Chapter Three

Latest revision as of 11:36, 10 February 2024

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(Into theme song: Purple Sun, Cannons)

Someone Has Taken The Vowel Of Silence

Characters

Stratis "Rocky" Crystallo Sedimeti Enomorph, Ph.D.
Rikard Hightower, captain of the C.E.V. Sherwood Forest
Theme song: Skating Away On the Thin Ice of the New Day, Jethro Tull
Rosalind "Rosie" Neisseria Linnaeus, Ph.D.
Sherwood, geist of the CEV Sherwood Forest
Theme song: Rainbow Fields (Upbeat Instrumental), Robbins Island Music Group
CEV Sherwood Forest
Theme song: Rainbow Fields (Upbeat Instrumental), Robbins Island Music Group

Game Sessions

2022-08-15

The Sherwood Forest is at the edge of the Erodani sector, and stops at the last starbase they'll see for the next week: Erodani Hypernet Relay Station. They are in the Corporate Worlds, so everyone is on their good behaviour. As it turns out, both the station police and the administration seem pretty reasonable. No lethal weapons, have an outbound ticket, don't start any fights, and pay your bills.

Erodani Hypernet Relay Station

The big attraction at the station is the Kroy standing motionless in the station's central hub. The crew had seen the Kroy's unique starship when they approached the station. Larger than most space stations, it appeared to be layers of concentric partial-rings, with a light as bright as a small sun somewhere inside of it. Traffic control informs them that the starship belongs to a Kroy, Orange Red Violet, who arrived several weeks ago. Since then, the Kroy has stood motionless in the station's central hub. It was novel for a while, but now everyone has gotten used to it.

While relaxing at the Hyperactive Bar Lounge (after trying to communicate with the nonresponsive Kroy), the crew are approached by a Human accompanied by a Saurian. The Human introduces himself as Ringil Urshukan, a collector of Old Commonwealth memorabilia (he is currently wearing an Old Commonwealth wrist computer, or "kit" – nonfunctional, of course). He has recognized the C.E.V. Sherwood Forest as a Class 3 Old Commonwealth Survey Vessel, and he wants to buy it. He grows insistent, but abruptly changes his mind when Rikard tells him that they have thoroughly upgraded the ship, replacing virtually everything. Ringil Urshukan puts out his cigarette in Rikard's drink, stands, and walks away without another word.

The crew spends the evening relaxing and exploring the station, which was originally an Old Commonwealth era Bha'atar Empire space station. The station was discovered and refurbished by the Kosaten Group after the Restoration. Since then, it has served as a way station between Erodani sector and worlds beyond. Their evening is disturbed when Sherwood and Rikard spot Agent Shay Cho, who they last saw in the company of Inquisitor Gand of the Divine Inquisition. Smelling a trap, the crew heads for the ship, when the Sherwood-drones with the crew discover that they can't contact the ship anymore – and vice versa. Someone is generating a powerful jamming field. The source soon becomes apparent: the HDSS Alahir is hovering near the station, where it can't be seen by the Sherwood Forest.

HDSS Alahir
Theme song: By Your Command, Devin Townsend

The crew is confronted by Inquisitor Gand of the Divine Inquisition, who is accompanied by six zealots – deadly fanatics in three meter tall suits of powered armor. The crew flees, passing the motionless Kroy. As the zealots approach, the Kroy raises its hand and says "Stop". Gand hesitates, but directs the zealots to continue the chase.

As they pass the Kroy, the six suits of powered armor fall to the ground, somehow deactivated. The Kroy lowers its hand, and Gand takes a tentative step forward. The Kroy raises its hand again, which is enough reason for Gand to spin on his heel and begin shouting for station security.

The crew make their way down the stairs to the docking ring, but are rebuffed by the guards on duty. Station Administrator Narayanam (a Human) contacts them through the guards' security console, and asks Rikard to come to his office for a chat. Rikard heads there, hoping to buy time for the rest of the crew to find a way to get to the Sherwood Forest. Meanwhile, the guards ask Rocky and Rosie to leave the area, since their intentions are more than a little obvious. They suggest that Rosie and Rocky take a look at the observatory dome.

The observatory dome is a transparent hemisphere, but Sherwood is able to unlock its (formerly) AI-managed functionality, and they spend a while enjoying some stargazing.

Rikard has a conversation with Station Administrator Narayanam, while Agent Cho stands impassively nearby. Narayanam explains that there are two problems facing the Sherwood Forest.

First, the Alahir, and Inquisitor Gand. Gand has no jurisdiction here, and Agent Cho (of ISC) is only here out of courtesy. However, the station does not have the resources to defy Gand if he presses the matter. As a matter of practicality, if Gand wants Rikard and the Sherwood Forest, there is little Narayanam can do about it.

The second matter is the current lockdown.

A member of the Kosaten Group board of directors, Ringil Urshukan, was murdered a few hours ago. The station security has clear recordings of the crew in the Hyperactive Bar Lounge well within the time of death, so they are not suspects in his death. However, a valuable Old Commonwealth artifact was stolen. Someone has taken the Vowel Of Silence. Station Administrator Narayanam would like for the murder to be solved and for the item to be recovered, and that will only be possible while the lockdown continues.

Narayanam can't force Gand to do anything (gestures at the Alahir floating in the distance). However, Gand seems intent on apprehending the crew of the Sherwood Forest, and the Kroy appears (for reasons both Narayanam and Rikard agree are mysterious) intent on preventing that, so as long as the Kroy remains, the lockdown seems secure. However, it will end in two days whether the guilty party is found or not, so the Sherwood Forest will be able to leave then.

Rikard offers Agent Cho the plans for the entirely functional yet never constructed refit which would allow the Sherwood Forest to operate without an onboard AI (or "geist", as that crew position was called in the Old Commonwealth). She spends time examining the schematics, and she apparently knows what she's looking at. Eventually, she accepts this evidence, and thanks Rikard for his cooperation. She can't speak for Gand, but as far as the ISC is concerned, the Sherwood Forest is cleared. Shortly after that, the jamming field is deactivated, and Sherwood's various iterations reintegrate their memories.

The network of Sherwood-drones and the primary Sherwood had both managed to decrypt and access the stations "public" traffic, and even access the station's non-critical control systems (allowing access to the sanitation system cameras, for example), but breaking the encryption on the secure traffic, and penetrating the central computer, will take several days. Although an AI, and far faster at cryptography than any organic, Sherwood does not have access to the dedicated quantum processing array that would be required to decrypt secure traffic in close to real time.

Gand sees Rikard at the lounge and buys him a drink. Gand says that Rikard can avoid prosecution if he turns over the scientists and reveals where their base is. They were out of communication for over a year, and then show up with what appears to be a fully functional Old Commonwealth ship? Their ship is obviously too small to house an AI: they must have a nearby base where they are conducting AI research. Rikard does not cooperate, and Gand takes his leave.

Cho, who apparently has been celebrating since Rikard saw her last, informs the crew that Narayanam formally asked for her assistance in solving the murder of Ringil Urshukan. The station has only a token investigation team, who rarely encounter anything more exciting than a petty theft. Furthermore, a passenger liner will arrive in two days, and neither she nor Narayanam have the political clout to prevent the more powerful suspects from leaving. If the murderer is to be caught, and the priceless Vowel Of Silence is to be recovered, they will have to do it before that liner arrives.

She informs Rosie and Rocky that she is deputizing them, since they are undoubtedly the smartest people on the station. She hands them a data card with the interviews of the suspects in the murder of Ringil Urshukan, along with some of her own notes and observations. With that, she raises her glass to the crew and makes her way back to her table.

* C.E.V. = Commonwealth Exploration Vessel
** H.D.S.S. = His Divine Shadow's Ship

The Victim

Ringil Urshukan (Human)

Ringil Urshukan (Human), Kosaten Group board member, quadrillionaire, and Old Commonwealth aficionado: Overheard arguing with Dragovich the evening of Ringil Urshukan's death. As Dragovich left Urshukan's suite, station monitors recorded Urshukan saying, "You'll be at my heel until I choose to release you. Your family will see to that!"; Cause of death at scene appeared to be stabbing. Siobhan dagger was found lodged in deceased; Medical officer later determined death caused by amethocaine overdose.; Scene was disturbed: clear signs of struggle.; Custom case unlocked and open. Vowel Of Silence missing. Station police searched the suite (#2051), but did not find it.

The MacGuffin

Vowel Of Silence

Vowel Of Silence, priceless Panglossian Era relic, assumed to be of Old Commonwealth origin.: Heavy, four sided object, apparently made of metal.; Object is made of super-dense alloy opaque to ultrasonic and radiometric sensors.; Triangular faces of object display what are assumed to be words in an unknown language.; Each face of the object displays the same characters.; The characters change on an unknown schedule, but never when observed.; Purpose unknown.; Agent Cho notes: Where is it? What did the murderer do with it? How do they expect to get it off the station?

The Suspects

Dragovich (Bha'atar)

Dragovich (Bha'atar): Overheard arguing with Ringil Urshukan the evening of Ringil Urshukan's death. As Dragovich left Urshukan's suite, station monitors recorded Urshukan saying, "You'll be at my heel until I choose to release you. Your family will see to that!"; Employed by Kosaten Group subsidiary as logistical director for several trade routes in the Bha'atar Frontier [what Sherwood knew as the Bha'atar Empire].; Interviewer notes: Was absent and unaccounted for during the time when Ringil Urshukan was probably killed. Claims not to remember. Was probably vomiting. Check with sanitation. Had opportunity, if not vomiting.; Agent Cho notes: Seems relieved at Urshukan's death. Timeline matches, but his behaviour doesn't.

Inquisitor Gand (Human)

Inquisitor Gand (Human), His Divine Shadow's Inquisition: Recorded entering residential section prior to time of death. Claims to have been in his room (#1182). Had opportunity.; Interviewer notes: No connection to deceased. No apparent motive. Would prefer not to interview again.; Agent Cho notes: He's horrid, but he didn't kill Urshukan.

Katarin Xuan (Siobhan)

Katarin Xuan (Siobhan), freelance entertainment coordinator, mistress of Ringil Urshukan: Has a room adjoining deceased, as part of his suite (#2051).; Claims everything was fine between them.; Argued with deceased earlier in evening. Claims argument pertained to a cancelled trip she had put a lot of work into organizing. Claims not to have spoken with Urshukan after the argument, but her room adjoins his. Had opportunity.; Knife owned by suspect was found in the body of the deceased, but it was not the cause of death. Cause of death was determined to be poison.; Interviewer notes: As a freelance entertainment coordinator, she has no financial gain from Urshukan's death. Would motive be love, hate, revenge? May have motive.; Agent Cho notes: She may have killed him, but if so it wasn't for love. Her business is entertainment, and she is 100% business. Stealing the VOS could be motive: priceless. But where is it? Not anywhere in Urshukan's suite. Station police won't finish searching all of the rooms before the liner arrives, much less the whole station. Side note, Xuan shows signs of physical assault, and responds with textbook victim deflection responses. I think Ringil may have had it coming.

Orange Red Violet (Kroy)
Theme song: Breakaway, Big Pig

Orange Red Violet (Kroy): Was standing in the central atrium at the time of death.; Interviewer notes: Did not respond to questions. Means, motive, and opportunity are unknown. If it killed Ringil Urshukan, how to prove it?; Agent Cho notes: ...

Lukargik (Saurian)

Lukargik (Saurian), assistant and bodyguard to Ringil Urshukan: Claims was in room adjoining deceased at time of death. Had opportunity.; Will benefit financially from Urshukan's death. Had motive.; With proximity to Katarin Xuan, could have stolen and planted dagger.; Says that Ringil Urshukan was planning to leave Katarin Xuan at next class A starport. Says that Urshukan had summoned Xuan to his room to discuss it, and that was the reason for the argument between Ringil Urshukan and Katarin Xuan.; Says that Sharik Urshukan wanted Ringil Urshukan to increase her allowance. Says that was the reason for the argument between Ringil Urshukan and Sharik Urshukan.; Says that he does not know who Moshe Holder is. Could add nothing to what the security police cameras recorded.; Claims not to have killed Ringil Urshukan, nor to have had anything to do with his death. Only suspect who did not wait to be asked.; Interviewer notes: Strong possibility. Source of poison? Check with infirmary.; Agent Cho notes: Maybe. Not ruling him out.

Moshe Holder (Human)

Moshe Holder (Human), former security guard on planet Stepanek: Claims to be at the station on vacation. Return ticket is Stepanek.; Station security called to Urshukan's suite (#2051). Holder recorded being destructive to property and shouting threats at deceased.; Claims Ringil Urshukan stole from him. Other suspects all claim not to know him.; Was detained briefly by security. Was instructed to leave on next transport, and was released.; Was in residential area during time of death. Had opportunity.; Interviewer notes: Hated Urshukan. Former employee? Political dissident?; Agent Cho notes: Definitely hiding something. If I don't find who did it and make it stick, M'Banke is going to pin it on him. Fine, if he did it, but I don't think he did it.

Sharik Urshukan (Human)

Sharik Urshukan (Human), widow of Ringil Urshukan,: Traveling under fake name.; Had argument with deceased on the evening of death. Both suspect and Lukargik confirm.; Was in residential section at time of death. Had opportunity.; Currently involved in contract dispute with Ringil Urshukan. Extensive legal action. Very public.; Interviewer notes: Had opportunity. Motive: money? Where did poison come from? Check infirmary.; Agent Cho notes: My pick. Maybe.

Agent cho has attached an additional suspect folder to the official station police file:

Security Chief M'Banke (Human)

Security Chief M'Banke (Human): Agent Cho notes: Cares way too much about pinning this on someone, and not at all about recovering the property -- NOT typical corporate priorities. There is something going on here.

The Timeline

Station security is called to Ringil Urshukan's suite (#2051). Holder recorded being destructive to property and shouting threats at deceased.
Holder detained briefly by security. Is instructed to leave on next transport, and released.
Dragovich has meeting with Urshukan. Dragovich overheard arguing with Ringil Urshukan. As Dragovich leaves Urshukan's suite, station monitors record Urshukan saying, "You'll be at my heel until I choose to release you. Your family will see to that!" This is the last time Ringil Urshukan appears alive in any recording.
Ringil Urshukan summons Xuan to his room. There is no station recording, but both Lukargik and Xuan comfirm the time of the meeting, and Xuan admits she was there. Station logs show a 45 second message took place just before the time of the meeting.
Katarin Xuan leaves the suite.
Lukargik leaves the suite to obtain medicine for himself (Probenecid) at the infirmary.
Katarin Xuan arrives at the Hyperactive Bar Lounge, appearing to be in high spirits. Many people soon join her at her table.
Lukargik returns to the suite, where Sharik Urshukan is already present. Sharik is holding the door open between the outer living area and the door to Ringil Urshukan's private quarters. Sharik Urshukan shouts through the doorway at Ringil Urshukan that she will get what's coming to her, then slams the door.
Sharik leaves the suite.
Sharik Urshukan arrives at the Hyperactive Bar Lounge, and sits alone.
Dragovich, in the Hyperactive Bar Lounge, appears to wake up.
Dragovich leaves the central atrium (where there are cameras) through an unknown route.
Dragovich returns to the Hyperactive Bar Lounge, and resumes drinking.
Ringil Urshukan is found by Lukargik: apparently stabbed.
Lukargik alerts the station police.
Station police arrive on the scene.

Dragovich (Bha'atar)
Agent Shay Cho (Human), Interstellar Security Command
Inquisitor Gand (Human), His Divine Shadow's Inquisition
Katarin Xuan (Siobhan), mistress of Ringil Urshukan
Orange Red Violet (Kroy)
Theme song: Breakaway, Big Pig
Lukargik (Saurian), assistant and bodyguard to Ringil Urshukan
Moshe Holder (Human), former security guard on planet Stepanek
Ringil Urshukan (Human), Kosaten Group board member, quadrillionaire, and Old Commonwealth aficionado
Security Chief M'Banke (Human)
Sharik Urshukan (Human), widow of Ringil Urshukan, traveling under fake name
Station Administrator Narayanam (Human)
Zealot of His Divine Shadow

2022-08-22

The next day, the crew investigates. They come to the conclusion that the Kosaten Group had been responsible for the assassination, with the complicity of Security Chief M'Banke. They then scan the station and find the location of the Vowel Of Silence: in the trash disposal system. They retrieve it, and keep it with the intention of taking it to Encyclopedia Galactica Planet.

Now knowing where the artifact was hidden, Sherwood taps into the sanitation system and the crew views a recording of who hid the artifact. It is Katarin Xuan. She strolls past the trash chute and tosses the Vowel Of Silence in without a glance backward, as if she didn't care about it at all.

They report their findings to Agent Cho, who delivers it to Station Security Chief M'Banke. Moshe Holder is arrested; Katarin Xuan can't be found.

The crew leaves Erodani Hypernet Relay Station and heads to the next sector. While the warp field is up, Rikard conducts a thorough search of the ship. He finds a membrane-thin tracking device between two consoles. At the next Freeshare Outpost ("leave a penny, take a penny" on a starship scale) Sherwood places the tracking device on a different ship, and then the crew heads on.

2022-08-29

The Sherwood Forest continues the months-long trip back to Propeidia (pro PED EE uh), trying to avoid major trade routes and stopping as infrequently as possible while still maintaining the crew's sanity.

In the weeks after departing Erodani Hypernet Relay Station, the Sherwood Forest receives periodic updates from Agent Cho...

Moshe Holder Interrogation

Moshe Holder was arrested and taken to an undisclosed location, but Agent Cho was able to obtain 18 hours of interrogation video, along with the Kosaten Group corporate security files on him.

Moshe Holder was a security guard at a long-term data storage facility on Stepanek. The facility itself predates the Fall, and many vaults still contain data from the Panglossian Era, on behalf of clients that may no longer exist. Since the possibility that a previous client might contact them and want their data (after paying a century's worth of overdue storage fees), no data is purged without a compelling reason.

During the interrogation, Moshe Holder claimed that "Katarin Xuan" is actually Fallon Teal, his girlfriend. He would allow her into the facility on his shift, and they would do what couples do. On one such evening, she accessed an "inactive" vault and stole (i.e., copied and then purged) the data within. All of it. The original owner of the vault was the Frontier Parking Enforcement Corporation. No other information about the vault or the Frontier Parking Enforcement Corporation has been made available to Agent Cho.

Moshe Holder claims that "Fallon Teal" could not have done this on the evening in question, because they were always together, but when pressed for details during the interrogation, he became confused, and insisted that they were together. Agent Cho's notes indicate that this is textbook behaviour of someone who has been drugged with phentaridol, an obsolete treatment for schizophrenia (which has been curable with nanotherapy for centuries). One of the side effects of phentaridol is the experience of believing that one has been conscious and fully engaged in one's environment, when in fact one has been staring into space for several hours. A subject given phentaridol will later insist that they were fully cognizant of their surroundings, even when given evidence to the contrary. According to Agent Cho's notes, there is no legal use for this drug, and it is illegal in many jurisdictions.

According to Agent Cho, it is likely that Moshe Holder's "arbitration" will result in his "agreement" to a multi-decade contract to repay his "debt" as a result of Ringil Urshukan's murder and the theft of the Vowel Of Silence, even though it is her opinion that he had nothing to do with either.

Katarin Xuan

Another packet from Agent Cho pertains to "Katarin Xuan". Neither "Katarin Xuan" nor "Fallon Teal" existed prior to their appearance on Erodani Hypernet Relay Station or planet Stepanek (respectively). Agent Cho does not say so explicitly, but the amount of time she has taken to document her unsuccessful search for "Katarin Xuan" implies that this person is no ordinary thief.

The Intruder

The crew is not sure who planted the tracking device that Rikard found, but the prevailing theory is that it was whoever stole the Vowel Of Silence. The crew's thinking is that whoever planted the tracking device somehow found out that the crew of the Sherwood Forest had retrieved the artifact, and intended to reclaim it later.

Sherwood is puzzled, because they never noticed anyone breaking into the ship and planting it -- and normally, they would. By reviewing logs, Sherwood finds clear recordings of Katarin Xuan breaking into the ship, hurriedly planting the device, and then leaving: elapsed time, 70 seconds.

The recording makes two things very clear. First, Katarin Xuan is fast and skilled. She bypassed the alarms on the airlock and internal sensors long enough to get in and get out without attracting Sherwood's attention, which is no mean feat. Second, it is obvious from what she did during that 70 seconds -- and what she did not do -- that Katarin Xuan had no inkling that the Sherwood Forest had a geist on board.

Messages From Propaideia

At one stop, the Sherwood Forest finds a missive from their research advisor on Propaideia. Their initial post-imprisonment report has been received, and the Encyclopedia Galactica legal team will follow up with Koninklijke Hoogovens to seek reparations. In the meantime, the team's research funds have been replenished from their grant pool, and they are told to follow their remit as they see fit, as long as they file regular reports.

Attached to the packet is the C.V. for Dr. Ulin Par, a Zniss researcher, T'Kiel, who is trying to find information about a network of repair stations in the last decades of the Old Commonwealth. The thinking of their research advisor is that since they now have a class 3 starship, they have room for additional research fellows. The choice whether to add him to the SME team belongs to Rosie and Rocky, of course, but the advisor urges them to consider it, as they think Ulin would be an asset to their mission.

Doctor Went

The Sherwood Forest also receives a short message from Doctor Went, whom they met on Erodani Hypernet Relay Station. The first several minutes of the recording show him standing silently in front of a bank of vending machines, which have replaced most of the infirmary cabinets and equipment. At one end, the vending machines have items such as individual bandages and finger-size tubes each containing 500 cubic meters of surgical padding (dispensed one white puff-ball at a time). At the far end of the row of machines, one can purchase cybernetic eyes and single-use nanotherapies. Large posters promote the availability of easy credit at exorbitant interest rates.

"This is some bullshit," Doctor Went finally says, practically spitting the words. "You seemed competent and not painfully short-sighted. If you need a ship's doctor, please call me. I have attached my particulars."

Doctor Went's "particulars" are respectable. He is an experienced surgeon and xenopharmacologist.

Rosie, whose family is affiliated with a large "teaching hospital" on Propaideia, forwards Doctor Went's C.V. to the appropriate people, with her carefully worded but entirely accurate recommendation.

Urshukan's Missing Data Brick

A month or so later, the crew receives a packet from Agent Cho. Through her [redacted] contacts, she has learned that the Vowel Of Silence (still unrecovered) was not the only thing stolen from Ringil Urshukan. He was in possession of a "hard data brick" (a secured, virtually indestructible discrete data storage device), which was also taken from his suite at the Erodani Hypernet Relay Station.

Urshukan's assistant, Lukargik, has stated that he does not know what was on the data brick, only that it was in Urshukan's possession prior to his murder, and it was not found among his belongings after they were transferred to the passenger liner and inventoried. Agent Cho has added a note that Lukargik's professed ignorance is almost certainly a lie, but she doesn't think he stole it. Her theory is that the data brick contains confidential corporate files, files pertaining to Urshukan's obsession with collecting Old Commonwealth artifacts, files pertaining to Urshukan's extralegal activities, or most likely all three.

Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures

The crew approaches an off-the-beaten-path ocean world, which Sherwood's century-old starmaps identify as

Kaikoura: Cetacean protectorate; Ocean world; Sector: Beluga; Rotation period: 23 standard hours; Orbital period: 372 standard days; Native species: None (terraformed world); Population: ~600,000 cetaceans, ~300 non-cetaceans; Access requires permission from on-site protectorate administration.

Planetary traffic control welcomes the Sherwood Forest to Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures ("sponsored by Lastimar"). As they approach the planet, they see that most of it is covered by ocean. The north and south poles each have a plasticrete starport in the middle of an ice cap.

The ship is directed to land at the southern pole, where Rosie and her entourage (minus Rikard, who stays behind to give the ship an overdue deep-cleaning) are met by a happy but nervous man. He introduces himself as Alex Barima, and apologizes that he is the closest thing this pole has to a scientist, so he was assigned to greet them. He is pleased to see them, and is even more pleasantly surprised to learn about the research that Rosie hopes to conduct here. Alex escorts them from the starport, a collection of transparent starship-size domes connected by aboveground tunnels, to the resort, where he hands them off to a salesman.

The salesman welcomes the Encyclopedia Galactica researchers, walks them through obtaining their safari gear (including ocean-blue camouflage and a powerful submersible rifle), and then drops them of at a small, personal theater, where they view a 20 minute presentation on Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures ("sponsored by Lastimar"), the galaxy's largest hunting preserve. (It's also a major provider of artificial crab to the sector. "Yep, this is where we grow 'em! Look at those waving fields of artificial crab legs...")

The video is horrifying. This is a place ("sponsored by Lastimar") where wealthy people come to hunt sentient beings. The video spends a few minutes proving their sentience. But it's perfectly legal, because according to the Lastimar bylaws, the cetaceans are not sophonts -- because they don't use tools. There are so many things wrong with that statement that Rocky and Rosie spend several minutes angrily listing them (in hushed tones while the video plays).

Rosie and Rocky (and a drone from Sherwood) are checked into their luxury suite, and learn that their entire week-long "safari" has been given to them free of charge. Apparently, the public relations folks are hoping that Encyclopedia Galactica can provide a much-needed publicity boost to Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures ("sponsored by Lastimar"). They have a world where it is legal to hunt sentient beings, and they want the galaxy to know.

Sherwood penetrates the resort's non-secured network, including all of the promotional material and the (admittedly impressive) souvenir and video shop. She learns that a Lastimar survey ship found Kaikoura about fifteen years ago. Lastimar spent 10 years studying it and then setting up the hunting preserve, which has been operating for the last five years.

While the crew is pondering what to do about this, they are visited by Alex Barim, who had met them at the starport. Alex has 12 hours between shifts, and he offers up to 8 hours of that helping them do their research. They learn that Alex (a Malrechnen Syndicate contract worker -- Sherwood takes the precaution of jamming his bracelet monitor) has been here about three months as a naval architect, and he has been horrified the entire time. The whole planet is a murder park. He would be truly grateful to have a chance to do something for the beings who live here other than contribute to their murder.

Rosie says she would be glad for his help, and they'll be in touch.

Typical 1 PB (petabyte) data card
Typical 1 EB (exabyte) data brick
Agent Shay Cho (Human), Interstellar Security Command
"Katarin Xuan" (Siobhan), aka "Fallon Teal"
Lukargik (Saurian), assistant and bodyguard to Ringil Urshukan
Moshe Holder (Human), former security guard on planet Stepanek
Doctor Went (Vesalian), Chief Medical Officer, Erodani Hypernet Relay Station
Alex Barima (Human), Naval Architect, Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures ("sponsored by Lastimar")

2022-09-05

Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures ("sponsored by Lastimar")

The crew enjoys a couple of days at Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures ("sponsored by Lastimar"), going on tours of the resort at the south pole and tours of the Biological Research Center at the north pole.

The southern pole is divided into three large complexes, with one small central complex. Three of the large complexes are resort buildings, one is technical, and one is administrative. The smaller central complex, "The Eye Of The Sea", contains a lake-size access to the ocean underneath, numerous submersibles in various sizes, a water park, and several pubs.

The northern pole is occupied by a single facility, the Biological Research Center. The facility itself is divided into two main sections: the Agriculture and Life Sciences division (which is self-funding, their Zniss tour guide tells them) is about a third of it. This section is developing other genetically-engineered foodstuffs, similar to the wildly successful artificial crabs. The other two thirds of the facility are devoted to what their guide calls "the cetacean theme park", but their guide can't take them to the "ultraviolet" section of it, because they lack sufficient clearance. One of Sherwood's drones slips away and manages to get a peek inside, regardless.

One of the concerns at the Biological Research Center is that the cetacean population (92 species, currently estimated at 180,000 total) will not be able to support the demands of the resort (which can support up to 2200 guests) once it is fully operational. A scientist explains that an average tour group is 4 guests for one week, for a total of 550 tour groups per week. They estimate that 25% of tour groups will successfully harvest a cetacean, for a total of 112 cetaceans per week. 112 * 52 = 5,824 cetaceans harvested per year. 5,824 / 180,000 = 0.0324 harvest rate (3.24% harvest annually).

When the planet was discovered and surveyed by Lastimar fifteen years ago, the cetacean birth rate was estimated between 0.16 and 0.38, but observations in the past few years place the current cetacean birth rate at less than 0.01. This endangers the long-term viability of the Ocean Deeps enterprise. The Biological Research Center scientists have a variety of potential solutions for this problem. None of them involve killing fewer cetaceans.

The crew decides to accept Alex's offer of assistance, and his advice is helpful. He suggests which submersible to request, and he is a fount of knowledge about the resort, although his access to it as a Malrechnen contractor is limited. He accompanies them as their pilot for the submarine excursion, taking the place of the normal submarine pilot.

Once well away from the south pole and the resort, Sherwood begins broadcasting sonar messages to greeting in the blue whale dialect of Earth Cetacean. The crew looks for a couple of hours before they encounter a pod of orcas, who are unfriendly but curious. After a brief chat (with Sherwood translating), the orcas decide that they need to inform others, and ask the crew of the submersible to wait, which they do. A little over two hours later, a humpback whale arrives. It converses with the orcas, then speaks briefly with the crew of the submersible. Again, this is too important for the whale to decide alone.

"Perhaps you speak the truth. Perhaps not. Medusa will know."

The humpback whale departs, and the orcas escort the sub hundreds of kilometers to meet Medusa. Hours later, they approach a glowing dome, which appears at first to be an undersea city. As it rises from the trench in which it has been hiding, they see it is a massive synthetic jellyfish. What would be the "dome" or "hood" of an organic jellyfish is 150 meters across and 35 meters high; with its tentacles, the whole thing is nearly a kilometer long. Surrounding it for kilometers in every direction are fishbowl-size synthetic jellyfish: thousands of them.

She introduces herself as Medusa, and the crew soon realizes that they are speaking with an Old Commonwealth AI. The synthetic jellyfish, her "hydras", aren't AIs (creating AIs requires an exotic particle fabricator and a quantum entangling matrix, neither of which she has), but their programming is extremely sophisticated, able to mimic the appearance of a dog-level of intelligence. They may not be sentient, but they definitely have personality.

The ensuing conversation is educational. Medusa learns what has happened above the water in the past century, and the crew learns more about Community, the Old Commonwealth AI network. Medusa fears that the Instrumentality was a malicious AI that the Community had failed to sequester; her sorrow over this is just as much for the organics as it is for the AIs.

The crew returns to the resort with Alex, who has by now realized that the unnamed person the crew keeps talking to is another AI. He doesn't seem bothered by it, and reasserts his desire to help.

At the resort, the staff are concerned by the long absence of their Encyclopedia Galactica guests, but are put at ease once it is clear that the delay was by choice, rather than the result of an accident or equipment failure.

The crew spends the rest of the afternoon considering their options. Writing a scathing article about the ethical implications of a resort where visitors can murder sentient beings is on the table, as is subverting the roughly 1,200 autonomous sea-drones (each of which has been rigged to explode if it is damaged or tampered with, due to the early efforts of cetacean saboteurs). Sherwood has had enough time to penetrate the resort's sea-drone control system (with Alex's invaluable assistance, since he has the specifications for them).

Unfortunately, simply blowing the place to smithereens is not on the table, because of the current staff at the north and south poles, over two-thirds are Malrechnen contractors, and here involuntarily.

A brief inventory of the opposition:

North Pole: 600 (570 employees; 30 contractors)
South Pole: 1800 (600 employees; 1200 contractors); ~300 guests, currently (2200 max)

Autonomous Security Unit: light cannons; rifle counts as a vehicle mounted weapon

Alex Barima (Human), Naval Architect, Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures ("sponsored by Lastimar")
Medusa, Old Commonwealth AI, Guardian Advisor to the Kaikoura Cetacean Protectorate
Medusa's hydras (not sentient, but programmed to mimic dog-level intelligence)

2022-09-12

The crew is about to initiate their plan for sabotaging the resort when they are confronted by Havess Ish Ish (an Ostekoronian), from Lastimar Corporate Oversight. The Ostekoronian is accompanied by four security police armed with rifles, and several more are on the way. Sherwood activates the nearest Autonomous Security Unit and orders it to come to their defense. It takes a few minutes to arrive, during which time Havess Ish Ish chastises the scientists.

"Did you think you could go where you wanted, do what you wanted, and no one would be paying attention? Someone is always paying attention.

"The arrogance of mammals. So annoyingly predictable. click-click

"And so, a biologist and a geologist come to a world with untapped biological and mineral resources. What have you been up to, Doctors? What did you find in this … trench, hmm? What occupied you here for so long? Do not waste my time by lying. We will discover what you found."

Then the security bot arrives and the crew of the Sherwood Forest makes their escape. Lastimar system security boats try to cach them, and deal a few points of damage to the Sherwood Forest, but the crew manages to slip away. Before they depart, they trigger the failsafe explosives in the sea drones and the "ultraviolet" level labs at the Biological Research Center at the north pole, and they reverse the pumps on all of the waste systems.

Encyclopedia Galactica Quick Facts - Ostekoronians: Origin: Ostekorona; Cultural Motivations: Individualism, Isolation; Average Lifespan: 340 years; Ostekoronians are one of only a few organic species descended from mollusks rather than from mammals.; Ostekoronians are one of only a few organic species capable of compartmentalizing their minds and working on several problems in parallel, in the manner AIs can.; Few Ostekoronians leave their homeworld.; Ostekoronians have never been able to create AIs without mammalian assistance.; AIs used by Ostekoronians were originally created by mammalian species.; Ostekoronians were never as dependent on AIs as most other members of the Old Commonwealth.; Ostekoronians were not as severely impacted by the Fall as most other members of the Old Commonwealth.

Six weeks pass as the Sherwood Forest continues toward Propaideia ("pro PED ee uh"), better known to the galaxy as Encyclopedia Galactica Planet.

With just a couple of weeks more on their voyage, the Sherwood Forest stops at an out-of-the-way trading post in the Fernlake system. As they disengage the warp engines and vector toward the small, somewhat disreputable space station, a Bha'atar warship appears from around he curve of the planet below, and the fearsome visage of the Bha'atar captain appears on their screens.

"PREPARE TO DIE! HA-HA!"

Bha'atar space pirate

2022-09-19

With just a couple of weeks more on their voyage to Propaideia ("pro PED ee uh"), better known to the galaxy as Encyclopedia Galactica Planet, the Sherwood Forest stops at an out-of-the-way trading post in the Fernlake system. As they disengage the warp engines and vector toward the small, somewhat disreputable space station, a Bha'atar warship appears from around the curve of the planet below, and the fearsome visage of the Bha'atar captain appears on their screens.

"PREPARE TO DIE! HA-HA!"

File:Infinite Dread (Klingon Star Trek).png

Infinite Dread

The crew grasps at straws as they try to talk the Bha'atar captain out of attacking. Meanwhile, the Bha'atar captain -- Captain Ba'ark of the Infinite Dread (a freighter, but more heavily armed than the Sherwood Forest) -- peers at his screen and tries to figure out what, exactly, has fallen into his clever trap. To his chagrin, he realizes that these are scientists -- the worst, most annoying, least lucrative victims in all of space piracy.

"Well, hell. So... is that an Old Commonwealth ship? Who are you people, anyway?"

As it turns out, the crew of the Infinite Dread (including Ensign Paws, the Ship's Cat) and the crew of the Sherwood Forest have acquaintances in common: the crew of the Fist Of Ghuki. Captain Ba'ark invites the crew of the Sherwood Forest to dine with them, and the evening passes without any bloodshed.

The next day, the crew visits the trading post to top off their supplies, and then heads toward Propaideia.

Encyclopedia Galactica Quick Facts - Propaideia: ("pro PED ee uh"); Better known to the galaxy as Encyclopedia Galactica Planet; Cultural Motivations: Curiosity, Enlightenment; Demographics: 90% Human

The research team delivers a stack of reports, along with a petabyte of cetacean cultural data from Kaikoura. Their research advisor is pleased to see them (in a calm, bureaucratic way). He is a source of information for the crew, as well.

The History of Interstellar Travel department is keen to examine the Sherwood Forest.
Several SMEs ("subject matter experts" -- the position Rosie and Rocky hold) have applied to join the Sherwood Forest mission.
The Encyclopedia Galactica has a request from the League of Non-aligned Worlds to survey a cetacean world, as part of their application to join the League.
The Encyclopedia Galactica legal team is pursuing remedies with the Koninklijke Hoogovens corporation. Best case, the crew is reimbursed for their imprisonment. Worst case, Encyclopedia Galactica pays off the crew's fines. In either case, the crew will not be expected to reimburse the Encyclopedia Galactica for their old starship.
Rocky, Rosie, and Captain Rikard will have to complete some forms, and Captain Rikard will have to sign a servicing agreement, in order for him to be paid for the use of the Sherwood Forest. This will include back pay, of course.
h/corporate updates hourly reports that after several disappointing quarters, Ocean Deeps Cetacean Adventures ("sponsored by Lastimar") has been liquidated, with the assets being bought at fire-sale prices by the Aquatic Bioengineered Agriculture Corporation, which already has a presence on the planet harvesting artificial crab legs. The planet is expected to reach peak production in less than 10 years, and optimization of the biosphere should be complete in 20 years.

The crew stops by the History of Interstellar Travel department, which has an extensive collection of complete, but no longer functional, Old Commonwealth starships. The crew graciously offers a fly-by tour of the Sherwood Forest. Over a dozen staff members join them, and a grand time is had by all. The crew turns over the post-AI refit specs designed by Fred, and everyone is happy.

Several times over the course of the past few days, people have asked the crew, "By any chance have you encountered an Old Commonwealth Heavy Escort, in any condition?" The crew learns that there is a listing on the Exchange under e/open bounties/info wanted -- a suspiciously generous bounty on "the location of an original or refit Old Commonwealth Heavy Escort, in any condition".

Meanwhile, Alex Barima (who was traveling under the name "Robert Dennison" until arriving on Propaideia) begins the application process for "humanitarian sanctuary" on Propaideia. If his application is accepted, his contract with the Malrechnen Syndicate will be bought out, and he'll be granted graduate student access on Propaideia. The process is not certain to succeed, and it will take many months, perhaps even years, to complete. Alex may remain on Propaideia, or on an Encyclopedia Galactica mission, until the application is resolved.

Captain Ba'ark (Bha'atar) of the Infinite Dread
Neeman Klute (Human), Senior Grant Advisor, Propaideia

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