The Science of Mayhem

[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 1

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Hello there, name's Balthazar Thawne. I am not crazy, you are crazy - or someone is at least. Okay, I am a little bit crazy *gulp*. But anyways, I am a businessman, and a scientist, and these are the mad scientist's diaries. To whomever found these I'd say - mind your own damn business, but since you're here, enjoy the journey I guess.

The Mission.

What do I and my crew of scientific misfits like? Evil. Death. War. Not in the boring, "I will shoot you in the face way and torture you way", no sir. What we like is to supply WAR and make it happen more often, more deadly, and do it under the peaceful guise of science *Laughs Maniacally*. We are true freelancers, we don't care who we supply, we just want to make sure they cause as much mayhem as possible in their area of operation.

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The Methods
Step one - Put up a friendly front. We are on a peaceful mission to save humanity afterall! That is very true. We just save humanity from living too long. But for some reason people don't like our noble mission. We still need to conduct our research to create destructive weapons under their noses don't we? So what do we do? We Pose as a freelance Science Vessel on a mission to save humanity. Apply for legal visas, promise great results to humanity, wamboozle governments so they let us supply both them and their enemies covertly through back channels.

Our vessel's transponder is FREELANCER and call sign Science.Research - a little bit on the nose? Well the authorities don't seem to be onto us just yet, so if it works why change it?

This is an example of a visa application our little operation submitted:

Our research will take a very long time to provide any tangible results, but when it does we will be able to benefit all humanity. The nearly constant volcanism and lava flows that Salme emits provide great insight into the history of the Galaxy, how local planets are formed - and should allow projects like terraforming, even potentially planet building possible.

This is geological research for the long run, and a few hundred years from now all humans in Sirius will be better off - including the coalition. We believe you should grant us passage as we are not affiliated with any faction, and allow us to analyze scientific data we manage to retrieve from the area.

The Production
Well, so we do research in obscure places, at destroyed planets and experiment with explosives and metals. But Balthie is a true scientist of mayhem, we want our tools of evil to be on all sorts of vessels spread across the galaxy that shoot each other - therefore we can't trust a third party with their production. We therefore employ a crew of beautifully psychopathic base building operators who create secret hidden Depots of war where we can research and produce our weapons in peace.

One such base has been secretly built up over the last few days and is already thriving.

I take pride in being a mad man of mayhem, but even I am not crazy enough to reveal it's location in a diary anyone can find. That's only on a need to know basis to fellow delicious psychopaths and fans of mayhem.

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journal template so you have it easier Baltie and can read it after yourself

//Journal Entry number: 1

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[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 2

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One beautiful thing about flying a vessel full of fellow psychopathic scientists and weapons engineers is that WE ARE NO STRANGERS TO VIOLENCE although usually do not directly seek it.

One fool found that out the hard way yesterday. On a mission near the incredibly potent Salme Protoplanet, that is just very ripe for collecting data that allow us to create some deliciously destructive weapons a Pirate bomber approached our seemingly peaceful vessel

[] Ashtar: Well well..
[] Ashtar: What do we got here?


Balthazar ain't no fool, we want to keep a peaceful front to do our business undetected, and so we tried.

[] Science.Research: hello friend
[] Science.Research: we are on a scientific mission
[] Science.Research: how may we help you


[] Ashtar: Yes yes..that's really boring..
[] Ashtar: You may hand over them sci fi data.
[] Ashtar: I need it.
[] Science.Research: the answer is no

You can ask for money son, you can ask for anything else, but don't you try to slow down my research of the delicious destructive weapons. The fool started firing to our delight, and when he started fleeing we decided to have some fun.
[] Science.Research: Come back here
[] Ashtar: What annoying little bastard.
[] Science.Research: we are not done sciencing

The poor soul then proceeded to try a last ditch Nova run at us and paid the price, amusing me and my crew to no end. And back to delivering our research data to our secret base for more mischievous weapons creation it was.

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[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 3

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Well, an entirely different encounter happened just now, a RED HESSIAN BOMBER discovered our vessel at the very same site. Unlike with random pirates, our vessel will go through great lengths to maintain our front with organized military groups . I think you should keep doing this Baltie, and keep holding the mad men back. If you do start to feel trigger happy just remember



1) You need them to let you do your weapons research in peace
2) These groups you actually want to supply with your murder weapons as they can cause amazing amounts of mayhem and destruction
3) Under no circumstances should you however reveal that intention to them as they could try to monopolize our services. What if they become the leading force and nobody will be left to fight them? The Mayhem would stop!

[] Mythic: Hail, freelancer
[] Science.Research: hello friend
[] Science.Research: how may we help you today
[] Mythic: This is a dangerous part of space. what you up to out here?
[] Science.Research: We are on an important scientific mission to help humanity
I like when I speak the truth...in my own way
[] Mythic: All of it? Im sure some deserves to die
[] Science.Research: researching Salme debris to allow terraforming of seemingly lost planets
[] Science.Research: Well we can't agree with you friend, we don't make the decisions, just the science
I mean...This guy gets it! I liked him...but remember Balthazar, keep your cool, set example for the crew and keep the front up. Remember the noble cause you are fighting for!
[] Mythic: Well, all science is useful
[] Science.Research: I realize this is hessian space
[] Science.Research: We understand we did not ask for permission
[] Science.Research: is there an official channel where we can do so?
[] Mythic: You're welcome here, lancer. SO long as you dont consort with those cannibalistic corsairs
Of course as in of course we...might. Although lately I heard rumors the delicious cannibals are resorting to things like not shooting everyone on sight, so who knows.
[] Science.Research: of course
[] Mythic: I'll be off. do take care. As i said, its dangeorus here
[] You have sent 5.000.000 credits to mythic.
[] Science.Research: Here
[] Science.Research: a small token
[] Science.Research: for letting us do our work in peace
Money is not the main driver of our noble destructive mission, so long as nobody disrupts our war machine research efforts we don't mind parting with some to get going unobstructed.
[] Mythic: The hessians, and myself, thank you
[] Mythic: Good luck in your endeavours
[] Science.Research: thank you very much

Remember Balthazar, this was a by the book way to play encounters with organized military group members. I want you to remember this when you get your beautifully mischievous fingers on that trigger again.
Always remember - it's about the big picture!

THE FRUITS OF HARD LABOUR
Also, dear diary I must tell you that Weapons Research is going very well The engineers and myself are almost ready to churn out our first Capital Vessel weapon of destruction from our newly built secret facility, and supply it strategically to those that can cause some nice turmoil and damage with it.

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[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 4

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A MIXED RESULT
My team and I have spent countless hours near Salme Protoplanet, trying to harness the destructive powers that lied there. While shooting, bribing or wamboozling with diplomacy those that interrupted us.

Massive amounts of data have been transmitted to our engineers operating from our secret production base that were working round the clock with one goal in mind:
To create a massively destructive weapon. Some of our engineers had access to Hellbore-type class cannon blueprints, and the attempt was made, using the data on the destructive forces around Salme, to create a faster, more compact Battleship weapon that could at the same time produce more powerful destructive yields for maximum mayhem. They are not exactly known for safety protocols and almost blew our secret production facility in the process up.

FAILURE TO DELIVER
Perhaps we rushed things, perhaps we need to analyze the data and apply them better, but we failed to build what we set out to build...Instead we have a weapon that is very powerful, but sadly nowhere near the power or range we intended.

My Engineers tell me it has a range of just 2750, 30,000 Hull and 15,000 Shield damage per shot - underwhelming yields for a battleship weapon, sadly.

TIME TO ADAPT
This was the first attempt with the Salme data, and we shall keep trying. Two prototypes of this weapon don't seem worthy of being deployed to the most savagely aggressive players of The Galaxy, and we might as well recommend them being mounted on Battlecruisers instead of a Battleship.

And as for the pawns we will choose to carry out mayhem with these weapons? We will probably choose one of the less-brutal rebels in one of the houses, that wouldn't be worthy of the most destructive weapons we will hopefully one day concoct, but that still cause moderate mayhem. That is yet to be decided.

Now it's just time to polish these weapons, assign them a name, and dear diary expect my next entry to tell you where we sent our stealthy unmarked ship with these moderately unsuccessful prototypes for our mayhem causing intermediaries to "find" them.

As for me - it's time to get back to the drawing board and continue the research. I will give the Salme data a few more chances, and potentially move on if we don't manage to create a truly deliciously horrifying mean of destruction.

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[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 5

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Unloading the (Moderate) Failure
Well, the guns are ready, and it was time to unload them. As I mentioned previously, these were supposed to be massively destructive yet compact battleship weapons, alas we failed.


Maybe they can still cause some mayhem in the right hands. My crew of seasoned psychopaths that wants to see maximum mayhem has researched the known groups we'd unload this first attempt at destruction from our facility on. After some research it's been decided we would stealthily hand it to The Insurgency - it seems like it's a fresh group eager on shooting other ships, could destabilise the region and even lead to delicious all out war! When our unmarked vessel reached one of their bases we have even seen them hanging out side by side with outright criminal heroes, The Outcasts and The Rogues without shooting each other - these people have potential!


The Catch
Now why are we giving them defective weapons with underwhelming yield that don't even fit on a Battleship? The ships we met on our research trip still seem to have some sort of semblance or "officiality", I'm not sure where this "Insurgency" group came from, but for my taste a lot of them they still act like some sort of normal military people that might cease mayhem once they get into power.

Oh well, I suppose a moderately unsuccessful research attempt that can still cause some mayhem sounds about right.
At least we've tried to find one of the more trigger happy of the bunch, and we found one in a Battlecruiser "Angel" who's commander seems young, in search of a fight and was aggressive even towards our vessel! Perhaps he can put them to a good use for the noble cause of violence.


Hopefully our next attempt will be more successful in producing a destructive Battleship weapons and we can supply it strategically to a group that's guaranteed to cause maximum mayhem.

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[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 6

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A reckless Young Man
Well this was something - our unmarked delivery vessel has indeed handed over the guns to "Angel". Turns out the commander is some sort of former hacker kid in his 20s! What's more, he doesn't seem to care much about politics, but just likes shooting people "for a good cause". Okay pal, I see this guy shows promise.

[]Angel: Cool guns, not sure who you are, but thanks!
[]Angel: Hey you're some sort of inventor types, can you make my ship look cooler? I'm sure we'd fly into action way more often if we had some more cool gear to show off in battle

Well, kids these days, but who am I to judge someone wanting to look cool when shooting people *laughs maniacally*

We'll see what we can do for the kid, shouldn't really divert too many of our resources - maybe some sort of exhaust that draws colourful attention to the damn Kids's ship will do. I won't break too much sweat in actually making his ship more powerful.

It will be time to resume work on destructive guns for someone who can saw mayhem while not being a clueless yet perhaps talented child.

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[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 7

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MORE STRUGGLES CONTINUE
Long story short. We made great looking exhausts, this stupid fancy kid's ship that rotates for some reason is too complicated to install them on. Damn flashy child.

Oh well, we worked for way longer that we should have, and since they are just exhausts, albeit great looking ones, we wouldn't insult a raw evil doer hero with offering them instead of weapons.

Instead, we've heard legends of this brutal Inspector of a dubious organization called The Nucleus, The Corpus or something of the sort that operates somewhere in the worlds beyond Main House threshold. Apparently he is causing mayhem yet calling it law - We have dispatched a covert unmarked ship to search if such a man is real or merely a legend and see if our fancy exhausts that we couldn't give the damn Liberty fancy boy will be of use to him at least.

And then it's FINALLY time to hopefully science the hell out of some massive battleship weapons of Mayhem
*His Maniacal laugh can't help but show signs of wavering confidence*

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[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 8

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A RIGHT PERSON
Well, after a long investigative trip in The Edge Worlds our envoy in an unmarked vessel found the legendary Inspector, and managed to hand over and help install the exhausts.

Instead of a thank you he proceeded to fine the crew and threaten them not to get into his Core space or else. And then right in front of their eyes shot down a Zoner Colony ship that just helped him with hostile aliens for not dropping their remains. I believe we found the right man to cause mayhem yet masquerade as a man of law.

WEAPONS RESEARCH CONTINUES
After moderately unsuccessful attempts we are testing a new approach, experimenting with Ion energy to create weapons of destruction - so far strangely the beams don't seem to damage matter as we'd expect, we will see what happens further, I will keep you posted Diary.

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[Czechmate]

//Journal Entry number: 9

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SUCCESS IN AN UNEXPECTED PLACE
Dear Journal,

As some long dead guy from god knows when back in the past said

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Well whoever he, she or they are, I know how they felt as today marks a resounding victory. Laughs Maniacally

DAMAGE IS NOT THE ONLY TOOL OF EVIL
It's been a while since last update, as I mentioned Ion energy did no damage to test targets. We didn't give up on it however, and through trial and error pointed it at a vessel with their shield dropped.


And it got utterly paralyzed after being struck, drifting aimlessly without power.

I don't think I have to even mention what this can do in the right hands. A real psychopathic hero that shares our deliciously evil values can go around disabling their victims and do with them as they please. We have christened the weapons Heavy Ion Blasters and our secret production facility has produced two of them to be shipped and delivered a truly devious recipient.

THE PERFECT RECIPIENT
We didn't have to go far, quite a few of our psychopathic bunch have operated in Gallia, and there is one better to cause mayhem with this than The Gallic Royal Enclave
We have picked RNS-LEEDS.ENCORE as the recipient, for obvious reasons. I can't wait to see what this ship will do with the paralyzers once our unmarked ship drops them off near said vessel


In the meantime, as this weapon is so devious we just might work on making more of them should it be successful in Leeds.Encore's hands.

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[Czechmate]

Nazdar Kámo

If you are reading this, you might be Thawne's family or next of kin that came looking for him. Although I have takovou předtuchu that he murdered them all. Anyways, we found his ruined base, and signs of massive Ion explosions in Omega-52, and his mutilated remains floating in the rubble, along with his log.
I am leaving this notice here in case someone close to him comes looking for him.

S bohem,

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J.V.
Commanding Officer of CPW-Svaty.Vaclav