The Orphans · The Light and Tragic Company

Investigation :: Addition

September 18, 2018·28 min·2 clips

In the abandoned outpost, they find blaster burns, blood, and a reconstructed transmission about RG-48.

The episode opens with Pops and Baz reviewing a security lapse — a visitor named Richard was given information without any identification check. They decide to track him via his ship's signal. Meanwhile, Richard and an associate discuss the outpost's history: the person they are seeking got the outpost flagged for inspection, resulting in deaths and a shutdown. Richard insists the outpost is the best lead despite his companion's skepticism. They track Richard's scrambled signal generator to the outpost planet. Unable to open a door with an access code, Richard uses an explosive to breach it. Inside, they find the central processing room running and evidence of a violent past: blaster burns, blood, and a clean console suggesting recent use. They recover a partially reconstructed encrypted transmission mentioning William Crowley, RG-48 testing, and smuggling biological material by ship. Hearing movement, they draw weapons but stand down and call out as friends. A scared 15-year-old named Axel emerges from hiding. He confirms he knew their contact Nora Evers and helped her about two months ago, but does not know where she went. They take him to the ship and feed him. Axel reveals he set up a private server for Evers that holds 5 terabytes of research data. As he transfers the data to the ship's systems, a collective ship launches from the settlement and heads toward them. Taylor's crew — having reported the security breach to High Admiral Vass — confronts Richard at the outpost and takes him at gunpoint. Richard stalls, checking covertly with Diana on the data transfer progress. With time running out, Diana deploys an incapacitant and the group escapes. Back on the ship, a warship called the FF Victoria deploys fighters. Axel proposes building a single-use EM burst from the signal generator components and does so in five minutes. The crew executes a coordinated maneuver — Richard pilots, Diana fires, and Axel triggers the EMP — disabling the fighters long enough to jump to warp.

As heard by us

A missed identification check turns into a brisk, tense security spiral.

The episode starts with a missed identification check for Richard and quickly turns it into a tightening security problem. Its dry procedural rhythm works well: there is friction in the commands, a steady slide from embarrassment toward real danger, and enough forward motion…

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Why you'd press play

You want a fast command-room escalation that ends on a cliff-edge.

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