Shadows of Zeon Quest: Aphelion #5

In either case, it looks like we'll arrive at a conclusion that at least a company in the business of manufacturing cutting edge MS would be involved.

I'm hoping that would narrow the list to include Anaheim, though with the way they're implied to be managed in the last quest, it might be a branch that they can easily disassociate from.

Not to mention plenty of competition might've sprung up during the last few years.

No big. Family first.
>still writing

“We need to widen our investigation,” you admit, standing up to holster your sidearm. “We've got a mystery ship and a bunch of mobile suits that are way too advanced for your rebels to have designed on their own. Both kinda demand an explanation... ideally they'll end up being connected.”

“What are the chances of that?” Mineva asks thoughtfully.

You shrug. “We have no idea. But the level of technical expertise that went into both is a little suspicious.”

Mineva passes by you, taking her seat back and pulling out a small stack of paperwork. “Then I'd say head for the headquarters of the Royal Dockyards. They'll know to expect you. I'll have our technical experts and investigators cooperate with you as soon as they have any results.”

“Thanks, Lady Mineva. We'll be in touch.”

The trip back to the main office of the Royal Dockyards in Tithon is much more scenic than the last venture by rail: due to the fact that all rail service in the region has been disrupted in the wake of the attempted terrorist attack Mineva has lent you access to a private tiltrotor aircraft that takes you straight to a rooftop platform in Tithon's Block 1 district. This was a major industrial colony before it was moved to the Mars Sphere during the recent colonization phase, and was retrofitted by the private contractor that would soon become the largest technology and defense firm on the planet.

The building is by far the largest you've seen on Mars, with a clear view off the entire bottom of the Tithon valley. The thin, breezy atmosphere whips at your hair when you step off the plane, made worse by the wash of the turbines as they spin down. A young man in a sleek business suit is waiting on the roof, and approaches you with his head down: as if he's afraid the blades of the tiltrotor will cut it off despite being some twenty feet off the ground.
>1/2

“You would be Captain O'Hara, right!?” the man yells over the rotors, sticking out a hand which you accept. “I'm William Alexander, internal affairs. I'll be showing you around.”

>That's not necessary. We can lead ourself.
>Good. Full access to your registry of completed vessels and a full list of your clients.
>I want to see your mobile suit designs.
>Show me your advanced materials lab.
>Other?

>Show me your advanced materials lab.

I wonder if ALICE could snoop for the rest.

>Good. Full access to your registry of completed vessels and a full list of your clients.

>>Good. Full access to your registry of completed vessels and a full list of your clients.

>>Good. Full access to your registry of completed vessels and a full list of your clients.

>writing

“Good,” you nod in acknowledgement. “You can get us a full list of vessels completed under private contract in the last five years and a full list of your clientele.”

The businessman chuckles. “You drive a hard bargain, Miss O'Hara.”

You're quick to correct him. “Bargaining is for businessmen and politicians. We're neither.”

“Well there goes any hope of keeping it friendly,” he frowns.

“That was never in the cards, Mr Alexander. Nothing personal. We're just here to do a job.”

He ushers you in through the rooftop entrance to the building, and into a long, plain hallway. “Guess that makes two of us.”

Your liaison leads you to an empty office, and along your way you're careful to observe the signs and directories along the wall. There are also markings on the floor which seem to mostly indicate the directions of various internal departments such as finance and personnel. Alexander unlocks the door, and inside you find a computer, a desk, and a chair. He fires the machine up, then supplies his personal passcode...

>Try and observe his details and memorize them
>Don't try to memorize them

>Try and observe his details and memorize them
Sure, why not? He'll probably change it to a new one after we get what we need anyway.

>Try and observe his details and memorize them

>>Try and observe his details and memorize them

>3d10 DC 6

Rolled 4, 6, 7 = 17 (3d10)

Rolled 2, 8, 4 = 14 (3d10)

Need one more here.

Rolled 10, 8, 4 = 22 (3d10)

Your good eye watches his keystrokes carefully, trying to discern what he's entering into the field without making it too obvious. His hands are positioned near the top of the keyboard, starting at the right side...

>420#ErryDay

God, pure class on this guy. Thankfully it'll be easy to remember.

“There we go,” he announces. “I've pulled up the files you... er. Demanded. I'll be back in a few minutes to see how you're getting on.”

“Thanks,” you nod, taking a seat in front of the desk.

As promised the records you wanted to see are right in front of you, detailing a full list of privately-owned ships contracted through the Martian Royal Dockyards. Most of them are small suborbital shuttles of a fairly standard design, or else yachts. Nothing designed with a psychoframe in mind is on the list of seventy-five or so entries, so you briefly review the military contracts for any possible irregularities: none make themselves immediately obvious.

In terms of their clients, it's mostly military and industrial contracts. A few private individuals ordering pleasurecraft, but aside from a few mining companies which may operate in the Tharsis Montes region where the Chryse Independence rebels were holed up, but nothing conclusive. You try and make a copy, but it seems that you can't do so from this terminal: you'll have to make a special request.

There are other files too, all apparently password-protected... it's possible your moronic guide to all things internal may have used the same password for everything.

>Try and gain access to financial records?
>Try and gain access to restricted files on design?
>Try to see if they hold any special patents they're protecting?
>Don't press your luck?
>Oher?

>Try to see if they hold any special patents they're protecting?

>image captcha is grass
wow

So our mysterious derelict is not recorded in the registry here?

>>Try and gain access to restricted files on design?
>>Try to see if they hold any special patents they're protecting?
I think these go hand-in-hand, but if not, then focus on the patents.

>>Try and gain access to restricted files on design?

>writing

There seems to be a file here that contains legal documents, including patents. Anything that the Dockyard considered worthwhile they probably sought to protect through patent law, to ensure that their designs and technology remains a step ahead of any competitors. That's probably key to their success in securing the military contracts which comprise most of its profit.

You take a gamble on your guide from internal affairs being a true moron, and enter his password when prompted.

>420#ErryDay

Amazingly enough, that seems to allow you access to the legal files. Most of the patents seem to be for bits of technology that go into Minovsky Craft systems and He-3 reactors: some of the things they've managed in terms of heat exchange systems may make ultra-powerful compact reactors possible for mobile suits, possibly improving power output by fifty percent. That's going to make them a killing if they ever get it to the point where it's cost-effective.

Buried in a subfolder, however, you strike paydirt: something titled “Smart Paint”. Which is something of a misnomer... really it seems to be a method for applying luna titanium alloys with various properties by means of electrodeposition. It seems to be intended to increase the resistance of a piece of cheaper, lightweight metal to damage as well as imbue it with other properties.

In the brief introduction to the concept within the patent application two possible special uses stand out: stealth coating by introducing radar absorbant material to the matrix, and waste heat management by means of progressive shedding of the outermost layers.

>Continue digging into this set of files, see what you can determine.
>Try to gain access to records on the development of “Smart Paint”.
>Wait for your “guide” to return and ask to see the development labs.
>Other?

>Try to gain access to records on the development of “Smart Paint”.

>>Try to gain access to records on the development of “Smart Paint”.

>dice+3d10, DC 7 to work through it before Alexander returns

Rolled 10, 6, 10 = 26 (3d10)

Rolled 4, 2, 3 = 9 (3d10)

Rolled 4, 8, 1 = 13 (3d10)

>writing

You may not have much time before your minder gets back, so you hurry through your work.

“Smart Paint” was in fact utilized for a stealth coating, intended for use in deep space. It involved incorporation of a large amount of black radar absorbent material, or RAM, into a mixture of powdered luna titanium. This would be applied to sections of hull through electroplating and buffed to a high sheen, making it extremely difficult to locate in the depths of space. It sounds exactly like the finish on your ghost ship.

And it's almost a surprise to learn that the unusual capabilities you noted today when battling against the three terrorist-built mobile suits which could produce afterimages can also be traced to this same project. When applied in several successive layers it seems that certain formulations of “Smart Paint” can actually flake off of the base layer, like layers of an onion peeling away. This effect was named “Metal Peel-off Effect” by researchers here, or MEPE for short, and was associated with the formulas intended to help shed excess waste heat from oversized reactors.

The metal flakes and dust were what left the “afterimages” that confused your eyes and sensors alike, as they would appear almost solid to most electronic systems.

What does come as a bit of a surprise is that neither of these finishes ever made it out of Technology Readiness Level 3, or “proof-of-concept”, well short of even producing a development model. The entire project seems to have been put on hiatus, though the company still holds their patent on the basic principles behind the application process.
>1/2

You manage to close out all of the windows just as your minder returns.

“Find anything useful?” he asks, setting down a cup of coffee on your desk.

You don't pick it up. “The sales and production records and aren't very enlightening. Unless you're hiding something from us, our mystery ship was not produced on Mars.”

>Could you make a copy of these lists for us? We'd like our colleagues to look them over.
>We'd like to speak to the head of research, immediately. Tell him to clear his schedule if need be.
>Where is the CEO's office? We have something to inform him of.
>Tell us, what do you know about paint?
>Other?

>>Could you make a copy of these lists for us? We'd like our colleagues to look them over.
>>We'd like to speak to the head of research, immediately. Tell him to clear his schedule if need be.
Can we squeeze in both of these, King?

>We'd like to speak to the head of research, immediately. Tell him to clear his schedule if need be.

I wonder if the one that got this tech into working condition got influenced in the same way as Dom and Doctor Jay.

>>Could you make a copy of these lists for us? We'd like our colleagues to look them over.
>>We'd like to speak to the head of research, immediately. Tell him to clear his schedule if need be.

>writing
Man... shit's going kinda slow today. I mean even by our standards.

Well, we are investigating. That would warrant some slowness.

BTW, is this the same firm that have those soldiers in the bar in its payroll?

“Have someone make a copy of these records for us,” you order calmly. “We want our colleagues to run a more thorough investigation.”

“You... do realize you're asking us to disclose quite a bit of confidential information?” Alexander asks, seemingly more annoyed at your demand than anything else.

“We are,” you confirm, before reminding him what Mineva had promised you. “Full access, remember?”

“Very well then,” he sighs dramatically. “You're not going to make this easy, are you?”

“That's not what we're here for,” you observe, standing and pushing your chair in. The cup of coffee remains on the desk. “Now that we've established that, we'd like to meet with your head of research. Immediately.”

“He has...”

“Something better to do than assist an official external investigation?”

The man visibly stiffens, pausing mid-sentence. “When you put it that way... I'll make the call.”

Several minutes later you're being lead down a hallway to another office: this one much more comfortably-appointed. Inside is an irate older man, wearing a labcoat over a shirt and tie.

“What's all this about, Alexander?” he protests. “I had a meeting with my secretary this afternoon I had to cancel because... why is there a pirate woman with a gun standing behind you?”

“Captain Carrina Marseille O'Hara, Colony Transit Fleet,” Alexander begins with a casual wave of his hand, “this is Doctor Marchs, head of research. The Captain's here by request of the Queen?”

“To what end?” the doctor asks cautiously, anger for the moment suppressed.

“Investigating a vessel our team discovered in deep space, way off course,” you explain, choosing to omit the exact details that brought you here.
>1/2

“And what makes you think anyone here can tell you anything about it?” Doctor Marchs presses.

>Because it had an unusual camouflage scheme. Never seen anything quite like it.
>Are you familiar with the concept of “Smart Paint”?
>Because an experimental finish designed here ended up on the hull of that ship... AND on the armor of those rebel mobile suits we trashed earlier. Care to explain?
>Other?

>>Because an experimental finish designed here ended up on the hull of that ship... AND on the armor of those rebel mobile suits we trashed earlier. Care to explain?

>Because it had an unusual camouflage scheme. Never seen anything quite like it.
>Other?
"No known records of either ship or the materials for it, afterall."

Play dumb to get an extent of what he would know.

This

yeah, this'll do, I suppose

>writing

“That ship had an unusual defensive measure,” you explain, continuing to speak as if you didn't know that the measure in question was designed here, possibly in this very building. “Its hull was jet black, polished to a mirror sheen. Radar-absorbent too from what we could tell. Completely abandoned, all their records seemingly wiped, escape pods and pressure suits still in place.”

“They didn't use their escape pods?” the Doctor muses, seemingly disturbed at the implication and probably imagining an entire crew committing suicide by exposing themselves to space. “Yeesh. No wonder it piqued your curiosity.”

“We wouldn't have developed anything like that,” he lies, putting on what probably passes for his poker face. “After all Mars is a signatory to the same accords Luna and the Republic of Zeon are. We've abandoned the development of military stealth hardware. Had the Royal Dockyards willingly attempted to develop such a technology we could lose our government contracts.”

“It wouldn't be worth it.”

To be fair, that is probably the exact reason the project was shelved: any technology that could lose those vital military contracts wouldn't be worth developing beyond proof of concept for precisely those reasons, and the technical process itself was too versatile not to protect by patent. So they've been sitting on the patent, waiting either for a new potential application for it or the relaxation of anti-stealth tech laws.

“I hope our records can give you some hint,” he concludes, shaking his head. “But really, I don't think there's anything I can do.”

>Call him out.
>Don't call him out. Let the issue sit, for now.
>Don't call him outf, but inform Mineva of what you've found.
>Other?

>>Call him out.

>>Call him out.

Is it time for newtype shenanigans?

>>Call him out.

>Other?
"Know any other experts capable of developing this tech?"

>Call him out if his bullshit meter spikes.

they made a whole fucking board for you shits get the fuck off already

>writing

So I guess we should come up with an escape plan in the likely chance the entire staff is in the loop and would attempt to bury evidence. And witnesses.

Does ALICE have an access point to the building security?

“Smart Paint,” you comment, as if purely an off-hand remark.

The doctor freezes. “What did you just say?”

“Smart Paint,” you repeat. “Patented by this company, wasn't it?”

“I... believe there was a patent under that name, yes,” he admits rather uncomfortably.

“It's not something you seem keen to advertise,” you continue, eye locking with his in an intense glare. “In fact we don't think we've seen it in use... except for two occasions. A version that reflected visual light but absorbed radio emissions, perfect for camouflaging a ship in deep space, and a version that flaked off while moving under high temperature.”

“We'd normally give you three guesses as to where and when, but we think everyone present knows the answer to that.”

“Are you meaning to imply that a product that never made it out of our labs has somehow ended up on the battlefield not once... but twice?” Doctor Marchs glares sternly at you. You don't sense any sort of deception here, but instead he seems legitimately offended. “Preposterous.”

“Is it though?” you press. “Three mobile suits we destroyed earlier today in combat with the Chryse rebels left a series of afterimages when they moved. Our short-range sensors registered them as solid objects. The ghost ship we found was covered in some sort of advanced metal coating: it's purely speculative at this point, but we could go back and cut away a section of hull to have it analyzed.”

“That is, if you require further proof.”

Alexander seems extremely nervous at the direction this conversation is taking, and even the doctor seems to be at a bit of a loss. You're coming across as much better-informed than they were probably told.

>We think it's about time we spoke to the CEO. Don't you agree?
>I'm sure Luna would be QUITE interested in a hull sample from our ghost.
>Level with us, off the records... is there a CHANCE your company supplied it legit?
>Other?

>>Level with us, off the records... is there a CHANCE your company supplied it legit?

>>Level with us, off the records... is there a CHANCE your company supplied it legit?

>Level with us, off the records... is there a CHANCE your company supplied it legit?

If so, they could still have a chance to salvage their rep. If not, they really need better security measures on that kind of tech.

>also, writing

“So at this point, maybe you wanna just level with us,” you suggest quietly. “Off the records... is there any chance at all that details about this technology might have left this company with the approval of your superiors?”

The duo exchange a worried glance, before the doctor offers a reply. “I can't say for sure that there isn't a chance. Which isn't to say I think it happened that way... it's just corporate doesn't really tell us much.”

“That's kind of what we figured,” you nod in understanding. “Anaheim, Zeonic, Zimmad... they all worked the same way.”

“You worked for Zimmad?” the doctor asks nervously. “Really?”

“For a time,” you explain. “You're in the business of developing military technology. Sooner or later you had to know you'd run across a Pandora's box of some sort, and from there it's up to your company execs whether you open it or not, and who you share the contents with.”

“Man, this is fucked,” Alexander mutters, any pretense of composure mostly abandoned. “This is so fucked... either we had a leak somewhere or our bosses upstairs sold this shit to terrorists? F-u-c-k-e-d.”

“So what do you intend to do with this information?” Doctor Marchs sighs. “If you can figure it out so easily without even waiting for the results of the military investigation, I can't imagine that this will remain a secret for very long.”

“Worst product demo in history,” Alexander groans. “There goes MY job.”

>We'll be sharing the information with the Queen, but advising her to keep a lid on it for now.
>We'll inform Lady Mineva, and suggest she mention it to Zeon and Luna through diplomatic channels.
>Mineva should know, but we're sure this can be dealt with through back-channels. It'll just take some dealing and favors to smooth out.
>We're leaving it up to fate. Not our political mess.

OR...
>Do one of the above, but lie. Tell them you're keeping quiet for now.

>We'll inform Lady Mineva, and suggest she mention it to Zeon and Luna through diplomatic channels.

>>We'll inform Lady Mineva, and suggest she mention it to Zeon and Luna through diplomatic channels.

>>We'll inform Lady Mineva, and suggest she mention it to Zeon and Luna through diplomatic channels.
"Honestly, they used Nuclear weapons with apparent outside backing. That's going to scare the crap out of anyone remotely sane."

>writing
>getting close to calling it a night

Makes sense. A stealth ship full of nukes and advanced mobile suits.

All it would need are Newtypes plus Psychoframe capabilities, and it could strike anywhere, anytime. Dunno if that would be the end-game angle.

Speaking of ships built in secret, Haman had something like this in the works that just didn't pan out, right?

She did, at one point. Some aspects of its intended design have become more common (at least on high-end vessels), such as the laser PD turret configuration, diamagnetic "gravity" generators, and holographic projectors.

“We can't in good conscience do anything but inform Lady Mineva, and advise her to go through regular diplomatic channels,” you admit, knowing full well that the potential backlash could jeopardize both these men's livelihoods. “This went beyond an internal security issue the minute illicit technology ended up in the hands of nuclear-armed terrorists.”

“That was not what we designed it for,” the doctor insists, almost as if to convince himself.

“That's not how the other powers in this system are going to see it,” you remind him carefully, “and you know it. Either it IS the same group, and they got hold of the stealth tech as well as the afterimage coatings they used today, or two separate groups obtained the technology independently. Which was the case, and whether it occurred with the knowledge of your company or without, will have to be determined separately.”

“We will make our reports and opinions available for Mineva's brief, to be shared as she sees fit. But many of our allies in the Republic and on Luna have died or gone missing since the end of the war, so we're afraid that's all that can be done.”
>1/2

“I see,” Doctor Marchs nods solemnly. “I'll inform my senior colleagues, so that there won't be a panic.”

“Your outgoing flight was scheduled soon,” Alexander recalls aloud, recovering something of his previous composure. “I'll show you out, unless our company has any other dirty laundry you'd like to air?”

You shake your head. “For now, it seems we've finished here.”

In the end you leave the Mars Royal Dockyard company in much the same manner as you arrived: caught in a massive downdraft, with more questions in your head than answers. You recount everything you've learned to Rossweisse en route to the Sericea's assigned berth, and you hear her sigh over the satellite phone.

“Sounds like we need to visit Luna.”

You nod quietly, staring out the window at the barely-inhabitable Martian terrain as it rolls by in the dusk. “Seems so. You fire up the engines, we'll report to Lady Mineva when we arrive.”

And that's where I have to leave off for the weekend. Thanks to those of you who turned out, and hope you enjoyed despite the general slowness. Things should pick back up next time, including with the plot pacing: it was always going to be a bit slow through this session.

Archive is up for your reading pleasure on sup/tg/, and hope to see you next time. I'll hang around to answer questions.

No questions, boss. Thanks for running. Have a nice afternoon/evening/night whichever.

I suppose this could mean whichever group is organizing this would start rushing their timetable, if what we found is gonna get aired out.

The fate of the ship's crew is still bugging me though. At this point, their survival is up in limbo.

Anyway, thanks for the thread!

Sure thing. That's really what does it for me, you know: just a simple "thanks" from a reader or two.

As for the ship's crew, all will be revealed in due course.

Thx for running King