TNS Breaking News

[rancke]

Rhylanor/Rhylanor (2716 A434934-F)
2 jumps

:alpha: A shuttle on its way up into orbit was yesterday forced to turn around and perform an emergency landing because 72 farting porkers — a genetically enhanced species of meat animal derived from Terran pigs, but weighing about 800 to 900 kg apiece — activated the shuttle’s fire extinguishers. The shuttle was also carrying about 300 people when the porkers’ urine, stomach gas, and body heat created a crisis in the stratosphere. 15 award-winning pedigree porkers were asphyxiated when the cargo hold’s automatic fire extinguishing system went on. A member of the crew later described the resulting smell as ‘indescribable’.


Regina/Regina (1910 A788899-C)
Any date

:alpha: A poll conducted by the Regina Defense Academy shows that Reginan interest in the military has grown over the last six years. It is mostly support for Reginan involvement in interstellar peace missions that is on the rise. The public support for Reginan participation in interstellar operations has grown from 85% in late 1113 to 92% in the poll from Tenmont 1119.

:alpha: Professor of Statecraft Heurtel Berlin thinks that the reason for the great support is a high degree of engagement in interstellar affairs. »The population of Regina is very interested in interstellar events and is willing to support worthwhile causes far away from Regina«, says the professor. »Apart from that, the average Reginan does not consider military threats to be something that is likely to affect Regina«, he continues.

:alpha: The professor explains the slightly lower support in 1113 as due to war weariness following the 5th Frontier War. While the Zhodani restricted their attacks on Regina during the war to a few unsuccessful bombardment raids, Reginans sent off many thousands of their children to fight elsewhere and the war effort caused a lot of personal deprivation worldwide.

Explanation about the dates for these two newsbriefs. Everything I've posted was originally written for a campaign "newspaper". These last two were never sheduled for publication, so I never assigned any date to them. 'Two jumps' means that it should be dated two weeks (give or take) before the date I put it into the paper. 'Any time' should be self-explanatory once I say that the campaign was set on Regina.​

Hans

 

[Blue Ghost]

Hader's World/Deneb
1113-225

:alpha: Sketchy but voluminous reports over a year old of strange pulsar activity stemming from Listanaya are just now reaching the Imperial border. Vargr traffic in the far reaches of the extents has attracted and repelled adventurous research teams of all sorts. Speculation abounds with every type of notion of what might be causing the phenomenon; black holes, formation of a new sun, and many others are being bandied about as Imperial Universities seek security personnel with proper credentials and backgrounds to escort their teams deep into Vargr space.


Emape/Five Sisters (0103) B564500 B N
1113-225

:alpha: Reports are just reaching Imperial space from his majesty's outlying colonies in both the Vanguard Reaches and the Beyond sectors, regarding harassment of shipping by unidentified vessels of unknown configuration. Reports are thought to be an accidental data dump of one report getting mixed up with another, as reports of vessels moving at incredible speeds and picking apart starship hulls have been initially ignored.

:alpha: Verification of a new intruder was received by reports from various defense flotillas, including a squadron of Banshee class long range attack craft which routinely patrol the outer edges of most Imperial held systems. One such report shows what's been dubbed a "manta" like object with a number of lights and portals attaching itself to vessels. Sometimes said target vessel receives only minor damage, other times said vessel is literally taken apart weld for weld. No pattern has yet been discerned in what is being characterized by local naval authorities as "encounters". Local commerce is calling them "attacks", and is demanding action be taken by either duchy or Imperial forces.

:alpha: A flight of Banshee fighters have engaged a recently reported "manta" vessel. Of a flight of five, two fighters survived to tell the tale. The intruder craft suffered no damage.

OOC; p.s. a lot of these are fantastic. Keep writings guys.

 

[Blue Ghost]

21-1102

Efate/Spinward Marches

:alpha: Reports of a catastrophic planet wide atmospheric poisoning on the Alphan Federate, a solitary world often used as a go between meeting place between Zhodani and Imperial emissaries in the Spinward Marches, is requesting disaster relief from all quarters. The chief executive of the Federate Counsel is taking public tours of various areas of his world that are suffering the most dense poisoning. Atmospheric scrubbers are said to be needing re-calibration and working over time to reconstitute the natural air. The source of the poisoning is unknown, but speculation of a subterranean network of gas pockets has not been ruled out. Several unofficial sources, not wanting to be identified, are claiming both Imperial and Zhodani tampering with an Ancient cite some fifty to one-hundred kilometers beneath the world's surface. More bulletins as events warrant...

 

[robject]

Knorbes/Regina (1807 E888787-2) 020-1111

:alpha: Traces of bone, believed to belong to the pyramid builders, were found in a tomb near the Ikukilagam dig site on Wonday. Imperial archaeologists discovered a new set of tombs belonging to the extinct worker sophonts who built the great structures, shedding light on how the laborers lived and ate more than 40,000 years ago.

mega:

 

[far-trader]

Fulacin/Rhylanor (2613 A674210-D)
Date: 014 - 1110


:alpha: The SPA today reported that a pack of wild groats popped under a fence onto a stretch of the downport field shutting it down for hours.

:alpha: On Sixday at about 02:30 the groats apparently dug under a fence designed to keep them and other wildlife off the downport field. The SPA closed the port but were unable to locate the groats, even with the help of neural activity sensors.

:alpha: The downport was reopened after three hours when it was believed that the groats had left on their own accord.

mega:

 

[far-trader]

Fulacin/Rhylanor (2613 A674210-D)
Date: 014 - 1110


:alpha: A medical emergency response team, including local xenomed specialists, were called out early this morning to the Vargr embassy starship visiting at Fulacin downport. Initial reports were of a mass poisoning attempt against the personnel aboard. It now appears foul play has been ruled out.

:alpha: The medical team reports it was simply a case of extreme indigestion by all aboard. "It looks like they had quite a party and simply overdid it. The remnants of the feast aboard looked like they had a huge quantity of fresh meat. Our first suspicions of the actual problem grew even before we boarded, there were several empty crates of beer on the tarmac, delivered from a local outlet just hours before. The cargo hold was a mess. Vargr everywhere in extreme discomfort, amid empty bottles, gnawed bones, and several half eaten herbivore carcasses. Frankly the place, well, I'm glad we were in full hazmat suits. There were a few minor injuries, looked like horn scrapes and impales but those had already been treated by their onboard medical staff."

:alpha: The Vargr are reported to be recovering after a regimen of antacid and treatment for mild alcohol poisoning. They have withdrawn their original charges of attempted poisoning. Several hazardous waste trucks were seen hosing and pumping out the cargo hold.

mega:

 

[Whipsnade]

Dan,

Hazmat suits?

You owe me a new keyboard!


Regards,
Bill

 

[rancke]

Fulacin/Rhylanor (2613 A674210-D)
Date: 014 - 1110

Fulacin has a commercial outlet?


Hans

 

[robject]

Fulacin has a commercial outlet?

A beer outlet, apparently.

 

[Whipsnade]

Porozlo/Rhylanor (2715 A867A74-B)
Date: 230 - 1114


:alpha: A duchy investigation has cleared Torobuzo's President Nacio Hsiu of involvement in the murder of a prominent advocate, Offo Quoyle. Mr Quoyle, who died on 079 - 1113, had warned in a video that he would be killed on the orders of the president. Now duchy investigator Sir Cesar Wemyss says Mr Quoyle ordered his own assassination. He added that the lawyer's own cousins carried it out without knowing Mr Quoyle was the intended victim.

:alpha: He was shot dead days after recording a video saying the president was out to kill him, and would be responsible if he were found dead. Investigators now believe that Mr Quoyle asked cousins of his primary wife to help him contact a hitman. He then fed information to his killers, using a second mobile phone to leave himself threatening messages. The planetary news service Porozlo Global Record says he was distraught over what he claimed were murders and money-laundering by the president and his aides. The news service adds that he may have planned his own death to topple the government. The intermediaries in the killing have been in custody since last year while the actual hitmen are thought to have left the planet within hours of Quoyle's death.

:alpha: Mr Hsiu has always denied any involvement in the killing. He suggested that both the murder and the video were a reaction to his attempts to tackle organized crime. The investigation was carried out by a commission from the duchy's diplomatic service. The commission was created in 1107 to assist the government in tackling widespread corruption in the country.


mega:

 

[Whipsnade]

Gents,

As a way to show just how easy it is to write TNS items and thus the adventure seeds good TNS items produce, here is the original article that suggested the item I wrote for Post #30. It's from the BBC's online news service.

UN probe clears Guatemala leader

A UN investigation has cleared Guatemala's President Alvaro Colom of involvement in the murder of a prominent lawyer, Rodrigo Rosenberg.

Mr Rosenberg, who died last May, had warned in a video that he would be killed on the orders of the president.

Now UN investigator Carlos Castresana says Mr Rosenberg ordered his own assassination.

He added that the lawyer's own cousins carried it out without knowing Mr Rosenberg was the victim.

He was shot dead days after recording a video saying the president was out to kill him, and would be responsible if he were found dead.

Investigators now believe that Mr Rosenberg asked cousins of his first wife to help him contact a hitman.

He then fed information to his killers, using a second mobile phone to leave himself threatening messages.

'Distraught'

The newspaper The Guatemala Times says he was distraught over what he claimed were murders and money-laundering by the president and his aides.

The paper adds that he may have planned his own death to topple the government.

Mr Colom has always denied any involvement in the killing.

He suggested that both the murder and the video were a reaction to his attempts to tackle organised crime.

The investigation was carried out by the UN agency known as the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).

The commission was created in 2007 to tackle widespread corruption in the country.

I found the story, picked a planet, changed a few names and places, and after a few minutes writing had myself a spanking new adventure seed. Believe me, the process is so easy even I can do it.


Regards,
Bill

 

[fridge]

Believe me, the process is so easy even I can do it.

Except you left a Rosenberg in your #30 post.

 

[Whipsnade]

Except you left a Rosenberg in your #30 post.

Fridge,

Thanks and fixed!


Regards,
Bill

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

I'll give it a try...

Regina/Regina

≡ The IISS scout cruiser Normal Victory has failed to return from an extended survey and is presumed missing. Its crew of five was making detailed planetary surveys along the Imperium-Zhodani border. A Naval task force has been dispatched along the Victory's planned route.

≡ Imperial Navy Command has issued a RED ZONE interdiction for the system P3X-464. Unauthorized vessels jumping in to this system will be seized and their crews detained until further notice. Those who fail to heave to and be boarded will be fired upon by Imperial Navy vessels.

≡ Professor Gault has been granted emergency leave following the re-activation of his Naval commission. Vice-Admiral Jon Jay Gault has, for the last 17 years, been chair of the Ancients Studies Department at Regina University. His most recent paper involved a translation of the Laarnisha Cartouche, which gave account of an epic battle between opposing Ancient forces over 300,000 years ago. No explanation has been given for his recall into military service.

Ω

 

[rancke]

≡ Professor Gault has been granted emergency leave following the re-activation of his Naval commission. Vice-Admiral Jon Jay Gault has, for the last 17 years, been chair of the Ancients Studies Department at Regina University.

Would that be the University of Regina, the Imperial University of Regina, or the St. Regina University?


Hans

 

[fiat_knox]

Would that be the University of Regina, the Imperial University of Regina, or the St. Regina University?


Hans

Broken links now fixed.

Just so you know, there's a RL University of Regina:-

University of Regina

 

[robject]

[...]P3X-464[...]Cartouche[...]

Sounds vaguely Stargate-like...

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

P3X-464 parses into:

P = Planet (M = Moon of a planet)
3X = An entry in an otherwise undisclosed binary-based catalog (0011001101011000)
4 = SIZ
6 = ATM
4 = HYD

Odd how the environmental digits coincide with those of an 'ideal' Droyne world and certain Ancient worlds, as well...

 

[Whipsnade]

P3X-464 parses into:

P = Planet (M = Moon of a planet)
3X = An entry in an otherwise undisclosed binary-based catalog (0011001101011000)
4 = SIZ
6 = ATM
4 = HYD

Odd how the environmental digits coincide with those of an 'ideal' Droyne world and certain Ancient worlds, as well...

Keklas,

I like that very much. Care to stat out some other, more famous worlds in the same manner? Worlds like Regina, Sylea, Terra, and so forth?

We see Third World nations changing their names every time some gets shot or when they need to sell new stamps. OTU world names should change over 5,000-plus years, so the IISS might find it helpful to have permanent "catalog" names.


Regards,
Bill

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

... Care to stat out some other, more famous worlds in the same manner? Worlds like Regina, Sylea, Terra, and so forth?

I'm already working on an article (possibly two) covering this topic for Jeff. Some of the more 'popular' worlds may not be included, while the inclusion of some worlds may raise questions. Of course, it will be based on events IMTU, so much of it has little to do with canon.