Exotic virus

Exotic lands come with their own specific flora and fauna, and viruses. I fell ill with some virus I picked up in P8-BKO, during a visit to the tropical zone of the fouth planet. 

The planet is famous for its blue coffee. Well, famous is an overstatement, these parts of the universe are too far removed from the core regions for anything to be really well-known except big battles. But nevertheless it is the local colonists' claim to fame. The coffee beans contain anthocyanins, the same molecule that turns blueberries, well, blue. However, the bitterness of the brew still overpowers any sweetness that could come from the cyanin. I visited a plantation and brought some coffee home with me. 

The exotic disease specialist at the Lamp's medbay told me that I picked up a mosquito-borne virus, probably during that planetside visit since it's unlikely that these mosquitos would survive in any of the orbital stations. Also, my immune system has never been in contact with this virus, so it wasn't able to respond and the virus could spread. It has a long incubation time: I started to feel the flu-like symptoms a week after my return. And no, I didn't turn blue. 

It is not contagious here since it needs its mosquito host to spread, but I took no risks and stayed in my quarters while I let the illness run its course.

Not what I was looking for

I got contacted by an explorer that I met in Feythabolis, Kemiloto Kashuken. She is not part of the Zerg (who mostly avoided me, thinking I am either crazy or dangerous or both), but an explorer from wormhole space.

She kindly asked how my search had been, and when I told her I had come up empty-handed, she had news for me:

[ 2023.06.21 20:39:52 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > OhOh, I found a couple of talokans.
[ 2023.06.21 20:40:50 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > Talocan System Interface Unit  Do you need this one?
[ 2023.06.21 20:42:07 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > Talocan Automation Accounts  Talocan Intricate Formulas or this?
[ 2023.06.21 20:49:30 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > If you need any of these items, I can provide them

People can be so kind! Or perhaps entrepreneurial, although our conversation did not turn into a discussion of the price for these items. She found these items in other parts of space, wormholes. She could get more if I needed more.

She did not understand that what she offered was not what I was looking for.

I found it hard to explain to her I did not need these particular items - perhaps I disappointed her. I do not want to build anything out of Talocan stuff... I tried in vain to explain that I was looking for traces of this ancient race, of some proof that they had been out there in Feythabolis. Of some link to the barbarian tribe that lived here before. 

She looked at me as if I had lost my mind, but set me blue anyway.

Goodbyes

I have been exploring the system intensively over the past week - safe in the knowledge that the Zerg are happy to have me around. They say hi and wave hello, but apart from that they appear as taciturn as ever.

Unfortunately, I have found no trace of the Talocan. In fact, no trace of any ancient race. These systems are infested with Angel cartel sites, if any.

It is time to wrap up my expedition here and accept that I was wrong about the Talocan leaving relics here. 

I will thank the Zerg again, and clone jump back to Mehatoor. It feels all right to leave this cheap exploration vessel and a clone in their station. They've been around for two weeks, which is more stability than anyone can expect from the sovereign nullsec lands. Perhaps the station will be blown to bits tomorrow, in accordance to the fickleness of these parts of the cluster. But perhaps, as I hope, the Zerg will endure for somewhat longer than their peers.

Lord Meza's message

To my surprise, I received a message from Lord Romuil Meza. As far as I can discern, he is second in command in the Zerg hierarchy. He wrote:

Subject: 0/
From: Romuil Meza
Sent: 2023.06.11 20:27
To: Theodosius Savnar  

You can loot your stuff) i dont need that : D

Apparently, they have no use for objects from relic sites, nor from data sites. I contracted it to lord Meza as a token of gratitude for the docking rights he kindly gave me. I had told him I would keep any relics pertaining to the ancients, but I would contract him the rest so as not to interfere with his own minions' explorations. But no-one wants this junk out here.

I answered:

Re: 0/ 
From: Theodosius Savnar
Sent: 2023.06.12 20:25
To: Romuil Meza  

Dear Lord Meza,

Thank you once again for your hospitality.

If I can be of service while I am here, please let me know and I will gladly help. 

Do you have any public chat channel for the Zerg? 

By His light and His will,
Brother Theodosius Savnar

Perhaps, if I am allowed on their internal communications, I can extract more information from them about the fate of the Talocan Star Empire. Although, to be honest, by now I have come to doubt it. They came into this territory just about at the same time as I did. And, given their lack of enthusiasm for exploring (they prefer mining) I doubt they would be quick in finding Talocan constructions.

No sign of the Talocan

I spent another day scanning and probing this constellation, the former homeworlds of the Talocan Star Empire, now extinct. No success. There is not a single Talocan structure or relic out here. Not even inscriptions, crumbled ruins or small artefacts, let alone large structures or labyrinths. I begin to suspect that the Talocanites took it all with them. Or worse, that they just liked the legends of the "Talocan", and appropriated that name to appear more formidable.

The Zerg remain as taciturn as ever, except to ask why I at some point used combat probes rather than scan probes. I wanted to make sure there was no Talocan construction left around, and sometimes the combats pick up more than the core scanners. It spooked my friends for a short moment. Yet they have grown more confident, with the "activity defense modifier" of their systems increasing slowly after their takeover.

There is no increase to the number of visitors of the Catiz I Chapel in P8-BKO. Some missionaries are coming over with the Interbus to run it, using my continued sponsoring. They'll have their work cut out for them.

Zerg silent hospitality

This tribe is quite hospitable in their own special way. At least in comparison to their peers in these regions, as they do not try to hunt me down and kill me. Yet, in my experience the Zerg have a very strong distrust of any talking and they will usually not respond to any message in local. 

Today, I've been given access to one station in each and every Zerg system. I am no longer confined to P8-BKO, they were so kind to give me docking rights and access to clone bays in their stations, along with free passage in their constellation. With minimal conversation, as is their custom. I asked if they have a channel that I could join, however that was not so easy. Their leadership will meet in the coming days to debate whether an Amarrian preacher is allowed to converse with their members. Docking rights, no problem. Talking rights, that's another matter.

But, while exploring, I met a Zerg who was slightly more talkative: Silya Gocman. I helped him with exploration, contracting the loot of a jointly explored site. This made him relax and open up to conversation.

He told me that the Talocanites were already gone when they got here, no refugees left behind. The Zerg basically moved into an empty space, without facing any resistance. Zergs were happy to take over this unused space. This tracks with my own experience - the Talocanites were not to be seen by the time I arrived here and tried to make contact. 

I did do some further exploration in their systems. Sadly, I did not have any success finding Talocan relics. I found a lot of other stuff, which I contracted to them as a token of my gratitude. It was just an hour of exploration, but they were very happy as it amounted to fifty million isk. I will keep rewarding and stimulating their silent hospitality.

News of the Edict

News apparently took a little while to get to this place here in the boondocks, but today the edict of Empress Catiz got relayed to these places. What a momentous change! A historical moment! Our beloved Empress has opened a way for fast reclamation, faster than anything in the previous millenia apart from Jamyl's mass manumission. We will have to adapt, and provide services and information for slaves that are on this fast track.

At the same time, this seems geared to increase the numbers of soldiers in the Empire's armies. Perhaps war is upon us? Is the goal of all of this to assemble a large host under the banners of each royal Heir?

Be that as it may, here I have hired a small office space in the First Zerg Overmind citadel in P8-BKO. I turned it into an improvised chapel devoted to our Empress, and started preaching to the station dwellers. Not with much success yet, I have to admit. My congregation consisted of four people. Three, actually, as number four came in an then took the some of the chocolate chip cookies I had prepared, and immediately left, without listening to my sermon.

Anyway, it's a start.

Hospitality

The Zerg are a quiet but hospitable and peaceful people. It is a rare treat in these faraway lands to find such folk.

They are mostly busy with mining and keeping to themselves. I suspect the Zerg king, Vladislav Mernher, is a good man. He did not reply to me, though. While he does have the text "LIKE RAGE PEOPLE" (yes, all caps) in his bio, he also included an image of a kitten in his bio. From this, I conclude his soul must be redeemable.

I have been given rights to dock in a citadel of theirs, in P8-BKO. It even has a free cloning bay service. I was greeted with a welcome message, again in all caps. These people have not properly mastered the art of the alphabet yet. The message was "WELCOME TO ZERG CRINGE LAND". 

After settling in in my hangar, I went on an exploration tour in the constellation, but till now I did not find any relics of the ancients. I did find useless trash in data sites: data cores and decryptors. As the station is controlled by Mernher's lieutenant, Romuil Meza, I contracted the loot to him. His bio just consists of the sentence "You can write me", so that is encouraging. Also, it was not all in caps, so he must be a man of refined culture out here.

Contact with the conquerors

I went back to Feythabolis. The first attempt failed, and my only crew member got ejected in a life pod. I had not kept enough attention to the fact the the Interdiction Nullifier has a recharging time that is rather long. After using it to bypass a bubble on a outgoing jump gate, I found myself in a bubble at an entering jump gate without enough time to recharge...

My second attempt - without crew member as she is making her way back to hisec - was successful. I made it out to the Talocan systems, now held by other alliances. Their lands have been divided by the Skeleton Crew (C45-9Y constellation) and ZERG (RGH-40 constellation). The Talocanites are... extinct here. At first, I failed to get a response from the new lords of the lands. But, warping into a mining crew, at last I connected with the Zerg! And they got the Pax Amarria to their leadership - it will only take a moment before they see the light!

[ 2023.06.05 21:37:23 ] Theodosius Savnar > Greetings, miners. I mean no harm. I come from the worlds at the core of the cluster, from Amarr.

[ 2023.06.05 21:38:25 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > Greetings explorer, good luck with your flight!

[ 2023.06.05 21:39:01 ] Theodosius Savnar > Thanks! I would like to learn about the former occupants of the system, the Talocan Star Empire. Are any of them still around?

[ 2023.06.05 21:40:19 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > We do not know. We're just mining for the glory of the Queen!

[ 2023.06.05 21:41:05 ] Theodosius Savnar > Glory to Empress Catiz! I have brought copies of the Pax Amarria, and I can drop some at your Territorial Claim Unit.

[ 2023.06.05 21:42:16 ] Theodosius Savnar > Would it be permitted to explore in this constellation? And could I get access to one of your stations? I am only interested in relics from the ancients, and would gladly contract the rest to one of you.

[ 2023.06.05 21:42:23 ] Qqes > OK am can take it

[ 2023.06.05 21:43:26 ] Qqes > am on star gate  Stargate (Minmatar System)*

[ 2023.06.05 21:43:52 ] Qqes > P8-BKQ

[ 2023.06.05 21:44:06 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > I'm sorry, I don't have the right to open docks

[ 2023.06.05 21:44:31 ] Theodosius Savnar > The Pax Amarrias have been dropped close to your territorial claim unit, and I have abandoned cargo, so you can just take them.

[ 2023.06.05 21:44:56 ] Qqes > не трогайте его

[ 2023.06.05 21:45:26 ] KROSSTAR > да ктож такой грех на душу возьмет

[ 2023.06.05 21:45:52 ] Theodosius Savnar > I shall not interfere, для вас нет риска

[ 2023.06.05 21:46:10 ] Qqes > we can speak whith our Ceo about that

[ 2023.06.05 21:46:21 ] Theodosius Savnar > Yes! Please bring me to your leader.

[ 2023.06.05 21:46:54 ] Theodosius Savnar > Perhaps we can negociate something mutually beneficial

[ 2023.06.05 21:47:27 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > We will deliver Pax Ammaria to our leader!

[ 2023.06.05 21:48:06 ] Theodosius Savnar > I'll stick around for some days. Who is your exalted leader?

[ 2023.06.05 21:49:36 ] Theodosius Savnar > I am only interested in the relics of the ancients, in particular the Takmahl and the Talocan. All the rest I find here, I will drop off to any station that you wish.

[ 2023.06.05 21:50:07 ] Qqes > am can teke a contact

[ 2023.06.05 21:50:14 ] Qqes > secon my friend

[ 2023.06.05 21:50:23 ] Theodosius Savnar > First, I need permission to explore in your space!

[ 2023.06.05 21:50:35 ] Theodosius Savnar > Blue standings, if possible.

[ 2023.06.05 21:51:16 ] Theodosius Savnar > Also, to make a contract, I need a station to drop off the loot.

[ 2023.06.05 21:52:01 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > Our leader is resting today. You need to come earlier and contact our leader.

[ 2023.06.05 21:52:35 ] Qqes > Kbyrfybnt Dkflf

[ 2023.06.05 21:52:40 ] Qqes > Линканите влада

[ 2023.06.05 21:53:00 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > Vladislav Mernher Our leader

[ 2023.06.05 21:53:27 ] KROSSTAR > ZERG REBORN we will put Your present to our Leader with a pleaser. Ssory for making Your highesty to wait

[ 2023.06.05 21:55:09 ] Theodosius Savnar > All right! I'll send Vladislav an evemail. Thank you for indulging me. I hope to be exploring alongside with you all soon!

[ 2023.06.05 21:55:37 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > Fly safe!

[ 2023.06.05 21:55:41 ] KROSSTAR > Theodosius Savnar Fly safe!

[ 2023.06.05 21:55:48 ] Theodosius Savnar > you all too!

[ 2023.06.05 21:55:54 ] Kemiloto Kashuken > We also need to rest.

This is most promising, and much more fruitful than any of my attempts to contact the Talocan Star Empire. They've taken the Pax Amarria's to their leadership! What more can a missionary ask for? I have sent their king a mail, asking humbly for permission to explore. I eagerly await his answer.

Talocanite collapse

The Talocan Star Empire collapsed. The few remaining systems they held have been swept away by their foes. I was about to go back to them, when I checked the star maps again and found that they have been completely wiped out. So, I was going to forego any further exploration, but Gaun talked some sense into me. I should go there and find out if there are refugees from the Talocanites, and if so, bring them back to the Empire. The expedition is going forward!

Wordweavers

My new hire for cloak and probes turns out to be a daughter of a wordweaver couple. Among the many unique cultures in the cluster, for linguists the wordweavers are probably the most interesting ones.

Initially, on their home planet there were two very distinct cultures. They shared one continent on a temperate planet. The people of  the northeastern parts, the Krk Krzj, spurned vowels in their language. The inhabitants of the southwestern region, the Aoai Ue, did not use consonants. No-one has any idea how this came about. But, unable to have a conversation or even pronounce each other’s name, misunderstandings soon led to war. For a thousand years, the sounds of frontline battle rang across the continent, "grr" versus "aai".

It was only when facing a common challenge, in the form of the Amarr 10th Expeditionary Force, that they started to collaborate. 

Negotiations between with the apostolic legates required always both a Krk Krzj interpreter and an Aoai Ue interpreter. When, for example, they would need to say "Amarr", the two interpreters would alternate and interweave their speech. The Aoai Ue would do the "a"s and the Krk Krzj would do the "m" and "r".

Quite rapidly, this developed into a special and unique form of art, wordweaving, where a Krk Krzj and an Aoai Ue sing together, attuned to the pace of their voices in such a perfect way that the words, with both consonants and vowels, flow seamlessly as one. 

Of course, the voices need to match well if the words are to flow harmoniously and be well understood. This required close collaboration between voice partners. Great voice matchings soon led to great marriages. And with that, peace returned to the continent.

Ethnologists and linguists are nowadays hurrying to record such performances, as the art is in decline because the children of mixed marriages between Krk Krzj and Aoai Ue grow up using both vowels and consonants. It turns out that wordweaving is only made possible by the inability of pronouncing some sounds, rather by the ability to produce some.

Ms. Ayoagan had difficulties with consonants, and pronounces her own family name closer to Aioa'aha so it appears she has a stronger influence of her father (who belongs to the Aoai Ue), but nevertheless she is able to work with consonants too.

Reship

This year, like the previous, I made submissions to the New Eden Writer's contest. I may have made more than usual, and somehow I feel the sting of sin, being vainglorious. I should not come out so strongly, and remain more humble...

On different news, the Talocan Star Empire seems to have stabilized. They did loose the worlds where I dropped Pax Amarrias, so that is a concern. 

I am heading out to Dital. As I went in a shuttle to Feythabolis, I went without crew and delayed picking up ms. Ayogan who has been contracted to work for me as crew member in a covert ops ship.