Proteus
The Proteus, also known by its identification code AZB2/H002255/SC-01, was an Anaconda that was used as a secondary exploration craft for the Hesperus, a megaship owned and operated by Azimuth Biochemicals in the early 32nd century. The Proteus had an approximate travel range of 300 light years. When the Hesperus was hijacked by Pharmasapien sleeper agents on July 12, 3113, a small number of Azimuth personnel led by Lieutenant Hugo Kelemen avoided capture long enough to escape aboard the Proteus and continue the Hesperus's expedition.
The ship traveled to Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2, where it discovered Guardian ruins and structure sites, and a cluster of downed Thargoid vessels, the remains of an ancient battle in the Guardian-Thargoid War. The Azimuth scientists and Lieutenant Kelemen converted the Proteus into a makeshift research facility to study the alien technology while they awaited an unlikely rescue, but a disastrous experiment involving a Guardian artefact unleashed a surge of radiation that killed everyone on September 26, 3113. The derelict Proteus was found centuries later on June 11, 3307, after an individual who called himself Salvation asked independent pilots to follow the Hesperus's trail of signal beacons.
Logs
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 1/2 | Proteus Log 1 Timestamp: 21/09/3113 18:25 This is Lieutenant Hugo Kelemen. I was deputy security chief aboard the Hesperus, working for Azimuth Biochemicals. I've decided to resume my reports, even though the chances of us being rescued seem to be shrinking each day. After Pharmasapien's sleeper agents took control, I managed to get some of the science team off-ship using the Proteus. For the record, Private Adriana Velasco performed her duties exceptionally, and her family should be informed of her bravery. We only escaped thanks to her. I just hope she found her own way home. I wanted to set course for an inhabited system, but Dr Farrell insisted on investigating readings sent back by one of Azimuth's deep-space probes. She believed that Pharmasapien would focus on all the probes they'd sent to the California Nebula, but that we might find something interesting in the opposite direction. Well... she was dead right about that. There's no doubt that the structures on this moon weren't built by humans. Those strange arches and monoliths are over a million years old, according to molecular scans. Ackermann, the xenoarchaeologist, said it felt like he was walking through the ruined temples of forgotten gods. I just felt like a trespasser. We've also found even stranger things, half-buried in the ground as if fallen from the sky. But they look more like starfish than starships... the sort of deep-sea creatures you find on ocean floors. What the hell flew around in those? Farrell thinks we're looking at an ancient battleground. The structures and the starfish-things are nothing alike, suggesting totally different species. Two intelligent races on the same world - incredible! Both far more technologically advanced than us, but not so advanced they didn't try to kill each other. This is exactly what Azimuth has been looking for, although I doubt they ever expected a discovery like this. I'm more concerned about surviving long enough to tell them about it. We've been here for two months now, living off recycled air, food and water. The scientists have turned the Proteus into a research facility, and all I can do is keep out of their way while they analyse their findings and test samples. They've almost forgotten that we barely escaped mass slaughter. I spend a lot of time monitoring the sensors. If those Pharmasapien mercenaries find us, we won't stand a chance. But I can't understand why Azimuth hasn't sent out rescue parties. Unless... the sleeper agents sabotaged our beacons before they were dropped? Did they pre-program them to stop transmitting? If they did, then nobody knows we're here. We're alone. Just us and the ghosts of the gods. |
| 2/2 | Proteus Log 2 Timestamp: 26/09/3113 04:04 This is... this is Kelemen. I've just given myself the last of the stimulants. That should... should keep me going long enough to record this. To tell Azimuth. How we died. Three days ago, I went with the survey team to the structures. Ackermann and Zhou had brought something to life. I saw this pillar rise up from the ground with a large crystal inside it, blazing a brilliant light. After a million years, their machinery was still functioning! They fired up some kind of high-energy particle accelerator, which shocked the crystal from its moorings. This didn't feel like archaeology to me - more like grave robbing. I should have known there'd be defences, but the hovering drone caught us by surprise. It vaporised Ackermann along with three others. I managed to destroy it eventually, but there were more of them gliding around the structures, and we got out fast. I offered to take the crystal back, thinking the drones might come looking for it, but Dr Farrell already had her experiments ready to go. Weapons experiments. She told me that was always the priority for both the Adamastor and the Hesperus. Locate non-human technology that could be developed for the military market. Azimuth wants to be the first corporation selling alien weaponry, which will make them bigger than Sirius. That's all they care about... that's who I've been working for all these years. No better than Pharmasapien after all. A few hours ago, I was woken up by this intense blue flash - it seemed to come from everywhere. I thought we were under attack. Then Farrell came stumbling out of her lab, her clothes and body burned black, and dropped dead. The others started collapsing within the hour. I think there was some kind of radiation surge from the crystal we stole. I tried to get the ship's drive online again, but... too weak. Can hardly stand now. Pain in every muscle, vision is blurred. My skin is... like everyone else's. God knows what experiments Farrell was running, but... now there's three... three dead races on this moon. We shouldn't... be here. Humans... don't belong. If Azimuth finds us... Please... don't find us... |
Timeline
24 JUN 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
Aegis Research and Taurus Mining Ventures have requested deliveries of Guardian artefacts to the PMD2009 48 system. Their rival campaigns follow the discovery of an ancient battleground between the Guardians and the Thargoids on Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 1a. Patience Middleton, representing Taurus Mining Ventures, broadcast this statement: "'Salvation' has claimed the exclusive rights to exploit the Proteus site, which was only discovered because of his specialist knowledge. He has contracted us to pay for Guardian caskets, orbs, relics, tablets, totems and urns brought to the Glorious Prospect megaship." Aegis Research has also positioned a megaship, the Archimedes, in the PMD2009 48 system. Professor Alba Tesreau announced: "It is vital that Aegis replaces the Guardian artefacts that were lost aboard the Alexandria. Without sufficient materials, our anti-xeno research programme will be severely hampered. We recognise the risk that collecting Guardian technology on a megaship may attract the Thargoids, as happened in the Delphi system. However, this system is much farther from any known areas of Thargoid activity, so we hope to avoid drawing their attention." The Alliance, Empire and Federation consider depriving Aegis of resources to be a criminal act. As a result, pilots are warned that any ship modules received from Taurus Mining Ventures will be marked as 'hot', thereby incurring extra costs to be cleaned prior to installation.[1]
18 JUN 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
An Anaconda from the Hesperus megaship has been found at a historical battlefield on the moon Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 1a. The discovery was made by pilots who tracked down a series of signal beacons, following instructions provided by the anonymous 'Salvation'. The beacons were deployed by the Hesperus during its voyage nearly 200 years ago. The Anaconda, named Proteus, was one of the megaship's secondary vessels and had been outfitted for long-range exploration. It was used by an Azimuth Biochemicals science team to flee the Hesperus after the megaship was overtaken by saboteurs from rival company Pharmasapien. Upon landing, the Proteus was converted into a research facility to study the ancient structures and wreckage on the moon. The proximity of both Guardian and Thargoid technology suggests this was the site of a battle fought by the two civilisations over a million years ago, although in 3113 neither species had yet been identified. Professor Alba Tesreau of Aegis Research gave this statement: "This is a significant xenoarchaeological find – physical evidence of the war between the Guardians and the Thargoids. Our advance teams are conducting preliminary surveys, and a megaship is being prepared. Following the Alexandria's tragic disappearance, we hope this may serve as a fresh source of Guardian artefacts for our anti-xeno research programme."[2]
11 JUN 3307
- *Pilots Federation ALERT*
Commanders in the Chukchan and Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 systems have reported being contacted by 'Salvation'. The anonymous individual is known to have an interest in the Adamastor and the Hesperus, the 'ghost ships' within those systems. Both of the derelict megaships were operated 200 years ago by Azimuth Biochemicals. Commander Tyler Thorsen told Vox Galactica: "I was taking some sightseers on a trip round the Hesperus, and getting as close as I dared to the Scriveners Clan dredger. I scanned the tourist beacon for them, and suddenly received a direct message from this 'Salvation' guy. He asked me to track down some old signal beacons, which are listening posts configured to retransmit long-range comms. Apparently these could help locate the survivors from the megaship. But the Hesperus is ancient history. Surely there can't be anything or anyone left to find?" In April, 'Salvation' unofficially recruited independent pilots to locate the Hesperus, and to deliver its surviving logs to Taurus Mining Ventures. The Pilots Federation is running an inquiry into 'Salvation' and his associates. Commanders are being cautioned against undertaking tasks for what may be an illegal enterprise.[3]
Gallery
Proteus in shadow
Another view of the Proteus
