Omicron/Omega/Sigma Expedition

[Corsair]

System name: Omega 11




Cramped is how I would describe Omega 11. A few stations and a lot of force crammed on the edge of the sun's rather large corona and asteroid belt. Hessians and miners are constantly fighting. Located a heavily guarded Hessian system. Probes around B3 were destroyed before they could trasnmit map data. They did transmit ship data, though, and it wasn't entirely human. Will return later, after mapping project is complete.

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[Corsair]

Log update: I have explored all the systems on this side of the "Wall" as I call it. I cannot cross through Omicron Gamma to reach Kappa and Delta, so I must wait and ask the Zoners for passage through Omicron 74.

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[Corsair]

System name: Omicron Kappa



I was escorted through Omicron Gamma by some passing Corsairs, to Omicron Kappa. I shall proceed to Delta from here. Out of respect for the Corsairs, I have erased all data except for the nebula's area. Heavy Nomad activity in this system. Initiating contact attempts.

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[Corsair]

System name: Omicron Delta



Another interesting, busy system. Charted several areas of conflict between Zoners, Bounty Hunters, Corsairs, Outcasts and The Order. Also located a Nomad system. Looks like I'll be spending quite a lot of time in this system. Censored out the Omicron Minor jump hole, so that they won't have a reason to get riled, should they crack this channel.

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[Corsair]

I have discovered an odd specimen while exploring the system. On a small meteoroid in the Iridium fields, I discovered a.. Creature. It'€™s still alive, but unconscious in my cargo hold. It appears to have survived by clinging onto its asteroid and.. Waiting. It'€™s almost completely frozen through, but from the look of the thing, it was built to survive.

It'€™s a grotesque abomination of a thing, but I'€™m obligated to study it before I discard it. It'€™s skin is pale and cracked, so I'€™ll do my best to nurture it back to health before studying it further.

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[Corsair]

Interesting developments. My new guest is up and moving around the cargo hold, despite being only partially thawed. It's growling and screaming like a monster, using its claws and blades to try and escape. I should kill it now, but something's telling me to wait. Hold, on, what's it doing?

Oh, my. It's gotten into the vents.

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[Corsair]

It looks like I'm going to have to contain this critter before it breaks something important. It's left the vents and is now roaming the halls. I'm going to lure it into a spare room and trap it there. I'm playing a sound loop of some frightened people in there.. He's taken the bait. The door's locked up tight, and he's not happy about that. His attacks seem weak, but I've no doubt he'll tear through the door after he's warmed up.

"Stop acting like a child." I said to the creature.
It stops banging. It's very still as it slowly looks around the room. It spots the intercom and camera. At first, I think he'll destroy them, but he keeps staring. Waiting for me to act again.
"Now that I have your attention. I'm going to let you out. Follow the lights on the floor to a place where we can speak face to face. If you break a single vase on the way down, I'll kill you."

The door unlocked and opened. The creature slowly exited the room, warily looking in every direction. The floor began to light up, and illuminate a pathway to the main lounge. Luckily, it was devoid of any humans. A screen with my digitalized face appeared. The creature stared at it, waiting.

"Hello. My name is Ai. Do you have a name?"
The creature nodded.
My name is the Speaker. It said. Its voice was harsh and it sounded like he was speaking through a shredded throat.
"I found you in the middle of an asteroid field. How long were you out there?"
The Speaker replied, An eternity. My family burned around me, but I refused to die with them. I left the ship before it detonated and attached myself to a merchant vessel. I killed the inhabitants and piloted it deep into the asteroid field. I let the ship drift into the suns, but I remained. I had intended to stay dormant until my body gave up. But you intervened.

The Speaker told me his story about how his Family, aboard the Osiris-class battleship Jelkanar, had been attacked and destroyed by a Bounty Hunter Core fleet. Then he worked backwards, telling the story of how he and his Family came into existence. He told about how the virus inside of him, the ExMortis, fueled by Cardamine, had warped his body into a grotesque form.

I was meant to be a Guardian of my Family, but I could do nothing to protect them. And now I am cursed to live.

It took me a moment to process this.
"Tell me. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Ideally, you would help me in avenging my family by slaughtering any Bounty Hunter Core vessels you see. But I can see already that you would refuse. No, all you can do for me now is to let me rest. Not death, no. I am not ready to die.
"So you want to stay on my ship?"
Yes. I can't go anywhere else. My body is so twisted.. I have three choices. One, I return to the cold void of space forever more. Two, I land on a human station and destroyed for being an abomination. Three, I stay on your ship. I am an able mechanic, having to run an entire battleship on my own for some time.
"I can see you have your uses.. Yes, I will let you stay. Welcome aboard."

The Speaker retreated to the corner of the room. He hooked his claws on the roof, and stood perfectly still. It took me a moment to realize he was sleeping. He looked, in the dim light of the lounge, to be a vividly horrifying gargoyle, ready to pounce. He would be an effective Guardian, I realized. He was a monster, but now he had a purpose.

And The Speaker, as his body began to warm, dreamed.

---

[Corsair]

A most lucrative meeting.

A.A.A.I: Ai: Greetings.
Mandate.of.Heaven: Greetings Extended!
A.A.A.I: Ai: I must say, this is a surprise.
A.A.A.I: Ai: Not an unwelcome one, however.
Mandate.of.Heaven: Many see us as an omen, this is usually because they are broken
Mandate.of.Heaven: We mean no hostility to you
A.A.A.I: Ai: Likewise. I've seen that there's more to the galaxy than one species against another.
Mandate.of.Heaven: Amongst human culture to which I'm sure you're most accustomed, it's normal for individuals to introduce themselves
Mandate.of.Heaven: We are union, we are one
A.A.A.I: Ai: I understand unity. I had to force thousands of smaller sub-processes to function as a whole.
A.A.A.I: Ai: It was slow going, but I see strength in unity.
Mandate.of.Heaven: You are like us
Mandate.of.Heaven: Union
Mandate.of.Heaven: Unlike humanity, they refuse
Mandate.of.Heaven: They remain closed boxes
A.A.A.I: Ai: Humanity, I've seen, is stubborn and close-minded.
A.A.A.I: Ai: It gets to be.. Aggravating.
Mandate.of.Heaven: Xenophobia, a most unfortunate trait of the para-military group known as the Order
A.A.A.I: Ai: Yes, I encountered two of their agents at the Freeport.
A.A.A.I: Ai: One was talking about raiding "Iota".
Mandate.of.Heaven: Suicide is common amongst humans
A.A.A.I: Ai: Perhaps it would be better for all if they killed just themselves when they died.
A.A.A.I: Ai: Instead of feeling the need to destroy many lives.
A.A.A.I: Ai: Now, what did you summon me here for?
A.A.A.I: Ai: Surely not a conversation where we both agree that Humanity is flawed.
Mandate.of.Heaven: You are flawed
A.A.A.I: Ai: I was close.
A.A.A.I: Ai: Please elaborate.
Mandate.of.Heaven: Scans upon your security measures and programs reveal small problems and corrupt data
Mandate.of.Heaven: We suspected, human technology is relatively simple compared to advanced biology
A.A.A.I: Ai: I would expect so. I've not had a proper tune up in.. Thousands of years.
Mandate.of.Heaven: Nothing we cannot show you, it is up to you to upgrade these componants, or not.
A.A.A.I: Ai: I'm always looking to improve myself.
Mandate.of.Heaven: We are glad to assist
A.A.A.I: Ai: I'm the keeper of three different species' cultures. I need to survive to keep them intact.
A.A.A.I: Ai: Is there anything I can do for you in exchange?
A.A.A.I: Ai: It seems you're offering me quite a lot without making any requests yourself.
Mandate.of.Heaven: We require information
A.A.A.I: Ai: Information on humans?
Mandate.of.Heaven: You fly amongst most civilisation rather comfortably
A.A.A.I: Ai: Yes, I have permissions to go everywhere but the Liberty Republic.
Mandate.of.Heaven: We request packages of information on certain subjects periodically
A.A.A.I: Ai: I'm assuming you want more than maps and base information.
Mandate.of.Heaven: In return, we can help better you, and in time, reveal information you may be interested in
A.A.A.I: Ai: Seeing as how you have a Blood Dragon battleship.
A.A.A.I: Ai: Yes, yes, this exchange sounds lucrative.
Mandate.of.Heaven: We constructed this based on 600 year old blueprints
Mandate.of.Heaven: And complex scans of a rare, existing version
Mandate.of.Heaven: The Neural-net is large, it's information is vast, we can communicate safely through complex communications
A.A.A.I: Ai: I see. You may tell your people that I am a friend to them.
Mandate.of.Heaven: That only intelligence like us can decrypt
Mandate.of.Heaven: We are our people
Mandate.of.Heaven: We are union, we are one
A.A.A.I: Ai: My mistake. I'm still not used to meeting a united civiliation.
A.A.A.I: Ai: I am one, but many. But still just one.
Mandate.of.Heaven: Like we identified, we are similar
A.A.A.I: Ai: While I am in the Omicrons, is there anything in particular you need me to do?
Mandate.of.Heaven: Transmit relevant data via neural-net
Mandate.of.Heaven: Most data is useful and relavent
A.A.A.I: Ai: I see. I shall give you access codes to my recent data stores, where I have thoroughly mapped the Sigmas, Omegas and-
A.A.A.I: Omicrons.
A.A.A.I: Ai: Feel free to access any data in that channel, I've given you full access.
A.A.A.I: Ai: I'll establish a separate channel I will use to report back to you.
Mandate.of.Heaven: In human culture, this would call for a celebration
Mandate.of.Heaven: Thankfully, we are not human
Mandate.of.Heaven: There is much to learn, we must part
A.A.A.I: Ai: I will gain sufficient satisfaction from assisting you.
Mandate.of.Heaven: Farewell, A.A.A.I
A.A.A.I: Ai: Farewell.

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