwvizyov hrtmrurxzmxv, drgs z klgvmgrzo ufgfiv lm gsv Rnkvirzo Gsilmv. Gzpv zwezmgztv lu gsvhv vziob bvzih lm Wbhlm Xrgb, vmqlbrmt vevib nlnvmg lu z xzivuivv blfgs dsrov blf xzm.
Rm gsrh hkrirg, R slkv nb orggov trug droo kilerwv slfih lu qlb!
Blfih rm prmwmvhh,
Szizow Sziphrmt

Like the first message, this one can be deciphered... But how?

Applying an Atbash number to the text makes it legible.

Once you've found your second destination, go on to step 5

Message 3

You reach the second station.

The second destination

Once you've deposited your gifts, you'll receive confirmation and move on to the third message.

Gb Fnfxvn Ynaqnh, Gur ntrag jub sbhaq n zvffvat Rzcrebe! V pbafvqrerq lbhe tvsg sbe dhvgr fbzr gvzr. Va gur raq, jung orggre jnl gb ubabhe lbhe terngrfg fhpprff guna jvgu n ornhgvshy zrzbel fvggvat ba lbhe Rabpu Cbeg qrfx?
Gur cresrpg pbairefngvba cvrpr, V guvax lbh'yy nterr.
Lbhef va gevhzcu,
Unenyq Unexfvat

By applying a rotation of 13 (ROT13), the message is readable.

Once you've found your third destination, go on to step 6

Message 4

Once you've arrived at your destination, you'll head back to the station to deliver your festive gifts.

The third destination

Once the gifts have been deposited, you receive confirmation and take a look at the fourth message.

Wr Rody Uhgfrxuw,
L krsh brx'oo irujlyh wkh lqwuxvlrq, jlyhq brxu suhihuhqfh iru vrolwxgh lq uhfhqw bhduv. Exw dv d kxjh idq ri wkh Fruvdlu Nlqj vhulhv, L frxogq'w uhvlvw fuhdwlqj d vpdoo uhsuhvhqwdwlrq ri pb orbdo vxssruw.
Qr grxew brxu qhaw errn zloo eh d pduyho, vlu. Idqv dfurvv wkh jdodab kdyh idlwk wkdw brx'yh pdgh 'ydq gh Kxovw'v' surjuhvv!
Brxuv lq dgrudwlrq,
Kdudog Kdunvlqj

By applying a rotation of 3 (ROT3), the message is legible. A clue is hidden in the text: 'you've made progress at the << van de Hulst >>!'. This refers to Van de Hulst's Progress station in the Caspatsuria system.

Once you've found your fourth destination, go on to step 7

Message 5

You stop in the target system and approach your destination.

The fourth destination

As soon as the gifts have been deposited, we send you confirmation and you start watching the fifth message.

Gl Vorqys Zvxp,
Rg'h lnv gsrnt gl ivevyo gsv dilntwlrnt lu y mvtyolmynryx, yh alf lnxv wrw. Rg'h ynlgsvi gl wvwrxygv alfi xyivvi gl xlmkovgv gsv rmkligyng dlip gsyg kvihln yzynwlnvw. Alfi wvkyigmvng yg Tvlitv Ofxyh rh wlrnt tivyg gsrnth.
Dliwh yiv uyi mliv rmkligyng gsyg dvyklnh. Mfxs mliv ykkilkirygv uli slorwya tymvh, yh dvoo.
Alfih rn hlorwyirga,
Syiyow Syiphrnt

With Mono-alphabetic Substitution, the message is readable.

Once you've found your fifth destination, go on to step 8

Message 6

You arrive in the system and head for the target station to deliver your gifts.

The fifth destination

As soon as the gifts are deposited, confirmation is received and you begin to look at the sixth and final message.

Gl Yibzmmz Yozmxl,
Gsv rmgivkrw rmevhgrtzgli! Xirxp Xrgb'h qlfimzorhg uli qfhgrxv! Gl hl ivovmgovhhob slfmw lmv lu gsv irxsvhg urtfivh rm srhglib rh zm zxg lu uvziovhhmvhh. Dszg trug xlfow klhhryob vmxzkhfozgv hfxs wvgvinrmzgrlm, hfxs ulxfh!
R kivhvmg gsv zmhdvi gszg gszg jfvhgrlm - drgs z krmxs lu kzmzxsv, lu xlfihv.
Blfih rm giryfgv,
Szizow Sziphrmt

By applying an Atbash number, the message is readable.

Once the last destination has been found, go ahead and proceed to step 9

Deliveries made

At last, you've reached the final destination of your Christmas delivery.

The last destination

Once at the last station, you deliver your final gifts.
You will receive confirmation as usual, as well as a message from your friend.

Commander, you are a true hero!

My prestigious prototypes have all been delivered to the intended individuals. No doubt they sent you words of awe and inspiration upon receiving their parcels.
Who knows, perhaps if the recipients are as smitten with their gifts as I expect, they would be willing to endorse their widespread manufacture, so every system can enjoy my work. Think of the prestige... not to mention the credits!
As a token of my thanks, I've sent an extra extravagance to your account.
I bid you a fantastically festive holiday season.

Harald Harksing

Well done, you've finally finished delivering all of Harald Harksing's wacky inventions. You may have saved the Christmas spirit, but I'm not so sure the presents were much fun...

You can complete this adventure automatically by connecting to the site with your Frontier account.

You can also share your pictures on discord in the channel #trophées !