COMMUNITY GOAL PROGRESS REPORT

Firstly – after yesterday’s report of the Canonn busting through the first major milestone on the path to building Dr Arcanonn’s new Research Lab, the drive for Palladium soon burst through the 100,000 tonnes milestone.

At the time of writing, (updated 14th March) it has now exceeded 200,000 tonnes, with Black Market facilities being unlocked. The next milestone is expected to be around the 400,000 tonne mark – which is our ultimate goal, and there’s a strong chance we could achieve it if the rate of mining continues at the same rate that it has this past couple of days.

What an astonishing achievement by all pilots taking part!  Thank you so much on behalf of the Canonn!

I wanted to bring you another interview with our friendly construction site manager (see yesterday’s report), but unfortunately he’s having to deal with some paperwork following the breakdown of his marriage. He’s promised to make himself available as soon as he can, though.

The current projections suggest that the project could reach its fourth milestone before the end; and although everybody is telling me that it will require a consistently herculean effort to do so, they feel certain that this community has what it takes.

LOCAL FACTION SPLIT

This time I bring you a local interest story about the local factions in Varati and COL SECTOR 285 IX-T D3-43: The Varati Independent Union, Varati Ring, Varati Blue Public and Labour of Varati. These guys have been involved with the same people who coerced Dr Arcanonn’s assistant, Socha Korbemile, into betrayal (and more besides – more on that soon), with Ursula Le Clarke, of the Varati Ring, as the main contact. It seems, however, that our construction project has caused a serious rift in their ranks.

For those of you new to my news reports, I have a state-of-the-art application running in terminals and embedded systems throughout Varati and IX-T D3-43 called ‘NoSecrets’, which allows me to snoop on various communications between practically anyone. Usually, they’re in the form of emails, but I recently purchased a new module – on authority from CSO De Rosa – which allows me to snoop on chat applications.

Earlier on today – it captured this DiploChat session, that turned out to be between top officials within these other local factions.

I think you’ll enjoy it: turns out that three of the Canonn’s enemies are actually helping us achieve our goal!

==+ NoSecrets v2.1.0 Log. License expires 17th Feb 3303. +==
==+ [1041756728287592993] > Packet snoop established. MULTICAST GUDP Packet stream identified. +==
==+ [1041756728287593010] > qTLS Tap OK, Auth: PSK, Cracking... Done (600ns) +==
==+ [1041756728287593016] > Key: 0x77656172657468656D6F76657273616E647368616B657273 +== 
==+ Eve (v1.2.7701) is in the house +==
==+ Diplochat (v1.0.3202 Alpha) Stream detected, 4 participants +==
'VR': [CSO Ursula Le Clarke (Varati Ring)|NFA|Type 6 Freighter "Arthur's End"]
'VIU': [CSO Arthur Guin (Varati Independent Union)|Napier Depot|Varati]
'VBPu': [VP (Operations) Philip Reynolds (Varati Blue Public)|Kagan Vision|COL 285 SECTOR IX-T D3-43]
'LoV': [Secretary of State Simmons Hamilton (Labour of Varati)|Keyes Landing|Varati]
Topic: Omnishambles
[0:00:00]
VR: Gentlemen...
VBPu: Ursula

[0:00:50]
LoV:  Is this thing on?
VR: Fates, Simmons - this isn't voice comms, you dolt.
LoV: Oh sorry.

[0:01:16]
VR: Arthur? Not going to say hello?
VIU: Sorry, still laughing about our 1 day war.  You very nearly took *one* of our ships.  Fortunately I was able to cover the cost of repairing the paintwork out of my own pocket.
VR: Yeah, well, laugh it up douchebag... Turns out all the pilots I had were desk jockeys with bleached teeth and special hair.  Thought fighting real ship-to-ship combat was like playing a goddamn simulation.  I'm told one of them even reached for a bloody 'reset' button on the console just as his ship was frying.  Ended ejecting prematurely - probably not for the first time in his life.

[0:01:55]
VR: I've left him floating, pondering his pointless existence, though not before getting a limpet to slap a big sign on his escape pod with the words 'Please do not collect till 3402 - Monk on 100 year meditation'.   And I had any that survived, executed.

[0:02:27]
VBPu: Really, Ursula, that's a bit childish.  And draconian.
VR: Draconian?  I tell you what's bloody draconian - bunking up in an asthmatic Type 6, piloted by a commander with a lazy eye and only a canister of fish for anything close to intelligent company - that's what!
LoV: Lol
VIU: Lol, yeah, sorry about that Ursula.

[0:02:59]
VBPu: So...  What can we do for you?  And while I'm at it, the VBPu board are wondering why it is that you're still treated as a big 'fish' when your influence is so low in both Varati and IX-T D3-43?  Nothing personal, but I have to ask...
VR: Simple, really: I'm the only one with any balls, boys - we all know that.  We Ringers are anarchists - free to do what we want, when we want.  The rest of you are all so tied up with red tape you look like an advert for some S&M-fetishists' knocking shop.
VIU: That's as maybe, but *we* all have outposts and stations; you don't.
VR: Puh-lease gentlemen, you've been shafted by the Canonn just as much as we have.  Stations? Outposts?  The only way your pilots can visit anything like your respective 'seats of power' is to buy a Planetary Approach Suite!
LoV: She does have a point there.
VIU: Two words: 'Type Six'
VR: ... think you're funny Arthur?  Check the ship's name ;)

[0:04:32]
VR: ...and it's no wonder a bunch of anarchists like us don't hold any territory, anyway - the truth is we can't organise a Lavian Brandy binge in Lave, for fate's sake.  I know this, we all know this - but it's the way we roll.
LoV: Sorry I'll be back in 5 mins.
VBPu: Oh don't get me wrong, Ursula - I'm happy to deal with you.  But, yeah, anyway - the reason you've 'summoned' us?
VBPu: Damn. brb too.

[0:05:02]
VIU: Hey look Ursula - Philip and Simmons are getting a room ;)
VR: Yeah - they're scrapping in Varati aren't they.  What are they fighting over?  A rock on A 4 A?
VIU: Timeshare in the communal toothbrush, I heard.
VR: Ha!

[0:08:31]
LoV: Back
VBPu: Back
VIU: [snigger]
LoV: @VBPu - they're mocking us, Philip.
VBPu: Whatever.  Anyway - Ursula, get to the point.
VR: Okay, well: got a message from our mystery sponsor and they're none too happy:
[Attachment from VR: msg.txt]

[0:09:45]
VIU: Oh dear - yeah they're not happy at all are they?  At least they don't know who grabbed that device snapshot.  Definitely wasn't me.
VBPu: Subtle, @VIU.  Getting a bit tired of this guy, you know, Ursula.  Did we bite off a bit more than we could chew when we agreed to work for them?  I mean - they're obviously deranged: they killed Korbemile's mother and father for no good reason.
LoV: Can't help thinking the same thing to be honest.  Present war between us notwithstanding.
VR: Forget the stupid religious nut jobs!  I'm more interested in the fact that you three are actually helping our sworn enemy by bringing Palladium to Thompson Dock so they can build this station of theirs!
VBPu: I did say last time that we can't ignore a good business opportunity, Ursula.  The clue's in the political setup here: Corporation.
VIU: Yeah - and we figured that after junking so much of our fleet, we might as well get some money out of the Canonn to help rebuild it.  So what if they get a new station all to themselves?  We reckon we can take it if we needed or wanted to.  At the moment while we're down on the planet surfaces nobody seems to bother us.
LoV: Well, we had a vote
VR: Oh seriously LoV - you're democrats - so of course you had a vote.  You'd have a vote to decide whether you're going to escape a station in meltdown.  And someone would still try to filibuster.
LoV: Just saying - it was 85/15 in favour of cashing on the increased Palladium price, so we're duty-bound.
VR: [smacks head on canister of fish] Feckless, all of you.  This new research lab in IX-T D3-43 is going to be Arcanonn's new home.  They'll have full control from day one, state of the art facilities, and everything he needs to bring as many UAs and Meta Alloys as he wants to work on.  Do you really want that on your doorsteps?
VBPu: Listen, Ursula - we all know this already, and after what the Canonn has done to us all over the last few months, none of us will ever be supporters of the man - but there are two arguments here: 1)  We have to accept we're all really minor factions now.  The people see how the Canonn operate, and they want in.  It's almost like trying to oppose Hudson.
VIU: ...and 2) If it wasn't Dr Arcannon and his boffins doing it - it'd be Palin anyway.  And when it comes to that waste of skin and organs, I'm with the guy that's running the construction of the new station: he's dangerous, and an idiot.

[0:11:25] 
VR: So you're all basically saying 'Canonn FTW' then.
LoV: Yeah.
VIU: Yup.
VBPu: Yeah, pretty much.  We're not on the same side, but it's better the devil you know.
LoV: Wait - what does 'FTW' mean?
VR: 'Found the waterbiscuit'
LoV: Oh.  Then no.
VR: Seriously?
LoV: I don't know - this stuff is all still new to me.  Before I became a democrat I worked as a traditional renaissance technology-less farmer growing Varati Beets.
VR: Lovely.  I could care more.

[0:12:51]
VR: Well, that's great anyway - thanks guys.  They pushed through their second milestone last night and are now well over halfway towards the third.  By the time it's over I reckon they'll have a tooled-up science station that'll become a mecca for thousands of pilots all loyal to Arcanonn, and we'll just have to stand by and watch.  He'll be untouchable.
VBPu: Suits us, to be honest - if COL 285 SECTOR IX-T D3-43 gets more facilities it could be very profitable for us.
VIU: And for us, so long as the Canonn are focused on that, they'll leave us alone.  Might even offer Arcanonn the chance to act as Patron to one of our schools.
LoV: Like I say...
VR: Yeah right: you 'had a vote'.  Congratulations.  Was it a baby boy?
LoV: I'm not following you.
VR: No - I don't suppose you are.  You don't even follow your own shadow when the sun's behind you, do you?
LoV: Er.  No.  I mean: yes.
VR: Sheesh.

[0:13:43]
VR: Okay boys, well I'm off to boil my head in a vat of fish oil.  Don't take it personally, but it's preferable to wasting any more brain cells on this conversation.  Happy ruination, all of you.  The Canonn will own your asses in two months.
VIU: You think they'll come for your type 6 too Ursula?

[0:14:59]
VIU: Ursula?

[VR left the chat]

VBPu: She's gone.
VIU: Highly strung, isn't she.
LoV: Just a bit.  Always has been.  It's all the coffee.
VIU: Okay boys, well, see you in the Palladium rings.  Must meet up at the 'Sinful Skinful' on Thompson Dock sometime.
VBPu: Aye to that.

[VIU left the chat]
[VBPu left the chat]

[0:16:23]
LoV: Hello?
LoV: Anyone know how I close this thing?
LoV: No... that's not it.

[0:18:48]
LoV: Damn.  I'm gonna reboot.  Always seems to happen to me...
LoV: 'I am the very model of a modern major general...'
LoV: always wanted to do that. Lol @myself
LoV: Sigh.  Why am I never this witty when the others are around.

[LoV timed out]

==+ [1041756728317592993] > qTLS Tap Dropped. Eve (v1.2.7701) has left the building +==
==+ [1041756728317592993] > End of MULTICAST GUDP Packet Stream +==

And that’s it from me today – hope to have more good news for you soon!

Keep mining and hunting those bounties, you’re doing an amazing job!

Verity Gavroche