Expeditionary Tales

Hello Explorers!

These are the collected and, in some cases, annotated tales from the brave and adventurous members of the Expeditionary Corps and other interesting sources. Diary entries, notes, expedition reports, you name it, snippets are here. Expeditionary Corps members are encouraged to submit their tales to the SCGECO for submission in the yearly almanac.

Diary Entries

A collection of diary entries from various expeditions, shore visits, locations of interest, famous events and even the idle ramblings of Expeditionary corps crew and odd persons from across the cosmos.

Moghes Expedition Diaries

The Moghes Expedition XV - XPL. Timothy Hopkins (Pt. 1)

From the Diary of Timothy Hopkins, Explorer, Expeditionary Corps, Moghes Expedition XV March 15th, 2304 - April 29th, 2304 Dear Diary, Oh boy! Lieutenant Larcon said I should keep a journal of my experiences on the journey to Moghes! He says it'll do good for me to keep records of what we see! Well diary, I sure am lucky seeing this cargo hold! Some kind folks on Luna were kind enough to give us a ride! Boy diary, it's all kindsa great that I got to be here, though, I ain't ungrateful none. I still can't believe I got picked! Lieutenant Larcon picked me right outta the academy. Why I remember it now he said "Boy, you got the brains God gave you, and you're gonna have to live with that, but by their grace I'll stop you bein' a pile of goop on the floor." He sure is a kinda fella. I figure he just likes me so cause we're both from Mars! The ship we're on sure is small, they'se only got room for us in the hold! Lieutenant Larcon said we gotta keep things cheap! At least we brought all our camp gear with us, shucks my rucksack can be heavy. At least my travel bed folds out real easy. I miss the ranch. Transcribed using Orion Corporation Dicta-Diary handheld journal assistant.

The Moghes Expedition XV - XPL. Timothy Hopkins (Pt. 2)

March 15th, 2304 - April 29th, 2304 From the Diary of Timothy Hopkins, Explorer, Expeditionary Corps, Moghes Expedition XV Dear Diary, What a wacky day! We finally made it to Ceres, I ain't never been here before! It sure is huge, there's loadsa ships all over and all these weird lookin' folk. We got a few hours to walk around while we waited for the Lieutenant to sort out all our paperwork, he sure is a thoughtful guy! Why he said 'boy, don't need you puttin' the wrong name on the wrong line and gettin' us thrown into customs, you give me that travel card and y'all go wait in the market.' Swell! Well now diary, me and the others went walkin' around Ceres station and hoo there sure are a lotta them spacey fellas here with them big eyes of theirs, they's creepy as all heck. Some of 'em was starin' at us from a stall in the market before hollerin' at us to come over! I figure we musta stood out like sore thumbs in our uniforms! Anyhow eventually they was beckonin' us over. Now they were speakin' in somethin' I ain't never heard before. But now Creed, now Creed sure is good at them languages, he says he's a multilinguistic specialist! That sure sounds neat. So Creed he talks to these folks, the big one, with the real scary eyes, they look like they're gonna fall outta his head! I can't tell none where he's lookin' neither, but I figure he's starin' at me while he's talkin'. Then the smaller one,she starts talkin' to me in Sol! Gee. Leads me over to her little part of the store and now, she's sayin' I look like a pretty important fella and well I guess I am now! So they tell me they gots themselves an alien artifact all the way from Mirnoran, a far off place where them Skrell is from! They lift a cloth off this here thing, and would ya believe it it's an orb, smooth as anythin' I ever did see, black as night, and it's floatin'! Floatin'! I figure this here is an artifact of some importance so I says I gots to have it, and this nice gal, well, she says I can have it for a special discount on account of how important I look, but I gots to keep it a secret until I take it off Ceres on account of some unsavoury types lookin' to steal it for themselves! 'Course I know this is real important so I pay right quick for it and stuff it into my rucksack where it makes some beepin' sounds and hurry on back to everyone. Creed was shakin' his head and sayin' somethin' real angry like to the fella behind the counter before gettin' us to leave. He tells me they was tryin' to sucker him into buyin' some junk! Creed sure ain't the kinda fella to fall for somethin' like that from no spacies! We had ourselves a good old time in a bar in a corner of the market before Chief Hanlon comm'd us to regroup back at the dock, we were finally goin'! That's all for now diary, I'll let you know when we're on the go! -Paused- -- -Resumed- -- Chief Hanlon called me a goofball when I showed him my findin' and shouted at me for wastin' my expenses! Lieutenant Lacon told me I was a damn idiot and held m'artifact under a tap afore all the black washed off before my very eyes. It was a doggone camera, the kind them journalists use! I was surely embrassed by this discovery, everyone laughed at me! I ain't never trustin' no spacey again! Transcribed using Orion Corporation Dicta-Diary handheld journal assistant.

The Moghes Expedition XV - Lt. Abraham Larcon, Pathfinder

March 15th, 2304 - April 29th, 2304 From the Diary of Lieutenant Abraham Larcon, Pathfinder Expeditionary Corps, Moghes Expedition XV Log one: Larcon, pers'nal log, date's, uh, fifteenth, March, fifty eight. Aboard the FTV Fools Bounty comin' from Luna, first connector flight before we meet our main hopper at Ceres to Helios, then onto Moghes. Captain Omaghi 'sures me we'll make good time. Dammit he better. They won't wait for us, and if w'ain't there on time that'll compound things. Most'a the teams settled in for the trip. Kade, Mandy, Hank and Creed are all doin' just fine. Hanlon's keepin' an eye on things well enough. Good man to have on a trip like this. Even that damn fool of a boy Hopkins is holdin' up. Not sayin' much, 'course, given how far from the Eek-Oh we are. Wouldn't have even considered 'im for a mission like this, but, well, they said he's got a damn eidetic memory. Perfect fer documentation. 'spose he knows how to do what he's told at least. Missions not too clear. Information came back in from that surveyor we've got contracted out there, Rawlings, something's been found, but some local Unathi clan ain't havin' none of it with Rawlin's, means it's damn near impossible for 'em to make more progress. I haven't been given the courtesy of any particulars, but the Cap wants me on it, so I'm on it. Must be somethin' important, least, I hope it is. God if I don't hate the heat though. End of log one. Transcribed using Orion Corporation Dicta-Diary handheld journal assistant.

The Gaia Conflict

Gaia - Linda Keppler, Mayor of New Venice.
November 5th, 2291 From the Official Diary of Linda Keppler,  Mayor of New Venice 2290-2292 The Campaign is finally over. It's been a long, long year, a hard road. The journey was difficult for us to get here, but we've won. Two days ago Governor Lestari initiated the referendum on SCG membership, though not without some problems. There were widespread protests at voting sites throughout the city by North Gaians and by what my police chief frankly suspects to be ICCG Actors.  Despite widespread voter intimidation reports from across the planet,  the people were not to be defied, and the final count came in just hours ago. Gaia has voted to join the SCG by 55% for, 45% against. Unfortunately, this news hasn't been the relief I'd hoped it would be for the people of my city. These same protestors have now escalated, and have taken control of the water processing facility where they've begun crippling critical infrastructure. Protestors and counter protestors from both sides are clashing outside of the headquarters of the “Friends of Gilgamesh” society.  The situation is rapidly spiralling out of control as these incidents continue to spread. I am losing control of my city and reports from elsewhere on the planet are even more concerning. I just hope Chief Brannon can keep a lid on things until the peacekeeping force from Sol can arrive to resort order. I don't like the rumours I've been getting about the PDF. I really, really don't think I can trust them to help with this situation (and if Jennings' word is true, half of the protestors at the water plant are wearing PDF berets"). This is Linda Keppler, signing off for the day. Transcribed using Orion Corporation Dicta-Diary handheld journal assistant.
ARCHIVISTS NOTE:  L. Keppler, Mayor of New Venice, vanished without a trace during the occupation after being deposed by the ICCG Military Governor after their invasion of the planet. Their current status and whereabouts are unknown.  A staunch member of the Pro-Sol Alliance of Progressive Citizens Kepler was a lauded political scientist at the University of Southern Gaia for many years before running for office. Known for their work across the planet on electoral reform as the head of the Gaia Election Board they are often singled out by analysts as the one most-responsible for ensuring a transparent and fair Gaian democracy through their implementations.

Gaia - Marc Petrus, Assistant to the Vice Chairman, Friends of Gilgamesh Society.
November 8th, 2291 From the Diary of Marc Petrus, Assistant to the Vice Chairman, Friends of Gilgamesh Society. Bah! They do not understand, and they never will. Every attempt to  open a dialogue has failed. The Chairman and the Mayor simply will not talk to one another. Every communique sent to the Mayor's office is met with a prompt return to sender and no note. The Chairman himself is no better, refusing to leave the offices to speak to the Mayor directly.  It is quite unacceptable, how these so called “Solar Patriots” disrupt and attack our peaceful demonstrations. Infront of our own building, no less! And now we are to be blamed for the looting of the nearby stores also? Preposterous. No child of Gilgamesh would stoop to stealing from their own. Though…It is somewhat disturbing, these reports of the destruction of the water plant. The Chairman assures me it was not us, and is instead blaming these Solar Patriots. I am unsure about this though, not even they would destroy their own water supply. There were rumours in the office of a rogue PDF element being behind the facilities destruction, which would explain the explosions. The Chairman denied this, however. I am most unsure. The rioting continues to spread, much of the nearby neighbourhoods are ablaze. I do not wish to see my home city destroyed like this.   Still, our protest must continue. Our voice will be heard. Forty five percent of us did not wish for this. They will not silence almost half of the planet. We will endure, of that I am certain. Transcribed using Archaeus Interstellar Note-Generator handheld diction pal.
ARCHIVISTS NOTE: M. Petrus, a prominent New Venice independent businessman of Gilgameshian descent, was tragically killed six days after this diary entry protecting his store from looters. His death led to an extreme escalation of the riot resulting in a brutal crackdown by Sol Peacekeepers two weeks later.  Ever a divisive figure in New Venetian politics,  Petrus was an active member of the Friends of Gilgamesh society responsible for leading the campaign against joining the SCG in the city. Despite this, Petrus maintained the respect of his opponents for his apparently Venice-first practices, regularly fighting for local issues and founding several charities to work toward the betterment of conditions in New Venice.

Space Stories

A collection of tall tales, odd stories and such from across the galaxy.

The SFV Merlin

March 15th, 2302 From a collection of spacers tales as told by Chief Explorer Rick Martin. The tale of the SFV Merlin is one normally told late at night by explorers and fleet crew alike in their bunks, telling tales of rescue by the infamous vessel. Allegedly, the Merlin was a Fourth Fleet vessel, a cruiser, fitted with an experimental engine capable of very small jumps into bluespace and out into realspace, allowing it some sort of teleportation to confuse and harass enemy vessels. These experiments were reputedly conducted with the assistance, or at least oversight, of Skrellian elements. Testing began in the summer of 2296, around the establishment of the Fifth Fleet. Crew taking place in the first microjump experiment, a simple mile-long jump, complained about a feeling of ‘dislocation’, as if they didn’t fully come back, followed by persistent nausea. Some re-materialized with metallic skin resembling the hull, some did not appear at all. However, the experiment was conducted again in 2300, this time a two-mile jump from asteroid to asteroid. The Merlin did not reappear, dropping off both sensors, radio, and visual monitoring. Some swear they’ve seen the Merlin, others promise at all opportunities they were rescued by a ship bearing the name on its’ hull. Sourced from: Tales of the stars, or how I learned to love the void, by CXPL R.Martin, Expeditionary Corps.

The SEV Magnus

July 2304 Ships Log, ITV White Whale 12th: Beginning return journey B. Wendigo, some godforsaken system that's barely on most maps. It's been a long twelve months. Just dropped off some of those, what are they, Expeditionaries? Whatever, they're uniformed Sol. One in charge kept insisting they weren't military but his gaggle of brats kept calling him Lieutenant. Seems military enough to me. 16th: About to pass Joron now on the return home. All quiet thus far, don't see much this far out. At least the pay was worth it. 17th: Computers gone crazy, lotta alerts rolling in from the sensor array. Looks like there's a...Distress call? It's all fairly garbled, can't get much from it. Megan? Moogus? Magnus? 18th: Consensus from my officers. Nav's got us a route plan worked out, Chief says we have the fuel and we can handle the detour. Obligated to go anyway, damn Stellar Merchant code. White Whale has diverted for Joron. 19th: Solar storms in-system are intense. Superflares. It's not looking pretty. Four planets in-system. Nothing man-made this far out normally.Getting something on the scanners on the far side. Looping around. Slowly. 20th: Found something. Looks like a third of a hull, Corvette sized. Clean cut...Not normal. Too precise. No sign of the rest of the ship. Waiting for the superflares to die down then moving to investigate. 22nd: Flares died down. Moving into orbit of the husk now. 23rd: Excursion team back. Blackbox recovered. Noone alive, looks like the atmo-locks functioned at least. Most of the compartments were airtight. Poor bastards suffocated. Looks like they were in there for...A week. No survivors. Preparing to launch comm buoy on the edge of the system then we're headed for SCG Space. The recovery bounty on the box'll more than cover the cost of flyin' all the way out to this hellhole. 24th: White Whale- Under attack. Long range, can't- See on our sensor array. Not lookin- Shields almost failed. It's- Something on communications array patching into log- [[UNTRANSLATABLE, PROVIDING ORIGINAL AUDIO] |+_+--¬=]. --- Thruster failure. Shield failure, engine- We're not gonna make it looks like. Launching pods. Launching distress beacon and comm buoy with log. Tell Sally I'm sorry. Captain Nils Cradditch, Free Trade Union, log of the ITV White Whale recovered from comm buoy, found via transponder near Locutus in 2305.

Official Documents of The SEV Torch

SEV Torch - Mission Briefing

October 29th, 2306 Mission Briefing, SEV Torch, Helios Project. From: Commandant of the Expeditionary Corps, SCGECO, Sol System. To: Commanding Officer, SEV Torch Captain, Congratulations on being selected to command the Sol Expeditionary Vessel Torch. Let me, through this letter, be the first to welcome you to the project. The Torch is an EC headed, jointly-staffed vessel under the direct authority of Expeditionary Command, and subsequently, the Secretary-General, crewed by both civilians, uniformed services and the Defense Forces. Additionally, a research element, staffed by employees of the newly founded Expeditionary Corps Organization, made up of interests and assets from a number of corporations, has been attached to the vessel and will provide their expertise as needed. In order to coordinate with the Secretary-General and other SCG elements, as well as to negotiate with any encountered alien life, a civilian SCG Representative will be accompanying you. Your mission is one of exploration, aimed at mapping as-yet uncharted areas of space. The primary objectives of the Torch Mission are threefold: Make contact with alien life and form positive relations. Locate new and unclaimed technology and resources for research. Find and mark suitable planets and systems for future colonization Resources and support will be limited whenever the Torch is far from civilization, however, communication will be maintained by Quantum Entanglement communication devices and prototype Bluespace-drive equipped supply drones, though assistance in the event of an emergency will be unlikely. This is a high risk mission and it is probable you and your crew will encounter hostile species, major environmental hazards and situations that are unlike anything you will have experienced in SCG space. While great pains have been taken to properly outfit your vessel for the mission ahead, the rest is up to you and your crew. The mission will not be an easy one, but we have confidence in your ability to get the job done. Good luck, and godspeed. Yours, Magny Amira Khan, Commandant of the Expeditionary Corps SCGECO SCGECO Archive - Torch section

SEV Torch - Corporate Objectives

December 15th, 2306 Corporate Objectives. From: NanoTrasen Board of Directors To: Director, NanoTrasen Research Team, SEV Torch Director, We hope you have settled into your position well. Congratulations are in order for being assigned to this important post. As you should already know, NanoTrasen has an extraordinary amount of money riding on this venture, and it is critical that your mission is profitable for the Company. While you will be working in conjunction with the SCG personnel aboard the Torch, who have their own mission and goals, we expect you to keep your eyes on the big picture. Above all else, your main priorities should be first, to locate and claim a new source of Phoron. Nyx will run dry, sooner or later, and whoever is sitting on the next deposit will come out on top of the scrap that follows. Second, you should recover and analyze any advanced technology or new materials you come across, whether or not anyone currently owns them. Weapons technology is especially valuable. The Board will handsomely reward employees who advance either of these goals. It may be unusual to work in close proximity with government personnel and the military, but we have provided a NanoTrasen Liaison to assist you in your mission, and prevent undue SCG interference. We expect you to cooperate with SolGov to the extent the law requires, a slipup could result in our expulsion from the project. The rest of your research team should be selected shortly, until then, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the new rules and regulations you’ll have to obey aboard the Torch. Regards, Jackson Trasen NanoTrasen Chairman NanoTrasen Central Office, New Amsterdam, Luna NanoTrasen Corporate Records Archive BD91817-TORCH-105

SEV Torch - Representative Report

Sol Central Government Assembly Committee for Diplomatic Relations, Subcommittee on the Expeditionary Corps Memorandum, 06/26/2306 Subject: Report on the SEV Torch Project From: Max Adams, Sol Central Government Representative, SEV Torch This memorandum was compiled following several months of service aboard the SEV Torch. During this period of approximately 5 months, I had the opportunity to observe and advise many of the officers currently assigned to the Torch Program. Over the course of my service, I began to see three distinct types of officers in and around the bridge of the Torch: the scientists, the veterans, and the glory hounds. The scientists are the class of officer that most directly aligns with the mission statement and directives of the Expeditionary Corps. Dedicated to exploration and discover, they are the ones pushing the Torch to its limits, hoping to discover a new species, a new element, a new civilization. Unlike some of their comrades and Fleet compatriots, they seem to harbor little – if any – ill will towards their EXO counterparts. Often seen serving in Pathfinder roles, leading a team of like-minded explorers, the encouragement of this particular attitude would go far in securing support for the Expeditionary Corps in the Assembly, as the megacorporations see the EC as a useful, unbiased ally in the world of science. The veterans of the Expeditionary Corps are more often than not seen in the commanding officer’s chair. Grizzled by their service – often in Third Fleet roles or early Expeditionary Corps vessels – these officers lead by example. Rarely above stepping into fray themselves, the veterans often leave the exploration nearly exclusively to the Pathfinder, which, in the case of a ‘scientist’ Pathfinder, is an extremely symbiotic relationship. While generally seen in CO roles, some veterans have found themselves in Executive Officer and even Pathfinder roles, the latter of which results in aggressive exploration – though sometimes at the cost of science. Encouragement of this type of officer would likely help lend legitimacy to the EC in the eyes of uniformed military organizations such as the Fleet. The glory hounds represent the often young, scrappy and hungry members of the EC; many of them are fresh out of the Academy and looking to make a name for themselves. Despite their eagerness, many of these type find themselves in Bridge Officer roles, eagerly awaiting their turn to take the Charon down to an exoplanet or planetoid. However, like the ‘veterans’, many of the glory hounds are over-eager in their exploration, occasionally taking souvenirs with them instead of carefully documenting them. This attitude, in my experience, has rubbed off on the enlisted explorers as well as led to conflicts with Fleet personnel as the glory hounds attempt to make a name for themselves. Encouragement of this type would likely help the public face of the EC, helping to combat the stigma of both lazy Fleet dropouts and of shut-in scientists. In conclusion, the leaders of the Expeditionary Corps’ Field Operations are as diverse and varied as the enlisted, and that in and of itself is a strength that helps to differentiate the EC from any other organization. The appointment of science-minded officers at Pathfinder, veterans at Commanding Officer and glory hounds at Bridge Officer, while perhaps not the perfect composition for any one purpose, is a composition that will accomplish all of the goals of the EC at an acceptable level. Report Received 06/26/2308

SEV Torch - NanoTrasen research team recalled.

December 1st, 2307 Recall of NanoTrasen Research Team From: Katelyn Grunwald, VP of Research & Development To: Director, NanoTrasen Research Team, SEV Torch Director, It is regretful that I must write to you ordering you and your team's recall to Sol operations headquarters for reassignment pending your current expedition's conclusion. The situation has changed drastically as support from the board has declined and other outside investors seek to engage with the Helios Project. Effective on return to Sol your team's mission is terminated and all NanoTrasen assets will be removed from integrated duties with the SCG Expeditionary Corps. While the details are still scant,  it is understood that a new conglomerate is being formed to represent the combined scientific interests and investment of numerous corporations on this government project, tentatively titled the “Expeditionary Corps Organisation.” We have little faith in the return of profits from this endeavour given the extremely diluted level of investment and allowable return, though a small group of employees will continue to participate so as to allow the company to benefit from discovered knowledge. Members of our team may individually apply for assignment to this, though you yourself will not be participating. You are needed in Nyx, Director. NanoTrasen Corporate Records Archive BD91819-TORCH-278