Mind Wipe

December 1 - Al Raqis

A suspicious character recently appeared on Al Raqis. Erratic behaviour and consuming a steady stream of purple pills.

He met the Consulari quite by accident but it seems they talked at length.

His memory was severely impaired. Despite this challenge, several points came to light during their conversation. The Consulari passed along the information.

• the man said that he currently lived in a shuttle in orbit above Khayal Alramady.
• he had been institutionalized in some capacity. Location unknown but he reported that the food was good. He stated that he had been released a few months ago.
• he has had interactions with doctors who told him he had military training. One such doctor called him Shatar. While he did not seem to identify with the name, he said that he knew it was an important name, a leader of something.
• he receives regular air drops of his pills, from whom it is unclear. He said that he needs less water now because of these pills. The Consulari observed Shatar taking his pills at a rate of approximately one every five minutes.
• he said he was a miner and that he was frequently covered in spice. He claimed to have, on one occasion at least, added chemicals to the spice changing its structure.
• he appeared to have a familiarity with droids.
• he had a pin with some kind of logo. The Consulari describes it as "a metal triangle inscribed inside of a metal circle. It also had a red circle and slash."
• during the conversation, Shatar made a reference to a plot to poison the spice fields.

The Consulari managed to obtain a sample of his medication. Captain Manda Westminister did the analysis. I received a copy of the lab report she sent to the Consulari.

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Lab Report

December 1

To: Baronetess Jai Raghilda Lordhunter née Oyl, Consulari of the Zenobian Moore in the Diocese of Mu Draconis.

From: Captain Manda Soldi Westminster, Medical Examiner, UAP Special Projects

Reference: Unidentified Purple Pill

Subject: Lab Analysis, part 1

The first round of testing utilized non-destructive testing because of the limited sample size, 1 small pill. We decided to see if the non-destructive testing might give us indications as to what destructive testing to attempt to best preserve the sample.

Water: Presumably used in preparation.

Sugar and spice: Probably for ease of swallowing.

Traces of Gold and Platinum: Both have known medicinal properties, but not in the dosages present even if consumed frequently. Probably a byproduct of some other process, a tracing medium or to scatter some e/m scans like our initial attempts.

Epcore: A basic medical ingredient used to treat headaches.

Instelio: Another medical ingredient used to treat mild nerve problems.

The combination of Epcore and Instelio is known colloquially as "Mother's Little Helper", but is typically packaged as a little yellow pill. You may recall the commercial jingle:

"Kids are different today, I hear ev'ry mother say Mother needs something today to calm her down And though she's not really ill, there's a little yellow pill She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day."

If we had not checked below the outer level of the pill and we might ignored it as an ordinary pharma violating trademark and formulation patents, but the inner layers of the pill were very unorthodox.

Luckily we did not start with standard destructive testing methods and the pill contains what is known by its street name of "Firestone", a highly unstable volatile flammable explosive substance. What medical process it enables is unknown.

We were able to isolate a small particle which completely changes oxygen and carbon dioxide into a completely different substance. We have not been able to determine what its chemical composition is or of the transformed substance. It is however instantly fatal in the minute dosage we tested on lab animals. We may have to consult outside of our pharma sources to get a better idea about it.

21 unidentified substances: A surprising number of active ingredients, technically making this pill a cocktail pill. More than any leading brand.

More after destructive testing procedures have been decided upon.

Captain Manda Soldi Westminster, Medical Examiner, UAP Special Projects

CC: Major Pepper Siamendes, UAP SIU
Colonel Aodhfionn MacMoragh, UAP Special Projects

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December 15 - Hale's Moon

A report came through from Gage Macarthur. An incident during the local Christmas ship decoration festivities. It concerned Lily.

"Major. I wanted to report that Miss LilyBell was on board the small freighter we use to haul cargo down to Hale's from the Sinkov. It looks like she's very interested in our Nav module. She said it was Ardra. I'm not sure what that about but felt you should know. Also there is a man named Elix wearing an Alliance uniform but not Alliance. He may have stolen it..."

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Transcript edit

[Time stamp 6:17 PM]

Gage Macarthur: "Good evening Miss LilyBell"

LilyBell Snoodle: "Hello. Can you move please? Ship to here. Now there room. It..nice."

Gage Macarthur smiles: "I most certainly can. "

LilyBell Snoodle: "Okay. Thank you."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix: "Taking part in the contest?"

Gage Macarthur: "I am."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix: "Wish I had the time."

Gage Macarthur: I was allowed this old ship to use. Shows the happier side of the Alliance at holiday time. That's alright. Go on in and look around."

LilyBell Snoodle: "I am only one of me. Please. I created to bring information. This one name Li...oh."

Gage Macarthur: "That's alright Miss LilyBell."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix: "Looks good."

Gage Macarthur: "Thank you. I sort of imagined this as the inside of a snowglobe."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix remarks: "Nice concept."

Gage Macarthur: "I tried." He chuckles. "Putting the the giant Santa hat on was hard."

LilyBell Snoodle tries to pull the block off the stand.

Gage Macarthur: "Uh Miss LilyBell? That's fixed there by magnetics."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix: "That could be bad for her."

Gage Macarthur: No doubt.

LilyBell Snoodle seems unable to pull herself away from the object: "Mine..."

Gage Macarthur: "Oh no."

LilyBell Snoodle: "...MINE." LilyBell Snoodle hisses at Gage.

Gage Macarthur: "That's our system navigator."

LilyBell Snoodle: "Ardra.." She looks blank. "I not know anybody wif that name. My twins is Audrey and Ardra." She leans in towards the cube. "Her tell Blue, you for me".

Gage Macarthur: "Blue? What's this with Ardra?"

LilyBell Snoodle whispers and purrs: "Mine."

Gage Macarthur: "Um.... It's the Alliance ship."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix adds helpfully: "We could get you some candy, Miss Lily."

LilyBell Snoodle twitches slightly.

Gage Macarthur: "Miss LilyBell? Are you alright?"

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix asks: "Can't you turn the magnets off?"

Gage Macarthur explains: "It's a Nav system."

LilyBell Snoodle begins to head butt the shiny square.

Gage Macarthur sounds worried: "That looks painful."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix asks Lily: "Would you like another shiny instead of this one?"

Gage Macarthur: "Are you thinking my Nav system is Ardra?"

LilyBell Snoodle: "This one not know any Ardra. All information regarding Ardra has been purged. This one not know any Ardra."

Gage Macarthur: "All information?"

End of transcript edit.

[Time stamp 6:33 PM]

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It would seem that the word 'navigator' triggered the episode, like a shortcut pointing to a missing file.

I knew from the information we obtained from the captured drone, Lily had kept the knowledge of the Audrey twins from Ardra Aurotharius. In response, Ardra had ripped a hole in Lily's mind.

Lily did good protecting the children from Ardra. But now, it seems, she suffers for it.