Exploration & Research Corporation

[Seekersixone]

INCOMING TRANSMISSION PACKET. DECODING...
DECODED!

TO: Sector-wide address.
FROM: ITV Mary Celeste
RE: Clarification.

Zis is Helena Weisshaupt, pilot of ze Independent Tradesman's Vessel Mary Celeste, speaking on behalf of ze captain. He vas quite traumatized by ze events ve vere involved in regarding ze retrieval effort of ze liner und has retired to his manor on Cambridge to recover. Ze crew und myself vish him a speedy recovery, although he looked to be in fairly bad shape.

Anyhow. On to business.

Ze haufmann took us into Omega-47 on ze ving of a fighter commanded by a Corporation pilot - Villy, his name was. Ve encountered ze transport - E&R-Corps-T-1130 - vell outside ze boundaries of ze system und set about boarding procedures. Ven ze pilot's crew had disembarked onto ze ship und secured ze helm, ve sent over our cargo of pilots und scientists und vaited for ze procedure to be completed.

Zat point vould not arrive.

Two of our crewmen, Marco del Rojo - our chief of medical - und Egon Metzger, our weapons expert, vere guarding ze umbilical between ze Mary Celeste und ze transport vessel vhen ze attacks began. Zey fought bravely, but in ze open hangar vere forced back onto ze ship. Zis vould prove to vork in our favor, as two vessels - one Ahoudori exploration vessel und one Corsair gunboat - arrived on scanners soon after zey vere forced back. Zey closed quickly, but once zey arrived, instead of providing assistance - vhich ze haufmann und most of ze crew had hoped would happen - zey opened fire. Ve broke from our umbilical und fled for ze asteroid field, Searles - bless his old soul - calling for us to lay down a screen of countermeasure flares ze whole time he attempted to raise ze crew on comms und parlay. Zere vas no response, except for screaming und ze sound of chains und blades, und voices - still somevhat human, but only just - calling for us to bleed und die.

I have heard many threats levelled against me und mein crew, both vhen I flew in ze military und here, on ze bridge of mein haufmann's ship. But never has a message chilled me to mein bones ze vay zis transmission did.

Searles made it to ze asteroid field under standard drive, our cruise engines being hammered vith disruptors that I could not dodge. About midway through ze field our vessel ran out of shield batteries und nanobots, und ze hull vas breached in several non-essential places. Our left drive engine vas failing und ve vere relying on thrusters to nudge ourselves onward. Eventually, Searles seemed to give up. He ordered us to stop dodging und fly straight, muttering something along the lines of "vanting to face ze sun vhen he died".

Zen ze transport began moving, und our pursuers turned back. Ze haufmann got a second wind, und ve entered cruise und made for ze only non-hostile base in ze system, ze Battleship Fes. Searles negotiated ze pirates into fitting our ship vith makeshift replacement hull panels, sealed our damaged compartments, replenished our stores of nanobots und batteries und took us into ze field again.

Ze fighter ve had flown in with vas escaping ze system vith vhatever units zey could carry, und ze transport vas flying under her own power. Ve moved to help zem out of ze system, but zey vere shot down by ze escort craft before ve could escape. Ve managed to turn back, under orders from ze haufmann, und retrieved ze few pilots ve could before running to ze Freeport in Omega-41.

Since zen, ve have not seen ze vessels zat attacked us. But please, for ze love of God Almighty, if you see them, stand vell clear. Zey are no longer human - zey have no desires but ze carnal, und zey prey on ze flesh of living men. If you sight almost anything on ze scanners flying under ze banner of ze Exploration und Research Corporation, either turn ze other vay or make peace vith your God.

I vill attatch a list of ze ships zat attacked us, along with ship types. May vhatever is out zere watch over us.

~ Helena O. Weisshaupt, Pilot
ITV Mary Celeste

Code:

ATT: Ship_List.doc

- E&R-Corps-T-1130: "Pilgrim"-class Slave Liner - The original vessel that carried the infection.
- [Name Forgotten]: Ahoudori-class Kusari Explorer - Carries gunboat-class weapons.
- Corps-M226: Corsair Gunboat - Also a threat.

Please avoid, or only engage if adecquately armed.

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All hail Loken: Queen of grammar.