Household Chemistry

Obtain 5 bile samples of shaggy yaks at the Barren Ridge and bring them to Herbert de Vevre at the camp.

Interesting... You say that these pieces of junk have been rusting on Ferris for many years. You think you might have found the signs of Tep's presence? Oh, I wish I could believe that. As a real scientist, first I need to see the evidence.
The markings on these parts could confirm or refute your theory. If only we could rub off the rust and make them out! I'm ashamed to say, but we don't have any caustic chemical agents, and there is no other mean to get rid of the rust without damaging the marking. Though we can try using some caustic organic bile...

Have you found something caustic enough? I'm a researcher, after all, not a cutthroat pack leader!

What a stench... It burns, too!
Let's have a look...
The marking is strange. I've never seen it before. It is obviously Imperial, and I can't make out the manufacture date, but it's at least 50 years ago.
I can read something... "To be used at the Gates object". Hmm... I've heard about the "Gates-2" laboratory, but I've never wondered what had happened to the first "Gates". Is it here, too? On Ferris? But why are there no mentions of that neither in the archives nor in the chronic, and neither have our informers back at the ZIT Headquarters heard of it? Oops, I shouldn't have said that...
So, the bottom line is: we have one more riddle instead of an answer. Now even the visions that you had in the lake don't sound like mere hallucinations.
A weird shard at the bottom, Imperial scientists, mechanics, Tep... It all winds up into a tight ball that we will have to unreel.
Continue searching! I'm sure we are about to find out the truth!