Zirelle was loath to leave her weapons behind, but it looked like the best they could do. Perhaps a quick visit to the professor, and then a ticket out so they could retrieve their weapons. After they were away from the government facility, Zirelle stopped at a seedy diner so they could eat, and so she could fill the team in on everything now that they weren't in the middle of a deadline. Quietly so as not to be overheard, she told the story, in between bites, and pausing whenever anyone was near enough to listen in.
After she was done, she suggested visiting the professor to find out about the artifact, but whatever they wanted to do from here was open to discussion.
Suggestions?
Malaxius had to swallow hard on his nervousness during the whole process. The thought of loosing the artefact to the authorities made him almost panic. In the end he is quite happy to hand over just his laserpistol and the two stunners.
In the diner the nervousness finally ceases and is replaced by joyfull anticipation again:
"I think we should meet with this professor as soon as we can and then talk about the next step.", he says while nursing an uncharacteristically strong drink for his habits (Somehow he feels he has reason to celebrate) "I don't know what your goals are from here, but if she let's me be a part of the examination of this statue and probably further investigations without imperial surveillance - I'm exactly where I wanted to be!"
Before leaving the questionably pleasant company of the authorities, Nic nods with a bit of wary relief, saying only, "Officer may I have the case number please?" Having learned that Regina loves red tape and having a certain worry about his more shady connections, Nic has lawyers.
He send either the case number or a very brief and innocuous request to his Imperial advocate and to his Reginan lawyer to represent his interests, they would have all the legal documentation as to any items he owns.
"Best to keep it as quiet as possible. It seems that many people are interested, talk directly to anyone that can help. Did I understand right that Beckett's body is unclaimed, that a starship captain was suppose to take him to his homeworld but took off without his corpse?"
"Glad you're happy, Mal this must be a dream come true for you. Just wish it was less complicated."
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"We should reach out to Pallod. He brought us into this and he just got us out of prison. He seems to be on our side." Ben says.
Zirella smiles at Malaxius, hoping that the professor has recovered enough to talk to them. Then she replies to Ben.
We could reach out to Pallod, but remember, he did threaten to arrest us recently as well. He might have gotten us released so he can follow along and see if we get any leads, but I don't know that he has any special love for us. I don't mind if that is what you all want to do. He might share more. Didn't he tell us that he had already found the murderer last time we talked?
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With a sigh, Linc deposited his
Advanced Combat Rifle, Cutlass, Laser Pistol, Laser Carbine and Snub Pistol in the police lockbox.
He felt absurdly naked as he met the others for a meal at the closest diner they could find.
"I donno where to go from here, but I want off this rock soonest." He groused.
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"If Pollard is trailing us to find something out, then we are probably not going to be let off this rock. But we can investigate what we found and then decide if we want to jet off or try and speak to Pollard." Ben says.
Suggestions?
Let's call it Cr5,000.
Either way, your long-term options are fairly limited. Maybe there's something you've recovered that will give you a clue to the death of Vlen Backett. Maybe you could look up Professor Ujinka's assistant Juni. Also, you still need to pick up Vlen Backett's body and return it to his home on Alell. Maybe there are clues there.
Nic transmits 5,000 ICR to his lawyers to take care of the legal issues. Then he shuts down his comms.
Nic says, "I's best to have as few bureaucrats involved as possible. We could check with your professor friend but she may need more time to recover. Or we can find a way to take Beckett's body home maybe someone knows something. I might be able to claim the body as the closest sorta relative he has."
I think talking to professor Ujinka first is a good idea, but let's not stay long. She needs her rest. But we can let Malaxius find out as much as he can about the statue.
Then, unless we find out something we need to act on immediately, I think talking to Pollard is a good idea. We could at least thank him, and you never know... he might want to hire us on as consultants to find out what is going on. Would be nice to have him on our side if we face super-officious types in the future. Especially if they are, uh, familiar with my past work.
Then maybe when we leave, we should visit Vlen's lodge on Allel. The body is taken care of I believe, but I feel like there is still a lot to discover in that regard, Nic. Agree with you there.
Malaxius raises his glass slightly towards Zirelle then takes a gulp. "sounds good to me. I will have to reevalue the situation after talking to the professor, but at least until then this plan should suit us all!"
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Ben nods and says, "That works. I doubt we are let off this rock without seeing Pollard. But you never know."
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Two days later, you are gathered together in Professor Ujinka's private room in the Duke's own hospital. Two neatly professional armed ducal guards stand outside the door, but at her insistence you are allowed in privately.
Professor Ujinka looks tiny, connected to a number of serious-looking machines that monitor her life signs and keep her stable and comfortable.
"I have you to thank for my life," she says weakly. "I never knew it was in danger. My work... it's no threat to anyone. I just..." she sighs, already tired from talking.
"The G-Band detector. It's the only new development in the field of Ancient studies in at least 8 years. It must mean something."
Zirelle takes the woman's hand, reassuring her.
Thank you. We'll follow up with that.
She looks over at Malaxius
If you have questions, better ask them now. We can't take up too much of her time.
Malaxius greets the professor with awe and respect
I'm so happy to meet you at last! There is so much, I would like to discuss, but considering your current condition - I'll just cut to the urgent one: I don't know, if you already suspected as much, but our current mission led to a certain...discovery, that warrants further scientific testing..." This time Malaxius remembers Nics warning about possible surveillance and he also worries what the guards might be suspicious about. At the same time, he is painfully aware that his efforts to keep his words neutral are lacking in expertise
"...do you happen to have access to suitable facilities? Considering the state of your health, I would offer to start things in your name and hand the process over, as soon as you are well again - I'm not nearly as much of an expert as you are, but I have worked as a field researcher in our common field of occupation and know a thing or two..."
Malaxius is radiating some serious "nervous job interview" vibes.
Ben stays silent and decides not to mope about his own varied injuries over the last few days in front of someone who is stuck in the hospital.
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Erryll is more concerned with the Professor than their mission, and it shows; he immediately begins to examine all of the readings and treatment indicators in the room. He takes the professor's hand ...
"Lady Ujinka, I must admit, part of me is tempted to go back to your estate to examine your autodoc, and then send for one of my technicians on Darien to perform some upgrades for you. Your health brings warmth to me, let me know if there is anything you need, ever."
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"Thank you," she says, warmly, touching Erryll's hand with her own, thin and dry. "But I would like you to find out why someone would kill Vlen Backett -and- try to kill me. Vlen had a home on Alell. Maybe there's something there?"
Nic defers to his comrades as to the most of the conversation but pipes up once to ask, "I don't wish to exhaust you Professor but would it be possible for us to have technical and operational data on the G-detector. That seems something that could come in handy in the future." Nic pauses and more quietly, [b]"We know there are other interested parties and they do not play nice. Anyone connected to this is at risk. We're already in deep, so the more we know the better."
Nic defers to his comrades as to the most of the conversation but pipes up once to ask, "I don't wish to exhaust you Professor but would it be possible for us to have technical and operational data on the G-detector. That seems something that could come in handy in the future." Nic pauses and more quietly, [b]"We know there are other interested parties and they do not play nice. Anyone connected to this is at risk. We're already in deep, so the more we know the better."
"Lady, could we please have access to your records? Could we lodge at your estate for the briefest moment? I've been away from Darien for so long, but I saved you with tech unlike I have seen in ages. Could I heal my crew and rest for a moment there? It would mean everything. We will return to you when the mystery is solved, my word on this.
Zirelle says nothing, worried about taking advantage of the injured woman, although having a place to stay for a few days could be a good thing. Then they would be less dependent on talking Pollard into paying them.
Ben keeps an eye on the door to see if they are being trailed.
The team spends a week resting and recuperating as guests of Professor Ujinka. The Professor is very ancient and not really up to entertaining, so you leave her alone for the most part, occupying distant parts of the mansion. She does tell you that the G-Band detector is a simple device, but she’s not familiar with the specifications. You can find out more by contacting her assistant on Beck’s World.
Professor Ujinka doesn’t need your help and she is anxious that you should take Vlen’s remains back to his home, then find his killers.
Ducal security has been beefed up considerably, but when questioned the guards admit that they do not know how the security robots were turned off. ”Should be impossible short of an EMP, and there wasn’t one,” they say.
"We should go get this detector and then try and find what it discovered. It seems like it would be easier to find whatever it located if we have it with us." Ben says.
Malaxius is rather disappointed, that the professor doesn't seem as impressed, as he expected. But as soon as he manages to change gear mentally, he nodds towards Benjamins suggestion: "yes, that device sounds very interesting...although it's always scary to find out there is a device that more or less does automatically, what you have been doing for a living...you'd think you should get used to it with time...but you never do!"
If you look at the Map of the Imperium, you'll see that Alell, Beck's World and Boughene are all Coreward (up) from Regina and all lie within the same subsector of the Spinward Marches.
Alell is five parsecs Core-Spinward of Regina and from there it is four parsecs to Boughene. Beck's World is on a different branch of the Spinward Main, laying seven parsecs Core-Trailing from Regina and three parsecs from Boughene.
Do you want to head to the closest of the three worlds (Alell, where you need to take Vlen's body) and then go to Boughene and Beck's World? Or do you want to head straight to Beck's World, locate the G-Band detector and then head either to Boughene or Alell?
Linc took a last drag from his stim stick, then flicked it into a waste bin.
"Yeah, we need to take care of that body first. Respectfully." He said, shaking his head.
"Creeps me out, hauling it around with us." He said, looking around uneasily.
On Alell, ferocity and beauty are inextricably entwined. The jungles shimmer a thousand shades of red and gold but touch the wrong delicate frond with bare skin and a poison stinger will lash out faster than the eye can follow. The Alellian whisperhawk is beautiful even as it stoops on its prey from the green clouds. Even the sky of Alell is perilous; the shimmering auroras that stream across the heavens are caused by bursts of radiation from the primary star.
The planet was settled in the dying days of the First Imperium. It became fashionable for nobles to hunt the whisperhawk, the malifcient, the vicious glittering lambdragon. They opened hunting lodges in the most scenic locations on the planet – atop the perilous glacial cliffs, in the heart of the Dranxi Jungle, in the savannah hunting grounds of the ferocious cadegeree. Each lodge had a staff of technicians, groundskeepers and servants to attend to every whim of the degenerate nobility.
And then the First Imperium collapsed.
Several hundred years later, when Alell was recontacted by explorers from the resurgent Imperium, the descendants of those hotel porters and safari guides survived to form a civilization centered around those hunting lodges. The lodges are now walled cities, keeping out the lethal jungles...
— Checking In Indefinitely: A History of Alell,
Tharsis Djar, Alell Free Press, 1101
________________________________________________________________________
With the funds left them by Vlen Backett, Our Heroes board the SS Elias Minervee, a Turkera Longliner bound for Efate. The luxury of a Jump-4 vessel is something none of them has ever experienced before, with elegant trim and catered meals. The two weeks' journey from Regina to Whanga (Spinward Marches 1806) and then to Efate (Spinward Marches 1705) (itself well known to harbor Ancients sites) is one of the most pleasant times any of you have ever spent. But from there you board the much smaller SS Nebula, a Deneb-class 300-ton modular starship outfitted as a freight hauler. Nebula carries you to Alell (Spinward Marches 1706) in considerably less style and you sleep two to a cabin and eat meals in common with the crew. But at last, you enter the Alell system
Alell is one of four inhabited worlds orbiting two M-class red dwarf stars. It is 6,400 kilometers in diameter, with a standard atmosphere and approximately 70% of its surface covered with oceans of water.
Alell retains its atmosphere and water thanks to a density that is far higher than scientists thought possible for such a small planet. Whatever the reason, the result is a very pleasant world with reasonable gravity, clean air, fertile soil, and warm shallow seas lined by scores of huge vacation resorts.
Finally, you jump into the Alell system. Your ship’s sensors crackle under the buffeting of radiation from the system’s sun; Alell orbits an angry, energetic star. Nebula's crew spins down into the planet’s shadow to spare the ship's hull. Beneath, you can see the vibrant golds and reds of the jungles that cover most of the land area. In a few spots, you can make out densely packed lights – the walled resorts of Alell.
Nebula lands at Alell’s starport, a cavernous building that looks more like a Mayan temple than a landing site for spaceships. The starport is a gigantic artifcial cavern, big enough to swallow a warship. As the ship enters the cave, it is sprayed with jets of chemical disinfectants and bathed in strong UV light as part of Alell’s biological control protocols. The supporting pillars and walls are decorated with First Imperium friezes and bas-reliefs, testament to thousands of years of settlement here on Alell. Most of the art depicts the wildlife of the planet.
Before leaving the starport, you must pass through customs. Alell’s wealth is its biosphere and so the planetary administration has instituted strict protocols to ensure that some alien insect or disease does not run rampant in the jungle. Importing lifeforms from offworld is forbidden. All visitors are tested, probed, scanned and disinfected before being allowed out in Alell; those with any form of genetic engineering, augmentation or other potential biological threat to the biosphere are forced to wear environmental suits while on Alell. Non-human sophonts and even some minor races of Humaniti are also classified as ‘potential hazards’ and so must wear suits. Only ‘pure’ Vilani and Solomani can walk openly on Alell. The environmental suits are a lightweight khaki-coloured overgarment, coupled with a light helmet that keeps airborne contamination to a minimum. The resemblance to a Victorian explorer in a pith helmet can be blamed on Solomani traditionalists.
Weapons are equally restricted on Alell. The only weapon that is permitted is the mister, a gas-based weapon that sprays a haze of caustic chemicals. All known species on Alell are harmlessly repelled by the mister chemicals. The mister spray is mildly damaging to human skin.
Technically, you are importing biological matter onto Alell, in the form of Vlen Backett’s corpse. The customs officials insists on scanning the corpse; when they do so, their sensors momentarily fail to register the corpse and they have to repeat the scan. They blame this on a systems glitch.
Beyond the starport, in the city of Alell Startown, you purchase passage to the small town of Vaca Goya. The usual method of travel on Alell is by flyer; the flyers carry built-in misters to drive off whisperhawks and other avians.
The major settlements on Alell are either along the coast, or behind walls. There are smaller settlements, such as Vaca Goya, but they are relatively uncommon. The jungles of Alell are a perilous place to live.
The pilot of the shuttle is a hard-faced woman named Rao. As you race over the verdant sea of green jungle, she calls back to you.
"Vlen Backett? I knew him. Flew him a few times. Listen, I'm sorry your friend is dead, but he wasn't cut out for Alell. Too secretive and whaddyacallit... aloof, you know? Here on Alell, family and friends have to come first. This place is too dangerous for anyone on their own, so you have to beable to trust your companions. For example, if the thrusters or mist sprayers on this flyer failed, then I'd probably never make it to safety, so I have to be able to trust the mechanics back at Startown, or the flyer dispatcher at the control tower, y'know? Everyone on Alell learns to stick close – but I never got the feeling that
Backett trusted anyone."
"When was the last time you saw Vlen on Alell?" Ben asks to make some small talk with the woman.
"Oh, it's been about a year... or maybe it was a year and a half. You know, I will say this for him. He was a brave man. Once he hired me to drop him off in the middle of the jungle. Wouldn't say what he wanted there - just dropped him off in the jungle with a mister and picked him up a week later. Not many would do that alone!"
During the flight to Vaca Goya, you have excellent views of the jungle through the chemical mists. It is a trackless wilderness, reminiscent of the Jurassic period on Earth. In places, the flyer soars between stands of trees that are taller than skyscrapers; in others, flocks of avians trail the flyer, filling the sky with vibrant colors. As the flyer approaches the village, the clouds overhead are highlighted by the fabulous aurora of Alell, casting blood-red shadows on the ground below.
The little village of Vaca Goya is located on a hilltop, surrounded by a ring of metal poles. These poles are topped with motion-sensitive mist sprayers. The village was originally founded because of a uranium deposit nearby; the mine is largely exhausted and the primary industry is now forestry and farming. The population is under 1,000 people.
The flyer lands on the outskirts of the village, next to four other flyers. Rao says "Well, here we are. You'll want to take Vlen's casket to the village hall. They're gathered there now, the villagers. The local magistrate is a man named Porter Sajan. He's also the village's spiritual leader."
During the trip Ben asks, "That is odd that he would ask to be dropped off in the middle of no where. Do you still have the coordinates for that? It might be nice to take a stroll around and remanence about an old friend."
Once they arrive Ben says, "Thank you for your kind guidance. Will you be available should we need to travel to where Vlen went for a while or our return trip to the spaceport?"
Earlier on Regina:
Nic says, "As much as I would like to know about the sensors, I should stand in for family and take him back to his."
At the Alell port we pass through:
Having the warnings about how weird the laws and customs are on Alell from his mother, and burned from past interacts from Regina's strict laws, Nic arranges for a professional guide for smoothing things out to meet them at Vaca Goya. Meeting his guide, he will ask how he should go about the delivery of the body without causing an incident.
During the trip Ben asks, "That is odd that he would ask to be dropped off in the middle of no where. Do you still have the coordinates for that? It might be nice to take a stroll around and remanence about an old friend."
She considers. "Probably, yeah. I can check my logs. It's been awhile.[/ooc]
Once they arrive Ben says, [b]"Thank you for your kind guidance. Will you be available should we need to travel to where Vlen went for a while or our return trip to the spaceport?"
"Yep. I'll be in town for a few days at least."
Having the warnings about how weird the laws and customs are on Alell from his mother, and burned from past interacts from Regina's strict laws, Nic arranges for a professional guide for smoothing things out to meet them at Vaca Goya. Meeting his guide, he will ask how he should go about the delivery of the body without causing an incident.
"You're right to ask. Allelians take community very seriously. Vlen Backett may have been a strange man who kept to himself, but he was still one of us, you know? You'll want to carry that casket with respect, nice and slow and even. Show respect for the dead and you'll start off on the right foot with Porter Sajan."
Nic leaves in secured storage any non permitted items either in Lowport if allowed otherwise he leaves them in the Highport.
Nic nods and following the guide's advice, first does a slight bow to the casket, and quitely says to the porter, "I, Nicholas Kaya, bring my cousin by marriage to his family of blood and heart." He takes up a postion to carry the casket toward where he is lead to go.
Linc also helps to carry the casket in a slow and dignified manner.
The thin and rather dour looking Porter regards you with quiet dignity. "We grant you and the deceased admittance to Vaca Goya. Be welcome and be safe."
When the solemnities are through and Vlen's casket has been set down, Porter Sajan relaxes somewhat and speaks more casually.
"You're offworlders, so let me bring you up to speed. Tonight is Mister Backett's Homecoming. This is something like a wake on other planets. Tomorrow will be his funeral and the reading of his will. Many people have come or are on their way for the reading. They await you and the deceased in the Great Hall. Will you come?"
Linc stuck a finger in the neck of his fancy formal clothing.
"Yeah, I'm coming. Uh, I don't have to give a speech do I?" He asked with trepidation.
Nic nods gravely and says, "I will come. Are there other family members present?" Nic does look around a bit to see if his great-aunt is there or anyone his recognizes .
"I would be honored to participate in your ceremonies for Vlen." Ben says.
Linc stuck a finger in the neck of his fancy formal clothing.
"Yeah, I'm coming. Uh, I don't have to give a speech do I?" He asked with trepidation.
Porter Sajan smiles. "No. Although you may if you wish. Some do and some don't. Funerals are not for the dead, sir. They are for the living. Grieve in your own way."
Nic nods gravely and says, "I will come. Are there other family members present?" Nic does look around a bit to see if his great-aunt is there or anyone his recognizes .
"Indeed," says Sajan. "Come. I'll introduce you."
"I would be honored to participate in your ceremonies for Vlen." Ben says.
"Good, a short eulogy would be appreciated. But save your energies for the will-reading. I predict that it will be interesting."
___________________________________________________
Sajan leads you into the great hall where there is already a small crowd mingling uneasily. Everyone turns when you enter.
Nicholas recognizes his great aunt and his great-uncle Tomas Backett, a local merchant, and his distant cousin Hans Backett, a hunter and trapper. Collectively, these are the heads of the Backett family. Nick knows that Tomas and Vlen never got along, but isn't sure why.
In addition, Porter Sajan introduces the Jocells, a family from the starport. ALthough he doesn't know them personally, Nick knows that the Jocells are another branch of the Backett family, the descendants of a cousin who left Vaca Goya to find work in the starport. They are led by Marisa Jocell, a well-dressed woman whose trim suit and high heels look out of place here in the back country. Her son Bard sulks at the bar with a drink in his hand.
Sajan introduces a third family, the Parads. "As I understand it, the Parads have an interest in Vlen Backett's property," he says.
Our property," says Yasul Parad, an older man in a black suit with a red shirt and red sash. "Backett owes me and I'm here to collect." The large, muscled man beside him says nothing, but looks dangerous.
There are also many locals, simply here for the drinks and spectacle.
"I'll leave you now," says Sajan. "I'll see you in the morning for the funeral."
"Don't try to leave Vaca Goya," Parad tells Sajan. "Nobody leaves until this is all sorted out."
Sajan smiles nervously. "As you say," he says, and leaves the room.
Ben will move over to the great aunt and great uncle and nods to them, "Hello, I was a friend of Vlen. It is tragic that we meet under these circumstances. I am sorry for the loss to your family."
As the social currents are only dimly perceived by Nic's less than agile brain, still the absence of Zirelle ways on him. Zirelle could tell me what's really going on here but without her... He frets a bit more about Zirelle's abrupt departure even though she gave the codes that indicate she's really okay.
After Ben talks to his relations Nic goes over to his great aunt and great uncle as well saying, "Hello, it's been too many years since we laid eyes on each other, in person. How are you? Aside from a recent blow out, I'm fine from that, it's been routine for me."
After an exchange of other pleasantries Nic asks very quietly, "I don't want to pry too much but clearly Vlen Beckett was a complicated man, so what is that umh well-dressed relative issue about?" Nic tries not to step too much on any toes, literal or figurative.
"I'll leave you now," says Sajan. "I'll see you in the morning for the funeral."
"Don't try to leave Vaca Goya," Parad tells Sajan. "Nobody leaves until this is all sorted out."
Sajan smiles nervously. "As you say," he says, and leaves the room.
The cretin, Porter Sajan, seemed eager to try to leave the room.
He did not, however, succeed.A voice rings out, and EVERYONE can hear it:
"I almost feel that you, some useless peon on a useless world, were acting as though you might give ME, a dignitary from a real world, directives. I know that's preposterous, and I know you must only seem that insipid, but it gnaws at me. Like a giant bucktooth rabbit on an equally useless world, it GUH-naws at me. Like that can't really just have happened, it's not like you have half the value in half the Universe that Beckett did, right? So, stay put a$$hat, let us know what makes you so important. We sure as he!!! don't know yet. Let me know why I don't call in an air stike from the Confederation to obliterate this useless dungheap ... it's not like you all have Beckett to protect you anymore."
Erryll smiles a genuinely somewhat regretful smile at Ben, but Erryll was Erryll, and he had kind of had enough.
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At Erryll Reyven II dramatic statement Nic's eyes widen in shock. After briefly considering climbing to the highest point in town and jumping off into the wilderness, turns to his hapless guide, spreading arms, and feebling mouthing the word 'help'.
He then looks over the crowd and in his rather dim way, tries to assess the damage.