Post-apocalypse Jakri

When the Amarr exploratory fleets finally arrived in the Araz constellation, the Takmahl empire had long collapsed. The collapse of their civilization was so complete that the survivors reverted to an uncivilized state, keeping the form of some traditions without knowing what they meant or what their origins were. Cannibalism was rampant, and they scavenged for food and tools. Medicine and science had been forgotten.

At first, they must still have remnants of the technology from the pre-collapse Takmahl. But they did not know how to repair this technology, nor how to produce new items. As nature started to take over the buildings and temples in the cities, the survivors were not much more than tribes of wildlings wandering around amongst the ruins. Violence for the scarce resources further reduced the already decimated post-apocalyptic survivors. For nearly a thousand years, the post-collapse tribes wandered or settled in the decaying ruins of the once-advanced Takmahl civilization, from time to time finding artefacts of great power. What a strange magical world this must have been to live in!

Impression of ruins on Jakri IV, with encampment, at the time of
its discovery by Amarr explorers. By Brandon Gobey.

In some way, this is a small mirror version of what must have happened to the cluster during the dark ages, when we lost the capability to go to space and while the abandoned jump gates stood idle. Humanity's speculated parent civilization never came back for us, and we were left with its decaying ruins and artefacts to build new worlds of our own. But for the inhabitants of the planets in the Araz constellation, who had long forgotten their origins, Amarr came back.

Back to the Araz constellation

I've more or less recovered from my recent assassination. Not much hope to get justice, and I'm not very driven to pursue the matter accross the border from the Federation. Let's call it capsuleer indifference to our own death. Boulette keeps claiming I never made it to the appointment.

I haven't heard back from the expert in the matter, dr. Valate. Perhaps this is for the best, she's Sani Sabik after all.

In stead, I've been preparing to head out to Jakri IV, in the Araz constellation, where the artefacts were found centuries ago.

Yes, again.

I knew it, from the moment I woke up without the constant nagging pain in my right knee. 

This is a fresh clone. 

Which can only mean one thing: I am the victim now of a double homicide. Murdered twice by the orders of the same criminal. I refuse to identify my body back in Oursulaert, in Federal space. Who knows what I suffered before. Perhaps I've been tortured. I don't want to know. I don't want to be exposed to my own remains any more.

Boulette actually tries to get away with it: he contacted me to tell me I never appeared for our appointment. I told him I woke up in a clone backup I made because I didn't trust him. He said that dying is an acceptable excuse to be late for a meeting. I answered we would not be meeting again, and he acted all offended that I would think he got anything to do with my demise. 

I'll continue to research the artefacts without asking the help from criminal kingpins.

Preparations

I made an appointment to meet mr. Boulette and bring him the cogwheels tomorrow. The place where we'll meet is again his horrible restaurant on Oursulaert. I've made myself a clone backup just in case.

In parallel, I've made appointments with the cluster's outstanding experts on Takmahl history. Hedion ones. There's also a famous Sani Sabik researcher, dr. Valerie Valate, that I would like to consult on this finding. 

Sometimes science has to transcend the geopolitics of the moment - I understand this can not be the case when one investigates things that can have military applications. Or, perhaps, even any applications at all. But Takmahl history is fundamental science and may relate in the end to problems -like he Triglavians- that we face as a cluster, as a common group of nations. Is it not good then that academics of the entire cluster get together? Isolationism is counterproductive in the search of our common origins, in the fundamental truths of the universe.

Biting the bullet

I'll have to meet that unpleasant mr. Boulette again. He has been sending me messages, alternating between kind and angry. Sometimes he talks about offers of money and prospects of gold mountains. The next mail he'll be uttering death threats. Ultimately, he wants to complete his collection of the cogwheel artefacts and he knows I have made progress there.

I have not made progress is in understanding the meaning of these artefacts. My first intuition is that it is a kind of starmap, but I haven't found anything in the archives of old charts. Perhaps it plots a course through Anoikis? Did the Takmahl understand enough of Talocan technology to build a wormhole?

Here's where Boulette comes in. He claims the pieces are part of a larger machinery - one that unlocks a vault to the gold bullion of the Takmahl empire at its end. I need to find out how he came to this conclusion.

Starmap search

A busy week - there is a strike of the hangar workers and crews in Tanoo, and I was asked to relay their worries to the directorate at LUMEN.

Apart from that, I've been puzzling - trying to decipher the meaning of the numbers on the ten cogwheels. The different numbers link the different cogs, even though they do not seem to fit. They do create a network: assuming the numbers on the edge of the cogs refer to center numbers, I've come up with the following graph:

The wheel labeled nine has a link to a final marking. I have tried to map the nodes on to stellar systems and the links to jump gate connections between them. I have not yet found a correspondance, but this will require more poring over ancient starmaps.

The tenth cogwheel

Only historical documents, which have been released to the public domain, are freely accessible. Even then, the help of an expert in navigating the obscure databases is more than useful. I would not even have been able to navigate the most basic query forms, but Fifth and Sixth knew the acronyms and the jargon and were able to find the record of lord Or'nold from ages ago.

The tenth and final piece of the puzzle was bequeathed to a local museum documenting the history of human settlement on the Jakri system. We also found out that, unfortunately, the museum burned down, and probably the final cogwheel is lost. However, the will was very nicely documented with pictures of all of the items, including the one I was after. The picture is good enough to make out the numbers on the wheel, and although it is not clear what its dimensions are, it is probably the same size as the other nine.

The collection is complete (well, virtually at least).

The Lumen Effect

"Yeah, it's all about one year old, plate armor and battle drones got installed when you lot moved in", the Fifth Assistant to the Scrivener General said, casually, after I remarked the place looked new.

He continued, "Nasreri office was a quiet place before. Stable power structure in the station. No major Holders about to die and have their will be read out. Lady Tigith was the next one we all supposed would pop, but she's probably still decades away."

I asked, "But that didn't change when we moved here, right?"

Sixth answered, "Actually it did. The Imperial Bureau of Statistics has found a significant correlation between the presence of LUMEN headquarters and vicious Holders dropping dead prematurely in the neighborhood."

"Yes, especially Holders that have a... bad reputation about their methods of reclaiming", Fifth explained, "so, when you got here the office was expanded and we installed a special reinforced room where Lord Dalgray's last will and testament could kept safely."

Sixth muttered "You capsuleers really have no idea about the amount of administrative nuisance you bring along, do you?"

Indeed, the Scriveners do make you feel guilty about asking for a favor.

Meeting with the notaries

Among the noble houses, disputes about inheritance can become really vicious. The Amarr civil law notaries (or scriveners as they are known in the Empire) are often the ultimate victims of such fights. I had no idea notaries specializing in inheritance were under such pressure and threat in the Empire. They do set up the final will and oversee its signing, and when family members disagree or want to pick a fight, the notaries are usually blamed for fraud and they or their families are attacked personally.

Probably that is why I was thoroughly searched for weapons, and then led to a place that looked like a blast-proof interrogation room with stun gun turrets. And why I was met by two masked notaries wearing full defensive body armor, and carrying guns. 

They introduced themselves as the Fifth and Sixth Assistants to the Scrivener General, Folders of the Gilded Frock, and Certified Fellows of the Worshipful Guild of Scriveners of Upper Genesis. It's an ancient profession, with ancient titles.

The Sixth Assistant immediately started shouting at me, telling me that I should tell him what the heck my problem is, and I'd better do that right now or he'd beat me to pulp. He was held back by the Fifth assistant who then pulled him back into the hallway out of the interrogation room so Sixth could cool off. The Fifth assistant then told me that his colleague has been under some strain, he lost a family member after a scrivener's error was found, and also he is known to be very aggressive. The Fifth assistant continued by telling me he liked my face ("very Amarrian", he said) and he would help me, but I'd better comply because he didn't know how much longer he could keep Sixth in check.

Clearly, they were playing good notary bad notary with me.

The tension immediately eased when I told them I didn't want to contest any inheritance or will, and agreed to sign a written statement asserting just that. Although they did not completely trust me, they agreed to help.

Appointments via galnet

Scandalous. The bureau for heritage matters can only be reached via a website, and appointments for a face-to-face talk need to be booked via the website too. The earliest appointment is on December 12th! That's partly because you have to make the appointment in the region where your current home station is now and perhaps the Nasreri office is understaffed, seeing that the Holders on station are not about to die and have no heritage feuds amongst their heirs expected in the near future.

On-line complaints desk connected me to some snooty fifty-year old kid in a comms center, who works every day for another corp. Probably he did Quafe complaints desk yesterday and the bureau of heritage matters today. Needless to say he couldn't help me. 

Thank God the Amarr Civil Service is in the same station as SFRIM's current headquarters, so I could march down there. It is a bit shameful that I used my capsuleer credentials to demand to see a bureau manager: I don't see how a commoner would manage and that is plainly wrong. Anyway, I got an appointment with an inheritance notary warden in a couple of days. I was asked to come unarmed, I wonder why.

Movie night

The movie night went well, I think the movie about faith and friendship was generally well received. And it offered our capsuleers some well earned relaxation.

Perhaps I had hoped that the movie would help Haruka Lightrain to realize that her attempts to force a friendship with Praefecta Isimazu are not working out, but she's a hard nut to crack (I mean Haruka). 

The purposefully confusing title 'Sense of Faith' will work in our favor when trying to supplant the heretic movie of similar name in the most used search engines. A large sum of money was paid to these search engines to make it so...  

It also helps that Nugoeihuvi corporation agreed (again, ISK flowed) to help on the distribution of the movie. They were also kind enough to provide comfortable armchairs to turn our multipurpose room in a movie theatre for the evening.

Invasion

The war zone agreements, known under the ugly acronym CEMWPA, were concluded in order to contain war and prevent an all-out offensive between the four core powers. Unfortunately, they are now breached by all empires except Amarr. Yesterday, most blatantly of all, the Federation launched a well-prepared full-scale invasion of the Placid region, occupying war zone systems with a view of taking them out of the war zone for good. Our friends in the State are understandably furious about this.

The Equilibrium of Mankind heretics would be very happy with this evolution towards all-out war... I do hope our blessed Empress Catiz can follow Heideran the Good's example in keeping peace between the core powers, and find a way to renew the war zone agreements. 

Search for the final piece

The trip to Oris was fruitful, I was able to study the five cogwheels present at the Arjam library and museum and create replicas. 

There is only one of these objects missing to complete the picture. To locate it, I studied the (known) history of the artefacts, from the records of the Arjam library. It was part of a cache retrieved by an archeological expedition on Jakri IV, stayed for a long time in the collections of House Or'nold, and was bequeathed to PIE after the last lord from that house died without heirs. 

Next step in this research is perhaps not a visit to the Jakri system, but a visit to the Amarr Civil Service administration bureaus for heritage matters. I'll try to find out if the other pieces of this locking mechanism were in lord Or'nold's will, given to other parties.

Trip to Oris

I'm following up on the lead I got from Boulette about a possible Takmahl vault. The Arjam library on Oris has in its collections five of the cogwheels of the vault's unlocking mechanism. 

Rather than stealing them, as the rascal wants, I can just go over and study these artefacts. Lord Lok'ri was kind enough some time ago to give me access to the Arjam museum and its research facilities, so I can have the items scanned to make copies. Also, I can use the library's data repository to find out more about the origin of these artefacts.

Boulette will not know that I give him copies. He thinks he can use me for his purposes but it is I who will use him, and extract as much knowledge as I can from this common thief.

Blood raider praise

Turnur is still burning. 

Meanwhile, the behavior of the Amarr militia capsuleers are increasingly under scrunity. Their attacks on the neutral observers of the cataclysm, and the ensuing all-out brawl has been applauded by the blood raider's leader Omir Sarikusa, calling our militia Amarr capsuleers 'faithful to the great truth'. Whatever that means, it's bad.

The Empire has been purging heresy in its ranks after the Equilibrium of Mankind cult caused a disaster on Kahah last year. I think it is now about to do the same with its capsuleers - the order of St. Tetrimon and the Ministry of Internal Order are already dividing up the tasks and responsibilities.

I think that thusfar, the blood raider elements in the militia have been tolerated due to the military success of the capsuleer militia. But with the fall of Egmar and Vard, the patience of whomever is protecting them may be running thin.

The aftermath

It is over. Turnur's star is still there - no doubt thanks to the courageous men and women who stayed on the transmuter till the last minute. It did however release a massive burst of hard X-ray radiation, followed by a explosive coronal mass ejection. Everything up to seventy million kilometers out was vaporized, including the transmuter and Upwell stations. After the burst, the star appears to have stabilized again.

Turnur I is left a burning ember. The superluminal energy burst ignited its atmosphere, and turned the surface into molten magma. Only in the deepest caves, on the planet's night-side, could anything have survived. Matter ejected from the planet is forming a red glowing ring around it. The Republic station in orbit is badly damaged, its external structures detonated and it is venting gases. The highly protected core of the station is still functional. God also spared the other planets from this type of destruction.

With the twisted psychology that promised immortality entails, capsuleers flocked to the system to observe the event, indifferent about losing their ship and their clone. Everyone and their sister came to watch. And inevitably this same psychology of indifference to death led to an orgy of killing, a capsuleer against capsuleer massacre the likes of which no factional warfare could ever bring to Turnur. There could not have been a starker contrast between the Empyrean irreverence of death and the suffering of millions in the system. God will strike the capsuleer class down for this blind mockery... Open your eyes, faithful, at the revelation of God's absolute might that was witnessed tonight!

Before the cataclysm

The discontent and rebellious atmosphere that I noted yesterday amongst our own capsuleers appears more widespread than I thought. There have been protests at Hedion university. And the Royal Houses take different - but not incompatible - stances. 

Houses Kor-Azor and Ardishapur advocate free evacuation, which some interpret as a thinly veiled criticism with the Throne, given that it must have been the Empress who gave the go-ahead to test the Stellar Transmuter technology.

The good news that our scientists have been able to collect all the stellar observation data that they needed is offset by the fact that they are unable to reverse the instability of Turnur's star. There's other good news: the evacuations have been mostly completed - save perhaps for these strange tribes that want to stay on Turnur I.

Capsuleer discontent

The vigil went well, and I am glad we got to send out our prayer to the wider capsuleer community.

Baseliners dare not speak out as strongly as the capsuleers, but they are downright scared. There's end-of-the-world talk and all sorts of ridiculous rumors, from the second coming of Jamyl to giant space squids engulfing Turnur I.

As for capsuleers, I am worried about the reaction to what is happening in Turnur. In LUMEN's ranks, there is a lot of discontent, and even outright anger at how the Empire handles the situation. Some even want to attack the stellar transmuter, regardless of our scientists there who try day and night to get it under control. I have never experienced such a rebellious atmosphere before. I tried to instill some calm and serenity, and bolster confidence in the Empress and the Privy Council among our capsuleer members.

Aria tried to channel that discontent and propose people help ARC in their evacuation effort - but the demands for that fleet, covert cyno or blockade runner, are for the more experienced ones only. Also, I hope ARC doesn't get into a fight with the navy or with Amarr militia...

Prayer vigils for Turnur

The news coming from Turnur is very unsettling... Amarr Certified News seems to confirm that the star has become unstable and is heading for an unknown catastrophy three days from now.

There's a lot of anxiety and unrest right now, not only with capsuleers but also with the baseliners. Some fear for a clusterwide catastropy, God wiping the slate clean after an excess of sins also by his chosen people. Other point the finger of blame to marshall Sirdan Xer Qosh, or even the royal Sarum heir. Still others are confident that all is still running according to how the Empress has planned it and that there will be no catastrophy, but instead new jump gate routes will open, perhaps between Arshat and Turnur, or towards the Triglavian-held systems. There are even rumors that some spread about this event as hailing the coming of the 'true emperor' of sedevacantism...

To allay the fears, and put to rest all kinds of unsubstantiated rumors, I am holding prayer vigils for Turnur and its inhabitants in the Chapel. We will pray to God to forgive us for our sins and to have mercy on us and especially on the people of Turnur, while acknowledging that it is not our will that prevails but God's will.

Today the vigils will be for baseliners mostly. Tomorrow, after the Syndicate week is over, I think I will also set aside some time for a prayer vigil for capsuleers. They are just as troubled about what is happening, even though they pretend they have everything under control.

The cogwheels at Arjam

Crazy man, this mr. Boulette, but he has intriguing information about a Takmahl secret vault. These vaults do exist, I have seen some of them, and in the latter part of their empire they were indeed used to hide away valuable items. So, I am intrigued and would like to follow this lead, as his description fits historical examples and the examples I have seen with my own eyes.

Now, he wants me to break into the Arjam library on Oris - in the PIE compound - and steel five of these cogwheels. As I said: crazy.

Especially since lord Lok'ri a while ago gave me scholarly access to the library and its collections, so I can just go there and have a look at these items. Boulette thinks there is something supernatural about them, more than the mere brass they are made of, and we need the originals to open the vault. But personally, I think this is just silly. 

I did agree to go and have a look, but urgent news from Turnur is delaying my trip...