Mutants & Masterminds Mutants & Masterminds: Legacy - Lagrangian

[Aeonian]

Pilot's Log, Flight Transit Time 12 hours, 37 minutes, 28 seconds, earth reckoning.

Point of Origin: Epislon Eradini Spaceport

Destination: Sol III, Luna Station

I am approaching the Sol system at Jump factor 4, heading for the L3 Spaceway Guard checkpoint. I radioed the SWG headquarters I would be drifting through on thruster power for a while while I take the required rest for single space travellers. I'll be using that opportunity to check the debris in the area for anything that might have been from the Eris science colony.

How long as it been... my birthplace. So long ago...

Anne powers down her small FTL drive she assembled and mounted on her old surplus starfighter. The added room from the removed weaponry made her work quite easy. Needed most of it to replace the reactor to a higher output one for the jump engines to collect enough negative mass exotic matter for spacewarp, and to accommodate the deflector shield system the fighter required to be FTL worthy.

Thrusters slow her fighter to a stop once leaving spacewarp and park her ouside of a drifting space debris field. It was larger years ago but recyclers have been having a field day collecting the jetsam and flotsam collected in the lagrangian point.

Anne sighs at the sight... how much material would be left of Space Colony Eris' ruin? It was decommissioned in 2521 under orders from the Terran government to clear it for more spaceway stations to open the SOL system to more trade and tourism. But alot of the garbage left behind from demolition of such a large station would take a very long time to clear, particularly when considering that it takes months or years at a time to travel to the L3 point. Costly in fuel as well.

Not a problem for her though.

After parking and switching on her navigational obstacle beacons she puts her helmet on her suit. Then opens her cockpit after depressurizing. The sound reminds her of when she was first rescued 31 years ago by a SWG cutter... The SGS Samaritan if she remembers correct.

She pushes off from her seat taking with her a hand light and a hand thruster from her glovebox.

"Okay... that garbage skow operator told me he found a mother lode of colony debris here... by his recollection from the residential cylinder..."

She pushes off, and starts to drift under her own power towards the debris field. What looks like a large old colony frame covered by a solar reflector is near by... roughly four times the size and probably mass of her fighter. She makes a couple strategic puffs from her hand thruster and then grabs on to it when she gets close and pulls herself over.

Shining her hand light over the chunk of station she could tell by the weathering it was old... very old. She starts looking around for any identifying marks.

"Okay, a station of the era I came from would have an identifying stamp on one of it's supports... Here we go."

She spots one of the unobtanium beams sticking through the skin like a stilleto from the broken hull. She starts looking at the piece, her glasses under her helmet looking at every scratch and dent, trying to assemble a word or number from the indiscernible.

"3.... 341 dash... yes... 3412 dash 7.. A... 46... 01 dash 2...4... two... zero... eight... six..."

She pulls out her Datapad and starts analysing the image her glasses upload...

"3412-7A46 01-24-2086 -- Ceres Alloy Works, Asteroid Belt, Sol System... Computer, analyse the serial number with that particular company."

Her pad lights up with search information, it's data mine program sucking up as much raw data as it can.

Query: Cross Reference which Data with this Information?

"Cross Reference Source: Science Station Eris, Engineering Files, Residential Habitat Engineering Manifest."

Searching... ... .. . Match Found: Section 24...

"Which Residential Unit?"

Unit 2437-A

"Cross reference that residence with the resident manifest circa 2090 to 2190."

Tenant: Jack and Gina Arneson, July 4 2099 to August 8 2101.

"Query, what happened to Jack and Gina Arneson after their residence o the station."

Found: One Article, Obituary... Do you wish to read it?

"Negative... Cause of Death?"

Searching... Checking Terran Medical Service database... Checking... Cross-Referencing with Spaceway Guard incident logs... Compilation complete...

"Display."

Code:

Incident Report
Gregorian Calendar 8-8-2101

During a breach of hull incident, several residents of the Eris Science Colony were lost.
We have retrieved two bodies matching the description of Jack Arneson and Gina Anderson-Arneson.
Cause of death seems to be Asphyxiation and organ tissue damage from prolonged exposure to vacuum.
Sending bodies to be examined at Luna Base Armstrong for verification.

Anne pauses after reading the report. "Computer... access autopsy file on Jack and Gina Arneson."

Access Denied, locked under Terran Security Agency protocol.

"Okay... time to check this. Which classification level?"

Unknown.

Red lettering scrolls unto the screen.

Citizen, these files are unaccessible under the UN Information Security act of 2057.

"Computer, log FOIA request."

Sending form request regarding autopsy file...

Blue lettering scrolls across.

Due to Terran Intelligence Agency classification, this FOIA act request cannot be accepted on applied for grounds. -Reference: UN Security Council Grandfathering Policy 341-a

"Damn... must be something big... Computer, archive all information gathered."

Affirmative

She sighs and pushes off the wall of the derelect. "What would cause a 1000 year old report that would generally be accessible to the public to be locked down this tightly..." She says to herself while turning around to face her space fighter. She pulls out a remote and the fighter slowly drifts over firing it's docking thrusters to match her vector. "...I can check on this later... I gotta get to Earth."

She gets into the pilot's seat and closes the cockpit. It repressurizes slowly to allow her suit adaptation time. "After 1000 years still top secret... Odd..."

She spins up her reactor and ion-engines to begin her journey again.

"Earth Control, this is the Spacecraft "Noble Endeavor" requesting approach permission."

"Mainifest?"

"One Pilot, Anne Arneson."

"Business?"

"I've business with the Legacy League."

"Please verify your navigational contact ID."

She sighs. "Noble Endeavor, Ship NID Number 6120-XFTL-101933"

"Affirmative, the Terran Security Agency has sent your papers ahead. Anything to declare?"

"Yes, I would like to declare my change of residency to the New York Arcology from Vanguard City, Epsilon Eradini."

"Negative, your temporary residence will be on the Invincible."

"What? The League's flagship?"

"Affirmative, Noble Endeavor, You have a shuttle bay waiting."

"Message Recieved. Noble Endeavor signing off."

...to be continued

[Aeonian]

3 weeks ago... Rastellion Colony

"Miss Arneson, I assure you I didn't tell them you were interested."

"James, I have a project with Professor Farnsworth that I cannot drop. Did they even announce who they were before you found it wise to draft me?"

"Umm... they said they were from Earth. The Legacy League."

"Yeah... right..."

Anne Arneson stomps away from her assistant in the library archive. She's been working and learning under Proffessor Farnsworth for over 30 years. She's grown quite attached. She slides down a ladder and heads over to a com-screen.

"Miss Arneson, I presume?"

"Yes... Who is this?"

"This is Lieutenant Gray, I'm an auxiliary attache for the Legacy League."

"Can you verify this?"

On her screen a serial number scrolls into view, and is verified with the standard federal verifications to be expected.

"What is this regarding, Lieutenant. I'm a busy woman."

"We could use your technical knowhow for a... problem we have on our team. I can't say more over coms because of the security sensitivity."

"I understand... I can be there as quick as I can."

"We are aware of this... The situation right now is of great import."

"Obviously if you have a high-level clearance. I will leave at once. This has me... curious."

She sighs, heading to her bag at the bottom of her library ladder, and pulls out a white, bull-body suit and helmet. "James! I'm going to need your help... I gotta get my girl warmed up and ready to go!"

"Really, Anne? With what?"

"You got me into this, so I need you to complete the research while I'm away!"

"How long would that be?"

Anne gets her suit on in quickly, as if she's done it enough to be trained. "Hmm... might be..." She walks out of the room and before the doors close... "Permanently."

[Aeonian]

Anne walks over to her modified spacefighter... one gifted to her in lieu of payment by the professor she works for. She had modified her using all the freed up space to have it capable of faster-than-light travel and underwater travel as well. It's blue, angular hull has been tweaked to not just be aerodynamic or compatible with the dark-matter drive's warp field, but to be hydrodynamic to boot.

Along the port side of the ship emblazoned in english cursive is the ship's callsign "The Noble Endeavor" with its identity number underneath and on the tail secton.

"Anne... you seem to be off in a huff." Proffessor Farnsworth says walking up behind her.

"No... just trying to get something done. As quick as possible."

"For whom, I may ask?"

"Someone from the Legacy League. They requested my assistance with an emergency... a technological one I wager."

"The Legacy League? It must not be small child." The professor says with a chuckle.

"I don't know... but I plan on checking it out and getting back as quick as I can."

"I'm sorry dear but if it's them asking for you... this might be a while... I'm relieving you of your post here at the university college, you will be listed as on an indefinite sabbatical until you're no longer needed by the league."

"but..."

"...no buts, Anne! You sound like my great grandchildren! Go! Earth needs you more right now than Rastellion!"

Anne sighs, adjusting her helmet. "I just don't know, Professor... this has been the only family I've ever known."

"I wouldn't worry about us, we'll manage well, dear. Now get going. I don't think you want the Legacy League waiting for too long!"

3 weeks later, En Route to earth...

"Noble Endeavor this is Earth Control, begin your rest period and wait for your escort."

"What, control?" Anne screeches over her comlink.

"Our logs show you haven't had your required 8 hours rest for a trip of your legnth. Please wait, because by that time your escorts will have arrived and given you a tow."

"Why do I need an escort, command?"

"Technically you're a civilian VIP when you arrive. Both a security risk and a high value target. Until you are safely aboard..."

"...I understand, command. Send word to the Invincible I'll be arriving later today."

Anne slouches back in her seat. "Computer... activate rest mode on pilot's seat."

Affirmative.

As she looks up, she sees a ship come out of jump. "What? Computer open a channel to Earth Command..."

"Aeonian, stand by while our tug takes you in it's tractor beam... ETA to earth will be 8 hours. Earth Command out."

"Interesting... they were prepared..." Aeonian says, scratching her chin. Her ship heads up towards the docking clamps of the towing ship as escort fighters patrol around the hull.

"Miss Arneson, This is the Grand Stevedore, enjoy your rest and let us do the work."

She sighs, closing her eyes, adjusting the temperature elements in her suit to stay comfortable, as her seat cushions fill with air a bit to provide a more comfortable reclining position.

"All the time in the world..."

She falls asleep, thinking of what Earth truely is like... hoping she'd get to see it on her job.

To Be Continued