Entry #3 - 6.8.5502

This morning we received an encoded message from Mar -- her first communication in almost a month -- sent on a secure channel set aside for emergencies. It took a couple hours for Athena and 14/2 to isolate the encryption key, but eventually they succeeded and we soon learned of her plight:

"Kids -- listen up, don't know how long I'll be able to keep keep this frequency open. Have been stuck on a crappy little moon in an unknown system for 10 days. Trying to affect repairs to The Disposer since running afoul of our old enemies the Grand Geckins -- must've been tracking me since my last stop on Little Geck -- was ambushed on the way home through the 'roids. Running low on food and water -- nothing much on this damned rock but alluvial slag and sulfuric gas vents. Developing lesions in my lungs; starting to suffer heat-induced hallucinations -- seeing wraiths on the mountains. Prognosis not good -- Geckins still circling, searching. Whatever help you can manage will be..."

With that, the message cut out. We've been trying to contact Sona or the Ohms ever since -- praying they can help us locate Mar before it's too late -- but so far we've been unsuccessful. And Mar's a tough old bat -- a real survivor -- so for her to have sent such a message must mean she's in serious trouble.

It's mid evening now -- over half a day since we received Mar's disturbing missive. Athena's been in the communications center since noon trying to track the message back to its origin, but with no luck. And while she's remained stoic throughout, I can sense her fear. I think Mar's her only living relative -- though neither she nor the old lady has ever said anything about their family (I wonder why?).