Hacking the Inventory
Alex hacked into the security of the slave management system looking for their inventory tracking processes. He found that anything that is in the auction was on the premises. He also found the consignor’s list of groups selling at the auction. They were probably not real names, but better than the “property of a lady/property of a gentleman” listings in the catalog.
He discovered that most of the slaves have been chipped such that they could be located within a few hundred feet, but required an active scan to locate them.
He downloaded past transaction records. He noted that House Horusca purchased a large number if humans. Some of them paid to be anonymous. He pursued identifying the actual identities.
The Insider
In the meantime, Kovak examined the data on the transfer drive. It was sensitive data from the House Horusca database. This indicated that either there was spy within the organization, or a there was a coup going on.
Looking further, they discovered that she was a professional thief. She had been shot and was taken away by the House Horusca security forces. They considered breaking her out.
Motivations
None of the people in the auction for sale by House Horusca were human. Bletherin questioned what happened to them.
The idea of purchasing one of the auctioned slaves to find out what happened to the others was floated. Another proposal was to look for the crew of the captured vessels who were likely required to manage the ships and might know more. Bletherin countered that neither of these paths were guaranteed to uncover anyone who actually knew anything.
According to official statements, House Horusca had a planet and they were genetically engineering people to populate that planet. The captured Gfrar charts indentified the planet, but was noted as unhabited and a good source for fuel.
The genetic plans indicated atmospheric adjustments, as well as aggression and xenophobia, noting that indigenous predators might be a problem.
Grendel overheard the Gfrar when he was in sick bay that the matriarch was overthrown for dealing with humans.
Preparing for Support
Bletherin concluded that, having found where the human slaves were being held, they had met the spirit of their orders and that it was time to call in a strike team. Grrr countered that they need to gather visual evidence of the slave camp before calling for support.
Bletherin considered doing a fly-by of the target planet while visiting the station that was upgrading shuttle for interstellar flight. However, there was no good flight plan that would not prevent their detection.
Grrr suggested acquring some human slaves to deliver to the slave camp. They considered finding CEP agents to infiltrate, but that would take took much time. But Kovak happened to be blond haired and blue eyed…
Another alternative was to hack into a weather satellite and use existing imagery to surveil the slave camp. Kovak suggested challenging some other offworlders to a race during which images could be made. Since the shipyard upgrading the shuttle was also known for hot-rodding ships for racing.
They elected to try the weather-satellite approach and discovered that the region was cold and unpleasant; the ideal place to put a prison because no one would want to escape. The satellite identified a large complex, but the equipment was not sophisticated enough to get more detail.
The local database claimed that the facility was part of the original terra-forming equipment used to prepare Estra that was currently being used for climate research.
Bletherin proposed “testing” the hyperspace shuttle near the facility and crashing it. Grendel was not in favor of that plan.
There were also racing vessels available for rent. They could challenge someone to a race, shoot them down near the facility to attract the local security, and sneak in while they were distracted.
Alex finally elected to refit a stealth probe to surveil the base from orbit using the best equipment he could muster. After a little effort, he managed to cobble it together.
Gathering Information
Grrr proposed starting a bar fight so that the others could gather information. Kovak was chipped in case she was taken in the commotion. A team of operatives accompanied them to infiltrate the crowd.
They headed to the smuggler bar. It was kareoke night at the slaver bar, and a Garlan and an Antar were massacring Purple Rain. They were replaced by an overweight Harth singing a recent song reaasonably well. Kovak signed up to sing.
Next up was an incomprehsible Antar. Grrr was unable to provoke a fight. Apparently the Antar was untalented regular.
The next singer was a gorgeous human female, who sang in German. The word was that she was an irregular performer who might work for one of the cruise ships. She was not being heckled.
Kovak sent an image of her to Alex who identified her as Greta whose arrival always coincided with the arrival of the yacht Schoenblume. Bletherin uncovered that the yacht was owned by a Marcus Schumacher and was registered out of Elstra.
Schumacher was “an inquities dealer” and Greta was his wife. She had been a pop singer in her youth. They had only been married a short time.
Kovak stepped to the front of the crowd and started signing along in order to attract Greta’s attention. It didn’t work. Grrr provoked his Antar neighbor by comparing the two. The Antar missed Grrr and hit a drink that spilled over a well-dressed Harth, who fought back but missed.
The Antar flipped a table on the Harth, spilling the drinks on the table onto two other people. Greta and Kovak started talking when she finished her song.
The Antar attempted to hit Grrr but missed. Grr missed him. He punched Grrr. Grrr punched him instead. The being under the table ran off. The other newcomer missed Grrr. The other missed Grrr and Grrr punched him toward the stage. He landed on a table of well-dressed human males.
The humans manhandled their assailant. The other newcomer leapt onto the stage to flee. The Antar attempted to hit Grrr, but tripped and landed on the fallen opponent at their feet. Grrr belted the Antar well and he surrendered.
Grrr went to the bar. Greta was surprised when Kovak mentioned that she knew Grrr. Greta told Kovak that she made more money signing than helping with the business. Kovak learned that she dealt with small artwork and antiquities. She suggested to Greta that she keep Kovak in mind if she needed something moved.
Kovak noted a professional security guy watching Greta. The man noted Kovak and waved. She got a image of him.
Grrr approached Greta at the bar. She ordered a European drink while a capable Harth sang a song after the mess was cleared. She shut him down hard. He pursued her until she slapped him while Kovak sang “I Kissed A Girl.”
Further Investigation
Back on the ship, Bletherin pursued inquiries on Marcus Schumacher and discovered only minor offenses, but was an actual art dealer. He had managed to get out of many charges by claiming that he did not know the items in question were stolen.
One of the legitimate pieces at the House Horusca party had been sold by Schumacher. That was the only connection between him and Horusca that he could find. There was no direct connection between him and Elizabeth Shang, the woman who had passed the data stick to Grendel before getting arrested.
After a few (?) more drinks, Kovak brought Grrr back to the ship.
Deploying the Satellite
The next day, Alex’s spy satellite was ready for deployment. It was unmarked and programmed to self-destruct if anyone probed it. Alex took the shuttle to the shipyard to check on Grendel, and set the satellite into orbit. It did not appear to be spotted.
High-quality images started being recevied almost immediately indicating several large building surrounded by fences. There as an airfield to one side with a small aircraft parked at it. A poorly-maintained road wound off into the distance.
There were patrols consisting of men and dogs. There was no indications of more advanced defenses or weaponry other than a possible missile implacement that was retracted into its bunker.
Chain of Command
- Bletherin – Garlan (scaled hexapeds, with the front set of limbs equating to arms with four fingers, and
the second and third having cloven hooves) Captain of the CEP Alex Murphy - Grrr (aka Snarl) – atypical Harth (furred mammals that resemble semi-anthropomorphic dogs) Head of Security on the CEP Alex Murphy
- Alex – the CEP Alex Murphy AI
- Grendel – Heffulump (alien with multiple tactile appendages) Engineer of the CEP Alex Murphy
- Kovak – Human Pilot of the CEP Alex Murphy