Monday 2 September 2019

Frozen Skies: A Classified Report

Last week's post of some in-setting fluff proved to be a big hit, so here is a sequel of a sorts. If this proves to be as popular I'll certainly see about doing some more along similar lines. There is potential to do newspaper articles, letters, extracts from books and other pieces.

So if you want to see more of this, then please let me and in particular the sort of stuff you want to see.






CLASSIFIED TOP SECRET

AIR MINISTRY EYES ONLY


RE: UNIDENTIFIED SKYSHIP

YOUR LORDSHIPS,

AS PER YOUR RECENT REQUEST I HAVE COMPILED TOGETHER THE VARIOUS REPORTS MADE OF AN UNIDENTIFIED SKYSHIP SIGHTED ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER OF ALYESKA IN RECENT MONTHS. I HAVE DRAWN UPON SOURCES RANGING FROM AERO-FLEET PERSONNEL THROUGH TO CIVILIAN FRONTIERSMEN, MAKING NOTE OF THE DETAILS THEY HAVE ALL PROVIDED IN ORDER TO WRITE MY REPORT ON THE MATTER.

I HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED IN POSITIVELY IDENTIFYING THE ORIGINS OF THE MYSTERIOUS SKYSHIP. INSTEAD I HAVE THREE THEORIES, THOUGH I FEAR THEY WILL RAISE MORE QUESTIONS THAN PROVIDE ANY ANSWERS. EACH THEORY HAS ITS PROS AND CONS THAT I SHALL ENDEAVOUR TO COVER, THOUGH I MUST STRESS THEY ARE ONLY THEORIES.

1. THE PREVAILING THEORY IS THAT THE CRAFT IS ANCIENT TERRAN IN ORIGIN, SOMETHING THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR ITS DESIGN. THOUGH MOST ANCIENT AERO-CRAFT ENCOUNTERED TO DATE HAVE BEEN HALF-BURIED, RUSTY HULKS THAT WOULD REQUIRE CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES TO MAKE AIRWORTHY. EVEN IF SUCH A FEAT WAS ACHIEVED, OUR KNOWLEDGE OF ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY IS STILL PITIFUL AND I DOUBT SUCH A CRAFT COULD BE MADE OPERATIONAL WITH OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING.

FURTHER MORE, DESCRIPTION OF THE CRAFT DOES NOT SUGGEST SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SALVAGED AND PATCHED TOGETHER. THE CONDITION REPORTED APPEARS THE CRAFT IS A MUCH MORE RECENT BUILD, SO THIS IS A THEORY THAT I WOULD DISCOUNT.

2. THE IRON COLLECTIVE IS A STRONG CANDIDATE, THOUGH DUE TO ITS ISOLATIONIST NATURE WE ONLY HEAR RUMOURS OF ITS MILITARY AND TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES. THUS DUE TO OUR LIMITED KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLIGENCE, IT IS ENTIRELY PLAUSIBLE THAT THE COLLECTIVE HAS MANAGED TO DESIGN AND BUILD NEW DESIGNS OF AERO-VESSELS WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE.

WHERE THIS THEORY FALLS DOWN IS THAT AT THE END OF THE LAST WAR, WITH THE SKYWRIGHTS GUILD'S BLESSING, THE RAF LAUNCHED STRIKES AGAINST SKYSHIP FACILITIES WITHIN THE THEN FLEDGING COLLECTIVE. INTELLIGENCE REPORTS AT THE TIME ESTIMATED 5 TO 10 YEARS BEFORE THE COLLECTIVE'S FACILITIES TO MAINTAIN AND CONSTRUCT NEW SKYSHIPS WERE FULLY RESTORED. BASED ON CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES, IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE COLLECTIVE WOULD NOT INTRODUCE NEW DESIGNS FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS.

IF THE COLLECTIVE HAS MANAGED TO NOT ONLY MAKE FULLY OPERATIONAL ITS SKYSHIP FACILITIES BUT CONSTRUCT AND COMMISSION NEW DESIGNS, IT SHOWS THAT WE HAVE SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATED THE CAPABILITIES OF THAT STATE.

ADDITIONALLY, IF IRON COLLECTIVE VESSELS ARE NOW ROAMING THE WESTERN REACHES OF ALYESKA IT SHOWS THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO DANGEROUSLY OUTFLANK US. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS FEAR WE HAVE TO PRESUME THAT THE COLLECTIVE HAS MANAGED TO NAVIGATE THE POLAR REGIONS, THUS GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRIKE AT THE TRADITIONALLY UNDER-DEFENDED NORTHERN AND WESTERN REGIONS OF THE HOME ISLES. THIS PROSPECT ALONE SHOULD BE THE RAF'S PRIMARY CONCERN GOING FORWARDS REGARDLESS OF OTHER FACTORS.

3. THE FINAL THEORY IS THAT AN UNKNOWN POWER FAR TO THE WEST OF ALYESKA HAS STARTED EXPANDING EASTWARD.

THIS THEORY HAS SOME CREDENCE AS ANOTHER EMPIRE IS BELIEVE TO EXIST BEYOND THE EASTERN FRONTIERS OF WHAT IS NOW THE IRON COLLECTIVE. BEFORE THE WAR THERE WERE REPORTS OF PERSONS WHO CLAIMED TO BE FROM THE DISTANT EAST AND SPOKE OF A VAST EMPIRE. OTHER DETAILS ARE SOMEWHAT SCARCE, THUS LEAVING US TO ONLY GUESS AT THIS UNKNOWN EMPIRE'S TECHNOLOGICAL PROWESS AND CAPABILITIES.

I CONSIDER THIS THEORY TO BE THE MOST LIKEST OF THE THREE, THOUGH IT IS HEAVILY RELIANT ON THE UNKNOWN. AS HIGHLIGHTED ABOVE, THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS THAT SUCH AN EMPIRE EXIST BUT IT IS IN PART OF A WORLD THAT WE KNOW SO LITTLE ABOUT. LIKEWISE, THAT IS STILL SO MUCH OF ALYESKA BEYOND THE WULFLANDS THAT REMAIN UNEXPLORED.

IN CONCLUSION

AS STATED, THESE ARE JUST THEORIES AND ONLY OFFER POSSIBLE ANSWERS RATHER THAN ANYTHING CONCRETE. THOUGH IT IS UP TO THE AIR MINISTRY AS TO THE COURSE OF ACTION TO TAKE, IT IS MY STRONG RECOMMENDATION THAT AN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IS DESPATCHED BEYOND THE MALLETT'S RIFT REGION WITH THE VIEW OF ESTABLISHING AN OUTPOST IN THAT AREA. SUCH AN OUTPOST WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE A PRESENCE IN THE AREA IN QUESTION, INCREASE OUR CHANCES OF INTERCEPTION THE MYSTERIOUS SKYSHIP AND POSSIBLY EVEN AID WITH THE RECLAMATION OF THE WULFLANDS.


SQN LDR F. SCANLAN
R.A.F. INTELLIGENCE

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