Mothership - Titan

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"Oh, I don't know Edwards. You're already telling me so much."

Finn glances at Edwards' little compact. "Mirror, mirror, who's the most delusional one of all? Let me ask you, Edwards: whatever you're planning to do, is it worth dying for? Can you be teleported back to life? How does that work?

"Look, if you don't want to tell us anything, that's fine. But come on...at least tell us about the Jovians. You don't owe them anything, and if we let them get to you now, you won't be part of the big magical apotheosis, when it comes. You want that? Be useful to us for five seconds and we'll keep you in solitary. If you're not useful to anyone, I don't see the point of spending all these resources."
"Alright Shah...."

He looks at the mirror again.

"She was talking with me on this up until she went to confront you. I haven't heard from her since. I guess..." he drifts off mumbling "...you violated the holy site and yet nothing happened to you. Maybe it's time..."

  • How and when did you get involved?
"I was raised in the faith, so in a way I've been in it since the beginning. I guess though more specifically I was brought into Contos's project five years ago. I was the only person among the faithful who had even remotely related training. I'd done physics on Callisto, to postgraduate level. Contos accepted my application to her group her on Titan. It wasn't my idea to work on the project...I liked Callisto..." he looks off in thought.

What was the role of the Jovians?
"They were really the ones bank rolling Contos"

He looks around the room.

"Shah I'll say more on this but I don't want my admission recorded. The Zaibatsu's are not to be fucked with"

How were you supposed to deliver that bioweapon?
"Bioweapon?" he says thought not exactly confused. Then he smiles "Wait what exactly do you mean?"

How did the thing in the sanctum react to your work?
"....." Edward's eyes go wide.

"You really do know everything. It didn't like it....it frightens me Shah"

How did you trick the Jovians?
"The Jovians were told they were getting exactly what they were investing in, an interstellar travel system. They had one last piece of the puzzle we didn't have. Until we made a certain amount of progress, they wouldn't give it to us"

Again he glances at the cameras.

What was Cantos' ultimate plan?"
"I'm beginning to wonder that myself. She told us in the faith one thing and the Jovians another. I thought she was feeding the Jovians a lie, then I begin to suspect us in the faith were being fed a lie. Now I think she was lying to everybody"
 
"She was talking with me on this up until she went to confront you. I haven't heard from her since. I guess..." he drifts off mumbling "...you violated the holy site and yet nothing happened to you. Maybe it's time..."
Finn shakes his head with a sad smile. "Edwards, she was done with you. You were no longer useful. Like Coombs."
"Shah I'll say more on this but I don't want my admission recorded. The Zaibatsu's are not to be fucked with"
"I understand you, and I won't insist, but be aware that the situation outside this jail has changed. You're speaking with Finn Shah, Martian Ambassador to Titan. Lassiter here is acting Chief of Police on Titan. Mars and Earth are on their way. They know what's going on and they are done with this shit. The zaibatsus cannot stand against this. You might actually want to be on record before they get here.

A thought comes to Finn. "By the way, Lassiter, what do you think about the idea of shutting down all traffic to-and-from Titan? We don't want any snakes slipping away, and we don't want any more assassins sneaking onto Titan. The one we caught yesterday was a public nuisance with all that property damage."
"Bioweapon?" he says thought not exactly confused. Then he smiles "Wait what exactly do you mean?"
"OK, you got us on that one. It sounds like it was your 'last piece of the puzzle,' and it kind of is for us, too. We visited the Old City, found the place where Renner was doing his thing. We found a strange microorganism. Actually, I'm not even sure you'd classify it as an organism. It's almost as weird as the creature.

"I have a strong suspicion that Cantos brought a mass of the stuff into her last teleport. 'Bioweapon' is just the closest profile I can come up with for the time being."
"You really do know everything. It didn't like it....it frightens me Shah"
Finn chuckles. "You're very selective in your fear, Edwards. I think you should have been more afraid of your mentor."
"I'm beginning to wonder that myself. She told us in the faith one thing and the Jovians another. I thought she was feeding the Jovians a lie, then I begin to suspect us in the faith were being fed a lie. Now I think she was lying to everybody"
"Buddy, I've been going on that assumption once I saw the footage of the human experimentation. Someone who does stuff like that is either a zealot, or they have cast the rest of us aside. Cantos never struck me as the former. She tried to trick me and Lassiter, too. She seduced Coombs. Edwards, Cantos is a classic sociopath.

"It seems obvious to me that she's attempting to become something else and then return to this world as a god. You know, the usual mad scientist stuff. She's basically completed the first part; I mean, we know about the metal-manipulation stuff, for instance. Seems to be having a helluva time with the second part, though," Finn says with a smile.

"But you know, Edwards. I think if there's one thing that the Jovians, Terrans and Martians will be able to agree on, it's that this woman needs to be dead or in prison. So if you want to endear yourself to everyone on this side of the mirror, those are probably the beans to spill.

"Again, I don't know how the system here works. You might want to verify that what I'm telling you is true if you have access to a lawyer. I'm not screaming or applying thumbscrews because I think we have this under control. So it would be helpful to hear what you know, but as you said, we already know most of it. As for you, you're a pretty smart guy, so I don't think I have to spell out where your interest lies.

"If you want to think about it, go ahead. But keep in mind that we're moving fast and hoping to be out of here today or tomorrow, and the people coming after us are a bit less urbane. I don't actually think there is any point feeding you to the zaibatsus. They could do you nasty, but their time is running out, too."

Finn ponders this. "The fact is, right now they probably want you more so they can silence you before you talk. Once it's a matter of public record, they have bigger things to worry about in the short term, trust me.

"So is there anything else you want to tell us now? Otherwise, we have an appointment waiting. If you change your mind later, we can come back, or you can just record something. To be honest with you, Edwards, after talking with you now, I have a lot more sympathy for you. I thought you were more a part of Cantos' schemes. Now I see you were just another tool of the Ice Queen."
 
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It becomes clear midway through Finn's open explanation of the situation that something changes in Edwards. Dejected at first, but then maybe, perhaps a bit hopeful.

"Alright Shah...I get it. You're making sense, you're an honest guy, you have to power to actual protect me somewhat and even more you really do know what's going on. And you know she's...bad news. Alright...no holding back"

He takes a deep breath.

"OK, you got us on that one. It sounds like it was your 'last piece of the puzzle,' and it kind of is for us, too. We visited the Old City, found the place where Renner was doing his thing. We found a strange microorganism. Actually, I'm not even sure you'd classify it as an organism. It's almost as weird as the creature.

"I have a strong suspicion that Cantos brought a mass of the stuff into her last teleport. 'Bioweapon' is just the closest profile I can come up with for the time being."
"It's real purpose...well I thought I knew that, but..." he stops and thinks "...in the cult the high up members used it to communicate with our God or Bodhisattva. I'm not sure what term from other faiths is the best, maybe...well you're not here for theology. Contos ingested it. I'll be honest, wormed her way into the cult to get access to it. Then the research went into overdrive. She told the cult that what she had seen would not only speed up the research, but..."

He makes a funny expression, almost as if bracing himself as he slightly winces.

"...it had changed her views on what it could do. Lead us all to paradise she said. I think the last part was a lie. Well now I do. I was stupid at first.

Some of the other leaders in the faith ingested it as well. There was some disagreement on what they saw, but they were talked round to her view. The main Jovian bank rolling the project, or well supervising it. I never learned his name, but he took plenty of it and went from a cool as ice manager of the whole project to a fanatic more devoted than any in the faith.

That change actually worried me, even in the depths of my belief. The last I saw him, he was heading off to take a very heavy dose of the stuff"
 
"It's real purpose...well I thought I knew that, but..."
Finn squints in confusion. "So...that's very interesting, and a little confusing. What else is new?" He paces in thought.

"I thought the microbe, whatever it is, came from the Jovians. But you seem to be suggesting the cult already had it? So was that the final puzzle piece that the Jovians provided, or was it something else?

"Also," Finn continues, "you never tasted the communion wafer? It sounds like you had reservations early on. But you were still delivering severed heads to hackers! Are you holding something back, Edwards? Because I feel like these pieces don't completely line up."

Finn checks his tablet to see if he's received any high-priority messages.
 
OOC: Did his expression tell anything about his mental state when he used the mirror?

"At what point did you start to have second thoughts, exactly? When ice-man started losing it, or earlier? I figure a smart guy like you would have started to take personal notes, some kind of insurance, when said intellectual sees he's in a frying pan and needs to jump to avoid the proverbial fire."
 
I thought the microbe, whatever it is, came from the Jovians. But you seem to be suggesting the cult already had it? So was that the final puzzle piece that the Jovians provided, or was it something else?
"We had it, but we understood it in a religious way. The Jovians were more clinical in their assessment of it. They showed us how to cultivate it and make larger quantities.

The final piece was something else, but I wasn't allowed to know it. Only Contos and Papadakis knew...I think. I'm sure that Jovian guy knew as well"

"Also," Finn continues, "you never tasted the communion wafer? It sounds like you had reservations early on. But you were still delivering severed heads to hackers! Are you holding something back, Edwards? Because I feel like these pieces don't completely line up."
Edwards goes chalk white.

"Contos told me something important was in Renner's head. Something she needed to know. Said he'd agreed to give it to her before his death"

Jessen Torrente has accepted his request to meet. Pop up whenever.

4M have sent a preemptive "STAND BY SOON FOR FURTHER UPDATES" message
 
OOC: Did his expression tell anything about his mental state when he used the mirror?

Lassie can tell he felt isolated.

"At what point did you start to have second thoughts, exactly? When ice-man started losing it, or earlier? I figure a smart guy like you would have started to take personal notes, some kind of insurance, when said intellectual sees he's in a frying pan and needs to jump to avoid the proverbial fire."
"A bit earlier...but that made the doubts worse. I never took notes except in my head, but I can tell you the new Jovian ambassador is in on it as well"
 
"We had it, but we understood it in a religious way. The Jovians were more clinical in their assessment of it. They showed us how to cultivate it and make larger quantities.
"I see," Finn replies thoughtfully.
The final piece was something else, but I wasn't allowed to know it. Only Contos and Papadakis knew...I think. I'm sure that Jovian guy knew as well"
"Hmm," Finn ponders. "Did the use of the AI have anything to do with it? I'm sort of guessing they could provide some of the high-end number-crunching reality manipulation might require.

"Speaking of rewriting reality, the way I've had it explained to me is that the teleporter simply changes the location data of matter. Is there any other kind of data Cantos can overwrite? How did she manipulate metal?"

Finn pauses with a smile, aware of how he's started to bombard Edwards with questions. "I'm probably asking more than we have time to hear about. It's just not everyday that you get to talk to someone who invents teleporters," he explains.
"Contos told me something important was in Renner's head. Something she needed to know. Said he'd agreed to give it to her before his death"
"She may have forgotten to tell Renner that," Finn quips in his best noir detective deadpan voice.
"A bit earlier...but that made the doubts worse. I never took notes except in my head, but I can tell you the new Jovian ambassador is in on it as well"
Finn turns to Lassiter and glances at the camera lens. "What do you think of an emergency travel embargo? Like, fast?" he asks nervously.
 
"Hmm," Finn ponders. "Did the use of the AI have anything to do with it? I'm sort of guessing they could provide some of the high-end number-crunching reality manipulation might require.
"Not the AI itself, but..." he thinks deeply for a moment "...yeah the use of it. Contos did mention once she'd need it once the Jovians gave her 'the data', but again I never knew what that data was.

We got the AI from the Jovians if that helps"

"Speaking of rewriting reality, the way I've had it explained to me is that the teleporter simply changes the location data of matter. Is there any other kind of data Cantos can overwrite? How did she manipulate metal?"
"...yeah, she learned to extend the protocols a bit, or really she's just very finely changing location data in a way that mimics movement. Micro teleport jumps really"

"I'm probably asking more than we have time to hear about. It's just not everyday that you get to talk to someone who invents teleporters,"
"She may have forgotten to tell Renner that," Finn quips in his best noir detective deadpan voice.
He gives what seems to be a genuine slight smile.
 
Finn turns to Lassiter and glances at the camera lens. "What do you think of an emergency travel embargo? Like, fast?" he asks nervously.

Lassie nods, and turns away to be out of earshot of the prisoner. "Bear in mind we would need to frame it so as to not tip the ambassador off, unless we want to go guns blazing and bring him in? Right now we have little evidence to hold him."
 
Lassie nods, and turns away to be out of earshot of the prisoner. "Bear in mind we would need to frame it so as to not tip the ambassador off, unless we want to go guns blazing and bring him in? Right now we have little evidence to hold him."
Finn thinks about this and nods. "I don't really know much about the legal side of things. I imagine it's a high bar to arrest an ambassador, and Edwards' say-so isn't going to pass muster. Hopefully Titan's acting police chief will be as quick to rescue Martian's ambassador if he finds himself threatened by Titan's ambassador," he adds with a grin.
 
Lassie lets out a wry chuckle, and heads out to rally with the now ex-chief.

OOC: Lassie will ask for a breakdown and report on anything the precint has currently on the Jovian ambassador.
 
OOC: Lassie will ask for a breakdown and report on anything the precint has currently on the Jovian ambassador.
The police chief brings Lassiter to his office where he gives him access to Titan's confidential information on government officials.

The current ambassador seems fairly straight laced. Raised on Io, Masters student at Io tech and got to represent the Jovian Zaibatsus following a term in their common government.

"Alright..." the chief begins "...we're going to get some noise on this but I'm ready to issue the order to stop incoming ships. No need to confer with anybody Sir just enter the commands"

The chief presents Lassiter with an interface to authorise the ex-chief and his team to begin the tedious pragmatics of the emargo
 
Finn sees the chief head off with Lassiter to arrange the details of the Travel embargo.

His guard remain with Finn at the prison.
 
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"We spin this to make it look like the nature of the investigation and the turmoil involved has caused it, we don't tip our hand immediately. I figure that will make your job easier when this is all said and done? Simultaneously not getting this Jovian to hightail it out out though."
 
Finn nods to Edwards. "I think that's all we need for now, and hopefully all we need from you. I'll put in a word with the chief - both chiefs - to make sure that you're treated well and carefully watched for the time being. That's really all that I can promise, but I think you've made yourself a little safer by not holding on to secrets that could have been silenced with you. Anyway, good luck."

Finn heads off from the cell in a light jog. He wants to catch-up with the chiefs immediately.

OOC: Finn will ask anyone he passes which way the security chief went.
 
"We spin this to make it look like the nature of the investigation and the turmoil involved has caused it, we don't tip our hand immediately. I figure that will make your job easier when this is all said and done? Simultaneously not getting this Jovian to hightail it out out though."
"Understood. We'll keep a special eye on her. It's pretty difficult to land a ship here or take off without us knowing about. Titan might be big as moons go, but terraforming even in the basic sense was never completed here and the terrain is rough and dangerous. Anybody mad enough to try and take off elsewhere would most likely kill themselves. Even ignoring how they got a ship here in the first place
 
OOC: Sorry mistyped "lab" above. Of course that should have read your guard remained with you at the prison

Finn nods to Edwards. "I think that's all we need for now, and hopefully all we need from you. I'll put in a word with the chief - both chiefs - to make sure that you're treated well and carefully watched for the time being. That's really all that I can promise, but I think you've made yourself a little safer by not holding on to secrets that could have been silenced with you. Anyway, good luck."
"Good luck to Shah...I hope you make it out of this. I hope we both do"

OOC: Finn will ask anyone he passes which way the security chief went.
Finn is directed by police officers in the rest of the police hub to the old chief's office
 
"Martian ambassador for you...eh Sirs" a slightly confused officer says holding the chief's office door open for Finn.

Inside Finn can see Lassie and the old chief standing next to a terminal built into a wooden desk. Aside from the desk the office contains old newspaper clippings of trivial seeming cases over the years such as embezzling and minor smuggling rackets.

As Finn enters the power across the building stutters as computers and lights flicker on and off for about ten seconds. The chief's terminal stays on however.

"Fusion reactor never has problems...." the chief says in a leading manner as he glances between Finn and Lassiter.

"Sir it was city wide" a young officer says shouting into the office.
 
"Shit, that is not a good sign." Lassie turns to the chief, "Are your cells reliant on power, or do you have a backup?"
 
Finn checks his tablet to see if its display fluctuates. He also stands back from the chief's terminal screen.

"I think we're running out of time..." Finn observes.
 
"Shit, that is not a good sign." Lassie turns to the chief, "Are your cells reliant on power, or do you have a backup?"
He looks at Lassiter while nodding his and pursing his lips.

"Reliant on power..."
 
Finn checks his tablet to see if its display fluctuates. He also stands back from the chief's terminal screen.

"I think we're running out of time..." Finn observes.
Finns tablet display does not fluctuate.

What does fluctuate is its connection to the Off Titan network. Thankfully due to his heightened priority the network confirms that the greatly reduced bandwidth will treat him as top priority
 
The power flickers once again. This time it does not come back on immediately.

In the dark the police station shakes. The officers scream and shout.



A very strange high-pitched sound is heard in the distance, kilometers away.
 
Lassie immediately turns and yells into the precint. "Secure the prisoners! Assume we have a hostile force in the area! Emergency fuckin' procedures or whatever you have drilled!"
 
Lassie immediately turns and yells into the precint. "Secure the prisoners! Assume we have a hostile force in the area! Emergency fuckin' procedures or whatever you have drilled!"
The guard around Finn fall into position, which small torch lights turning on on their helmets, allowing a clear view of the office.

Hearing Lassiter several of the officers in the adjacent main office rush to their gear and to take up positions around the police hub.

OOC: This is a schematic map. You are in the chief's office top left, with the main office around it. To the right up some stairs is the roof with a police cruiser ship. The other way out of the office leads to the prison area.

Details are left out here as the corridor toward the prison itself has corridors leading off and there is more of the police hub (mainly the "public" part) to the left of this map

mapms(85x35).jpg
 
Finn checks his tablet for local news alerts with any information as he speaks without looking up.

"I think we gotta get out of here. The question is whether we get the cruiser or just hit the street. I'm for the street, unless something bad is going on out there."

Turning to the chief, he asks "How long would it take us to put together an expedition to the Visitation Site? We might need to cut to the chase very soon."
 
Finn checks his tablet for local news alerts with any information as he speaks without looking up.
City news services indicate the blackout is city wide with no clear news as of yet from the Fusion plant. Critical services have switched to their private generators.

Turning to the chief, he asks "How long would it take us to put together an expedition to the Visitation Site? We might need to cut to the chase very soon."
"If it's top priority I'd say we could be ready in a half hour from when he gives the order" the chief says pointing to Lassiter.
 
Lassie nods. "Get the vic ready to rumble." He then leans into the bullpen and yells, "any word on the prisoners?"
 
Lassie nods. "Get the vic ready to rumble." He then leans into the bullpen and yells, "any word on the prisoners?"
"We'll get prepared" the chief says "Small team or do you intend to bring everything we've got?"

Lassie has an officer salute and say in a rapid serious tone
"All secure Sir. Most are petty offenders. Edwards stayed put...if you were wondering. Didn't leave the cell"
 
OOC: Does the rumbling continue?
"If it's top priority I'd say we could be ready in a half hour from when he gives the order" the chief says pointing to Lassiter.
Finn turns to Lassiter. "What do you think? Straight to the site? If the power is really out, the clock may be ticking on the life support systems."
 
The rumbling does continue, but begins to slowly die down over the course of about five minutes.
 
"Straight there, strike team only to save time. Everyone else enact emergency measures to ensure control and calm across the colony." Lassie turns to the leadership group, "unless anyone has a better idea?"
 
Finn turns to his security team. "Ready to see something weird? Let's head to the cruiser. Chiefs, can we commandeer that while we arrange for an expedition? We can head straight to the port unless someone wants to make a stop for coffee and baklava."
 
"Straight there, strike team only to save time. Everyone else enact emergency measures to ensure control and calm across the colony." Lassie turns to the leadership group, "unless anyone has a better idea?"
"You heard him people, mobalise!" the old chief says as the rest of the station gets to it.
 
Finn turns to his security team. "Ready to see something weird? Let's head to the cruiser. Chiefs, can we commandeer that while we arrange for an expedition? We can head straight to the port unless someone wants to make a stop for coffee and baklava."
"Take the cruiser straight to the port? No problem. How are you planning to get to the site itself after that?" the chief asks.

He then signals to the strike team currently donning their armour and checking their SMGs per Lassiter's orders. "Let's get to the cruiser! And prepare yourselves people. This could be the mission of your lives"

OOC: Note the chief's "How will you get there" is not said with an implication of difficulty. Given your current status you are easily allowed to demand anything, e.g. sub, or a boat with diving suits or whatever you can think of
 
Finn receives an encrypted message from the Martian operatives on Titan.

"We're taking the initiative that the power outage is related to your case, given how rarely a fusion plant fails. Do you need us? The serious gear is here in the restaurant"
 
"Take the cruiser straight to the port? No problem. How are you planning to get to the site itself after that?" the chief asks.
"Sorry, I was assuming you could setup a submarine expedition, like last time," Finn replies. "Is that feasible?"

OOC: Did I misremember that? I assumed we left from the port...

"In any case," Finn continues, speaking to his security detail, "I'd first like to make a stop at the Little Moon Moussaka cafe. The more I think about it, I need one last bite of that baklava...just in case. Maybe a coffee to-go."
 
"We'll have the sub ready to go on our arrival" the Chief says as he makes a call to the port arranging it.

The security detail kind of nod to each other, one even opines "I could go for a coffee myself Sir"

Shortly afterward all of you enter the cruiser. It's nothing more than a cockpit with a standing area behind with some bars to hold onto.

It lifts into the sky before reaching a height at which the city's protective dome is visible. Out the window Finn and Lassie even spot clouds being formed around one of the dome's weather nodes.

The cruiser lands on a roof top near the little Moussaka café.

"I'll wait here" the old chief says as Finn's guard begin to exit.

Although some passersby on the street below point up at the cruiser, they seem mostly absorbed in dealing with the power outage.
 
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