An order operative, Inquisitor Valkyrie has recovered a cultural curiosity that appears to be of Dragon Origin. I have very little information on this item other than, that it has an internal mechanism which detects its encoded user grasping the bow. As it stands the artifact is located with the Inquisitor in the Omega-55 system, seeing as Honshu is relatively close your clan has been assigned to retrieve it. Arrange a rendezvous with the Inquisitor to begin, I trust that you will send someone competent to collect this item but as we are unaware of its importance I request that only you investigate it once it has arrived safely on Hikone. We are unsure of its origin and your experience with AI augmented weapons may prove useful, if indeed it is AI and not something else. Please report back to me once the bow is in your possession and any findings you may have.
Arigato,
Heung Hideyoshi,
Shogunate Treasurer and Representative of Shogun Hideyoshi.
Incoming Transmission Source:Hikone Base Encryption:Gold
Honored Representative,
This is a most curious and exciting prospect, and I am grateful that you came to me with it. I will contact Inquisitor Valkyrie and make the necessary preparations with due haste.
Incoming Transmission Source:Hikone Base Encryption:Gold
Honored Representative,
I have just been informed that the object has arrived safely on Hikone. I have not yet had the chance to inspect it personally, but I will do so at first opportunity. In the meantime, my science team aboard will run the preliminary scans and tests. Though I don't suppose it will lead to any grand breakthroughs, the chance to study this piece of history will be nothing short of a privilege. I will make sure to notify you, as soon as the analysis of the object is complete.
I am glad to hear of the objects safe arrival, indeed it is an honour to study the work of those who came before us. I look forward to hearing your findings.
Arigato,
Heung Hideyoshi,
Shogunate Treasurer and Representative of Shogun Hideyoshi.
Incoming Transmission Source:Hikone Base Encryption:Gold
Honored Representative,
The analysis of the object is complete. It is slated to arrive on Kyoto by way of the low-priority 'Kiku-11' shipment, in order to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention. Enclosed are the findings pertaining to the object. I think you will find their contents to be interesting, to say the least.
Surface scans of the bow artifact by the Hikone science team reveal its structure to be composed primarily of a Platinum-Iridium alloy, with overlapping insulating layers of various exotic materials underneath. The expensive nature of the materials used, the almost eccentric and intricate decorations shaping and adorning the bow, suggest the object served a decorative, or ritual purpose, rather than a purely practical one. The firing string, though functional, seems to be locked and made rigid by micro-switches controlled by intricate circuitry within the object. Upon handling the object, micro-diodes located over the exterior plating and string glow red. It is assumed this signals that the object is currently locked. The team has not yet intuited a way to unlock the mechanism, and forcing the locks may damage the object.
OBJECT #856ACDF-3 // "Hama Yumi" // DEEP ANALYSIS / 17/03/825 A.S
Deeper scanning and nanoscope observations of the surface features revealed a delicate sensory apparatus that appears to read the user's genetic markers, and searches for a very particular haplotype, reacting to different people in slightly different ways. Available personnel in the facilities have been instructed to carefully handle the object, to observe, cross-reference and intuit the possible haplogroup in question. After this trial and error process, we believe the group in question to be 'C1a1', or a subclade descendant thereof.
Addendum: The haplogroup in question was carried by a fraction of colonists of the sleeper ship 'Kusari', and remains extremely rare to this day. We've no records of this haplogroup or any of its subclades in our personnel. Access to the information stored in the Kyoto gene-banks will be neccessary.
After receiving the data from the gene-banks, we ran a search on the particular haplogroup, and it confirmed our suspicions. Only a handful of people carry these markers, and they are all descendants of the 'Minamoto' clan. I think the moniker we then decided to give the bow won't go unappreciated. To conclude, the only way to activate the bow and its firing mechanism is to have one of them handle it. A good way to ensure continued ownership; But it raises the question of what happens to the item when the subclade mutates beyond recognition, something we estimate will happen within several generations. We have done all we could. We will compile all our findings into a databank and forward them to them to the Hiderigami Network.
OBJECT #856ACDF-4 // "Hama Yumi" // MANIFEST / 22/03/825 A.S
Dockmaster Hyogo: As per the instructions of Daimyo Watanabe, the object was loaded onto a low-profile, low-risk cargo flight departing from Hikone to Kyoto. The object was concealed between rice rations and miscellaneous mechanical equipment; all low-value cargo. Travelling by the secure routes, it should arrive by tomorrow. The Data should precede it. As per instruction, I will add this statement to the Network.
On an unrelated note, my negotiations with the Apostatas splinter group have started, and the initial results have been favorable. I will continue the conversation for a while longer, before I provide my full assessment of the situation. I will keep you updated.
Your research results on this item have been truly fascinating and I am astonished that you would consider talks with Corsairs as "favourable" in any situation, perhaps I was too swift to condemn them. I look forward to hearing more once you have reached a reasonable understanding with this group.
I have one last favour to ask, related to this bow. I have sent a small vial of blood over to Hikone, it should be with you by tomorrow at the latest, I would have had it tested here in Kyoto but we have had to shut down our non-essential labs in order to create some extra living space. We are about 10,000 over a comfortable population an issue we are working on.
Instead of piling more work on the few functional labs on Kyoto, would you be able to confirm if the specimen this blood came from is also of Minamoto Origin? I have reason to believe that they are but I require solid confirmation.
Incoming Transmission Source:Hikone Base Encryption:Gold
Honored Representative,
The results have been forwarded. Your suspicions are confirmed. With a 0.00001% error margin, the gene sequence comparison verifies patrilineal descent from the Minamoto line. The remaining sample in the vial will be stored in our laboratories' storage, unless its return is requested.