The Arkania

[Friday]

When Rachel learned how to use the specific systems she set course to gain knowledge about the Universe what have changed...

Exploring the Universe doesnt come cheap. After spending what little was in the ship's Neural Account, Rachel took up with the Slaver's Union - by now it was all she knew how to do.



***GMG Paramilitary Incident Report***

Sender: Lt. Colonel Sum Yungai
Subject: "The Arkania"

Konnichiwa Guild Master Katsuo,

At approximately 2300 hours, I intercepted an old Prison Liner registered under the name "Arkania". Cardamine sniffers off the charts, ship not responding to initial hails, poor comprehension when it did finally respond. Very much a normal day!

My initial demand was to impose a standard fine, though when backup arrived some of the other pilots were more keen on seizing the contraband. Ultimately I defer to your decision on the matter.

What happened next was unexpected. During my communications with the ship, I began to form the opinion that I was in fact talking to the on-board AI. To be sure, I couldnt pin down the data stream as human or computer - but everyone present could tell whatever mind was at the helm was damaged. There was little comprehension where the ship was, or what it was doing.

The ship was eventually stopped in the oxygen pocket, after a final demand was made I ordered the shield to be taken down. I hoped that some exposure to the explosive gases would get a reaction from the Arkania - I was not wrong!

There were screams heard over the comms, and the ship took extensive surface damage. A single crew member pleaded for a rescue - and I convinced the ship to be towed by our gunboat the Tsukai, to Gas Miner Naha.

Once at Naha, a rescue and engineering team boarded the ship, and found only a single crew member alive. Preliminary accounts suggest the crew member 'Rachel' had been interfacing with the ship with some kind of nanite. Both human and AI brains were damaged, and would require attention.

This 'Rachel' indicated that she once worked for the Slaver's Union, but that entity no longer existed. I believe there is a genuine prospect for rehabilitating this criminal, there are signs of exploitation at the hands of the Outcasts here. We could well have this Freelance ship working for us!

I have recommended Rachel and the Arkania be sent to Okinawa, the ship to be decontaminated, and its Data Core assessed. Rachel is to be assessed by our Rehab Officers on Miura, perhaps one of the ZAS consultants will also take an interest. I would recommend Rachel not be taken out of scanner range of the ship, as I do not know what reaction the nanites might have to being out of sensor range.

We shall see what comes of it Guild Master.

***End Report***

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