Ancient Sword Buried by Ice Volcano

Ganymede, Jupiter Space -- 23 Mar. 2057:  A close call with an unexpected cryovolcano has lead to the loss of over a thousand credits' worth of priceless historical artifacts, including an authentic Tokugawa-era katana valued at some 800 credits.

According to information released by the Ganymede Departrment of Public Safety, the accident occurred when fallout from an unexpected ice volcano eruption struck the touring barge of corporate heir Michial Barron, the son of the late water magnate John Barron.  Though Mr. Barron and his staff were able to flee the impending disaster in a small ice yacht, the barge has been crushed by a layer of ice several dozen feet thick.

Mr. Barron has of late been on an extended tour of the solar system, a practice which is referred to in the rarefied social circles of the system's financial elite as the Grand Orbit.  He has refused to travel without his personal collection of antiquities, which is now trapped beneath the ice of Ganymede.  It is uncertain when the pieces may be reclaimed, as mining activities on Ganymede are extremely expensive, difficult and dangerous.  "We don't really have the technology right now to mount that kind of dig," said Buddy Grace, a senior technician with Amphigory Ice Mines.

No comments: