Defending the Delta

[Sombs]

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These log entries are created in secret and aren't available to any other entity.

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Log - Ezrael Vertiga

Where do I begin? I have no idea. I might already have mentioned parts of this in my last entry, but I don't know. I am now in a certain position, or at least, I am aware of it. How it is and all that. To a certain degree, I managed to accept how it now is. Ergh, I just start from the very beginning.

The use of codenames, something what many people do and have success with. Maren is Unschuld, Nancy is Sangria, Sombra told me she has a friend in the lane hackers that calls her Pink Nightshade while she calls her Sunny. So I created an alter ego, too, and wanted to do it right. On the Apahanta, I used a few robots and the workshop to create a unique outfit with all the APM tech and the Hot Gear materials we still had on the ship. The result was a pretty cool suit with internal cooling, a helmet with some gadget such as a voxmorpher and so on. I also bought a Roc from one of my crew members who told me he wouldn't use it anyway anymore. He got a few millions, I got a new ship. Very basic, nothing to be a real threat, but enough to stay alive in space.

And thus I created an alter ego called "Operative Red". The name should implicate an organization he is not the only agent of, so people would be a bit more careful when dealing with me than just with a random person. And off I went. The idea was to find externals who could have their eyes and ears out there for me. Mostly on Auxesia. More about that later. So I moved to Manhattan and just waited there, observing the people in the orbit. Usually, that's the hotspot for Freelancers and Mercenaries. And fuc.king retards.

And thus I met the Forlorn Hope. No retards but freelancers, a group growing in numbers and influence from what I can tell. Watched them in action, listened to their open-frequency-talks and such. They are nice people. No professionals, not at all. Knight Captain Nick Stenn for example, a guy who just attracts trouble. Secret meeting? Okay, bring a big fat Bustard-class carrier to that secret meeting! Nobody would pay attention, right? He also blew up a door on Thunder Bay during a meeting while the emergency door lever was just next to him. Also got to meet some other Forlorn members. Troy Augustin, Ellie Dahl, Sarah Fenn. I think they all have their hearts at the right place, but anything beyond the hunt on criminals in Liberty and other houses or transport escorts is a number too high for them. After all, they are just simple freelancers, and that is exactly why I hired them. Nobody would expect them to be more than that.

And then there is she. Elena Voigt. Blueberry, Bluebs. Athletic body, blue hair, slightly heterochrom eyes, tattoo at her cheek.

Also, pregnant and girlfriend of a typical Navy John. At this point I might remind of the fact that Maren allowed me to do stuff with other women. Not that anything happened. It could have, though.

I hired them to map the independent worlds for me, Magellan, Cortez, Coronado, Inverness and Kansas. The accuracy was... enough. All I wanted to know is whether Auxesia has a station or something in Inverness, but all they found were two Junker stations, oh, and a nomad lair. In Inverness. Still have to explore that.

Met them in person. First Sarah Fenn, Troy Augustin and Elena on Bethlehem, then Elena and Nick on Thunder Bay, later again the two on Freeport 2. During those meetings it became evident I attracted Elena. The people who know her call her promiscuous, to word it nice, which ended with her current relationship with that said John. Yet she couldn't stop flirting, her body was telling everything. We later had a meeting on Corinth, to talk about things. She was incredibly keen to know me better, and I allowed her to. Shouldn't have done that. I really regret it. Her charme got me. On Corinth we first talked about business stuff in a maltese restaurant, then I needed to talk with her about things nobody else should hear, so I got us a room on the station, we made it ourselves more comfy, I told her a few things about me, about my position in the human-nomad war and that I enjoy their protection. Little bargains. So, Elena knows I have contacts and friends on both sides. Didn't tell her specifics. Nothing about Maren, Valery or anyone else. Still, it was too much. I regret it.

We remained in that room for a night. No sex, no kissing. We might have cuddled. But I reminded her of being faithful with her boyfriend. Otherwise, we would have done it, probably.

She told me she would have a meeting with a certain Bassam Hussaini, a know member of the Commune. Offered her to escort her, playing her bodyguard. Good: I was able to protect her that one time. Bad: The repercussions almost made me kill Maren.

Bassam Hussaini is one hell of a creep. Intimidating, fake countenance, almost sadistic when talking, being fully aware of how his presence was perceived. A devil. He tried to convince Elena with cheap speechcraft to have her submit to their cause. How great the Commune is and how their world would be a better world. Almost every single word of him was a lie. From what I was able to filter out, the Commune is rather frustrated about their raids in Liberty getting countered effectively by the Forlorn Hope. By amateurs. And thus they try it differently now. They are way weaker than they show themselves. Doesn't make them less dangerous, though. He realized he wouldn't achieve much with me around to remind Elena of the real truth and not his truth. Turned out he wasn't alone, with snipers placed in the biodome, ready to kill us if one of us would make a wrong move. So we ended the meeting with me having a hand on my gun. He let us go, but his word was not trustworthy, so I let Elena go first while still being a threat to Hussaini. Then I told him I was under protection of Unschuld, and while he seemed to be unimpressed, I'm pretty sure it was the only way to ensure his people wouldn't kill us on our way back.

Elena realized what a horrible mistake she made to go there. Hussaini knew about her pregnancy, although her belly had been barely visible back then. I believe he is infected, but Maren told me he is sort of not connected with the Mindshare. Weird. I need to find out about that. Maybe that is something related to the new nomad breed Raven and Loyola mentioned, the Vagrants. We know nothing about them. Saw them as Operative in New York, they have a different way of communicating. Their telepathy is very clear and vivid. However they are just as dangerous as the K'hara.

I believe Elena is understanding now what I was talking about every time I warned her to not go any further, as there is no way out of the grip of the nomads once you're noticed by them. She got their attention. That is really, really bad.

After that one meeting on Freeport 10 with Hussaini, I talked with Maren about the situation. Hussaini contacted her, asking about the Operative and her relationship to him, and she obviously didn't know about him, because I never told her about it being me. Up to that point. And she was really, really angry at me. Not only her but also Valery. They first wanted me to revert my interference - meaning ensuring Elena would either be infected or dead, depending on what would have happened if I wouldn't have been there. I told her I couldn't do that, bargained with her. She told me to leave - we were on the Corvo back then, my ship - and to return in the evening. So I did. I do get their points. I have a neutral position. The nomads don't harm me, I don't harm them. I didn't know that would include the Commune. But in that very moment, that very day, I had enough of all this. Preparations had been done, I gave Sombra and Leon access to my banking accounts, instructed Sherry with what to do with the Apahanta if I die, talked with Paige to talk about what to do with Hot Gear if I die. Visited Sombra, indirectly said goodbye to her after two hours of making love, visited Leon and told him the story as well, however including my plan.

To kill Maren and Valery.

I moved to the Apahanta and took some of our gravimetric bombs with me, on the Bishamon. Let the ship monitor my health conditions. If they would change, the Bishamon would explode, together with the Corvo, killing me, Maren and Valery. And thus I returned to the Corvo.

I do a short break here, Paige is calling me. Will continue soon.

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