To: Ms. Bessie Bishop || From: Capt. Brandt, ERA|Athabasca

[Big Bison Bessie]

---

From: Hunter/Tracker Bessie Bishop, BHG.
To: Capt. Kathryn Harper Brandt - ERA|Athabasca
Topic: Private Investigations Contract
Encryption: SENSITIVE

---

decrypting message ... DONE Evening ma'am. I ain't gonna lie, I have been scraping through my contacts for data on this guy and it's been a chore to find out much, but I met with someone today who had an awful lot of insight on the matter. Nothing definitive on his disappearance, but I have information on his previous projects and his acquaintances. The source is reliable. I've attached an edited communication log with his name excluded for his protection. Yours sincerely | Elizabeth Bianca Bishop | Bounty Hunters Guild | Guild File #375517-204 | LPI Criminal Record Report R-336979-3741 | Kishiro Technologies Transmission Encoder (UPGRADE TO PREMIUM) v23.19 | Attached files (COMM LOG) [18.02.2025 23:49:43] [CONTACT]: *looks around* ... [18.02.2025 23:49:49] [CONTACT]: Guess we are finally in the clear. [18.02.2025 23:50:04] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: So what have you found? [18.02.2025 23:50:42] [CONTACT]: Right then. Besides some database digging, I'm able to throw in some more. *smirks* But first things first. [18.02.2025 23:51:05] [CONTACT]: *clears throat and sends her the copied file* So. Dr. Robert Smith. [18.02.2025 23:51:37] [CONTACT]: The database entry in the [REDACTED] did not show anything significant surprises. [18.02.2025 23:51:46] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: No? [18.02.2025 23:52:02] [CONTACT]: We have a few scarce records of him. The times he purchased something from [REDACTED], and one collab. [18.02.2025 23:52:26] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: What was he working on? [18.02.2025 23:52:48] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: And what'd he get? [18.02.2025 23:53:18] [CONTACT]: *points at the opened file* As you said, he is indeed a robotic expert. And human-computer interfaces seem to be his speciality [18.02.2025 23:53:32] [CONTACT]: This was at least why he was hired for a special implant case. [18.02.2025 23:53:37] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Hrmmm.... curious... [18.02.2025 23:53:41] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Cyberware? [18.02.2025 23:53:57] [CONTACT]: Standard payment. Standard work. Vanished again after that. And yes, the implant is labelled as Cyberware. [18.02.2025 23:54:05] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Not an interface like a holoband, but more... direct than that? [18.02.2025 23:54:24] [CONTACT]: Indeed. [18.02.2025 23:54:29] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: I wonder what he was doing with that, or who he was making it for... hrmm. [18.02.2025 23:54:31] [CONTACT]: *points at another part of the file* [18.02.2025 23:54:37] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Ah, yes... let me see. [18.02.2025 23:54:51] [CONTACT]: ...it had a sophisticated neurological interface. [18.02.2025 23:55:07] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: I'll have to take your word on that one... this stuff is way beyond me. [18.02.2025 23:55:38] [CONTACT]: *sighs* I am not a neurologist either, but from what I can tell, it had direct links to essential brain areas. [18.02.2025 23:55:51] [CONTACT]: So, something highly advanced. And complicated. [18.02.2025 23:56:08] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Something that maybe got him the wrong kind of attention it seems. [18.02.2025 23:56:25] [CONTACT]: Hiring an outside expert for this procedure means only one thing...that this Dr. Smith must indeed be an expert. [18.02.2025 23:56:36] [CONTACT]: Otherwise, this would've been done by one of our own surgeons. [18.02.2025 23:56:51] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Any idea of this was a personal project of his or a commission? [18.02.2025 23:57:33] [CONTACT]: Administration sent out a request to several scientific communities for this project. Was a commission then. [18.02.2025 23:57:59] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: I can't help but wonder if he finished his work and his client had no further use for him... [18.02.2025 23:58:03] [CONTACT]: Then again, something aligning with your personal projects, specialities AND good payment is a nice combo. [18.02.2025 23:58:20] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: ... maybe too good, considering he's vanished. [18.02.2025 23:58:39] [CONTACT]: ...this is where my additional info comes in. [18.02.2025 23:59:23] [CONTACT]: You see, by pure chance, someone with a LOT of contacts and knowledge happened to show up here at 15. [18.02.2025 23:59:33] [CONTACT]: During the recent battle, that is. [18.02.2025 23:59:41] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Why do I get a feeling it's a name I've heard before... [18.02.2025 23:59:50] [CONTACT]: Does the callsign CivilServant ring a bell? [19.02.2025 00:00:01] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Oh you've got to be shitting me... [19.02.2025 00:00:10] [CONTACT]: *smirks* [19.02.2025 00:00:11] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Yes. I've crossed paths with the man. [19.02.2025 00:00:18] [CONTACT]: Who hasn't, at this point... [19.02.2025 00:00:30] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: He's tied directly to this? [19.02.2025 00:00:50] [CONTACT]: Now now, no need to paint the devil at the wall, as we say in Rheinland... [19.02.2025 00:01:15] [CONTACT]: Seeing him in battle, and offering a drink in the Freeport afterwards, I took the chance to ask for Robert's name. [19.02.2025 00:01:25] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: I'm listening.... [19.02.2025 00:01:51] [CONTACT]: Knowing he has a LOT of sources, and knows things. [19.02.2025 00:02:17] [CONTACT]: So, turns out, our Servant knows Robert. [19.02.2025 00:02:33] [CONTACT]: But only from some chance encounters at Barrier. Where they both tend to hang out frequently. [19.02.2025 00:02:42] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: How did they know each other? Personal? Professional? Hmm, ah, a passing meeting then... [19.02.2025 00:02:52] [CONTACT]: Indeed. Nothing business related. [19.02.2025 00:03:29] [CONTACT]: So. Smith does indeed visit Barrier frequently, and he is certainly an expert on the field. [19.02.2025 00:03:44] [CONTACT]: Both statements are also in accordance with someone else. [19.02.2025 00:04:01] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: His employer? [19.02.2025 00:04:32] [CONTACT]: Nope. Someone I trust enough to directly ask them. Leviathan. [19.02.2025 00:04:45] [CONTACT]: Haven't mentioned your name or why I asked in both cases, of course. [19.02.2025 00:04:50] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: I wonder if he's been holding out on me... [19.02.2025 00:05:24] [CONTACT]: *shrugs and smirks* That is a possibility, for you and me. But usually, Lev is pretty cooperative with me. Being a friend- [19.02.2025 00:05:27] [CONTACT]: -of the family. [19.02.2025 00:05:34] [CONTACT]: So I took his word as granted. [19.02.2025 00:05:57] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: We have a working relationship, sometimes I shoot at him, sometimes I shoot things with him... depends on business. [19.02.2025 00:06:00] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: It ain't personal. [19.02.2025 00:06:08] [CONTACT]: Heh, sounds like him alright. [19.02.2025 00:06:19] [CONTACT]: ...and also like a certain Hunter. [19.02.2025 00:06:22] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: He's amicable but, I doubt either of us are willing to trust the other as far as we could throw them. [19.02.2025 00:06:22] [CONTACT]: *winks* [19.02.2025 00:06:34] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Heh. [19.02.2025 00:06:43] [CONTACT]: Oh yeah, he is playing all kinds of schemes. [19.02.2025 00:07:03] [CONTACT]: Then again, he has never let me down, even in serious situations. So why lying to me about a trivial question? [19.02.2025 00:07:23] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: It all depends on just what our dear Doctor was getting into I suppose... [19.02.2025 00:07:45] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Did he or Civil Servant shed any light on the matter of the Doctor's disappearance? [19.02.2025 00:08:23] [CONTACT]: Sadly, no. Only proving what you already knew, or suspected. *lights cigar* [19.02.2025 00:08:37] [CONTACT]: *puffs* ...but that's where the fourth part of the news come in. [19.02.2025 00:08:46] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: You found more? [19.02.2025 00:09:09] [CONTACT]: Well, wouldn't call it more or new, but rather a memory. [19.02.2025 00:09:29] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Alright... interesting way to put it... [19.02.2025 00:09:34] [CONTACT]: Remember that hunch about the AI, when you mentioned this Robert guy was a robotic expert? [19.02.2025 00:09:44] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Yeah, I remember, you mentioned Gaia. [19.02.2025 00:10:32] [CONTACT]: Turns out the auto recorder was running, and I checked the data yesterday. This AI...Novac... [19.02.2025 00:10:58] [CONTACT]: He apparently talked to other humans before we met at Gaia. And those humans were all scientists. Let me explain... [19.02.2025 00:11:46] [CONTACT]: Doc Holiday was personally contacted by Novac, only a few hours prior, and in Leeds. He told me this, since I reported- [19.02.2025 00:12:36] [CONTACT]: -the AI's veiled hint of violence, should we act against its plans. So Doc did the same, hence we both know of Novac - [19.02.2025 00:13:01] [CONTACT]: -interviewed us about the same matter. Controls of organics. And when talking to Doc, Novac mentioned another name. [19.02.2025 00:13:06] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: This AI is sounding like more and more bad news the more I hear about it... [19.02.2025 00:13:24] [CONTACT]: Another scientist. A freelancing one. So apparently, he asked three scientists in a row about the same topic. [19.02.2025 00:13:45] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: That's somewhat... disconcerting I admit... [19.02.2025 00:13:45] [CONTACT]: Even outside the frame of [REDACTED]. If you ask me, that's a pattern involving scientists. [19.02.2025 00:14:02] [CONTACT]: *nods* ...and that's my two cents on the matter. [19.02.2025 00:14:19] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Hrmm.... I am not liking how this all is sounding.... [19.02.2025 00:14:30] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Thank you kindly for the information, Doc. [19.02.2025 00:14:39] [CONTACT]: *shrugs* Yeeeah...I mean, it still could be coincidence, but... [19.02.2025 00:14:42] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: I'd be careful around this Novac from what I am hearing here. [19.02.2025 00:14:52] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Yeah, no, naw I ain't attaching your name to any of this. [19.02.2025 00:15:01] [CONTACT]: *smirks* Appreciated. [19.02.2025 00:15:24] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: I need to make some calls... if you'll excuse me... [19.02.2025 00:15:40] [CONTACT]: *nods* Of course, miss Bishop. Hope that info helped you on your search. [19.02.2025 00:15:53] [CONTACT]: It isn't much, but maybe of some use. [19.02.2025 00:15:54] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: It's the biggest lead I've gotten so far. And I appreciate it greatly. [19.02.2025 00:16:02] [CONTACT]: Glad to hear that. [19.02.2025 00:16:11] [CONTACT]: Oh! [19.02.2025 00:16:13] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Small finder's fee. [19.02.2025 00:16:29] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Heck, thanks again, [CONTACT]. [19.02.2025 00:16:32] [CONTACT]: That goes directly into restocking the ba-...I mean, med bay. [19.02.2025 00:16:40] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Heh, you do you, [CONTACT]. [19.02.2025 00:16:55] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: Anywho, I got a message to write up. [19.02.2025 00:16:59] [CONTACT]: You're welcome, even without the credits! [19.02.2025 00:17:02] Bessie-"Bison"-Bishop: I appreciate it.

---

☆The Ballad of Bessie Bishop☆ | ☆Elizabeth Bishop LPI Records☆ | ☆Feedback☆