THE FORMIDINE RIFT MYSTERY (Part 4)

[drew]

After the 29th - everyone will be mind wiped so we wont have a clue what happened

Shhhh.!

Cheers,

Drew.

- - - Updated - - -

@Drew

I'm assuming that this ^ isn't what you had in mind when you planned the event - a bunch of self-selecting 'experts' who are so desperate to 'win' that they assign themselves and their buddies the role of 'heroic protectors' while consigning everyone else to the buckets marked 'cannon fodder' and 'target'.

No guns and no comms -> no roleplay and no community -> no reason to get involved.

As someone who has been engrossed by the mystery and enthralled by the story (even able to contribute in a tiny way), I thank you (and FDev) for a fascinating ride. Unfortunately, the last stop isn't the place for a cranky old explorer, so I'll be hopping off the bus just here.

Instead, you can find me at that bar in Persephone (you know the one), feet up and watching the show. If you're in the area, the Anlian gins are on me.

o7
CMDR Drew Carnegie
IREA

I can attempt to engage the community, I can provide a story, what I can not do is determine (or even predict) the actions of players in response. This is human nature being played out.

Some players are taking this very seriously indeed. Some come as role players, some come as trophy hunters, some come to watch...

My aim was to attempt maximum participation despite the technical limitations, to create an event that will go down in the lore and that players we'll feel they had some agency in.

By no means can I say that I am "in control"

Cheers,

Drew.

ps. See you in the Persephone bar.

 

[Baton]

Shhhh.!

???????? Quick! I just started printing this entire thread, just in case. Then I'm off to buy more paper and a bucket of black ink, and I will print the other three.... Mum! can you give me some money please, I have this school project!!!

 

[Zeeman]

Then why your build includes:
Hardpoints:
2X Frag Cannon (M) (G) G5 Lightweight 1X Drag Munitions
1X Beam Laser (M) (G) G5 Lightweight 1X Regeneration Sequence

Seriously. For all explorers, rifters and whatever beings out there (who don't read the discord-channel):

The PAC has declared the region a Gun-Free-Zone. Anyone with guns will be considered a possible threat (as we all know, the story of the Galaxy is rich in betrayal, murder and assassinations). Yes, there are a few CMDRs at discord, who are maybe slightly exaggerating their pvp-skillz. But if you turn up in the area, carrying guns without being on the whitelist the following will happen:

scouts will spot you, and report you up the command chain as possible threat.

You will then be
a) chain-interdicted by the fast builds (read: you will be chasing the escape-vector for the whole event)
or
b) jumped by complete wing opening up with plasmas, rails, and whatnot. Think CG-gank, but in 'serious'. SO even If you rate your pvp-skillz as en-par with the skillset of the defenders ... It will be not enough too survive a 4vs1 engagement, right?
or
c) you will enjoy the possibilities a) and b)

Additionally, there will be no comms-activity during the whole process. You will not be able to explain yourself. The 'Thing' will be fast moving, and "Ain't nobody got time for that!" So seriously: If you do not plan to shoot at the VIPs, don't bring guns. Except if you are on a whitelist, or a well known white-hat - your chances are slim to ejoy the event.

Yes, I do know, the noises the pvp-crowd tends to make when boasting with their abilities are sometimes slightly irritating. But believe me: the no guns directive is probably the only way for slimming down the chances of some assailant/traitor/whatnot killing one of the VIPs from point-blank range. I don't have a better Idea, and I haven't heard of a better Idea.

TL;TR: If you want to attend the event as visitor, come UNARMED. At least the pro VIP-Side will very likely not open up on you. The opponents probably will, for blowing of steam due to their frustration. Bring Heat sinks, and some decent shields (if you pop a Heatsink when >2km out the attacker will likely lose target-lock, giving you time FSD-Out).

And to be extra clear: anything fitted in a hardpoint is considered a gun. So: no healing lasers, no mines, no missiles, no anything.

And spread the word along your friends: NO GUNS
Always remeber: Friends don't let their friends bring guns to the event!

So... If I bring guns to the so called gun free zone... I'll get jumped on by people with guns? A touch hypocritical, dontcha think?

And this is why I trust no one.

???????? Quick! I just started printing this entire thread, just in case. Then I'm off to buy more paper and a bucket of black ink, and I will print the other three.... Mum! can you give me some money please, I have this school project!!!

The Formidine Rift! You won't belive what's there. No, really, no on believed me, and they hexedited my memory, so I can't remember either, but if you follow a line fron Reorte to Redqueit, to the edge of the galaxtic arm....

Z...

 

[Taranis Dekker]

Then why your build includes:
Hardpoints:
2X Frag Cannon (M) (G) G5 Lightweight 1X Drag Munitions
1X Beam Laser (M) (G) G5 Lightweight 1X Regeneration Sequence

Seriously. For all explorers, rifters and whatever beings out there (who don't read the discord-channel):

The PAC has declared the region a Gun-Free-Zone. Anyone with guns will be considered a possible threat (as we all know, the story of the Galaxy is rich in betrayal, murder and assassinations). Yes, there are a few CMDRs at discord, who are maybe slightly exaggerating their pvp-skillz. But if you turn up in the area, carrying guns without being on the whitelist the following will happen:

scouts will spot you, and report you up the command chain as possible threat.

You will then be
a) chain-interdicted by the fast builds (read: you will be chasing the escape-vector for the whole event)
or
b) jumped by complete wing opening up with plasmas, rails, and whatnot. Think CG-gank, but in 'serious'. SO even If you rate your pvp-skillz as en-par with the skillset of the defenders ... It will be not enough too survive a 4vs1 engagement, right?
or
c) you will enjoy the possibilities a) and b)

Additionally, there will be no comms-activity during the whole process. You will not be able to explain yourself. The 'Thing' will be fast moving, and "Ain't nobody got time for that!" So seriously: If you do not plan to shoot at the VIPs, don't bring guns. Except if you are on a whitelist, or a well known white-hat - your chances are slim to ejoy the event.

Yes, I do know, the noises the pvp-crowd tends to make when boasting with their abilities are sometimes slightly irritating. But believe me: the no guns directive is probably the only way for slimming down the chances of some assailant/traitor/whatnot killing one of the VIPs from point-blank range. I don't have a better Idea, and I haven't heard of a better Idea.

TL;TR: If you want to attend the event as visitor, come UNARMED. At least the pro VIP-Side will very likely not open up on you. The opponents probably will, for blowing of steam due to their frustration. Bring Heat sinks, and some decent shields (if you pop a Heatsink when >2km out the attacker will likely lose target-lock, giving you time FSD-Out).

And to be extra clear: anything fitted in a hardpoint is considered a gun. So: no healing lasers, no mines, no missiles, no anything.

And spread the word along your friends: NO GUNS
Always remeber: Friends don't let their friends bring guns to the event!

@Drew

I'm assuming that this ^ isn't what you had in mind when you planned the event - a bunch of self-selecting 'experts' who are so desperate to 'win' that they assign themselves and their buddies the role of 'heroic protectors' while consigning everyone else to the buckets marked 'cannon fodder' and 'target'.

No guns and no comms -> no roleplay and no community -> no reason to get involved.

As someone who has been engrossed by the mystery and enthralled by the story (even able to contribute in a tiny way), I thank you (and FDev) for a fascinating ride. Unfortunately, the last stop isn't the place for a cranky old explorer, so I'll be hopping off the bus just here.

Instead, you can find me at that bar in Persephone (you know the one), feet up and watching the show. If you're in the area, the Anlian gins are on me.

o7
CMDR Drew Carnegie
IREA

So... a bit like "Blaze your own trail", but if it's not our trail, we'll kill you?

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

Wow. Look away for a second and the thread has moved on by thirty pages. Or I'm getting old. No big discovery there.





Can't rep you right now - have a VRP^tm



I'm still confused as to why so many people are going to such lengths to be able to pay full price when 'Condas are on sale in Hutton Orbital at 240 credits.




From what I remember from the early days (you know, threads 1 and 2 - *back in my day*), it was taken QUITE literally. Strict 3d calcs of the line, people following the line religiously. You look at EDD and you see a road well travelled. Still, there is a point here given the Zurara wasn't discovered until now.



Remember that thing ... what was it called? ... Occam's something ... Occam's tweezers? ... yeah that was it. A derelict megaship being the reason to mindwipe a woman instead of just killing her? Hmm. Never seemed plausible in the first place.Would have been easier even than destroying the ship. And about discovering something on return - still time enough to kill her instead of mind wiping her.

The longer I think about it, it looks like it would be sensible to think about why she was mind wiped instead of just killed. One reason that looks plausible to me would be that she agreed to be mind wiped, or she did it herself (obviously resulting in herself not remembering she did it to herself - causing her to blame 'them').

EDIT: and then I saw same thought ninja'd by Saool:



Couldn't agree more. If Salomé has the secret, why even go out to BP to lead everyone on a merry chase, instead of Snowden'ing it out on galnet. I don't buy into the truth being 'too dangerous' to broadcast out into the world. Her current actions appear to have the same result.

The one thing (alright, more than one, but the biggest) thing I don't understand is Salomé's trip out to Beagle Point. What was the point (unavoidable pun!)? The only thing I can think of to answer that is that she had to get as far out from the bubble as possible to be able to do a crossfix for triangulation of something a fair distance from the bubble. That might tie in with the monitoring base in the FRift (which makes no sense if they thought there was a threat in the FRift, they wouldn't have been terraforming there in that case), so two monitoring positions at (almost) opposite sides of the galaxy suggests they could have been monitoring something along the median, which could tie in with the CoR hypothesis of a threat developing in the Vela dark region.

 

[Jaiotu]

???????? Quick! I just started printing this entire thread, just in case. Then I'm off to buy more paper and a bucket of black ink, and I will print the other three.... Mum! can you give me some money please, I have this school project!!!

Not good enough! Print it ... and then hide the printout in some far-off country. Then leave yourself little clues wrapped in Greek mythology. That's the only way to make sure that the truth will see the light of day.

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

ahhh forum quotes pretend you don't see all of it please:

If Rebecca mind wiped herself on her own, voluntarily, what possible reason would she have? Maybe someone in the know suspected her, so they were going to mind probe her (no idea if thats a thing, but its 3303...) so she hexedited herself to stop them from knowing she knew - but that doesn't account for the "why didn't they just kill her" nor does it take into account it not wiping the whole memory set - which one would expect a mind probe would then pick up on, especially since Rebecca seems to demonstrate some sort of recollection of these memories, even if they are incredibly vague.

If Rebecca agreed to allow the party involved to mind wipe her - why? What does she possibly gain from it? Her life? A ticket on the train when it all kicks off? Money? What I know of her doesn't make me think she'd be the type to accept a bribe like that, like Salomé wouldn't - unless of course she either was given the sort of bribe she could not refuse (literally, like it was forced upon her someway, maybe accept or be killed - again though, why offer her the ticket instead of killing her - or maybe she realised just how balls up screwed everyone else was and decided she might aswell take it - or maybe she took a Daniel Jackson approach to the Ori, let yourself be captured, hexedited, and hope that something remains of old you memories that sparks something and allows you, or someone else to pick up the kindling and proceed to burn the forest down like you originally planned - i.e Salomé's actions in a few days) OR she took the bribe knowing full well the consequences, and did it to get the heat off of her and then when it dies down, she can get back to snooping or whatever.

At the end of the day though - it all comes back to why didn't Rebecca just get offed on the spot. She must either know something valuable to the power party in question, or she is able to do something they have a use for. Coming from someone who has yet to read any of the Elite lore books - I plan on it when Premonition is released - I can't possibly speak on what Rebecca could possibly have that would mark her as being too valuable to kill. Unless of course it has nothing to do with that, in which case we begin investigating the possibilities I mentioned above.

This is where the potential overlap with Drew's (non-ED canon) oolite books confuses me; it may be just Drew's preference not to contradict the story themes. In those books Rebecca Tilley/Weston is a central figure and she could have been too well-known &/or well-regarded to be murdered to silence her. There was also some time looping due to Raxxla involvement which always confuses me. She did agree in at least one of those books to be hexedited by the Government and they set her up with a new life, in gratitude for her services. So I'm not sure that Reclamation/ED is totally logical (that is reinforced by lack of all the FRift beacons that Dynasty expedition had supposedly deployed but we've never found). There is another comment in Reclamation that sticks in my mind-the doctor (Graham?) in Reclamation seemed vaguely familiar to Salomé, so is this a hint that he had mind wiped her previously? Cloned her? Or is it just a nod to his character that seems to crop up in a few of Drew's stories?

- - - Updated - - -

Very True! The clue that still doesn't fit is the "My Heart And Soul". What if from the ship you head back towards the heart and soul nebulae or something?

That might be a clue to finding the FRift bases??

- - - Updated - - -

That does sound kinda fun. The ship rebuy is 470kCr, not even worth yelping about. That said, if FDev decides to slow things down a bit and drops a flower ship on us, all of you without guns will be sad puppies.

I agree wih the sentiment, but the hyperdiction videos clearly show that the flower-ships appear to be immune to current human weaponry

 

[Jaiotu]

There is another comment in Reclamation that sticks in my mind-the doctor (Graham?) in Reclamation seemed vaguely familiar to Salomé, so is this a hint that he had mind wiped her previously? Cloned her? Or is it just a nod to his character that seems to crop up in a few of Drew's stories

John Graham appears in various forms in most, if not all, of the officially licensed Elite: Dangerous novels that were licensed during the Kickstarter. The going fan theory is that he's a reference to the original Elite creators: David John Braben and Ian Graham Bell.

Personally I prefer to think that there are hundreds of John Graham clones running around the galaxy ...

 

[eadghe]

Then why your build includes:
Hardpoints:
2X Frag Cannon (M) (G) G5 Lightweight 1X Drag Munitions
1X Beam Laser (M) (G) G5 Lightweight 1X Regeneration Sequence

Seriously. For all explorers, rifters and whatever beings out there (who don't read the discord-channel):

The PAC has declared the region a Gun-Free-Zone. Anyone with guns will be considered a possible threat (as we all know, the story of the Galaxy is rich in betrayal, murder and assassinations). Yes, there are a few CMDRs at discord, who are maybe slightly exaggerating their pvp-skillz. But if you turn up in the area, carrying guns without being on the whitelist the following will happen:

scouts will spot you, and report you up the command chain as possible threat.

You will then be
a) chain-interdicted by the fast builds (read: you will be chasing the escape-vector for the whole event)
or
b) jumped by complete wing opening up with plasmas, rails, and whatnot. Think CG-gank, but in 'serious'. SO even If you rate your pvp-skillz as en-par with the skillset of the defenders ... It will be not enough too survive a 4vs1 engagement, right?
or
c) you will enjoy the possibilities a) and b)

Additionally, there will be no comms-activity during the whole process. You will not be able to explain yourself. The 'Thing' will be fast moving, and "Ain't nobody got time for that!" So seriously: If you do not plan to shoot at the VIPs, don't bring guns. Except if you are on a whitelist, or a well known white-hat - your chances are slim to ejoy the event.

Yes, I do know, the noises the pvp-crowd tends to make when boasting with their abilities are sometimes slightly irritating. But believe me: the no guns directive is probably the only way for slimming down the chances of some assailant/traitor/whatnot killing one of the VIPs from point-blank range. I don't have a better Idea, and I haven't heard of a better Idea.

TL;TR: If you want to attend the event as visitor, come UNARMED. At least the pro VIP-Side will very likely not open up on you. The opponents probably will, for blowing of steam due to their frustration. Bring Heat sinks, and some decent shields (if you pop a Heatsink when >2km out the attacker will likely lose target-lock, giving you time FSD-Out).

And to be extra clear: anything fitted in a hardpoint is considered a gun. So: no healing lasers, no mines, no missiles, no anything.

And spread the word along your friends: NO GUNS
Always remeber: Friends don't let their friends bring guns to the event!

I doubt that anybody gets this message and a lot of independent pilots will be ganked by CoR and Co this way. In the end, what the opposition is saying about Salomé will become truth, innocent people will get killed for her benefit, history repeats itself. If Salomé would be a decent character, she would refuse this tactic and rather risk her life. I guess I do something else that evening...

- - - Updated - - -

To be fair, i don't blame them - they are trying to influence an ending to a good book and interact with their favorite character. So security must be tight. I just think they are rather limiting themselves, in case of surprises, but they probably know more than i do about what's coming and not coming.

I hope Drew writes this also in the book, that Salomé decided to get a private army and force her will on everybody.

 

[Han_Zen]

I see that quite a few Rifters are not to pleased with how this event is turning out.

If you are not in to heavy Pew, hierarchical command structures and promises of swift destruction of free thinkers, you might consider going a a Honker:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...9-The-Canonn?p=5450051&viewfull=1#post5450051

Lots of Rifters have Salomè as friend. Use it for science. [yesnod]

 

[Saool]

Then why your build includes:
Hardpoints:
2X Frag Cannon (M) (G) G5 Lightweight 1X Drag Munitions
1X Beam Laser (M) (G) G5 Lightweight 1X Regeneration Sequence

Seriously. For all explorers, rifters and whatever beings out there (who don't read the discord-channel):

The PAC has declared the region a Gun-Free-Zone. Anyone with guns will be considered a possible threat (as we all know, the story of the Galaxy is rich in betrayal, murder and assassinations). Yes, there are a few CMDRs at discord, who are maybe slightly exaggerating their pvp-skillz. But if you turn up in the area, carrying guns without being on the whitelist the following will happen:

scouts will spot you, and report you up the command chain as possible threat.

You will then be
a) chain-interdicted by the fast builds (read: you will be chasing the escape-vector for the whole event)
or
b) jumped by complete wing opening up with plasmas, rails, and whatnot. Think CG-gank, but in 'serious'. SO even If you rate your pvp-skillz as en-par with the skillset of the defenders ... It will be not enough too survive a 4vs1 engagement, right?
or
c) you will enjoy the possibilities a) and b)

Additionally, there will be no comms-activity during the whole process. You will not be able to explain yourself. The 'Thing' will be fast moving, and "Ain't nobody got time for that!" So seriously: If you do not plan to shoot at the VIPs, don't bring guns. Except if you are on a whitelist, or a well known white-hat - your chances are slim to ejoy the event.

Yes, I do know, the noises the pvp-crowd tends to make when boasting with their abilities are sometimes slightly irritating. But believe me: the no guns directive is probably the only way for slimming down the chances of some assailant/traitor/whatnot killing one of the VIPs from point-blank range. I don't have a better Idea, and I haven't heard of a better Idea.

TL;TR: If you want to attend the event as visitor, come UNARMED. At least the pro VIP-Side will very likely not open up on you. The opponents probably will, for blowing of steam due to their frustration. Bring Heat sinks, and some decent shields (if you pop a Heatsink when >2km out the attacker will likely lose target-lock, giving you time FSD-Out).

And to be extra clear: anything fitted in a hardpoint is considered a gun. So: no healing lasers, no mines, no missiles, no anything.

And spread the word along your friends: NO GUNS
Always remeber: Friends don't let their friends bring guns to the event!

He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster . . .

^{- Friedrich Nietzsche}

 

[Jaiotu]

He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster . . .

^{- Friedrich Nietzsche}

I hope to be there, weapons and all. Not going to trying to protect Salome though ... just going to be trying to keep Raan Corsen alive. Whether he likes it or not.

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

Not good enough! Print it ... and then hide the printout in some far-off country. Then leave yourself little clues wrapped in Greek mythology. That's the only way to make sure that the truth will see the light of day.

He could leave it attached to some derelict megaship floating somewhere in the dark...

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

…I hope Drew writes this also in the book, that Salomé decided to get a private army and force her will on everybody.

I suspect they will get painted as heroic freedom fighters joining the noble cause.
That just is a better read compared to a secretive terrorist conspiracy group with no principles and even less honor that are willing to kill everybody to get to their goal of "Freedom, peace and truth".

…
If you are not in to heavy Pew, hierarchical command structures and promises of swift destruction of free thinkers, you might consider going a a Honker:
…

Good idea. I think I will just shout some political propaganda. I don't like the idea of having an UP in the hold. But the idea is brilliant, sooo scientific evil

He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster . . .
…

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
– Yoda

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

I doubt that anybody gets this message and a lot of independent pilots will be ganked by CoR and Co this way. In the end, what the opposition is saying about Salomé will become truth, innocent people will get killed for her benefit, history repeats itself. If Salomé would be a decent character, she would refuse this tactic and rather risk her life. I guess I do something else that evening...

- - - Updated - - -



I hope Drew writes this also in the book, that Salomé decided to get a private army and force her will on everybody.

Well, actually I don't think this is her decision. It sounds like it's COR's and their "advisors"; it's a possibility they could turn out to be total griefers and have a sharkfest eating all the unarmed participants.

- - - Updated - - -

I see that quite a few Rifters are not to pleased with how this event is turning out.

If you are not in to heavy Pew, hierarchical command structures and promises of swift destruction of free thinkers, you might consider going a a Honker:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...9-The-Canonn?p=5450051&viewfull=1#post5450051

Lots of Rifters have Salomè as friend. Use it for science. [yesnod]

Honk for science!
And Rizal!

But not Salomé, until after she's shown us her "truth"!! Honk everybody else!

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

Well, actually I don't think this is her decision. It sounds like it's COR's and their "advisors"; it's a possibiliy they could turn out to be total griefers and have a sharkfest eating all the unarmed participants.

LOL, that would some how be poetic.

The protectors tell everybody not to bring weapons and then can kill Salomé while everybody else can do nothing but watch in horror. After Salomés death the "protectors" go on harvesting salty tears.

That would be really epic evil.

 

[Matzov]

The one thing (alright, more than one, but the biggest) thing I don't understand is Salomé's trip out to Beagle Point. What was the point (unavoidable pun!)? The only thing I can think of to answer that is that she had to get as far out from the bubble as possible to be able to do a crossfix for triangulation of something a fair distance from the bubble. That might tie in with the monitoring base in the FRift (which makes no sense if they thought there was a threat in the FRift, they wouldn't have been terraforming there in that case), so two monitoring positions at (almost) opposite sides of the galaxy suggests they could have been monitoring something along the median, which could tie in with the CoR hypothesis of a threat developing in the Vela dark region.

Jorki - its my understanding this was done during a 'down time' period for Salomé when it was not clear that the Rift story would move forward any time soon, and it began the association with CoR. Not 'real' connection to the mystery in that respect.

 

[stephen_usher]

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
– Yoda

"I am finite. You are finite. This is... wrong tool."
- Zathras (but not Zathras, or Zathras)

 

[Matzov]

If Salomé would be a decent character, she would refuse this tactic and rather risk her life.

Her history tells you that this is unlikely. She has not turned away from a fight as yet, when there has been a risk of innocent life lost. She is a determined and stubborn character, with a laser like focus on her end-game. She has flaws, she has strong points. It makes her character more real for me.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

Jorki - its my understanding this was done during a 'down time' period for Salomé when it was not clear that the Rift story would move forward any time soon, and it began the association with CoR. Not 'real' connection to the mystery in that respect.

At the same time there was a CG organized by Halsey to find information (sensor data) about the "architects". Salomé mentioned not the give the exploration data to the wrong people.

So, it could be connected.