Travellers' News Service

A service of the Travellers' Aid Society

2298 Entries

01JAN2298 (001-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: The Travellers' News Service is pleased to announce a new look to our news product. Starting this issue, we are using a new style of news presentation. Each article will now be introduced with a bold-faced summary of the date and location of the news item, with the body of the text preceded by a category identifier in capital letters. For instance, this article was posted on January 1, 2298 (01JAN2298), the first day of 2298 (001-2298). The news item originated on Terra in the Sol system (Terra/Sol). The Universal World Profile of Terra is A-867A45-D (see below for the breakdown of these standardized codes), and Sol's Terran Coordinate System is +0.0 +0.0 +0.0, meaning it is in the center of this three-dimensional Cartesian space (the unit of distance being the light-year). The article is a GENERAL news item (all categories should be fairly evident).

The UWP is an eight-character overview of the major characteristics of the planet. Using Terra for an example, we will cover the major values:

A-867A45-D: The first character is the starport rating.

A class 'A' starport is a fully developed facility providing all repair and maintenance options as well as shipyards. These major facilities are often composed of multiple orbital (highport) and dirt-side (downport) structures.

A class 'B' starport is a well-developed facility providing most major repair and maintenance services. Lesser shipyards are also usually associated with class B facilities.

A class 'C' starport is the most common facility. Its focus is more on freight and cargo handling, with repair and maintenance services limited to the most common types. There are few construction activities associated with class C facilities (with the exception of smaller shuttle and boat yards).

A class 'D' starport rarely provides much more than an orbital warehouse/cargo transfer facility and a limited downport with fuel supplies and open ship docks.

A class 'E' starport never has orbital facilities, and the dirt-side structure is usually a cleared (occasionally paved) plot of land with a transponder and unrefined fuel tanks.

A class 'X' rating means there are no starport facilities in system. The traveller is responsible for supplying his or her own fuel, or refueling from a gas giant or comet.

A-867A45-D: The first three values of the main string provide information about the physical characteristics of the planet.

The first value is the approximate diameter in units of 1600km (originally, it represented diameter in thousands of "miles," but that archaic system is no longer used); Terra is about 12800km (8000 miles) in diameter. The second value provides information about the atmosphere: A '0' indicates vacuum, a '1' indicates very thin (a few millibars), and so on; 6-7 indicate standard pressures (0.7-1.3 bars). The last digit is the approximate surface area covered by liquid, in tens of percents (water in the case of Terra). Terra is about 70% ocean.

A-867A45-D: The last three values of this string provide population information. The first value is a hexadecimal value representing the number of permanent inhabitants. Raise ten to this value to get the approximate population. Terra's 'A' indicates 10. 10^10 is 10 billion. The second value indicates the government type. Consult with other sources to get the comprehensive list of 16 government types represented. The last value is the law level (in hexadecimal). A '0' indicates no organized law enforcement. Most personal firearms are outlawed around a level of '7'. Oppressive governments have a rating of 'A' or higher.

A-867A45-D: The tech level of the world is represented by the last hexadecimal value. Terra (and many other worlds in the Confederation) is tech level 13.

05JAN2298 (005-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GOVERNMENT: President Anita MacKay announced a new major construction project today. Capitol City will be an artificial island-city in the Gulf of Mexico that will provide a central location for the Terran government facilities.

"It is time for Terrans to put the last vestiges of nationalism behind us. With Project Capitol, we will have a site for the major government buildings that does not rely on any former national facilities. Those former national capitols will now be able to concentrate on managing their districts, instead of having to support the governing of Terra as well," President MacKay said during the twenty-minute presentation.

No specific details were revealed at this press conference. The 100 kilometer diameter island will be an artificial construct with contragrav lifters to allow the island to move across the ocean's surface. Enormous parks will occupy much of the surface, although the Capitol and Senate buildings are expected to be placed near the center of the island, and numerous government offices will be in a ring near the perimeter. The actual perimeter of the circular island will house numerous hotels for visitors and residences for personnel working on the island. The president will be able to have the island relocated to any ocean in the world.

"We wanted a place for all Terrans to visit. One of the main criteria for this design proposal was the creation of the large parks and plentiful affordable hotel space, so that any Terran could visit. This island city will not become a haven for the rich and powerful," said Joseph Miller, spokesman for the Office of the President.

TAS contacted Jill MacKay, the famous daughter of the President and long-time critic of Terran politics. "Good for her. I'm glad that her new job hasn't gone completely to her head. She is still willing to think about the less fortunate, and to keep them from being completely isolated from the process."

18JAN2298 (018-2298) Mars/Sol (A-414825-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

MILITARY: The TCSS Sentinel, the first of the new Sentinel-class early warning scout ships, made its public debut in orbit over Mars today. Captain George Pliny, TC Navy spokesman for the project and the former commander of the UNSS Discovery mission to Zeta Tucanae three years ago, took a select press pool on a tour of the new ship. This reporter was among those included in the tour.

After the tour, Captain Pliny provided a brief question-and-answer session. Among other things, he listed some of the shipyards involved in production of the rest of the class of ships: Utopia Planitia Shipyards and Olympus Shipyards at Mars, and Luna Fleetyards and the TC Navy Docks over Luna. Several subcontractors will be involved in supplying major components for the ships, including DL Technologies (the computers and Greytech drives) and Ceres Boatyards in the Outworld Alliance. No Terran shipyards were included in the project, since all of them have backlogs due to the increased military orders over the last year.

19JAN2298 (019-2298) Mars/Sol (A-414825-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

ACADEMIA: The University of Ares, Burroughs, has published a new philosophical work dealing with psionics. The work, titled "Philosophy of Minds," has made a buzz in philosophical circles. Some readers have embraced the work as the definitive explanation of the nature of psionics and the universe, while others have dismissed it as "yet another wild theory by someone who has never bothered researching this field of science." H. G. Person, the author of the work, has no other published works. To date, he has refused to accept an interview, although he has responded to correspondences, including a list of questions submitted by the faculty of UAB. Currently, Person is believed to reside somewhere in the Outworld Alliance, based on the routing of his correspondence.

21JAN2298 (021-2298) Mapulto/Delta Pavonis (B-765821-D, +3.8 -6.5 -17.1)

GOVERNMENT: The Sovereign Republic of Mapulto has officially filed a name-change for Delta Pavonis 4 with the Terran Confederation. Effective immediately, DP4 is now listed as Mapulto in astrogation charts. The change was a benefit of the consolidation of power on Mapulto after the 2297 War between the Sovereign Republic of Mapulto and the People's Liberation Republic.

In addition, further details about that war have been released by the SRM government, which had maintained a news blackout and blockade during the war last year. Apparently, the PLR launched an unprovoked attack in order to try to gain control of the Sovereign Republic's superior infrastructure and resources. Although badly outnumbered, the SRM's militia concept proved successful, as everyday citizens were mobilized to bolster the small standing army of the nation. Due to the superior quality of the troops, and ample stockpiles of munitions and remote-piloted combat aircraft, the SRM managed to crush the PLR by the end of 2297 after an initial setback (due to the surprise of the attack).

The blockade has been lifted, and the Travellers' Aid Society has revoked the Amber Zone traveller's advisory in the system.

Zho Tse Hunan, the Grand Free President of the PLR, was missing after the war ended. Apparently, he managed to escape the system after his forces started quickly losing ground in the battles. Mapultian agents tracked him to the Outworld Alliance and managed to capture him in a daring operation. He is now imprisoned in an unspecified Mapultian detention facility.

29JAN2298 (029-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GOVERNMENT: A coalition of Islamic Fundamentalist organizations has filed an official protest with the Terran government alleging religious discrimination. The organization spokesman charges that the United Nations Security Council decision that placed Anita MacKay in the office of the president was illegal. A further charge claims placing a woman in charge of the Terran government violates their religious convictions. A government lawyer refused to comment on the protest.

02FEB2298 (033-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GOVERNMENT: The Terran Government released its proposed budget for 2299. Military spending continues to be a major priority, as Terra prepares for a probable war with the Invader Greys. Numerous critics, most of them recipients of Terran foreign aid who are receiving substantially reduced funding for the second consecutive year, were once again denouncing "Terran imperialism and aggression." A summary of the Terran budget follows:

Government budget: MCr17306643 (17.3 trillion credits)

Spending breakdown by major category as a percentage of total:

New Military Acquisitions: 44.2%

Civil Government operations: 25.2%

Foreign Aid: 14.2%

Research: 8.5%

Military operations (excluding growth): 7.9%

03FEB2298 (034-2298) Zeta Tucanae 2/Zeta Tucanae (E-866775-3, +9.7 +0.7 -21.2 Red Zone)

MILITARY: The Terran-Tucanae Cooperation Alliance announced today that the military downport on Neo Zealand has reached operational status. Continued work is expected to complete upgrading the facility to a class 'D' starport by the beginning of 2300. Travellers are reminded that the Zeta Tucanae system is currently under a Red Zone Travel Interdiction, due to the highly militarized nature of the traffic in-system. At present, the TTCA has decided that construction of the civilian facilities will be postponed until the Enemy Grey crisis has been resolved, although several candidate islands have been surveyed.

17FEB2298 (048-2298) Zeta Tucanae 2/Zeta Tucanae (E-866775-3, +9.7 +0.7 -21.2 Red Zone)

GENERAL: The Travellers' Aid Society has opened a branch office on Neo Zealand, the human-occupied island on Zeta Tucanae 2. The current office is in a pre-fabricated modular building at the military downport, pending the availability of construction resources expected later this year. A long-term agreement with the TTCA will provide TAS members the privileges they expect from TAS sites, including food at low cost and reduced-price hotel rooms. Current word is that TAS members will be able to enjoy these benefits at the resort site under construction on the western coast of Neo Zealand, including the Bep Amo Bar & Grill and the Botany Bay Hotel.

The Travellers' Aid Society provides numerous services to travellers throughout Terran space, including hotels and dining facilities in some remote colonies, travel advisories, and advise to immigrants. These services are offered to anyone, although non-members do not receive the substantial price breaks.

TAS membership is an exclusive privilege. To join, a person must be sponsored by a current TAS member or have been solicited to join by the TAS Board of Directors. With a one-time due of MCr1.0, the member is granted lifetime access to all TAS services, plus additional benefits including access to discount food and lodging and free first-class starship tickets six times a year. These tickets can be redeemed for cash (at the face value of Cr10000 apiece), transferred to another person, or used by the member for travel.

18FEB2298 (049-2298) Luna/Sol (A-200845-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: Stevens' Rangers, the largest authorized mercenary unit in the Terran Confederation, has announced that they expect to double in size during this year. General Jeffrey Stevens, commander of the Rangers, told reporters on Luna that demands for Stevens' Rangers' services has increased tremendously over the last year, as smaller outlying colonies try desperately to augment their defenses in advance of the expected Grey invasion. General Stevens added that the Rangers would be two augmented divisions in strength, with one of those divisions stationed on Luna until late 2299 to integrate the surge of new hires and prepare them for life with Stevens' Rangers.

23FEB2298 (054-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: A lawsuit recently settled out-of-court has brought to light a disturbing new trend in parenting. Billy "Slash" Adams filed suit against his parents and Youth Emergency Outreach Program (YEOProg). YEOProg specializes in helping parents to reform out-of-control teenagers through a combination of military-like discipline and "tough love" psychological influence. Adams, who only responds to his "handle" Slash, alleged in the lawsuit that his parents paid YEOProg to kidnap him and spirit him away to an undisclosed location off-world where he was subjected to physical and psychological torture.

Slash was a member of a cybernetically-enhanced urban gang in the Miami Beach Coastal Arcology. He had dropped out of high school last year and spent most of his time "jacked-in" to the Internet, engaging in games with his friends and occasionally attempting to break into other computers.

In the lawsuit, Slash claims that YEOProg "stormtroopers" entered his bedroom in his parents' apartment, forcibly disconnected him from his "net deck," and tranquilized him to transport him to a waiting grav taxi. From there, he was transported to the Miami Downport and shuttled off-world. When he arrived at the YEOProg compound, Slash was subjected to a humiliating full-body search and scan, stripped of his cyberpunk regalia, and placed in a drab, pajama-like uniform. His cybernetic equipment was shut off incorrectly and damaged, according to court documents, and he was subjected to nearly constant psychological torment, with staff ridiculing his cybernetic enhancements and taunting him for being less than human.

Ultimately, Slash was released from his imprisonment through court actions involving his grandparents. YEOProg spokesmen refused to comment directly on the case, but did tell the Travellers' News Service, "Our services have over a 99% success rate. We have brought hundreds of children from the brink of cybernetic hell and the gangs, the violence, and the drug abuse of that culture and reformed them and returned them to civilized life."

13MAR2298 (072-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: Construction on Capitol City started today off the coast of Corpus Christi. Dozens of buoyant construction platforms have been moved into the region over the last two months in preparation for this project. A small asteroid is in a geosynchronous orbit to provide the metals needed for the project. Construction officials expect that automated foundries will be operational on the asteroid by the end of March, with the first components of the Capitol City framework assembled by mid-April. As yet, no word has been given on when Capitol City will be completed. Several large fusion reactors have been placed on the construction platforms off-shore to provide power for the gravitics units that will be installed eventually in the Capitol City framework.

20MAR2298 (079-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

BUSINESS: kiloHertz Transportation, the largest public transportation supplier on Terra, has announced that the Southern California Arcology Metroplex has signed a new thirty-year agreement with the corporation to supply public grav transportation to the metro region. The contract calls for a continuation of public transportation services to the region.

Public transportation became popular in many of the arcology metroplexes in the late 21st Century, when the cost of grav vehicles was prohibitive for most citizens. Instead of private individuals having to purchase and maintain an expensive vehicle (or, worse, several), corporations like kiloHertz would own and maintain a fleet of vehicles of varying sizes, ranging from small two-seater grav bikes to fairly sizeable vans and transports. When an individual subscriber to the service needed to travel somewhere, he or she would call the public transportation agency and tell the agent where and when the vehicle was needed, and how many people or how large a cargo capacity was needed. The grav vehicle would travel to the designated site (using a precursor to the RoadGrid automatic control system) and pick up the customers, deliver them to the destination(s), and return to available status until the next call arrived. Subscribers paid only for the time and capacity used, similar to the way power and water were billed.

Since the early 22nd Century, few urban residents actually owned private grav vehicles. Most owners these days are either rich people using private ownership as a status symbol, or people who have a strong need to have continually-available transportation (or, people who are too impatient to wait the usual five-to-ten minutes that most public transports require to arrive at a site). While there are still a number of wheeled automobiles in private ownership, the lack of inter-city highways has substantially curtailed their use outside the metroplexes.

02APR2298 (092-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

BUSINESS: Brezhou Arms CEO Anatoli Brezhou answered charges of nepotism today during a charged shareholders' meeting.

"It is utterly false that my nephew was hired simply to provide him a high salary with no responsibility. Mikhail is a crucial component of the Brezhou Arms Corporate Counter-Espionage Security department. He and the other members of our CCE Security department all have high negative PSI ratings. As anyone who's read the latest issue of Popular Psionics knows, the topic of negative PSI ratings has finally started getting its due attention in the realm of psionics research. People such as Mikhail have a natural anti-psionic field about them, making psionic espionage nearly impossible. Mikhail and the other members of the CCE Security team surround members of upper management and the board of directors, preventing would-be psionic spies from gaining crucial business plans from our company."

Mr. Brezhou refused to provide further information about the CCE Security department, and he refused to let reporters interview his nephew, Mikhail.

26APR2298 (116-2298) Mapulto/Delta Pavonis (B-765821-D, +3.8 -6.5 -17.1)

BUSINESS: WebbTech Research, an advanced research corporation headquartered in Mapulto, will be introducing a new series of inexpensive assault rifles at the end of May. The rifle, the M42A Wyvern, will combine a basic infantry weapon (a light 7.5mm conventional rifle with a large-capacity magazine) with an under-barrel magazine-fed semi-automatic 21mm Rocket-Assisted Multipurpose Grenade launcher. A related support weapon, the M42B Dragon, will have a selective-fire RAMG launcher (semi-auto or full auto) that can accept the M42A grenade magazines or a linked ammunition belt. The M42B will also have a bipod. Both models will include a basic laser aiming sight and a rugged optic sight.

Currently, no major government has expressed interest in the weapon. However, there are rumors that WebbTech Research and the Terran-Tucanae Cooperation Alliance have been in negotiations to supply these weapons to the TTCA Marines. Informed observers expect that the TTCA Marines will adopt the weapon soon after its introduction. WebbTech representatives have not commented officially on these reports, but they have pointed out that the M42 is inexpensive and easy to field maintain, and that the short distance between Mapulto and Zeta Tucanae (two jumps) makes it simple to quickly send stockpiles to the TTCA Marines before any break in communications from external threats.

03MAY2298 (123-2298) Zeta Tucanae 2/Zeta Tucanae (E-866775-3, +9.7 +0.7 -21.2 Red Zone)

GOVERNMENT: The Grey government has announced that the Troks and Greys have reached a cooperative agreement this week. The agreement calls for the exchange of personnel and ideas over the next few years in an effort to reconcile the misunderstandings between the two cultures. The Grey Prilem and the Trok Leader appeared at the Grey capitol of Terpriwis today. They shook hands and were smiling before the press present at the event. In a related note, the Troks and the TTCA have reached an agreement to form a second TTCA Marine Battalion. This battalion will be manned exclusively by Troks who complete TTCA Marine training.

05MAY2298 (125-2298) Kimanjano/DM +34 2342 (C-868888-C, -20.8 -3.6 +14.3)

GENERAL: A traffic accident in orbit over Kimanjano today resulted in the deaths of eight people. Reports gathered by the Travellers' Aid Society reveal that a grav car being driven by a minor lost control in low orbit and collided with a passenger liner preparing to depart for Terra.

Apparently, the teen flying the grav car had received his operator's license earlier in the day. He and four other teens took the grav car into low orbit (which is against Kimanjano flight regulations) and were making dangerously close passes to several orbiting starships. The teen allegedly lost control of his craft and collided with the passenger liner Merikeye, hitting a large observation deck aboard the liner at high velocity. The resulting hull breach was responsible for the deaths of three passengers aboard the Merikeye who were unable to reach emergency pressure systems. All five passengers in the grav car were killed. None were wearing vacc suits.

Kimanjano was one of the last colonies to adopt the RoadGrid Close Orbit Extensions flight control system. Completed installation and calibration are expected by the end of the month. Officials state that the COE may not have prevented the accident, since the grav car was under illegal manual control.

07MAY2298 (127-2298) Zeta Tucanae 2/Zeta Tucanae (E-866775-3, +9.7 +0.7 -21.2 Red Zone)

MILITARY: The TTCA Marines received an initial shipment of M42 infantry weapons from WebbTech Research. Sources have confirmed that the TTCA Marines are purchasing the weapons to equip their indigenous troops. The training staff will use this initial shipment of about a dozen weapons to prepare to train the Grey and Trok Marines. While the M42s may not be the most advanced weapons in the TTCA Marines' arsenal, they will be the most common when they replace the smoothbore muskets currently in use.

10MAY2298 (130-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

BUSINESS: The latest fad in employment is the hiring of individuals with negative PSI ratings to provide anti-psionic security for corporate boardrooms. After the public revelation last month by Brezhou Arms CEO Anatoli Brezhou of the hiring of naturally anti-psionic people to provide security for the directors and managers of the company, it has become public knowledge that several corporations on Terra have anti-psionic security staff.

When asked about this trend, Texas-based Freedom Industries CEO Ross Paulson said, "Why, sure, we have some of them anti-psionics here. See that boy over there in front of the computer? He's one of them negative PSI types. We found him in a V-Rcade last week with a bunch of his friends. They all passed the psionics tests with negative ratings, so we hired 'em on the spot."

To date the Terran-Tucanae Cooperation Alliance's Psionics Corps has refused to comment on negative PSI.

23MAY2298 (143-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: The Provolutionists, a pro-cybernetic organization with a membership estimated in the tens of thousands on Terra, has released the Provolutionist Dictum, a lengthy manifesto describing their views and goals in Terran politics. According to the Dictum, the Provolutionists believe that "the pace of technological breakthrough far outpaces the evolution of humanity. Humanity must, therefore, use technology to assist the growth of the species: the installation of cybernetic components, such as direct computer-neural interfaces and augmented mechanical replacements for body parts and organs, is essential." The Provolutionists believe that any means may be needed to accomplish their goals, and they do not explicitly denounce the use of force or terrorism in this document, although a number of key Provolutionist officials stated that such methods will not further their cause in the public view.

While not technically illegal, most blatant cybernetic enhancements are not well received in Terran society. Many metroplex police agencies authorize the use of lethal force against any person who possesses obvious enhancements in a confrontation with police, due to the increasing number of weapons concealed in cybernetic limbs.

A number of noted, prominent scientists belong to the Provolutionists, including several artificial intelligence researchers in major technological institutions.

11JUN2298 (162-2298) National Democratic Republic/DM -13 544 (B-8897CE-D, +18.4 +16.9 -5.8)

GOVERNMENT: The head of the NDR, President Michael Jefferson, announced a new exchange program that would allow off-world scientists and doctors to teach and practice within the NDR.

"We feel that many scientists are well-suited to teach in our country. They share our liberal worldview, and realize that our method of governing is most appropriate for the people. Hopefully, these foreign guests will be able to share our wisdom in governing people with their home nations even as they share their scientific knowledge with us."

The NDR was founded in the early 2200's by a coalition of left-wing political parties disgusted with their inability to force their political agenda on their respective national governments. The NDR has been characterized as an insular country with oppressive police forces that routinely imprison people for the slightest infractions of the complex and convoluted laws, which fit onto two one-terabyte holodata cubes. Political analysts think this may be the first sign that the exclusionary educational system of the NDR may be failing to produce the well-educated people needed to support a technological infrastructure.

14JUN2298 (165-2298) Kimanjano/DM +34 2342 (C-868888-C, -20.8 -3.6 +14.3)

GENERAL: Alain Hotier, the son of Francis and Ilyana Hotier, has announced that he is filing a lawsuit against Blue Fleet Lines, the Kimanjano Traffic Authority, and the parents of Timothy Zanfin, the teenager who crashed a grav car into the space liner Merikeye last month. Hotier's parents were killed aboard the liner when the grav car Zanfin was piloting collided with the Merikeye and breached the viewports on the observation deck.

Blue Fleet Lines owns the Merikeye. According to documents filed with the Kimanjano Court Bureau, BFL failed to provide sufficient and proper emergency equipment to passengers aboard the Merikeye. In addition, Kimanjano Traffic Authority was named in the lawsuit for failing to properly regulate traffic in low orbit. Finally, the parents of Timothy Zanfin were named as additional co-defendants.

Hotier, a 34-year-old lawyer living in system, is suing for MCr500 in punitive and emotional damages caused by the deaths of his parents. The trial date has been set for later this year.

30JUN2298 (181-2298) Mapulto/Delta Pavonis (B-765821-D, +3.8 -6.5 -17.1)

ACADEMIA: The University of Mapulto has announced that off-world students will be accepted for the first time this fall. Previously, the university only accepted Mapultian nationals for study. However, due to the recent reduction of tensions in-system, the university's regents decided that it was no longer against Mapultian security interests to exclude foreign nationals from the university. The University of Mapulto has a reputation for turning out excellent engineers and technicians. Those students wishing to immigrate to Mapulto in order to receive a lower tuition rate will be required to spend their first year in-system in the Mapulto Army.

09JUL2298 (190-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GOVERNMENT: A government court threw out the lawsuit filed by representatives of several Islamic Fundamentalist organizations. The lawsuit alleged that the United Nations Security Council violated the law when they elected Anita MacKay as the interim Terran President. It additionally complained about the selection of a woman to head the Terran Government.

Announcing her decision to the press, Judge Catherin du Pierre said, "It is a shame that these fundamentalist organizations continue to try to force the world to comply with their views. Their own people rejected them soundly in the early twenty-first century - look at the horrible biological war that raged across the Middle East when the people of the Middle East refused to continue to accept the rule of the fundamentalist minority. The decision reached today is the only one any reasonable Terran could have reached. Women have been recognized as equals to men in civilized countries for centuries. If these organizations are unwilling to live in the twenty-third century, they are more than welcome to ship out to a world on the fringes of the Confederation and build their own version of Utopia."

20JUL2298 (201-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: RoadGrid Industries, the government-owned manufacturer of the RoadGrid automatic control systems used on all manned vehicles driven or flown in civilized space, has announced a new ACS. The new system, called SkyNet, will provide an extension to the RoadGrid system used to control traffic between a world's surface and low orbit. SkyNet will allow any vessel, including starships, to participate in a distributed traffic control operation. With this upgrade to the existing RoadGrid system, the individual RoadGrid module in a vehicle will be replaced with the self-contained SkyNet module, which includes a sophisticated distributed-processing software package that allows the individual vessels to negotiate heading and velocity changes without waiting for the centralized traffic control center.

A centralized control center will no longer be needed, since vehicles will be able to determine, on their own, which vehicle gets the right-of-way based on heading, velocity, and maneuver capability. The SkyNet module is expected to cost about three times as much as the RoadGrid module. Like the RoadGrid system, the control module is dependent on the size of the vehicle controlled.

The SkyNet system will first be fielded on Terra. After two years of refinement, it is expected that SkyNet will be required on all vehicles and starships sold in the Terran Confederation.

29JUL2298 (211-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

ACADEMIA: Researchers have concluded studies with the Icarus, the Jerome Effect Drive test platform. Early copies of the results, expected to be published next month in The Journal of Quantum Physics Research, were released to select members of the press. According to the summary, the JED, or stutterwarp, will work in large-scale applications. There were no detectable side effects on any of the plant or animal material transported to Alpha Centauri by the Icarus.

"We couldn't be happier with these results," stated Dr. Suzuki Imokaze, head of the research team. "With the information we've gathered from these tests, we can refine the JED to be a little more efficient. We should be able to fly manned missions within a year."

Researchers are starting to design a stutterwarp drive to mount on a full-sized manned starship. The drive and retrofitting work are expected to be completed by mid 2299, with tests later that year.

03AUG2298 (215-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: Several explosions ripped through neighborhoods in Key West, Florida last night. A previously unknown terrorist organization identifying itself as the "Purity Jihad" claimed responsibility for this act. A rambling statement sent to several media outlets, including the Travellers' News Service, said in part, "The conspiracy against the faithful has reached a new depth of evil. The Western Satan continues to deceive our people, and to force them to accept evil ways. We can no longer let this continue unchallenged. This act serves as a warning to those in the West who continue to try to control our lives."

Among the victims was Catherin du Pierre, the Terran judge who threw out a lawsuit from several Islamic Fundamentalist organizations last month (see TNS 190-2298). It was reported that Ms. du Pierre was vacationing in Key West at the time of the explosion. Terran Marshals believe that the attack was intended to exact revenge upon her for her decision.

15AUG2298 (227-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

ENTERTAINMENT: The hottest VR software on the market in the first half of this year is Grey Menace. Loosely based on the UN operations against the Enemy Grey Lunar base and asteroid base, this immersion software allows multiple players to work their way through a base full of death ray-armed Enemy Greys. Players can cooperate on clearing the bases, or they may fight on opposing human teams or mixed human-Grey teams to change the outcome of the missions. Critics of entertainment violence point out that allowing players to fight against humanity in this video game truly destroys the morals of society and helps further the dissolution of humanity.

22AUG2298 (234-2298) Kimanjano/DM +34 2342 (C-868888-C, -20.8 -3.6 +14.3)

GENERAL: The Terran Confederation Scout Services has announced a new planetary survey mission to explore the Beta Canum Venaticorum system. Early surveys of the system found a rich world in the biosphere of the star, a G2V similar to Sol. A cursory sensor mapping of the surface turned up no obvious signs of civilization, but the world surface definitely appeared to host a rich biomass. The TCSS Discovery, recently refitted and repaired after its maiden voyage to Zeta Tucanae 2, is expected to ship out within six months to commence the survey. At present, none of the original crew of the Discovery are expected to join this flight.

04SEP2298 (247-2298) Mapulto/Delta Pavonis (B-765821-D, +3.8 -6.5 -17.1)

ACADEMIA: The University of Mapulto is facing a severe housing shortage this year for incoming freshmen. University officials have stated that enrollment is up 15% this year, since the University started accepting foreign students. The University campus, located fifty kilometers south of Mapulto Downport, the main dirtside starport complex, houses 40,000 students. Even with some temporary housing arrangements on campus, 3,000 additional students are being housed temporarily at several downport-area hotels. Shuttle services have been arranged to provide around-the-clock transportation for those students needing to travel to the campus. Mapultian voters have authorized the Mapulto Army to assist several private contractors in building additional housing facilities near the campus.

12SEP2298 (255-2298) Mapulto/Delta Pavonis (B-765821-D, +3.8 -6.5 -17.1)

SPORTS: The Mapultian Ministry of Entertainment and Diversions announced today that AFWAR, the Association of Fixed-Wing Aerospace Racing, has agreed to add Mapulto to its annual race circuit. This addition increases the number of annual AFWAR races to eight. The race circuit has not been defined yet, but will include a fuel stop in the former PLR capitol of Freedom City and at least one temporary airstrip on one of the unpopulated continents. AFWAR races ancient 21st Century fixed-wing hypersonic jet aircraft. These aircraft use obsolete propulsion systems that require frequent stops for fuel.

15SEP2298 (258-2298) Beowulf/DM +46 1797 (B-75A621-D, -13.7 -2.1 +14.3)

ACADEMIA: Beowulf University scientists announced plans to send a mission to Arcturus within five years. This mission will be a stellar research mission to study one of the brightest stars in the neighborhood of Terra. The red giant has long been a subject of curiosity, and the BU scientists are pleased that the Terran Confederation readily accepted their grant proposal.

01OCT2298 (274-2298) Mars/Sol (A-414825-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

MILITARY: The TCSS Sentinel completed her shakedown cruise this week, having completed several jumps to neighboring systems and engaging in live-fire tests in the Sol Asteroid Belt last month. Captain George Pliny, TC Navy spokesman, confirmed that the new Greytech thrusters performed better than expected, and that the Chameleon Ultrablack hull and other stealth features will make this class of starships darker than space itself. The Sentinel crew will next fly the ship to Zeta Tucanae for final tests and deployment orders along the expected threat axis. Additional ships of this class will be entering service twice a month during the next four years, and the first five crews have completed simulations training. The Sentinel class ships cost about MCr7000 apiece.

09OCT2298 (282-2298) National Democratic Republic/DM -13 544 (B-8897CE-D, 18.4 16.9 -5.8)

GOVERNMENT: The National Democratic Republic has closed its borders today after a shootout just outside the starport gates. According to sketchy reports, several Terran Marshals had pursued terrorists involved in the Key West bombings earlier this year (215-2298) to a safe house in the NDR. The terrorists reportedly opened fire with automatic gauss weapons, and the Marshals returned fire. One marshal was killed and three injured during the exchange. NDR state police arrested the Marshals for violating numerous weapons laws. Terran diplomats immediately filed protests, claiming that Terran Confederation Marshals have jurisdiction agreements in place with the NDR that permit them to be armed within NDR borders. There has been no word about casualties to the terrorists.

30OCT2298 (303-2298) 82 Eridani 4/82 Eridani (C-86068D-C, +9.5 +11.2 -13.9)

ENTERTAINMENT: The Hong Kong Cavaliers wrapped up the Sirius Arm of their Confederation tour today with a sold-out performance in Eridani Park. A crowd of over 100,000 people filled the park for the four-hour concert by the most popular band in the Terran Confederation. A band spokesman announced that the Cavaliers were next travelling down the Serurier Arm to visit the King and Delta Pavonis systems. He refused to comment on the recent rumors of a planned free concert for the service men and women in Zeta Tucanae during that arm of the tour.

03NOV2298 (307-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GOVERNMENT: The Terran government announced a new major development project today. The Terran Ring Project will connect the numerous space elevators sprouting from Terra with a ring in geosynchronous orbit. This five kilometer wide ring will completely surround Terra at the equator, providing several hundred thousand square kilometers of living space, work space, recreation parks, and so forth.

The occupied spaces of the ring will be oriented so that "up" is toward Terra, providing opportunities for incredible overhead views of Terra from anywhere within the Terran Ring. Other regions of the Terran Ring will be dedicated to industry and warehouse space (primarily near the space elevator termini). Materials for the ring will be extracted from asteroids maneuvered into high orbits specifically for this project.

Once the project is under way, the volume of space between geosynchronous orbit and the surface will be closed to most traffic. Docking facilities for non-atmospheric space craft will be provided on the Terran Ring, while atmospheric craft will require special permits and be equipped with the soon-to-be-fielded SkyNet traffic control system to enter the controlled space.

12NOV2298 (316-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GOVERNMENT: The Terran Government has announced that the new SkyNet traffic control system is now available for new vessels. Upgrade modules will be released later this week for retrofitting to vehicles currently fitted with the RoadGrid TCS. The Terran Government also announced that, as of 01JAN2299 (001-2299), all vessels operating below geosynchronous orbit will be required to have an operating SkyNet module.

01DEC2298 (335-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GOVERNMENT: As part of the response to the population problem of Terra, the Terran Government has announced Project Exodus. This project will provide incentives to Terrans willing to leave the planet to settle one of the several unpopulated worlds along the various travel routes between Terra and the outlying colonies. Enormous Arks currently under development in-system will provide relocation to those Terrans who join this program. These million-passenger behemoths will carry all of the supplies needed to start a new colony, even on environmentally hostile worlds.

Critics of this expensive program point out that there is no way that this program can relocate enough people to stall the current 600 million+ person per year growth rate of Terra, and that President MacKay must act now to slow growth to below its current 4% annual growth rate.

04DEC2298 (338-2298) Zeta Tucanae 2/Zeta Tucanae (E-866775-3, +9.7 +0.7 -21.2 Red Zone)

MILITARY: The TCSS Sentinel, the first of the fleet of early-warning surveillance starships commissioned for the Terran Confederation Navy, arrived in-system today. The crew is expected to stay in the Zeta Tucanae system for the next two weeks to practice observation and evasion tactics against TCN warships before receiving final deployment orders.

07DEC2298 (341-2298) Kimanjano/DM +34 2342 (C-868888-C, -20.8 -3.6 +14.3)

GENERAL: The much-publicized trial started today between Alain Hotier and several defendants. Hotier filed suit on 165-2298 against Blue Fleet Lines, Kimanjano Traffic Authority, and the parents of Timothy Zanfin, the teenager who crashed his family's grav car into the Blue Fleet Lines' Merikeye starliner. Hotier, a lawyer who is representing himself in this trial, is seeking MCr500 in punitive and emotional damages from the defendants. Court watchers are interested in seeing whether the Kimanjano Court Bureau will rule against the government of Kimanjano.

20DEC2298 (354-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

MILITARY: The Terran Navy has announced plans to build a major Naval Depot facility in the Alpha Centauri system. That system, currently unoccupied except for the Stellar Research Foundation space station, will house the Terran Naval Academy, the Terran Marine Command Center, and the support, maintenance, and construction facilities needed for the Terran Navy. Travel in and out of the system will be restricted with the exception of ships supporting the SRF station.

21DEC2298 (355-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: The Capitol City construction project off the coast of Corpus Christi suffered a significant setback this morning when a grav van packed with explosives crashed into a construction platform and exploded. One of the large fusion reactors was severely damaged, and a dozen workers are missing and presumed dead. Project spokeswoman Brenda Smith met with reporters this afternoon.

"We received an anonymous e-mail from the 'Purity Jihad' at noon, local time, claiming responsibility for this action. Apparently, we haven't heard the last from these terrorists. We regret the loss of those construction personnel today, and we will miss them. On a positive note, our engineers report that construction will not be significantly delayed."

The Purity Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombing of Key West, Florida, earlier this year. Terran Marshals tracked the terrorists to a safe house in the National Democratic Republic in October, and in the ensuing firefight managed to kill several of the terrorists. The NDR arrested the Marshals, and negotiations to secure their release have been ongoing.

30DEC2298 (364-2298) Terra/Sol (A-867A45-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

GENERAL: A protest march in the Tokyo Arco Complex turned violent today. The peaceful march organized by the pro-cybernetics Provolutionists movement wound through several of the arcology complexes today, calling for a change in Tokyo Urban Authority policies towards cybernetically-enhanced individuals.

Before the march, Provolutionist Akagi Hirohito said, "It is wrong that cyber-humans are not accorded the same rights as mundanes. Police in the Tokyo region are permitted to fire upon us simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time! This treatment must stop!"

During the march, Tokyo police lined the streets. At some point, according to Tokyo police officials, someone in the crowd opened fire on police. The police responded with riot control gases, but few of the enhanced individuals were affected. Several members of the crowd rushed the police, revealing previously-concealed blades that extended from their wrists. Police responded per standing orders with lethal force. The situation degenerated from there, with members of the Terran Army called in to support the police.

Tokyo Arco Complex officials criticized the Provolutionists, pointing out that "these cyberpunks do not practice what they demand us to do. They tell us that we are wrong for authorizing lethal force against resisting cybernetically-enhanced individuals, yet they attack the police with lethal, illegally concealed weapons. These Provolutionists have done far more harm to their cause today then they could have ever helped it."

At last report, approximately one to two hundred protesters were killed or injured, and thirty to forty police were killed or wounded.

31DEC2298 (365-2298) Mars/Sol (A-414825-D, +0.0 +0.0 +0.0)

ENTERTAINMENT: The Hong Kong Cavaliers played in yet another sold-out venue today as they brought their unique brand of late-Twentieth Century retro-rock music to the people of Burroughs. The Hong Kong Cavaliers performed in the historic Burroughs Arena, where the United Nations officially recognized the Declaration of Freedom in 2141, ending the bloody Martian fight for independence. The concert was holo simulcast to an overflow crowd in the nearby Freedom Park. Band members seemed to look forward to a brief break in their rigorous schedule before travelling the Serurier Arm to visit King and Mapulto.