Seeking permission

I am beginning to understand why capsuleers sometimes bend the rules. If you just go by the book, it makes things much worse.

 

I contacted the DoD, the Department of the Deceased, in the Amarr Civil Service. They take care of the dead. They can give you permits to transport corpses, and allow you to perform autopsies and experimental surgery on them. Any other capsuleer would not have bothered, I guess, but I wanted to go through the proper channels.

 

It was a mistake.

 

First, I had to justify why I did not inform the MIO that I had discovered a corpse. They did not grasp the concept of exploration and archeology. Next, the dumb clerk thought I was Layla's brother. I had to explain twice I'm a friar. Then, the obnoxious man told me I desecrated a grave, and needed to obtain the permission of the next of kin to take Layla aboard the Indigatrix. 

 

I had a hard time explaining there is no next of kin of a thousand year old Takmahl mummy. 

 

I was told to leave enemy combatant corpses just floating in space. 

 

I have been directed to the DoD sub-office of the Unclaimed Dead - they bury people that died but for whom no-one can be found to claim the corpse. Apparently there are so many people who die lonely and have no family left to take care of their burial. It is nice, they have poets recite poetry at the funeral that the DoD-UD office organises for the unclaimed. It's a thing. Paid for by the Empire. 

 

In the end, the nasty clerk refused to give me any permit. Said he couldn't do it and I should probably contact another agency, the Amarr Science Foundation, to submit an archeology project. If it is approved by an ethics and religion committee, I can get a permit to work on Layla. It's highly frustrating, projects only have a 5% chance of getting approved. It's either that, or obtain approval from the closest living relative.

 

So, I now filed a request to consult the Book of Records. The physical one, not the online version which gets flaky for old records. In fact, I always wanted to visit it anyway... And, I hope to find more about the Accadis family, the name is rare enough that the search should be limited.

Takmahl in Kakol

Among so many useless, half translatable entries, I found one that is special:

When you came, you said to me as follows: “I will give Layla Accadis [when she comes] fine quality tritanium.” You left then but you did not do what you [promised] me. You put [ingots] which were not good before my slave Yit-Yin and said: “If you want to take them, take them; if you do not want to take them, go away!”

Is there anyone among the merchants who trade in Gamdis who has treated me in this way? You alone treat my slave with contempt! On account of that one [trifling] [unknown volume unit] of silver which I owe you, you feel free to speak in such a way, while I have given to the [palace] on your behalf 1,080 [pounds] of tritanium, and Oka-Ubam has likewise given 1,080 [pounds] of tritanium, apart from what we both have had written on a sealed tablet to be kept in the temple.

How have you treated me for that tritanium? You have withheld my money bag from me in enemy territory; it is now up to you to restore [my money] to me in full.

Take cognizance that [from now on] I will not accept here any tritanium from you that is not of fine quality. I shall [from now on] select and take the [ingots] individually in my own [yard], and I shall exercise against you my right of rejection because you have treated me with contempt.

Again, the brackets indicate uncertainty in the translation. But the stellar maps are clear. The system Layla talks about is Gamdis. This means the Takmahl extended their influence well into the Kakol constellation.

Comms logs

Duty calls.

 

I answer.

 

Over the last two days, I continued to slowly decipher what I could from the comms station. I still have no idea what caused the fatal accident at the station. After the accident, the comms went into a standard emergency broadcast. It kept sending the call after Layla died - from the consumption of food I think she lived for about a week. Then her oxygen went out and she passed. I feel for her, alone in this small safe room, no-one answering the distress call.

After about a month, comms suddenly stopped. I don't think the battery went out slowly. Probably the first looters appeared. My guess is that they took whatever powercells there were still in the station, and that stopped the broadcast. Probably they stripped most of the other equipment they could get their hands on too. They didn't find her, or they didn't care.

 

Oh, I found out Layla's last name: Accadis.

At the auction

I think all in all it went well, despite Ishta arriving late and unable to solve my problem whether or not I should take a drink or not. She came in what appeared to be a combat uniform, which set her apart from the other attendees. I have the impression that her attire was meant to convey a message, namely that she thought of this as a mission, a duty to be fulfilled despite disgust. Probably having me as a charge did not make the event more palatable for her. Nevertheless, I think she amused herself - she bid an outrageous amount on some vanity items. In general, all the bids at the auction were enormous, scandalous even, certainly if compared to non-capsuleer wages.

 

Miss Maleto was helpful in one crucial aspect, though. She introduced me to lady Ekaterina deSilvestris. Her ladyship was in the august company of commander "MantelGlobalIndustries" Adams. I knew him from my early capsuleering days, he kindly helped me to find my way around the many corporations then. He did suggest even back then I talked to lady deSilvestris, and to PIE in general, which I did. 

 

Unfortunately, the introduction to lady deSilvestris took place just at the start of the official part of the auction, the bidding. And, she left, followed by the commander, at the end. They appeared to be in some hurry after her ladyship received a message. This left me no occasion for academic queries and discussion. But, nevertheless I am glad that we got acquainted. 

 

I stayed for a while, and met Yvane Aselin-Duvaul, soon to be married into House Deritan, 9th in the line of succession to the Khanid throne. She appears to have lived in the federation and wants to get in touch with her Khanid roots, in view of her bethrothal. I will see what I can do to help her with studies on this matter. I will be a good lesson for me as well - back when I was young the Kingdom was separated from Amarr, so I am not too familiar with it.

Auction for literature

I have returned to Mehatoor, the return journey was uneventful. The corpse is still in a statis pod on the Indigatrix, I need to do paperwork to be allowed to bring it into the station. It appears that it is not easy to transport corpses in the Empire, even for research purposes. Well, of course in space capsuleers drag around mostly what they wish, but once docked, it is a different matter.

 

Tonight there is a social event hosted by the Directrix, to gather funds for a good purpose: the promotion of literature. It sounds like something I would like to attend, even though I do not have enough isk for even the lowest possible bid. Bidding starts at an outrageous 25 million isk, and that is 3 million more than what I have on my account. So I shall restrict myself to offering moral support for this cause. I also hope to meet others, especially people from the Arataka Research Consortium. Or maybe lady Ekatarina DeSilverstris. 

 

The problem, of course, is that I do not know what today's social customs are. I have now a bit of an idea of contemporary music. Nevertheless, the last time I was at a social gathering that involved people who were not monks or clergy was over sixty years ago. Thank God I will get help, a chaperone. None the less than Ishta, that consummate socialite and connoisseur of music and fine liquors.

Preparing for the journey home

Today was a day of packing and tagging the relics present in the hidden chamber. I lost a lot of time dismantling the communications desk, it was hardwired into the wall. But in the end I got it all out of the chamber. 

It did not leave me time to continue the analysis of the objects or attempt any further translations. As for the corpse, now safely in a statis pod aboard the Indigatrix, I will need a proper autopsy room to investigate it and to try to extract the cybernetics. So, I will bring my precious findings to Mehatoor and see if I can get permission from the station's doctor to use the facility.

Actually, I am more reluctant to take the idol back to Mehatoor than the corpse. The thing actually looks horrible - it depicts a dead man at the edge of a cup, and has remains of dried blood in it.

Idolatry is the opposite of faith, and has no place in the empire. Rather than to put faith in God, they worship an idol, into whose abysmal face they could look directly and whose origin they knew - it was the work of their own hands. Idols exist as a pretext for setting oneself at the center of reality. Those who choose not to put their trust in God must hear the din of countless idols of their own making crying out: "Put your trust in me!". Faith breaks with idols to turn to God in a personal encounter. 

Anyway, I hope to make it back in time to Mehatoor before the announced "war" starts. Apparently, some pirate rascals are plotting to attack Khimi Harar's merchant fleet...

Investigating the chamber

The chamber is now accessible, and I have started to retrieve artifacts. 

 

I also secured the corpse, bringing it out and storing it in a stasis pod. It is a middle-aged woman, and the label on her uniform seems to be a name rather than a rank - "Layla". She is heavily altered with cybernetic implants, most of them are attached to her nervous system, enveloping it from autonomous systems such as the phrenic nerve up all the way up to the brain. These cybernetic alterations are marvelously preserved, even though the organic part has decayed. Of course there is more than enough material to fully scan her DNA.

 

Maybe I could make a clone? And hook up these cybernetic implants to the clone in order to read them out? I will have to inform myself about that.

 

I have been trying to translate the few intact messages that I found. It's hard, I'm not a specialist in the Takmahl language and the translation device is producing a lot of nonsense. I was able to translate one interesting message. I am not sure if it predates the disaster that struck the outpost or not. I put the words that I guess in between square brackets.

"Here I am [surviving] badly, not well, wretchedly, and I consider myself dead. Again and again, I send you a [message], but I do not receive a single [message] from you, and I have become without hope toward [life/happiness]. My misfortune is this, that I have been in [Jakri] for three years thanks to you, and there was a way out a first, a second, even a fifth time, but he refused to bring me out, and now [it is too late]. Surely, the [blood] was angry with me on the day when I did what you wanted! I would rather be a dog’s or a pig’s wife than yours!"

 

Other messages are accounting entries or complaints about bad quality of deliveries. Nothing that would reveal the cause of the disaster that struck this place.

Chamber in the takmahl station ruins

I came back to the outpost ruins with the heavy drilling equipment. To my relief, no-one else had been at the site during my absence. Jakri is a calm backwater system, God be thanked. 

 

I first made a small, focused bore, just wide enough to send a miniature camera drone in. I aimed towards the center of the cavity. As the drill got through, air flowed from the hidden room. I made a mass spectrometer analysis. The oxygen level was depleted, but the isotope content revealed that this compartment has been sealed for well over a thousand years. Praising God for this well conserved find, I sent in the camera drone. 

 

It was dark, and the tiny drone's flashlight does not have a very wide beam size. It revealed the contents of the chamber piece by piece as the drone and its light spot turned around.

 

It must have been a panic room or a hideaway of some sort. The first thing I could see was the sealed door on the wall opposite to where my drill entered the room. Given the layout of the outpost, the door must connect to one of the central halls of the complex, a room I call the command center. Earlier, in this command center, I could not see any trace of a passage to a secret chamber. Now that I know what to look for, I can see some traces, but... what great craftsmanship!

 

The tiny camera drone swiveled around. On the left wall there are various devices; at first glance they look like communication devices and station diagnostics. The communication devices are on a bench which also has notepads - they have writing on them!  

 

Against the wall where my drill entered is a bunk bed, and next to it is a stool with a lid, probably some sort of toilet. The wall to the right of my entry point has shelves with some supplies, a faucet (water?) and a little shrine with an idol. Scattered on the floor are opened containers which may have had food in them.

The last thing I noticed was what was just below the drone, on the lower bunk bed. A corpse, mummified but well preserved. She is lying down peacefully, face up, arms folded. She must have suffocated, waiting in vain for help until oxygen ran out.

 

I will move the laser drill to the "command room", and drill an entrance to the chamber large enough for me to crawl through and enter the room. It will take the better part of a day to do it carefully.

Ruin of a Takmahl mining station

I am in Jakri, and I am examining the ruin of a small mining outpost I found. Its construction and hull composition are distinctly Takmahl, late apogee era. There is a big hole in the side of the outpost, caused by an explosion that came from the interior. It must have led to a quick and fatal loss of atmosphere. The outpost clearly has been abandoned after that disaster. 

 

Unfortunately, as is usual in this constellation, the site has been looted long ago and at first sight there was nothing left. Everything has been dismantled and taken, down to the panels lining the rooms. The Takmahl had avanced materials science and even their construction materials sell well.

I took my time to scan down the complex. I like to look for geometrical patterns and symbolism in architecture, in the layout of the rooms, the floor plans. For that purpose, even fully looted outposts can still reveal much. To my surprise, scanners detected a dark spot in the middle of the complex. It was not a good place for service ducts and it was too large just to be ignored. It looked such like a waste of space if nothing would be there, and I suspected a hidden compartment.

 

I started drilling towards it, and when the drill probe got closer, it could scan a room of about 3x3x2 meters, surrounded my strong armor. Ah, the excitement! Unfortunately, the drill probe can't get through the Takmahl armor.

I have to go to a station to buy a heavy laser drill to get to the compartment. I don't want to leave this site unprotected - my excavation towards the compartment will be a clue to looters - but I have to, if I want to unlock the secrets of that room.

Liquid fire

As Ishta intends to marry into House deSilvestris, she knows Ekaterina well. So, I decided to ask her help. I found her at the bar in Gottin's lamp. 

 

To my surprise, she asked money in exchange for introducing me. I was much offended and she must have seen my disappointment. She changed her demand, and asked in stead that I imbibe a glass of whiskey. This beverage is new to me, although of course I have heard of it and was aware it has a high alcohol content.

Ah, that cruel creature exploited my inexperience with inebriation. The copper-colored liquid smelled of wood fire and sea breezes. But, when I drank it, that liquid fire burnt its way most painfully down to my guts. Now I know: in the song she let me hear, the man who screamed the song did not have acid poured down his throat, but this liquid.

 

I paid my price twice. As I am fasting, the assault on my stomach was too much to bear, and I became sick yesterday night after I returned to my cell. I woke up this morning feeling weak, but strangely, without head-ache. It is a small consolation.

To Araz

I will head out to Araz, and the pentragram constellation. The Indigatrix has been made ready, with enough probes and scanner enhancements. I now can fly covert ops cloaks so I can take my time to scan down cosmic anomalies. It is actually not too far away from Amarr - closer by than Mehatoor. So I can restock when necessary. 

There's just a slight worry - I've had a sort of "out of pod experience" when warping. Rather than just sensing the warp tunnel around me, I found myself floating above the ship. Weird. If it persists I may visit medbay to have it sorted out.

Interview with lord Gaven Lok'ri, part 2

After spending a while in the library museum, we were informed that lord Lok'ri was ready to receive us, and went up to his office. It is a magnificent room, opulent in books. His lordship was sitting behind a massive desk, looking distinctly statesmanlike. He inquired about me, and I explained him sincerely about my quest. Lunarisse was silent, but at my side during the entire interview. Somehow, that made me feel invulnerable.

 

I did not want to conceal anything, so I told him about my vision. He was sceptic, but not dismissive, and that was a relief for me.

 

God, in our prayers we mumble that we are not worthy that you come to us, and -barring a rare exception- most of us truly believe that. Even though as a people we are chosen, as an individual we are aware of our sins and imperfections, and we do not feel worthy. So, on the rare occasions that You choose tell something to one of us, and we come out in joy, almost nobody of our peers is capable of believing us. And nobody can cure this unhealthy disbelief. God, is that the reason that You prefer to remain mostly silent?

 

But I digress. Lord Lok'ri first listened to my various leads, and with the swift certaintly of a Speaker he spoke his judgment, telling me quite frankly which ones were utter idiocy according to him. He suggested I broaden my scope and focused on three periods when relics were missing: the early spacefaring epoch, the era of the Moral Reforms, and the most recent times of the Minmatar rebellion. He even suggested a new lead, the "Audesder incident". 

 

This involved a precious shrine that was packed into a subwarp spaceship to rescue it from rebel hands. It surfaced in Audesder, in Minmatar territory and is apparently still in their hands. It seems the Excubitoris chapter even has some special section devoted to retrieving the relics of the Empire from heretical hands: the "Strategic Archeological and Archival Services". Ekaterina deSilvestris plays an important role in this branch. That is a stroke of luck - Ishta told me she will be marrying into House deSilvestris (also I had to suspend my disbelief when she said that). So, I am intent to meet with lady deSilvestris.

 

There was only a single moment when lord Lok'ri let some emotion shine through his shield of rationality. It was when I asked about a Khanid noble and capsuleer who was also member of the Tetrimon order. He immediately told me I should not talk to her. Then, he tried to conceal this by saying it could be many different people and he did not remember names. There was a mention of an "Edeity" capsuleer, a strange name that I will also look into, relating to the Trials.

I must admit, I have now met a few lords and ladies, but to date lord Lok'ri is the most impressive one...

Interview with lord Gaven Lok'ri, part 1

The first lord I ever met, the flamboyant Aldrith Shutaq Newelle, told me that if anyone in PIE could help my quest, it would be Gaven Lok'ri, Chapter Master of the Excubitoris chapter on Oris.
 
I've been wanting to meet lord Gaven Lok'ri ever since. But, it's like wanting to meet some cluster-famous celebrity: no matter how often you write them, it usually stays a dream. However, Lunarisse Aspenstar interceded on my behalf with the Excubitoris chapter, and lo! His lordship agreed to meet me.
 
So it was in great anticipation and with great trepidation that I went to Oris. I took a shuttle to the Chapter house, located on a small estate overlooking the Lok'ri holding. The panoramic view of the lower lands and the inner sea is absolutely magnificent, and an ancient chapel dedicated to Saint Junip completes that picturesque view. At least, if one doesn’t look too much to the side, to the many modern military facilities dotting the estate. The security is in tune with that Sarumite militarism: the guards at the checkpoints are even more paranoid than in Mehatoor.

After being scanned and probed and background checked as if I was Shakor himself, I waited for a while on a bench, enjoying the view as I mentally blotted out the bunkers. I was joined a little later by my guardian Sefrim, now my directrix. She was dressed magnificently in a formal black and gold Amarr dress, and I immediately regretted not having ironed my habit before this visit.

We were led to the Arjam library, which houses a new museum of Dark Age Matari culture. Lord Aldrith Shutaq Newelle was there too, as well as Lord Utari Onzo. It was a pleasure to see these familiar faces.

Ah that museum is a miracle! Its halls show the results of a thousand years of exploration and collection by famous archeologist Holders. Private collections of ancient artifacts obtained from the most ancient burial sites and from famous temples of worship. Beautiful statuettes and carvings saved from the savagery of clan warfare and neglect. These marbles and weapons and scrolls and ornaments, they tell the real story of the Matari people! They expose the falsity of the recently constructed fiction that the rebels concocted with the help of the Federation in a vain attempt of nation-building and of uniting their clans.

I’m glad these objects are taken care of in such a professional manner. And, I can see why this museum cannot be readily visited by any tourist unscreened and unchecked. Knowledge of what is here would likely cause a riot in Pator. They would want it back to put it in some ill-conceived display where the artifacts would decay. Or, they might want to destroy them to cover up the truth and protect the fiction of their unity.

I will continue my report tomorrow – for today I am too full of impressions and excitement to write down all that I learnt from lord Lok’ri accurately.

Music 101

I have lived for sixty years in a monastery. There, one's duties are programmed for every waking moment. They are clear and consistent and unchanging. Everything is well ordered including how to address the other brothers. 

 

Now, out in the world, I find it very hard to adjust to the complexities of social interactions, and I find that many things have changed since Heideran's time. My social skills have atrophied. When I mentioned this to Arsia Elkin she answered "you'll make a fine capsuleer then." I'm not sure what she meant, but then again she turned her back on the Empire, so some degree of nonsense is to be expected.

Luckily, I found unexpected help in Ishta Maleto. She has proposed to acquaint me with contemporary music, so I would feel more at ease visiting the bar at Gottin's Lamp, or attending receptions.

 

Yesterday, I took her up on her offer. Alas! These lessons are hard on the soul. 

 

One of the "songs" consists of a man (calling himself "lamb of God") screaming in a voice distorted by pain. True, if he would not scream, he would not be heard above the background noise. Ishta assured me I was not listening to a record of a man being tortured. I'm not completely convinced. I think he's having sulfuric acid poured down his throat. Most of the second half of the song is taken up with the man screaming out "walk with me in hell" repeatedly as his vocal chords dissolve. This is apparently a Gallente thing.

 

The other songs were good. Or let's say, better. There was a song called "slow your roll", and Ishta explained to me what it meant. It's a call to stop using frentix before it's too late and you overdose. Oh and there was a Minmatar poet - I liked his song even though did not really sing but rhythmically recited his poem about standing up against those that want to pull him down. 

 

I in turn let her listen to choral music by the Polfaly polyphonic convent, but she was not particularly impressed I think.

Her songs all somehow help Ishta either to deal with her past, or to express her identity. They are full of energy, power and not just a little bit of anger. But I don't think I'll hear them soon at Gottin's lamp bar.

Pentagram constellations

Do you know the feeling, when you are searching for a name or a word, and it is on the tip of your tongue but you just cannot find it? You've enunciated the word many times before, but just at that moment it eludes you, and your mind cannot rest until you have remembered it?

 

I sometimes have a similar feeling when I pursue an investigation. My subconscious has made a connection but it is not yet in the spotlight of my conscious mind. Yet I can feel that there is something bothering me, something rattling around in my mind escaping me. Even though usually it is not anything of great importance, it bugs me for days. I've been having this feeling for a couple of days now, and knew it was linked to the gate network, but it took me until today to hatch my mental egg. 

 

I think I know why the Takmahl settled in Araz.

 

Or at least, I have a theory: they settled in a pentagram constellation. The five stars central to their empire -Aphi, Nidupad, Garisas, Chanoun and Jakri- for a little cluster separated from the other stars, and each one of those five is connected to the other four:

 

They form a pentagram - a symbol of protection that appears in many cultures. In fact, it appears in the logo of the "protectors", Concord, DED and the Secure Commerce Commission. It is also found in the shapes of the head of Takmahl deities as can be seen from the statues depicting them. Just as the triangles matter to the Triglavians, I believe the pentagram mattered as a symbol for the Takmahl.

 

Pentagram constellations are exceedingly rare. They are a waste of resources in a race to expand the empire when every link you lay is costly. I suspect the Talocan forged this icon in space, just as they forged the labyrinth in Aphi.

In fact, there is only one other pentagram constellation in our cluster. It is in the Deklein region and consists of the systems XCBK-X, GYS5-26, 9CK-KZ, VPLL-N, 4N-BUI. This is fought over between the “Sylvanas Super Mercenary” coalition and the "Federation of Respect Honor Passion" alliance at the moment.

 

However, Deklein would have been technologically out of reach for groups fleeing Amarr two thousand years ago. If they sent out a cryoship to that remote location, it would probably still be underway or may have arrived just a few centuries ago. So, at one point, I would like to investigate these systems and may need to find how I can bribe the warlords so they grant me passage through their dominion.

Networks

The mathematical characteristics of networks, such as the degree of clustering or the amount of nodes with a certain number links, can indeed tell you how it the network was grown. 

An example of this are the so-called "scale-free" networks, that have a few well connected hubs and a large amount of nodes with few links. They typically grow by attaching a new node preferentially to nodes that already have many links. Our jump gate network has some of these properties, but cannot be really classified as a scale-free network. It also has characteristics of a "dendritic" network, where new links are cast out to explore a vaster amount of space. But again, it is not purely of this form. My mathematician friend confirms that the most likely way that the stargate network formed is by exploration that occasionally stumbled on highly connected remnants of pre-existing links. 

So, highly connected clusters far away from the Empire's home worlds, and far away from economic hubs, should be a good indication of homeworlds for ancient cultures.

I was also told that there are many different measures by which to judge the strategic importance of a node (or a system in our case). It's not always the node with the most links that is the more imporant. Other so-called "measures of node centrality" may apply such as how often a certain node lies on the shortest route between any two other random nodes. It would be interesting to find out which of the many measures of centrality would explain why Jita and Dodoxie grew to some importance in trading. 

Of course, why Amarr is important and always will be requires no explanation.

The jump gate network

To create the very first jump gate connection, between Amarr and Hedion, took just over fifty years.

 

Gates are connected twins, and after one is installed in a system, our ancestors needed to travel by cryoship to the system where they wanted to make the other part of the pair. This costs considerable effort and time, and crews willing to devote their lives and that of their children to the task. Cryoship technology improved, but more than roughly 10-15% of light speed is not achievable. Also the production of gates takes a lot of resources and devotion - even after our forebears arrived in Hedion, it took them two years of dedicated work before they could send a signal back.

 

Keep the tremendous effort needed in establishing gates in mind, and cast a look at the gate link network. It looks to me tremendously inefficient with many redundant links. The same number of nodes (stars) could be much more efficiently connected - with less links - while still keeping overall travel time small. Mathematicians love this kind of optimization problems.

So, I think that the reason why we have our current set of links (barring of course Pochven) is because there was a mix of links established by the Empires, and links that were still present. Just as we discoved the first (unpaired) gate in our system, I surmise that we must have discovered also paired remnants, maybe leftovers from the Talocan, these master spacetime weavers.

While in the Amarr system, I am also meeting with some mathematician friends of mine, to see what their "network theory" has to say on the matter.