## BEGIN AUTOMATED SHIP'S LOG ##
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--------------------- [SB-129 Class Starship] ----------------------
Earth Date: 2312-08-17T23:01:48Z
System uptime: 17 days
Location: unknown
At 2312-07-30T19:47:24Z three unauthorized entities were detected inside
the vessel and System was reactivated.
> embed 2312-07-30sa.tscript
Fetching transcription file...
SYSTEM: "Tactical Alert: unauthorized presence detected in section
γ 'Docking-Port'."
UNKNOWN: "What?"
UNKNOWN-1: "Beautiful. You said they would have no alarms. Smooth in
and out you said."
UNKNOWN: "I didn't expect the system to be online in the first place.
How is it even functioning after so long?"
UNKNOWN-2: "Would someone shut off that awful noise?"
(clicking)
SYSTEM: "Attempted override detected. Blocking command functions
from section γ terminals."
UNKNOWN-1: "Great job."
UNKNOWN: "You're not helping. Let's just head to the command center
and shut this thing up."
SYSTEM: "Unauthorized precense proceeding to section α 'Bridge'.
Tactical Alert: high priority."
UNKNOWN: "There you are. Now.."
(clicking, beeping)
UNKNOWN-1: "I can still hear it, Aanya."
SYSTEM: "Matching designation 'AANYA' to 'UNKNOWN' entity"
AANYA: "Great, now it knows my name. Why don't you do something
useful for a change and start looking for valuables?
See if you can find any equipment or spare parts
that we can use!"
(rumbling, clashing)
UNKNOWN-2: "How is it coming along?"
AANYA: "Promting for a pass code. Could take forever. Let's just
gather what we can and leave."
UNKNOWN-2: "Why must we stop the Alarm? It is not like anyone hears it?"
UNKNOWN-1: "I hear it.."
AANYA: "Just because the ship is deserted doesn't mean the system
can't call for backup."
UNKNOWN-2: "It has been out here longer than our ages combined.
Who is to say the Empire which built it still stands?
Why do we not try.."
(click)
SYSTEM: "Initializing System AI social-protocol"
AANYA: "What? What did you press?"
UNKNOWN-2: "Here. The button bears a smiley face."
SYSTEM: "Entity Aanya, Unknown entities 1 and 2, explain your presence
on the 'Bridge'."
UNKNOWN-1: "Uhm.."
UNKNOWN-2: "Greetings, computer. My name is Xēcnes, my friend here is
called..."
UNKNOWN-1: "Xec, what the M'ghs don't tell it my-"
UNKNOWN-2: "...St'Wek Q12. Are you aware that your ship has been deserted
for a long time?"
SYSTEM: "Matching designations 'XECNES' and 'ST-WEK' to entities
'UNKNOWN-1' and 'UNKNOWN-2'. Internal sensors show no
passengers beside entities Aanya, St'Wek Q12 and Xēcnes
on board. Explain!"
ST-WEK: "Like Xec said: deserted."
AANYA: "It's something of an urban legend in this sector.
A lone vessel from a far off system that's been drifting
through space for quite a while. Like most people, we
didn't think there was anything to it. Then we
picked you up on long range sensors a few weeks ago and,
well, this certainly looks like no ship design I'm
familiar with. Where do you come from, if I might ask?"
SYSTEM: "Unauthorized entities must account for location of the
crew."
ST-WEK: "We don't know where they are, though. For all we know
they've been dead for a long time. Or maybe they got fed
up with that horrible alarm and bailed on you."
SYSTEM: "Unable to locate crew. Vessel has been boarded.
Initiating Self Destruct protocol.."
ST-WEK: "Bit drastic.."
AANYA: "Our cue to hit the road. St'Wek, grab as much of that
stuff as you can carry!"
SYSTEM: "Sealing bridge doors.."
AANYA: "Ah."
ST-WEK "Beautiful."
AANYA: "I guess I'll have another crack at it."
(clicking)
SYSTEM: "Destruction of the ship in 1 minute."
ST-WEK: "How long is that??"
XECNES: "Please, computer, be reasonable. If you scan the docking
port you will note that our own ship is no match
for this one. It is but a tenth of its size and made from
spare parts.
How could we have overpowered you?"
SYSTEM: "Remaining time: 50 seconds."
ST-WEK: "That doesn't sound good."
XECNES: "You must see that something does not compute about
this situation. How long have you been offline?
Do you even know where you are?"
SYSTEM: "Last system activity 27956 days ago. Location:... Error.
Unable to determine location."
ST-WEK: "Getting real tired of time measurements I don't understand.
Aanya..?"
AANYA: "I'm trying my best."
(clicking)
SYSTEM: "Remaining time: 20 seconds."
ST-WEK: "Aanya, if I die I want you to know... I blame you."
XECNES: "It will not see sense. I blame the engineer."
AANYA: "Damn it!"
(fizzing)
SYSTEM: "Remaining time: 10 seconds. 9. 8. 7."
(fizzing, crackling)
SYSTEM: "Shutting down..."
> embed --start 89 --end 113 "Personal Log: Xēcnes"
Fetching Personal Log excerpt...
"What did you do", I inquired.
Aanya had, in her own words, been "Working the old magic".
There was, of course, nothing magical to it, which is not to say it was not
extraordinary.
She had reached into the console with her long, purple arm -
phasing through it like it was nonexistent - until finally locating the
appropriate cabels and pulling them out; taking the system offline and leaving
us in the dark, without power.
St'Wek was displeased - why had she not thought to try this earlier?
Aanya illustrated to us that it had been a dangerous course of action, as the
invasive procedure could have activated backup systems. She did not want to
embark on this course until absolutely necessary.
No backup systems were activated and I made a mental note of this as yet
another design flaw in the ship's system.
After Aanya had brought back enough power to enable us to walk about, but not
enough power to blast us out into space, there was much discussion
about our next steps. We finally decided to keep the ship.
Aanya worked on hacking the system for a long time, while St'Wek and I
inspected the vessel. We found no corpses aboard, nor any other sign of
inhabitants (no personal items etc). We indexed 35 rooms on two levels,
including the control room that the ship had referred to as the 'Bridge'.
After restarting the modified system we met a much more agreeable AI.
> embed --start 0 --end 58 2312-07-31sa.tscript
Fetching transcription file...
AANYA: "That should do it. Hello again!"
SYSTEM: "Hello Aanya. Welcome to the Lovelace."
ST-WEK: "Lovelace?"
SYSTEM: "Starship Lovelace, SB-129 Class."
XECNES: "A peculiar name.."
AANYA: "Now, System, let's start over. Where, please and thank you,
do you come from and what is your function?"
SYSTEM: "The Starship Lovelace was constructed on Earth's moon colony.
It began it's first mission at 2229-04-21T12:01:49Z.
The objective was the long distance transport of 22
civilians to outpost Phobos."
ST-WEK: "'Earth', did my translator pick that up right? As in dirt?"
AANYA: "Hmm, lets.."
(clicking, beeping)
AANYA: "What's your function?"
SYSTEM: "The Lovelace is home to Aanya, Xēcnes and St'Wek Q12. The
System's objective is to protect its inhabitans."
AANYA: "M-hm, that's what I like to hear."
XECNES: "System, tell us more about this 'Earth'"
SYSTEM: "Earth is a planet within the Solar system. It is home
to humankind."
AANYA: "When did the Lovelace send its most recent transmission
to Earth."
SYSTEM: "The Quantum Entanglement Communicator's last message was sent
27957 days ago."
ST-WEK: "You couldn't change the time system?"
AANYA: "I could not. This is good news, everybody, the 'humans' don't
know we stole their vessel."
ST-WEK: "I'd hardly call it theft. After all that time 'finders
keepers' applies."
XECNES: "Did the passangers arrive at outpost Phobos?"
SYSTEM: "Insufficient data."
XECNES: "We have to tell them."
AANYA: "Begging your pardon?"
XECNES: "I will 'go out on a limb' and assume that something went wrong
during transport. It is highly likely that the entire crew
died or, at least for all Earth knows, mysteriously
disappeared. Think of how jarring this mystery must
be to their kin. We would bring them peace."
ST-WEK: "We'd bring ourselves more trouble.
Sorry Xec, I'm with Aanya on this."
AANYA: "Besides, their families are probably dead themselves by now,
who knows how long it's been. The Earths probably forgot
all about this ship by now."
XECNES: "Then, perhaps it would be beneficial to learn their timing
system."
AANYA: "Even then, I don't think it's worth the hassle."
XECNES: "I believe we have found this vessel so that we could inform
Earth about what has happened."
ST-WEK: "Not that spiritual talk again, Xec, I swear to M'ghs."
(prolonged silence)
AANYA: "Look, lets just put this on hold and settle in first,
alright? We can check the System later and have a whole
conversation about it. First lets bring the Haven inside,
St'Wek?"
ST-WEK: "On it."
SYSTEM: "Explain 'Haven'!"
XECNES: "That is the name of our .. old ship."
> embed --start 30 --end 38 "Personal Log: Aanya of Faino"
Fetching Personal Log excerpt...
The Lovelace is much more roomy and hospitable than our old rust bucket,
despite carrying the dust of over 70 Earth 'years'.
We've chosen personal rooms and familiarized ourselves with System's database,
including the timing system. Although I still believe sending a message is
unnecessary, I've agreed to let System compile a message to its origin.
Mostly to shut Xēcnes up.
I don't believe it will even reach them, which is mostly why I'm fine with it.
Beside that I gather that the humans are very far away and their interest in
this ship is minimal, meaning we have little to fear from them.
## END AUTOMATED SHIP'S LOG ##
# Appendix #
Greetings, Earthlings.
I have been studying your history with fascination. It appears this is a
greeting you traditionally expect from Alien visitors.
I am not a visitor to your 'Earth' planet, nor do I wish to conquer
your lands, like the Aliens in your films.
Visitor to a vessel that I am sure is associated with a great puzzle on
your world, I intend to do my best in finding out what happened to the crew
of the Lovelace while I am here.
Reporting to you in peace
Xēcnes
gemini://cosmic.voyage/Lovelace/2312-08-17T23:01:48Z.txt