Paczki

  Present:

• Buzz "Cut". Solomani Soldier from Seven – Shane
• Dr Paczki Knodel. Sword-Worlder Scientist from Seven – Darryl
• Stella Cauthon. Solomani Rogue from Seven - Richard
• Anton Tositova. Solomani Gunner from Entrope - Ian
• Sang "Spanner" Hoang. Sword-Worlder Mechanic from Winston – Jeff
• MARMALADING Hoff Ende. Sword-Worlder Scientist from Winston - Kevin
• MARMALADING Heidi Vasovagal. Solomani Scientist from Seven - Steven
• Itzy Ende. Sword-Worlder Soldier from Winston - Chris
• Jon "Crash" Straker. Solomani Pilot from Seven – Jamie

by Richard

Who Knew a Paczki was a Polish Donut?

We are on Hrunting and have successfully negotiated the establishment of a further Cauthon Institute with the First Minister, Elmer Reich. 

The successful template is that the local authorities purchase the land (typically 10 or so acres and near a fresh water source) and the Cauthon Institute funds the construction at a cost of usually 20 million Imperium credits or so. Stella has become adept at encouraging the local authorities to fund half or sometimes all the development based on the compelling benefits the Institute provides in terms of research, disease control, mutation analysis and some suspect weapon development of a biological nature.

Of course, Stella always manages to use the contracts to her benefit typically netting some 5% of construction costs. [She doesn’t have a 20 wealth for no reason.]

In addition to our successful negotiations, Dr Paczki Knodel has been endeavouring to perfect the anti-Zhodani spray with a working name of "Pests Away". To date this is relatively unsuccessful and smells about as poorly as Anton's formic acid urine.

An X Boat has arrived with a letter for the group. 

Split “Penny” Ende

c/o Governess Contessa Ende, Governor’s Residence,

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,

Ravens End,

Winston,

Winston Sector

Date 1872-2026

The Cauthon Party: Hoff Ende, Itzy Ende, Stella Cauthon, Buzz Cut, Dr Paczki Knodel, Anton Tositova, Sang Hoang, Dr Heidi Vasovagal, Jon Straker.

c/o X-Boat Corporation,

Ship Cauthon, and generic 6-broadcast: Entropy, Anselhome, Hrunting, Tizon, Colada, Mjolnir, Gungnir, Joyeuse, Gram, Zamine, Stern-Stern, Torment, 494-908, Terant 340, Trifuge, Cunnonic, Nosea, Jacent, Margesi, Zeta 2, Choleosti, Vilis, Garda-vilis, Arkadia, Nonym, Junction, Dekalb, Faisal, Bael, Thanber, Retinae.

Okay, hey sibs and pals, listen up. 

Like, major fam news - you’ll wanna know - Daddy, like, totally died yesterday. 

I know it's hard out, my own trip from the Cauthon Institute was bogus. But, like, hurry. Mummy pushed the funeral 'cause she wants you here. Ravens End in two weeks. 

Can't say much. But it’s not the Winston you remember, you know?

That’s all.

Penny.

"Ahh not good news I'm afraid. Your father Ledge Ende has passed away. The funeral is in two weeks at Ravens End and our attendance has been requested"

Itzy forces back a tear and muses aloud "we need to see what the will contains"

We complete our arrangements on Hrunting and make ready our jump to Winston. With The Cauthon refuelled and coordinates set we jump and arrive, an uneventful week, at the star port. Contessa Ende, now Governess of Winston, greets us. We drop off the contracted navigator Natasha. 

The funeral is in five days. It has been a difficult time for the Ende family over recent months. Ledge Ende (father) is now dead. Belle died in the pods on Seven. Hoff has almost continuous marmalade oozing from his orifices. Split (also known as Penny) has retired to Winston to live with her mother. Itzy – well we know about Itzy, and the last son Knob (the one sibling we haven’t met) is absent on business in far away systems. 

Some of us head off to chat to Split who wrote us a letter warning of strange occurrences in Winston. It became clear that were already of those given our last visit to Winston only a few weeks ago.

A group of Zhodani explorers, associated with the Zhodani authorities also sought a meeting with us. We went to their rooms on Pennsylvania Ave, and they wasted no time getting straight to the point.

"You are experts in portal technology, and we haf found portal in Ancients' site close to Bitter End. You haf been zere before, we understand? We sent two of us through portal and zey haf not returned."

"Zay vill not return" chimes in Knodel. "Zay vill be dead now"

"We want you to come to portal and investigate what has occurred"

"What payment could we expect?" asked Stella.

"Ahhh lets talk again after the funeral" suggested Crash. "Now is not the time"

A state funeral is held for Ledge Ende, cohort of the Governess, with Zhodani dignitaries, Ende family and friends, and all manner of hangers-on looking for a free meal, in attendance. Ledge's body is taken in a closed casket to the specially constructed mausoleum dedicated to the Ende family. The formalities were followed by a well-attended and lavish function, celebrating his life. 

"When will the will be read?" asked Itzy.

The following day the will is read and as anticipated all went to the Contessa. Itzy will need to bide his time.

Stella enters negotiations initially with the Zhodani but then the Contessa who of course is the Governess of Winston and therefore technically looking to employ us for this job.

Her mood was less than amicable, and she endeavours to point out that we are employed by her. Stella will have none of that and points out that we are employees of the Cauthon Institute and need funding for such endeavours.

"You are not who you say you are" Knodel accuses Stella suddenly (having bottled this up for some time).

"My dear Doctor, what do you mean?"

"Crash has done zee research and says your name is not Cauthon and that you are a con"

"You do not understand the art and depths of diplomacy my dear Doctor. It is necessary to establish different personas and deep fakes to ensure that we are effective. Certainly, don't believe all that Crash would tell you"

"You vould not lie to me?"

"Of course, not doctor" Stella responded. "When have I ever lead you astray and I can assure you mistruth is not something I trade in."

Stella of course did this with her usual smile and twinkle [17 appearance and double dice Persuasion] and Dr Knodel accepted her response, albeit reservedly.

Back to the negotiations and these are not going so well for Stella. Contessa points out that she gifted the land and the construction of the local Cauthon Institute, so this is the least that the party could do to help the Zhodanis. But Contessa is happy to supply some Zhodani arms, and we obtain a 50 Cal, bazooka, machine guns, grenades and flares.

Having obtained all they could, the Zhodani transport the party via plane to Bitter End and then by truck to the Ancients' site.

"It feels like only yesterday" Sang reminisces.

"Can you recall how to get through the passages?" asks Anton. "Cause I can't".

"Yes, of course responds Sang" and lead by the Zhodani the party descend into the Ancients' tunnels.

Tunnels

We descend with Sang, Itzy and Anton remembering well the tunnels, until we reach the main chamber.

"What about the servitor?" asked Sang. "They will be helpful"

"It has gone quiet recently" replied the Zhodani. "We haf asked it lot of questions".

"Let's look at this portal first" suggests Anton.

The Zhodani lead them to what the party previously assumed was a garbage chute. The passage gets steeper and the Zhodani had constructed scaffolding to get down. At its base is a portal. It looks like a normal static portal and quickly we jump to the conclusion that it should be sealed off.

"You don’t vant nasty tings coming through" observes Knodel. "Vill this tunnel with concrete.

"Let's talk to the servitor first" suggests Sang.

"But we need the crown to do that – remember" states Anton.

"We could ask to borrow it?" 

"Worth a try"

And so, we did and low and behold the Zhodani were prepared to at least ask their hierarchy.

A day passes and a large and somewhat formal looking group of Zhodani arrive. One, clearly the leader, presents the crown to us. 

"We are watching you," she states as we glance around at the 20 or so armed Zhodani.

We go back to the main chamber and open the tunnel to where we know the servitor lives.

Sang places the crown on her head and feels a shooting pain through her body and scalp. Blood dribbles from her nose. [Sang made her Psych roll. The crown needs to adjust to a new wearer, and a failed psych roll is big trouble. Of course, Sang didn’t know this at the time.]

She calls for the servitor, and a gaunt stooped man exits the tunnel. This in no way resembles the original servitor who was strong and healthy. This one looks like it is near the end of its days.

"What has happened to you?" asks Sang

"The Zhodani have been very demanding with their questions" responds the servitor. "It tires me out."

"I will try not to drain you more," responds Sang kindly.

A lengthy discussion ensues, none of which is understood by the Zhodani or the rest of the party (Sang is speaking in the language of the Ancients)

Through the discussion we learn a lot, the key points of which are:

• There are three types of portals
• Garbage shoots typically to suns or desolate planets (the one here leads to a sun)
• Static portals which all return to the Rose planet.
• Programmable portals (with the metal ring and the 128-bit coordinate system) only located on the Rose planet
• The Rose planet, as we know it, is called The Home Planet (of the Ancients)
• It is located some 25,000 parsecs away from where we are, across the other side of the galaxy; we won't be travelling there any time soon!
• The Ancients created the portals, and they enabled travel and communication throughout systems of the galaxy.
• There a "many" fixed portals.
• There are three Ancients sites in the Winston system (on Winston, the outer planet Dollar and Formaline, the third moon of the gas giant Lophomyrtus)
• Winston and Dollar are observatories, but Formaline is what we attributed as a weapons / defence facility.
• He cannot manufacture a dead organic container and pass through these portals (Dr Knodel had been endeavouring to develop a container made of chitin to achieve that very end)
• The servitor will recover its health over time if not questioned or if a significant amount of information can be provided to it. A link to Galactipedia via the crown would achieve that.

From this information we can at least get comfort that portals are not newly being created to enable the slow occupation of the galaxies by the Spiders and Slishers. In fact, they have discovered them and trying to use them for their own means. The Ancients' technology is powerful if it can be harnessed.

Similarly, the Zhodani are endeavouring to harness the power.

(One question not answered was the rip in the galaxy that we witnessed where a large spider tail shot pods toward Formaline.)

Sang takes the crown off and fully reports back to us.

Her report to the Zhodani is less fulsome and she advises them that this portal goes to a sun and that there are three Ancients sits in the Winston system. That the servitor will recover slowly in time if not questioned.

The Zhodani seem satisfied with that, and we feel our duty has been fulfilled.

We are taken back to Ravens Ende and decide that we need to get to the advanced Tech 15 medical facility on Villis (the local largest Imperium base near here, five systems away) where Anton, Itzy and Sang's DNA morphing can be attended to. To achieve this, we first need to jump via Anselhome, where there may be an opportunity to establish another Cauthon Institute (and make more money, thinks Stella).

We successfully jump to Anselhome where there is a significant Sword-World presence. Indeed, they are interested in the establishment of a Cauthon Institute, and contracts are signed before we jump to Villis.

The trip demonstrates the need to attend to Sang and Anton. Both conditions are worsening and the DNA continues to morph. They are now dreaming about each other's condition.

We arrive in Villis without incident and again note a very heavy Imperium presence with a large fleet including a Battleship and a Dreadnought. We ready for boarding by Customs officials.

Knodel is impatient and fascinated – eager to observe his patients and their changing state. Some would say a little too fascinated. Can a scientist with a German accent and the first name of a Polish donut be trusted?

We will see.

Remembrances, Plans and Deceit

 Present:

• Buzz "Cut". Solomani Soldier from Seven – Shane

• 

  Dr Knodel

  Dr Paczki Knodel. Sword-Worlder Scientist from Seven – Darryl
• MARMALADING Stella Cauthon. Solomani Rogue from Seven - Richard
• Anton Tositova. Solomani Gunner from Entrope - Ian
• Sang "Spanner" Hoang. Sword-Worlder Mechanic from Winston – Jeff
• MARMALADING Hoff Ende. Sword-Worlder Scientist from Winston - Kevin
• Heidi Vasovagal. Solomani Scientist from Seven - Steven
• Itzy Ende. Sword-Worlder Soldier from Winston - Chris
• Jon "Crash" Straker. Solomani Pilot from Seven – Jamie

by Darryl

An extract from the personal Diary of Dr Paczki Knodel Senior Medical Researcher of the Cauthon Institute.

This new assignment that I have been tasked with has been quite strange and very different from those of my past ten years. My companions are extremely different from the highly qualified fellows that I have had the privilege to have worked with in the past, and the overall intellectual rigour and planning for outcome differs greatly from what I have been accustomed to. These people have had very different

backgrounds and experiences from what I have been used to. Overall as I am getting more used to the extreme chaos, I am finding the work of great interest and believe that my work is adding great value to the institute.

Hanza Crawford

This week we found ourselves visiting the Cauthon Institute in the city of Kingston in planet Entropy in the system of the same name, where we met the fine fellow of Hanza Crawford, the director of the local Institute. This is a very fine facility with excellent equipment and a place I could enjoy working in for some time. Our spokesperson for the group, Stella Cauthon, was suffering from the universal marmalade malady (One day I hope to begin deep research on this short term debilitating effect), and so Crash our rather incompetent pilot, stepped up as our leader. Despite his rather loose attitude and casual way of flying large and small craft, he was able to behave very effectively in this role. He was able to get us all excellent accommodations within the facility for our stay. Crash also dealt well with the Imperium representative Commodore Rothman and after our crew member Itzy explained his relationships with senior government representatives within the system of Winston, it was agreed that we should make haste to this place and to set up yet another branch of the Cauthon Institute. This work, though taking me away from my research interests, is very valuable for the Institute and the spread of scientific knowledge that I am finding very exciting. 

Hanza also pointed out that there was an Ancients site in the system Colada.

Jon "Crash" Straker

Activity over the next two days revolved around this new plan, supplies, ship preparation etc. Our chief engineer, Spanner disappeared for some hours, returning with a modest smile having obviously procured important ship equipment or maybe something for a personal project. Our operational staff were tasked with recruiting a temporary navigator due to the lack of navigational skills within the group caused by the marmalade malady. Itzy sent urgent communications to her people on Winston and  arranged for appropriate  respectful containers for the remains of those members of the group who had died tragically prior to my recruitment. Our Chief of Ship Defence, Anton, did something important with big guns on the ship, but I was of course not interested so do not know or care what this was. [Changed a projectile gun to a sand-caster - useful defence to lasers.]

Leon Baccarat, 
navigator supreme

The team tasked with recruiting a new navigator made a terrible mistake, they found a horrible man called Leon Baccarat who is most distasteful. Crash, our semi-competent pilot, returns just prior to us shipping out dressed in flying overalls, leather jacket and shining mirror sunglasses. This has not increased my confidence in his abilities, but seems to improve his.

The week trip to Winston was uneventful except for the disgusting behaviour of our hired navigator and his advances to the female members of the team. His lolling tongue roaming eyes and sweaty hands meant I was forced to use certain medical applications to calm his appetites and behaviour, something I  generally try to avoid.

I was lucky enough to be on the bridge at the time when we arrived in Winston from jump-space and was rather surprised by the reactions of the crew who had been here before. They were very surprised to see a large number of Zhodani military ships. Everything from four large cruisers down to twenty-five destroyers as well as a field of wreckage of the Imperium variety. The communications with the planet seemed quite tense and unfriendly and it was not until the authorities understood we were here to visit the Ende family and that the family were of great importance that we were allowed to dock. After docking we were once again told to stand ready and to be inspected. I have no love for the Zhodani and was rather worried about what was to happen next, however once the airlock was opened I was a little relieved. A young woman in a school uniform with two Zhodani guards awaited us. I found out later that this was the mother of Itzy and Hoff Ende and she was a great fan of cosmetic surgery. She was very pleased to see Itzy, received the remains of Belle with due respect and showed excellent manners as the new members of the group were introduced to her, Contessa Ende. She then invited us all (except that horrid navigator) to her residence where good food drink and news catch-up was undertaken. 

The party was informed that Winston is now part of the Zhodani empire in all but formal naming. The Zhodani have complete control of the system but play little part of the day to day activity on the planet Winston, and are not seen a great deal on the streets Ravens End. The Montrose  family are no more and Contessa Ende is now the governess of the planet. 

We retire to a very comfortable lounge where the Contessa tells us it is safe to talk openly, though our chief engineer Spanner still does a detailed check for listening and other devices of spying. Most of us sit quietly whilst some who shall remain nameless partake of the disgusting interaction with Zhodani, and Itzy and his mother talk openly. Most of the talk is of no interest to me, being about things in the past, family members, other familial activity. However, Contessa does ask Itzy about myself and the other new members of the group from the Cauthon Institute seeming to want to be sure of our integrity and our true allegiances making sure that she is satisfied that we are allied to the Cauthon Institute and not the Imperium.

The next morning I return for breakfast over-hearing giggles from some of the group about what happened last night between Contessa Ende and Crash, and that if Crash had just been a little more good-looking ... I took no interest in this childish activity. 

After breakfasting Contessa took us for a tour of the city and potential sites for the construction of a new Cauthon facility. I took great interest in this and was very pleased to see the enthusiasm that Contessa saw in this project. She was, however, adamant that the activity that the new institute is to undertake should in no way have a connection to the Imperium and no persons from the Imperium establishment should be employed. Crash was unable to do the consent paperwork involved with establishing leases, agreements and the like and I was forced to intervene, to remove all crayon from official documentation and re-submit appropriate formal establishment for a new Cauthon Institute.

Natasha Veriskya,
Zhodani navigator

The group was very happy with the outcome and we were ready for our next task. It was decided that the planetary system of Hrunting would be the next of interest for us and our task of opening many more new branches of the institute. However, we were then given news that our disgusting navigator had not followed orders and had not stayed on board our ship, instead finding his way to the planet surface and in no short time finding himself arrested, tried and shot. A most odious human and for one of which I have no sympathy. However this meant we were not able to leave until another navigator could be found. Contessa once again was of great value to us finding us a new one in short order. However this person was a Zhodani and myself and some others protested at this, but to no avail, no other navigator could be found and we were forced to take her on. Her name is Natasha Veriskya, and though I have great distaste for this form of sentient being. I have found that unlike most of her kind she does not seem to force herself upon one. I think the new spray deodorant that I was supplied is also aiding in this, I will need to analyze this and begin making in my laboratory.

Because of this new crew member, we decided to take a detour back to Entropy before heading to Hrunting, so as to be able to then replace this temporary Zhodani with a navigator we can feel more comfortable with. This proves to be futile as on our return to Entropy we are unable to find a replacement navigator, and as such, we will be stuck with Natasha for the for seeable future. However some very important intelligence was garnered by this otherwise futile detour. Crash was able to find out, whilst looking for the new navigator, that our esteemed colleague Stella Cauthon was not who she is purporting to be. I was dumbstruck. I met her only a few months ago, and was introduced to her by my director at the time, as a minor but important member of the Cauthon family itself. Now I find out that she is nothing more than a con artist and flagrant liar. Crash informs us that she is nothing more than a wealthy play-girl who has changed her name and is flying around the galaxy having fun. I am appalled and must in due course confront her on this. I have been duped and my honour and trust deeply disturbed. This will have to wait for the marmalade malady to abate of course.

Finally, for this entry in my diary I can say we traveled safely to Hrunting, an Imperium system with a gas giant. Being an Imperium system the authorities were not pleased with our navigator and after taking her away questioning her, and us, as to her background, she was returned to our ship wearing a red collar that I am informed can be very dangerous to her health if she misbehaves. She is not happy about this, but I think she expects this sort of treatment whilst in Imperium space and she is getting paid. I think she will remain on the ship and not wander off like our last navigator. Not having access to the funds of Stella, we travel to the surface and stay in a rather cheap and basic hotel. I so wish my new friend Stella had not used such trickery to hide her real self from us all, I lament the loss of trust in her and the nice big bank account she has. Crash was able to make contact with the Imperium bureaucracy and he believes we need to discuss our proposal of a Cauthon facility with the High Minister of the planet Hunting. He has done a good job arranging initial meetings with lower level functionaries who have shown favour to our proposal and have put in place meetings for the days ahead with the genuine decision-makers of the planet. Things are looking very positive for yet another success story in our plan to spread the ideals and functions of the Cauthon Institute.

Bright Spark

 Present:

• Buzz "Cut". Solomani Soldier from Seven – Shane
• Dr Paczki Knodel. Sword-Worlder Scientist from Seven – Darryl
• Stella Cauthon. Solomani Rogue from Seven - Richard
• Anton Tositova. Solomani Gunner from Entrope - Ian
• Sang "Spanner" Hoang. Sword-Worlder Mechanic from Winston – Jeff
• Hoff Ende. Sword-Worlder Scientist from Winston - Kevin
• Heidi Vasovagal. Solomani Scientist from Seven - Steven
• Itzy Ende. Sword-Worlder Soldier from Winston - Chris
• Jon "Crash" Straker. Solomani Pilot from Seven – Jamie

by Andrew

Zeta 2 Prime is a major Imperium base in the Zeta 2 sector. When the party's corvette Cauthon arrived a few days ago, there was an Imperium heavy cruiser, three destroyers and five corvettes docked at the high port. During the two days they were down on the surface checking out the empty Cauthon institute there, another five destroyers arrived with seven more corvettes.

Planning to leave for Entrope, they headed out into low-grav space, one light-minute (18 million km) away from Zeta 2 Prime, and started the fuel burn to charge the jump capacitors. This process takes an hour.

After five minutes, a message arrived.

"This is Commodore Rothman of the Imperium heavy cruiser Sputnik. Cease your jump preparations and return to my ship to dock."

Commodore Rothman

The party could have attempted a jump. Even 10G missiles couldn't cover the 18M km to get to them in the hour needed to jump. But they decided to comply, cancelled the jump and docked at the Sputnik.

On board, they were ushered to Commodore Rothman's Ready Room to join him, his adjutants with some other jobs-worths and yes-men.

The Commodore came straight to the point. 

"There have been some anomalies on a local planetoid," he said. "As representatives of the Cauthon Institute, I require you to investigate."

Planet Augustus. 10% gravity. No atmosphere

"We will send a corvette The Painted Lady with you for military support. They will stay in orbit while you do your science."

"Why should we do this?" said Stella. "We aren't connected to the Cauthons."

"You yourself, Miss, your surname is Cauthon. You claim to be a relative of Matt Cauthon, the founder of the Cauthon Institute. Your ship was given to you by the Cauthon Institute. Your ship is even named 'Cauthon'. That sounds pretty 'Cauthon Institute' to me."

"Touche," observed Anton.

Half a day later, they were in geostationary orbit around Augustus.

Preliminary scans of the surface showed nothing, but Heidi and Knodel's Science station spotted an anomaly. A large source of X-rays. When the high-res optical scanners were focused on it, they spotted a red dot.

To the air-raft!

They all headed to the surface in the air-raft flown by the new pilot Jon Straker. All were dressed in vacc-suits: Anton and Itzy at the front. Next row Buzz & Hoff. Then Heidi & Spanner.

Knodel and Stella stayed on the Cauthon. Stella didn't want to break her nails or muss her hair in a vacc-suit.

Down on the ground, they explored the portal. It was like the one in the Cauthon tunnels (beneath the Cauthon Institute in Seven on 728-907) which came out next to the red lake. It was a three metre circle of what looked like mercury, but on its side. There were several desiccated and frozen husks of slishers lying in front - 12 in all.

There was no sign that the slishers were trying to get back through or moving out; just lying there. If this portal was like the Cauthon tunnels one, then it was known that you could pass through FROM this direction - just not get back the other way. Or be organic matter - and be dead; they were well dead.

They took a slisher husk back to the air-raft. Then headed back to Cauthon in orbit.

Knodel dissected the husk. His preliminary conclusion was that it has been here more than one year but less than ten.

They then contacted the Corvette, who sent down a squad of marines to secure the site.

Doctor Knodel wanted to send a nuke through the portal. So they contacted Commodore Rothman back at the fleet, and after a brief discussion, he gave the authorization for a ten megaton device.

So the Imperium military engineers set up a rail to launch the nuke through the portal. The nuke itself was a silver car-sized object.

The group watched the site from orbit in the Cauthon with their high-res optical telescopes.

The ground crew withdrew to safe range and the nuke, with a timer, was launched through the portal. Almost instantly, a black pod (no spikes) came back through the portal. It was so instant that it almost looked like the two objects crossed at the barrier.

A panicked message came up from the Corvette over the party's radio from the ground troops: "Advise?"

Everyone in the group all spoke at once:

"pod contains aliens, it must go back"

"unscrew the pod"

"don't let the end unscrew"

"the pod offers no threat"

"open the pod!"

"blow it up"

"throw it back"

The Painted Lady Corvette Captain, also watching this unfold, yelled out "What do they do? Just one of you speak!"

Everyone in the group all spoke at once again:

"unscrew the pod"

"don't let the end unscrew"

"open the pod!"

"blow it up"

"throw it back"

They could then hear panicked firing and shouting from the surface marines over the radio. Lots of shouting. 

Suddenly, there was a bright flash, centred on the pod. Bright as the sun. The radio-chat instantly turned to a high-pitched white-noise whistle.

It was so bright that the high-res telescope CCD arrays burned out.

When new (not so high-res) optics were focussed on the planet, there was a big hole around the portal site, which was now glowing red with boiling lava.

Sang immediately went outside for a space walk to get the sensors replaced on the high-res scope. Her original conclusion suspected that this wasn't an Imperium nuke. The blast was wrong. And it was very intense. If it was a nuke, she estimated that the power would be 1000 megatons - 100 times what was sent through.

And the X-ray source still there.

Straker did some calculations on the back on an envelope. 

"I think it's a wind kite," said Straker.

"Why do we care about this?" said Stella.

After seven hours, the entire Imperium navy joined the group in orbit. 

Stella invited the Commodore and his team on board the Cauthon. For a meal catered by her Michelin ranked chef Wayne Belly.

"My experts say the portal is still there," began the Commodore. "The explosion time was roughly the same time as the timer that was on the nuke. But how would they know we're gonna shoot a nuke through?"

"K-vantum entanglement?" posited Knodel.

"Did they just send something back just to spite us?"

"I sink it was automatic. Like automatic defender."

Later on.

"Any of you know the scientist Gnostic Hands?" said the Commodore. "His writings mentioned a Ancients' garbage chute. Got steeper and steeper. Could this portal be the tail end of one of them."

"But why does it glow pink?" asked Sang. "The garbage chutes were always dark on the inside."

The Commodore then took Hoff to one side: "I want to destroy this from orbit. Is that a good idea?"

Hoff didn't want to commit to an answer.

"Then speak to your science friends. I need some advice here. We can't have this portal standing here. We can bring in a battleship or a dreadnought. Is that a good idea?"

"I do not sink more powerful veapons vill help you here," said Knodel.

The rest of the party disagreed. "It wouldn't hurt."

It would take six weeks minimum - both to send out X-boats with a message, and then have the battleships arrive.

The next morning, the party planned to go down on a air-raft and hover next to the portal: Sang, Hoff, Knodel, Straker, Anton, Itzy, Buzz. 

Straker flew the air-raft down next to the portal itself - which looked unscathed. But he hit some turbulence from the lava and suddenly jolted the craft.

Buzz and Knodel, not known for the zero-G skills, fell out. Knodel had plugged the seat-belt into an adjacent socket. Buzz was too much of a man to worry about seat-belts.

They fell thirty metres - the fall was broken by lava.

Straker made up for his jolt and dived the air-raft down to rescue them. The vacc-suits thermal protection was enough to stop damage in the short time, but the suits were ruined. So, back up to the Cauthon.

The party scorned their pilot and asked for "an expert" from the Commodore. He sent over a second air-raft pilot, Betsy Driver.

She flew down to the portal again. Just her, plus Sang, Anton, Knodel, and Itzy. Here, they conducted some experiments. Shooting different things through the portal.

• Fires a single shot - no change
• Then 50 cal. - no change
• Then 50 cal burst - no change
• Grenade through - no change
• Lightning bolt - no change
• Bigger bolt - big x-ray burst (1/400th of the energy of the lightning bolt)

The portal was originally on the side of a hill. After the explosion, there was no hill behind it, so you could fly around behind it. Looking from this side, the portal could not be seen. A rock thrown this way just goes through. No one was brave enough to try it themselves.

Back in the Cauthon, the group decided that they had exhausted all experiments here. So they advised the Commodore to do the same as the troops in Seven: build a structure around the portal, when the lava had cooled.

The Commodore's Adjutant noticed that the Cauthon had four hard-points. So he offered to fit Imperium weapons to these hard-points. The group was happy for this to be done. Anton was the best gunner of the group, so he got to choose:

• One twin-missile launcher. 
• One anti-missile launcher
• Cannons
• Cannons

The Commodore then gave them a set of missions:

1. You are headed to Entrope. There is a Cauthon Institute there in the city of Kingston. I would advise check in there first. 
2. This Entrope Cauthon Institute is the only one in the Sword Worlds. So more Cauthon Institutes in the Sword Worlds would be good. 
3. I believe you have contacts in Winston. That (Sword World) system has been interdicted by the Zhodanis. Currently, we can not even send Imperium ships to the Winston system. The Zhodanis have some super-weapon there which takes them apart. So, setting up a Cauthon Institute there would be a good "foot in the door". 
4. There are no Cauthon Institutes in the Darrian Confederation. After the fall of Winston, those pointy-earred mouth-breathers have ejected our diplomats,  so a Cauthon Institute in maybe Zamine or Mire would be useful.

The Cauthon got refuelled and headed off into jump-space for the two-sector hop to Entrope.

During the week's travel:

• Sang's invisibility manifested a few nights. Periods of a few hours during the night, her body would go invisible.
• Anton still pissed formic acid.
• Itzy senses were still amplified.
• Dr Knodel worked out that the slisher husk died two years ago.
• Sang discovered the Imperium dead-man explosives planted in a few places on the Cauthon. These would trigger if ever disconnected and blow a hole through the bulk-head. It was standard design for Imperium ships used as a safety measure should a ship ever be captured.

Sydney Walsh

They arrived a Entrope. Docked at the high port, then took the elevator down to the surface and went to Kingston.

Here they visited the X-Boat Corporate offices and re-united with Sydney Walsh. As he was now working for the Cauthon Institute, Anton's X-boat employee contract was terminated.

There was a big sheaf of letters for Hoff and Itzy from Contessa Ende. She was having a whale of a time, now governess of Winston.