***Incoming Transmission***
***Establishing Connection...Done!***
Sender: Rodrigo Valdez, transmitting from the Cortado
Recipient: Order External Communication Network
Subject: Forensic Report, Sekhet-Aaru, Kepler System
A quien corresponda,
My name is Rodrigo Valdez. A native of Malta and long-retired naval captain, I spend my twilight years working as a private investigator in Sirius, my speciality being investigating and locating missing persons. As such, I am somebody who is versed in tracking down lost vessels. I am sure that you see why I make a point of this before I go onto the message proper. I have not had the pleasure of direct contact with your organisation prior to this correspondence, and so I welcome any background queries as to my character and credentials should it be necessary.
Now you may be wondering why I took the initiative to compile this report, seemingly on a whim. I have only briefly encountered the Sekhet Aaru and its governing artificial intelligence before, but it was enough to convince me that I have something of a connection to the ship. I have not spoken of this in many years, but I had a close...friendship with one Doctor Lucia Farrugia. I cannot say for certain that she was ever in your employ, a necessary secret of course, but I know that she was obsessed with AI development and I have reason to believe that for some time we communicated via channels known to be used by The Order. That, and I never heard from her again following the destruction of Planet Toledo. It does not take a detective to draw certain conclusions from this. Perhaps I am a misguided fool, but I believe the Sekhet Aaru, to be her work and legacy. For the memories of an old friend, I took it upon myself to conduct this investigation.
Quote:I arrived in the Kepler system at precisely 1500 universal time on 04/03/830 in my ship, the Cortado, where I proceeded to Ames Research Station to begin the investigation. I had heard of the events surrounding the Order ship's disappearance from a contact at the base's communications centre and he had filled me in about the goings on; the distress signal that then began a chain of events leading to an incident in the dark matter storm which was only partially picked up on the base's sensor sweeps. Naturally I assume that you know more of the ins and outs of what happened than I, but I had enough information to go on to chart rough coordinates into the murk to survey the scene.
Attachment 1: The Cortado proceeding to estimated scene of the battle.
The corrosive properties of the dark matter storm unfortunately mean that degradation of the site was always going to be inevitable. I was able to locate what I am confident was the location of the Sekhet Aaru, but even for the aforementioned conditions there was scarce remaining. Small amounts of recovered wreckage belonging to an Oasis-class vessel were recovered but nothing resembling the majority hull of the ship could be found, even accounting for the large detonations detected by Ames. The hypothesis at this time was, due to the lack of a notable debris field, that there had been a concerted salvage and cleanup effort by one party or another, rather than the vessel's annihilation.
Broadening the search, however, there were some more mysterious findings that came to light. Nearby the battle site, I stumbled across the wreck of a transport ship, the McKinley.
This in and of itself is no surprise, as its position had been catalogued some time ago, but inspecting it showed that it was in an unusual condition. Parts of the ship's structure and internals had been disassembled, but not in the manner of ordinary stripping for parts or salvage. It seemed as if specific parts had been 'unwoven' at a molecular level, broken down and taken away, and the condition of the damage remaining was such that it happened recently. Further to that, I was able to recover what I believe to be a nanobot of some description. Though it was heavily degraded, even a casual visual inspection indicated that it is vastly different in manufacture to the standard repair nanobot and matched no profiles on the Cortado's database.
I found that the remains of a trade lane ring nearby had been subject to the same treatment. It is difficult to say for certain what exactly had been extracted from them both, as there were definite signs that they had been more traditionally stripped of certain parts in the past, this molecular harvesting of material seems to have targeted elements and components generally used in computing systems rather than, say, structural parts.
Our biggest find came not too far from the trade lane. Scanners detected a debris field, or rather, a debris trail leading away from the ring. This time a sizeable amount was recovered, 67 standard units worth of ship components. Most of this appeared to be identifiable parts, again belonging to an Oasis-class, but within the wreckage the Cortado something highly unusual.
Attachment 4: Scanners pick up an anomalous signature
Bringing it aboard, I found what I believe to be an artifact, wired up in a strange configuration to parts that, though mostly identifiable, have no normal association with an Oasis, the bulk of it being components normally seen in Cretan computer systems. Seeing as this...construction...was wired up to the artifact, I did not probe it too closely with any active tests, but visually speaking it seemed that the crystalline portion of the object was cracked intentionally, given the strategic positioning of various nodes along the fissures. That being said, it appears that the artifact itself suffered probable battle damage on top of what I am assuming was deliberate; there are some pieces missing; the breaks are fresh, as well as some deformation due to heat.
I followed the trail for some distance, but it ceased abruptly after a 1.4 kilometres and was unable to discover anything else of note. The Cortado remained on site for as long as it could endure the elements before I returned to the safety of a docking bay at Ames where I could collate and analyse my findings in safety.
As there are no solid leads, particularly due to environmental factors, it is difficult to draw any concrete conclusions. The Sekhet Aaru may well have been completely destroyed during the events of the past few days, though the slightly disturbing transmission received by Ames the other day...again, it is not set in stone, but my guess is that it is one of the ship's AIs, transmitting in a damaged state.
I think there is reason to believe that the vessel is still out there, either in Kepler or having moved on. I do not know what technologies the Sekhet Aaru possessed, but going on what evidence there was from the surrounding wrecks I would hazard a guess that it has been able to initiate some sort of self repair routine. I am additionally unable to comment on the ship's state of danger, but I'm sure the fact that it is imperilled does not need to be expanded upon. Whether the latest broadcast can be trusted or not is debatable, but considering it reliable for a moment, perhaps it can shed some light on where the ship might be heading if it is able to operate under its own power, or who it might communicate with...this 'ideal spectre.'
I have since returned to the Omicrons and have handed over all available materials to Order handlers, including the full documentation that this file is but a convenient summary of. If you wish me to continue my investigations I shall do so. If not, I am able to purge the Cortado's memory of the relevant files and go back to my usual employment.
I am Captain Catherine Hawkins, commanding officer of the Order vessel Unto Nightfall. We were directly involved in the search for the Sekhet Aaru, and it was I who ultimately gave the order to destroy it. At the time, we were unable to confirm the exact fate of the vessel, which is why I am very pleased to have received this report of yours.
While neither I nor Section 8 intend to come to any hasty conclusions regarding this affair, your findings do indicate that the Sekhet Aaru may have survived the attempt to destroy it, or that its crew were able to escape the wreckage through other means and have possibly been attempting repairs of some nature. If this is the case, it is imperative that the ship and / or its surviving crew are found, recovered, and returned into the care of the Order.
To this end, and considering your apparent connection to the person behind the Sekhet Aaru's project, Section 8 asks you - both on its own behalf and that of the Order Overwatch - to continue your investigation into this matter and to provide any and all information you may possess or may yet find regarding the vessel, its crew, Doctor Lucia Farrugia, and her research. You will, of course, be fairly compensated for your services.
***Incoming Transmission***
***Establishing Connection...Done!***
Sender: Rodrigo Valdez, transmitting from the Cortado
Recipient: Catherine Hawkins, Unto Nightfall
Subject: Forensic Report, Sekhet-Aaru, Kepler System
Saludos Capitan Hawkins,
You have my gratitude for responding so kindly to the report. Truthfully, I harboured certain anxieties that the Order might not appreciate a private individual choosing to involve themselves in their own business, but what as outlined previously, I have my own reasons, and I am sure that you will agree with me that the circumstances surrounding these events are exceptional. The offer of compensation is incredibly generous' we can discuss more it when our dealings are concluded.
I have yet to return to the core systems from the Omicrons, but I have used the time to reflect on the matter of the Sekhet Aaru's disappearance. I do not envy you capitan. Even when necessary (as I'm sure it was), scuttling a friendly vessel must be something that leaves a mark, and I hope that you are recovered well from the experience. Let us hope that fortune favours us, and that your actions possibly gave the Sekhet Aaru a chance to fight another day.
On the subject of the exact events surrounding the Sekhet Aaru's apparent destruction, I have been able to glean very little information, but considering that you and the Unto Nightfall were present, it is fair to say that you know the details of the engagement and do not need me to investigate that side of things further. However, if possible, I do have a single query of you with regard to it.
On the assumption that the Sekhet Aaru had been in immediate danger at the time, either for its own safety or the safety of assets it carried relating to the Order, there must have been someone or something hostile to warrant the urgent response from yourself. I will not ask for any footage or information that may give away Order resources present for the sake of your own security, but it may assist my enquiries if you are able to tell me what was giving you such cause for concern at the time. As much as we would like to hope that the Sekhet Aaru is still free, there is a distinct possibility that the ship may have fallen into the hands of a third party. That may be something that requires further investigation.
Indeed, firing upon one's own is never easy. However, in our occupation it is at times necessary. The reason I gave the order to scuttle the Sekhet Aaru is as follows:
By the time we discovered the Sekhet Aaru, a third party had already come across the vessel and was interrogating the surviving crew members on board. These interlopers belonged to the Technocracy of Auxo, a transhumanist faction that you may have already heard of. It is no grand secret that the Technocracy and the Order are in a state of open hostilities towards each other. We made attempts to reason with the present Auxesians and to have them relinquish the Sekhet Aaru unto us; however, they chose instead to open fire upon us, threatening both the Unto Nightfall and the Sekhet Aaru. When further hostiles appeared, I was left with no choice but to order the Sekhet Aaru's destruction to prevent her from falling into the enemy's hands.
It is likely that the Auxesians have themselves investigated the site of battle for wreckage or other clues pertaining to the Sekhet Aaru. You would be well advised to tread cautiously from here on out, as these Technocrats cannot be trusted.
If you have any further questions, I will answer them to the best of my ability.
***Incoming Transmission***
***Establishing Connection...Done!***
Sender: Rodrigo Valdez, transmitting from the Cortado
Recipient: Catherine Hawkins, Unto Nightfall
Subject: Forensic Report, Sekhet-Aaru, Kepler System
Capitan Hawkins,
Thank you for your words of caution with regard to the Technocracy. I have heard the stories of course and have been studying what I can of them. Their rise to prominence is something that post-dates my Naval service, but that they are dangerous I have little doubt about. Make no mistake, I will not be prodding this bear unnecessarily.
I will keep you informed as events unfold. The Cortado is being prepped for the journey back to house space and I will lose no time in beginning this phase of the investigation once I arrive. If I have any follow up queries I will be sure to ask. My thanks for your support in the matter.