Recipient: Albert.McKenzie
Secondary Recipient: Paul.Botzier

<zzzt> Uh on the screen it says “TRANSMISSION.GATEWAY.SECURED” [off-screen chatter] Oh! So I’m all good to go? [more off-screen chatter]<That is correct Herr Weatherly, simply speak into the recorder and your message shall be encrypted-in-transit><Please flag me down when you are finished and I shall prepare the final packet>
Thanks again~!

Okay; Hey Director McKenzie! James Weatherly here, Skywalker under our Starflier Research Group. The kind folks here at Tennstedt Base are letting me use their comms relay so nothing ‘untoward’ leaves the system without accounting for ‘listening ears and prying eyes’. Now I know this message doesn’t follow the standard Starflier Comms Encryption, but these are interesting times and call for interesting measures. That, and the CEV-Umbriel is currently docked and under quarantine. No messages in or out from that vessel as it’s not comms secured from what I’ve been informed.



Well anyway, back to me being here, and me checking up on you!

I was checking up on our comms archives and saw a note from the last expedition to Thuringia that the question of Gotha remained unanswered.

Since we had some vessels docked near Cologne, and I was in the area, I felt the initiative to complete the scans and get that final answer to said question.


You’ll be happy to hear the scans of Gotha and its ‘friend’ are complete. And if I can access it while in quarantine, I’d like to start the analysis within Umbreil’s Data banks.

However, it appears my presence spooked one of the partols taming the flow of “The Wilde” within this system.


After the coast was clear, the CEV-Umbriel was escorted back to Base Tennstedt.

There myself, the captain of the Eyes.In.The.Dark, Doctor Hope, and the escort squad all had a little chat aboard the CEV-Umbriel. Partly to confirm ‘The Wilde’ didn’t do any permanent damage or psychic infection, but mostly to confirm the work-order that was submitted to us, and the legitimacy of our presence in Thuringia.

I’ve complied with the requests and provided the captain ‘Civil Servant’ copies of both the work-order, and the initial expedition. Both attached to this message for your reference.



If you can talk with the original requestee, and clear up this miscommunication (and my release), it would be most appreciative.


Safe skies and godspeed,

James Weatherly
Starflier

...hey, hello I'm done with the message which button here ends the call?<off-screen chatter> U,E? Oh ÜE. What's that mean?<it means Übertragungsende, or 'End of Transmission' Herr Weatherly>.
Ahh understood, thank you very mu---

FW: Civil.Servant
-off-screen chatter-ohhh, that's the transmit button, thanks again Kreed...yep yep... I'll flag you when I'm done

Okay, uhhh this link should forward and add Civil.Servant to the Comms Channel, everyone be sure to thank Kreed at the Comms Center at Tennstedt behind me for setting this up.

Things have been slow and steady here in quarantine. Burned through all my puzzles so I've taken up teaching some folks 'Quantum Go Fish' and '9x9' to pass the time. Good folk you have out here, hardened lot but I can tell most have a deep truth between each other.

Next time you find yourself bringing the Eyes.In.The.Dark to port at Tennstedt, I'd like to invite you for a drink and a chat. I know our time was cut short by the needed repairs for the CEV-Umbriel, yet I feel the due to make a formal introduction.



P.S. I plan on asking the station administration to allow me to analyze the data I was able to collect on Gotha before The Wilde showed up. This analysis will of course not be transmitted, but I figure completing the assessment would make a nice parting gift to the NMB and The Platform before quarantine is released and I'm escorted back to Cologne.

...<off-screen chatter> Thanks again for the relay Kreed. Reminds me, once you're comfortable with 9x9 let me know; I'll introduce you to the added complexities of 9x9x9





Safe skies and godspeed,

James Weatherly
Starflier

Mr. Weatherly, Mr. McKenzie and Civil Servant,

I apologize for the delay in my reply. Civil Servant has approached me regarding the incident concerning your quarantine on Tennstedt.

While he and I may not see eye to eye on every topic, I must emphasize that dispatching a ship to Thuringia was an unwise decision. The desire for exploration should not pass by the need to inform the Bundschuh of your activites in the system.

This incident, while likely a simple oversight, has had significant consequences. We will facilitate the release of Mr. Weatherly and ensure his safe escort back to Cologne, where he may regain his sense of normalcy.

For future reference, should the Starfliers wish to embark on any expedition to Thuringia or Earhart, we insist that such endeavors are conducted in full compliance with and in the company of trained pilots from the Bundschuh. It is imperative that you adhere strictly to the directives of our representatives, as the stakes are far too high to overlook protocol.

If you can accept these conditions, this situation is considered resolved amicably from our perspective and has set forth clear rules to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. I think Mr. Weatherly has managed his quarantine with commendable resilience, which is no small feat given the oppressive atmosphere of the Thuringia system as a whole.

Für Rheinland.

With respect,

Paul Botzler
Leader of the New Resistance