Twelve men, strapped to their seats, sat in a circle within a spartan, metallic room. Each wore a jumpsuit adorned with flags and badges of rank and function, and each sat with a computer keypad and flatscreen display attached to their seat. Attention was focused on one man, dark haired, young, and smaller than the others, who was speaking.
"To summarize: our personnel on the planet's surface have been unable to discern any biological or psychic cause for the affliction affecting the LushLocks colony. All signs point to the cause as originating under the surface of the moon of Styx, but we have no idea what the nature of this cause might be."
"Any hypotheses?" asked the man sitting directly opposite. He was older, with graying hair, and a build with muscles in places that seemed unnatural, typical of those who had spent much of their lives in low-gravity.
"Yes. It seems highly likely that this is associated with Prince Timoteo, the elder brother of the King of LushLocks, who was passed over by their father for the throne and disappeared several years ago. The puzzle comes from the origin of the technology that is being used. The power to psychically alter the behavior of a nation of millions is far beyond anything we know about current levels of technology employed anywhere on Coralende. We think that perhaps Prince Timoteo discovered an ancient technological artifact built by the Exiles when they first settled Coralende, which he could have reverse engineered with scientists loyal to him. Alternatively, he could have the cooperation of scientists from within the Foggistani Commonwealth."
A man sitting next to the original questionner, also with graying hair, paused for a second before asking, "Have you considered the possibility that we are witnessing the work of the AssMachenstani Exiles?"
The short man looked down for a moment, then proceeded to speak slowly and carefully. "This... is a possibility. Our team was divided on the plausibility of that hypothesis. Personally, I think that the probability of AssMachenstani survival was unlikely, as would any sort of recovery by this point in time. I also see little motive to launch an attack on Coralende, even if they did survive."
A dark-haired woman next to him began to speak. "If I may, sir. This situtation- large-scale psychic attacks from an unknown source- is entirely consistent with the AssMachenstani tactics from the End War. Furthermore, it is possible that they have few or no colonies with Breck-like conditions similar to Coralende, giving them a motive for conquest. Furthermore, the nation of AssMachenstan has ancient linkages with LushLocks."
The first older man spoke to her directly. "Does this mean you think the psychic attack was the work of the AssMachenstani enemy?"
"Not necessarily. But I do not think we should discount the possibility."
"I see. Well, what do you recommend we do?" This time he was speaking to the small, dark-haired man.
"It is impossible to tell for sure what is happening on Styx, but we need to find out, and we need to do it with the utmost caution. We recommend sending robotic probes along with a team of volunteer scouts to the moon. These scouts need to be informed that the mission is extremely dangerous and we may not be able to recover them if something goes wrong. A scientific vessel and a small freighter should be sent alongside to escort them, with the rest of the fleet on the opposite side of the planet's orbit. The freighter should be available to recover these scouts and keep them in quarantine until the end of the crisis."
"The entire analysis team is in agreement on this point?"
"Yes," said the woman, "but I would emphasize that we should speed the arming and militarization of the fleet as quickly as possible. We have no idea what we are facing."
"I am inclined to agree. If there is nothing else, then, this meeting is concluded."
"Nothing else, sir. A full version of the report has been deposited in your network account."
"Very good."
"To summarize: our personnel on the planet's surface have been unable to discern any biological or psychic cause for the affliction affecting the LushLocks colony. All signs point to the cause as originating under the surface of the moon of Styx, but we have no idea what the nature of this cause might be."
"Any hypotheses?" asked the man sitting directly opposite. He was older, with graying hair, and a build with muscles in places that seemed unnatural, typical of those who had spent much of their lives in low-gravity.
"Yes. It seems highly likely that this is associated with Prince Timoteo, the elder brother of the King of LushLocks, who was passed over by their father for the throne and disappeared several years ago. The puzzle comes from the origin of the technology that is being used. The power to psychically alter the behavior of a nation of millions is far beyond anything we know about current levels of technology employed anywhere on Coralende. We think that perhaps Prince Timoteo discovered an ancient technological artifact built by the Exiles when they first settled Coralende, which he could have reverse engineered with scientists loyal to him. Alternatively, he could have the cooperation of scientists from within the Foggistani Commonwealth."
A man sitting next to the original questionner, also with graying hair, paused for a second before asking, "Have you considered the possibility that we are witnessing the work of the AssMachenstani Exiles?"
The short man looked down for a moment, then proceeded to speak slowly and carefully. "This... is a possibility. Our team was divided on the plausibility of that hypothesis. Personally, I think that the probability of AssMachenstani survival was unlikely, as would any sort of recovery by this point in time. I also see little motive to launch an attack on Coralende, even if they did survive."
A dark-haired woman next to him began to speak. "If I may, sir. This situtation- large-scale psychic attacks from an unknown source- is entirely consistent with the AssMachenstani tactics from the End War. Furthermore, it is possible that they have few or no colonies with Breck-like conditions similar to Coralende, giving them a motive for conquest. Furthermore, the nation of AssMachenstan has ancient linkages with LushLocks."
The first older man spoke to her directly. "Does this mean you think the psychic attack was the work of the AssMachenstani enemy?"
"Not necessarily. But I do not think we should discount the possibility."
"I see. Well, what do you recommend we do?" This time he was speaking to the small, dark-haired man.
"It is impossible to tell for sure what is happening on Styx, but we need to find out, and we need to do it with the utmost caution. We recommend sending robotic probes along with a team of volunteer scouts to the moon. These scouts need to be informed that the mission is extremely dangerous and we may not be able to recover them if something goes wrong. A scientific vessel and a small freighter should be sent alongside to escort them, with the rest of the fleet on the opposite side of the planet's orbit. The freighter should be available to recover these scouts and keep them in quarantine until the end of the crisis."
"The entire analysis team is in agreement on this point?"
"Yes," said the woman, "but I would emphasize that we should speed the arming and militarization of the fleet as quickly as possible. We have no idea what we are facing."
"I am inclined to agree. If there is nothing else, then, this meeting is concluded."
"Nothing else, sir. A full version of the report has been deposited in your network account."
"Very good."
