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Head of Aegis Makes Public Address

Professor Alba Tesreau has broadcast a formal statement discussing the past, present and future of Aegis.

Independent journalist Allan Mantle reported on the declaration for Vox Galactica:

“The tremendous escalation of the Thargoid war makes Aegis more open to scrutiny than ever. By delivering a personal message to the public, Professor Tesreau exhibits the transparency and accountability that the agency previously lacked. Indeed, it’s to her credit that the mistakes of the past are not glossed over.”

“Some will also consider it noble that Tesreau avoids mentioning how she opposed the superpowers shutting down Aegis in favour of working with Azimuth Biotech. Others will recognise her moral high ground as mere politics. The Allied, Federal and Imperial coordinators for Aegis are all duly applauded, a tip of the hat to those who helped her resurrect the organisation.”

“Recent Thargoid discoveries are mentioned, with two having been formally classified since her speech was recorded: the Glaive-class hunters that pursue human ships, and the Revenant-class drones patrolling settlements in conquered systems. Naturally, Aegis’s top priority are the Thargoid motherships, which Tesreau formally assigns the designation of ‘Titan’. The statement reveals that work is underway to modify Professor Palin’s xeno scanner to gather data on these alien capital ships.”

Princess Aisling Duval also delivered a statement:

“I have nothing but praise for Professor Tesreau’s leadership of Aegis. She has transformed a once-failing initiative into the vanguard of humanity’s defence. I am impressed and inspired by her tireless determination, which is why I sought the position of Imperial representative in the organisation. My discussions with Tesreau have convinced me that the new iteration of Aegis has addressed the concerns I once held over its strategic direction.”

“I also want to take this opportunity to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice when resisting the Thargoids’ military might. These courageous souls will never be forgotten. We all still have much work to do to protect those we care for.”

Pilots will find the Aegis Statement waiting in their ship's inbox service.

Thargoid War Update: April 3309

Jade Sanderlyn’s latest report on the Thargoid invasion of the core systems has been published on Vox Galactica.

“Taking the broad view of the conflict does little to lift the spirits. Thargoid fleets now occupy well over a thousand systems, nearly 200 of which were once populated. Several million people have been killed or wounded by bombardments and caustic attacks. Colossal numbers have fled their homes as refugees. Some sources estimate that well over ten billion people have been directly affected by the war, but the misery and hardship it has caused is immeasurable.”

“As sobering as that sounds, the situation would be much worse were it not for enormous efforts by anti-xeno squadrons and independent ships, which continue to push back against the Thargoid fleets. Every day, thousands of pilots risk their lives in battle, rescuing civilians or delivering supplies. Dozens of systems have been reclaimed from the Thargoids, and there are signs that the alien expansion is gradually slowing against such resistance.”

“For a while it looked as if more traditional warfare between factions was about to bring further devastation, when Federal and Imperial proxies clashed in the Tavgi and Pichch systems. But in fact, these skirmishes helped to demonstrate how the Empire and Federation are prioritising the Thargoid threat above their centuries-long rivalry.”

“Aegis continues to focus its efforts on practical solutions. The recently announced Thargoid pulse neutraliser is an attempt to bypass the defensive barrier within the inner region of the Maelstroms. If this succeeds, what might be found lurking at their hearts? Newsfeeds are proposing destroying the Maelstroms entirely to halt the never-ending swarms of Thargoid vessels, but few experts believe this can be achieved with existing military resources.”

“As for Azimuth Biotech, without the genius of Salvation they seem unable to contribute meaningfully, despite still claiming to be the leading anti-xeno specialists. There are rumours that CEO Torben Rademaker has been in contact with several weapons and industrial manufacturers, presumably with a view to building corporate links.”

“The last five months have been one of the most devastating periods of human history. But we are also witnessing resilience and courage on truly heroic levels, and we’re not beaten yet. This is Jade Sanderlyn for Vox Galactica. Stay safe out there.”

Aegis Reports on Utopia’s Sim-Archive

A scientific delegation from Aegis has visited Utopia to compare its Sim-Archive with Salvation’s Nemesis Failsafe designs.

A summary from Dr Maximo Fonseca was shared with newsfeeds:

“Simguru Antal agreed to meet with us as a sign of good faith, and to refute claims of collaboration with Salvation. He personally introduced us to the neurosmiths of Utopia, who can digitally encode electrochemical activity within the brain. I took part in a demonstration, uploading some of my own long-term memories into the Sim-Archive. Afterwards, my colleague Dr Cooper enjoyed a remarkably accurate simulation of my university graduation thirty years ago, who claimed she found it hard to believe the memory was not her own.”

“Analysis of the Nemesis Failsafe designs that we provided was swift, but the differences were stark. From what we understood of the summary by Utopian researchers, the Nemesis process irreversibly transforms a person’s entire neuronal network into esoteric energy particles. But there was no suggestion how the particle stream might be directed or stored.”

Further scrutiny by Aegis specialists confirmed that the Nemesis Failsafe relies heavily on Guardian technology, much of which remains a mystery. Early indications suggest that Allied, Federal and Imperial leaders agree that Salvation was unlikely to have sought assistance from the Utopia commune.

Simguru Pranav Antal released a rare public statement:

“The Sim-Archive is designed to preserve human thought, not to extract it from living minds. One day, experiencing other people’s stored memories will be as common as searching for information on a database. Utopia’s role is to unite us all by bringing down the barriers between our individual universes.”

“Salvation’s design very much relates to the preservation of one’s self, rather than the storage of information for future generations. Whatever knowledge of Guardian technology he may have possessed is likely lost to us now.”

Salvation-Utopia Link Raises Concerns

Similarities between the Nemesis Failsafe and Utopia’s Sim-Archive have led to questions being asked about a possible connection.

Independent journalist Flint ‘Firemaker’ Lafosse reported on Seo Jin-ae’s recent discoveries:

“We all knew that Salvation had a messiah complex, so it’s no surprise that he planned to keep his colossal ego alive after his ancient body died. We also know that Pranav Antal has been digitising his followers’ brains for years.”

“My question is: did Salvation modify Antal’s system for his own private use, rather than reverse-engineer Guardian technology? Or maybe Azimuth and Utopia were secretly working together all this time, and the Sim-Archive has always been Guardian-based? It would explain how Utopia is able to maintain funding for its little tech-bohemian commune.”

This theory was critiqued by The Federal Times’s technology correspondent Harlow Nassry:

“It is a fact that most of Utopia’s scientific development remains opaque. But the few inventions that have been examined – such as the nanomedicines acquired by Vitadyne Labs – contain no molecular markers of Guardian origin. The Sim-Archive’s memory-recording techniques are based on exoneurological research conducted over hundreds of years.”

Dr Maximo Fonseca, the Alliance’s scientific liaison to Aegis, gave a statement to the media:

“Since successful applications in this field are so rare, we cannot ignore the potential relation between the Nemesis Failsafe designs and the Sim-Archive. I have made contact with Simguru Pranav Antal and explained the situation. He kindly invited me and my staff to visit Utopia and discuss the matter. Our findings will determine whether a formal investigation into Salvation’s current status is warranted.”

Nemesis Failsafe: Fact or Fiction?

Azimuth Biotech has rejected Seo Jin-ae’s unverified claim that Salvation survived by relocating his mind using advanced Guardian technology.

CEO Torben Rademaker issued this statement:

“I can officially confirm that Azimuth Biotech has no knowledge of any project related to a ‘Nemesis Failsafe’. Frankly, suggesting that anyone could transmit their living mind across space stretches her credibility past breaking point.”

“Seo Jin-ae’s absurd outbursts have justified our fears that she suffers from paranoid delusions, and has falsified data to support her personal vendetta. And she now seems to have an exalted position among the Far God cultists. Only those deranged unfortunates would take her flights of fantasy seriously.”

An article in the scientific journal The Empirical addressed the concepts featured in Seo Jin-ae’s statement:

“The field of exoneurology, whereby the human mind is isolated from the neuronal network and transferred to an artificial host, is mostly comprised of failed experiments. Only the Utopia commune has ever claimed significant success. Their Sim-Archive allegedly duplicates an individual’s memory engrams and uploads them to a sophisticated digital emulation program. But independent reviews of this technology have been prevented by the reclusive nature of Utopian society.”

Seo Jin-ae: ‘I Believe Salvation Survived’

Aegis has published a personal statement from Seo Jin-ae, who claims to have evidence that Salvation planned to escape death in the HIP 22460 system.

“First of all, yes, Caleb Wycherley died when the Thargoids attacked the Bright Sentinel in HIP 22460. But, I believe, only physically. He was developing technology to automatically relocate his mind, an emergency protocol he named the Nemesis Failsafe.”

“I know how implausible that sounds, but the files I recovered from an Azimuth Biotech archive prove his intentions. For several years, Salvation ran a private project to reverse-engineer a Guardian artefact which could store consciousness. The design showed neural interactions as digital impulses, and made reference to exactly retaining his identity and memories.”

“Salvation had already extended his life to over 250 years, and was obsessed with staying alive until he could wipe out the Thargoids. I’m convinced that he has survived in some bodiless form, and that Azimuth has known all along.”

Aden Tanner, who works for Aegis as an independent specialist, also released a statement:

“I’ll admit that the designs Seo found seem authentic and incredibly advanced. But the files contained no concrete proof that the Nemesis Failsafe was constructed, or if it could actually work. I’m more concerned that she was being hunted by unknown parties, who would likely have succeeded if not for the Far God cult’s intervention. Perhaps it needs to be restated that actively seeking to hinder Aegis, or its valued personnel, is a crime against all three superpowers.”

In related news, the Testament megaship that rescued Seo Jin-ae from unidentified attackers has now left the Luyten’s Star system, following a week of clemency offered by Federal authorities. A spokesperson for President Hudson reiterated that the Order of the Far God remains illegal in the Federation.

Rumours Circulate Around Seo Jin-ae

An anonymous source has leaked information regarding Seo Jin-ae suggesting that she may be in serious jeopardy.

Seo Jin-ae, the individual once known as Subject D-2, voluntarily departed from a private medical facility in January, where she was under the care of former Aegis members. She left a message stating: “I have unfinished business with Salvation.”

The engineer Kit Fowler discussed the recent rumours during his End Times broadcast:

“Something is definitely going on, people. The interstellar grapevine is buzzing with gossip about Seo Jin-ae. That cortical implant in her head, which provides some weird insight into Thargoid behaviour, makes her pretty much most valuable person in the galaxy right now.”

“Some say that a black ops teams have either kidnapped or assassinated her. Maybe it’s Azimuth. Maybe it’s a dead man’s switch group belonging to Salvation. One pilot tells me he spotted an Aegis patrol in the Ngaruayanka system, and thinks it was sent to recover poor Seo’s body. And a hacktivist from the Collective has intercepted comms fragments containing the words ‘Bright Sentinel’ and ‘Nemesis protocol’. What secrets did Seo uncover? And is she still alive to share them?”

Aegis has been approached for comment, but only reiterated that they are currently investigating Seo Jin-ae’s whereabouts.

Director Nassim Qadir, head of medical research at Azimuth Biotech, provided a statement:

“Aegis’s amateurish efforts to examine Ms Seo have clearly resulted in some form of dissociative disorder and paranoid delusions. This explains her obsessive vendetta against a man whose death was independently verified. If Ms Seo can be located, she should be returned to Azimuth’s specialist laboratories for her own wellbeing.”

Thargoid War Update: February 3309

An overview of recent developments regarding the Thargoid conflict, as reported by Jade Sanderlyn on the Vox Galactica newsfeed.

“Over the last month, Thargoid fleets have continued expanding outwards from the eight Maelstroms. The front lines of the war are relentlessly encroaching deeper into the core systems, leaving desolation and death in their wake.”

“A dedicated resistance force won a few precious victories, with 61 systems fully liberated from Thargoid control. But compared to the 634 systems that have been overrun, it would be optimistic to suggest the aliens’ advance is being significantly impeded at this stage.”

“Fierce fighting has also broken out in the California and Witch Head Nebulas. It’s been speculated that the Thargoids seek to secure the barnacle sites seeded in those regions millennia ago… a reminder that this species may view all of our space as its original territory.”

“Despite these grim developments, practical support arrived in the form of Azimuth Biotech’s experimental weapons stabilisers and Professor Palin’s improved xeno scanner. Both were welcomed by independent pilots, increasing their chances of triumphing over the powerful Thargoid vessels.”

“Of course, the biggest news is the resurrection of Aegis. Key figures in the Alliance, Empire and Federation managed to re-establish the anti-xeno agency that was once abandoned in favour of Salvation. Already there are promises of technological breakthroughs, including the ability for ships to better withstand the caustic hell inside the Maelstroms.”

“As our best and brightest work together in earnest, time will tell if they can prevent this war from overwhelming us all. This is Jade Sanderlyn for Vox Galactica. Stay safe out there.”