Aegis Statement Regards Missing Survivor [RP]

[Kira Goto]

Public Alert
November 4, 3309

After a week of silence on the matter, the tri-superpower organization Aegis has released a statement regarding the transmission from a possible Titan survivor freed outside of their care, providing some clarity on the rumors circulating around the subject.

The statement was delivered in a message issued to several news feeds, in response to the disturbing transmission discovered on October 28, 3309, with an explicit mention to fully share it anywhere seen fit, and in its entirety. The statement itself claims that the individual may in fact already be known to Aegis, but was able to slip out of their headquarters, where she was likely seeing specialized care, isolated from the other survivors. The full statement in full as follows, below:

From the office of Alba Tesreau - Addressing the Rumors about the Titan Survivor, and a Formal Request for Help
November 4, 3309

To the attention of all that may read this message, or feel concerned by it.

I have seen the rumors circulating around a possible rogue survivor from the Titans, and I'm not going to hide the truth from you -

Yes. We know about her. The basic description from the file matches up. And she is a survivor from the Titans, but not in the way you might think. Allow me to explain how I can be certain about all of it.

This woman came to us first around the time of March, after several publications of claims that she had been captured and altered by the Thargoids following the failure of the Proteus Wave in the preceding months, which was when Seo Jin-ae had disappeared following her encounter with unknown forces.

She goes by the name of Kira, and our medical teams quickly verified her claims, discovering several biomechanical implants within her body, one on each vital organ, and a cortical implant not entirely unlike Seo's, but still unique to her. On top of that, her entire nervous system had effectively been replaced with a biomechanical equivalent, out of necessity, as the one she was born with had been destroyed in its near-entirety.

We do not know what motivated the Thargoids to provide her with this treatment, keeping her alive from what would otherwise have been entirely lethal, or how she was able to return to society. Kira herself was not fully aware of the changes done to her body until months after the fact, when she herself managed to sufficiently modify a medical scanner to accurately detect the changes, and the implants within her.

She later discovered herself that the cause of her predicament was a, even within Azimuth, hidden operation, to seek out potential test subjects for Project Seraph, in 3306, and which identified her as one of the most promising candidates, aside from Seo three years prior. It was then that she was implanted with a mind control chip after getting prepared for an eventual continuation of the Project, but allowed to live her life mostly unimpeded, until the chip activated and guided her to be present in HIP 22460, despite no interest, intention or desire to participate in the Thargoid conflict.

Which leads us back to today. As the Thargoids seemingly experimented on her - something that she has hardly any active memories of - they set off a failsafe in the mind control chip that destroyed her brain and nervous system, placed in it if she ever tried to get the chip removed. The Thargoids then replaced it with a cortical implant of their own, alongside a host of complementary devices on each organ, ensuring a connection to the cortical implant that replicates brain functions, but also repaired her brain.

Unfortunately, it left Kira with the same connection to the Thargoids as Seo, yet still working differently. And, on top of that, the devices within her body have been converting genetic material to a kind of hybrid DNA, a process that we still struggle to understand to this day.

Now, I know what you're most likely thinking - 'How do we know this is not what's happening to the other, recently recovered survivors?'... and my answer to that question is that nothing indicates the presence of any Thargoid material within them. None of the scans and other tests have yielded any evidence that they might be compromised, or otherwise affected, though the quarantine is maintained nonetheless.

But this is about Kira. She circumvented our security measures by manipulating them, bypassing the primary checkpoint without registering her ID. She was gone before we even knew she had left, receiving only a time-delayed message providing her heartfelt gratitude for the care she received, claiming to attend to a 'personally important matter'.

I do not believe it actually exists, but that she is acting under the influence of the Thargoids in some way. The message found in LFT 709 supports that idea, and that she is in distress, possibly coerced into doing their bidding through torture. I see no other way for them to attempt to control her otherwise, as she is a strong-willed individual who is passionate about the world and the people around her. I don't know what kind of pain Kira is being forced to endure, but she does not deserve to have it inflicted on her regardless.

I cannot spare the extensive means required for a blind search with the ongoing conflict, so I humbly request the pilots of the galactic community to keep an eye out for her.

She will likely go by either the name Kira Goto, or Kasumi Goto, the former of which acts as an alias for her - providing she has not made another at the will of the Thargoids. Her attire is generally all black clothing, should she not be wearing either a standard-coloration Artemis suit, or an all-black Dominator suit over them, alongside a hood that falls down to about eye level.

She weighs around 63 kilograms, is 1.8 meters tall, with some Japanese facial features and blue eyes. Her hair is black, and swept to her right, short around the back. The accents she is known to use are either standard English or light Japanese, and a voice which is slightly on the deeper end.

The ship she is most likely to be flying on a regular basis is a Krait Phantom, with upgraded shielding, weaponry and armor, but it may be possible to find her in a number of others, which I will leave as an attached file below. All of her ships are engineered to the highest degree, and she is a highly-rated combat pilot, so do not assume taking her on in space is any simpler, particularly as the Thargoids might come to her assistance.

Report her presence if you see her, but do not attempt anything rash. At her core, she is still human, and she should be treated as such, ideally returning unharmed. But the changes made to her body may make her stronger than her physique indicates, so I must urge caution if you attempt to confront her, as the alien influence may not make her come quietly. Even so, she is no traitor, and should not be killed.

Please, help us bring this lost soul back, before she is lost to us forever.

Alba Tesreau
Aegis Headquarters

A spokesperson from Aegis, when asked whether Seo Jin-ae had any connection or exposure to Kira, or knew about her, merely stated that Seo didn't wish to comment on this matter, or divulge such personal details. They also reissued the urge for caution if any attempts are made to return Kira to Aegis, given the uncertain nature of the effects that the Thargoid modifications have had on her body, while saying that time may be of the essence. The faster she is located, the less damage will be incurred from her ordeal - both on herself, and whatever the Thargoids may use her to affect.

Upon being questioned whether Kira’s alias was a smart choice, given the likelihood of there being individuals who wish to inflict harm for what she is, the spokesperson said - “We are aware of the risk that exposing her hidden identity poses, but believe it justified under the current circumstances, as it may aid the search effort, preventing as much harm to her and wherever the Thargoids utilize her as possible.”

They have also provided additional information on her exact age, and repeated which attributes to look for when attempting to locate Kira:

• Young, age of 25
• Weighs 63 kilograms, 1.8 meters tall
• Short black hair, swept to the right, blue eyes, slight Japanese facial features
• Slightly deeper voice, English or light Japanese accent
• Black clothes and hood, either a standard-coloration Artemis or black Dominator suit (note - the latter suit has been modified to look entirely smooth on the surface)

The list of ships she is likely to be seen flying, in descending order of likelihood, and based on known recent activities:

• Krait Phantom [general purpose ship, can outrun most combat-oriented ship setups]
• Krait MkII [dedicated war-space runner, bar evacuations and deliveries]
• Federal Corvette [if engaging in combat]
• Fer-de-Lance [same as above]
• Imperial Cutter [war evacuation, primarily, unlikely given circumstances]

Additional information for each ship can be found by selecting them. It is to be kept in mind that this list is not exhaustive, and does not mean Kira will be seen in one of these vessels. They are also all fully engineered, and it is not recommended to approach alone, given her proficiency in ship-to-ship combat. Out-of-ship engagement, if necessary, may be preferable, as it reduces the support options provided to the Thargoids.

Kira also owns a private fleet carrier. Communication with Brewer Corporation - to temporarily suspend her access to it - is underway, as this will reduce her ability to avoid tracking.

All parties involved are hoping for a quick resolution to the situation, but are prepared for the worst. In related news, Azimuth Biotech has not yet responded to queries about the allegations made in this statement.

Spoiler: OOC notice

This is NOT any kind of public RP event I am planning. Just in case anyone anywhere is getting that impression. These ‘articles’ merely serve as story material that can’t be interacted with further.

Continutation of: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/unknown-signal-detected-near-shamash-rp.620883/

(Also, should I always make a new thread for these while this thing’s running, or add them as new posts underneath this one?

 

[Kira Goto]

Azimuth Responds to Allegations about Survivor

November 6, 3309

Azimuth Biotech has responded to the allegations about its responsibility in the current situation revolving around a rogue Titan survivor, claiming that its current leadership had no direct influence in its creation.

CEO Torben Rademaker personally delivered a statement to the media in a public meeting, saying the following:

"While this situation is unfortunate, and tragic, I must stress again that our current leadership never had any knowledge of, or participation in, Project Seraph. I will not deny that this facility may have existed, as it would have been Salvation's personal project, and some of the scientists who have survived his era of research were dedicated to this field. But I, and others currently guiding Azimuth Biotech to its new future disavowed him and turned away from this esoteric field of study. We would not have supported such actions."

"I would also like to add that I personally offered Kira Azimuth's assistance when she went public with her story, as there is no doubt much that is sinister hidden within my predecessor's legacy - though at the time, neither of us were aware that she had been a victim of Project Seraph, if indirectly. Kira refused, stating her personal distrust toward our company, on the basis of what was done to Seo Jin-ae at the Oaken Point facility in HIP 26176, which is a matter of personal regret for me."

"Though understandable, I am left to wonder if this horrific experience could have been spared on her, had she allowed our specialists to assist her with her plight, with focus on her personal well-being first, and studies of her peculiar nature second. It may have provided Kira with the health and mental fortitude necessary to resist the influence that the Thargoids are attempting to exert on her, something that her state in the care of Aegis clearly did not. Should she change her mind, we will ensure she is cared for, with necessary safety measures taken."

Professor Alba Tesreau replied to the statement after its release, providing further details:

"Kira spoke to me about her fears regarding Azimuth in private, several months ago, much like Seo did - she was always afraid of operatives looking for her, and getting subjected to horrific experiments if captured. She has been given no reason to trust them, suspecting all along that her presence in HIP 22460 had been due to external influence. This, as I mentioned in my call for help, was proven when a former Azimuth employee led her to the planetary outpost where she had - ostensibly - been prepared for an eventual continuation of Project Seraph. I cannot say I doubt the integrity of the data, particularly after I sent a team to investigate the location, who confirmed those findings."

"However, I must state that I do not believe she lacked the mental fortitude to resist the Thargoids. Kira's psychological evaluations from the Pilot's Federation state that she is notoriously difficult to approach and struggles to share her personal problems, doubts and worries with others, yet I know that, had the Thargoids risked breaking her mental defenses, she would have warned me of it, and asked me to ensure she would not be able to leave. Given the nature of her departure from Duamta, it is much more likely the Thargoids tricked her into leaving in clandestine manner through subtle, hard-to-notice manipulation, and sprung a trap where she was most vulnerable, unable to be aided in timely manner."

Search efforts for Kira are continuing, but have as of yet proven unsuccessful. No traces of her have been found in the vicinity of the Shamash system, making it likely that she has abandoned the area. Stations in various systems around Titan Oya have begun to report erroneous, inexplicable system failures, however, providing a potential hint as to where she may currently be.

 

[MVBanks]

How do you feel?

 

[Kira Goto]

Personally? Great. As great as it can get in my circumstances.

In-character? not available for comment

(I am going to post the rest of these news-style bits in this thread too)

 

[Kira Goto]

Acts of Sabotage Linked to Rogue Survivor

November 15, 3309

Recent acts of sabotage occurring at stations around various parts of the Thargoid War front have been said to most likely be the work of the rogue Titan survivor, Kira Goto, as was initially suspected by local authorities.

Aden Tanner, working as an independent military advisor for Aegis, released the following statement:

"The stations that were affected by erroneous and inexplicable malfunctions around the Oya, Raijin and Hadad Titans all reported a similar finding once they had alleviated the troubles affecting them - residual pieces of code within their systems that did not match any of the other programming present. After requesting, receiving and reviewing the data with a team of specialists, it was concluded that it was the remains of a highly advanced, malicious software program intended to disrupt operation of the affected port, and the ability to spread to other stations in-system through its in-comms array."

"However, initially, we were unable to make a conclusive link to Kira, until Seo Jin-ae approached me with a key piece of information - or rather, code sets of some of the programs that Kira herself uses, which share unique identifying markers with the worm she inserted into station systems. This fact, coupled with her being known as having a high proficiency in infiltrating security systems unnoticed, and developing software to this end, makes Kira the prime suspect for these actions."

"It needs to be said that these worms do not target any systems vital to port operation, such as life support or orbital stabilization. Whatever the motives behind these disruptions may be, their purpose is evidently not to cause human casualties - along with allowing basic port functionality to continue regardless of how non-essential systems are affected, none of the stations reported any deaths. The situation is still liable to cause severe problems to, and interfere with the war effort, if left unchecked."

"We are working on potential countermeasures that can be installed on any known operating system, with some assistance from Seo, to prevent further disruption. Equally, it would be ideal for Kira to be found and returned to Aegis, so that she can no longer cause harm to herself or anyone else. But I must warn pilots attempting to track her down that she will likely attempt to flee rather than fight, and could easily kill most threats to her."

This information also proves the rumors circulating around the intent of the Thargoids to use a human-looking agent within our population to cause disarray. As of yet, no casualties relating to the sabotage acts have been reported, and their effects have also remained limited to temporarily reducing operational capabilities of a few starports and planetary outposts, until the malware was discovered and scrubbed from the systems.

However, several figures of popular broadcasts have begun asking how long it may take before the Thargoids resort to more extreme means to impede humanity's defense efforts, particularly in light of the spire sites getting removed from their control, and have raised the question of whether anything remains of Kira that justifies returning her alive. Others have questioned how Kira was allowed to depart from Duamta without supervision, given her nature, and why this type of incident was allowed to repeat itself, seeing Seo's departure in very similar fashion.

Director Nassim Qadir, head of medical research at Azimuth Biotech, personally addressed these questions and concerns in an official communiqué:

"Azimuth Biotech would not have taken the threat of a hybrid being so lightly. Kira would not have been allowed to roam free under our care, instead placed under strict quarantine and stripped of civil rights and freedoms until she was definitely proven to be entirely resistant to any Thargoid influence. She would also have been subjected to a very thorough set of examinations to ensure she did not carry any undetected modifications or pathogenic agents. It is unlikely her unprofessional, jury-rigged scanner modifications were able to detect everything that was done to her by the Thargoids, or that Aegis's lacking methods did. We would have been certain, and not allowed such a being to roam freely amidst humans, endangering all of them. Only when it is certain that she is no threat, would her privileges be restored, if under surveillance."

"I am also deeply disappointed that such a research opportunity was simply allowed to let go. The mere existence of a stable hybrid between human and Thargoid genetic material holds untold possibilities for scientific development, were it to be studied. Our superior methods, equipment and knowledge of xeno-technology, would be far better suited to discovering how this advancement was achieved, and we would approach this task with an impartial mind. Unlike the minds at Aegis, which were too sentimental to see that their pet hybrid creature could be working in concert with the Thargoids, until it escaped them. They are clearly not adept at handling such an important asset, or the risk that it presents."

"I request that, once Kira has been found and detained, she be transferred to Azimuth Biotech. Our specialist laboratories and personnel will be much more proficient at the analysis of her physical makeup, maintaining physical and mental well-being, and - should it prove necessary - adapted to containment. It is evident that her care in the hands of Aegis was not sufficient to create a desire for her to stay with them, rather than follow the impressions fed to her by the Thargoids."

An inquiry at Aegis, about this statement from Azimuth, has not yet been met with a respo∫C#

You would lead humanity to a path of destruction. Is that the future you desire for them?

We will show them a new path. And you who attempted to destroy us, will be the first to fall.

 

[Dayson Fane]

Fane sits on the command deck of the Revenant Spear alongside his daughter, Kanna. The pair feverishly enter code into their respective keyboards, intending to halt all efforts by the Brewer Corporation to suspend Kira Goto's carrier operations.

"We gotta keep 'em going," Fane tells his silent daughter. "Maybe the primary subject ain't aboard the carrier, but it's got a kernel of truth to it at the very least. Azimuth can't be allowed to silence 'em. Exo can't be allowed to silence 'em. Keep em' up, baby," he says.

He leans back in his chair and stretches his arms behind his head. Maybe it won't come to anything. Maybe it will start something horrible. Whatever the case, he feels that he needs to do it. Humanity needs to know her story. The superpowers must be held accountable for what happened to her.

"Give 'em hell," he whispers to no one in particular.

 

[Kira Goto]

Unknown transmission detected...

[OOC] Notice of clarity - the letters in front of each individual talking are purely there as guidance for the reader, rather than having any actual presence in the transmission.

A signal from an undisclosed source begins broadcasting through human inhabited space within the Bubble across open channels, containing a live audio transmission, a security failure within a link of an obscure comms network behind it. Anyone and anything monitoring for the right thing, at the right time, will be able to listen in...

F: How long has she been missing?

P: About a month.

F: A month?! Why hasn't she been found yet?

P: You know why. She's always been good at keeping herself hidden. And with the Thargoids in her head...

F: I don't want excuses. You managed to keep track of her for five years after she destroyed the colony, and even when they altered her. Why is it so hard to find her now? Just follow the damn trail of -

E: Relax. All they've had her do so far was some sabotage, and it didn't even kill people.

F: Relax?! There's a goddamn human-Thargoid hybrid out there that looks no different to any other person. Do you have any idea what kind of damage she could be causing if they stop being so restrained, or dominate her mind entirely?

I: The only damage she's caused is easily repairable. Most of the affected stations already are back at optimal performance already.

F: And how long until she decides to set off a reactor's self-destruct sequence? We all know she's damn well capable of that.

E: She can't hide from us forever. You know that as well.

F: It would have been better if she didn't slip out of Aegis' control in the first place. How is your project to create genetically engineered humans with superior strength, resilience and the same intelligence within the same body, so we can colonize new worlds more easily, going now? And you managed to get her enhanced by the Thargoids even further.

E: It was a risk worth taking. We didn't anticipate her discovering the project and destroying it, but that just makes her all the more valuable. And we shouldn't bring it up over a comms channel.

F: The link is encrypted even beyond military grade. No chance anyone's going to hack into it until it's wiped from the logs. And how valuable is she going to be if she ends up joining the Thargoids entirely? We can't get her back if that happens.

P: I'm inclined to agree with her. Is she really still worth the risk of keeping around? Maybe we should just get rid of her. And where the hell is [signal interrupted]

S: Where was I? Trying to clean up your mess. Killing Kira is not an option. We want her alive. The things we could learn from her existing -

P: Cleaning up my mess? I'm not the one who's letting the world know that a damn hybrid is on the loose in the middle of human society, controlled by a species we're at war with. How was I even supposed to know she'd suddenly just run off like that? She's got as much a mind of her own as Seo Jin-ae does. Unless you want to try predicting what either of them are going to do next.

S: Let's not focus on her getting away from Aegis, but how to get her back. She's too valuable to lose to the Thargoids, especially if they have done whatever they did to her, to those people recovered from a Titan.

F: And how do you want to do that? Bounty hunters aren't gonna cut it. She'll just run from or kill them. And some of those rebels removed the access lock on her carrier.

E: I'll deal with that matter separately. Who do we want her back with? Azimuth?

P: Azimuth?! Forget it. She'll put a bullet through her head before she even gets dragged close to one of their facilities. Especially with what [static] is letting them say. With Aegis, she'll at least be more inclined to stay there.

F: Because they didn't let her run away in the first place.

P: That wasn't exactly planned. And she'll know better than to listen to what the Thargoids are telling her after this.

F: You and [signal distorted] should have known better than to create a superior human and try to interface her with a Thargoid ship after the Proteus Wave. Look at what that got us.

P: You -

I: Enough! This squabbling won't get us anywhere. How do we get her to realize that she's not thinking for herself? Her mind's strong enough to resist it, but there needs to be a trigger.

F: We need some kind of bait. Something, or someone, that's annoyed the Thargoids a lot in the past.

E: One of her friends, perhaps?

P: No. If she kills one of them, it's going to push her over the edge. And if anything else goes wrong, they'll be what pulls her out of trouble. It needs to be someone she doesn't know, or she’ll suspect it’s a bait, too. I've got a candidate for that in mind already.

I: And I have somewhere to send them.

F: Do it. And make sure -

System alert! Listening post security failure!

P: What - damn it, one of our beacons has been transmitting this whole thing, and without encryption! Cut it -

The signal is cut off abruptly, and a command to purge the beacon's records is sent. But whatever caused the failure likely also interfered with the command, and anyone with the correct skills may be able to track down the source of the signal, and uncover a few of the secrets the machine holds...

Inara mirror (for those who might prefer that version) > https://inara.cz/elite/logbook/79465/

 

[Dayson Fane]

In the secure confines of his command room, Fane paces around the comm array and listens to the leaked broadcast. He has already heard it four times. Each time he has paused between playbacks to sit, rest his chin on his hands, shift his weight several times, and get up to start another playback. As he listens to each of the mysterious speakers, one in particular - a confident, insistent man in which he can hear a particular hunger to possess and master forces he barely understands - begins to turn his ear more and more. During this fifth playback, as this individual speaks, Fane turns his head to the only other person in the room: a tall young woman with charcoal hair, narrow green eyes, and an entranced expression, staring out at the stars from the nearby viewing port. The woman has no visible reaction, but Fane can feel the faint waves of psychic heat rolling off of her waver slightly when when the arrogant man speaks.

"Five voices," he murmers to himself. "Need for cutting-edge encryption. Possible connection to Azimuth. Thargoid hybridization research. Human genetic engineering. And then there's that guy. He's into some real 'fun' stuff, isn't he? And, it sounds like he's got beef with us over that carrier. Maybe even over more than that. What do you think, Kanna? Is this our man?"

The woman doesn't react, either physically or via the output of her emanations. She is thoroughly engrossed in her stargazing.

"Yeah," Fane nods, "I don't know for sure, either. But it's gonna bother the hell out of me if I don't pry into this at all."

He checks the time on the bulkhead display, then fishes in his jacket for a tube of nutrient paste. Walking over to her, he holds the tube in front of the woman's face until her eyes focus on it, then takes her hand and places the tube in it. Mechanically, she uncaps it, raises it to her lips, drains the contents, and hands it back to him. Once she's finished, he puts his hand on her shoulder and gently tugs her until she follows along on her own. They leave the command room and emerge onto the Revenant Spear's command deck. When he maneuvers her next to her usual chair - one in front of which many upgraded monitors, processors, and other tools are arrayed in a veritable wall of tech - she sits without being told and immediately begins hammering the keyboard, eyes boring into the screens like a woman possessed. Fane pats her gently, then moves to his own chair and begins typing a string of search parameters.

"All right, boys and girls," he calls excitedly, "Get me an update on our comm retrofits and tritium stockpile. Stand by for details regarding the acceleration of our timetable. I may have found one hell of a lead."

 

[Kira Goto]

November 24, 3309

An abandoned ship has been discovered beyond the outer reaches of the Omumba system on November 23, in the early evening.

Local authorities picked up the distress beacon, broadcasting at non-FTL speed on dedicated channels, roughly eight hours after it was triggered. At first, it was assumed an anti-xeno vessel sent out into nearby Thargoid-controlled space had been intercepted and destroyed by Thargoids during its jump. However, this turned out incorrect, as the patrol sent out to investigate the signal, thirty-thousand light seconds from the star, discovered an undamaged vessel in deep space, not responding to hails and operating in low-power mode.

A boarding party then entered to find it abandoned, with no sign of the pilot, though there appeared to be signs of tampering with the cargo hatch of the vessel. It was decided to return it to the local surface station, Zamyatin Horizons, under Imperial jurisdiction, for further investigation of any clues in onboard logs, in a safer environment.

There, analysis of the black box recorder revealed parts of an audio log, recorded during the last moments of the pilot prior to loss of consciousness, and possible subsequent death. The recording proved difficult to listen to, as the pilot was clearly aware of her impending fate as the recording progressed, but it also revealed a crucial piece of information - it was the ship of the Titan survivor, Kira Goto, who had gone missing after going rogue from Aegis on behalf of the Thargoids, on October 25th, 3309.

At that point, further investigation of the ship's onboard logs was handed off to Aegis by the Imperial authority. The log, as per above, details the last moments of Kira, who herself appeared to believe her life was about to end. Its audio contents were authorized to be published along with a transcript, and it was likely recorded following a brief, but intense, struggle to regain control of herself.

"I ..." breath "I did it. I fought it... fought them off." brief pause in speech "But it was too much. My brain is failing. I can feel it. I... tried."

breathing, slow, heavy

"I'm... sorry for what I did. What I let them do with me. What I let them do to me. I was not strong enough. I was ..."

10:08 - Recording interrupted, duration ~1 minute
10:09 - Recording resumed, heavy breathing mixes in with voice, which has become unsteady

"The distress beacon is active. I'm... stopping... the ship, now."

footsteps, strained breathing
FSD drop, ship slowing down

10:11 - Recording interrupted
10:13 - Recording resumed

"It's too late for me. Humanity can't save me any longer. But they can. I can still hear... their whispers. Will they hear me?"

long pause in speech, slow, heavy, breathing

"I can... feel it. Something is coming... it's nearly time. I feel... ready." isolated, heavy breath "I wonder if this is what death feels like?"

short pause, interrupted by a series of loud clicking sounds
wondrous tone

"There's a light outside. It's so pretty. I could fall asleep to it. I wonder how much I'll remember when I wake up?"

System warning: User vital sign failure imminent!

"Ina... Seo... Alba... I'm sorry. I failed you all. I'm so... so..." extended pause in speech "I'm so sorry."

breathing becomes slower and quieter over time, ceases entirely

A statement was received by Professor Alba Tesreau after this discovery, detailing further findings from the ship's logs:

"The logs found in Kira's ship, aside from her final recording, confirm what I feared all along. The Thargoids coerced her into committing acts that she normally would not have, conditioning her through sensations of pain if she attempted to resist. It seemed like that process of turning her obedient to their will was nearly complete at the time of her making her final log, but that's what ended up allowing her to defy them long enough to throw it off."

"I only wish we could have found her before this. Analysis of a particular sound in the final recording, in comparison to recordings of known Thargoid sounds, revealed a perfect match to a Thargoid Scythe. Sensors logs from prior to shutdown mirror this, as there are telltale signs of electromagnetic interference in their readings, matching in time for when the audio log was recorded, and the cargo hatch showed signs of tampering as well. Given the proximity to Titan Hadad, it is very likely that the Thargoids took her there after receiving a sign of distress through her cortical implant."

"It may not be my place to make such requests, especially in light of the danger - but please, if any pilots near this Titan are able, try to look for her there, and return her to the nearest rescue ship if you do find her. Medical teams will see to her upon recovery, and take appropriate safety measures. Kira is stilll not a traitor, and would not wish to see herself turned on humanity. If left there, that is almost certainly the fate awaiting her. Yet I cannot believe she actually desires this fate, despite what her final recording might indicate."

"She is likely already onboard the Titan and held within a pod, ensuring her condition does not degrade further, perhaps even allowing recovery. The pulse-wave xeno scanner should be capable of pinpointing the area where her pod is located on the Thargoid ship, as her life signs will differ from those of an unaltered human. However, the distance to this particular Titan will make the task even more perilous, and given the value that the Thargoids likely place on her, their resistance may be more fierce than usual. Do not commit to this task unprepared or on your own, if you choose to."

An inquiry on whether Aegis are planning a rescue operation of their own has not yet been met with a response. Any pilot attempting recovery remains advised to take greater care than on standard Titan rescue operations, and bring an escort.

---------------------------------

In related news, a statement has been received regarding the claim from Azimuth Biotech that Kira interfered with a legal asset recovery operation, on behalf of the Thargoids, roughly two months ago. According to the information provided by Professor Tesreau, who was personally told by her, Kira was not acting under the influence of the Thargoids at any point, instead seeking to rescue a close friend from the leader of the supposed mercenary company, Marcus Diaz, who appeared to be acting on vengeful motives related to his illegal slavery operation, kidnapping Sharpe and sedating Kira to avoid her opposition, after she prevented a prior attempt at abduction on Earth. This first attempt allegedly included illegal assault with the goal to kill Kira.

This mirrors some of the information provided in an official AXDF statement, which followed shortly after Azimuth published their claims. As of yet, Aegis personnel are still combing the data for any further relevant information to establish clarity regarding this incident. No files have been made accessible to the public thus far.

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OOC - the story continues here : Stars in the Storm, 1: Nemesis Calling