# Copyright (c) 2019 by Tommaso Becca
#
# Endless Sky is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
# terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
# Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
#
# Endless Sky is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
# WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
# PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
# this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

mission "Graveyard Label"
	landing
	invisible
	non-blocking
	source
		attributes ka'het
	on offer
		event "graveyard label"
		fail

event "graveyard label"
	galaxy "label graveyard"
		sprite label/graveyard

mission "Disabled Ka'het"
	boarding
	invisible
	source
		government "Ka'het" "Ka'het (Infighting)"
	destination "Earth"
	on offer
		conversation
			branch "boarded aberrant"
				has "Disabled Aberrant: offered"
			action
				log `Successfully boarded a Ka'het. It appears to be a single, ship-sized organism that can travel in space using a special exoskeleton.`
			`Your ship slowly approaches the <origin>, now floating lifeless near you. As you move closer, you spot a massive hole in the hull of the ship, revealing what appears to be a large, slug-like being. While most of the ship's machinery doesn't seem to have received heavy damage, weapons fire must have hit the slug's vital organs, killing it, after which point the ship seems to have stopped working.`
			`	You have no troubles docking with what seems to be its "exoskeleton," trying to decide what to do next. While the Ka'het is too different from a normal ship for you to command it, it's safe to say that you can now loot its outfits.`
				decline
			label "boarded aberrant"
			action
				log "Successfully boarded a Ka'het. Like the Aberrant, it appears to be a single, ship-sized organism that can travel in space using a special exoskeleton, but does not seem to induce the same ominous feeling."
			`Your ship slowly approaches the <origin>, now floating lifelessly near you. As you move closer, you spot a massive hole in the hull of the ship, revealing what appears to be a large, slug-like being, very similar to what you found inside the Aberrant. While most of the ship's machinery doesn't seem to have received heavy damage, weapons fire must have hit the slug's vital organs, killing it, after which point the ship seems to have stopped working. Unlike with the Aberrant, you feel no strange presence or ominous feelings as you approach - it is merely a dead animal.`
			`	You have no troubles docking with its "exoskeleton," trying to decide what to do next. While the Ka'het is too different from a normal ship for you to command it, it's safe to say that you can now loot its outfits.`

conversation "ka'het: remnant"
	`Do you want to ask the Remnant about the section of space south of the Ember Wastes, the Graveyard, and its inhabitants?`
	choice
		`	(Yes.)`
		`	(Not now.)`
			defer
	branch taely
		has "remnant met taely"
	`	You ask around more than a dozen people, but none of them seems to be aware of what you're talking about. Either the information is too confidential to be given to a stranger like you, or you didn't ask the right people.`
		decline
	label taely
	`	You ask around more than a dozen people, but none of them seems to be aware of what you're talking about. Perhaps you might have more luck asking Taely on Viminal.`
		decline

mission "First Contact: Ka'het: Remnant 1A"
	landing
	invisible
	source
		government "Remnant"
		not planet "Viminal"
	to offer
		or
			has "Graveyard Label: offered"
			has "ringworld debris"
			has "Ringworld Debris: Quarg: offered"
		has "remnant: blood test pure"
		not "First Contact: Ka'het: Remnant 1B: offered"
	on offer
		conversation "ka'het: remnant"

mission "First Contact: Ka'het: Remnant 2A"
	landing
	invisible
	source "Viminal"
	to offer
		or
			has "Graveyard Label: offered"
			has "ringworld debris"
			has "Ringworld Debris: Quarg: offered"
		has "remnant: blood test pure"
		not "remnant met taely"
		not "First Contact: Ka'het: Remnant 1B: offered"
	on offer
		conversation "ka'het: remnant"

mission "First Contact: Ka'het: Remnant 1B"
	landing
	invisible
	source "Viminal"
	to offer
		or
			has "Graveyard Label: offered"
			has "ringworld debris"
			has "Ringworld Debris: Quarg: offered"
		has "remnant met taely"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Do you want to ask Taely about the section of space south of the Ember Wastes, the Graveyard, and its inhabitants?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(Not now.)`
					defer
			`	You find Taely inside one of the outer hangars of the shipyard, apparently teaching a small group of people how to make basic repairs on an Albatross. You sit on a bench waiting for her to finish her lesson, after which she walks over to you. "Hello, <first>!" she says. "Is there something I can help you with?"`
			`	"I'm here because I need to ask you a few questions," you reply.`
			`	As she sits near you, you start explaining to her the area you reached, including the weird alien ships that attacked you with weapons similar to the ones the Remnant possess, although this doesn't seem to be news for her. "We know of the existence of the Ka'het, the aliens you encountered, since we first reached the Ember Wastes. We found many of their shells within our planets, crashed there thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of years before our arrival, but some of their outfits survived long enough for us to reverse engineer these advanced technologies."`
			`	"Then," she continues, "a few hundred years ago, a scout fleet arrived in a system where some Ka'het were still alive. They attacked our fleet instantly with EMP Torpedoes that quickly disabled two Starlings. The Starlings couldn't recover quickly enough to survive, and the only remaining ship could do nothing but flee as soon as possible."`
			choice
				`	"Which technology did you recover from the crashed Ka'het?"`
					goto tech
				`	"Wait, why did you call them 'shells' and not ships?"`
					goto shells
				`	"Have the Ka'het ever attacked the Remnant planets?"`
			`	"Actually, we never met any living Ka'het in the Ember Waste at all. The shells we found had similar capabilities to the quantum keystone, meaning they could pass through the wormholes, so we don't know for sure why they remained in the Graveyard. Perhaps they aren't aware of their skills, or maybe they lost them over time."`
			choice
				`	"Wait, why did you call them 'shells' and not ships?"`
					goto shells
			label tech
			`	"Back then we found large numbers of their EMP Torpedoes, most of which were in nearly pristine condition; their internal mechanisms were also simple enough that we were able to reproduce them perfectly. We couldn't do the same with the other surviving systems in the shells, but their tech has been a source of inspiration for centuries."`
			choice
				`	"Wait, why did you call them 'shells' and not ships?"`
			label shells
			`	"You see, <first>," she says, "the Ka'het aren't normal spaceships. The debris we found were artificial exoskeletons, built around huge living beings; it's unlikely a species that big could have developed that sort of technology, so we presume someone must have created it for them. We call them the Builders.`
			`	"After we lost the first scout ships in the Graveyard, the prefects decided that we should continue to scout the region but take necessary precautions. Thanks to those protocols, some of which are still applied today, we were able to extensively explore most of the Graveyard and decipher a good amount of the written language we found. There is still much we have yet to discover."`
			`	You discuss the Graveyard with Taely for a while longer until one of the people she was talking to earlier comes closer and shows her something on a data pad. "I have to go now, Captain," she tells you. "Good luck."`
				decline
	on decline
		log `Asked Taely about the Graveyard and the Ka'het and learned of the Remnant's previous contacts between them.`
		log "Factions" "Ka'het" `The Ka'het are a species which live in the Graveyard, an area south of the Ember Waste. They are large lifeforms which can travel in space using artificial exoskeletons and will attack anyone on sight, even other Ka'het.`

mission "graveyard insights compatibility"
	landing
	invisible
	non-blocking
	to offer
		has "First Contact: Ka'het: Remnant 1B: offered"
	on offer
		event "graveyard insights"
		fail

event "graveyard insights"
	planet Alix
		add description `	Here the Ka'het attacks were limited to the inhabited settlements; had they also destroyed the mining bases and the unmanned vessels, Parii'het would have run out of supplies thousands of years ago.`
	planet Celeatis
		add description `	This planet appears to have been home to one of the largest Builder research centers, which focused on studying the anomaly in the system. Had they found out how to stabilize it and use it as a wormhole, perhaps their species would have survived and spread to the rest of the Ember Waste.`
	planet Ceilia'sei
		add description `	The main purpose of Ceilia'sei was to act as some sort of anti-missile platform, but when the Ka'het invaded a second time, the station had no way to defend against their deadly Ravager Beams, and the station's defense systems were subsequently lost forever.`
	planet Eavine
		add description `	This moon was also home for the second Ka'het wave, which, same as the first, refused to obey their creators. It had been terraformed to make it a more appealing place to live, but after their civilization collapsed the moon began to return to its natural state. When it reverted to its original sub-zero temperatures, the facilities stopped working, and the Ka'het production in this site came to an end.`
	planet "Letis'sei"
		add description `	As it was designed to be crewed as minimally as possible, only a tiny fraction of Letis'sei station was inhabitable. The rest of the station was instead dedicated to advanced computing and targeting systems, most of which are still intact today.`
	planet Osaeli
		add description `	For most of the intervening millennia between the Builders' achievement of spaceflight and their extinction, Osaeli was the de facto capital of the Builders, a key part of their economy and society. The first Het station was constructed orbiting this planet's star with the purpose of protecting them from any external threat.`
	planet Palarei
		add description `	Thanks to their earlier exploration efforts, this was where the Builders encountered the first lifeforms that evolved outside their home planet. While the climate was drastically different from that of the Builders' homeworld, the fruits the local flora produced were popular enough for Palarei to become a major farming planet.`
	planet Parii'het
		add description `	Parii'het was almost finished when the invasion broke out, and already capable of creating Ka'het. Thanks to the mining on Alix and the occasional asteroid mine operated by the Mar drones, most of the facilities are still fully operational to this day.`
	planet Retilie
		add description `	As it was mainly used for fishing, the settlements on this planet were never as advanced as the ones on nearby worlds, so when the Ka'het arrived, there was basically nothing to stop them: after a few attacks, the planet was uninhabited again.`
	planet Seli'het
		add description `	This was the only Het station the Builders ever completed, orbiting Giribea. As the young Ka'heta reach their "Age of Assembly," strange, lanky machines start molding an exoskeleton onto their bodies right away. As the Ka'heta grow, their exoskeleton is expanded and various outfits are added, transforming them into living weapons.`
	planet Siteria
		add description `	This was the Builder homeworld; both the place where their journey began and where it ended. After a dozen millennia of underpopulation, the Ka'het arrival forced them to withdraw from the planet entirely. As one of the few remaining planets capable of sustaining farming, this was their last stronghold, falling centuries after the invasion begun.`
	planet Veliante
		add description `	Soon after the beginning the invasion, an attack on some sort of advanced nuclear facility started a meltdown; the fallout quickly spread across most of the planet, leaving all Builder settlements uninhabitable.`

mission "Ringworld Debris"
	invisible
	entering
	source
		system "Queri"
	destination "Earth"
	on offer
		set "ringworld debris"
		conversation
			`When you enter this suspiciously empty system, your attention is drawn to your ship's scanners. The proximity detection system is going off, suggesting that something sizable is close to your ship, although whatever it is you can't see it as you look out your cockpit.`
			`	You turn your ship around and open the hatch of your cargo hold, catching the object. When you go to inspect it, you see a small, extremely dark piece of debris that almost looks to be covered in vantablack, but it doesn't resemble any alloy you've seen on a spaceship or station, bearing semblance to both a crystal and a metallic structure.`
			scene "scene/ringworld debris"
			`	In one particular corner you see that there is a small, barely recognizable tube, badly damaged but with a few intact wires creeping out. After tinkering a bit with the wires, you manage to connect the debris to your ship's secondary power systems. It barely uses any energy at all, but you can feel the air around it starting to get slightly colder.`
			`	You unplug it and store the debris in a separate part of your ship. Maybe some alien species could tell you about it, if you were to bring it to them.`
				decline

mission "Ringworld Debris: Remnant"
	minor
	landing
	invisible
	source
		government "Remnant"
	to offer
		has "ringworld debris"
		has "First Contact: Ka'het: Remnant 1B: offered"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Do you want to show the Remnant the piece of debris you found in the abandoned, empty system, and ask them what they know about it?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(Not now.)`
					defer
			`	A group of Remnant researchers quickly come to your ship when you mention you've found an odd piece of technology, but look disappointed and some even frown when they see the debris, as you explain the system you found it and how it reacted to being fed some energy.`
			`	"We've found many fragments like this one drifting in that system over the decades. It could maybe improve our cooling systems, but we could never begin to comprehend how it works," one of them says.`
			`	They say they don't know any more than you do about the object, but ask that you share with them any information on how it works, should you find out.`
				decline

mission "Ringworld Debris: Hai"
	minor
	landing
	invisible
	source
		government "Hai"
	to offer
		has "ringworld debris"
		has "First Contact: Hai: offered"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Do you want to show the Hai the piece of debris you found in the abandoned, empty system, and ask them what they know about it?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(Not now.)`
					defer
			`	You ask around for a bit, and eventually are lead to a workshop where some Hai engineers and shipwrights are gathered.`
			`	"Greetings, human friend! How may we help you?"`
			`	You show them the piece of debris, and they observe it for a bit, but after just a few minutes of handling it they conclude they don't have the necessary equipment to analyze it.`
			`	"Sorry, whatever it is that you've found, it is too advanced a technology for our systems," they say. You thank them for their time, and head back to your ship.`
				decline

mission "Ringworld Debris: Coalition"
	minor
	landing
	invisible
	source
		government "Coalition" "Heliarch"
	to offer
		has "ringworld debris"
		has "Coalition: First Contact: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Do you want to show the members of the Coalition the piece of debris you found in the abandoned, empty system, and ask them what they know about it?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(Not now.)`
					defer
			`	After asking around, you're directed to a large Heliarch building, where several of them are standing guard, weapons in hand, while others are performing maintenance on a chunk of hull plating. Judging by its size, it may be a warehouse for their weapons and outfits. "Of assistance how may we be, kind visitor?" One of the agents asks.`
			`	You show them the debris, and explain where you've found it. They are shocked when they see it, but don't attempt to perform any tests on it. "A piece of Quarg technology, this is!" they say, asking again for you to explain where exactly you found it, as they make sure to write it all down this time.`
			`	They then say that they have experience with technology they managed to steal from the Quarg during their war, and that the debris is the remnant of a somewhat common component of Quarg equipment. They also note that what you've found has deteriorated much compared to what they have acquired for themselves, and that it most likely can't even reach a fraction of its optimal cooling output.`
			`	You thank them for their time and the explanation, and head back to your ship.`
				decline

mission "Ringworld Debris: Quarg"
	minor
	landing
	invisible
	source
		attributes "human quarg" "hai quarg"
		attributes "ringworld"
	to offer
		has "ringworld debris"
		has "First Contact: Quarg: offered"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Do you want to show the Quarg the piece of debris you found in the abandoned, empty system, and ask them what they know about it?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(Not now.)`
					defer
			action
				clear "ringworld debris"
				log "Factions" "Builders" `The Builders inhabited the Graveyard millennia ago, but have since become extinct. They developed some sort of weapon, called the "Ka'het," which stopped obeying their orders and rebelled against them.`
				log "Factions" "Ka'het" `According to the Quarg, the Ka'het were initially a weapon created by the Builders, which then rebelled and led them to extinction. Even in the millennia that passed, they are still being produced in the Graveyard.`
			`	Walking down the principal, alien-looking hall, you decide to stop one of the few Quarg you see there. "Hello, human. How may I be of service?" the Quarg says. You show it the piece of debris, and ask what it knows about it. It is momentarily stunned when you show the dark piece of technology, calmly taking it into its own hands after recovering. "A fragment of our ships, is what it is. A remnant of part of our equipment. Thank you for returning it to us."`
			`	You continue by telling it about your travels in the section of the galaxy where you found the debris, and asking what it knows of the place and the hostiles that inhabit it.`
			`	"Ah, you encountered the remains of the Builders. Millennia ago, they were a flourishing and thoughtful empire, but hostile contacts forced them to grow fearful and hawkish. Although they never did attack us, they always refrained from accepting our aid, and attempted to relocate a greater distance from us and our ringworld there, in worlds easier to maintain than ones they were closer to."`
			choice
				`	"Who were these hostile contacts?"`
				`	"What happened to the Builders?"`
					goto ka'het
			`	"Long ago, few ships coming from a foreign species had reached that region of space, using some of the wormholes leading there. They belonged to a young race who foolishly decided to attack the Builders instead of learning from them. Their ships were stronger than any vessel the Builders possessed at the time, but were also few enough in number to be destroyed by the Builders."`
			choice
				`	"What happened after that?"`
			label ka'het
			`	The Quarg stops for a few seconds before continuing, as if it was reflecting on something. "For many millennia they grew, developing brilliant pieces of technology. Then, compelled by their past experiences, they began creating weapons not only to defend themselves, but also to retaliate; these 'Ka'het,' as they named them, turned on their creators shortly after they were complete.`
			`	"For a few more centuries the Builders lasted, before falling under their very own hubris. Their space is still populated by the Ka'het they gave birth to through the immense facilities they assembled, a being that does not yet possess a vast intelligence." The Quarg bows, still holding on to the piece of debris, and seems to be preparing to walk away.`
			choice
				`	"What happened to your ringworld in the Graveyard? Was it in the system I found that thing?"`
				`	(Let the Quarg walk away.)`
					decline
			action
				log "Asked the Quarg about the history of the Graveyard, and have learned about the previous inhabitants of the region, the Builders."
			`	For the briefest moment, you see patches of skin all over the Quarg's body radically shift from the usual gray to red and blue, some spots mixing into purple, and you could have sworn you saw some part of the iris on its eyes "open" very slightly.`
			`	After coming back to normal, it ponders for a second, then says, "It was in that system, and it was lost, millennia after the Builders had perished."`
			`	It doesn't seem too inclined on answering any more questions, and swiftly walks away.`
				decline

mission "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 1"
	landing
	name "Odd Ka'het"
	description "Find a Remnant who can help you with the downed Ka'het and accompany them to <destination>."
	source
		planet "Celeatis" "Eavine" "Palarei" "Siteria" "Alix" "Retilie" "Osaeli"
	stopover "Aventine"
	to offer
		has "Remnant: Cognizance 19: done"
		or
			not "builder signal"
			has "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 5: offered"
		random < 15
		not "remnant: dusk busy"
		has "event: remnant: lab availability"
	on offer
		conversation
			`After setting course toward the surface, you feel comfortable enough to leave the control panel and let the autopilot do the job. It's a calm, cloudless night on this part of <planet>; a rare sight in the Graveyard, and indeed in most of the Ember Wastes. With all but the essential lights turned off, you catch the opportunity to relax for a few minutes on your chair, watching the evolving landscape below and the night sky above.`
			`	Your ship's proximity alert breaks the silence, then falls quiet before you reach the control panel. A quick glance out the window confirms you're still fairly high up, and the ship's radar reveals nothing of interest - at least not currently. You press a couple of buttons to check what your ship recorded, and see what looks like a large mass flicker for a few seconds a hundred meters away from your ship during the alarm.`
			choice
				`	(Continue the descent.)`
				`	(Stop my ship and prepare for a fight.)`
				`	(Turn around and leave.)`
					depart
			`	A few seconds pass before the proximity alert sounds again. And this time, you see it. You shine your ship's floodlights at it, revealing the translucent figure of a partly cloaked Maeri'het. It flickers, its various sections becoming more and less transparent seemingly at random.`
			`	Even stranger, it isn't facing toward you, nor does it appear to have reacted in any way. It is simply floating next to you, slowly descending as it puffs clouds of vapor from its upper body. There is nothing indicating that it might be ready to attack, though that could change in a matter of seconds.`
			choice
				`	(Take my chance and attack it.)`
					to display
						"armament deterrence" > 0
					goto attack
				`	(Move closer, carefully.)`
				`	(Keep my distance.)`
				`	(Turn around and leave.)`
					depart
			`	Minutes pass, and the Maeri'het continues to show no reaction of any kind to your presence. By the time you complete a fly-around, you both have almost reached the ground; a few metallic panels detach from the Ka'het's shell just as it touches down, and balloons start inflating out of the resulting holes.`
				goto dead
			label attack
			branch "attack fleet"
				"total ships" > 1
			`	You warm up your weapons and set the targeting computer on the enemy. With the press of a button you unleash all your wrath on the Ka'het - so much that the first shot seems to encounter no shield, penetrating deep beneath the skin of the slug. The Maeri'het lists to starboard and starts falling rapidly; a few metallic panels detach from its shell right before it reaches the ground, and balloons rapidly inflate out of the resulting holes.`
				goto dead
			label "attack fleet"
			`	You warm up your weapons and set the targeting computer on the enemy. You unleash all your fleet's wrath on the Ka'het - so much that the first shot seems to encounter no shield, penetrating deep beneath the skin of the slug. The Maeri'het lists to starboard and starts falling rapidly; a few metallic panels detach from its shell right before it reaches the ground, and balloons rapidly inflate out of the resulting holes.`
			label dead
			`	The Ka'het at last emits an uncomfortably loud whistle, reducing in intensity before disappearing completely. It sits motionless at the bottom of what looks like a dry riverbed, surrounded by nothing but you and the calm night sky.`
			choice
				`	(Report it to the Remnant.)`
					goto report
				`	(Blow it into pieces.)`
					to display
						"armament deterrence" > 0
					goto blow
				`	(Land next to it and don my EVA suit.)`
			`	You instinctively check your sidearm while walking down the stairway, despite knowing how futile it would be. Despite being the smallest type of Ka'het you have seen, the Maeri'het is still intimidatingly large. No longer cloaked, you notice a fluid coming down from its sides that originates from the slug itself. It covers the entire landing zone, and some of it has almost reached your ship.`
			`	For an instant, you entertain the thought of looting its outfits. But as if it was reading your mind, the Maeri'het hits you with another cloud of warm, pale vapor, triggering your suit's overheat warning. Defeated, you turn around and climb back to your cockpit.`
			label report
			`	Once the engines are back running you take a second to reason over the best course of action. The choice falls on a trip to Aventine: if there's anyone who will want to hear about this, it has to be Plume's laboratory.`
				accept
			label blow
			action
				outfit "Neodymium"
				outfit "Iron" 7
				outfit "Copper" 3
			`	The Ka'het crumbles under the strength of your firepower, collapsing onto itself within seconds. Some parts of its body are blown away from the carcass, still mostly intact, while the machinery takes more effort to destroy; by the time you're done, nothing is left of it but a puddle of organic material and some scrap metal. After searching through the debris, you eventually find some materials precious enough to sell raw.`
				defer
	on visit
		dialog `You have returned to <planet>, but you haven't met up with Plume on Aventine, or his ship hasn't arrived yet.`
	npc accompany save
		to spawn
			has "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 2: offered"
		system "Pantica"
		government "Remnant"
		personality timid launching escort
		ship "Gull (Support)" "Late Season Dancing"
	on enter Pantica
		dialog `A quick check of the ship identifiers reveals that Plume's ship is currently landing at Pantica. You seize the chance to hail them and bring them up to date with your findings.`


mission "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 2"
	invisible
	landing
	source "Aventine"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 1: active"
	on offer
		conversation
			`It must be winter here on <planet>: the chilly valleys that normally surround the starport are covered by a thick layer of snow, and you can see your ship's anti-icing fluids being sprayed automatically over the cockpit window. You find Plume waiting for you right on the landing pad he indicated to you on your way down, not far from a group of Pelicans and a lone Gull.`
			`	"No better time to skip the pleasantries," he begins, rubbing his arms in the cold. He seems severely under-dressed for the weather. You invite him to come aboard, but he stops at the airlock's door. "I am sorry. This time I already have my ride for the mission. We have prepared the Gull based on your instructions - the machinery we intend to recover from the slug will need an appropriately large cargo hold."`
			choice
				`	"What happened with that Maeri'het?"`
					goto what
				`	"My fleet would have sufficed."`
					to display
						"total ships" > 1
				`	"My ship would have sufficed."`
					to display
						"total ships" == 1
			`	"I can believe that!" he replies, quickly glancing around the payload bay. "But outfitting a ship for the mission would take time that we do not have right now.`
			label what
			`	"The Ka'het, as you know, are part mechanical and part biological. What may be news to you, however, is that their biological self is suppressed most of the time: we have been able to determine that their stellar navigation and system management is completely left to their programming," he signs, with an unusual look of aversion in his eyes.`
			`	"Still, like most biological beings, after their nominal lifetime of hundreds of years, they can start dying of old age. When this happens, they enter a hibernation state, calling for a Builder in the hope of being rescued. Of course, no help is coming.`
			`	"We have observed," he continues while reading from a datapad, "other Ka'het try to patch them up as best as they can after some time, presumably following their own programming to do so. It is very unusual to find the corpse of one just laying around alone. We are interested in anything that usually will not survive critical battle damage. Memory banks, logic terminals, and in general, all parts of their mechanical brain."`
			`	Despite the sign language, you notice that he seems strikingly halfhearted compared to the previous times you have encountered him. He heads toward his Gull, the Late Season Dancing.`
				decline

mission "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 3"
	landing
	name "Angry Ka'het"
	description "Destroy the Telis'het in <system> to prevent it from destroying the Maeri'het on the surface of <planet>."
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 1: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The sun is high overhead as you descend through the air toward the place you were last time. Flying in formation with the Late Season Dancing, you spot the Maeri'het on the ground easily: it has spread a pair of enormous solar wings, at least thrice as long as the body of the Ka'het itself. A look at your radar reveals more, however - there is a second Ka'het hovering above the downed one, classified by your IFF as a Telis.`
			`	"It is trying to reanimate the Maeri'het," Plume chants over the intercom, "but I do not think it can do so. It has been too long since you found it for repairs to have any effect." Among the smoke clouds, you make out pairs of tiny arms protruding from the bottom of the Telis'het, pressing against the corpse beneath it. Your ship records electric shocks moving between them, but the Maeri'het does not react.`
			choice
				`	"Let's wait for it to leave then."`
				`	"Should I engage it?"`
					goto engage
			`	"It is not that easy. Its programming may be telling it to heal the Maeri'het, but the slug will grow more frustrated with each failed attempt. You see, one of the functions left under the control of the biological side is combat. It may not be able to decide to stop trying to heal it, but it can decide to register the Maeri'het as a foe, destroy it, and then leave freely as if it were never there," he concludes with a cold chant.`
				goto firepower
			label engage
			`	"I am afraid so. Its programming may be telling it to heal the Maeri'het, but the slug will grow more frustrated with each failed attempt. You see, one of the functions left under the control of the biological side is combat. It may not be able to decide to stop trying to heal the Maeri'het, but it can decide to register it as a foe, destroy it, and then leave freely as if it were never there," he concludes with a cold chant.`
			label firepower
			`	"And thus, the Telis is a threat to the Remnant's xenobiological interests. If you have enough firepower to do so, I ask you to attack the Ka'het and lead it away, so that we can loot the carcass while it is still useful."`
			choice
				`	(Open fire.)`
				`	"Sorry, but I'm not prepared for such a fight."`
					goto weak
			`	You put one hand on the throttle, and with the other pitch down toward the surface. The Gull engages its cloak as you fire the first shot, missing both Ka'het by a few meters to avoid damaging the corpse of the Maeri. Soon, a furious Telis follows you back into space, and the real battle begins.`
				launch
			label weak
			`	"Neither are we," other voices on the intercom chant in unison. "This project is thus aborted, seeing as there is no practical way to complete it. Our group can split here: the return route is well explored, and our tanks have enough propellant to stay cloaked until reaching safer territory."`
			`	"Captain <first>," Plume continues in a subdued tone, "I ask you to leave this planet with us as well. For as long as we stay here, even at this distance, some of the Maeri'het's biological self will remain active to keep an eye on our intentions, and will continue to do so until it finally dies. I would rather have them be inhibited during their end than fully conscious - for a lack of better word, it is more humane." He bids you farewell, and the Gull disappears after a short climb into the sky.`
			choice
				`	(Fly back to orbit.)`
					flee
				`	(Stay and see what happens.)`
			`	Half an hour passes without either of the Ka'het making a move. Then, right after your external sensors record a low hum, the Telis lifts up in the air and rotates upside down. It fires three times: one beam to each side of the head, and another in the middle of the abdomen. Had the Maeri'het not started to collapse in upon itself, most of the outfits would have probably survived intact.`
			`	When the spectacle is over, you command the autopilot back toward orbit and leave before the Telis decides to engage you as well.`
				flee
	npc kill
		government "Ka'het"
		personality harvests launching mining plunders staying target
		ship "Telis'het" "So-oss'het"
		dialog "You have destroyed the Ka'het ship. You can now return to <planet> to meet up with Plume."
	on visit
		dialog `You try to return to the Maeri'het, but the Telis follows you! You need to destroy it if you want to approach safely.`

mission "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 4A"
	landing
	name "Disassembled Ka'het"
	description "Escort Plume and his crew back to <destination> safely while they transport the Ka'het components gathered during the mission on <origin>."
	destination "Aventine"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 3: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The face of the Maeri'het has been pried open, showing a complex grid of wires running all over the flesh of the slug. Machinery of all kinds surround the ship, from sets of cylinders making a faint, purplish glow to spherical containers covered in a blue liquid of some kind.`
			`	The largest components have been moved atop some sort of anti-gravity plating, lifting them above the terrain but otherwise requiring a human to push them somewhere. You give the Remnant a hand transporting a few pieces out of the carcass; despite the help of the plating, their sheer inertia makes the activity exhausting. Once inside their Gull, the Remnant attach the Ka'het machinery to the adapters onboard and power them with their instrumentation.`
			`	"According to the transponder, its name was Nona-caci'het," reveals Plume. "It had lived for just over 500 years, almost as long as we Remnant have existed. It fought thousands of battles, the last of which," he reads stoically from a datapad, "was with another Maeri'het just over two months ago. Since then, the only other lifeform it has seen was when it descended into a planetary atmosphere to shell a few specimens of an amphibian animal it classified as a foe."`
			choice
				`	"Why did it die?"`
				`	"I did not know they did that."`
					goto foe
				`	"Are its outfits intact?"`
					goto skip
			`	"Ah, hard to say. They suffer so much battle damage over their lifetimes that their entire bodies get covered with patches and scars. Still, we have run some scans so that the laboratory back on <planet> can determine more."`
				goto honest
			label foe
			`	"Oh, not only do they, but the vast majority of Ka'het attack victims are surface-dwelling animals. Countless species have been driven to extinction over the past tens of thousands of years by their hunting. For the foreseeable future, the Graveyard will continue to live up to its name."`
			label honest
			`	He shrugs. "I have a hard time considering the Ka'het in the same way as most lifeforms. They appear to flout the principles of evolution: they do not materially vary, dilapidated factories prevent heritability, and what's more, natural selection as we understand it appears impossible! Their internal organs are not arranged like any living being we know, but like a spaceship, shaped for ease of maintenance and replacement.`
			`	"Void Sprite research has only restarted recently, as you know. As such, the typical curriculum of a xenobiologist focuses on symbionts, Korath, creatures indigenous to Ember Waste planets, and lastly the Ka'het. But in reality, little of the Ka'het's design or behavior can be described by biology. Most discoveries in that field were made decades, if not centuries ago - it is a straightforward, even mechanical, design. There is a reason that our engineers can specialize in the Ka'het, while no branch of xenobiology covers them in detail."`
			choice
				`	"I see."`
					goto outfit
				`	"What is the difference with Remnant ships?"`
			branch living
				or
					has "event: remnant: cognizance merganser"
					has "event: remnant: penguin"
			`	"We have not quite gotten to the point of true live ships," he replies with a quick glance at his Gull, "but we should be close, from what I have seen.`
			label living
			`	"As far as I am concerned, the key difference lies in the role left to the being in question. Our paradigm is not to take an organism, inhibit it when we don't need it, and build around it the true spaceship. No, our whole ship is built in the same manner as a biological organism, to the point where their similarity to living beings is an emergent property arising from mechanical components. The relationship between the crew and the ship will never go beyond what is between a Remnant and their symbiont: both capable of going their own way, but mutually benefiting from their relationship."`
				goto outfit
			label skip
			`	He seems amused. "I had a feeling you would wonder about that. No need to worry, <first>, we have left something for you as well."`
			label outfit
			`	He accompanies you toward two large containers, conveniently placed next to your ship, and unlocks the doors: one contains a pair of MHD Generators, and the other a pair of Shield Restorers. "We had to uninstall a number of systems to gain access to the ones we were looking for. Most of them were damaged in the process, but we made sure to keep these intact as a way to thank you for your contribution before leaving for <planet>."`
			action
				outfit "Ka'het MHD Generator" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Shield Restorer" 2
			choice
				`	"Thank you."`
					accept
				`	"I may not have enough space for them."`
			`	"Oh, I am sure an experienced captain like you will be able to find a place to hide a stash of them around these parts," he signs in an amused fashion. "See you on <planet>!"`
				accept
	on complete
		conversation
			branch rifle
				has "Remnant: Face to Maw 2B: offered"
			`You wait for Plume next to the ramp of his Gull. When you see him, he is discussing the destination of the Ka'het machinery with another Remnant.`
				goto talk
			label rifle
			`You wait for Plume next to the ramp of his Gull. When you see him, he is discussing the destination of the Ka'het machinery with another Remnant, whom you recognize as the man who had helped you with your Void Rifle.`
			label talk
			`	"Oh, Captain," Plume turns to you contentedly, "Thank you once again for your help. I have been trying to make some arrangements in order to simplify things in the future. The technician I was just speaking with has shown interest in the Ka'het, and kindly accepted the job of putting their machinery in safe storage whenever you bring more of it."`
			`	He hands you a small data crystal, shaped like an icosahedron. "This contains a series of short videos on how to use the tools in a Research Laboratory, if you were to be carrying one aboard, to extract some of the most essential components out of a hibernated Ka'het. You will need practice, of course, but the procedure is not too dissimilar from that of looting a standard ship. If it happens again, as long as you leave 40 to 50 tons of space in your payload bay, you will be able to do most of what we did today without wasting a second to call us!"`
			`	After spending some more time discussing the procedure to follow the next time you encounter a hibernated Ka'het, you bid each other farewell with a short bow and part ways.`
	on visit
		dialog `You have returned to <planet>, but Plume's Gull hasn't arrived yet.`
	npc accompany save
		government "Remnant"
		personality timid launching escort
		ship "Gull" "Late Season Dancing"

mission "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 4B"
	invisible
	landing
	source
		government "Remnant"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 3: declined"
	on offer
		conversation
			`As you are about to leave the cockpit, the screen atop the transponder starts beeping. It is a message from Plume. "Captain <first>, I have been trying to make some arrangements in order to simplify things in the future. I am transmitting you a series of short videos on how to use the tools in a Research Laboratory, if you were to be carrying one aboard, to extract the most important components out of a hibernated Ka'het. You will need practice, of course, but the procedure is not too dissimilar from that of looting a standard ship. They are going to be some heavy pieces; I recommend leaving at least 40 or 50 tons of cargo space free for such an eventuality.`
			branch rifle
				has "Remnant: Face to Maw 2B: offered"
			`	"I have assigned one of our technicians to handle the Ka'het machinery you might bring us." The picture and ID of a Remnant appears on screen, but you don't recognize him. "May the Embers bring more success in our future endeavors!"`
				decline
			label rifle
			`	"I have assigned one of our technicians to handle the Ka'het machinery you might bring us." The picture and ID of a Remnant appears on screen: he is the same person that had previously helped you with your Void Rifle. "May the Embers bring more success in our future endeavors!"`
				decline

mission "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 0"
	invisible
	repeat
	landing
	deadline 7
	source
		planet "Celeatis" "Eavine" "Palarei" "Siteria" "Alix" "Retilie" "Osaeli"
	to offer
		or
			has "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 4B: declined"
			has "Ka'het: Death in the Graveyard 4A: done"
		random < 8
	to accept
		has "outfit (flagship installed): Research Laboratory"
	to complete
		never
	to fail
		has "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 1A: active"
	on offer
		clear "ka'het: slug loot"
		clear "ka'het: maeri"
		clear "ka'het: telis"
		clear "ka'het: vareti"

mission "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 1A"
	repeat
	landing
	name "Another Odd Ka'het"
	description "Take the Ka'het equipment you have gathered to <destination>."
	source
		planet "Celeatis" "Eavine" "Palarei" "Siteria" "Alix" "Retilie" "Osaeli"
	destination "Aventine"
	cargo "Ka'het machinery" 40
	blocked "Your sensors identify another hibernated Ka'het on the surface of <planet>, but you quickly realize that you wouldn't have enough space to take its machinery."
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 0: active"
	to accept
		has "outfit (flagship installed): Research Laboratory"
	on offer
		fail "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 0"
		conversation
			branch vareti
				random < 10
			branch telis
				random < 75
			action
				set "ka'het: maeri"
			`A glare from the ground catches your attention. In the distance, you notice what looks like a Maeri'het lying down at the bottom of a dried riverbed, with large solar wings coming out of its sides - all clear signs of a slug that has gone into hibernation, and is going to die soon. With the guides that Plume gave you, you could use your Research Laboratory to significantly help the Remnant xenobiological research efforts.`
				goto choice
			label telis
			action
				set "ka'het: telis"
			`A glare from the ground catches your attention. In the distance, you notice what looks like a Telis'het lying down at the bottom of a dry lake bed, with large solar wings coming out of its sides - all clear signs of a slug that has gone into hibernation, and is going to die soon. With the guides that Plume gave you, you could use your Research Laboratory to significantly help the Remnant xenobiological research efforts.`
				goto choice
			label vareti
			action
				set "ka'het: vareti"
			`A glare from the ground catches your attention. In the distance, you notice what looks like a Vareti'het lying down at the bottom of a dried basin, with large solar wings coming out of its sides - all clear signs of a slug that has gone into hibernation, and is going to die soon. With the guides that Plume gave you, you could use your Research Laboratory to significantly help the Remnant xenobiological research efforts.`
			label choice
			choice
				`	(Descend and try to remove its machinery.)`
				`	(Ignore it and find another place to land.)`
					decline
			`	Following Plume's videos step by step, the whole procedure turns out to be quite straightforward and clean. After a little more than an hour your cargo bay has filled with Ka'het machinery of all kinds, connected to the Research Laboratory with a series of increasingly cumbersome adapters. You label them with the name of the Ka'het, which appears to have been ${ka'het}. Now that the job is done, you could spend some more time looting the slug's conventional outfits - with the caveat that the chances of another Ka'het noticing your presence would be quite high.`
			choice
				`	(Depart and bring the machinery to Aventine.)`
					launch
				`	(Stop and loot what is left of the Ka'het.)`
			action
				set "ka'het: slug loot"
			`	As you expected, before you have the chance to bring out any of its outfits your radar registers another Ka'het coming into the atmosphere with guns raised. You will need to fight it if you want the chance to loot the downed slug - or else, it will reach it by itself and likely destroy it.`
				launch
	on decline
		clear "ka'het: maeri"
		clear "ka'het: telis"
		clear "ka'het: vareti"
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo on visit"
	on complete
		clear "ka'het: maeri"
		clear "ka'het: telis"
		clear "ka'het: vareti"
		payment 100000
		dialog
			`You meet up with the Remnant technician at the indicated coordinates and drop the cargo you have gathered one by one. After you're done, he thanks you with a short bow, hands you <payment> for your help, and quickly disappears behind a hangar door.`
	on visit
		dialog `You have reached <planet>, but the Ka'het machinery is on anoth.`
	on fail
		clear "ka'het: maeri"
		clear "ka'het: telis"
		clear "ka'het: vareti"

mission "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 1B"
	invisible
	repeat
	landing
	deadline 4
	source
		planet "Celeatis" "Eavine" "Palarei" "Siteria" "Alix" "Retilie" "Osaeli"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 0: active"
	to accept
		has "outfit (flagship installed): Research Laboratory"
	to complete
		has "ka'het: dead in the graveyard"
	to fail
		not "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 1A: active"
		not "Ka'het: Another Death in the Graveyard 0: active"
	npc kill
		to spawn
			has "ka'het: slug loot"
		government "Ka'het"
		personality harvests launching mining plunders staying target
		fleet
			names "ka'het"
			variant 5
				"Maeri'het"
			variant 5
				"Maeri'het (EMP)"
			variant 12
				"Telis'het"
			variant 12
				"Telis'het (EMP)"
			variant 5
				"Telis'het (Guns)"
			variant 1
				"Vareti'het"
			variant 1
				"Vareti'het (EMP)"
			variant 1
				"Vareti'het (Strong)"
		dialog "You have destroyed the Ka'het ship. You can now return to <planet> to loot the hibernated slug."
		on kill
			set "ka'het: dead in the graveyard"
	on complete
		clear "ka'het: dead in the graveyard"
		conversation
			`With the Ka'het destroyed, you return to the site where the other slug lies defenseless. While the battle did not touch it, you notice that a number of components show superficial damage, either due to your extraction job or previous battle damage. It would be best to focus on looting just one area and disregarding the rest to avoid risking its collapse.`
			choice
				`	(Loot its energy generators.)`
					goto energy
				`	(Loot its shield and cooling implants.)`
					goto shield
				`	(Loot its engine bay.)`
					goto engine
				`	(Loot its weapon systems.)`
					goto weapon
				`	(Try to loot all of its outfits.)`
			branch "all lucky"
				random < 20 + "flagship attribute: outfit scan power" / 1000
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Reserve Accumulator"
				outfit "Neodymium"
				outfit "Iron" 4
				outfit "Copper" 2
			`	You are about halfway through the outfit list when, without warning, the entire structure starts pulsating in an increasingly more violent manner. You leap toward your ship, but the entire slug implodes in front of you! You make it through unscathed, but most of the outfits you had extracted have been critically damaged by the flying debris. The only things left intact among the scrap are a single Reserve Accumulator and some precious metals.`
				decline

			label "all lucky"
			branch "all telis"
				has "ka'het: telis"
			branch "all vareti"
				has "ka'het: vareti"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Turret" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Beam" 2

				outfit "Ka'het Support Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Primary Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Shield Restorer" 2
				outfit "Ka'het MHD Generator" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Reserve Accumulator"

				outfit "Maeri Engine Nacelles"
				outfit "Ka'het Sustainer Nacelles"
				outfit "Hyperdrive"
			`	Despite the apparent damage, the structure holds up surprisingly well to your careful looting. It takes a while, but you successfully extract all of the outfits carried aboard the downed Maeri'het.`
				decline
			label "all telis"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Beam" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret" 5

				outfit "Ka'het Shield Restorer" 10
				outfit "Ka'het Primary Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Support Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het MHD Generator" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Reserve Accumulator" 6

				outfit "Telis Engine Nacelles"
				outfit "Ka'het Sustainer Nacelles"
				outfit "Hyperdrive"
			`	Despite the apparent damage, the structure holds up surprisingly well to your careful looting. It takes a while, but you successfully extract all the outfits carried aboard of the downed Telis'het.`
				decline
			label "all vareti"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Nullifier"
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Beam" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Turret"
				outfit "Ka'het EMP Deployer" 2
				outfit "EMP Torpedo" 13
				
				outfit "Ka'het Grand Restorer" 2
				outfit "Ka'het MHD Generator" 6
				outfit "Ka'het Reserve Accumulator" 8
				outfit "Ka'het Primary Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Support Cooling"
				
				outfit "Vareti Engine Block"
				outfit "Hyperdrive"
			`	Despite the apparent damage, the structure holds up surprisingly well to your careful looting. It takes a while, but you successfully extract all of the outfits carried aboard the downed Vareti'het.`
				decline

			label energy
			branch "energy telis"
				has "ka'het: telis"
			branch "energy vareti"
				has "ka'het: vareti"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het MHD Generator" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Reserve Accumulator"
			`	Deep inside the shell of the Maeri'het, you use a blowtorch to cut the MHD Generators out of their fittings and uninstall the Reserve Accumulators from their banks. Over a few hours, you are able to make a nice stash in your cargo hold before you leave.`
				decline
			label "energy telis"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het MHD Generator" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Reserve Accumulator"
			`	Deep inside the shell of the Telis'het, you use a blowtorch to cut the MHD Generators out of their fittings and uninstall the Reserve Accumulators from their banks. Over a few hours, you are able to make a good stash in your cargo hold before you leave.`
				decline
			label "energy vareti"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het MHD Generator" 6
				outfit "Ka'het Reserve Accumulator" 8
			`	Deep inside the shell of the Vareti'het, you use a blowtorch to cut the MHD Generators out of their fittings and uninstall the Reserve Accumulators from their banks. Over a few hours, you are able to make a huge stash in your cargo hold before you leave.`
				decline

			label shield
			branch "shield telis"
				has "ka'het: telis"
			branch "shield vareti"
				has "ka'het: vareti"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Support Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Primary Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Shield Restorer" 2
			`	Mounted at the very edges of the shell of the Maeri'het, you find a pair of pristine Shield Restorers connected with a heat sink. You uninstall them together with the cooling systems they sit next to, and in a few hours you are ready to leave.`
				decline
			label "shield telis"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Primary Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Support Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Shield Restorer" 10
			`	Mounted at the very edges of the shell of the Telis'het, you find a series of pristine Shield Restorers connected with a heat sink. You uninstall them together with the cooling systems they sit next to, and in a few hours you are ready to leave.`
				decline
			label "shield vareti"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Primary Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Support Cooling"
				outfit "Ka'het Grand Restorer" 2
			`	Mounted at the very edges of the shell of the Vareti'het, you find a pair of enormous Grand Restorers connected with a heat sink. You carefully uninstall them together with the cooling systems they sit next to, and in a few hours you are ready to leave.`
				decline

			label engine
			branch "engine telis"
				has "ka'het: telis"
			branch "engine vareti"
				has "ka'het: vareti"
			action
				outfit "Maeri Engine Nacelles"
				outfit "Ka'het Sustainer Nacelles"
			`	Despite their easily accessible position, disconnecting the nacelles of a Maeri'het proves to be more complicated than expected due to the bundle of tubes attached to them. After a few hours and a lot of sweat you are able to put both engine types into your cargo hold, and you can finally leave.`
				decline
			label "engine telis"
			action
				outfit "Telis Engine Nacelles"
				outfit "Ka'het Sustainer Nacelles" 2
			`	Despite their easily accessible position, disconnecting the nacelles of a Telis'het proves to be more complicated than expected due to the bundle of tubes attached to them. After a few hours and a lot of sweat you are able to put both engine types into your cargo hold, and you can finally leave.`
				decline
			label "engine vareti"
			action
				outfit "Vareti Engine Block"
			`	Despite its easily accessible position, disconnecting the huge thrusters of a Vareti'het proves to be more complicated than expected due to the bundle of tubes attached to it. After a few hours and a lot of sweat you are able to put the engine block into your cargo hold, and you can finally leave.`
				decline

			label weapon
			branch "weapon maeri EMP"
				has "ka'het: maeri"
				random < 50
			branch "weapon telis gun"
				has "ka'het: telis"
				random < 50
			branch "weapon telis EMP"
				has "ka'het: telis"
			branch "weapon vareti gun"
				has "ka'het: vareti"
				random < 50
			branch "weapon vareti EMP"
				has "ka'het: vareti"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Turret" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Beam" 2
			`	The front of this Maeri'het appears to have been set up to focus on hull damage: a pair of Ravager Beams and another of Ravager Turrets show prominently, plus a couple of Annihilator Turrets on the back. You disconnect them from their base plates, making sure not to damage any of their fragile targeting systems, and move them all to your cargo hold.`
				decline
			label "weapon maeri EMP"
			action
				outfit "EMP Torpedo" 32
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Turret"
				outfit "Ka'het EMP Deployer" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret" 3
			`	The front of this Maeri'het appears to have been set up for electronic warfare: a pair of EMP Deployers with their storage rack show prominently, plus a couple of Annihilator Turrets on the back. You disconnect them from their base plates, making sure not to damage any of their fragile targeting systems, and move them all to your cargo hold.`
				decline
			label "weapon telis gun"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Beam" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret" 5
			`	The front of this Telis'het appears to have been set up to focus on hull damage: a long series of Ravager Beams show prominently, plus a number of Annihilator Turrets on the back. You disconnect them from their base plates, making sure not to damage any of their fragile targeting systems, and move them all to your cargo hold.`
				decline
			label "weapon telis EMP"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het EMP Deployer" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret"
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Turret" 4
				outfit "EMP Torpedo" 64
			`	The front of this Telis'het appears to have been set up for electronic warfare: a long series of EMP Deployers with their storage rack show prominently, plus a number of Ravager Turrets on the back. You disconnect them from their base plates, making sure not to damage any of their fragile targeting systems, and move them all to your cargo hold.`
				decline
			label "weapon vareti gun"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Nullifier"
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Beam" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret" 2
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Turret" 4
			`	The impressive front of this Vareti'het appears to have been set up to focus on shield damage: a long series of Annihilators show prominently, surrounding the enormous barrel of the Nullifier. On the back, a variety of Ravager and Annihilator Turrets make their appearance. You disconnect them from their base plates, making sure not to damage any of their fragile targeting systems, and move them all to your cargo hold.`
				decline
			label "weapon vareti EMP"
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Nullifier"
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Beam" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Annihilator Turret" 4
				outfit "Ka'het Ravager Turret"
				outfit "Ka'het EMP Deployer" 2
				outfit "EMP Torpedo" 32
			`	The impressive front of this Vareti'het appears to have been set up to focus on hull damage: a number of EMP Deployers and Ravager Beams show prominently, surrounding the enormous barrel of the Nullifier. On the back, a variety of Ravager and Annihilator Turrets make their appearance. You disconnect them from their base plates, making sure not to damage any of their fragile targeting systems, and move them all to your cargo hold.`
				decline

mission "Ka'het: Patir Reveal"
	invisible
	non-blocking
	landing
	to offer
		has "Remnant: Cognizance 19: done"
	on offer
		event "patir appears" 3
	on enter "Patir"
		dialog
			`As the jumping sequence comes to an end, you find yourself orbiting a small black hole, surrounded by nothing but countless asteroids and debris. Even more interesting is the fact that the asteroid belt appears to be populated by small spaceships, similar in appearance to the Ka'het that infest the nearby systems but at the same time unlike any of the types you had seen before. Perhaps the Remnant can tell you more about this system and its sudden appearance.`
		fail
	to complete
		never

event "patir appears"
	system "Patir"
		remove hidden

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 1"
	minor
	name "Visit <waypoints>"
	description "Bring Taely with you to visit the <waypoints> system before going to <destination>."
	source
		government "Remnant"
	destination "Aventine"
	waypoint "Patir"
	passengers 1
	cargo "Ka'het tracking equipment" 5
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Reveal: failed"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Do you want to look for Taely to tell her about the new system that appeared in the Graveyard?`
			choice
				`	(Sure.)`
				`	(Not right now.)`
					defer
			
			`	You aren't surprised to find Taely in the local shipyard, overseeing the welding of some kind of unmanned satellite. Though not familiar enough with Remnant technology to understand its function, you identify a large crystal placed near what you presume to be the front of the probe as a Quantum Key Stone, or at least a derivative of it.`
			`	When Taely notices you walking towards her, she waves at you. "<first>! It has been a while. Were you looking for me?"`
			choice
				`	"I have some news. A new black hole suddenly appeared near the Graveyard, the same way Ssil Vida did."`
					goto talk
				`	"What's the purpose of that satellite?"`
			`	"She is a beauty, is she not? The discovery of the star systems beyond Postverta spurred a large request for exploration probes, more than we've had in decades. This one was my own proposal: she is going to make precise LIDAR scans of the four planets most similar to the worlds we found alien settlements on, searching for relics and ancient artifacts! It is unbelievably exciting to see an idea that you came up with become reality right in front of you."`
			`	She pauses to stare at the probe with pride.`
			`	"Funny you mention Postverta," you say. "A new black hole has just appeared near the Graveyard, the same way Ssil Vida did."`
			label talk
			`	You try to explain the system and its inhabitants as best you can. Taely looks intrigued. "Can you show me what your ship recorded of that system?" she asks. After spending a few minutes checking your ship's registers, she appears even more astonished than before. "This is incredible! It opens so many questions. What if it was the Builders who built Ssil Vida? We thought they never left the Graveyard, but this could change everything. And look at the gravitational slipstreams: this system has no hyperlane connections, at least for the moment. We need to know more." She pauses for a second to think. "Come with me, <first>."`
			`	You follow Taely into a large elevator at the other end of the building. After a short trip, you find yourself in a large underground hangar, full of oddly shaped dishes and complex pieces of machinery. "We use these old shelters to store the parts we do not need anymore. Sometimes they are still handy for replacing broken machinery, so instead of disassembling them we keep them here for a few years. And this," she says, pointing at an array of cylindrical objects, "is the reason we are here."`
			choice
				`	"What is that?"`
				`	"A bunch of rods?"`
			`	"It is an old tracking and surveillance device, developed specifically for the Graveyard," she says. "It was supposed to track all Ka'het it could find and make detailed imagery of their actions, in order to find the patterns that they follow or ways to exploit their controls. The mission was a long-term one, so when an urgent project came up, resources were diverted away from it, leaving some sensors unused.`
			`	"My plan is to install some in the <ship> and go to <waypoints> to find out more about the ships there. It needs to be calibrated precisely before use, but luckily for you, I was the person who developed the deployment procedures," she says with a smirk on her face. "Are you ready?"`
			choice
				`	"Let's go!"`
					goto mount
				`	"How did the attempt at tracking the Ka'het go?"`
				`	"Sorry, but I can't help you this time. You're going to have to find somebody else."`
					decline
			`	"Oh, the scanner is working perfectly. But the Ka'het, as far as we could see, seem to follow no patterns but the most basic ones. I guess you could compare them to simple animals, searching for food and fighting each other for their territory. They seem to have some sort of 'imprinting' towards the stations that breed them, but other than that, they have not shown any other particular behavior yet."`
			choice
				`	"Alright, let's mount the scanner!"`
				`	"Sorry, but I can't help you this time. You're going to have to find somebody else."`
					decline
			label mount
			`	Taely replies, "I will gather a team to install the scanning system. We should be done in around an hour." She leaves the warehouse carrying a scanner, leaving you to prepare your ship for the upcoming mission.`
				accept
	
	on enter "Patir"
		conversation
			`When you enter the system, Taely is already sitting at the scanner's control console. She starts counting loudly. "External deployment in three... two... one... trackers out. Initiating startup sequence." She begins typing commands on a keyboard. "This is going to take a while, <first>," she says, without taking her eyes off the screen. "It is not normally a one-person job."`
			choice
				`	"Is there anything I can do to help you?"`
				`	"I'll wait for you to finish in the cockpit."`
					goto wait
			`	"I am afraid there is not. Give me, say, half an hour and I will have the results ready."`
			label wait
			`	Almost an hour passes, but Taely finally responds. "The scan is complete. The system is currently processing all the data it gathered into something usable; there's nothing we can do but wait." She starts staring out of the cockpit windows. "Black holes are such a wonderful phenomenon. They are so mysterious, and each one is peculiar in its own way, this one especially."`
			choice
				`	"Did you find anything new on how this system appeared?"`
					goto how
				`	"Was this one already known to the Remnant?"`
			`	"That is the oddest part; it was not. We knew about the existence of the stars beyond Postverta as they could be observed from our own systems; they just were not reachable with a jump drive. But, from what I can tell from these readings, Patir did not exist until a short time ago.`
			`	"Do you have anything on why this system appeared?" you ask.`
			label how
			`	"I only have theories for now, none of which can be confirmed. People more knowledgeable than me in the subject are examining the phenomenon right now. But look at this," she says, opening a star map on a holographic projector. "This white dot is Postverta, and we are here. When Ssil Vida first appeared, it released a strong burst of ionizing radiation, and when we were able to calculate its velocity, we found it was going much faster than the speed of light. It is gradually slowing down, so it will not go much further, but exactly the same day that the energy burst was supposed to arrive here, Patir appeared! It would be an incredible coincidence if the two events were not connected.`
			`	"We have even less information about how this system disappeared. If I may venture a guess, I would say that the black hole is involved. The Builders never seemed to possess the ability to make a system disappear, and we have seen in the past that some black holes can render any hyperlane they are connected to inaccessible given enough time. Perhaps a young, non-rotating black hole like this one can do even more. There is a part of me that thinks this system could disappear again any moment, but if anything that motivates me to find as much as we can about it in the time we have," she says with a wink.`
			choice
				`	"Wait, are we in danger?"`
				`	"How much will it take to finish processing the data?"`
					goto data
			`	"Oh, I was just letting my imagination fly. There are thousands of other explanations that are as good as mine, none of which include such a tragic ending. But we can ponder more on those explanations on the way back to <planet>."`
				decline
			label data
			`	"It will take some time before the data is completely analyzed. We should return to <planet> before looking it over, as it should be done by then."`
	
	on visit
		dialog "You've arrived at <planet>, but your mission is not complete! Make sure Taely and all the equipment passes through <waypoints>. If they are on an escort, you must wait for it to arrive at <waypoints> before you return to <planet>."
	on complete
		conversation
			`Upon your return to <planet>, Taely immediately begins browsing through several images on her console that were compiled by the sensors.`
			`	"Look at these, <first>. What do you see?" The first image shows a ship like the others you've seen in Patir working on some kind of small structure. In the following pictures, presumably depicting different iterations of the same ship, the structure becomes gradually bigger and more complex until the last one, where a Ka'het-like slug is shown growing inside this shell.`
			`	"The ships, the Fetri'sei, are Von Neumann probes," she says. "Self replicating spacecraft. Unlike the Ka'het, which we found to be unable to reproduce and can only be created in a factory, the Ka'sei can duplicate their own structure with the material harvested from the local asteroids. The process probably takes years, or more, but it is still an incredible achievement."`
			label questions
			choice
				`	"If they can duplicate themselves, why aren't there more Ka'sei?"`
					to display
						not "patir: asked about ka'sei"
					goto kasei
				`	"If the Builders were able to make self replicating spacecrafts, why aren't the Ka'het like that as well?"`
					to display
						not "patir: asked about ka'het"
					goto kahet
				`	"If they were able to get to Patir, does this suggest they have jump drives?"`
					goto "jump drive"
				`	"Why aren't they in other systems?"`
					goto "jump drive"
			label kasei
			action
				set "patir: asked about ka'sei"
			`	"I imagine the problem would be with their lifespan. The Ka'het can survive for a few hundred years once they become operational; these could potentially last for a much shorter time. Another important factor is that we do not know what happened here in the millennia the system was hidden. Perhaps the Ka'sei went into hibernation waiting for the system to appear again."`
				goto questions
			label kahet
			action
				set "patir: asked about ka'het"
			`	Taely looks towards the console again. On the screen a tactical view of the Fetri'sei appears. "Well, consider that the Ka'het are true battleships, heavily shielded and always with their weapons ready. These are more akin to reconnaissance and mining probes. Their structure is extremely weak, and they do not have any weapons except the equipment necessary to mine asteroids. I imagine it would take decades for even just a Maeri'het to replicate itself.`
			`	"There is also the tactical problem: forcing a Ka'het to spend such a long time building copies of itself makes them vulnerable to enemy attacks and unable to effectively fight back, making them ill-suited for the job."`
				goto questions
			label "jump drive"
			`	"They do not have any drives on board, not even a hyperdrive. Limited to sub-light velocity, they would need hundreds of years to pass from one system to another, which is a testament to the Builders' patience. Most species we have encountered abandon any form of sub-light transportation between star systems immediately after developing hyperdrive technology. For all we know, the Ember Waste could have been visited by these Fetri'sei or some other Ka'sei, but they had to leave for some reason we are not aware of. The last Builder died almost 100,000 years ago - so long that having a clear idea of what happened is impossible."`
			choice
				`	"What's the difference between Ka'sei and Fetri'sei?"`
			`	"Well, there is no difference," Taely responds, "not in this case at least. The naming scheme the Builders used is a bit odd: we know that 'Ka,' in their language, has a meaning close to the one of 'group,' 'team,' and sometimes even 'ring,' although it can never be used without a name next to it. So we have 'group mar,' 'group het,' and so on. These are not limited to spaceships: the Ka'het, for example, includes both the biological spacecrafts around the Graveyard and the stations that constructs them, while until now we thought that the Ka'sei included only a handful of large scale construction projects. We know 'Fetri' to be a sort of spaceship sub-classification, but we are not aware of its exact meaning. So the Fetri'sei, or 'ship sei' are a part of the Ka'sei, or 'group sei.' To put it simply, it is similar to how all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. It just so happens that everything in this system is classified as a Fetri'sei, so we can use either interchangeably.`
			branch busy
				has "remnant: dusk busy"
			`	"I know someone who will want to see all this. Meet me in the spaceport when you have the chance."`
				decline
			label busy
			action
				set "ka'het: dusk was busy"
			`	"I know someone who will want to see all this. You have met Dusk, correct?"`
			`	You nod. "I have, but I believe he's busy at the moment."`
			`	"That is unfortunate. You should show this to him as soon as he is available," Taely responds. "But I fear I now have to go back to my job now, Captain. I would love to continue the exploration with you, but there are more pressing issues I have to resolve at the moment. I will keep an eye on the activity in Patir, I promise."`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 2"
	name "Scanners in <system>"
	description "Make detailed scans of the asteroid Dusk indicated in the <system> system."
	source "Aventine"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	cargo "short range scanner" 15
	blocked "You'll need <capacity> available to carry short range scanners. Return here when you have enough free space."
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 1: done"
		not "remnant: dusk busy"
	on offer
		conversation
			branch busy
				has "ka'het: dusk was busy"
			
			branch known
				has "remnant met dusk"
			`You find Taely waiting for you in the spaceport alongside a young Remnant with a touchpad. They both wave as you approach.`
			`	"Captain!" Taely says. "Let me introduce you to Dusk. He is a young researcher who specializes in xenoarchaeology and astrobiology. Dusk, this is <first>, the captain who I told you about earlier. Now I'll leave you two to your work, as I fear I have to go back to my job now. I would love to continue the exploration with you both, but there are more pressing issues I have to resolve at the moment. I will keep an eye on the activity in Patir, I promise. May the embers burn bright for you both."`
			`	As Taely wanders off, you turn to Dusk. "Nice to meet you, Captain!" he says.`
			choice
				`	"Dusk? Are names like that common?"`
				`	"Pleased to meet you too, Dusk."`
					goto greet
			`	"You mean names of the various phases of daylight? Mmm, I would not say they are common, but nor are they rare, either. Our ancestors devoted their lives, one way or another, to studying the stars and the everchanging light of the universe. It should not be surprising that their vocabulary should be so entwined in our culture.`
				goto greet
			
			label known
			`You find Taely waiting for you in the spaceport alongside Dusk. They both wave as you approach.`
			`	"Captain!" Taely says. "I believe you already know Dusk. Dusk, I think you should find this to be right in your area of interest. Now I'll leave you two to your work, as I fear I have to go back to my job now. I would love to continue the exploration with you both, but there are more pressing issues I have to resolve at the moment. I will keep an eye on the activity in Patir, I promise. May the embers burn bright for you both."`
			`	As Taely wanders off, you turn to Dusk. "Nice to see you again, Captain!" he says.`
				goto choice
			
			label busy
			`Dusk is no longer busy. Do you want to contact him about Patir, the black hole system in the Graveyard that appeared out of nowhere?`
			choice
				`	(Sure.)`
				`	(Not right now.)`
					defer
			
			`	You contact Dusk, and he agrees to meet you in the cafeteria. When you spot him, he waves to you. "Nice to meet you again, Captain!" he says.`
			label choice
			choice
				`	"Good to see you too, Dusk."`
					goto greet
				`	"Has Taely told you about what we found?"`
			`	"Yes, a new system has appeared in the Graveyard. How exciting! Taely sent me the data as soon as she could.`
				goto greet
			
			label greet
			`	"I have found something interesting in the data Taely sent me, Captain." Dusk shows you a map of the system Patir with various lines drawn all over it. "This image shows the route followed by every Ka'sei the scanner was able to track. At first sight they do not seem to have much in common, right? However, upon closer examination, there is something consistent about almost every path: once in a while, every ship spends a few minutes on a single asteroid - one of the biggest in the entire asteroid belt.`
			`	"However, this could have easily been just a coincidence; it takes a lot of effort to extract resources from asteroids that size, so maybe they were just combining their forces to harvest it. So, at this point I had an idea." The screen on the touchpad changes, now showing raw numbers separated on a spreadsheet. "The sensors you carried to Patir had various functions, one of which was a high power asteroid scanner. The asteroid in particular was shown to be extremely rich in a particular metal, iridium. There is more iridium in it than the whole of half a dozen Ember Waste systems, planets included. However, here is the odd part: the concentration of iridium on the asteroid when you jumped away was not lower than when the scanning begun, it was higher! For whatever reason, the Fetri'sei are depositing iridium on the asteroid."`
			choice
				`	"Are you sure that it isn't just an error in the measurement?"`
				`	"Why are they doing that?"`
					goto why
			`	"Well, it is a possibility; this instrumentation has not been tested in years. But if it is not, this could give us a lot of insight on the real purpose of these Ka'sei and why they are around that black hole. It is at least worth studying!`
				goto end
			label why
			`	"That is what we are going to find out together! The only way we can find insights on their real purpose is to study this asteroid and what the Ka'sei are doing there.`
			label end
			`	"The plan is to take a short range high power scanner and map the entire asteroid to analyze the site where the Ka'sei are bringing the iridium. After you have made extensive scans of the sites I indicate to you, reach me back here on <origin> so that I can analyze the data. If everything goes well, you should be back here in a couple weeks. Now I have already directed the spaceport engineers to install the scanners on your ship. I almost can't wait to see what you find there!" Dusk is so excited that he leaves before you can respond.`
				accept
	on accept
		"remnant met dusk" ++
		set "remnant: dusk busy"
		event "asteroid on patir"
	on enter "Patir"
		dialog
			`After a brief scan of the system, your ship's computers identify the asteroid that Dusk talked about. Compared to the asteroids you are used to, this one is orders of magnitude bigger, almost the size of a small moon. Land on <planet> in order to get close enough for the short range scanner to analyze it.`
	on visit
		dialog "You've arrived, but you realize your escort carrying the <commodity> has not yet entered the system! Better depart and wait for it."

event "asteroid on patir"
	planet "Builder Settlement"
		remove attributes "requires: ka'sei"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 3"
	landing
	name "Return to <planet>"
	description "Return to <destination> to show the results of your scans of the large asteroid in Patir to Dusk."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Aventine"
	cargo "short range scanner" 15
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 2: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Your initial scans suggest that the asteroid is slowly rotating like a moon or planet. You set your ship on a polar orbit around it and activate the sensors that Dusk gave you, hopefully to find some answers to all the questions raised by Patir's mysterious appearance.`
			`	You start your exploration from the dark side of the asteroid, and from the little you can see, its surface appears to be completely covered in regolith of little importance. But soon after passing the terminator, you see an extremely reflective patch near the horizon. As you get closer, it becomes clear that this is the storage of iridium that Dusk was talking about: an enormous solidified lake of the reflective metal extending for kilometers in every direction inside a gigantic hole the Ka'sei have dug in the terrain.`
			`	In a few hours, you are able to check every site you were told to scan, but most of the surface still remains an unknown.`
			choice
				`	(Continue my exploration of the asteroid.)`
					goto explore
				`	(Leave and return to Aventine.)`
			`	As you are preparing to jump away, an artificial structure near the edge of the iridium storage catches your eye, and you decide to bring your ship in closer.`
				goto image
			label explore
			`	While you are setting up a new route to pass above as much terrain as possible, your eye is caught by an artificial structure near the edge of the iridium storage.`
			label image
			scene "scene/asteroid scene"
			`	The first thing you notice is an array of extremely tall pylons arranged into two parallel lines. When you approach to get a better angle, you discover a large cupola towering over the area. Although understanding its scale without a reference point is hard, you estimate it must be at least a kilometer in diameter.`
			`	You wonder if you should get closer, but the Ka'sei may not take kindly to you approaching their structure.`
			choice
				`	(Collect measurements at a safe distance.)`
				`	(Go near the structure, regardless of the risk.)`
					goto near
			`	The data that Dusk's scanners will gather will not be perfect, but it is better than having to risk getting close to something you know so little about. After a few minutes, the scan completes, and you are ready to return to <planet>.`
				accept
			label near
			action
				"exploration interest" ++
			`	You carefully position your ship above the structure and activate the sensors. As the scan proceeds, you monitor the position of the Ka'sei fleet. Some of the Fetri'sei nearest to you have stopped their standard activities and are standing by, perhaps observing your actions the same way you are observing theirs. Luckily, after a few minutes the sensors complete their analysis of the structure and you are ready to return to <planet> unmolested.`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog "You've returned to <planet>, but you realize your escort carrying the <commodity> has not yet entered the system! Better depart and wait for it."
	on complete
		dialog
			`Near the landing area, you discuss with Dusk what you have found next to the iridium storage. "This is fantastic! It is so much more than I hoped to find with this expedition. Give me a few hours to analyze the data and meet me in the spaceport."`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 4"
	name "Visit the asteroid"
	description "Bring Dusk to <system> to visit the ancient Builder settlement."
	source "Aventine"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 1
	blocked "You'll need <capacity> available so Dusk can join you on your mission. Return with the available space to continue."
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 3: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`You meet Dusk again in the cafeteria with his touchpad, as usual. "Thank you again for your help, <first>. There is a lot we can learn about the Builders with this discovery." He shows you a black and white image of a building inside a hemispherical dome. The complex appears to be made of interconnected cylinders, presumably habitation modules.`
			choice
				`	"What is that?"`
			`	"Oh, it is the scan you made of the Builder structure. Here, look: the external cupola is completely pressurized, which could give us insights about the biology of the Builders. The composition of the atmosphere on their planets is likely to have changed after so much time, and every manned station the Ka'het could reach was long destroyed. This is the first time we have the possibility to study the gases they could breathe without having the results compromised by millennia of biological activity. Inside the cupola there is also a large intact complex, which could give us more answers about all of this.`
			`	"If you can bring me to the asteroid, I could be able use the controls and enter in the cupola to measure the composition of the atmosphere."`
			choice
				`	"I'm ready to go."`
					accept
				`	"Wait, are you saying that you can read the Builder language?"`
			`	"Very approximately, but yes. We have been studying every piece of written language we could find from their cities, mostly inside sealed containers. It is very hard to understand full phrases or even what they mean at times, but we can reliably translate most of the common words and phrases, which will hopefully be enough for our mission."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog "You've arrived, but you realize your escort carrying Dusk has not yet entered the system! Better depart and wait for it."

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 5"
	landing
	name "First contact"
	description "After the tumultuous first contact, return to <destination> without hurting any Ka'sei, even if they attack you."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Aventine"
	passengers 1
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 4: done"
	on offer
		"reputation: Ka'sei" = -10
		conversation
			`As you approach the structure, Dusk stops preparing the equipment to observe it from the window. "It is a fascinating structure. I've only seen a small number of Builder buildings, but this looks different from anything I have seen. Perhaps it is more structurally similar to their stations than their outposts given the almost negligible gravity, or they had other asteroid colonies that have been gradually lost over time. It would be worth doing a serious exploration of the asteroid belts in the Graveyard at some point."`
			choice
				`	"You have been on Builder planets?"`
					goto planets
				`	"How far have the Remnant explored the Graveyard?"`
				`	"Do you have all the equipment ready?"`
					goto skip
			
			`	"I presume Taely already told you about the troubled beginnings we had in exploring the area; as a consequence of that, we had to reevaluate the procedures for exploring the nearby systems and species, especially beyond the Ossipago wormhole. Every scout ship entering the area has to always remain cloaked to prevent attacks from the countless Ka'het patrolling the area; this means that the further we need to travel to reach the destination, the more fuel we have to spend to return home, which considerably impacts the time we can spend cloaked in the destination. Some of the systems at the other end of the Graveyard have seen very few Starlings, most of them staying for less than a day.`
			`	"Still, even with these limitations we were able to make considerable progress. We can read some of the words in their language, and we were able to retrieve a countless number of partly intact Builder artifacts. Perhaps some day we will be able to understand how to control the Ka'het. Who knows?`
				goto skip
			
			label planets
			`	"Oh I have, many times. I have never been on a Builder station, but on a few occasions I have participated to expeditions to newly discovered cities or semi-submersed bunkers. I presume Taely already told you about the troubled beginnings we had in exploring the area; as a consequence of that, we had to reevaluate the procedures for exploring the nearby systems and species, especially beyond the Ossipago wormhole. Every scout ship entering the area has to always remain cloaked for safety; this means that exploring planets is only possible for a limited time and that you cannot leave your ship if you do not have a means of hiding yourself from them.`
			`	"Because of this, most of the planetary exploration is done with robotic probes. The Ka'het are able to detect and destroy devices that use faster than light communication, so only remote control with a Starling in the same system is possible. There are a lot of compromises that must be taken, but we can still make considerable progress even with these restrictions.`
			
			label skip
			`	"I need to prepare a few more instruments before we land," Dusk says as he stops staring at the dome and returns to his equipment. As you reach the complex, you do a few flights around it in search for a good landing site. Dusk points out a spot right next to a set of small circular indentations on the structure. After touching down, you and Dusk don extravehicular suits and start walking towards the cupola. He stops in front of a ring on its surface and starts looking through his equipment.`
			choice
				`	"What is that?"`
			`	"Well, I obviously cannot be sure, but given its location and that on the other side there is a pressurized area, it should be an airlock. I have seen scans of the Builder stations, and they look quite similar." He takes a heavy-looking scanner, puts it on the wall of the structure and starts moving it around. "If I am right, this way should have a control station hidden inside the wall - and here it is!" he sings with satisfaction.`
			`	Using a small instrument similar in appearance to a crowbar, Dusk slowly pulls out a section from the wall, kicking off a good amount of dust in the process. The control station is a two-sided panel, full of switches and buttons with small alien markings above each of them.`
			choice
				`	"Can you read them?"`
				`	"Can you open the airlock?"`
					goto open
				`	"Are you sure this won't put us in danger?"`
					goto danger
			`	"I can, yes. The first row of switches controls the lights inside the complex, the second row controls redundant pressurization systems, and there are similar such operations controlled by the rest of the panel.`
				goto open
			label danger
			`	"There is no way to be certain, but this is the only possible way to get in without destroying half of the complex.`
			label open
			`	"This," Dusk says as he presses a switch in the middle of the panel, "is what we were looking for." Soon after, the door in front of you opens, revealing a small room with another door at the opposite end. You follow Dusk inside, where he takes out the scanner again to look for another control panel. Once that is open, another switch allows him to close the door. Only the lights on your helmet keep you from being submerged in complete darkness. Looking around, you notice that the architecture is distinctly alien, with rounded angles on every side of the room and buttresses on either side of the doors. The ring itself is too small for you to pass through it standing upright, but the low gravity of the asteroid lets you almost fly through it without much trouble. "We now have to wait for the room to pressurize," he tells you.`
			choice
				`	"How long do you think it will it take?"`
				`	"Would it be safe to remove our helmets after that?"`
					goto dumb
			`	"I have no idea. Usually it is a matter of a few minutes, but we know next to nothing about this tech. We will have to wait and see. In the meanwhile," he says as he begins to activate another scanner, "I can analyze the atmosphere that is starting to fill this room. It should save us some time to do it here, as well as being safer, should it be dangerous to our suits."`
				goto scan
			label dumb
			`	Dusk gives you an odd look. "Of course not <first>; it would almost certainly kill you. Such an alien atmosphere is unlikely to be breathable for a human, and even if it was we could not be sure until we analyze it extensively." He begins to activate another scanner, "Speaking of which, I can start analyzing the atmosphere that is starting to fill this room. It should save us some time to do it here, as well as also safer, should it be dangerous to our suits."`
			label scan
			`	Dusk continues working on the atmospheric analyzer for about five minutes without anything happening. You try to connect to the scanner on your ship to check the position of the nearby Fetri'sei, but the dome seems to jam all communication with the outside. Suddenly, you hear a loud "pop," and the door that leads inside the dome recesses a few centimeters. "Just in time," Dusk says. "My analysis of the atmosphere has finished. Let us go take a look inside." After a brief look at the writing on the door, he grabs a handle on it and slides it to the left. The hatch starts to slowly open inwards. When you come closer to the entrance you are instantly blinded by a strong light coming from the other side of the door. After lowering the sun shield on your helmet, your eyes start adapting to the new light level, and it takes you a few seconds to realize what is now in front of you. Landed inside the cupola, right in front of the airlock, is a Fetri'sei - a Ka'sei probe - pointed at you and Dusk.`
			`	Both you and Dusk stand still in front of it without saying a word. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see his hands shivering. All of a sudden, the Ka'sei starts emitting a very high pitched sound, very hard to hear, frequently changing in intensity. This lasts only for a few seconds, then abruptly stops.`
			choice
				`	(Run back in the airlock.)`
					goto run
				`	(Stay still and wait.)`
			`	The whole cupola falls silent. What feels like hours pass before the Ka'sei swiftly lifts off in front of you, hovering a few meters above the terrain. Just like the previous time, it starts emitting the same sequence of sounds as the last time, followed by a clicking sound. Dusk turns towards you.`
			choice
				`	(Run back in the airlock.)`
					goto still
				`	(Keep staying still.)`
					goto still
				`	(Try shooting at the hover engines of the Ka'sei with my sidearm.)`
			`	You take out your gun and start aiming for the Fetri'sei's side pods. Your first shot misses it completely, but after that you are able to make three full hits on the hover engines. Almost instantly, the Ka'sei starts emitting a loud siren. The ship fires a beam just to the left of you, letting out an ear-piercing wail. Both you and Dusk jump back to the airlock as fast as possible, but you are too far away to reach it in time before a Ravager beam tears through your suit. The last thing you see is Dusk closing the airlock.`
				die
			
			label still
			`	After another short silence, the Ka'sei starts emitting a loud siren. You hear the screech of Ravager fire as an angry energy beam sears through the air to your left, just barely missing you. Both you and Dusk jump back to the airlock, slamming the door closed. You can still feel the crackle of the Ravager cannons from the other side the door, and after a second, the door begins to glow.`
			choice
				`	(Open the exit door, even with the airlock full of air.)`
					goto blast
				`	(Wait for the airlock to empty.)`
			`	After waiting a few seconds, Dusk hurries towards the control station. "Hold on to something, I ha-" Suddenly, he is interrupted by a burst of light coming from where the door of the airlock used to be. Your suit provides little protection from the full force of the Ravager beams.`
				die
			
			label blast
			`	You reach the control station as fast as you can and press the switch that Dusk had used when you first came in. The blast is not as strong as you imagined, but in a few seconds you are thrown out of the airlock by the sheer force of the air leaving from the breach. Both of you touch down after a few meters, crashing hard in the terrain that surrounds the cupola. Out of the corner of your eye, you see that there's still air coming out of the airlock, signifying that the interior door has been breached. It is very lucky that your suit has not been punctured.`
			`	Looking around, you see Dusk laying face down next to you. Thankfully, he begins to stand up as you approach him. When he sees you, he silently pauses for a moment, before jerking his head to the airlock and signing. "We need to run. It could get out of the cupola, or others could arrive, and here in the open we are even easier targets." You nod and start going with him back to your ship.`
			`	Running at full speed, it takes the two of you only a few minutes to reach the <ship>. Once safely in the cockpit, you sit down to catch your breath. After a moment, Dusk begins searching nervously for something on his suit. He takes out the atmospheric scanner he used earlier, but the screen is cracked and the external sensors are bent. "It must have been destroyed when we fell on the ground. I hope that at least its memory is still intact."`
				goto attack
			
			label run
			`	You start running towards the airlock as fast as you can. Initially, Dusk tries to resist, but you drag him by force and lock the door behind you. Everything falls into silence again for half a minute while you are waiting for the room to depressurize, but suddenly the sound of a Ravager cannon cuts through the silence, and the inner airlock door begins to glow as it takes fire.`
			choice
				`	(Open the exit door, even with the airlock full of air.)`
					goto rush
				`	(Wait for the airlock to empty.)`
			`	After a few seconds of waiting, Dusk hurries towards the control station. "I have an idea," he says as he presses a few switches on the panel. "I can open a vent to expel the air out of here into the void, and get us out of here in a few seconds."`
				goto expel
			label rush
			`	You reach the control station as fast as you can and tell Dusk to hold on to something, but he stops you. "I have a better idea," he says as he presses a few switches on the panel. "I can open a vent to expel the air out of here into the void, and get us out of here in a few seconds."`
			label expel
			`	Soon after, the frontal door recedes. You two run out of the airlock as fast as possible. Behind you, you hear the roar of metal melting as a rush of air passes you by. You start running back to your ship with Dusk, hoping that the Ka'sei will not get out of the building before you are safe.`
			`	Running at full speed, it takes the two of you only a few minutes to reach the <ship>. Once safely in the cockpit, you sit down to catch your breath. After a moment, Dusk begins searching nervously for something on his suit. He takes out the atmospheric scanner he used earlier and turns it on. "Phew. I was afraid it had broken down when we had to run away, but maybe we can still get the data we need."`
			action
				set "atmospheric scan intact"
			
			label attack
			`	Dusk is interrupted by the shrieking wail of your ship's proximity alert as a hostile object appears on the radar screen. As Dusk suspected, the Fetri'sei must have tracked your movements after leaving the cupola. You start to ready your ship for combat, but Dusk interrupts you. "You cannot kill them, <first>. Do you remember the high pitched sound it emitted before shooting? He was trying to speak with us, Captain. Only a few words, maybe even pre-programmed for this kind of interaction, but still a complete phrase or more in pure Builder language. In decades of xenoarchaeological research, this is the first time that it occurs. These ships are an incredible discovery. They may be the only thing still capable of speaking that language in the entire Graveyard. You cannot destroy it, and disabling one is more a matter of luck than skill."`
			choice
				`	"What should I do then?"`
			`	"Well, I can only suggest to depart from here and set a route straight back to Aventine, while avoiding the Ka'sei. Sorry <first>, but it is preferable that we leave them alone." After all the risk you had to take, you cannot help but nod if this means getting as far from here as possible.`
				launch
	
	npc
		government "Ka'sei"
		personality plunders mining harvests staying
		fleet
			names "ka'sei"
			cargo 3
			variant
				"Fetri'sei" 18
				"Fetri'sei (Disable-able)" 6
	
	on enter "Patir"
		dialog
			`Soon after departing, your ship warns you that a large number of ships are targeting you. It appears the other Ka'sei are also going to attack.`
	on visit
		dialog "You've returned to <planet>, but you realize your escort carrying Dusk has not yet entered the system! Better depart and wait for it."
	on complete
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"
		event "patir mystery timer" 10 16
		conversation
			branch attacked
				"reputation: Ka'sei" < -10
			action
				"reputation: Ka'sei" = 1
			`You disembark from your ship with Dusk, discussing the events that occurred in Patir. "Thank you for keeping the Ka'sei alive, <first>. They might be exactly what our Builder research needs, and I really hope I can continue exploring that place with you in the future. I will study what we have gathered in the last days trying to find anything that could give us more clues about them." He waves at you and starts walking towards the exit from the spaceport. "I will contact you again when I find something worth looking at. May the Embers burn bright for you, <first>."`
				decline
			
			label attacked
			action
				set "ka'het: attacked ka'sei"
			`You disembark from your ship with Dusk, who is visible angry that you destroyed one of the Ka'sei. "I told you not to attack them! I told you of their importance!" he signs harshly while pacing back and forth. "Oh my, oh my, we can only hope that this does not close any doors for us. Perhaps we can attempt to communicate with them? Tell them it was an accident?" He looks to you as if searching for some reassurance, but you have none to give. "Forget it. I will study what we have gathered, but I am afraid that it will be all that we will ever gather from that system." Dusk storms off without saying goodbye, typing away on his touchpad as he goes.`

event "pacified ka'sei"
	"reputation: Ka'sei" = 1

event "patir mystery timer"

ship "Cloak Check"
	attributes
		"heat dissipation" 1
		"hull" 3
		"mass" 100
		"drag" 5
		"automaton" 1
		"thrust" 100
		"turn" 6000
	outfits
		"Cloak Checker"
	turret 0 0

outfit "Cloak Checker"
	category "Turrets"
	thumbnail "outfit/unknown"
	"turret mounts" -1
	weapon
		"velocity" 10
		"lifetime" 1
		"reload" 1
		"blast radius" 20
		"hull damage" 5
		"no damage scaling"
		"range override" 1000000
		"turret turn" 360

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 6"
	name "Second contact"
	description "Return to <system> with Dusk and four other xenoarchaeologists to continue your exploration of the <planet>. You will need to be cloaked as you enter to avoid alerting the Ka'sei."
	source
		government "Remnant"
		attributes "remnant primary"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 5
	cargo "instruments and samplers" 2
	blocked `As soon as you arrive, Dusk contacts you again. "Welcome back, <first>! We should be ready for the next Patir expedition, but we need at least five free bunks to attempt it, and at least 2 tons of cargo space for samples."`
	to offer
		has "event: patir mystery timer"
		has "Remnant: Cognizance 38: done"
		not "ka'het: attacked ka'sei"
		not "remnant: dusk busy"
	on offer
		conversation
			`It doesn't take long for you to be noticed in the crowded, yet quiet, starport of <origin>. You feel a tap on your shoulder and turn around to see Dusk, accompanied by a group of four. "Good to see you here again, <first>! Do you remember our exploration of the Patir black hole?"`
			branch "atmospheric data"
				has "atmospheric scan intact"
			`	One of the other Remnant shows you a hologram of the system, with what looks like the Builder settlement you visited earlier highlighted by a yellow glow. "After studying the data we gathered during our last visit, we may have devised a way to enter the structure undisturbed! Based on our recordings, the Fetri'sei that attacked us in the structure was gathering materials from the asteroid belt with its fellow Ka'sei, and only moved inside the dome when it spotted us."`
				goto proposal

			label "atmospheric data"
			action
				payment 300000
			`	One of the other Remnant shows you a hologram of the system, with what looks like the Builder settlement you visited earlier highlighted by a yellow light. "First of all, we have transferred <payment> to your logistics account for saving the data on the dome's atmosphere. It is only thanks to you that we were able to learn more about what kind of atmosphere the Builders may have lived in."`
			choice
				`	"Thank you."`
					goto "skip dialog"
				`	"Can you tell me more about that?"`
			`	"The air in the settlement we visited was almost evenly split between oxygen and argon, while containing very little nitrogen. Despite its differences, it is interesting to note that such a composition is breathable by human standards."`
			`	"We could have removed our helmets after the airlock?" you ask.`
			`	"It is a bit more complicated than that. We found that the pressure inside the complex was much, much lower than what we are used to - less than a sixteenth of an atmosphere. On most Earth-like planets, you would only find such pressures at over 20,000 meters. There are two possibilities: either the Builders were born in a thin atmosphere, or the life support system failed some time ago and the structure has been slowly losing air ever since. We hope to find the answer soon enough.`

			label "skip dialog"
			`	"On top of that, we have learned that the Fetri'sei that attacked us was not waiting in the structure when we first entered the system; it was gathering materials from the asteroid belt together with the rest of its fellow Ka'sei, and only moved inside the dome when it spotted us."`

			label proposal
			choice
				`	"What are you suggesting?"`
				`	"And?"`
			`	"Cloaking is the key. If we can stay hidden as we enter Patir and land, then the Fetri'sei should stay outside of the settlement, letting us explore further. Make sure your ship has enough fuel for the journey, however; if you drop your cloak at any time in Patir, then the Ka'sei will block our progress again."`
			`	After he finishes signing, he makes a few quick gestures toward the projector, enlarging the hologram of the Builder settlement and revealing what looks like a flight path. "You are going to land roughly where we did last time, carrying me and four other xenoarcheologists. If you accept, I should be able to allocate 100,000 credits to help you buy the necessary equipment for this mission."`
			choice
				`	"I'm in."`
					accept
				`	"What if they detect us while inside the structure?"`
				`	"Sorry, but I don't think it is a good idea to return there."`
					decline
			`	"It is a possibility, yes. It is also quite problematic because communication between the inside and the outside of the structure is impossible. I think the best course of action would be to place a scanner that keeps an eye on the large airlocks on the upper side of the dome, the ones the Ka'sei used last time. If I am right, it should give us around a quarter of an hour to get back in the airlock and escape."`
			choice
				`	"Alright, let's do it."`
					accept
				`	"Sorry, but I don't think it is a good idea to return there."`
					decline

	on accept
		payment 100000
		set "remnant: dusk busy"
	on abort
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"
	on fail
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"
		dialog
			`You have approached the Builder Settlement uncloaked, making the Ka'sei follow you, or the escort that was carrying the Remnant scientists has been destroyed, or the escort that was carrying the mission cargo was destroyed. You have failed this mission.`
	on visit
		dialog `You have reached <planet>, but not all of the cargo and passengers are in the system! Better depart and wait for your escorts to arrive in this star system. Remember that your escorts need to be cloaked as well. You may want to park your escorts that are incapable of cloaking.`
	npc save
		government "Test Dummy"
		personality heroic nemesis unconstrained
		system "Patir"
		fleet
			variant
				"Cloak Check" 10

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 7"
	landing
	name "Return to <planet>"
	description "Take Dusk and the other researchers, as well as <cargo>, back to <destination>."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Aventine"
	passengers 5
	cargo "Patir samples" 2
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 6: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`As you slowly descend toward the surface of the planetoid, most of the Fetri'sei continue to orbit Patir, going in and out of the asteroid belt to mine precious metals from it. The few around the planetoid travel not towards the ruins of the Builder settlement, but rather to the massive stockpile of iridium situated nearby. After a final pass around the dome to ensure none of them have begun following you, you land near the imprint your spaceship left in the dusty regolith the last time you came here.`
			`	"Great work, Captain. We are ready to start our mission." Dusk and his team are carrying with them a set of instruments similar to the first time you were here, from compact laser scanners to a pair of large crowbars. On the crew's backs are cylinders of varying dimensions, with the largest being almost a meter wide. You follow them through the ship's airlock onto the surface and begin the walk towards the complex. Halfway to the dome, Dusk speaks over the radio. "<first>, before we arrive there, do you have any further questions on the mission plan?"`
			choice
				`	"What should I do once we are inside?"`
					goto inside
				`	"What are you and your team going to do in the complex?"`
					goto dusk
				`	"Do you think the Ka'sei are going to leave us alone the entire time?"`
					goto kasei
				`	"Don't worry, I'll figure it out."`
			`	"Well, I really hope so!" Dusk replies, grinning behind the glass of his helmet.`
				goto entrance

			label inside
			`	"Well, that is up to you. From the brief scans I made of the structure it does not seem to have particularly thick internal walls, so communication between us within the dome should be feasible. You could come with me inside the structure to help identify what we find, or if you prefer you could also remain near the airlocks and keep an eye out for incoming Fetri'sei. As I said, the choice is yours."`
				goto entrance

			label dusk
			`	"It depends. Here, look," he says, passing you a data pad with a rather blurry picture. "It is a still image taken from the recording of our encounter with the Fetri'sei. The strong lights ruined most of the video, so we will to have to settle for this picture, but look at the background: do you see that curved board on the left? The quality of the video is too low to be sure, but I think it could be a map of the complex. If I am right, we could split into groups and cover more ground in the few hours we are going to spend here."`
				goto entrance

			label kasei
			`	"Honestly? At this point, I am positive they will. The last time we came here, they had already found us and were probably starting to enter the dome. Right now, they are still in the asteroid belt continuing their mission. There's the possibility that the airlock will alert them of our arrival, but at this point it is unlikely. In either case, I will be sure to keep an eye on the airlock once we are inside the dome."`
			label entrance
			`	It doesn't take long to reach the airlock ring in front of the dome. The airlock you used last time is still open, and its control panel is visible next to it. Dusk, following your gaze, quickly stops you. "I doubt it would be a good idea to pass through the same airlock we used last time, <first>," he says. "It looks like the structure's automated systems patched up the hole left by the Ka'sei, but I would never trust it as a pressure vessel at this point. Plus, I count at least six more airlocks we could use."`
			`	He and another member of the group move to the opposite side of the control station next to the airlock, then flip one of the switches on the panel. Just like last time, a door opens next to them, revealing another on the opposite side of the small room. There is space only for three crew members at a time; you, Dusk, and another Remnant enter the airlock, while the other three wait their turn. The door closes, and Dusk flips the switch to begin the pressurization procedure. Suddenly, the lights inside the module turn on, emitting a bright, azure light.`
			choice
				`	"Did you do that?"`
				`	"What happened?"`
			`	"I am not sure. Wait." Moving to the opposite side of the airlock, he uses a crowbar to open another hidden control station, which slides out of the wall to reveal a rather large screen scrolling through some alien writing. After reading through it with some difficulty, Dusk breathes a sigh of relief and pulls it back to its original location. "I think it is nothing," he adds, "at least I hope so. From what I could gather, the lights being switched on were a normal, timed event in the commanded startup sequence - why they did not turn on last time is beyond me, but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Perhaps they were just broken."`
			`	A few minutes later, pressurization finishes, and the interior door opens. You follow Dusk out of the airlock and find yourself in front of a large area, likely the same place the encounter with the Fetri'sei took place. "The moment of truth," exclaims Dusk, placing down a heavy scanner, similar to a short telescope. "This is a low-power laser system, capable of measuring the density of the atmosphere anywhere within 10 kilometers. If a Fetri'sei was alerted when we crossed the airlock, by now the large airlock will be filling up with oxygen and argon to allow it to pass through, and this sensor here will register it. Let's see." A tense silence ensues as the machine boots up.`
			choice
				`	"What does it say?"`
				`	"What are the readings?"`
			`	Dusk smiles. "The airlock is still empty. It looks like we can finally begin exploring the facility." When the rest of the group finishes crossing the airlock, you all start moving toward a curved board, placed equidistant from each of the entrances. After scrutinizing the writings on it for a few seconds, one of the Remnant exclaims, "A map!" Dusk starts discussing something with the rest of his team, but from your position you can't see what they're signing.`
			choice
				`	(Wait for them to finish their discussion.)`
				`	(Move closer to try to follow the conversation.)`
				`	(Try to get Dusk's attention.)`
			`	Dusk turns around to you. "So, <first>," he asks, "what do you think? This is indeed a map of the Builder complex. The team and I have split the exploration in four groups - one going to the armory, one visiting the underground facilities and another visiting someplace that roughly translates to 'part cycler.' If you want to come with me, we can choose between the general storage area and what seem to be some kind of elevated gardens. Or you could remain here to keep an eye on the laser scanner if you wish; the choice is yours."`
			choice
				`	"Let's go to the storage."`
					goto storage
				`	"I think it is best to visit the elevated gardens."`
					goto gardens
				`	"Sorry, but the Ka'sei are too much of a danger. I will stay here."`
			`	"Alright." Dusk and the rest of the team split toward different buildings in the complex, disappearing behind large armored doors. The next hours pass slowly as you stand outside the complex, surrounded by complete silence interrupted only by short updates from those exploring the buildings. Almost four hours later, while checking the atmospheric density scanner yet again, you notice a blinking yellow light, placed near the bottom of the control panel.`
			choice
				`	(Call Dusk with the radio.)`
					goto alarm
				`	(Ignore it.)`
			`	As the time passes, the light dims and blinks slower. It takes almost half an hour, but the yellow light finally turns off entirely.`
			`	Some time later the group returns, satisfied with what they've found inside. "It was an interesting trip for sure, Captain," Dusk tells you. "Did anything of note happen out here?"`
			choice
				`	(Tell him about the light.)`
					goto explain
				`	"Not much. It was a bit boring."`
			`	"I imagine so. You would have been more helpful in the complex together with me." After picking up the scanners, you begin to pass through the airlocks, three people at a time. After a few minutes, you're all back outside the dome, ready to finally return to <planet>.`
				goto ending

			label alarm
			`	As you tell him about the blinking light, he interrupts you and announces to the rest of the group that they are leaving. "The yellow light is an indicator that the battery is running out," he explains hurriedly. "I should have checked our equipment better. Soon, the starship airlock will be unwatched." Instead of going through a single airlock, the group splits, half going into one airlock and half into another. When you're finally all outside of the dome, the tense mood dissipates.`
				goto ending

			label explain
			`	As you tell him about the blinking light, his expression changes. "You should have called me! We could have died!" He moves to the console on the laser scanner, which stays dark. "The yellow light was an indicator that the battery was running out," he says. "I should have checked our equipment better. The starship airlock may have remained unwatched for hours now. We need to leave." Instead of going through a single airlock, the group splits, half going into one airlock and half into another. When you're finally all outside of the dome, the tense mood dissipates.`

			label ending
			`	While walking back to the ship, Dusk continues talking about the mission. He explains that they found that the Patir settlement had never been visited in its history - not even by the Builders themselves. "I did not expect to find a thriving colony inside, but this is perplexing. A possible theory is that the settlement was built by the Ka'sei themselves, but the variety of designs inside and the way everything was assembled contradicts everything we know about their capabilities. Perhaps the buildings were transported here together with them - or perhaps even the entire asteroid was brought here from a Graveyard system, though that seems unlikely. There is a lot we still have to learn about Patir."`
			`	Once you're back inside the <ship>, the team moves to their rooms to continue discussing theories about the Builder settlement here. Next destination: <planet>.`
				accept

			label storage
			`	Dusk takes the lead, and you reach a large building on the opposite side of the dome. The towering cubical structure has multiple doors on the sides, each of them taller than the one before; its walls are light, of a pale blue, with gold and brown finishes around the signs scattered across the area. Dusk stops in front of one of the smallest doors, only a few centimeters taller than you, and starts pushing it to the side to make it slide. Slowly but surely, it starts to move. Dusk enters first, and you follow.`
			`	If the depot seemed large from the outside, it's even more impressive seen from the inside; massive, sturdy shelves tower left and right, surrounded by odd machinery and cylindrical containers. While you're still studying the structure, Dusk calls you over. "Look here, <first>," he says, indicating the lower shelves in front of him. "What do you see?" It isn't easy to inspect the shelves with just your helmet lights, but you notice they're all empty. "This is not what I would expect from a settlement that used to be inhabited."`
			choice
				`	"What do you think happened here?"`
					goto theory
				`	"Maybe the rest of the depot will have something."`
					goto samples
				`	"Is it possible that they just emptied the storage when they left?"`
			`	"Maybe. But look at how pristine this place is. There is no dirt or dust anywhere I can see, and everything seems to be exactly where it should. It seems more as if it was never inhabited in the first place. There are far too many unknowns about Patir and this settlement to be certain of anything, though." He pulls another instrument from a waist pouch, then begins gathering samples from around the depot, both from the ground and on the shelves. The procedure takes a few minutes; he then puts the samples in one of the cylinders on his back and starts moving to the next room, signing for you to follow him.`
				goto depot

			label theory
			`	"At first I thought they abandoned this place and took everything with them, but look: there is no dirt or dust anywhere I can see, and everything seems to be exactly where it should. It seems more as if it was never inhabited in the first place. There are far too many unknowns about Patir and this settlement to be certain of anything, though." He pulls another instrument from a waist pouch, then begins gathering samples from around the depot, both from the ground and on the shelves. The procedure takes a few minutes; he then puts them in one of the cylinders on his back and starts moving to the next room, signing for you to follow him.`
				goto depot

			label samples
			`	"Maybe, but I would not get my hopes up if I were you." Sitting down, Dusk takes out of his waist pouch a slim, organic-looking instrument, connected with a cable to a larger box still inside the bag. He takes samples from everywhere in the room: the shelves, the door, the walls, even some from the floor. After enclosing everything inside cylindrical containers, he tells you to get ready to move to another compartment.`
			label depot
			`	You follow Dusk around the building, but the results are the same. The depot is full of empty, untouched containers and barren racks in an incredible state of preservation. After Dusk gathers the last samples, you follow him outside, where you join the other teams leaving the building with their samples. Next stop: <planet>.`
				accept

			label gardens
			action
				"patir: builder seeds" ++
			`	"I agree, it feels the more interesting of the two." The two of you follow the route indicated on the map for a while before reaching the entrance: a slender, sturdy-looking pillar roughly two meters wide with a circular opening on one side. Moving closer you can see the end of a shallow ramp right beyond the door, swirling upwards inside of the column and likely reaching the top of the dome.`
			`	"If this is supposed to be the exit of the garden," Dusk says, "I fail to see where the entrance should be. We are going to have to walk up it instead."`
			choice
				`	"Alright, let's go."`
					goto ramp
				`	"I would rather keep searching for the entrance."`
			`	You and Dusk keep walking around the structure for almost half an hour to no avail; with no other choices left but going up the ramp, you give up and decide to follow it up the pillar. Going through it is simpler than it looked, as the surface of the floor is ribbed in a peculiar way so that gripping onto it becomes rather effortless. Despite this, it takes half an hour to reach the garden, and the roof of the dome still lies well above.`
				goto top

			label ramp
			`	You follow Dusk up along the ramp, the length of it making the ascent quite tiresome. Luckily, going through it is simple, as the surface of the floor is ribbed in a peculiar way so that gripping onto it becomes rather effortless. Even so, though the garden is nowhere near the top of the dome, it takes another half an hour to reach it.`
			label top
			`	The view at the top is disappointing. In front of you, there are only rows upon rows of long racks with a dry, light gray material on the top and bottom of each shelf. Interspersed between the rows there is some Builder equipment, in which you only recognize large unlit lamps connected to the rest of the structure. Despite all of this, there are no plants anywhere, as far as the eye can see. "I believe we have stumbled upon some kind of hydroponics facility," Dusk says. "I think I have mistranslated the label on the map; this is more like a field than a simple garden."`
			choice
				`	"What is the plan now?"`
					goto plan
				`	"Why are there no plants growing?"`
			`	"It has probably been around a hundred thousand years since the last time a sapient being was anywhere near this structure. If we were on an Earth-like planet, the plants would have completely covered any artificial structure, but here on an asteroid in the middle of nowhere? Whatever water supply this place had likely ran out when the Builders were still alive." After stopping to think for a few seconds, Dusk continues.`
			label plan
			`	"Even if there are no plants, there must be containers with seeds and fertilizers somewhere around here. We have already wasted a lot of time coming up here; if you go look for those while I gather samples from the abandoned hydroponics, we will cover more terrain in the time we have left." As Dusk begins to prepare the sampling vials and the rest of the equipment, you walk toward the back of the "fields." You enter a series of tall rooms parallel to the hydroponics, none of which contain anything of note - all except the last room, which contains numerous hexagonal containers stacked on top of each other.`
			choice
				`	(Call Dusk.)`
					goto call
				`	(Open one of the boxes.)`
			`	You take one of the boxes from the top of the stack. It seems very heavy for its size, but with the help of the almost negligible gravity of the asteroid, you eventually succeed in taking it down to the floor. Opening it is even harder, as the box seems to have been sealed shut hermetically. After a lot of struggle, it opens to reveal a mass of spherical, light blue seeds tightly packed together.`
			`	Dusk reaches you shortly thereafter, but he doesn't seem too happy. "I have few pressurized containers with me, <first>. We cannot expose the seeds to the vacuum of space without the risk of killing them, and we are going to need as many chances as possible to make something grow." Taking another box from the stack, he continues, "We ought to leave this one here for a future expedition and grab another one instead."`
				goto continue

			label call
			`	It doesn't take long for Dusk to reach you. "Great find, <first>." After glancing at boxes on various piles, he finally settles for one on the top of a nearby stack and brings it down. "From the labels on its back, it seems to contain three different kinds of seeds."`
			label continue
			`	As you awkwardly scoot down the slide with the seeds, the same corrugated texture that made it possible to climb now working against you, Dusk continues his explanation. "It seems odd how none of the boxes you found were empty, or even unsealed. The hydroponics fields were in a similar situation; you would expect to find at least traces indicating the place used to be full of plants, but there was nothing of that sort. I am starting to believe this place was never inhabited in the first place, but assembling this facility would go far beyond the known capabilities of the Ka'sei."`
			`	Shortly after reaching the end, you meet up with the rest of the team, who all describe situations similar to the one you found. It takes a while to reach your ship outside the dome, but finally everything is ready to return to Remnant space. Next stop: <planet>.`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		payment 50000
		conversation
			`After disembarking from the <ship>, you help the Remnant carry out what they found in the Builder settlement. The other teams gathered a lot of artifacts during the trip, from oddly shaped vials to tall pieces of alien machinery; you help Dusk carry a small crate, containing a dozen or so cylindrical objects roughly as large as your hand behind a transparent lid. "Thank you for your help, Captain."`
			choice
				`	"What is the next move?"`
					goto next
				`	"What is in that crate?"`
			`	"Oh, these? They are a Builder sidearm - a weapon capable of emitting short-ranged electrical bursts strong enough to incapacitate or kill your target. We discovered a few hundred of them inside some bunkers in the Graveyard long ago. If you would like, I would not mind misplacing one, as a token of thanks for all your help here."`
			scene "outfit/ka'het taser"
			choice
				`	"Thank you. How do I use it?"`
					goto outfit
				`	"I'd rather be paid in credits instead."`
			`	"Oh, I have already transferred 50,000 credits to your account. I need to organize some things for our next mission; if you meet me in the spaceport a few hours from now, I should have everything ready."`
				decline

			label outfit
			action
				outfit "Ka'het Electric Stunner" 1
			`	Dusk quickly explains how to use the Ka'het weapon; its short cylindrical shape is evidently not made for human hands and proves to be quite hard to use, but you eventually figure out how to hold it while still being able to readily press the trigger. While they may not be the best weapon to capture an enemy ship, they're surely going to be very handy from a defensive position inside your own.`
			label next
			`	"Now that we know how to safely access the site, I am going to need to organize our next mission. If you meet me in the spaceport a few hours from now I should have everything ready. In the meanwhile, make sure to prepare a large enough freighter for takeoff - chances are we will need at least a hundred tons of free space in the cargo hold for the complete payload."`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 8A"
	name "Take the lab"
	description "Take the ground lab (weighing 97 tons) from <destination> to prepare for the next expedition."
	source "Aventine"
	destination "Babiali"
	passengers 5
	blocked `Dusk contacts you soon after you reach the spaceport. "<first>, we will need at least five free bunks for the mission we are preparing."`
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 7: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`It doesn't take long for you to see Dusk; he's waiting for you under a canopy next to your landing pad, right at the edge of Aventine's starport. "We are almost ready to go," he says, "but I have run into a problem. My plan for our next mission was to have a repeat of the last expedition, but this time carrying a temporary laboratory to the Builder site. I was able to gather most of the instruments I was looking for in the local scientific facilities, but none of the mobile laboratories I am authorized to requisition by default were in good enough condition to fly.`
			`	"Because of that, before we can start our mission, we will need to make a stopover at <destination> - I was able to convince the prefects on Viminal to reallocate one of the outposts that they had just delivered there to our mission, given it has higher priority than the mining expeditions they are setting up. After outfitting it with our research equipment, it has reached a mass of 97 tons."`
			`	You help Dusk transport the chosen instruments to your ship; you also make sure to leave enough space for the facilities you're going to take from <planet>. As you're walking back to the ship's controls, Dusk reminds you to bring as many ramscoops with you as possible - you're going to need them in order to complete the mission plan while cloaked.`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic passenger on visit"
	on complete
		dialog
			`Dusk's coordinates indicate the border of a large canyon near the equator of <planet>. Unlike most cracks on the surface, this one shows signs of geological activity: you only narrowly avoid a stream ejecting from a geyser in the canyon as you pass overhead. As you land, a row of Remnant structures are clearly visible running parallel to the cliff.`
			`	The local crew assist in loading the modular laboratory split across three pallets; with them arrives a separate package, containing a surveillance satellite to be deployed near Patir while cloaked.`
	on abort
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"
	on fail
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 8B"
	landing
	name "Lab deployment"
	description "Reach <system> and land while still cloaked in order to set up the Remnant laboratory."
	source "Babiali"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 5
	cargo "research lab and satellite" 97
	blocked `Dusk contacts you soon after you reach the spaceport. "<first>, this mission is going to require <capacity>."`
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 8A: done"
	on enter Patir
		dialog
			`The probe slowly moves away from your ship, opening its external panels and the instrumentation; as you watch it turn into a dim point of light, the Remnant team confirms that it is functioning correctly. Time to land on the asteroid.`
	on abort
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"
	on fail
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"
		dialog
			`You have approached the Builder Settlement uncloaked, making the Ka'sei follow you, or the escort that was carrying the Remnant scientists has been destroyed, or the escort that was carrying the mission cargo was destroyed. You have failed this mission.`
	on visit
		dialog `You have reached <planet>, but not all of the cargo and passengers are in the system! Better depart and wait for your escorts to arrive in this star system. Remember that your escorts need to be cloaked as well. You may want to park your escorts that are incapable of cloaking.`
	npc save
		government "Test Dummy"
		personality unconstrained heroic nemesis
		system "Patir"
		fleet
			variant
				"Cloak Check" 10


# Invisible ship in Lathia, represents the power of the asteroid base in the system

mission "Asteroid guarding Lathia"
	invisible
	non-blocking
	landing
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 8B: offered"
	to complete
		never
	npc save
		government "Magic Asteroid"
		personality forbearing frugal heroic staying vindictive
		system Lathia
		ship "Asteroid Planet" "Queen Asteroid"

ship "Asteroid Planet"
	attributes
		category "Heavy Warship"
		"uncapturable" 1
		"inscrutable" 1
		"cost" 158000000
		"hull" 86135672193
		"required crew" 1
		"bunks" 1
		"mass" 67400
		"drag" 3040
		"heat dissipation" 10
		"energy capacity" 1
		"fuel generation" 0.3
		"cargo space" 40
		"outfit space" 390
		"weapon capacity" 150
		"engine capacity" 95
		"hull repair rate" 47
		"cargo scan power" 1
		"cargo scan efficiency" 0.001
		"thrust" 34020
		"turn" 593140
		"asteroid mount jd" 1
		"asteroid mount am" 1
		"asteroid mount" 1
		weapon
			"blast radius" 80
			"shield damage" 800
			"hull damage" 400
			"hit force" 1200
	outfits
		"Asteroid Weapon Super"

	gun 0 0 "Asteroid Weapon Super"

outfit "Asteroid Weapon Super"
	"display name" "???"
	category "Guns"
	cost 1861000000
	thumbnail "outfit/unknown"
	mass 1
	"outfit space" -1
	"weapon capacity" -1
	"gun ports" -1
	weapon
		"submunition" "asteroid fragment" 180
		"inaccuracy" 1
		"velocity" 70
		"lifetime" 2
		"reload" 360
		"safe"
		"split range" 300
		"blast radius" 400

outfit "asteroid fragment"
	weapon
		"submunition" "spin1 print right"
		"submunition" "spin1 print left"
		"inaccuracy" 360
		"velocity" -65
		"random velocity" 20
		"lifetime" 40
		"random lifetime" 80
		"hull damage" 50
		"heat damage" 800
		"ion damage" 3
		"safe"
		"hit force" 100
		"blast radius" 200


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 9"
	landing
	name "Explore the neighborhood"
	description "Visit every system around <system> you can reach, then return to Dusk."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	waypoint "Athiri"
	waypoint "Chanai"
	waypoint "Ghila"
	waypoint "Lathia"
	waypoint "Maithi"
	waypoint "Mitera"
	waypoint "Sarifa"
	waypoint "Thepa"
	waypoint "Balnii"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 8B: done"
	on offer
		event "Patir spaceport" 0
		conversation
			`Approaching the settlement from the northeast, you park the <ship> once again next to the airlock array; it's almost starting to become a familiar sight by now. With the cargo ramp pointed toward the entrance and the post-flight checklist completed, the Remnant team begins to deploy the lab while you remain in the cockpit, keeping an eye on Ka'sei activity. The researchers work quickly and nearly without issue in the light gravity of the asteroid, besides the occasional lost screw. However, the construction job still takes nearly the entire day.`
			`	With the Ka'sei still oblivious, and the lab set up, you take advantage of the opportunity to stretch your legs and pay a visit to the researchers in the new outpost. "So, Captain," asks Dusk, meeting you at the entrance, "what do you think of it?"`
			scene "scene/lab scene"
			choice
				`	"It is beautiful."`
					goto beautiful
				`	"Well, it seems rather functional."`
					goto functional
				`	"That is all?"`
			`	"Admittedly, the research-focused part in it is rather limited - it is a repurposed mining hub, after all - but it should comfortably house a few people for as long as needed. Besides," he adds, "there is all the space you could ask for to stretch your legs inside the dome."`
				goto tour

			label functional
			`	"Hopefully! It is a repurposed mining hub, after all, so its capabilities will be quite limited as a laboratory, but it should comfortably house a few people for as long as needed. Besides," he adds, "there is all the space you could ask for to stretch your legs inside the dome."`
				goto tour
			label beautiful
			`	He smiles. "It has a certain charm for sure. As a repurposed mining hub, its capabilities will be quite limited for a laboratory, but it should comfortably house a few people for as long as needed. Besides," he adds, "there is all the space you could ask for to stretch your legs inside the dome."`
			label tour
			`	You step inside the lab's internal door, removing your helmet now that the atmosphere is breathable. Dusk takes you around the cylindrical hub to show the various sections of it: the sleeping quarters, small but not cramped; the extravehicular research module, a flexible corridor connecting it with the airlock and housing spacesuits with rather unwieldy instruments, and so on. As the tour comes to an end, you and Dusk return to the entrance, where the rest of the team is split between checking the expedition's equipment and preparing something to eat. "We are about to dine now," Dusk mentions. "There is an extra seat in case you would like to join us."`
			choice
				`	"I would be happy to."`
					goto dinner
				`	"What comes next?"`
					goto next
				`	"If that is all, I'd rather move back to my ship to prepare for liftoff."`
			`	"Alright, Captain," Dusk replies. "I will contact you when we need a ride back. Our current plan is to remain at the outpost for one or two months, exploring the Builder settlement and studying everything it has to offer. Do not go too far, though - emergencies can always happen, after all."`
				goto decline

			label dinner
			`	Lacking a true dining room, the meal has been set up on a table between the bunks of the researchers. It takes a few tries to find a position in which everyone is at least somewhat comfortable and the dinner can finally begin. You notice that the portions of the rather unappealing Remnant food are much smaller than what you're used to seeing them eat - similar to yours, in fact. One of the researchers notices you looking at her plate, and replies, "I assume you have been told about the symbionts and their increased nutritional needs by now? The four of us have been selected for the mission in part because of the fact that we are part of the small number of scientists that do not wear one, which makes us better suited for expeditions with limited supplies."`
			choice
				`	"What is your reason for not having a symbiont?"`
					goto reason
				`	"Do you have a symbiont, Dusk?"`
					goto "dusk symbiont"
				`	(Just finish the dinner and leave.)`
			`	The rest of the dinner passes rather quickly, and within half an hour you're ready to return to your ship. At the entrance, Dusk approaches you.`
				goto next
			label "dusk symbiont"
			`	"I do have one - right under the cervical vertebrae, at the top of my back. Being the lead researcher of this mission, there was not much choice left; removing it at this point wasn't an acceptable option, and switching positions this late into the program would have been much more harmful than increasing the reserves planned to the right level." As the dinner comes to an end, you and Dusk move back near the entrance.`
				goto next

			label reason
			`	"For me, the reason is medical. My body rejected the symbiont quite violently shortly after the initial operation, to the point that even attempting to install another would be very risky. But if you ask around, the causes are quite varied." As the dinner comes to an end, you and Dusk move back near the entrance.`
			label next
			`	"Our current plan is to remain at the outpost for one or two months, exploring the Builder settlement and studying everything it has to offer. Do not go too far in the meanwhile, though - emergencies can always happen, and you are supposed to be our ride back when the time comes." He pauses for a few seconds to think. "If you are interested, perhaps you could remain here with us to help with the research. You would need to sleep in your starship, of course, and the supplies would be slightly more limited, but neither issue is a showstopper. It is up to you, <first>."`
			choice
				`	(Accept the offer.)`
				`	(Decline the offer.)`
					goto decline
			`	"Perfect then," Dusk replies. "See you tomorrow!" You move back aboard your ship and walk up to the bunks to prepare for the night; however, you notice out of a window that the full Remnant team has come out of the lab, staring up at the sky. You attempt to contact them, but the only result is an eerie quiet. All of a sudden, you realize what is wrong: the starry night is gone, and a sky of an overwhelming black now surrounds everything and everyone.`
				goto sky

			label decline
			`	"I understand. See you in a few weeks then, Captain, and may the Embers guide you." You move back aboard your ship and walk up to the cockpit to prepare for liftoff; however, you notice out of the corner of your eye that the full Remnant team has donned their spacesuits, and is standing outside the lab. For a split second you think that they've come outside to watch the liftoff, but they aren't looking at your ship; they're staring up, at the sky. You attempt to contact them, but the only result is an eerie quiet. All of a sudden, you realize what is wrong: the starry night is gone, and a sky of an overwhelming black now surrounds everything and everyone.`
			label sky
			`	As your eyes adapt to a featureless sky, you notice brief, nearly imperceptible white streaks passing past your field of view in an instant. The lines become more and more visible, almost like stars during a hyperjump, when your attention is captured by a white mass slightly above the horizon. It starts as a tiny dot in the distance, then becomes bigger and bigger, until it covers the entire sky. The extreme light it produces forces you to look away for a second, and when you look back, there are even more streaks in the sky, to the point of making you feel nauseous.`
			`	You can't tell how much time has passed since the phenomenon began, but it finally starts to show signs that it's coming to an end: the streaks become shorter and last longer in the sky, and the number of stars you can see becomes less and less. You begin noticing more and more details; some streaks seem to end before reaching the horizon, while others follow a curved or even cyclical pattern around Patir. Eventually, the stars come to a standstill, and everything returns to normal.`
			`	Still dizzy from the experience, you carefully walk back down outside to speak with the Remnant. By the time you've reached them, they seem to have recomposed themselves and have started studying some sort of holographic stellar map.`
			action
				event "Patir moves" 0
			choice
				`	"What was that?"`
					goto what
				`	"Is everyone okay?"`
			`	"We are all shaken by the experience, but we have much bigger problems to think about now," Dusk replies. "Something is not right with the sky."`
				goto constellation
			label what
			`	"I wish I knew. And the worst may have yet to come," Dusk replies. "Something is not right with the sky."`
			label constellation
			`	He points at the projector. "Do you see those two triangular formations near the top of the star map? That is something we called the Ember Prism - a constellation of six stars of similar magnitude, located far from the Wastes and close to each other. While it is not visible from Earth, it should be recognizable from almost every system here, including Patir, but no longer. And that is not all. None of the constellations in this star map can be found anywhere in the sky." He stops for a second, giving a worried look to the rest of the team. "We are no longer in the Ember Wastes."`
			choice
				`	"How is that possible?"`
				`	"Where are we then?"`
				`	"How do we get back?"`
				`	"Was that a hyperspace jump then?"`
			`	"I have no idea, <first>. What I can tell you for now is that we need to get a clearer idea of what we have around before deciding the next step, and there is no way to get that from here. You need to explore as far as possible in this new sector, and return once you either find a way out or run out of systems. I promise we will have a plan ready by the time you're back."`
				accept
	on enter Chanai
		dialog
			`As soon as you enter Chanai, your sensors detect a massive structure of artificial nature, apparently a station of some kind.`
	on enter Athiri
		dialog
			`As you enter the system, your sensors lose any trace of the wormhole you passed from. There doesn't seem to be a way to pass through it again from this end.`
	on visit
		dialog
			`Observing the systems you have mapped, Dusk seems disappointed. "There must be a way to reach the other systems. Please look everywhere you can for a passage; there has to be something."`


event "Patir moves"
	system Patir
		pos 10059.5 10.5
		remove haze
	"ka'het: beyond Patir" ++

event "Patir spaceport"
	planet "Builder Settlement"
		spaceport `The Remnant laboratory merges oddly well with the rest of the environment, similar in color and design to the Builder structures around here. The spaceport consists only of a flat strip of regolith near the settlement, hastily cleaned of the debris that covers most of the terrain.`


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 10"
	landing
	name "Gather data"
	description "Board the Remnant satellite in orbit around <system> to learn more about the odd creatures around here."
	passengers 1
	source "Builder Settlement"
	blocked `Right as you touch down, you notice a message coming in from Dusk. "<first>, we will need at least a free bunk for the mission we are preparing."`
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 9: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`By the time you land, the Remnant are already discussing their analysis of the data recorded and transmitted by your ship. When they notice you, they abandon their current conversation and move closer to speak with you in person.`
			`	They listen carefully as you detail your journey: the Ghila ringworld, the one-way wormholes, the Chanai station, and the many oddities in each of these systems. From the questions they ask you, they seem to be particularly interested about the asteroid-looking creatures roaming this sector. By the time you've finished recounting the last events, almost an hour has passed.`
			`	"Interesting," Dusk signs in response. "It is disappointing to hear that there is not a clear way out, but everything else here is intriguing - perhaps one of them is the key to finding a passage back. Our attempts at communicating with the Ember Waste have been unsuccessful; I fear we will have to be completely on our own this time."`
			choice
				`	"Have you identified anything of note here?"`
				`	"Do you have a plan?"`
					goto plan
				`	"Did you find out what this place is?"`
			`	"Unfortunately, you seem to have learned a lot more than we did staying here in Patir. We do not have enough information to say anything beyond that we are not in the Milky Way anymore. We were able to re-enter the settlement and access the computers that control the structure, but unfortunately a lot of them are malfunctioning or broken. From what we were able to gather, they seem to be entirely unaware of what has happened.`
				goto lab

			label plan
			`	"For now, only vague ideas. I was hoping we could determine a clear, identifiable origin of our accidental jump, but we have nothing of that sort for now. While you were away, we were able to re-enter the settlement and access the computers that control the structure, but unfortunately a lot of them are malfunctioning or broken. From what we were able to gather, they seem to be entirely unaware of what has happened.`
			label lab
			`	"The time spent inside the lab was more productive. After a few days, one of the creatures you have encountered jumped in - and a few minutes after, every Fetri'sei around us went dormant. They stopped their engines, ceased mining and just drifted without any sign of life. But as soon as the creature left the system, they returned to their normal activities as if nothing happened.`
			`	"Going forward, we need to determine a list of possible causes for the event that brought us here, and investigate the most likely one. If we dock to the satellite we launched at the beginning of this mission and recover everything it recorded during the encounter, it could help us understand them better than we can from the ground.`
			`	"Besides that, we have also confirmed you no longer need to cloak when landing here; when you approach the lab with your ship, you are too far away from the settlement for the Ka'sei to understand that you are coming to visit it, as long as we explore the Builder base only when your spaceship isn't landed here. It should save you some fuel, hopefully. Any questions?"`
			choice
				`	"No, I am ready to go."`
					accept
				`	"I think it would be quicker if we went straight to the station."`
			`	"Maybe, but that might be an unnecessary risk. First things first, <first>; there is no need to rush anything."`
				accept

	npc assist save
		system "Patir"
		government "Remnant"
		personality derelict mute pacifist target
		ship "Remnant Satellite" "Bright Ember Yonder"
		dialog `From the open cargo bay, you watch as the satellite moves up inside your ship. You split up tasks between yourself and Dusk, keeping the satellite stabilized while he downloads the data. In a few minutes the process is over, and you can return the probe to its original mission.`
	
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic passenger on visit"
	on complete
		conversation
			`Walking down your ship's stairway, Dusk thanks you again for your help. You hand him a datapad with the information gathered, as well as the equipment he brought with him to pick up the satellite's signal.`
			`	"I will join the rest of the team to start analysis," he signs in response. "We have a lot of data to examine, and not much time. Meet us in the lab in a few hours."`


ship "Remnant Satellite"
	sprite "ship/remnant satellite"
	attributes
		category "Drone"
		hull 130
		mass 10
		drag 2
		"heat dissipation" 1
	explode "tiny explosion" 5
	explode "small explosion" 2


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 11"
	name "Gather more data"
	description "Visit <waypoints>'s neutron star to study the mysterious creatures living around it."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	waypoint "Lathia"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 10: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Compared to its cleanliness at the start of the mission, the lab is in chaos: pieces of Remnant devices and Builder objects lie all over the floor and tables, leaving only a small footpath to connect the various sections. The team is gathered on the opposite end of the building, discussing the results of the mission with disappointed expressions.`
			`	"Bad news, Captain," Dusk says, turning to you. "Both our ground scanners and the orbiting satellite recorded the same amount of information about these beings: nothing at all. For the entire duration of the encounter, the only information gathered on them was their position. Something in their construction makes it impossible to infer anything about their internal structure.`
			`	"If we do not find a way to learn more about them, we have few options left, and all rather dangerous."`
			choice
				`	"Do you have any ideas?"`
				`	"Well, there's still other places we could visit."`
			`	"We are evaluating our options. The Ghila ringworld is too large and distant; the risk of an accident overshadows the possibility of discovering anything useful. On the other hand, the station in Chanai is very close to where Patir is now - a couple jumps, both ways.`
			`	"However, there are downsides. Exploring it would mean exposing ourselves to any device or trap inside the station; our explorations of Builder stations back in the Graveyard have had body counts." Dusk stops for a few seconds, immersed into his thoughts. "For now, boarding the station is too much of a risk."`
			`	After searching a large bag on the ground, one of the Remnant brings out another holographic projector. She tinkers with it for a bit until it focuses on the neutron star you visited earlier, Lathia. "This is our safest bet at learning more about these creatures," she signs. "According to your data, this system has by far the highest number and diversity of them. If you pass through the system while cloaked and use our sensors, you may be able to obtain enough information without putting yourself at risk."`
			choice
				`	"If those scanners did not work on them here, why would it be different in Lathia?"`
					goto why
				`	"What if I run out of fuel?"`
					goto fuel
				`	"What happens if this fails as well?"`
			`	"That is a distinct possibility," Dusk replies, "but we must investigate every avenue before we resort to risking personnel."`
				goto assembly

			label fuel
			`	"It will only take a few minutes to determine whether our equipment can see through the exterior of these beings," Dusk replies. "I suggest filling your fuel tanks near Patir before leaving."`
				goto assembly
			label why
			`	"It is a shot in the dark," Dusk replies. "Being able to scan even just one of these beings would be a great leap forward - perhaps one without external shielding, or damaged in such a way that permits us to analyze them."`
			label assembly
			`	The Remnant begin to mount and wire all the scanning equipment on the <ship>. After a few hours, you're ready to take off once again.`
				accept
	on enter Lathia
		dialog
			`A dull hum from below the cockpit signals that the scanners have activated. You take the opportunity to observe the mesmerizing colors of the neutron star, beautiful and terrifying at the same time. After a few minutes, a beeping sound alerts you that the scan is complete, and you can return to <system>.`
	on visit
		dialog `You have returned to <planet>, but you haven't visited <waypoints> yet! Better depart and make sure you visit the system.`
	npc
		government "Magic Asteroid"
		system "Lathia"
		personality plunders harvests surveillance mute waiting staying
		fleet
			cargo 3
			variant
				"Asteroid Large 4"
				"Asteroid Medium"
				"Asteroid Young 2"
				"Asteroid Young 1"


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1A"
	landing
	name "The <system> station"
	description "Investigate the station in <system> for a way to return to the Milky Way with the five Remnant scientists."
	passengers 5
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Chanai Structure"
	blocked `Right as you touch down, you notice a message coming in from Dusk. "<first>, we will need at least five free bunks for the mission we are preparing."`
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 11: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The Remnant are already standing outside the lab, waiting for your arrival. Dusk meets you in the cockpit right as you've finished safing your ship.`
			`	"It does not look promising, <first>. Just as with the satellite, nothing beyond basic orbital information was recorded by the scanners we gave you. Maybe we could understand something about these beings after in-depth analysis, but nothing that could help us in our search.`
			`	"One of the few discoveries we could make is the existence of a particular asteroid around Lathia - on an order of magnitude larger than the rest of the fleet, but still belonging to the same species. It appears to be completely still, unlike its kin, and does not show any external activity; this might make it fit for a surface expedition, but doing that on what appears to be a living being is nevertheless extremely dangerous.`
			`	"Still, our options are limited. I have mentioned previously the possibility of exploring the station in Chanai; it would definitely be risky, but it may be something we are unable to avoid if no safer alternative can be found. While you were away, however, part of the team developed a second mission plan. We came to the realization that if these beings can stop the Fetri'sei, there must be some sort of connection between them. If we could somehow intercept this link, it would let us study more than our sensors could, and perhaps even communicate with them."`
			choice
				`	"How do you propose to do that?"`
					goto how
				`	"Can you do that from here?"`
			`	"Unfortunately, that goes far beyond our area of expertise," Dusk replies, "if it is even possible in the first place. It would be more feasible to connect to this signal physically. We know that the Ka'sei will remain dormant for the entire time the being remains in this system. If the <ship> was close enough to a Fetri'sei when the being arrives, we would have around half an hour to access its internal computer and connect to its communication system. However, this exposes us to significant danger if the being leaves the system prematurely, or if accessing the Fetri'sei reactivates it.`
				goto choose

			label how
			`	"In our opinion," Dusk replies, "connecting to it physically seems like the most feasible option we have. We know that the Ka'sei will remain dormant for the entire time the being remains in this system. If the <ship> was close enough to a Fetri'sei when the being arrives, we would have around half an hour to access its internal computer and connect to its communication system. However, this exposes us to significant danger if the being leaves the system prematurely, or if accessing the Fetri'sei reactivates it.`
			label choose
			`	"Even still, we believe this approach is safer than exploring Chanai. You have seen what happened the first time we tried to explore Patir; the structures in this part of space are guarded by lethal force. In contrast, if our new plan goes south, we will at least be able to quickly return to the lab. Of course, it may be that neither of these options will help us escape," he adds, somewhat frustrated. "The team is at a standstill, with both options having more cons than pros. The choice is yours, Captain."`
			choice
				`	"Chanai seems to be a better option."`
					goto chanai
				`	"The new plan feels more viable to me."`
					goto hack
				`	"Which option do you prefer?"`
			`	"I do not want to influence you in making this choice, <first>. Both options are more dangerous than I am comfortable with, but there is little we can do about that now. It is up to you now."`
			choice
				`	"Chanai seems to be a better option."`
					goto chanai
				`	"The new plan feels more viable to me."`
			label hack
			`	"Alright then. The first step will be deploying some satellites in the nearby systems. To maximize the amount of time we have, we will need preemptive warning on the arrival of these beings. Reusing the sensors we put on your ship and coupling them with the spare parts we have in storage should be enough to assemble a few probes; meet us in the lab in a few hours and we will be ready."`
				decline

			label chanai
			`	"Okay then. Most of the equipment we are going to need is the same equipment we used for Patir, so we will be ready to depart in just half an hour." After helping them pack the last few items, you take off and set the course to the new destination: <system>.`
				launch
	on enter Chanai
		dialog
			`The gargantuan station still sits far away from you, appearing as just a dot in the distance. A long range scan of the structure reveals enough of it for an initial assessment; after a quick discussion, the Remnant pick out an approach vector for you.`
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic passenger on visit"
	on complete
		conversation
			`The external coating of the structure appears pristine and untouched, much like a new spaceship. Orbiting far above a black hole, next to no asteroid moves in an orbit capable of posing a threat to it. Next to you, one of the Remnant researchers points a bulky scanner toward the station; after a few minutes, she indicates a place from which the structure can be accessed.`
			`	"This is going to be a little different compared to our previous expeditions in Patir, <first>," Dusk remarks while walking toward the ship's airlock. "We cannot even fathom who built this place, let alone understand how to access their systems and control their doors. We will have to use a little more brute force here to move inside the complex." As he says this, he gestures towards the blowtorch-like piece of equipment on his back.`
			`	With the <ship> stationed about a meter away from the structure, the entire team slowly moves out of the airlock with you. Still tethered to the ship for safety, the Remnant swiftly prepare the boarding equipment for the mission, attaching it to the platform in a matter of minutes. "In order to access this module, we are about to melt through its hull," Dusk announces. "Are you ready?"`
			choice
				`	"Of course."`
					goto melting
				`	"Are you sure this is safe?"`
			`	"As far as we can tell. The module is fully depressurized, and it seems to be completely inert from our scans - there are always uncertainties, of course, but this is the most easily accessible spot we could identify in the little time we had."`
			label melting
			`	A bright flash begins the boarding operations; one of the Remnant, handling the same torch you had seen earlier, slowly cuts a roughly circular hole into the module's whipple shield until it comes off handily. Moving the debris away, the process is then soon repeated with the next layer and again with one right after; the strong vibrations it imparts into the rest of the structure give you a clear hint about the power of this device. Eventually, the innermost layer is removed as well, and you follow the rest of the team inside the alien platform.`
			`	Disconnecting from the tether to move further into the opening, you immediately notice the module seems to have some peculiarities. Despite the microgravity in it, no handrails can be found near you, making movement very difficult; as you search for some inside with your flashlight, however, your attention is caught by something more bizarre: an ominous, featureless blob, hovering midair a few meters away from you.`
			`	The object's surface, only interrupted by a few cyclical ripples, reflects and eerily distorts everything around the room. A complete silence has fallen over the room, as everyone seems to evaluate the situation. After a few seconds, Dusk and two Remnant start moving toward the phenomenon carrying a device in their hands.`
			choice
				`	"What is that thing?"`
					goto thing
				`	(Wait and see what happens.)`
					goto thing
				`	(Raise my blaster.)`
			`	Noticing your reaction, Dusk gestures you to stop. "Calm down, Captain," he signs, "a handgun would be of little use in this situation." Keeping an eye on the data the other scientists are gathering, he continues. "We seem to have entered the station from one of the fuel tanks. That sphere over there is made of some kind of propellant, though our instruments have some difficulties determining its exact composition.`
				goto continue

			label thing
			`	"Interesting," Dusk states, as if immersed in his thoughts. After checking that the device has started gathering data, he continues. "We seem to have entered the station from one of the fuel tanks. That sphere over there is made of some kind of propellant, though our instruments have some difficulties determining its exact composition. It must have an incredibly low vapor pressure to remain liquid in this near vacuum.`
			label continue
			`	"All I can say for certain is that it is not the hyperdrive fuel we use - liquid deuterium would have boiled off long ago. Luckily, we don't need to know what it is; there should be enough space to pass through without touching it." Scouting around the tank for a passage, the team quickly identifies a maintenance hatch, hopefully leading to the crew section, and starts creating another hole to pass through. The whole process is slightly quicker than the first was, but by the time they're done more than a third of the oxygen reserves in your suit are gone.`
			`	Moving through the opening, you reach a long, cylindrical corridor, just as dark as the room you just came from. Based on the many handles and scaffolding attached to the surfaces around you, you guess this part of the station used to be inhabited. After following the group through the tunnel for a few minutes, you reach an intersection: the corridor splits into two lateral openings, each of them seemingly as small and endless as the one you're in.`
			`	"We only have a limited amount of time for this expedition, <first>. You have seen us work a few times now; can you explore the two tunnels on your own and reach us when you have completed it?" Dusk asks. "We will remain in radio contact the entire time."`
			choice
				`	(Accept.)`
					goto tunnel
				`	"Do you have any information about this section?"`
				`	"Why are you not going to help explore these tunnels?"`
					goto help
			`	"Not much. We only had time for a brief scan during the approach, but based on the volume of these sectors alone, it shouldn't take you more than a couple hours to explore them.`
				goto tunnel
			label help
			`	"Well, we have our own tunnels to go through," he replies half-seriously. "We have a lot of ground to cover, and only so much air in our suits. The safest way to increase our reach without staying here for weeks is by splitting up, like we did when we first explored the Builder settlement a few weeks ago.`
			label tunnel
			`	"Whenever you reach a new area, take samples and pictures of anything you deem interesting. Never forget to keep an eye on your oxygen: each of us will consume it at slightly different rates, and we should start the trip back as soon as someone has less than a third of a tank left. May the Embers help your search, Captain, and see you soon!"`
			`	Moving in the zero gravity station is quick and relatively easy; despite its length, it only takes you a few minutes to reach the end of the right tunnel. All you can find, however, is a closed hatch. A few tries at forcing it open only serve to confirm that it is locked shut, and you decide to go back and try the other tunnel. This time, your search turns up results, and you end up in a dark, somewhat cramped room.`
			`	The room is lavish and dazzling, the walls covered with intricate carvings. It's a striking difference from the gray and slightly coarse material everywhere else in the station, pushing you to gather a few samples to analyze later. To an extent, it reminds you of the Art Deco paintings of ancient humanity. Around the room, alien plants of varying height and shape paint every corner with a reddish hue.`
			choice
				`	(Quickly take a sample and move on with my mission.)`
					goto moving
				`	(Leave them alone.)`
					goto moving
				`	(Inspect them closer.)`
			`	Growing from the vase up to almost the ceiling, the plant you choose to analyze stands at nearly twice your height; despite this, the trunk is only a few millimeters thick, thanks to the lack of gravity aboard the station. Slender, needle-like leaves are spread across the entire stem, contrasting its okra with a red tint.`
			`	As you try to take a better look at the fronds, the entire trunk breaks in half with minimal pressure. You try to pick up the upper segment before it flies away, but this only splits it into more parts; you decide to observe the resulting pieces from afar instead. To your surprise, the plant is completely hollow, with a large hole inside the stem. You take a few pictures and a couple samples of both the surface and of the vase, then move to the next room.`
			label moving
			`	The rest of the zone isn't as interesting. A series of holes in a wall attract your attention, but they prove too narrow to pass through and too long to see the end; similarly, the corridor at the end of the area is slightly smaller than your suit, preventing you from continuing. As you return back to the rest of the group, however, you notice an unusual drawing.`
			`	The canvas, attached between various carvings, shows a series of points in a line with every color of the rainbow. While the lines are near the bottom of the mural, above them all shines what looks like a red sun, sending rays of light down to each of the colorful dots and surrounding them all in a crimson halo. You pass your glove over its surface, and you notice every part is composed of a different material, smoother and more refined than the walls around it.`
			`	While the oxygen levels in your suit continue to lower, you follow Dusk's instructions from the radio up and down the maze of tunnels until reaching a large open area where you finally find the Remnant, busy observing a vial of samples. Behind them, you see the start of the giant barrel that composes most of the station's structure.`
			choice
				`	"What is this place?"`
					goto place
				`	"What is inside the vial?"`
					goto vial
				`	(Move closer to the barrel.)`
			`	The sheer size of the frame is rather impressive: as you walk toward it, you estimate it must be at least a kilometer from one side to the opposite. At the very end, an enormous lens is attached to the last ring of the barrel; four holes near its center give it a slight resemblance to a cloth button.`
			label place
			`	"We are most likely in the exhaust chamber of this station's laser system," Dusk says, putting the vial inside a container. "It is impossible to say for certain what its purpose was - hopefully, it was not purely a military system. That being said, we have obtained some info that is far more relevant for our search. Let us get going toward the <ship> first, then I will show you everything we have gathered."`
				goto back

			label vial
			`	"Our ticket back, hopefully," Dusk replies with a half smile. "While everything we have seen is interesting in its own way, there is something in particular that gives me hope about finding a way out. But first, we need to start moving back now - we have spent enough time studying this exhaust chamber, and our oxygen margins are starting to worry me."`
			label back
			`	One at a time, the group enters back into the main tunnel, with Dusk at the rear and you right in front of him. You notice the passage at the end doesn't show any blowtorch marks; it seems that the Remnant found it already open when they arrived here.`
			`	"While you were exploring that sector, we found a few more tunnels and split up into subgroups to explore each of them. This is how we found the path to the barrel, for instance, as well as many other peculiar areas. And, in one of them," he continues, clumsily passing you a data pad, "this is what we stumbled upon."`
			`	Looking at the screen, you see a photograph of two Remnant standing in front of a large mural, three times as tall as them and far wider. Despite the picture being rather poorly lit, you recognize it as a two-dimensional starmap, carved into the wall of the station. Near the bottom right, a set of circles and unfamiliar markers surround one of the systems indicated.`
			`	"Look at the orbital parameters of that system. It is, without a shadow of doubt, indicating Patir. A system they should not be aware of, if it only just arrived here, but it is one they were apparently interested in."`
			choice
				`	"It could be a coincidence."`
					goto coincidence
				`	"Perhaps Patir used to stay here before reaching the Milky Way."`
					goto milky
				`	"For what purpose?"`
			`	"I would also like to know that. I cannot recognize the language in the text, and deciphering it would be an enormous task - one that would require a vast amount of text to analyze, as well as years of focused effort from the whole community. We must base our decisions only on what we can infer from the graphic itself, which is far from ideal. And then, there is this."`
				goto crystal
			label milky
			`	"You may be right. I cannot recognize the language in the text, and deciphering it would be an enormous task - one that would require a vast amount of text to analyze, as well as years of focused effort from the whole community. We must base our decisions only on what we can infer from the graphic itself, which is far from ideal. And then, there is this."`
				goto crystal
			label coincidence
			`	"Maybe. Without reading the text surrounding it, which is written neither in Builder nor any language I can recognize, we can only analyze what we can infer from the graphic itself - something far from ideal. But if we take it at face value, it could be the first step towards escape from this sector. And then, there is this."`
			label crystal
			`	Dusk hands you the vial from earlier, which, despite its size, feels rather heavy in your hand. Inside is a grainy dust interspersed with small, violet crystals of various shapes. "We found a similar powder on the ground of a number of rooms inside the station. We have not explored the entire complex, of course, but if the pattern repeats we expect there to be something similar around the entire barrel."`
			`	The particles suspended in the vial remind you of the regolith surrounding the Builder settlement orbiting Patir, but far less compact. "Attempts to learn the dust's composition have been inconclusive. Perhaps the instruments in the lab will give us better results, but our current tools only returned noise. However, we did notice something potentially interesting: the noise aligned with the scans you took in Lathia a few days ago. Whatever it is, it could be made of the same matter that composes those creatures - I can use the scanners on your ship to confirm it without wasting any time while we depart."`
			`	You exit the station and enter your ship, and see most of the scientists have already moved their samples inside your cargo hold, with around two dozen containers scattered on the floor. Soon after, you're back inside the cockpit, preparing for liftoff; discussion about the next mission will have to wait until you're in Patir.`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1B"
	landing
	name "Return to <system>"
	description "Return to the <destination> to figure out the next step."
	passengers 5
	source "Chanai Structure"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	blocked `Right as you touch down, you notice a message coming in from Dusk. "<first>, we will need at least five free bunks for the mission we are preparing."`
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1A: done"
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic passenger on visit"
	on complete
		conversation
			`As you accompany the Remnant team back to the lab, they confirm Dusk's theories on the dust. From the way they speak about it, they seem to have reached a consensus on the source of the regolith, though they don't go into details.`
			`	The module was never particularly inviting, but over the last few weeks, a thin layer of dust coming from outside the asteroid has covered the floor, with just the surfaces needed for the research kept clean. Tiredness plagues the faces of the scientists: they must not have slept much in the past days to keep up with the amount of incoming data, and neither have you. As you try to remember the last time you stepped outside without a suit - at least a month, most likely - your thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of Dusk, carrying on his back the last few samples.`
			choice
				`	"Sounds like this expedition was more productive than the last."`
				`	"Now that this is done, what are you going for next?"`
					goto next
			`	"Oh, definitely! While the data we could gather was not as much as I hoped, we now have a rather clear connection between Patir and Chanai, as well as between the station and those peculiar beings. That, alone, is invaluable for our mission.`
			label next
			`	"During the trip back, we evaluated the options at our disposal. As you may guess, the most obvious one would be to explore further into the station; however, it was not as attractive as previously thought. While it may have been used to influence Patir, it is clear that it now sits silent and powerless, as if missing something that can bring it back to life. We could find more about its design, perhaps, but the chances of using it on our own within a reasonable time scale are low.`
			`	"We have enough consumables to last for many weeks still; we started rationing as soon as we arrived in this sector, and we are prepared to reduce them further if necessary. Nevertheless, we need to take a more direct approach if we want results. Approaching the species that inhabits this cluster is essential at this point, and doing so as soon as possible would be advisable."`
			choice
				`	"What do you suggest?"`
					goto plan
				`	"Are you proposing a first contact of some sort?"`
					goto contact
				`	"Are they behind the Chanai station?"`
			`	"Maybe, maybe not. The internal design of the station is an odd fit for the asteroids' size and characteristics, but we do know for certain they have been there in the past, and you have seen for yourself how difficult it is to find a way in.`
				goto plan

			label contact
			`	"In a way. We have been considering a close approach to one of those beings ever since we first saw them, and your discovery of the planetoid in Lathia opens up the opportunity for a surface expedition - gathering samples, analyzing its reaction, and perhaps yes, if they are intelligent and the conditions are right, a true first contact between our two species could happen.`
				goto lab
			label plan
			`	"We have been considering a close approach to one of those beings ever since we first saw them, and your discovery of the planetoid in Lathia opens up the possibility for a surface expedition. Thanks to its size, landing with the <ship> should be possible, and we could even explore the planetoid in our suits if the surface is safe. Perhaps, if these beings are truly intelligent, this could be the first contact between our two species.`
			label lab
			`	"Meet us in the lab in a few hours, and we will have everything ready for the trip. With a bit of luck, most of the instruments we used on Chanai will be a good fit for this mission as well."`
		
mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.2A"
	name "Satellite deployment"
	description "Deploy two probes in <waypoints> to keep an eye on incoming space rocks."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 5
	cargo "Remnant Probes" 3
	waypoint "Mitera"
	waypoint "Thepa"
	blocked `Right as you touch down, you notice a message coming in from Dusk. "<first>, we will need at least five free bunks and 3 tons of cargo for the mission we are preparing."`
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 11: done"
		( "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1A: offered" + "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1A: declined" ) % 2 == 0
	to accept
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1A: declined"
	on offer
		conversation
			`You find the team waiting for you in the lab. Next to them are two mechanical crates, roughly the size of a person. Most of the clutter around the room has been cut down considerably; these satellites alone must have used the larger part of their reserves. "Here they are, Captain," Dusk states proudly. "Two autonomous surveillance probes, capable of scanning an entire system without any input and slowly beaming the results back to us. Their capabilities are far from what our main fleet is capable of back home, but, considering our situation, they should be more than enough.`
			`	"We have settled on their destinations: the stellar black holes of <waypoints>. Once there, they will be far enough to give us appropriate warning, but close enough to only pick up asteroids heading towards Patir. If they do, that will be our signal to depart and intercept them right as they come in."`
			choice
				`	"Understood."`
					accept
				`	"Is there a specific orbit I should deploy these probes in?"`
			`	"Oh, there is no need to worry about that. Their scanners are easily powerful enough to cover the whole system. Their power and communication capabilities are far more limited, but for the time we need them to last, this should not be an issue. Bring me to those systems, and I will handle the rest."`
				accept
	on enter "Mitera"
		dialog
			`As the satellite leaves your ship, you watch it move further away and unfurl its solar arrays. The probe quickly disappears in the blackness of space.`
	on enter "Thepa"
		dialog
			`Dusk quickly reaches for the console, initiating the satellite deployment procedure you've become accustomed to. It doesn't take long for it to complete, and in a few minutes you're ready to leave the system once again.`
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic missing waypoint or cargo and passengers"

ship "Asteroid Blocker"
	attributes
		"heat dissipation" 1
		"hull" 3
		"mass" 100
		"drag" 5
		"automaton" 1
		"thrust" 100
		"turn" 6000
	outfits
		"Fuel Removal"
	turret 0 0

outfit "Fuel Removal"
	category "Turret"
	thumbnail "outfit/unknown"
	"turret mounts" -1
	weapon
		"velocity" 1000
		"lifetime" 10
		"reload" 100000
		"blast radius" 200000
		"safe"
		"no damage scaling"
		"range override" 10000000
		"homing"
			"leading"
			"throttle control"
		"tracking" 1
		"acceleration" 1.5
		"drag" 0.2
		"turn" 12
		"fuel damage" 500
		"turret turn" 360

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.2B"
	landing
	name "Ka'sei hacking"
	description "Taking advantage of the arrival of one of the asteroids, dock with a disabled Ka'sei to gather data from its internal computers."
	passengers 5
	cargo "Ka'het boarding payload" 3
	source "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.2A: done"
	on offer
		event "no Patir spaceport and no Fetri spawn" 0
		conversation
			`Dusk seems busier than usual as you descend towards the settlement, constantly communicating with the team on the ground while simultaneously checking the incoming telemetry. When you're hovering right above the landing pad, he turns to your console. "Keep the thrusters in standby, Captain," he signs hastily. "We are not here to stay. The satellites are working very well; in fact, the Thepa probe has just detected one of those beings jumping right in our direction. We have only a few hours to return to orbit, or we will waste this opportunity."`
			`	On the ground, the whole team rushes out of your ship toward the lab, soon returning with their hands full of strange equipment and unwieldy machinery. You quickly prepare your ship's cargo bay for the new payloads and walk down to Dusk so you can help them carry the instruments aboard. "The approaching asteroid is of the small or medium kind, as far as I can tell. Considering your past interactions, or lack thereof, it is unlikely to cause any issue."`
			`	"What should I do once in orbit?" you ask.`
			`	"First, we will verify that all identifiable Ka'sei have entered a dormant state after the creature's arrival. Once that is confirmed, you will rendezvous with one of the deactivated Fetri'sei so that we can spacewalk to it. We will handle the rest from there.`
			`	"Of course, this will be the first time in Remnant history that one of us boards a Ka'sei; after all, it wasn't too long ago we learned of their existence. But we have explored many kinds of Ka'het over the years with varying results, and with that experience I am confident we should be able to complete our mission."`
			choice
				`	"Are you sure this will be safe?"`
				`	"Let's go then."`
					goto depart
			`	"Trust me, <first>," Dusk replies, "it will be incredibly risky. None of us would be doing this if we could say for certain there was a better way, but here we are. Help me with this crate now; we are almost ready to go."`
			label depart
			`	As the last container is brought inside, the cargo ramp moves back, and the exit door follows suit. Glancing at the scanner telemetry, you realize the alien being has already started to exit hyperspace; with a button press, the engines roar back to life, and the ship starts gaining altitude.`
				launch
	on enter
		event "Patir spaceport returns and Fetri spawn" 1
	npc assist
		government "Ka'sei (12.2)"
		personality derelict harvests mining plunders uninterested waiting
		fleet
			names "ka'sei"
			cargo 3
			variant
				"Fetri'sei (Patir 12.2)"
		conversation
			`The giant creature floats a few meters away from your cockpit, silent and motionless, but you know that inside the shell, the slug remains alive and well, ready to kill. Compared to some of the Ka'het back in the Graveyard, this is one of the Builders' smaller creations, but its size is still impressive for what is, in essence, a single organism.`
			`	Before setting the <flagship> to automatic station-keeping, you move your ship so that the main hatch is as close as possible to the Fetri'sei. The Remnant are already in the airlock donning their extravehicular suits, and you join them shortly after.`
			`	"When we are inside, there is a high probability we will not be able to communicate," advises Dusk. "Normally, the walls of the armored shell are too thick and dense for our signals to pass through, and the spaces we need to navigate prevent us from using a physical tether. This does not mean we will be unprotected, however. May I see your sidearm?"`
			`	You draw your weapon out of the holster and hand it to him. After a quick examination, he nods and gives it back before continuing. "Once inside, one of our first operations will be connecting to the downlink of the Fetri's telemetry: it is not protected, in our experience, and it is easy to access. From there, we will be able to monitor the vessel's shields.`
			`	"Many things could go wrong during this mission: the unknown creature could leave the system early, or maybe we could inadvertently awaken the Ka'sei with our actions. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, no matter how minor, take out this gun, point at an empty spot on the shell, and shoot. Our terminals will let us know even the smallest variation in its shield integrity, and we will run back to safety as soon as this happens."`
			choice
				`	"Will this not anger the Ka'sei?"`
					goto anger
				`	"What if you cannot access the shield levels?"`
			`	"Then we will abandon the mission. Without that safety net, it would be too dangerous to continue. However, since they were both created by the Builders, it should be similar enough to the Ka'het design language.`
				goto move

			label anger
			`	"Almost certainly not, given how negligible the damage should be. A sidearm would not make a scratch in its armor, let alone a dent; and even in the small chance it does activate its defenses, you should have enough time to leave the system and let it calm down.`
			label move
			`	"Inside, we will search for the memory banks of the spacecraft. After a quick selection based on the data we can scrape, we will take the few that contain information concerning our research and extract their contents. Understood?"`
			choice
				`	(Nod.)`
					goto entrance
				`	"What about me?"`
			`	"Given that you need to be able to fire as quick as possible, you cannot return to the cockpit. So, we took the liberty of creating a small terminal here to keep an eye on the situation." He points to a small desk in the cargo bay filled to the brim with Remnant machinery.`
			label entrance
			`	One by one, the scientists jump from your ship to the Fetri, moving toward a closed, circular hatch in between the two engines. As you watch them start the expedition, you sit down at the makeshift console, monitoring movements in the system as well as any changes to the slug. Though you can't clearly see what they are doing, you distinguish someone inserting a rod inside a small aperture, followed by the hatch opening right after.`
			`	As the crew moves beyond your line of sight and communications cease, your unease grows steadily. You split your attention between the various screens in front of you and glancing out of the airlock. The clock on your suit's wrist keeps on ticking slowly.`
			`	Scanning over the monitors for the umpteenth time, you see that heightened energy levels have been detected inside the unknown creature.`
			choice
				`	(Wait and see what happens.)`
					goto waiting
				`	(Shoot the Fetri'sei with my sidearm.)`
			`	You take the weapon from the table and shoot the Fetri'sei just as the creature covers itself in rose-tinted sparks. According to Dusk, one shot should be enough to send the message through the impenetrable armor of the spacecraft, but nothing seems to happen after your gun's energy bolt disperses on the surface of the ship.`
				goto fired
			label waiting
			`	A second later, the creature covers itself in a burst of rose-colored sparks: it's about to jump away! You take the weapon from the table and pull the trigger, releasing a bolt of energy that quickly disperses on the surface of the Fetri'sei. According to Dusk's words, it should be enough to send the message through the impenetrable armor of the spacecraft, but nothing seems to happen after the shot.`
			label fired
			`	Second after second passes relentlessly, with no reaction whatsoever from the Fetri'sei or its surroundings. As the unknown creature fades behind a violet cloud and jumps away, you can't help but wonder what to do.`
			choice
				`	(Shoot the Fetri'sei a second time.)`
					goto shoot
				`	(Keep waiting.)`
					goto wait
				`	(Jump on the Ka'sei to call the Remnant aboard.)`
			`	There's no time to waste. Without hesitation, you push yourself off the border of the airlock and toward the Fetri'sei. After remaining airborne for a few instants, you land right next to the leftmost engine nacelle, bouncing off its skin. A timely activation of the thrusters on your wrists helps you move back to its surface, however, and by grabbing a long spike attached to its back, you can finally stabilize and move further ahead.`
			`	White noise starts coming from your communicator; moving your head up, you finally see the Remnant leaping out of the hatch, carrying a dozen faintly glowing cylindrical tubes under their arms. They notice you right when communication returns to normal, and their message arrives loud and clear: "Jump!"`
			`	You leave the handles and use your feet to give you a good push away from the spacecraft. At the last second, you move to the right to avoid ending up behind one of its thrusters just as they roar to life. The Fetri'sei has awakened, and for an instant you see all of its systems activate at once - the engines, the steering, even the Ravagers.`
				goto return

			label shoot
			`	You press the trigger once more, and the projectile again dissolves in the shield protecting the back of the Fetri'sei. For a few seconds still nothing seems to happen, but then, slowly, white noise starts coming from the communicator. Watching the spacecraft, you finally see the Remnant leaping out of the hatch, carrying a dozen faintly glowing cylindrical tubes under their arms.`
				goto continue
			label wait
			`	The wait is excruciating, but after a few seconds, you start hearing white noise coming from your headphones. Right as you start recognizing some words, one of the Remnant leaps out of the hatch, followed closely by the other four. Under their arms, you can distinguish a dozen cylindrical tubes, a faint glow surrounding them.`
			label continue
			`	A flashing warning appears on the console: the energy readings of the other spacecraft are rising quickly. Right as you try to warn the rest of the group, the Ka'sei comes back to life, and for an instant you see all of its systems returning online at once - the engines, the steering, even the Ravagers.`
			label return
			`	Amidst the chaos, you count that all five of them made it out of the hatch, still carrying some of the cylinders with them. They were able to leave before the spacecraft's thrusters started firing, and they seem to have remained relatively unharmed by the event. The Ka'sei moves further and further away.`
			`	One at a time, they move back into the airlock, leaving their cargo attached to one of the instruments they carried with them. As you close the door and pressurize the compartment, Dusk approaches you about the mission.`
			`	"Thank you for that, <first>. We had to cut short the exploration when we saw your message, before we had the chance to retrieve the specific data we were looking for. As a compromise, we decided to take some memory banks - these cylinders - with us, so we could search through the data later. It was dangerous, but it worked.`
			`	"That said, I suggest returning to the outpost as soon as possible. The Ka'sei we have boarded may start acting erratically after this, or it may even attack us; we have removed part of its brain, after all. Hopefully this mission will not backfire against us."`
			`	You sit back in the cockpit, starting the engines once again.`
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		fail "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.2C"

# The mission here is a complex mashup of game functions that uses many different mechanics to achieve the intended sequence:
# - two ships spawn, one disabled and one functional (but otherwise standing still);
# - the player boards the disabled ship, with the mission happening before their eyes;
# - the other ships jump away right after the mission, and the one the player boarded returns to its normal functions.
# In order to achieve this, the asteroid ship has just over 200 fuel and a negative fuel generation, meaning that it will be unable to jump essentially right after it spawns; removing the spaceport means that it won't be able to refuel on the Builder settlement, and so it remains in space doing nothing but waiting. When the player boards the disabled NPC, it is repaired and returns to its functions; as it is an enemy of the asteroid ship, it will shoot it with every available weapon, including what has been hidden under "Ka'het Machinery": a negative fuel damage weapon, that will instantly refill its fuel reserves and let it jump. Giving it just a capacity of 200 would mean that the game would always think it is just infinitesimally under the threshold to jump, so I gave it 250 and everything works as it should with surprising consistency. Two peculiarities of this are that the player will be able to board the asteroid ship to refuel it, and that the Ka'sei could shoot the asteroid with its ravagers for a split second before it jumps if the position of the two is just right. Both of them are harmless: the health of the asteroid is orders of magnitude higher than the damage the Ka'sei can inflict in that time, and as the player boarding the asteroid will give it exactly 200 fuel because of game mechanics, 1 single frame later it will be already unable to jump. However, in order to account for their oddity I added a small dialog to the asteroid's boarding screen to make it as if you were flying by it, and described at the end of the previous mission how for an instant the Ravagers ignite when the Ka'sei returns online, as if in an unintended burst.

event "no Patir spaceport and no Fetri spawn"
	system Patir
		remove fleet "Ka'sei"
	planet "Builder Settlement"
		remove spaceport

event "Patir spaceport returns and Fetri spawn"
	system Patir
		add fleet "Ka'sei" 300
	planet "Builder Settlement"
		spaceport `The Remnant laboratory merges oddly well with the rest of the environment, similar in color and design to the Builder structures around here. The spaceport amounts to only a flat strip of regolith near the settlement, hastily cleaned of the debris that covers most of the terrain.`


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.2C"
	landing
	invisible
	non-blocking
	source "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.2A: done"
	npc assist
		government "Magic Asteroid (Patir 12.2)"
		personality coward fleeing harvests pacifist uninterested waiting mute
		fleet
			cargo 3
			variant
				"Asteroid Large (Patir 12.2)"
		dialog
			`The giant creature stands before you, slowly pulsating in a pale pink halo. The bubbles that interrupt the asteroid-like surface are slightly semitransparent, giving you a brief look at the crystalline structure inside, but your mind soon returns to your time-limited mission, and you decide to move ahead before it's too late.`
	to fail
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.2B: done"


outfit "Ka'het Machinery"
	category "Turrets"
	thumbnail "outfit/unknown"
	"turret mounts" -1
	"unplunderable" 1
	weapon
		"velocity" 1000
		"lifetime" 1
		"reload" 1
		"blast radius" 100000
		"safe"
		"no damage scaling"
		"range override" 1000000
		"homing"
			"leading"
			"throttle control"
		"tracking" 1
		"acceleration" 1.5
		"drag" 0.2
		"turn" 12
		"fuel damage" -400
		"turret turn" 360

ship "Fetri'sei" "Fetri'sei (Patir 12.2)"
	plural "Fetri'seia"
	sprite "ship/fetri'sei"
	thumbnail "thumbnail/fetri'sei"
	attributes
		category "Interceptor"
		"cost" 5700000
		"shields" 2400
		"hull" 7200
		"required crew" 1
		"bunks" 1
		"mass" 210
		"drag" 2.9
		"heat dissipation" .5
		"fuel capacity" 100
		"self destruct" 1
		"ramscoop" 0.13
		"cargo space" 62
		"outfit space" 383
		"weapon capacity" 184
		"engine capacity" 86
		"energy capacity" 10000
		"energy generation" 23.3
		"heat generation" 32
		"shield heat" 3.4
		"hull repair rate" 0.3
		"ka'sei" 1
		weapon
			"blast radius" 120
			"shield damage" 540
			"hull damage" 280
			"hit force" 780
	outfits
		"Ka'het Machinery"
		"Ka'het Ravager Beam" 2

		"Ka'het Primary Cooling"
		"Ka'het Shield Restorer"
		"Ka'het MHD Generator"
		"Ka'het Reserve Accumulator"

		"Ka'het Compact Engine" 2

	gun -13 -36
	gun 13 -36
	turret 0 0
	engine -20 46.5
	engine 20 46.5
	explode "tiny explosion" 6
	explode "small explosion" 10
	explode "medium explosion" 18
	explode "large explosion" 10
	"final explode" "final explosion small"
	description "The Fetri is a self replicating probe, built to harvest iridium away from the Graveyard and transport it back to the Builders."

ship "Asteroid Large 1" "Asteroid Large (Patir 12.2)"
	sprite "ship/asteroid adult"
	attributes
		category "Transport"
		"cost" 1350000000
		"hull" 965612
		"required crew" 1
		"bunks" 1
		"mass" 130
		"drag" 4.1
		"heat dissipation" .7
		"energy capacity" 1000
		"energy generation" 10
		"fuel capacity" 250
		"fuel generation" -1
		"cargo space" 50
		"outfit space" 390
		"weapon capacity" 150
		"engine capacity" 95
		weapon
			"blast radius" 80
			"shield damage" 800
			"hull damage" 400
			"hit force" 1200
	outfits
		"Asteroid Anti-Missile"

		"Asteroid Jump Drive"
		
	engine 0 0
		zoom 1
		angle 0
		over
	turret 0 0 "Asteroid Anti-Missile"
	explode "tiny explosion" 10
	explode "small explosion" 25
	explode "medium explosion" 25
	explode "large explosion" 10
	"final explode" "final explosion medium"


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 13.1"
	name "Return to <planet>"
	description "Now that the Patir black hole appears to have returned to the Milky Way, return to <planet> together with Dusk."
	passengers 5
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Aventine"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1B: done"
	on offer
		event "Patir returns" 0
		conversation
			`The time has come: the walk toward the lab is quick and straightforward, and you cover the whole distance in a matter of minutes. Peeking through the hatch's window, you see the rest of the group preparing their backpacks, with prepacked toolboxes surrounding them in every direction. You wave through the glass, and they return the greeting.`
			`	You move the airlock's heavy door to pass through, and wait for the room to be re-pressurized before walking in. By the time the hatch unlocks, however, the Remnant are gone, hastily leaving their bags on the floor.`
			`	As you take a few steps inside the lab, you turn around to find them all glued to the windows with an awestruck gaze. The sky has again turned black, and a few dim lines are already starting to appear in the distance.`
			`	While stars and galaxies zoom in the night sky, a few of the Remnant run around the lab, turning on various instruments. However, most of them remain with their faces stuck to the glass. The lights start converging toward a single point, forming a large, but rapidly shrinking mass in the background.`
			`	The stars begin to slow down before settling into their final positions. After all the time you have spent here, it isn't difficult to recognize that the sky has changed again. Next to you, the rest of the team is already analyzing the data gathered; Dusk seems to be writing down something from a chronometer.`
			choice
				`	"Are we back in the Milky Way?"`
				`	"How long was that?"`
					goto time
				`	"Where are we now?"`
			`	"I cannot say yet," Dusk replies hurriedly. "Quick, put your EVA suit back on. We need to depart as soon as possible, all of us together. I do not know how much time we have." You hastily connect your helmet back to the life support and follow them out of the airlock, trying to keep up as best as you can.`
				goto depart

			label time
			`	"Around four minutes," Dusk replies hurriedly. "But we will talk about that another time. We need to depart as soon as possible, all of us together. I do not know how much time we have." You hastily connect your helmet back to the life support and follow them out of the airlock, trying to keep up as best as you can.`
			label depart
			`	It takes only a few minutes to launch the <ship>, the six of you standing in the cockpit with trepidation. "We will take care of the necessary analysis while you bring us to orbit. Hopefully we have been sent to the Milky Way, and not to yet another unreachable galaxy."`
				launch
	on enter
		conversation "end of Patir 2 - on enter"
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic passenger on visit"
	on complete
		payment 1570000
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"
		set "initial patir exploration"
		event "patir mystery 2 timer" 45
		conversation "end of Patir 2 - on complete"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 13.2"
	landing
	name "Return to <planet>"
	description "Now that the Patir black hole appears to have returned to the Milky Way, return to <planet> together with Dusk."
	passengers 5
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Aventine"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.2B: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Back down on the surface, you complete the post-landing checklist while keeping an eye on the movements of the Ka'sei. The research station has been a safe place to retreat during past expeditions, but it seems doubtful that it could last against a prolonged attack from one of the Fetri'sei.`
			`	When the scientists finish unloading their cargo, Dusk calls you with the communicator. Now that the immediate danger is over, a hint of frustration creeps into his voice.`
			`	"The cells we have taken from the Fetri are only a few out of multiple hundreds. We did our best to choose those that were recorded at times when those beings were present, but we will still need some luck to get the results we wanted.`
			`	"Our calculators have been crunching numbers for hours now, ever since we cracked open the first canister. By the time you have reached the lab, we should have the analysis ready." You close the hatch behind you to join the rest of the crew.`
			`	As the asteroid continues its nearly imperceptible spin, Patir emerges from behind the giant dome, allowing its rays to pass through. You take the last steps towards the outpost with the sunshade lowered and walk into the lab once more.`
			`	The module was never particularly inviting, but over the last few weeks, a thin layer of dust coming from outside the asteroid has covered the floor, with just the surfaces needed for the research kept clean. Tiredness plagues the faces of the scientists: they must not have slept much in the past days to keep up with the amount of incoming data, and neither have you. As you try to remember the last time you stepped outside without a suit - at least a month, most likely - your stream of thoughts is interrupted by the arrival of Dusk, carrying in his hands a ream of papers.`
			`	"The information in the memory containers is indeed from when one of those beings was in the system, and the data recorded was far more comprehensive than our own scans. However, the memory containers we extracted only contain records from the middle of the phenomenon, without showing how it begun or ended. Additionally, understanding their contents is going to take longer than we hoped for. We knew that the exact relationship between the being and the Fetri'sei would be beyond our knowledge, but we cannot even make preliminary guesses as to how they are able to communicate.`
			`	"We have enough consumables to last for many weeks still; we started rationing as soon as we arrived in this sector, and we are prepared to reduce them further if necessary. Despite this, the time and manpower needed to crack this code would go far beyond what we could feasibly achieve. We have hit a roadblock that, for now, we cannot overcome."`
			choice
				`	"Does this mean we need to repeat the mission?"`
				`	"What are our options?"`
					goto options
			`	"We considered it briefly, but it would be quite ineffective. Our blocker is understanding the data itself, and having even more would do little to help us with that. On top of that, the risk would be extremely high, as we have seen. All things considered, we are at the same point we were a week ago.`
			label options
			`	"We are left with few alternatives. As I told you previously, the Chanai station is an interesting possibility, and could have influenced Patir's erratic behavior. At the same time, exploring the asteroid around Lathia may put us closer to understanding the inner workings of the beings and how they interact with the Ka'sei. It is quite dangerous, but visiting the space station is also an unknown, and maybe a more direct approach is what we need to accomplish our objective. Neither mission prevails over the other in a definite way, and our votes within the team are split evenly between the two, so if y-"`
			`	Dusk halts mid phrase, looking behind you with an awestruck gaze. The sky has again turned black, and a few dim lines are already starting to appear in the distance. The whole team jumps to the windows, watching as the light show begins.`
			`	While stars and galaxies zoom in the night sky, two Remnant keep running around the lab, turning on various instruments. However, the rest of them remain with their faces stuck to the glass with you. The lights start converging toward a single point, forming a large, but rapidly shrinking mass in the background.`
			`	The stars begin to slow down before settling into their final positions. After all the time you have spent here, it isn't difficult to recognize that the sky has changed again. Next to you, the rest of the team is already analyzing the data gathered; Dusk seems to be writing down something from a chronometer.`
			action
				event "Patir returns" 0
			choice
				`	"Are we back in the Milky Way?"`
				`	"How long was that?"`
					goto time
				`	"Where are we now?"`
			`	"I cannot say yet," Dusk replies hurriedly. "Quick, put your EVA suit back on. We need to depart as soon as possible, all of us together. I do not know how much time we have." You hastily connect your helmet back to the life support and follow them out of the airlock, trying to keep up as best as you can.`
				goto depart

			label time
			`	"Around four minutes," Dusk replies hurriedly. "But we will talk about that another time. We need to depart as soon as possible, all of us together. I do not know how much time we have." You hastily connect your helmet back to the life support and follow them out of the airlock, trying to keep up as best as you can.`
			label depart
			`	It takes only a few minutes to launch the <ship>, the six of you standing in the cockpit with trepidation. "We will take care of the necessary analysis while you bring us to orbit. Hopefully we have been sent to the Milky Way, and not to yet another unreachable galaxy."`
				launch
	on enter
		conversation "end of Patir 2 - on enter"

	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic passenger on visit"
	on complete
		payment 1570000
		clear "remnant: dusk busy"
		event "patir mystery 2 timer" 45
		event "patir flickers" 7
		set "initial patir exploration"
		conversation "end of Patir 2 - on complete"

event "Patir returns"
	system Patir
		pos -38 553
		haze _menu/haze-red
	clear "ka'het: beyond Patir"


conversation "end of Patir 2 - on enter"
	`The cockpit has become quite chaotic: the instruments the team brought with them keep buzzing and beeping. After shutting down the main engines, someone taps on your shoulder to call your attention. "<first>, could you pitch the ship down a few degrees?" Dusk asks, with a calmer look than during liftoff. You reply with a nod, and move the stick forward slightly.`
	`	"There! Do you see it?" he continues, pointing at a spot in the sky with his hand. Between the mass of stars in front of you, a pattern leaps to the eye: two sets of three stars, right next to each other, forming a prism-like structure. "We are back."`


conversation "end of Patir 2 - on complete"
	`A large crowd quickly gathers around your landing pad, eagerly awaiting your arrival. After all this time between the stars, setting foot on a planet with an actual atmosphere is incredibly refreshing. Ignoring the cold weather for a moment, you take the biggest breath you can to make up for the past weeks of recycled air.`
	`	Before you've even reached the end of the ramp, the people on the ground are already signing questions to you and the rest of the team about your journey. You do your best to reply, but in the overall mix of confusion and excitement you aren't sure anyone understood what you just said.`
	`	Between the chaos, you hear a familiar voice singing your name: a few meters on your left, you notice Chilia with his arm raised and a large grin greeting you back. Moving across the crowd not without some difficulty, you follow him through a narrow door inside a cramped room right next to the pad.`
	`	"I prefer this spaceport when it is more hushed," he remarks with a sigh, "but after the past weeks some frenzy is understandable. We will have to make do with this warehouse for now." He invites you to take a seat. "So, <first>, would you tell me about your journey?"`
	`	By the time you're done, more than an hour must have passed. Chilia paces aimlessly around the room, reflecting on your recounting of the events. As silence falls, you notice that calm seems to have returned on the pad as well.`
	choice
		`	(Wait for him to speak.)`
			goto wait
		`	"Do you know how we came back to this galaxy?"`
		`	"What happened while we were gone?"`
	`	"Oh. I thought you had been told already." He sits down in front of you. "It was us that brought Patir back here. After your departure, it did not take long for our long-range sensors to pick up that the black hole had disappeared, along with you and the team. Our data was scarce, but we knew one, very important thing: if Patir had appeared here once, there must have been a way to do that again.`
		goto explain
	label wait
	`	"If your description is accurate, it means Patir is not another mouth to a pocket universe, but instead a transporter to another galaxy. Or universe, for all we know. In retrospect, there were enough reasons to doubt that first theory, but we were far too busy trying to save you to look into it seriously." Seeing your confused expression, he continues. "<first>, it was us who brought Patir back here.`
	label explain
	`	"We knew Postverta was involved with Patir's initial arrival, and together with the team there, we discovered that the energy burst that had been released when Ssil Vida first appeared had no relation to the systems controlling its pocket universe. So, its activation or deactivation would have no effect on Patir, and we had to start looking somewhere else.`
	`	"Our research up to this point had mostly focused on the pocket universe; most of Postverta is still obscure to us. As we evaluated our options, we determined that, by the time we could understand the station's systems enough to use them for our purposes, your crew would have already run out of supplies and perished. Instead, we attempted to replicate the energy burst using just our technology, augmented by the transmission systems of Ssil Vida.`
	`	"The project took most of our workforce, as well as several weeks to complete, no thanks to a number of setbacks almost making us start over from scratch. But with the full power of the onboard reactors and an array of calculators rivaling that of our largest outposts, its giant antennae came back to life, and released a wave as strong as when Ssil Vida appeared. Two weeks later, Patir returned, and now you are here, safe and sound."`
	`	Finally, a tired Dusk reaches the two of you in the storage room, sitting down after greeting Chilia and you. From a brief exchange between them, you infer that he has also been told of the circumstances around your return.`
	choice
		`	"What is going to happen to Patir now?"`
			goto patir
		`	"Wait, what if we were not around Patir when it came back?"`
	`	"The black hole would have departed without us, and we would have been still stuck in that sector - only this time without a laboratory to support us, nor most of our consumables. The people down here perhaps could have been able to send Patir back there to pick us up, but by then we would have run out of supplies long before, and perished between the stars. We were lucky that things went the way they did, all things considered. Our research in those systems was supposed to bring us back, and yet we were just chasing rainbows, endangering ourselves further every step we took.`
		goto next

	label patir
	`	"It is difficult to say. Given what we have observed, it will probably disappear once again after the effects of our energy burst; when that will happen or where it will go is beyond our current knowledge. Those same systems we were stuck in could now be inaccessible, and our data might be the only information we will ever gather on them.`
	label next
	`	"At this point in time, exploring Patir would be a gamble, and an extremely risky one at that. The next phase will have to be operated from a distance, in order to fully understand the way that system works and how Ssil Vida controls it. How much time that will take, I cannot say; maybe weeks, or months, or even years. But then, and only then, will we go back there and start digging deeper."`
	choice
		`	"I understand."`
			goto finish
		`	"You want to return there?!"`
	`	Dusk smiles. "It is my job, after all. The danger of the unknown is always a part of it, even in the simplest of missions. I do admit the risk in these past weeks was far beyond an acceptable level, but one day, we will know enough about the mess in which we have become tangled in to unravel it."`
	label finish
	`	The two of them accompany you to the <ship>, sitting alone in the now-quiet spaceport of <planet>. The cargo bay has been emptied of the vast array of instruments that had been lying in it for a while, and you guess the same has been done with the cockpit. As you walk once again up the stairway, the Remnant bid you farewell. "We have transferred <payment> as a way to express our gratitude," Dusk signs with a smile. "Of course, their worth is incomparable with the value of what you have done for us; without you, we would have never made it out alive. Goodbye for now, and may the Embers aid in your pursuits."`



event "patir mystery 2 timer"


event "patir flickers"


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Flicker"
	invisible
	landing
	repeat 4
	source
		not system "Patir"
	to offer
		has "event: patir flickers"
		not "event: patir mystery 2 timer"
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"
		random < 50
	on offer
		event "Patir moves" 0
		event "Patir returns" 5 9


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 14"
	name "Back in action"
	description "The situation in <waypoints> is again under control. Return there to gather additional data from the Remnant satellite for Prefect Chilia, then return to <destination>."
	source
		government "Remnant"
		attributes "remnant primary"
	waypoint "Patir"
	to offer
		random < 60
		has "event: patir mystery 2 timer"
		has "event: remnant: tubfalet appearance"
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"
	on offer
		event "ssil vida changes"
		conversation
			`Although its architecture still feels wildly alien, time has helped you become familiar with the way <planet>'s main starport is organized. By now, it's not difficult for you to notice when something changes. Some are subtler than others - it wasn't long ago that additional barriers were placed between the rows of landing pads, much to your inconvenience.`
			`	Passing the arch that connects to the northern shipyards reveals a curious sight. A group of hangars that, until now, were marked as off-limits are now open, and crowds of construction workers are walking in and out of the area. Among the crowd, pairs of camels tow sections of Remnant spacecraft of all kinds; you step aside to let a convoy pass with some of the longest wings you have ever seen.`
			`	"What a show, don't you think?" a familiar voice chants as you turn around. Taely smiles, making a gesture of welcome with her hands. "If you were looking for Prefect Chilia, he should be upstairs right now."`
			choice
				`	"Why should I be looking for Chilia?"`
					goto chilia
				`	"Are you working on a new ship?"`
			`	"On a rather old one, in reality," she replies, "but the last time this yard was active was years before your arrival, so for you it should make little difference."`
			label chilia
			`	Suddenly, your communicator buzzes with a message - from Prefect Chilia, of course - telling you to meet him in <planet> as soon as possible. Taely looks amused. "He wants to speak with you about Patir," she explains. "A lot of resources have been redirected to that project since your last expedition, including some from older projects. And I am helping where I can too," she concludes, carefully slipping a tool bag under the enormous wing being transported. "If everything goes to plan, you will see the results in a matter of weeks."`
			`	You bid her farewell and look for Chilia in the upper floors. "<first>!" he signs with surprise when you find him. "That is some great timing. I have just prepared a new assignment for you."`
			choice
				`	"About Patir, right?"`
				`	(Let him talk.)`
					goto patir
			`	He smiles. "I assume you must have spoken with Taely. Yes, that is correct. What had started as a lower priority project has been taking up more and more resources recently, for good reason.`
			label patir
			`	"Advances in our understanding of Ssil Vida have allowed us to experiment with Patir in the past months; you might have noticed it flicker in and out of your stellar map recently. We are now confident that we have gained near total control of Patir's state, and we know how to make it stay in this galaxy, or the other.`
			`	"Our interest in the project is not purely academic," he continues, grabbing a datapad. "The creatures that inhabit that region can be both a potential threat, and an interesting resource. Look here." The screen shows a recording of radar data, taken on the day you returned from Patir based on the timestamp.`
			`	"We believe that one of those beings was in Patir when you returned back in the Milky Way. As you know, we have a satellite around the black hole, but we have been unable to contact it since your return. If you board it and take its data, it might tell us more."`
			choice
				`	"Alright then."`
					goto go
				`	"How do you know Patir will not move while I am there?"`
			`	"We have conducted a wide variety of tests during this period," he boasts. "We have established a relation between Ssil Vida's signal and Patir's behavior, to an extent. At the moment, we are sending a continuous signal out of the station. Once the signal stops the time it takes for Patir to disappear varies, but we are reasonably certain that for as long as it continues Patir will stay there - it is just a one-day mission, after all. And even in the very worst case, this time we have the knowledge and the tools to bring you back rapidly."`
			choice
				`	"Alright, I am convinced."`
				`	"Sorry, but I cannot return there after what happened last time."`
					decline
			label go
			branch VFTP
				not "builder signal"
			`	"I would come with you if I could," he signs with trepidation, "but I am required here at the moment, and it is a task that can be easily done by a single person. Follow the procedure Dusk showed you, and you will be done in no time."`
				accept
			label VFTP
			action
				fail "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 0"
			`	"I would come with you if I could," he signs with trepidation, "but I am required here at the moment, and it is a task that can be easily done by a single person. Follow the procedure Dusk showed you, and you will be done in no time."`
				accept

	npc assist save
		system "Patir"
		government "Remnant"
		personality derelict target pacifist mute
		ship "Remnant Satellite" "Bright Ember Yonder"
		dialog `The satellite floats into your payload bay, and after a quick checkout you download its data. It only takes a few minutes before you can release it once again.`
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic waypoint on visit"
	on complete
		conversation
			`You meet with Chilia in front of the landing pad. "Thank you for the help," he chants as you hand him the data. "If you are interested in continuing the Patir research project, meet me in the spaceport in a few hours - I might have good news for you."`


event "ssil vida changes"
	system "Postverta"
		pos 297 269
		government Remnant
		attributes "ember waste"
		arrival 500
		belt 2000
		habitable 135
		haze _menu/haze-red
		link Diespiter
		link Prosa
		link Statina
		asteroids "medium rock" 4 2
		asteroids "large rock" 4 3
		asteroids "medium metal" 52 1
		asteroids "large metal" 9 3
		hazard "Ember Waste Base Heat" 50
		hazard "Ember Waste Base Storm" 9000
		hazard "Ember Waste Base Storm" 15000
		object
			sprite star/m8
			period 10
		object
			sprite planet/desert7
			distance 439
			period 316.657
		object Fertriery
			sprite planet/fog0
			distance 814
			period 799.520
			object
				sprite planet/dust4
				distance 202
				period 21
		object
			sprite planet/rock10
			distance 1208
			period 654
		object "Ssil Vida"
			sprite planet/sheragi_postverta_2
				scale 0.5
			distance 1408
			period 1818.85


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 15"
	name "Remnant scientists"
	description "Visit <planet> to gather three Remnant scientists who want to return to Patir."
	source
		government "Remnant"
	destination "Ssil Vida"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 14: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The flurry of activity around the same hangars you visited previously has not died down. Hordes of technicians work together to move machinery of all kinds in and out of the construction site, much of which ends up somewhere underground beyond your sight. You don't see Taely among the crew this time, but you recognize some of the engineers that often work with her - and eventually, you stumble upon Chilia, looking for you inside the crowd.`
			`	"Ah, Captain. We feel confident enough in our results to move on with the next phase. We are readying a team aboard <planet> for an initial expedition, with a relatively simple mission: reactivating our outpost next to the Builder settlement."`
			choice
				`	"What about the data I gave you?"`
					goto data
				`	"Is there nobody here on <origin> that could do the same?"`
			`	He gives you an odd look. "Not with the same training. We found that much of the preparations for <planet> were easily applicable to Patir as well, which allowed us to prepare for it fairly quickly. And plus," he continues authoritatively, "it would be good practice for you to see the machines that will make your future expeditions possible directly, so as to gain more confidence in them.`
				goto details
			label data
			`	"The analysis of the data is still ongoing - we know that it appeared not long before Patir moved, and disappeared shortly after, but figuring out what happened in between is proving to be more complicated than expected. Still, we should know more soon enough, and there is no reason for it to block our progress.`
			label details
			`	"Make sure to leave space for a team of three when you get there. This expedition will just use the resources that you left around Patir when you were last there, so there should be no need to use your cargo hold this time."`
				accept

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 16"
	landing
	name "Stop by <planet>"
	description "Before bringing the Remnant to the Builder settlement around Patir, stop by <destination> to meet up with Chilia."
	blocked "You dock with Ssil Vida, but despite Chilia's advice, you are still lacking the <bunks> bunks necessary for the job."
	source "Ssil Vida"
	destination "Caelian"
	passengers 3
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 14: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`After these past months, Ssil Vida's docking section has become unrecognizable: it is now distinctly Remnant, with tall arches and curved, segmented walls separating it into a variety of smaller rooms. Walking further inside the station reveals that at least the main chambers have kept most of their previous features, but you feel that this is unlikely to last for long. You meet there with the new group and realize Dusk is not with them.`
			`	The three Remnant escort you on a quick tour of some of the modifications made recently. You walk through a control room with at least two dozen people sitting at their consoles, carefully managing the power of the station. They explain that many of the people there are focused solely on the emitter at the core of Ssil Vida: many of the modulators they have built around the station have the purpose of simplifying its control, but it's still very much an ongoing project.`
			`	While they accompany you through a large corridor, filled only with Remnant terminals and closed doors, your attention is drawn to some cargo being transported by a pair of workers. It is mostly contained inside an opaque container, but you think you can see the outline of some of the human outfits you brought to the Remnant some time ago. They are not sold in the nearby outfitter from what you have seen; you are left to wonder what their purpose here might be.`
			`	Before you can think much of it, however, a short message from Chilia reaches your commlink. It instructs you to urgently meet him with the other three Remnant at a specific location on <planet>, and to come with a free bunk and at least 65 tons free in your cargo - the plan, apparently, has changed.`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic passenger on visit"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 17"
	landing
	name "Return to <system>"
	description "Bring the three Remnant archaeologists and Prefect Chilia to <destination>, together with the new equipment."
	blocked "You start to follow Chilia's directions, but you soon realize you won't have enough space: you need <tons> of cargo and <bunks> bunks."
	source "Caelian"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 4
	cargo "Ka'het intimidation mechanism and reserved space" 65
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 16: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`You overfly <origin>'s starport and stay at a high altitude; based on the coordinates Chilia gave you, the flight is far from over. As minutes pass, the city transforms into more and more sparse buildings deep in the desert, with barely visible roads in the sands connecting each. The more distant of these are organized in a circular fashion: a central building, of a sand-like ocher similar to some outposts in the Rim, and rings of buildings of a more alien-like Remnant design surrounding it.`
			`	As you soon find out, your destination is one of these settlements. You follow Chilia's instructions and touch down in an unsigned spot on a dune, kicking up loads of sand in the process. The three Remnant, busy discussing something you don't fully understand about Ssil Vida's design progression, stay in your ship's bridge while you meet up with Chilia.`
			`	"Come here, Captain!" he gestures from behind a short barrier which mostly blocks the blowing sand. You follow him until stopping in front of the entrance of a large elevator in the central building. He writes on his commlink, and the elevator starts rising toward your floor. While Remnant numerals still escape you, it must have started deep below the ground for how long it takes.`
			choice
				`	"Why did you message me?"`
					goto message
				`	"What is this place?"`
			`	"Oh, just an older facility of ours. For the longest time we built our outposts like bunkers, even trying to make them difficult to spot from orbit. Ever since we have relaxed our standards, most of these have been relegated to the role of storage. But it is not just for a history lesson that I have called you here today.`
			label message
			`	"We have made a new discovery in your data. After Patir moved, the creature that came with it did not simply disappear: a Ka'sei approached it, mined it, and harvested its pieces. This has important implications - these beings were fully capable of inhibiting the Ka'sei while in the other galaxy, so they either died when Patir moved or their abilities could not work anymore. Either possibility is equally interesting, and it is imperative that we investigate this sooner rather than later."`
			`	The doors of the elevator open, and a few workers come out of it with a large piece of Remnant machinery. Though most of its components are hidden inside featureless boxes and standard pipes, it is topped by a segmented, cruciform antenna. You also notice its small size - the chances of something like that taking up the 65 tons that Chilia had asked you to set aside are nil.`
			choice
				`	"What does that do?"`
					goto clueless
				`	"Is that a communicator of some sort?"`
					goto wickedsmart
				`	"Where is the rest of it?"`
			`	He doesn't seem to understand your question, so you explain your doubt further. "Oh, that is unrelated to this payload - it is just 3 tons, all here in front of you. But you will understand my request shortly.`
				goto clueless
			label wickedsmart
			`	"Good intuition. Not in the sense of two-way communication, but its function is based on reliably transmitting a particular signal to the Ka'het. Let me explain.`
			label clueless
			`	"It was not long after we started translating the Builder language that we tried to put some of that effort into hacking their technology. Given their destructive potential, the Ka'het were the natural target for this electronic warfare operation." The technicians carefully load the payload into your ship, trying to connect it to the <ship>'s electrical system.`
			`	"Our understanding of Ka'het systems was quite poor at the time, but despite this, we discovered a backdoor left by their designers. A unique signal that instructs the slug to dump its cargo and not retake it, perhaps to avoid damage from ingesting hazardous material. As long as it has not digested it yet, this could let us access the parts of the creature inside the Ka'sei without having to kill most of them. That is the reason I asked you for 65 tons free: 3 for this weapon, and 62 for the maximum cargo capacity of a Ka'sei."`
			choice
				`	"How do I use it?"`
					goto how
				`	"Why is it not used anymore?"`
			`	"Shamefully, we could never make it small or reliable enough to justify the investment," he replies disappointed. "Most of its components have to be replaced after less than a dozen uses, for a capability that is not too useful in the first place. In fact, the most important lesson from the study was of how little use the typical Ka'het cargo was; there are much easier ways to get our hands on metallic asteroids."`
			label how
			`	The workers signal that they are done with the installation. "I will come with you to operate it, Captain. Your previous mission will take precedence," he continues, "but as soon as they are done, I will direct you on the procedure to follow."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		conversation
			`The three suited-up Remnant leave your ship toward the outpost, while Chilia stays aboard to prepare the electronic warfare system for its mission. You try your best to aid Chilia and to support the team on their EVA, but it will take at least a few hours before either of them are ready for the next phase in the spaceport.`

event "Ka'het don't spawn in Fereti and Lire"
	system Fereti
		remove fleet "Ka'het Core"
		remove hazard "Ember Waste Base Storm"
	system Lire
		remove fleet "Ka'het"
		remove fleet "Ka'het Aggressive"
		remove hazard "Ember Waste Base Storm"

event "Ka'het spawn in Fereti and Lire"
	system Fereti
		add fleet "Ka'het Core" 2900
		add hazard "Ember Waste Base Storm" 9000
	system Lire
		add fleet "Ka'het" 2850
		add fleet "Ka'het Aggressive" 9300
		add hazard "Ember Waste Base Storm" 9000

# The Ka'sei jumps straight away thanks to its personalities (uninterested, no mining/harvest/scanning, enemy with uninhabited so it can't land)
# It is forced to jump to Fereti because of the artificial limitation of its jump range (it's the only system within 50 units of Patir)
# This jump, as all jumps, removes 200 fuel from it; this means it will start regenerating it right after, which leads to the very high fuel heat and consequent overheating, which leads to the overheat damage. The overheat damage is large enough that a single hit will disable it straight away, avoiding the risk of killing it accidentally.

ship "Fetri'sei" "Fetri'sei (Patir 18)"
	uncapturable
	add attributes
		"weapon capacity" 13
		"fuel capacity" 150
		"asteroid mount jd" 1
		"fuel heat" 150
		"overheat damage rate" 500
		"overheat damage threshold" -0.2
		"threshold percentage" 0.9
	outfits
		"Ka'het Ravager Beam" 2

		"Ka'het Primary Cooling"
		"Ka'het Shield Restorer"
		"Ka'het MHD Generator"
		"Ka'het Reserve Accumulator"
		"Asteroid Jump Drive (Patir 18)"
		"Asteroid Weapon Small"
	gun -13 -36
	gun 13 -36
	gun 0 -36

outfit "Asteroid Jump Drive (Patir 18)"
	"display name" "???"
	category "Systems"
	cost 29631456
	thumbnail "outfit/asteroid weapon 7"
	"mass" 20
	"outfit space" -20
	"jump speed" 10
	"jump fuel" 200
	"jump range" 48
	"jump drive" 1
	"asteroid mount jd" -1
	"jump effect" "jump drive circle"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 1"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 2"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 3"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 4"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 5"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 6"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 7"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 8"
	"jump effect" "jump drive spark 9"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 1"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 2"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 3"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 4"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 5"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 6"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 7"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 8"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 9"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 10"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 11"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 12"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 13"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 14"
	"jump effect" "jump drive 15"
	description "Whatever the mechanism that hides beneath the translucent orb may be, it functions similarly to a jump drive, bridging different parts of the universe together for the cost of merely 200 units of fuel."

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 18"
	name "Rogue Ka'sei"
	description "Find a way to take away from the target Ka'sei the asteroid components it ingested, and return to <destination> once you're done."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 4
	cargo "equipment and asteroid material" 3
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 17: done"
	on offer
		event "Ka'het don't spawn in Fereti and Lire"
		event "no Patir spaceport and no Fetri spawn"
		conversation
			`It has been at least half an hour since Chilia finished setting up for the mission. Despite the occasional updates from the exploration team on the commlink, he is getting more visibly impatient as time passes, compulsively tapping over his console in a musical rhythm. Most of what they relay is about the status of the machinery and the samples left in the lab, and your mind soon trails off to other thoughts.`
			`	At last, they make their way back to your ship. "The outpost and its consumables are in a fairly good state. After we completed our tasks, we took the opportunity to check out what was left in the pantry. We have brought some of it with us, if you wish to share a meal before the mission," he concludes with a smile and a gesture toward their handbags.`
			choice
				`	(Accept it.)`
					goto hungry
				`	"This is not the moment to eat."`
			`	Chilia nods. "This time it is best to leave them for the return trip. Captain," he continues, turning to you. "If you are ready to leave, so am I. I will activate the weapon as soon as we are in orbit - our target should be well within its range."`
				goto end
			label hungry
			`	The meals you are shown have become rather familiar, but not particularly appetizing. Unlike most times, you notice that the Remnant expedition does not eat much more than you - perhaps they don't use symbionts, or maybe they ate while inside the lab. Chilia, still in anticipation for the mission (and perhaps hoping to accelerate things), limits himself to drinking some water.`
			`	Once you are done, Chilia signals you that he is ready to go when you are - the target is within range, and he should be able to activate it as soon as you reach orbit.`
			label end
			`	Back inside your ship, you notice Chilia telling the three researchers that it would be better for them to stay locked in their bunks for the rest of the mission. Evidently they don't have the same authorization level as Prefect Chilia - or you, for that matter.`
				accept
	on enter
		event "Patir spaceport returns and Fetri spawn"
		dialog "As soon as you give him the go-ahead, Chilia calmly sits at his console and starts fiddling with the controls. The antenna atop your ship moves to track the chosen Fetri'sei, and the signal starts; but right after, instead of cargo being ejected, you detect an energy spike coming from the Ka'sei. It's activating a Jump Drive! Taken aback, Chilia signs you to try to follow it."
		"reputation: Ka'sei (Patir 18)" <?= -1
	npc board
		government "Ka'sei (Patir 18)"
		personality coward waiting pacifist uninterested fleeing target
		ship "Fetri'sei (Patir 18)" "Faii-rii'het"
		dialog
			`You dock with the stranded Ka'sei, and Chilia signals you to take the foreign outfits in it - or at least, the ones that have not been fully digested yet. "The Fetri appears to have overheated beyond what it could survive," he signs. "Realistically, there is nothing we can do for it. Take the unknown outfits into your cargo hold, and we will figure out the next move back on the <planet>."`
	npc
		government "Ka'het"
		system "Fereti"
		personality staying target plunders uninterested nemesis
		ship "Maeri'het (Disable-able)" "Alix-ori'het"
		on disable
			"reputation: Ka'sei (Patir 18)" <?= -1
	on enter "Fereti"
		dialog
			`"There it is!" signs the thrilled Chilia. "As long as it does not jump further away, this can work for us. Don't let any Ka'het in the system damage it before you loot those outfits directly from its cargo hold."`
	on visit
		dialog "You've arrived at <planet>, but either your passengers, your cargo, or the outfits taken from the asteroid remains are not with you!"
	on complete
		require "Asteroid Jump Drive (Patir 18)"
		require "Asteroid Weapon Small"
		event "Ka'het spawn in Fereti and Lire"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 19"
	landing
	name "Return to <planet>"
	description "Bring Chilia and the other Remnant back to Caelian together with the material gathered from the Fetri'sei."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Caelian"
	passengers 4
	cargo "equipment and asteroid material" 3
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 18: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Despite the hiccups in the mission, the Remnant seem ecstatic. Chilia has been careful to hide the outfits you looted into nondescript containers, but when the other Remnant come out of their bunks, it is clear that they have been able to gather some of what has happened. For his part, Chilia does not seem to mind them, limiting himself to sipping from a colorful drink with a sly face.`
			choice
				`	(Join Chilia.)`
					goto chilia
				`	(Speak with the Remnant researchers.)`
			`	After some chitchat, one of them catches the opportunity to ask you about your own mission, but you follow what you have seen Chilia do and dodge the questions with vague answers. Soon enough, the conversation veers back to Patir and its surroundings. They sign a bit too fast for your abilities, but you're able to follow most of it.`
			`	What catches your attention is their description of the structure of the Builder settlement: according to them, the living quarters are extremely limited compared to the size of the outpost, suggesting that there must have been a separate vehicle to house them at some point. While unlikely to be of much use, you take note of it just as Chilia joins the table.`
			`	Sharing a drink with the rest of you, he commends all of you for your efforts, careful not to go into any specifics. "Given the results obtained, I say we can classify this as mission accomplished on both sides," he concludes. "Once our glasses are empty, it is time to move back to <destination> for the analysis of our data."`
				accept
			label chilia
			`	"Nicely done, Captain. With the items secured, I say we can easily classify this as mission accomplished." He accompanies you somewhere more private, and continues. "It seems that, in some way, the Ka'sei gained the ability to activate some of these outfits while digesting them. It must have been by accident, but it is still good news for us - it means that there is a way for us to use this technology on our own ships.`
			`	"I caught the opportunity to transfer some of the data the Ka'sei had gathered, in case it helps our efforts. Naturally, it will take a while to decrypt and translate; better move to <destination> so that the analysis of that data, and even more so of the items, can commence."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog "You've arrived at <planet>, but either your passengers, your cargo, or the outfits taken from the asteroid remains are not with you!"
	on complete
		payment 500000
		outfit "Asteroid Jump Drive (Patir 18)" -1
		outfit "Asteroid Weapon Small" -1
		conversation
			`The first to leave your ship are the three researchers, who make you various gestures of farewell as they disappear into the spaceport. Chilia hangs around for a while longer, but after your cargo gets unloaded, still hidden inside standard packages, he signs that it is time for him to leave as well.`
			`	"As you might have figured out, our next objective is to study these items and their technology in depth, hoping to reverse engineer them or, at least, figure out their inner workings." You offer to give him a hand, but he shakes his head. "Your help has been inestimable, but you cannot follow me where these, and I, are going. You have seen for yourself how complicated maintaining proper secrecy around this project is proving to be."`
			choice
				`	"Is there nothing I can do then?"`
					goto patir
				`	"I understand."`
					goto patir
				`	"I was hoping to keep those for myself."`
			`	He grins. "Do not feel too conflicted. Activating these outfits is going to be more complicated than connecting some wires and pressing a button. Even if I have just begun studying them. I have a hard time believing you - or anyone, for that matter - could get them to fire easily.`
			label patir
			`	"Still, it should not take you too long to get the authorizations for this project, if you continue like this," he gestures with a pleased look on his face. "It has come to my attention that even right now there are other projects about Patir that desire your participation. During our return, I have informed Dusk that you are free from your obligations with my research; if you would like to meet him, he should be here shortly." He bows, and you return it as he follows the cargo deeper into the starport. You catch the opportunity to clean up the cockpit and the empty bunks. Some Remnant nearby soon notice you taking out the trash, and offer you a hand.`
			`	By the time Dusk arrives, your ship's interior looks as good as new. You greet and invite him to take a seat, which he warmly accepts. "It is nice to see you again, <first>. I heard your travels in Patir with Chilia went... well, at least better than ours," he quips.`
			choice
				`	"What do you know about it?"`
				`	"All things considered, quite well."`
					goto chat
				`	"It could have gone better."`
					goto chat
				`	"What about you?"`
					goto chat
			`	"About the same as you, I imagine. Right now, you and I have the same level of authorization, at least for what concerns Patir and the related systems. Prefect Chilia, of course, is going to be far more involved than us in the matters related to its military potential."`
			label chat
			`	Your chat with Dusk goes on for some time, discussing with him the details of your previous trips. For his part, he describes his progress over the past months: his focus expanded from Patir itself to the worlds that lie beyond it, and on how to use Ssil Vida to reach them.`
			`	"Given our progress, we now feel ready for a new expedition. At first, a short, single-day one, to test our systems in a practical scenario. If all goes well, after that we will be able to progressively increase our stay to any length of time," he asserts. You follow him out of your ship as he prepares to leave. "I need you to prepare a ship capable of carrying a fighter to Patir. One of our Ibises should more than suffice, if you do not have one already.`
			`	"We will be fairly time-limited once we depart, so feel free to wait until you are ready for the mission before you search for me in this planet's spaceport. It is more important to do things right than to do them quickly," he concludes stoically.`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 20"
	name "Explore <system> again"
	description "Bring a group of Remnant scientists to the <destination>, together with the Petrel you have been given, exactly on <date>."
	deadline 6
	source "Caelian"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 5
	cargo "Patir surface payload" 9
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 19: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`After asking for directions to a few locals, you meet up with Dusk again. In the background, you see a half-open Petrel suspended by some wires a few meters above the ground. "<first>, were you able to prepare the jump-capable carrier I mentioned last time?" Dusk asks. "And is it nearby?"`
			choice
				`	"Yes, it is."`
					goto good
				`	"Sorry, but I do not own one."`
					goto broke
				`	"No, it's in another system."`
			`	"It is best to bring it here then," he asserts. "I will be here when you are ready."`
				defer
			label broke
			`	"It is imperative we use one, <first>," he signs, disappointed. "I can request for us to be assigned one, but taking Jump Drive-equipped vehicles is not a quick process for someone at my level. Certainly more time intensive than if you were able to give one to us," he concludes with a low tone.`
				defer
			label good
			`	"Very well then!" he signs excitedly, and you follow him in the direction of the Petrel. Once you come closer, you recognize that the technicians are completing outfit installations of all sorts, from additional bunks to a Korath reactor of the smaller kind. "This is going to be the cargo you need to carry to our destination: a lifeboat to escape from our laboratory around Patir, if there will ever be a need.`
			`	"As you might know, the Smew is our typical lifeboat, but this time the requirements are fairly different. Giving a Jump Drive to a fighter is often impractical, especially for an expedition like this; rather, our strategy will be to use it to hide deep beneath the gas giant in Patir for as long as is necessary for a rescue ship to arrive. Thankfully, only a few outfit changes turned out to be necessary to use the Calm Sea Afire for such a job."`
			choice
				`	"That still sounds fairly dangerous."`
					goto danger
				`	"What is the interest of the Remnant in Patir to justify such an effort?"`
				`	"Are we ready to go?"`
					goto skip
			`	"Well, if you ask ten people, you will probably hear ten different answers. For some, it is simply a potential source of new and exciting technology, military or otherwise; for others, it is the potential gateway into a new galaxy, with its own dangers and opportunities." He sits down, acquiring a more pensive look. "But there at least a couple broader philosophies that come in play beyond simple exploration.`
			`	"One is related to the control that these creatures seem to impose over the Ka'sei. The Graveyard as a whole right now is a sleeping giant, after all: if some Ka'het was able to escape its bounds, as we know they have in the past, it would open a second front on top of the Korath threat."`
			choice
				`	"What are the other philosophies?"`
					goto philosophies
				`	"Is that a serious risk?"`
					goto risk
				`	"I am stronger than the Ka'het."`
			`	"I hope you are," he signs after a brief pause. He seems unenthused by your remark.`
				goto skip
			label philosophies
			`	"See, <first>, the extinction of an interstellar species is a relatively rare occurrence in the galaxy. Empires will shrink and grow, sometimes even ceasing to be spacefaring; but it takes incredible circumstances to completely erase such a civilization. It is only natural for other civilizations to want to find out what was able to make the unthinkable happen.`
			`	"The mistakes done by the Builders, for example, seem trivial from our perspective. This could mean that they made profoundly stupid decisions, or that we have not understood enough of the situation to put all the pieces together and actually comprehend their mistakes. And now we have indications of another, much older extinct species in the space that lies beyond Patir."`
				goto skip
			label risk
			`	He seems dubious. "Answering this question is... more complicated than it looks. We are not certain of how the Ka'het gained keystones the first time, nor how many of them were able to do so. We know that it is a possibility, that the Ka'het as a whole are likely stronger than our fleets, and that no Ka'het has moved past the Graveyard since the Exodus. The truth, <first>, is that risk posturing is a very complex subject; for that matter, the same can be said with our mission.`
			label danger
			`	He thoughtfully passes his hand over the hull of Calm Sea Afire. "Only time will tell, but I stand by the decisions we have made. A standard Smew is simple to repair and to keep in storage, but not too useful outside of the Ember Wastes. A large, jump-capable starship is complicated to keep in flight-status for months at a time, not to mention the maintenance needs of a cloaking system. And worse of all, it might not even be of much use if Patir was not in the Milky Way when the emergency happens!"`
			label skip
			`	The buzz of Dusk's commlink draws his attention. He smiles, and his tone changes almost instantly. "Ssil Vida is ready to cut the signal. Once they do so, it will take six days for this to reach Patir; at that point, it will instantly disappear, possibly to move into the same cluster we visited the last time. You, I, and four of our researchers must be there when this happens." He rights up and clears his throat. "Captain," he sings, "shall I give the order?"`
			choice
				`	"Do it."`
			`	He types on his commlink, and a minute passes. When the commlink buzzes again, Dusk makes an uncharacteristic cheer and quickly bids farewell to the people in the hangar. While he gathers a group of people, presumably the researchers that will follow you in the expedition, one of the spaceport workers takes a small crystal out of the now-assembled Petrel and hands it to you. "The Calm Sea Afire is in your hands, Captain," she signs. "Treat her well."`
				accept
	on accept
		event "Patir moves" 7
		event "Patir returns" 8
		give ship "Petrel (Lifeboat)" "Calm Sea Afire"
			id 78967
	on visit
		dialog "You've arrived at <planet>, but either your passengers or the Calm Sea Afire are not with you!"
	on complete
		take ship "Petrel (Lifeboat)" "Calm Sea Afire"
			id 78967
			"require outfits"
			"with outfits"

# never disabled because of the use in the next mission
ship "Petrel" "Petrel (Lifeboat)"
	"never disabled"
	add attributes
		"outfit scan power" -10
		"outfit scan efficiency" -14
		"tactical scan power" -20
		"asteroid scan power" -30
	outfits
		"Small Heat Shunt" 1
		"Crucible-Class Steering"
		"Bellows-Class Afterburner"
		"Crystal Capacitor"
		"Small Bunk Room"
		"Fuel Processor" 2
		"Emergency Ramscoop" 2
		"Generator (Furnace Class)"


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 21"
	landing
	name "Lifeboat on the run"
	description "Follow the Petrel lifeboat to <destination>, a gas giant in the same system."
	deadline 1
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Pacili"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 20: done"
	on offer
		event "Patir land on Pacili"
		conversation
			`The thrilled atmosphere in the bridge, after gradually increasing during the entire trip, comes to a stop a few minutes away from the outpost. One by one, the stars in front of you dim and disappear, until the sky is black once again. And in a few seconds more, the first lights begin their strange dance, soon followed by more and more of them.`
			choice
				`	(Prepare for landing.)`
					goto land
				`	(Set the autopilot to loiter, so as to take a better look.)`
			`	The Remnant have scattered their own machines all around your ship while you were busy piloting. Every one of your windows has at least one contraption mounted in front of it, often with some tape keeping it in place, all of which are now buzzing cheerfully and scanning the spectacle happening around them. You stop next to one of the Remnant of the crew, who is busy looking into a three-barrel telescope. You don't recognize him as someone who was in either of your past expeditions, however.`
				goto lab
			label land
			`	When you get close to the outpost, one of the Remnant takes a seat next to you. At her suggestion, you keep your ship at a consistent altitude for a minute more to give them a better view of the ongoing spectacle. You don't recognize her as someone who was in either of your past expeditions, however.`
			label lab
			`	The show soon comes to an end, and you bring the ship down into the makeshift pad next to the Remnant laboratory. It takes a couple hours to deploy the dozens of experiments you have carried here onto the surface; you help the Remnant connect them to some of their radioisotope cells, much smaller than the generators you are used to.`
			`	"Our stay in this galaxy will not last more than a few hours," signs one of the Remnant once back inside the habitat. The six of you, sitting around the main table, are sharing a quick meal after the effort. "We should get going if we want to complete the whole schedule."`
			choice
				`	"Which is?"`
					goto lifeboat
				`	"Why not stay for longer?"`
			`	"That was the verdict made in Ssil Vida," she replies.`
			label lifeboat
			`	"It was decided that the first intentional mission should be as short as reasonably possible," Dusk intervenes in a slightly sour tone. "Much like the first trips into space, we will be able to do little beyond staying here and observing our surroundings." He pauses, glancing at the Petrel connected with the laboratory by a short tunnel.`
			`	"We should put our lifeboat under some stress testing," declares Dusk. "Most of our experiments are up and running, and you two are the only ones with instruments that require human intervention. If we move our remaining tasks here to your schedules, the rest of us can take the Calm Sea Afire on a test run," he concludes, indicating the two members of the crew opposite to him. They give each other an ambiguous glance, then nod in response.`
			`	"The three of us will get aboard the Petrel and simulate an emergency and a mission abort, abandoning this place at high Gs to seek the safety of the nearby gas giant. You, <first>, will instead act as the danger: your objective will be to hit us with one of your weapons before we can get to safety, if you can. Nothing high caliber, of course, it is just a simulation; still, I bet it will be more difficult than you think."`
			choice
				`	"I bet it will not be."`
					goto bet
				`	"I will try."`
					goto liftoff
				`	"That does not seem very appropriate."`
			`	He shrugs. "You are the one with the 'fire' button here, after all. You can follow us without shooting, if you prefer so."`
				goto liftoff
			label bet
			`	He smiles. "We will see soon! She is more fast and nimble than she might appear on the ground, or we would have not chosen her as our lifeboat."`
			label liftoff
			`	"Oh, to be clear," he recalls, climbing aboard the Petrel, "once we are at the gas giant, Pacili, you will not need to go more than a few kilometers deep. You can stay up, near the very edge of the atmosphere, while we delve deep below to test our craft further; you should not need a gaslining ship for such a task." He bows, and closes the hatches separating the outpost and the lifeboat.`
			`	You don your suit right as the emergency alarm signals the start of the simulation. The Petrel zooms up in the sky at an incredible speed, disappearing into the night, and you hurry up to prepare your ship to follow it.`
				launch
	npc save
		government "Remnant"
		personality uninterested waiting fleeing
		ship "Petrel (Lifeboat)" "Calm Sea Afire"
		on provoke
			set "Remnant: Patir Mystery 21 hit"

event "Patir land on Pacili"
	planet "Pacili"
		remove attributes "requires: gaslining"
	planet "Builder Settlement"
		add attributes "requires: youwish"


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 22"
	landing
	name "End of the tests"
	description `Return to the <destination> with the Petrel "<npc>".`
	source "Pacili"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 21: done"
	on offer
		event "Patir unland on Pacili"
		conversation
			branch hit
				has "Remnant: Patir Mystery 21 hit"
			`You meet up with the <npc> just above the uppermost cloud layer of Pacili. "<first>, what happened to your weapons? We did not record any of them hitting us on the way here," questions Dusk through the radio. The chanting tone makes you unsure of whether it was a taunt or a genuine inquiry about your weaponry.`
			choice
				`	"I was not prepared well."`
					goto prepared
				`	"I chose not to shoot, so as not to put you all in danger."`
					goto shoot
				`	"You might not be as lucky next time."`
					goto luck
			label hit
			`You meet up with the <npc> just above the uppermost cloud layer of <planet>. You call them on the radio to inform them of the shots you landed. "You did well," replies Dusk with an undecided tone. "We will review the results on the way back in a few days to get a better idea."`
			choice
				`	"The escape plan certainly needs improvements."`
					goto improvement
				`	"It was quite fun."`
					goto fun
				`	"Most of it was luck on my part."`
			label luck
			`	"Embers help those who help themselves," he chants in a somber tone. "Still, I will take note of the feedback for posterity. We are almost ready for our descent now. We should be back in about an hour, but feel free to fly around here in the meantime."`
				goto descent
			label prepared
			`	"Don't be too hard on yourself," he reassures you. "We would not have chosen her if we didn't think she could escape such an attack!" The radio stays silent for a few seconds, then he returns. "Captain, we are almost ready for our descent now. We should be back in about an hour, but feel free to fly around here in the meantime."`
				goto descent
			label shoot
			`	"Oh," comes the somber response. "I will take note. At least the rest of the simulation went well," he decides at last. "We are almost ready for our descent now. We should be back in about an hour."`
				goto descent
			label improvement
			`	"There's a reason for these simulations," he reasons through the communicator, "and there are certainly some quirks to iron out. Our descent now will be the last part that we need to demonstrate. We should be back in about an hour, but feel free to fly around here in the meantime."`
				goto descent
			label fun
			`	"It would not have been as fun if the attack was not simulated," he replies. It takes a minute for the next transmission to come. "We are almost ready for our descent now. We should be back in about an hour."`
			label descent
			`	The Petrel leaves your wing and falls like a stone through the cloud layer. Irregular updates from the crew reassure you that their test is continuing, and that their ship is holding up well. You follow their trip on your radar screen until they move beyond the range of your instruments.`
			`	The stars above you are barely visible through the atmosphere of <origin>, which at first seems normal. It is not until they begin flickering more that you realize Patir is in the process of moving again! There is no way that the Remnant can see it from deep below, and those who remained at the Builder settlement are probably too busy with their experiments to notice it. Chances are that, this time, you are the only person who can stop and take a look at the spectacle. You recline your seat to watch through your cockpit the faint dance above the planet, for once all by yourself.`
			`	The sequence you have now seen twice repeats in reverse: the number of stars now grows continuously, spinning or moving erratically left and right. In the last few seconds, most condense into a mass of light that shrinks until it appears as simply another star. Still, you can confidently say that you can see far more stars around you than before Patir started moving.`
			`	Soon enough, the fruitful return of their lifeboat puts an end to your thoughts. Now that you are back in the Milky Way, it's time to pack things up in the Remnant laboratory and make the trip back to the Ember Wastes.`
				accept
	npc save
		government "Remnant"
		personality escort staying launching
		ship "Petrel (Lifeboat)" "Calm Sea Afire"
	on complete
		conversation
			`You precede the Petrel to the outpost and stand next to your ship, watching it make a fairly decent landing right next to the facility. Despite the imprecision, a tunnel grows out of the habitat and toward the ship's hatch, locking the two of them together. When you enter the laboratory, the three Remnant are giving a rundown of their results to the other two, and vice versa. Both groups seem satisfied, though you feel the pair who stayed in the lab are more so than the other three.`
			`	"We will be ready to leave soon," announces Dusk at last. "After a few hours of sleep, and a couple more to finish setting up the lab. I suggest you take the chance to sleep a bit as well, <first>." He hands you a small crystal, enclosed in a metallic container.`
			`	"But first, make sure to transmit back to Ssil Vida the contents of this chip. You can think of it as a passphrase - in the event Patir moves without us and we become stranded in the other galaxy, they will move Patir again as soon as possible if they don't receive the passphrase." You nod, and leave them to their rest in the outpost.`


event "Patir unland on Pacili"
	planet "Pacili"
		add attributes "requires: gaslining"
	planet "Builder Settlement"
		remove attributes "requires: youwish"


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 23"
	name "Return to <planet>"
	description "Bring the Remnant researchers back to <destination> to evaluate the results of the test."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Caelian"
	passengers 5
	cargo "Patir samples" 8
	to offer
		or
			has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 22: done"
			has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Safety Net Early: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`You enter the outpost once again, only to discover that no one is inside. A glance out of the small windows does not reveal any activity, and the Calm Sea Afire, still docked to the side of the laboratory, appears to be just as empty as the rest of the outpost. It does not take you long to decide that if the Remnant are not here and you did not see them outside, they must have entered into the Builder settlement.`
			choice
				`	(Follow them inside.)`
					goto inside
				`	(Wait for them here.)`
					goto wait
				`	(Get back to your ship and wait for them there.)`
			`	Over half an hour passes before the Remnant show up outside of the outpost. You watch them from the cockpit as they tow and then load unidentifiable cargo into your payload bay; eventually, they all climb into the pressurized section of your ship, signaling to you that they are ready to go back to <destination>.`
				accept
			label wait
			`	Half an hour passes before the airlock opens and the first Remnant comes in. They are carrying with them dozens of heavy-looking containers, certainly containing artifacts found inside the facility. To make their life easier, and to expedite the process, you go back outside and fly your ship closer to the entrance. After helping them some more, and with their thanks, you move back to the bridge at last and prepare for your flight back to <destination>.`
				accept
			label inside
			`	The space inside the settlement has changed remarkably since your first encounter with the Ka'sei. Much like around the outpost, an army of small, autonomous scientific stations have been scattered all over the floor, each with its own generator and control system. Near them, you find that a section of the floor has been opened, and a makeshift tent has been erected over it.`
			`	You try to contact the Remnant with your commlink, and soon enough one of the researchers replies with indications on how to reach their position. A lift of clear Remnant design takes you down a couple floors, and in front of a second map. A stroke of luck: some translations have been taped next to the original Builder writing!`
			`	'Branch of Leaf,' 'Water Moon (?)', 'Exit Lane (?)', and 'Blue To Orange (??)' appear prominently on the map. A thick line labeled 'Safe Hull' surrounds the floor: it appears that despite its appearance, the complex is well protected. You compare the message of the Remnant with the rooms shown in front of you. Based on the indications, it appears that your destination is the 'Exit Lane'. It takes you a few minutes to reach it - the spaces here are far larger than before, including the higher and much wider doors connecting them.`
			`	"Captain!" comes the voice of one of the Remnant, "come help us!" You join them in towing a pile of metallic containers, held together inside something best described as an incredibly thin fishing net. Despite the low gravity, the effort exhausts you before you have even passed the gate of the 'Exit Lane'; the load certainly weighs multiple tons. The Remnant explain you that it contains the many archeological artifacts gathered here during your past trip beyond Patir, which were left behind in the hurry after the return to the Milky Way. "Amusingly enough," concludes one of them, "most of this mass is not in the samples themselves - it is in the padding to keep them safe."`
			choice
				`	"What is this room?"`
					goto place
				`	"It does not sound that amusing right now."`
				`	(Put all your efforts in bringing them to the lift.)`
					goto lift
			`	Your reply makes him grin briefly. "We really ought to bring some trailers with us the next time. Perhaps even a camel, or three..."`
				goto lift
			label place
			`	"Just a telecommunication center," replies Dusk. "Pristine, much like the rest of the settlement, and for us mainly of interest for its electronics - as well as for being an open, spacious room where we could amass our equipment." You look around the room in search of any identifiable feature. Besides pavement-mounted screens and sets of clearly recognizable speakers, both on top and at the bottom of the room's walls - each at least twice as tall as the ones in the first floor. Other than that, you cannot see anything that could give information on the Builders' appearance.`
			label lift
			`	After much hard work and a short break, the mass of containers sits atop the lift. Four Remnant climb with the equipment back to the surface in order to unload it. Dusk instead waits with you at the bottom of the lift, ready to intervene if it were to malfunction while carrying such a heavy mass.`
			`	Dusk, after glancing at his data pad for some time, breaks the silence. "<first>, has anybody taught you the Builder written language?" You shake your head, and he shows you a picture on his pad. It shows a room with a series of circular mattresses, with a curtain separating each other. You recognize the sign above them: it was the one marked as Water Moon in the map. "In the context here, what do you believe the sign is about?"`
			choice
				`	"I believe it says 'Water Moon.'"`
					goto loud_error_buzzer
				`	"Something about bunks?"`
					goto loud_error_buzzer_2
				`	"What is this about?"`
			`	"Oh, it is nothing of particular importance," he replies slightly flustered. "Just some bits of information that I find interesting, but they really do not help much compose the bigger picture."`
				goto focus
			label loud_error_buzzer
			`	He smiles broadly. "I see that you have stopped to read the map on the way here. Yes, literally that is the correct translation. But what does Water Moon have to do with what is clearly a bunk room - and, in fact, the only one we have encountered in the complex? Neither this, nor most other signs around this floor, seem to make any sense based on our understanding of Builder. It is far from the first time this happens, especially with texts longer than a phrase or two. Some rules or characteristics of their language are still far beyond our understanding, it seems."`
				goto focus
			label loud_error_buzzer_2
			`	"Logical, and yet the literal translation of these signs would be 'Water Moon', or 'Water Sky'. And the same disconnect between the text in the signs and the actual content of the room repeats more or less in this entire zone, unlike the floors above us. Truthfully, Patir is not the first place where we saw this happen, even if it usually happens in longer phrases than signs. Some rules or characteristics of their language are still far beyond our understanding, it seems."`
			label focus
			`	The lift returns to pick you two back up, and you follow Dusk inside the bucket. "It is customary that anyone who intends to work near Korath or Builder worlds learn the basics of the respective languages, but I used to spend some of my free time learning of more specific jargon. I had to give up some of my responsibilities at Ssil Vida recently to have some of my spare time back; perhaps I will be able to use some of it to help with the recent xenolinguistic developments."`
			`	The discussion continues while moving the containers bit by bit, first into the outpost, and then into your ship. Much of the cargo has been loaded by the time they let you leave for some rest and to prepare your ship for liftoff, an offer which you graciously accept.`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		conversation
			`The Remnant leave the ship in a joyful mood, despite the effort and the complications along the way. While a carriage leaves with the cargo you brought back from Patir, Dusk informs you that the next step will depend on the review of this test flight directly by the Prefects. "If all goes well, you will find us at a table of the nearby cafeteria as soon as we have taken some rest," he concludes with a hopeful bow.`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 24"
	name "Beyond <system> again"
	description "Return to <system> again with the same research team, this time with the intention of exploring the systems that lie beyond it. Be there exactly on <date>."
	deadline 6
	blocked `The cargo for the next expedition to Patir is ready, but you do not have enough free space. Come back when you have <tons> free.`
	source "Caelian"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 5
	cargo "scientific payload" 135
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 23: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The spaceport cafeteria is brimming with excitement. You take a seat at the table of the Remnant who were in your expedition, who seem to be almost done with their meal. "The first expedition into a new land is always something that deserves celebration," signs one of them, offering you a bowl with a mix of their food. "Granted, only after going there already by accident. Still, this is going to be the first proper exploration, bringing scientific equipment to determine what it is actually like."`
			choice
				`	"What kind of equipment?"`
				`	"Sorry, but I already ate."`
					goto ate
			`	"The ones I am trained for are the UV photo-polarimeter and the imaging telescope. And the broad-band X-ray telescope, but that requires little intervention," she replies. "But the full complement is much more than this, such as a millimeter-wave sounder and a trace molecule spectroscope to use near those creatures. What we have tried to assemble is a true research center, far more capable than the standard 6-ton laboratories."`
				goto payload
			label ate
			`	She slowly retracts the bowl, putting some of the food on her tray.`
			label payload
			`	"This time, the payload is going to be very large," Dusk intervenes. "Even larger than the outpost set up in Patir, though it will not be removed from your ship this time. We will stay in your payload bay for our research as you fly toward our destination, trying to make the best use of our time."`
			`	"What destination?" you ask while he takes the last bite off of his plate.`
			`	"Our first target, after landing in Patir to wait for the system to move, will be the station in Chanai. This will be what we defined as a Medium Endurance trip - a week-long stay in the space beyond Patir, enough to reach the lower cluster but not to make a full tour of it before Ssil Vida's signal reaches Patir again and brings it back. The Long Endurance trips will be what allows us to reach Lathia again, hopefully a couple months from now.`
			`	"I need you to carry a 135 ton payload to Patir stationed on this very planet. If you can, I will call Postverta to send the signal and begin the countdown shortly; if you cannot, we can wait for a couple days for you to obtain the space before we begin the mission. As you have seen, we do not have the time to stop anywhere if we want to be in Patir when it moves away. If you have any escorts, see that they make the jump with you - Patir won't wait for them."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on accept
		event "Patir moves" 6
		event "Patir returns" 13


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 25"
	landing
	name "<planet> exploration"
	description "Bring the Remnant to explore the <destination>, making sure you are there exactly on <date> so that you do not miss the return trip."
	deadline 3
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Chanai Structure"
	passengers 5
	cargo "scientific payload" 135
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 24: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`For once, your ship's bridge is unusually quiet. The same cannot be said about the laboratory in the back of your ship - the Remnant have all moved there already, in order to activate the equipment for the mission. Each of them stands at their console setting up small computers and strange pieces of machinery, like a well-oiled machine where everyone knows exactly what to do.`
			`	By the time you reach the Builder settlement, the light show has come to an end. After briefly consulting with the crew, you decide to save some time by launching back to orbit straight away while they finish their preparations. After all, a new countdown has begun: in seven days, Patir will move back to the Milky Way, with or without you.`
				launch
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on enter
		dialog "An airlock warning lights up on your control board: the Remnant reassure you that it's because a small satellite is being released from of the back of your payload bay, as it will in every system you pass through."

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 26A"
	landing
	name "Return the samples to <system>"
	description "Bring the Remnant and the samples they gathered in Chanai back to <system> for examination. Be there exactly on <date>."
	deadline 3
	source "Chanai Structure"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 5
	cargo "scientific payload and samples" 135
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 25: offered"
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1A: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`"Watch your step, everyone," advises Dusk as you step into the station. In front of you, a wide, dark and roughly cylindrical room houses sets of lifts, pumps and various tools all over the walls. The analysis the Remnant have done of your scans must have paid off: this time, you are entering the station from a hangar rather than the fuel tanks. You follow the Remnant to the aft end, where a circular half-open hatch seems to be waiting for your arrival; however, as you all come together to try pulling it open, it does not move.`
			`	"There is something very strange with the mechanism," notes one of the researchers, passing his hands over the side of the door. You come closer to take a look. Despite your best efforts, you can't find the hinges of the hatch: rather, it seems to be attached to the wall by three pieces of solid metal. In the meanwhile, however, some Remnant have taken four drones out of their backpacks. Each is roughly as small as a rugby ball and similarly shaped, except for a white belly, a small wing and a set of mechanical eyes in front of it. One by one, they fly into the small gap, disappearing into the darkness at an unexpected speed.`
			`	"We call them Snipes. They are only suitable for zero gravity, and they have a frustrating tendency of getting stuck in a loop, but I cannot complain about the quality of their work. If only we had them the first time..." Dusk informs you heartily. "The only way for us to get through as well is by melting the attachments of this hatch, which will take the better part of an hour even with our improved equipment."`
			choice
				`	"I will try to help."`
					goto help
				`	"We could look into another hangar."`
					goto hangar
				`	"I bet I could shoot it away from my ship much quicker."`
					goto bet
				`	"I think it would be easier to get back to the opening we left last time."`
			`	"Oh, that is a good idea. Perhaps you could fly by that spot with your ship to check it out while we begin cutting through the door, so that we cover both grounds at the same time."`
			`	After a couple minutes of flying, you believe you have identified the tanks you went through last time. A closer look, however, reveals no holes of any kind in its hull. Confused, you bring up your navigation log from your previous expedition. There is no doubt that those are the very same tanks that you have cut through with the Remnant last time, and yet there is also no doubt that they are as pristine as they have ever been. At last, you are left no option but to give up and return to the Remnant to inform them of your findings.`
				goto help
			label bet
			`	"That is really not the way to go!" he replies alarmed. "It would be just as likely to be ineffective as it would to compromise the structure of the station." He gives you a questioning look. "If you want to help us, you can do it from here."`
				goto help
			label hangar
			`	"I thought of that too. You could take a look around with one of us while the rest begin cutting through the door, so that we cover both grounds at the same time." You follow the indications of the Remnant and look around the nearby hangars, in search of open hatches. By the time you get to the eighth, however, the lack of results convinces the two of you to give up and come back to the group.`
			label help
			`	The flash of the blowtorches only becomes tolerable after you lower the sunshade of your helmet. Once the passage is clear, a holographic map comes out of one of their many instruments. "The Snipes have mapped some of the structure by now, including the sections we saw in our last visit. Our priority should be to find a navigation room, in the hope of understanding the function of this settlement or its connection with Patir; three of us should work on that. <first>, another of the items on our schedule is to see the plants you had found nearby. We could take care of that for now, and then join the rest for their search."`
			`	The walk to the plants ends up being shorter than you imagined, no doubt thanks to the routes found by the Snipes. Without wasting time, Dusk sticks the five tips of a scanner inside its crimson-colored trunk. "Iron oxide!" he exclaims enthusiastically once the results come in. "Just as we suspected!"`
			choice
				`	"What?"`
				`	"How can a plant be made of iron oxide?"`
			`	"I am willing to bend our knowledge of plant workings, given everything else we have seen," he replies, half-serious. "It certainly does not seem to be alive now, however. And as far as I can tell," he glances inside the holes, "it does not have any of the stele necessary for such a plant to function."`
			`	"It could be a fake plant," you suggest.`
			`	"It might. But look at the top: it has overgrown for the size of this room, and its branches had to bend against the roof. A peculiar stylistic choice, if that is what it is."`
			`	His eyes light up, as if he just made a new connection. "There is another peculiarity we have discovered in our data back home. Do you remember the propellant sphere we passed around inside the tanks? The one that could not be deuterium, as hyperspace fuel is liquid in a vacuum?" You nod. "I wanted to wait before we had some sort of explanation, but based on our analysis, the only reading that comes anywhere close is none other than liquid deuterium." He grins. "In other words, a fake sphere of hyperspace fuel."`
			`	You meet up with the rest of the group soon after, working inside the navigation room they have found. "We have found some engravings on the walls that gave us some clues. Nothing on Patir, as far as we could tell; however, the barrel in this station is clearly depicted as pointing toward the star in this system in all of the graphics."`
			choice
				`	"What would be the purpose of firing against a black hole?"`
					goto hole
				`	"What about its computers?"`
			`	"We have found something we hypothesize to be large terminals, but they do not give signs of life. We are prying them open right now to get a better idea."`
				goto cables
			label hole
			`	"I did not say black hole - I said star, and a black hole is not a star. All of these figures are very simplified, but they are very clearly representing a star there in the center of the system." He shows you and Dusk some of the graphics, and you cannot help but agree with the conclusion. "At some point in the past, the Chanai star became a supernova, which collapsed into the black hole we see today. How long ago it was is impossible to say: black holes have the unfortunate peculiarity that none of their features allow a direct estimation of their age, and we do not know nearly enough about this place to use external clues."`
			`	"Still, the question of its purpose," intervenes Dusk. "Perhaps this laser was used to accelerate the reactions inside the star, making it burn brighter even at the cost of turning into a supernova - and then a black hole - sooner. It would not be the first species to attempt something so destructive. But surviving stellar events of this magnitude with no damage is almost inconceivable to me."`
			label cables
			`	You help the Remnant lift a screen from the floor, allowing it to float away into the room. Below it, you find nothing of note: no cabling, no connectors, not even a single panel. You try again with the one next to it, and again you end up with the same result. "After this, I would say that we have explored this facility enough for today. Let's get back to <system> and gather our findings; we have more than enough to think about for the time being."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		event "Patir Lathia landable"
		conversation
			`By the time your ship has been safed, the Remnant have unloaded many of the instruments they have used on this trip. "It would be a waste to take them back home after all the effort to get them here," they explain as you join them. "Once these are connected to our grid, they will use all of the available power and then some. We will have to take turns, at least until we bring some additional power stations." While they finish the setup, you take the chance to cover the machines with some regolith to help them conserve their heat in the night of the asteroid. You almost trip on one of their cables: with the recent trips, the exterior of the laboratory is quickly becoming as messy as its interior.`
			scene "scene/lab scene2"
			`	Sitting around the table in the outpost, and sharing a hot drink, the discussions continue. "By our calculations, Patir should be moving back to the Milky Way within the next few hours. For our part, we will be ready to depart by next morning and conclude our expedition."`
			choice
				`	"What did you discover about Chanai?"`
				`	"What about our findings aboard the station?"`
			`	They share a pensive look before replying. "Based on the various, contradictory, and - apparently - nonsensical things we have discovered, we have developed a theory. One that could be described it both as simple and as incredibly complex."`
			`	"Which is?"`
			`	"That the station is an imperfect replica of something that was there long ago, before the Chanai star became a black hole - perhaps before any of the stars of this cluster became black holes, if that had not a natural cause. A duplicate which is presumably maintained in its pristine state to this day." He searches through some notes on his data pad. "It makes no sense that a hatch would be built half-open, held in that position by solid blocks of metal. But perhaps that hatch was half open when the creators of that duplicate saw it, and they did not create hinges because of the low fidelity of the replica - and perhaps, because they did not understand them."`
			`	"I would take that low fidelity with an asterisk," adds one of the Remnant, "given the immense size of the construction. If you look at it from the full picture, a door's hinges would be such a minuscule detail to forgo!"`
			`	"Right. And a similar reasoning can be made for the propellant: such a bubble of deuterium must have been in the tanks of the station at the time, and whoever maintains the replica must perhaps be keeping it together to this day, in order to keep it identical to that moment."`
			choice
				`	"A replica made by whom, and why?"`
					goto whom
				`	"That sounds crazy."`
					goto crazy
				`	"Are those asteroid creatures involved?"`
			`	"Given the regolith we have found, we theorize that it was them who made it and kept it together to this day. Admittedly, it is not a very bold theory - they are the only species we have encountered here at this time. It is, on the other hand, essentially impossible to understand the reason behind it. A memory? A threat? A monument? A taunt, perhaps?"`
				goto patir
			label crazy
			`	"Oh, there is no doubt about that. But right now, it is the only thing that makes sense for us.`
			label whom
			`	"Our theory is that, given the regolith we have found, the creatures in this region are the origin of this imitation. Admittedly, it is not a very bold theory - they are the only species we have encountered here at this time. It is, on the other hand, essentially impossible to understand the reason behind it. A memory? A threat? A monument? A taunt, perhaps?"`
			label patir
			`	The discussion goes on and on, almost in a loop, and the black hole has almost set over the asteroid by the time you leave the outpost. Soon enough, the stellar dance begins once again. You reason that, in the time it will take you to walk to your ship, Patir will have jumped all the way back to the Milky Way.`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 26B"
	landing
	name "Return the samples to <system>"
	description "Bring the Remnant and the samples they gathered in Chanai back to <system> for examination. Be there exactly on <date>."
	deadline 3
	source "Chanai Structure"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 5
	cargo "scientific payload and samples" 135
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 25: offered"
		not "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 12.1A: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The external coating of the structure appears pristine and untouched, much like a new spaceship. Orbiting far above a black hole, no asteroid moves in an orbit capable of posing a threat to it. Next to you, the Remnant are comparing the maps from your last expedition with the station in front of them; after a few minutes, they indicate a place from which the structure can be accessed.`
			`	In front of you, a wide, dark and roughly cylindrical hangar houses sets of lifts, pumps and all sorts of tools all over the walls. You try to walk out of the cockpit, but Dusk stops you. "<first>, I believe your strengths would be better suited for scanning the station from aboard the <ship>. I have prepared a set of locations I would like you to fly over with our instruments running, while we study the station from inside, if you are able to." He passes you a datapad with a long set of instructions, with a hopeful look on his face.`
			choice
				`	"Alright, I will try."`
					goto enter
				`	"Alone? What should I do if I have an issue?"`
					goto alone
				`	"What if you have an emergency and need to leave quickly?"`
			`	He smiles. "I appreciate your concerns, <first>. You could wait until we have entered the station before going on with your work; I can assure you that after that, it will take longer for us to return here than it will for you. Well," he corrects himself, "I realize that does not sound very reassuring, but it was more to say that it matters little where your ship stays while are deep inside the station."`
				goto enter
			label alone
			`	He smiles. "We will remain in radio contact for the entire time, if we can. Plus, we have seen first hand the experience you have gained lately. It would be foolish of us not to make use of your expertise when we can."`
			label enter
			`	You watch the Remnant move to the aft end of the station, where a circular half-open hatch seems to be waiting for their arrival; however, as they all come together to try pulling it open, it does not move. "There is something very strange with the mechanism," notes one of the researchers on the radio. "Somehow, it seems to be attached to the wall by three pieces of solid metal, rather than with hinges."`
			`	"We will have to use a little more brute force here to move inside the complex," states Dusk calmly. "The only way for us to get through is by melting the attachments of this hatch. If you are ready, feel free to get going: it is going to take us the better part of an hour."`
			choice
				`	"I prefer to wait until you are inside."`
					goto inside
				`	(Go on your own mission.)`
					goto fly
				`	"I bet I could shoot it away from here much quicker."`
			action
				set "remnant: want to fire on Chanai"
			`	"That is really not the way to go!" he replies alarmed. "It would be just as likely to be ineffective as it would to compromise the structure of the station." Some seconds of silence pass. "The best way to help us, if that is your intention, is to focus on your own mission."`
				goto fly
			label inside
			`	The flash of their blowtorches is small from your distance, but you quickly discover that it becomes irritating over time. As Dusk promised, a little over half an hour after they arrived you see them tossing the hatch away from the door, and one by one they disappear in the darkness of the structure.`
			label fly
			`	Soon enough, you set course to the first location - a nondescript, semi-cylindrical section of the station - and let your ship do its scans. As you are slowly floating above the station, you finish reading through the list you have been handed. One item interests you in particular: Dusk has left you a note to release some vehicles from the payload bay over a few areas.`
			`	Searching through one of their boxes, it does not take you long to find what you are looking for: four drones, each roughly as small as a rugby ball and similarly shaped, except for a white belly, a small wing and a set of mechanical eyes on the front. Based on the labels on the container, they are called Snipes. You activate one and leave it in the airlock, from where it cheerfully departs at an impressive speed. You search over the structure for a few seconds and, at last, it plunges into a large entrance into the space station.`
			choice
				`	(Try to follow it with your ship to take a better look.)`
				`	(Go on with the list while the Snipe is working.)`
					goto list
			`	It was hard to make estimates from afar, but as you come closer you quickly find the <ship> is far too large to pass through. Still, what you can see is quite unusual. Shining a light through the large, mostly open hatch shows you an intricate canvas, attached between various carvings, composed of a series of points in a line with every color of the rainbow. While the lines are near the bottom of the mural, above them all shines what looks like a red sun, sending rays of light down to each of the colorful dots and surrounding them all in a crimson halo.`
			`	A glance at your scanners reveals that each part of the canvas is made of a different metal, smoother and more refined than the walls around it. Curious, you take a photograph and send the data to the Remnant while you continue going through the assignments. After flying over an unusual variety of constructions with your instruments and some more Snipes, you finally reach the barrel that composes the core of this structure.`
				goto barrel

			label list
			`	You take your ship over an unusual variety of constructions, scanning each as best as you can and releasing another pair of Snipes. When you have a break, however, you take a look through the feed from the first pair you released. Searching through its photographs shows you a series of carvings, most of which are unintelligible to you.`
			`	Eventually, however, you stumble upon an intricate canvas, composed of a series of points in a line with every color of the rainbow. While the lines are near the bottom of the mural, above them all shines what looks like a red sun, sending rays of light down to each of the colorful dots and surrounding them all in a crimson halo. A glance at the other feeds you have reveals that each part of the canvas is made of a different metal, smoother and more refined than the walls around it. Curious, you mark it for later attention just as you reach the barrel that composes the core of this structure.`
			label barrel
			`	Looking through the empty spots in the structure, you notice some movement near the bottom - the Remnant are over there, waving as you fly upside down a hundred meters above them. Dusk contacts you shortly after. "Nice flying there, Captain, If you have gotten here already, I gather your tasks must be going fairly well!"`
			choice
				`	"I sent you my findings earlier. What about yours?"`
				`	"What is this place?"`
					goto place
				`	"I have not seen anything worth mentioning."`
			`	He takes note. "For our part, I have to say that most what we have seen was, for a lack of a better word... nonsensical. Doors that cannot be physically opened, screens not connected with anything, lights without any cabling or electronics. In some cases, one might even say they were fake. But this place, at least, seems truly special." Though from high up he does not look much bigger than an ant, you see him walking around the room, gesturing toward the barrel.`
				goto size
			label place
			`	"The room you see us in is, most likely, part of the exhaust chamber of this station's laser system. It is impossible to say for certain what its purpose was - hopefully, it was not purely a military system." Though from high up he does not look much bigger than an ant, you see him walking around the room, gesturing toward the barrel.`
			label size
			`	The sheer size of the frame is rather impressive: as you walk toward it, you measure it to be over a kilometer and a half from one side to the opposite. At the very end, an enormous lens is attached to the last ring of the barrel; four holes near its center give it a slight resemblance to a cloth button.`
			`	"You know, <first>," he explains in an excited rhythm, "we have found some engravings nearby that tell an interesting story. As far as we could tell, in all of them, this barrel is pointed right at the center of this system, toward what looks to be a star. Perhaps this laser was used to accelerate the reactions inside of it, making it burn brighter even at the cost of dying sooner; it would not be the first species to attempt something so destructive. But surviving a supernova with no damage is almost inconceivable to me."`
			`	Soon enough, the Remnant start the trip back to the hangar, and you follow. At last, a rose light catches your eye, flying at high speed out of the hangar and disappearing behind the station. You are taken aback when you find that, somehow, the entrance hatch is back in place! As far as you can tell, there appears to be no sign of the cuts made by the Remnant to pass through, nor of any soldering to attach it back. A quick call to the Remnant reveals nothing else, except for how they seem to be as startled as you are.`
			choice
				`	(Wait for them to arrive.)`
					goto wait
				`	(Try to follow the rose light.)`
					goto light
				`	(Blow it up with your ship's weapons, so as to accelerate their exit.)`
			branch "blown up"
				has "remnant: want to fire on Chanai"
			`	A couple shots in quick succession are enough for the hatch to fly clear of the corridor, tumbling at random in the zero gravity of the station. The Remnant appear from behind the hatch right after: they must have already been at the exit when you fired. Despite this, all of them come out of the still-vibrating tunnel safely, taking leaps toward your ship. While they do not look too happy at your decision, none of them try to complain either.`
				accept

			label "blown up"
			`	A couple shots in quick succession are enough for the hatch to fly clear of the corridor, tumbling at random in the zero gravity of the station. The Remnant appear from behind the hatch right after: they must have already been at the exit when you fired. Despite this, all of them come out of the still-vibrating tunnel safely, taking leaps toward your ship. Once aboard, they make it very clear that you should not go against their orders next time.`
				accept
			
			label light
			`	You push your throttle to the end, and your engines shout a loud roar as you leap toward your target. You follow it all around the station, almost to the point of catching up with it; however, it makes an impossible turn into a hole of the station, leaving you empty handed. Left with no option but to hope the Remnant can exit on their own, you come back to the hatch, where the flash of their blowtorches has now cut through a quarter of the door. It takes far longer than you would like, but eventually, the passage becomes clear, and the Remnant exit one by one.`
				goto end
			label wait
			`	Soon enough, you see their lights behind the opening of the door. "Stand back, <first>! We are about to use our blowtorches!" The flash of the blowtorches only becomes tolerable after you lower the sunshade of your helmet. You keep an eye around, but nothing of note happens: other than the unexplainable hatch, everything is as still as it ever was. It takes far longer than you wish for, but eventually, the passage becomes clear, and the Remnant exit one by one.`
			label end
			`	"Very curious," Dusk comments, by now clearly more intrigued than scared. "If it was a malicious action, it was not a particularly effective one. Let us go back to <system>; we will reason on the whys and hows later."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		event "Patir Lathia landable"
		conversation
			`By the time your ship has been safed, the Remnant have unloaded many of the instruments they have used on this trip. "It would be a waste to bring them back home after all the effort to launch them here," they explain as you join them. "Once these are connected to our grid, they will use all of the available power and then some. We will have to take turns, at least until we bring some additional power stations." While they finish the setup, you take the chance to cover the machines outside with some regolith to help them conserve their heat in the night of the asteroid. You almost trip on one of their cables: with the recent expeditions, the exterior of the laboratory is quickly becoming as messy as its interior.`
			scene "scene/lab scene2"
			`	Sitting around the table inside the outpost, and sharing a hot drink, the discussions continue. "By our calculations, Patir should be moving back to the Milky Way within the next few hours. For our part, we will be ready to depart by next morning and conclude our expedition."`
			choice
				`	"What did you discover about Chanai?"`
				`	"Was there anything important in your findings?"`
			`	They share a pensive look before replying. "Based on the various, contradictory, and - apparently - nonsensical things we have discovered, we have developed a theory. Based on the point of view, one could describe it both as simple and as incredibly complex."`
			`	"Which is?"`
			`	"That the station is an imperfect replica of something that was there long ago, before the Chanai star became a black hole - perhaps before all of the stars of this cluster became black holes, if it had not a natural cause. A duplicate which is presumably maintained in its pristine state to this day." He searches through some notes on his data pad. "It makes no sense that a hatch would be built half-open, held in that position by solid blocks of metal. But perhaps that hatch was half open when the creators of that duplicate saw it, and they did not create hinges because of the low fidelity of the replica - and perhaps, because they did not understand them."`
			`	"I would take that low fidelity with an asterisk," adds one of the Remnant, "given the immense size of the construction. If you look at it from the full picture, a door's hinges would be such a minuscule detail to forgo!"`
			`	"Right. And a similar reasoning can be made for how it came back in place: we have tampered with this duplicate, and its creators have understandably fixed the damage we had made. I would bet that the other holes we have made inside the structure have been fully repaired as well by now."`
			choice
				`	"A replica made by whom, and why?"`
					goto whom
				`	"That sounds crazy."`
					goto crazy
				`	"Are the asteroids here involved?"`
			`	"Reviewing the footage, we have found traces of their dust all over the surface of the hatch. Given that they are the only species that we have encountered here at this time, it is only natural to speculate they were the creators of this replica. It is, on the other hand, essentially impossible to understand the reason behind it. A memory? A threat? A monument? A taunt, perhaps?"`
				goto patir
			label crazy
			`	"Oh, there is no doubt about that. But right now, it is the only thing that makes sense for us.`
			label whom
			`	"Reviewing the footage, we have found traces of dust all over the surface of the hatch, which quick analysis revealed to show the same exact readings as the creatures around this region. Given that they are the only species that we have encountered here at this time, it is only natural to speculate they were the creators of this replica. It is, on the other hand, essentially impossible to understand the reason behind it. A memory? A threat? A monument? A taunt, perhaps?`
			label patir
			`	The discussion goes on and on, almost in a loop, and the sun has almost set over the asteroid by the time you leave the outpost. Soon enough, the stellar dance begins once again. You reason that, in the time it will take you to walk to your ship, Patir will have jumped all the way back to the Milky Way.`

event "Patir Lathia landable"
	system "Lathia"
		remove object
			sprite "planet/asteroid magic"
			distance 2723.62
			period 1372.93
		add object "Magic Asteroid Planet"
			sprite "planet/asteroid magic"
			distance 2723.62
			period 1372.93


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 27"
	name "Another asteroid"
	description "Board the remains of the asteroid in <origin> before the Ka'sei get to it, then take what you find to <destination>."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Caelian"
	passengers 5
	cargo "scientific payload and samples" 55
	to offer
		or
			has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 26A: done"
			has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 26B: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The Remnant walk to your ship - late, as you are becoming accustomed to - with an excited stride. "One of those creatures was in the system when Patir moved back! We have recorded it as it turned inactive, floating around aimlessly. If you are quick enough, perhaps we can get to board it before the Ka'sei mine it. We can afford to make a stop before our return to <planet> - after all, Patir is not moving away any time soon."`
			`	He shows you a map of the system, marking the asteroid in a color blinking red and white. Two Fetri'sei are already on the way: you push the engines at the maximum power, hoping to make it in time...`
				launch
	npc board
		government "Magic Asteroid (Disabled)"
		system "Patir"
		ship "Asteroid Young 2 (Patir 27)" "???"
		personality derelict target waiting
		dialog "You stare at the enormous rock, still emitting a low glow all around it. Doing their best with the equipment on hand, the Remnant quickly mark a number of sections inside the asteroid for you to loot. Your computer tells you that they are respectively 20, 29 and 31 tons each."
	npc
		government "Ka'sei"
		personality harvests mining staying vindictive waiting
		system "Patir"
		fleet
			names "ka'sei"
			cargo 0
			variant
				"Fetri'sei" 2
	on visit
		dialog "You've arrived at <planet>, but either your passengers, your cargo, or the outfits taken from the asteroid remains are not with you!"
	on complete
		outfit "Asteroid Anti-Missile 2" -1
		outfit "Asteroid Weapon Small" -1
		outfit "Asteroid Jump Drive" -1
		conversation
			`As you descend to the surface of <planet>, a communication from Chilia gives you new coordinates for your cargo. You pilot your ship to the new location in the middle of the desert - much like the one you had first met him in - and land your ship on the only landing pad you can see. As if trying to maintain great secrecy, groups of Remnant come marching out of the hangar, cover your cargo as best as they can with reflective, metallic-looking sheets, and silently take it away down an unmarked tunnel.`
			`	As the sun sets over the mountain ranges in the distance, Dusk signs you to return to the main starport, so that they can unload their own equipment and get back to work. "As you might imagine, it is time for another project debriefing. Independently from how it goes, we will be in the closest cafeteria tomorrow morning; if you pass by, we will make sure to give you an update," he concludes ominously.`

ship "Asteroid Young 2" "Asteroid Young 2 (Patir 27)"
	"display name" "???"
	"noun" "asteroid"
	"uncapturable"
	add attributes
		"threshold percentage" 0.9

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 28"
	name "Tanker fleet"
	description "Escort the Swan fleet to <destination> for fit checks."
	source "Caelian"
	destination "Ssil Vida"
	passengers 1
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 27: done"
	on offer
		payment 850000
		set "remnant: tubfalet hunt"
		conversation
			`You find Dusk alone, sipping from a short, colorful glass, lost in his thoughts. "<first>, the review is going to take a while still. Given the wealth of data we have gathered, and that most of the crew by necessity do not have symbionts, we have agreed to split the analysis over a few days. A week, perhaps." He looks at his clock, then checks his communicator for any message. "Do not worry, though: I am not going to leave you without work during this wait."`
			choice
				`	"What in particular would you like me to do?"`
					goto someone
				`	"Are you waiting for someone?"`
					goto someone
				`	"Actually, I have other commitments right now."`
			`	He looks surprised, though he tries to hide it. "Oh. Is there any chance you might delay them? We have a fairly important job here, and your help has been invaluable during our past expeditions." He makes some mental calculations. "Judging by on our plans, you might be free to go your own way in a little over a month."`
			choice
				`	"Alright, they can wait."`
					goto someone
				`	"Sorry, but I cannot delay them any longer."`
			`	"Alright then," he replies disappointed. "We will be here when you have time for us again, if you do not take too long."`
				defer
			label someone
			`	Your conversation is interrupted by Taely's arrival. She returns a gesture of greeting with one hand, carrying her communicator in the other. "Our fleet is almost ready. We need some time to move it to the launchpad, but as far as we are concerned there are no issues of any kind." She signs to follow her to the hangar, and you hurry up to keep pace with her and Dusk.`
			`	"You might not know that, on top of the energy required, Ssil Vida uses significant amounts of hyperspace fuel in its operations," she explains. "It is able to ramscoop a limited amount of propellant from Postverta, but we have to supply more ourselves in order to keep up with our needs. I have helped coordinate the fueling fleets used for your recent expeditions, and I assure you that the logistics are becoming exceedingly difficult to maintain over time. At last, we have become convinced that we need a specialized vehicle for such a role."`
			`	Three identical Remnant ships are queuing out of the local shipyard, each towed by two rows of camels and hovering barely a meter above the ground. Trying to pass through the crowds that have gathered to watch their passage, you notice that their wings are among the largest and thickest you have had a chance to see. The wingtips are sometimes just a few centimeters from buildings at the sides of the road, though the convoy is moving faster than you would expect with such tight gaps. Its structure reminds you of a large and heavy bird, with oversized wings and a thick neck.`
			choice
				`	"What can I call them?"`
					goto name
				`	"How did you make them this quickly?"`
					goto quickly
				`	"They look beautiful."`
			`	"I like them more for what they represent," she replies. "The history of the Swan is old, and fairly complicated. They were about ready to enter production several decades ago, however, the design exercise was not able to make a reasonable use case for them. They had to stay in limbo for all this time, watching newer and more innovative designs come out. Their style is considered fairly retro by now, and these first builds are heavier than we would like them to be. But to me, these equate an end of an era for our shipyards." She looks at them nostalgically. "Chances are that the Swan will be the last design we do not produce as a liveship. At least, not a complete one."`
				goto continue
			label quickly
			`	"Their design predates liveships, though we have added some of their systems. In fact, chances are that the Swan will be the last design we produce not to be alive." She looks at them nostalgically. "The history of the Swan is old, and fairly complicated. They were about ready to enter production several decades ago, however, the design exercise was not able to make a reasonable use case for them. They had to stay in a limbo for all this time, watching newer and more innovative designs come out. Their style is considered fairly retro by now, and these first builds are heavier than we would like them to be. But to me, these equate an end of an era for our shipyards."`
				goto continue
			label name
			`	"We chose to call them Swans," she replies, "in what now feels like eons ago. They were about ready to enter production several decades ago, however, the design exercise was not able to make a reasonable use case for them. They had to stay in limbo for all this time, watching newer and more innovative designs come out. Their style is considered fairly retro by now, and these first builds are heavier than we would like them to be. But to me, these equate an end of an era for our shipyards." She looks at them nostalgically. "Chances are that the Swan will be the last design we do not produce as a liveship. At least, not a complete one."`
			label continue
			`	"They will be much more useful now than they would have been back then," intervenes Dusk, as the convoy reaches the closest pads of the starport.`
			`	"The role of these models will be flying around Postverta, going back and forth from the local gas giants to scoop deuterium for Ssil Vida. They are by, a good margin, the largest design we have produced for that purpose - though they cannot go as deep as a gaslining craft or a specialized vehicle. We want to give them some stress testing before we use them for more complex missions. They are in effect massive tankers, and not just of hyperspace fuel: their wings can fill with many tons of any liquid, from cryogenic hydrogen to the slime of a Void Sprite."`
			choice
				`	"Alright, I am ready."`
				`	"What about the next expedition?"`
			`	"I am going to stay here to help the preparations for Patir," comments Dusk. "Our next trip, if the assigned prefects authorize it, will be both the first long endurance stay and the first complete expedition. Five of our crew in the laboratory will analyze the Builder settlement and their surroundings, and five in your ship will explore the space beyond Patir in-situ.`
			`	"Still, we took the chance to repay you for your expenses, and to help you prepare for the future. You should find <payment> in your account shortly." You exchange bows, and he disappears in the crowd.`
			`	"I will take his bunk on your ship, if it is alright with you," adds Taely. "Make sure to escort the Swans closely to <planet>: they may be armed, but this is still their first proper spaceflight."`
				accept
	npc save accompany
		government "Remnant"
		ship "Swan" "Sharp Song Spoken"
		ship "Swan" "Dark Dream Discovering"
		ship "Swan" "Ancient Anchor Ascending"
		personality escort unconstrained launching
	npc
		government "Korath"
		system "Postverta"
		personality staying disables plunders
		fleet
			names "korath"
			variant
				"Palavret (Ember)"
				"'olofez" 2
	on visit
		dialog `You land on <planet>, but realize that you left Taely on one of your escorts that hasn't entered the system. Better depart and wait for it to arrive.`
	on complete
		conversation
			`As you make a hard-dock to <planet>, the three Swans go their own way toward the local gas giant. Taely explains that she will check on them from here on Ssil Vida, as the inhabitants have been kind enough to set up a console for the test. "This one will be more or less a rehearsal," she informs you. "Strange and hard to explain things happen around that world when Ssil Vida is engaged, and to avoid complications we intend to send the Swans to instead scoop from the nearby systems once operational."`
			`	She looks at them with admiration. "The work on them has been remarkably smooth, but they spent so many years in my folders - it took so much of my time recently, that I cannot help but have mixed feelings watching them fly away."`
			choice
				`	"It is natural to feel that way."`
					goto natural
				`	"What about the work on the Peregrine?"`
			`	She smiles. "I sense a practical purpose behind your question. Unfortunately, progress has not been as fast as we hoped for. Liveships are still a very new concept for us, and to get production and training to the rates we wanted is proving complex. It will be at least a few months before you find them in our shipyards, I fear. Our security needs have to take precedence, but I will make sure to notify you as soon as they are available."`
			label natural
			`	By the time you have accompanied Taely to her workstation, the Swans are barely another point of light in the sky. "It will be just a matter of hours before the Swans are on their way back here. It should not be hard for us to meet up in the local starport hub once I am done - after all, it is still quite small."`


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 29"
	name "Korath Beyond"
	description "Find and take care of the Korath ships in the Postverta cluster (with Ssil Vida active) so that they do not cause further damage."
	source "Ssil Vida"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 28: done"
	on offer
		event "remnant: ssil vida activation patir 3" 0
		conversation
			`Taely comes looking for you shortly after the Swans have docked with Ssil Vida, with a fast step and crystal in her hand. "Captain, another task for you has just come up. I have been informed that the Korath we met on the way here have been raiding the system for a few days - in fact, since just before Ssil Vida activated. During the trouble of moving between the two realities, it appears that a ship in the attacking fleet was able to jump beyond Ssil Vida's range, and has remained inside that universe since. It is not acceptable to leave it there any longer."`
			`	A quiver down your spine suggests to you that Ssil Vida has activated again, filling Postverta with beings of all kinds. She hands you the crystal, small and sharp. "On this is the information we have on the ship, as well as a program to record what you sees during your search. Given the location, we want to understand as much as we can about any damage they might have caused." She stops, as if preparing to leave; however, she changes her mind.`
			`	"Our Swans have not been designed for front line combat, but rather to fill a support role. Staying in Ssil Vida, however, will eventually subject them to direct attacks - be it from Korath, or perhaps worse. I would like to let one get some combat experience, if you can."`
			choice
				`	"I would be happy to."`
					accept
				`	"They are large and unwieldy. I do not want them to get in the way."`
			`	She looks at you with some frustration. "Given their speed, it will not take much effort for you to overtake them to the target, if you wish to do so. I would rather let them get some combat experience."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic bounty hunting on visit"
	npc save accompany
		government "Remnant"
		ship "Swan" "Sharp Song Spoken"
		personality escort launching unconstrained
	npc
		government "Korath"
		system "Postverta"
		personality derelict waiting
		fleet
			names "korath"
			variant
				"'olofez (Crew Destroyed)" 1
		on board
			dialog "The crew quarters lie in a disastrous state, ravaged by bite signs and bizarre slime. While the rest of the ship has held up together, there is no way to actually take control of it."
	npc disable
		government "Korath"
		system "Egeria"
		ship "Tubfalet (Crew Destroyed)" "Grak Perak"
		personality disables plunders target staying waiting
		on board
			dialog "A scan reveals that a series of increasingly large holes has replaced what used to be the crew quarters. Most of the personnel seem to have died days ago, and much of the remaining crew has locked themselves in the few still-airtight compartments."
		
# this is where I would put my crew damage weapon...
# If I had one!

	on complete
		payment 350000
		clear "remnant: tubfalet hunt"
		event "remnant: ssil vida deactivation patir 3"
		conversation
			`The data Taely gave you included information on who to give the crystal to. Thanks to Ssil Vida's limited population, it only takes you a few minutes to identify her; based on your vague memories, she was likely one of the researchers you helped transport here.`
			`	"We appreciate your support, Captain. Postverta is for us like a window into this region of space before it turned into the Ember Waste; we must do everything we can to keep it as pristine as it is now." While she disappears into a hallway with the crystal, a notification appears on your communicator of a deposit of <payment> under the caption "Korath Bounty." With it, a message: Taely will meet you in the local spaceport.`

ship "'olofez" "'olofez (Crew Destroyed)"
	"uncapturable"
	add attributes
		"bunks" -1

ship "Tubfalet" "Tubfalet (Crew Destroyed)"
	crew 34
	add attributes
		"bunks" -120


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 30"
	name "Taely to <planet>"
	description "Accompany Taely to <destination> so that she can return to her work."
	source "Ssil Vida"
	destination "Aventine"
	passengers 1
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 29: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`While trying to remember the appearance of this room, you notice that a large display has been installed by the Remnant recently. As far as you can tell, it shows a clock of some sort, but every number on the display is 'F'. "We have installed timers to mark the moment Patir disappears, and when it returns," explains Taely, noticing your gaze. "Given the gap between Ssil Vida's activation and the events taking place, it is easy to lose track of our current status and the actions to take. Of course, the timers have not yet started.`
			`	"But onto our mission, I can happily report that our Swans behaved as expected. This fleet, made of pre-production models - thus heavier and slightly less capable than the actual product - will stay here in Postverta to become its tanker flotilla. And on that topic, how would you say one fared in combat?"`
			choice
				`	"Acceptably."`
				`	"It was easily outmatched by the Tubfalet."`
				`	"It did not really see much combat."`
			`	"I will take note. You might have noticed they are armed with a turreted form of its Inhibitor Cannons, meant to support other ships in brawls and not face the enemy directly. A doctrine, I might add, similar to that of a number of Korath vessels. It should not be long before you see them appear on most of our aging Pelicans, so that they have better chances to escape the ever changing Korath ploys."`
			choice
				`	"Will they ever become available for general purchase?"`
			`	"They are not a high priority project for us, otherwise, we would have developed them much earlier. Given our needs, several months before full production is expected. Although..." She stops to think for a moment. "Much of our understanding of Ssil Vida depends on the human technology you shared with us. As a gesture of gratitude, I might be able to give you access to the Inhibitor Turret sooner than that."`
			choice
				`	"What do the human outfits have to do with Ssil Vida?"`
				`	"Thank you."`
					goto leave
			`	"We have had some issues understanding Ssil Vida's technology at first, at least beyond the most basic power distribution and control systems. However, some of us who worked on the human technology projects soon noticed the similarity in technology - studying the principles behind one improved our understanding of the other, despite not being exact matches in reality. When you brought us those outfits, you unknowingly saved us months or years of work; their technological level is really fairly similar."`
			`	"How could such a species build something like this station?" you ask in response.`
			`	"If you want to know the specific mechanism, I have no way of knowing. But I can tell you that when a civilization is nearing its end, much of the logic you and I work with no longer applies: the strangest plans are put into motion, almost always with terrible results, but occasionally with more interesting endings.`
			label leave
			`	"That being said, we should get going. The Swans may stay here, but I need a ride to <planet>'s shipyards to get back to my work."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic passenger on visit"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 30 - Postverta fleet"
	invisible
	landing
	source "Aventine"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 30: done"
	to complete
		never
	npc
		government "Remnant (Postverta)"
		system "Postverta"
		ship "Swan" "Sharp Song Spoken"
		ship "Swan" "Dark Dream Discovering"
		ship "Swan" "Ancient Anchor Ascending"
		personality mining harvests plunders staying


mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 31"
	landing
	name "Patir preparations"
	description "Return to <destination> to meet up with Dusk in the local shipyard."
	source "Aventine"
	destination "Caelian"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 30: done"
	on offer
		event "remnant: inhibitor turret available" 6
		conversation
			`Taely has been hard at work on your your ship during the trip, assembling a contraption with a few spare parts roughly the size of a fist. At last, she connects it with your console, and a stone atop it lights up in a bright blue color. "Given your continued involvement in the exploration of Patir, I imagined it would be useful for you to know Patir's state whenever you need. Thanks to the stations mounted in Patir and the telemetry sent by Ssil Vida - both of which your ship already receives - all I needed to do was to put them together. This crystal will shine blue if Patir is stable in the Milky Way, yellow if it is about to leave it, and red if it is no longer here."`
			`	You thank her, and accompany her down the ramp. A group of Remnant is already waiting for her arrival. "Our outfitters are receiving a shipment of Inhibitor Turrets within a few days. I have arranged for you to have access to them once they arrive."`
			`	Your communicator beeps: Dusk and his team will meet up with you for another expedition in the shipyard of <planet>. Seeing the message, she smirks. "I can give you a preview of your next mission, if you wish."`
			choice
				`	"How do you know about it?"`
					goto spoiler
				`	"Well, sure."`
					goto spoiler
				`	"I never liked spoilers much."`
			`	She laughs. "All right then. If you prefer it this way, I hope you will enjoy the surprise!" She disappears in the crowd of her colleagues, certainly already moving onto another project.`
				accept
			label spoiler
			`	"We had to prepare a shipment of specialized Terns just a few weeks ago, the specifics of which were authorized by Dusk. Given that their destination was unmarked, I can tell you with near certainty that they have been destined to go to Patir. Especially because by this point, shipments to Ssil Vida come marked with their actual destination."`
			`	"What kind of specialization?" you ask.`
			`	"We modified them to be easier to maintain, at the expense of some of their mass and structural integrity. I believe they are also going to be carrying some kind of outboard cargo, so that functionality was not affected by our changes. You will have to ask Dusk for something more specific than this, however."`
			choice
				`	"Good to know."`
					accept
				`	"What is the reason behind all this secrecy?"`
			`	"Oh, do not get the wrong idea," she scrambles to clarify. "If I had asked directly, they would have certainly told me what they were for. The confidentiality in these messages is as much directed toward us as it is toward anyone trying to intercept them. We do not want the Korath to get too much unintended information on our programs that show the most potential." After a brief goodbye, she disappears in the crowd of her colleagues, certainly already moving onto another project.`
				accept
	on complete
		payment 1200000
		conversation
			`After following Dusk through the busy starport, you reach a flock of Terns flying in circles at the outskirts of the landing zone. You count four of them, none of which seems to present any distinctive feature. "After we returned from the lifeboat test, we have started preparing this small fleet to join us around Patir. We think of them as fulfilling two functions: research, of course, and in case of emergency, distraction. They will do their best to act as decoys to allow the Petrel to escape safely into the depth of the gas giant. As you know, this will be our first - intentional - extended expedition into that region of space, as well as the first in which we leave a second team at the laboratory.`
			`	"What you do not know, however, is our objective. After our findings, the prefects have at last approved a direct exploration of the planetoid in Lathia - if it is indeed sapient, and if we succeed in communicating with it, this would be our first true contact with the asteroid-like species inhabiting that region.`
			`	"All of which means a very heavy payload, unfortunately." He scribbles something on his datapad, then reads from it. "Our expedition is going to need... at least 110 tons of equipment, including some allowance for samples of that planetoid. Along with this, the team in Patir will need another 105 tons of scientific payload, some of which to be mounted on the Builder settlement. To top it all, we need to carry our four Terns before we can begin. We will take care of the drones and the Patir-based machinery on one of our Swans, which leaves around 130 tons for you to take."`
			choice
				`	"Wait, a Swan is coming with us?"`
					goto swan
				`	"What does the exploration entail?"`
					goto exploration
				`	"That is a lot of cargo."`
			`	"Look on the bright side: at least we do not need to carry it cloaked," he quips. "Yes, it certainly is. During that time, your ship is going to temporarily become one of our most capable research vehicles, at least on the side of planetary science." He hands you a credit chip. "We have decided to give you the payment before the mission, rather than after. It contains <payment>.`
				goto end
			label swan
			`	"It was another special allocation to our project," he replies. "One that we have to return at the end of this mission, and which will not follow us beyond Patir. I imagine that fleet movements in the Milky Way are complicated enough as is." He hands you a credit chip. "Partly because of this, we have decided to give you the payment before the mission, rather than after. It contains <payment> credits.`
				goto end
			label exploration
			`	"It depends on what we see there," he replies stoically. "We are going to try to communicate through every medium we have available before approaching; if that fails, we may proceed with a brief EVA on the surface to find something to work on." He hands you a credit chip. "Partly because of this, we have decided to give you the payment before the mission, rather than after. It contains <payment> credits.`
			label end
			`	He glances toward the lower section of the starport, enclosed by a small rope. "Our policy is one of limiting our Jump Drive usage as much as possible - and when we do use them, our preference is to mount a large fleet so as to minimize risk. As you will have understood, this mission is complicated and important enough to warrant a breach of our protocols.`
			`	"We do not get a chance for a proper first contact often - most of our exploration of the galaxy has been strictly from orbit, far from any living being and safely hidden behind an active cloak. Given the circumstances, I was able to convince the Prefects of the tremendous potential such an encounter could have, if it were to go as we hope." He smiles. "And I trust that you are going to do everything in your power to make it so, just like us.`
			`	"Give us a call when you are ready, Captain, and you will find us all here - a crew of 5 for the Lathia mission, and 5 more staying in Patir - together with the mission payload."`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 32"
	name "Logistics of a first contact"
	description "Accompany the Remnant team and their cargo to <system> exactly on <date>, making sure nobody is left behind on the jump in."
	deadline 6
	source "Caelian"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 10
	cargo "scientific payload" 130
	blocked `The cargo for the next expedition to Patir is ready, but you do not have enough free space. Come back when you have <tons> free.`
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 31: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Although standing in a rather isolated part of the starport, the mission personnel alone make a significant crowd. You count the ten people for your crew, plus at least two dozen more workers waiting for the order to load the payload.`
			`	When you approach them, Dusk makes a gesture and the crowd splits into smaller, selected groups, each busy with a specific function. Their coordinated movements almost remind you of a dance, like a well-oiled machine that just sprung into motion. You notice the researchers themselves assisting in the operations, making sure that each instrument is operational and correctly set up.`
			`	Among them, some familiar faces make an appearance: while the Remnant that will accompany you to Lathia seem new, you notice some of the researchers from your original expedition among the group assigned to Patir. And near your payload bay, checking out one of the more voluminous machines, you are surprised to find Dawn.`
			`	"I am almost done here, <first>," she signs you when you come closer. "I want to run just a couple more integrated tests, and then I can trust it to work when it is meant to."`
			choice
				`	"I did not know you were part of the crew."`
				`	"What is that?"`
					goto what
				`	"You are coming with us too?"`
			`	"I wish! Maybe when flights become more frequent, and more routine. No, I am part of the ground crew of one of the instruments you will add to our grid near the Builder settlement. Still, it is a serious responsibility - I have co-handled its definition a few months back, and I will also manage some of its data once we have the first light.`
			`	"You see, this is a very-long-baseline interferometer: an antenna will be put atop our Patir outpost, and another on your ship. As you move further away their processor will compare the results of each to form an enormous, virtual telescope studying the space nearby. Nothing new, of course," she decides to clarify. "The main difference is the galaxy from where these observations are made."`
				goto choice
			label what
			`	"What you see here is a very-long-baseline interferometer: an antenna will be put atop our Patir outpost, and another on your ship. As you move further away their processors will compare the results to form an enormous, virtual telescope studying the space nearby.`
			`	"Nothing new, of course," she decides to clarify. "The main difference is the galaxy from where these observations are made. Maybe I will come with you to see it with my own eyes at some point. For now, I am part of the ground crew here, managing its data once Patir is back and we have the first light."`
			label choice
			choice
				`	"I see."`
					goto leave
				`	"What are you hoping to find?"`
			`	"Well, every stellar object there is interesting in its own way. My own study is on the largest singularity we have access to, Balnii. We believe it to be a merging of two or more supermassive black holes, but it is something impossible under our laws of physics. Once they reached a distance of one parsec, it would take far, far longer than the age of the universe for them to decay enough to merge.`
			`	"Now, this is not exactly unique to that region of space. We have had some rare occurrences in our own Milky Way, which in the end were explained by another black hole entering the picture and pushing them together. It is possible this is true for Balnii as well, but we must know more in order to verify it."`
			label leave
			`	Soon enough, she shuts down her terminal and gives the okay to the rest of the team. She stands aside as the spaceport workers close out the payload bay once again, and the crew of ten climbs aboard into their own crew quarters. "You know, <first>," she signs at last, "How is it to stay in Patir when it moves between our galaxies?"`
			choice
				`	"It makes for a nice light show."`
				`	"It is like watching a strange dance, with each star knowing its exact role."`
				`	"Not too unlike a hyperjump, I guess."`
				`	"When it happens, you cannot help but stare at it until it is over."`
			`	She smiles. "May the Embers bring you fortune, Captain."`
			`	Once the Swan is ready for departure, you join the rest of the crew and prepare for liftoff. You glance over the cockpit board: as Taely promised, the crystal she gave you has turned into a dim yellow, eerily shining over the controls all around it.`
				accept
	on accept
		event "Patir moves" 6
		event "Patir returns" 20
	on visit
		dialog "Your escort, your passengers or your cargo have been left behind in the Milky Way, and the mission is a failure. If you wish to continue Patir content, you may wish to reload."
	npc save accompany
		government "Remnant"
		ship "Swan (Jump)" "Serene Pillar Lost"
		ship "Tern" "Great Sky Dancing"
		ship "Tern" "Low Sky Dancing"
		ship "Tern" "Dusky Sky Dancing"
		ship "Tern" "Far Sky Dancing"
		personality escort launching unconstrained pacifist

ship "Swan" "Swan (Jump)"
	outfits
		"Inhibitor Cannon" 2
		"Teciimach Bay"
		"Inhibitor Turret" 3
		"Point Defense Turret" 2
		"EMP Torpedo" 20

		"Aeon Cell"
		"Epoch Cell"
		"Crystal Capacitor"
		"Jump Drive"
		"Quantum Key Stone"
		"Thermoelectric Cooler"

		"Smelter-Class Thruster"
		"Smelter-Class Steering"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 32 - Patir fleet"
	invisible
	landing
	source "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 32: done"
	to complete
		never
	npc
		government "Remnant"
		system "Patir"
		ship "Tern" "Great Sky Dancing"
		ship "Tern" "Low Sky Dancing"
		ship "Tern" "Dusky Sky Dancing"
		ship "Tern" "Far Sky Dancing"
		personality mining harvests plunders swarming

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 33"
	landing
	name "First contact"
	description "Conduct a first contact with the largest asteroid in <system> by landing on its surface exactly on <date>."
	deadline 6
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Magic Asteroid Planet"
	passengers 5
	cargo "scientific payload" 110
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 32: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Once the Swan has closed out the landing, barely fitting within the makeshift pad next to the Remnant outpost, the Terns start to deploy. You watch them cheerfully separate from their carrier, with some leaping toward an unknown destination in a different direction - evidently, their mission has already begun. The researchers immediately begin unloading the surface payloads from your ship, using the help of the remaining Terns to carry the more massive loads.`
			`	While the new members of the crew stand at the windows to watch the light show, you sit with Dusk at the table. "We have tested our equipment for the flight on the way here, and most of it worked perfectly. A couple instruments have proven strangely unresponsive, but it is all minor; if they start working again during the trip all the better, but we do not have time to repair, let alone replace them. That is to say," he concludes emphatically, "if you are ready to go, so are we."`
				accept
	npc
		government "Magic Asteroid"
		system "Mitera"
		personality mute swarming waiting
		fleet
			cargo 3
			variant
				"Asteroid Young 3"
				"Asteroid Medium"
	on enter Lathia
		conversation
			`It takes very little time for the Remnant to locate the target planetoid, standing out like a sore thumb among its species in the empty system. "Alright, <first>. If you feel ready to turn off your cloak, we have a procedure to follow for contacts of this kind."`
			choice
				`	"Okay, done."`
					goto done
				`	"My cloak is already off."`
				`	"Actually, I do not have a cloak at all."`
			`	"Oh!" He looks surprised. "Sorry, force of habit. We consider it best practice to keep the entire fleet cloaked when possible."`
			label done
			`	Tapping on his own console, he connects to your ship's devices and starts transmitting. Glancing over his screen, you see that he is trying to communicate a preloaded transmission through every frequency they have available, rapidly switching from one program to the next one. The sequence comes to an end, but no reply comes out of the asteroid.`
			`	"<first>, we have another step we can try. It might look a bit crude, but it's worth an attempt." With his eyes locked on a clock atop his console, Dusk starts flicking on and off the lights inside and outside your ship at a precise cadence: 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 7 seconds, 11 seconds...`
			`	Over the next five minutes, he completes a sequence of every prime number up to 47 with a good accuracy. He waits another minute or so, and then begins again, this time repeating some of the Fibonacci sequence. Yet still, the planetoid does not show any perceivable reaction. "Very well then, Captain. It is time to land on that asteroid."`
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		conversation
			`Even from afar, the glow emitted from the asteroid has started to become apparent, tinting the entire cockpit purple. After you turn off your engines in an orbit tens of kilometers above the surface, you move to the living quarters to call the rest of the crew.`
			`	All of them are already up and working, some of them preparing the EVA equipment and others reviewing their data pads. You make a quick gesture toward Dusk, who returns the greeting. "So the time has come, finally. Are you excited?"`
			choice
				`	"Of course."`
					goto continue
				`	"I prefer 'uneasy'."`
			`	"Understandable. No matter how long one has been doing this job, some fear of the unknown is unavoidable; it helps one remain focused on the risk involved, and sometimes it can save your life.`
			label continue
			`	"We are going to do this in steps: first a close fly-around to decide on a landing site, followed by the landing phase and finally the surface expedition. If, and only if, no showstopper comes up, we will walk over the surface in our suits." Pointing toward the asteroid, he continues. "We have discovered that the object's gravity is unusually high for its size. There must be something very dense beneath all the regolith. For all intents and purposes, walking over its surface should be akin to walking on a large moon."`
			`	With a few instruments in his hands, Dusk follows you back to the cockpit to prepare for the flyby. Following a few short burns from the secondary propulsion system you start progressively lowering your orbit: first to ten kilometers, then to one, and finally passing less than two hundred meters over the surface. Next to you, Dusk points toward one of the rings that surround the planetoid. "Try to stay away from those, <first>. I am detecting high levels of beta radiation emanating from them - survivable, but it should be avoided if possible. Based on these readings, the surface seems to be safe at least."`
			`	While the terrain is fairly constant in height, the soil is interrupted by thin veins of a striking pink crystal that creates a labyrinth reaching over the whole asteroid. Over the night side, when the pink glow becomes the only source of light, the contrast between the two is harsh enough to force you to look away during the flight.`
			`	As the second loop around the asteroid comes to an end, a tap on your shoulder diverts you from your thoughts. "I believe this should have given us enough data for our purposes. We have passed over a number of acceptable landing sites by now, and the rest of the surface does not seem to have much of interest over the land we have already seen. If you are ready, so are we."`
			choice
				`	"Alright then, give me the coordinates."`
					goto landing
				`	"I would rather fly over the whole surface before making a choice."`
			`	Dusk signs in acceptance and returns to his console. As time passes, you notice a few subtle changes in the terrain: in the valleys of the asteroid you see that the pink crystals become of a slightly redder tint, while the tone gets closer to purple in the few peaks you encounter during the flyby. Finally, Dusk informs you that they have selected the ideal landing site based on the new data you have gathered and that they are again ready for the next phase.`
			`	By the time you are halfway to the target coordinates, however, something catches your eye on the night side of the surface. The darkness makes it hard to distinguish anything, but something seems to be moving down there!`
			choice
				`	(Continue the descent.)`
					goto landing
				`	(Abort the landing.)`
					goto abort
				`	"I think I saw something below us."`
			`	At Dusk's request, you cut the engines and shine the ship's lights toward the terrain under you. You spend a quarter of an hour trying to figure it out, comparing it with the scans taken previously, but nothing you find seems to be out of place. "Perhaps it was just a reflection," Dusk gestures, somewhat apprehensively, "or perhaps it was not. Either way, I doubt we will achieve much continuing to fly in circles. If you are sure of what you saw, returning to orbit would be most reasonable. What do you say?"`
			choice
				`	"Let's continue."`
					goto landing
				`	"I am sure. Abort the descent."`
			label abort
			`	You begin your retreat immediately, a short burn from the thrusters pushing you toward an escape trajectory. But only a few seconds later, a large rippling wave passes through the surface in front of you, throwing dust in all directions. A second, third, and then more waves follow, growing in size and intensity. A quick evasive maneuver lets you avoid most of the debris, but the crests continue to grow faster than you can retreat. You make a final attempt to turn the ship around and fly away, but it's too late. The impact is strong enough to throw you to the floor, and now the entire ship is engulfed by the rock stream.`
			`	As if under the control of an external force, the regolith cloud wraps around your ship and holds it firmly, exerting an extreme pressure against the hull. Based on the loud creaks coming from the whole vehicle, it will not take long for it to be crushed.`
			choice
				`	(Take cover.)`
					goto cover
				`	(Burn the engines at maximum power to try to break free.)`
				`	(Shoot with all your weapons.)`
					goto weapons
					to display
						"armament deterrence" > 0
			`	Not without great difficulty, you eventually overcome the vibrations enough to stand up and reach the top of the console. Turning up the throttle has no result, however. Within the chaos, you distinguish the words 'engines obstructed' just before another impact throws you back to the floor.`
				goto cover
			label weapons
			`	Not without great difficulty, you eventually overcome the vibrations enough to stand up and reach the top of the console. All for nothing, however. Within the chaos, you distinguish the words 'weapons disabled' before another impact throws you back to the floor.`
			label cover
			`	You quickly move under the console, crawling on the floor as fast as you can. Just as you close your helmet shut you hear the sirens: the hull has been breached. And then, a moment later, the vibrations stop in unison.`
			`	You try to contact the rest of the crew, but the communicator stays silent. Dusk has donned his suit and taken cover on the other side of the cockpit. Between your ship's emergency lights, you notice a shade of red shining over the whole room from above the console. With a quick movement, you make a leap away from your cover and get up to look at the source. A cloud of tiny, incredibly bright red particles is floating in the middle of the cockpit, slowly drifting toward the two of you.`
			choice
				`	(Run out of the cockpit.)`
					goto door
				`	(Remain still.)`
					goto still
				`	(Try using your sidearm.)`
			`	Without taking your eyes off the dust you reach for your weapon, but to your surprise, your hand cannot find anything in the holster. In the chaos of the attack, it has fallen somewhere below the console, far beyond your grasp. As the cloud keeps moving closer, you find yourself back against the wall, with little options left for you to try.`
			choice
				`	(Run out of the cockpit.)`
				`	(Remain still.)`
					goto still
			label door
			`	You rush to the cockpit door, but the handle won't turn; something on the other side must be blocking it. No matter how much force you push with, it remains completely stuck. As the dust gets closer and the red glow stronger behind your back, you make a last attempt at kicking down the door to force it open, to no avail. The door can't be opened.`
				goto arrived
			label still
			`	Dusk rushes toward the door, but it refuses to open; something on the other side must be blocking it. The glow emitted by the dust grows in strength as it gets closer to you, eventually forcing you to look away. As Dusk starts trying to kick down the door with little result, the red light is now barely a meter away.`
			label arrived
			`	The cloud reaches you and Dusk at the same time, clinging to the surface of your suit and forcing you back slightly. You try to brush it off, but you soon discover that it is blocking your joints, leaving you completely locked in place. A thump slams you below your neck as the dust tries to break into your suit; there is nothing you can do to stop it.`
			`	Three more thumps follow; at the fourth you feel a strong impact hitting your torso, and a shiver spreads all over your body.`
			`	The suit breach alarm goes off, and everything goes black.`
				accept

			label landing
			`	The chosen site isn't very far, and in a matter of minutes you are hovering around a hundred meters above the target. With the sun shining above your heads, choosing the right spot is very straightforward, though the shadows make gauging your altitude difficult. You land in a flat highland, surrounded by veins of the pink material you have observed earlier. The terrain seems very stable; once Dusk repeats the first contact communication procedure another time, again without reply, you turn off the repulsors.`
			`	You accompany him down the aisle while the dust settles down. "A textbook landing, Captain. Especially given the circumstances."`
			choice
				`	"She is a good ship."`
				`	"I have landed in worse places than this."`
				`	"What now?"`
					goto plan
			`	"I bet," he smiles. "I cannot say that I have ever been particularly interested in starships, but the mystique of piloting has always had a certain appeal for me.`
			label plan
			`	"If everything goes according to the plan, this phase should be straightforward. We will deploy a surface experiment package under the <ship>, then gather a number of surface samples from this general area that seem interesting, and finally, if we do not find anything else, leave for Patir. The sampling will be nondestructive this time - no drills or perforations - given that we are unsure of what is alive and what is not."`
			`	Under the direction of the rest of the team, you pick up a few crates and bring them down the ramp. You place your boot on the surface, leaving a recognizable footprint below you, surely the first that anyone has ever left in this place. While you are busy looking down, the others swiftly walk around you, not giving it any attention. You follow them soon after.`
			`	The experiments amount to a series of obscure surface stations of varying size - not too unlike the ones near the Remnant lab, except pointing down instead of up. Setting them up takes less than half an hour, and after a few more minutes to check the data they are transmitting, you can move on to sample gathering. The surface is made of a very fine sand, but the regolith below is solid and very compact. After picking a few pebbles scattered on the ground and filling a few vials with the dust, you try to break off a piece of a rock, to no avail. While searching for a more brittle rock nearby, however, your eye is caught by an opening in the ground, large enough for a person to pass through. A scarlet light is coming out of it.`
			choice
				`	(Show it to the others.)`
				`	(Ignore it.)`
					goto ignore
			`	Although it was well hidden, the entrance is at least two meters wide and the ground quite shallow; walking through it would take little effort. The team is unanimous in its decision to try to explore its interior, and perhaps find the source of said glow.`
			`	The floor and walls of the tunnel are scattered by small crystals growing between the rocks, all sharing the same color and shape. "These do not seem to be emitting light," one of the Remnant comments. "Perhaps they are still too young, or are made of another material." The tunnel opens into a small cave, not much wider than the passage you came from. At the opposite end, a heap of loose rocks blocks the way. As the four of you assess the barrier, one of the Remnant finally notices. "The red glow has disappeared!"`
			`	While the group is trying to mount a sensor on the wall, you take a few steps back with Dusk to try to assess the situation. "I am not comfortable with how things are turning out, <first>. Something is changing, or moving, somewhere down here. We have plenty of consumables still; perhaps we could continue the exploration on the surface. What do you think?"`
			choice
				`	"I agree."`
					goto return
				`	"I think it might be more wise to return to the ship and depart."`
					goto return
				`	"We have gone this far already, we might as well get to the end of it."`
			`	"Perhaps. But discoveries are meaningless if you do not live long enough to share them."`
				goto block
			label return
			`	"Very well then. Once we have packed the samples in here we can move back to the surface."`
			label block
			`	As soon as you turn around, however, it's clear something is wrong. A wall of rock has arose between you and the other Remnant, and your calls receive no reply. Aghast, Dusk rushes to his backpack to use one of his containers as a makeshift hammer against the wall. The first few hits shake it enough to move some dust, but soon after it doesn't appear to have any effect.`
			choice
				`	(Run away to the surface.)`
					goto away
				`	(Try to help Dusk.)`
			`	You pick up the heaviest tool in your backpack and start trying to make a hole in the wall. You hit, and hit, and hit against the rock with all your strength until the tool breaks apart. The wall, for its part, doesn't seem to be any different from when you started. As you desperately look for another tool to replace it, you hear Dusk's voice calling you in a distressed tone. His boot has been absorbed inside a mass of gray rock of some sort, slowly growing and moving up his suit.`
				goto dusk
			label away
			`	You start running back towards the tunnel you came from as fast as you can. After not even fifty meters, however, you meet another wall blocking your way, right where you had passed earlier. You try your best to make a hole in the barricade with the tools in your backpack, and eventually with your sidearm. But nothing works. A scream of help coming from the cave leads you to abandon your efforts and return to Dusk. When you find him, his boot has been absorbed inside a mass of gray rock of some sort, slowly growing and moving up his suit.`
			label dusk
			`	You try with all your strength to bring him out of it, but its grip is too tight. The stone quickly reaches the torso, and then the arms. You watch helpless as his whole body gets absorbed by the newly formed wall. You are now stuck in a hole barely larger than you are.`
			`	It doesn't take long for the rock to start growing on you as well. You try your best to calm down and slow your oxygen consumption as your helmet, torso and legs get covered in stone. Creaks and vibrations start spreading along the suit; it is pushing, and you know it will not take long for it to burst.`
			`	Minutes pass with the suit on the point of breaking, unable to do anything except to wait for the inevitable. Finally, you feel a strong impact hitting your torso, and a shiver spreads all over your body.`
			`	The suit breach alarm goes off, and everything goes black.`
				accept

			label ignore
			`	The sample gathering continues for more than an hour, spanning from the base of the <ship> to the deposits of crystals surrounding the landing zone. With the backpack packed full of rocks and minerals of all sizes, you join the rest of group at the top of a small cliff.`
			`	"We have hours of life support still available, and none of the activities up to this point were very tiring. We were discussing about emptying our bags in the cargo bay and move a bit further out next with the remaining tools. What do you think?"`
			choice
				`	"Alright."`
				`	"We have spent enough time in this place. We should leave."`
				`	(Tell them about the tunnel.)`
			`	Suddenly, the terrain starts to shake violently beneath your feet. The quake is strong enough to throw all of you to the ground, and cracks begin showing up all around you. Soon, the surface starts to crumble under your feet, and you fall into the darkness.`
			`	You end up into an unknown cave, quite thin but at least twenty meters long. The natural light of the asteroid here is too low to see; you light up your suit's flashlights, and the others do the same. Around you, vast veins of tiny crystals cover most of the cave, similar in appearance to the ones on the surface.`
			`	"Is everyone alright?" Dusk asks, and you reply with a cautious nod. Despite the chaos, none of you seem to have been hurt much, certainly thanks to the reduced gravity. The walls around you are very steep, but perhaps bumpy enough to be climbed on.`
			choice
				`	"What do we do now?"`
					goto what
				`	(Try to climb back to the surface.)`
			`	You can't even make it a couple meters up before the regolith crumbles under your hands, throwing you back to the ground. Before you can try to do it again, Dusk gestures you to wait. "We have a better way to handle scenarios like this."`
				goto rope
			label what
			`	"We have some contingencies for scenarios like this one," he replies, unable to completely hide some apprehension in his gestures.`
			label rope
			`	He takes out a rope from his backpack, with a mechanical hook attached on one end. After shooting it over the edge he shows you briefly how to use it, and gestures you to follow him. The climb is very slow, as you are careful not to damage your suit further against the walls of the cave. Suddenly, you feel a strong vibration coming from above. The hole is closing!`
			`	The rope snaps, throwing you back to the ground and breaking your helmet's lamps. You try to stand up, but you feel something holding your leg; the complete darkness prevents you from seeing, but it feels like a rocky material. You try to call the other Remnant, but there is no reply. You aren't sure whether the radio broke as well, or if something worse happened.`
			choice
				`	(Try to make a breach in the rock growth.)`
				`	(Stand still and save your oxygen.)`
					goto oxygen
			`	You try your best to free your leg using the tools in your backpack, with little result. Left with no other options, you even take out your sidearm and fire into the dark all the shots you can. But nothing works.`
			label oxygen
			`	The mass on your leg grows, wrapping more and more of your suit. You try your best to calm down and slow your oxygen consumption as your helmet, torso and legs get covered. Creaks and vibrations start spreading along the suit; you know it will not take long for it to burst.`
			`	Minutes pass with the suit on the point of breaking, and you are unable to do anything except to wait for the inevitable. Finally, you feel a strong impact hitting your torso, and a shiver spreads all over your body.`
			`	The suit breach alarm goes off, and everything goes black.`
				accept

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 34"
	landing
	name "Bad contact"
	description "Return to <system> with the Remnant team exactly on <date>."
	deadline 7
	source "Magic Asteroid Planet"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	passengers 5
	cargo "scientific payload" 105
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 33: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`You wake up lying on the floor with a blinking light pointed in your eyes. Trying to cover it with your hand, the Remnant above you gestures to stay quiet. As he helps you stand up, you realize you are inside the payload bay of your own ship - around you is the rest of the crew, and standing in a circle in their undersuit garments. You try to take a step, but you almost fall, realizing then that your spacesuit is too ruined to use. You tiredly take it off.`
			`	"We have all woken up here," Dusk signs in the complete silence. His sleeves are slightly lacerated, and atop his shoulders you notice his own symbiont peeking through. "There was a meter-sized breach in the hull, but we have patched it up just now. Going by our clocks, we have been unconscious for no more than 20 minutes." He points his hand toward the open hatch that separates the cargo bay from the rest of the ship. "None of us has ventured beyond that door yet. Presuming our scanners are correct, there is still a presence inside this ship."`
			choice
				`	"Is the rest of the ship pressurized?"`
					goto pressurized
				`	"Why are we alive?"`
				`	"I am going."`
					goto enter
			`	"Reasonably, because it chose to keep us alive. But to be honest, I have no intention to speculate on the reasons for this, until we are back somewhere safer - and that requires getting you back to the cockpit to fly us out of here." You sign in agreement. "If you are feeling okay, we are ready."`
				goto enter
			label pressurized
			`	"As far as we can tell, yes, this was the only breach. I have taken some respirators with us in case of emergency, given the state of our suits. If you are feeling okay, we are ready."`
			label enter
			`	Before you enter the hatch, you make sure you grab your pistol from the remains of your spacesuit. You take the lead into the empty anteroom and then inside a corridor, gesturing with the other Remnant to coordinate your movements. Room after room, everything looks the same as you left it, and eventually you clear every part of the <ship> but the cockpit. An ominous red light now shines through the gap below the door, and you hear a continuous clicking sound. With your sidearm raised, you push the door open as slowly as you can.`
			`	A bright red light is floating still in the middle of the room. In front of it, a whirlwind of dust is throwing itself over and over on the cockpit controls, pressing every button and flipping every switch. Dusk gestures you to wait, while the red light continues its activities unfazed.`
			choice
				`	(Stand still.)`
					goto wait
				`	(Shoot up to catch its attention.)`
				`	(Shoot toward the red light.)`
				`	(Run toward the controls and push the engines to maximum power.)`
					goto run
			`	You fire three shots and wait for a reaction, but the living dust does not change its pace.`
			label wait
			`	Around the console, the sand is continuously opening and closing shelves, drawers and everything that moves, as if trying to do something it does not understand. Dusk comes closer to the red light, carefully moving around the edges of the room. But for a while, neither of you do anything.`
			`	Eventually, he stands up and carefully walks to the console. He puts his hand over the controls, and the rocks carefully move around it. He flicks three switches: the propellant flow, the engine start, and the autopilot. The engines roar to life, and the dust stops mid-air.`
				goto leave
			label run
			`	You put away your sidearm and make a leap toward the console. Before the rocks can react, you have already flicked three switches: the propellant flow, the engine start, and the autopilot. The engines roar to life, and the dust stops mid-air.`
			label leave
			`	The rocks slowly retract into a ball in the middle of the room, surrounding the red light completely. You watch the mass grow, and the hue turns into a pink tint by the time it is done. The minuscule asteroid stands still in the middle of the room, and you cannot help but stare at it.`
			choice
				`	(Wait and see.)`
				`	(Sit in the pilot's seat and fly away.)`
				`	(Show it my hand, like in that video I saw once.)`
			`	In an instant, the asteroid sprints out of the room. You follow it on your console: it breaches through an emergency vent to launch out of your ship, and automated systems seal it off immediately. With the engines still firing, you take back control of your ship and leave the sphere of influence of the planetoid...`
				launch
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		conversation
			`Although the days of travel gave you plenty of time to think about what happened, you can't help but feel some whiplash at the scene waiting for you in Patir. The Terns are cheerfully flying around the system, each carrying a slightly different instrument on their belly. On the surface of the asteroid, a few Remnant are busy swapping the payloads of one with another set of experiments.`
			`	You use your ship's communicator to warn the ground team that your spacesuits have been damaged, and join the Remnant in the crew quarters to wait for them to bring new ones. "We want to leave some for you as well, <first>. We have plenty of spares in the outpost," Dusk reassures you.`
			choice
				`	"I cannot make sense of what happened."`
					goto happening
				`	"How long will it be until Patir moves?"`
				`	"What was the point of all that?"`
					goto happening
			`	He glances at the clock. "A couple hours. We must have been very efficient this time." His half smile fades away almost instantly, and silence falls again over the room. At last, one of the Remnant speaks up. "I have a theory on what that creature was trying to say.`
			label happening
			`	"To me, the only thing that makes sense is that it wanted to keep us away," states the Remnant furthest away from you. "To scare us, or to threaten us, but with the final objective of making us leave as quickly as possible."`
			`	"We saw it trying to start the <ship>," intervenes Dusk, "and it left once we did it in its place, without bothering us further. Certainly, it looked dexterous enough to create something like Chanai. But why have such a disproportionate reaction to our approach?"`
			choice
				`	"Maybe it behaves like a territorial animal."`
					goto nahhhh
				`	"It might seem a disproportionate reaction to something of that size."`
					goto nahhhh
				`	"Perhaps we were simply bothering it."`
					goto bothering
				`	"I feel like the why's matter little in a situation like this."`
			`	"I cannot agree, <first>. Much of the point of scientific research is understanding the context: to repeat it, to avoid it, or even just to make sense of your own memories. Perhaps we will never understand the psychology of something so incredibly different to us, but it is simply human nature to try." He stops, thoughtful. "Maybe it was just annoyed by our presence, from all we can tell."`
				goto arrival
			label bothering
			`	"Maybe. I find the thought interesting: that something so large, so old, and so inscrutable would be annoyed by our simple presence. It is such a foreign psychology to us, and so peculiar."`
				goto arrival
			label nahhhh
			`	"Maybe. Or maybe it was simply annoyed by our presence, from all we can tell. I find the thought interesting: that something so large, so old, and so inscrutable would put such an effort into making us leave, essentially unharmed. It is such a foreign psychology to us, and so peculiar."`
			label arrival
			`	Minutes later, the other Remnant arrive with the replacement suits. The group eventually leaves your ship all together, still discussing the events that just unfolded.`

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 35"
	name "End of the voyage"
	description "Return to <destination> with the Remnant and their scientific payload."
	source "Builder Settlement"
	destination "Caelian"
	passengers 10
	cargo "scientific payload" 130
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 34: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The pilgrimage of the Remnant and their payloads toward your ship takes the better part of an hour, again helped by the Tern flock. "We are a fair bit lighter than we thought we would be, given that we have next to no sample from the planetoid." Dusk has taken seat in the cockpit, watching out of the window as the last few payloads climb atop the ramp. In the horizon, the sea of iridium shines at just the right angle to hit your eyes.`
			`	"One of those creatures was in Patir again when it moved. Again it turned motionless, and it was orbiting over us when a Ka'sei located right next to it blew it up. It is a great shame that we could not get to it in time: the next time Patir returns, whenever that may be, we need to be prepared better to board it and plunder its content."`
			choice
				`	"Is it not a sapient being?"`
				`	"I do not think I want to harvest the organs of a living creature, if that is what they are."`
					goto living
				`	"It will not be a problem."`
					accept
			`	"Maybe. There was certainly some reason behind its actions, but not that much. When we were in the cockpit, it was clearly clueless as to what to do with it. I would go as far as saying that it did not understand the difference between a switch and a counter, given how it was continuously flipping them open and closed." He looks inquisitive. "They are fascinating creatures, but why the question?"`
			choice
				`	"There is a difference between plundering a ship and someone's body."`
				`	"I do not want to repeat the same mistakes the Remnant had made with the Void Sprites."`
					goto living
				`	"I was just curious, we can depart."`
					accept
			`	"We are not grave robbers, though the lines can get blurred sometimes. However, recovering more of that technology could tremendously help our understanding of it. We cannot say for certain that it was dead, for that matter - perhaps it was simply in some sort of hibernation."`
			label duh
			`	Realizing how his words sound, he changes his argument. "Think of it this way: if we leave them there, the Ka'sei will 'mine' them and harvest their pieces. In the end, the only difference is that we do not get the data on it."`
			choice
				`	"I would rather not do something of this sort. At least, until we understand it better."`
				`	"Alright then."`
					accept
			`	He looks at you with interest. "You are the captain here. If that is your final position, I understand." He looks back, and sees the rest of the team has taken their seat. "We can go to <destination> now."`
				accept

			label living
			`	"I am not sure if what we can harvest is part of their own body, or rather if there is a clear separation between themselves and their 'systems'. For that matter, it is one of the things that we will try to find out when studying its technology. Right now, we cannot even say for certain that it was dead - perhaps it was simply in some sort of hibernation."`
				goto duh
	npc save
		government "Remnant"
		ship "Swan (Jump)" "Serene Pillar Lost"
		personality escort launching unconstrained
	on visit
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		event "patir mystery 3 timer" 20
		log `Visited the space beyond Patir a few times with the Remnant. They are now going to let me go in and out of it on my own.`
		log `It is not clear what the creatures in that space are, what their purpose is, or how intelligent they are.`
		conversation
			`You don't have time to say goodbye to the crew before a couple Remnant take you into another part of the starport, barely a meter below the ground. You spend the next hours recounting to your best abilities everything you have seen, pausing only for a few bathroom breaks and a quick meal. As time goes on, you notice they seem displeased with the lack of details you are able to give; when they eventually let you out, you can't help but feel they are not satisfied by your testimony.`
			`	By the time you return the team, has disappeared again, only Dusk having stayed. "I just wanted to say goodbye, <first>. Despite the hiccups along the way - and, in a way, thanks to them - we have now a safe outpost to house our crews, as well as our own instruments. Soon, all kinds of people are going to want to use it for their purposes, and they deserve to do so; from here on, my own research is going to compete with them all for time in the laboratory."`
			`	He taps on one of your ship's screens that displays the nearby job board. "When you are here on <planet>, you will be able to connect directly with Ssil Vida to control Patir's state. As usual, the timing is going to be predefined, and if you miss your return window they will do their best to send it back as soon as possible. After our last trip, I suggest you to keep your cloak active at all times, especially if you have to pass through Lathia."`
			choice
				`	"Thank you."`
				`	"What are you going to do now?"`
			`	"I want to get back up to date with the Builder research, at least while I see how things trend with Patir. In the meanwhile, keep your eyes open for anyone who needs a ride there - I have no doubt that as long as you keep helping our efforts, our roads will cross again. Embers bless your path, <first>!" You copy his bow in farewell.`

event "patir mystery 3 timer"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 37A"
	job
	repeat
	deadline 6
	name "Move Patir (Medium Endurance)"
	description "Begin an expedition of medium duration beyond Patir, disappearing on <date> and returning 7 days after"
	source "Caelian"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 35: done"
	on accept
		event "Patir moves" 6
		event "Patir returns" 13

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 37B"
	repeat
	entering
	deadline 7
	name "Patir Returns"
	description "Patir will move back to the Milky Way on <date>, with or without you."
	source
		system "Patir"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 37A: active"
		not "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 37B: active"
	to complete
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 38A"
	job
	repeat
	deadline 6
	name "Move Patir (Long Endurance)"
	description "Begin an expedition of long duration beyond Patir, disappearing on <date> and returning 14 days after."
	source "Caelian"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 35: done"
	on accept
		event "Patir moves" 6
		event "Patir returns" 20

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 38B"
	repeat
	entering
	deadline 14
	name "Patir Returns"
	description "Patir will move back to the Milky Way on <date>, with or without you."
	source
		system "Patir"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 38A: active"
		not "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 38B: active"
	to complete
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Safety Net Early"
	repeat
	landing
	deadline 9
	name "Safety Net"
	description "Patir will move back to the Milky Way on <date>, after having appeared here 3 days earlier."
	source "Chanai Structure"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 21: failed"
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"
		not "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Safety Net Early: active"
		not "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 25: offered"
	on offer
		event "Patir moves" 6
		event "Patir returns" 9
		conversation
			`The unthinkable has happened: Patir has moved back, but without you! Trying to keep your calm, you check out the flight plans. It seems that for cases like this, Ssil Vida will send Patir back here for a 3-day stay as soon as they see you are not there, eventually returning to the Milky Way on <date>.`
			`	Though you should be able to return, you have failed an essential Remnant mission. If you wish to continue Patir content, you may wish to reload.`
				accept
	to complete
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Safety Net Dusk"
	repeat
	landing
	deadline 9
	name "Safety Net"
	description "Patir will move back to the Milky Way on <date>, after having appeared here 3 days earlier."
	passengers 5
	cargo "scientific payload and samples" 135
	source "Chanai Structure"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 25: offered"
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"
		not "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 35: done"
		not "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Safety Net Dusk: active"
	on offer
		event "Patir moves" 6
		event "Patir returns" 9
		conversation
			`The unthinkable has happened: Patir has moved back, but without you! The Remnant crew, clearly disappointed, illustrate you the flight plan. It seems that for cases like this, Ssil Vida will send Patir back here for a 3-day stay as soon as they see you are not there, eventually returning to the Milky Way on <date>.`
			`	Though you should be able to return, you have failed an essential Remnant mission. If you wish to continue Patir content, you may wish to reload.`
				accept
	to complete
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"

mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Safety Net Permanent"
	repeat
	landing
	deadline 9
	name "Safety Net"
	description "Patir will move back to the Milky Way on <date>, after having appeared here 3 days earlier."
	source
		planet "Chanai Structure"
		planet "Magic Asteroid Planet"
	destination "Builder Settlement"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 35: done"
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"
		not "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Safety Net Permanent: active"
	on offer
		event "Patir moves" 6
		event "Patir returns" 9
		conversation
			`The crystal on your cockpit turns from red into a tender blue. Patir has moved back, but without you! According to the flight plans, Ssil Vida will send Patir back here for a 3-day stay as soon as they see you are not there, eventually returning to the Milky Way on <date>.`
				accept
	to complete
		not "ka'het: beyond Patir"



mission "Ka'het: Patir Mystery Crew job"
	job
	repeat
	name "New Expedition to <waypoints>"
	description "Travel to <waypoints> with a crew of <passengers> and <tons> tons of instruments to collect data, then return to <destination>."
	source
		government "Remnant"
	waypoint
		attributes "beyond patir"
	waypoint
		attributes "beyond patir"
	passengers 4 15 .8
	cargo 40 90 .7
	to offer
		has "Remnant: Expanded Horizons Astral 2: done"
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 35: done"
		random < 20
	on offer
		require "Research Laboratory"
	on waypoint
		dialog "Strange sets of instruments extend once again from your payload bay, scanning the system in an engaging rhythm. You see a number of Snipes jump in and out of your own ship; after some discussions, the Remnant decide that they are satisfied enough with this amount of data."
	on complete
		payment 500000
		"reputation: Remnant" ++
		dialog "The arrays of instruments are soon unloaded from your ship, and the researchers disembark excitedly. Before leaving, they make sure to hand you a chip with <payment>."



ship "Builder Satellite"
	sprite "ship/builder satellite"
	attributes
		category "Drone"
		"hull" 1500
		"mass" 10
		"drag" 2
		"heat dissipation" 1


ship "Builder Satellite" "Builder Satellite 2"
	explode "tiny explosion" 5
	explode "small explosion" 2


mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 0"
	landing
	invisible
	non-blocking
	to offer
		has "event: patir mystery timer"
	to complete
		never
	npc assist save
		government "Builder"
		system "Fereti"
		personality derelict waiting
		ship "Builder Satellite 2" "Valii'sei"
		on assist
			dialog
				`You make a close pass above this lifeless satellite, abandoned in a graveyard orbit for who knows how long. All of a sudden, your commlink emits a weak, garbled, whistle-like sound, as if receiving a communication from the Builder spacecraft. While you can't understand it, it might be worth paying another visit to the Remnant.`
			set "builder signal"
		on kill
			dialog
				`A glance at the radar screen reveals that the nearby Builder satellite exploded, presumably due to the damage incurred. A wasted opportunity.`
			clear "builder signal"

mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 0 Patir 3"
	landing
	invisible
	non-blocking
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Patir Mystery 35: done"
		not "builder signal"
	to complete
		never
	npc assist save
		government "Builder"
		system "Fereti"
		personality derelict waiting
		ship "Builder Satellite 2" "Valii'sei"
		on assist
			dialog
				`You make a close pass above this lifeless satellite, abandoned in a graveyard orbit for who knows how long. All of a sudden, your commlink emits a weak, garbled, whistle-like sound, as if receiving a communication from the Builder spacecraft. While you can't understand it, it might be worth paying another visit to the Remnant.`
			set "builder signal"
		on kill
			dialog
				`A glance at the radar screen reveals that the nearby Builder satellite exploded, presumably due to the damage incurred. A wasted opportunity.`
			clear "builder signal"



mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 1"
	name "Builder signal"
	description "Look for Gavriil aboard <destination> to ask them about the Builder satellite."
	source
		government "Remnant"
		attributes "remnant primary"
	destination "Ssil Vida"
	to offer
		has "builder signal"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Do you want to ask the Remnant about the Builder satellite you encountered in Fereti?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(Not now.)`
					defer
			`	You spend at least half an hour looking for someone in the spaceport, but you can't seem to find anyone familiar. Just as you're starting to lose hope, you notice a flurry of movement in the direction of one of the scientific laboratories.`
			`	Moving closer, you notice the crowd moving away to leave space for a convoy of heavy machinery to pass through. Though you can't seem to identify their function, you do recognize the person in front of the camels that head the vehicles: it's Plume, the scientist leading the Void Sprite Research program.`
			`	You wave your arm to try to catch his attention as you slowly squeeze through the crowd until he notices you. "Captain <first>! I did not expect to see you here. You were part of the fleet as well?" he signs, excitedly gesturing toward the cargo being transported.`
			`	Seeing your confused expression, he understands his mistake. "I have been spending some long days in the laboratory recently. It is good that we have such an abundance of data, of course, but the preparations for this expedition have been exhausting."`
			choice
				`	"What are you transporting?"`
				`	"I found something interesting in Fereti."`
					goto satellite
			`	"Cryogenic vats, full of Void Sprite material. All the work done in Esquiline is finally bearing fruits, and this is the more noticeable result. It did not take long after we left them to roam in Pantica that we started to realize that their close passes to the station left visible traces of secretion all over it. All we had to do was place detachable panels over its hull to begin gathering and analyzing those samples.`
			`	"Of course, most of this machinery is dedicated to keeping the material at the right conditions of pressure, temperature and composition. Each vat contains just a few kilograms of samples at most. Still, it is hard to overstate the impact such a continuous and harmless source of Void Sprite samples could have on genetic research over time.`
			`	"What about you?"`
			label satellite
			`	You explain your encounter with the Builder satellite and the signal it sent you to Plume. By the end of your story, however, he still seems quite confused. "I was hoping there would be Void Sprites involved," he jokes, "but it was an interesting story nonetheless.`
			`	"I am not quite sure how to help you this time, though - none of this is really within my expertise."`
			choice
				`	"Who should I ask then?"`
				`	"That is a shame."`
			`	Plume leaves to oversee a group of technicians unloading the contents of the first vehicle, gesturing for you to wait for him. He comes back to you a few minutes later. "I have an idea. Follow me.`
			`	"Here," he signs after a short walk, gesturing toward a wall-mounted terminal. "I may not have enough engineering experience to help you directly, but if there is a place where that information might be, it is here." He shows you to a data pad, grabbing your hand and passing it below a scanner before continuing.`
			`	"This pad contains the extracts of all our published engineering papers - the publicly available ones, at least. If what you have encountered has been studied previously, it should be here somewhere." Plume returns to his job after showing you the basics, signing to give him a call if you need more help.`
			`	Left by yourself, you grab a nearby seat and start making some searches inside the terminal. The first half hour does not return any useful result: there are millions of papers to choose from, and the initial queries you come up with find either thousands of possible matches, or none at all.`
			`	Eventually, however, you start getting the hang of it. You find one paper that describes the phenomena you observed, then another, then even more. By the end of the hour, you've saved at least a dozen relevant papers.`
			`	Though you can't understand any of them in depth, a detail catches your eye: three of those papers were authored by Gavriil, the engineer you last left in <system>. If there's anyone who can get you to the end of this, it has to be them.`
			`	You wave goodbye to Plume, still busy transferring the delicate cargo to the safety of the laboratory, and climb aboard your ship. Next stop: <planet>.`
				accept
	on complete
		conversation
			`The more time passes, the more Ssil Vida resembles a Remnant outpost. The local spaceport has followed a transformation similar to Esquiline on a grander scale, with walls covered by mazes of piping and dozens of active work stations expanding the already operational outfitter. There is no need to wander around, however: Gavriil is waiting for you right beside the landing pad.`
			`	"Nice to see you again," they gestures warmly. "I hope the Embers blessed your journey."`
			choice
				`	"They did."`
				`	(Tell them about the encounter.)`
			`	You take them aside to again explain your encounter with the Builder satellite, but they stop you before you can begin. "Plume told me everything a few days ago. It is always delightful to see something one has theorized about become reality," they continue proudly. "What you have observed is usually called a 'zombie satellite.' Not too technical of an expression, maybe, but certainly meaningful.`
			`	"There are many ways a spacecraft can die, some less violent than others. And there are times, years after the supposed end of operations, when the spacecraft spontaneously comes back to life and communicates again with the ground. It is not a predictable event, nor does it happen only to specific designs; it simply happens, no matter whether the satellite was built on Aventine, Hai-home, or Valhalla.`
			`	"What makes it special in this case is the sheer length of time that has passed between the 'death' of the satellite and now. This spacecraft was silent the last time we explored Fereti, which either means it survived for tens of thousands of years and died a few hundred years ago, or that it died at the time of the Builders and only came back to life after millennia - both very fascinating possibilities in their own right.`
			`	"This would be the first active Builder satellite we have identified, which is not surprising given these conditions. If your report is accurate, we need to go study it as soon as possible."`
			choice
				`	"How did it come back to life?"`
				`	"Can you take a look at the signal it sent?"`
					goto signal
			`	"I have a few ideas, but there is no way to be sure. One of the most frequent causes is the software successfully rebooting after a memory failure, practically resetting it to the factory setup, but without more information this is at best a guess on my part."`
			label signal
			`	You hand them a data chip with the communication you received from the satellite, which they quickly put into their pocket. "I will try to take a few hours off to give it a first pass with the instruments we have here. While they are not the best suited for this sort of analysis, I remember a few tricks that might get something usable out of it.`
			`	"In the meantime, feel free to take a look at the changes we have been making here. I will give you a call from the spaceport when I have something to show."`

mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 1B"
	invisible
	source "Ssil Vida"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 0: done"
		not "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 1: offered"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Do you want to ask the Remnant about the communication received from the Builder satellite?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(Not now.)`
					defer
			`With the ongoing construction preventing you from reaching most of the station, you try to look around near the landing pad. It takes almost half an hour before you give up; there's too many people to try to find someone who knows you, and everyone else seems far too busy to stop and listen to your story. Perhaps you will have better luck in the spaceport of a major planet.`
				decline

mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 2"
	name "Outpost on Kumkapi"
	description "Bring Gavriil to <destination> to prepare for the capture of the Builder satellite."
	blocked `This mission requires one empty bunk to carry Gavriil with you.`
	source "Ssil Vida"
	destination "Kumkapi"
	passengers 1
	deadline 8
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 1: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`Ssil Vida's outfitter was built atop the original storage platforms of the station, far too large for the Remnant's logistics system. While it does not seem to be particularly well equipped, what they were able to set up on completely alien infrastructure since the first time you came here is still impressive.`
			`	Your walk comes to an end when Gavriil's name appears on your communicator. You turn around and stride back to the spaceport, where you find them waiting at a table.`
			`	"I have good news and bad news," they sign with a slight frown. "How much do you know about the history of our exploration of the Graveyard?"`
			choice
				`	"Not much. Can you summarize it?"`
				`	"Enough."`
					goto waaaah
			`	"After the loss of a number of vehicles to what we now know to be the Ka'het, our ancestors developed and adopted new standards to reduce the risk of such expeditions into the depth of the Ember Wastes. Cloaks were to be kept active at all times while inside the Graveyard, limiting the range of our archeological missions to the ever-increasing capacity of our fuel tanks.`
			`	"Despite limiting most expeditions to the northern systems, these guidelines still led to the golden age of Builder archeology, giving us incredible insights into the history of this region and its inhabitants. The culmination of this effort was the partial translation of their written language, as well as the decoding of some of their programming. The problem, however, is that this did not extend to their spoken language.`
				goto continue
			label waaaah
			`	He looks amused. "I will try to keep things short then. During our archeological effort, we were able to translate most of the written Builder language and decode some of their programming. The problem, however, is that this did not extend to their spoken language.`
			label continue
			`	"What we have discovered in the analysis is that the communication you received contains some kind of audio recording, the meaning of which remains a mystery. I have transmitted it to Aventine so that xenolinguists will be able to archive it for further study, but the purpose of this signal, and consequently of the satellite, will remain unknown."`
			`	He pauses for a few seconds, thoughtful. "The data we have gathered shows that the satellite is not too large, nor particularly heavy. A way to circumvent these issues could be to capture the Builder spacecraft and bring it to one of our laboratories - if it is still alive it should be possible to extract its data mostly, if not fully intact.`
			`	"Have you ever been on <planet>?" they ask, without waiting for an answer. "It is a small semi-abandoned colony in <system>, orbiting right above Viminal. I used to know some people there who should have just the equipment a project like this would need."`
			choice
				`	"Alright, let's do this."`
				`	"Will you come with me?"`
			`	You make a gesture toward your ship, to which they reply with an undecided expression. "Our backlog here has been growing considerably, and leaving for another adventure right now would not make it shorter." They stop for a few seconds, then continue.`
			`	"On the other hand, we have also been completing milestones ahead of schedule lately, and there are plenty of experienced people here who could take over for some time. I can afford to leave the reins to someone else for a few days.`
			`	"Plus," they conclude with a smile, "it will be an opportunity to see some faces I have not seen in years, and to reminisce about the past for a bit. I should have done this a while ago."`
				accept
	on complete
		fail "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 0"


mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 3"
	landing
	name "Builder satellite"
	description "Capture the Builder satellite in <waypoints> and bring it to <destination>."
	blocked `The cargo is ready to load, but you do not have enough free space. Come back when you have <tons> free.`
	source "Kumkapi"
	waypoint "Fereti"
	cargo "Satellite Capture Equipment" 45
	deadline 60
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 2: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`The gradual descent toward the landing site is quite slow. Dozens of mining outposts are scattered over the surface, some of which are quite big, but none of them give the impression of being in active use. Even the landing pads, almost all empty, have started to show a thin layer of dust and regolith.`
			`	"Just a few decades ago, these buildings were sprawling with activity," Gavriil explains, keeping their eyes on the horizon. "Everyone was on the hunt for Key Stone veins outside of Viminal, and planetary systems tend to have similar characteristics between each other. I will spare you the details, but this turned out not to be the case with <planet>, and most of the infrastructure that had built up here was left without a clear purpose."`
			`	Following the landing trajectory, you steer left after passing over a canyon and prepare for the final approach. You notice their eyes light up when the target outpost comes into view, just for an instant. "So as not to leave it to rot, a few projects to reuse the abandoned facilities were given the go ahead. The one we are going to visit today has become a major testing facility for advanced technologies, whether built by us or recovered from other sources."`
			choice
				`	"I see."`
					goto skip
				`	"Is this testing dangerous?"`
					goto danger
				`	"Was the Key Stone search successful?"`
			`	"Not as much as we were hoping. The only other place to turn a positive result was Eavine, a gas giant's moon located right in the middle of Ka'het-controlled space. It was a scientifically interesting finding, but not one that we could make use of in the near future."`
				goto skip
			label danger
			`	"It can be. Many weapons have been tested here over the years, and even projects that had more peaceful purposes occasionally had some rather explosive results. Mind you, this is no matter to be taken lightly."`
			label skip
			`	By the time you complete the post-landing checklist, Gavriil has already left the ship to meet up with the people on the ground. The crowd that has been gathering around the pad gives them a warm welcome, to which they reply cheerfully. They must have spent a lot of time on this moon when they were younger.`
			`	After some brief introductions, you follow the group as it moves down a few ramps of stairs and inside some well-lit tunnels right below the outpost. At the end of them lies a large hangar, wide in both directions but with a rather low ceiling. "We have a few rigs we used to capture test satellites in the past," one of the technicians explains. "They were Remnant spacecraft in those cases, but there is nothing fundamentally preventing their use in your mission.`
			`	"Connecting with the spacecraft after you carry it here is going to be a bit more complicated. We have the machines necessary to keep it stored, but I had to order some special devices from Aventine to download its data after all is said and done. Either way, a fleet will have brought it here before you are back, so it should not pose a problem."`
			`	You help them load the satellite capture equipment in your ship, and make sure to leave enough space for the spacecraft itself. "I will stay here to help them prepare for the satellite," Gavriil signs, "and hopefully remain updated with Ssil Vida on the progress made in my absence. See you in a month or two."`
				accept
	npc assist
		government "Builder"
		system "Fereti"
		personality derelict target waiting
		ship "Builder Satellite" "Valii'sei"
		conversation
			`You approach the spacecraft, and activate the equipment the Remnant gave you. Slowly, a large robotic claw, padded with a thick gray insulation, emerges out of your cargo hold. It takes a few tries, but you're finally able to put the satellite into your cargo bay and prepare the fittings to keep it in place.`
				launch

mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 4"
	landing
	name "Return Gavriil"
	description "Bring Gavriil back to <destination>."
	source "Kumkapi"
	destination "Ssil Vida"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 3: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`A few pad workers guide you to the designated landing site, where a large harness is waiting for your special payload to arrive. Once the satellite's container has been safely berthed to its transporter, you follow the convoy as it slowly descends down a wide ramp and into the same hangar you had been shown earlier.`
			`	Gavriil seems enthusiastic. "Fantastic. We have already prepared the machinery delivered from Aventine, so we should be able to start the transfer right now," they sign, gesturing toward four contraptions - each about as large as a closet. "I hope your journey went well."`
			choice
				`	"About as well as a mission in the middle of the Graveyard can go."`
				`	"It could have gone better."`
			`	"I will make sure to reward you appropriately once this is said and done," they reply. Behind them, two technicians climb atop a scaffolding and take a closer look at the satellite you brought with you. "One of the challenges with these kinds of artifacts is not only their alien origins, but also the era in which they were designed.`
			`	"The Builder empire lasted for tens of millennia; their technological level varied wildly during this time, and the remains of one era are often incompatible with the remains of previous eras. We have done our best to date this spacecraft, so this is the moment of truth."`
			`	A technician carefully hands a wide cable to the two atop the platform, who move toward the captured satellite and try to insert the cord into an opening on its back.`
			`	It takes a few attempts, but at last they succeed. While you can't quite see what one technician is signing from the control console, it must be great news, judging from the cheer that erupts soon after. "The transfer has started!" Gavriil gestures in celebration. They rush toward the terminals at the back of the hangar, almost in disbelief.`
			`	The excitement only slightly wears off as the hours pass, the sheer amount of data taken from the spacecraft boosting it again and again. Finally, Gavriil comes back to you with anticipation. "The transfer is mostly complete by now, and the analysis will soon begin. If you are ready, this would be a good time to return to Ssil Vida - it will take days before any result is ready."`
				accept

mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 5"
	landing
	name "Return to <planet>"
	description "Return to <destination> to get some new equipment."
	source "Ssil Vida"
	destination "Kumkapi"
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 4: done"
	on offer
		log `Captured an active Builder satellite. It was a warning beacon orbiting the moon Alix, which appears to have been used as a quarantine site to defend against an alien plague.`
		event "ka'het: alix discoveries"
		conversation
			`During the trip, Gavriil has received a constant stream of communications, either from Kumkapi or Ssil Vida. They walk alongside you out of the airlock and down the ramp, silent but clearly thoughtful.`
			`	"Thank you for this, Captain - not just for ferrying me back, but also for making this little adventure possible in the first place. There is still much to discover about the Builders and their civilization, and I am happy to have contributed to this puzzle at least a tiny bit.`
			`	"One of the key events in order to understand their history is the first contacts they had with what for them would be alien species. As it often happens, the first one was with the peaceful Quarg, but there is at least another encounter we know of that did not go nearly as well.`
			`	"We do not know whether it was an actual invasion attempt or just an explorer that did not react well under pressure, but the two species fought, and the Builders only won after multiple days of fighting. The militarization of Builder society started at the same time."`
			`	"What species were they attacked by?" you ask.`
			`	"We cannot say for certain. From what I understand, no alien remains were found during the past Graveyard expeditions - other than Builder ones, naturally. However, an interstellar species does not just disappear without leaving any trace, and there are only a small number of candidates who fit the bill."`
			choice
				`	"The Korath?"`
					goto korath
				`	"The Hai?"`
				`	"The Pug?"`
					to display
						has "main plot completed"
					goto pug
				`	"The Sheragi?"`
					to display
						has "event: rim archaeology results"
			`	"A good guess. Both the Hai and the Sheragi would make sense - the timeline fits well enough, they were known to be quite belligerent, and their potential reach was large enough to include the Graveyard. I heard there are great debates about the two species going on to this day, especially after the discoveries in Ssil Vida, but I am not the person to ask about them.`
				goto continue
			label pug
			`	"Interesting guess. We do know that they used to have a presence in this area at some point, but there is no use in speculating about their purposes with so little information, especially when there are more likely candidates. Either the Hai or the Sheragi would make more sense - the timeline fits well enough, they were known to be quite belligerent, and their potential reach was large enough to include the Graveyard.`
				goto continue
			label korath
			`	"Not this time," they sign, amused. "More time has passed between the end of the Builders and the Korath's discovery of spaceflight than it has between the latter and now. Keep it in mind that we are talking about something that happened perhaps a hundred thousand years ago. In this context, either the Hai or the Sheragi would make more sense - the timeline fits well enough, they were known to be quite belligerent, and their potential reach was large enough to include the Graveyard.`
			label continue
			`	"Whatever happened, the scars left by this short encounter were not merely psychological. What this satellite shows is that some kind of virus or bacteria started spreading soon after the first contact, possibly of alien origin. We do not know the impact it had on their civilization, but it must have been quite severe: Alix appears to have been used as a quarantine facility at the time, and satellites like this had the sole function of warning incoming ships of the danger.`
			`	"If you find anything else, do not hesitate to tell us. The analysis is still ongoing, but I have been able to spare 300,000 credits to deposit on your account to show our gratitude."`
			choice
				`	"You can keep the money. I would rather continue exploring further."`
					goto keep
				`	"Who are the Sheragi?"`
					to display
						not "event: rim archaeology results"
				`	"Thank you."`
					goto capitalist
			action
				set "remnant: sheragi question"
			`	"You might not have heard the name, but you have certainly been into their territory. They are a long extinct species, once inhabiting what has become the Rim and the South of human space. The same area where, not too long ago, you got the material we are currently using to power Ssil Vida," they reply, making a gesture in the direction of the station's reactor.`
			`	"I can tell you that, as far as we know, they were roughly concurrent with the Builders; but this is the wealth of information I learnt during the work in Postverta. It is a continuously evolving field, and I have not been able to follow it closely beyond the engineering research on this station."`
			choice
				`	"You can keep the money. I would rather continue exploring further."`
				`	"Thank you."`
					goto capitalist
			label keep
			`	"Oh. Fascinating." They seem quite pleased by your reply. "Well, in that case, I could try calling Kumkapi again to see if they have something you could help them with. I have a lot to catch up with, but I will try to get back to you as soon as I hear from them."`
			`	You wait for Gavriil for nearly an hour, but they don't show up again. Just before leaving, you notice they sent you a communication on your datapad. "<first>," it reads, "I won't be able to meet up with you again today. I apologize for the impoliteness, but there is just too much I need to catch up with in order to keep the project on target.`
			`	"Nevertheless, I was able to get in contact with the test range, and they seemed happy to get more help. I won't be able to come with you this time, but if you follow the same indications I gave you last time you should have no problems finding them.`
			`	"Farewell, Captain, and may the Embers guide you back soon."`
				accept
			label capitalist
			action
				payment 300000
				event "ka'het: quarantine site" 80
			`	"Farewell, Captain, and may the Embers guide you back soon," they gesture with a short bow.`
				decline

mission "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 6"
	landing
	name "Explore <stopovers>"
	description "Visit <stopovers> to search for the remains of the quarantine facility."
	blocked `The cargo is ready to load, but you do not have enough free space. Come back when you have <tons> of empty cargo space.`
	source "Kumkapi"
	stopover "Alix"
	cargo "High-powered scanner" 7
	to offer
		has "Ka'het: Voice From The Past 5: done"
	on offer
		conversation
			`<planet> looks far more active than it was just a few days ago. There is a Remnant ship on almost every landing pad close to the outpost, and there are even a couple Albatrosses in the middle of the sitting fleet. Luckily, you find a pad reserved for your arrival next to the main entrance.`
			`	Before you have even reached the bottom of your ship's stairway, a group of locals has gathered below your ship with anticipation. You attempt to salute them, but they seem to be more interested in your ship: a few of them pry open a panel near your cargo bay, trying to connect with the payload controls.`
			`	You try to ask for explanations, but they direct you toward the pad manager. Finally, after spending what feels like an hour trying to make your way through the crowd, you find her handling the loading operations at the back of a Merganser.`
			choice
				`	(Ask her about my mission.)`
				`	"What are they doing with my ship?"`
			`	"It seems there must have been some miscommunications along the way," she signs in reply to your queries. "Sorry, but we have not had anything close to this amount of traffic for at least the past thirty years. We cannot afford to waste even a single minute right now.`
			`	"Ever since someone brought us that satellite a few days ago," she continues, seemingly oblivious about who you are, "there have been a constant stream of captains wanting to take a look at it and do all kinds of analysis. We are not staffed for this kind of traffic, not even close."`
			`	You try to inquire further about your mission, but she does not seem to know any more than you do. She redirects you again to the pad, pointing toward the bill of landing attached to the cargo they are mounting on your ship.`
			`	At last, you find in there the information you needed: your payload is a large penetrating scanner, and your task is to use it just above the surface of <stopovers> in a specified location near the south pole of that moon to try to locate the quarantine facility.`
				accept
	npc
		government "Remnant"
		personality heroic launching lingering uninterested
		fleet "Large Remnant"
		fleet "Small Remnant"
	on stopover
		conversation
			`Unlike many of the moons you have visited in the Ember Waste, nothing about Alix stands out as particularly unique. It is a small, rocky moon orbiting close above the Pathera gas giant, nearly atmosphereless and showing an appropriately low gravity. Its surface is punctuated by millions of small meteoroid impacts, certainly attracted by Pathera's deep gravity well. Even <home planet> had a couple of gas giants with moons in every way similar to this one.`
			`	The Builders seem to have found some interesting uses for it, however. Among the destroyed settlements all around Alix, vast mining facilities not only survived the attacks, but still see a constant stream of Ka'mar vehicles coming to gather their mineral cargo and deliver it to the imposing Ka'het station orbiting the same star.`
			`	Strangely enough, this moon does not show any sign of strip mining, or in fact any digging at all. After operating mining facilities for a hundred thousand years, the surface should show clearly visible signs of such an intensive operation, but there seem to be none.`
			choice
				`	(Fly closer to the mining outposts to investigate.)`
				`	(Move to the target location the Remnant gave me.)`
					goto quarantine
			`	You pitch down your ship and steer toward the nearest outpost: a long series of short buildings with angled roofs, reminiscent of a solar field in your ship's screen. After coming closer, however, you realize your initial guess was wrong - these are not akin to roofs, but to sails, composed of a pale white textile. A thin layer of dust covers their surface, mostly gathered toward the bottom.`
			`	You try to come closer, but the compass on your ship suddenly starts spinning randomly! Alarmed, you swiftly reverse course to move away from the facility, and the instrumentation soon returns to normal again after a reboot. The automated outpost is clearly emitting a strong magnetic field, but the connection among all this isn't immediately obvious.`
			choice
				`	(Do a close flyby, even if the compass goes haywire.)`
				`	(Try to search around the facility, keeping a safe distance.)`
					goto coward
				`	(Give up and move to the original target.)`
					goto quarantine
			`	A brief exploration doesn't turn up anything you hadn't already seen earlier, and all you can do is watch as the mesmerizing flow of Faes'mar in and out of the facility continues undisturbed below you.`
			label coward
			`	Just as you're starting to feel that this mystery will remain unsolved, you have a stroke of luck: a small meteorite hits the surface a few kilometers away from you, throwing a cloud of debris in every direction. You check the composition of the nearly imperceptible atmosphere near the surface, and find it composed almost entirely of precious metal particles.`
			`	The overall picture has become clearer: the frequent asteroid impacts on a moon like this raise enough meteorite dust to effectively shroud the planet in an extremely sparse atmosphere, which the Builder machines attract and gather so that they can be transported off-planet afterwards. It's a slow and cumbersome process, but it's also one that was able to work for tens of thousands of years without maintenance.`
			label quarantine
			`	You record a brief log of your thoughts, and move on to the target location. The mining facilities you see become progressively smaller and more sporadic, until they disappear completely. Flying just above a series of increasingly featureless highlands, you eventually reach your destination: an unremarkable plateau extending for kilometers in every direction.`
			`	You pitch down and lower your altitude to look for debris, but you're not able to find anything useful. There were many ruins on the way here that could have certainly been a quarantine site at some point, but there's absolutely nothing here, as if it was never even inhabited in the first place.`
			`	Perplexed, you turn your ship around and activate the high-power scanners the Remnant gave you. The task is very tedious: you have to pass over every bit of terrain going at just the right speed, careful not to skew the data with any abrupt movements, so that the instruments can function correctly.`
			`	It takes an hour, but a familiar beep from the cockpit panel finally signals you can come back to <destination> to deliver the data.`
	on complete
		event "ka'het: quarantine site" 25
		conversation
			`Unlike your last visit, the testing range on <planet> has become eerily empty once again. Gone are the hectic crowds and the massive fleets occupying every parking spot: the few ships that are still here are rarely bigger than a Petrel. Enticed, you set sight on a random pad in the vicinity of the facility and touch down softly.`
			`	With a datapad in your hand and the pad workers unloading your used mission equipment, you start looking around for someone to deliver the data to. The only people you can find nearby are the ones working on your ship, as well as the pad manager you had met earlier.`
			`	"They relented!" she signs excitedly after noticing you. "It took a few days, but they finally accepted that we do not have the facilities nor the personnel to handle such traffic, and moved the satellite to a more appropriate laboratory. Somewhere on Aventine, I believe."`
			choice
				`	"Is there someone I can give this data to?"`
				`	"The location you gave me did not seem to have been inhabited."`
			`	You give her a brief summary of your mission, and of your findings. "I am afraid the people you were supposed to deliver this data to have left together with the satellite," she replies, perplexed. "It has been busy for all of us recently, and some steps were skipped to accelerate the process.`
			`	"If you leave the datapad here, I promise I will make sure it gets into the right hands. I am sure they will contact you themselves after things have calmed down a bit." You hand her the tablet with the info you recorded, hopeful it will reach its destination.`

event "ka'het: quarantine site"

event "ka'het: alix discoveries"
	planet Alix
		add description `	Long before becoming an automated mining outpost, this moon was designated as a Builder quarantine site.`
