Preliminary Research - HOMEWORK assignment!

The Glisten Institute of Planetological Studies is the foremost organization of its kind in Glisten subsector. It occupies the terraformed interior of a hollowed out asteroid of about 20 km diameter. It represents a show-piece for what can be done with high-tech, time, and billions of credits to make an otherwise inhospitable place into a garden. A garden of learning and study.

"Greetings Sophonts. I am Doctor Ghondo and I greet you on behalf of my friend Baron Hiromi Johnson. He wants you to know that he will meet with you all in person as soon as he's completed the last of the mounds of work needed to launch the upcoming research expedition.

"While you wait for the ship to be prepared and for the last of the permits and authorizations to come through the Baron has a task for you. He would like you to review and double-check the data from the potential targets, possible Ancient sites, to Spinward (west) of Glisten. While he has already selected target sites from his own meta-analysis, he thinks you may turn up something he's missed. And it will be a good mental exercise and preparation for your journey.

"The files are being transmitted to your handi-comps as I speak. You have been granted staff permissions to use all the research and library facilities at the Institute.

"This will probably occupy much of your time. But your permissions here also provide you housing in the transient staff quarters, and use of all recreation facilities. Meals at the student commons are also included.

"Your ship is still being prepared but will not be ready for a shakedown voyage for another 5 or 6 days.

"I'm sure you have many questions. But I must run off to my own lab, as some experiments are 'cooking' and are nearly ready for study. So excuse me for now. I will try and pop by the TSQ this evening to answer questions. But for now, well, Have At It!"

(more in next post)

"But don't worry about system 567-908! I already have that one tagged. You'll need to get there before the Scouts and the Navy put it in an iron grip. There's a newly discovered sapient species there, primitive sophonts referred to as "Shriekers". Anyway, that is not important! The planet has barely been touched. Some unscrupulous scalywags sometimes try to harvest Denuli Crystals, a sort of gem, but which are actually eggs from those Shrieker creatures. Quite valuable on the black market. Very rare.

"Well, anyway. I've already picked 567-908 at a target world. Going over the rather incomplete and poorly made Scout Survey i can see two or three likely spots. The large lake, err, central Sea. Anomaly right in the middle! That should have stood out like a beacon. But of course the Scouts missed that.

"The Scouts will start building an observation post there soon. It will take them a while to get organized. So we can take advantage before they can meddle too much. We will have the proper permits, of course. We certainly will!"

Soren studies Dr. Yala’s list, then taps the entry for Bowman.

"I like the reasoning, Doctor. An asteroid belt gives us a great deal of ground to search. But Bowman has a Scout base, active mining interests, and an archaeological expedition already recording the Darrian outpost on Epsilon. There may be something left to find, but I would rather spend the Baron’s money where we have a better chance of being first to recognize its value."

"I would set aside 567-908 because the Baron has claimed it already"
Soren pauses and says:
"And it has Spiders, I mean Shriekers discovered by Kafka Thingvellir two years ago."

Soren and visibly shakes. "I hate Spiders" he then regains his composure and continue:

"Nirton because landing is prohibited; Pavabid because visitors are confined to the trade enclave; and Singer because of the ongoing war. I would also pass over Forine’s industrial traffic, Judice’s Imperial research station, Walston’s Scout base, and Talchek’s known Darrian refinery and corrosive atmosphere. Dawnworld is a fascinating mystery, but several scientific parties have already tried to solve it. Those worlds may reward a specialist with the right permit. They are poor first wagers for our search."

Soren pauses and looks at everyone gathered and continues
"That leaves Talos and Faldor at the top of my list."

"Talos is my first choice. Its records describe an enormous unidentified vessel that once kept visitors away, disappeared, then returned centuries later. No one has established who built it, where it went, or how it relates to the Talosians’ uncertain origins. I would begin with the old sightings, sensor records, and any surviving accounts, then look for a search area they actually support. Some call it an Ancient vessel; the Wiki says reputable scholars doubt that. An unknown maker is reason enough to investigate."

"Faldor is my second choice, and I would build on Dr. Yala’s suggestion. Its two planetoid belts and thinly documented system give us places to survey without assuming every fragment came from a destroyed planet—or from the Ancients. We would need vacc suits and proper belt-survey equipment, as the Doctor says. I would keep Avastan as a reserve: its C port could help us operate, but the Wiki gives me no artifact lead there. On Talos, we have a mystery to test. On Faldor, we have room to look. Either way, I would like us to establish where a find came from before someone else decides where it belongs."

"Doctor, what do you think?"

It was not immediately apparent was Soren talking to Dr. Yala, Dr. Benjamin Cole, Dr. Trudy Bellamy or Professor Jammik Ghondo as they are all PhD holders. (tag @LloganTamm, @dabaggins, @sekag) This dialog also allow Fleurin "Riff" Visigraznolle (tag @rpgventurer ) to join the discussion.

"Talos and Faldor are also good choices, Soren. I’ve already written up a draft for Talos, along with the systems I mentioned."

He glanced toward the others. "What do you think, Doctors, Riff?"

"Ah, the 'Riddle of Talos'!" Jammik sounds pleased. "That is, of course, something that has interested me for some time. Quite the story, eh! We will have to see if Baron Johnson is intrigued by this as well.

"And Faldor. Very thoughtful reasoning regarding that system. Contacting the resident alien species, the Otari, might give some interesting clues. Some say the Otari are a dying race. My references indicate that their remnants live in human-inhospitable areas and that they keep themselves isolated from contact. That could be a challenge."

Dr. Cole says "Ah, Talos and Faldor. Interesting choices. I’ve long heard of the Riddle of Talos, I once helped a student researching the subject, and Faldor... intriguing. The Otari are a fascinating species. I’m sure I have lecture notes on them somewhere."

He looks toward his tablet, then realizes they are still in the middle of the discussion and turns back to the others.

"Hmm... I would love to say both, as it has been far too long since I’ve been in the field. Still, perhaps Talos has the stronger research appeal..."

Soren sits back with a glass of whisky resting comfortably in one hand. He turns it slightly, watching the amber liquid move around the glass before inclining his head toward Professor Ghondo and Dr. Cole.

"Then Talos appears to have earned its place at the head of our list. It offers more than an old story about a mysterious ship. We have an unidentified vessel, a human population of uncertain origin, a lost period of history, and several centuries of reports whose accuracy and provenance have never been tested together. That gives us several questions worth asking before we decide what we expect to find."

He raises the glass slightly toward Professor Ghondo.

"Professor, there is also the practical matter: where are we getting our ship? Is Baron Johnson purchasing one, providing one from his own holdings, or expecting us to charter a vessel and crew? Talos may require prolonged orbital survey work and perhaps a search of the outer system. The ship’s jump capability, endurance, sensors, small craft, and operating authority could determine which objectives are realistic."

Soren takes a measured sip of whisky and looks around the group, addressing each specialist in turn.

"Dr. Cole, given your previous familiarity with the Riddle, what evidence would you look for first? Would your priority be the vessel’s reported appearances, the history of the Talosian population, or indications that their development was deliberately influenced?"

"Riff, what could the ship’s engineering team realistically determine from the surviving sensor records? If we conduct a new system survey, what signatures might reveal an old orbital station, concealed installation, drive residue, debris field, or some other trace of the vessel’s operations?"

"Dr. Yala, from an archaeological perspective, what would constitute a useful expedition to Talos? Would you begin with settlement layers, abandoned habitation sites, evidence of technological regression, or material that might identify when and how the first Talosians arrived?"

He glances back toward Professor Ghondo, the whisky glass still held loosely in his hand.

"Before we depart, I suggest we agree upon a small set of expedition objectives. First, authenticate and correlate the historical sightings. Second, investigate the origins of the Talosians without presuming an Ancient connection. Third, survey the system for physical traces of the unidentified vessel or its supporting infrastructure. Finally, establish clear procedures for documenting the location, custody, and provenance of anything we recover."

A faint smile crosses his face as he studies the whisky remaining in his glass.

"If Talos does contain an answer, I would prefer that we recognize it before someone removes it, mislabels it, or sells it to us."