Depot 583-B

Depot 583-B

(Cosmos)

Diameter

1/2

Mass

1/2

Gravity

×2

Atmosphere

Thin

Year length (PST)

5 years

Day length (PST)

20 hours

Source: Deceivers' Moon, pg(s). 62

Depot 583-B is a seemingly-abandoned clandestine research facility constructed by Astral Extractions on a nameless moon in an uninhabited, isolated solar system in the Vast.

Geography

Depot 583-B was built on a desolate moon orbiting a gas giant planet, which in turn orbits a red dwarf star. The entire system has no intelligent life, and the moon is the only astronomical object with any kind of atmosphere, a thin one with a higher-than-average nitrogent content, making it difficult to breathe. The moon's gravity is unusually heavy, and its terrain consists predominantly of scrublands, dotted with shallow lakes poisoned by solar radiation.

History

When Astral Extractions first discovered the system, no valuable resources was found, and mining or colonisation was considered too expensive due to the system's isolation. Instead, the company chose to establish a clandestine research facility on one of the moons, which was ideal due to the system's isolated nature. Designated Depot 583-B, the facility's construction was provided by a secret slush fund and overseen by a secret committee. Soon after, a few dozen researchers, technicians and security personnel moved into it, after signing extremely strict non-disclosure agreements.

Depot 583-B was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight when a starship captain posted a report on the infosphere. She claimed that when she and her crew stopped at the facility to drop off personnel and deliver supplies, they found the facility abandoned, with intentional fire damage and deep claw-like rips in the walls, before being attacked by vaguely humanoid, cybernetically-augmented monsters whose attacks spread a nanotech-based parasite. Only the captain managed to survive due to her crew's sacrifice.

Astral Extractions has actively tried to suppress the story by having lawyers bury any investigation under red tape and PR agents undertake damage control in the media. Several conspiracy theorists have speculated on what exactly happened on Depot 583-B; most conjectures are easily disproven but some such whistleblowers have allegedly vanished. The Stewards have declared the planet and all moons off-limits to visitors.