Starfield, the story of Aurora Stellaris

"Well, well. Sam Coe finally decides to darken our doorstep again," Jacob said. "You know why I'm here," Sam said. "Oh? And what's that? You come to your senses? Realize where you ought to be for once?" "I ain't asking again. Okay - This was a mistake..." "The only mistake I'm seeing here is you. Bringing your Constellation lackey here, instead of my graddaughter. Come to help Sam loot his ancestry? You're not getting those maps. Full stop," Jacob said. "I got as much right to those maps as anyone else in this family!" "That's exactly right, Sam. We all share Solomon's legacy. Only some of us are around to live up yo it, and some of us aren't." "All right, that's enough. Come on. Let's you and I talk. In private," Sam said. "Hmph. Welcome home, Sam. Make your visit short, okay? It's what you do," Jacob said. 

"I hope Cora doesn't get too much underfoot. Give me a sec. All right. Let's talk options," Sam said. "He mentioned his granddaughter. Maybe Cora could help," Aurora said. "Nonono! I mean... This is no place for her, okay? Less time she spends with Jacob, the better." "What's wrong? You didn't mind her coming along until this came up." "I just... I made a decision long ago about how my little girl gets raised. And it doesn't include Jacob, okay? Leave it at that," Sam said. "This is about her and Jacob getting along, isn't it?" "Yeah, like I said before, they're thick as thieves. Can you imagine what that bitter old mule would do to her if she hung around more?" "We need those maps, Sam. She can help," Aurora said. "Dammit. Fine. Fine. We'll go get her. I just... if there's any other options, I'd appreaciate doing those first," he said. 

"What do you want, 'Constellation'?" Jacob said. "Be reasonable. We need those maps, Jacob," Aurora said. "Well, that's not your decision, is it? It's Coe property by birthright. It stays here." "The sooner you agree, the sooner we're out of your house." "Not liking your attitude," he said. "We'll be respectful of the maps." "They're not yours in the first place." "Sam is living up to Solomon's legacy in his own way. Exploring space," she said. "Solomon did more than just take off when it suited him. He built things. Inspired others. Can't believe I'm saying this, but if it'll get you out of my hair, then fine. You can have the maps. They're in the other room. Here. The key."

"All right. Let's see if we can find the Empty Nest. Let me think. The way I heard it, the reaings he was getting were normal at first, then they bottomed out. 'And no creature, alien or otherwise, would dare step inside.' There. Found it. Oh boy... That's a problem..." Sam said. "Just tell me what's wrong," Aurora said. "First, it's in the middle of the frontier, which we already expected. No problems there but the usual tussling with alien wildlife. But the Empty nest is a cave in the middle of Shaw Gang territory. Same outlaws who held up GalBank." "Bringing outlaws to justice sounds like fine work." "Well, just remember, it's about the Artifact, not them. Hurting bad guys puts a smile on your face, that's a bonus. Let's get to that cave," he said. 

Aurora and Sam entered the cave...

"You've done this before, right? Care to do the honors?" Sam said.

"Hey, you all right? Okay... Yeah, you're fine. Let's get going," Sam said. 

"I have information about the GalBank robbery in Akila City," Aurora said. "You certainly get around. I'm surprised that branch has any customers left the number of times it's been held up. But I thought the Rangers had finally managed to get a handle on it. I heard there was a standoff, that true?" Muffaz said. "My first time there, too. Welcome to Akila, don't mind the robbery." "I hear the robbers are provided free of charge. All part of the service. What happened to the robbers? The Shaw gang?" "The Marshal and I worked together and the Gang were all arrested," Aurora said. "I'm sure he was thankful for your assistance. These things are often... messy. Any customers or GalBank staff get hurt?" "Thankfully, there were no casualties. Not even injuries I know of." "That's really good news. Usually... Well, it's a different kind of story. You were there, you were involved in resolving it. Any comment on the Freestar Rangers? Having another high profile robbery in their own backyard is a bit of a black eye," Muffaz said. "Desperate people do desperate things. The Rangers kept it from turning into a massacre." "Huh. That's really good to know. Stories like this always fire up public outrage and appetite. Thanks for the interview, and take this."

"We've done it! I'm already seeing reductions in the strength of the vibrations. The tree is calming down," Kelton said. "What happens now?" Aurora said. "With the immediate crisis hopefully over, I can slow down and review everything we've learned. And certainly I'll be keeping a much closer eye on our friend going forward. You have my gratitude, and that of every citizen of New Atlantis, though they don't know it."

"What are we building here?" Sam said. "I haven't picked up any kind of frequency or signal coming from it," Noel said. "That doesn't mean much. This thing could be emitting something we can't even detect. Or maybe it's some kind of interstellar children's toy," Walter said. "Why would either of thos give the discoverer visions or music? It's a message. I'm sure of it," Matteo said. "We just have to hope that finding more of the pieces will give us some clue," Sarah said. "I hear that. Moving forward sometimes means fumbling around in the dark. Think Cora and I could use some down time, but you let me know if you ever want to team up again. Oh, and since it tends to come up, me and my rugrat co-pilot work as a team. That's non-negotiable. If I'm coming with, that means Cora's on your ship," Sam said. "Actually, I wouldn't mind if we kept traveling together," Aurora said. "Huh. Why not?"

"It's really nice to have more company. New stories, new data," Cora said. "What? Data? Haha. All right. We're in. Let's see what the galaxy throws at us next," Sam said. 

"The work-up's in the Cabinet's hands. They said they'll call for us once they've gotten to properly review it. But, listen. I know I should've been more forthcoming about who I was earlier. So, in the interest of full disclosure, there's one more thing you ought to know before we head up there. My relationship with the UC, it's... more complicated than it might seem at first glance. The UC's actually the only reason I'm here in the first place. They called hi 'Vae Victis.' 'Woe to the defeated' in Old Earth Latin. A title he earned. The program I was part of, it was the UC's attempt to create a new generation of military minds from one of their most respected tacticians. Secure the leadership of the UC military for generations to come," Hadrian said. "You're a clone? Of a man? How's that work?" Aurora said. "A non-trivial amount of gene-editing. 'Clone' honestly isn't really even the right term for our relationship, thanks to the amount of donot material that was required to bring me into this world. He and I are different on more than a few levels. But there's no denying the fact we're inextricably linked." "Are there others from your program still out there? Other clones?" "I'm the last. Not a day goes by where I don't think about what the world would look like with them still in it," Hadrian said. "I'm more interested in what this has to do with us addressing the Cabinet." "I'm getting there. So my involvement, it could be another obstacle they throw at us up there. I just wanted you to be forwarned." "Not sure I can blame them. This 'family'of yours doesn't sound like they were paragons of virtue," Aurora said. "Thats... not an unfair assessment. But what we're doing now... I'm really trying to set some things right here. I just thought you ought to know. No telling how long the Cabinet's going to keep us out here." "Your eyes. They're red. Is that a result of the cloning process?" "That's actually a souvenir from my time on Mars. The Red Devils unit I was part of, they were founded by recruits who'd worked some of Mars' deepest mines. Folks used to adversity. The dust at those depths, it seeps into everything. The human eye included. Where the name 'Red Devils' came from in the first place. And the eyes were my parting gift," Hadrian said. "Any suggestions on what I should say to the Cabinet?" "It's hard to know exactly what might sway them. I'd just be honest about what you saw - a colony wiped out and a lot of lives lost. Something we don't anyone else to experience... Sounds like our cue."

"Ah, welcome. You must be the captain Hadrian mentioned in her report. You have our thanks for the risks you faced in securing this information," Abello said. "Hadrian made it clear that addressing this issue required the utmost urgency," Aurora said. "I'm sure she did," Yasin said. "Yes, well precisely how urgent is what I hope we'll determine here today. Access to the UC Xenowarfare team's Terrormorph data. Currently housed in the Armistice Archives. A request will require not just this body's agreement, but that of all three Armistice signatories - UC, Freestar Collective, and House V'ruun. Now, Captain, we've all read Hadrian's report on the subject, but we have yet to hear from you. Perhaps you could summarize for the Cabinet what it is you see as the goal of this endeavor?" Abello said. "We need the Archival data to find a way to stop a possible Terrormorph apocalypse," Aurora said. "That's quite the leap, Captain. Madam President, I object to the very premise of this meeting. While no one would argue what happened on Tau Ceti was anything less than a tragedy, Terrormorph attacks are not some sudden new threat on the horizon. They've been happening for generations. To demand we hand over banned Archival knowledge, and possibly upset the balance of galctic diplomacy, because of a single attack... Seems at best panic, and at worst, a power grab by the daughter of a bloodthirsty warmonger and her associates," Yasin said. "I would remind the Chief Diplomat who he's speaking to. If it's my father you're looking to address, you're welcome to consult a medium. I would also ask how many deaths the Cabinet requires to act? Fifty? Fifty thousand?" Hadrian said. "Let's keep this civil, shall we? And while there should be no doubt the preservation of life stands paramount among this body's duties... Chief Yasin has a point - wil a single attack, however troubling, be sufficient to convince the other factions to grant us access to what they no doubt consider weapon data? Perhaps you can help, Captain. As the one who actually collected the sample in question, did this Terrormorph seem at all alarming to you?" Abello said. "It wiped out a colony that never saw it coming. That's pretty alarming," Aurora said. "That is worth considering. This attack took place on an almost completely uninhabited world. The casualties were minimal as a result... But if there's another attack, will we be so lucky?" Logan said. "Hmm. Yes, a fine point, Admiral. So then Captain, given the discussion now and the information you've been privy to thus far, if you were in our position, would you grant the request to open the Archives?" Abello said. "If there's a chance what happened on Tau Ceti could happen elsewhere, we need to grant the request," Aurora said. "If the stakes weren't so high we wouldn't be asking. But, well, we're asking," Sam said. "I'm inclined to agree," Kulkarni said. "Very well. I consent. The galaxy was lucky you were here today, Captain," Yasin said. "You and I are in agreement, Chief Diplomat. So, if there are no other objections. I believe we can agree to give our full backing to make the request to --" Abello said. 

"Attention. Attention. An incident has occurred. Facility lockdown engaged," the speakers blared. "Incident? Chief Sarkin, what's happening?" Abello said. "There's been an attack. At the spaceport. Terrormorphs," Sarkin said. "Terrormorphs? More attacks. Just as predicted," Kulkarni said. "There -- there must be another explanation! The creatures... evaded our scanners somehow!" Yasin said. "There will be plenty of time for conjecture. Later. The last thing we need is a city-wide panic," Abello said. "Yes ma'am," Sarkin said. "I'll make the order myself. Nearest anti-xeno squad, though, is off-world. Going to take a while to bring them in," Logan said. "You two. We can't risk those things getting out of the spaceport. I want you both on the next train there," Abello said. "Captain, I'm right behind you. Let's get down there," Hadrian said. 

"T-thank you. For what you did. We didn't - we didn't want to hurt them," the Security officer said. "The way those people were acting... I've seen this before. They were under the Terrormorph's influence, weren't they?" Hadrian said. "I-I don't know. They were down at the port, and they just started... screaming. We tried to restrain them, get them on the train out of ham's way, but... But some of the other officers down there... we couldn't restrain them fast enough... they just... started firing on us. People we knew. They went berserk," she said. "... peromonic projection. Some Terrormorphs, they can induce this... fog. It affects everyone differently, but some people just... lose control. Turn against everyone around them... even if they don't want to. Like they're a puppet. You kill the Morph, you break the hold, but this means were're going to need to be real careful with our fire... and keep that EM weapon at the ready," Hadrian said. "Are you suggesting Terrormorphs can... control someone's mind?" Aurora said. "I'm not suggesting. It's documented behavior. The result of the projection , though, can wary wildly. Some folks just shrug it off. Others hallucinate. Those cases, you'll either need to knock them out with EM fire... or free them by killing the Terrormorph," Hadrian said. "Sounds like we need to hustle," Aurora said. "The NAT's unlocked. Please. Do what you can to help them," the Security officer said. 

"My god. No time to waste, Captain! Stash the EM and pull some firepower. Let's move!" Hadrian said. 

"We've got the remaining creatures locked down on the landing pad, but we're barely holding our perimeter. They said you've done this before. Well, I've got one fireteam to spare and whatever supplies you need, but I... I can't risk them taking over any more of my men. Put those things down and do it fast... We'll hold as best as we can," Sergeant Yumi said. 

"I guess they weren't kidding about you two. Universe put the right people in the right place," Yumi said. "You all held the line. You're the heroe here, not us," Aurora said. "Hmph. Certainly doesn't feel like it..." "Just glad we could rise to the occasion. Take care of yourself, Sergeant," Hadrian said. 

They began making their way back...

"Attention. The spaceport has been secured. Safety precautions remain in place. Please wait for the 'all clear' signal before exiting your homes. That's all."

"That's a relief to hear. Thank you, gentlemen. Let your people all know how much we owe them today. Ah, there you are. I believe... we have some things we should discuss," Abello said. "The next time Terrormorphs rear their ugly heads, the UC is going to be ready," Logan said. "Captain. Hadrian. It would appear that the Cabinet owes you our thanks for what you did for the city today... as well as... an apology. Your concerns about the Terrormorphs... well, consider them validated," Abello said. "Better late than never, I suppose," Aurora said. "I mean, you could wait aroud for a couple more Terrormorphs to show up before you really, really believe us. No?" Sam said. "No, you two were in the right. I only wish we could've acted sooner. Now, today's evetns have only clarified our path forward in the eyes of the Cabinet. You will have our full support in collectiong the Terrormorph data from the Archives, as well as a subsequent investigation into the nature of these attacks. But to accomplish those goals, we're going to need the right people in the right places. As such, the Cabinet has authorized me to reinstate you, Hadrian, effective immediately, to your former rank of Major. As soon as we've got the data in hand, we want you investigating these attacks and how to stop them. Will you do this? Excellent. But, as you've both made clear, for such an investigation to succeed, first, we're going to need someone to convince the Freestar Collective and House Va'ruun to play ball. Someone who knows precisely the sorts of dangers the Colonies - and all the galaxy - are facing right now. The Cabinet wants you, Captain, to be that representative," Abello said. "If you're sure that's the wisest course of action," Aurora said. "We do. So will you help us?" "You can count on me, ma'am." "I'm glad to hear it. Now, we, of course, won't be sending you without the proper support. You should be able to find her in her office across the hall. And on behalf of the whole of the United Colonies, you have our thanks. You're dismissed," Abello said. "I'm going to check in with Chief Engineer Kulkarni. Start getting a plan together for that data," Hadrian said. 

"Chief Yasin, these orders... A Vanguard captain? You... yes sir. I'll make sure they get what they require," MacIntyre said. 

"That must make you my Vanguard captain. Welcome to Interstellar Affairs, I'm Chief Diplomat MacIntyre, Chief Yasin's second-in-command. I heard you were instrumental in protecting the city from the attack. You have my gratitude. I was also informed that you gave quite the presentation to the Cabinet. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure you have the tools you need. And that means first getting into the Archives. You know what the Archives are, correct?" she said. "They're repositories for all the banned data from the Colony War," Aurora said. "Hmm. Someone paid attention to current events. So then you also know that is was originally managed by the three major galactic players. Access to the Archives is only granted in cases of dire emergency, and requires a one-time use code from each of the three Armistice signatories: UC, Freestar Collective, and House Va'ruun. Now the UC's already onboard. So that means we'll need to convince two people - the ambassadors of the Freestar Collective and Hose Va'ruun - to hand over their codes. Get them both and you'll have your data. But that's a lot easier said than done." "You'd think they'd be clamoring to help after the spaceport attack." "I couldn't agree more. However... Both ambassadors have reasons they won't... or can't work with us. Now I'll provide guidance on how we believe you can acquire each code, but ultimately, it'll be up to you to get them both to cooperate. And I do mean cooperate. Threats and violence are off the table here. It means we need to get you up to speed on who you're dealing with. Who do you want to start with, Ambassador Radcliff of the Freestar Collective or Ambassador Bal'mor of House Va'ruun?" MacIntyre said. "Tell me about Ambassador Radcliff." "Ah, the good Ambassador Radcliff. She's a veteran. Of the Colony War. And her only goal in life is to make ours miserable. Now, officially, our office is suggesting you try and negotiate with her. Use your experience as a member of the military with the threat we're facing to convince her to lend her support. And who knows? Maybe that'll work. Stranger things have happened. But my suspicion is we're going to have to rely on other tools to get her code." "All right. Tell me about these other tools, then," Aurora said. "Certainly. See, good diplomacy's all about the careful application of pressure. We just nee to find the squeeze. UC intelligence has a recording device planted in the Ambassador's living quarters, which we suspect you can use to your advantage. But getting caught trespasing is a quick way to land yourself in an embassy holding cell. So if you are going to try and access the device, you're going to need to find a way in there without being seen. Now, we recovered some intel we believe should be able to help with that. But there's also a disgruntled staff member you might be able to pump for information... maybe even convince to work with you." "What can you tell me about this staff member?" "Names's Cameron Long. He's younger than Radcliff. Bears less of a grudge against the UC. He works closely with the Ambassador, making him a promising source for information on the ins-and-outs of embassy life... and someone who very likely hates her guts," MacIntyre said. "That's all the ino I need for the moment on Ambassador Radcliff." "All right. Here. Your diplomatic ID. I'll give them a heads up you're on your way. Not likely to let you through the door otherwise. And take these. Chief Yasin wanted you to have some options on how to proceed in there." "Tell me about Ambassador Bal'mor," Aurora said. "Ambassador Bal'mor's... a challenge. When the rest of House Va'ruun retreated into seclusion shortly after the signing of the Armistice, Bal'mor stayed here. H's since lent his suppoert to a small number of archival requests, so there's real hope he might again... Though claiming to know how a member of House Va'ruun thinks is a quick way to earn yourself a phych eval." "I'm sure he can be reasoned with. House Va'ruun are people, just like us," Aurora said. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," Sam said. "Of course. But there is... another wrinkle. His public appearances were always rare, but it's been several years now since he last poked his head out. Scans of the facility show life signs... but not the kind we were expecting. Your task is to find him and kindly but firmly remind him of his duties under the Armistice," MacIntyre said. "What kind of life signs doid you detect in the embassy?" "The Va'ruun delegation brought more than a few of their native flora with them when they set up in the embassy. It seems those plants have been allowed to... flourish, making it hard for us to verify what's flora and what's ambassador." "What do I do if he's dead?" Aurora said. "Then you search the embassy for his biometric key, collect your code piece, and we'll go about notifying his next of kin... if we can ever find them. But let's hope it doesn't come to that." "Here's hoping we're not chasing a corpse." "It would at least be a speedier negotiation... But I, of course, hope the Ambassador is alive and well. Now, the embassy front door isn't an option, but our spies have stated there's a side entrance that should allow you access. Here. This device should get you all the way down to the embassy interior. Once inside, though, finding the ambassor is going to be up to you. And fair warning, we received a report that alarms might've been tripped inside the embassy during the attacks. Watch out for automated security in there," MacIntyre said. 

"All that security and they still can't protect their own spaceport. The UC never fails to disappoint. I just wish I hadn't received the news from an SSNN broadcast. We have a strategic advantage to maintain, Mr. Long," Radcliff said. "Of course, ma'am. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," Cameron said. "I'm sorry. Do you have an appointment?" "You seem like a lady who wants to stop the Terrormorph attacks. Well, I have a deal for you," Aurora said. "What are you -- Ah. You're the one MacIntyre called about. The eyewitness. She said you were at the spaceport. You have my thanks for what you did down there. Truly. Saved many lives... Now the UC wants Terrormorph data from the Armistice Archives - some of the most highly guarded information in the galaxy - in order to protect us all. I can only presume you're here to tell me I misheard her and that they didn't send you, local hero, to futilely beg on their behalf. Tell me I've got that right," Radcliff said. "Ambassador, I can't emphasize how important this is," Sam said. "And who might you... oh. I recognize that face. You're a Coe, aren't you? Didn't you run away to help that little explorer's club?" "Really, an 'explorer's club'?" Sam sighed. "Imagine if this happened in Akila City. Or Neon. The results would be bad or - let's be honst here - far, far worse. We owe it to our people to do something," he continued. "It's a... disturbing thought, Mr. Coe. And while it is my job to protect the people of the Collective... Let me be frank, Captain. The answer is 'no'. That information is there because it is dangerous. I will not be the one responsible for its release. Now, why don't you quit wasting my time - and yours - and go," Radcliff said. "Please Ambassador. Just listen to what I have to say," Aurora said. "You're really going to push this? All right. I will give you one chance - one - to convince me. Understood?" "Thank you, Ambassador. Just hear me out." "I'm listening," Radcliff said. "Like Sam said, the Freestar Collective owes it to its people to act." "The Coes do have a way with words. Imagine how it'd look if the next attack occurred in Freestar space..." "It's only in moments of crisis that real heroes emerge. Now could be your moment," Aurora said. "Oh please. Buttering me up isn't going to get us anywhere." "Innumerable lives may hang on your decision here." "Well, Captain, you... you make some good points. But if I'm really granting you access, I'm going to need to following concessions... Your access will be limited. You can only take out the items related to these Terrormorph attacks. The monitors will make sure of it. And all research done with the data will be monitored. If this data's being used to save the galxy, the galaxy needs to be involved in the oversight. So do we have an agreement?" Radcliff said. "Agreed." "Excellent. Follow me."

"They tell me it should only take a moment... And... there. To unlikely allies, I guess," Radcliff said. 

"They have mixers for expats at the embassy every now and then. Only place you can get a good old Akila City beer. I could really bend your ear when you've got a moment," Sam said. 

"So, how much of a thrill has it been traveling with the one, and only, last descendant of the great Solomon Coe? Is it everything you imagined?" Sam said. "The last Coe? What about Cora? And your father?" Aurora said. "Ain't you ever heard of sarcasm, friend? So how is it traveling with one of the great Coes? That better?" "It doesn't matter to me you're a Coe." "Ha. You're something else. Time has a way of just building on iyself. Solomon was a good man. A great one, even. But if he heard all the bullshit being talked about him these days... Well, he'd flat out deck them," he said. "Why do you revere Solomon so much?" "There's books about him. Lots of them. A couple of high notes: He was one of the first grav jump explorers, back when they had no idea of the dangers... So as you can see - the came got a serious heft." "It sounds like you aren't happy being related to Solomon," she said. "I am, and I'm not. There was a time, well, before Cora... Where it realed weighed on me. It felt like every little thing I did or did not do was a reflection on our 'great legacy.' It's enough to drive you crazy. Now, I just hope I can help Cora to... I don't know." "Every parent wants their children to learn from their mistakes." "Well, then Cora's going to get a five star university education from me. For my father, Coram and me everything starts and ends with Solomon Coe. He looked at the stars, and he dreamed of a way to get there. Imagine being the first person to jump to a new system and set foot on a new world? Well, I get it. That's powerful stuff. And now... I'm just getting sappy. You're a bad influence, you know that?" Sam said. "Oh, I have my wiles, Mr. Coe," Aurora said. "I believe that might be the most honest thing you've ever said," he chuckled. 

"The stuff they publish is just downright embarrassing. I mean... Is it supposed to look like this? With Va'ruun you just never know," Sam said. 

A hissing voice spoke over the intercom...

"-- you -- there! -- power switch -- throw switch -- not enough -- I -- guide -- within. Follow -- voice -- restore -- power -- but -- beware -- defenses --"

"-- final switch! Throw -- release -- hurry! Final -- thrown -- proceeed -- basement -- beware -- demons -- Beware -- guardians -- basement -- must -- eliminate --" the hissing voice said. 

"So. What seems punishment becomes providence. A reminder we can never truly know the Great Serpent's designs for us. You have my thanks and my apologies for the ordeal you just endured. Come, let us discuss," Bal'mor said. 

"Not the ideal introduction, I suppose, giving you a grand tour of the embassy via barely functioning intercoms. I do greatly appreciate your persistance. I suspect the Venom Tree upstairs has worked itself into more systems than I'd realized. But then again who would cage such a beauty? Tell me, though. What is it like outside? I heard the broadcast mentioning an attack, then the embassy was struck with a power surge and then... silence. Has the rest of the city suffered quite so badly?" Bal'mor said. "Did you say that thing pouring clouds upstair is called a 'Venom Tree'? Is it poisonous?" Aurora said. "Harmless spores, you have my word, but hard to navigate. Hence why I was guiding you through the intercoms to restore the environmental controls... and release me. It is the sap of the tree that gives it its... well, perhaps not a topic for this exact moment. But I must know of the rest of the city. Does it still stand?" "The spaceport is in rough shape, but not much else was damaged." "Is that right? Hmm. I shall need to have these repairs seen to sooner rather than later. Now, it cannot be solely the Serpent's grace that brought you here at such an opportune moment. You were sent by the UC, that much is obvious. Who else could just waltz through my door? And the broadcast spoke of Terrormorphs at the spaceport. A worrying occurrence, certainly, but coming here of all places, when all I could provide is some enthused cheerleading and... Ah. An Archive Code. So the UC requires information then. On Terrormorphs, presumably? Do I see this all clearly?" he said. "Correct. We're going to use the data of the Archives to better understand - and stop - these attacks." "The preservation of life stands as the very purpose of the Archives. Using the data to prevent more attacks... there is logic there. But if I am to grat you access, I have a requirement. For years, House Va'ruun has been known only as an agent of slaughter. We founded this embassy with hopes of shedding that legacy... with little success. In exchange for my code, I require this: you must be the one who ensures it is used for good. Ensure House Va'ruun's legacy is more than just carnage. The knowledge you ask for isn't evil. No knowledge is. It is we who bend it to evil ends. You must assure me this will be used to save lives, not endanger them." "You have my word. I will make sure it is used for good," she said. "For whatever it's worth, Sam Coe here, you got my word, too," Sam said. "Well, then. I shall not fear. Please. Follow me," Bal'mor said. 

"Let's hope it still works... And... there. Let it be used for good," Bal'mor said.