As we were getting chatty today in Twitter, Eldorian and I (under the Blizzplanet Twitter account name), a series of entries were posted today by a few Project Blackstone characters.

I got an eye-candy alert from Eldorian over chat: “AHHHH SPAM. you followed the Project Blackstone people”

I couldn’t stop laughing.

Patiently, I read through the eye-popping lengthy text to figure out what the deal was. Apparently, security logs show Redell “Red” Quinton (Chief Engineer) has been stealing large amounts of supplies. The Adjutant seems to suggest of the alcohol-type.

Major Treicher has ordered the Adjutant to seal off Red’s quarters. Red is ranting why he has been forcefully imprisoned in his own quarters. His behavior as he attempts to find out why he has been imprisoned, and under what charges seems to indicate the security logs are false.

After you read the entire entry, I will add up my own speculation on what might have really happened here.

project-blackstone-2

Dr. Helek Branamoor: @Adjutant3327 I’m going over supply logs today. Why are we requesting additional filters?

Adjutant 33-27: @HelekBranamoor Dr. Langridge has requested them for chambers 12 through 17.

Dr. Helek Branamoor: @Adjutant3327 The existing stock was intended to last three months! I want a full usage report for the prior lot.

Adjutant 33-27: @HelekBranamoor Yes, Dr. Branamoor. Engineering has allocated 73.2% of the existing supplies. A report of usage has been sent to your inbox.

Red Quinton: @Adjutant3327 My door is jammed this morning. Little red light on the keypad keeps blinking at me like it’s mad at me. What gives?

Adjutant 33-27: @RedellQuinton Please direct all inquiries to Major Treicher.

Red Quinton: @Adjutant3327 Huh? Why?

Adjutant 33-27: @RedellQuinton Major Treicher will be handling your inquiries.

Red Quinton: @Adjutant3327 Great. You’re helpful today…

Adjutant 33-27: @RedellQuinton Thank you, Red.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Hey Major, the chrome-head says I need to talk to you. What’s the deal? Am I locked into my room?

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton Yes and it’s going to stay that way until this problem has been resolved.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Whoa whoa whoa. What’s going on? What’d I do?

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton I explicitly warned you not to misuse station resources.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton Months worth of activated carbon gone in just a few weeks.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton Did you think such an egregious abuse of supplies would just go unanswered?

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Egregious? I must be in big trouble if you’re using all them expensive words.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Don’t take this the wrong way, Major, but you’re not exactly qualified to judge my use of engineering supplies.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher I’ve got at least six projects on my table right now that use activated carbon. You might have clearance to know about… two.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Now let me out before I actually get annoyed at you. I’ve got work to do today.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton The Director and I disagree.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton So, I’m going to make this very clear to you.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton You are officially under investigation Mr. Quinton and, until my investigation is complete, you are restricted to quarters.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Okay, fine. Tell me what you’re investigating. What exactly did I do?

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton After the scanner debacle, it’s painfully obvious what you’re doing.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton Mr. Quinton, if you come clean and admit what you’ve done…

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton I promise, as Head of Security, that I’ll go easy on you.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Easy? For what? Using more activated carbon than you expected? Give me a break.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton The official accusation is “misuse of critical Dominion resources.”

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton Or to be clear: I know you’ve built a distillery in the engineering bay. We’ll find it soon enough.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton I’ll say it again: Come clean right now and things will go much easier for you.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton It’d be stupid to end up in jail over a bit of moonshine.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher A distillery, huh? Interesting theory, major. Couple problems, though.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher First and foremost, I’m a whisky man. Proper whisky takes time to age. I ain’t been here long enough to properly age nothing.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Secondly, you think I’m patient enough to wait for whisky to age?

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton I’m not in the mood for games, Mr. Quinton.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher That makes two of us. So this is a paid day off? Fine by me.

Red Quinton: @LeeTreicher Let me know if you find any magical invisible distilleries anywhere in my workspace.

Major Lee Treicher: @RedellQuinton Suit yourself.

 

Speculation

As silly as the entire situation might seem, I have a few speculations:

1. A telepath managed to mind-control Redell Quinton. He doesn’t remember doing anything of what he is been accussed of. I can only think of one telepath aboard the Project Blackstone facility who might be able to mind-control … Jacob Ramsey. In the Project Blackstone website (Entry # 5) Jacob Ramsey clearly says he can hear the captive Protoss screaming, and asks Dr. Talen Ayers if he can hear them too.

Dr. Talen Ayers didn’t hear the screams, and actually he had absolutely no idea there were living Protoss specimens held captive within the premises. Hint-hint: Jake retained some psionic abilities from his mind-sharing experience with Zamara (the protoss preserver) — as seen in the StarCraft: Dark Templar trilogy by Christie Golden.

2. Someone hacked security logs to steal the alcohol and framed Redell Quinton. We haven’t heard of any technology hackers among the staff, so let’s pretend this is the case and there is a yet-to-be-revealed character among the Project Blackstone staff.

The only one in the StarCraft universe who has reputable hacking skills are Colonel Orlan (former leader of Deadman’s Port) who last time was seen in Heart of the Swarm under custody of Mira Han-[giggles]Horner. She had to — umm — cooperate with Matt and let Colonel Orlan free to go.

Is it possible? Considering Project Blackstone is a Terran Dominion research center, and we know what happens in Heart of the Swarm, I’d have to discard Colonel Orlan as the one hacking into Project Blackstone computers.

The other expert hacker is known as Lio Travski from Tokyopop manga StarCraft: Ghost Academy. There’s a little problem here though. Lio is a technopath, but he died. He somehow transferred his mind into the datastream and returned as an advanced AI.

Could Lio be playing games with the Project Blackstone staff? I doubt he would have much use to drinking alcohol in his current state-of-being, but framing Redell would certainly serve as a ruse to keep the Major, the Adjutant and Redell busy from their usual duties.

I can only think of these two options to explain how the computer registers Redell as doing something he claims to not have done. What do you think?

Update: New Entries

Dr. Helek Branamoor: @JakeJRamsey Dr. Ramsey, Major Treicher informed me of an incident last night. You collapsed in one of the hallways?

Dr. Jake Ramsey: @HelekBranamoor It was nothing. I just felt a little lightheaded.

Dr. Helek Branamoor: Having to be carried off to your room is the antithesis of nothing. I’m scheduling an examination by one of our medics.

Dr. Jake Ramsey: The concern is appreciated, but unnecessary.

Dr. Helek Branamoor: @JakeJRamsey I’m not asking, Dr. Ramsey.

Dr. Jake Ramsey: Of course not. ‘Asking’ doesn’t factor into the Dominion’s MO. Waking up alone every day is a reminder of that.

Dr. Helek Branamoor: @JakeJRamsey Report to the medical dispensary at 0700 tomorrow.

 

(UPDATE: Seems I came close to the culprit. Sounds suspicious Jacob Ramsey felt light-headed and was escorted to his room. The typical symptoms of someone straining after a small experimental mind-control session ….

Helpful Links

Lio Travski Bios – https://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Lio_Travski
Captain Orlan Bios – https://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Orlan

Blizzard Entertainment

Project Blackstone Characters on Twitter