Massive Gorilla Lockdown
Dateline Gorilla Q0, 3204.330
Following initial reports of the reappearance of the mysterious Alien Visitors from another universe at the independent system of Gorilla, the Government of Gorilla instituted a massive and, it would seem, well planned lockdown of the entire system. The last reports to come out of the system indicated that all merchant ships have been impounded, all traffic into and out of the system frozen, and a ‘shoot first’ policy announced against anyone entering the M25 without authority. All civil and nonessential communications have also been blocked as their HSTS system is undergoing ‘essential diagnostics and overhaul’. Trade organisations were muted in their protests, mainly because, it seems, they are being well compensated for their inconvenience. In an official statement the Government spokesperson said “This is a serious quarantine issue – so long as the Aliens are in our system it is off limits to the rest of the Universe.” There have been howls of protest from Visitor Watcher groups – people who were hoping to travel to Gorilla and see these creatures and bid for their artifact. But these objections have been largely ignored. The Supreme Humanity Command was asked for their view on developments from a Defence point of view but their press office was unable to comment at this stage.
Corruption on New Draconis
Dateline New Draconis, Q7 3204.295
In a dramatic early morning raid the Chief Electoral Officer and most of his staff were arrested today (3204.295) on charges of corruption and conspiracy to commit electoral fraud.
This development has thrown the current tri-planetary referendum into chaos and experts predict its postponing.
They say that the Chief Electoral Officer, Alfonso the Spaniard, has long been suspected of incompetence and thought the
organisation of the Referenda was criminally bad the corruption charges come out of the blue. Other evidence of the incompetence of the Electoral Commission was the chaotically bad voter registration process on Legend.
Another reason to postpone the Referenda maybe the highly visible goodwill visit of a flotilla of the RNV Navy
which had opponents crying foul and bandying accusations of voter intimidation around.
The RNV electoral team brushed aside these accusations saying the highly successful visit (see story and picture on pages 5,6 & 7-12) had been cleared with all governments and the Electoral Commission and merely demonstrating the benefits of membership of the RNV.
No government spokesman was available for comment.
RNV wins OFFLE; IEC pleased with conduct
Dateline Offle, 3204.267
Offle has finally voted to join the RNV. After the first referendum was wrecked by low turnout many observers thought
that Offle was just not that interested. And when the government invoked a little known clause in the electoral law to
have a rerun only a year later people were questioning both the propriety (see pages 4,5 & 12 for other stories about
the closeness of senior Ofili politicians to the RNV ambassador and electoral team) and wisdom of those in power.
But both this decision and the one to invite the IEC to oversee proceeding have been vindicated by a high turnout and decisive result accepted by the
IEC.
Full Results:
Should Offle join a polity? yes 61% / no 39% Turnout 68%
Which polity should Offle join?
Greater Federation of Asteel (GFA) 4
Mars Association of Free Colonies (MAFC) 8
The Centauri Conglomerate (CG) 2
The Earth Empire (EE) 3
The Republic of New Venus (associate member) (RNV) 40
The Sirian Socialist Republic (SSR) 0
The Union of Xyon (UoX) 2
The Wolf359 Commonwealth (Wolf) 22
The Mald Foundation (Mald) 0
No preference 18
Orion on the brink
Dateline Orion Q4 3204.230
Further to our story last year ‘Southernopolis in Flames, Dateline Orion Q4, 3203.058’
Our reporter regrets to report the situation that had stabilised is now worsening.
Large scale Ethnic cleansing and Civil war are about to break out leading to a death toll in the millions and potential reducing the planet back to the stone age. Yet again the big powers are either fanning the flames or turning their backs.
The only polity to show any interest in this ongoing humanitarian disaster is the Wolf Commonwealth whose under resourced local team has been distributing aid and trying to mediate but really its worse than a sticking plaster on a gaping wound.
The latest rumour is that the Wolfers-funded team are getting nowhere and are preparing to leave – peaceful intervention has failed and they are clearly wary of committing troops.
The Union of Xyon, the nearest polity has officially shown no interest but seems to be unofficially encouraging the Clewgist oppression.
The government has been criticised for weakness in the face of Clewgist thuggery, the Reverend Elrond Roach of the New Davidian Elders said ‘The National Party is in the Clewgist’s pockets, we cannot share the same land with them any more’. The Davidians also accused the Clewgists of receiving support from Planum, a nearby Union of Xyon world.
A government spokesman stated that Davidian aggression can not be tolerated and a line must be drawn. Unofficial sources spoke of an flood of Davidian civil servants and politicians leaving Southernopolis for the provincial capital of Alberta.
It is this reporter’s opinion that Orion is on the brink of disaster, if the Wolfers pull out how much longer before this planet is a ruin?
Survivors in Trouble.
Dateline R27 system, Q3 3204.257
The recently failed colony of R27 in the remoter part of quadrant 3 has had considerable difficulty evacuating colonists. The trouble began when the colonists were unable to meet their harvest requirements and had well below expectations on their red mercury recovery rate. Corporate sponsors pulled the plug – too fast in some people’s opinion, and since the end of last year there has been an unseemly scramble to leave the planet. This was exacerbated by a scavenger raid by unidentified pirates, who stripped the already destitute survivors of their remaining equipment.
Information is sparse, and estimates vary of between 20,000 and 50,000 starving colonists are barely subsisting – many deaths are expected soon.
Flames of conflict finish Flower
Dateline Fancy Flower, Q8 3204.255
An in another failed colony, the survivors have been at each other’s throats. Complications arising from another poor colonists extraction – the surviving few thousand have started fighting over remaining technological equipment and the better irrigated farmland that remains. Without technology, the combatants have been attacking each other using pointed sticks and machetes. Reports say it is like something out a historical trivid movie. Thousands have been killed already in he fighting.
Dissent Simmers on Oith.
Dateline Oith Q7 3204.257
Rumours have emerged that the Venerian Colonial Government on Oith is faced with a growing crisis over the primacy of local versus Republican Law. Under the long-standing system of Republican Primacy, local laws have always taken second place. It seems that there is a vociferous movement planetside on Oith seeking to overturn this, at least on the issue of taxation, apparently arguing that local interests are insufficiently represented. Of course, the Venerian Media are portraying this dissent at the work of agents provocateurs and subversive elements, but a large number of representatives of the Oith Independent Now Kaucus have left Venerian space to argue their case. The local authorities have already explained that these individuals will not be allowed back and are no longer citizens of the Republic. Whether this is a crisis of any sort will depend on just how much support this movement gains on the coming octants.
‘Pockets Filled’ by Contractors.
Dateline Weygand Q6, 3204.299
The Imperial Audit office today announced the arrest of fourteen defence procurement staff in the colonial office on Weygand, Q6. The outcome of a year-long investigation by undercover IAO agents the officials were having their ‘pockets filled with credits by contractors’ according to the press release. A whole range of defence-related contracts, including the local employment of ‘security specialists’ were ‘facilitated’ by payments totaling nearly a million credits.
