Iraxon Lane is an abandoned settlement in the DG Canum Venaticorum system, on body A 4 a, at -4.2787, 179.5253 (in Live/4.0 and Legacy/3.8).
The location was revealed via an Inbox message send to Commanders in May 3308 from Dr Alba Tesreau, formerly of Aegis.
Commander,
This is Professor Alba Tesreau.
As you know, Aegis has been shut down. I’ve kept the records of those Commanders who supported Aegis’s work in the past. Hope you don’t mind.
Earlier today I received a curious message. All it said was:
-3.125 / 25.53125 / 2.6875
who is salvation?
Such cryptic messages aren’t rare – you’d be surprised how many people think they have a tip-off on some grand secret or another. But this one included a data tag unique to the Oaken Point facility that Azimuth formerly operated.
The coordinates map to the DG Canum Venaticorum system. I’m going to fly there now, but I‘d like you to take a look yourself if you can. If there‘s something to be found, we can draw media attention with enough witnesses.
Salvation may have won the superpowers’ trust, but perhaps we can prove that trust is misplaced.
The site contains five scannable Settlement Comms Log Uplinks that give further messages (under the Discovered Logs header, so they may not be at the top), and also four Data Points that can be scanned for encoded materials. There are no materials on the ground as is common in other locations like this.
Logs
AZIMUTH CONTRACT 1/5
…Bypassing security protocols…
…Secure connection established…
This is Caleb Wycherley, vice-president of research at Azimuth Biochemicals. l have been assigned oversight of our work with INRA over the next few months.
While the financial aspects of the contract are considerable, there is much to be gained from this new partnership. INRA possesses a number of remarkable talents with whom a positive working relationship will benefit Azimuth‘s continued growth. The opportunities of such a network will help establish a market lead over Pharmasapien. Perhaps, in time, that second-rate company will learn its place in the broader picture. One can hope, at least.
Azimuth’s role in the anti-Thargoid initiative is encouraging. But this ongoing war is tiresome. The resources spent on proving that humanity is the dominant species in the galaxy would be better served elsewhere. I find the Thargoid’s persistent aggression towards us offensive. lNRA’s work may be the best chance we have to end the conflict.
On that note, Azimuth will help with the development of a biological weapon. We have several potential compounds which show some promise. Our expertise in biochemical research will no doubt prove valuable to the initiative.
I’m eager to see what the future holds.
AZIMUTH CONTRACT 2/5
…Bypassing security protocols…
…Secure connection established…
A fortuitous development has occurred. Lady Luck smiles upon us.
Our biological weapons research has shown limited success up to now. However, a research assistant of INRA has stumbled upon the incredible potential of a fungus, of all things. An agricultural experiment involving Thargoid technology revealed the fungus’s highly damaging properties.
I understand the researcher had to bypass his superior to bring this discovery to light. A weaker-willed individual would have disregarded the results as instructed. Fortunate for us this man is made of sterner stuff. I expect the researcher will receive little official recognition, however.
It’s amusing, really. This man may have uncovered the means of ending the war, yet the nature of lNRA’s work will ensure that humanity never knows his name.
The subsequent meeting about this fungus’s potential for weaponisation was enlightening. From the very specific wording used by lead INRA figures, I suspect that information is being withheld from sub-contractors such as myself. Understandable, of course. Still. I have a strong suspicion that INRA possesses at least one live Thargoid specimen. I’m keen to witness a live test on Thargoid physiology.
I’ll spend the evening with my peers. It shouldn’t be too difficult to persuade them that my presence would be beneficial for such a test.
AZIMUTH CONTRACT 3/5
…Bypassing security protocols…
…Secure connection established…
The live Thargoid test was fascinating, to say the least. The new scar across my face is evidence of that.
I arrived shortly before the test was scheduled to take place. As the fungal compound, now termed mycoid, was prepared, the Thargoid specimen broke out of its holding cell, the last in a series of escape attempts. There were multiple fatalities, and I am fortunate not to be counted among them. Medical treatment was a success, though my left eye will need further surgical attention.
The creature was savage and difficult to subdue. One wonders how these mindless things developed the impressive technology they use.
I was ready to return for the introduction of the mycoid compound. The results were exactly as hoped, resulting in the Thargoid‘s demise.
Some INRA personnel have requested transfers away from the project, citing the ethical concerns of living test subjects. These people clearly lack the will to protect humanity by any means necessary.
The mycoid compound has been approved for mass production at several INRA facilities. Azimuth’s contribution to the manufacturing process has been noted. It now falls to my team to propose methods of delivering the compound to Thargoid targets. A missile seems the logical solution, though questions of mycoid containment and virulence upon impact must first be answered.
AZIMUTH CONTRACT 4/5
…Bypassing security protocols…
…Secure connection established…
The meeting with leading INRA figures has concluded. Final preparations of the mycoid weapon are underway at Taylor Keep.
The plan is to send a long vessel towards the Thargoid mothership that recently attacked Carmichael Point. Not many pilots possess the courage or the skill to complete such a mission. I suspect that a member of the Pilots’ Federation will be required, given the challenges of this assignment. A list of potential candidates is being drawn up.
I’ve reviewed the classified documentation related to the mycoid weapon’s payload. For such a highly secretive organisation, INRA’s network security protocols took only a few hours to bypass. It seems INRA leaders anticipate the mycoid virus will inflict significant damage to not only the mothership but also its occupants. The payload has been specifically designed to do so.
While I approve of the decision to eradicate the many Thargoids on board, communication records reveal a convoluted discussion to reach agreement on this tactic. I wonder why the decision to strike a decisive blow against our enemy was such a difficult one.
Earlier today I secured a regular supply of progenitor cells. My recent brush with death served as a reminder of my own mortality, and there is far too much work to do in a typical human lifespan. The operation to fully restore my sight was a success, but has left my eye completely white.
This appears to have prompted a new nickname among my staff, some of whom are now referring to me as ‘The Witch’. The wordplay is amusing, I suppose. But perhaps such a pseudonym will have its uses.
AZIMUTH CONTRACT 5/5
…Bypassing security protocols…
…Secure connection established…
The mycoid weapon has been successfully delivered by a CMDR John Jameson. The brave pilot did not return home. A shame; I would have liked to shake the hand of a man who has contributed so profoundly to the end of the Thargoid war.
Reports suggest that the remaining Thargoid forces are in full retreat from human space. Some INRA personnel are convinced this is a decisive victory from which the Thargoids will not recover, but I disagree. It is likely they will resurface in time, too impudent to accept human dominance.
We must prepare for that eventuality. INRA has served its purpose, but the cross-superpower nature of the organisation leaves it vulnerable to corruption and politics. Azimuth is well suited to take up the mantle of protecting humanity against any Thargoid retaliation.
Our rivals such as Pharmasapian cannot be trusted with this task. They lack the patience and the stomach for what is required. Only Azimuth, under my direction, will be capable of the necessary action to wipe the Thargoid race out forever.
If I must be humanity’s salvation, then so be it.
