"You're uneasy," I observe of Zoya as we walk through Vintner Station. "Have you interacted with a Pursuer before?"
"A few times, yes." She leads us into the interior forest stand. The trees swallow the sound of machinery. Mostly. "I was uneasy then too. Your kind cuts an intimidating figure. Not to mention the… implications of your being here."
There's a pleasant path winding through the greenery. The humidity here is higher. I find it uncomfortable combined with the head, but the foliage is somewhat appealing. "What do you mean by that? Implications?"
"Nobody sends a Pursuit Frame to hunt down a small-time crook." She tests her coffee's temperature. "Your being here means this fugitive is a serious threat. And any threat on Cipher-3 is a threat to us here at the Station."
"You're not in any danger. The nature of the individual's crimes are nonviolent. I'm not at liberty to discuss any details, but rest assured, the matter will be resolved with haste."
"That's a relief," she sighs, brushing her hand through some reeds as we pass. "Cipher-3 is already hostile enough."
"Yes. It seems so. Tell me more about Cipher-3. Assume I know nothing."
"Well," she says, then pauses and searches for words. Zoya is clearly the type to think before speaking. "It's the third largest of seven major satellites orbiting Hierondas, a hydrogen-helium gas giant and the largest planet here in the Vixen System. Cipher-3 was totally encased in solid ice when discovered, with no atmosphere to speak of. However, the Federation's terraforming efforts about sixty years ago proved to have relatively adequate results, particularly in terms of a thick enough atmosphere to stop the rubble from space from impacting the surface. And, as I'm sure you've seen, support some amount of natural flora."
"Yes, the conifers. Why was the moon terraformed?"
"Originally, the ice was meant to be a freshwater source for a mining colony that was going to be established here in the solar system. 714 Vixen 13, which we call Crux-13, is a rocky planet closer to the dual star center of this solar system. Its tectonic crust is remarkably rich in essential and exceedingly rare metals, such as osmium, palladium, platinum, iridium, and most importantly, rhodium."
"I see. These metals, what are they used for?"
"Ships, first and foremost. Crucibles, thermocoupling, electronic capacitors, catalyzing agents, plating, batteries, on and on and on. But mostly ships. You see, rhodium in combination with palladium or platinum is crucial for the function of catalytic converters. The production of which was much more pertinent back then, before most interstellar ships switched from synth-diesel and nuclear hybrids to purely nuclear. Once that switch came… The demand for rhodium died off, the Crux-13 project was scrapped, and Cipher-3 was abandoned."
"So Cipher-3's terraforming was done in advance of the mines' construction. It was left in this unfinished state despite the mining colony not being brought to fruition. Correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"To clarify and summarize for the record: the planet 714 Vixen 13, AKA Crux-13, was an attractive prospect for the presence of rare and useful metals sixty years ago. The planet was being scouted for mining purposes, and Cipher-3 was intended to be the rig's source of clean water. Is all of that correct, Z?"
"Correct, Nep. Might I ask you a question?"
"I may not answer it, but go right ahead."
She pauses beneath what appears to be the largest tree of them all, gazing up at the branches. I do too, finding us in the center of the dome, where the ceiling is the highest.
Hesitantly, she begins with, "Which legal authority sent you? Are you a Federation Pursuer or a more local one?"
"I can't answer that."
"Ah. It must be sensitive information."
"I mean that to say I'm incapable. Like I said, I don't know who sent me. I am a Federation Frame, but I know nothing beyond that."
The woman gives me a hard stare. "That's… a fairly crucial detail. You don't even know your own jurisdiction?"
"Cipher-3 is my jurisdiction."
"But any law enforcement Frames, even Pursuers, are required by law and by protocol to provide this information. You're saying you don't have it?"
"I do not have it."
"You cannot verify your status as a legal enforcer."
"My very presence is verification. I am a Pursuit Frame. The details regarding this directive of mine are top secret, and on a need to know basis. This way, nobody can extract any sensitive information from me."
Zoya relents, backing down with a sigh. "So you don't know who sent you here."
"Not in the slightest. That doesn't change my directive."
"Right. Remind me, which robotics company manufactured you?"
"Enfer Logistics."
"Can't say I've heard of it."
"I have."
"Yes, I suspect so. What more can you tell us about this?"
"Everything I've already said. My memory core starts and ends at why I'm here."
"How strange." She studies me for another moment. "What do you make of that, Nep?"
"I see little importance to it. I have a directive to complete. It does not matter to me who assigned it."
She hums, peering at me through her glasses. Her expression is hardened with thought. "Even if the person who sent you was of foul character?"
"The fugitive is the foul character."
"This is hypothetical, Nep. What if whoever sent you is an enemy worse than this fugitive is?"
"It depends on what they're an enemy of, or to."
"Say… a monster most cruel. Someone who seeks destruction in all things, and is only sending you here to die."
"An enemy to me?" I question, frowning. "I'm not certain how I would proceed, if that were the case. Ultimately, it's my full intent to see the fugitive executed. Whether that task is assigned by an improper authority who wants me dead is irrelevant. Likewise, my death would be inconsequential, aside from meaning the failure of my mission, which is of course impermissible."
"I see." She doesn't look thrilled at my answer but moves on. "You might want to talk with Zenith. I wonder if he'll be able to uncover anything about your origins. He's another Frame, like you and Henna."
"I will. May we return to the matter at hand?"
"Yes, Nep. Let's keep walking."
I match her pace. She only stands at my shoulder height, and my legs are much longer. I ask, "Would you tell me more about Vintner Station? You mentioned climate data collection."
"Yes. Indeed. Like I said before, we're studying the moon's harsh weather patterns. As for why, Louis butted in and mentioned prospecting, which is… a rather disingenuous term, but at the core of it I suppose he's right. Cipher-3 is, of course, covered with ice and snow, and the permafrost is several kilometers thick, but beneath that? It's a bounty waiting to be tapped into."
"I'm noticing a disconnect. You're climatologists–"
"Only I am," she interrupts. "Louis is a logistician. Quentin is a mechanic."
"Noted. But none of you are miners."
"Right, that's where the idea of us being prospectors comes from. If we can prove Cipher-3's incomplete terraforming is indeed stable enough for digging, we could sell that information for a fortune. I won't lie. Credits are credits, and profit is why we're here. Commission from the discovery alone would be in the hundreds of millions."
"Who would you sell this information to?"
She gives me half a shrug. "The highest bidder."
I nod. That makes sense. "Earlier, you mentioned salvage. Having Zenith bring it in. Could you elaborate on that?"
"Ah. Yes. There's wreckage, abandoned machinery, and loads of scrap resources left behind from the terraforming process all across Cipher-3. Once the Crux-13 plan fell through, it was cheaper for the companies to leave it all behind than to recover it. So now it's all freezing in the wasteland, and I don't need to tell you how often things break down around here and require parts. Just look around you."
"You realize you're admitting to theft. To an agent of the law. The companies may have abandoned it, but that doesn't mean it's yours to take either."
She grins. "We all make do. All of us."
I check my protocol roster to find what I'm supposed to do in this case, but find it empty. Empty. "It appears… I don't have clearance to enforce anything relating to illegal conduct beyond the fugitive's execution. It's your lucky day, Zoya."
"I had a feeling you'd say that. Pragmatic. To smooth it over, why don't I have Zenith send you some map data on where you can find a few good spots nearby?"
I check my interface and I'm faced with an error. "I don't have any map data at all."
"Right. You're new here. I'll have him send you what rasters we have. Shouldn't take long."
"I appreciate your cooperation, Zoya. It's well documented. I just have a few more questions, but these are quick. First, what does the rest of Cipher-3 look like? What's the layout?"
"Step outside, you've more or less seen it all. Some mountains and caves around, craters like you wouldn't believe, ice geysers all over the place, and most of it is boreal or coniferous forest, rocky or icy mountains, or wide open snowfields. A few locations see enormous fissures in the ice, kilometers deep, long, and wide. They're quite extraordinary. But around here, it's mostly forests and fields."
"Noted. Speaking of forests, why do you have one growing here?"
"It's for life support. Oxygen conversion, heat retention, aesthetics. It's important for us humans to have flora nearby. Especially in a place so dreary."
"Interesting. Is there anything I should look out for beyond the Station?"
"Well, there is no local fauna–Not biological, anyway. Some feral robotics, animal drones, and machine intelligences are still crawling around out there too, also relics from the terraform."
"Yes, I've already become acquainted. Anything else?"
"Many things lie buried on Cipher-3, Nep. But there is much to find, even where it seems most desolate and empty. This place… It has a strange and sometimes unnerving number of odd secrets tucked away. Keep your eyes open for anything that seems out of sorts. It just may prove rewarding."
"Noted. That's useful information as well."
"As for dangers, your number one concern should be obvious."
"The environment."
"Indeed. Even winterized Frames like you will need to warm up regularly. That's barring if any of your internal components and hardware freeze or short. Also, the soft snow can reach several stories deep in places, so mind your step–especially around the tree crowns–or you'll be buried. Extremely powerful blizzards fly through quite regularly too."
"I see. How cold can it get?"
"If it's twenty below, it's a scalding day outside. That's centigrade, of course. Our data has shown nights can reach double digits. Kelvin. Under absolutely no circumstances do you want to be caught outside past nightfall. You will freeze."
"I won't risk that. Are there any other inhabited settlements like this out there? Anyone else who might be living on this moon?"
"No. This is the only inhabited settlement. And Cipher-3 is on the farthest edges of the Milky Way–a frontier settlement through and through. Our nearest neighbors are four hundred thousand lightyears away. The only sign of humanity you'll find out there is whatever has been left behind."
"Cipher-3 truly is a wasteland."
"It truly is a wasteland. This is the only bastion."
"Good to know."
I receive an EHF radio ping from nearby, and a file transfer starts. ZRAT-MI-49 is hosting a peer to peer connection and uploading the map raster data. "I'm receiving the files from Zenith now. I want to emphasize my gratitude, Zoya. You've been a major help already."
"Always glad to," she smirks, hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "I should get back to my workstation. I've had something running and it's probably done by now. Do you require anything more from me, Nep?"
"No. You're free to go."
"It's been a pleasure. Do find me anytime you need. Oh, one last thing. As we've discussed, this is the only inhabited settlement on Cipher-3, so you're more than welcome to find a bunk and make yourself at home. Please do use our regen stations as needed. What's ours is yours. Don't hesitate."
"Thank you, Zoya. I accept that offer. I'll talk with you again soon."
With only a short wave, she turns and leaves.
I watch her go, processing, documenting, and sorting everything I've just learned into my database and storage. There's something off about her that doesn't sit right, but I can't determine what just yet. She's someone to keep a close optical sensor on. Some of the things she said and her tone struck me as secretive, or clandestine. I'll have to wait for some down time to analyze the data on that interrogation.
Now that I know this is the only place with people living in it on Cipher-3, I know these three are my only primary sources of information. To that end, I'll need to be thorough here in Vintner Station.
With that, I move along to find the other two humans.