58 lines
2.8 KiB
Plaintext
58 lines
2.8 KiB
Plaintext
RECV EDC: 19DEC2018
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COMM MODE: QEC OP SREF
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CODED ABST: D/M/C
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CRC: 1214412995 2698
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============================================================
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No contact, but life hasn't been dull. On a whim, while
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scanning a system for Wells, I decided to have a forger deck
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the hull of the Xero Carbon out as a research vessel from
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the not-so-illustrious Nereidian Academy of Intergalactic
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Allometry. Ages ago, a handful of investors came out of the
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woodworks in support of a crazy idea: that pharmaceutical
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corporations would need research and data to accurately dose
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human-targeted drugs for alien life forms. The "Nerd Ack"
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was born, with immense funding and impressive fanfare.
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Unfortunately for all those who invested, the school proved
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to be a political and scientific sham. After numerous
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delays, it launched a ridiculously large fleet of ships,
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then promptly went bankrupt. The school sold their existing
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assets to the well-known Disciples Of Rogkthu Corporation,
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a pseudo-scientific group of zealots from the ancient
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Rogkthugian religion ("Forever-life to the Follower, in the
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name of Rogkthu I command it!" as they are known to say.)
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Of course the Rogkthugians, being acutely aware of their
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lack of popularity in systems that knew anything about
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them, decided that their proselyting efforts would be more
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effective if people didn't see them coming. So, they left
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the Neredian Academy of Intergalactic Allometry logo and
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markings in place on the entire fleet, and sent them forth
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far and wide in the quadrant, to share their message of
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eternal hope (or eternal damnation, depending on how you
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reacted.)
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Today, many ESR's later, everyone with sense knows that when
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they see a Nerd Ack ship, it's time to scramble life-signal
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readings and turn off the porch light. It's ignominious to
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sport the markings, perhaps, but it's about the most
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effective disguise one could possibly hope to achieve in a
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universe where intelligent life takes almost nothing at face
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value. To avoid preaching, life forms will do almost
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anything.
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Hopefully I don't encounter any K'iklikameen; they're
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still sporting over the Rogkthugian genocide of TalMandeen
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K'iklik, and they'd likely annihilate me on sight. Mostly,
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though, I think I'll be fine. Ships have been turning the
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other way and punching full-throttle, even the normally
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aggressive ones.
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Wells hasn't transmitted recently. I guess he said he
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wouldn't. If I can't locate him soon, I may have to turn to
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drastic measures. He can't possibly know how important he is
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to the Corporation, what they think he's done, and what they
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think he has. If I don't find him first, he might as well
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convert to Rogkthu and move to K'iklikam.
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