>>5942511The God Engines chatter away in their chambers, pondering the current events. Their electromechanical components are archaic, but they are still supercomputers and highly respected. Though this does make them easy to overwhelm in times of chaos, which is why these periods of peace are required. They are especially concerned about if there are far more signals in the galaxy than we thought, maybe whole societies, but we don't know of simply because they communicate via psionic signals instead of electromagnetic.
>Diplo with Nivih (8, 8). Established contact and embassy, gained warning about system (9, 8).After noting strange signals received on the Soul Cipher, the Ultima Engines sent a pathfinder expedition to the nearby system. The droneships that came to the system were beckoned in by the locals, who reciprocated their Starfarer Song and even managed to translate the language. The aliens are psionic, but still capable of physical communication. An interchange of personnel is established, with the Nivih people sent back to Stranden, where they repurposed an orbital dome to make an embassy of sorts.
>Diplo with Crith (7, 6). Established contact and negotiated trade (Orkan give 1 Sundries per turn, Crith give 0.5 Research per turn).A pathfinder expedition is sent after a translation is figured from the electromagnetic chatter. Droneships find a planet of skittish crab people, who seem convinced everything wants to eat them. However through soothing Starfarer Song and question of the necessity of death, a deal is made. By making peace mutually beneficial they are certain of their safety. The Ultima Engines end up agreeing to the deal and send shipment of Sundries in exchange for briliant minds to help find the truth to the cosmos.
>Action 1: Establish Light Industry (Sundries Producer) on the 2nd planet (Purple Oil) of the Lila System (7, 7).While clearing out mindworm nests as well as other threats to the Fenriks on Lila 2, significant stretches of land are cleared. The mindworms are still at large, but the large fields around the cities are perfect land to farm, and the constant patrols of farming Automechs act as good lookouts for any mindworms that try to breach the perimeter. So the decision to setup light industry of the planet is just a natural progression from that, and there is interest in what might be the results of consuming the Sundries from a planet with so many psionic phenomena.
>Action 2: Research the Soul Cipher (Augment with Purple Oil). The psionic-electromagnetic interface device the aliens from Friedrich gave us.With the research on Fox Ice coming to a close, and with further contact with advanced civilization, it is time to start investigating the Soul Cipher. Not only are there Ultima Engines and Fenriks working on it, but also some assistance from the Crith researchers (Diplo with Crith). Perhaps they too have some affinity for the psionic, or maybe they are as psionically unremarkable as the Fenriks.
