Ep19: HSMBC Casino Ship Burns Down

General Summary

HSMBC Casino Ship Burns Down. Casualties Unknown.

  South China Sea -- In the early hours of this morning, a massive fire broke out on board the HSM Lord-Marshal Zhao, an HSMBC Casino Ship bound from Singapore for Bangkok. Flames rapidly engulfed the forward sections of the ship, eventually causing the ship to capsize. Many of the crew and passengers were able to escape aboard private crafts from the on-board marina and lifeboats. (Update: 24 crew and passengers remain unaccounted for at this time.)   Operating in international waters, the Lord-Marshal Zhao carried 512 passengers from various Southeast Asian ports. Primary attractions included a two-wing casino hall, and a full-featured bar and smoking room. The ship also operated a complement of Blackwater marines to safeguard its store of over ¥490,000 in casino chits and cryptographic currency. All of this is believed to be lost with the ship, pending recovery operations. HSMBC has released an official statement decrying the attack as cyberterrorism perpetrated by a known member of the Siberian Bratva, a criminal network originating from Russia.   Earlier in the evening, the Lord-Marshal Zhao received a scheduled ship-to-ship transfer of bulk cargo from the Disney-Amazon Millennium Sparrow while in international waters. Boeing ATC reports a brief interruption of communications with aircraft in the area, at the same time as the incident. It is unclear if either of these incidents are related.   Update: Toyota-Huawei officials disclosed that, in its final hours, the Lord-Marshal Zhao performed an emergency turn to port, adjusting its course toward its borders while spewing undecipherable radio chatter across all frequencies. This prompted the Nature Resources Security Division to dispatch interceptor crafts, but they did not arrive before the casino ship sunk beneath the waves. Reports show that the final position of the Zhao places it within Toyota-Huawei corporate territorial waters, which may complicate salvage and recovery efforts.   --- Andersen Hofstadter, Global Analysis

Missions/Quests Completed

Operation Siberian Canary (Employer: Apple-Mercedes)

• Pays Well
• Paid in Full
• Learnt Something
• Employer is identifiable and additional information is disclosed