8-293: Merchant Freighter Spanial – Control

On active scanning, Ipan’s station makes a regular beeping noise.

Control is quiet while he works.

After several long Moments there is a secondary beep noise.

He says, “I’ve found something!

“I’m getting a radar return from an orbital mass, about 50m across.”

He reads positional data to Jennie.

Karmen says, “kill active scan, and focus passive array.”

The beeping dies away.

Ipan says, “no heat signature, no radio emissions…transmitting visual to your stations and zooming in…”

Several screens light up that Lia can look at, the image jerks around some, a backdrop of brown, roiling clouds and the occasional electrical discharge from the planet.

An object comes into view.

Ipan says, “it’s a ship…”

Jennie corrects him, “No, it’s half a ship.”

Indeed, she is correct.  Slowly spinning on the monitor is a pair of large cargo or habitat cylinders, one showing significant damage, and the remains of a central spar that ends in a twisted mass of torn metal.  If this was a ship, its drives and engineering section are missing.