Institute of Exalted Benevolence

Beyond the airlock stretched a small network of tunnels. At last we found our way to a massive plaza lit by artificial sunlight. Strangely, the architecture of the habitat was more akin to the suburbs found on certain residential worlds than of a prominent science station. The habitat was built to house entire apartment complexes, shopping centers and schools, but also pleasure gardens, parks and other facilities. This was a place designed for luxury living.

Now however it is entirely abandoned. Not a single organic lifeform was detected within the entirety of the habitat. And we continued to explore, we were struck by the emptiness of this place and the bleak staleness of the atmosphere.

The artificial sunlight experienced occasional glitches, covering the station in darkness, and while other electronic devices are remain largely operational, they too are affected by these same interruptions. But most curious is the network of surveillance devices found within the apartments of the habitat. It appears every citizen was under strict supervision. Finding a security station of some sort could provide more insight.

It took many days to traverse and index the city aboard the station and to uncover its surveillance apparatus. The security station turned out to be entirely sectioned off from the rest of the habitat, requiring a different entrance code all together.

Here we found rows and rows of monitors, still hooked up to the mass surveillance apparatus. Those still functional showed us every corner of the station, yet they too were affected by electric glitches.

Our drones reported being concerned upon witnessing the disruptions, as it reminded them of the previous encounter with the adAkkaria Convention at the ancient naval graveyard.

But most disturbing was our discovery of the central security hub: according to the alarming messages displayed on the screens, this habitat was set to self-destruct!

Our … assumed that whatever malfunctions were plaguing the city prevented the command from being executed. We swiftly deactivated the self-destruct routine and set our … to decipher any logs we could recover here. Curiously, the station's reports ceased almost a year before the last records recovered from the Propaganda Station.

Our … didn't take long to discover the purpose of the habitat orbiting …: logs and messages from citizens and staff alike describe investigations into the newly emerged psionic powers of the adAkkaria citizens. All those living here received invitations from the Convention's 'Exalted Leadership' to enjoy a life of luxury and self-expression aboard the habitat. In return, they agreed to participate in the station's ongoing experiments.

Most citizens were keen to join the program. The security logs show many were disabled war veterans. They were promised care, financial assistance, and pardons for any outstanding legal issues they might have had.

What's more, the station's personnel list contained a very familiar name: alAtta Landeer, a scientist and disabled veteran, whose amputated body we recovered at the naval graveyard.

We have deciphered one of the last messages sent from the habitat:

Message - Date 02100363 - Sender: siDani Itempeer - Recipient: siZul Itempeer
Hi! I'm still alive! Sorry for the delays. Ever since... the habitat is behaving strangely so sending messages has been hard. They say it has nothing to do with that, but we think he was psionically gifted after all. As for me, I told you I wasn't really getting anywhere, with all the previous... So they suggested trying out something more radical: ... cosmic storms. I know what you're thinking, but it's just one digit and maybe it'll even grow back. But the sensations I've unlocked when... !
Love, siDani
- TRANSMISSION CENSORED ( Questions? Ask your supervisor )

Message - Date 02100365 - Sender: haToor Gailon - Recipient: aeDal Asduur
Dear aeDal,
Life has been treating me well. I've met a few other veterans. We don't talk. But we all know. It's nice not having to talk.
Today I only had to think of lifting a cup, and it did. I still miss my right appendage, but maybe this new life won't be as bad as I feared. I've heard them talk about sending me to... Apparently I'm a psionic prodigy... I... want to be deployed again.
I hope to be home for Patriots' Day. Let's meet up.
Yours, haToor
- TRANSMISSION CENSORED ( Questions? Ask your supervisor )

Message - Date 02100367 - Sender: enRida Direen - Recipient: onRida Direen
I STOPPED A FIRE WITH MY MIND!!!!
One of the other subjects went all hysterical for some reason and caused a fire to break out in the mess hall. Everyone was just panicking but we couldn't go anywhere! I was also SUPER scared but then something happened inside me and I just made it go away!
I SAVED EVERYONE!! Tell the elders I'm not entirely a hopeless case, will you!
- TRANSMISSION BLOCKED ( REPORT TO YOUR SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY )

Notable is the second transmission: haToor Gailon's body was discovered during our archeological mission on the … world.

These messages are dated a few days before the evacuation of the habitat:

Message - Date 02100359 - Sender: Supreme Doctor - Recipient: Revered Admiral
Your last message caused some concern here. Would you be so kind as to explain why after supporting us for all these years without a comment, you're suddenly threatening to shut us down?
- TRANSMISSION SENT

Message - Date 02100360 - Sender: Revered Admiral - Recipient: Supreme Doctor
You have got to be kidding me. For months we've been sending you warnings, but I guess orbiting a capricious world must have caused some convenient amnesia. You are aware that Unicom is threatening our very existence, correct? And with this war ramping up, I can no longer defend spending exorbitant resources just for your subjects to stare at cattle all day. I need tangible, applicable results. NOW.
- TRANSMISSION RECEIVED

Message - Date 02100360 - Sender: Supreme Doctor - Recipient: Revered Admiral
Forgive us, we never received your earlier messages. Our station has been plagued by technical glitches, and it must've affected our transmissions as well. Regardless, we need more time. We have processes and protocols in place, we can't just abandon them!
- TRANSMISSION SENT

Message - Date 02100361 - Sender: Revered Admiral - Recipient: Supreme Doctor
You have one week or else we will proceed to immediate shutdown. No ifs, no buts, no second chances, RESULTS!
- TRANSMISSION RECEIVED

Message - Date 02100368 - Sender: Supreme Doctor - Recipient: Revered Admiral
Attached you'll find a report of our recent accomplishments. These videos prove that cosmic storms can be influenced by our psionically gifted subjects. This could have staggering military applications. Given enough time we can supercharge their psionic expression without having to subject them to physical and mental trauma.
- TRANSMISSION FAILED (Cause: Transmission Matrix Corruption)

This is the last recovered message:

Dear colleagues,

I address you with a heavy heart. Exalted Command has decided to cease all operations inside the Patriotic Institute of Exalted Benevolence.

This should not be taken as an indictment of you or our work here. It has been an honor to serve with each and every one of you. I know that you will have many questions, but in short, the expectations of Exalted Command did not align with our research aims.

As for our citizens, Exalted Command invited them to join the program at the Patriotic Institute of Celebration on adSul. You will find a full personnel list attached below. Please inform your reports accordingly.

As for the others... Regrettably, the covert nature of our research means that research participants will not be allowed to return to society proper. Exalted Command promised to send us a special unit to take care of them. You will not need to see to this yourselves, which in its own way is a blessing. Their relatives will be compensated to the fullest.

Signing off,
Supreme Doctor, alAtta Landeer

The attached list, while partially corrupted, mentions the subjects haToor Gailon and enRida Direen. It appears they were transferred to the adAkkaria Convention's capital of adSul. The coordinates to this world are now in our possession.