Untold Tales: The Unexpected Guest
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English
Looking into the vastness of space it’s easy to feel small and insignificant, yet our ingenuity, inventiveness and imagination have made that extensive expanse of nothingness manageable. Today, we frequently travel great distances without giving it so much as a second thought. That is until, every once and awhile, something happens that’s so unbelievable it makes you realize we’re all connected by space and time in ways we’ll never fully understand. This is Untold Tales.
Today, we visit the city of Tram in the Ferron System, which has struggled to find its footing since mining companies left en masse during the mid-29th century. As the good paying jobs fled, so did the system’s population. For the last century, Ferron has had only a few permanent residents, but that makes this untold story of an unexpected guest arriving at Octavia Watt’s door that much more incredible.
It was a late December day in 2945 when the 127-year-old Octavia Watt decided to spend the afternoon getting her house ready for Traveler’s Day. Each year, her three children and their families celebrated the holiday at her modest house on the outskirts of Tram. Gang fights over water and poor public services had driven most of the other residents away, yet Octavia stayed despite repeated attempts by her children to get her to move someplace less dangerous.
OCTAVIA WATT: I wasn’t havin’ none of it. There’s not much there ’cept my memories, but that’s part of why I liked it. It also reminded me of the homestead in Charon where I grew up. There’s a special kind of peace that comes with simple livin’.
Octavia’s children had resigned themselves to their mother spending the rest of her days in a house she loved, situated within an increasingly hostile landscape. That is until an unexpected guest arrived and changed everything.
OCTAVIA WATT: I’d wandered down to Merle’s to borrow an extra set of towels, ’cause there never seems to be enough when the kids are home. I was about halfway back to my place when the sky just lit up.
Octavia looked up as a sonic boom erupted around her. Then a piercing scream cut across the sky, slicing through the thick layer of clouds and pollution permanently plastered above. A moment later, a second boom and a flash knocked her down. When she regained her footing, Octavia saw with horror that her house was in ruins. Amidst the dust and debris sat an improbable and unexpected guest.
OCTAVIA WATT: I just … I mean, I had no idea what in the world had happened. When I got closer all I saw was this burnt up metal tube covered in UEE and Marine logos right where my good recliner used to be.
The sudden and surprising impact roused Octavia’s remaining neighbors from their homes. One by one they gathered near the impact crater. They were baffled by what was before them until neighbor Merle Ramic, who had done a brief stint in the UEE Navy, arrived on the scene. He immediately identified the metal object as an individual rapid-entry assault pod used by the Marines for space-to-surface operations, more commonly known as a “Nail.”
Worried someone was trapped inside, Merle carefully made his way into the wreckage and opened the emergency hatch. After easing the body to the ground, Merle removed the Marine’s helmet, hoping there was still a chance to save the poor soul. Only to discover that it was too late … way too late. The Marine had been dead for a while.
Local officials were on the scene in record time. The area was cordoned off and witness statements taken, but no one could answer the only question that mattered: how could Octavia’s house have been destroyed by a dead Marine?
Though many outside of the Marines have heard of the Nail, few have seen it in action. UPARQ scientists are believed to have reverse engineered the tech from the feared Vanduul boarding “Spikes” used in ship-to-ship combat, modifying the design to make it viable for a Human occupant. The current Nail can safely deploy a Marine from a ship in space to a planet surface in ninety seconds. The device is a technological marvel, if correctly deployed, and a metal coffin if not.
The UEE has never publicly commented on the incident, or even given Octavia an explanation about why her house was destroyed. They did pay her a generous resettlement fee and she now lives with her daughter in Cestulus. However, Octavia still finds herself wishing she called Tram home.
OCTAVIA WATT: Oh boy, do I miss the peace and quiet. There’s just too many people around here for my tastes, but what other options do I got? At least I can still take care of myself, so I’m not too much trouble for Elena.
Octavia still wonders exactly how a Marine Nail found its way into her house. When Untold Tales returns we talk to the person who might hold the answer — her former neighbor, Merle Ramic.
MERLE RAMIC: I did my tour in the Navy, but was around enough Marines to know that uniform he was wearing was old, like real old. Based on some research I’ve done, I’d say about 200 years or so.
After the break, Merle shares with us exactly what he saw that day. And we ask the question, what is the UEE hiding? Was this Nail deployed during a covert action in the Ferron System, or stranger yet, could it have somehow possibly come from an entirely different system centuries ago?
Those questions and more when Untold Tales returns.
Today, we visit the city of Tram in the Ferron System, which has struggled to find its footing since mining companies left en masse during the mid-29th century. As the good paying jobs fled, so did the system’s population. For the last century, Ferron has had only a few permanent residents, but that makes this untold story of an unexpected guest arriving at Octavia Watt’s door that much more incredible.
It was a late December day in 2945 when the 127-year-old Octavia Watt decided to spend the afternoon getting her house ready for Traveler’s Day. Each year, her three children and their families celebrated the holiday at her modest house on the outskirts of Tram. Gang fights over water and poor public services had driven most of the other residents away, yet Octavia stayed despite repeated attempts by her children to get her to move someplace less dangerous.
OCTAVIA WATT: I wasn’t havin’ none of it. There’s not much there ’cept my memories, but that’s part of why I liked it. It also reminded me of the homestead in Charon where I grew up. There’s a special kind of peace that comes with simple livin’.
Octavia’s children had resigned themselves to their mother spending the rest of her days in a house she loved, situated within an increasingly hostile landscape. That is until an unexpected guest arrived and changed everything.
OCTAVIA WATT: I’d wandered down to Merle’s to borrow an extra set of towels, ’cause there never seems to be enough when the kids are home. I was about halfway back to my place when the sky just lit up.
Octavia looked up as a sonic boom erupted around her. Then a piercing scream cut across the sky, slicing through the thick layer of clouds and pollution permanently plastered above. A moment later, a second boom and a flash knocked her down. When she regained her footing, Octavia saw with horror that her house was in ruins. Amidst the dust and debris sat an improbable and unexpected guest.
OCTAVIA WATT: I just … I mean, I had no idea what in the world had happened. When I got closer all I saw was this burnt up metal tube covered in UEE and Marine logos right where my good recliner used to be.
The sudden and surprising impact roused Octavia’s remaining neighbors from their homes. One by one they gathered near the impact crater. They were baffled by what was before them until neighbor Merle Ramic, who had done a brief stint in the UEE Navy, arrived on the scene. He immediately identified the metal object as an individual rapid-entry assault pod used by the Marines for space-to-surface operations, more commonly known as a “Nail.”
Worried someone was trapped inside, Merle carefully made his way into the wreckage and opened the emergency hatch. After easing the body to the ground, Merle removed the Marine’s helmet, hoping there was still a chance to save the poor soul. Only to discover that it was too late … way too late. The Marine had been dead for a while.
Local officials were on the scene in record time. The area was cordoned off and witness statements taken, but no one could answer the only question that mattered: how could Octavia’s house have been destroyed by a dead Marine?
Though many outside of the Marines have heard of the Nail, few have seen it in action. UPARQ scientists are believed to have reverse engineered the tech from the feared Vanduul boarding “Spikes” used in ship-to-ship combat, modifying the design to make it viable for a Human occupant. The current Nail can safely deploy a Marine from a ship in space to a planet surface in ninety seconds. The device is a technological marvel, if correctly deployed, and a metal coffin if not.
The UEE has never publicly commented on the incident, or even given Octavia an explanation about why her house was destroyed. They did pay her a generous resettlement fee and she now lives with her daughter in Cestulus. However, Octavia still finds herself wishing she called Tram home.
OCTAVIA WATT: Oh boy, do I miss the peace and quiet. There’s just too many people around here for my tastes, but what other options do I got? At least I can still take care of myself, so I’m not too much trouble for Elena.
Octavia still wonders exactly how a Marine Nail found its way into her house. When Untold Tales returns we talk to the person who might hold the answer — her former neighbor, Merle Ramic.
MERLE RAMIC: I did my tour in the Navy, but was around enough Marines to know that uniform he was wearing was old, like real old. Based on some research I’ve done, I’d say about 200 years or so.
After the break, Merle shares with us exactly what he saw that day. And we ask the question, what is the UEE hiding? Was this Nail deployed during a covert action in the Ferron System, or stranger yet, could it have somehow possibly come from an entirely different system centuries ago?
Those questions and more when Untold Tales returns.
German
Wenn man in die Weiten des Raumes blickt, ist es leicht, sich klein und unbedeutend zu fühlen, aber unser Einfallsreichtum, unser Erfindergeist und unsere Vorstellungskraft haben diese große Weite des Nichts beherrschbar gemacht. Heute legen wir häufig große Entfernungen zurück, ohne auch nur einen Gedanken daran zu verschwenden. Das ist, bis, ab und zu, etwas passiert, das so unglaublich ist, dass man merkt, dass wir alle durch Raum und Zeit auf eine Weise verbunden sind, die wir nie ganz verstehen werden. Hier ist Untold Tales.
Heute besuchen wir die Stadt Tram im Ferron-System, die seit der massiven Verlagerung von Minengesellschaften in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts Schwierigkeiten hatte, ihren Halt zu finden. Mit der Flucht der gut bezahlten Arbeitsplätze floh auch die Bevölkerung des Systems. Im letzten Jahrhundert hatte Ferron nur wenige ständige Bewohner, aber das macht diese ungezählte Geschichte von einem unerwarteten Gast, der vor Octavia Watts Tür ankam, umso unglaublicher.
Es war ein späterer Dezembertag im Jahr 2945, als die 127-jährige Octavia Watt beschloss, den Nachmittag damit zu verbringen, ihr Haus für den Traveler's Day vorzubereiten. Jedes Jahr feierten ihre drei Kinder und ihre Familien den Urlaub in ihrem bescheidenen Haus am Stadtrand von Tram. Bandenkämpfe um Wasser und schlechte öffentliche Dienste hatten die meisten anderen Bewohner vertrieben, doch Octavia blieb trotz wiederholter Versuche ihrer Kinder, sie dazu zu bringen, an einen weniger gefährlichen Ort zu ziehen.
OCTAVIA WATT: Ich hatte nichts davon. Es gibt nicht viel, außer meinen Erinnerungen, aber das ist ein Teil davon, warum ich es mochte. Es erinnerte mich auch an das Gehöft in Charon, wo ich aufgewachsen bin. Es gibt eine besondere Art von Frieden, die mit einfachem Leben einhergeht.
Octavias Kinder hatten sich damit abgefunden, dass ihre Mutter den Rest ihrer Tage in einem Haus verbrachte, das sie liebte, das in einer zunehmend feindlichen Landschaft lag. Das heißt, bis ein unerwarteter Gast kam und alles änderte.
OCTAVIA WATT: Ich war zu Merle's gegangen, um mir ein zusätzliches Set Handtücher zu leihen, denn es scheint nie genug zu geben, wenn die Kinder zu Hause sind. Ich war ungefähr auf halbem Weg zurück zu meiner Wohnung, als der Himmel gerade erst erleuchtet war.
Octavia blickte auf, als ein Schallboom um sie herum ausbrach. Dann schlug ein durchdringender Schrei über den Himmel und schnitt durch die dicke Wolkenschicht und die Verschmutzung, die dauerhaft darüber verputzt war. Einen Moment später wurde sie von einem zweiten Boom und einem Blitz niedergeschlagen. Als sie wieder Fuß fassen konnte, sah Octavia mit Entsetzen, dass ihr Haus in Trümmern lag. Inmitten von Staub und Trümmern saß ein unwahrscheinlicher und unerwarteter Gast.
OCTAVIA WATT: Ich habe nur... Ich meine, ich hatte keine Ahnung, was um alles in der Welt passiert ist. Als ich näher kam, sah ich nur noch dieses verbrannte Metallrohr, das mit UEE- und Marine-Logos bedeckt war, genau dort, wo mein guter Liegestuhl früher war.
Die plötzlichen und überraschenden Auswirkungen weckten Octavias verbliebene Nachbarn aus ihren Häusern. Einer nach dem anderen versammelten sie sich in der Nähe des Einschlagkraters. Sie waren verblüfft über das, was vor ihnen war, bis der Nachbar Merle Ramic, der einen kurzen Aufenthalt in der UEE Navy gemacht hatte, am Tatort eintraf. Er identifizierte das Metallobjekt sofort als eine individuelle, schnell einsetzbare Angriffskapsel, die von den Marines für Raumfahrteinsätze verwendet wurde, besser bekannt als "Nagel".
Aus Sorge, dass jemand darin gefangen war, machte sich Merle vorsichtig auf den Weg in das Wrack und öffnete die Notluke. Nachdem sie den Körper zu Boden gelassen hatte, entfernte Merle den Helm der Marine und hoffte, dass es noch eine Chance gab, die arme Seele zu retten. Nur um zu entdecken, dass es zu spät war... viel zu spät. Der Marine war schon eine Weile tot.
Lokale Beamte waren in Rekordzeit vor Ort. Das Gebiet wurde abgesperrt und Zeugenaussagen gemacht, aber niemand konnte die einzige wichtige Frage beantworten: Wie konnte Octavias Haus von einem toten Marine zerstört werden?
Obwohl viele außerhalb der Marines vom Nagel gehört haben, haben nur wenige ihn in Aktion gesehen. Es wird angenommen, dass UPARQ-Wissenschaftler die Technologie des gefürchteten Vanduul Boarding "Spikes", die im Schiff-Schiff-Kampf verwendet wird, rückwärts entwickelt haben und das Design modifiziert haben, um es für einen menschlichen Insassen lebensfähig zu machen. Der aktuelle Nagel kann einen Marine in neunzig Sekunden sicher von einem Schiff im All auf eine Planetenoberfläche bringen. Das Gerät ist ein technologisches Wunderwerk, wenn es richtig eingesetzt wird, und ein Metallsarg, wenn nicht.
Die UEE hat den Vorfall nie öffentlich kommentiert oder Octavia sogar eine Erklärung gegeben, warum ihr Haus zerstört wurde. Sie bezahlten ihr eine großzügige Umsiedlungsgebühr und sie lebt jetzt mit ihrer Tochter in Cestulus. Octavia wünscht sich jedoch immer noch, dass sie Tram nach Hause ruft.
OCTAVIA WATT: Oh Junge, ich vermisse die Ruhe. Es gibt hier einfach zu viele Leute für meinen Geschmack, aber welche anderen Möglichkeiten habe ich? Wenigstens kann ich mich noch um mich selbst kümmern, also bin ich nicht zu viel Ärger für Elena.
Octavia fragt sich immer noch, wie genau ein Marine Nail den Weg in ihr Haus gefunden hat. Als Untold Tales zurückkehrt, sprechen wir mit der Person, die die Antwort halten könnte - ihrer ehemaligen Nachbarin Merle Ramic.
MERLE RAMIC: Ich habe meine Tour in der Navy gemacht, aber ich war bei genug Marines, um zu wissen, dass die Uniform, die er trug, alt war, wie wirklich alt. Basierend auf einigen Recherchen, die ich durchgeführt habe, würde ich sagen, etwa 200 Jahre oder so.
Nach der Pause teilt Merle uns genau mit, was er an diesem Tag gesehen hat. Und wir stellen die Frage, was verbirgt die UEE? Wurde dieser Nagel während einer verdeckten Aktion im Ferron-System eingesetzt, oder noch fremder, könnte er irgendwie vor Jahrhunderten aus einem ganz anderen System stammen?
Diese und weitere Fragen, wenn Untold Tales zurückkehrt.
Heute besuchen wir die Stadt Tram im Ferron-System, die seit der massiven Verlagerung von Minengesellschaften in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts Schwierigkeiten hatte, ihren Halt zu finden. Mit der Flucht der gut bezahlten Arbeitsplätze floh auch die Bevölkerung des Systems. Im letzten Jahrhundert hatte Ferron nur wenige ständige Bewohner, aber das macht diese ungezählte Geschichte von einem unerwarteten Gast, der vor Octavia Watts Tür ankam, umso unglaublicher.
Es war ein späterer Dezembertag im Jahr 2945, als die 127-jährige Octavia Watt beschloss, den Nachmittag damit zu verbringen, ihr Haus für den Traveler's Day vorzubereiten. Jedes Jahr feierten ihre drei Kinder und ihre Familien den Urlaub in ihrem bescheidenen Haus am Stadtrand von Tram. Bandenkämpfe um Wasser und schlechte öffentliche Dienste hatten die meisten anderen Bewohner vertrieben, doch Octavia blieb trotz wiederholter Versuche ihrer Kinder, sie dazu zu bringen, an einen weniger gefährlichen Ort zu ziehen.
OCTAVIA WATT: Ich hatte nichts davon. Es gibt nicht viel, außer meinen Erinnerungen, aber das ist ein Teil davon, warum ich es mochte. Es erinnerte mich auch an das Gehöft in Charon, wo ich aufgewachsen bin. Es gibt eine besondere Art von Frieden, die mit einfachem Leben einhergeht.
Octavias Kinder hatten sich damit abgefunden, dass ihre Mutter den Rest ihrer Tage in einem Haus verbrachte, das sie liebte, das in einer zunehmend feindlichen Landschaft lag. Das heißt, bis ein unerwarteter Gast kam und alles änderte.
OCTAVIA WATT: Ich war zu Merle's gegangen, um mir ein zusätzliches Set Handtücher zu leihen, denn es scheint nie genug zu geben, wenn die Kinder zu Hause sind. Ich war ungefähr auf halbem Weg zurück zu meiner Wohnung, als der Himmel gerade erst erleuchtet war.
Octavia blickte auf, als ein Schallboom um sie herum ausbrach. Dann schlug ein durchdringender Schrei über den Himmel und schnitt durch die dicke Wolkenschicht und die Verschmutzung, die dauerhaft darüber verputzt war. Einen Moment später wurde sie von einem zweiten Boom und einem Blitz niedergeschlagen. Als sie wieder Fuß fassen konnte, sah Octavia mit Entsetzen, dass ihr Haus in Trümmern lag. Inmitten von Staub und Trümmern saß ein unwahrscheinlicher und unerwarteter Gast.
OCTAVIA WATT: Ich habe nur... Ich meine, ich hatte keine Ahnung, was um alles in der Welt passiert ist. Als ich näher kam, sah ich nur noch dieses verbrannte Metallrohr, das mit UEE- und Marine-Logos bedeckt war, genau dort, wo mein guter Liegestuhl früher war.
Die plötzlichen und überraschenden Auswirkungen weckten Octavias verbliebene Nachbarn aus ihren Häusern. Einer nach dem anderen versammelten sie sich in der Nähe des Einschlagkraters. Sie waren verblüfft über das, was vor ihnen war, bis der Nachbar Merle Ramic, der einen kurzen Aufenthalt in der UEE Navy gemacht hatte, am Tatort eintraf. Er identifizierte das Metallobjekt sofort als eine individuelle, schnell einsetzbare Angriffskapsel, die von den Marines für Raumfahrteinsätze verwendet wurde, besser bekannt als "Nagel".
Aus Sorge, dass jemand darin gefangen war, machte sich Merle vorsichtig auf den Weg in das Wrack und öffnete die Notluke. Nachdem sie den Körper zu Boden gelassen hatte, entfernte Merle den Helm der Marine und hoffte, dass es noch eine Chance gab, die arme Seele zu retten. Nur um zu entdecken, dass es zu spät war... viel zu spät. Der Marine war schon eine Weile tot.
Lokale Beamte waren in Rekordzeit vor Ort. Das Gebiet wurde abgesperrt und Zeugenaussagen gemacht, aber niemand konnte die einzige wichtige Frage beantworten: Wie konnte Octavias Haus von einem toten Marine zerstört werden?
Obwohl viele außerhalb der Marines vom Nagel gehört haben, haben nur wenige ihn in Aktion gesehen. Es wird angenommen, dass UPARQ-Wissenschaftler die Technologie des gefürchteten Vanduul Boarding "Spikes", die im Schiff-Schiff-Kampf verwendet wird, rückwärts entwickelt haben und das Design modifiziert haben, um es für einen menschlichen Insassen lebensfähig zu machen. Der aktuelle Nagel kann einen Marine in neunzig Sekunden sicher von einem Schiff im All auf eine Planetenoberfläche bringen. Das Gerät ist ein technologisches Wunderwerk, wenn es richtig eingesetzt wird, und ein Metallsarg, wenn nicht.
Die UEE hat den Vorfall nie öffentlich kommentiert oder Octavia sogar eine Erklärung gegeben, warum ihr Haus zerstört wurde. Sie bezahlten ihr eine großzügige Umsiedlungsgebühr und sie lebt jetzt mit ihrer Tochter in Cestulus. Octavia wünscht sich jedoch immer noch, dass sie Tram nach Hause ruft.
OCTAVIA WATT: Oh Junge, ich vermisse die Ruhe. Es gibt hier einfach zu viele Leute für meinen Geschmack, aber welche anderen Möglichkeiten habe ich? Wenigstens kann ich mich noch um mich selbst kümmern, also bin ich nicht zu viel Ärger für Elena.
Octavia fragt sich immer noch, wie genau ein Marine Nail den Weg in ihr Haus gefunden hat. Als Untold Tales zurückkehrt, sprechen wir mit der Person, die die Antwort halten könnte - ihrer ehemaligen Nachbarin Merle Ramic.
MERLE RAMIC: Ich habe meine Tour in der Navy gemacht, aber ich war bei genug Marines, um zu wissen, dass die Uniform, die er trug, alt war, wie wirklich alt. Basierend auf einigen Recherchen, die ich durchgeführt habe, würde ich sagen, etwa 200 Jahre oder so.
Nach der Pause teilt Merle uns genau mit, was er an diesem Tag gesehen hat. Und wir stellen die Frage, was verbirgt die UEE? Wurde dieser Nagel während einer verdeckten Aktion im Ferron-System eingesetzt, oder noch fremder, könnte er irgendwie vor Jahrhunderten aus einem ganz anderen System stammen?
Diese und weitere Fragen, wenn Untold Tales zurückkehrt.
Chinese
Looking into the vastness of space it’s easy to feel small and insignificant, yet our ingenuity, inventiveness and imagination have made that extensive expanse of nothingness manageable. Today, we frequently travel great distances without giving it so much as a second thought. That is until, every once and awhile, something happens that’s so unbelievable it makes you realize we’re all connected by space and time in ways we’ll never fully understand. This is Untold Tales.
Today, we visit the city of Tram in the Ferron System, which has struggled to find its footing since mining companies left en masse during the mid-29th century. As the good paying jobs fled, so did the system’s population. For the last century, Ferron has had only a few permanent residents, but that makes this untold story of an unexpected guest arriving at Octavia Watt’s door that much more incredible.
It was a late December day in 2945 when the 127-year-old Octavia Watt decided to spend the afternoon getting her house ready for Traveler’s Day. Each year, her three children and their families celebrated the holiday at her modest house on the outskirts of Tram. Gang fights over water and poor public services had driven most of the other residents away, yet Octavia stayed despite repeated attempts by her children to get her to move someplace less dangerous.
OCTAVIA WATT: I wasn’t havin’ none of it. There’s not much there ’cept my memories, but that’s part of why I liked it. It also reminded me of the homestead in Charon where I grew up. There’s a special kind of peace that comes with simple livin’.
Octavia’s children had resigned themselves to their mother spending the rest of her days in a house she loved, situated within an increasingly hostile landscape. That is until an unexpected guest arrived and changed everything.
OCTAVIA WATT: I’d wandered down to Merle’s to borrow an extra set of towels, ’cause there never seems to be enough when the kids are home. I was about halfway back to my place when the sky just lit up.
Octavia looked up as a sonic boom erupted around her. Then a piercing scream cut across the sky, slicing through the thick layer of clouds and pollution permanently plastered above. A moment later, a second boom and a flash knocked her down. When she regained her footing, Octavia saw with horror that her house was in ruins. Amidst the dust and debris sat an improbable and unexpected guest.
OCTAVIA WATT: I just … I mean, I had no idea what in the world had happened. When I got closer all I saw was this burnt up metal tube covered in UEE and Marine logos right where my good recliner used to be.
The sudden and surprising impact roused Octavia’s remaining neighbors from their homes. One by one they gathered near the impact crater. They were baffled by what was before them until neighbor Merle Ramic, who had done a brief stint in the UEE Navy, arrived on the scene. He immediately identified the metal object as an individual rapid-entry assault pod used by the Marines for space-to-surface operations, more commonly known as a “Nail.”
Worried someone was trapped inside, Merle carefully made his way into the wreckage and opened the emergency hatch. After easing the body to the ground, Merle removed the Marine’s helmet, hoping there was still a chance to save the poor soul. Only to discover that it was too late … way too late. The Marine had been dead for a while.
Local officials were on the scene in record time. The area was cordoned off and witness statements taken, but no one could answer the only question that mattered: how could Octavia’s house have been destroyed by a dead Marine?
Though many outside of the Marines have heard of the Nail, few have seen it in action. UPARQ scientists are believed to have reverse engineered the tech from the feared Vanduul boarding “Spikes” used in ship-to-ship combat, modifying the design to make it viable for a Human occupant. The current Nail can safely deploy a Marine from a ship in space to a planet surface in ninety seconds. The device is a technological marvel, if correctly deployed, and a metal coffin if not.
The UEE has never publicly commented on the incident, or even given Octavia an explanation about why her house was destroyed. They did pay her a generous resettlement fee and she now lives with her daughter in Cestulus. However, Octavia still finds herself wishing she called Tram home.
OCTAVIA WATT: Oh boy, do I miss the peace and quiet. There’s just too many people around here for my tastes, but what other options do I got? At least I can still take care of myself, so I’m not too much trouble for Elena.
Octavia still wonders exactly how a Marine Nail found its way into her house. When Untold Tales returns we talk to the person who might hold the answer — her former neighbor, Merle Ramic.
MERLE RAMIC: I did my tour in the Navy, but was around enough Marines to know that uniform he was wearing was old, like real old. Based on some research I’ve done, I’d say about 200 years or so.
After the break, Merle shares with us exactly what he saw that day. And we ask the question, what is the UEE hiding? Was this Nail deployed during a covert action in the Ferron System, or stranger yet, could it have somehow possibly come from an entirely different system centuries ago?
Those questions and more when Untold Tales returns.
Today, we visit the city of Tram in the Ferron System, which has struggled to find its footing since mining companies left en masse during the mid-29th century. As the good paying jobs fled, so did the system’s population. For the last century, Ferron has had only a few permanent residents, but that makes this untold story of an unexpected guest arriving at Octavia Watt’s door that much more incredible.
It was a late December day in 2945 when the 127-year-old Octavia Watt decided to spend the afternoon getting her house ready for Traveler’s Day. Each year, her three children and their families celebrated the holiday at her modest house on the outskirts of Tram. Gang fights over water and poor public services had driven most of the other residents away, yet Octavia stayed despite repeated attempts by her children to get her to move someplace less dangerous.
OCTAVIA WATT: I wasn’t havin’ none of it. There’s not much there ’cept my memories, but that’s part of why I liked it. It also reminded me of the homestead in Charon where I grew up. There’s a special kind of peace that comes with simple livin’.
Octavia’s children had resigned themselves to their mother spending the rest of her days in a house she loved, situated within an increasingly hostile landscape. That is until an unexpected guest arrived and changed everything.
OCTAVIA WATT: I’d wandered down to Merle’s to borrow an extra set of towels, ’cause there never seems to be enough when the kids are home. I was about halfway back to my place when the sky just lit up.
Octavia looked up as a sonic boom erupted around her. Then a piercing scream cut across the sky, slicing through the thick layer of clouds and pollution permanently plastered above. A moment later, a second boom and a flash knocked her down. When she regained her footing, Octavia saw with horror that her house was in ruins. Amidst the dust and debris sat an improbable and unexpected guest.
OCTAVIA WATT: I just … I mean, I had no idea what in the world had happened. When I got closer all I saw was this burnt up metal tube covered in UEE and Marine logos right where my good recliner used to be.
The sudden and surprising impact roused Octavia’s remaining neighbors from their homes. One by one they gathered near the impact crater. They were baffled by what was before them until neighbor Merle Ramic, who had done a brief stint in the UEE Navy, arrived on the scene. He immediately identified the metal object as an individual rapid-entry assault pod used by the Marines for space-to-surface operations, more commonly known as a “Nail.”
Worried someone was trapped inside, Merle carefully made his way into the wreckage and opened the emergency hatch. After easing the body to the ground, Merle removed the Marine’s helmet, hoping there was still a chance to save the poor soul. Only to discover that it was too late … way too late. The Marine had been dead for a while.
Local officials were on the scene in record time. The area was cordoned off and witness statements taken, but no one could answer the only question that mattered: how could Octavia’s house have been destroyed by a dead Marine?
Though many outside of the Marines have heard of the Nail, few have seen it in action. UPARQ scientists are believed to have reverse engineered the tech from the feared Vanduul boarding “Spikes” used in ship-to-ship combat, modifying the design to make it viable for a Human occupant. The current Nail can safely deploy a Marine from a ship in space to a planet surface in ninety seconds. The device is a technological marvel, if correctly deployed, and a metal coffin if not.
The UEE has never publicly commented on the incident, or even given Octavia an explanation about why her house was destroyed. They did pay her a generous resettlement fee and she now lives with her daughter in Cestulus. However, Octavia still finds herself wishing she called Tram home.
OCTAVIA WATT: Oh boy, do I miss the peace and quiet. There’s just too many people around here for my tastes, but what other options do I got? At least I can still take care of myself, so I’m not too much trouble for Elena.
Octavia still wonders exactly how a Marine Nail found its way into her house. When Untold Tales returns we talk to the person who might hold the answer — her former neighbor, Merle Ramic.
MERLE RAMIC: I did my tour in the Navy, but was around enough Marines to know that uniform he was wearing was old, like real old. Based on some research I’ve done, I’d say about 200 years or so.
After the break, Merle shares with us exactly what he saw that day. And we ask the question, what is the UEE hiding? Was this Nail deployed during a covert action in the Ferron System, or stranger yet, could it have somehow possibly come from an entirely different system centuries ago?
Those questions and more when Untold Tales returns.
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Metadata
- CIG ID
- 15647
- Channel
- Undefined
- Category
- Undefined
- Series
- News Update
- Comments
- 72
- Published
- 9 years ago (2016-12-21T00:00:00+00:00)