Galnet archive

Freelance Report: Barnacles under Assault

The recent meta-alloy rush has left many of the barnacles in the Pleiades Nebula barren.

As many scramble to meet the high demand for the material, it seems the Federation lacks the resources to provide adequate defence.

Federal vessels have reportedly transported huge quantities of meta-alloys from the Merope system, suggesting that it may be partly responsible for the drought.

One independent researcher said:

"As far as we know, a barnacle will 'regenerate' after one week, although we don't know if this is always the case."

"Research indicates that harvesting only 'ripe' spikes will keep the barnacle healthy. A simple scan and visual check will confirm spike maturity."

"Further testing will be needed to determine the specifics, but with the crisis facing civilised space, conducting controlled experiments on barnacles has become next to impossible."

"The way things are going, we risk losing these magnificent entities for good."

Commander BluWolve

Freelance Report: Moon-Landing Anniversary Race

The historical re-enactment society Ex Luna Scientia has partnered with the Buckyball Racing Club to organise a commemorative race celebrating the 1,333rd anniversary of the first landing on Earth's Moon.

The Fly Me to the Moon race will run from the 19th to the 21st of July and will start at Lem Dock in the Chaac system. The finish line is at Moon Prospect in the Turot system, where participants will compete in surface racing in their rovers.

The race is open to everyone, from regular Buckyballers to first-time racers. The race committee has suggested that, due to the risks involved, all participants take out full insurance coverage.

Commander Aken B

Freelance Report: Meta-Alloy Rush

As the Federation and Empire attempt to lay claim to the organic structures known as barnacles, the demand for meta-alloys has skyrocketed. Many starports have begun placing orders for the material as a hedge against potential malfunctions.

Vernon Trask, lead engineer at Bauschinger City, said: "Some stations have been defunct for nearly a year because of those corrosive Artefacts. We can't afford to be out of commission that long."

"Quite a few stations in the Empire have open orders for meta-alloys, including Bauschinger. We're hoping to get ahead of this techno plague before it bites us."

This 'meta-alloy rush' has alarmed conservationists and researchers concerned about the future of the barnacles.

"We know so little about the barnacles," said Dr Elana Lorax, a noted xenobiologist. "We don't know how they grow, how long they live or how they create meta-alloys. If the exploitation continues at this rate, we may never know."

Commander Corrigendum

Freelance Report: Jacques Barnacle Search

The discovery of Jacques Station has prompted many Commanders to load up on meta-alloys and start the long trek to Eol Prou RS-T d3-94.

One group that has already made it has begun searching the area for barnacles. If the structures are found, they could provide Jacques with meta-alloys needed to fix the station.

Some Commanders remain sceptical, arguing that the barnacles are engineered and won't be found in the system, but that hasn't stopped the search from going ahead. For many it is not a question of 'if' barnacles will found it – it is a question of 'when'. One of the searchers said:

"It makes sense there would be barnacles out here – the system has many of the conditions required. But searching for them is a big job. Any assistance from pilots in the area is welcome."

Commander BluWolve

Freelance Report: The Silent Arbiter

As Utopia completes its mission in the Maia system, senior Utopian figures have voiced alarm at the deteriorating situation between the Federation and the Empire over the barnacles. One member of the commune said:

"We are surrounded by a galactic mystery. Recent events indicate that humanity may not be alone in the universe."

"Some believe we are being stalked by monsters. Others think we will soon encounter a higher intelligence. We must be optimistic, and meet the future – whatever it may hold – with a collective voice."

"I believe humanity is being watched, its actions noted. Soon, we will be judged. Our survival depends on the decisions we make right now. We must not, and cannot, fight among ourselves."

Commander Gan

Utopian News Network | Interstellar Press

Freelance Report: The Demands of Supply

"Commanders are advised to search within nebulae for rocky or high-metal content worlds with a composition of between 66.5% and 99.1% rock and 8.9% and 33.5% metal, with 0% ice. Temperatures between 194K and 451K should be sought. To narrow the field, Commanders should also seek bodies with gravity between 0.06g and 0.3g."

This text is taken from 'Barnacle Search Criteria', a recent publication from the Canonn Interstellar Research Group.

Commentators are divided on what impact, if any, this information will have on the increasingly volatile situation in and around the Merope system. But many agree that if the barnacles are being viewed as a finite resource, the Canonn's data may serve to defuse tensions, at least temporarily.

The publication of the criteria is believed to have followed a private conference between Dr Arcanonn and Professor Cora Shaw, director of the Palin Institute. Dr Arcanonn commented:

"We must not let the drums of war drown out the fact that the stated positions of the Federation and the Empire are, upon review, far from irreconcilable."

Freelance Report: Federal Expansion Brought to a Halt

The Federal expansion campaign has been brought to a complete standstill.

Ramsbottom Hub in the Segovan system has entered a state of lockdown, and many independent Commanders who had loaded up on commodities are now unable to complete their deliveries.

The Federation has yet to make an official announcement, but reports have been flooding in from the galactic community on possible causes for the lockdown. Some pilots claim they were attacked by Imperial vessels, while others maintain it was pirates.

Almost 4,000 pilots have contributed over 3.5 million tonnes between them. Now those Commanders are stuck with nowhere to deliver the requested commodities, and are understandably frustrated.

The Federation is receiving the brunt of the backlash. Some are saying that Federal expansion on this scale was always going to receive opposition from the Empire, while others maintain that the Federation should have prepared for this eventuality by offering multiple ports of delivery and better security.

One Commander said: "I'm here to protect the barnacles – I don't care about Feds or Imps. This is a prime example of politics getting in the way of what's truly important. They need to get off their high horses and discuss how we can protect the barnacles."

Commander BluWolve

Freelance Report: Taskforce Athena Locks Down Segovan

In a move likely to further inflame relations between the superpowers, a coalition of Empire-aligned Commanders has declared the Segovan system a no-fly zone. Ramsbottom Hub, the site of an ongoing Federation construction project, has been placed in security lockdown, and traders have been advised that services are currently unavailable.

Commander Kyrthak, a spokesman for Taskforce Athena, the coalition imposing the no-fly zone, made the following statement:

"The actions of the Future of Segovan represent an unbridled attempt to project force into the Pleiades and further exploit the region's Unknown Artefacts and meta-alloys. Taskforce Athena is actively combating Federal security services in order to halt construction of these new Federal outposts. If the Federation continues down this path, it will cost them dearly."

The Federation has placed heavy bounties on the offending Commanders.

Commander Corrigendum