Ishukone Vessel Missing in Domain Region, Reward Offered

2003.12.05 | Svarthol

The Isukone Corporation late today issued a statement disclosing the apparent disappearance of Ishukone-owned transport and hauling vessels in the Domain region. Carrying an undisclosed cargo, the convoy disappeared after stopping for refitting and repairs at an Ishukone Corporation factory station in the Mista system en route to its pre-filed destination at a Zoar and Sons factory station in Misaba. Ishukone is offering a 50M isk reward for information leading to the safe return of its pilots and cargo.

From their headquarters in Malkalen, Ishukone representatives divulged details regarding the situation, including the approximate time and place of its disappearance, Ishukone's subsequent contact with CONCORD and their subsidiary DED regarding the disappearance, and all parties' subsequent failure in locating the missing ships or pilots or learning anything about their whereabouts. After providing summary information on this incident, an Ishukone spokesperson announced the fifty million isk reward, provided to whoever locates the missing convoy and its cargo, intact.

CONCORD officials decline comment, other than to release an official statement saying, "Ships still do occasionally go missing. We are not now treating this as a crime of violence or piracy, but of course have not ruled out any possibilities. Investigations are ongoing."

Inevitably, rumors circulate regarding what could prompt such a large reward offer from Ishukone. Ishukone, once the least significant of the three major Caldari megacorporations, was the first to establish trade relations with various Jovian corporations and governmental bodies, and the first to receive capsule construction schematics and integration technology from the Jovians. This, combined with early trade successes and ongoing friendly relations with the Impro, Shapeset, and other Jovian companies, established Ishukone as the leader in progressive technology and radical innovation.

Ishukone still enjoys close ties to various Jovian private and state entities, and is universally considered to have the most advanced technological products outside of Jovian space. Needless to say, speculation on the cargo carried by the now-missing Ishukone convoy runs to the fantastic, with rumors of new Jovian technology, production prototypes, even wild tales of data necessary for the construction of gates leading to the as-yet inaccessible Jove Empire.

When asked for comment, Tsilo Ralttilo, Commander of Ishukone's Internal Security division, brushed off the rumors as unfounded. "You can be sure that if we were to transport any of those sorts of things, it would be under the highest security. In any event, Ishukone I.S. has a long-standing policy of not commenting on Ishukone operations." The convoy's stated destination would also tend to counter-indicate far-fetched tales. If Ishukone were transporting advanced technological prototypes, it would be highly unlikely that they would be providing them to an Amarr customer like Zoar and Sons, a comparatively modest corporation specializing in ammunition production, common ship modules, and small-scale consumer electronics.

Regardless, the 50M isk reward is almost unprecedented, and would seem to indicate a sense of urgency from Ishukone. Search parties are already being organized in the Domain region. Ishukone has told reward seekers that the ships and cargo can be identified by a security code reading "YHU678," and have asked anyone with information regarding this convoy, its disappearance, or its current whereabouts to contact the DED officer in charge of the investigation, Commander Blight, who was unavailable for comment at the time of this writing.