A Listening Post named “The Vanishing” can be found in the Duamta system, orbiting body 6.
The Listening Post contains 3 voiced logs that were originally broadcast as inbox messages on the 1st Sep 3309, and were also mentioned via a related Galnet article: Aegis Leak Confirms Vanishing Populations
Logs
TRUTH ABOUT THE VANISHING 1/3
AEGIS HEAD OFFICE
July 18th, 15:19
Office of Alba Tesreau
ALBA TESREAU: The information comes from a source I trust. I’ve combed the data for errors in their calculations. It seems frighteningly accurate.
ADEN TANNER: We’ve known about these rumours for years now. What’s changed?
TESREAU: This goes far beyond the occasional escape pod collected by Thargoid ships, Aden.
TANNER: Let me make sure I’m understanding the premise. Some analyst has compared the total population of Thargoid—invaded systems with the official refugee counts.
TESREAU: Correct.
TANNER: Then subtracted combat casualties, intercepted transports and people killed during port attacks. The official estimates, at least.
TESREAU: Along with other variables. Not all refugees pass through the rescue ships. Some of those don’t register as safe. Others fled as soon as the Maelstrom signals were first sighted.
TANNER: And a dozen other points, I’m sure. But ultimately the final totals don’t quite match up.
TESREAU: Even with a margin for error we’re looking at tens, maybe hundreds of millions of people unaccounted for. And the figure’s rising each week! If they’re not dead and they didn’t escape, then captivity must be the answer.
TANNER: I’ve never known the Thargoids to keep prisoners. Doesn’t quite seem their style.
TESREAU: They’d have to construct a method to house organisms of a different biochemical makeup. That would only be worthwhile if the captives were deemed important.
TANNER: We did the same for studying live specimens.
TESREAU: I’m going to assume you mean the historical ‘we’, admiral. Aegis doesn’t capture Thargoids for research purposes. Just one of the many distinctions between us and INRA.
TANNER: ‘We’ as in the human race, yes. My point is that surely the aliens have had plenty of opportunity to study us by now. If what you’re saying is true, and the Thargoids are abducting millions of people… well, there’s a grander plan here than research. One that we need to figure out.
TESREAU: I suppose it’s too much to hope that the Thargoids will treat our people more considerately than INRA treated theirs?
TANNER: Honestly? It’d be a wasted prayer to ask that much.
TRUTH ABOUT THE VANISHING 2/3
AEGIS HEAD OFFICE
July 18th, 15:24
Office of Alba Tesreau
ALBA TESREAU: We’ll have to manage how this information is shared. Of course, we’ll need to reassure people that we’re doing everything we can to locate the missing…
ADEN TANNER: Just to play devil’s advocate for a second – Are mass abductions something we need to go public with?
TESREAU: Yes, I think so. With numbers this high it would be cowardly to pretend we don’t know what’s going on.
TANNER: Hm. I’m not sure all of Aegis’s financers will agree.
TESREAU: We’ve been given the authority to make firm decisions for ourselves. Besides, I’d rather be in trouble for telling the truth than lying.
TANNER: Couldn’t agree more. I’ll back you up if needed. But I suggest being economical with that truth. Think about it: Aegis announces millions have been captured alive for unknown reasons. It’ll scare the crap out of the trillions listening.
TESREAU: ‘Unknown reasons’… We have to find out why the Thargoids are taking so many people. I’m not looking forward to the answers.
TANNER: Your rivals are going to spin any press statement, too. Torben Rademaker will be on every newsfeed telling people that Azimuth would never have allowed this to happen. Without going into details, obviously.
TESREAU: Oh, screw Torben. He can play politics all he likes. Scoring points in the face of a major humanitarian tragedy is just his style. But then he did learn from the best. This is horrible.
-N£TW@RK BRE&CH DETEC+ED-
SEO JIN-AE: They’re harvesting us.
TESREAU: Seo? For goodness sake, this is a private conversation! Why are you on comms?
TANNER: Sounds like it isn’t just the Thargoids she listens to.
TESREAU: Shut down your comms link until I can find someone to secure it—
SEO: I said they’re harvesting us. As a resource. You wanted to know why the Thargoids are abducting people. I can help figure out the answer.
TESREAU: If we’re going to talk, you may as well come to my office. We’ll discuss this in person.
SEO: No. I want to be alone. There’s a lot of noise today.
TANNER: Okay. What type of resource are we to them? Food? Fuel?
TESREAU: We have no evidence the Thargoids view us as edible. Any more than we do them.
SEO: Not food. Not fuel. It’s more accurate to say the Thargoid race has a purpose for us. One which is giving me some real shitty dreams.
TRUTH ABOUT THE VANISHING 3/3
AEGIS HEAD OFFICE
July 18th, 15:28
Office of Alba Tesreau
SEO JlN-AE: The noise changed a few weeks ago. But it wasn’t until you mentioned millions of people vanishing that the new melody made sense.
ADEN TANNER: What do you mean by melody?
ALBA TESREAU: Seo’s connection to the Thargoid telepathic network doesn’t include an understanding of their language. Aegis is working with her to establish a method of interpreting what she sees and hears.
SEO: Describing parts of the Thargoid noise like music helps. I can pinpoint certain notes and melodies… even different instruments. Sometimes images appear. The sound is still awful, and triggers emotions which are harder to process. But focusing reduces the chaos of it all.
TANNER: And you say this noise is different to when the invasion started?
SEO: Yes. The original buzz grew louder as the Maelstrom signals approached the bubble. It announced the invasion, drawing their fleets. When the Maelstroms arrived, I understood that the Thargoids would claim as many star systems and destroy as many ports as possible. Territory was the only goal.
Now there is a different melody underneath it. An image keeps repeating, what looks like tunnels and caves… Rows and rows of what I thought were eggs.
TESREAU: Seo mentioned these ‘eggs’ to me before, and it’s logical to assume that the Thargoids have a method of replenishing their war casualties.
SEO: But there was never any sense of compassion or protection. Maybe Thargoids are just bad parents. But now I think it’s because the eggs aren’t eggs. They’re pods. Containers for humans. If I focus on that concept, the noise is less abrasive. That’s usually a sign that I’m understanding something in the alien broadcast.
TANNER: This is a lot to take in. Do you think these pods are on the Titans?
SEO: Yes. And the people inside are important to the next phase of Thargoid invasion. I’m sure of it.
TANNER: Okay. I don’t understand how that brain of yours works, kid. But the information you’ve given us up to now has been solid. Alba, you said earlier that Aegis is autonomous now, correct?
TESREAU: Within reason. Why?
TANNER: Because I’m not interested in waiting months for approval from the superpowers. Let’s go with Seo’s music. Can you have your people develop a way to recover pods from a Titan, if we can figure out where they’re being stored?
TESREAU: I’ll see what I can do. But even if we design something suitable, it isn’t going to be an easy mission. A ship would have to fly dangerously close to a Titan.
TANNER: Our pilots have done incredible things so far. I learned long ago never to underestimate them. With the right tools they’ll figure out a way to get any job done. And if Seo‘s right, and these things contain human captives… well, we’ve got a lot of work to do.
