[color=#33FFFF]"This is Guildsman David James, head of the Guild exploration division, commencing log entry dated 26th of April 680."
"One of our wings that were sent beyond the crow nebula returned today, they don't seem to have found any criminal hideouts or new resource fields, they did make an odd discovery, but not of anything valuable unfortunately. The wing commander's report will be attached in order to provide specifics."
"Here is wing commander Jacobson's report..."
' Wrote:"We have just returned after a six month long venture outside the Crow nebula, into sector E541-4A45-394B, there we only found four accessible star systems, codenamed E43-7X, E43-7Y, E43-7Z and E43-8A. None of them contained any valuable resources, E43-7Y, E43-7Z and E43-8A contained one planet each, all of which were barren and volcanic, but with no appreciable resources, E43-7x contained a pair of gas giants, with trace amounts of hydrogen, helium, oxygen and nitrogen, but nothing of any great value."
"In one of the barren asteroid belts in E43-7Z however, we encountered something strange while scanning, an asteroid that seemed to be a veritable sensor 'black hole'. On further inspection, it appeared to be some sort of unknown construct, probably alien. It was a simple black diamond shaped rock, small enough to fit inside our cargo holds. I tractored it in before heading on. On my return I delivered it to the station's research facility for a once over before being shelved."
"We didn't run into any criminal ships in the systems, though there were a couple of close encounters with Outcasts on the journey. So yet again we've run into blanks. I'll upload the map data then make ready to head out again, hopefully one of these days we'll find something big."
"They uncovered what seems to be an artifact, much like the ones that have been flooding the colonies recently, though they're just decorative hunks of rock."
"On a more important note though, we have been encountering increased Outcast activity in the systems beyond Kusari, hopefully soon we'll be able to head through Kusari and explore them more directly, as going around it greatly increases journey time. I think we may be getting closer to their inner regions, if that is so then it'll mean a great deal of action."
[color=#33FFFF]"This is chief science officer Eric Hartman of the Guild's research facility on Planet Cambridge, commencing log entry dated May the seventh, 680 A.S."
"Tests are nearing completion on our new modulation of the standard particle weapons that the Guild uses. If all goes well, the new weapons will be ready for manufacturing within the year, which can't come too soon, as salvage from destroyed criminal ships, especially those of the Outcasts show that their particle weapons are improving at an alarming rate. The modifications we have made should provide increased projectile velocity and range, along with slightly more powerful impact force."
"The last controlled test to be done will be undertaken on drones in space above the planet in three days time, they will record the vital signs of the weapon, as well as the effects of the projectile upon hardened armour and particle shielding. After that it'll be up to the guys over at combat testing to be careful this time and not break the prototypes. I'll attach the results to the appropriate log entry for the people over at headquarters to look at."
"We have also received an artifact from Sheffield, tests will be undertaken tomorrow to determine its age, origin and material composition. Though in my professional opinion, it seems to be another inert piece of decoration, fit for a museum, however, procedures are procedures."
[color=#33FFFF]"This is chief science officer Eric Hartman of the Guild's research facility on Planet Cambridge, commencing log entry dated May the eighth, 680 A.S."
"We ran into a few issues with attaching the prototype particle weapons to our test ship today. The main issue being in routing its power through the mounts, which seem to have been incorrectly fitted. This could take a week or more to fix, as we'll have to get new parts made and shipped here before we can fly them into space and conduct real stress-tests."
It's so bloody annoying when this happens, I hate some of the engineers we've got here, they're so stupid... I'm getting sidetracked."
"We've also conducted an examination of the artifact we received from Sheffield a few days ago, it seems they've found another piece of decorative rubbish. I hope one of these days we stumble across a piece of actual alien technology, it'd be so exciting, to think what wonderful things we could do with it. Anyway, it appears to be made of some unknown rock, extremely dark and dense, it is completely impervious to all scanning technology we have, I mean, we've tried everything and all we get are blanks. It isn't highly decorated and doesn't seem to have any alien text on it, so all in all, it's of no real interest."
"I've got in touch with the shipping contractors and they've agreed to take it down to the vault... Next Wednesday? Yes, I think that's it. It's just taking up space in our scanning facility which is causing backlog."
"We also had an interesting case in the medical wing today, a local farmer seems to have been suffering radiation poisoning, which is extremely unusual as there are no active uranium or plutonium mines on this continent, let alone near here, and I can't think where else it may have come from. Further tests will be conducted once his condition stabilises."
