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People who were recovered from the Thargoids have been flagged as potential biohazards by an Imperial medical institute.

Dr Zoe Terentia , chief researcher at Kamadhenu Medipure , published her findings in the Citizens Chronicle.

“Our analysis of abducted Imperial citizens currently in isolation has yielded disturbing results. There is clear evidence of an auto-immune response in multiple subjects. These manifest as minor physiological changes at a superficial level, which are mostly being dismissed.”

“In my professional opinion, this qualifies as evidence that these individuals have been altered in some way by the Thargoid-constructed bio-storage capsules. I recommend they all be relocated to a high-security location beyond inhabited space. Should further mutations manifest, euthanasia should be considered to prevent any chance of contamination.”

Director Ivano Colombera of the Imperial Science Academy, who acts as the Empire’s scientific liaison to Aegis, opposed this assessment:

“The life support systems in Thargoid bio-storage capsules were intrusive, and in some cases left residual scarring. We would expect human physiology to react negatively to such an invasive artificial environment, and these natural immunological responses hardly qualify as ‘mutations’. So we should not consider this a cause for alarm. Nevertheless, I agree that all returnees must stay quarantined until all necessary scientific observations are complete.”

The Imperial Herald featured related comments from Senator Caspian Leopold, another member of the delegation to Aegis:

“I concur with Director Colombera that caution must be our watchword. I’m told that those rescued from the Titans are being made as comfortable as possible, but for now they must remain isolated. I know that our stoic citizens will understand their duty.”

“Regarding this topic, Azimuth Biotech’s offer to perform scientific tests on returnees has been formally rejected by the Senate. They decided that further association with Azimuth would not be of benefit to the Empire. And speaking personally, I will not countenance letting those butchers anywhere near our people.”

President-elect Felicia Winters has vowed to defeat new legislation proposed by outgoing President Zachary Hudson.

If funded, these initiatives will establish a media standards regulator, set up a political think tank, and merge the Proactive Detection Bureau into the Federal Navy Intelligence Office. Tax rebates will also be granted to all corporations with existing government contracts.

The Federal Times approached Felicia Winters for comment:

“It’s obvious that these pro-Republican measures are being pushed through because of Jerome Archer's poor electoral performance. It would look bad for Hudson to admit that his own vice president wasn’t a popular choice of successor. So now he's giving Archer as many advantages as possible for when he becomes shadow president.”

“We aim to block these legislative changes should they go through Congress. And I personally guarantee that once I am in office, the PDB will no longer eavesdrop on every citizen’s private communications. That’s more than just an election pledge – it’s about doing what is right.”

The newsfeed also published a statement by Owen McKenna, CEO of Core Dynamics:

“Winters says that she plans to cut back on military spending. That makes no sense during wartime, but as president it’ll be her call. So, if you ask me, Hudson’s corporate tax rebates should be allowed to stand. Then at least companies who supply the Federal Navy might have a chance of remaining profitable.”

Analysis of objects and refinery compounds obtained from Thargoid spire sites has revealed a crucial connection to the Titans.

The announcement was made by Professor Ishmael Palin, who has been receiving deliveries of these materials from Pilots’ Federation members:

“Genetic commonalities between the spire compounds and Titan hull fragments have now been verified. My research suggests these surface sites have been established to harvest resources which sustain the Thargoid motherships in some way. It may be that their supplies of some vital enzymes or fuels are running low, after months of being deployed away from their home worlds.”

“To capitalise on this newfound understanding, my team has synthesised a biological contaminant based on the chemical composition of the samples. Introducing this to a spire’s processing chain can only help our efforts to disrupt their invasion plans.”

Dr Maximo Fonseca, the Alliance’s scientific liaison to Aegis, commented:

“It is important to note that Professor Palin’s work is still in the experimental phase, necessitating further testing. Large quantities of the contaminant will need to be transported to all known spires. This will be a highly dangerous mission, as the sites are aggressively patrolled by Thargoid drones and vessels.”

Aegis has expressed gratitude to everyone who provided samples from the Titans and Thargoid spire sites to Professor Palin in the Arque system. A special notice was published honouring those pilots who delivered the first and the highest number of items:

CMDR HaLfY47

CMDR M. V. Coehoorn

CMDR MAKSIMUSR

CMDR Pete Justice

CMDR Ecthelion

CMDR Tarin Tarek

CMDR Racius

CMDR Dark Session

President Zachary Hudson has announced a raft of legislation he intends to push during his last few months in office.

Political journalists have noted that many of the points would benefit the Republican Party while in opposition to the president-elect Felicia Winters administration. A press release from the Office of the Federal President listed the key initiatives currently underway:

“First: A new media standards agency will be established to regulate independently operated newsfeeds in Federal systems, to ensure local issues are presented in a format which adheres to Federal values.”

“Second: Corporations that have exclusive contracts with the Federal government will be granted significant tax rebates, on President Hudson’s executive authority.”

“Third: The Federal Navy Intelligence Office will establish a data-sharing strategy with the Proactive Detection Bureau. This will broaden the net to capture even more criminal activity.”

“Fourth: Funding will be granted for a political think tank. This will be a cross-party institute to gather ideas, strategies and research that benefits the entire Federation.”

An editorial in the Federal Free Press pointed out the potential downsides to each of these initiatives:

“First: Sol Today’s CEO Neive McFarlane is on the board of this ‘independent’ regulator, thereby ensuring local newsfeeds will have a pro-Republican voice at the highest level of oversight.”

“Second: Felicia Winters’s administration will be forced to reverse these rebates to cover the loss of tax-generated revenue, which is guaranteed to cause friction with those corporations.”

“Third: The Federal Navy could provide military-grade technology for public surveillance, to bypass legal encryption software used to protect private conversations. It is likely Winters will be furious about this proposal, given her election pledge to dismantle the PDB entirely.”

“Fourth: Outgoing Secretary of State Lana Berkovich has volunteered to act as this think tank’s congressional liaison – and assume the authority to decide which of its reports reach those in power.”

People who have been rescued from Thargoid Titans remain in quarantine, but can soon expect family visits and access to comms networks.

Aegis reported that bio-storage capsules are still being successfully extracted from the Thargoid motherships, albeit at high risk to pilots. Each revived individual has been placed in medical isolation, as per guidance from Aegis specialists.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Corcoran, who coordinates the Alliance’s involvement with Aegis, discussed the situation in a session of the Assembly:

“All abductees are being monitored for signs of Thargoid physical or mental influence. So far, I’m pleased to say, these test results remain negative. Therefore, those from Allied systems are now permitted to receive visitors, while remaining under strict quarantine conditions. They are also being granted direct access to comms and public media. I understand that Federal, Imperial and most independent authorities will shortly follow suit with their own citizens.”

Director Nassim Qadir, head of medical research at Azimuth Biotech, was quoted in a formal statement from the corporation:

“Isolating all the returnees was prudent, but they should not be treated like normal people. The Thargoids went to great lengths to capture living humans, and we have not yet determined the reason. It’s possible they are acting as carriers of an alien pathogen, or affected in some other way that Aegis’s inferior procedures cannot detect.”

“We propose that Azimuth Biotech takes exclusive control of processing all those recovered from the Titans. We have the techniques, equipment and experience in researching human-xeno interactions. Only after being subjected to an intensive battery of examinations should these subjects have their civil rights and freedoms returned.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Crazed pilots that were killing civilians in the Shamash system have been eliminated.

The local security force vessels participating in Fleet Exercise Grey Swan were exposed to an anomalous signal, which then circulated through the fleet’s networked comms. This apparently triggered a violent mania that caused them to attack passing traffic.

Captain Ulrich Maurer of the megaship Khonsu Gleam announced that an operation to eliminate the threat had concluded:

“All Grey Swan ships have now been targeted and destroyed. Though tragic, this action undoubtedly saved many thousands of lives and has brought peace to the system once more. San Tu State Network, in agreement with Shamash Future, has agreed to reimburse all independent pilots who took part. Payments are available for collection at the Khonsu Gleam.”

Shamash Future confirmed that Garrett Orbital, which was locked down due to several of its crew becoming homicidal, is now functioning as normal. The scars of the survivors may take much longer to resolve, however.

Research has begun into the cause of this event, although few details of note has been identified. One possible explanation was floated by Jaya Chaudhary, host of historical ICE-cast Ghastly Pasts:

“The horror which unfolded in Shamash bears strong similarities to the fate of the generation ship Thetis. This vessel from the 22nd century was discovered in the Nefertem system in 3303. Logs describe how its entire population turned on each other in a murderous rage, after a signal was picked up while passing an unnamed planet. This ‘whispering’ sound compelled everyone who heard it to kill on sight.”

“The Thetis phenomenon had never been encountered before or since – until now. What was once a chilling tale from the pages of history has become a sickening reality. We do not know where the signal was transmitted, how it interacts with the human mind or whether we’ll encounter it again. These questions are attractive to researchers, but uncovering any answers may prove highly dangerous.”

The rapid evolution of Thargoid barnacle matrix sites into colossal spires has sparked intense scientific scrutiny and concern as to their purpose.

Dr Maximo Fonseca, the Allied scientific liaison to Aegis, discussed recent developments in an article for The Empirical:

“There’s no doubt that these twisting, biomechanical towers are important to the Thargoids. Each site is defended by highly aggressive drones, including a new type designated the ‘Banshee’. Larger Thargoid vessels also routinely come and go, in a manner similar to ships docking with an outpost.”

“Some believe that each site is an alien city – a xenopolis, if you will – and that this marks the start of a colonisation programme. But I believe the Thargoids remain on a war footing. Either way, we are bringing together our finest xenologists to decipher their function as rapidly as possible.”

One of these scientists is Professor Ishmael Palin, who is recognised as a leading authority on the Thargoids. In a brief interview for Vox Galactica, he said:

“The construction of permanent surface structures confirms that the Thargoids have long-term plans. I’ve studied scans that indicate organic and mechanical processes taking place within each spire. My guess is they’re industrial in nature, the equivalent of our extraction factories. It’s possible they are producing or refining vast quantities of mineral substances to supply the Thargoid war machine.”

“Many pilots have already seen fit to provide me with compounds extracted from Thargoid spire sites, which has given my research an initial boost. Further samples can be delivered to Abel Laboratory or the bartender at Baird Gateway in the Arque system.”

Vox Galactica’s Jade Sanderlyn discusses the successful recovery of people from the Titans and developments at the new Thargoid spire sites.

“When Aegis announced its plans to free abductees from the Thargoid motherships, I wasn’t the only one expecting the worst outcome. Turning a core mining missile into a way to extract life-support capsules from the Titans sounded extremely risky. And even if it worked, what state would these poor people be in after such a horrific experience?”

“Much to my relief, the scheme is working. Many thousands have now been brought back to civilisation, and seem to have suffered few ill-effects. Wisely, all are being kept under strict quarantine while a battery of medical tests are run on them. But I understand that, in most cases, abductees are permitted to communicate with their friends and families - most of whom never expected to hear from them again.”

“Another surprise, albeit much less welcome, were the rapid changes observed at the Thargoid barnacle matrix sites. Intense geological activity had been registered beneath the surface, but the alien growths resisted detailed analysis. Their transformation into colossal towers several kilometres high has startled the scientific community.”

“Xenologists tell me that the emergence of these Thargoid spire sites, as they’re now classified, suggest that the aliens are putting long-term plans into place. Their actual purpose is unclear, but few believe that the outcome will be beneficial for humanity.”

“Elsewhere, resistance to the aliens remains as dedicated as ever. At the time of writing, no new invasions have been reported, and the Thargoids occupy only a third of the territory previously conquered by their fleets. Scores of once-inhabited systems still need to be liberated, but the mood among anti-xeno forces is that the tide has turned in humanity’s favour.”

“This is Jade Sanderlyn reporting for Vox Galactica. Stay safe out there.”

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Commanders have been asked to help destroy the rogue Grey Swan pilots killing civilians in the Shamash system.

Military squadrons taking part in Fleet Exercise Grey Swan became irrationally violent following an unexplained mass hysteria that swept through Garrett Orbital during a fleet training exercise. Captain Ulrich Maurer, commanding officer of the San Tu State Network megaship Khonsu Gleam, broadcast the following message:

“Shamash Future’s security forces have asked us to help stop the carnage taking place throughout this system. No medical or technological solution has been found for affected pilots, who seem reluctant to leave Shamash. Therefore, to prevent the loss of more innocent lives, there is regrettably no choice but to eliminate every ship in the Grey Swan fleet.”

“We are urgently seeking to recruit independent pilots with combat experience. Financial rewards and other incentives will be available at the Khonsu Gleam. Hopefully we can perform this unpleasant task as efficiently as possible.”

Wing Commander Mackenzie Coates was coordinating Fleet Exercise Grey Swan when a bizarre signal caused its crews to become homicidal. She told a local newsfeed:

“This is a nightmarish situation. I’m trained to deal with pirates, invaders and even Thargoids, not to hunt down my own friends and colleagues. The thought of them being turned into deranged savages… I know they wouldn’t want to live like that. But I can’t be the one to pull the trigger – there are survivors on Garrett Orbital who need my help.”

Participants are advised that the Khonsu Gleam aims to complete the combat operation by Wednesday 1st November.

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

A large naval squadron has gone rogue in the Shamash system, amid claims of widespread mental instability caused by an unknown signal.

Security forces for the Shamash Future faction were practising fleet manoeuvres, shortly before they turned their weapons against passing traffic. Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie Coates , one of the officers coordinating Fleet Exercise Grey Swan, told the media:

“All crews deployed for the exercise are now ignoring orders and attacking anything within range. The evidence we’ve gathered suggests they’re suffering from violent mania, caused by some kind of mass psychological disturbance. They are still capable of operating the ships, making them a danger to civilians.”

“Garrett Orbital outpost reported an anomalous multi-frequency signal during Grey Swan, which also broke through our primary comms network. We think it’s related to the violence Shamash is now facing, but with all the chaos we haven’t had a chance to investigate further. Garrett Orbital is now in lockdown, while security teams onboard try to contain outbreaks of aggression from affected personnel.”

A popular news program, 'Frameshift Live', was broadcasting from Garrett Orbital around the time of the fleet exercise. Disturbing footage indicates the presenters were similarly affected by this unexplained hysteria.

The San Tu State Network megaship Khonsu Gleam, present in Shamash on unrelated business, has been asked to host defensive efforts since the system lacks a starport. Captain Ulrich Maurer has agreed to remain and support Shamash Future, by organising countermeasures against the Grey Swan fleet.

Speculation have been raised that the ‘anomalous multi-frequency signal’ might be a new Thargoid weapon, or a test of experimental mind-affecting technology. However, no alien or unauthorised vessels have been detected in the system, and the signal’s origin remains unconfirmed.