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 have found a portal in the Ancients' site close to Bitter End. You have been there before we understand? We sent two of us through the portal and they have not returned.

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

"We want you to come to the 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 Governor 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 the 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 have asked it a 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 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 a further 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.

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.