Signal Lost
The dream begins in the Drift.
We follow a gold and blue starship, emblazoned with the insignia of the Stewards, coming to a slow halt in this alien plane of purple storms. The camera moves closer, panning around to the side, where we see the ship's named painted on the hull -- the Final Pilgrimage. The ship comes to a complete stop, the roar of the engines fading to a whisper, and then the vessel vanishes.
The camera cuts with it, arriving on the edges of Absalom Station. The Pilgrimage moves slowly through the Armada, headed to Port Alpha, where high-ranking individuals pay for priority boarding. The starship docks in no time, and we cut inside the Station, where Atticus McCallow is stepping off of the boarding stairs, surrounded by Stewards Ops dressed in sleek military attire. An assistant is in tow, a Kasathan woman with light blue skin, who types hurriedly on holographic consoles floating around her four hands.
Atticus: "Sarfa, I want a status from the MT6 Recon team. Now."
The Kasatha hums a half-reply, opening up a channel on her personal comm with one hand, and passing directions to the lead bodyguard with the other. The group makes the slow crawl towards Bastion, parting the crowd as they pass, far enough from bystanders to avoid being overheard.
Sarfa: "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
Atticus: "Good. I need a pick-me-up after that debriefing with the Council."
Sarfa: "Lockette's numbers are up another 11%. The engineers believe she'll be able to Assimilate soon. They give her another month before she is capable of Metamorphosis."
Atticus: "Tell them I want it done in three weeks. I doubt they'll make it, but it'll keep them on their toes. I don't want any surprises, Sarfa."
Sarfa: "Yes, sir. And the bad news..."
Atticus: "Hang on."
The Director holds up a hand, halting his team, and walks over to a nearby stall. He taps a credstick on the customer-facing terminal, and purchases a sloppy mess of a sandwich that the vendor calls a "Naughty Sam". Atticus then resumes walking, taking an enormous bite of the sandwich, letting out a generous moan of pleasure.
Sarfa: "Sir?"
Atticus: "Gods above, I needed that. Do you want a bite?"
Sarfa: "No, thank you, sir. The bad news?"
Atticus: "Yes, yes. You're hesitating, so I assume it's actually very bad news. Which means that the Recon team lost contact with MT6. Balio -- Mist -- whatever his name actually is, found the transmitter?"
Sarfa: "We believe so, sir. He attempted a rouse to make us believe that the team died on Aucturn, but we were able to confirm via other sources that the group is still on Ezorod."
Atticus: "Do we have any sleepers in the area?"
Sarfa: "No, sir. Their current supplier is very loyal to House Terris -- we've tried and failed with her before. Her ex-wife is supposedly still on Ezorod, but we may be able to use the two against each other."
Atticus: "Try. But don't let Lockette find out. I'm going to have a hard time convincing her as it is."
Atticus pauses as the group turns the corner, finally past the sprawling hallways of the Ring, and in to the central metropolis of the Eye. A sleek, black military vehicle pulls up on the adjacent street, and the Ops crew all pours in, with Atticus and Sarfa sitting across from each other in the center.
Atticus: "What's the status on Luwasi?"
Sarfa: "She's been avoiding us, sir. The Starfinders have all but pulled out of the project, and are providing only minimal support."
Atticus: "She thinks we failed. How is her psychological profile? I haven't seen the reports since she was on Aballon."
Sarfa: "Slightly lower, but not alarmingly so. She was shaken by the incident with the Fifth Rail, but we covered our tracks well. It got the innkeeper curious, though. He's been digging."
Atticus: "If he pushes too hard, kill him. I'll deal with Luwasi. I know where to apply leverage with her. Any other updates I should be aware of?"
Sarfa: "Your daughter left another voicemail, and you have a meeting with the Director General at-"
Atticus: "Three, yes, I know. I meant important updates, Sarfa."
The Kasatha stops typing for a sliver of a second, and then resumes. Atticus pointedly ignores her, and finishes his sandwich with two quick bites, wiping the grease from his fingers directly onto his pants.
Sarfa: "The S.S. Iron Drake has made port in the Typhoon system, and we've removed the majority of our assets from the Plate."
Atticus: "Majority?"
Sarfa: "We've left the... theater. In case of another reboot."
Atticus scowls, glaring out the window for a brief moment, but then waves for his assistant to continue.
Sarfa: "Omega Delta has leveled up, and are now pursuing a clue from the game, which relates to a location in the Vast. Captain Lang has sent an update-"
Atticus: "I'll read it tonight. Anything else?"
Sarfa: "Two, sir. Lang recovered a report that Dominic was seen on Mataras..."
Atticus groans, pinching the bridge of his nose until his knuckles go white.
Sarfa: "She is requesting-"
Atticus: "Permission to kill him, yes. Which is precisely why I wanted that report hidden. How did she find out?"
Safra: "I don't know, sir."
Atticus: "I'll call her after I read her report. Make a reminder for me. Move it up to just after the meeting with the General."
The Kasatha nods, but her typing slows, and then Sarfa clears her throat.
Atticus: "Oh, come on. Another bad thing? Worse than the slip up with Recon?"
Sarfa: "...Yes."
Atticus: "Well, they say bad shit comes in threes -- right? Tell me."
Sarfa: "It's the report you request on Councilman Marcus."
The car goes incredibly quiet. The Ops agents shift in their seats, pointedly staring out the window. Atticus goes cold, his eyes leaving the window, and piercing directly into Sarfa's soul. He knows the answer from what he sees there, but he asks anyway.
Atticus: "And?"
Sarfa swallows, and then waves a hand across one of her holographic screens, passing it to the Director. He doesn't look at it. He doesn't need to. Sarfa sighs.
Sarfa: "Confirmed, sir. He killed your wife."
Silence swallows the vehicle's interior, as even heartbeats begin to slow, desperate to make as little sound as possible. The car comes to a halt as it arrives at Bastion, but nobody moves.
Atticus: "Well? Can we get out of the damn car?"
The agents nearly leap out of the vehicle, and Atticus follows, using the door to lift himself from his seat. The camera pans to his face for a moment, the Haze hovering about his eyes, but it tells us nothing.
The Director slams the car door behind him, and we cut to black.
The camera cuts with it, arriving on the edges of Absalom Station. The Pilgrimage moves slowly through the Armada, headed to Port Alpha, where high-ranking individuals pay for priority boarding. The starship docks in no time, and we cut inside the Station, where Atticus McCallow is stepping off of the boarding stairs, surrounded by Stewards Ops dressed in sleek military attire. An assistant is in tow, a Kasathan woman with light blue skin, who types hurriedly on holographic consoles floating around her four hands.
Atticus: "Sarfa, I want a status from the MT6 Recon team. Now."
The Kasatha hums a half-reply, opening up a channel on her personal comm with one hand, and passing directions to the lead bodyguard with the other. The group makes the slow crawl towards Bastion, parting the crowd as they pass, far enough from bystanders to avoid being overheard.
Sarfa: "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
Atticus: "Good. I need a pick-me-up after that debriefing with the Council."
Sarfa: "Lockette's numbers are up another 11%. The engineers believe she'll be able to Assimilate soon. They give her another month before she is capable of Metamorphosis."
Atticus: "Tell them I want it done in three weeks. I doubt they'll make it, but it'll keep them on their toes. I don't want any surprises, Sarfa."
Sarfa: "Yes, sir. And the bad news..."
Atticus: "Hang on."
The Director holds up a hand, halting his team, and walks over to a nearby stall. He taps a credstick on the customer-facing terminal, and purchases a sloppy mess of a sandwich that the vendor calls a "Naughty Sam". Atticus then resumes walking, taking an enormous bite of the sandwich, letting out a generous moan of pleasure.
Sarfa: "Sir?"
Atticus: "Gods above, I needed that. Do you want a bite?"
Sarfa: "No, thank you, sir. The bad news?"
Atticus: "Yes, yes. You're hesitating, so I assume it's actually very bad news. Which means that the Recon team lost contact with MT6. Balio -- Mist -- whatever his name actually is, found the transmitter?"
Sarfa: "We believe so, sir. He attempted a rouse to make us believe that the team died on Aucturn, but we were able to confirm via other sources that the group is still on Ezorod."
Atticus: "Do we have any sleepers in the area?"
Sarfa: "No, sir. Their current supplier is very loyal to House Terris -- we've tried and failed with her before. Her ex-wife is supposedly still on Ezorod, but we may be able to use the two against each other."
Atticus: "Try. But don't let Lockette find out. I'm going to have a hard time convincing her as it is."
Atticus pauses as the group turns the corner, finally past the sprawling hallways of the Ring, and in to the central metropolis of the Eye. A sleek, black military vehicle pulls up on the adjacent street, and the Ops crew all pours in, with Atticus and Sarfa sitting across from each other in the center.
Atticus: "What's the status on Luwasi?"
Sarfa: "She's been avoiding us, sir. The Starfinders have all but pulled out of the project, and are providing only minimal support."
Atticus: "She thinks we failed. How is her psychological profile? I haven't seen the reports since she was on Aballon."
Sarfa: "Slightly lower, but not alarmingly so. She was shaken by the incident with the Fifth Rail, but we covered our tracks well. It got the innkeeper curious, though. He's been digging."
Atticus: "If he pushes too hard, kill him. I'll deal with Luwasi. I know where to apply leverage with her. Any other updates I should be aware of?"
Sarfa: "Your daughter left another voicemail, and you have a meeting with the Director General at-"
Atticus: "Three, yes, I know. I meant important updates, Sarfa."
The Kasatha stops typing for a sliver of a second, and then resumes. Atticus pointedly ignores her, and finishes his sandwich with two quick bites, wiping the grease from his fingers directly onto his pants.
Sarfa: "The S.S. Iron Drake has made port in the Typhoon system, and we've removed the majority of our assets from the Plate."
Atticus: "Majority?"
Sarfa: "We've left the... theater. In case of another reboot."
Atticus scowls, glaring out the window for a brief moment, but then waves for his assistant to continue.
Sarfa: "Omega Delta has leveled up, and are now pursuing a clue from the game, which relates to a location in the Vast. Captain Lang has sent an update-"
Atticus: "I'll read it tonight. Anything else?"
Sarfa: "Two, sir. Lang recovered a report that Dominic was seen on Mataras..."
Atticus groans, pinching the bridge of his nose until his knuckles go white.
Sarfa: "She is requesting-"
Atticus: "Permission to kill him, yes. Which is precisely why I wanted that report hidden. How did she find out?"
Safra: "I don't know, sir."
Atticus: "I'll call her after I read her report. Make a reminder for me. Move it up to just after the meeting with the General."
The Kasatha nods, but her typing slows, and then Sarfa clears her throat.
Atticus: "Oh, come on. Another bad thing? Worse than the slip up with Recon?"
Sarfa: "...Yes."
Atticus: "Well, they say bad shit comes in threes -- right? Tell me."
Sarfa: "It's the report you request on Councilman Marcus."
The car goes incredibly quiet. The Ops agents shift in their seats, pointedly staring out the window. Atticus goes cold, his eyes leaving the window, and piercing directly into Sarfa's soul. He knows the answer from what he sees there, but he asks anyway.
Atticus: "And?"
Sarfa swallows, and then waves a hand across one of her holographic screens, passing it to the Director. He doesn't look at it. He doesn't need to. Sarfa sighs.
Sarfa: "Confirmed, sir. He killed your wife."
Silence swallows the vehicle's interior, as even heartbeats begin to slow, desperate to make as little sound as possible. The car comes to a halt as it arrives at Bastion, but nobody moves.
Atticus: "Well? Can we get out of the damn car?"
The agents nearly leap out of the vehicle, and Atticus follows, using the door to lift himself from his seat. The camera pans to his face for a moment, the Haze hovering about his eyes, but it tells us nothing.
The Director slams the car door behind him, and we cut to black.
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