An abandoned megaship named The Zurara is in orbit of the planet Syreadiae JX-F c0 1. Clues to the location of The Zurara were published on Galnet Galactic News on 17 Apr 3303 by a group known as The Hamsters. Each line of the rhyme revealed the name of a mythical figure, the first letters of which spelled out the system name, and the name Rebecca.
Starting from the stern of the ship and working forwards, a series of four Ship Log Uplink points can be located along the hull.
Deploy your ships hardpoints and use the onboard Data Link Scanner within 200m of each post to scan them and retrieve the logs. In addition to the next, each log is accompanied by an audio recording:
THE ZURARA 1/4
Zurara Ship Log Entry01/10/3270
RECORDING
We managed to overpower the invaders, but not before they took out the main reactor. We’re dead in space, with twenty minutes of life support left. Didn’t get nothing out of them before they died, but clearly it was all planned. They took a drug which killed them. Doc says it’s nicknamed ‘Hexedit’. First it kills your memories, then it kills you. Neat and tidy.
So we’re dead, just waiting for the end. This will be the last log from the Zurara. Some of the crew have already killed themselves. Others are praying to whatever deity they believe might help them. A few are drinking themselves into oblivion. I don’t know what will get us first, the lack of oxygen or the cold. Battery power is about to die.
PAUSE RECORDING
THE ZURARA 2/4
Zurara Ship Log Entry01/10/3270
RESUME
Me? I’m leaving this log. This far out I doubt anyone will ever hear it, but well, what the hell?
We all signed up for the promise of big payouts, a year of your life in exchange for enough to retire on. I guess I should have looked closer at it, but you would have probably done the same, right? No need to work again. What’s clear now is whoever was behind this mission never intended for any of us to come back.
Damn, it’s cold in here now.
PAUSE RECORDING
THE ZURARA 3/4
Zurara Ship Log Entry01/10/3270
RESUME
The folks managing the cargo, jees, they were all psychos. The moment we completed the mission they just ‘snapped’. Killed the ship and killed themselves. Some kind of mental conditioning, Doc said. We tried to get word out to the other vessels when we found out. We got a signal out, but I don’t know if anyone received it. It will probably freak them out, I don’t think they know we’re here.
We dropped a series of beacons out here, all targeted around Earth-like or terraformable worlds. We prepped some of the terraforrn candidates with seeders and biofilters. No one can figure out why it was necessary, but that was the mission. Just as we were turning back… boom, those cargo-handlers went nuts.
PAUSE RECORDING
THE ZURARA 4/4
Zurara Ship Log Entry01/10/3270
RESUME
So that’s it. We don’t even know why we’ve been killed. But someone out there knows, someone out there has blood on their hands, a lot of it. If you figure it out, give them a message from us. You know what l mean.
Funny. We were told there was something bad out here, that it was haunted by ghosts…
I just never figured it would be us doing the haunting…
END RECORDING
An additional three Ship Log Uplinks can be scanned along the ship starting from the bow and working aft. These were recorded at a later date by Rebecca:
THE ZURARA ADDITIONAL LOG 1/3
Zurara Ship Log – Additional Log Entry – 21/08/3273FILE ACCESS ADDITIONAL
So this is what they were hiding. I’m leaving the old logs for reference. I might need to come back this way again and re-educate myself. Chances are my memory will get zapped again. If I don’t make it I’ll have to leave clues for others to follow. So, if you’re reading this and you’re not me, here’s the deal…
PAUSE RECORDING
THE ZURARA ADDITIONAL LOG 2/3
Zurara Ship Log – Additional Log Entry – 21/08/3273RESUME
Found this ship. Took me years. This is the evidence. Nothing inside but void-frozen cadavers, perfectly preserved, some with drinks still in their hands. But the log. They sent these poor souls out here because they needed waypoints, all prepped for every eventuality. Three different zones it would seem.
PAUSE RECORDING
THE ZURARA ADDITIONAL LOG 3/3
Zurara Ship Log – Additional Log Entry – 21/08/3273RESUME
There’s a conspiracy. Guess you figured that out already, but it goes way up, way beyond the Feds, the Imps and the Alliance. Something is coming, don’t know what it is, but it’s bad and it’s all being hidden. All this weird stuff far out in the void? It’s some kind of contingency plan. The answer to why and who is back in the core, not out here. That’s where l’m going next. Wish me luck.
R.
END RECORDING
