Questions about D20 (Spoiler!)

[D13]

Something attacked my custom merc and she died the next turn. I'm noticing three unusual things:

1. I cannot access the items she was carrying (no loot icon and not available in sector inventory).
2. Her portrait is pale to indicate death, but it has a red skull next to it.
3. There are now two portraits of her.

Are these just bugs or do they have a deeper meaning, possibly in the context of what's going on in D20?

4. About the D20 special operation (Charon's Boat / digging). I have recently lost all income, I find myself between enemy groups I'm too weak to handle, and I'm trying to fight my way out of the north eastern corner towards the next mine. All good fun. But given these circumstances, my strategic decision would be to not perform the operation, and instead let the situation deteriorate and spread as much as possible - it should have a bigger overall impact on my many enemies who occupy almost all sectors. The more carnage across the map, the better for me. But does the game actually work like that, or would I be the only one to deal with the consequences?

 

Oh, and I shot Kalyna to confirm that 1. she can be looted, 2. no red skull but an almost invisible gray one is displayed, and 3. only one portrait:

 

[D13]

My dead merc was now able to heal herself. Within the sector she was still dead, but after traveling to an adjacent sector she's alive and well.

Either she's a sleeper zombie and will turn when I least expect it, or this is a nasty bug and I better roll back to an older save.

 

[Grim]

Weird stuff, maaan!