Iron Stars - selgar

Outside Selgar's window, another armored vehicle rolls by, with a half squad of soldiers behind it. The news replays again, stating the invaders have taken the orbital stations, and once again, civilians are urged to shelter in place if they cannot get to designated bombardment shelters.

02:19

commentators speculate wildly about why a bombardment has not yet come, with a fleet hanging up there for the last 2 days

Selgar reclines back into his chair, putting his compad down as he sighs. He had been sent home from work a few days ago due to the pending invasion and had been there since, initially expecting the invasion to last a few weeks given the strength of the orbital defenses and most likely wind up a draw with heavy losses on both sides. After the first 24 hours it became evident that total defeat was much more likely. Opinions had always been mixed about the UNW's true goals, but most agreed the image was intended to be of liberators - And wholesale bombing of civilian centers didn't align with that image, if nothing else. However his position was officially military which meant he could still wind up a prisoner or worse, so he had been trying to lay out all his options to avoid such a fate. Losing Cruesa most likely meant the fall of the Remnant as a significant galactic power, so seeking shelter within its other holdings was at best going down with the ship - And as good as it had been to him he valued his wellbeing over loyalty to a fallen empire. He expected that Cruesa itself would be a chaotic mess for months following the battle even if no fighting took place in the atmosphere due to the economic devastation that would follow the government collapsing, so staying planetside presented far too many unknown variables for his comfort.

Fleeing local space for another faction was sure to be the path for many following the conflict, but the Remnant had a fairly poor reputation and even refugees from its collapse were bound to get mixed reception virtually everywhere. Without any contacts outside the Remnant he saw this too leading to a path of high uncertainty, which left the somewhat obvious solution - Flee to a UNW world. While the people of Cruesa were perhaps not immediately going to be granted citizenship and would certainly face some scrutiny, ultimately it falls on the conquerer to take ownership of the population of a conquest. Selgar had kept in touch with a few colleagues during the holdout, and rumor was there were already droves of civilians banding together to renounce the Remnant and make plans to integrate into the UNW. The only thing stopping him from being another nameless person in one of those droves was his occupation - Incidentally however, working as an intelligence agent put him in a very good position to change some key records about himself. Identity tweaking was not his area, but he knew enough about it to make a fairly robust alteration that painted him as an independent archivist who simply occasionally was contracted by the military for specific projects. A perhaps largely semantic distinction for practical purposes, but he felt it was enough to give him a strong chance to avoid any issues integrating into a former enemy faction, UNW or otherwise. (Can make a roll if you want for the identity modification, it's fairly subtle but the intent is that anyone consulting Remnant records on Selgar would not identify that he worked under military intelligence, even if they could find information that he worked with the military.)

(It’s part of your background so I don’t think making you risk it is worth it) Outside the first sirens begin to sound as flocks of dropcraft, right now small black dots far away in the sky, are lofted from the ships in orbit

The day before he had packed a small bag of what few possessions he felt worth bringing if he left, mostly clothes with the notable inclusion of a small Remnant insignia he had received a year ago for service. He had the bag at his side, awaiting the right moment to flee with him. Realizing that the atmospheric invasion was here, he pulled his compad back out and scanned the news looking for two things in particular. The first was live reports of what zones were considered under occupation, the second was any information on planned ground counterattacks. (He's trying to get an idea of how the fighting is going and whether he should try to relocate to an area the UNW control or if he thinks his area will be controlled soon and he is safer just waiting it out.) (I'm thinking he'll have some kind of Remnant ring or badge or something, is there anything in-lore already? Is the star-dragon on the handout the 'official symbol' of the Remnant?)

(Yeah that’s the official symbol and I think the control areas will be more defined once the landing gets going)

(Yeah he's leery of leaving the relative saftey of home until he knows what the situation is shaping up like, so he'll just keep watching the news until something develops.)

Myrmidon troopers under someone calling himself 'warmaster' have landed in the public park, and they seem to be offering civilians the chance to come forward peacefully as the battle lines continue to expand

(Based on the park location has the invasion taken control of my area and the park, or would I have to navigate across battle lines to get there? What's the news like for the fighting overall?)

(Just posted the main news in the briefing channel, but youre behind the battle lines now)

18:41

(there would be like rear echelon people there setting up a CP, ect)

Checking his place for anything he missed one last time, Selgar grabs his bag and makes his way out of his unit, compad in hand. He navigates the hab complex trying his best to find others heading for the park. (He's literally looking to join a crowd of people fleeing and fit in, aiming for 'one of many').

There is a small crowd, gradually getting larger, heading for the main public park where landing vessels have come down. Rumor is flying that UNW soldiers are accepting civilian surrenders,

Joining the crowd, Selgar allows himself to be funneled into the forming queues. He did not have to fake the appearance of nervousness and fear, as he knew there was still a chance he could be wrong about everything, and would not wake up to see the next day. He occasionally glanced around for any signs of Remnant intervention or UNW foul play.

The Remnant have entrenched in their current positions. 2km down the long boulevard you can see a few squads hunched behind barricades. Nearby, power armored UNW soldiers are forming up to escort civilians into the park. You see three being walked out of a home at gunpoint, caught looting

(Doesn't seem like anything to get spooked about just yet, he'll keep proceeding to the turn-in.)

There is a large cargo lifter in the park and you see a handful of crewmen and soldiers out front screening those who need to be lifted out most. Almost everyone is being turned away but the injured , though you see a few behind the cordon who look to be just fine

Selgar would try to get closer to see if there was any mention of other ways to get offworld, like other shuttle locations or later trips.

(He's not willing to reveal any of his real past occupation or current status, but is willing to pay for passage with credits or data management services.)

There is a second wave planned for additional wounded. Remnant nobility has also been permitted to leave world under guard, to live in exile on Shariar

(Well obviously I'm not wounded or nobility, I'm just looking to get off the planet to a proper UNW world. If we've surrendered completely presumably transports are allowed to leave the planet, can 700 credits get me anywhere?)

(Yeah it can. I didn’t know where you were going with it)

(Looking to get to a UNW world where I can find someone to hire me for some contract work on data analysis or exploration.)

(Will settle for any planet but ultimately will want to find some work. Something to take my mind off the Remnant and also pick up some skills since I'm pretty useless without the communist government at my back.)

Currently all shuttles and ships are heading for Gudrun where those emigrating will be processed, given citizenship and given work to their skills. Soldiers are scanning for weapons but any found are checked to be returned at landing

(Selgar is completely unarmed, Gudrun works.)

SPOILER

1

You're allowed through the cordon with just a brief search, turning up nothing of interest to them. The lander takes off, and you're transferred to a holding bay in the main UNW troop barge, whos occupants are staying behind on planet, for the time being. 100 other refugees are in this chamber with you, right now, with others in the other compartments around you

Selgar tries to relax as he finds himself in renewed confidence that he can safely leave Cruesa, and after a few minutes begins scanning the other refugees on board. (He's not outgoing so probably won't see anyone he's met, but he would be interested in listening in on any conversations about people's reasons for leaving and plans if any. Especially if anyone mentions they are looking to work in similar areas or has any idea what awaits them on the UNW capital world.)

(Hey, Marcion is a smart guy)

There are a few hoping to be reunited with loved ones captured on other battlefields upon getting to Gudrun. Most are happy to be off a world occupied, hoping conditions are more relaxed away from an active war-front

21:10

even aboard the ship, with UNW and not EI troops pulling security, the mood seems less tense

Selgar feels contented that he's not the only one without some magnanimous excuse to hop planets, and would make small talk as relevant with other passengers during the trip. (Unless there's someone worth talking to on the ship or something interesting happens I'm good with departure/arrival, can't imagine I'll accomplish much in a cramped transport.)

The voyage is four days, passing deep into UNW territory before finally making its way to the planet Gudrun. An entire platform has been cleared of other activity to allow the ship to dock and begin landing passengers to the camp outside central. Despite it being winter on the planet below it appears they’re doing a fine job of passing out blankets and warm clothing

Selgar would gladly accept a blanket and set of warm clothes, but for the time being would keep his lab attire on in the hopes it would help with first impressions. He would join whatever queue was relevant for registration to get citizenship. (Or certificates or whatever it is they're giving out that will allow him to function within the UNW.)

There is a queue forming, and after a quick picture, survey of skills, and a brief automated medical exam, you're released into the cool air of the camp below, stepping from a lander from the platform above. A tanned woman with red wode like design tattoos on her face is waiting at the camp gate, and holds up a hand for you to halt as you walk by. "Good evening sir. I am addressing Selgar?"

He raises an eyebrow and glances around. "Er, yes. Have we met?"

18:56

(Assessing her, is she physically buff like a warrior or just has cultural tattoos? Is she wearing a uniform I've seen before?)

(Selgar is assessing physical buffness))

(On a scale of one to Billy, how is she?)

(like, 3, its Val from the lab)

19:13

"We haven't but I was skimming the incoming records and noticed you"

19:13

"My name is Val Perez. I run the lab here, and I couldnt let the chance for a skilled computer expert pass me by"

(Oh it's just Val.) "Ah I see. Well I will readily admit I am not a programmer, but data analysis and record management are skills I've spent well over a decade applying for... Well, on Cruesa. What kind of research or development does your lab do? Weapons? Cloning? Drugs?"

“The research will be better seen. It’s...sensitive, depending on how close to Remnant official policy you were

"I see... Well the Remnant was many things but shy about their views wasn't one of them." His voice lowers a bit. "I take it then you are researching MES phenomena?"

“And their application to MES users living now. I’m hoping to find those from the Remnant interested in advancement and the pursuit of knowledge. All knowledge”

"I see... Well it might surprise you to learn that the Remnant actually did a fair amount of research in the area, though it goes without saying the goals were generally related to understanding and preventing the likes of the Scream. There were also rumors of live subject testing, but I've never seen any data that appeared to come from such testing."

02:52

"As for myself I'm not opposed to involvement with such work, but I do have lines I will not cross. But this is premature - Perhaps seeing it for myself would be easiest as you suggest. As it so happens I have a completely open schedule."

“In that case I’d be happy to take you to Rebirth with me. It’s a city a bit south of here. It’s smaller but our psionics lab is there, and it’s secure”

"Very well, lead the way." (Selgar is a little suspicious but is more curious to see what kind of setup the UNW has)

She reaches out a hand to yours. "We're going to take the fast way there, if you don't mind. Do you have everything you arrived with?"

21:50

"We might not be back for a while"

His eyes widen a bit but he speaks clearly. "Er, yes I have everything." He cautiously reaches out to take the extended hand.

You feel an electric tingle as you are whisked from the prison camp to the Rebirth lab's conference room. The room is white, and austerely furnished, but there is enough here to make it a functional space. Through glass windows, overlooking the lab floor, you see several large and esoteric projects being worked on

Taking a deep breath as he recovers from the sensation of his body telling the laws of Physics to take a break, he glances around the new surroundings. "Fast indeed..." Relaxing as he recognizes the familiar setting of a place of research, he leans to look out at the project floor. (Anything identifiable visually?)

(Not with your current knowledge). One of the projects looks to be an immense coil while another is a set of tables with crystals of different sizes on them@

"So this is MES-based technology you are researching?"

“We are. We are trying to replace much of what we lost. As much as possible, and push the boundaries of MES as well. We got into this mess because we poked at something we didn’t understand. I don’t want that to happen again”

Selgar seems contemplative. "The Remnant desired greatly to understand the cataclysm, but never found a true cause." He quickly adds. "At least, that they told the public about." He pushes his glasses up on his nose. "How do you intend to prevent something whose cause is unknown? The Remnant had many questionable views, but MES is dangerous in ways we simply don't understand, and that's just an objective fact."

“We have some leads on the cause , which I can show you, if you promise to help. I know you’re not a psychic and some of what we do here will be of limited use to you but we do need someone skilled with data and how to make it flow

He stares out at the lab stations. "Well I would be lying if I said I wasn't deathly curious what it all means and if it's coming again..." He seems lost in thought for a moment. "I suppose I need some gainful employment either way, and it doesn't seem like this sort of topic is as... Frowned upon here, so I will agree to work for you at least for awhile. It is only fair to mention though that ultimately I do want to explore offworld eventually. I believe there is much to learn out in the stars."

“It just so happens we are needing people to do just that. I’ll patch you in to what we know” (The scream notes in the psi academy folder should be updated with the most recent discoveries)

Selgar blazes commands in his compad as it receives access to additional networks and his eyes dart back and forth as he skims file content. "Well it looks like you perhaps have learned things the Remnant did not... But I'll need to review this all to piece things together. As far as what you need me to work on, I'd like to get a night's rest and then we can discuss more details. Are there hab spaces available for rent in this city?"

"There are some homes not yet with occupants. I'll cover the month for you so you can get a couple paychecks saved up. You should be more than comfortable by then"

"Ah my thanks, I must confess I was not sure how exactly accomodation was handled here. As you can imagine the Remnant was a bit... Atypical. That and I'm not sure how well it would go if I had to get a loan." Selgar would finish up at the lab and then work to get a hab unit claimed. After handling the necessary forms he crashes for the night, for the first time in weeks feeling comfortable to relax the constant effort he found himself exerting. In the morning he'd wake up a bit early to look through the more interesting points in the data he was given access to. (In particular he's reviewing details on the interview with Xu'Ganara, the details of where that happened, who was involved, etc. - He's really skeptical that any active Psions survived the event with enough sanity to provide such an account.)

Robert Tanzer, Doona Ahn, and another woman at the academy named Crane were all involved in the groupmind assuming control of Yan (now Xu's host body) . The hardcopies of Xu's research are being housed in the Vapormills academy branch.

(Where is Xu now?)

(Off world with Robert )

Selgar would show up to the lab the next day and meet with Val to review what projects needed his support.

Val has a few projects on hand right now -Re-constructing data from a stolen datacore about psionic crystals -Further experiments with numetalum to better understand its blocking properties -Further experiments with the psionics forge, located in the House Draconis compound

"Am I reading correctly that you have a material that disrupts MES effects? That's incredible! What do we know about it so far?"

“Very little. It was first found in a mine on terezinho , and it blocks mes and magic like abilities when in contact with a such user” (edited)

"Interesting, and honestly quite shocking that such a thing exists and isn't the center of an entire research department. Protection from MES would have been priceless during the cataclysm, having it ready in case of recurrence seems like it would be universally regarded as high priority. I could not in good conscience work on an alternative with that on the table."

“That’s what we are looking into now as a matter of fact. Xu has the idea to try to contact this...thing... again but only if we can do so responsibly. This mineral may be the key to stopping another cataclysm

02:13

Should that experiment fail, I mean”

"I think contacting whatever 'it' is would be a terrible idea regardless of precautions, but in any case better to have the precautions - I'll start immediately." (Never done researchy-RP before, how exactly do we handle this?)

(Most of it is handled via turning in samples and gaining research points. I thought maybe going to see the mine itself now that Seung has it operating again might be a good mission to jump into)

"Based on current inventory and lack of progress I think a necessary first step will be to acquire more of the material itself. This would allow us to have some metallurgical testing done to determine feasible processing and applications. It may also be useful to have a closer look at the source area, assuming it occurred naturally is fine but understanding the conditions that it occurred in may help in locating more. To that end I would propose to visit this world myself - Do we have transportation?"

"There's plenty of shuttles. I'll book a flight to Terezinho for you. Hope you like the beach"

"Eh not so much, it's just full of sand. I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. That said I am able to stomach it for science. I'll head out at once and keep you updated on my progress." Selgar would get lunch before heading to the spaceport a couple hours early, anticipating extra hangups with the UNW TSA due to how recently he became a citizen.

4

3

(Oh god, you bastard, Quoting that movie)

There is a bit more of a hassle than normal but you're permitted through after an extra check. The shuttle has a few others aboard, a Merlon among them, the others all human, and tanned from a lifetime out in the tropical sun.

Selgar would make small talk on the trip over, and make a note to get some sunscreen when he landed. However he wasn't going to buy it in the spaceport because he knew the price would be inflated, and would plan to visit a local mart at least a couple blocks away.

02:51

(Did I have a contact there or am I just going out to this mine location myself?)

(You’ll meet someone)

03:31

The mining camp is housed in the remains of an old Remnant mining base there that has been taken over from the perimeter agency. Security there is high.

Selgar gets off the bus outside the camp and approaches the entry point, UNW papers and details from Val in-hand. (Is this like an open quarry, or a cave at the foot of a mountain, or what's the terrain like?)

The base is an open quarry now, its lab-cap now removed, the rubble cleared away and compacted into blocks for a new perimeter wall. Several Whitaker Solutions guards stand by outside, or look down from defensive towers near the gate, though none have hands near their weapons. Inside, you hear the sounds of mining equipment and the churning of compactors

Selgar presents his identification to the guard as he takes in the surroundings. "Hello, I'm here to conduct some scientific examination of the ore here on behalf of Val on Gudrun."

They look over the pad, inspecting the name and permission chit closely. The inspection goes on for a very long time, "Alright, head on in, Mining supervisor should be near the tunnel mouth"

20:17

the heavy metallic gate opens on clanking hinges, and you see the busy mining camp beyond. Over 1,000 miners, smelting teams, security personnel, and functionaries keep the base running. Containers full of the ore are stacked on a cement skirt, waiting for pickup by a cargo lighter, to be taken to orbit.

Selgar walks into the camp with a pensive expression, surveying the operation and looking for an admin building or other location where he could get a tour and a host.

The mining supervisor as promised is near the tunnel mouth, his orange vest is hard to miss. A small meeting of what look to be work crew leaders is breaking up and he heads over to you. “Hello there! You’re the scientist coming to have a look around right? Just got the message a bit ago”

Selgar reaches out to shake his hand. "Yes, Selgar. I have to say given how little research has been done with this material I was surprised to see this much of a mining team, is this all going to UNW storage or are there private interests financing the harvest?"

"Whitaker Solutions is financing the dig and its refinement, but the bulk of it is going back to the UNW for research and development. We spent all of last month getting the mining site set up. We've only just begun work on this scale. Really, we need to know what this stuff is actually capable of , or how to use it, so we can direct further development."

"Interesting, it seems Whitaker is a massive financial player as they also recently started a rather expensive exploration fund. Well in any case I would like to take a brief tour through the mine, one of my goals is to document the conditions under which this material has occurred so that we can perhaps find more later, in advance of subsurface scanning. After that I'd like to interview a few of the people who have worked directly with the material to see if they have noticed anything interesting or experienced any strange effects. Lastly I'd like to sit in a quiet area with some of it to inspect it myself and make some notes, though that's mostly a scientific formality. If you have anything else you'd like me to evaluate while I'm here I can do that as well."

You’re given safety gear namely an atmofilter and a hard hat. “The mine is going to get a bit warm. I would recommend keeping your filter on even if it’s uncomfortable. The mineral dust really clings to the skin as it is. You don’t want to inhale this”

Selgar nods as his voice is distorted slightly by the apparatus. "Understood, hopefully there won't be anything interesting and the tour will not take long, I just want to see things for myself."

“We can look as long as you need I’m just there to help you mind the hazards. There was a base here once mining this stuff. UNW kicked it over. Killed everyone. We had to stabilize the ground again before we could even dig”

Selgar looks at the material texture and layout, as well as the boundaries where it meets more generic rock. (Basically just convincing himself that the material appears to be naturally occuring. As he explores, what is the overall approximate size/amount of the material we're looking at? Effectively limitless or is it going to be exhausted in a few months?) "I realize it's a long shot but were there any records found from the previous dig site? Maybe any research that had been done or indications of other such sites?"

You can tell it is naturally occurring. The veins look dense, but in time this seam will run dry and production here will end.

21:00

"Facility staff destroyed most of the records during the battle. Standard Opsec. What was left was not of much help"

"Stands to reason. Well I think I've seen enough of the mine itself, do you have some miners I can speak to?" (Only other thing was is there anything 'special' about the location that might be related to the ore being here, like geologically? Or is it just some random spot?)

(I don't think enough is known about it right now, as far as what the UNW could glean to be able to tell which of those two things it is. Its something they were hoping to find out)

00:38

"Sure, there are plenty around out there" he says, taking off his mask as you both approach the doors back out. "You've got liberty of the base, any of them will answer"

Selgar would interview a handful of miners who have worked directly with the material, both asking them if they've seen any effects and also giving them cursory inspections to see if there's any signs thereof.

"Alright, send in the next one." Selgar checks his compad in between interviews, and glares at it. "Wait, what the actual fuck?" His jaw slowly lowers as his expression turns into an incredibly rare dumbfounded look. "Holy shit, '1 million credits for services to the UNW'? I just became a citizen last week...." His look slowly returns to pensive, and then morphs into one of slight anger. "Son of a bitch. Well fuck I guess that's war, suppose I should just be glad I'm on this end..." He regains his composure in time for the next interview.

None of the miners here have seen the effects firsthand but there are dozens who have heard rumors experiments were done on psychics here and it hurt them terribly, while inhibiting power use

Selgar would conclude the interviews making a few notes about the rumors and then move on to his own personal inspection. He'd ask for a private room with some of the ore and the small set of instruments he brought. (Basically glorified metal sticks to poke it with. Trying to see if there's any obvious and interesting properties.)

using your sticks as a medium, there are no ill effects

Selgar would then try to handle the material manually, first with gloves and then without.

After handling the material for a few minutes he turns over his hands and eventually sighs, and makes some notes on his compad. "No apparent effects on skin contact, long term effects should be studied." He wraps up the small report on the whole site and sends it to Val before meeting back with the foreman. "Well it's difficult to gauge much without real equipment but I didn't find any reason to stop harvesting it. I'd like to take a small package of the raw ore for a few simple test in zero-G on the way back but otherwise I think my business is concluded."

(3xp, 5000 credits)