Vault

2026 Monthly Story Challenge #3

Vault

By Jayde Holmes

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Document #334

Printed Transcript of Contents and Access History of the High Security Vault found in the ruins of the Dunman Estate Private Cryo-Ferry.

Note: his printout was obtained only after the door to the vault was powered with great effort. We remain unable to open the vault, however investigation with sonar suggests the contents list is accurate and all items are completely preserved. Including the dead body.

————————————–START TRANSCRIPT————————————

4/02/2046

*Owner Registration Complete. Welcome John Dunman and Tarja Dunman :D*

[Authorized Users Added 12:00. x9: <

1. Name: Nadia Abood. Designation: Captain.

2. Name: Marcel Mehanna. Designation: 1^st Officer.

3. Name: John Dunman Sr. Designation: Co-owner.

4. Name: Tarja Dunman. Designation: Co-owner.

5. Name: James Thorougood. Designation: Security. (Restricted Access)

6. Name: Vijay Patil. Designation: Butler. (Restricted Access)

7. Name: John Dunman Jr. Designation: Passenger.

8. Name: Thomas Dunman Designation: Passenger.

9. Name: Marsha Dunman-Schlotz. Designation: Passenger.

[Deposit 13:14. John Dunman Sr. <

1/2oz Gold Cast Bar 9999 Gold. X125

Item [Not in reference catalogue, description <Family Bible>. X1.

Secure™ Jewellery Box, contents listed manually <Family rin…>

Premium Ship Swag and Supplies. X15

Standard Ship Swag and Supplies. X26

Premium Planet Swag and Supplies. X15

Standard Planet Swag and Ships. X26

Secure™ Gun Registered Owner <James Thorougood> x3

Secure™ Gun Ammunition Pack Registered Owner <James Thorougood>. X15

Vehicle [Not in reference catalogue, description <Car. Lamborg…>. X1.

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0001-#0014] Contents description <John&Tarja Lugga…>. X14

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0015-#0031] Contents description <Junior&Fam Lug…>. X16

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0032-#0041] Contents description <Tom&Fam Lug…>. X9

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0041-#0052] Contents description <Marsha&Fam Lug…>. X11

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0052-#0055] Contents description <Staff personal belong…> X4

Medium Storge Box. Tracking Numbers [#0056 – #0082] Contents description <Staff personal belong…>. X26

[Deposit 17:56. Nadia Abood. <

Secure™ Safe, contents listed manually <Critical Compon…>. X1

Secure™ Gun Registered Owner <Nadia Abood>X1

Secure™ Gun Registered Owner <Marcel Mehanna>X1

Secure™ Gun Ammunition Pack Registered Owner <Nadia Abood>. X3

[Withdrawal 18:09. Nadia Abood. <

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0052-#0055] Contents description <Staff personal belong…> X4

Medium Storge Box. Tracking Numbers [#0056 – #0082] Contents description <Staff personal belong…>. X26

Standard Ship Swag and Supplies. X26

Standard Planet Swag and Ships. X26

Premium Ship Swag and Supplies. X2

Premium Planet Swag and Supplies. X2

Secure™ Gun Registered Owner <James Thorougood>. x3

Secure™ Gun Ammunition Pack Registered Owner <James Thorougood>. X15

Comment Added by Nadia Abood (4/02/2046 18:12):

<It is illegal to deprive passengers access to their belongings. If your staff do not have access to the vault, they cannot have their possessions stored there. I have had all boxes of personal possessions moved to their owner’s quarters. As for the boxes of family possessions, I am consulting the ship lawyer about the legality of giving only one owner of a box access to the possessions, this may be allowed.

I have moved Mr. Thoroughgood’s guns and ammo to a secure room at base. Firearms must be stored in the secure vault whilst on the ship, however due to aforementioned access constraints, they cannot be placed there yet.

I would also like to request that Mr. Dunmantransfer the Lamborghini to the cargo bay ASAP. Some of our compulsory colony and terraforming cargo must by law travel in the secure vault, and the Lamborghini will have to be moved to allow these items to safely fit.

Thank you – Cpt. Abood.>

]

4/02/2046:

[Deposit 11:46. Tarja Dunman. <

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0052-#0055] Contents description <Staff personal belong…> X4

Medium Storge Box. Tracking Numbers [#0056 – #0082] Contents description <Staff personal belong…>. X26

Standard Ship Swag and Supplies. X26

Standard Planet Swag and Ships. X26

Premium Ship Swag and Supplies. X2

Premium Planet Swag and Supplies. X2

Comment Added by Tarja Dunman (4/02/2046 11:55):

<Nadia, please do not interfere with how I manage the household. The staff must have distractions limited whilst we set up our new home. If you see this before my Husband finds you, I am warning you: return Mr. Thoroughgood’s guns immediately. – Tarja.>

Comment Added by Nadia Abood (4/02/2046 15:46):

<Tarja, I have already spoken to your husband on the issue. Furthermore, I would like to remind you that you must address me as Captain Abood, or just Captain. Not Nadia.

Thank you – Cpt. Abood.>

]

[Deposit 13:13 Thomas Dunman. <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Wooden Wine Rack 😀> X1

Comment Deleted

]

[Withdrawal 15:44 Nadia Abood. <

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0052-#0055] Contents description <Staff personal belong…> X4

Medium Storge Box. Tracking Numbers [#0056 – #0082] Contents description <Staff personal belong…>. X26

Standard Ship Swag and Supplies. X26

Standard Planet Swag and Ships. X26

Premium Ship Swag and Supplies. X2

Premium Planet Swag and Supplies. X2

Comment Added by Nadia Abood (4/02/2046 15:45):

]

5/02/2046:

[Deposit 12:48 John Dunman <

Standard Ship Swag and Supplies. X26

Standard Planet Swag and Ships. X26

Comment Added by John Dunman (5/03/2046 12:51):

]

[Authorized Users Modified 12:59.x3 <

1. Name: John Dunman Sr. Designation: Co-owner.

2. Name: Nadia Abood. Designation: Captain.

3. Name: Marcel Mehanna. Designation: 1^st Officer.

[Deposit 14:50 Vijay Patil. Access Granted by Thomas Dunman <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X4

Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted

]

[Wihdrawl 15:20 Thomas Dunman. <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀>

[Deposit 15:50 Vijay Patil. Access Granted by Thomas Dunman <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀>

[Wihdrawl 16:20 Thomas Dunman. <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀>

6/02/2046:

[Deposit 14:00 Marcel Mehanna.<

Small Cargo Crate [GovID#46485485005] x2

Small Cargo Crate [GovID#46485485006] x2

Large Cargo Crate [GovID#46485667001] x1

Vehicle [#06788532] Ice Terrain Ambulance x1

**WARNING! WARNING! VAULT CAPACITY EXCEEDED! WARNING WARNING!**

Warning Reset. Siren Mute.

Comment Added by Marcel Mehanna (6/02/2046 14:19)

7/02/2046:

[Authorized Users Modified 05:00. <

3. Name: Marcel Mehanna. Designation: 1^st Officer. (Restricted Access)

[Withdrawal added 05:10 Nadia Abood.<

Vehicle [Not in reference catalogue, description <Car. Lamborg…>. X1.

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0015-#0031] Contents description <Junior&Fam Lug…>. X16

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0032-#0041] Contents description <Tom&Fam Lug…>. X9

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0041-#0052] Contents description <Marsha&Fam Lug…>. X11

Comment Added by Nadia Abood (7/02/2046 05:18)

<Car has been removed to ensure safe storage of mandatory terraforming and colony building cargo. Furthermore, after consulting with the lawyer, it is reasonable to assume that all persons with possessions in the storage boxes must have access. So John, if you want all your family’s possessions to be stored in the secure vault, you must give your whole family full access. Not Just your wife and kids, but the in-laws and grandchildren too. And yes, if there is so much as a single baby sock in those boxes then that includes little baby Xavier.

Until then, the boxes are staying outside in the parking lot with the car. You better sort this out fast, we’re supposed to have a terrible storm today.

Cpt. Abood>

]

[Deposit added 10:34 Thomas Dunman.<

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X1.

Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted

]

[Withdrawal added 10:50 Vijay Patil. Access Granted by Thomas Dunman <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X1.

Item [#8776543] Secure™ Safe, contents listed manually <Document and phot…>

Comment Added by Vijay Patil (7/02/2046 10:51)

<Master Thomas, I will assure you that the items I have stashed away are NOT related to the family. They relate to Mr. Thoroughgood and his actions against the female members of the staff. If he goes too far on this voyage, I will hand this collection of evidence over to the authorities at the colony. The combination to the safe is known only to myself, the ship’s lawyer, and her colleague at the colony.

I know that you and the rest of the family have the ability to simply remove this safe before take-off, but I appeal to your humanity. You know what a monster this man is. Please do not leave your staff defenceless against him.

Yours truly, Vijay>

Comment Added by Thomas Dunman (7/02/2046 11:21)

Comment Added by Vijay Patil (7/02/2046 13:19)

<If I cannot appeal to your humanity, Master Thomas, then I’m afraid we’ll have to do this the hard way. You’ll notice that you cannot delete this comment thread. You recruited me in part to get my friends in the Cryo-Ferry’s IT department onside, but those same friends are being courted by Marsha, and will be happy to turn our un-deleted comments over to her if I don’t stop them.

Figure it out Master Thomas.

Yours truly, Vijay>

Comment Added by Thomas Dunman (7/02/2046 13:50)

]

[Withdrawal added 11:10 John Dunman Jr.<

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0001-#0014] Contents description <John&Tarja Lugga…>. X14

Comment Added by John Dunman Jr. (7/02/2046 11:17)

<Dad, this feud with the Captain is stupid. She’s also right; Emily shouldn’t have to ask me if she wants anything from storage, and putting our things in the regular cargo hold is unacceptable. If you think it’s good enough for our stuff to sit in the rain while this gets sorted out, then I think it’s good enough for your stuff to do the same. And if you’re looking for the porters to put your boxes back, I sent them away. You’ll have to come and talk to me face to face like a man so we can settle this.>

]

[Deposit added 13:19 Vijay Patil. Access Granted by Thomas Dunman <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X1.

[Vault Reorganization 22:55 Thomas Dunman <

Details of reorganization not entered. AI description of work <Secure Safes swapped and redecorated 😀>

8/02/2046:

[Authorized Users Modified 07:40. <

10. Name: Emily Dunman. Designation: Passenger

11. Name: Lucinda Markhart. Designation: Passenger

12.Name: Helmet Schlotz. Designation: Passenger

13. Name: Princess Dunman. Designation: Passenger

14. Name: John Dunman III. Designation: Passenger

15. Name: Xavier Dunman. Designation: Passenger

16. Name: Beatrice Dunman-Markhart. Designation: Passenger

17. Name: Joesef Schlotz. Designation: Passenger

[Deposit added 07:59 John Dunman.<

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0001-#0014] Contents description <John&Tarja Lugga…>. X14

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0015-#0031] Contents description <Junior&Fam Lug…>. X16

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0032-#0041] Contents description <Tom&Fam Lug…>. X9

Large Storage Box. Tracking Numbers [#0041-#0052] Contents description <Marsha&Fam Lug…>. X11

Comment Added by John Dunman (8/02/2046 08:00)

<Nadia, stop avoid me. I am the head of this expedition, and you will respond to my summons this afternoon. We must discuss your attitude and the damage done to my family’s personal possessions.>

]

[Withdrawl added 14:44 James Thoroughgood. Access Granted by John Dunman <

Secure™ Safe, contents listed manually <Critical Compon…>. X1

[Deposit added 15:20 Thomas Dunman.<

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X1.

Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted
Comment Deleted

]

[Withdrawal added 15:30 Vijay Patil. Access Granted by Thomas Dunman <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X1.

[Deposit added 15:40 Thomas Dunman.<

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X1.

[Withdrawal added 15:50 Vijay Patil. Access Granted by Thomas Dunman <

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X1.

[Deposit added 16:00 Thomas Dunman.<

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Bottle of Wine 😀> X1.

9/02/2046

[Deposit added 10:20 John Dunman.<

Secure™ Gun Registered Owner <John Dunman> x3

Secure™ Gun Ammunition Pack Registered Owner <John Dunman>. X15

[Withdrawl added 15:20 Marsha Dunman-Schlotz.<

Secure™ Gun Registered Owner <Marcel Mehanna> x1

Secure™ Gun Ammunition Pack Registered Owner <Nadia Abood>. X1

10/02/2046

[Deposit added 04:17 by Xavier Dunn.<

Item [Not in reference catalogue] description <->. Manual Description not entered. AI Security Description <Corpse of John Dunman Sr 😀> X1.

VAULT LOCKED PENDING POLICE INVESTIGATION (07:54 10/02/2046)

—————————————–END TRANSCRIPT—————————————–

Note:

My team and I have had a surprising amount of fun going over this transcript and discussing our theories. John Dunman Sr. and Tarja Dunman had both been assumed killed on the 11^th of February 2046, when Thomas Dunman and his wife Lucinda Markhart started the Dunman Succession War. The discovery of John Sr.’s body and evidence he died before this date changes our entire understanding of the so called Trillionaire Space Kingdom Race.

The two most common theories amongst my team are that either Thomas Dunman manipulated security chief James Thoroughgood into shooting his father, allowing him to enact his usurpation plans, or that Marsha Dunman-Scholtz gave First Officer Mehanna his gun with instructions to shoot her father. Three bodies (adult male, adult female, and male child) have been found in the ruins of the cryo-bay. The child is believed to be Joesef Scholtz, and the adult female Marsha Dunman-Scholtz, but it is uncertain if the male body is Helmut Scholtz or Marcel Mehanna.

With the utter destruction of the Dunman Estate and the complete loss of all communications with the Trappist1 Worlds, we have no way of knowing what really happened to John Dunman Sr. Unlike a murder mystery, we historians have no way of getting a confession from any of our suspects. Not unless a Dunman can be found and revived from a secret Cryo-Sleep facility.

I however must point out an uncomfortable truth. Nadia Abood must have been the one to put the body in the vault. We know she comes out of the upcoming conflict with baby Xavier. Maybe the legend we built of her, as a woman who saved a trillionaire baby and used his birthright to build a democracy in space before being betrayed by her ungrateful foster-son is too generous. Maybe she was using him as a tool from the beginning?

(My assistant wants me to point out that maybe John Dunman Jr. was so keen to give the grandchildren access to the vault so he could use baby Xavier to discreetly withdraw the guns, but I see no motive for this.)

Trillionaires have been blamed for the collapse of the First Technological Age, and the incoming ships from the Trappist1 system have reignited those fears. I have heard this paranoia amongst my team, as they focus on the pettiness and scheming of the family. I however hold a more nuanced view, and hope that this document can be read in a way that changes the public view of the Dunmans.

We have visitors coming from another Solar System after all, and it would be terrible if our interactions with them were shaped by a conflict that is well and truly over.

– Prof. Princess Dunn

THE END

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