Journal entry One-Oh-Three
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
August Eleventh
The Future Awaits
"I've spent a little bit of time here and there in my workshop on the Eidolon, tinkering away at various projects. Namely - A drone with a unique intelligence. Raven and I figure that since we'll often be occupied, Isai will need a caretaker and teacher in his life to show him the ropes when we can't. No, that doesn't mean either of us are going far away, I doubt we want to leave our birdling alone, heh. We've taken to calling him that. Kind of a nickname. Anyway. I've been assembling the caretaker for a few days. Torso, head and arms are there. No legs or voice module. He's just this silent metal torso hanging around, that sometimes helps me do some tasks. For example - I was making a ring for our six month anniversary. Silver, Sapphire and Amethyst. The stone setting was difficult, so I had the caretaker handle it, which worked out great. Inscribed it, wrapped it up and brought it to her today. She loved it.
Oddly enough though, she ran from me. I haven't really paid much attention to it. I also don't think I mentioned that the old me came back again. Loitering around like the dark passenger on a never ending train ride in the middle of the night, casting glares and negative auras out from his stone cold eyes, spewing violent, apathetic nonsense about the people I protect, consider friends, and my family. It's maddening sometimes to have to listen to him, so I tone him out with what matters to me - Sapphire. She's always there when I need her, much like I am when she needs me. The more I focus on her, the less I hear him. He fades out and gives up, going back to the cold depths of my mind like a predator stalking its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and take control. Not this time. On another note - Raven and I are planning a joint dinner trip with Geoff Enfield, my old associate, and Zeal, his... Robo-bion-cyborg-android wifebot. I'm nervous, really. It's... I guess regret for what happened. I don't want to be seen as what I was. It isn't me anymore. I don't expect him to forgive me, but I can hope for it, at least.
I also spent a bit of time going over the Tartarus design when it dawned on me - It's much bigger than a standard warship of that class. Much slower. Easier target. It needs something other than raw plating when considering a defensive stance. Even the largest shields designed for that class can barely sustain themselves in an extended fight. The Tartarus would be a primary target if in direct combat. It needs something else to defend its self. Shields themselves function as an energy barrier which blocks energy. Some disperse it throughout the impact site to minimize damage. What if a shield was designed to rotate in a sequence and disperse impact energy throughout the entirety of the ship, lessening the overall energy use of the shield and damage it receives under fire? Just a theory for now. Shields aren't my strong suit. I might need to consider outside help for it, but that's costly, and a major risk when considering the safety of the fleet. We still haven't finished establishing ourselves. Soon though, we'll be set up at Ataraxia, and we can begin offloading people there. I'm readying a proposal to refit the two Bustards for active duty as mobile base platforms again. Perhaps decommissioning one in favor of repairing the other might be a better option in favor of resource management.
All in all though, it feels good to be away from that tower and back to work with my family."
Joshua Hunt was stood in the Keeper's quarters by the window in the dining room, staring out in to space. In one hand, he held his datapad, scrolling through it with his thumb. In his other arm, a small infant curiously blinked out at the vast expanse of space and the various nebulae that occupied Sirius.
Journal entry One-Oh-Four
Eight-Twenty-Three A.S.
September First
Family and Auxesia
"So much has happened in the past few weeks. More than usual, in fact. To start off, I got shot. Twice. In the stomach. Raven and I extended an invitation to my old associate Geoff and his android wife Zeal to go to dinner on Cambridge. It went well, despite the obvious awkwardness of Geoff and I. The uncomfortable notice of my firearm by Zeal while both Raven and Enfield were occupied, and the part about getting shot and nearly dying in Raven's arms. I can't quite describe what I felt but... I tried my best to ensure she'd be able to carry on if the worst happened. I don't think it would've mattered, to be honest. It might be just a thought, but I don't know if either of us could live without the other. It may be speculation, but it's... It's a difficult thought. Anyway, I'm obviously not dead, and -" The infant squawked out a curious sound at a passing asteroid. Hunt briefly looked down at the infant's curious round face and spoke out in a parental tone. "That's just ice. It's an asteroid made of water. Heh... Yeah, that happened.
Raven was suffering from some unfortunate medical deficiencies. Glass provided her with some of the new prototype medical nanites he had been working on. It surprisingly worked out nicely, minus the uh... 'Side effects'. I'd rather not go in to detail with a baby present. Very personal stuff. Regardless, the nanites were programmed with an automatic function to detect injury and repair it or stimulate healing and regrowing tissue. They just so happened to have entered Isai's unborn system and stimulate his growth. The problem with that was - well, he was born with a cleft lip that needed to be surgically corrected, and several months earlier than a natural birth. It was probably really painful for Sapphire, which she was sedated for the entirety of it, thankfully. The problem that occurred next was her losing her memory again. She actually thought we were the Order and were attempting to interrogate her, and that Isai was a product of the interrogation tactic. It took a while for me to convince her otherwise, and thankfully Hans Von Goeben managed to help with that. Good guy, old friend. I recall the days of bailing him out for having illicit research materials outside of Manhattan. Guess those are just memories now, huh?
Well, Isai was born. A week prior we had gone to visit Noah on Canaria per his request. He wanted to apologize for leaving and explain what had happened in the short time he was gone. Essentially, he helped undo the mental damage he had done to Inge, but at the cost of shortening his life expectancy. He wanted to say goodbye, as he didn't anticipate that he would live long, which is saddening, to say the least. He's one of the few people outside of the fleet we can call a friend. Hell - He even joined up with us for a short time, and he did good, but he was always a lone wolf kind of guy. I guess in the end after repeated emotional conflicts with various others he chose to isolate himself. Due to Raven giving birth and being unable to leave the Eidolon for some time, I invited Noah to visit us and meet Isai. Now it went well up until he actually uh, noticed I had an infant in my arms. He seemed to kind of freak out. Eventually once Inge came by the situation got worse, and he ran out, telling us to forget about him. I chased after him and confronted his reasoning behind trying to run from what was troubling him. He then proceeded to start a fight with me, which caused the stitches of my recent gunshot wounds to rip open when taking a punch. I restrained him and Raven stepped in. She told me to go get help for my stitches. Reluctantly - I agreed. I came back in my armor, cloaked, ready to strike if Noah made a move on her.
If he did, it would've been a really bad idea for him.
Eventually though, we talked him down. It took a lot, and we were all on edge, anticipating him to make a strike again. He was acting unusual, yet later explained his actions were intentional. He was trying to push us away."
Hunt Wrote:"You've lost your way. It's not that you don't know what to do, it's that you don't know where to find the path you followed. You aided Inge hoping to redeem yourself and undo the harm you've done because even after everything, you still care about her, just like you care about Raven and I. You cared enough to harm yourself to help her. Not because you wanted your life to end, but because you wanted hers to go on unhindered by all that's happened. You blamed yourself, and rightly so, but I told you - No one is beyond redemption."
"In the end, he stayed the night, and we spoke briefly in his temporary quarters. He argued his points, and the conversation was halted by the Poopatron Five-thousand here." Hunt briefly tickled the infant, which giggled out slightly. "Isai got hungry, so we decided to continue later, which is how I ended up back here.
Oh, work. Right. Uhhh. Well. I helped steal another battleship. An Osiris this time, which Tantalus graciously gave me command of if I need it. It's taking on the former Sovereign crew, seeing as how the Bustard was decommissioned recently. I had organized the plan to pose as the missing Battlegroup Alabama and her escort ships to convince the Order that the ship was lost to the Liberty Navy on the Magellan war front. That being done, the ship is in dry dock in Puerto Rico being repaired as I record this. In addition, Maverick officially retired. He grew tired of the new structure and associating himself with me, so he decided to spend the remainder of his twilight years on Canaria getting drunk with Sylus and Jimms. Ganes and Wills have remained, as have a majority of the crew, which was bolstered by additional heads from the Sovereign as well. That leaves the last two-hundred for Ataraxia. I am now in command of the Cincinnati, or as it's now called - the Arktos.
As for the rest of the fleet, its been a steady increase in size. Not just former personnel from House Military organizations or intelligence groups, or even other defectors, but some passive members from small Zoner communities, another Crayterian, and some families seeking refuge and willing to do their part alongside Logistics, or even the families of more combat oriented Auxesians - including mine. As much as I don't want to admit it, I don't feel safe with Isai on a warship, even if it's the Eidolon. However, I doubt I'll ever feel safe with him anywhere in this galaxy. Parental paranoia, I suppose.
The hooded and masked figure of Curator Leviathan occupied a high-back officer's chair on the deck of an unfamiliar vessel which drifted through the voids of Omicron Kappa, slowly orbiting planet Gammu.
Journal entry One-Oh-Five
Eight-Twenty-Four A.S.
January Thirteenth
From Arktos to Andraste
"Four months since my last entry. I really should start keeping better track of things, because I've not got the details for most of what happened.
Simply put, the conflict with Liberty is over. We've withdrawn our paramilitary support from the Legion's front lines. Something we should've done a lot sooner, honestly. The cost of which is, eh... Handing Maverick's ship back to the Republic, effectively losing one of our largest assets, despite its age. Truthfully I'm semi-glad it's gone. There wasn't much more work we could put in to it. That frame is far too old for half of the equipment we stuffed on to it. I'll need to organize some shipyard space to get the equipment transferred from it to the Andraste, so it doesn't go to waste.
Speaking of transfers to the Andraste, Tantalus stepped back and has decided to use his knowledge about everyone's favorite wannabe heroes to teach recruits what to expect. Intelligence work. The Phalanx notified me that my newest persona - Leviathan - will be taking command. I suppose that's kind of a relief, now that we've lost one ship. The Andraste will be taking a more active and less passive role in scenarios. It's different, but the traces of Libertonian design are still there. New faces, most of which are drones. I suppose it's better than the whiners from the Cincinnati. Less of a chance to have to argue over orders, less chance of insubordination - I can work with this. I'm not a fan of the weapons system it had from its days in The Order, but that can be remedied when the Arktos is being stripped. Though... We'll need to build a fifth turret. That shouldn't be a problem.
As for building things, I've finished - in cooperation with R&D - the base hull and foundation for the AXC-1002-F. As I told Raven, people have decided that the first one to fly will be dubbed the Revenant, in honor of the founder. The project its self is going to be called something different, obviously. Taking the Eidolon's framework design and improving on it wasn't has hard as I had expected it to be. Then again though, I'm used to working on it alone. With R&D, plus James helping out, it has been a lot less work on myself. I'm still preferable to solo work, but I guess it's nice to have a break once in a while. We're still a long way from a finished product, but if this works out, we won't have to rely on others for our assets much longer.
Yes.
That means no more stealing things from people. Two Battleships, pfft.
Oh well. At least I'm giving one back.
As for personal matters, it's getting difficult. Between Isai being with us on the move constantly, and Raven's mental energy issue, things fall through the cracks. I want to help her, and be there for him so he grows up well, but balancing this lifestyle with that is... It's difficult. Truthfully I never expected I'd have a partner, let alone a family. I never felt those kinds of emotions growing up. Perhaps Raven was right about the link changing us. We used to be very different people with the intent of killing each other. If it is changing us, though... Is it for the better? I'm not having second thoughts or anything, but I'm concerned for her and the child. I've tried to think of ways to make things easier for us all, but we're just not that kind of people to sit around. There's just a need to be out doing things. Working, moving, fighting. We both made that decision, but we've both had similar thoughts of rushing the idea. We can't exactly go back on it now, and I don't plan to.
Neither of us may have another shot at this.
Oh!
To top everything off, Delta became a war zone again, with the usual parties involved. Irritating, as it makes resource acquisition a lot harder than it should be. To top it off, the kidnapped someone who knows about the Dawnbreaker, which is a very serious problem. That kind of information can't just slip out in to people's hands, especially not a totalitarian paramilitary like The Core. Power to them is addictive. With that kind of tool in their hands, they'd be almost unstoppable provided they had the materials to build it. Thankfully, he doesn't know the design schematics, but simply knowing it still exists is a danger to us all. It kind of made me paranoid. I have been having trouble sleeping since I found out, mainly because my first priority in that scenario would be to protect my family. So lately I've just been... Sitting up. Watching them, despite knowing we're safe.
Hunt was laying in bed within the Keeper's quarters of the Eidolon Wraith. To one side was Raven, fast asleep. To the other was an infant - his son, Isai. It was obvious Hunt hadn't slept yet, as most of his time was spent tending to the infant as he frequently woke up throughout the night.
Hunt would carefully reach over and grab his datapad from the end table, and begin recording a log. He'd speak quietly to prevent waking Raven or the child.
Journal entry One-Oh-Six
Eight-Twenty-Four A.S.
March Third
Conviction.
"A situation occurred with Nesrin, which normally wouldn't be a surprise. I expected better from someone that intelligent, and it's quite difficult to take what they as truth or not. Though, they reminded me of some things. I learned that Nesrin doesn't actually exist. There is no human in that bion, but rather a program to simulate emotion and behavior based off of brainwave patterns and stimuli of the right hemisphere. I wasn't surprised, but disappointed that Di'Tarau considered such appropriate. I suppose in a way, it was a comfort thing when interacting with people. I prefer to take things at face value. Knowing the truth didn't make the situation any more irritating to deal with.
What Nesrin does is act out and cause problems. Just learning a brief bit had taught me that there is no changing that aspect of it, and thus they were discharged from duty on their own request. However, there were certain bits of information they possessed that made them a security risk for the fleet and themselves. That sort of information is too dangerous to be allowed out of the fleet. The Inner Phalanx, Raven and myself voted to... Modify their medial temporal lobe, as Glass called it. The portion of the brain that directly correlates with memory, also in the right hemisphere. The intricacies of design that bion had made navigating through everything rather difficult, especially when trying to minimize damage, We were successful in the end, but I can't help but look back on what they told me, or rather what I told them and had forgotten.
Nesrin acted out of conviction and belief. What the program believed had put them both at odds with us and our associates, yet the program refused to change its mind. A strong belief of diversity over survival. A belief that our goals were no longer aligned with its choices. We can't say it enough - we're not heroes. We aren't able to do everything to save everyone as the Nesrin program wanted us to. We argued our points before the AI intervened and explained how their true motives are different from the person they emulate. It reminded me of a statement I made on Honshu a long time ago.
I am a man of conviction. I have only done what I believe to be right.
Belief is a very powerful motivator, but how often can one's belief be accurate objectively? Is it possible that we're wrong? I don't think so. I believe in what we stand for and that our approach is correct. I believe there's more we can do to reach our goals and do our duty, but there's much more we need to finish before we can continue to push onward. Projects, work - everything needs to be done step by step. There's always one thing after another that needs to be done, but that's part of our lives. If we don't do our job, who will? We even managed to obtain some unique prototypes, courtesy of Thomas Aquintas. As much as I despise anyone who reveres another species as a higher power, I admired his approach to a solution and choice on how conflict may come to an end. Far fetched, sure, but isn't a lot of our work pushing the boundaries of impossibility? Some would argue the topic.
On the other hand, Raven and I now share the title of Keeper. A reward for managing to negotiate the return of those prototypes I mentioned earlier, that I nearly lost, and necessary for tactical leadership and splitting tasks. Inge has been asking about projects, which had me a little on edge due to the specific topic. I had several heated discussions, and was accused of blindly agreeing with Sapphire. Pffsh.
It's astonishing to think that some people may not comprehend the basics of moderation and restraint when it comes to dangerous technology and equipment. The mere idea that we - people who have taken it upon ourselves to prevent the extremely volatile and dangerous machinations humanity develops from being used - would choose to use it ourselves. At no point would we have a need to deploy nerve gas. At no point will we divert more resources than we have in to the construction of a super-weapon to use on our enemies, when we're doing just fine without it. The Dawnbreaker is the very last resort - the final contingency for when there is no other alternative to the survival of our species. In order to resist temptation, the idea of using it needs to be humored. Tease ourselves with thoughts such as using something dangerous to wipe out the entire Corsair population, for example, knowing full well it goes against our ideals. Train ourselves to resist the ideas of using what we possess to create chaos.
Journal entry One-Oh-Seven
Eight-Twenty-Four A.S.
October Twenty-Second
Pain
"It hurts. The grinding every time I move a joint. The non-stop feeling of being stabbed by needles in various spots throughout my body. Every time I inhale, it's cold and tastes of steel. Every time I exhale, I fight the urge to cough violently as my body struggles to adapt to its new respiratory system. Surgical scarring covers my body, coupled with metal reinforcement plates over sensitive internal systems. I can hear the tiny whiz of my eyes rifling every time I focus. They're not mine anymore. My legs are exposed, cold and black, but far more powerful than my former prosthetic system, and there's so much more I can change.
But I'm scared.
At any waking moment I could collapse and die, or be rushed off to medical to have some other life-saving device shoved into my body in the place of another failed organ. It hurts to exist. This transition has not been an easy one. Not just for me, but for my beloved. My family. How much farther will I fall before they stop recognizing me? Who knows. Lately I've asked myself if survival is worth the pain and changes, struggling to find any answers other than the same conclusion I've always come to - I must persevere. For her sake. For my son's sake, but at what cost?
How long until I'm more machine than me?
They'll never accept me like thi- What? No, what am I saying? This is our work, and I can't abandon it just because I've got bolts instead of bones. The pain can be tolerated, even reduced.
I suppose I should start from the beginning.
Over the years I've faced many challenges and experienced many instances which likely would've ended in death. Somehow, I survived. Gunshot wounds, ship explosions, stabs, falls, crashes, torture... There have been more times than I could count that I survived the impossible, but I suppose each instance had taken its toll. The older I get, the more I began to slow down, and the faster all the years of strain began to catch up with me. Eventually the inevitable happened, and it hit me like a wall. My body began to shut down. It couldn't do it anymore, and for nearly a week I thought I was dead. There were no solutions or contingencies in place for that moment, and I believed I had failed and broken my promise to Raven. I believed I was going to leave her for good...
I woke up feeling the sting of the cold air. My body was butchered and my legs were missing. I couldn't move. I didn't want to even try, for fear of the immense pain I might experience. It was already droning as I lay there. I couldn't see as a bandage was over my face. It was cold within the link. I had no concept of how long I was out or what had happened. I thought the worst, but was wrong.
Things weren't nearly as bad as they seem. Well... Relatively, anyway. The whole bit about The Order publishing propaganda that Saffir was infested was annoying, but easy enough to prove false with the people who matter. It took nearly a month before I was able to get back on my feet and back to work, but there's no way I'll be able to manage a fighter properly for quite a while. Not comfortably and without serious pain, anyway. Damn this pathetic nervous system.
Well...
I rarely have time to do this anymore. These entries... Work on Elgin and our focus on the growing Royalist threat at our front door has my attention diverted elsewhere. I had called a meeting to discuss a response to a sudden claim of territory by our former friends, who proceeded to threaten aggression. We've dispatched a missive to discuss contingencies should conflict arise, so that situation should be handled sooner or later.
I'm just... Tired."
A thud echoed through the microphone as things went silent in the workshop.
Journal entry One-Oh-Eight
Eight-Twenty-Five A.S.
January Seventh
Isolation
"I failed.
I promised that I would find a way to fix it, but I failed.
I didn't try hard enough. I should've spent more time looking - working with Glass for a solution, and now I'm being torn apart with guilt. The one person who matters to me the most...
I can't. I can't deal with this. Raven needs me now. I have become emotionally compromised. My judgement is fogged with ideas that go far beyond the boundaries of acceptable methodology. Things that take me back to the start of this whole mess. The start of my project and my... For lack of a better description, descent into insanity. It's intriguing, isn't it? You always underestimate the capacity for evil you truly have until it's right there on the table and you're sending people to their death for mundane items to fuel something sinister.
But that's who I've always been. The undeniable itch for control in the back of what used to be my skull. The arsenal to destroy anyone at the snap of a finger at my disposal. The ability to shift focus to specific developments and restart projects. I have the resources to build an empire in three months. All they need is a bit of refinement to assure complete and total control of all subjec- God, what the hell am I even saying?
No.
Absolutely not.
Stop right there, train of thought.
There's a reason you had to get away from everyone. Being 'involved' with the day-to-day is too much of a risk for my state. I may have failed one promise, but the least I can do is keep the first one I ever made.
Journal entry One-Oh-Nine
Eight-Twenty-Five A.S.
February Fourteenth
Awakening Malevolence
"No-no-no! This isn't right. None of this is right.
I knew I shouldn't have listened to Geoff. I wasn't ready to come back. The signs were all there. I was emotionally compromised and in no state to start making decisions again. I keep risking my sanity the more I get involved. The voice, it just... It doesn't go away. There is nothing to quiet it now that Raven is gone. Gods, how I miss my Blue Bird... I've been trying my best to find alternative distractions to keep my mind at ease. I've taken to becoming friends with the Freeport personnel, who have taken a liking to Auxesia. It's a nice change of pace to being accused of nuking the place every second week.
I invited them to see Ismara. The city itself is still well under construction and isn't expected to be fully ready for a long time, but Naxos and the general structure is operational, and I've been staying there to keep Raven company as often as possible. I don't want to stray too far in case something happens... Good or bad. Anyhow, I've had my new friends staying with me. It's difficult to admit, but... I think this was a mistake. I've put myself in a dangerous position, compromising my emotional status further and risking temptations. I may or may not have accidentally exposed myself. Not like there's much to see. I'm a machine, after all.
It's becoming more and more difficult to maintain my composure. I keep slipping up, giving way to the beast in me. I'm unsure if I can even keep fighting all of the temptations... The depths of my mind are calling to me. The darkest recesses that gave birth to the sinister weapon I protect from those who would use it. The temptation to use it myself is returning, but I'm not giving up that fight. I'd sooner destroy the Dawnbreaker than ever put it to use.
The other temptations, though...
I pushed to start a civil war in the ranks of my enemies so I could capitalize on the chaos. Much to my surprise, Providence beat me to the punch. As a sign of good faith, I turned over almost all of the details of my plan, as well as the assets that I was making use of. They want the Andraste back, as expected. I told them no. Like hell am I giving them that ship back. I won't even consider it until the madman of the Omicrons is well out of power.
I'm continuing to work on their allies, to try and drive a wedge between them and The Overwatch. It's a little manipulative, but that's not my concern. Action is met with reaction, and if this conflict is going to continue there's no way in hell that I'm going to let it end on anyone but my terms. Even then I'll outlive this conflict one way or another.
...
This isn't going to end, is it? I need more to work against my enemies. More power. I can't let anything stand in my way. We must survive, and in order to do so we need more. I want more.
...
N-no. Selfishness will lead to our demise. I can't risk that. Everything we've built up to this point must be preserved. I can't allow those temptations to control me now. It's bad enough I'm already tempted with being unfaithful, and it's my fault for putting myself in that position. I refuse to stoop to such things!
... Even though Raven has, as well as attacked me, threatened me, threatened our child, attempted to kill me...
NO.
We're done here."
The datapad would hit the floor nearby. Hunt, in his metallic body, stood up and walked away. He came to a stop before a mirror and looked at himself. "Abomination." He muttered. The lights on his face had turned a shade of brimstone in response as his personalities continued to battle for control.
"They say they've cracked you open for real this time, so you can let all that dark stuff out."
Journal entry One-Ten
Eight-Twenty-Five A.S.
February Eighteenth
Old Legends
"I was struggling to control the impulses. The temptations to pursue a path of self-destruction. I kept putting myself in a position to fail each time I sought comfort with the friends I tried to surround myself with. I had to find a distraction.
And I did.
Raven would say I'm wasting my time, and that it isn't worth the effort to chase ghosts of the past with little reason, but we have every reason to pursue those two rumors. Even if it might be hearsay. Even if it might be reliant on intel that's almost half a decade old in some regards, there's a slim risk someone could beat us to the punch, and having something as dangerous and legendary as the Necrosis fall into the hands of our enemies is something we can't afford.
Some would say it's suicide to chase after that ghost, but it's my job to take possession of and secure the dangerous machinations that our species has developed, especially when in the hands of a dangerous and unpredictable madman. For safety, I've set out with ERI and the Wraith to start picking up the trail. I thought I might've gotten lucky, but it was a little too much to hope that the last time it was spotted on record, it would still be lurking in the area. We traced a ship's signature around the Taus and some of Kusari, following its ionic signature. It's not one we had recognized or had on record. I inquired with the locals and travelers, even turning to the Blood Dragons. They actually almost shot us, seeing the Wraith. Some quick talking managed to prevent that.
Unfortunately that lead proved to be a dead end, and we went back to square one. ERI told me I was wasting time, and that this was a misallocation of resources, but at that exact moment we had picked up a fresh scent, so to speak. Reluctantly, we moved deeper into hostile territory, tracking the target. We were nearly spotted on several occasions, and as we got closer to one of the planets in Omiron Tau, ERI began to report misreadings and malfunctions across the board. We pulled off, circling back to try again, and that's when we found it.
But it wasn't what we were looking for.
It was a new vessel that the Maltese appeared to be testing, and we took a few quick scans to document it in case it happens to be used against us at some point or another. I was fairly disappointed that days of pursuit left me empty handed, and ERI told me so. Despite this, it was good to get something out of that fiasco. We set out deeper into the Omicrons as I ran through the rumor's details. An ambush on a patrol of Crayterians in Tau-37. Jayse was fairly clear on seeing a ship that didn't match any records they had, and its name. I kept going over the details for anything I might've missed. Any sort of hint that could've pointed me in the right direction.
I came to a standstill. The investigation had gone nowhere, and I really was wasting my time. I started to reach out to my old contacts, digging for any additional information or rumors that might point me in a different direction. The first few came up empty handed, but John Holliday - the good doctor who helped us out in the past and someone I consider a friend, provided me with a testimony of one Commander Haddock in Omega-49. A direct encounter with the target.
Testimony record: Commander Haddock, MedForce One Wrote:[18.02.2018 00:20:03] [MFE]Doc.Holliday: Mon'Star.....now that is a ship I've not seen in a very long time.
[18.02.2018 00:20:26] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Hence the trail being so cold.
[18.02.2018 00:20:27] [MFE]Doc.Holliday: The last time any of my assets saw that was a long time ago in Omega 49
[18.02.2018 00:20:40] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: The Omegas? My investigation thus far pointed me to Tau 37.
[18.02.2018 00:20:53] [MFE]Doc.Holliday: Mind you, that was a long time ago
[18.02.2018 00:21:10] [MFE]Doc.Holliday: *pulls up file*
[18.02.2018 00:22:35] [MFE]Doc.Holliday: The encounter MF1 had was when Mon'Star threatened the ship. He told Commander Haddock....
[18.02.2018 00:23:36] [MFE]Doc.Holliday: That if he didn't dump all of the patients, he would destroy the ship. Mon'Star buggered off for whatever reason
[18.02.2018 00:24:21] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: That's not surprising. Do you or the Commander have any idea where he might've gone from there?
[18.02.2018 00:24:35] [MFE]Doc.Holliday: MF1, at Bretonian request, went into leads to recover the wounded from Mon'Star's destruction
Another lead. Another trail to chase in solving the mysterious disappearance of one of the most dangerous vessels to ever soar through the void of Sirius. It might not have been much, and it still really isn't anything to go off of, but its pointed us in the right direction on where to look next. That's something I can at least be thankful for. It's going to take a long time to piece this picture together.
Though that wasn't the only thing to come from my visit to the 'Crons. I made contact with the Canaan Project, one James El Harady. Interesting fellow, who seemed particularly curious about my condition of transcendence. He was curious if it made me a social outcast or not. I explained to him that while many people who know the true nature of what I am may view me as an abomination, I often find myself letting those unwilling to accept it believe that this is a mask and not my actual face. Regardless of those views, people within our society are indifferent and accepting of what I've become.
On a whim, I brought up my investigation in pursuit of Mon'Star. I mentioned the names that came up, and how the vessel itself might've fallen into the possession of a man named Lee. It appears that these are two unrelated sources, as James provided some additional information about the activities of a vessel identified as "The Narcotic" in cooperation with the PRIME collective, long before its recent collapse.
Conversation recording: James El Harady Wrote:[18.02.2018 00:46:37] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: Another lead has just come to my attention, and it seems I've been chasing the wrong ghost.
[18.02.2018 00:46:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: So I am required to ask - have you heard of Mon'Star?
[18.02.2018 00:47:12] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: Sounds as interesting as it sounds mysterious. I know the story, yes.
[18.02.2018 00:47:32] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: And what do you know?
[18.02.2018 00:48:34] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: Some oldschool pirate guy who ran away with a special ship or something. I'm much more familiar with the ship than
[18.02.2018 00:48:38] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: the person though.
[18.02.2018 00:48:55] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: More specifically the Necrosis. Is that thing somehow related as well?
[18.02.2018 00:49:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: The Necrosis Prime. I initially believed it may have fallen into the hands of a man named Lee, but I was chasing the -
[18.02.2018 00:49:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: wrong ghost.
[18.02.2018 00:50:14] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: Now I've become privy to an attack perpetrated by the Necrosis, where medical patients were executed in the Omegas.
[18.02.2018 00:50:29] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: Part of my job is to locate and reclaim dangerous technologies.
[18.02.2018 00:50:35] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: This includes chasing old legends.
[18.02.2018 00:51:24] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: I had the... pleasure (?) of encountering the Necrosis once and having a brief conversation with its AI "Shodan"
[18.02.2018 00:51:44] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: Shodan? Was that the Necrosis, or the Narcotic?
[18.02.2018 00:52:21] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: Oh yeah, that was the one. Narcotic. Excuse me, that was quite a long time ago.
[18.02.2018 00:53:16] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: Well if you know the Narcotic, you know something. Both ships share similarities to one another.
[18.02.2018 00:53:30] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: Where did you meet them, and what did you speak of?
[18.02.2018 00:54:51] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: That was such a long time ago. Shortly after my initial modification. We were still researching the AI consensus back -
[18.02.2018 00:54:54] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: then.
[18.02.2018 00:56:26] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: Think we talked about some existential things about artificial sentience.
[18.02.2018 00:56:54] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: Shortly after that the Narcotic completely fell off the grid never to be seen again.
[18.02.2018 00:57:49] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: Heard some rumors about the original owner contemplating wether or not he should pass it on, but nothing concrete.
[18.02.2018 01:00:10] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: You trying to get your hands on that vessel?
[18.02.2018 01:00:25] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: Part of our duty is to prevent dangerous technologies from falling into the wrong hands.
[18.02.2018 01:00:47] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: That can either mean taking possession of it for safe guarding, or destroying it so it cannot be used against any living -
[18.02.2018 01:00:49] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: thing.
[18.02.2018 01:01:02] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: And the other one acquiring a vessel like that for your own purposes?
[18.02.2018 01:01:18] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: That way it can't be used against you *he smirks*
[18.02.2018 01:02:02] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: No, otherwise we'd be deploying many of the dangerous machinations we already have in our vaults.
[18.02.2018 01:02:39] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: Unlike certain groups, we're not warmongers.
[18.02.2018 01:02:42] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: Out of curiosity, what happens if you never find it?
[18.02.2018 01:03:07] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: If the investigation turns up nothing, then it's closed and put on stand-by until such a time where new evidence turns up.
[18.02.2018 01:03:16] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: In which case we follow up.
[18.02.2018 01:03:33] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: I see.
[18.02.2018 01:05:48] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: We have no interest in destruction, and the Necrosis Prime was designed for no other purpose than to cause mayhem.
[18.02.2018 01:06:30] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: If it were to fall into the possession of a group of fanatical terrorists like The Order, Commune or Core, there is no telling -
[18.02.2018 01:06:36] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: what sort of terror they might unleash.
[18.02.2018 01:06:45] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: True. It's probably for the best if you destroyed it.
[18.02.2018 01:07:11] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: That is a last resort. Another part of our job is preservation and archiving. We could dismantle it.
[18.02.2018 01:07:17] A/)-ACV-Eidolon.Wraith: L: Learn its secrets, its history.
[18.02.2018 01:07:39] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: James: Well we will certainly let you know if we hear anything. If I think of it I can ask around carefully. See if I can find -
[18.02.2018 01:07:46] Canaan|Kauket.MK2: some more info about it.
I'm contemplating whether the former PRIME unit Empathy has any records of the Narcotic. If there's any correlation between the two, I intend to find out. I am not one to leave a single stone unturned. Perhaps reaching out to Empathy might provide me with additional insight, but... I have other obligations. I'll need to return to the Covenant sooner or later to host a variety of guests, give them tours of our home in an effort to entice them to work closer with our society. Having Canaan and MedForce Enterprises set up shop in our space will go a long way to establishing ourselves and building a positive relationship with both organizations. There's much we have to offer each other.
Backtracking to the investigation, I'm curious to know if its presence in the Omegas from Haddock's testimony might have anything to do with the locals in the area. I suppose I should visit the Angel's district and speak with the former Archon of the Fallen Angels. I do need to check up on how they're settling in to their new home, anyway.
Until then... This will have to wait. Imagine what I could do with the Necrosis under my control... I could- No.
We're not going back down this road a second time."