Starfield:Companion - Barrett/Story SG03 Details

Quest:	Com_Companion_Barrett
Scene:	COM_Barrett_Story_SG03_Details

Barrett:

"Hey, so I'm really enjoying our time together. Thought you should know."

"It's been a long time since I worked with someone so closely. I didn't realize how much I missed it."

"And you haven't stopped me from looking into this stuff with Ervin, either. So... thank you."

...	Player	Response
	If it matters to you, it matters to me.	[Q+211?] | [Q+212?] | [Q+213?] See, that's what makes you a good Captain in my book. You're supportive. [Q+214?] | [Q+215?] I appreciate that. Last time we talked, you seemed a bit less enthusiastic... but I was throwing a lot at you.
	I probably shouldn't have encouraged you.	Well, that's what people do. Sometimes it's a pat on the back, other times it's a kick in the pants. I think this time it was a little of both.
	Don't worry. I wasn't doing anything important anyway.	I know we're not fighting pirates or rescuing settlers from certain doom, but it matters to me. So thank you for indulging me, I suppose.
	[Flirt] I'm here for you. Whatever you need.	Thank you. It means a lot to know someone that you... well, care about, feels the same.
🗣︎	Why would I stop you?	Well, there is a school of thought that you shouldn't go chasing ghosts. And they're probably right! Ghosts are spooky! But maybe this isn't that kind of chase. And Ervin's case is far from dead.

"On that note, I do have some news about Ervin's case."

--

[BQS:310]

"So, I wanted to let you know that I heard back from my contact, and I think you'll want to hear this."

--

"They sent me a copy of some public records... it's interesting."

--

• [Q+211?]

"Don't worry, they used an employee's passcode to access the data so nobody noticed."

--

"There was a claim filed against Ervin accusing him of damaging their investments."

"Looks like Ervin didn't even enter a plea."

...	Player	Response
	No plea makes him seem guilty.	He wasn't even on the planet for the duration of the trial. I think they scared him off.
	I don't understand how Ervin could be guilty of that.	Well... if it was Ervin, I do want to understand that. Because I just can't believe it.
🗣︎	Who brought the case to court?	The Hephaestus Mining Corporation... and they also won the case.
🗣︎	What was the settlement?	Some of Ervin's paychecks were seized as well as any assets that weren't under joint ownership.

"Anyway. This mining corporation, Hephaestus, sued Ervin claiming he irreparably damaged their mine."

"They said he killed the apex predators in the area around the mine, which led to herd creatures overeating the grasses."

"That caused the soils to release too many gasses too fast, which cost Hephaestus a ton of money."

...	Player	Response
▲	[+Geology?] It's unlikely that disrupting the ecosystem would affect gas extraction so quickly.	Thank you! So... is this a cover up? If so, of what and why did it involve Ervin?
	Seems plausible.	The explanation is sound, but why would Ervin do that? He wouldn't.
	That seems hard to prove.	It looks like they considered him a no-show and ruled against him.
🗣︎	Killing apex predators led to all that?	They claimed the creature he killed was a critical hive species that caused a cascade effect when they were killed off. Ervin killed the equivalent of a queen bee and the whole hive collapsed, basically.

"So, anyway, according to the court documents there was a witness for the defense."

--

"Who was a no-show, too. Then Hephaestus won by default."

"They tried to take his apartment but because it's in my name too, they couldn't..."

...	Player	Response
	Sounds like the case is closed.	That doesn't mean we can't do anything about it. And if nothing else, I just want to know more about what happened to Ervin.
▲	Hey, free apartment.	Kinda. I had a mountain of back taxes to pay. And utilities... and repairs. Ugh! It would've been better for my pockets had I just donated it to the city, but I'm glad I didn't. There may be clues there about his case.
🗣︎	Did you know about the apartment before this?	I didn't know he bought it. Must have been a better deal than renting for the time he was here.
🗣︎	Why didn't the witness show up?	They withdrew their testimony the morning of the trial, said they had a "sincere change of heart."
🗣︎	Is your contact still available for work?	Yes, they plan to stay in the same system for a while.

"So, here's what I was thinking. I can persuade my contact to keep digging a little bit more."

"I don't want to press our luck, so I'll just ask them to follow up on one thing."

--

[BQS:330]

"So, should I tell them to investigate the company more or look into the witness instead?"

...	Player	Response
	[+Negotiation?] Offer to owe them a favor if they investigate both.	[QB331] I don't generally like owing favors but in this case it might be worth it. [QE332]
	[Pay <Global=NPCDemandMoney_Large> Credits] Pay your smuggler contact to investigate both.	[QB331] For that much money, they'll do it. [QE332]
	Investigate the company some more.	[QB331] Knowing why this corporation did this to Ervin is more likely to lead to answers.
	Investigate the witness instead.	[QB332] Might as well, right? I suspect they threatened him and that's why he didn't testify, but it would be good to know.
🗣︎	What do you want to find out with the witness?	I wonder what his real reason was for retracting his testimony. Did he report anything to security?
🗣︎	What can we find out by investigating the company?	I just want to know why they picked Ervin? Why did they set him up?

"You know, this investigation is time consuming but it's also pretty cathartic."

--

"Who knows? Maybe if we solve this case, it'll mean a better future for Gagarin."

""But that's thinking too far ahead. Anyway, Captain, thanks for checking in with me."

[QE350]