Private Project Darktide: An 'Operation Papercut' Story | Invite

[Avenyx Bevan]

CAIROKA'S GATE - ODESSEN
1838 HOURS LOCAL
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It was almost dusk in Odessen's southern continent, and a cool draft seemed to sweep through the caves and caverns as less of a whistle and more of a low, haunting moan. One got used to it after awhile, but there were moments that were still a bit spooky. Avenyx Bevan sat in the briefing room's smaller alcove, studying a map that rotated slowly over the surface of the table. It was outlined in blue and all-but filled win the grey, with the exception of a few jabs of blue where the fog of war had cleared thanks to a few preliminary probes. There was also a red blotch right off to the left. Her eyes kept returning to it, then back to the grey, that frustrating fog of war that she couldn't force to resolve into a clearer picture.

Well, not yet.

She looked up as the doors slid open, her eyes alighting upon Ivo Mozorov through the map. She raised a hand in a half-wave but didn't rise. "Agent Mozorov," she said. "Sorry to say you drew the short straw on this one. But you might be pleased to know there's hazard pay, if that's any consolation. Come and have a seat, I'll explain."

Bevan waited, taking off her reading glasses and setting them on the table next to her notes. When Mozorov had settled in, Bevan clicked a key on her remote. "This is the Nullwake Gyre, a highly volatile pocket of space lightyears from anything, out way past the Perann Nebula." She touched a spot on the map. "As part of a cache of intelligence recently provided by an asset from the former Galactic Alliance, we've uncovered a tool that we believe will help us make the most of the asset we hope to recover as part of Operation: Papercut. Even if not -- if we do not recover the Arquitens -- this tool could well be dangerous in the wrong hands. So we are going to recover it."

She paused a moment. "Not -- you and I. That's not this mission. The tool in question is the Multi-Node Intelligence & Navigation Environment for Reconnaissance & Vector Analysis -- Minerva, for short. Originally developed as a Virtual Intelligence assistant for the SIA, it was lost on its host ship's -- the Liberty's Penumbra -- first run toward Sith Space, and the handwringers at the SIA thought it was in too dangerous a position to be recovered. Now, to be clear, if even half of what the SIA described about the Gyre is true, it will be incredibly dangerous. But there is already evidence of pirate and scavenger activity in the region, and if they manage to get a hold of Minerva, there's no telling the kind of damage they could do. So we need to act fast."

She touched a screen and the map changed to a short, looping video clip showing a vast spiraling vortex, flashing with vivid blue lightning, a chaotic and volatile asteroid field, not to mention debris. The wreckage in the shot was not behaving as one would expect them to behave based on an understanding of the physics that should have been at play. "The Gyre is unpredictable. We've had reports the electrical discharges and storms raging in the system flashing sensors, downing comms, overloading shields, and generally playing havoc with ships, systems, and people. Gravity doesn't work like it should. Engines don't."

Bevan went back to the original map, mostly grey, little dribs and drabs of blue, red splotch. "This is what we know of the system. The probes that took that video? Made it this far in before they were destroyed. Unclear by what, but it could be anything -- debris, rock, lightning strike, or even a scavenger. We know they're probing the system the same as we are. I'm going to have to ask Striker Squadron for backup on our mission to recover it, and for that I know their commanding officers will want details in order to approve the request, so he knows his men aren't flying into a meatgrinder. Unfortunately those details are details our probes can't seem to get on their own. So that will be our mission. We'll take a ship with a long-range sensor suite into the Nullwake Gyre, get as much data as we can, and maybe even get some probes to fly past Liberty's Penumbra to get a better idea of what we're getting ourselves into."

She sat back, folded her arms, fixing her glassy eyes on Ivo Mozorov . "Questions?"

 

[Ivo Mozorov]

Avenyx Bevan

He waved back with a smile as Ivo took a seat and sat down.

"Short straw? Please, with a brilliant mind like yours, I am eager to help in any way he could." Ivo liked Avenyx. She was incredibly smart, a genius really and ever since Sephira Mond and him extracted her from Balmorra Bevan had repaid that many times over. Gadgets, intelligence, a sharp mind that saw several steps ahead.

It was a treat to work with her really.

All that was true and still Ivo cursed himself at his earlier words the further she got into her story. He hadn't been expecting an assignment like this and the mention of hazard pay suddenly didn't seem like a joke at all.

But in for a penny, in for a pound as they say.

"When do we begin?" Eyes twinkling, because even with his reservation, he recognized the opportunity here. And how important it was. "No, jokes aside, it all seems... fairly straightforward even if that is ironic considering where we are going and what we will be doing there." He ran his hand through his hair and grew a bit more contemplative.

"A VI or an AI, Bevan?" He looked at her meaningful. They both knew that the Alliance had had strict constraints on the development of the later. Too concerned that they might break free from their shackles and cause mayhem like some AI units in the past.

But those constraints were always much less of a problem when it came to their own military applications.

All that was to say... it was a fair question.

 

[Avenyx Bevan]

"The reports say Virtual Intelligence," Avenyx said. She flipped through the flimsis in front of her until she found the one she was looking for, a redacted version of the report. "This is classified, but you're read in on this project. Just -- don't spread it around," she warned him before turning the paper over and slipping it over to him.

"Now, the report is very redacted as you can see. There might be some language in here that says it's really an Artificial Intelligence that they're classifying as Virtual Intelligence to get around Senate oversight, legislative bans, regulatory concern and criticism, or the very theft that you and I are going to lay the groundwork for," said the Quartermaster. "But I don't know. I don't have a reason to think it's an AI, but I don't have a reason not to think it either."

She watched his face as he read the paper, then, when it seemed like he had finished: "Why? Do you think it will impact our scouting mission?"

Ivo Mozorov​

 

[Ivo Mozorov]

Avenyx Bevan

He nodded calmly and accepted the leaflet.

As she said, a lot of it was redacted, but that was often the case. They'd release a dossier but redact it to hell and back, making it practically useless for any sort of intelligence gathering operation. At that point you might as well not supply a dossier to begin with. But that was why people like Bevan and him were trained.

They could read between the lines. Glean meaning from what wasn't said as much as what was.

No indication it was an AI, but also nothing concrete that disavowed it. The capabilities of the VI could have been minimized, there was nothing there to suggest anything other than the more regular constraints.

Plenty to stretch expectations.

"Certainly. If its a VI, then our approach shouldn't raise any issues once we use the old GA encryption codes. No automated systems that will try and target us, blowing us out of space." He rubbed his jaw as he passed the leaflet back to her. "If it is AI however and if it had anything to do with the initial disappearance? Well, that will make everything much more dangerous."

"Even if we stay long-range as you said, Intelligence suites often came with extreme distance energy projector torpedoes. We will be in range practically from the moment we reverse into the system."

He licked his lips as he considered that.

"In which case the hazardous system might work in our advantage, of course. The storms and pulses might make it difficult to get a lock on us." All of which assumed that there was an AI onboard. Might very well be it was just a VI system, in which case, this would be relatively smooth sailing. If you ignored the inherent dangers of the system they were going to be surveying in.

"Any concerns yourself about this mission? Or are you relatively confident?"

 

[Avenyx Bevan]

"Well," Avenyx said, the little color in her face draining a bit. "I have a succession plan in place, if that's what you're asking." It wasn't, exactly, but close enough. "If it is AI... if it was involved in whatever catastrophe caused it to be marooned in the Gyre, then... that's going to be trouble. But we should do what we can to present a low-threat profile. A heavily-armored but lightly-armed ship with an excellent sensor suite. What do you think?"

She activated the holoproj again and began to sort through the arsenal of ships that were at Station C's arsenal, looking for something suitable.

"The problem is we don't know why those probes went dark," Avenyx murmured as she sorted. She paused a moment to survey a ship that lingered between them, rotating slowly. "If it was a torpedo... well, maybe we should just send a bunch of probes until it exhausts its supply. It would be expensive, to be sure, but less costly than if it killed scouts." She wrinkled her nose and shook her head at the ship, moving to the next one.

Ivo Mozorov​

 

[Ivo Mozorov]

Avenyx Bevan

"Well, I'd hope that doesn't end up necessary." Teasing her lightly, but not feeling the full mirth himself. It was possible... not a suicide mission, but possible nonetheless.

Maybe he ought to give Sephira Mond a call before they left.

Just in case.

Nodding slowly. "Yeah, but if it isn't a torpedo, then we are basically sending those probes out for nothing. That is gonna run up the number and we don't know if it will ever stop, you know? I think we should grab the highly armored ship, as you said. I will do some tinkering, cut the time between hyperspace reversal and when we can throw up our shields again."

If he managed to bring the time down enough?

Maybe he'd also be able to get the shields up right before any torpedo could hit them. That would give them a chance to escape, if it was that.

He reached out and patted her hand.

"Sorry I brought up that option. It probably won't be that, but better prepared than sorry, yes?"

 

[Avenyx Bevan]

"Good idea," Avenyx said, her tone indicating that she was impressed and distracted in equal measure. "Tell me what you'll need -- data spikes, tools, scramblers, whatever. If Q Branch has it, I'll bring it for you." She continued to flip through the holoproj catalog, her eyes reflecting the ships as they moved across her field of vision.

He apologized, patted the back of her hand. She looked at him blankly. "No need," she said pleasantly. "It's our job to consider all these things, no matter how unpleasant it is." Her eyes lingered on a ship, and her jaw shifted back and forth in consideration. "The more we consider the nasty business this galaxy can do, the less the people who count on us to make the galaxy safe will have to worry about them."

She opened up the full file and let it rotate between them, and Avenyx jerked her chin toward the information. "What do you think of that one?" she asked. "Can you fly a Pursuer-class enforcement ship?"

Ivo Mozorov​