[Ship Maintenance Hangar to Juno Terminal 'June': Derelict Light Transport 'Washington' logs heavily damaged due to age and neglect. Partial recovery follows]
[----Heavily damaged section missing----]
----Personal log of Doc Lester, assistant to the head archaeologist, dig site 29, Folly excavation. I'm in what appears to be one of the pre-Kingdom transport ships. We've had some good luck on this expedition. There is evidence that dig site 29 is THE original doomed founding colony on Folly.
The weather is harsh, but also acts as a preservative. Many of the equipment and remains are nearly as untouched today as they were when they were encased in ice hundreds of years ago. The technology of the time is FASCINATING.
Take this ship, for example. Sturdy and robust, and FAR more efficient than anything built on Hotaf these days. If the energy cores hadn't been drained by the fools trying to colonize this uninhabitable ice ball, one feels like they could fire the ship up and fly it around.
The resource costs to build a ship like this would be insane though. It's a FORTUNE in materials. I've already had to start campaigning against Arthur's proposal to break it down and sell the pieces. Think of the unrecoverable historical LOSS!
Not to mention the loss of technology. Sure, the _materials_ cost is much higher, but the running costs are far lower. Whatever planet 'homeworld' was like, it certainly didn't have as abundant energy as Hotaf. Our hoppers comparatively GUZZLE energy, while this transport takes tiny delicate sips. The difference is night and day.
We might not need this to get around Hotaf, constantly bathed in glorious sunlight, but what if we want to explore the outer rim? We can't even reach the far end of our own solar system. We can BARELY reach our next neighboring planet out! And yet, the pre-Kingdom civilization strode from star to star! They traveled the deep black between the suns! We could never hope to do the same with our meager technology.
And that damnable Arthur is going to chop it up for parts! This marvelous ship doesn't deserve that fate. It belongs in a museum!----
----Personal log of Doctor Arthur Simon, head archaeologist of the expedition to excavate Folly.
Half a dozen treasures, all buried in the ice together! A row of ancient transports, in nearly mint condition! My bank account moans at the thought of it.
My absurd assistant, however, has gone behind my back! The treacherous lizard has sent a message to my patrons, informing them of the _intact_ nature of the ships. Now they're talking about cultural-value this, and historical-value that. What about MATERIAL VALUE? This entire expedition has been a money-sink so far. We have an opportunity to turn that around and....!
_Had_ an opportunity. It's gone now. I can't get away with claiming to have recovered the *remains* of a colony, catalog the parts, and then sell the scrap materials. What a waste.
Though, my awful assistant did make a compelling argument about the _technological_ value as well. This technology _has_ been lost to us (some would say, replaced with superior technology), but in the hands of the right collector... maybe it's worth something? Maybe it's worth MORE if it's intact? I wonder if one of the corporate Families would want to purchase these? Or, if more than one would. Perhaps an auction...? Quiet, bank account! I can't think over the sound of your moaning!----
----Technology Recovery Lab, Erma Bright speaking. Possible salvation has arrived!
The idiot archaeologists had no IDEA the value these ships represent. They accepted Kingdom credits for them! HAHAHAHA!
Ahem. At least we know that word has not reached the public about the desperate state of affairs the Kingdom is in at the moment. Transports of water from Folly under the guise of "excavation" can only do so much. If the supply lines from homeworld are not restored soon, there will be TWO dead planets in this system.
And then, when all hope seemed lost, four pristine ships were delivered to our doorstep, and two more for parts.
That's FOUR chances to make it back to one of the deep space stations still in contact with homeworld. If the historical records are correct, the current positions should be in calculable range. We can reach them! Let them know we're still out here! We're alive! And we'd like to stay that way!
Or alternatively, four chances to flee this fireball before the resources run out completely and the war over the scraps wipes us out for good. If I can get these restored before the Family realizes their potential, I can escape. I'll need funding for resources though. It will be very expensive, but then again, I have room on three other ships I can sell, if I get word to the right people. It will have to remain a secret though. Um, Log don't record that part. Log are you still recording? Edit log. Stop. Exit!----