Galnet News

Preparations are underway for the second Distant Worlds expedition, which will see a community of explorers cross the galaxy.

Science correspondent Leon Banerjee provided an overview for the Vox Galactica media outlet:

“The first Distant Worlds mission, in 3302, was the largest fleet expedition in history, and saw over a thousand ships travel to Beagle Point and back.”

“Distant Worlds II has even loftier ambitions, involving an impressive voyage through the heart of the galaxy, mapping unexplored regions and making new scientific discoveries. It will also involve the construction of a starport dedicated to the study of Sagittarius A*.”

“Project leaders Erimus Kamzel and Dr Kaii report that nearly four thousand courageous Commanders will take part, despite the risks involved, in a journey of over 200,000 light years.”

Distant Worlds II is scheduled to launch in January 3305, with the complete round trip lasting approximately three hundred days.

An initiative run by Herculean Machines, manufacturer of Duradrive personal computers, has now concluded.

Multiple shipments of consumer technology, hardware diagnostic sensors and computer components were delivered to the Blatrimpe system, which will be used to fulfil a large order from the Federal Navy.

Maddox Hurd, the company’s CEO, made this statement:

“Once again, I offer my thanks to the galactic community for its support. We’re very pleased to become a supplier to the Federal Navy, and we hope that the Duradrive remains in production for a long, long time.”

Pilots who took part in the initiative can now collect their rewards from Boltzmann Hub in the Blatrimpe system.

An open order for military supplies has been placed on behalf of the Federal Navy by the League of Zearla. A spokesperson for the organisation gave the following statement:

“The Federal Navy urgently requires shipments of Battle Weapons, Landmines and Performance Enhancers to be delivered to Payson Hub in the Zearla system.”

A parallel operation is being run by Imperial faction the Sirsir Co, which announced:

“The Imperial Navy’s logistics division has authorised us to process deliveries of Battle Weapons, Reactive Armour and Imperial Slaves. The drop-off point is Mitchell Hangar in the Sirsir system.”

Both initiatives begin on the 3rd of January 3305 and will run for one week. If either initiative meets its targets earlier than planned, that campaign will end immediately.

Professor Katrien Rook has responded to Pranav Antal’s claim that her company’s nanomedicines are of Utopian origin:

“I confess that Vitadyne Labs did not invent the nanomeds, but neither did we steal them. We were approached by independent pilots who discovered a crashed Utopian transport ship. The recovered cargo canisters were clearly medical in nature, so the foragers sold them to us as legitimate salvage.”

“I would be happy to return the original cargo to Utopia with our apologies. The new nanomeds that we have created are our property, however, and I insist that we be allowed to continue their manufacture.”

Pranav Antal swiftly issued a reply:

“Any derivative nanomedicines must also be returned to us, and production must cease. Our technology cannot be used outside Utopia.”

The Interstellar Health Organisation has said that it will review the case and make a decision.

The theft of a spectacular work of art has soured New Year festivities for thousands of Federal citizens.

Kioko McGrath, culture correspondent for The Federal Times, reported:

“A colossal holo-sculpture was due to be unveiled at midnight to mark the start of 3305. Inspired by the Federal insignia, the intention was for the sculpture to be visible above Olympus Village, and seen by millions of people.”

“But upon activation, the image that materialised was a gigantic cat's face, winking repeatedly. The original holo-sculpture code was later discovered to have vanished.”

The Federal Security Service believes the culprit to be the same art thief who stole valuable works on Alioth and Eotienses A 3, both of which were marked with an identical ‘winking cat’ motif.

There are no leads at present.