# Copyright (c) 2017 by Michael Zahniser # # Endless Sky is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the # terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software # Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. # # Endless Sky is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY # WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A # PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. mission "First Contact: Remnant" landing invisible source government "Remnant" on offer conversation `Although they are unusually tall and dark-skinned, the people here appear to be human. You wouldn't know it from the architecture, however: the buildings with their curved, twisted surfaces and ramifying arches look more alien than any human dwelling you have seen before.` ` Stranger still, no one is speaking: the usual background murmur of voices that you would associate with a spaceport is absent here. Instead, the locals are communicating in a rapid and graceful sign language, their hands tracing arcs through the air almost faster than your eyes can follow.` ` A few of them approach your ship and one of them greets you out loud, but instead of speaking he sings the words in a high, monotone chant: "Do you comprehend the ancestral tongue?"` choice ` (Say, "Yes, I do.")` ` (Try to chant, "Yes, I do.")` goto chant ` Their expressions are inscrutable; you aren't sure if they even understood you or not. They turn away from you for a second and converse in sign language.` goto blood label chant ` You sing, "Yes, I do," trying to match the leader's pitch. As you do so, several of them hum notes that harmonize with you.` label blood ` Two of them walk up to you. One is carrying a small device that looks like a handheld scanner. The other unwraps a small foil package, pulls out a lancet, and jabs his finger with it. A dark, red drop of blood wells up. He presses his finger onto a port on the scanner, then hands you another one of the packets. "We kindly request that you identify yourself," he chants. Several of the others hum along with him.` choice ` (Give them a blood sample.)` goto yes ` (Refuse to give them a sample.)` goto no ` (Run back to my ship and escape from here.)` ` You run into your airlock, slam the door shut, and blast off from the planet. Already, several of their ships are moving to intercept you. It seems that you are no longer welcome in this region of space...` launch label no ` You try to pull away, but the man's hand snakes out and grabs you by the wrist. Before you are even able to react he jabs your finger and shoves it onto the scanner. "You are in our space," he sings. "You will abide by our rules." No longer a monotone, his song is a jarring and atonal melody.` label yes ` Several of them gather around the one with the scanner as if waiting to see what the results will be. As you watch them you notice that all of them, even the women, have their hair cropped short. Also, their clothing looks like nothing that has ever been in fashion at any point in human history that you know of.` ` Finally the scanner beeps, and a yellow light flashes. You can almost feel the tension leaving the air as the crowd relaxes. "So you are pure. You are human," chants one of the women. "You are one of us."` choice ` "Of course I'm human. But what are human beings doing out here?"` ` "Who are you?"` ` Several of them burst into song, singing together in harmony, "We are the hidden ones. We are the Remnant. In time of great chaos to this place we came, lest all true-born humans be killed or enslaved, by those who evolved not, but unwisely were made."` ` As they continue to sing, you begin to piece together their story. They are the descendants of people who fled to this region of space through an unstable wormhole at the peak of the first Alpha War, which means they have been here for more than half a millennium. That doesn't explain why their culture is so radically different, though.` ` Eventually they invite you to a dinner. Their food has strange and complex flavors, not all of them pleasant, but you do your best to be polite and pretend to enjoy it all. After the meal, they entertain you by singing songs, some of which you recognize as classical Earth music. It appears that people in this culture use sign language for day to day communication, and use their voices only for making music.` ` When you return to your ship, you do a search on videos of historical dialects of human sign language. None of them bear even a passing resemblance to the language of these people who call themselves the Remnant.` decline on accept "reputation: Remnant" " description "Assist in defending from a Korath raid, then return to the planet." to offer has "First Contact: Remnant: offered" not "Remnant defense delay" on offer conversation `In the relative quiet of this Remnant spaceport, it's unusually jarring when an alarm siren begins howling. All around you, people are rushing to get their ships into the air. Even though no one stops to explain to you what is happening, it's pretty clear that this is a planetary defense operation.` choice ` (Assist the defenders.)` launch ` (Stay here, and don't help them.)` ` You remain behind on the planet. You probably just missed out on a great opportunity to earn the gratitude of the Remnant.` defer on defer set "Remnant defense delay" event "remnant defense timer" 20 npc government "Remnant" personality staying uninterested disables plunders fleet "Large Remnant" npc evade government "Korath" personality heroic plunders harvests target fleet "Korath Raid" 6 on visit dialog "There are still Korath raiders circling overhead. You should take off and help the Remnant ships to fight them." on complete payment 200000 event "remnant defense timer" clear "Remnant defense delay" mission "Remnant: Defense 2" landing source "Caelian" name "Remnant bounty" description "A Korath ship is flying around Remnant territory. Hunt it down and destroy it, then return to for payment." to offer has "Remnant: Defense 1: done" on offer conversation `The people here are grateful for your help in fighting off the Korath raid, and they offer you a payment of 200,000 credits. They explain to you (in song, of course; the explanation takes the form of an epic ballad) that these raids have been taking place for nearly a century.` choice ` "Have you done anything to try to stop the Korath from raiding you?"` ` "What do you think the Korath are hoping to accomplish?"` goto motives ` "Of course not," chants one of them. "Why would we give up a good opportunity to plunder new technology?" His voice is such a perfect monotone that you can't tell whether the comment was meant facetiously or not.` goto next label motives ` "Perhaps they seek new territory, or perhaps they are just innately aggressive," chants one person.` ` "Of course," says another, "the fact that our ships dump their cargo when the raiders attack probably makes us a tempting target."` ` A third person explains, "We do that intentionally, to keep luring them back. The technology we gain when we manage to plunder one of their ships more than outweighs the cargo we lose."` label next ` While you're conversing with the group, a uniformed woman walks up and tells them something in sign language. They sign back and point to you. She says to you, "Thank you for your help. A Korath ship that came with the raiders and fled the battle is still lurking around our territory. Would you be willing to hunt it down?"` choice ` "Sure."` ` "Sorry, I don't have time to help you out."` decline ` "Thank you," she sings. "It keeps jumping between systems in our territory. Maybe its jump drive was damaged or something, and it can't escape. I'll spread news that you've taken on the bounty for hunting it, so others won't risk their lives fighting it."` accept npc kill government Korath personality coward target uninterested marked waiting system distance 1 2 fleet names "korath" cargo 3 variant "Korath World-Ship B" dialog "You have destroyed the Korath ship that was left over from the raid on . You can now return there to collect your payment." on complete payment 250000 dialog `The same woman meets you when you land on . "Again, thank you," she says. "I will suggest to others that they might offer you similar bounty hunting jobs in the future." She pays you .` log "Factions" "Remnant" `Recently, Korath ships have begun raiding Remnant worlds. The Remnant have decided not to try to discourage these raids, because they are a perfect opportunity to steal jump drives and other valuable alien technology from the Korath.` mission "Remnant: Bounty" job repeat name "Remnant bounty" description "Hunt down a Korath ship that is lurking in Remnant territory, then return to to receive your payment of ." source government "Remnant" to offer has "Remnant: Defense 2: done" random < 60 npc kill government Korath personality coward target uninterested marked waiting system distance 1 2 fleet names "korath" cargo 3 variant "Korath Raider (Hyperdrive)" dialog "You have destroyed the Korath ship. You can now return to to collect your payment." on complete payment 200000 dialog "A Remnant military leader thanks you for hunting down the Korath ship , and gives you the agreed-upon payment of ." mission "Remnant: Defense 3" landing name "Remnant surveillance" description "Travel to the system, destroy any Korath ships you find there, then deploy a Remnant surveillance satellite to give them advance warning of Korath raids in the future. Return to when you are done." source government "Remnant" to offer "Remnant: Bounty: done" >= 3 cargo "surveillance equipment" 13 waypoint "Parca" on offer conversation `A man approaches your ship soon after you collect your latest bounty, and sings, "You have been most helpful in fighting the Korath. Would you be willing to assist us in another way?"` choice ` "Sure, tell me more."` ` "Sorry, I'm not interested in helping you out anymore."` decline ` He explains that they hope to gain advance notice of future raids by setting up remote surveillance equipment in the system in the Ember Waste that is closest to Korath space. The equipment will communicate with the Remnant via something called an "entangled particle pair" that does not require a hyperspace relay network. Ironically, this is technology that the Remnant acquired by raiding the Korath decades ago.` ` "I will mark the target system on your map," he says, "and give you the equipment necessary to deploy the surveillance satellite. Please do not deploy it while any Korath ships are watching."` accept on accept event "remnant: surveillance begin" npc kill government "Korath" personality heroic nemesis staying system "Parca" fleet "Korath Raid" 2 dialog "Now that you are alone, you are able to deploy the Remnant surveillance satellite unobserved. Time to report back to ." on complete event "remnant: surveillance end" payment 400000 conversation `When you return to , the same Remnant man meets you and says that they have begun receiving data from the surveillance satellite that you deployed. "Thank you for your assistance," he sings. He pays you .` choice ` "You're welcome."` decline ` "You know, a great way to say 'thank you' would be to offer me a license to buy your technology."` ` He grins, very slightly. "That is not my decision alone to make," he says, "but I will put in a word for you and see what I can do."` event "remnant: surveillance begin" system "Parca" remove fleet "Korath Raid" event "remnant: surveillance end" system "Parca" add fleet "Korath Raid" 10000 mission "Remnant: Key Stones" name "Keystones" description "The manager of the outfitter on , a Remnant world, has offered to pay you six million credits in exchange for a shipment of fifty Quantum Keystones (which you will have to purchase from the Hai)." source "Viminal" to offer has "First Contact: Remnant: offered" on offer require "Quantum Keystone" conversation `As you are walking through the spaceport, a man comes up to you and introduces himself as the manager of the local outfitter. He says, "I could not help but notice that you have a Key Stone that looks different from the ones from our mines. Have you found another world where these stones can be mined?"` choice ` "Yes, in the territory of some aliens far to the north of here."` goto hai ` "Yes, but I would prefer not to tell you where."` ` "That is understandable," he says. "I am a businessman and I understand how valuable certain trade secrets can be. But perhaps I can interest you in a mutually profitable endeavor?"` goto more label hai ` "Intriguing," he sings. "Are they aware of how valuable these stones are?" You tell him about the Hai, that they are an old species and that to them the Key Stones are just good luck charms. "Perhaps they have forgotten the true use of the Stones," says the man. "This may give us an opportunity for a mutually profitable endeavor."` label more ` "Tell me more," you say.` ` He says, "If you could fetch me a large supply of these stones, say fifty of them, I would purchase them from you for a high enough price that you would earn a tidy profit. What do you say?"` choice ` "Sure, I would be glad to accept that deal."` ` "Sorry, I'm really not interested in doing business with you Remnant folks."` decline ` After a bit of haggling, he agrees to pay you six million credits in exchange for a cargo of fifty Hai "Keystones." Given how cheap they are to purchase in Hai space, you will be earning a very tidy profit on the deal.` accept on complete outfit "Quantum Keystone" -50 payment 6000000 conversation `You visit the local outfitter and tell the manager that you have brought a shipment of "Quantum Keystones" to sell to him. He is overjoyed, and gladly pays you six million credits for them. You can't help noticing that based on how much the Key Stones sell for here, he will be earning even more profit than you did, even though you did nearly all the work.` ` "You have made a valuable contribution to our people by doing this," he says. "These stones will allow more of our ships to explore the Ember Waste and discover the secrets that it holds."` mission "Remnant: Void Sprites 1" name "Space creatures" description "A man on the Remnant homeworld of asked you to collect data on some strange space creatures in the system, in another part of the Ember Waste." source "Aventine" waypoint "Nenia" cargo "scanning equipment" 8 to offer has "First Contact: Remnant: offered" on offer conversation `As you explore the spaceport, you meet a Remnant man wearing some sort of optical prosthesis over his eyes, a visor with several tiny cameras mounted on it. "Ah," he sings, "the outsider. Human yet not of our culture, distinct from our mindset. That is useful. Would you be willing to invest in a research project?"` choice ` "Perhaps. Tell me more."` ` "Sorry, I'm not interested."` decline ` "Excellent," he sings. "Centuries ago, we discovered some space-dwelling organisms elsewhere in the Waste, and undertook to study them. Certain mistakes were made, certain underestimations, and we can no longer safely approach these organisms. Would you be willing to visit their home system and collect some sensor data? I call this an investment, because I cannot pay you until I publish the results of these studies."` choice ` "Yes, I'd be glad to."` goto end ` "Wait, that sounds super shady. Can you explain why you think it's safe for me to enter that star system, but not for you to do so?"` ` He says, "We studied the organisms and determined that they could not possibly be sentient. Therefore we saw no moral issues with collecting, well, ah... a sample. Unexpected things happened and certain grudges have been, ah, borne against Remnant ships for centuries as a result."` choice ` "Well, as long as you don't ask me to do something that will get me in similar trouble, I'll help you out."` goto end ` "Sorry, I'm not interested in helping you."` ` "Are you sure?" he chants. "We could learn some incredible things."` choice ` "No, I'm really not interested."` decline ` "Fine, tell me what you want me to do."` label end ` He sings, "Thank you. To begin with, all I ask is that you visit this star system and scan the creatures with certain special equipment that I will provide. Report back to me when you are done."` choice ` "How should I find you?"` ` "What is your name?"` goto name ` "Don't worry," he says, "I will find you. You are our only visitor from the outside in many decades; when you land here, it quickly becomes known."` accept label name ` He says, "My name is..." and then performs an elaborate gesture with his hands. "Don't worry if you can't perform my name," he says, "I will seek you out when you land. You won't need to ask around for me."` accept npc government "Indigenous Lifeform" personality timid mining harvests staying mute system "Nenia" fleet cargo 0 variant "Void Sprite" "Void Sprite (Infant)" 3 on enter "Nenia" dialog `There are indeed some strange space-faring life forms in this system. You collect measurements with the special sensors, and then prepare to return to .` mission "Remnant: Void Sprites 2" landing name "Scan the void sprites" description "Return to the system, and use an outfit scanner on one of each of the types of void sprites to see if you can tell how their propulsion works." source "Aventine" waypoint "Nenia" to offer has "Remnant: Void Sprites 1: done" on offer conversation `Sure enough, soon after you land the Remnant researcher with the optical prosthesis arrives at your ship. When he looks at the data that you collected using his special scanners, he is disappointed. He chants, "I had hoped the scanners would show us how the creatures are able to generate enough force to fly out of the gravity wells of their planets, but this tells me nothing. Perhaps it would help if you scan them more closely. Could you equip your ship with one of the scanners that are used to inspect the outfits that ships are carrying, and see if that scanner yields additional information?"` choice ` "Okay, I'll install an outfit scanner and see what it can tell me."` accept ` "Are you sure they won't interpret the scanner beam as an attack?"` ` "I doubt it," he says. "It is a very low-power beam. And after all, you were not attacked just now when you scanned them with my equipment."` choice ` "Okay, I'll install an outfit scanner and see what it can tell me."` accept ` "Wait, are you saying that you thought I might get attacked last time around, and you didn't tell me that?"` ` He says, "It was a small enough chance that I did not see a need to worry you."` choice ` "Sorry, I don't want to help with this project anymore."` decline ` "Okay, I'll install an outfit scanner and see what it can tell me."` accept npc "scan outfits" government "Indigenous Lifeform" personality timid mining harvests staying mute system "Nenia" fleet cargo 0 variant "Void Sprite" "Void Sprite (Infant)" on accept event "remnant: nenia empty" on complete event "remnant: nenia restored" event "remnant: nenia empty" system "Nenia" remove fleet "Void Sprites" event "remnant: nenia restored" system "Nenia" add fleet "Void Sprites" 500 mission "Remnant: Void Sprites 3" landing name "Visit void sprite planets" description `Purchase a "gascraft" ship from the Remnant world of Viminal, and use it to explore the two gas giants where the void sprites live. Then, return to .` source "Aventine" stopover "Viminal" stopover "Nasqueron" stopover "Slylandro" cargo "scanning equipment" 8 blocked "The Remnant researcher has another job for you, but you're going to have to free up some cargo space in order to take it on." to offer has "Remnant: Void Sprites 2: done" on offer conversation `The Remnant researcher seems disappointed that an outfit scan didn't reveal any information about the void sprites, but he is also excited about a new idea for studying them. He says, "I found that our university had several old mothballed ships suitable for exploring the upper atmosphere of a gas giant," he says. "Until I can publish my results I won't have the money to purchase one, but if you buy one you could land on the void sprite worlds and observe them in their natural habitat."` choice ` "How much will it cost to buy one?"` ` "Didn't you say before that anyone entering that system in a Remnant ship gets attacked?"` goto attack ` "Sorry, I'm not interested in helping you any more."` decline ` "Only a few million credits," he says. "Don't worry, you can sell it back to them afterwards and recoup most of your investment. And, just think of how much you will be doing to advance the cause of science."` goto end label attack ` "Don't worry about it," he says. "These exploration craft are exceptionally fast and maneuverable. Even if you do provoke a negative reaction, you should be able to dodge any direct confrontation."` label end choice ` "Okay, I'll do it."` ` "Sorry, that's more than I'm willing to commit to."` decline ` "Excellent," he says. "The ship should be available for purchase in the shipyard on Viminal."` accept on accept event "remnant: gascraft" npc government " Drak " system "Nenia" personality staying heroic nemesis uninterested ship "Archon (Cloaked)" "Lifted Lorax" on stopover conversation `You have dodged the Archon and landed on the second of the two gas giants where the void sprites live. The hull of your tiny ship creaks and groans under the high atmospheric pressure, but seems to be holding together. Its sensors pick up flocks of void sprites floating between the planet's cloud layers, presumably feeding on airborne creatures too small to detect from this range.` ` You also observe some void sprites leaving the planet, soaring upward on thermal updrafts. As they rise, their bodies swell to several times their original size, like an aerostat balloon gaining altitude. But clearly they have another form of propulsion as well, something akin to the antigravity repulsors that human ships use to travel from a planet's surface into orbit.` ` After collecting some atmospheric samples for good measure, you prepare to return to . Hopefully the Archon will calm down once it sees that you have not attacked or disturbed the Sprites on either of these planets.` on complete event "remnant: void sprite research" 20 log "Factions" "Void Sprites" `The "void sprites" are space-dwelling lifeforms. They are apparently not sentient. They evolved in the atmosphere of a gas giant, but have some biological mechanism for altering or reflecting gravity that allows them to fly into outer space, in the same way that human ships use antigravity to escape a planet's gravity well. The void sprites are not particularly powerful or dangerous creatures, but they are guarded by a Drak Archon.` log "Factions" "Archons" `Archons are partly biological, but do not seem to be naturally evolved creatures. Some of their biological characteristics may have been based on the "void sprites" that inhabit the Ember Waste.` conversation `The Remnant researcher is ecstatic when he sees all the data you collected. "I will begin assembling this into a research paper immediately!" he sings. "It may be months before it is published, but when it is you will be named as a co-author, and I will share the payment with you."` choice ` "What do you know about the Archon that attacked me?"` ` "I'm glad I could help you out. I'll look forward to hearing from you."` decline ` He begins singing you a song about the Archons. The song says that the Archons are servants of the mysterious Drak, whom no one has seen but whom the Quarg claim to speak to and take orders from. "That's all our histories say," he sings, "but what interests me is the biological similarities between the Archons and the void sprites. We do not think the Archons are naturally evolved creatures. Perhaps their creators incorporated elements of void sprite biology into them when they were made. Or perhaps the Archons just feel an affinity with them because they are both space-faring organisms."` choice ` "Well, I'll look forward to hearing the results of your research when it is done."` decline ` "Do you think the Archons will continue to be angry at me?"` ` He says, "As long as you did not harm any of the void sprites, I doubt they will bear you a permanent grudge. The Archons are thinking creatures, after all; they cannot blame you for your curiosity."` ` You thank him for the information and tell him that you will look forward to reading the results of his study (and, getting paid for your help) once it is complete.` event "remnant: gascraft" planet "Viminal" add shipyard "Remnant Gascraft" government " Drak " "player reputation" -1000 event "remnant: void sprite research" mission "Remnant: Technology Available" landing invisible to offer has "event: remnant: void sprite research" has "Remnant: Key Stones: done" has "Remnant: Defense 3: done" source government "Remnant" on offer payment 2000000 set "license: Remnant" log "The prefects have reached a consensus that you should be considered a valuable friend of the Remnant, and shall be given permission to purchase their ships and technology." conversation `An elderly man approaches your ship and introduces himself as a local "prefect," presumably some sort of government position. In a song so elaborate that he must have composed and practiced it ahead of time, he informs you that a scientific study on the void sprites has just been published, and as the co-author you are entitled to a payment of two million credits, which he presents to you.` ` "When your name came up in the study," he says, "I asked around and discovered that you have helped us in other ways as well. The other prefects have reached a consensus that you should be considered a valuable friend of the Remnant, and shall henceforth be given permission to purchase our ships and technology."` choice ` "I'm honored. Thank you."` decline ` "Is there anything else I can do to assist your people?"` ` "Not that I am aware of right now," he says, "but we will call on you if a need ever arises."` decline