Guide

Teleport leading into Exo-Lab 22.

Exo-Lab teleport location.

Map

Crimson Isle

1.

Dead Men Tell No Tales

Lore

(This small book is covered in brown stains.)

The lab is sealed. How to proceed? Uncertain.

Riggs says we should try the codes we found at the previous site. I tend to agree, but I’ll be damned if I’ll give him the satisfaction of admitting his suggestion has merit.

I’ve grown so tired of Riggs – tired of his educated guesses, his wry smiles, his dry wit. He thinks he’s better than I am, that much is plain.

For now, I’ll play along. We’re far enough away from the rest of the universe that any
manner of accident might befall him…

(Later)

Riggs did it! The inner lab is open to us. Time to go exploring.

(Later)

There are wonders here. If only we had the time to puzzle them out… time has never been on our side. Before long, someone is bound to come along. The arrival of the Dominion would be a death knell to our work.

For now, we take what we can.

(Later)

Riggs has made up his mind to lock the inner lab and save the contents for later. We shall use a code only we know to
keep the curious at bay until we can return to claim it all. He smiles that wry smile of his, adopts the voice of an Oghra pirate, and says, “Aye, this be our treasure. Arrr!”

What does he think he is? Some piebald Marauder come to bury his treasure on some lonely planetoid? Does he truly believe in the old Marauder adage that “X marks the spot”?

His idea is only given credence when one considers another Marauder proverb: “Dead men tell no tales.”

It’s obvious now. Riggs intends to kill me, to
keep this secret Eldan cache safe until he alone can return. I will not stand idly by while he engineers my demise.

I will act first, I swear it.

(Later)

Riggs is dead, and I will be, too, if the bleeding is any indication.

I struck when his back was turned. Wounded, he had the temerity to ask me why I was killing him. He didn’t lay down and die, though… he fought back. By the time I regained the upper hand, my own wounds were too much.

Already I can feel the chill of death in my limbs
and see the black void at the edge of my vision.

The inner lab is locked. The code we chose to seal it is in place, and it shall die with me.

(Later, written in a different hand)

g …is dead, he thought I was, too…

…the code is 3734, I can’t leave this undiscovered…

…we die here together, it seems….

(Journal ends)

Guide

Map

Crimson Isle

1.

The Zax’s Orders

Lore

Orders for DRED Operatives
Project: Crimson Doom

Listen listen! DRED supporting military ops this time. Special orders. Command says stupid Exiles found something cozmotronic! Military here to secure that. DRED here to find out what it is and take it. Understand?

That means autonomy limited. Side projects restricted. But big science happening at end! The Zax promises. But first, specifics.
– Drilldozers for getting past Exile blockade.
Stupid Exiles. But leave on beach! Drilldozer technology TOO VALUABLE! Could be stolen.
– Draken too big to fit in drilldozers. Will be landing out of sight on nearby beach.
– Do NOT blow up Draken commandos! Yes. The Zax agrees. Very funny. Very very funny. But NOT PRODUCTIVE.
– DO blow up scrab! Scrab could get into drilldozers. Messy messy. Also very tasty with butter!
– Lots of Eldan tech around! Grab what you can. Scan EVERYthing! If you have no
scanner, why are you reading this?
– You explorer! Look for caves! Scans show lots of caves. Could be more tech!
– Military op! Mentioned this, yes? So be ready to fight! No DRED operatives are to go unarmed! Bring something good for killing scrab. And killing Exiles.
– Remember: the Zax is in command of Project: Crimson Doom! Military might disagree. But YOUR orders come from the Zax. Don’t forget it!

– The Zax