Chapter Three
Campaign: Have Starship Will Travel
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;''C.E.V. Sherwood Forest'', Class 3 | ;''C.E.V. Sherwood Forest'', Class 3 Commonwealth Science Corvette [P] | ||
:Length: 30 m | :Length: 30 m | ||
:Crew: Geist + 9 (3 minimum) | :Crew: Geist + 9 (3 minimum) | ||
| Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
:Weapons: 2 | :Weapons: 2 | ||
:Shields: 3 | :Shields: 3 | ||
:Engines: 4 | :Engines: 4 - Typical 16 ly trip: 8 days (2 light years/day) | ||
:Consoles: 6 | :Consoles: 6 | ||
Revision as of 19:33, 30 August 2022
| ← Chapter Two | Chapter Four → |
Someone Has Taken The Vowel Of Silence
Characters
- File:Sherwood Forest 02.jpgSherwood, geist of the C.E.V. Sherwood Forest
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- C.E.V. Sherwood Forest, Class 3 Commonwealth Science Corvette [P]
- Length: 30 m
- Crew: Geist + 9 (3 minimum)
- Hull: 4
- Weapons: 2
- Shields: 3
- Engines: 4 - Typical 16 ly trip: 8 days (2 light years/day)
- Consoles: 6
- Geist Management Console Mk III [G, N]
- Permits the geist to manage most of the ship's systems. Minimum crew is reduced to one-quarter of the normal (Restoration Era) crew complement.
- +3 equipment bonus to geist rolls pertaining to routine ship functions
- Prototype Precursor Sensor Console Mk II [S, X]
- Grants the ship the ability to scan for Precursor artifacts.
- +5 equipment bonus to rolls pertaining to Precursor artifacts
- Geological Survey Console Mk II [G, N, S]
- +5 equipment bonus to rolls pertaining to geology and mineralogy
- Long Range Sensor Console Mk II [S]
- Grants the ship "long" sensor range.
- +5 equipment bonus to rolls pertaining to sensor readings
Prototype Hyperwave Transceiver Array Console Mk II [G, X](disconnected)- Allows instantaneous communication with any other Hyperwave Transceiver Array Console.
- +2 to rolls pertaining to establishing and maintaining hyperwave communication
- Regional Topographical Mapping Console Mk II [G]
- Deploys thousands of micro-drones to create a three-dimensional elevation map of the local terrain; maximum radius 1,000 km; requires 1 hour per kilometer radius.
- No roll necessary for the mapping itself. Analyze the map using skills or equipment as usual.
[G] requires a geist, and will be inert if no geist is present
[N] is non-removable, and is inextricable from the starship
[P] Panglossian Era (starships are Restoration Era unless otherwise indicated)
[S] adds +3 to the bonus provided by the console, but is extremely limited in use
[X] is a prototype: replacement parts are unavailable, and must be individually constructed
The following consoles have been removed and are stored on Fred.
- Wormhole Network Interface Console Mk II [G]
- Grants the ship the ability to use the wormhole network.
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.
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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.
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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
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- 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, 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)
- 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), 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.
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- 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)
- 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), 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), 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.
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- 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:
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- 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.
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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, 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.
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 paleogeneticist. 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 small tubes 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 creatures. 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 the 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 computer system, 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 creatures who live here other than contribute to their murder.
Rosie says she would be glad for his help, and they'll be in touch.
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