Galnet archive

Jeffress's Second Treasure Hunt

Last month, the reclusive philanthropist Alfred Jeffress made headlines with his galaxy-wide treasure hunt, and now it seems the eccentric billionaire is at it again. Having promised that the first event would not be the last of its kind, Jeffress has announced a second treasure hunt, and once again he is offering a share of his vast personal fortune to the winner.

According to a statement from Jeffress, the event will follow much the same format as the first. A mystery object has been placed somewhere in space, and the first person to find and deliver it to a specified location will win the competition. As before, Jeffress has released a riddle that he claims will lead participants to the mystery object:

"A dissatisfied scholar keeps a visionary in his grasp as he makes his deal."

With such a generous prize on offer, the event is sure to capture the imagination of the galactic community.

Fight Club Rocks Athena

At approximately 21:00 on Saturday the 18th October 3301, a slew of heavily armed Cobras began congregating outside Powell Terminal in the Athena system for an all-on-all bloodbath. Millions of credits' worth of insurance claims were issued as the Commanders of the XYZ Fight Club kicked off the 'Cobra Crunch'.

One of the most epic battles of the tournament was the fight between Koldnitz and FlappyHamWallet (both very experienced commanders), who lit up the skies around the Coriolis starport with their lasers and missiles. Much whooping and cheering was heard over comms chatter for over four hours, after which many congratulatory messages were directed to Commander Estalath, who appeared to be the victor.

Station security has confirmed that several thousand credits' worth of fines were issued, but there was no significant damage done to the station. One station worker reported: "This old girl can withstand a few out-of-control Cobras crashing into her." Meanwhile, system authorities were reportedly unhappy about Athena hosting a second XYZ Fight Club event, saying: "we thought they'd host one event and then move on".

Commander Amphetamine Rush

Commemorative Space Race

To commemorate 'Star Wars', the classic audiovisual entertainment series of the 20th and 21st century, the Buckyball Racing Club, sponsored by Leesti Azure Milk, presents the first part of a new galactic race, the Kessel Run.

The race runs from the 31st of October 3301, 00:00 GMT, to the 15th of November 3301, 23:59 GMT. It will begin at George Lucas station in Leesti and end in the Jabbah system, a few hundred light years outside the bubble. Between start and finish, participants must dock at every station and outpost named 'Kessel' in any order they desire.

There will be three racing classes: Regulation Solo Sidewinder, Regulation Solo Cobra Mk III, and the Open Unlimited Spec class.

Commander Stern Winter

A Galactic Treasure Hunt

Alfred Jeffress, the reclusive philanthropist, has released an intriguing statement. In a press release, the eccentric billionaire announced his intention to initiate a galaxy-wide treasure hunt – and to give a share of his vast fortune to the winner. This is the first public statement from Jeffress in several years, as the humanitarian – who made his fortune trading rare and exotic goods – has spent much of the past decade on an extended galactic tour.

According to the press release, Jeffress has “hidden” a mystery object somewhere in space. The first person to find this object and deliver it to a specified location will win the competition. The press release also contains a riddle that Jeffress claims will lead participants to the mystery object:

“A vision of the Devil and Orion’s hounds will start you on your path.”

The announcement has prompted a flurry of speculation and excitement, and hundreds of pilots have already taken to their ships to search for the mystery object.

Athena System Hosts ‘XYZ Fight Club’

The popular gladiatorial tournament known as the ‘XYZ Fight Club’ took place again this weekend. Our reporters were ringside for the spectacle. Pilots descended on Athena, pitting dog-fighting skills against one another in both light and medium ships.

Criminals targeting participant Commander Angel Rose marred the start of the event and forced an evacuation of Darboux Orbital, but Commanders Rhea and Lynk1973 ensured that contingency arenas allowed combatants and spectators to avoid further harassment.

Commanders Bodmans, Danten and Old Sauveur dominated play for the light rounds – fast-paced jousting with no shortage of collisions. Commanders DJTruthsayer, Estelath, Ace Rimzy and Jankster gave solid performances, but were knocked out.

The light semi-finals saw Bodmans – recent champion of the Sol Grand Prix – facing off against Commander Rainy Day in close-quarters knife-fighting. Rainy Day spent chaff and shield-cells before Bodmans delivered the deathblow – a barrage of missile-fire – that delighted the audience.

Medium-class contents continued into the night, involving Couriers, Vipers, and Diamondback Scouts. Commander Synaptic made notable use of their DBS-stealth capabilities to evade missile-fire, but eventually succumbed to their opponent’s attacks.

Angel Rose's Viper took on Commander Louise of Darkwater's Courier. Audiences watching the event live cheered the commander from Slough Orbital, but it was not enough to protect her from her opponent’s rail-fire as a victorious Louise of Darkwater moved into the later rounds.

Showing impressive skill in the marathon tournament, the same pair of combatants managed to reach the finals for both classes. Bodmans and Old Sauveur intitially exchanged fire in Eagles, with Old Sauveur proving victorious in the fast-paced battle through a well-timed use of shield cells. Going head-to-head in Couriers to decide the victor of the medium heats, Bodmans eventually claimed victory at the end of a protracted defensive battle.

Commander Edgar Starwalker

Lomas Racing News | Interstellar Press

Pilot Breaks Galactic Record Twice

The accomplishments of independent pilots participating in the Buckyball Run A* rally race continue to make headlines around civilized space. This 26,000 light year rally race to the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy has so far attracted over 40 fearless competitors. One of these competitors, Commander Alot, has made a name for himself by beating the galactic record for the quickest run twice in less than a month.

Alot’s current time to reach Sagittarius A*, an incredible 9 hours 39 minutes, was accomplished aboard a Faulcon DeLacy Anaconda named ‘Rhonda’. In comparison, his previous record-breaking attempt was done in 11 hours 46 minutes using a Lakon Spaceways Asp called the ‘Big Bird’.

When asked for a statement, Alot answered philosophically:

“Nothing lasts forever. I'm quite sure that in time my record will be beaten. In fact, I've already heard of several skilled pilots planning their next attempts, and I wish them the best of luck.”

At the time of broadcast, Commander Kligg has already taken the lead, passing Commander Alot by a mere 8 minutes, using an Anaconda named the ‘Rub Tub’. However, Kligg himself speculated in a short statement that it was only a matter of time before Alot climbs back to the first position.

Léonard Chamberlain - GalNet News Correspondent

NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan Black Prototypes Revealed

The NVIDIA labs, in association with Reynhardt IntelliSys, are pleased to announce that prototypes of the GeForce GTX Titan Black graphics card are now available for purchase from one exclusive outlet.

A masterpiece of engineering, the NVIDIA Geforce GTX Titan Black represents the cutting edge of display technology. It balances a sleek design with uncompromising performance and unparalleled processing power, making the Titan Black one of the most desirable display modules in the entire galaxy. To celebrate the pre-release of the new module, NVIDIA are offering 5 lucky pilots the opportunity to win a commercial grade GTX Titan Black. Winning the competition couldn’t be simpler*.

The first 5 pilots to sell a canister of NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan Black Prototypes back to NVIDIA HQ aboard Godel Ring will be rewarded with a commercial model as soon as they become available. The only problem is NVIDIA isn’t saying where the prototypes are being sold.

Happy hunting Commanders.

*Entrants must have transported the prototypes under the Pilots Federation rules of 'open play' to be eligible to win.

The Fastest Pilot in the Galaxy

This is Casey Murrow and today I'm talking exclusively with Commander Samwell Drakhyr, winner of this year's big race, the St. Valentine Day Regatta. So just how did you manage to win it all Sam?

"A bad pilot is controlled by their ship. They are surprised all the time, because their mind is in harmony with neither ship nor surroundings. A good pilot controls their ship. They are surprised only half the time, because they know the limits of their ship so well that it becomes part of them, directed by the pilot's will without conscious effort, like a limb. 

I strive to go beyond that. I scout my route until I own it. I make it part of me. I do my thinking in advance so when I fly on the day there is no mind, no ship, no pilot that exist as separate entities. My hands move, yet in a way it feels like they are steady, inevitable, and it is instead the universe itself that is moving."

Excellent and inspiring advice there from Commander Drakhyr, champion of the 37th almost annual St. Valentine Day Regatta.