The Core: Invasive Species

General Summary

003-1105: The Travellers arrive on Sirma in the Perite subsector of Core. The Travellers have been hired by Arvinen Elios Okhotnikov – the ducal heir of the powerful Alekvadin system – to crew the Superb Starling, a Type-K safari ship that is docked at Sirma Downport. They make contact first with the noble's chamberlain Ivy Golba, and them meet the ship's steward Rill Dunknever. Ivy Informs them that they will be paid the standard monthly Salary rate, and a 350K Cr Bonus. Ulrikka is appaled by the bonus and successfully negotiates for more. Ivy settles on a bonus of 390K Cr. Ivy and Rill give them a tour of the ship, and it is beautiful. It looks like a hunting lodge. But Albrecht sees the cracks. He notes the ship has not been maintained. He comments on how he would like the ship to be in maintenance before they take it to flight but Ivy informs him the Duke insists the maintenance be done at a class A starport. Albrecht informs Ivy of all the problems and dangers and insists it is done here. He will oversee the maintenance himself. The crew agrees they will not fly an unmaintained ship. Ivy capitulates and the maintenance takes 3 days.

007-015-022-1105: Jump to Asmi and spend a day refueling. Jump to Akussanja. When they land in the Downport, at 3pm Ivy goes to get the Ducal heir. She returns with the Ducal Heir.

Introductions are made and all travellers pay proper reverence. He inspects the ship for an hour. At 4:30 PM he inspects the logs. Initially he looks irritated by the maintenance being done at a class C starport but Albrecht convinces him it was the right call. The Ducal Heir seems pleased though he is still insisting the Travellers made the wrong call. That evening they are given an allowance to buy all the cold weather and survival gear they need up too Cr6000. Those with HEV Suits will use them, but the Ducal heair is still giving them the allowance. They go out to an exclusive restaurant in the Star City and then turn in for the night. 023-1105: The Scouts and SuSag give them permission to land the ship directly in the hunting area. They land and gear up. They set out to the first den as Zorphani navigates to the site. It takes 3 hours they reach the first set of Dens at 9 am Local. One of the Dens has a Shakuurzarpi. Cedric Dutton sneaks up on it and catches it with a net. Cedric and Zorphani than place it in a Folding cage. Cedric suggests they should try to find at least one more. Zorphani gets caught in a squall and they go way off course. When he realizes this he realizes they wasted 3 hours. 12 pm. While travelling Albrecht goes Missing. It is only minor though as Cedric Finds him in 10 minutes. It takes 3 hours to find the next den. The Travellers run into Dunkha Gunkii, host of the popular Vilani hunting and cooking show, Shugilii Shimiirkhuki, along with his film crew. Gunkii is a competitor for the shakuurzarpi, which he is featuring on an upcoming show. Gunkii might turn up more than once during the expedition, establishing an annoying repeat presence. Again Cedric sneaks up on it and manages to net it. They put in another Folding cage. They get back to the ship at 9 PM. Lara leads the effort to secure the animals. She works late into the night as she does not finish until: 024-1105: 3 am: Finish the Environmental Capture Tank set up. Albrecht Sets Life Support. After an hour, Laura checks it again but sees the animals are not doing well. She restarts the process. 4:20 am: it takes 5 hours to set the tanks again. Albrecht sets the Life support perfectly 5: 40 am. They are ready to go. Cedric and Albrecht prepare the J drive and they Jump. 7 am Jump. During the Jump Okhotnikov insists they stop for maintenance. He wants the maintenance done at an A or B star port but Ulrikka convinces him the C Port at Uuruun Kuu Highport can get the job done. He agrees but complains incessently about the staff at UUrun Kuu. The last Jump Goes well but is grating for the travellers due to Okhotnikov's incessive complaints about the maintenance. 031-1105 at 7:12 am they arrive at Uurun Kuu. Maintenance takes 8 hours. 17:12 they Jump with the okhotnikov's complaints in their ear. 037-1105: Arrive at Tinea-Fabre. 8:24 PM. There introductions to the staff are made, and Okhotnikov sets them up to be trained with riding. They leave the animals overnight and wake in the morning. 038-1105: 5:30 am: First though they must integrate the animals, and Argo, Albrecht, and Laura go along with Ranger Cerny who takes the lead.

Cerny has ideas about adjusting the Environmental Zoological tanks for insertion of the animals but Albrecht has a better alternative and so Cerny defers to him. They are successful. 039-1105: The riding training takes 2 weeks, and Cedric Dutton assisted Cerny with training. When not training they are getting to know the planet and the 50 staff members of Both the Gisidi Rangers and he Knights Errant. 054-1105: 5am Hunting Day. The Ducal Heir introduces them to Paleo-hunting. Hunting like they did before advanced technology. The only advanced tech they will have is the rifle and field garb. Laura Objects and insists on bringing her medical equiptment. She debates with him and eventually the Ducal Heir concedes that due to its medical nature it will be allowed. (Opposed Admin) 6 am: at sight. Cedric Picks up the trail immediately. See Map for details. 061-1105: Tragedy occurs! A Knight Errant Patrol crashes. Nobody survives and it is all due to the erratic behavior of the crickets. See Gauntlet Map. At night time the horses then stampede. Laura and Argo take Major wounds which are healed but still need to be looked after. Cerys is Severely wounded but mostly healed. The Ducal Heir though needs surgery. He ordered no comms, so Cedric and Albrecht Trek to the patrol vehicle to see if there is any comm salvageable. 062-1105: Albrecht and Cedric. Get attacked by a shakuurzarpi. Cedric Tranqs it for study. They reach the crash site, and Albrecht finds a salvagable comm. In 1 hour he rebuilds it. Calls for aid. By evening time the Superb Starling retrieves them. Laura prepares the environmental chamber (5 hours) and Albrecht starts the life support. They go back to the base to get the Duke the Medical attention he needs. Laura and Cedric try to prove their Hypothesis about the shakuurzarpi correct. 063-1105: Following Day Laura insists on treating the Duke. The surgery is an excellent success. 064-1105: The Ducal Heir is back to full health but needs to recuperate for 6 days due to severe wounds. Within this time Laura and Cedric study the Shakuurzapi. They discover after studying the Horses, Crickets, and Grey cats:

All of the animals whose behaviours were affected experienced something that altered their stimultion centres. A study of their brains might reveal they have been motivated to perform actions out of the norm. A study of the shakuurzarpi itself reveals that although it has only animal intelligence, its brain does possess two hemispheres and the pathways between the two are highly developed, a feature commonly seen in psionically talented sophonts and animals. Laura's Hypothesis is supported 070-1105: The travellers go hunt the last Shakuurzarpi. Cedric wants to see how their dens look compared to their home planet. The Duke still won't allow communication devices. This annoys the party but they capituate because the money is good. This time they are going on foot. 092-1105: At 11pm they arrive back at the Starport Town.

093-1105: Laura and Cedric collaborate on their report further: The shakuurzarpi have managed to intrude upon the dens of Gisidi envelopers, a species imported to Tinea-Fabre and thought to have died out. One or more of the female shakuurzarpi in the group attempted to use telempathy to get the envelopers to care for their eggs. The attempt did not succeed and the envelopers consumed the eggs instead. Apparently, the evolutionary conditions that enabled the shakuurzarpi to be brood parasites on Akussanja have less predictable results when used on alien animals. Frustrated by the failed attempt, the shakuurzarpi used their telempathy to cast the reclusive envelopers out of their own dens.