The Wardens send us to Flare City colony at the Wind House Hotel & Resort. It is located inside of a mountain, and is one of the few places where the surface of the planet can be seen. We go off and do different activities, since everything is complimentary to us, but one evening we get together to have dinner.

At dinner, a woman approaches the table and introduces us as Julie Stern, the corporate liaison for the Venusian Advisory Board. She hands us business cards. She says that we were recommended by the local Warden office, and that she needs us to look into a man by the name of Hector Valdez. He is listed as a mid-level manager at a company called Geo-Excavations. She believes that he is part of corporate espionage against Rare Earths Inc., another large corp on Venus. She wants this to be resolved so there is not out and out war between the two corps. She wants to go with Wardens instead of the local law enforcement because we are potentially more impartial.

Katya excuses herself to go to the restroom, and on the way checks the area to make sure we are not being watched. She can’t find anything.

Julie tells us that they will be getting a warrant to search Hector’s apartment. She says that mining rights have been fought over by the corps in the Cryst Rift Zone. Hector is trying to climb the corporate ladder by securing mining rights for his company, by whatever means necessary.

Dr. Reilly and Lyeland ask her for more information, and what is really going on. She says that she has no more information. We decide to visit the Warden office the next day, since it is late.

We visit the Warden office, and they verify that Julie came in to see them and she is legitimate. We gripe about it, but eventually agree to take the job.

Hector’s place in in a different settlement called Diamond Head, and we take a shuttle there. The trip is about one hour. The area that he lives in is a trendy location that has a lot of small shops. We plan to go up and search his place while he is at work, but he is out on his balcony so we decide to surveil him. After a short while another man comes to the door and begins manhandling Hector before closing the door after him. We go in hot, but before we can get to the room the whole thing explodes, blowing the windows and doors out. Most of us are knocked down, but Katya and Lyeland are not and see in the distance someone calmly walks away. This is probably our suspect.

We are picked up and taken back to the Warden office, and the fire department comes to take care of the scene.