A transcription of terminal entries from the Groundbreaker.
Docking Bay Arrivals Terminal[]
Location: This terminal is located by Leonard Wheeler in the customs office, near the Docking Bay.
Docking Bay Arrivals Terminal
========================
Main menu
Records[]
Records menu
Arrivals[]
-Cleo freighter, hauling Tobaccorn (dues paid).
-Rizzo freighter, hauling Purpleberry everything (dues paid).
-Freelancer, possibly SubLight (dues paid).
-Freelancer, definitely SubLight (dues paid).
-Unreliable, business unknown (Impounded. Hawthorne's ship, but no Hawthorne. Wonder what happened there).
Departures[]
-Freelancer, SubLight.
-Freelancer, none (deadbeat at the Rest-N-Go insisted once again that he's part of the crew, but they acted like they didn't know him).
-Spacer's Choice freighter, delivered Callahan's new mask.
Messages[]
Messages menu
FROM: GB_Security, SUBJECT: These conditions...[]
TO: Dissatisfied_User70
FROM: GB_Security
SUBJECT: Re: These conditions...
This is a joke, right? I'm forwarding this around the station, and no one thinks you're real.
And if you are, welcome to Groundbreaker, asshole.
TO: GB_Security
FROM: Dissatisfied_User70
SUBJECT: These conditions...
...Aren't fit for cystypigs. You honestly expect me to share a berth with some junker flown by a freelancer? I am a company man, and I demand COMPANY ACCOMMODATIONS!!! Auntie Cleo would give you such a withering glare if she saw how you treated her two-time Employee of the Month (Yes, that is me).
You signed a Social Contract when you gave me clearance to land. I ask for what is mine by right - room to breathe, a heated berth so I can walk around barefoot, and service with a smile. You've given me one out of three.
I'll give you until I hit "Send" to rectify this error.
FROM: GB_Security, SUBJECT: Harassment[]
FROM: GB_Security
TO: Wild_Cat
SUBJECT: Re: Harassment
Don't bother. We're on our way.
FROM: Wild_Cat
TO: GB_Security
SUBJECT: Harassment
Hey, I landed like fifteen minutes ago and this crazy guy with no shoes on has been throwing shit at my rig. Like actual shit. Can I open fire or what?
Prismatic Hammer Research Terminal[]
Location: This terminal is located in the sealed Repair Hangar which can be accessed via a loose panel at the back of the Stevedore Quarters.
Prismatic Hammer Research Terminal
========================
Main menu
Logs[]
Displaying log entries.
Last log entry date: ERROR - ABERRANT INTERFERENCE
Log 01 - Discovery[]
Entry 01:
While rummaging through the back bays, I discovered a very old Hammersmith crate that seemed to have been sealed for a very long time. A bit of elbow grease and determination pried it open, but I couldn't make heads or tails of my discovery - a prototype hammer.
I didn't know Hammersmith actually made hammers, but I've brought it to my lab for a closer look.
How strangely it glows. The trail of its wake lingers even when my eyes are closed.
Log 02 - Mystery[]
Entry 02:
I've spent more time on the hammer. Its internal workings are state of the art - thermal, electrical, and chemical systems all working in harmony. How is this even possible? The weapon is a breakthrough in circuitry and engineering, and many of its systems appear rigged against tampering.
There's a curious energy signature swirling about the weapon, though I have yet to identify the source. The air tastes of copper. And I have lost several teeth.
Log 03 - Troubles[]
Entry 03:
I have had the most sublime, prismatic dreams since I invited the hammer into my bedchamber. Never mind that for now. Good news first. The energy signature matches Blondiot's elusive N-rays, raising the hammer's elemental properties to four: shock, plasma, corrosion, and radiation.
Now for the bad. In my attempts to neuter the self-destruct functionality, I inadvertently caused a small fire. The hammer's manual controls may never function again. Swinging it seems to be the only way of cycling through its elemental modes.
I must take greater care with future experiments.
Log 04 - Annihilation[]
Entry 04:
I've taken the liberty of locking myself in the workshop. My tinkerings were all for naught. This is no prototype - I am simply too flawed to recognize its perfections.
The hammer is a lesson. A symbol. It whispers to me that disorder rules all things, but with a little ambition we can harness that power. Only by inflicting chaos upon others can we transmute disorder into harmony.
And that is a lesson Halcyon is not ready to hear.
Mardet Docking Security Terminal[]
Location: This terminal is located in the secure section of the Groundbreaker Security Office. One requires either a Holographic Shroud with the Mardet ID Cartridge or permission to be in the area to access the terminal without security turning hostile.
Mardet Docking Security Terminal
========================
Main menu
Eject Docking Records Data Cartridge[]
Note: This data cartridge is required for the quest, The Empty Man.
Data cartridge ejected.
Confiscated Goods[]
Detained a freelancer who was cagey about his business. Confiscated his personal belongings while he waited for questioning:
-Modified pistol, Joch
-Hatchet
-Metal Hoop (Ig)
-Prayer beads (OSI)
-Locked container (owner refused inspection)
He fled before we could get down to it. Left his things behind, so they're stored in the back of the security station until the idiot shows his face again, which is likely to be never.
Security Logs[]
-SubLight put a bid on one of our impounds. Generous one, too. Negotiate for the usual finder's fee and then give Lilya her salvage.
-Brawl at the Lost Hope. Freelancers vs. Board. Freelancers won. Arrested a freighter captain with more bits than brains.
-Hawthorne's ship impounded by order of Udom Bedford. Still no clue why Hawthorne associates with that Board snake.
-A guy from the Back Bays roughed up the moon kid. Raving mad, warned me that the moon was gonna bring about the end times. He was flying high on whatever MacRedd grows down there.
-Got a sworn testimony that MacRedd was spotted at the Rest-n-Go. Not that anyone will corroborate it. Reminder to keep an eye on Gladys.
MedBay Terminal[]
Location: This terminal is located on the front desk of the Medical Bay, next to Doctor Mfuru.
Groundbreaker MedBay Terminal
========================
Main menu
Messages[]
Messages
TO: Capt. Irion, SUBJECT: Where are my automechs?[]
FROM: Dorsett, W.
TO: Cap_Irion
SUBJECT: Where are my automechs?
I need a status update, Irion.
I know you boasted about the Scylla shortcut, but could you maybe venture through a pocket of space that isn't infested with pirates? You know, pirates. The ones who love cargo and hate rules.
Here in MedBay we've got blunt tools, watered-down meds, long shifts, and shaky hands. Don't let me down.
Logs[]
Logs
Staff Shortage[]
I'm at my wit's end coordinating with any authority outside of Groundbreaker. The Board won't dispatch a surgeon unless Junlei agrees to share a third of all docking revenue, and Spacer's Choice won't send supplies unless we make an exclusive deal to use their products. No thank you. I've seen enough shoddy needles breaking off in patients' arms.
I need to chat with Junlei about this, but she has problems of her own. Some of us are growing concerned about the cost of Groundbreaker's independence.
Public Access Terminal (port side)[]
Location: This terminal is located on the port side of the Groundbreaker Promenade, near the SubLight Salvage and Shipping Corporation offices.
Groundbreaker Public Access Terminal
============================
Main Menu
Recent Users[]
Loading recent users...
CALLAHAN, M. - signed in
EVERSON, B. - logged out
OYAMA, T. - logged out
Access User: CALLAHAN, M.[]
Welcome, M. Callahan.
Displaying recent messages.
FROM: SC_Manager541, SUBJECT: The hat[]
FROM: SC_Manager541
TO: Callahan, M.
SUBJECT: Re: The hat
You made your Spacer's Choice when you signed the employment contract.
FROM: Callahan, M.
TO: SC_Manager541
SUBJECT: The hat
I keep telling you the hat doesn't fit right. There's something wrong with it. How many people have worn this thing before me?
Is this my life now? Because if it is, I'll take it - I'll be your moon man - but there won't be anything left of me to care.
-Martin
TO: MAMA_C, SUBJECT: Hi mom[]
FROM: MAMA_C
TO: Callahan, M.
SUBJECT: Re: Hi mom
Are you okay, honey?
~Mom
FROM: Callahan, M.
TO: MAMA_C
SUBJECT: Hi mom
Hope you're doing well, mom. Thought I'd check in.
Engineers visit the shop a bunch. I remember when I used to turn a wrench back home on Terra 2.
Lilya Hagen over in SubLight told me that I could always pursue a career in salvage if this thing doesn't work out.
Please give Dad and the others a hug from me.
Mom, it's really great that we can stay in touch like this. Little reminders of home are more important than ever.
Enjoy the quality Spacer's Choice goods I sent. You can get ones just like them at home, but I figured you might appreciate me getting the company discount and all.
-Martin
Public Notices[]
Displaying public notices
The Heat[]
I know it's bad. As the one whose office is closest to our radiators, you can imagine why I want to take three showers every day. I hear you.
We've got eyes on the problem. And hands. And tools. It's a mechanical problem with a mechanical solution. In the meantime, enjoy some additional water rations. And take breaks - you deserve them. If you're thirsting for cooler air, talk to your closest engineer about spots with favorable circulation.
J.T.
Seeking Contractor: SubLight Salvage[]
Seeking ethically-flexible spacer with Stellar Bay landing clearance.
Payment in exchange for return of legal salvage. Details given upon acceptance of contract.
Active warrants? Prior convictions? No questions asked. Our background checks filter out criminal red flags. Plausible deniability is the SubLight way.
See Lilya Hagen for details. Warehouse next to the Spratwurst joint, second floor.
Loitering on Board Property is Strictly Prohibited[]
DO NOT DELETE
The Halcyon Holdings corporate office and its environs are for conducting official Board business *only.* Anyone found misusing Board property will be fined accordingly.
Board property includes - but is not limited to - Halcyon Holding's office here on Groundbreaker, the space directly in front of my desk, the space directly behind my desk, my doorway, my beerth, and, most importantly, my stairs.
Thank you for your cooperation.
~Udom Bedford, Certified Liaison
p.s. Please note that the next spacer caught drinking on the stairs outside the embassy may find themselves on the rude side of an airlock.
p.p.s. This is the third time I've had to post this message, and I'm sick and tired of it. I will not hesitate to open a Board-sanctioned investigation into your behavior and, when you are caught, punish you accordingly, FELIX MILLSTONE.
Public Access Terminal (starboard side)[]
Location: This terminal is located on the starboard side of the Groundbreaker Promenade, near Udom Bedford's office.
Groundbreaker Public Access Terminal
============================
Main Menu
Messages - Admin Access[]
Note: This entry requires Hack 20 to access.
Recent messages. Welcome, administrator.
TO: Wildcat_Group, SUBJECT: Groundbreaker Meetup[]
FROM: Buckhanon, Kitty
TO: Wildcat_Group
SUBJECT: Groundbreaker Meetup
Even though it's been nigh on twenty years since our last meetup on Groundbreaker, I was hoping we could get the old gang back together.
I understand that things have changed. Some of us are long-range haulers, some of us have gone corporate, some of us are likely dead, and some of us are on Tartarus and not reading this message - but I haven't lost hope.
No one responded to my last invite. I hope that means your schedules are full up with family gatherings and job opportunities.
Stay free, freelancers.
TO: IS_Conveyors_Collective, SUBJECT: Conveyors' Rights[]
Note: Repeated attempts to access this entry will result in it being deleted and made inaccessible.
FROM: IceMan
TO: IS_Conveyors_Collective
SUBJECT: Conveyors' rights
Hi all,
So I just got off ice from a roundtrip to Dashkova. Two years out, two years back. Imagine my surprise when we dethawed and Groundbreaker comms told us our docking was gonna be "delayed".
One hour turned into five. Then days went by! In the end, we spent an entire goddamn week waiting for a berth on this Law-fucked bolt bucket. And because we were kicking our heels all that time, not a one of us got paid.
I don't know about you, but I got expenses - a family I don't see often enough, debt you wouldn't fucking believe. And even if I'm not working, I still gotta make my payments.
Does that seem proper to you?
Don't we conveyors have rights?
We should do something about this. If you agree, leave a message here, and I'll respond when I get back from GenSan in three years.
IceMan out.
Public Notices[]
Displaying public notices
Regarding the Food Situation[]
To those of you who have raised concerns about the quality of Groundbreaker's vittles (yes I'm aware the promenade stinks), allow me to put the matter to rest.
Our ancestors didn't rise from humble beginnings on a diet of spratwurst and boarst. But that's the reality of life up here. If you can salt it, can it, or zip it up in a pouch, then we're not picky about calling it "food."
Spacers make do with what they have. And what we have is smelly meat, lots of salt, and eleven kinds of mustard (last time I counted). Try and enjoy it.
J.T.
Ship Impounded?[]
This is a general notice about our impound policies. If the Board impounded your ship, take it up with the Board. Their embassy is the gaudy building opposite SubLight's warehouse. Send them your questions, outstanding fees, and hate mail. Especially hate mail.
If Groundbreaker impounded you, pay your damn fees and don't bother my people.
J.T.
Looking for Work[]
Urgently looking for a new crew to sign on with. I've been stuck in Halcyon for almost a year now, don't know what's holding up my next posting.
Never had to wait this long to get on another freighter.
I'd planned to take one of the rare long hauls back to Earth, but I haven't been able to find any, and even the shorter skips to the inner worlds seem rarer than the outer world routes these days.
If anyone has any information about upcoming work please post it here.
Down on My Luck[]
Hey, so here's my story. My ship limped into Groundbreaker in a rough state. We couldn't make the repair fees, the docking fees, refueling, or the fees for not being able to pay our fees, so I'm kind of stuck here now. Then they took my ship and sold it off as scrap.
Now my credit is shot to hell and corporate freighters won't hire me on. I'm hoping someone with a bunk to spare and places to go is feeling charitable. Thanks for listening.
[This notice has been posted 56 times in 632 days]
Embassy Terminal[]
Location: This terminal is located inside the Board Embassy, on Udom Bedford's desk.
Note: This terminal requires Udom Bedford's passcode to access. It will also unlock automatically if Kendrick Silva has replaced Udom Bedford.
Byzantium Liaison Private Terminal
=========================
Main menu
ALERT: This terminal is scheduled to have its circuits reset within the next several business months. Please transfer all content to backup cartridges as soon as possible.
Welcome user - Bedford, U.
Please select from the following options:
Admin Functions[]
Note: This text appears before the Unbreaker's impound has been cleared.
User Bedford, U.: You have one (1) active impound order.
[1] - The Unreliable
Please select from the following options:
Note: This text appears after the Unbreaker's impound has been cleared.
User Bedford, U.: You have no (0) active impound orders.
Please select from the following options:
Clear Impound Order[]
Releasing Impound Order for:
Ship Designation: 'The Unreliable'
Ship Captain: Hawthorne, A.
Updating Groundbreaker Docking Bay Records...
...
...
Update complete!
Messages[]
You have:
-Three (3) Personal Correspondence Logs
-Two (2) Open Maintenance Requests
Please select from the following options:
Personal Correspondence[]
Please select the record you want to review.
FROM: A. Hawthorne, SUBJECT: Re: the noble space rat[]
FROM: Hawthorne, A.
TO: Bedford, U.
SUBJECT: Re: the noble space rat
Uh-huh. You don't say.
-A.H.
FROM: Bedford, U.
TO: Hawthorne, A.
SUBJECT: the noble space rat
My dear Alex! I have stumbled upon the most incredible discovery. Have you ever tasted spratwurst? They set up a stall near my embassy, haven't you heard? And while I shan't deign to step outside and explore this culinary frontier myself, I sent an armed guard to procure one such delectable morsel for my personal enjoyment. Alex, the taste defies description. Meaty, chewy, a mouthfeel of gristle and autumn leaves - and the range of available gourmet dipping mustards confounds my wildest expectations. Confounds!
Sail your beautiful barge back to Groundbreaker, dear Alex, that we might indulge ourselves on the fruit of the noble space rat and toast to the culinary achievements of our fellow colonists.
Yours entirely,
~Udom Bedford
FROM: J. Tennyson, SUBJECT: Re: A crime of passion[]
FROM: Tennyson, J.
TO: Bedford, U.
SUBJECT: Re: A crime of passion
Listen you little shit.
The last time I made an appointment, you avoided me until I had to beat the door down. What do you even do there all day? I know your schedule is empty. I have admin access to the terminal network.
What I don't have is the luxury of time to waste. Get me access to those radiator parts. If you don't, I know where I can start venting the excess heat.
J.T.
FROM: Bedford, U.
TO: Tennyson, J.
SUBJECT: A crime of passion
My dear Chief Tennyson,
I am informed that you assaulted - I lower my vernacular to rephrase that you "slugged" - a member of my personal guard. All because they would not grant you access to Byzantium's embassy.
In the future, you may make an appointment with me directly. Or are you intimidated by my station in society? Perfectly understandable, given your inexperience as a leader. Please don't allow such trifles to delay acting on your responsibilities, my dear Chief.
And please keep in mind that it takes a calm and measured temperament to run a large organization. These traits are demonstrated so ably by the leaders of our colonial corporations. You should strive to emulate them.
Udom Bedford, Certified Liaison
FROM: S. Akande, SUBJECT: Debt collection[]
FROM: Akande, S.
TO: Bedford, U.
SUBJECT: Debt collection
One of two things needs to happen right now. You can either collect Jessie Doyle's outstanding debt, or you can join the ranks of the unemployed.
We dispatched a liaison to Groundbreaker to represent our interests. If that is too much responsibility for you, I am perfectly comfortable finding a replacement.
Furthermore, I am perfectly comfortable charging you for the time I spend in finding your replacement - and my time is expensive.
Maintenance requests[]
Please select the record you want to review.
FROM: J. Tennyson, SUBJECT: Poor you[]
FROM: Tennyson, J.
TO: Bedford, U.
SUBJECT: Poor you
I got your very urgent request for some reliable temperature control.
You can fix that yourself by getting me the radiator parts I need. Or you can sweat it out like the rest of us.
I'm closing out the request. Don't open another.
J.T.
TO: GB_Support, SUBJECT: WATER MAINTENANCE WHEN?[]
FROM: Bedford, U.
TO: GB_Support
SUBJECT: WATER MAINTENANCE WHEN?
To Groundbreaker's esteemed service personnel,
I require IMMEDIATE assistance. I specifically set my water to room temperature, but no matter what I do it persists in emerging from its funnel of egress several degrees distant from my internal readings - hot, cold, or some variation of the two. Undrinkable!
To be clear, this failure of standards is far beneath the specifications afforded a citizen of noble Byzantium. As an occupant of this embassy, I expect those standards to be upheld.
Indignantly,
~Udom Bedford, Certified Liaison
Captain's Terminal[]
Location: This terminal is located in Junlei Tennyson's office in Groundbreaker Engineering.
Personal Terminal - Groundbreaker Captain
============================
Approved user: TENNYSON, J.
Daily checklist[]
-Radiator temp.
-Plumbing overflow.
-Life Support.
-Crew morale.
-Scheduled landings.
-Checklist maintenance.
-Brush teeth.
-You can do this, Junlei.
Personal Files[]
Personal files
Back Bays[]
More complaints about the state of the bay. I already told the Mardets they're free to flush out MacRedd and his outlaws. They're so knotted up seeking warrants and paper justifications that they want someone else to solve all their problems off the records. Sorry, boys. Not my job.
Promenade Status[]
-Morale has dipped 18% since Martin Callahan showed up. It's that damn mask.
-Found another listening device in my office. Thing was the size of a tossball with a cord leading all the way back to SubLight. Subtle as always, Lilya.
-Could have sworn the automechanical chef arrived with a company tech. No record of the guy leaving the station. Will have to look into it.
-Sprat infestation at the Rest-N-Go is getting out of hand. Ethel better not be ranching those critters again, or I swear by Law I'll airlock her stall.
Messages[]
Messages
FROM: K. Silva, SUBJECT: Re: I tried[]
Note: This entry appears if Kendrick Silva has replaced Udom Bedford.
FROM: Silva, K.
TO: Tennyson, J.
SUBJECT: Re: I tried
Stop calling me that! My name is Kendrick Silva, and you will respect the title of my high office!
K. Silva, Certified Liaison
FROM: Tennyson, J.
TO: Silva, K.
SUBJECT: Re: I tried
Listen, "New-dom", you don't run this station. The second I see a good faith request from the Board, I'll be happy to move it forward. Until then, welcome to your new office in corporate obscurity. Make yourself at home.
J.T.
FROM: Silva, K.
TO: Tennyson, J.
SUBJECT: I tried
You are being extraordinarily unreasonable to even the simplest Board requests. At this rate I'm afraid our diplomatic relationship is going nowhere. How my predecessor endured under these conditions I'll never understand.
K. Silva, Certified Liaison
FROM: U. Bedford, SUBJECT: My dear lady[]
FROM: Bedford, U.
TO: Tennyson, J.
SUBJECT: My dear lady
The implications of your accusations cause my breath to hitch in my throat. I am certain that we can arrive at an agreeable understanding - for what is a Board liaison if not a facilitator of handshakes between great powers - much like the Board and yourself?
When you do decide to return to the negotiations table, consider once again the embassy expansion plans I laid out. Gestures of good faith do not go unpaid.
~Udom Bedford, Certified Liaison
TO: U. Bedford, SUBJECT: Obstructionist[]
FROM: Tennyson, J.
TO: Bedford, U.
SUBJECT: Obstructionist
The Board rejected my request for new radiator parts. Again. Even after I greased their wheels with some targeted donations.
Funny thing, when I used my admin privileges to survey the outgoing comms I noticed some activity from your office. You chose your words carefully, but I plucked a juicy phrase from the transcript: "Let the frog boil a while longer." And now I have no radiator parts.
You're playing with our lives. Did they install you on my ship just to get under my skin, or are you pulling this shit for fun?
J.T.
Auxiliary Monitoring Station[]
Location: This terminal is located in the Groundbreaker Engineering maintenance shaft, next to the elevator.
Propulsion Plant Master Circuit (2MC)
Auxiliary Monitoring Station
==========================
Main menu
Archived Logs and Transmissions[]
Archived logs and transmissions
Arrival Confirmation[]
To HHB, Earth HQ. Transmitted via probe, archived at source.
It is my honor to report that Groundbreaker has successfully arrived at the Lagrange point, having released our cargo of prefab housing, settlers, and supplies at their intended colony worlds. May they prosper and expand.
Now that stages one and two of the mission have been carried out, my family will take ownership of the Groundbreaker as specified in our contract, keeping the ship in active duty as an independent trading post, repair stop, and cargo bay.
I'd be remiss if I closed this transmission without sending my hopes and best wishes back to Earth. There's so much ahead of us, but we'll never forget what we left behind.
Chief Guiying
A Stern Reminder[]
Some very rich and unsavory elements among our colonial neighbors seem to have the wrong idea about why I flew us out here. It wasn't for a nine-figure blood money salary and a Spacer's Choice logo stamped on my ass. It wasn't to nickel and dime passing ships out of their last bit.
Groundbreaker has no role in the success or failure of Halcyon's corporate entities. Period. I negotiated that understanding and clearly outlined it in writing before I ever set foot on this ship.
If anyone wants to dispute or compromise our independence, they will answer to a Tennyson. We're a family operation. Even when the last Tennyson falls, Groundbreaker will remember us and defend its freedom accordingly.
Chief Guiying
Fluid Circulation Pump Terminal[]
Location: This terminal is located in the Groundbreaker Engineering maintenance shaft. It is at the end of the area, behind an initially barred door.
Lithium Droplet Radiator Array
Fluid Circulation Pump Terminal
==========================
!! == !! WARNING !! == !!
Lithium fluid pressure at 23%
Solid-state radiators at 102% capacity
PCM heat sinks at 98% capacity
Ambient station temperature +8oC
Machinery shaft temperature +29oC
Cycle Droplet Pumps[]
Reminder: Non-expendable personnel must exit the Maintenance Shaft before activating the Cycling Protocol.
Cycling...
Successful!
Logs[]
Logs
Cobbled Together[]
The staff is getting restless. Workaround and half-cocked solutions are all we've got to mend Groundbreaker's bones. In many cases we can't revive one system without cannibalizing another. Grandma lived with that reality, and so will I.
I can rally our spirits, but what happens when I'm not around? Groundbreaker's real test will be seeing if our independence outlasts me. I'll take that bet.
J.T.
Old Plans, New Problems[]
Found some of Chief Guiying's old schematics. Groundbreaker must have taken a beating during the Crossing, because she spent half of her career patching it up. Lots of corners cut when they put this place together.
Among her papers I also found the layout of a hangar that doesn't match any of my docs. Something that might have gotten sealed off along the way, like blood cells isolating an infection.
I hate to put sentiment down in print, but every time I open a panel or find some workaround in the guts of this old bird, it's like I can feel you reaching out to me from the past, grandma.
J.T.