# Copyright (c) 2014 by Michael Zahniser
# Copyright (c) 2020 by @Karirawri
#
# Endless Sky is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
# terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
# Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
#
# Endless Sky is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
# WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
# PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
# this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

mission "Deep Archaeology 1"
	name "Deep Archaeology"
	description "Drop this archaeologist off on <destination>, before making a trip to Midgard in the Deep to collect some samples."
	minor
	source
		attributes "paradise" "north" "near earth"
		near Miaplacidus 1 20
	destination Vinci
	to offer
		random < 15
		"combat rating" > 15
	passengers 1
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`As you are walking through the spaceport, a man in an expensive suit approaches you. "Pardon me, Captain," he says. "I wonder if you would be willing to talk privately about a very lucrative job opportunity."`
			choice
				`	"Is this something illegal?"`
				`	"Sure, let's return to my ship and talk there."`
					goto ship
			`	"Not illegal," he says, "but it could help to uncover a secret with enormous ramifications. A secret that certain people do not want known."`
			`	"Okay," you say, "let's return to my ship, and I'll hear you out."`
			label ship
			`	You lead him back to your ship. "I'm an archaeologist," he explains, "studying the early history of the space era. And in particular, a set of persistent folk tales about contact with alien species. Many of these tales have to do with the region of the galaxy we call the Deep. I need someone to travel to Midgard and retrieve some samples from an ancient site there."`
			choice
				`	"Why can't you travel there yourself?"`
				`	"What sort of samples? Will this get me in trouble?"`
					goto samples
			`	"Well, let's just say I've made myself somewhat unpopular in the Deep," he says. "Asking too many questions. If I were seen walking around on Midgard, they would probably ask me to leave immediately."`
			`	You say, "And, is the work you're asking me to do going to make me equally unpopular?"`
			label samples
			`	"Not if you are circumspect," he says. "I need two samples from a certain village. One is simple: wood from a living or recently deceased tree. Any tree will do."`
			`	He pauses for a minute, then continues. "The other is more... sensitive. There is a historical site on Midgard, an ancient church. Not something they publish in the official tourist guides, mind you. I need a small sample of the wood that the church is built with. A small splinter would suffice."`
			choice
				`	"Sure, if it's in the interest of science, I can do that."`
					goto yes
				`	"You're asking me to vandalize a historical site?"`
			`	"I need only the tiniest of samples," he says, "maybe a splinter of wood that is already peeling off, or from a place where the wood is worn and cracked. And what we discover from that sample could be of immense importance."`
			choice
				`	"Sorry, that sounds a bit too shady to me."`
					decline
				`	"Okay, I'm willing to do that."`
			label yes
			`	"Thank you," he says. "Trust me, this could give us some very important information. I'll need you to drop me off on Vinci first, to meet with some scientists. We can then meet up back on Vinci once you have the samples."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog `You land on <planet>, but realize that your escort carrying the archaeologist hasn't entered the system yet. Better depart and wait for it.`



mission "Deep Archaeology 2"
	landing
	name "Deep Archaeology"
	description "Travel to <destination> and take wood fiber samples from an ancient church and from the trees that grow nearby."
	source Vinci
	destination Midgard
	to offer
		has "Deep Archaeology 1: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You drop off the archaeologist (who still has not told you his name) on <origin>. "Remember," he says, "I only need a tiny splinter. Just make sure it really is from the building and not anything more recent."`
				accept



mission "Deep Archaeology 3"
	landing
	name "Deep Archaeology"
	description "Return to <destination> with the wood samples that you retrieved from the church on <origin>."
	source Midgard
	destination Vinci
	to offer
		has "Deep Archaeology 2: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`Following the map that the archaeologist gave you, you make your way to a small village in the mountains on <origin>, with two envelopes in your pocket for samples. As you approach the church, you break a dead twig off one of the trees along the path, put it into the first envelope, and pocket it. One sample collected, one more to go.`
			`	The church itself is unlike any building you have seen before, clearly very ancient, built of roughly hewn wood, old and weathered. Surprisingly, the front doors are open, and you hear music coming from inside.`
			choice
				`	(Walk into the church.)`
					goto inside
				`	(Take a sample from the outside.)`
				`	(Give up on this mission and leave, before I get into trouble.)`
					decline
			`	You walk around the outside of the building until you find one corner where the wood has been recently scuffed, and a few hairs of it are hanging loose. You carefully pick the splinters off and put them in the second envelope. Then, you return to your ship. Although you see no one following you, you can't shake the feeling that you are being watched.`
				accept
			label inside
			`	This church must still be used for services: candles are lit up front, and a man in a white surplice is playing the organ. A few people sit in the pews with their heads bowed. Trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, you join them, and look around at the ornately carved pillars and wood panels. The air in here smells of incense and musty wood.`
			choice
				`	(Take a sample.)`
				`	(Give up on this mission, and leave.)`
					decline
			`	Pretending to pray, you kneel on the ground, take your pocket knife, and shave the tiniest sliver off the bottom corner of the pew in front of you. It leaves a small white scar in the dark weathered wood of the pew. You pocket the sample, wait a few more minutes, and then leave and walk back to the spaceport. Although you see no one following you, you cannot shake the feeling that you are being watched.`
				accept
	
	npc
		personality waiting
		government "Deep Security"
		ship "Raven (Afterburner)" "D.S.S. Wyrd"
		on kill
			set "dps wyrd dead"
	
	npc
		personality waiting
		system "Aspidiske"
		government "Deep Security"
		ship "Raven (Afterburner)" "D.S.S. Skuld"
		on kill
			set "dps skuld dead"
	
	npc
		personality waiting
		system "Gomeisa"
		government "Deep Security"
		ship "Raven (Afterburner)" "D.S.S. Verthandi"
		on kill
			set "dps verthandi dead"
	
	on complete
		payment 200000
		log `Agreed to take a piece of wood from a church on Midgard for an archaeologist. Carbon dating suggests that the church was built many centuries before the discovery of the hyperdrive.`
		conversation
			`You return to the lab where you dropped off the anonymous archaeologist. Soon after you arrive, he appears and eagerly collects the two samples, giving you a payment of <payment> for your troubles. "But please," he says, "stick around long enough to learn the results." He hands the two envelopes to a lab technologist, and says, "Here you go, John, take a look and let us know what you find."`
			`	After the lab tech leaves, he explains, "You see, the ratio of Carbon 12 to Carbon 14 varies from world to world, so accurate dating can only be done if you have a control sample to compare against. Only a handful of archaeological studies have been done in the Deep, and those were sloppy - they used the standard tables of Earth's carbon ratios instead of determining the local concentrations."`
			choice
				`	(Wait and see what the results are.)`
			`	About thirty minutes later, John reappears, looking somewhat shaken. "Where did you get those samples?" he asks.`
			`	"Never mind that," says the archaeologist. "What are your results?"`
			`	"The second sample is infused with some sort of oil or tar," he says. "A varnish. And therefore it is from furniture or a building. A man-made artifact. The control sample has an isotopic ratio different from Earth, so unless you're playing games with me, these samples are not from Earth."`
			`	"Go on," says the archaeologist.`
			`	"However," says the lab tech, "again assuming the two samples are from the same planet, the second sample is between fifteen hundred and twenty-five hundred years old. Which means it predates the discovery of the hyperdrive by, at minimum, five centuries. So again I ask you, where did you get these samples?" His voice is raised.`
			`	"Intriguing, isn't it?" says the archaeologist. "Captain <last>, if you'd like to help us get to the bottom of this, make sure you've got space for us and some equipment, and meet us in the spaceport."`



mission "Deep Archaeology 4"
	name "Deep Archaeology"
	description "Return to <destination> with some specialized equipment for subterranean mapping."
	source Vinci
	destination Midgard
	to offer
		has "Deep Archaeology 3: done"
	cargo "mapping equipment" 4
	passengers 2
	
	on offer
		log "People" "Albert Foster" `An archaeologist who is famous for using dubious methods: he has been banned from Quarg space for trying to collect an alloy sample from their ringworld, and is rumored to have also been involved in a scheme involving dinosaur fossils and an illegal genetic resequencer. He is currently based on Vinci, on the edge of the Paradise sector.`
		conversation
			`You find John the lab tech in one of the spaceport bars, along with the archaeologist, who says, "I suppose I should introduce myself. Albert Foster. You may have heard of me." Indeed, you have: he made headlines about a decade ago by being driven out of Quarg space after trying unsuccessfully to collect an alloy sample from their ringworld.`
			`	"We've purchased some equipment for gravitational field mapping," he says, "in addition to a very sensitive radar array. We're hoping to map the area around the church, see if there are signs of any ancient settlements. Are you willing to help us?"`
			choice
				`	"Sure, I'd love to help solve this mystery."`
				`	"Sorry, I can't. I'm worried we're going to make people in the Deep angry."`
					decline
			`	"Excellent," says Albert. "We just need to do a flyover of <planet>, and see what our radar turns up."`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog `You land on <planet>, but realize that your escort carrying Albert, John, and the mapping equipment hasn't entered the system yet. Better depart and wait for it.`



mission "Deep Archaeology 5"
	landing
	name "Deep Archaeology"
	description "Evade the ships that are chasing you and return to <destination>."
	source Midgard
	destination Vinci
	to offer
		has "Deep Archaeology 4: done"
	cargo "mapping equipment" 4
	passengers 2
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You cruise high above the surface of <origin> as John calibrates his instruments. "Sorry it's taking so long," he says, "there's some sort of glitch in the gravitational sensors, messing up my measurements."`
			`	"What sort of glitch?" asks Albert.`
			`	"Just a sensor artifact," he says, "some sort of echo. No, wait..." He trails off and starts turning dials on the instrument, then turns very pale.`
			`	Albert looks over his shoulder at the monitor, but clearly doesn't understand what he's looking at. "What is it?" he asks.`
			`	"It's not a sensor glitch," says John. "It's an artificial singularity."`
			choice
				`	"Some sort of illegal research?"`
					goto illegal
				`	"A what?"`
					goto what
			label illegal
			`	"No, not illegal," says Albert. "No need to make laws against them, for the simple reason that no one knows how to make them. That's alien technology, very advanced."`
				goto attack
			label what
			`	"A miniature black hole," says John. "An alien power source. Far more sophisticated than anything human beings have ever created. That is, unless someone in the Deep has found a way to reverse engineer alien technology."`
			label attack
			`	Suddenly, a warning light flashes on your ship's radar. Three ships have taken off from the planet's surface and are headed straight towards you. "Let's get out of here," says Albert. "Head back to <planet>!"`
				launch
	
	npc
		personality heroic
		government "Deep"
		ship "Raven (Afterburner)" "D.S.S. Wyrd"
		to despawn
			has "dps wyrd dead"
	npc
		personality heroic
		government "Deep"
		ship "Raven (Afterburner)" "D.S.S. Skuld"
		to despawn
			has "dps skuld dead"
	npc
		personality heroic
		government "Deep"
		ship "Raven (Afterburner)" "D.S.S. Verthandi"
		to despawn
			has "dps verthandi dead"
	npc
		personality heroic
		government "Deep"
		ship "Corvette (Speedy)" "D.S.S. Wyrdson"
		to despawn
			not "dps wyrd dead"
	npc
		personality heroic
		government "Deep"
		ship "Corvette (Speedy)" "D.S.S. Skuldson"
		to despawn
			not "dps skuld dead"
	npc
		personality heroic
		government "Deep"
		ship "Corvette (Speedy)" "D.S.S. Verthandison"
		to despawn
			not "dps verthandi dead"
	
	on visit
		dialog `You land on <planet>, but realize that your escort carrying Albert, John, and the mapping equipment hasn't entered the system yet. Better depart and wait for it.`
	on complete
		payment 300000
		log `Returned to Midgard with Albert Foster, the archaeologist, to map the area around the church. The instruments discovered what looked like an artificial singularity. Got chased away by Deep ships before being able to look closer.`
		conversation
			`You breathe a sigh of relief as you land safely in the spaceport on <planet>. "Okay, what was that all about?" you ask.`
			`	"I honestly don't know," says Albert. "I can tell you what I suspect, though. The history books don't actually say when the Deep was first settled. The first documented expedition to the Deep was in the 24th century, and they found several human colonies already established in the region, claiming to date back to the very dawn of space flight. But I think the first settlers were brought there long before that. Brought there on alien ships."`
			branch pug
				or
					has "FWC Pug 2: offered"
					has "FW Pug 3: offered"
			choice
				`	"For what purpose?"`
					goto purpose
				`	"What aliens? The Quarg?"`
					goto aliens
			label pug
			choice
				`	"For what purpose?"`
					goto purpose
				`	"Do you think it was the Pug?"`
					goto surprise
			label purpose
			`	"I'm not sure," he says. "But I first became interested in the Deep while researching the Alpha Wars. I'm sure you know the history, how humanity was nearly enslaved by psychopathic 'super' humans that we ourselves had created by dabbling in genetic engineering. At that time, the Deep made a sudden, improbable technological leap that allowed them to construct weapons and ships far more powerful than what the Alphas had, and the war against them was won."`
				goto end
			label aliens
			`	"There are popular folk tales in the Deep about 'elves,'" says Albert. "Thin, pale, graceful creatures, with blue blood."`
			`	John frowns. "Hemocyanic blood. Not the Quarg, then. Their lungs are odd, but their blood uses hemoglobin for oxygen transport, just like ours."`
				goto end
			label surprise
			`	Albert and John give confused looks at each other for a second before Albert says, "The aliens that invaded human space?"`
			`	John appears to think hard on the subject before saying, "That's certainly an interesting connection. I don't know how we didn't think of it. From the descriptions that I've heard about them, they almost exactly match the folk tales in the Deep about 'elves.'"`
			`	"Thin, pale, and blue blooded, yes? Well, I think you may have figured something out, Captain <last>," replies Albert.`
			choice
				`	"That's great, but what does it mean for us?"`
					goto dangerous
				`	"From what I understand, they've been around for a while, and have mentioned past interference in the Deep."`
			`	"Well then, if the Pug have admitted to 'interfering' with the Deep in the past then we have good reason to believe they fit into our current knowledge of the timeline here," Albert replies. "Unfortunately we can't just ask the Pug exactly what they've done or when they did it, but simply knowing of their presence here aids in our research."`
				goto final
			label dangerous
			`	"Nothing immediately," says John, "but nevertheless, it is at least useful to know the timeline of events here."`
			`	"Indeed," replies Albert, "simply knowing of their presence here aids in our research."`
				goto final
			label end
			`	Albert continues, "What I think is that an unknown alien species has been involved in events in the Deep since the beginning, and is perhaps still involved there today. I think this is known to at least some of the Deep's inhabitants."`
			label final
			choice
				`	"So, what do we do now?"`
				`	"How can we find out more information?"`
			`	"Well," he says, "unfortunately, Captain, they're going to be watching you. I'll have to seek out someone else for the next stages of my research. But I will keep you notified if I discover anything further."`
			`	It is an unsatisfactory conclusion to your work, with so many questions unanswered. But to make up for that, Albert gives you <payment> as payment for your services. "You will hear from me again," he promises.`



ship "Timer Ship"
	attributes
		"heat dissipation" 1
		"hull" 3
		"hull repair rate" .001
		"mass" 100
		"drag" 5
		"automaton" 1
		"thrust" 10
		"turn" 600
	outfits
		"Timer Weapon"
	gun 0 0

outfit "Timer Weapon"
	category "Guns"
	thumbnail "outfit/unknown"
	"gun ports" -1
	weapon
		"velocity" 10
		"lifetime" 2
		"reload" 100
		"blast radius" 10
		"split range" 200
		"submunition" "Timer Submunition"

outfit "Timer Submunition"
	weapon
		"lifetime" 20
		"trigger radius" 200
		"blast radius" 20
		"hull damage" .15
		"no damage scaling"

mission "Sad Archie"
	landing
	invisible
	to offer
		has "There Might Be Riots part 3B: done"
	destination "Zug"
	
	npc disable
		government "Test Dummy"
		system "Ildaria"
		personality unconstrained heroic nemesis ramming
		ship "Timer Ship" "Timer"
		conversation
			`As your ship drifts through the cloud of dust that surrounds Ildaria, it occurs to you that this must be the "cloudy star out along the Rim" that Ulrich from There Might Be Riots told you about. Remembering his story, you shut your eyes and attempt to meditate. But instead, you just fall asleep.`
			scene "scene/eso0"
			`You dream that you leave this star system and return to Zug, but when you land there everything is different: the cities you remember are gone, and in their place are other cities with strange architecture, populated by gargantuan dragon-like creatures.`
			`	Time speeds up, and you watch as the dragon cities grow and spread out. You see one city buried under a massive lava flow, starships buzzing around it like a cloud of flies to carry people and goods to safety. Other cities are destroyed by war, and then abruptly the dragon-people are all gone and their cities lie vacant. Buildings crumble, and the forests reclaim the land.`
			`	Then you wake up and find yourself back in your ship, in the Ildaria system. Weird.`
	
	on complete
		log `Experienced a strange vision while drifting in the Ildaria system that looked like the fall of a civilization of dragon-people. The terrain on the planet of Zug looks strikingly similar to this vision.`
		conversation
			`On a whim, as you're landing on Zug you pull up a geological map of the planet and find that the geography you dreamt of while drifting in the Ildaria system was surprisingly close to the real thing. There's even a massive basalt outcropping right where you saw a lava flow burying a city. There's no way your ship's sensors can tell what's underneath it, though.`



mission "Rim Archaeology 1"
	landing
	name "Archaeology on <planet>"
	description "Bring the famous archaeologist Albert Foster to <destination> to look for signs of an ancient alien civilization."
	source "Vinci"
	destination "Zug"
	passengers 1
	to offer
		has "Sad Archie: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`This planet is where the archaeologist Albert Foster has his lab, the one who sent you on a mission to collect samples from a planet in the Deep. Would you like to try to convince him to look for signs of an ancient alien civilization in the Rim systems?`
			choice
				`	(Of course!)`
				`	(Not right now.)`
					defer
			`Foster seems glad to see you. You do your best to pique his interest without saying anything that will make him think you're crazy, but he's clearly not buying it. "I'm sorry," he says, "but I'm not mounting an expedition just because you have a 'hunch.' So unless you're willing to tell me the source of your information, I'm not interested." He turns his attention back to the data pad that he was reading before you walked into his office.`
			choice
				`	"I'd rather not say."`
				`	"I had this dream about dragon-people on Zug."`
					goto dream
				`	"I think a telepathic space alien spoke to me."`
					goto telepath
			`	"Then I'd rather not help you," he says, without looking up from the data pad.`
			choice
				`	"I had this dream about dragon-people on Zug."`
				`	"I think a telepathic space alien spoke to me."`
					goto telepath
			label dream
			`	"You had a dream," he says. "Sorry, no. Oneirological archaeology is notoriously unreliable." From his tone of voice, you think he's being sarcastic.`
			choice
				`	"I think a telepathic space alien spoke to me."`
					goto telepath
			label telepath
			`	You expect him to laugh at you, but instead he's so shocked that he drops the data pad he's holding. "An Archon?" he says. "How the hell did you get tangled up with one of those?" You tell him the story, and he listens intently.`
			`	"It's feasible," he says. "We've heard rumors from the Quarg that an alien civilization used to exist in the Rim, a hundred thousand years ago. No signs of it, of course - any artifacts they left behind have been destroyed by the elements, or perhaps intentionally removed. But if a city were encased in lava, that could preserve signs of it even over such a long time frame."`
			`	Foster makes a few phone calls to cancel his upcoming plans, and then shows up at your ship with a large collection of geological surveying tools. "Let's go check it out," he says.`
				accept
	
	on visit
		dialog `You land on <planet>, but realize that your escort carrying Albert hasn't entered the system yet. Better depart and wait for it.`
	on complete
		log `Found the archaeologist Albert Foster and told him about the vision of the dragon-people on Zug. Foster suggested that the vision was the doing of an Archon. He discovered a buried city under the lava flows on Zug; perhaps the vision was a real view of the past.`
		conversation
			`You land your ship on the lava flow, and Albert Foster fires up his surveying equipment. "This will show me a density profile of different layers of rock beneath us," he says. As he gradually dials the instrument down to deeper and deeper layers, a few irregular white spots appear on the screen.`
			choice
				`	"What are those?"`
				`	(Be quiet and let him focus.)`
					goto scan
			`	"Air pockets," he says, "some of them filled in with ground water. Nothing out of the ordinary."`
			label scan
			`	When the scan reaches about thirty meters below the surface, suddenly the view changes...`
			scene "scene/geoscan"
			`	"Great burning suns!" says Foster. "There is something down there! Roads in a triangular grid. That ain't no human city." You both stare at the monitor for a minute, then Foster says, "I'm going to need to pull some permits. Meet me in the spaceport in an hour if you're willing to help pick up some of the other stuff we'll need."`



mission "Rim Archaeology 2A"
	name "Archaeological Equipment"
	description "Fetch some excavation equipment from <destination>, and return with it to the dig site on Zug."
	source "Zug"
	destination "Crossroads"
	to offer
		has "Rim Archaeology 1: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`When you meet up with Foster, he tells you, "This is going to be tricky. We're going to have to dig through a twenty meter thick slab of solid basalt to get at those ruins. We have to work fast, or my competitors will catch wind of what we're doing and beat us to the punch. But we have to work delicately, too, or we'll damage what's underneath. Blasting won't work. I think some of the Syndicate's strip mining equipment could do the job, though. Would you be able to pick up maybe twenty or thirty tons of heavy machinery from <planet>?"`
			choice
				`	"Sure."`
					accept
				`	"Sorry, I don't have time to help out anymore."`
			`	He seems incredulous. "No time to participate in what could be one of the biggest discoveries of the last hundred years? You'll be well paid for your services too, if that's what's holding you back."`
			choice
				`	"Okay, I'll pick up your equipment from <planet>."`
					accept
				`	"Sorry, I'm just not interested."`
					decline



mission "Rim Archaeology 2B"
	landing
	name "Archaeological Equipment"
	description "Deliver this excavation equipment to <destination>."
	source "Crossroads"
	destination "Zug"
	cargo "Excavation equipment" 28
	to offer
		has "Rim Archaeology 2A: done"
	blocked "You do not have enough cargo space to carry the equipment for Albert Foster's archaeological dig. Return here when you have at least 28 tons of space free."
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`When you arrive on <origin>, the excavation machines requested by Albert Foster are already waiting for you at the spaceport. They are some of the largest terrestrial vehicles you have ever seen: a truck with enormous toothed grinding wheels for cutting through stone, and a front-end loader for carrying the loose stone away. You are barely able to fit them through the entrance of your cargo bay.`
				accept
	
	on visit
		dialog `You land on <planet>, but realize that your escort carrying the excavation equipment hasn't entered the system yet. Better depart and wait for it.`
	on complete
		payment 300000



mission "Rim Archaeology 3A"
	landing
	name "Archaeological Equipment"
	description "Fetch some excavation equipment from <destination>, and return with it to the dig site on Zug."
	source "Zug"
	destination "Asgard"
	to offer
		has "Rim Archaeology 2B: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You drop off the excavation machines at the dig site on Zug, and receive your payment of three hundred thousand credits. Foster has already marked out lines of where he wants to dig and has completed a much more detailed geological scan. "We'll be starting with a narrow trench," he tells you, "and expanding out from there. It'll need to be wide enough to include a ramp for the vehicles, of course, so we'll still need to move a lot of rock. And when we get within the last five meters or so, I'm worried that the vibration from the grinders may be too destructive. So, I need some laser excavation equipment from <planet>, next."`
			`	You agree to fetch the equipment, and he begins directing the work crews to get the digging started.`
				accept



mission "Rim Archaeology 3B"
	landing
	name "Archaeological Equipment"
	description `Deliver this excavation equipment to <destination>. Be sure that the ship "Oxyrhynchus" is not in the system when you land.`
	source "Asgard"
	destination "Zug"
	cargo "Laser excavation equipment" 17
	to offer
		has "Rim Archaeology 3A: done"
	blocked "You do not have enough cargo space to carry the equipment for Albert Foster's archaeological dig. Return here when you have <capacity>."
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`Once again, the equipment that Foster needs is waiting for you when you land. It's a truck carrying a power generator and an articulated arm with a laser cannon mounted on the end. You can't help imagining what would happen if it malfunctioned and began firing while inside your cargo bay, but the engineer who delivers it assures you that it has many redundant safeties in place.`
			`	Also waiting for you is an encrypted message from Foster: "Hi there, <first>. I've been told that one of my competitors, Sibyl Greythatch, has been asking around trying to figure out where my dig site is. She's an antiquities thief - robs archaeological sites and sells the artifacts on the black market. I think my equipment purchase on <origin> may have caught her attention. If so, her ship, the Oxyrhynchus, will be following you. Don't return to the dig site until you're certain you've shaken her."`
				accept
	
	npc evade
		government "Independent (Killable)"
		personality waiting
		ship "Marauder Falcon (Engines)" "Oxyrhynchus"
	
	on visit
		dialog
			`As you are approaching Zug, you notice on your radar that the ship Foster warned you about has been following you: the Oxyrhynchus. You land in the main spaceport to avoid leading her to the dig site. You will need to shake her pursuit before delivering the equipment.`
	
	on complete
		payment 300000



mission "Rim Archaeology 4A"
	landing
	name "Transport a Xenobiologist"
	description "Travel to the Quarg station <destination>, and meet a xenobiologist who will help interpret the findings at Albert Foster's dig site."
	source "Zug"
	destination "Lagrange"
	to offer
		has "Rim Archaeology 3B: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`When you return to the dig, Foster's trench is already almost ten meters deep. You tell him that you saw the Oxyrhynchus on your scanners, but you were able to evade it. "Good job," he says. "Now, we need a xenobiologist who can help us make sense of what we find. A friend of mine, Amelia Lee, has been living on the Quarg ringworld for the last decade or so, and she agreed to come visit the dig, and also to see what the Quarg can tell us about this old alien civilization. Also, here's your pay for transporting the laser cutter." He hands you another three hundred thousand credits.`
			`	You agree to pick her up, and he returns to supervising the excavation.`
				accept



mission "Rim Archaeology 4B"
	landing
	name "Transport a Xenobiologist"
	description `Transport the xenobiologist Amelia Lee and her Quarg friend Yarthis to the dig site on Zug.`
	source "Lagrange"
	destination "Zug"
	passengers 2
	to offer
		has "Rim Archaeology 4A: done"
	blocked "You will need <capacity> to transport the xenobiologist that Albert Foster asked you to fetch. Return here when you have space available."
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`Amelia Lee meets you at the spaceport, along with a Quarg who is a bit shorter than normal, but still tall enough to tower over you. "Captain <last>?" she says. "Let me introduce my friend Yarthis Amorthee Dek-Farsook Nai," she says. "Yarthis will be accompanying us to the site."`
			choice
				`	"No problem. Welcome aboard!"`
					goto welcome
				`	"Do we really need to get the Quarg involved directly in this?"`
			`	To your human eyes, unused to reading their expressions, the Quarg almost always seem grim and serious. But Yarthis seems particularly grave as it says, "You are digging in a graveyard, Captain. Someone must be present to see that the dead are given their due respect."`
			label welcome
			`	As both of them board your ship, Amelia chats enthusiastically with you. "One ringworld can sustain a population in excess of a trillion," she says, "so the Quarg need long names in order to unambiguously identify themselves." She goes on to ask questions about the progress of the dig, using so much technical jargon that at times it almost sounds like she is speaking the Quarg language rather than your own. Clearly she is very knowledgeable about the study of alien societies, and you are surprised to learn that she was actually born in Hai space, as the granddaughter of some of the first humans who settled there.`
				accept
	
	npc
		government Merchant
		personality waiting
		system Dabih
		ship "Marauder Arrow (Engines)" "Naukratis"
	
	on visit
		dialog `You land on <planet>, but realize that your escort carrying Amelia and Yarthis hasn't entered the system yet. Better depart and wait for it.`
	on complete
		payment 200000



mission "Rim Archaeology 5A"
	landing
	name "Defend Zug"
	description "Drive off the pirates who are attacking Zug, or at least distract them for long enough for reinforcements to arrive."
	source "Zug"
	to offer
		has "Rim Archaeology 4B: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`Foster greets Amelia enthusiastically when you land, but seems less enthusiastic about having Yarthis here as well. The dig has nearly reached the target depth, and at the deepest part of the trench they are now slicing out blocks of stone with the laser and hoisting them out of the pit rather than just grinding through the rock. "Thanks again, Captain," he says, as he hands you a chip worth two hundred thousand credits.`
			`	As Foster is showing the three of you around the dig, one of the workers runs up. "Mister Foster," he says, "there's a ton of traffic on the emergency militia channel. I think the planet is under attack."`
			`	Foster swears and looks up at the sky as if expecting pirates to swoop down and steal his precious artifacts at any moment. "Captain <last>," he says, "We have to keep those pirates away from the dig at all costs, or they could destroy priceless information. Can you assist in defending the planet?"`
			choice
				`	"Of course."`
					goto end
				`	"My ship is not a warship."`
			`	"Then just get up there and lead them around in circles until reinforcements arrive," he says. "I don't care how you do it, just keep whoever is up there occupied."`
			label end
			`	As you run for your ship, you see Yarthis pull out some sort of communication device and speak into it. Perhaps the Quarg will be joining in this fight as well...`
				launch
	
	npc evade
		government Pirate
		personality heroic waiting
		ship "Marauder Falcon (Weapons)" "Akhetaten"
		ship "Marauder Splinter (Weapons)" "Itjtawy"
		ship "Marauder Firebird (Weapons)" "Tanis"
		ship "Marauder Leviathan (Weapons)" "Buhen"
		ship "Marauder Manta (Weapons)" "Athribis"
		ship "Marauder Quicksilver (Weapons)" "Philae"
		ship "Marauder Raven (Weapons)" "Esna"
		dialog `The last of the pirate raiders have been driven off. Time to land and check if any damage was done to the dig.`
	
	npc
		government Quarg
		system "Gamma Corvi"
		personality heroic
		ship "Quarg Wardragon" "Gloref Esa Kurayi"
	
	on visit
		dialog
			`You try to land near the dig, but pirate ships are still circling nearby. Better deal with them before returning to check in on Foster.`
	
	on complete
		payment 400000
		event "rim archaeology results" 97
		log `With the help of a Quarg ship, fought off a group of antique thieves looking to rob the archaeological site that Albert Foster dug up. Foster will need some time to study what he has found and release the results of his findings.`
		conversation
			`A plume of smoke is rising from the dig site. Fearing the worst, you land and find out that a missile fired by one of the pirates destroyed one of the huts where the workers were living, but fortunately no one was inside it at the time. Foster is shaken but still committed to finishing the work. "It will be months before we've excavated enough to be able to publish any findings," he says, "but Yarthis has told me that the Quarg will be stationing a Wardragon here for the remainder of the project, to prevent any further foul play." Foster gives you one last payment: four hundred thousand credits for your help driving off the pirates. "And I'll be sure to give you credit for your help when the news goes public," he says.`



mission "Rim Archaeology 5B"
	landing
	invisible
	source Zug
	to offer
		has "Rim Archaeology 5A: done"
	npc kill
		government Quarg
		personality heroic staying uninterested
		ship "Quarg Wardragon" "Gloref Esa Kurayi"



event "rim archaeology results"
	planet Zug
		add attributes "tourism"
		description `Zug is a pleasant world of rolling hills, fertile fields, and a few small oceans. Hundreds of millions of people live here, with more immigrants arriving every day, almost faster than the construction industry can keep up with them. In addition to the larger cities, many people live in smaller farming villages, making this one of the few worlds in the region that is truly self-sufficient both in industry and in agriculture.`
		description `	The largest industry on Zug is Southbound Shipyards. However, in the wake of some extraordinary archaeological discoveries of a lost civilization, Zug has suddenly also become a popular destination for tourists.`



mission "Rim Archaeology 6"
	landing
	source
		government "Republic" "Free Worlds" "Syndicate" "Independent" "Neutral"
		near "Sol" 100
		attributes spaceport
	to offer
		has "event: rim archaeology results"
	on offer
		log "Factions" "Sheragi" `Recent archaeological discoveries on Zug, a planet in the southern rim of human space, have turned up evidence of a lost alien civilization. The Quarg say that the ruins were left behind by a species called the Sheragi.`
		conversation
			`When you give your name to the spaceport traffic controller, he says, "Wait, you're Captain <first> <last>? You're all over the news right now!"`
			`	You land and find that Albert Foster has published an initial report on the dig on Zug. The ruins under the lava flow did indeed turn out to be an alien city. The houses are built on a gargantuan scale, with most of the doorways at least ten meters tall. What's more, some of the buildings have no exterior doors on the street level, just doors facing balconies or inner courtyards, which supports the theory that the inhabitants were capable of flight. Most of the artifacts left behind are just everyday items, and in fact the technology seems less advanced than present human society, but scientists are studying the artifacts eagerly to glean hints about how these aliens lived.`
			`	The Quarg, who at other times seem quite willing to share their knowledge with human beings, are being surprisingly reticent with information about this lost civilization. Aside from telling Foster that the aliens were known as the Sheragi, their only comments have been vague warnings that if human beings persist in developing weapons of war, they will end up like the Sheragi. From this, Foster has surmised that the alien civilization was most likely destroyed by a civil war, not by natural disaster or an attack by another species.`
			`	It may not yield any great advances in human technology, but the dig will be providing clues to the history of the galaxy for years to come, and you can be proud to have played a part in that.`
				decline



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 1"
	landing
	name "The Sheragi Bunker"
	description "Visit Albert Foster on <destination> to see what he has discovered."
	source
		near "Zubeneschamali" 1 100
	destination "Zug"
	
	to offer
		has "event: rim archaeology results"
		has "First Contact: Unfettered: offered"
		has "main plot completed"
		random < 4
	
	on offer
		dialog
			`You receive an encoded message from Albert Foster, the archaeologist who you helped to uncover the mysterious Sheragi ruins on Zug. He seems to be very excited.`
			`	"<first>! Been a while, hasn't it? Remember the Sheragi dig site? We've just found something incredible here. Please, come visit me on Zug. I don't think I can trust anyone else with this."`



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 2"
	landing
	name "The Mysterious Box"
	description "Take the mysterious box to a trusted scientist on <destination>."
	source "Zug"
	destination "Vinci"
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 1: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You land at the dig site and notice that Albert was already waiting for you, watching your descent. He greets you as soon as the ship doors open.`
			`	"Hello, <first>! Would you like to go on a little tour of the museum?"`
			choice
				`	"Museum? What museum?"`
				`	"Sure, I'm eager to see what you discovered."`
					goto eager
				`	"Just tell me what's so important."`
					goto hurry
			`	"Didn't you know? There is a museum open within the dig site now, full of interesting artifacts. We turned it into quite the tourist trap. Here, follow me and I'll show you."`
			label eager
			`	You take the chance to catch up as he leads you into the ancient city's ruins, talking about the "minor" discoveries he has made so far, though he insists on keeping the reason he brought you here a surprise. He leads you to one of the Sheragi buildings that have been uncovered, skipping a long queue lined before the entrance to find that the room has been filled with various artifacts in display cases.`
			`	It's strange to see so many technological devices as old as some of the prehistoric tools from ancient Earth, most of them so deteriorated you wouldn't even be able to imagine what they were used for if it wasn't for the descriptions next to their display cases. One of the most intact relics is a small metal statue of an individual Sheragi in flight like the dragons of Skymoot, possibly a trophy for some event, or perhaps a mere sculpture of a popular character of their time. It's impossible to know now, but one thing is certain: it's the most faithful representation available of what they looked like. The figure matches almost perfectly the ones you saw in your dream, back in Ildaria. As you turn your head to look at how tall the doors of this house are, then back at the statue again, you realize how big they must have been. It's hard to imagine the size their spaceships must have been to even hope to fit a creature this large.`
			choice
				`	"This is an impressive collection."`
			`	"It is! But it's not even the main attraction for you today. Follow me."`
			`	After the tour is over, he leads you to another building in an area that is off-limits to the general public.`
				goto offlimit
			label hurry
			`	"Straight to the point? Fair enough, I'm eager as well, but do come visit the museum some time in the future. There are so many interesting objects."`
			`	You take the chance to catch up as he leads you into the ancient city's ruins, talking about the "minor" discoveries he made so far, such as statues of Sheragi that depict what they once looked like. "We would perhaps never know their appearance had we not found something like it. But these small discoveries are not the main attraction for you today," Albert says with a wide smile. He leads you into one of the uncovered Sheragi buildings, in an area that is off-limits to the public.`
			label offlimit
			`	"Here it is!"`
			`	There is a tunnel going deep underground inside the room, but Albert sets his attention on a large safe instead. As he opens it up, he begins to explain the situation.`
			`	"So, from what we know, the Sheragi died off in a war of catastrophic proportions. One of our interns suggested we survey deeper underground, to check for military facilities or bunkers, even though our previous scans didn't show anything interesting, so we allowed her to play around with the ground-penetrating radar. And wouldn't you believe it, there were some angled pieces of metal under the dirt. Clearly man-made. Well... Sheragi-made, in this case. So we dug deeper, and found what we can only assume to have been a bunker, showing signs of having been hit by a powerful kinetic weapon. Despite the damage, we could still salvage some artifacts from the debris. Particularly, this thing."`
			`	Albert opens the safe and shows you a weathered, red metal cube, around a quarter of a meter on each side. He struggles with the weight, but manages to set it down on the floor.`
			`	"This appears to be a data storage device of some sort. It was connected to what we think were once computers, but nothing else was salvageable after spending thousands of years under the wet soil. Based on how sturdy this thing is, it's plausible that some of the data could have survived, like a time capsule.`
			`	"I have a contact back on Vinci who could probably figure this out, and this is where you come in. You remember John, right? I can't leave the dig site, but I also don't have anyone else I could trust to carry such a valuable artifact. Will you take it there for me?"`
			choice
				`	"Sure, I'll take the cube to him."`
					goto take
				`	"Who's John again?"`
				`	"I'm sorry, but that sounds sketchier than all the other jobs I did for you. The Quarg were very clear in saying that some things are not meant to be found."`
					goto sketchy
			`	"Oh, you don't remember him? He's the scientist who worked with us when we were investigating the church on Midgard. He has all the fancy equipment needed to look into this cube."`
				goto finalchoice
			label sketchy
			`	"What?" He seems incredulous. "After going this far, you're abandoning me? Knowledge by itself isn't dangerous. This cube could be the key to lost eons of history, to secrets of the Sheragi we couldn't even dream of!"`
			label finalchoice
			choice
				`	"All right, I'll take it to him."`
				`	"Sorry, but I'm not crossing that line."`
					decline
			label take
			`	"Splendid!"`
			`	You put the cube in an inconspicuous backpack and carry it back to your ship. Albert gives you an address where you'll deliver the cube, mentions that you will be paid after transporting it, and wishes you good luck on your travel.`
				accept
	
	on complete
		payment 500000
		event "cube stolen" 20 30
		log `Took a mysterious Sheragi data cube that Albert Foster dug up on Zug to a trusted friend on Vinci. John will take some time to see how exactly it works, and send a message when it's done.`
		conversation
			`You arrive on Vinci and carry the cube to the address Foster gave you. You find that John has been waiting for you. "So, Foster is up to no good again, huh?" He laughs as he lets you into his lab.`
			choice
				`	"It doesn't seem likely that we'll get in trouble this time."`
				`	"I'm slightly concerned myself, but I'm sure he knows what he's doing."`
			`	You set the backpack with the cube down on a table and open it up.`
			`	"Well, he's paying me to help with this, so no problem with me. It's not like everyone gets to see the exotic things he finds first hand. I mean, an artificial singularity..." he trails off, reminiscing about the adventure the three of you had in the Deep.`
			`	John proceeds to examine the cube. He's strong enough to pick it up with no problems and look at it from different angles, trying to find some port to connect to. He finds one, but it's so deteriorated that any attempts to use it would be fruitless. He places the cube inside a machine to take a deeper scan of the object, and watches it silently working, staring patiently at the screen.`
			`	"Yes, this seems to be a data storage device of some sort... it's made to be sturdy, like a black box, so it's plausible that we could recover some data from it. This is going to take a very long time, though."`
			`	"How long?" you ask.`
			`	"A couple months, probably. It depends on how alien this thing is, and if it's encrypted or not, but I should at least figure out if there is any recoverable data in here by then."`
			`	John says he'll drop you a message once his results come out, and you part ways and return to your ship.`

event "cube stolen"



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 3"
	landing
	name "The Information Dealer"
	description "Discover the whereabouts of the box from an information broker on the pirate world of <destination>."
	source
		government "Republic" "Free Worlds" "Syndicate" "Independent" "Neutral"
		near "Sol" 100
		attributes spaceport
	destination "Stormhold"
	
	to offer
		has "event: cube stolen"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You receive an urgent call from John, who has been working on the mysterious Sheragi black box for about a month now.`
			`	"Captain <last>! I have some bad news and some worse news. Which one do you want to hear first?"`
			choice
				`	"The bad news."`
					goto bad
				`	"The worse news."`
					goto worse
			label bad
			`	"The bad news is that this is a lot more complicated than I thought. I found out that the data in the box has survived, and can still be recovered after all this time, but it will need some specialized hardware and knowledge that we don't have yet."`
			`	"And the worse news?" you ask.`
			`	"Well... Some people invaded my lab during the night and stole a lot of the things I was working on. Thankfully my insurance covers most of it, and I still have most of my heavy expensive equipment, but the box... it's gone."`
				goto whatnow
			label worse
			`	"Well... Some people invaded my lab during the night, and stole a lot of the things I was working on. Thankfully my insurance covers most of it, and I still have most of my heavy expensive equipment, but the box... it's gone."`
			`	"And the bad news?" you ask`
			`	"The less bad news is that this is a lot more complicated than I thought. I found out that the data in the box has survived, and can still be recovered after all this time, but it will need some specialized hardware and knowledge that we don't have yet."`
			label whatnow
			`	Your heart sinks. "What do we do now? Do you have any idea where to find the box? Did you contact law enforcement?"`
			`	"I did what I could, but if this was mandated as I suspect, the police aren't going to help, and the box is probably off-world by now. However... if you have some cash on hand, and you're willing to go the extra mile to recover the box, there might be a way."`
			choice
				`	"What do you mean?"`
					goto info
				`	"Are you trying to extort me?"`
			`	"What? No, of course not! Do you think I would steal my own work? Let me explain.`
			label info
			`	"Albert's methods are... nonstandard, to say the least, and we've dealt with a certain individual once. An information dealer who lives on Stormhold. Sketchy person, seems to have informants nearly everywhere and knows about everything. The individual in question is known as Mammon. If you want to find the box, dealing with Mammon is probably your best bet."`
			choice
				`	"Thank you, I'll see if I can find this Mammon person."`
				`	"I'm sorry, but I think nothing good can come out of this. Better to forget about the cube."`
					decline
			`	"Knowing their methods, they'll likely find you first. But don't be alarmed, they're not... evil, per se. Just be careful, alright?"`
				accept
	
	to complete
		never



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 4"
	landing
	name "The Search for the Artifact"
	description "Confront the mercenaries who stole the cube on <destination>."
	source "Stormhold"
	destination "Watcher"
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 3: offered"
		
	on offer
		conversation
			branch visited
				has "visited mammon"
			`Despite the obvious hostility the locals display towards you, you've safely entered Stormhold's atmosphere. You're still halfway through the descent when a robotic, modulated voice hails you.`
			`	"I heard you were looking for me, <first> <last>," the person on the other end says.`
			
			choice
				`	"Who are you? How do you know my name?"`
					goto who
				`	"You did? How?"`
			`	"In my line of business, I have to know everything. That includes the identities of any potential clients, such as yourself. How else would you hope to find me?`
				goto intro
			
			label who
			`	The mysterious person laughs.`
			`	"It looks like I know you more than you know yourself. I am who you're looking for, of course.`
			
			label intro
			`	"Mammon, information vendor. At your service," the voice states ominously. "Come meet me in person to discuss the specifics of what you're looking for." The connection cuts and you receive coordinates to land in a seemingly random location that appears to be in the middle of the sea.`
			``
			`	You arrive at the coordinates in the middle of nowhere under stormy conditions. You begin to question whether you received the correct coordinates until a massive submarine emerges from the waves. It is a gargantuan vessel, and as lights guide you to land on its deck, you notice that despite the size of your ship, it comfortably fits on the deck, where it is automatically secured in place by magnetic locks. Armed men in business suits surround your ship, and once you disembark, two of them guide you inside. You're led into a dimly lit room with a holographic map of the galaxy on the ceiling and a desk, behind which a hooded figure sits.`
			`	"There we are, away from prying eyes. Please, take a seat," they say. Their voice has a strange tone with no distinguishable gender, with a sibilating, guttural accent, and it's not until you sit down that you notice a reptilian snout poking out of the hood. You don't know whether this is natural or an extreme body modification.`
			choice
				`	"Are you a..."`
				`	(Say nothing.)`
					goto middle
			`	They cut you off, grinning. "Forget it. You'd need to steal whole planets for that information."`
			
			label middle
			`	"Let's get to what matters. You want to find that alien artifact, yes?" You nod in response. "I have the information you need. Finding lost objects is the most trivial of my services, but as with everything, it has a price.`
			`	"Ten million credits," they say. "Non-negotiable. And don't try anything funny."`
			
			branch cash
				"credits" >= 10000000
			choice
				`	"What? I don't have that much money!"`
					goto nomoney
				`	"That's expensive. If it's such a trivial service, can't I have a discount?"`
					goto haggle
			
			label visited
			`You come back to Stormhold and receive new coordinates to meet with Mammon. Would you like to visit them?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(No.)`
					defer
			`	You follow the new coordinates, arriving again in a random place in the sea, again under stormy conditions, which seems to be the norm on this planet. The submarine emerges, you land, and follow the men to Mammon's room once again.`
			`	"Welcome back," they say.`
			`	"I hope you are ready to make your payment."`
			
			label question
			branch cash
				"credits" >= 10000000
			branch haggled
				has "haggled"
			choice
				`	"You should know that I don't have that much money to spare."`
					goto nomoney
				`	"Are you ready to give me a discount?"`
					goto haggle
			label haggled
			choice
				`	"You should know that I don't have that much money to spare."`
					goto nomoney
				`	"How about you tell me what I want and I don't blow up your ship and your pirate friends?"`
					goto threat

			label cash
			branch haggledcash
				has "haggled"
			choice
				`	"I need to think about this. Give me some time."`
					goto time
				`	"That's a lot of money just for information. Can you make it cheaper?"`
					goto haggle
				`	"Here's the money."`
					goto pay
			label haggledcash
			choice
				`	"I need to think about this. Give me some time."`
					goto time
				`	"How about you tell me what I want and I don't blow up your ship and your pirate friends?"`
					goto threat
				`	"Here's the money."`
					goto pay

			label nomoney
			`	"I know you don't. I can arrange for the payment to be made in different ways. Organ donation, prostitution, volunteering as a test subject... We'll need an appraisal first, though."`
			`	You politely decline.`
			`	"Come back to me when you have it, then, and I shall provide you with the information. We have all the time in the universe. Until you die, or someone decides to destroy the cube, that is."`
				goto exit
			
			label time
			`	"Come back when you're ready, then. We have all the time in the universe. Until you die, or someone decides to destroy the cube, that is. It's all up to you."`
			
			label exit
			`	They gesture, and the men promptly and diligently escort you back out to your ship.`
				defer
			
			label haggle
			action
				set "haggled"
			`	Mammon doesn't look pleased.`
			`	"What part of non-negotiable did you not understand? You're pushing your luck, Captain <last>. I didn't expect you to be such a petty money pincher."`
				goto question

			label threat
			`	Mammon just smiles, displaying sharp teeth and licking them with a forked tongue, more entertained than intimidated.`
			`	"Really? You think you can intimidate me? It's your funeral, human. If you were smart, you would know that my power far exceeds yours, especially in my own home. You know I can't let you leave here alive now. It would set a bad precedent for me. Safety is my top priority."`
			`	You look around, and the men in suits are pointing guns at you. Alien guns. Before you can react, Mammon shoots you from under the table, fatally injuring your abdomen. Your half conscious body is dragged out of the submarine, and your ship being shredded to pieces by alien weapons is the last thing you see.`
				die
			
			label pay
			`	You slide the credit chips to Mammon, but they decline it, grinning with their sharp teeth.`
			`	"Don't worry about paying right now. I only needed you to agree to the deal. I will withdraw the credits in the future, when I desire.`
			`	"Now that we're done with that, the artifact you're looking for has been taken by some mercenaries. It seems to me that your friend messed with the wrong people, but I digress. That is not the information you paid for."`
			`	Mammon lifts their hands to the holographic map of the galaxy in the ceiling. It zooms in, filling up the entire room with stars. In front of you, you recognize the border between the Deep and the Dirt Belt.`
			`	"They have kept the artifact for themselves to sell on the black market, and their base of operations is right... here. Algieba."`
			`	The hologram zooms further in on Watcher, one of the system's moons, and continues until it finally stops over a large forest.`
			`	"You will find them on this uninhabited moon. They are hiding out in this forest, and the artifact is with them. The exact coordinates will be forwarded to your ship. Expect hostilities."`
			`	You thank Mammon for the service and get up to leave.`
			`	"See you, Captain <last>. Remember I always do."`
				accept
	
	on defer
		set "visited mammon"
	
	on accept
		set "paid mammon"
		event "mammon impatient" 240
		fail "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 3"

event "mammon impatient"



mission "Mammon Payment"
	landing
	invisible

	to offer
		random < 10
		or
			has "Sheragi Archaeology: Epilogue: done"
			has "event: mammon impatient"
		has "paid mammon"
		"credits" >= 12000000

	on offer
		payment -10000000
		conversation
			`You receive a message informing you of a very large transaction: 10 million credits. With it, a message containing only the image of a reptilian eye logo. It seems Mammon's crew have withdrawn the money you agreed to pay for the information about the Sheragi black box.`
				decline



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 5"
	landing
	name "The Fight for the Artifact"
	description "Destroy the mercenary fleet, then land on <planet>."
	source "Watcher"
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 4: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You arrive at the uninhabited moon of Watcher and scout the area around the coordinates Mammon sent you. It's relatively easy to find some smoke rising from a campfire in a clearing, but as you approach to investigate, you're surprised by several large ships taking off to greet you, ditching the green tarps used to hide among the trees. It looks like they really don't want you here.`
				launch
	
	npc disable
		government "Bounty Hunter"
		personality unconstrained launching nemesis heroic plunders harvests target marked
			confusion 20
		system "Algieba"
		fleet "Marauder fleet X"
		dialog `You managed to defeat the entire mercenary fleet. You should have no problem landing in their camp now and recovering the cube.`
	
	on visit
		conversation
			`You attempt to evade the mercenary ships and make a quick assault on their encampment, but the ships follow you through the atmosphere, and ground personnel start shooting at you. Bombing it on a pass means you risk destroying the cube. You have no choice but to go back to space and eliminate the mercenary fleet.`
				launch



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 6a"
	landing
	invisible
	source "Watcher"
	destination "Vinci"
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 5: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You come in for a landing, and the few mercenaries that stayed on the ground march towards your ship carrying a makeshift white flag. Dozens of tough-looking men and women approach in uniform but unarmed. They remain calm and organized. These aren't ordinary criminals, it seems.`
			`	"We know when we've lost," one of them yells to your ship on a megaphone. "What is it that you want?"`
			choice
				`	(Shoot them.)`
					goto shoot
				`	(Talk to them.)`
			
			`	You land and cautiously open the hatch to talk with them.`
			`	"Who do you work for? Where is the cube you stole?" you ask.`
			`	"So that old thing was yours?" one woman up front says. "I knew that mission was sketchy... We're mercenaries. We were employed by fancy-looking people who paid us really well to steal it, but when we returned with it, they just scanned it and told us to dispose of it. Said that a digital copy is fine, and the trouble should be enough retribution. We don't know who they were, we don't ask questions. That might be about to change now.`
			`	"If you want the cube, you can have it if you spare us. It's not worth our lives."`
			choice
				`	(Spare them.)`
					goto spare
				`	(Open fire.)`
					goto fire
			
			label fire
			`	Feeling distrustful, you immediately close the hatch and get back into your ship while they scatter.`
			
			label shoot
			action
				set "burned white flag"
			`	Disregarding their surrender, you turn your ship towards them and open fire on the small army. Using your ship-mounted guns against ground personnel is honestly excessive, and they didn't stand a chance. There is now a smoldering clearing around the place where they once stood, and a forest fire is beginning to spread.`
			`	You enter the camp, shooting any mercenaries that remained hidden, and pillage their tents. You find hundreds of thousands of credits, in chips and valuables, and eventually, you find the cube as well. With that in hand, you go back to your ship, ready to take it back to John.`
				decline
			
			label spare
			`	"Deal. Bring it to me," you say.`
			`	While one of them goes to fetch it, you wait in an uncomfortable silence, watching their every move while they watch yours. Eventually the young man who left to get the cube comes back and gives it to you. You examine it, confirming it is the artifact you were looking for.`
			`	"You have it, now go away. We won't get in your way again," the woman who spoke before says, and the other mercenaries begin to disband, going back to their tents.`
			`	With the cube in your arms, you have no more reason to stay here. You go back to your ship, ready to take it back to John.`
				accept
	
	on decline
		payment 926621



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 6b"
	landing
	name "The Box Recovered"
	description "Bring the cube back to John on <destination>."
	source "Watcher"
	destination "Vinci"
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 5: done"
	
	on complete
		conversation
			`Carrying the mysterious box again, you make your way to John's lab. He lets you in, and you tell him about what you just went through.`
			`	"So, retribution, huh? You think it was the officials from the Deep that got angry at us last time? Or maybe Foster's competitors for that dig site? I should have seen that coming."`
			`	"Possibly," you say. "I can't imagine any other reason."`
			`	"At least you got it back. But I don't know if it would be wise to continue to work on it here, and I can't just leave the planet for a couple months with no consequences. I don't even have a clue on how to read that data yet."`
			`	"And what, do you happen to have another shady contact who can help?" you ask.`
			`	"Unfortunately not. And now we seem to be running against time. If only the Quarg would be willing to work with us and give us the information we need to crack this box..."`
			`	As soon as you hear that phrase, it suddenly hits you. You've met the Hai up north, and you heard from the Unfettered that they've met the Sheragi many millennia ago. Perhaps the Hai could be able to help.`
			`	"I think I know what to do. You're not the only person with contacts in strange places."`
			`	You pick up your things, placing the cube back inside the backpack.`
			`	"Well, I wish I could study it longer, but if you have a lead, it's worth pursuing. I trust you'll return the cube to either myself or Albert once you're done with it. Good luck, Captain. Don't get in too much trouble."`



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 6c"
	landing
	name "Hai Knowledge"
	description "Ask the Hai if they know more about the Sheragi."
	source "Vinci"
	destination "Allhome"
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 6b: done"



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 7a"
	landing
	name "The Museum of Galactic History"
	description "Travel to <destination> to visit the Hai Museum of Galactic History."
	source "Allhome"
	destination "Mirrorlake"
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 6c: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You ask around the spaceport until you manage to find a Hai tourist guide. You ask him if there's any place where you could find more information about the Sheragi.`
			`	"A human knows about them? I'm surprised. This is ancient history. If there's any place where you can find out more about them, it's the Museum of Galactic History on <planet>."`
			`	You thank the guide and return to your ship, plotting a course to the <system> system.`
				accept



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 7b"
	landing
	name "The Hai Ministry of Culture"
	description "Land on <destination> to speak with the Ministry of Culture."
	source "Mirrorlake"
	destination "Hai-home"
	clearance
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 7a: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`Arriving on Mirrorlake, you ask around for a while, and eventually, someone directs you to the Museum of Galactic History: a huge, and very important place, but surprisingly not a very popular tourist spot. Most Hai aren't very fond of looking at the past, and most humans have no idea this place exists. The museum staff is surprised to see a human face, and as you wander you feel like you're drawing more attention from the locals than the exhibits themselves.`
			`	The place has a very unusual architecture vaguely resembling Earth's Ancient Greece, but clearly not based on any human design. Touches of metal, concrete, glass, and plastic add a modern aspect to its design. Exhibit rooms branch off a long corridor that makes up the majority of the building. The rooms are arranged such that history proceeds backwards as you walk through the museum, with recent events at the front and the earliest at the back.`
			branch alphas
				has "Wanderers: Alpha Surveillance A: done"
			
			`	One room you enter is dominated by a mural depicting the Hai's history of contact with humanity. What jumps out to you is that the first humans in the mural are shown with green skin. The only green skinned humans you know of are the Alphas. The mural seems to show the Alphas stealing something from the Hai, followed by a series of battles, at the end of which the Alphas are shown retreating into the wormhole. Ships then come back through the wormhole, only this time carrying normal humans. The Hai in the mural appear apprehensive at first, but it is clear that a friendship was quickly established.`
			`	It is surprising and unfortunate to learn that the first contact the Hai ever had with humanity was with the Alphas.`
				goto continue
			
			label alphas
			`	One room you enter is dominated by a mural depicting the Hai's history of contact with humanity. It begins with the Alphas, just as Ambassador Hiyamaharu told you about. The mural seems to show the Alphas stealing something from the Hai, followed by a series of battles, at the end of which the Alphas are shown retreating into the wormhole. Ships then come back through the wormhole, only this time carrying normal humans. The Hai in the mural appear apprehensive at first, but it is clear that a friendship was quickly established.`
			
			label continue
			`	As you continue to wander further down the aisle, you find rooms dedicated to the Korath raids, their civil war, and the first contact with them, along with a very poetic recounting of the origins of the Unfettered. Going deeper, you find even more sections: a long one detailing Hai culture on several different worlds and how they shifted with time, another on the fall of the Hai government that once inhabited part of what is now human space and the decision to pull back into a small territory, one on the completion of the Quarg ringworld, one for Hai trade and military culture during their imperial phase, and a very grim-looking room on the Hai Civil Wars. Finally, after a very long walk, you arrive at a room nearly at the end of the aisle, recounting the history of the Sheragi.`
			choice
				`	(Continue into the Sheragi room.)`
			`	What you see here is much richer than what Albert Foster's little museum could ever hope to display. There are pictures of Sheragi military officials of the time, as well as their names and roles. Details on their culture, their biology, and their apparent conflicts with the Hai are provided as well. There is a huge statue of a bipedal dragon at the center of the room, around 8 meters tall, so large that the ceiling had to be raised. The inscription on the plaque at its feet indicates it is a reproduction of a life-sized Sheragi. A smaller interactive holographic display of one shows details on their biology and behavior. Samples of culture are scarce, but it indicates that they lived under a military meritocracy that valued strength and leadership above all else.`
			`	You see pictures and rough blueprints of their ships, some depicting fearsome fleets of massive warships. They had angular, multi-layered armor that rivaled the strength of modern Hai vessels by sheer mass. If your measurement conversions are correct, their ships were bigger than anything else in human space, dwarfing even the Navy Carrier. A few of them display equally impressive spinal cannons of unknown capability, with grim descriptions suggesting that they were responsible for the extinction of the Sheragi - weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a warlike and immature species that used them carelessly.`
			`	While you are looking around the room, one of the curators approaches you, speaking your own language, albeit with a heavy accent.`
			`	"Sad, isn't it? I don't think they ever had a peaceful time in their spacefaring history."`
			choice
				`	"It's a pity they had to focus so much on conflict. They seemed very capable."`
				`	"They lived fast, died young, and left good-looking corpses."`
					goto approve
			`	"Well, it's not like we are ones to talk. At the time, we Hai were a troubled species too. We even tried invading Sheragi territory. Perhaps if we had been successful, they might have united against a common enemy and might have even survived their rebellious phase, at our own expense.`
				goto next
			label approve
			`	The curator laughs in the distinctive Hai way.`
			`	"That's one way to put it. I can't deny the scale of their engineering was a marvel even for the Hai of that time, and our civilization was already old. Some things scale well with size, and they had no choice but to build big. But it's still a shame. Imagine such capability being used for peace.`
			label next
			`	"Anyway, it's rare to see a human face here, and even more intriguing for them to be staring at Sheragi artifacts. What brings you here?"`
			`	You explain about the ruins recently discovered on Zug.`
			`	"Ohhh, right. They used to inhabit the part of human space that is now called the Rim. Are you looking for anything in particular?"`
			`	"I would like to know more about Sheragi computers," you respond.`
			`	"Hmmm, computers. The Sheragi built their hardware to last. Very sturdy electronics with redundancies, designed to be able to take a shot and survive. But still, I doubt they would have survived so many thousand years. If you want to identify how their hardware used to work, there are a few documents and manuals the ancient Hai stole from them."`
			`	"Are they for sale?" you inquire.`
			`	"You want to buy a copy of the documents? Right now? I'm intrigued. Did you actually find something that still works?"`
			choice
				`	"We found a kind of storage device that seems to still be functioning. A black box."`
					goto truth
				`	"I'm just curious. Studying their technology might allow us to improve ours."`
			`	"I see. I'll have to warn you though, following the footsteps of a doomed species can only get you so far.`
				goto end
			label truth
			`	You produce an image of the cube that you found on your holopad. The curator stares at it, and then slowly turns to you with pity in his eyes.`
			`	"This box is red," he says gently. "I read a thesis once on the prevalence of color blindness in humans, but-"`
			`	In the interest of time, you interrupt the curator and explain that "black box," in human terminology, refers to a device used to collect and preserve flight data in the event of a catastrophic failure.`
			`	Recognition seems to dawn on him. "A Sheragi 'black box,' you say? That's an incredible find! Be careful about the information it contains, though. They are a doomed species. Don't you humans have a legend about a cursed box? What was it... Pandora's Box?`
			label end
			`	"In any case... I am not authorized to sell you documents, I just take care of artifacts here. Giving Sheragi technology to humans will likely be a very bureaucratic process. I suggest you contact the Ministry of Culture on Hai-home."`
			`	You thank him for his help, and make your way back to the spaceport, mentally preparing yourself for what is likely to be a long meeting.`
				accept

	on complete
		"reputation: Hai" += 10
		"reputation: Hai (Wormhole Access)" += 10
		"reputation: Hai Merchant" += 10
		"reputation: Hai Merchant (Human)" += 10
		"reputation: Hai Merchant (Sympathizers)" += 10
		conversation
			`Arriving on Hai-home, you manage to contact the Ministry of Culture, expressing your interests in obtaining Sheragi documents and manuals. After some time on hold, you're scheduled to meet them in person.`
			`	You get ready and make your way to the city hall, where the Ministry is, to meet with the Hai officials, who are accompanied by a few diplomats. You all sit down at a round table. You describe the discovery of the Sheragi ruins to them and they begin inquiring more about it, curious about the state of preservation of the ruins and what artifacts were found. They seem very excited.`
			`	"This is a unique opportunity! Even when our species were in... active contact, millennia ago, we Hai never had the opportunity to study Sheragi cities up close. Brief skirmishes and diplomatic meetings were as close as our ancestors got.`
			`	"You'll understand, however, that we can't simply sell you the documents you're requesting. Instead, we have a proposition for you: cooperation between our species, so both Hai and human can mutually benefit in ways more significant than the financial one."`
			`	Given this opportunity, you tell them about the Sheragi black box found in the dig site, and the possibility of decrypting it and uncovering its secrets.`
			`	"With the proper tools, we could decode it. But in return, we'd like to have a copy of the contents as well, and to learn more about your findings."`
			choice
				`	"Wait, can't I just pay for some help?"`
				`	"Sounds fair to me."`
					goto accept
			`	"This is an excellent opportunity for us to learn as well, Captain <last>. We're not going to take anything from you, but rather, it's a mutual benefit."`
			`	You ponder your choices for a moment. There is no way you could solve this puzzle without their help. You've gone this far, so you agree.`
			label accept
			`	"Excellent!" the Hai exclaims.`
			`	They chat with you a bit more, and the diplomatic leader excuses himself for a moment to make a call. A moment later he returns.`
			`	"We have arranged for a very capable team of archaeologists to meet you in the spaceport in a few hours. They specialize in Sheragi artifacts. I would advise you to make room for three passengers and some cargo for their equipment."`
			`	You thank them for their help and leave the building, ready to meet your new team in the spaceport.`



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 8"
	name "Assembling the Team"
	description "Take the Hai archaeologists to meet Albert Foster on <destination>."
	source "Hai-home"
	destination "Zug"
	passengers 3
	cargo "Archaeological Equipment" 1
	blocked `You arrive at the spaceport, but then you realize your ships don't have enough free bunks or cargo space required to bring the archaeologist team with you. You manage to contact them, and in an embarrassing conversation ask them to wait for you while you make sure you're ready.`
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Box 7b: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You meet up with the Hai archaeologists that will accompany you to human space, an all female team. They introduce themselves to you as Eyama, Rakei, and Desyo.`
			`	Eyama is a linguist specializing in the Sheragi language. She playfully greets you in the dragons' rather guttural tongue, with strange tones.`
			`	Rakei is an archaeological engineer, who immediately takes a liking to the cube as soon as she sees it, examining its structure.`
			`	Finally, Desyo is a xenoprogramming expert who studies alien software, and seemingly has a lot of experience with Sheragi code. Apparently, the displays of the Sheragi room of the museum all run in this exotic language, unseen by the public.`
			`	After the brief introduction, they each take their equipment and load it into the cargo bay of your ship. Rakei approaches you after everything is in place.`
			`	"We want to meet the human archaeologist who uncovered the ruins in the Rim. Can you take us there? We will start examining the cube along the way. I think by the time we get there, we'll have something to work with."`
				accept
	
	on offer
		dialog phrase "generic cargo and passenger on visit"
	on complete
		event "cube decoded" 40 50
		log "People" "Desyo" `A brilliant Hai xenoprogramming expert, Desyo specializes in Sheragi code and software. She is more interested in technology and electronics than people and often coordinates the work in the Hai archaeologist team, despite her introversion and lack of hierarchy. Her dedication is the grease that keeps that machine running.`
		log "People" "Rakei" `Rakei is an engineering expert specializing in archaeological artifacts, but also very interested in new and unusual technology, often nerding out with Desyo over the latest scientific papers. She is part of the Hai archaeologist team tasked to uncover the mystery of the Sheragi black box.`
		log "People" "Eyama" `Uncaring about formalities and seriousness, you wouldn't guess Eyama is an accomplished linguist specializing in Sheragi language. She also has an interest in culture and sociology in general, and has a lot more knowledge about human culture than you would expect from a Hai, or even most humans. Her work with the Hai archaeologist team is invaluable to deciphering Sheragi mysteries and maintaining their relationship with human partners.`
		conversation
			`It was a long trip, almost halfway across the galaxy. The Hai archaeologists have been quite friendly and amiable, giving you updates every time they made a new breakthrough. During this time, the cube, previously thought to be impenetrable, had been disassembled and cleaned. Components that decayed into a mess of oxidized wires and goopy paste over the eons have been identified and removed to substitute for equivalent ones, and a blueprint of the box and its circuits has started to take shape.`
			`	As soon as you land, you call Albert Foster, who doesn't believe you when you say you've gotten alien archaeologists to help. You then look for the three Hai to figure out how they're going to go unnoticed on a human world. You're surprised to find Eyama wearing long, dark but colorful human clothing with an equally oversized hoodie and a bandanna. You recognize this outfit, very popular with the youth these days, who are generally regarded as delinquents by the previous generation. Additionally, she's carrying two more sets for her Hai partners as well. It hides her body really well at the cost of making her look like a young boy, and the Hai's relatively short stature doesn't help.`
			`	"Call me Miss Deus ex Machina, because I thought ahead and bought these from a merchant back home. Perfect disguises. The humans will never notice. How do I look?"`
			choice
				`	"That's... clever. It hides you well."`
				`	"Well, it works, but you look like a child."`
					goto child
			`	"Right? I can even hide my tail in the back of the hoodie!" She spins around happily.`
				goto anyway
			label child
			`	"That's not that bad, is it? I always considered myself young at heart, anyway!" she giggles a little.`
			label anyway
			`	"Anyway, can you take us to Mr. Foster's museum? We'll take the cube and fill him in on the details."`
			`	You agree, and after they're all ready, you make your way out to the dig site. Surprisingly, the three Hai don't get many weird looks if they walk a bit further behind you. You arrive at the museum and they immediately break character by being very obviously excited to see the exhibits. This probably comes as a relief to onlookers, however, who would normally expect that type of kid to vandalize priceless artifacts.`
			`	Finally, you arrive at Albert's workshop. He stops brushing layers of hardened soil off of an object that looks like it was once a television, and looks startled at you and the three "kids." The Hai take off their hoods and bandannas, causing his jaw to nearly drop to the floor.`
			`	"I'll be damned. The Hai really exist!" he exclaims.`
			`	"Of course we do," Eyama laughs. "Haven't you heard all the stories?"`
			`	"I had my doubts. Merchants are not usually the most reputable sources." He smiles. "I'm Albert Foster, archaeologist, pleased to meet you all."`
			`	They introduce themselves, and very soon the conversation evolves to a kind of jargon even Albert has trouble following. They talk about the box and their findings, while Albert talks about the history uncovered in the dig site and insights on the Sheragi daily life and culture. You close the door to make sure nobody else is listening in.`
			`	"We've managed to open the box and we're making a blueprint of it," says Desyo. "Once that's done, we might be able to rebuild the broken pieces and recover the data. We already have documentation on how their hardware worked."`
			`	"The catch is that this is a collaboration now. We'll help you, if you share your findings with us," Rakei continues.`
			`	"Sounds like a fair deal to me," Albert says. "We'll arrange the details later. <first>, thank you so much for your help. We'll continue studying this artifact, and we'll send you a message when we're done."`
			`	You say goodbye to Albert, Rakei, Eyama, and Desyo, and make your way back to your ship. However, as you're walking back to the ship, you feel a heavy hand on your shoulder. You look back, and you're startled to see a Quarg. It's Yarthis, who came to this system to watch over the Sheragi dig site.`
			choice
				`	"I wasn't expecting to see you here."`
				`	"Can I help you?"`
			`	"It has come to my attention that your friends have found a Sheragi black box, and kept it a secret. I am well aware your species view us with distrust, but please understand we only work to prevent extinction. I've been told not to interfere, but I must advise you to be careful with its contents. You will be led to more memories of the Sheragi, and a glimpse at their destruction. But what you find should be seen as nothing more than an oddity, not something to replicate or imitate."`
			`	It turns around and leaves you without another word.`

event "cube decoded"



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Emerald Sword 1"
	landing
	name "Black Box Decoded"
	description "Visit Albert Foster on Zug."
	source
		near "Zubeneschamali" 1 100
	destination "Zug"
	
	to offer
		has "event: cube decoded"
	
	on offer
		dialog
			`You're still in the middle of the post-flight check when you receive a new encoded message from Albert Foster.`
			`	"Hello <first>. I have some good news! We have decoded what's in the black box. You should come visit us on Zug; we have plenty to tell you!"`



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Emerald Sword 2"
	landing
	name "The Emerald Sword"
	description "Bring an additional jump drive to Zug."
	source "Zug"
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Emerald Sword 1: done"
	
	on offer
		conversation
			`You arrive on Zug, and after contacting Albert and the three Hai archaeologists and following their directions, you find them in an ice cream shop. They're still wearing the youngster clothes, but not even bothering to hide their faces with bandannas anymore. Surprisingly, nobody seems too distressed at the sight. Rakei waves for you and stands up, coming to you with ice creams in paw.`
			`	"Hello <first>! It seems our disguise worked better than intended. The humans around here think we're wearing a costume. Apparently young humans like to dress up as aliens?" she says confusedly.`
			`	"I had a feeling we'd fit right in with the furry crowd," Eyama responds proudly.`
			`	"It has been an interesting cultural exchange. Human space might be a great vacation spot for us. But we're not on vacation yet. We have a mystery to solve," she continues.`
			`	You sit down with your group on a bench in a nearby park, mostly empty, and Desyo picks up the conversation.`
			`	"So, the files in the black box were thankfully standard for Sheragi. Not very difficult to decode, once we managed to read them."`
			choice
				`	"What did it contain?"`
			`	Desyo responds, "It was all fleet movement data and military strategy details. This system was apparently on the border of one of the factions' territories. On the final moments of the recording, a large transport fleet had entered the system, unarmed ships. They were followed by military vessels in pursuit. There's no telling what they thought at the time, but a military fleet was immediately dispatched to eliminate both fleets. One particular ship, the name of which Eyama has translated as 'Emerald Sword,' started behaving erratically when given orders. It fired and missed a few shots until it eventually stopped and fled. Clear signs of a mutiny. However, what is perhaps most interesting is that when it fled, it fled in an unexpected direction, away from any hyperlanes."`
			`	Albert continues, "We think they wanted to flee from the fighting. These were soldiers scarred by the horrors of the war, and they just got ordered to attack what we assume to be refugees. The Emerald Sword was a big ship, likely with an equally large crew, and from the movement data, its engines were very powerful too, possibly capable of crossing interstellar distances within a Sheragi lifetime. This has some interesting implications. The ship was moving precisely towards a star named Zubenelhakrabi. Not significant enough to show up in the star maps, but we did our survey, and there is a potentially habitable planet there, but zero signs of intelligent life. We think they failed in colonizing it, but the ship might still be there. It's a priceless artifact. We can't know for sure until we get there. Thing is, there is no way to do so."`
			`	"Unless you have a jump drive," Rakei adds. "And you do have one, don't you?"`
			choice
				`	"I do."`
				`	"I used to, but not anymore."`
					goto notanymore
			`	"This is perfect! Do you think you can get another one? If we're going there, and the ship's remains are still there, we're going to need one to install on the Emerald Sword and bring it back home."`
				goto return
			label notanymore
			`	"You sold it?" she replies incredulously. "How can you sell such a priceless piece of technology? Well, I hope there is a way to get more of them without having one, because we're going to need two for the next stage. One for your ship, and another one for the Emerald Sword, if its remains are still there."`
			label return
			`	"What do I get in return?" you ask.`
			`	"Fame and fortune, my friend. And if the ship is still there, I think you deserve to keep it," Albert responds. "You've helped me so much, and you went to hell and back to get this black box decoded. Give us some time to assemble a crew to survey the system and help refurbish the ship, and in the meantime, go get us a jump drive. Come back to us once you have it."`
			choice
				`	"You're just going to let me have it? Isn't this something of a priceless historical artifact?"`
					goto askkeepship
				`	"Thank you."`
					accept
			label askkeepship
			`	Albert responds, "Well, yes, but I'd feel much more comfortable with it in your hands than sitting here on <origin> waiting to be destroyed in loose fire during a pirate raid. Besides that though, while the Free Worlds work hard and have a stronger presence here than the Navy ever did, they can't stop everyone who may have an interest in this ship. At least with you it's a moving target."`
				accept
	
	to complete
		never




event "zubenelhakrabi discovered"
	system "Zubenelhakrabi"
		remove hidden

mission "Sheragi Archaeology: The Emerald Sword 3"
	landing
	name "The Emerald Sword"
	description "Search for the Emerald Sword."
	source "Zug"
	destination "Valley of the Damned"
	cargo "Outfitting Equipment" 50
	passengers 150
	blocked `You arrive to make the preparations to jump to Zubenelhakrabi, but Albert stops you. "Captain, the Emerald Sword is an alien ship, and we have no idea how many people we will need to man it, so I've taken the liberty of hiring some extra crew on top of the specialist team. We're going to need 150 additional crew to help, including us, and 50 tons of cargo to take our materials and the spare jump drive."`
	
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Emerald Sword 2: active"
	
	on offer
		require "Jump Drive" 2
		conversation
			`You have a spare jump drive in your possession. Would you like to give it to Albert's crew?`
			choice
				`	(Yes.)`
				`	(No.)`
					defer
			`	You give Albert a call, and arrange to meet with him to plan the next step. He shows up at your ship, greets you, and starts loading in some equipment, along with the jump drive you brought. He has assembled a crew of around 150 people, including a specialized team of shipyard workers, a large amount of veteran crew members, himself, and the three Hai archaeologists, who are comfortable to let go of their disguise once they're back in your ship.`
			`	"<first>, meet the people who will help us uncover the fate of the Emerald Sword. I've just briefed them on the situation and what we plan to do. Along with the jump drive, we're going to take some specialized tools with us, which should allow us to repair and outfit the ship in any world we can land on. This might look like a lot of people, but if we want to recover a derelict ship, I suspect we'll need just this many. If you're ready to go, here are the coordinates to Zubenelhakrabi."`
			`	You thank Albert, and make your preparations for the voyage into the unknown.`
				accept
	
	on accept
		fail "Sheragi Archaeology: The Emerald Sword 2"
		outfit "Jump Drive" -1
		event "zubenelhakrabi discovered"
		"reputation: Sheragi" = 1

	on enter "Zubenelhakrabi"
		conversation
			`The trip to Zubenelhakrabi is completely normal and calm. When you arrive, a simple scan reveals the system's star is unremarkable, nearing the end of its main sequence phase. Among the planets orbiting it, one is in the habitable zone and shows apparent signs of life, covered in dark green spots under the clouds.`
			scene "scene/emeraldswordderelict"
			`	You also find the Emerald Sword, but strangely, it is not on the planet, but drifting through space. An enormous ship of angular design, its most striking feature is an incredibly large cannon going through the center of the ship. It is so large the ship might as well have been built around it; you can only wonder about its power. Thankfully, you won't have to find out the hard way; the ship is inert, derelict, ruined from lack of maintenance, and abandoned to the mercy of micrometeorite showers and decay. It seems like it could fall apart if looked at the wrong way... luckily, you have just the right crew for the job.`
			`	But before you can initiate the approach to the ship, a strange feeling washes over you. First, a feeling of being watched by something far greater. Then, a void in your chest, a deep apprehension you can't shake. A thought forms in your mind, but it's not your own:`
			`	"You have arrived, human. This was the Sheragi's last stand before their extinction. You would do well not to disturb this place of remembrance." A strong shiver washes over you as the thoughts of "extinction" and "remembrance" are punctuated by an indescribable feeling. As if there is a cold deep within your bones.`
			choice
				`	"Who are you?"`
					goto who
				`	"What... What is this feeling?"`
			`	There is a pause. The feeling of being watched becomes intense, as if you're being studied intently.`
			`	"A human would call it... dread. Regret. Loss. You are standing in the last untouched graveyard of a lost civilization.`
			label who
			`	"I am the guardian of this site. I am also the one who guided you towards the buried city, so your species would bear witness and take heed of the lessons of ones who have long succumbed to their own folly. I did not intend for you to reach this far.`
			`	"Here is where the Sheragi came to an end. The tools that drove them to extinction are long gone. We witnessed as they cast those tools into the heart of this star."`
			choice
				`	"You mean this ship? Its weapons systems seem to be intact."`
					goto cannon
				`	"What tools?"`
			`	"Ones capable of crippling an entire world's worth of life."`
				goto next
			label cannon
			`	"That ship is just a relic, its weapons a mere trinket. The weapon that perished the Sheragi was indiscriminate. An irrational decision they made for themselves, failing to judge the risk."`
			label next
			`	As that is said, you're overcome by glimpses of memories that are not yours, not clear enough for you to identify what exactly is happening, but you can feel a hellish panic in them.`
			`	The voice continues: "I know what you seek here. The trinket you covet is of little relevance, even for your own, human standards. But if you wish to possess it, then take it. Show your respect to those who have perished here, learn their lessons, and I will allow it. Perhaps the sight of that vessel will remind the living races of those who have come and gone... and how, despite their great accomplishments, their decision to make war reduced them to graveyards, relics, memories... and dust."`
			`	The voice, and the overwhelming emotions that came alongside it, disappear as mysteriously as they came. Desyo, who witnessed you speaking into the void, asks whether you feel okay. It seems like no one else heard it.`

	npc assist
		government "Sheragi"
		personality derelict mute pacifist
		system "Zubenelhakrabi"
		ship "Emerald Sword" "Emerald Sword"
		conversation
			`You dock with the Emerald Sword and the crew starts working to carefully find a way in, directed by the Hai archaeologists. There is no atmosphere inside, as the life support has long since ceased to work.`
			`	After patching as many micrometeorite holes as you can find, you use your ship's own life support to restore the Emerald Sword's atmosphere, and connect your ship's power to it to get the ship's systems minimally functional. Once it's in breathable condition, the crew boards the ship and begins getting to work. With the freshly pressurized atmosphere, you can't help but think that it smells like a tomb.`
			`	Foster divides the crew up into various groups to explore the massive vessel and report back with their findings. "We may be here for a while. There's no telling how long it will take us to get this thing operational again. It has been many thousands of years after all," he says. Foster immediately begins inspecting one of the many Sheragi remains on board, while Eyama, Rakei, and Desyo each explore the ship with their own groups.`
			`	Within half an hour, the entire ship is swarming with crew members hard at work studying the ship (and the remains of its prior inhabitants) and attempting to get it operational.`
			label exploration
			choice
				`	(Look for Foster to see what he's doing.)`
					to display
						not "saes: spoke with foster"
				`	(Look for Eyama to see what she's doing.)`
					goto eyama
					to display
						not "saes: spoke with eyama"
				`	(Look for Rakei to see what she's doing.)`
					goto rakei
					to display
						not "saes: spoke with rakei"
				`	(Look for Desyo to see what she's doing.)`
					goto desyo
					to display
						not "saes: spoke with desyo"
				`	(Return to my ship and wait until the Emerald Sword is operational.)`
					goto end
			
			action
				set "saes: spoke with foster"
			`	You find Foster in a room that appears to have been expanded beyond its original size and converted into a farming facility of some sort. There are rows of dried out soil, its nutrients long gone, with sunlamps suspended above. While most of the crew with Foster is busy studying the farm itself, his attention seems to be on a mummified Sheragi corpse slumped over against one of the walls. You notice that the corpse has a prosthetic wing attached to it, which has survived far better than its host.`
			`	"What have you found so far?" you ask Foster.`
			`	Foster doesn't respond at first, so you begin to ask your question again, but he then turns quickly to look at you, then back at the corpse. "Sorry, I was busy daydreaming. What we found. What we found..." Foster's voice trails off as he looks around the room. "Do you hear that banging sound?"`
			choice
				`	"What banging sound?"`
				`	"I don't hear anything."`
			`	"Strange. I've asked the others here but they don't hear anything either... Anyway, we've found many amazing things. This farm is just the tip of the iceberg. Given that the Emerald Sword had to be able to survive the long flight through interstellar space at sublight speeds, it's no surprise that the crew had to make the ship self-sustaining. I'm sure there's much we could learn technologically from this ship. But we've also found many... disturbing things..." his voice trails off again.`
			`	"These bodies tell stories, <last>. Terrible stories. The entrance into this area of the ship was welded shut. Almost all the corpses outside of this area were skeletons, while those inside, like this one, were mummified. My best guess is that at some point after arriving here, they realized that even with a facility like this they'd run out of food in due time." Foster kneels down to get closer to the corpse. "I'm having very vivid visions of it all, almost as if I'm there in the moment, but it's all happening so fast... They turned on each other in desperation. A small group decided to shut the rest off from the food supply, leaving them to starve. Then those in here lived off of what they had left until the life support systems gave out.`
			`	"In all my years, I've never felt as impacted by my work as I do now. I'm feeling very uncharacteristically... emotional at the sight of all this." Foster turns away from you and wipes a tear from his eyes.`
			choice
				`	"You have every right to be emotional. We've made an amazing but tragic discovery."`
				`	"The Archon spoke to me when we arrived in the system. Maybe it's having an effect on you too."`
					goto archon
				`	"Do you think it's because what we're doing might be wrong? We're basically raiding a tomb right now."`
					goto wrong
			
			`	"Yes. Yes we have," Foster says, sounding more upbeat than before. "Amazing, but tragic. But, amazing," he repeats, as if trying to reassure himself.`
				goto fosterend
			
			label archon
			`	Foster chuckles nervously at the mention of the Archon. "Perhaps," he says, then pauses. "No. I think the gravity of this situation speaks for itself."`
				goto fosterend
			
			label wrong
			`	"I had that same thought on the jump here," Foster says. "But we're in too deep to turn back now."`
			
			label fosterend
			`	Foster stands back up and steps away from the corpse. "I should get back to exploring the rest of the ship. No use in staring at corpses all day."`
			`	You leave the area and see that the large door that was blocking the way into the area is laying against a wall. Foster mentioned that the door had been welded shut, so the crew must have removed it somehow to investigate the area. You notice a large dent in the middle of the door. You aren't sure if that's because of the crew getting into the facility, or from the ship's previous inhabitants attempting to break in.`
				goto exploration
			
			label eyama
			action
				set "saes: spoke with eyama"
			`	You find Eyama investigating the living quarters of the ship, which consists of long halls lined on either side by bunk rooms. Many of the doors are already opened, suggesting that Eyama has already been through many of them. She comes out of one of the bunk rooms after looking through it and notices you. "Captain <last>! What brings you here?" she asks.`
			`	"I'm wondering if you've found anything interesting yet," you respond.`
			`	"Oh, no. Nothing much," she says, sounding somewhat disappointed. "All I've found so far have been largely empty rooms. I would have thought that they would have kept personal items in their bunks, but it looks like they haven't. Or perhaps they were moved for some reason."`
			`	Eyama moves to the next door in the hallway. Instead of another bunk room though, the door opens to a larger room. Judging by the proximity to the bunk rooms, you'd assume this to have been a lounge area or cafeteria of sorts, but its contents suggest otherwise. The walls are covered with Sheragi writing and paintings, and the floor is scattered with various strange looking objects.`
			`	"Is this..." Eyama says, trailing off as she approaches one of the writings on the wall.`
			choice
				`	"What is it?"`
			
			`	Eyama runs her hand against the writing and begins speaking. The sounds match the guttural tongue with which she first greeted you. She pauses after each sound, as if reading single words or characters. "This is the Sheragi alphabet," she says with awe in her voice. Her attention then shifts to writing elsewhere. She reads it, then translates for you. "It says, 'Rekla have mercy on us.'" Next to the writing is a Sheragi handprint on the wall, one of many scattered throughout the large room. Eyama presses her hand to it, nearly covering it. "This is a young hand."`
			choice
				`	"Why is all this here?"`
					goto young
				`	"Who is Rekla?"`

			`	"From what we know, Rekla was a divine warrior among the Sheragi. Sheragi legends stated that she united the warring Sheragi tribes and led them all to the stars.`
			label young
			`	"This ship has to have traveled between the stars for many of your years in order to reach this system without a hyperdrive. The engines are powerful, so it perhaps took them 120 years to arrive here. Many of the Sheragi would have survived the trip, but would be very old when they arrived. This would have made it difficult for them to colonize the planet."`
			choice
				`	"So they would have needed to reproduce on the way here?"`
				`	"Does that mean this was a daycare of sorts?"`
					goto daycare
			
			`	"Yes. At least one, maybe two generations of Sheragi could have been born in that time."`
				goto walls
			
			label daycare
			`	Eyama walks over to one of the objects on the ground and picks it up. "These are toys. So yes. This does seem to have been converted into a daycare."`
			
			label walls
			`	Eyama stands up and looks toward the walls. "And these wall writings were used to teach them. These handprints are theirs. There are hundreds of them. And some of these words are their final prayers." Eyama seems to go into a trance as she walks around the room glancing at the many writings on the wall.`
			`	As Eyama wanders the room, you begin looking at the objects on the ground. One of them catches your eye; a book of massive proportions, slightly over twice the length and width of your average human book, although you imagine it would be perfectly-sized for a young Sheragi. You try to open the book but find that the covers are locked together, and the lock won't budge.`
			`	"Eyama, check this out," you say, snapping her out of her trance.`
			`	"Oh, a book?" she asks. She picks up the book and tries to open it herself. Without hesitating she reaches over to the lock and just pulls it right off before swinging open the massive cover.`
			choice
				`	"How did you unlock that?"`
				`	"What does it say?"`
					goto diary
			`	"It was locked?" Eyama asks with a puzzled look on her face before immediately turning her attention back to the book.`
			
			label diary
			`	She skims the pages. "This is a diary. It seems to be written by an adolescent Sheragi who was born on the ship. They talk about how they've never seen a planet or star up close before, but the adults on board tell them stories of a promised land that they are traveling to. It seems that they were close when this was written, perhaps only a few weeks away from the system."`
			`	She flips through the pages, getting further into the diary. "When they arrived at the system, they stayed in orbit around the planet. The author doesn't know everything that was going on, but there appeared to have been arguments over whether to land."`
			`	She then flips more pages. "Some of the Sheragi left to go to the planet, while others stayed behind. It doesn't sound like the split was amiable."`
			`	She continues to flip through the pages as they eventually turn blank. She then goes back and stops on the last written page. "Part of the remaining crew locked themselves in the hydroponic farm wing of the ship, leaving the rest of the crew with limited amounts of food. 'I'm scared and I don't know what to do.'" Eyama stops reading and closes the book, looking teary eyed. "That was the last line."`
			`	Eyama wipes a tear from her face. "A sad story, but there are plenty of sad stories in this place. No use in lingering on this one." Eyama puts the book under her arm and walks out into the hallway, going back to checking the living quarters.`
				goto exploration
			
			label rakei
			action
				set "saes: spoke with rakei"
			`	As you are looking for Rakei, you hear a low hum begin emanating through the ship, followed by the dim glow of the emergency lights being replaced by the bright main lights. You eventually find Rakei with her crew walking through the halls of the underbelly of the ship. "Greetings, Captain," she says. "Is there something you need?"`
			`	"Have you found anything interesting down here?" you ask.`
			`	"Nothing out of the ordinary," she responds. "We just finished getting the power back online. We had to swap out some parts that look like they broke of old age. Seems like the power generation was active until the end.`
			`	"It turns out that the power generation and engines are all one unit, so I guess that's how they were able to make such powerful engines. We're heading to the life support systems now to make sure they're online so that you can safely disconnect your ship."`
			`	You follow her to the life support systems of the ship, a massive unit designed to scrub carbon dioxide out of the ship's atmosphere, keep the oxygen levels balanced, and warn about any potential leaks in the ship. Rakei finds the main control panel and begins tapping away at it. "Need to make sure this doesn't kill us when we turn it on." After a short while of working on the panel she simply flips a switch, turning it on.`
			`	"Huh," she says. "That was a bit too easy."`
			`	"What do you mean?" you ask.`
			`	"Well we needed to fix the power generation because of how it broke from use, but the life support systems are working just fine."`
			choice
				`	"Do you think the power generation failed before the life support systems did?"`
				`	"Maybe someone turned the life support systems off."`
					goto purposeful
			`	"That could be the case, but life support systems are usually the first set of components that need to be repaired or replaced on any ship as it ages, so maybe someone turned them off before the power generation failed."`
				goto follow
			label purposeful
			`	"That could be the case. Life support systems are usually the first set of components that need to be repaired or replaced on any ship as it ages, so someone turning them off is one way they could work when the power didn't."`
			label follow
			`	Rakei looks like her eyes are suddenly drawn to something across the room. You follow her gaze and spot an open doorway, different than the one you entered from. The doorway leads to a sealed airlock. Rakei accesses a panel next to the airlock to see that the other side is pressurized and opens it.`
			`	On the other side of an airlock you find a large room with what looks like a runway going down the middle, leading to a shielded opening to the void of space. On either side of the room are three hangar bays. You spot that each of the hangars has a ship within it except for one.`
			`	"Fighters," Rakei says as she approaches one of them and begins examining it. "These look like interesting pieces of technology. I wonder how the Sheragi were able to even fit into one." She runs her hand along the hull of the fighter and sees some Sheragi writing on the side. "'Onyx Chariot.' That's its name."`
			choice
				`	"You can read that?"`
					goto read
				`	"I thought Eyama was the linguist."`
			`	"She is. I guess she's rubbed off on me."`
				goto fighter
			label read
			`	"It looks like it."`
			label fighter
			`	Rakei hops onto the top of the fighter, looking for a way in. She finds a hatch and opens it, looking shocked at what she sees. "Wait. I think these fighters are autonomous. I'm not seeing any signs of a life support system, or even a way that a Sheragi could pilot this. There's barely even enough room for a younger Sheragi to fit in here. If the Sheragi couldn't have piloted these then why is there one missing?"`
			`	Rakei closes the hatch and hops down from the fighter. "We still need to get other systems working before the ship is fully functional, so we can take a look at these fighters later. And maybe we'll find the missing fighter on the planet."`
				goto exploration
			
			label desyo
			action
				set "saes: spoke with desyo"
			`	You find Desyo in the cockpit of the ship, overseeing a crew attempting to take control of the ship's computer systems. Makeshift scaffolding has been put in place just so that the crew can reach the controls. "Hello there, Captain," Desyo greets you as you walk in through the massive doorway. "Is there anything I can help you with?"`
			`	"I'm just curious as to what you've found," you respond.`
			`	"Not much yet. We've only just finished putting up these structures so that we can properly access the ship's controls. Now we're looking over them to find a main access point of sorts. From there, we can take control of the ship."`
			`	"Desyo, you might want to see this," one of the crew members shouts. You follow Desyo over to the crew member, who has found a compartment under one of the consoles. Inside, among a mess of Sheragi components, lays a black box that looks exactly like the one that brought you here, and in pristine condition compared to it as well.`
			`	Desyo excitedly removes the black box from the compartment, detaching it from the ship's electronics and attaching it to a computer of her own. "There's no telling what information we'll be able to find with this! Having this ship's black box will tell us everything about it, from its journey in Zubeneschamali all the way to when the ship lost power!"`
			choice
				`	"Do you think we could find another ship to explore?"`
				`	"Is it really a good idea to just plug that in like that?"`
					goto badidea
			
			`	"I don't believe that this box would have any information that would lead us to another ship. But, there's only one way to find out," Desyo says as she begins decrypting the black box.`
				goto explodes
			
			label badidea
			`	"If you're thinking that this could infect my computer with a virus as a countermeasure, I've already dealt with that. We had to develop a firewall to combat a virus that was in the other black box," Desyo says as she begins decrypting the black box.`
			
			label explodes
			`	As Desyo begins extracting information from the box, you begin hearing a strange noise akin to a tea kettle. The noise begins to increase in volume and you pinpoint that it is coming from the box itself, which is now emitting strange white particles and a wave of heat. Others have seemed to notice this as well and have already moved behind cover. "Odd. Never seen that happen before," Desyo says. Before you can move, somebody pulls you and Desyo away from the box. The box suddenly gives off a loud popping noise and parts fly everywhere in an explosion.`
			choice
				`	"Is anyone hurt?"`
				`	"Did that happen with the last one?"`
					goto last
			
			`	Your questions is met with a chorus of "No, I'm fine," "All good over here," and various other affirmations of safety from the crew.`
				goto desyoend
			
			label last
			`	Desyo looks at you like you're some kind of alien. "No, nothing like the sort. Don't you think I would have expected that if it had?"`
			
			label desyoend
			`	Everyone comes out from behind their cover to look at the aftermath. Luckily, no one seems to have been hurt. Desyo walks over to the large scorch mark on the floor left behind by the explosion. "I have no idea what could have caused such an explosion to occur," she exclaims.`
			`	"How's your computer doing?" you ask.`
			`	Desyo finds the computer on the other side of the room with a severely cracked screen, but somehow still functional. "Sturdy piece of hardware, isn't it?" she jokes. She begins tapping away at the keys as she squints at the screen. "I can still make out some of what I was able to pull from the cube. It looks like... that cube had some information on a weapon. Some sort of... chemical weapon? It seems to include... mention of coordinates. But that's all I was able to get. Whatever coordinates they were are lost to time."`
			`	The crew are still standing around in shock as Desyo fiddles with her damaged computer. She looks up to see everyone staring at her. "Well, let's get back to work. We're not going to make any progress just standing around."`
				goto exploration
			label end
			`	You return to your ship, and after a few hours Foster contacts you saying that the ship is in operational condition. It'll need to be landed on the planet in this system so that the jump drive can be installed, though.`
		
	on visit
		dialog `Upon landing on this strange world, you realize not everything is accounted for! Better make sure the Emerald Sword has been boarded, and no crew or cargo is on escorts out of the system.`



mission "Sheragi Archaeology: Epilogue"
	landing
	name "The Emerald Sword"
	description "Return to Zug."
	source "Valley of the Damned"
	destination "Zug"
	cargo "Outfitting Equipment" 25
	to offer
		has "Sheragi Archaeology: The Emerald Sword 3: done"
	on offer
		give ship "Emerald Sword (Fixed)" "Emerald Sword"
		give ship "Black Diamond" "Stormheart"
		give ship "Black Diamond" "Onyx Chariot"
		give ship "Black Diamond" "Firebrand"
		give ship "Black Diamond" "Frostherald"
		give ship "Black Diamond" "Ivory Talon"
		give ship "Black Diamond" "Skeleton Key"
		conversation
			`As you enter the atmosphere of the alien world, you begin running scans of the air quality to determine if it is safe to breathe. You quickly learn why it is that the Sheragi perished in space; the atmosphere has a high concentration of chlorine gas, fatal to all living creatures aside from those that seem to have miraculously evolved here. The environmental suits brought along "just in case" turn out to be very useful here. The atmosphere would be unhealthy to breathe for long periods of time, and very uncomfortable in the short term, if you didn't bring them.`
			`	You spend some time searching for a suitable landing spot - one that is high enough to escape the highest concentrations of chlorine gas in the atmosphere, but flat enough to land on. Your scanners eventually spot a flat mesa high above the ground. It turns out the Sheragi found this exact same spot; as you come in for a landing it becomes apparent that there are ruins of a large settlement on the mesa.`
			`	Among the ruins you spot what looks like a small ship covered in foliage. "That must be the missing fighter," Rakei says.`
			branch skip
				has "saes: spoke with rakei"
			`	Seeing your confusion, she explains: "We found five fighters on the Emerald Sword, but there is room for six. We figured that the final one might be on the planet."`
			label skip
			`	"Well, this is quite the turn of events," Foster says as he looks at the ruins.`
			choice
				`	"You didn't expect to find anything here?"`
				`	"Do you think we'll find anyone left alive?"`
					goto alive
			`	"Not after seeing what happened on the ship," he responds.`
				goto landing
			label alive
			`	"After thousands of years? I'm not holding my breath," he responds.`
			label landing
			`	You land your ship next to the Emerald Sword and the crew gets to work transporting heavy equipment from your ship to the Emerald Sword to finish getting it functional and install the jump drive.`
			`	Foster and Eyama get into their environmental suits. "Want to join us in investigating the ruins, <first>?" Foster asks. "Rakei and Desyo will be staying here to finish work on the ship."`
			choice
				`	"Sure, I'll come along."`
				`	"No, I'd rather wait here."`
					goto end
			`	You head into the settlement with Foster and Eyama. Not much remains of the ruins, but there is still more than what one would expect to find after such a long time. The buildings were all connected to each other to avoid the exterior atmosphere. They were made of glass, scrap, and a kind of yellowish white plastic, the same plastic that the carapaces of animals here are made of. It's very fortunate that the young life in this planet seems to still be unable to decompose those materials, leaving the ruins only at the mercy of weather and geological processes. They appear to have been melted into shape and built into walls over time, giving the buildings a rounded, anachronistic look, like mud huts made of modern materials. All around the inside there are remains of curtains and rags hanging from the ceiling to the ground. Closer inspection reveals the rags to have traces of exotic chemicals, likely made to react with the chlorine in the air to keep the atmosphere inside breathable.`
			`	The smaller rooms you come across appear to be just family homes, with a simplistic, single room interior, while the larger ones had other purposes, like what appears to have been a classroom, an animal carapace storage room holding the exoskeletons of many different species, a communal kitchen with remains of a solar oven, and most strikingly, a hatchery with relatively small beds, nests, and makeshift toys strewn about. Most of the rooms are littered with skeletons and remains, from the largest hunter-gatherers to the smallest young ones, a grim scene suggesting that some unknown catastrophe ended their lives all at once. Even then, the Sheragi on the surface apparently survived for much longer than the ones in the Emerald Sword, perhaps for many generations. Had the ship landed, they might have survived to this day.`
			`	Foster documents and takes pictures of everything that he sees. Although you'd expect him to be excited to see all this, like he was when investigating the Sheragi ruins on Zug, his mood is extremely somber.`
			`	While in one of the rooms, Eyama spots a young Sheragi skeleton laying on the ground that looks like they were reaching out for something when they died. Eyama kneels down next to the skeleton and reaches out to touch its hand. "Don't," Foster says from across the room, stopping Eyama from moving. "We need to leave this place undisturbed. We've done enough already by taking the ship." Eyama gets up without speaking, but gives a look of understanding to Foster.`
			`	After spending enough time among the ruins, you return to the ships with Foster and Eyama.`
			label end
			`	The final repairs on the Emerald Sword take up nearly an entire day, with the crew working in shifts to get the job done. Once the ship is patched up and all the systems are functional, the jump drive is installed. While the Emerald Sword was being worked on, Rakei was able to get a group to retrieve the final fighter and return it to the ship. All that is left to do now is to get the ship in orbit and return to <planet>.`
				accept
	on visit
		dialog `You have reached <planet>, but not all of the archaeology equipment made it back! Better depart and wait for your escorts to arrive in this star system.`
	on complete
		log `Obtained an ancient Sheragi warship whose name translates to the Emerald Sword. It was crewed by mutineers that fled from their civil war and escaped into interstellar space. Found orbiting a disconnected star, it is an impressively large ship, fit for the equally large Sheragi. The ship's main weapon is a fusion-pumped gamma-ray laser called the 'Dragonflame Cannon.' Despite the relatively primitive outfits, it's still a very capable war machine due to its size.`
		conversation
			`Your exotic new ship draws a lot of attention from the dockworkers, partly because it is unique and never-before-seen, but probably even more so due to the unprecedentedly large cannon. Albert and the Hai archaeologists spend most of the day examining the ship in more detail and recovering the corpses, now that it's in a proper spaceport and they can access more complex equipment. Everything is completed in one particularly busy afternoon, and as night falls, the immense scale of the ship's interior allows more floors to be installed, giving you even more living space.`
			`	You go back to the same park as before with Albert and the three Hai in partial disguise, ice creams in hand and paws to commemorate the new acquisition.`
			`	"That is one impressive ship," you mention.`
			`	"True," Desyo says. "I've never seen a cannon that big before."`
			choice
				`	"I wonder how it works."`
					goto works
				`	"That's what she said."`
			`	Desyo doesn't understand, but Eyama bursts into laughter. "Classic human joke. You see, it implies--"`
			`	"God, don't explain it," Albert interrupts. "That was terrible. She's right though, that isn't something you see every day. Do you have any idea how it works?"`
			label works
			`	Rakei, who is more knowledgeable in this area, responds. "It's a fusion-pumped gamma-ray laser, or GRASER for short. The device is simple in concept, but the cost involved and the proportion of everything makes it impractical to develop, not to mention that to use it would probably be considered a war crime in many civilizations, thus making R&D not worth it. It's essentially using a nuclear flash to power a laser beam that penetrates and melts everything. Fascinating, but I'm hoping you'll use it only for peacekeeping purposes."`
			`	Eyama adds, "I've been calling it the Dragonflame Cannon. I think it's appropriate, even though it's technically not a flame in the chemical sense. The dragons of human legends could breathe fire, and although it's unlikely the Sheragi could actually do that, this cannon more than makes up for it."`
			choice
				`	"Do you think I could get in trouble by using it?"`
					goto trouble
				`	"It's not going to blow up my own ship, is it?"`
			`	Rakei laughs. "Don't worry, the Sheragi did their homework. They used simple materials, which means that the cannon can be maintained and repaired so that it continues to be structurally strong. Many of the components are active anyway, and they basically only exist for the short amount of time that the GRASER takes to fire. I only advise against firing it at point blank range."`
				goto catch
			label trouble
			`	"I don't think you will, as long as you don't fire it into a planet. It doesn't cause unnecessary suffering like nerve gas, and it isn't as indiscriminate as a nuclear bomb. This is a focused beam. It's going to poke holes straight through any ship subject to its wrath."`
			label catch
			`	"Then what's the catch?" you ask.`
			`	"It eats a lot of power. I mean a lot. And it does that every shot. No single reactor will be capable of making it shoot as fast as it possibly could. Expect to invest a lot in batteries and reactors if you want to re-outfit that warship and still use the cannon."`
			`	Desyo adds, "Also, don't go thinking you're invincible now. The shield matrix in that ship is incredibly primitive. Almost nonexistent. The hull is strong, but don't rely on it too much. Human technology could probably do better if they tried. No offense."`
			`	"So what are you going to do now?" you ask them.`
			`	Eyama responds. "We'll continue working with Albert. These two nerds like technology and ships, but I'm far more interested in the treasure trove of cultural artifacts the buried city holds. Not to mention the humans here are very interesting!"`
			`	You all finish your ice creams and continue chatting for a while longer before you say goodbye and return to your ship. By tomorrow, it will be in full working condition, ready to take to the endless void.`
