Blake finds minute traces of the program, which is very busy deleting itself. It is no longer running, but instead it is covering up its own tracks in the systems.
As soon as M4RC0 starts up, it will be erased completely and no longer traceable.

"I'm trying to find out who wrote this, but it's deleting itself using marco's systems as it starts."

Blake leaves Marco running, because he has no means of explaining to the people down in engineering why Marco would be down.

"Marco, could you do a systems diagnostic and report on the condition of the ship?

Ship is in excellent condition. All systems functional. At this time we have elven opened pods. Seven crew accounted for. One deceased. Three missing. Our current location is system 336732.97EL. One terraformer is unaccounted for. Two mobiel reactor trucks unaccounted for. One dropship is unaccounted for. Three weapon crates unaccounted for.
Shall I wake the captain and staff?

"I'may just a staff sergeant. Please relay that information to the other crew thar are awake. Do you know where we are in space?"

   Jenni breathed a literal sigh of relief when the power came back on after a few hours.  "Marco, please establish a link to Lt. Shadow."

   "Lt. Shadow, please convey my thanks to your people for a job well done.  You and your people may have picked up trace elements of radioactive material.  All of you need to use the decontamination showers, then report to the sick bay to be checked out.  Again, thank you for saving us all."

   Acting Captain Maxwell was about to work herself out of a job.  "Marco, begin awakening the Captain and crew in an hour."

   Soon to be Lt. Maxwell smiled.  "Staff Sargent, I don't know about you, but I could use a shower and a better fitting uniform.  The Bridge is in Marco's ummm... hands?  Anyway, let's hit the showers."

  ..Thank ya, Ma'am. But I was just part of the Labor.. Mr Cornell guide us,, and  we have another  wake up here... Her Name is Connolly..she's a doc? so..we'll get checled  out fair and proprer...

In reply to Jennifer Maxwell (msg # 42):

"I want to know where we are first. Someone got off this ride, and it would be good to learn when and where they went. Perhaps the logs would show when the missing drops ship was powered on, or last drew maintenance power, or the bay doors were opened."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:02, Sat 11 Mar 2017.

Blake sits down and starts using the terminal.

Dropship left the CS-8 on third of july 2042. Three people on board.

"The dropship left over a hundred years ago, they're gone."

Blake attempts to discover what the nearest star is, and it's distance using the ship'so instruments. There'should probably a program to do it for him.

  "Marco, are we in orbit around a planet in system 336732.97EL?  Do you know how long ago the dropship departed the Marco Polo?"

didn'the pick up on that, sorry. The dropship left on the third of July 2042.

It's 17-2-2187 at the moment, so whoever left died of old age a long time ago, unless they had coldsleep gear.

   Maxwell smiled.  "That would definitely make this a cold case file.  The Captain and his regular staff will be awakening soon.  I want a shower and a uniform that doesn't feel like a sausage casing.  I could also use something to eat and drink.  Marco is back on line.  Finish up here and I'll meet you at the decon showers on the cryo deck.  I want to check on one final thing first."


To: Cryo Deck
This message was last edited by the player at 04:48, Sun 12 Mar 2017.

Blake, the nearest star would be Brenner 82, a gas giant of medium size. It has a small area of 'habitable' conditions in which a planet with four moons resides. It is at a distance of .34 lightyears, and could be reached in two months. Would you like to plot a course?


This message was last edited by the player at 04:42, Sun 12 Mar 2017.

No, plotting a course is for the captain. I'don't better get to the decontamination showers.

Blake heads down to cryogenic.

Showered, uniformed and with a sidearm, Blake sits down at the terminal, and tries to work out what's happened.

As Blake sits down to work on the computer, trying to figure out who or what sabotaged M4RC0, he hears the all too familiar click of a gun being loaded through. A voice from behind him greets him not all that friendly.
"Mind telling you who the fuck you are? Why is there a mummyfied body on the floor of Captain Dorn's bridge, and explain kindly what you are doing here before I decide you are an unwanted guest and finish things off real quick?"
Jan VanderBeek steps from the shadows, the barrel of the SA-80X casually trained at Blake's seat.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:44, Sun 12 Mar 2017.

"Hmm. Let me see. We don't know who the dead guy is. One of the dropships is missing, so I'don't guess whoever killed him left the ship in 2042, around the time we were scheduled to be in the alpha centauri system. I'm Blake Germaine, staff sergeant and programmer. Currently I'm trying to figure out who hijacked the ship."

After a little more thought, he adds "Hey Marco, could you give this guy a datestamp please?"

After listening to Marco stating the current date, VanderBeek stares at Blake in shock for a moment. He places the SA-80 on a desk and sits down to think.
"So you are telling me someone left this ship in 2042, killed this guy, and then sent us forward for another 115 years? Marco, wake the captain, now! You work on getting that intell. My name is Jan by the way. Jan VanderBeek. Morale officer, technically a civilian, but part of the upper staff. Who else is awake?"

"Something like that. I've only been awake for a little while myself, but there was definitely some sort of traitorous action. The ship had been set to decontaminate the entire ship with fusion gasses, no more than an hour after the ship's systems were first accessed. We had to switch off the fusion reactor to stop it, the program was written in at the system level and I couldn't shut it off any other way."

"I wasn't able to find out who created or set the program, and both it and the corruption of the marco ship's ai self deleted when engineering finished replacing the fusion batteries and repowered the ship."

"I don't actually know who else is awake. There was Jenifer, who appointed herself acting captain, that was a good move I think, we needed one. There were two or three voices on the end of the intercom, but I only met one of them briefly. One fighter pilot, and an engineer. "

"Anyway, were definitely in 2187, I even checked whether Marco's dates could be off. The nearest system was described as a gas giant with some habitable worlds, although I'm not too sure what they mean by gas giant. 0.27 light year Marco said. Apart from that ship's systems appear to be functioning normally, which is a blessing given their age."

On Hearing the announcement by Captain Dorn, Blake says "We'd better head on over. There's no value in being late."

Blake heads over to the conference room.

"Yes, lets head out indeed. The captain will probably not be amused." VanderBeek follows Blake out, leaving the rifle.

Coming from his quarters at double pace, Captain Dorn takes just enough time to have a look at the bridge. Soaking up the smell, the feel, of his bridge, he tried to remember the names of all the young men and women making up his bridge crew.
He came halfway. A lot better than after just waking up. It was slowly coming back to him. It should, he had handpicked each one of them. No good for a captain to forget their names. Luckily he knew he had the cryo to blame for that.
His gaze fell upon an armed marine on his bridge, standing near the weapons consoles. At his feet, a mummified corpse, its head at the foot of his command chair. Well trained as they were, his bridge crew just worked around it, shooting the occasional worried glare in the corpse's direction.

"What is the meaning of this soldier? Why is this still here?" He would have to talk to Ascott later. Maybe to Maxwell too. This wouldn't do.

The marine jumped at the ready, answering matter-of-factly.
"Order of Major Ascott captain. Crime scene. It won't be cleared untill CIS clears the scene sir."

"Have it removed. Now!" Dorn shook his head. Not a good way to start a day, let alone a new lifetime. He paced away quickly as the marine spoke softly into his comm, not even waiting for confirmation. This was starting out to be a lousy day indeed. He had better get to medical.