*** Location: Freeport 11, Omicron Delta system ***
*** Sender: Dr. Natalia Vale ***
*** Subject: Research mission Omicron first report ***
*** Connection established ***
Message begins
Well - Hello from the other side of the Sirius sector. Dr. Vale here with my first report of our activities. Apologies for the delay, but we had our hands full here for the first two weeks - making ourselves familiar with the surroundings, leasing a temporary living area at the freeport and such.
Most of all though, we have been bussy surveying the system and getting our first look at the nomad specimens we managed to acquire on our trip here. Unfortunately almost all of them were badly damaged - no help with that as the only way of getting them that is available at the moment is shooting down Nomad vessels - which is a risky proposition in the best of times. The specimens we have are in our possesion mainly due to the help we received from a friendly Zoner capital ship that escorted us through Omicrons 74 and Kappa. The few of those that were viable enough to be subjected to our research did not reveal much, as they deteriorate very quickly. The Gallic design cryocubes are of help only so far.
Dr. Lynchpin, me and the team have been on it almost nonstop for the last week. So far what we have are only a million new questions. As you are well aware, none of us has any experience in the research of this particular type of Alien liveforms. During my term at Cambridge University I came across certain rumors of Nomad research undergoing at several institutions - most of them of the highly classified military type - but that si as far as it went, with nomad research being illegal or highly restricted in Bretonia and Liberty. The only thing we can safely say at the moment is that these Nomad liveforms are totally different in origin and design from the Gaia life and the Alien microorganisms used in terraforming across Sirius.
At present our team simply does not possess the techniques and research models necessary for the task at hand. Our software will need a signifficant reprogramming too - much of the data we manage to acquire does not subject itself well to the standart analysis procedures. Developing new models will take a measurable amount of time. Any usefull results are not to be expected in the forceable future - we will do our best, but the amount of work that needs to be done is enormous.
We did have some success - at least compared to the results of the Nomad liveforms research - with other sides of our mission project.
We have in our possesion several missile warheads of Alien design. Not my field of expertise, but Dr. Lynchpin assures me that those are subjectable to some amount of research - at least the mechanical parts, as the biological elements tend to deteriorate extremely fast even for Nomad made structures.
We had our share of luck on our travel - our Zoner escort did point us to an asteroid field in Omicron Delta known to contain significant Iridium deposits. We acquired some samples, but are yet to subject them to any serious analysis. Also, I suspect that any significant effort in that direction needs to be coordinated with the local Zoner leadership, as we are in their home after all.
On that note, in our rush and euphoria over finaly getting on with the research project we managed to... hmmm... sort of forget about some mundane tasks. Mainly, in order to be able to leave Omicron Delta and travel to the main Sirius systems our team will need official permission from the Zoners inhabiting Omicron 74 system /as we were informed by our Zoner escort/ to enter and exit the Omicron 74 system on a regular basis. The only other way out of here known to us includes passing through what seems to be the main Corsair system - not a healthy venture you understand.
Please advise where should this request originate from - the Guild leadership or our expedition.
We also haven't made any attempts to establish connection with the Zoner leaders managing Freeport 11 /we are not aware if there is any governing body at all/. We shall need your advice on that too.
That is all for now. I will go and remind Dr. Lynchpin to hurry up with his report - he gets so involved in our work at times he forgets everything else... well, I am not much different in that respect, so...
Dr. Vale over and out
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*** Connection Terminated ***
"Come on, people. We have a job to do, so let's be about it" - Lady Dame Steadholder Admiral Honor Alexander-Harrington, RMN A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind. The mind is the only battlefield that matters. Everything else is just ... fuss.
Lieutenant Lord Miles Naismith Vorkosigan / Admiral Miles Naismith/ "Always aim for the stars, boy. Even if you miss, you'll at least not end up shooting your leg"
Ascribed to General Count Piotr Pier Vorkosigan
<span style="color:#FFFF33">"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."</span>
Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.
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