An unregistered comms beacon can be found in orbit of Pru Aescs HW-S b31-2 A. Known to transmit at 15 minutes past the hour:
DYJEPQY UWLUDCQCKJ XUEOKJ
DJPQY P6 UNL 002
NEHHY LKCJQ OD 1
OKJSHRW
LNR EUPOP BVPX312
IKDUPQEJDXY
Applying a Keyed caesar cipher with the key of EXODUS yields the message:
DYNASTY EXPEDITION BEACON
DNSTY S6 ERP 002
RALLY POINT CD 1
CONFLUX
PRU AESCS HWSB312
MODESTANDBY
An abandoned settlement can be found on the nearby planet Pru Aescs HW-S b31-2 CD 1 at -7.2989, -35.9180
Around the settlement there are four Settlement Comms Log Uplink points, scanning them gives background to the reason for its abandonment:
CONFLUX BETA MISSION 1/4
Expedition Log: 01/10/3270“Witch-space once again. We’re almost to our destination in the Conflux area now. That’s odd… looks like… can’t be! You can’t be interdicted in witch-space… that’s impossible! We’re back in normal space. Systems off-line, no power, what in Randomius is that…”
CONFLUX BETA MISSION 2/4
Expedition Log: 30/08/3270“Signed on for this one as I had the exploration bug, but we’re just jumping and jumping. We’re not staying in systems to survey, just refuelling as fast as we can and then it’s back into witch-space. We’re spending more time there than in real space. Someone is in a hurry.”
CONFLUX BETA MISSION 3/4
Expedition Log: 12/09/3270“Reminds me of what my father told me about witch-space. it’s haunted. There’s weird lights, shifting clouds, who knows what they are. Makes you wonder whether we should be out here at all. So much stuff we just don’t understand.”
CONFLUX BETA MISSION 4/4
Expedition Log: 18/09/3270“Witch-space is different out here, there’s something odd, those lights we were seeing are less frequent now, but they seem to be hanging around, almost as if they’re following us. Maybe I’m going nuts.”
