The Aethelgard Log
Aboard the deep-space research vessel 'Aethelgard', a mission specialist is found deceased within the airlock. The corporate liaison is dispatched to investigate under a corporate mandate, tasked with determining the cause and filing a liability report ahead of a scheduled corporate audit.
Initial Crime Scene
The airlock door slides open with a pressurized hiss. A sterile, recycled-oxygen smell, underscored by the faint metallic tang of ozone from conduits, fills the vestibule. A low, constant hum from the primary life-support subroutine permeates the air. The glare from a bridge command chair access log screen reflects off the polished deck. A red, blinking activity light pulses on a cargo manifest sign-off pad in the gloom to your left. The brushed metal surface of the airlock external camera housing is cold and inert.
Crime Scene Environment
The vessel maintains a sterile, pressurized corporate atmosphere under constant, even illumination from overhead panels. The humidity is low, the air chilled and dry. Acoustic density is minimal, dominated by the constant hum of life-support systems and the occasional, distant ping of a diagnostic computer.
Investigation Constraints
Closed-system corporate vessel with no external comms. Internal network with localized terminals. Biometric scanners on critical doors. Suit integrity and life-support logs are the primary forensic data. Personal data slates with physical encryption dongles. No AI; all analysis is manual or via onboard diagnostic computers. Tamper-evident seals on physical log drives and data cores use nano-fuse composites that show molecular disruption if breached and re-sealed.
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