In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 23):

Neva looked over at Ken and smiled.  "This door is currently locked.  Shall it remain so?"

Ken smiled; "If it's not alarmed see what you can do Neva."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 26):

The door doesn't seem to be alarmed.

GM Note: Neva may make a Streetwise check to try and pick the lock.

Tony

"Strange... nothing in the University directory on a Dr. Laskan. Nothing in the city directory. Maybe he never got here?"

She downloaded his picture from the TNS article about his transfer from Regina to Alzenei.

Ken frowned deeply.  "That's really odd Talia.  I hope we're not coming up with a conspiracy here.  Obviously Loraine heard of him but doesn't seem to have contacted him yet from reading her notes."  He thought for a moment;  "Could you come up with a way as a medical professional to need to contact him?  Then you could get in touch with the Institute and ask for him.  That might give you some idea if he really was expected and never showed up."  He takes a copy of the picture and looks at it. "We'll need to keep an eye out for him as well it seems."

"Yes, I think I can help. If he's on planet, he would need to have cleared customs and have all his medical data on immunisations and boosters up to date as part of a work visa. This isn't some tourist!

"I will call a friend in the ministry that came in handy when I was writing a paper on orrworld diseases and quarantine. It will need to be in the morning. We can establish if he's cleared customs and if we're lucky, maybe they'll have some contact information."

Back at the Ship

Meanwhile, night had fallen at the Starport.

Everyone disembarked from the air/raft. A watch was set (of the ship's cameras) and everyone went about armed, although the chance of someone gaining access to the ship while it was on a landing pad was slender at best.

In reply to GM (msg # 31):

He gestured to the pile of luggage, cases and boxes he'd packed along.

"Linus, old friend.

"I should like to set up my instruments and equipment in, er, the lounge, perhaps? Or if you have an unoccupied cabin?

"Then, I was wondering if we could have some dinner. Perhaps order in? But I would guess Starport catering is very expensive."

"I'll cook if you like. Anything in particular that you fancy?" asked Linus.

Blake lends a hand moving the prof's gear about & helping him set it up.

Ken sighed with frustration and then nodded.  "It'll have to do Talia.  I'm glad you're helping.  I'm really upset about the situation with Lorain and I can't help but get impatient.  For all we know the thugs are taking her off planet or even torturing her."  He controlled his strong emotions.  "I think you've got a good approach.  Obviously this guy had some bearing on what Lorain was investigating.  If we can find him perhaps we can figure out what she was on to and then what the kidnappers are after."

He looked back at their notes as Neva worked at the lock.  "Qarant... I wonder if she felt there was some link to that place.  It sounds like the civilization there may have been attacked by the Sky Raiders as well."

Institute for Systems Studies

The connecting door opened with a click as Neva let herself in. That is, with the help of her lockpick.

A few minutes looking revealed something very suspicious. The hard drive on his computer was wiped with a low-level format. There were no hard copy files for anything relating to the Sky Raiders, Qarant or Mirayn.

Talia nodded, frowning at Neva's apparent skill at working on the lock.

"I will visit the Starport tomorrow. You can show me around the ship, and I can see my friend."

"Why, anything would be capital!

"And thank you, Blake, for your assistance."

He began examining the work, mumbling to himself.

So professor, anything of interest from this 'treasure' we found ??  Blake will engage in any small talk while moving things about & setting up.  Camping stories, old safari stories, it doesn't matter.  He's trying to see if this guy would make a good scout or not.  Anyone willing to tramp around in the wilderness certainly has a good start ... at least to him.

Ken watched as Neva worked her magic on the lock.  He glanced back to Talia; "Definitely come by the starport then.  We're in berth 417A in the commercial sector since technically we are a registered freighter.  Just be careful as who knows which of us could be targeted."

He steps forward into the room with Neva, motioning Talia to follow. "Everything on Sky Raiders, Qarant or Miray wiped?"  Ken frowned.  "He could have had a grudge related to Lorain getting the position he probably felt was his by right."  He looked about; "Let's see if he's tidied up like he's not coming back if we can even tell Neva.  Talia, can you see if there is anything else in this guy's background that might provide further clues?  Did he study abroad or anything like that?  Then let's get out of here.  I'd like to try calling him once we clear to a safe place.  If he doesn't answer it makes things even more suspicious."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 40):

Neva tried to look nonchalant when the lock opened up.  She calmly put aware her tools and slowly opened up the door.  Hearing that Ken wanted to look to see if there was evidence of their subject taking flight.  THAT was something she knew about.  She had to do it before and with that in mind, she started to look around the place.

In reply to Neva Alexovna Morozova (msg # 41):

Oh yeah, this is not a pro job but she can tell Lokhav booked it. For one thing, there was space for personal pictures but they were all gone. She would be very surprised if Lokhav was planning on returning.

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 40):

Talia looked in the door of the connecting office but didn't enter.

"Oh wow. Yes, I can ask around the Institute about his history. I know he was recently immigrated from the Hegemony because the one time I met him, he still had a thick accent.

"So yeah. Happy to vome by tomorrow."

Professor Messandi looked up, surprised. If nothing else his dedication and fcus on his work was very typical of the somewhat slightly-loony Scouts.

"Hm? Oh yes. I think I mentioned before the script on the back are of Vilani characgters. This is significant, if true, because I think this piece shows evidence of some real antiquity but the Vilani never migrated anywhere near here until the Third Imperium. And then, they would be speaking Anglic. The language itself is unknown.

"You know, Lorrain said that the Institute had hired a chap, a researcher to assist in decyphering the Sky Raiders script. Maybe I should contact him."

Neva came back into the other room with Talia and Ken, closing the door behind her and relocking it.   "I doubt he'll return.  He took all his pictures with him.  It's also neat enough that he wasn't being chased when he left.  He had time to do it carefully.  Not a professional job but still had put thought into it.  We should probably go now."

Only "slightly loony" ??  OK, the true loons are those X-boat drivers.  Anyone wanting to spend their days locked up in a traveling closet certainly goes to the front of the line in Blake's book.

No Vilani traders, scouts, explorers ??  Maybe pirates grabbed it along with some other stuff then bumped into the raiders ??  Did the Sky Raiders ever visit Vilani worlds back then ??  You mean you can't read this writing ??

Messandi smiled and poured them both some tea.

"Milk? Sugar? I take a bit of freshly-squeezed lemon, myself. Like the long-vanished "Anglish" did, or so I am told."

He finished, then answered Blake's questions. "Yes, there could have been individuals or companies exploring this far, anything's possible. Even a misjump! But there are no official First Imperium records, and definitely no mass migrations and the farthest Vilani colonies were in the Spinward Marches, 2 Sectors over. Some Vilani fled the takeover of the Second Imperium and disappeared somewhere in the Outrim Void, but this seems a little early for that and there's no proof they went further spinward.

"Unfortunately, I'm no linguist. Lorain took me to dinner with the linguist the Institute brought in to help with the Sky Raider language, Dr. Chanis Laskan. I don't know his number, but I do know the hotel he's staying at, courtesy of the Institute, while his accommodations are being prepared.

"We could try and find it tomorrow? I don't know the name, but I know where it is."

Ken's frown deepened.  "This is definitely a set up.  I'd say this guy was in things all along.  He bolted as part of the snatch on Lorain.  As her assistant he'd know just about everything she's doing."  He shook his head and thought a bit more.  "So he was dealing with Qarant... I wonder if that has anything to do with it.  I say we regard the guy as a suspect.  I still say we call him and if we get no answer mention our concerns about his safety to the police.  They can work that angle while we reconsider."

Sure, lets call the hotel & see what he knows.    Blake will look up the hotel.  Tea with lemon ??  OK, I'll give it a try.  He then speaks with the hotel answering service, a real person or some AI automated gizmo that leads you around in circles ??

Programmers Blake thinks.  Sometimes they need to to be walloped with polo mallets ...  Programmers ...  Polo mallets ...  Blake smiles, scouts are easily entertained it seems.