An Unregistered Comms Beacon can be found in the Eafots EU-R c4-1 system, orbiting body A.
The transmission times of this beacon are on the hour, every hour.
The transmitted message is the following:
DYJEPQY UWLUDCQCKJ XUEOKJ
DJPQY P6 UNL003
NEHHY LKCJQ O2
SKNICDCJUNCSQ
UESKQP URN O4 1
IKDUPQEJDXY
(repeated two times)
Note: There are two separate UCB’s approximately 28km’s apart, both UCB’s transmit the same message at the same transmission times.
Applying a Keyed Caesar cipher with the key of EXODUS yields the message:
DYNASTY EXPEDITION BEACON
DNSTY S6 ERP003
RALLY POINT C2
FORMIDINERIFT
EAFOTS EUR C4 1
MODESTANDBY
An abandoned settlement can be found within the same system on body C 2, at 38.9402, -123.8151 (in Live/4.0) or at -34.2072, -77.6694 (in Legacy/3.8).
There are Engineer Materials scattered around the ground, and just outside of the settlement, slightly down the cliff, there is a Data Point which may be scanned for an Intel Package, and for Engineer Data.
Around the settlement there are six Settlement Comms Log Uplink points, scanning them gives background to the reason for its abandonment:
Logs
FORMIDINE RIFT ALPHA MISSION 1/6
Expedition Log: 21/08/3270“Why the hell are we out here? No one seems to know. It’s taken months and still we’re not there, wherever ‘there’ is. We’re dropping these beacons. Supposedly nobody knows what they’re for. If they do they ain’t telling. Makes no sense, there’s nothing out here… and who would come all this way anyway?”
FORMIDINE RIFT ALPHA MISSION 2/6
Expedition Log: 28/08/3270We’re still travelling. Jump drive malfunctioned today, that made an interesting diversion. It’s going to take a while to fix. This area of space is freaking me out. Could have sworn I heard some weird voices in the last jump. We are a long way from home. We’re struggling to plot a course now, we’re leaving the galactic arm and the jumps are getting longer.”
FORMIDINE RIFT ALPHA MISSION 3/6
Expedition Log: 07/09/3270“Finally fixed the drive. More monotony. Can’t believe it’s nearly six months since we set out from Riedquat. Did I say Riedquat? I meant Reorte. It’s getting to me, this endless emptiness. The guys are showing the strain. Three more months before we can turn and head back. The stars are thinning out, you can see the whole galaxy just hanging there…”
FORMIDINE RIFT ALPHA MISSION 4/6
Expedition Log: 22/09/3270“The darkness grows. The galaxy is faint and dim behind us. I’m told this place has been nicknamed the Formidine Rift. Apparently that means fear in some old Earth language. It’s an apt name, some of the guys are going space crazy out here in the void. We had to sedate one guy, he went completely doolally. We’ve not seen another soul for weeks. Just us and this ship… alone… in the darkness…”
FORMIDINE RIFT ALPHA MISSION 5/6
Expedition Log: 07/10/3270“I’m scared… help me someone… I can’t bear another jump. The lights in witch-space are coming for me, the lights… always the lights… they’re calling to me… a siren song… I must join them…”
FORMIDINE RIFT ALPHA MISSION 6/6
Expedition Log: 08/10/3270AUTOMATED TELEMETRY REPORT: CANOPY BLAST BOLTS ACTIVATED. LIFE SUPPORT MALFUNCTION. CREW VITAL SIGNS TERMINATED. SHIP SYSTEMS ENGAGING STANDBY MODE. DISTRESS BEACON ACTIVATED.
