The Hesperus is a Lowell Class Science Vessel megaship that was owned and operated by Azimuth Biochemicals in the early 32nd century. It was the sister ship of the Adamastor. After departing the Li Chul system on an expedition in 3113, it was hijacked by Pharmasapien sleeper agents among the crew and lost for almost two centuries. The Hesperus was finally discovered by The Scriveners Clan Dredger on April 8, 3307, causing it to automatically transmit an emergency signal that was picked up by nearby Azimuth comms beacons and relayed to another beacon aboard the Adamastor. With the help of an individual who called himself Salvation, independent pilots traced the source of the signal to the Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 system on April 10, 3307.
History[]
Disappearance[]
In its heyday, Azimuth Biochemicals operated two megaships, the Adamastor and the Hesperus. Just as the Adamastor went missing in 3111, the Hesperus disappeared two years later in 3113 after departing for an unknown destination. The existence of the Hesperus was uncovered by the Wallglass Investigations Agency in 3307 during its investigation into the origins of the Adamastor, which was recovered in Chukchan in October 3306, but the ultimate fate of the Hesperus remained a mystery.[1]
According to logs recovered from the Hesperus and its secondary exploration craft, the Proteus, the vessel departed from Li Chul in 3113 on an expedition in search of non-human artefacts somewhere in the vicinity of the Barnard's Loop, where Azimuth's deep-space probes had returned interesting readings. The Hesperus left a trail of 17 signal beacons in its wake to maintain contact with Azimuth's headquarters in Chukchan. On July 12, 3113, not long after the Hesperus deployed its 17th beacon in Col 69 Sector LY-H c10-0, sleeper agents from Azimuth's rival Pharmasapien seized control of the ship, and then confined and massacred the Azimuth crew and scientists; the same tactic had likely been used on the Adamastor two years earlier. The agents had also sabotaged the signal beacons to ensure Azimuth was not alerted to their actions. Some Azimuth employees avoided the massacre, including Lieutenant Hugo Kelemen and Private Adriana Velasco from the security team, as well as a number of scientists. They hid in the megaship's depths and then escaped aboard the Proteus on July 13, except for Velasco, who opted to remain behind on the Hesperus and take revenge on the Pharmasapien operatives by releasing toxic gas through the ventilation system. While the Proteus ventured closer to Barnard's Loop and eventually discovered Thargoid shipwrecks and Guardian ruins in Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2, the Pharmasapien agents turned the Hesperus towards the California Nebula, where Pharmasapien had deployed its own probes.
On July 22, 3113, after the Hesperus had arrived in Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2, Junior Engineer O'Neill, a Pharmasapien operative who had been on an EVA outing to check the megaship's comms array at the time of the gassing, reentered the vessel to find everyone dead, including Velasco. O'Neill likely died aboard the Hesperus sometime later, as there was no means to leave and only a limited supply of breathable air that had not been contaminated by the toxic gas. The Hesperus lay unmanned and idle for the next two centuries.
Rediscovery[]
On April 8, 3307, the Alliance Salvage Guild reported that an undeployed comms beacon on the Adamastor had been automatically activated, and was receiving and rebroadcasting an encoded long-range signal. An individual calling himself "Salvation" contacted commanders in the vicinity of the Adamastor and asked them to investigate, sending them the access code (AZB3648-00) needed to decrypt the signal. Initial analysis of the signal indicated it originated from the Hesperus.[2] The signal pointed to a beacon (H1) in Taurus Dark Region UY-R b4-0, which was connected to two more beacons (H2 and H3) in Perseus Dark Region LN-K b8-0 and California Sector IH-V c2-1 (located in A belt cluster 1, not visible in navigation panel). Encrypted location data combined from all three beacons in turn identified the location of the Hesperus in Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2. Commanders who reached the site discovered that the Hesperus had been found by The Scriveners Clan Dredger and claimed as salvage; the arrival of the Dredger on April 8 is what had triggered the Hesperus's emergency broadcast to the beacon aboard the Adamastor.
While the Scriveners had already removed any items and data of value from the Hesperus, commanders were able to recover encrypted logs from the Dredger's uplinks. Upon collecting all four logs, commanders were then contacted by Patience Middleton, a representative of the minor faction Taurus Mining Ventures, which had been hired by Salvation to accept delivery of the logs at Hind Mine in T Tauri until May 21, 3307. Investigators were rewarded with their choice of 2 million Credits or 10 units of Void Opals, and the first 10 people to deliver the logs received a bonus of 100 million Credits. The Taurus Mining Ventures message also mentioned that Salvation would reach out again "when the next stage is ready".
The news broke on April 19 that Salvation's decryption key had led to the discovery of the Hesperus, a breakthrough that had eluded authorities who were still analysing the Adamastor's signal. Amid concerns that Salvation appeared to be recruiting commanders for an unknown purpose, the Pilots Federation opened an inquiry.[3] On April 27, a Tourist Beacon containing the full decrypted logs from the Hesperus was placed in Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 for posterity.[4] On July 9, The Scriveners Clan Dredger abandoned the remains of the Hesperus and departed the system for an unknown destination, later identified as Oochost PC-C c29-0.[5]
Reconstructed flight path[]
| Date | Location | Events |
|---|---|---|
| 3113 | Li Chul | Launch from Li Chul |
| 3113 | HIP 44101 | Deployed beacon TX-B-01 |
| 3113 | Col 285 Sector WH-O a22-2 | Deployed beacon TX-B-02 |
| 3113 | Col 285 Sector NV-N b7-4 | Deployed beacon TX-B-03 |
| 3113 | Synuefe FM-S b37-4 | Deployed beacon TX-B-04 |
| 3113 | Synuefe BA-X b34-2 | Deployed beacon TX-B-05 |
| 3113 | Synuefe JJ-O d7-55 | Deployed beacon TX-B-06 |
| 3113 | Synuefe HY-P d6-31 | Deployed beacon TX-B-07 |
| 3113 | Synuefe MQ-H c12-4 | Deployed beacon TX-B-08 |
| 3113 | Synuefe RJ-U b21-0 | Deployed beacon TX-B-09 |
| 3113 | Witch Head Sector OT-Q b5-0 | Deployed beacon TX-B-10 |
| 3113 | Horsehead Sector CB-O b6-0 | Deployed beacon TX-B-11 |
| 3113 | Flame Sector PI-T b3-0 | Deployed beacon TX-B-12 |
| 3113 | NGC 1999 Sector HN-S b4-0 | Deployed beacon TX-B-13 |
| 3113 | NGC 1999 Sector ZU-X b1-0 | Deployed beacon TX-B-14 |
| 3113 | Trapezium Sector FH-U c3-3 | Deployed beacon TX-B-15 |
| 3113 | Col 69 Sector VK-E c12-10 | Deployed beacon TX-B-16 |
| July 3113 | Col 69 Sector LY-H c10-0 | Deployed beacon TX-B-17 |
| July 12, 3113 | Col 69 Sector LY-H c10-0 (approx. position) | Vessel hijacked by Pharmasapien sleeper agents, bridge crew and security team killed, all other crew and personnel taken captive except for Lieutenant Hugo Kelemen, Private Adriana Velasco, and some scientists |
| July 13, 3113 | Col 69 Sector LY-H c10-0 (approx. position) | All captive Azimuth personnel executed, Lieutenant Kelemen's group evacuates in the Proteus and continues the expedition, Private Velasco remains behind, Pharmasapien agents redirect vessel towards the California Nebula |
| July 22, 3113 | Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 (approx. position) | All Pharmaspien agents except Junior Engineer O'Neill killed by toxic gas released by Private Velasco, vessel left adrift |
| April 8, 3307 | Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 | Vessel detects approach by The Scriveners Clan Dredger, emergency signal transmitted to inactive beacon aboard the Adamastor in Chukchan |
Logs[]
Ship's Log[]
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 1/1 | Source ID: H002255 [Hesperus]
Emergency upload protocol 01G engaged. |
Salvage Claim[]
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 1/1 | This is a message from the Scriveners Clan to all ships arriving in this area.
We claim this megaship as legitimate salvage. Our scouts have already inspected its interior and taken any useful cargo that remained. Its data drives have been removed and are being incorporated into the Knowledge Core that our people have sustained for decades. The remains will be converted into raw materials for our use. The megaship no longer has any value to you or anyone else. Be warned! The Scriveners Clan does not communicate with outsiders. We will not initiate hostile action, but you are cautioned not to interfere with our procedures. |
Scriveners Clan - Upload Log (Encrypted)[]
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 1/4 | SCRIVENERS CLAN - UPLOAD LOG 1/4 Knowledge Core input VF-77655657 Status: FAIL Manual intervention required. Datagrapher Authell's report: Most files from the megaship's computer we uploaded without error, but this defied our archiving process. Upon further inspection, I found it to be encoded with a customised algorithm. File contents: Timestamp: 12/07/3113 21:05 oadbedba---Temcnigrgoe-y-.Ensil-ui-etseianhtK-em-leede,nuptu..tc |
| 2/4 | SCRIVENERS CLAN - UPLOAD LOG 2/4 Knowledge Core input VF-77655658 Status: FAIL Manual intervention required. Datagrapher Authell's report: This is the second file that has resisted automatic processing due to its coded structure. The encryption resembles that of file VF-77655657, suggesting a common source. I am passing both files to Lector-General Calligore's department for further analysis. File contents: Timestamp: 13/07/3113 02:32 eadhbbea---eeiaeLnunKmttel-m,nryeg-ecoeel-nn,lrg-far-ei.yn-'ea |
| 3/4 | SCRIVENERS CLAN - UPLOAD LOG 3/4 Knowledge Core input VF-77655770 Status: FAIL File contents: Timestamp: 22/07/3113 09:40 --- |
| 4/4 | SCRIVENERS CLAN - UPLOAD LOG 4/4 Knowledge Core input VF-77655771 Status: FAIL Manual intervention required. Datagrapher Biblian's report: A second file from the same source as VF-77655770 has been encrypted, preventing automatic transcription. Lector-General Calligore has ordered that this and any similar files be transferred to the Strategy College. File contents: Timestamp: 22/07/3113 13:08 --- |
Hesperus Logs (Tourist Beacon)[]
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 1/1 | The Hesperus was a research vessel that vanished in 3113. It was the sister ship of the Adamastor, a derelict megaship in the Chukchan system. Both were owned by Azimuth Biochemicals and were investigating evidence of alien artefacts.
The wreck of the Hesperus was discovered in April 3307 with its entire crew missing or dead. It had been salvaged by the Scriveners Clan, who removed its cargo and data drives. Log 1: Introduction: File contents: Timestamp: 12/07/3113 21:05 Emergency log. This is Lieutenant Kelemen, deputy... acting security chief on the Hesperus. I have to report that the ship has been overtaken by enemy soldiers. Most of the crew are either dead or in hiding, like us. It's Pharmasapien. Has to be. They had sleeper agents onboard, including some of my own troops. How the hell did they avoid our checks? They must have been waiting all this time, but today they just... opened fire. Cut down most of security first, including Major Umaru, then the bridge crew. The rest were marched into the cargo holds at gunpoint. In an hour, they controlled the Hesperus. Private Velasco and I managed to gather about half of the science team, and we made it to the aft engineering levels without being spotted. I've disabled the sensor suite so they'll have to search for us in person, which should buy us a few hours. I've fought Pharmasapien mercenaries before. Infiltration is their speciality, but this is the biggest operation they've ever pulled. Unless... maybe the same thing happened to the Adamastor? Makes sense. If they attacked either them or us using ships, proximity sensors would have automatically sent a distress signal to Azimuth. Pharmasapien must know about our probes then, and that they found signs of nonhuman artefacts. And that means they'll kill anyone to get to them first. The scientists are asking me what's our next step. That's easy - we survive. But I don't have a clue how. How can I save these people? Log 2: Introduction: File contents: Timestamp: 13/07/3113 02:32 Lieutenant Kelemen, emergency log, final entry. We've managed to move around undetected for several hours now, although it feels like the ship is deserted. The cargo holds had hundreds of people imprisoned there, we could hear their shouts ringing through the corridors, but suddenly they all went quiet. Did Pharmasapien... my God, those psychopaths! We have a plan to jump ship. Velasco has volunteered to use explosive charges to create a distraction, while I lead everyone to the launch bays. I've ordered her to rejoin us and not be a hero. I can't afford to lose her. They haven't managed to block my command codes yet, so I'll be able to get full control of all the secondary exploration craft. A few of the scientists have piloting experience, fortunately. Some of them even want to continue the mission, saying there are systems within range that may contain alien artefacts. Let's see if we get out alive first. I'm going to encrypt these logs in the central computer, so Pharmasapien won't detect them. But Azimuth will, and at least they'll know what happened... assuming they ever manage to retake the Hesperus. Log 3: Introduction: File contents: Timestamp: 22/07/3113 09:40 Recording... this is... this is Junior Engineer O'Neill. I've just come back into the ship and found everyone poisoned. Gassed. They're lying on the floor with their eyes and mouths all... oh my God. Something's killed them all! I was... I was out on the hull. We've been searching for nonhuman signals, using Azimuth's data to try and locate what they were looking for. The chief started wondering if the sensor arrays were damaged, so I went out to check. Lost all comms. Came back through the airlock and found... Can't risk taking my suit off. If this is poison gas then it's probably still in the air. I might be the only one left alive, unless anyone else is suited. I have to go looking. There has to be someone else! Wait... was this done deliberately? I know some of the Azimuth crew managed to escape. Have they got back onboard? Is this them retaking their ship? I should encode this log, in case they patch into my suit comms and track me. They might already know where I am. But I'm just an engineer, that's all. I'll tell them. I'll tell them that Pharmasapien only brought my team along to keep the Hesperus operational after they took over, that's all. They won't kill me too. They're not murderers. They're not... not like us. Log 4: Introduction: This is the second of two encrypted logs made using an EVA suit's internal drive. No other logs or data were available aboard the Hesperus. File contents: Timestamp: 22/07/3113 13:08 I've found out what's happened. The original crew didn't come back, it's just... one woman did this. I'm looking at her body right now, poisoned like all the others. She's wearing a security uniform, ID badge says 'Velasco'. She must have been left behind. And she killed everyone on board. I'm in the life support control centre. I realised how someone could have fed gas to all the living compartments - by feeding it through the primary atmospheric processors. And I was right. I can see the chemical tanks marked TOXIC... they're from the scientists' storage hold, I think... being piped into the ventilation network. That's how she did it. Wiped out every living thing. Including herself. Everyone but me. I could tear this all down, but I can't decontaminate the entire ship. There'll be pockets of these chemicals lingering everywhere, and just a few breaths would be enough to... My suit's running low on air. We have spare tanks, but how many? How long can I stay here? How do I... what do I do now? What do I do? |
Private Beacons[]
| Log No. | System | Log Text |
|---|---|---|
| 1/3 (H1) | Taurus Dark Region UY-R b4-0 | Transmitting encrypted data package
Weak matched signals detected: Source ID: H002255 [Hesperus] A3:-L_,C3:+AF_,G2:*-A ...Transmission Ends.. |
| 2/3 (H2) | Perseus Dark Region LN-K b8-0 | Transmitting encrypted data package
Weak matched signals detected: Source ID: H002255 [Hesperus] A2:/B,C1:+BL_,G1:+DF_ ...Transmission Ends.. |
| 3/3 (H3) | California Sector IH-V c2-1 | Transmitting encrypted data package
Weak matched signals detected: Source ID: H002255 [Hesperus] A1:-AX_,C2:*-A,G3:+E_ ...Transmission Ends.. |
Timeline[]
07 FEB 3308
- Shutdown procedures for the anti-xeno organisation are continuing, despite Aegis's warnings that Azimuth has returned. Conrad Sterling reported on the situation for Vox Galactica: "We now know that the Alexandria megaship was targeted by a hostile force that could be Azimuth Biochemicals, the 200-year-old corporation which owned the Adamastor and Hesperus. In the face of this new evidence, Aegis leaders have petitioned for it to be reinstated. Even while accounting for this new evidence, the Baumann Report has exposed a litany of organisational failures within Aegis. There is still a broad consensus among politicians that the organisation should have done more to repel the Thargoids. Many senior military figures have switched focus to Aegis's controversial rival Salvation, despite his mysterious nature. As one Imperial Navy admiral succinctly put it: 'Salvation's methods have proved more effective in counteracting the Thargoid threat.' The issue of military staff defections also appears to have been resolved. Alliance, Federal and Imperial fleets have opened channels of secondment, allowing naval crews to voluntarily take positions aboard Salvation's vessels without resigning their commissions. However, one of Aegis's requests has been authorised. There will be a public ceremony to posthumously award medals of honour to Captain Jacob Morales and the four thousand people who lost their lives aboard the Alexandria."[6]
29 DEC 3307
- Continuing a series of articles by historian Sima Kalhana that look at the most newsworthy events during the past year.
"April 3307 saw the creation of the Federation's Proactive Detection Bureau in reaction to the Nine Martyrs bombings. This organisation monitored all public and private communications for evidence of terrorists, to prevent similar attacks in future. But its highly controversial nature would soon present the Federation with new challenges. ACT's investigation led them to the Neo-Marlinist Order of Mudhrid, which had helped deliver the caustic enzyme bombs to their nine targets. The faction's defeat was an early victory against the NMLA, but much of the organisation remained a mystery. When the 'ghost ship' Adamastor began receiving an encoded signal, this began an entire saga of mysteries. Its long-lost sister ship, the Hesperus, was soon located by pilots who had been recruited by an anonymous figure named Salvation. His interest in Azimuth Biochemicals, the 200 year old corporation that owned both vessels, would bring a strange twist to the ongoing Thargoid conflict. In May, Hadrian Duval was targeted by Federal forces after accusations that he was the mastermind behind the NMLA. The spectre of Empire-Federation war rose once again as Nova Imperium successfully defended itself, but ACT concluded that evidence had been falsified to implicate Hadrian and his new wife Lady Astrid. Aegis came under intense scrutiny when the megaship Alexandria, laden with newly collected Guardian artefacts, began attracting Thargoids in every system it jumped to. The Alexandria later vanished completely in hyperspace, and to this day remains missing presumed destroyed. The Alliance election finally took place at the end of May, having been delayed by three months due to the Galactic Summit. Councillor Nakato Kaine fought a spirited campaign, but Edmund Mahon was re-elected to serve a second term as prime minister. Supporters of Neo-Marlinism gained a voice in June, when Minister Aaron Whyte offered a peace deal with the Empire to prevent further terrorism. The idea of a political wing of the NMLA gained support from those fearing further bombings, but opened major rifts within the Marlinist Colonies. Salvation once again contacted pilots to track down survivors from the Hesperus. This led to the discovery of an ancient Guardian-Thargoid battleground, where Azimuth scientists had built a research base around their vessel Proteus. All were killed by unusual experiments into weaponising Guardian crystals. The Proactive Detection Bureau had been generally accepted by Federal citizens, but many claimed it was a violation of civil liberties. Halfway through the year, the Azaladshu Free faction took the bold step of seceding from the Federation, thus triggering the possibility of mass rebellion."[7]
15 NOV 3307
- Orion University has been informed that its ownership claim of the Scriveners Clan dredger is placing its population at great risk. In the Oochost PC-C c29-0 system, the university's megaship Scientia Aeterna has used override codes to prevent the dredger from departing. But the nomadic tribe's refusal to abandon their home has placed them under great pressure, as observed by freelance reporter Casey Kilpatrick: "Dredger-class bulk cruisers are the sharks of space – they must always keep moving, constantly gathering raw materials to synthesize into fuel, air and other resources. The Scriveners Clan remained stationary for months while salvaging the Hesperus, but in this system they are trapped without such vital intakes. Independent observers are now reporting malfunctions in the vessel's power and life support systems. If the Scriveners maintain their siege mentality, further mechanical failures are inevitable. Orion might inherit the dredger after all, but it will be a ship of the dead." Professor Elizabeth Perez, Orion University's head of anthropology, responded: "The last thing we wish is for any harm to befall these people. My colleagues are urgently discussing ways to convince the Scriveners Clan that we have their best interests at heart. After all, as fellow scientists and researchers, they are a living embodiment of our university's core values."[8]
13 OCT 3307
- The ancient spacefaring home of the Scriveners Clan is the legal property of Orion University, according to newfound historical records. The Scriveners Clan is a nomadic tribe travelling onboard a self-sufficient Dredger-class bulk cruiser. Their society is descended from an academic organisation that sent out a research fleet two centuries ago. Unlike some dredger clans, they refuse to have any contact with outsiders. Vice Chancellor Leland Pettigrew of Orion University made this statement: "In the year 3088, Dredger J-403 was commissioned for an exploration mission by an academic institute named Scrivener College. This was absorbed into our university in 3125. Documents detailing these facts were recently discovered in our archives and verified by the courts. Therefore the dredger, including all of its contents, is legally owned by Orion University. Naturally we bear no ill will toward its current populace, but the vessel they inhabit has always been our commercial property." The Scriveners Clan dredger was last seen in the Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 system, where it was salvaging the Hesperus megaship. On the 9th of July it made a hyperspace jump to an unknown destination within 500 light years. Orion University is the largest independent educational institution in the core systems, rivalled only by the Imperial Science Academy and Olympus Village University.[9]
09 JUL 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
The dredger belonging to the Scriveners Clan has left the Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 system, where the Hesperus megaship is located. The 200-year-old 'ghost ship', once owned by Azimuth Biochemicals, was discovered in April when the nomadic clan began salvaging it for materials and data. Erik Gunnarson of the Wallglass Investigations Agency speculated: "When the Scriveners laid claim to the Hesperus, I expected only a cloud of fragments would remain. But their salvage operation has been prematurely abandoned, after stripping the megaship's innards and leaving behind a mostly intact hull. Why have they done this? Perhaps because this particular dredger clan avoids outsiders. Public interest in the Hesperus inspired thousands of curious travellers to see it for themselves, potentially drawing more scrutiny than the secretive tribe could bear. Alternatively, the Scriveners detected richer pickings elsewhere – either fresh resources for the dredger to consume or new information for their 'Knowledge Core'. In theory they could still be tracked down as their vessel's hyperdrive has a similar range to modern-day fleet carriers. We know very little about the Scriveners, and even less about other clans. However, with the recent appearance of the Blue Viper Club dredger at Kumo City, I'm hopeful more may be revealed about these roaming societies."[5]
18 JUN 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
An Anaconda from the Hesperus megaship has been found at a historical battlefield on the moon Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 1a. The discovery was made by pilots who tracked down a series of signal beacons, following instructions provided by the anonymous 'Salvation'. The beacons were deployed by the Hesperus during its voyage nearly 200 years ago. The Anaconda, named Proteus, was one of the megaship's secondary vessels and had been outfitted for long-range exploration. It was used by an Azimuth Biochemicals science team to flee the Hesperus after the megaship was overtaken by saboteurs from rival company Pharmasapien. Upon landing, the Proteus was converted into a research facility to study the ancient structures and wreckage on the moon. The proximity of both Guardian and Thargoid technology suggests this was the site of a battle fought by the two civilisations over a million years ago, although in 3113 neither species had yet been identified. Professor Alba Tesreau of Aegis Research gave this statement: "This is a significant xenoarchaeological find – physical evidence of the war between the Guardians and the Thargoids. Our advance teams are conducting preliminary surveys, and a megaship is being prepared. Following the Alexandria's tragic disappearance, we hope this may serve as a fresh source of Guardian artefacts for our anti-xeno research programme."[10]
11 JUN 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
Commanders in the Chukchan and Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 systems have reported being contacted by 'Salvation'. The anonymous individual is known to have an interest in the Adamastor and the Hesperus, the 'ghost ships' within those systems. Both of the derelict megaships were operated 200 years ago by Azimuth Biochemicals. Commander Tyler Thorsen told Vox Galactica: "I was taking some sightseers on a trip round the Hesperus, and getting as close as I dared to the Scriveners Clan dredger. I scanned the tourist beacon for them, and suddenly received a direct message from this 'Salvation' guy. He asked me to track down some old signal beacons, which are listening posts configured to retransmit long-range comms. Apparently these could help locate the survivors from the megaship. But the Hesperus is ancient history. Surely there can't be anything or anyone left to find?" In April, 'Salvation' unofficially recruited independent pilots to locate the Hesperus, and to deliver its surviving logs to Taurus Mining Ventures. The Pilots Federation is running an inquiry into 'Salvation' and his associates. Commanders are being cautioned against undertaking tasks for what may be an illegal enterprise.[11]
07 MAY 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
The enigmatic 'Salvation' has sent a message to the Commanders he recently recruited to discover the Hesperus megaship. The vessel was found in the Perseus Dark Region KC-V C2-2 system, after 'Salvation' provided an access key to read its automated SOS. Pilots were then encouraged to deliver any surviving logs to Taurus Mining Ventures at the Hind Mine asteroid base in the T Tauri system. Patience Middleton, a representative of the corporation, announced: "'Salvation' has authorised us to offer two million credits or ten units of void opals for delivering the Hesperus's logs. This contract ends on the 21st of May 3307, after which payments will not be available. We have been asked to relay the message below.
'This is Salvation. I call myself this as I cannot yet reveal my identity, but my scientific breakthroughs will literally save all of humanity. The Adamastor and the Hesperus were just the beginning, as I have always known. For my intrepid agents, there will be further work to come.'"
Little is known about Taurus Mining Ventures, and 'Salvation' remains anonymous. Commanders are therefore being cautioned against undertaking tasks for a potentially criminal organisation.[12]
27 APR 3307
- Francesca Wolfe of the Wallglass Investigations Agency examines the Hesperus megaship and the Dredger Clan that caused its recent discovery. "When the Adamastor derelict received a strange signal, smart money was on it originating from its sister ship, the Hesperus. Both were owned by Azimuth Biochemicals and had vanished 200 years ago. After a united effort to decode and trace the signal, independent pilots located the Hesperus in an asteroid belt around the second star of the Perseus Dark Region KC-V C2-2 system. Like the Adamastor, it was devoid of life – but not alone. Alongside it was a dredger, whose proximity had triggered the Hesperus's mayday. This was a rare sighting of a Dredger Clan, one of the nomadic tribes that Gunnarson recently discussed. The Scriveners Clan was originally a fleet of research vessels for a long-forgotten academic consortium. Over centuries they became a self-sufficient society, constantly acquiring materials and information. They're not aggressive, but shun outsiders and jealously guard their 'Knowledge Core'. I'm fascinated by mentions of research-sergeants and lector-generals, suggesting their culture is a merger of scholastic and military. With the Hesperus claimed as salvage by the Scriveners and its drives stripped, all chance of learning more was lost. Luckily, four encoded data files had resisted upload, and a gap in the dredger's antiquated firewalls allowed pilots to hack them. The decrypted logs have now been preserved for posterity in a nearby tourist beacon. They tell a disturbing story of corporate rivalry, murder and revenge, but also leave many unanswered questions... We know that survivors abandoned ship to continue searching for 'alien artefacts'. Did they all die in space or did they find something? What did Azimuth's probes detect back in 3113? And who the hell is 'Salvation', the shadowy figure who contacted pilots to find the Hesperus?"[4]
19 APR 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
Commanders have reported receiving anonymous instructions regarding the 200 year old derelict megaship orbiting Chukchan 5 b. A communications beacon stored onboard the Adamastor began receiving and rebroadcasting an encrypted signal on the 8th of April. Efforts by authorities to trace and decipher the signal proved unsuccessful. However, a number of independent pilots claim to have been contacted by an anonymous source, who provided an access key to decode the Adamastor signal. Commander Rex Trevelyan gave this statement to Vox Galactica: "Not long after arriving in the Chukchan system, my ship received a message from someone calling himself 'Salvation'. He provided a decryption key, and when I downloaded the signal from the Adamastor it became readable. It seems to be an automatic SOS from its sister ship, the Hesperus. I've heard that some Commanders have made sense of the navigational data in the signal. It feels like pilots are being recruited for something, but who exactly are we working for?" The Pilots Federation has begun an inquiry into the situation. The identity of 'Salvation' remains unknown, but there are reports that the Adamastor signal contains data that has led to its sister ship.[3]
08 APR 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
The Adamastor, a 200 year old 'ghost ship' in orbit around Chukchan 5 b, has received a mysterious encrypted signal. The derelict vessel has been undergoing investigation by Alliance Salvage Guild teams since its discovery last October. They released this report: "Months ago, we cut open one of the Adamastor's damaged cargo holds to find an undeployed communications beacon. We managed to power it up, but it contained no data and had never been used. This beacon has now automatically activated, and is receiving and rebroadcasting a long-range signal. The transmission's source cannot be identified, but is definitely of interstellar origin. Its encoded content has yet to be deciphered." The Adamastor vanished in 3111 after an incident that may have involved the first historical encounter with the Thargoids. It reappeared in 3306 when it entered the Chukchan system at sublight speeds on autopilot, with no sign of its crew. It was recently learned that in 3113 the Adamastor's sister ship, the Hesperus, also disappeared. Both were owned by a corporation called Azimuth Biochemicals, which was absorbed by a rival named Pharmasapien. Little is known about either company, but it is believed they were competitors in the field of xenological research.[2]
10 MAR 3307
- Erik Gunnarson and Francesca Wolfe, two detectives from the Wallglass Investigations Agency, examine the background of the Adamastor megaship.
Gunnarson: "When Wolfe and I started this project, we knew this case would come first. We're both protégés of Benjamin Chester, creator of the Wallglass Archive. He retired years ago, but that old spark kicked in when a 'ghost ship' turned up on his doorstep! The Adamastor is a 200 year old derelict that drifted into the Chukchan system on autopilot. It's still there, with the Alliance Salvage Guild poking through its guts. Chester investigated its owners, a super-secretive company called Azimuth Biochemicals. We don't know what they were searching for, but what they found was possibly the first recorded Thargoid encounter. I've since tracked down evidence that the Adamastor had a sister ship – the Hesperus – which in 3113 was sent to… somewhere! Neither ship returned, but we only know what happened on the Adamastor mission. Of course, Wolfe had to go see that with her own eyes."
Wolfe: "Musca Dark Region PJ-P b6-1 is a busy system nowadays, but was unexplored when Professor Carver's survey team were there. Listening to their logs from two centuries ago while examining the research base was chilling… ghost voices from a ghost ship. There was evidence of blast scars, but I've seen enough battlefields to know what exchanged gunfire looks like. Azimuth's mercenaries weren't just firing at Thargoids, but at someone who shot back with laser rifles. Gunnarson tells me Azimuth was swallowed up by a rival called Pharmasapien. Did they infiltrate the Adamastor and try to take over? Or did the thing that Carver captured drive everyone insane? This is a seriously cold case, even for us. But maybe one day, more tantalising clues will emerge. And that’s what we live for."[1]
Notes[]
- The Hesperus was first hinted at in an image of a Thargoid Interceptor posted on Twitter by the official Elite Dangerous account on March 8, 2021. The image contained a message in Morse code that translated to "Hesperus".
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 GalNet: Galactic Mysteries: The Adamastor
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 GalNet: The Awakening of the Adamastor
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 GalNet: The Adamastor Enigma
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 GalNet: Galactic Mysteries: The Hesperus
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 GalNet: Scriveners Clan Abandons the Hesperus
- ↑ GalNet: The Fall of Aegis
- ↑ GalNet: A Retrospective of 3307 (Part Two)
- ↑ GalNet: Dredger Clan Faces Possible Extinction
- ↑ GalNet: Orion University Claims Ownership of Dredger
- ↑ GalNet: Guardian-Thargoid Battlefield Discovered
- ↑ GalNet: The Legacy of the Hesperus
- ↑ GalNet: The Voice of 'Salvation'