My name is Venator Aether. Stacker, for some. I'm in charge of Logistics. Mostly behind the curtains.
I've been following some of your progress as of late. Taking the reins of most of our operations in Rheinland is nothing short of commendable.
However, I've been receiving a... concerning amount of colonist reports as of late, mostly from the region you are currently overseeing, hence the reason for this little communique.
Saarbrucken. Our colonists left behind nearly inaccessible lines have been predictably struggling to make ends meet. I'm sure you can imagine how complicated the situation has become down there by now.
If not, please allow me to paint you a broader picture. The Burrowbeasts, as they've come to call them, have been wreaking havoc around the settlements. Dozens have been displaced from the outer regions and chased back into the few remaining settlements with functioning Positron ground rod thumpers - the only thing keeping those things from eating our people and synthetics. In order to keep their resources plentiful and their bellies full, my reports have shown that it has become increasingly more difficult for my pilots to make the monthly supply expedition.
Navigating through the Sigmas has become a challenge, and with our interests being diverted into the Omegas and elsewhere rather than within Rheinland itself, I believe that delivering relief supplies to our researchers has become cause for a direct loss in credits, personnel and resources we could divert to other projects. The time for the Saarbrucken settlements has passed, and it's time for them to rejoin the fold.
With your permission, I would like to hear your thoughts. I will oversee any operations regarding what is to come, and arrange for the preparation of multiple extraction convoys to safeguard our assets from further harm. It could only be a matter of time before those overloading worms will be the end of our settlements.
Ah - the orbital scans just came in through my office. I will attach the geographical coordinates of Saarbrucken concerning the two rally points, whose thumpers are reportedly on the verge of collapse and whose inhabitants have recently sent multiple evac requests through my desk.
We must move quickly if we are to rescue our personnel. As the current regional overseer, I would only require your approval.
Venator Aether, it's nice to make your acquaintance after all this time.
Unfortunately, I am not Crucible. She's indisposed for a while due to certain circumstances—complicated, as they tend to be. Sentinel Gestalt, normally with R&D but lately I've been chipping in wherever my expertise is needed. I'll be filling in for her on this operation. It's been many years since I set foot on Saarbrücken, but I've had Warden Fulcrum send me over the relevant documents, colony schematics and whatnot. Needless to say the evacuation is authorized and I'm ready to redeploy to Saarbrücken itself should my presence be needed to ensure the operation goes as swiftly as possible.
Let me know, Venator, what I can do to help you help our people still on the ground. To get them to safety, where they need to be.
Pleased to make your acquaintance. It's good to hear back from someone in R&D for a change.
I will now give you a rundown of the situation.
Several rallying points have been evacuated, we're already down dozens of expensive equipment setups and labs. We've lost contact with the relays in Camp Zeta, Theta, Xi and Outpost Rho. Our monitoring satellite is as of now unable to reach the survivors of those outposts due to the jamming protocols that are in effect due to Procedure "Midnight", making me unable to fully estimate an accurate number of casualties. Camp Epsilon appears to have been taking in more and more assets from the nearby environs, making them severely understaffed and well beyond maximum capacity, making their resources dwindle at an alarming rate.
It is to be noted that all the survivors that have been coming through to Epsilon have all reached the site on foot, due to its proximity to a large burrowbeast (Terratremor Arenicolossus, if you're privy to biology) hatchery. The worms themselves are predatory in nature, and will tend to register ground vibrations as other weaker burrowbeasts, and thus, making anything short of a cell powered ground vehicle a target. It's ironic that one of the most dangerous places to be on this planet is also the safest.
Epsilon was commonly agreed on to be the safest rallying point among the survivors due to the presence of a powerful positronic biotic disperser unit present in the camp. It is the strongest thumper we've ever sent on Saarbrücken. Its massive ground vibrations and its wide range have made Epsilon virtually untouchable by the burrowbeasts, as their predatory instincts deter them and instruct them to avoid the area altogether. The vibrations they detect through their blind senses are perceived by the worms as the presence of an alpha burrowbeast, a worm so powerful that none of the researchers have even confirmed if one truly exists or not.
Kappa, on the other hand, is situated a few ways away from Epsilon, and just like its sister outpost, it is struggling to survive. There are far less researchers present on the site, and according to our latest monthly data exchange report that occurs during Procedure Noonlight, their positronic displacer has seen better days. The constant sandstorms in that area make have made deliveries a difficult challenge since the start of the operation, and without their energy cell and H-Fuel supplies, they have been relying on solar power to make ends meet. This last report was from two months ago, making me doubt if Kappa is even standing to this day.
As it stands, there are two main objectives.
The first being a swift rescue operation from Epsilon and Kappa, possibly via a larger ship in orbit capable of holding at least a few landing shuttles in its bay. Evacuating the equipment is also a priority, but one that will have to come after recovering our assets. We would need a sizeable medical team on standby, and room for a few dozen assets, up to a hundred if there are even that many assets left on the planet.
The second objective is to run a search and recovery operation throughout the entire planet. According to some reports, some of the sandstorms have made contact with the satellite in orbit impossible, making some of the survivors split up to parts unknown. Recovery of the lost assets is crucial, as well as having dismantling operations to recover any salvageable units left on our rallying points, including the shattered remains of Camp Omega, but that's a story for another time.
We still have some time to spare according to my calculations, but I would like to remind you that this situation is urgent, and we must act upon this soon. Salvaging positronic emitters could potentially make up for our recent drought in resources.
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