Chapter 3 - The Depths of Madness

General Summary

An Orgotek-aligned telepath scanned Doctor Jerzy Grabowski's mind but couldn't find any information about who was behind the Huang-Marr Conspiracy. Grabowski was taking orders from an OpNet construct called 'Tabbris' that appeared as an angelic figure. Research data was sent from the Beaulac Clinic to Tabbris; the last data packet containing information about the Cantor Crater incident was also sent. One lead identified Linwa Telecom as a company of interest. Based in the Boltzman Crater, Linwa Telecom manufactured carbon nanotubes for the telecommunications industry and other industry applications. The Crater also used a large maglev system to 'fire' capsules of ore into the air, where they could be collected by drones and passing freighters.   The Boltzman Crater was a large mining district that also offered rent to various religious groups to 'preserve their way of life' after the Aberrant War. Habitations were built into lava tubes, making structures easily built and maintained. Aeon had contacted the 'government' of the Crater, the Boltzman Security Consortium (BSC) about approaching Linwa Telecom. BSC offered to assist, but only if Aeon could help investigate a set of gruesome murders possibly linked to Aberrant activity. Given that some of the Crater's habitations were based around religions derived from Aberrant cults, BSC wanted the matter resolved discretely and to protect their tenant's interests.   The agents arrived at Domelen, the Crater's main space port, and were escorted through a crowd of enthused religious proselytisers by their BSC contact, Dorothea Taggart towards a connect maglev train car.   Desiree noted that a young woman in the crowd was an untapped Talent, and quickly singled her out, offering her a role at her planned hospital project. The girl, Tabitha Shears, was excited about accompanying the group, but she was only allowed to leave her family when chaperoned by her Aunt Grady.   At BSC HQ, Dorthea's boss, Jacobus, explained that five young people had been founded murdered in a disused part of the old complex Boltzman Residential 2. BR2 was partially occupied, but its lower levels were abandoned. The agents investigated the bodies and murder scene, determining that an Aberrant had violently decapitated the five people in a short space of time, while a second person had attempted to stage the scene by carving occult symbols on the body, and then sending around an email around the Boltzman comms network making the action attempting to sound like the work of a crazed killer. Andromeda and Xzen investigated the tunnels below BR2. A shaped explosive sent a rock fall on top of them, but the two psions easily evaded the rockfall and moved beyond it to the other side. Climbing out of the tunnels, the group found themselves in the foyer of Linwa Telecom! Meanwhile, Laurence had been conducting investigations using the Boltzman email system, discovering many residents used the data packets to hide messages to each other. Of interest, the five dead people had been part of a disenfranchised group of residents who felt constrained by their religious parents and isolated from the rest of humanity. While some simple engaged in discussions, others participated in illegal media-sharing (including the smash hit TV series 'Ramsay Beach') but were also planning terrorist activities as part of a new generation of the disbanded terrorist group, the Lunar Rational Front. Five of them had agreed to meet in BR2, but had become murdered in the horrific incident.   Returning to BSC HQ, the group coordinated their information.   Desiree and Rickard planned a 'surprise' visit to Linwa Telecom, while Laurence, Xzen and Andromeda investigated the base of the facility. Desiree bluffed her way into speaking with the CEO, who mistook Desiree's air of authority has being someone from 'the Project'. The CEO explained that his role since a corporate buy-out a few years ago was to accomodate the wishes of their corporate owners, who had also installed a large, sealed off laboratory in Linwa's sublevels. The main go-between the lab and the rest of Linwa Telecom was Security Chief Feldman. The CEO was unsure of what was happening with the Project, given that Bealac Clinic had recently wound down operations. They had been instructed to wait for 'Option 8'. Then, without warning, gunshots and screams came over the intercom - a group of black-clad assassin were moving through the office, killing all employees and destroying data. Desiree found a convenient panic room near the board room, and took shelter with the corporate heads of Linwa Telecom and Rickard.   In the basement sublevels, Andromeda, Laurence and Xzen located the sealed off laboratory, which Andromeda could sense as a large toroid shape - likely a particle accelerator. Andromeda pulled the doors off the laboratory and two scientists came out - one of them as a large, mantis-like humanoid - an Aberrant! Just as the Aberrant tried to talk, Option 8 soldiers burst into the laboratory area, firing. While the agents dealt with theme efficiently, the Aberrant and his human accomplice fled, chased by Option 8 agents.   Aeon and BSC troops secured the crater, but could find no trace of where the Aberrant had fled to. The Aberrant was also wanted for his potential role in the murder of the 'BR2 Five'. It was thought that he may have hidden in the ore buckets shot into space for collection from a passing drone. Later investigations found that if this was the case, the Aberrant and any accomplices would already be on their way to Mars. Meanwhile, Aeon troops located Security Chief Feldman and brought him in for questioning. The CEO and corporate leaders of Linwa Telecom were overlooked, given Desiree's account of their involvement in the Huang-Marr Project.

Rewards Granted

3 XP