Galnet News

The United Research Council, one of the galaxy's largest independent scientific organisations, has announced an ambitious new research programme.

The programme, which is expected to last approximately six weeks, will initially encompass all systems within a 30 light-year radius of the Coritab, Darian, Freng and Lunduwalaya systems. Other systems may be added to the list as the programme progresses.

The Alliance, the Empire and the Federation have all agreed to grant the Council exclusive access to these systems for the duration of its research programme. Civilian and military traffic will be free to traverse the region, but pilots pledged to one of the galaxy's major powers will be unable to lay claim to these systems while the project is active.

Professor Ray Miller, director of the organisation, elaborated on the nature of the exercise:

"The programme is in most respects unremarkable – we will be monitoring radiation levels, recording the positions of celestial bodies, and so on – but it is also highly sensitive. The passage of a single ship will not disturb our experiments, but large-scale activity could prove highly disruptive."

"We thank the galactic community in advance for its understanding."

This report presents the latest data on democratic activity among the galaxy's minor factions.

Here are the latest factions to hold elections:

Dyr Values Party

Jet Major Industries

HR 7674 Empire Consulate

Alina Guardians of Tradition

Natural Oxossi Conservatives

Hedeinichs Gold Energy and Co

LTT 17102 Industries

Revolutionary Party of Mawuru

Natural Cowicas Front

Hanuku Nationalists

Elections occur when two minor factions with a similar political structure resolve a conflict over ownership and influence within a system.

This report presents the latest data on health issues among the galaxy's minor factions.

Here are the latest factions to experience famine:

LTT 13232 Cartel

Union of Wolf 926 Confederacy

Chang Yeh Purple Galactic Ind

Walumbhaik Legal Industries

Anhuanga Galactic Commodities

LP 30-55 Silver Cartel

Gang of Raijin

Weleserme Energy Incorporated

Akba Ataci Allied PLC

HIP 113812 Emperor's Grace

When a faction is affected by famine the standard of living in the system it controls temporarily decreases. Combat activity has no effect on influence while a famine is active. Completing food-trade missions can bring a famine to an end.

Here are the latest factions to experience an outbreak:

HIP 42455 Public PLC

Cotin Co-operative

Kaupolock Blue Partnership

StKM 1-442 Dominion

Keraitra Posse

Sebeleni Council

Wulpa Corp.

Semakana Incorporated

Noblemen of Coras

Movement for Selkande Future

When a faction is affected by an outbreak the standard of living in the system it controls temporarily decreases. Combat activity has no effect on influence while an outbreak is active. Completing medicine-supply missions can bring an outbreak to an end.

At 7.00 am tomorrow morning (GMT), the monitoring of powers' activities will go offline for a short period while the latest data is assembled. Pilots who operate for one of the powers should deliver any cargo or vouchers before this time to ensure their activities are registered.

A pair of independent pilots by the names of Noctrach and Ihazevich has discovered the remains of what appears to be a starship on planet 9a of the Pleiades Sector AB-W B2-4 system. The discovery represents the culmination of a galaxy-wide hunt coordinated by the 'Granger Gang' – a band of miscreants led by the smuggler and bounty hunter Otto Granger.

The event began with a cryptic message delivered by Granger to news feeds throughout the galaxy. This was followed by a series of enigmatic clues, inserted into news channels at a number of starports.

Solving these clues led pilots to the three members of the Granger Gang: Otto Granger, Mahina Dillon and Logan Khol. When confronted, Granger and his companions claimed to have made a discovery of profound importance, but they refused to reveal the nature or location of this discovery.

Instead, each member of the gang said they would issue a request for a specific commodity, promising to reveal further information if they received what they asked for. Logan Khol's subsequent request for narcotics was enthusiastically received by the galactic community, and when his targets were met, a further clue was released:

"The latitude was -26 and it was a cold moon in the Pleiades sector with the letters 'AB' in its name."

Although the Granger Gang planned to release further clues, they were quickly rendered redundant. Within hours of Khol releasing his information to the public, Commanders Noctrach and Ihazevich discovered the mysterious wreckage.

Commentators throughout the galaxy have been quick to offer their opinions on this remarkable discovery.

"I'm familiar with every starship design of the past fifty years, and most of the older ones, too," said Augustus Sym, an Imperial veteran and former test pilot based in the Achenar system, "and I've never seen anything like it. There's no doubt in my mind – that is an alien ship."

Others have adopted a more cautious stance, while acknowledging that the find could be significant. Professor Ishmael Palin, a leading authority on xeno-biological research, said:

"I have always been open to the possibility of intelligent non-human life, and this wreck may indeed be an alien vessel. But I will withhold judgement until further evidence is released, or at least until I have an opportunity to inspect the site myself!"

Technical personnel at New Dawn Station in the Ceos system have announced a breakthrough in the ongoing fight against the so-called technological plague.

Tag Arthurs, head of the starport's technical team, released the following statement to news feeds:

"Although our understanding of meta-alloys remains incomplete, we are now able to apply them much more efficiently. Consequently, we now need much smaller quantities of meta-alloys to return a malfunctioning starport to functionality – half as much as we used to, in fact."

"We've also determined that the week immediately following the first signs of Unknown Artefact-related interference is a critical one. If an affected starport can be supplied with meta-alloys within that week, it is far less likely that the situation at the starport will worsen."

This report presents the latest data on the security status of the galaxy's minor factions.

Here are the latest factions to experience a lockdown:

Ackwada Gold Allied Group

Defence Party of LFT 926

Revolutionary Nysa Future

Citizen Party of Kongkomisso

LP 336-6 Blue Major Corp.

Wolf 497 Liberals

Jet Energy Ltd

Nobles of Mbukuravi

Regulatory State of LHS 2157

Wat Yu Resistance

When a faction experiences a lockdown, the security rating of the system it controls temporarily increases and the system's wealth temporarily decreases. Bounty hunting activity can shorten the lockdown period.

Here are the latest factions to experience civil unrest:

LP 876-76 Travel Ltd

Aeneas Organisation

Mob of Eranin

Justice Party of LHS 215

Votaroi Advanced Industries

CD-35 9019 Vision Network

Pirates of Luyten's Star

Chireni Group

Nobles of HIP 10716

Khun Crimson Ring

Civil unrest is the result of illegal activity. When a faction is affected by civil unrest, the standard of living in the system it controls temporarily decreases, as does the system's wealth. Combat missions and activities can bring civil unrest to an end.

News feeds throughout the galaxy have received a mysterious message from an as-yet undetermined source.

The message, which is reprinted in full below, appears to contain an oblique reference to a particular location, but the nature of the communiqué makes it hard to determine exactly what it refers to.

"We've found something. Something incredible. Something the whole galaxy will want to see. The truth."

"We could show it to you, but that wouldn't be much fun. So instead we're going to play a little game."

"It begins on the 28th. We'll be waiting for you."

The Federal Security Service, aware that the message will pique the interest of the galactic community, said:

"Frankly, I suspect this is some kind of hoax, but there will inevitably be some who attempt to unravel the mystery. All we can do is urge them to exercise caution."

Independent auditor BigSix has reported various anomalies in the accounts of MetaDrive Inc., a company based in the Chi Orionis system specialising in hyperdrive research.

Reviewing the company's financial records, assessors found evidence of a series of payments to undisclosed suppliers but none of the corresponding checks and balances.

"It's a big mess," said the senior auditor of BigSix. "The company is being placed in receivership. It needs a buyer, and quickly."

Femi Dakarai, the chairman of MetaDrive Inc., was not available for comment.

Following the news, shares in MetaDrive Inc. plummeted. But a short time later, Sirius Corp unexpectedly volunteered to prop up the company.

"We've been interested in collaboration for a while," said the marketing manager of Sirius Corp's hyperdrive research division, "and were in talks over licensing MetaDrive's exciting new technology. We have no desire to see them go under."

This report presents the latest data on expansion and withdrawal among the galaxy's minor factions.

Here are the latest factions to have expanded into new systems:

Kamarada Jet Legal Services

Tollan Free

Wuluwait Fortune Commodities

Epsilon Phoenicis Principles

Yuinni Worker's Party

Hatis Silver Brothers

HIP 19408 Monarchy

Brutas Crimson Netcoms Corp.

Official GCRV 52424 Defence Force

Machadan Alliance

Expansions occur when a minor faction reaches a sufficient level of influence and there is a populated system within striking distance. Expansion is costly, so when a faction expands, the wealth and development level of the system it controls are temporarily reduced.

Here are the latest factions in withdrawal:

Aymiay Values Party

Confederacy of Yamahun

Alliance of CD-33 8748

HIP 24968 Empire Consulate

Partnership of Kaupatak

HIP 106213 Jet Power Services

Fular Purple State Corp.

Union of BD+14 611 Partnership

Dukes of Kachakapa

Union of LTT 2240 Democrats

Factions are considered to be in withdrawal if their level of influence within a system drops below a certain level. If the faction's influence remains low for a total of five days, the faction must leave the system entirely. If the faction manages to increase its level of influence, it remains in the system.