Fortuna III's surface was riddled with active mining and research sites before the storms hit, but the planet's new exotic radiation field leaves only a scarce few accessible today. One of particular interest, Tharis Island, has recently been deemed safe to explore. Well, safe from the radiation and the worst of the storms, at least.
Vadim wants you to explore the old Korolev mining operation there; for some reason his predecessor became obsessed with the twisting caverns that make up the island's central feature, but the records are scarce and full of holes. Perhaps he found something precious, a secret treasure to deliver a clear edge over the competition?
Your raids of old Osiris data unearthed something I had forgotten about, Tharis Island. We had a small base on it excavating something rare, very very valuable. Our charts say the radiation has almost become safe there now... maybe you can have a look, take care of some of the creatures there for us.
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Aha, so the situation is not as bad as feared. Our installation on the island had... issues, even before the storms. What information Gregor... my predecessor, left, it does not clear up what happened. Prospector, I need you to search for the remains of site's Chief Engineer, he would have kept a detailed logbook of everything going on there.
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There is a lot to go through here: accounts of illnesses, accidents, some kind of forbidden area... But the site was still made to operate, harvesting something called 'Spine Briars'. They must have been very valuable, to keep the men working under these conditions; acquire some, and stash them at our old outpost.
Spine Briar at Korolev Island HQ| Template:ReputationTemplate:Price |
Evidently the word has spread quickly that Tharis Island is again safe to step on, and already there are looters hired out to pilfer our property. Take one of our weapons and make an example of them, Prospector.
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Another lead has come up from the logbook you recovered; one of the team's geologists was collecting a 'strange ore'. I can't tell what that means, but I do have her last known location before her transponder went dark. Go investigate, see what you can bring back for us.
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What you brought back, it's definitely not natural. 'Tharis Iron', is what they called it, and I can see why it became a priority for Gregor to recover more. I need you to find the site's old mining machines, so we can know if proper exploitation had started, if there may have been more brought out before the operation ended.
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Our researchers want more of these exotic samples, they believe they might interact with each other under the right conditions. Bring back enough Teratomorphic Crystals and Tharis Iron for the scientists to play their games.
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To nobody's surprise, least of all mine, those experiments did not lead to anything useful. Ah well, I can always rely on you to get us more samples... Speaking of which, a prospector I had hired to collect more Tharis Iron reported finding what they called a 'pure sample', before some creatures scared him off. Maybe you can retrieve it for us?
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Ah, this Refined Tharis Iron is definitely something... we just don't know what, yet, or how to convert the 'normal' alien ore into it. I already know what the next requisition order will list, so just get me more of this refined ore, and more Teratomorphic Crystals to replenish our stock.
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Nothing is working out! Nothing you brought back is natural, but it's useless! Why would Gregor expend so many resources on these alien trinkets? Why oversee the operation himself, off the books? This alien business, it's for other people to care about... HQ would have never approved the expenditure without results, so what did he know?
Prospector, I need you to head to the areas they marked off as 'forbidden', clear out any creatures there; I need a Korolev team down there to finally figure all this out!
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I had thought the reports of sickness were fake, lazy workers or a way to get more funding, but it appears prospectors like you have built up some sort of immunity to whatever ails those hellish caverns; within minutes half my team experienced extreme migraines, and the other half were outright delirious! The Chief Engineer's logbook mentions a medical report, but there's nothing official logged or approved by my predecessor. Head down again and recover it for me, Prospector, I need to know what happened there.
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We've mapped out the areas my men can access safely, and what machinery may still be in operational condition. It will be some time before I can send anyone back into those caverns, not with last team still out of commission, but we'll need fuel for the machines ready for when I do. Stash some Letium Clots at these locations; it will help us kickstart the operation, again.
Letium at Deep Underground ElevatorLetium at Gate C| Template:ReputationTemplate:Price |
The records you brought back... they paint a bad picture. One of Gregor's trusted men went missing down there carrying the only true records of the operation, and evidence that he just kept sending more and more men down to die. Head to the abyss, Prospector, find out what this is all about, and store it in one of our safe stashes.
The Tharis FilesGregor's Dossier (The Tharis Files) in the Korolev Core Outpost Dead Drop| Template:ReputationTemplate:Price |
