Dateline Sirius 3207.312
In recent days the SSR has activated all reserves, recalled all crews
to ships and is bringing mothball ships back into service. Certain
economic measures are being taken to build up of stocks of vital materials
for public defence and plans for rationing of scarcegoods are being
brought into effect for the first time for several centuries.
On SSR worlds in Quadrant 0 movements of foreign nationals are
being restricted in secure areas such as near power plants, arms
factories and military bases.
'Imperialist diplomats and representatives' meaning those from Earth
are being ordered out the polity. Known Earther citizens are being
stopped and searched and questioned by SSR security police before
being 'encouraged to leave'. This has caused an immediate storm
of protest from interstellar corporations, many of whose executives
are Earther citizens.
Reports are also coming in of SSR security police rounding up a
number of 'undesirable aliens' who are believed to be spies or enemy
agents.
In the national media here is an expression of the grim mood -
as the Sirians seem to be preparing themselves for imminent attack
from their powerful neighbour.
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Dateline 3207.333 Sol Q0
The arrival of President Potato of the Greater Federation of Asteel
in Earth orbit for talks with First Minister Lee Zhang was greeted
with the expected pomp and ceremony - together with the gold-plated
warships of the home fleet escorting the ASS Maris Piper into docking
orbit. The President cut a colurful figure as he disembarked from
the boarding shuttle to inspect the Imperial Starship Marine Guard
of Honour, wearing the formal Hawaian shirt of a member of the Martian
Diplomatic Corps and the Official No.1 Hat of an Admiral of the
Venerian Navy (a gift from the recent visit to New Venus, it is
understood).
But the great and the good were not the only ones pleased to see
the colourful Esteeler president. Crowds of fans of Alphonse X Potato
gathered planetside to watch the arrival of 'Our Alphie' on many
giant tri-v screens. On Orbital One, the main Government orbital,
crowds of civil servants gathered in the main station assembly hall
to give the popular President a standing ovation. Potato - always
at home with adoring crowds, was in ebullient mood and gave out
signed recordings of some of his classic films.
In a short speech, the man of the hour thanked the crowd and made
tribute to the First Minister - and made a number of guarded references
to a new, forthcoming, rapprochment with the Venerian Republic.
Political observers are suggesting that Potato's shuttle diplomacy
might at last be bringing the Venerians in from the cold after over
100 years of bad odour on Earth. Of course, there are significant
elements of the Imperial body politic that has cause to distrust
the Venerian Republic - some of whom still remember the Venerian
Rebellion of a century ago.
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Dateline 3207.256 Shill, Q2
Soap star Tracy Gilber has been spotted having a romantic dinner
with Boyfriend, Mark Farmfield's best friend of 12 years.
Since the birth of their daughter last year, rumours have started
that Farmfield doubts the paternity of their daughter.
Daniel keith, "the best friend", has said to the press
today "I have had no romantic relations with Tracy Gilber and
I am 100% sure that the father of their child is certainly Mark
Farmfield" He was then asked to explain the sighting of himself
and miss Gilber which he simply replied to with "No comment".
Tracy Gilber has just ended her three year contract with soap opera
"A Place Like This" and is now hoping to pursue a career
in the music industry. She is currently recording her debut album
at the age of 23, with help of producer boyfriend Mark Farmfield.
The two working so closely together has allegedly caused a few arguments
between the couple.
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Dateline
3207.275 Claymore Q3
Over 120 people died and 300 were badly injured when the 'Cannonball'
rapid transit system express crashed on a routine transcontinental
trip. Initial crash investigations are citing materials fatigue
in the monrail track, causing a catastrophic failure on a steep
bend as the track curved round into Bonecollar Canyon (a famously
scenic part of the route.). The track failure caused the train to
hurtle at some 300 kph into the canyon floor, distributing debris
over a 10 km area.
A spokesperson for the Claymore Planetary Rescue Service said "It
was shocking - there were bodies everywhere. We were lucky that
we had a team out on exercise in the region, or the death toll would
have been much higher". Police and health and safety officials
are conducting a close investigation of the track mantenance company's
records and criminal charges cannot, at this stage, be ruled out.
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Dateline 3207.251 Ragesh
Q4
A major fusion containment failure in the main Kilomog Reactor in
the city of Jazz on Ragesh resulted in widespread devastation of the
souther suburbs. This was particulalry bad because the reactor was
sited near a major residential area, and the leak occured in the early
hours of the morning, when most people were in their homes. A 5km
blast zone completely destroyed over 1500 homes and the initial death
toll is estimated at over 3000. Commentaros are saying this is the
worst reactor incident in the history of Quadrant 4. Many governments
accross the quadrant are reviewing safety arrangments at city reactors
- particulalry around siting reactors near areas of habitation. A
spokesperson for the Centauri Fusion Energy Society - a professional
body for the fusion power industry - said "This is a very rare
occurance and everybody knows that fusion power is the safest source
of energy in the Universe. We should not take one total catatrophe
as the basis for knee-jerk reaction regarding reactors sites.".
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Dateline 3207.295 Crabston Q3
Cops have set up a massive cordon around the major city of Shawaddywaddy
on Crabston, following a daring and dramatic daylight robbery of
the Union Commerce Bank.
A gang of six or seven individuals marched into the bank and subdued
the guards, broke open the vault and made off with millions of credits
in cashchips, jewelery and negotiable bonds. Police who responded
to the raid were unable to stop the criminals and in the fighting
outside the bank, six police vehicles were destroyed and seventeen
COPs hospitalised.
A spokesperson for the police said "These criminals are exceptionally
dangerous. We urge citizens to report any sightings and to stay
well away from the gang.". Union military forces have been
drafted in to help track down the criminals - and reports are coming
in of roadblocks involving planetary guard troops. It is thought
that the criminals may have used a psychotropic gas because many
civilians reported bizarre hallucinations - one dazed bystander,
a Miss Parker (87) said: "It was unbelievable - I'm sure I
saw one of the criminals pick up and throw a police car!".
The cabinet of the planetary government met in emergency session
to discuss the crisis and all police and military leave has been
cancelled.
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Dateline 3207.266
Zen Q4
As the sun blazed across the northern continent of Zen III schools
closed and workers dressed down while the elderly and young children
were urged to drink plenty of water. In some areas the temperature
peaked at over 45 degrees - making this the hottest summer since the
colony was founded.
As temperatures soared , the heat brought people to the beaches and
into the shade, melted roads and provoked health and safety warnings.
On the roads, emergency measures were brought in to protect surfaces
with gritters spreading gravel after the asphalt began to melt. Ambulance
service bosses urged drivers in jams to stay with their cars after
crews had difficulties getting through to an accident.
Heat caused rapid transit tracks to buckle and many services cancelled.
Speed restrictions were in force on most RTS lines. Water tankers
have been drafted in to top up reservoir supplies. Planetary climatologists
are surprised by the dramatic change in climate - but are confident
that this is not a trend, merely a rare seasonal peak. |
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Dateline 3207.273 T58 Q3
Reports are comming in of a massive terrorist bomb in the main planetary
shuttle port in the new colony of T58. The struggling colony has been
beset by controversy, as it has been founded by an extreme religious
group that believes in the development of a genetic master race in
God's image. They also devout creationists and believe that they are
a 'chosen people'. This has put them in sometimes violent conflict
with groups like DAFT and it is believed that this bombing was the
action of DAFT terrorists. The destruction of the shuttle port is
likely to set the development of the colony back many years. The colony's
ruling Council Of The Wise has issued a range of new security Edicts
- especially a wide-ranging 'Homeworld Security Edict', and many offworlders
and 'suspect persons' have been rounded up and imprisoned 'pending
further investigastion' as part of these new orders. |
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Dateline 3207.299
Bon Bon Po Q2
Number 707 Reactor, suppyling power to the Cook's Landing Industrial
Zone suffered a critical containment leak and caused widespread
destruction in the industrial and commercial zone, north of the
major city of Trotterville. The catastrophic failure occured shortly
after midday, local time, when the zone was crowded with workers
and service staff, and as a result over 600 fatalities have been
reported, and nearly 2,000 seriously injured. A spokeperson for
the power company said "We are devastated by this incident
- and our hearts go out to all those families who have lost loved
ones in this terrible incident". The fusion plant in which
Reactor 707 was sited has a previously exlempary safety record.
A detailed forensic examination has started, but experts say it
might take years to determine the exact cause of the failure. Meanwhile,
Imperial planetary guard troops have been drafted in to help with
the clean up operation in the devastated region.
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Dateline 3207.272 Vorlon Q5
Concern is being expressed by local environmentalists of the damage
being done to the biological ecosphere on the western continent
of Vorlon by imported livestock. The trouble seems to have started
when Martian ranchers introduced the genetically re-engineered domesticated
Giant Short-faced Kangaroo (Procoptodon goliah). These 'Megaroos'
have proved to be a successful and popular source of meat and are
widely farmed on many Martian worlds. Here on Vorlon, many of these
creatures have escaped and the feral megaroo population has exploded
as the environment has proved particularly conducive to them. It
seems the megaroo is unpalatable to local raptors, most of whom
are too small to successfully keep 'roo numbers down. The feral
'roos have been defoliating the forests and are likely to increase
desertifaction of the previously lush Oceanic Continent. The local
government of Vorlon is having to answer requests for a planet-wide
cull. Megaroo ranchers are contesting this, and declare the environmentalists
a '''bunch of whining bleedin' heart do-gooders".
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Dateline
3207.283 Kami Q1
The poor colony of Kami is reeling after a shocking orbital accident
has put their system orbital out of action - probably for the next
two or three octants. The incident seems to have occured during
a routine merchant ship movement, when, it is alleged, a merchant
ship had a control system failure and collided with the orbital,
causing considerable structural damage and killing 28 members of
the station's crew. The independent merchant ship - the SS Featherweight
turns out to be under-insured and in breach of a number of local
ship safety regulations - the Captain and officers have been detained
and the damaged ship impounded - pending investigation. Lawyers
speaking for the shipping company are suggesting that human error
in space traffic control centre was to blame - saying that a space
traffic control system transmitted an incorrect orbital vector to
the unlucky merchant ship. Whatever the cause or who was to blame,
there is no doubt that the colony has suffered a major setback.
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Dateline 3207.268 Rok Q7
The planetary government of Rok is struggling with a major political
challenge from the political pressure group, the so-called 'New Potato
Society'. Even official opinion polls are suggesting that, locally,
the Venerian-style local government is deeply unpopular - and there
has been significant growth in pro-GFA feeling, and consequently,
Alphie Potato fan clubs. the government as been considering banning
the NPS as a subversive political party - and this has sparked a major
rift in the ruling planetary politbureau - some of who are thought
to be 'wet' on the issue. Offical media sources are playing down the
internal political rift, but expatriate sources suggest this might
even be the first nascent stage of a secessionist movement. |
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Dateline 3207.331 Njord Q0
Followers of the extreme Clewgist self-styled 'prophet' Stevie Shakewell
are claiming responsibility for a series of bombing of Martian tax
offices on Njord, causing 32 deaths and many seruious injuries. In
a recorded statement, a spokesperson for Shakewell's 'New Temple of
Clarity' sect known only as 'Sibling Brian' said "We are all
destined to ascend to perfection. The Martian authorities are servants
of Chaos and Bad Thinking and it is our duty to fight against them
by whatever means necessary." Martian COPS are reported to be
closing in on the headquaters of these religious fanatics, and expect
arrests imminently. |
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3207.337 Vladimir Q0
The planetary republican government on Vladimir is considering new
legislation to restrict the level of personal modification allowed
to the general public. This follows a growing trend on the planet
of 'Extremers' - young people undergoing very extreme genetic modification,
in many cases to cause shock and revulsion in the general population.
Many responsible citizens take the view that this youth subculture
is dangerously antisocial and even subversive. The young people
themselves say that it is variously about self expression, prtest
against the status quo, or even an art form. One member of the planetary
council, Dimitri Salakhon said "This is a disgusting habit,
and does nobody any good - I will be voting for stringent new laws
to stamp out this sort of thing".
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- from
our colonial correspondant
Referenda have been held on the following worlds: Tessla
AH and Nose Q1 have voted against joining any polity.
Carter Q6 has voted to apply for membership of the GFA.
The following worlds have decided against holding a referenda
on giving up their independence: Earharts Q3, Hot Boiler Q8
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Print this page
Thousands
Dead in Thermonuclear Disaster Dateline 3207.251 Ragesh
Q4
Freak
Heatwave Brings Continent to Standstill Dateline 3207.266
Zen Q4 
Port
Destroyed in Terror Attack Dateline 3207.273 T58 Q3
'Potatomania'
Hits Earth
"Just
Good Friends"
Police
Hurt in Massive Bank Raid
Hundreds
Killed in Containment Leak Incident 
Megaroos
Damage Ecosystem 
'Extremers'
To Be Banned?
BACK