Launching the newly created Exogen Space exploration and intergalactic database collective, over 200 private corporations have registered to take part in this monumental turning point for mankind’s survival. Leveraging their considerable capital and resources, these corporations are braving the high stakes of rapidly developing emergency settlements and colonies for future generations off Terra. The humanitarian results are unquestionably enormous, but so are the potential rewards.

These corporations explore deeper into space than ever before, utilizing highly specialized probes powered by solar winds and pioneer ships equipped with the newest generation of ion drive engines. Hundreds of probes were set loose into the heavens at launch, with dozens of pioneer teams soon following. Nearby systems such as Alpha Centauri and Barnard’s Star have been mapped and visited, with visitors arriving at distant systems soon. These missions are ushering in a new era of exploration. This teeming planet gives thanks to those private corporations blazing the trail to new and glorious futures for humankind!

The first private Fuel Stations have been launched towards nearby systems! Many of Terra’s mechanical and engineering specialists working tirelessly to create and build ever-increasing advancements in the support chain needed for future colonization. One of the first major leaps in securing a stronghold in space is the ability to safely send Pioneer teams further abroad. With the assistance of the newly created Fuel Stations, private corporations now have the increased ability to supply a variety of missions further distances from Sol. These utilitarian tanker ships will provide Xenon fuel to all other missions on their route towards distant worlds. Currently, several of these enormous tankers are in stable orbits of the Luyten Septo binary star system, the lonely Ross Auris A, and huge Class A star in the exceptionally majestic Sirius system.

The corporations working in collaboration with Exogen (a Ventura division), are moving away from the outdated Terran Republic star mapping system. The new Exogen Common Region charting system will be introduced on 05.06.2065. This new system leaves in place the jurisdiction of the Terran Republic for systems within 16 Jump Units of Sol. New Regions have been plotted and are now visible via the Cluster Level map. System names have been changed accordingly.

Automation and lower wages have begun to create social unrest. The Terran regulated Republican market fails to reflect proper supply and demand - these factors are cumulating in an unprecedented economic crisis which is now affecting all private companies.

Because of this unstable situation in the global markets, factories have halted production of Plasteel supplies. Plasteel has become a limited commodity and is available only for affiliated national republic companies or republic military and security forces.

Therefore the open market sale of Plasteel is prohibited and all Plasteel will be purchased by the Terran Republic. No private company may make new Plasteel orders until the crisis will be resolved, hopefully ending the massive strikes and riots.

The Terran Republic has begun mass production of a fleet of ion engine equipped spacecraft. Leaked specifications indicate these vessels are combat oriented. This production plans at least few dozen large frigates, two destroyers, and a missile platform cruiser.

Current worldwide Plasteel supplies are being redirected towards this fleet construction. This would seem to explain the Terran Republic’s removal of Plastisteel from the exchange markets in recent months. This fleet construction should be complete in only a few years. The fully operational fleet is currently planned to be divided into several separate task forces.

This situation is bold, confusing, and slightly alarming. The actions of the Terran Republic raise many questions, chiefly among them - who is it that the Terran Republic needs to be defended from? Is this a preemptive act of aggression? Is there a real threat in space?

System wide emergency message - please be advised:
A massive explosion has completely devastated the orbital shipyard above Terra! Surprising everyone, this attack has obliterated one of the two almost finished republican destroyers, and has taken the lives of more than 15k workers and staff. Accident has been ruled out as a cause, as a number of other terrorist attacks were set into motion around the shipyard but were discovered and put to an end.

So far, officials are engaged in what will be an ongoing investigation as to who is to blame, and what their motives were. Several members of a radical group of Martian separatists, known for research and development work for Ventura Corp, have been implicated, caught, and are currently in custody.

It is with heavy hearts that we must regretfully inform you that Alex Archangielsky, born on the 5th of May 1981, passed away on 7th of January 2069 at his Ventura One city residence on Mars. Archangielsky is widely known as a person responsible for the ion engine development that brought mankind through the threshold of deep space travel. He is also credited for numerous other advancements in technology.

The official statement from Ventura Corp’s spokeswoman was that old age was the primary cause of death, caused by serious internal organs failure. Over the last two decades, Archangielsky has rarely made an appearance publicly, possibly due to his failing health. A statue and monument will be built in Ventura One, open for visitors to pay homage to the father of space travel.

Exogen, in cooperation with the Terran Republic, has created a new quantum communication data repository to monitor all monetary transactions and vessel movements. This revolutionary system was developed by the Ventura Quantum Computing Department and the Terran Republic Ministry Of Big Data.

The new system will provide oversight to all exchange market speculations, including “deep-dark” space missions. This brings all actions and transactions into reach for due diligence and control. The system is being activated with no planned cessation and will be mandatory on all devices using Ventura’s patented quantum CPUs. Client-side portions will be installed in the next firmware update. Systems without the update will be unable to access critical trade markets and flight navigation servers.

The ether of space is either becoming safer or suffocating, depending on one’s stance. With both appreciation and anger as mixed responses, what this development means for the freedoms of space remains unclear.

Since the passing of Alex Archangielsky, one of the most notable crossover figures from science to popular culture, the status of his affairs and estates has been wildly speculated on. At long last, details of his last will and testament have been revealed to the public. Of no surprise to those that knew him best, his wishes were to continue the advancement of space travel and the viability of human colonization of the stars. Thus is born, the Archangel Foundation.

This foundation, funded by the vast wealth of Archangielsky, is meant to improve and accelerate the research and development of new technologies and help corporations in space exploration. The foundation’s first massive contribution to the efforts of corporations is the reveal of one of Archangielsky’s final projects, a forward exploratory research chassis.

The “Archangel” class Science Vessel has been made available to purchase to all privately owned corporations. These new vessels are filled with state-of-the-art radars, lidars, spectrometers, and sensor equipment ideal for studying anomalies.

Exogen needs you!

Mars base scientists have concluded that it is incredibly likely that a planet similar to Terra with liquid water could already be within the range of all corporations. Reviewing years of spectrograph results show regular signs of an unusually high albedo, a sign of a potentially resource rich environment. Typically this is a sign of frozen chemicals or ice, but due to it’s location in the Goldilocks zone of its own system, many scientists are speculating about the presence of liquid water. So Exogen is calling for all capable corporations to begin a coordinated and focused search for this elusive planet. The likeliest systems would be Class M, K, G, F, A stars, and less likely to be a multi star system.

As this would be an anomaly, it would award 20 licenses to the discovering corporation, however, with the excitement already being speculated about this planet already, Exogen is putting an additional 20 license bounty on finding this system!

Go find that anomaly!

After an exhaustive hunt by dozens of corporations, an extremely unique and promising planetary body has been found on 61146-00679 RAD-Z coordinates. A water world, the first discovered of its kind, has been named “The Rain”, due to the planet's weather dynamics. This history making discovery was made by the R0b0tnik corp. Thank you for your contribution to the success of the Exogen program!

The planet alternates equally between torrential downpours of rain filling a planet-covering ocean and evaporating to replenish the cloud layer for another day of rain. Planetary parameters are very similar to Mother Earth, but there are no continents or islands. Preliminary measurements show the ocean has a depth between 2.5 km and 20+ km. The atmosphere consists mainly of nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen but the ratios are not suitable for human life, for now. No lifeforms yet discovered. Exogen strongly recommends further investigation and research via Science Vessels.

This planet gives us hope for finding an Earth-like world! And congratulations to the corporation who discovered it, they will be heavily rewarded for this massive discovery.

All news sources from around the Sol system indicate that the Terran Republic has pushed ever-increasing efforts and resources towards the construction of a second destroyer class vessel (the previous one having been destroyed during a terrorist attack at the orbital shipyard years ago).

Additionally, the first battle frigates equipped with kinetic cannons, long-range missile systems, and powerful ion engines are now operational. These ships are currently being tested in the Sol system, along the Jupiter orbit. Several news sources are also covering the ongoing court process where the Terran Republic has been accused of violating the Ventura Patent Collaboration Act.

With the Terran Republic wantonly amassing war machines and allegedly braving theft of intellectual property without compensation from the growing economy of the privately funded colonizing corporations, it is not a stretch to see these actions as adversarial. Exogen encourages all Corporations to be wary in their connections and dealings with the Terran Republic and to advise Exogen administrators if you are aware of worsening conditions of these political/economic alliances.

Ventura Corp, in collaboration with the Archangel Foundation, has released a new vessel with integral subroutine technology licenses for public sales. These new technologies are tied to new mission types available to the privately funded colonizing corporations: Mining Operations. Mining Operations is a wide field of engineering with customized options for Exoplanets, Rings, Moons, and hazardous anomaly environments.

Not all of these advancements are for hard manual labor. The Archangel Foundation has contributed the release of acutely advanced additional scientific instruments for Science Vessels and state-of-the-art material extraction and refinement tools and processes.

The benefits of these newly released advancements rates as some of the crowning achievements of mankind. Corporations will now have the ability to reduce dependence on Terra for resources to build and spread further into the galaxy. With each new step into self-sufficiency, the future of mankind becomes more secure. With so many lives struggling and beginning to wither on our overcrowded and overtaxed planet, making use of the fertile grounds of space cannot come soon enough.

Technology levels 8-10 are now unlocked.

Private corporations are pushing current technologies to their limits. Probes are reaching extremely distant worlds outside of the known and mapped regions of space. Exogen, a coalition born from the Ventura Corp, in recognition of the enormous effort of the New Horizons Corporation, has defined a new region of space. Congratulations, from the Exogen Board Of Directors! This area has been monitored for several months and has a medium mass readings with potential anomalies.

With more success and support than what was expected at its outset, Exogen has become one of the most highly discussed organizations in Sol. With privately funded corporations sending probes, pioneer teams, and more deep into the mysteries of space and the annals of history. From the elite to the destitute, much of mankind hopes for the day when the infrastructure will be in place to begin sending thousands to settle new worlds. These corporations vie and compete over the years for bragging rights and setting records, often forgetting the use they serve in saving mankind from being undone.

To those private corporations, we give you our thanks. Not as Exogen, but as fellow humans. Without your efforts, the avenues of rescuing mankind from its eventual end here on Terra, would be all but impossible.

Exogen, with assistance from Ventura Corporation, has made available the wealth of its private database resources on extrasolar bodies to the privately funded corporations that make up the collective. Due to the overwhelming success of these private corporations exploring the nearby galaxy, it is the hope of Exogen to both reward and encourage further exploration. Private corporations will receive database updates providing a large vision range extension.

Though each corporation will still be limited by its own reach or the shared reach of collaborative corporations, this extended visual range of the galaxy should provide ample resources to plan further missions and pathways through the universe. Please continue your efforts to find habitable planets for future colonies. Mankind’s survival rests in your hands!

Mars needs you! With private corporations booming with explorations, new job opportunities are growing at an exponential rate. In order to fill the growing demand for skilled laborers, the Martian city Ventura One has announced an open invitation to all skilled specialists. All industries and sectors are in high demand and all B1 certificate holders are encouraged to apply. Those who do not currently have the minimum certificate in their field are still encouraged to inquire; Ventura Corp is currently offering training towards higher certification or entirely new jobs via SIM-STIM. Those applicants taking advantage of this training/re-training offer need only accept a contractual agreement to work this debt off under the employ of Ventura Corp.

With worsening conditions in all populated areas on Terra and ever-growing possibilities for meaningful careers on Mars and beyond, the long-expected “Gold Rush” to space has all but begun. True colonization of distant exoplanets is still a decade or two away, but extensive preparations for it are in full swing and growing at an explosive pace. From mechanical to scientific, scores of new jobs and duties will be needed to give mankind a real chance and surviving the next evolution in human history.

The Terran Republic has announced the completion of three Capital class vessel‘s construction. A new era of mankind’s power and strength, military dominance is now a tangible and mobile force in space. The two destroyers: “Factum” and “Fulgur” have finished test flights on a round trip loop of Jupiter. The destroyers are a massive jump in space vessel engineering at 990 feet long and carrying over 1000 souls onboard, some as vessel crew, as well as a mobile combat battalion. Combat efficiency has been prioritized, each being equipped with three long range hyperkinetic cannons and RKR kinetic wall systems. Those small arms systems are complimented by an array of munitions of mass-destruction; each ship hosts guided water, high explosive, and nuclear missiles.

While the destroyers are an impressive feat of engineering by any measure, the new missile cruiser, “Auctoritatis”, is a marvel of creation. The “Auctoritatis” is proof that the proposed ARC ships will soon be a reality. The “Auctoritatis” takes the titles of the biggest and heaviest self-propelling spaceship ever made. At 1780 feet long, with almost 3000 crew members and fighting men and women, it is hard to imagine a more formidable space faring vessel. Armed with intelligently guided conventional & nuclear missiles as well as RKR kinetic wall systems, the “Auctoritatis'' adds a terrifying orbital bombardment system to its combat capabilities.

The creation of three task force wings, named after the three vessels has also been announced. The new fleet is on parade through Sol as a showcase of Republic power. The need for such an overwhelming fighting force in space has long been questioned for its necessity, but the Terran Republic maintains that the best prevention of conflict or war is deterrence. With space being shared only with the entrepreneurial Ventura Corp and peaceful private corporations, It remains unclear whom the Terran Republic means to deter.

An unprecedented conflict situation was created when the Terran Republic discovered a private corporation mining the unauthorized asteroid belt. The Terran Republic battle frigate, Caelator, was dispatched to halt the unauthorized mining, and impound all corporate vessels, assets, and personnel. Reports indicate that the private corporation's mining team may have received early warning of the battle frigate’s mission, as the mining team abandoned all non-spacefaring equipment to make a hasty escape before the Caelator’s arrival.

With the Sol system bristling with monitoring systems from countless organizations and facilities, news of the intense pursuit of the mining team quickly spread across the system. Despite their lead, the industrial-grade mining vessels could not keep the Caelator from quickly closing the gap between them in a matter of hours. The private corporation responsible reports that the mining vessels have since been radio silent. Nearby radar teams on Mars report that the vessels have disappeared from the intercept zone and indicate a debris field in the area.

The mining team has been assumed destroyed, with all lives lost. The Terran Republic claims damage to the Caelator was caused by the mining team’s attempts to avoid capture, and attest that lethal force was not planned but authorized once attacked. Without first hand or visual observation, it is impossible to confirm the Terran Republic’s claims. These aggressive actions, both in the execution of maintaining order and the final outcome of the situation, have created turbulent reactions all over the world. Global tensions are rising once again, and voices of protest against the presumed tyranny of the Republic grow louder.

A momentous milestone in mankind‘s history has been achieved! The current number of Mars citizens now exceeds 200 000 souls. Never have so many humans lived off world, cementing our ability to colonize other planets.

Ventura Corp has created a new corporate annual celebration called “Archangielsky’s Day”. Named in memory of the inventor who was responsible for the breakthrough ion engine development which made extrasolar travel possible. Though largely ignored on Earth, Mars residents and private corporations happily spent the inaugural celebration stepping away from non-critical duties to gather as communities. It is currently unclear what future traditions of the holiday may be, but for now, one thing is known: Mankind can and will survive. and for that reason, we will celebrate.

The Ventura Corp, a strong proponent and supporter of the private corporations, has revealed the creation of their own military unit, the 1st Martian Regiment. The prevailing sentiment is of this military escalation being a direct response to recent conflicts and concerns over the Terran Republic’s authoritarian presence in space. The new regiment comprises Private Military Contractors augmented with the latest technology from Ventura Biolabs, advanced weaponry divisions, and mechatronics departments. Ventura announced the unit’s men and women have volunteered to undergo the first widespread use of bioaugmentation in a combat role. A Terran diplomat at the presentation of the exo-armored and battle-ready operators sent his deepest concern to the Republic government.

While Earth-based governments and the subsequent Terran Republic have long banned bioaugmentation for reasons other than medical necessity, Ventura maintains its Martian status protects its actions from Terran law, sparking sharp criticism and rebuke from Republic senators. Outrage and demands for the dissolution of Ventura Corp rage on the Senate floor, but it is currently unclear if the rival military presence or the disregard of Terran ideals is more of an affront.

During the recent senate hearing in London, this action has been labeled “provocative and deeply disturbing”. A request for an in-person meeting with Ventura’s Board of Directors was sent to Ventura One. The Martian Corporation refused politely, instead offering general augmentations to Terran working-class citizens wishing to migrate to Mars.

As we reach the 20th anniversary of Exogen, it is important to remember where we were at the start, and remind ourselves of why we have spread so far. Considering human history, 20 years is nothing. However, 20 years ago was when the whole of Terra said in one voice, “We must leave.” It was a time of sadness, of disgrace, and of defeat. To admit that we and all of our ancestors had been too reckless with the fertile lands and resources that we had at our disposal. And in that solidarity, great things were set into motion.

Alongside the breakthrough discoveries Alex Archangielsky, the many developments in space exploration made the possibility of one day colonizing other planets a reality. And 20 years ago, Ventura, along with hundreds of other private corporations banded together to form a collaborative union known as Exogen. With two decades behind us, the world has never been a more hopeful place. The population off-Terra continues to grow, closing in on over half a million people living off planet. With each discovery of a habitable planet or moon from hundreds of different corporations, the common person has something to look forward to, a hope for a new future.

That is why we are here. Every step we take towards understanding, discovering, and conquering the universe around us brings everyone another step closer to providing that imagined future for all of mankind. Centuries from now, humans will be established, thriving, and doting on new planets across the galaxy. May your legacy in being a part of that dream be remembered forever.

Word of accelerated AI research in Ventura One reached the Senate floor of the Terran Republic earlier this month. The Republic Senate requested for Ventura Corp to immediately halt their quantum computing department’s research and development of Strong Artificial Intelligence. Citing the long-standing belief that runaway Strong AI development could have disastrous unintended consequences for mankind, Republic senators maintain a universal ban on Strong AI is mandatory.

In light of the 1st Martian Regiment fiasco, Republic senators have shown their interest in universal peace and equality, which could be endangered by a superior power and potential dangers created by Strong AI. Overnight, a new law was passed: the Anti-Strong-AI Initiative, or ASAI Initiative.

Ventura Corp officially acknowledges the creation of this new law but also refused to take any actions to enforce it on Mars, explaining that Terran Republic law has no authority to interfere with the autonomous colonies of Mars such as Ventura One. Though the words of both bodies seem to agree that the ASAI Initiative covers a delicate and profound issue, the actions of Ventura seem to indicate otherwise. Many journalists propose that the Terran Republic may be taking this strong stance to stop or slow Ventura’s progress as the Republic tries to catch up.

Currently, both sides are in a political morass. Both agree that Strong AI is a potential threat and yet Ventura refuses to enforce the new law, and the Republic is fending off accusations of their own covert research. Neither appears ready to escalate the standoff, but the Republic continues to implore Ventura to act as the local authority of the Earth government. But with freedom from Earth-based governments as one of the original motivations for the creation of Ventura One, the adoption of that responsibility seems unlikely.

The Terran Republic diplomat working alongside the local officials of the Martian city Ventura One has been requested to leave by Ventura Corp. With the growing friction between the Republic and private corporations, including Ventura, a development along these lines has been rumored and speculated about for weeks. The diplomat has since been shuttled to a Small Orbital Station in the Mars orbit. The official statement from the Ventura One city spokesman cited a long list of abnormalities in the diplomat’s work. The expulsion has been seen as an offensive declaration, “No more white-collared spies on Martian soil”. With the assumptions of espionage being a large part of the diplomat’s duties, many hope this change may reduce the many recent clashes between the two entities.

The Terran Republic has not yet released an official response, though a massive number of Terran government officials have been transferred from Mars and the Phobos Lunar Base to a military base still under construction on Deimos. Without knowing how the Terran Republic is viewing this action, the situation is complex and evolving. Many news and political journalists debate whether the sovereignty of Ventura is legal or valid, and what the potential backlashes would be from aggressive retribution. Speculations abound, but no further information is available at this time

In a historic event, the Ventura HR department informed the WWN network that starting from 2082-02-28, all Ventura employees will receive a universal basic income (UBI) equal to triple the median salary in the Terran Republic. Ventura will also be offering a mostly free healthcare system and massive bonuses for the most demanding jobs such as extrasolar missions, mining, or laboratory research. With this funding project being open to new hires as well, Ventura has been buried by a mountain of labor applications, with well over 52 million global applicants and growing in the last 24 hours.

While many pre-Terran Republic nations dabbled in setting and maintaining a UBI system, the Terran Republic has not wavered in its stance against such a program. With Ventura stock prices consistently on the rise and their market capital recently reaching $10 trillion as their colonization plans materialize, many see this program as long overdue.

New employees will also enjoy free transportation from anywhere on Sol to their new work stations on Mars, Phobos, or Deimos. This relocation will be covered and organized by the Ventura passenger fleet.

All of this is available to new and current Ventura employees with just one major requirement - any employee hoping to take advantage of these programs will need to agree to a lifetime contract that can be only terminated by Ventura Corp or by death.

Subroutine technology's introductions and advancements in the past two decades have rapidly expanded the reliable labor of semi and fully autonomous machines to assist in tasks ranging from mundane to hypercritical. Though most homes are poverty-stricken and cannot afford simple Subroutines for general tasks to supplement daily life, most of the world has encountered Subroutines in their community. From countless designs and roles that have automated most tasks and jobs, Subroutines have become a part of everyday life for most of humankind. Combined with over a century of media created distrust of advanced robotics, the reduced labor opportunities due to Subroutine replacement has created a distressed human-Subroutine relationship for many.

Constrained to simple reward-based rudimentary AI for their programming, Subroutines are a constant reminder of both the benefit of further optimization and the fear of Strong AI. The Ventura Corp has long agreed with the Terran Republic that Strong AI is a credible danger to humankind if left unchecked or unregulated. However, their acceptance of this threat has not stopped or slowed their research and development. After months of appealing to the public, the Terran Republic now has a large and vocal civilian population clamoring for the halt of AI research.

To appease the masses, Ventura has partnered with the Archangel Foundation to create a conservatory to oversee the safe and responsible development of Strong AI. Though not the Republic's desired outcome, the inclusion of many notable anti-Strong AI proponents has quelled much of the outcry. This committee will be tasked with oversight and directing focus towards control and growth limitation measures for future Strong AI implementation. With so many paths that Strong AI could follow, Ventura and Archangel agree that safety outweighs the potential rewards and will be the first concern for future research.

On Terra, global climate conditions continue to worsen year after year. With an increase in global temperatures between 2-7° C since the late 20th century, weather patterns have become increasingly erratic and dangerous. The late summer of 2083 marked the advent of two massive derecho storm fronts in the high latitudes. Both North America and East Asia have been hit extremely hard by these storms, and by some estimates, losing close to a combined 16% of the global food production.

Emergency measures have been started by the Terran Republic Senate, including strict food rationing at all levels and distribution of stockpiled algae-based nutrient supplies. A global effort has been initiated to restart devastated croplands and push for replacing the remaining traditional agriculture with advanced climate-controlled vertical farming facilities.

Upon first hearing of the crop damage, many global citizens flooded food banks and consumer goods distribution centers. Many of them emptying their credits and provisions vouchers on purchasing every available supply. In many areas where panic buying was at its worst, many citizens turned to looting and person-on-person violence and theft. Reports of law enforcement personnel also taking part in the looting have been common.

The Senate vows that with some sacrifice for the short term, the global food supply will return to normal in just a matter of months. Interest in the long-awaited ARC program has never been higher.

The expected food shortage on Terra has grown into the full global crisis that was feared. Extended periods of lawlessness have plagued every continent as civilians desperately fight for supplies. Governments battle and debate over which nations are in the most desperate need. Nutrient-rich algae production has been slow to get up to speed, as transportation is a chain of broken links, and the amounts of clean water needed are unobtainable in most areas. With the possibility of a positive outcome now a distant memory, Terra as a whole requires a miracle to survive without massive casualties.

The Archangel Foundation has offered a tenuous but potential solution but would require countless private corporations’ assistance to be successful. With hundreds of space-faring corporations involved in the Exogen exploratory program and abundant access to off-Terra water supplies, the possibility of bringing water to Terra is potentially the miracle solution that is needed. The effort would not be without hurdles, with the rushed construction of large volume hauling vessels and the safe transportation of the supply water to the surface, only touching the logistical complications. Additionally, each private corporation needs to choose to volunteer their time, resources, and energy to support this effort.

Food shortages on Terra have caused a ripple effect on long-distance transportation. The ability to get the insufficient amounts of clean water across the globe to where it is needed for N.R.A. production, is almost non-existent. With these compounding problems, commodity markets are in complete chaos. With billions of lives at risk, the Terran Republic senate has closed the T.R.E.M. water trade. Private corporations will not be able to trade other resources to receive water until the crisis has been averted. All available water is needed on Terra for the foreseeable future.

A global catastrophe had ravaged close to 41 million square kilometers of land, close to 8% of all landmass on Terra. Enormous damage was done to food production on several continents, worsening an already overwhelming crisis. With social breakdown from scarce supplies and relief, chaos spread quickly. Rationing was only marginally effective and led to further disorder, as many across the globe panicked, leading to violence, hoarding, theft, and countless unnecessary deaths.

Though its use has never become fashionable in more developed areas, nutrient-rich algae (NRA) was needed to be produced en masse for a reliable food source. However, the supplemental NRA’s limited creation and transportation had been further reduced by the lack of clean liquid water needed for such a large scale operation. The Archangel Foundation devised a plan to transport space-born water to Terra. Employing newly created large volume hauling vessels, space-to-surface delivery processes, and retrofit guidelines to reconfigure individual production facilities to NRA growth labs, there was a solution. But without the assistance of the private space-faring corporations, the plans would be useless. As the home of all but a fractional percentage of all humans, that cooperation came quickly.

More than 100 corporations participated in the humanitarian aid mission for Terra. Several private corporations spearheaded the efforts towards this common goal: Wheelme, Fulcrum, JJE Industries, Space Marines and Rein Fall Enterprises. Thanks to their sacrifices and all the other private corporations involved, this mission was an overwhelming success!

All corporations who took part in this community mission were rewarded by Exogen from the Terran Republic for their participation. The Terran Republic Senate sends its official thanks to all the private corporations that took part in this operation, as does a global population.

Under the condition of a successful humanitarian aid Community Mission organized by Exogen, the Terran Republic had promised the License plans for Lunar Bases to be made available for purchase to all private corporations. These designs would make it possible to create a durable, long-lasting, and protective workstation on uninhabitable rocky moons’ regolith surface. Contending with cosmic radiation, massive temperature swings of around 300 Celcius, and no atmosphere to protect the surface from asteroids and meteorites, lunar surfaces have long challenged humankind. Terra’s lunar base required decades of refinement with many painful lessons learned along the way.

New technologies provide safe living quarters for up to 300 brave technicians, pilots, and engineers in these extreme conditions. Because of the extremely low gravity and how it affects the human body, most Lunar Bases experts will be stationed for only a year before being rotated out. Though their experiences and research will make future colonization efforts more effective and successful, they will not be considered the first colonists, due to their limited off-world time.

Lunar Bases will provide an excellent origin point for all extrasolar missions. Vessels can be assembled from base material, testing the next generation of final assembly 3D printing technology that is needed for future colonization attempts. Crews will be stationed at these remote bases to begin missions immediately. These advanced stations will rapidly expand humankind’s reach and extend the range of extrasolar exploration missions.

All private corporations are impatiently waiting for the release of the blueprints, planned for 2084 06.15.

Over the last several months in the global population has begun receiving NRA (Nutrient-Rich Algae) as emergency food supplies thanks to the overwhelming support and charity of the spacefaring private corporations. The Terran Republic, in addition to monetary rewards, had also offered access to its Lunar Base design knowledge, schematics, and print licenses as a reward for their contribution to this life or death crisis. However, following the success of this charitable mission, Prime Senator Arya Bakshi has convinced the majority of Prime Senators of the inherent dangers of releasing this technology freely. Currently, the Senate is locked in internal debate whether to uphold its offer. However, the Prime Senator Council still refuses the release of this knowledge, citing that the offer was made hastily in a time of great crisis without enough due diligence.

Prime Senator Arya Bakshi is known for her previous role in the Ministry of Big Data, where she led the development of the contentious Obligatory Data Repository. And with a record that includes siding with the Terran Republic after the asteroid belt incident where several private miners' lives were lost, many claim she is resolutely against the private corporations regardless of the situation. With global citizens distracted by the challenging act of mere survival, private corporations' complaints have fallen on deaf ears. With no legal recourse, the private corporations have had little effect on holding the Senate to hold true to its word, and release the technology for Lunar Bases.

BROADCASTING ON ALL CHANNELS Once again, it is time for us to set things right. The treatment of the private corporations by the Terran Republic is despicable. Regardless of food shortages, this is a time where we must all work together as one to protect the future of humankind. The perceived and antagonistic divisions between people and groups is what led humanity to the position we’re currently in. We must steer away from this course, and towards one of unification.

The Senate offered a meaningful reward to the private corporations for their assistance and charity in a global crisis. And yet that same Senate has chosen to double back on its offer despite those corporations bountiful and life-saving work. Billions of lives have been saved, proving that private corporations' existence is critical to human survival. The assumption that private corporations pose a threat is both miss guided and indefensible.

The Terran Republic is taking actions that cannot be tolerated. If the Senate will not do what is right, we will force their hand once again. We are willing and able to act decisively as we have in the past. This time, we will strike in a way that no lives will be lost by our actions.

Since the Senate has not released what was promised, we have taken control of the T.R.E.M. until they do. All trading will be controlled by us, all fees will be removed, and the Terran Republic will earn nothing on the continued advancement and exploration of space.

We are among you. We are everywhere. We are not merely Martian separatists or Ventura employees. We are on every planet, every continent, and in every office. Our numbers are our strength. Our diversity is our reach. And our influence is supreme.
-THE KNIGHTS ERRANT

After having their Exchange Market hacked by the self-proclaimed Knights Errant, The Terran Republic has labeled the hacker/activist group as interplanetary terrorists. After the illegal broadcast by the Knights, previously unexplained evidence and dead ends from the Orbital Shipyard attack 13 years ago have been re-examined and considered. Investigators claim with a connection hypothesized, many more revelations appear to support the claims of a highly diverse and widespread group of dissidents. As the deadliest incident in humanity’s history in space, with over 15,000 lives lost, the dangers of this group are unquestionable.

The Senate has met repeatedly to try and resolve the conflict regarding the loss of control of the T.R.E.M, but there are too many differing opinions on the best route to take. Prime Senator Arya Bakshi leads a growing group of supporters who would like to de-privatize all space programs, citing these stacking offenses against them. The Knights Errant have shown incredible prowess in quantum-based hacking and programming, clearly having access to technology beyond that available within the captain and Republic. It is likely the Senate will need to appeal to Ventura Corp or the Archangel Foundation for assistance. Several attempts have been made to attempt accessing control of the T.R.E.M. Each attempt has been thwarted, and as an apparent punishment, the Knights launch orbital cargo containers of material into Sol. With the amounts of lost material growing logarithmically with each attempt, the Terran Republic has since ceased efforts to regain control forcefully.

With the Senate in complete and uncooperative turmoil, hopes for the release of Lunar Base technology could not feel more distant.

After weeks of conflict over access to the T.R.E.M., the Terran Republic has made a shocking move of desperation. Stemming from having been thwarted by the hacker group, the Knights Errant, from accessing or controlling their own economic market. The Senate has worked in conjunction with the military to synchronously deactivate all orbital quantum control satellites responsible for running the physical aspects and data of the T.R.E.M.

Teams of special operatives were deployed from Luna, planetside, and several frigates in orbit simultaneously to reduce the time taken from the start to the end of the operation. Using shuttles, these special operatives intercepted each of the eight quantum control satellites to physically access their hardware and deactivate them. The Terran Republic has reported each of the satellites has been fixed with an auxiliary navigation and control system. These systems will keep the satellites in controlled orbit despite being powered down.

Leaving the satellites in place, it is assumed the Republic plans to use these quantum control systems in the future, but for now, the T.R.E.M. is now offline. The self-revealed Knights Errant did not appear to take any action to prevent this and seem to have been defeated. Questions are being asked if this group has overstated its numbers and influence. Or have they resigned from this battle, in fear of revealing its members, given the need-to-know nature and speed of this operation.

The Terran Republic Exchange Market Has re-opened with a revised system of traditional computer networking and personal physical oversight of trade. The new system is no longer working with blockchain encrypted data transfer from corporations to the quantum control satellites, which then automated Subroutine-driven delivery and acceptance of materials. Corporations will now need a representative to physically meet with T.R.E.M. flow managers to record any transactions, and orbital personnel from the Republic will be on hand to decouple and deliver requested materials to corporation cargo vessels.

The Republic has stated the impact on corporations will be minimal, and for corporate managers, they will notice little to no changes. The additional cost for this full-time personnel is being saddled by the Republic only. Still, with hundreds of space-faring private corporations trading materials daily, the impacted income is far better than no income at all.

The Terran Republic continues construction on its second-generation Lunar Base on the Martian moon, Deimos. This project continues to move ahead as the Senate, Exogen, and private corporations debate on the release of Lunar Base technologies and knowledge to private corporations. As the primary resident of Mars, the Ventura Corp has used the Republic’s own arguments against it, citing that the Republic Lunar Bases seem to be forward operating bases for the Republic fleet.

Recalling the century-old Cuban missile crisis, Ventura claims that the base poses a serious security threat to Martian natives. Being in striking distance of long-range missiles, it is a clear and present danger to peaceful coexistence if staffed by military personnel. Ventura has requested an inspection of the site to determine its capabilities, and potential future uses. The Terran Republic has refused, claiming it is a gross violation of internal security and a ridiculous assertation.

Yesterday, the Deimos Lunar Base constructor vessel and site went completely dark, suffering a catastrophic and unlikely power failure. With fatally inhospitable temperatures, this was extremely dangerous for the construction personnel. With emergency assistance from nearby fleet vessels, the technicians on site were able to bring all systems back online after several panicked hours.

The Republic Senate stated their forensics analysis indicated that the system failures were due to a massive and coordinated hack of malicious intent. However, with power circuits and the local data depositories having been burnt out during the incident, the Senate cannot produce proof of this assessment. Ventura has stressed that they had no involvement with the situation but are willing to help in any manner which would be of use.

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As we have stated before, we disapprove of the Senate's actions and the inane concerns of Prime Senator Arya Bakshi. The continued refusal to assist the private corporations is akin to shooting oneself in the foot. All of humanity will rely on these corporations to seed humanity through the universe and facilitate humankind's survival. Any arbitrary limitations of their ability to do so at the highest possible level are both foolish and shortsighted.

We have acted nonviolently this time, but we are steadfast in our terms. With our initial attempt unsuccessful, we now need to turn to other methods.

We have secured the most recently updated plans and data for modular lunar bases and are releasing it globally using our access and ability. The information is now available to anybody interested in it, from private citizens to private corporations. Though they are not free to build, they are now free for anyone to own. We hope that the Senate understands there are those willing to circumnavigate bureaucracy to do what is right.
-THE KNIGHTS ERRANT

In recognition of their good deeds, the Senate has rewarded all spacefaring private corporations with the data and plans necessary to purchase lunar bases for their ongoing missions. To show gratitude for their extremely noble efforts during the recent food shortage crisis on Terra, the Senate hopes that these outposts can fill a vital role in securing future colonization locations. These bases will provide new footholds for corporations to construct vessels further afield, rapidly expanding humanity’s sphere of influence in the universe.

Prime Senator Arya Bakshi has stated that the Senate has long planned to release this technology, but simply needed time to ensure that the safety and functionality for any personnel on-station would be secure. With new and ample testing, along with many system redundancies, this technology is now ready for mass production, she concluded.

This month, Ventura Corp rolled out their hands-on and SimStim long-term training program for ARC pilots and crew. The proposed ARC ships are still under development but are being planned around pre-existing navigational systems and standard operation nerve centers. This program will allow many current extra-planetary vehicle pilots to transfer their skills to the much-needed future colonization efforts. However, this program is not only for current pilots. Those with the desire to cross-train and who already possess a Piloting A3 license and above can also apply. As ARC pilots will be required to remain with the ship, to continue duties and functionalities on the new colony stations, pilots will also need a Technical or Engineering B2 license.

Though these pilots will spend much of their duty in hypersleep, the lives of up to 3000 civilians and crew will be in their hands during orbital departure, planetary arrival, and landing. Pilots and flight crew will also need to take charge of the ship if onboard Subroutines need to awaken the crew for any unforeseen emergency measures. With vehicle and cargo of such immeasurable value, Ventura Corp is taking no chances with the quality of pilots they are training. Many may remember the Cortex Replot Activity Matrix (CRAM) SimStim device that was banned after misuse under the Geneva Convention in 2058. This same technology is being used to place pilots in training under severe stress response while performing observed virtual test flights.

The current batch of 300 pilots-in-training has been slowly whittled down to just 248. After this initial group has transitioned to orbital flight maneuvers, the next batch of pilots will begin their initial training. Ventura hopes to staff up to 1000 ARC pilots annually, hinting at the expected number of to be ready for humankind's future exodus of Terra.

Each year, technology marches closer to the physical capabilities of transporting thousands of humans to distant worlds to extend humankind's existence. And while the mechanical efforts move forward every year to save humanity from the slow collapse of life on Terra, many are claiming that it is humans themselves that will need the largest adjustment to make this exodus possible. With the variety of stresses that humans will face, both physical and mental, it is easy to see why steps must be taken now to ensure future success.

With the psychological burden of being "trapped" in cramped quarters and interior structures for years and possibly generations, future colonists' health and well-being are at risk from every angle. Extended hypersleep periods are still untested, and the wide variety of potential environmental conditions on distant exoplanets will pose many more dangers. A system-wide coalition of doctors, psychiatrists, and scientists are now working on these issues under the newly formed B.I.R.T.H. (Biotech Integration, Reengineering, and Treatment for Humanity) group of the Archangel Foundation.

The B.I.R.T.H. group has laid out plans for engineering, testing, and reengineering biotech augmentations for future colonists and developing therapeutic SimStim programs. Modifications through gene therapy and mechanical augmentation are decades or more away from being able to make a person capable of surviving in an alien atmosphere without assistance. However, meaningful progress can be made to handle challenges such as significant changes in gravity or communicable diseases. Bone density therapies and viral resistance are high on the priority list, as are passive and active means of increasing future colonists' mental well-being. Not yet widely discussed is the findings that older persons may be more at risk to these factors where measures and processes are less effective.

As the plans for Lunar Bases were released publicly today, the response was immediate and surprising. Over 100 private corporations immediately launched constructor vessels to begin assembling their own lunar bases throughout the universe. Due to the unexpected and immediate response, several major issues plagued the private corporations.

Though easily retrofitted when necessary for different missions, shipbuilders immediately ran out of the constructor shuttles necessary for these new bases. Now having a better understood with the demand, shipbuilders have reinforced the supply by tripling the production on these now more desirable vessels.

Additionally, the quantum flight control system for Exogen was overwhelmed with dozens of simultaneous launch requests. Because of the unusual and sustained nature of these repeated request, the system experience quantum disentanglement for several hours. Unable to finalize many flight request until it was serviced, some private corporation experienced delays on the launch of their missions.

Even with those setbacks in mind, it is clear that there is still a value and excitement to explore the universe. Every step towards making that expansion easier, is a step closer to saving humanity.

Since the release of the first successful Subroutine system, semi-autonomous robotics, humanity has been in a precarious balancing act with human labor and automation. As robotics, programming, and even artificial intelligence have continued to advance, the ability to construct new Subroutine systems that can handle new and different tasks grows at an accelerated rate. The voice of the people is one of protest and frustration. Humans losing jobs to Subroutines is nothing new, but the commonality of this problem may soon be universal.

Since the enactment of the Living Labor Agreement of 2037, all forms of labor unemployment have been held to strict guidelines limiting the number of Subroutines to a small percentage of the associated human workers. However, with a 50 year life, the Agreement is now void and those limitations have now been removed. Companies large and small and across the world raced to replace their human workers with reliable, repeatable, and tireless Subroutine labor. The number of human workers who have lost their jobs in the following months is astronomical. With nearly a third the global population now being unemployed, the growth rate of job loss is still on the rise, showing no signs of stopping soon.

Public outcry against Ventura Corp has never been higher. As the predominant purveyor of Subroutines, Ventura is shouldering the weight of global outrage. Ventura has stated that the lack of communication across-the-globe has led to every possible employer making the same fatal decision. Hoping to increase productivity, and decrease long-term costs, Subroutines seemed like the perfect solution to many. But now with so many unemployed and unable to purchase goods or services, economic markets are crashing to a halt.

With so many efforts being made to save humanity in the long term, it seems the underlying causes for our impending doom, greed and heartlessness, have yet to be solved.

In cooperation with the Ventura quantum computing department, Exogen has announced a massive discovery about an unknown radio transmission coming from the Lich pulsar area. The discovered signal is distinctly separated from regular radio emissions of the pulsar. Though weak, it has been detected by several agencies located on Mars and Terra since its initial discovery. Before the universal announcement was made, powerful quantum computing units have been tasked to understand this signal, but it has yet to be decoded. This signal is clearly artificial and is raising attention everywhere. This may be the first signs of extraterrestrial life, the largest event in the history of humankind!

The Lich pulsar is a 3 Gigayear old star with a rotation period of 0.006 seconds, a mass of 1.4 SM, and was discovered by Polish astronomer Aleksander Wolszczan, working at the Arecibo radio telescope at the end of the 20th century. This pulsar is ~2300 JU from Sol, 25930-23011. The Lich pulsar is extremely unique because it hosts its own planetary system. Four planets have been located in orbit to this extremely hot pulsar: the extremely small Draugr, a potential exoplanet Poltergeist, the potential exoplanet Phobetor, and the cold gas giant, Tenebris.

Given its distance, it will likely take many decades to reach this far off pulsar, but its value and role in our understanding of the universe are incomprehensible.

With all active agencies scrambling to ascertain the origin of the Lich radio signal and ensure a full recording to assist in decoding, it is disappointing to learn Exogen, Ventura, and the Archangel Foundation have not been able to make progress on these efforts. Project managers have made it clear that a greater effort will be needed and are hoping to enlist the spacefaring private corporations' assistance in these tasks.

The first obstacles to tackle are locating the signal's precise origin and receiving the clearest and cleanest recording of this signal. Plans have been drafted to create specialized radio receivers to be placed throughout the Republic space region. With the assistance of the private corporations, these new Umbrella Array Triangulators will provide an enormous receiver area to help pinpoint the origin of the signal and properly image the radio signal by averaging all instances to reduce noise and echo. These steps are crucial to clean and process the signal for effective decoding. By placing several of these UATs in each system in the Republic region, humanity will be building the largest radio imaging system ever produced, outclassing the 2019 collaboration to directly image a black hole over a million fold.

By incorporating this massive array into a quantum processing computer, it should be possible to quickly decipher this signal. But without a widespread array of triangulators, the project will be decades from completion. The private corporations will be instrumental in this feat and will be amply rewarded for their service to the cause.

As private corporations scramble to build and install the wide web of UATs, the Terran Republic has begun condemning these actions, citing that the Republic space region is the Terran Republic's domain, and these actions violate interstellar treaties put into place years ago. The Senate has agreed that the discovery of the Lich radio signal is extremely important. Still, they are capable of handling further exploration and understanding without the interference of Exogen.

Though no military action has been taken against any private corporation personnel so far, understanding the Terran Republic's history with trespassers in the past, their statements do raise concerns over safety and continued goodwill. To stop the spread of unauthorized access and facility installations in Republic space, the Senate has declared it is more than willing to share its findings globally once they learn more about this stray radio signal.

With the importance of what this discovery may bring, no outside agencies or private corporations have conceded to the Terran Republic so far. With the immeasurable value and knowledge that could be gained from a potential alien civilization or other scientific explanation of this radio signal, the need for everyone to work together should be the highest priority.

To the many private corporations,

Throughout history, the greatest accomplishments have been made by the hands of many rather than a single person. That truth continues through today. We now celebrate the completion of the Umbrella Array Triangulator project, a megaproject which will pay huge dividends to the advancement of humankind. This enormous synchronous array of specially equipped satellite probes will play a vital role in exploring the unexplainable radio signal coming from the Lich pulsar.

Exogen is all of you, together as one. Though all of us will have our own individual needs and our own individual desires for our corporations and businesses, it is the combination of all of your efforts that are the lifeblood of Exogen. The need for a central agency to coordinate, assist, and advocate on behalf of the private corporations was obvious, but it was each and everyone of you that took that simple idea and grew into a vital part of humankind’s survival. We thank you for believing in the ultimate goal, and working together for the betterment of everyone!

Now we must turn our attention back to this mysterious radio signal. It will take approximately four months to complete all of the final alignment, latency synchronization, and test runs. Each day will be torturous as we wait to learn what this knowledge will gift us. Our project supervisors and managers will share every piece of information they can, as soon as we have it. You are owed every consideration and reward that will stem from this, as it was the private corporation that made all of this possible!
-Exogen

After days of troubleshooting, project managers of the UAT program have released confusing news about their findings. The deployment of the Triangulator Array was an operational success, even with the frustrations of the Terran Republic raising tensions in Republic space. However, the project as a whole has been something of a failure or a terrifying success.

UATs located in the Sol system were able to easily pick up the signal from the Lich pulsar, but none of the other emplaced Triangulators set throughout the Republic region were able to find or resolve the signal. Lead researchers are only able to rationalize a small number of reasons for these results. The two key hypotheses are that either; the jetstream produced from the pulsar is helping to accelerate this radio signal on a direct path that, against all odds, happens to cross directly through the Sol system. Or, that whatever or whomever is sending the signal is sending a tight beam direct signal to earth.

The Archangel Foundation has stated, “It is important to take what we have learned about the signal, and move forward with a commitment to knowledge.”

Research is currently at a standstill. It appears evident researchers will only have access to the same quality signal that they have had since the beginning. In order to make use of the signal they have, a significantly larger computational power is needed. Designs based on the current needs are being created for the largest single output quantum supercomputer ever built. The quantum volume of this supercomputer would rival the processing power of all previously created quantum computers, combined. But an effort this vast will require significantly more manpower and resources than a single organization can muster.

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The First Earth-like exoplanet has been found by the Sunset Enterprises corporation! Located 240 JU from Sol, in the Archimedes Region, Exogen has named the system Prestarum. The system has several planetary bodies, including a valuable Water World Prestarum VI and the first planet discovered similar to mother Earth.

Prestarum IV is slightly smaller than Earth and is in the “Goldilocks Zone” for its system. 70% of the planet’s surface is covered by landmass. It is slightly younger than Earth, with an estimated 3 billion-year-old formation. The median temperature ranges between -20 and 40 Celcius. The oceans are incredibly acidic and salty but are mainly liquid water with ice caps present on both poles. Strong magnetic fields and a thick atmosphere protect the surface from asteroids and solar radiation. Prestarum IV’s atmosphere consists mostly of nitrogen (76%) and oxygen (17%), but high carbon dioxide and hydrogen levels make it lethal for human beings.

Initial spectrum imaging scans reveal signs of primitive organic life, mainly protoflora covering vast plateaus. The protoflora survives on mineral-laden water and photosynthesis. Further investigation via Pioneer missions and Science teams is needed. Possessing many of the most elusive conditions required for human life, Prestarum IV is the most likely candidate to begin significant research and development into mass terraforming projects.

The impact of this moment viewed against the entirety of humankind’s history makes all other milestones pale in comparison. In the time of our greatest need, we have discovered our greatest hope. News of this discovery has reached every continent and off-earth base. Now is a time for hope. Now is the time for unity. Now is the time for humanity to wield its greatest strength in a manner that has never been seen. Working together, every human can achieve the dream of salvation for all by working together to build a new world, for all of us.

The Archangel Foundation has announced its plans for the massive networked quantum computer system, named Cognition. This system will be a series of individual quantum-computer-equipped satellites, taking advantage of the coldness of space and ample solar energy. These separate processing nodes will be joined through quantum entanglement to produce the single largest collection of processing power ever seen by humankind. Cognition could be put to many future uses once it has finished its initial assigned task, to decode the Lich radio signal. But before it can accomplish this goal, it must first be built.

Ventura, along with the Archangel Foundation, is requesting that Exogen assists in the construction and placements of the Cognition nodes. With the assistance of the spacefaring private corporations, not only can these quantum equipped satellites be created faster, but they can also be transported and set into place alongside many scientific vessels such as SOHO, ACE, and Wing at the Terra-Sol Lagrange point. This computational system in the future could be invaluable for a great many additional projects, such as validating or even improving engineering plans for the future ARC vessels or establishing safety and survival protocols for unique planetary conditions affecting future colonists.

A unique aspect of the project is its computational growth. Even with just a few processing units, it will be able to complete any task, including decoding the mysterious radio signal. But with each additional node brought online, its powers will grow, and its speed increases. The more nodes that are added to the system, the faster results can be made. It Is now up to each agency to decide how to move forward. Will they continue to contribute and donate to this historical moment, or will they step back and let others take charge of this milestone in human history?

Cognition, the quantum supercomputer satellite network, is already making huge leaps and bounds in deciphering the signal from the Lich pulsar. The biggest discovery made thus far is the signal appears to be the transmission of an audio and video file, based on the carrier data structure. As exciting as that revelation might be, it is only the beginning of a new set of problems. In addition to being a complex and alien signal, Cognition will now have to make millions of test runs guessing at the type of compression and reassembly processes that this transmission may be built around. This would be a challenging task with a perfect signal, made magnitude more difficult with the faint and extremely tainted signal Cognition is working with currently.

As the signal is slowly being decoded, other information has been revealed about the signal itself which has come as a surprise to many of those researching and staying involved. The origin of the radio signal is coming from the direction of Lich pulsar, but appears that it may be coming from much closer to the Sol system. Cognition is currently estimating that the signal may be originating from only 1% of its original assumed distance of nearly 2300 JU. This confusing development would indicate that the signal is far weaker than previously assumed. It still appears that the signal is targeted at Sol, possibly the most intriguing and worrisome aspect of the situation. The only other insight recently revealed is that the signal shows signs that it’s origin is slowly moving further away from Sol.

Official Exogen "30% passed report" - click here.

Thousands of protests have broken out across the globe, with common citizens demanding the Cognition supercomputer's shutdown. Concerned with the increased Subroutine workforce driving many able-bodied Terrans into unemployment and poverty, protests insist that Cognition will be a tipping point in strong Artificial Intelligence that humankind will not be able to recover from. With the Living Labor Agreement's protections no longer protecting the average citizen, protesters have pointed their frustrations at Ventura Corp and the private corporations.

These business entities fall into the categories of either being the largest producer of various Subroutines, or collectively, the biggest consumer and implementer of Subroutines. Though private corporations do employ hundreds of thousands of Subroutines, many of these are doing labor that would be either impractical, dangerous, or impossible for a human to perform. With global tensions at an all-time high on every stratum, an easily defined enemy of the public makes for an easy target.

Subroutines tipping the economy's balance away from the average person has not helped in warming the average person towards strong general AI. And with the potentially huge risk that is imagined about the Cognition quantum supercomputer, it seems the public has finally had enough. Fueled by the protesters, the Terran Republic has demanded that Exogen cease and desist all construction activities regarding the Cognition supercomputer.

The Senate recognizes that there is a considerable financial investment and has not yet called for the system's dismantlement. However, they demand the system be decommissioned until such a time that the AI Conservatory can better understand the project's scope. The Terran Republic is insistent that Cognition must be shut down immediately. It could easily break the Anti-Strong AI Initiative, which poses an immediate existential crisis to all humankind.

The ever-growing quantum supercomputer, Cognition, has thrown into question everything we once expected from the future of computer science. As this networked computer continues to expand, its computational power grows at an alarming rate. As evidenced by its first task of decoding the Lich signal, the power of such immense processing power defies all odds.

In a relatively short time, we have learned: that the signal is not coming from the Lich pulsar, it appears to be some sort of man-made signal, the signal is extremely weak, and likely heavily encoded and appears to be using long-dead encoding and transmitting procedures. Cognition is still able to predict and assemble a coherent message. Program managers assume that the signal contains 7.2% or less of the original data that would be found on a perfect transmission. With minimal instruction and interaction, Cognition is reassembling the signal with a confidence score that is rising by the hour. Predictive abilities of this or future levels are as potentially terrifying as it is thrilling.

Evaluating the current branching prediction models, Exogen has used facial recognition on several results to determine if the person appearing in the signal video is Petty Officer Lars Lorien from Solar Command. Petty Officer Lorien’s available information and records may reinforce that possibility with their suspiciously mixed availability. As a notable microwave communications officer, Lorien can be found in several reports based on new assignments moving up the ranks of Solar Command in the TRSF.

However, his last known assignment is unaccounted for in military records. Initial investigations were unable to find separation records or a death certificate. The last entry in his personnel file dates back 11 years, a transfer from one of the command frigates for the TRSF. No station or ship was listed under his next assignment. His final assignment may have been top-secret and related to the Lich signal.

Stoked by online instigation, many of the protests against Subroutines, strong AI, Cognition, and the private corporations have turned unruly and violent. Senate leaders have pointed to the frightening potential dangers of Cognition, fanning the flames of fear in the average person. With police and private security clashing against protesters across the globe, something must be done immediately. With generations of media-driven fear from the legitimate fears true general AI can pose, the challenge of reeducating the masses towards the potential benefits may be too large to conquer at this point.

With people being hurt and property being damaged in every nation, the Terran Republic is forced to take action. The Senate condemns Exogen and the private corporations for their continued and unnecessarily risky attempts to decode the Lich signal; citing the reckless and dangerous use of unchecked computing power that endangers humankind with threats of unintended Strong AI as the key pillar of the condemnation. With actions that fly in the face of the Anti-Strong AI Initiative, Exogen and the private corporations are "pursuing potentially ruinous" means, as stated by the AI Consultancy.

The Senate has publicly stated that their own traditional based research is extremely successful and should fully understand the signal within the decade. Any efforts beyond that can only be achieved through reckless actions that endanger everyone, claimed the Prime Senate. "Matters such as these can and should be handled by responsible professionals." Prime Senator Bakshi remarked during a live conference.

Unless Exogen and the spacefaring corporations immediately cease and desist the Cognition quantum supercomputer's construction, the Terran Republic will be required by the burden of public safety to label Exogen as a terrorist organization and freeze all assets of any business entity involved in Exogen activities.

The Lich signal has been fully decoded, and early assumptions based on the unfinished prediction results have proven correct. The signal is of Communications Petty Officer Lars Lorien of the TRSF, broadcasting a distress call for "Genesis 1", an as of yet unidentified fleet vessel. His final duty position is unlisted on his military records, at least as far as the initial investigation has uncovered. With no records of his final assignment or of a TRSF vessel named Genesis 1, it may be this vessel and mission are both extremely classified. The radio signal originates from 10-15 JU from Terra, but its specific location is unknown and seems to increase steadily in distance.

The current assumptions are that a derelict vessel, Genesis 1, is adrift in Republic space and that the crew's status is unknown, but expectations are grim. The signal has a running iteration number to identify how many times it has repeated itself in the silence of space. This damning reminder of the hopelessness of the signal can be used to backdate the signal. Little is known about the vessel Genesis 1, but as word spreads, it is likely those involved with its construction may shed more light on the matter. The video mentions a Gen 5 reactor; it is unclear if the same Gen 5 power plant is currently being used in the largest Terran Republic Space Force vessels and intended for the future ARC ships.

With its ability to assemble a full and complete reconstruction of a heavily damaged and degraded signal, the Cognition quantum supercomputer network has already proven itself to be an invaluable tool with immense power and potential. Research managers are already attempting to build the parameters into Cognition to assist in ideas to accelerate terraforming on Prestarum. However, more details will first be needed by scientific research teams on site.

Exogen Report - Decrypted Lich Project - click here.

Largely ignoring the development of the Lich signal situation, the Terra Republic continues to focus its energies on the dangerous situation created by Exogen and the private corporations in their reckless construction of the Cognition quantum supercomputer network. Unregulated experimentation with next-generation computer science is always a threat to the safety and longevity of humankind. Without an ability to safeguard against the creation of uncontrolled strong artificial intelligence, this area of experimentation could prove deadly.

The general public across the globe faltered slightly at the revelation from the decrypted Lich signal. However, passions and tensions are still high when it comes to the threat of AI and the economic meltdown furthered by Subroutine labor replacing humans at an unprecedented pace. The general public continues to protest and riot across the globe for the immediate dismantling of Cognition.

The Terran Republic is rushing to defend the general population from these explicit threats. The Senate has condemned the private corporations and the organization Exogen, who created this danger. To reign in these unregulated and thoughtless actions, the Terran Republic will be placing an embargo on all private corporations that contributed to the Cognition supercomputer's construction. These contributors will not be able to access License based services or products or trade for or with their Licenses in the T.R.E.M.

Additionally, the Senate has put warnings on the top agitators who spearheaded this project against the wishes of the Republic and the AI Consultancy. The CEOs and board members of the following corporations are expected to appear before the Senate: First Frontier Foundations LTD, Veda Corporate, Ajax-Rando Corp, Midgar Holding Ltd, New Horizons and Unfolding Technology.

Lastly, the Terran Republic Space Force is demanding the release of the Cognition control codes and is sending Special Forces personnel to the physical satellites to decommission the network and bring the nodes back to the lunar bases for disassembly.

In the wake of the Terran Republic seizing the Cognition supercomputer and levying embargos against the contributing corporations, Exogen and the corporations that comprise it have taken their grievances public. Holding numerous live press conferences and appealing directly to the Senate, the corporations are beginning to carve out a finger hold in public perception. With the imminent threat of what Cognition could bring now diminished, more questions are being asked about Genesis 1, the vessel referenced in the decoded Lich signal.

Many corporations are also in a political war of perception, fighting back against a global concern of prioritizing Subroutine labor over human workers.

Transcript from Press Conference: First Frontier Foundations LTD Headquarters, Avalon-Ottawa Ontario, Canada. Dated 04.04.2090:0900hrs

After months of political and judicial hearings regarding the Cognition quantum supercomputer, many of the private corporations operating in Exogen have begun sharing legal support with one another and have begun formalizing a larger entity, the Corporate Federation. Still, in its gestation, the organization has no current direction or mission. Many agree that bringing their power and influence together will afford them the financial and political sway to fend off advances and coercion from the Terran Republic. With the potential of becoming a 100-trillion dollar governing body, the Corporate Federation could deal with the Terran Republic Senate on more equal footing.

The Senate has offered to drop all charges of wrongdoing, but only if the private corps will accept two conditions.

First, an agreement that all of the quantum node satellites will be deactivated and transported to Lunacad, the military outpost and academy at Luna 1, for disassembly. The Republic will cover all costs for this mission. Those corporations that contributed to the Cognition project are still under an embargo, barring them from acquiring or using licenses on technology or advancement. Though this can also hamper their plans of extra-solar expansion, many corporations have yet to acquiesce. The Republic has agreed to lift the embargo on the impacted corporations once the Cognition dismantlement is complete.

Secondly, there is still a need to have more oversight and understanding of the goings-on outside of Republic space. With the possibility of another threat to humankind and the potential crime on so many distant and far-flung outposts, something must be done. Therefore the Senate has proposed that all Lunar Bases, Small Orbital Stations, and Fuel Stations will have a Senate liaison onboard. This will provide much-needed oversight and observation for both private and government-run oversight committees.

Across the globe, news outlets were notified by the TRSF of a last minute high priority broadcast. Television news, radio, and SIM-STIM all will be broadcasting an unexpected and historical moment. The Terran Republic Space Force will be holding an honorific display of its many accomplishments in the previous decades, with the first-ever military parade in space. Taking place at the Lagrange point, the TRSF will be showcasing it's classic battle frigates and command ships, along with its new generation of short-range microwave gunboats.

This major event, "Long March," is led by Prime Senator Arya Bakshi, assisted by her son, soon-to-be Senator, Vice Admiral Rajesh Bakshi. With over a dozen battle frigates, two capital-class destroyers, and one battlecruiser, the event resembled something out of a movie. With the unbelievable might of mankind, citizens can rest easy knowing that no future threats can stand against them.

Once the event had ended, the Public Relations Department of the Republic Senate announced that over 3.5 billion people watched the "Long March" broadcast. Over 17 billion social engagements were logged with 73% in positive support or astonishment.

The Exogen Board of Directors and many of the top contributing corporations have come to a less publicized agreement that it is now necessary to begin a formalized search and rescue campaign for Genesis 1. With much of the Terran Republic and the average populations fixated on subroutine labor and anti-strong AI policies and actions, it is the responsibility of all others to press on with this important undertaking. With what is understood from the math of the Genesis 1 signal, it is unlikely any rescue effort will be needed for living personnel, but some small hope remains. It is still important to learn what can be learned about this vessel, its crew, and its mission.

As one of the key figures in space exploration, Ventura Corp has also been implored to participate in this mission but has refused direct participation. Trying to maintain its status as a neutral third-party, the Ventura Board of Directors has committed to taking no active involvement in searching for this vessel. However, as a major player and asset holder, Ventura would like to donate their orbital and surface-based landing pads to any corporation taking part in this search and rescue mission. Additionally, any corporation with the need can receive free room and board, along with technical assistance on Mars. Ventura has constructed nearly 9000 temporary beds outside of Ventura 1 for any crew or technicians that may need to relocate for logistical support.

With ample support externally and among members, Exogen is pushing for an immediate coordinated search for Genesis 1, the derelict vessel and crew from the Lich signal.

After months of negotiations, the conflict between the private corporations and the Terran Republic seems to have resolved. Thankfully, in a much more peaceful manner than was originally anticipated from the outset of recent hostilities. Only after multiplying their political power by unification and presenting a single front were the private corporations able to successfully reject the Senate’s proposals and force renegotiations. Ventura Corp has offered to assist the newly formed Federation in oversight and guidance for two years. Some finer details still need to be worked out, but it appears both political factions have worked out a general series of policies and compromises that both parties can accept.

After a hard-fought series of hearings, both parties have agreed to the disassembly of Cognition. However, the onus will be on the Terran Republic to reimburse material costs to a general slush fund that will be used for mutual benefit. This newly created Colonization Manpower Training fund will be the wellspring for hiring and training future ARC pilots, ARC support fleet maintenance and technician positions, and all future colonization emergency financial support.

To make the Republic Commissars program more palatable to the corporations, the new program will have a pool of eligible Commissars to hire from, who may be assigned corporate duties once on a workstation. The program aims to reduce Republic and public concern over the absence of any form of law and order in the hundreds of thousands of square JU of currently known space. Assigning a responsible party to each station in space creates another opportunity for human employment and a better ability to monitor illegal behavior.

Though the Commissar program is primarily a monitoring initiative, conversations will need to continue on how to go about building an actual law-enforcement agency to effectively enforce law and order throughout the universe.

With overwhelming support from numerous corporations, Exogen is moving forward with a plan to locate the ill-fated and enigmatic Genesis 1 space vessel. Made famous by a tight beam distress call sent to Terra by a member of its crew after an apparent catastrophic accident, the current state of the Genesis 1 is unknown. Next to nothing is known about this vessel, a problem this mission hopes to solve.

With specially modified probe satellites, Exogen will coordinate a collective mission where corporations will effectively search for this missing vessel. Following the conclusion of political hostilities between the Senate and the private corporations, more of the public attention has begun circling back to the mystery of Genesis 1. Though it appears evident that the Terran Republic is likely responsible for creating Genesis 1, there has not been a formal statement or comments yet made about the situation.

This search and rescue mission hopes to accomplish several key functions. First is to discover the location of Genesis 1 and then assess the crew and passengers' status. Since the specific location of Genesis 1 is unknown along the Lich vector, the newly configured probes can be targeted to specific Rad-Z coordinates to search the surrounding area. But with so much space to cover, an extremely precise range will have to be required.

Any corporation choosing to take part in this mission will receive 10.0 Plasteel, and the corporation that launches the customized probe that locates the Genesis 1 will receive 100.0 Licences.

Currently, 8 missions have been sent by several brave private corporations to the first Earthlike world called Prestarum IV. Sunset Enterprises corporation have sent Pioneer ships and Science teams to investigate the surface, landmasses, chemical compositions, and prepare habitation equipment for long-term missions.

The planet's continents are predominantly columnar basalt plateaus covering vast stretches of the surface. The littoral land borders are mostly vertical stone walls, and in some areas, reaching more than a kilometer above the ocean below. The continents have numerous and extremely deep and narrow canyons that divide the landscape. Prestarum IV's highest peak is nearly four kilometers high but is an immense level plateau as well. Currently there has been no volcanic activity reported, nor earthquakes.

Protoflora organisms have been gathered by exploring scientists, and subsequent research is beginning to provide vital information about its origins. Though nothing more than primitive algae, moss, and very small ferns have been found. After completing preliminary tests about the planet's organic plant material, all scientists agree about its origin - it is alien, yet very similar to Terran flora. They require water and microelements, sun for photosynthesis, and carbon dioxide. But most importantly, these plant species make oxygen.

The value of this new world cannot be overstated. This planet is fertile ground to start life anew for humankind. It will take time and effort, but this may be the home for the rebirth of human civilization. A place to correct the many things that we, as a species, have done wrong in the past. If we can face and overcome our previous failures, we will not merely bring humankind to a new planet but bring a new level of humanity as well.

The Terran Republic Senate and TRSF have made an unexpected announcement, claiming ownership of the mysterious craft, Genesis 1. This declaration comes after Exogen has begun a self-funded search and rescue mission for the distressed vessel. Marking the first time the Republic has publicly acknowledged their involvement in its existence, the Senate had many questions to deflect. It continued to explain that Genesis 1 is sensitive property of the TRSF and may not be salvaged or boarded by non-TRSF personnel. From the statements given, it does not appear that the Senate holds hope for any survivors. In the Senate's closing remarks, it was noted that they are grateful for the enthusiasm for the Exogen efforts, but they are unnecessary. They will only slow the recovery of Genesis 1.

One of the many questions being raised center around the "gen five reactor" mentioned in the distress call. With no other knowledge to go on, it is unclear if it represents the fifth generation of nuclear reactor technology, or perhaps the 5th module reactor aboard Genesis 1 if it was so equipped. The largest TRSF vessels are currently using the fifth generation of nuclear reactor technology but are known by the technical name SCAAR (Self Contained Advanced Actinide Reactor). Many within the TRSF are raising concerns about the possibilities that the "gen five reactor" may be the same running in 3 TRSF capital class vessels now in use throughout Republic space. It is unknown if these power plants are the same as Genesis 1 is equipped with, and if so, if they also may run the risk of a similar disaster.

During the announcement, a fleet of quick response frigates has departed Sol en route to the general direction of Genesis 1. No mission plan has been mentioned, but a similar search and rescue operation seems evident.

Visualizations from a Customized Probe sent by Frontier Interstellar have found what must be the remains of Genesis 1. Along the path from Sol to the Lich pulsar, a massive vessel was found at 25938-00117. This gigantic hulk's scale dominates any known space vessel by a distinct margin, stretching over 1960 feet long. The craft's general size and design are reminiscent of early ARC prototype designs from both artistic and technical publishings. With ARC ships planned to carry 3,000 crew and colonists, the scale of this disaster may vastly outpace early expectations. But until search and rescue teams can physically access the structure, only assumptions can be made.

Close inspection of the damaged vessel has revealed signs of an in-vessel explosion mid-ship, which collapsed the anterior hull and blew out a portion of its starboard expanse. Radiation in the area is exceptionally high and extends hundreds of kilometers in all directions. Shielded ships will be required to work in the area, and any crew will need protective equipment and work in exposure limited shifts to operate near or on the vessel safely. There is a large cloud of debris around the ship, including organic remains. The Probe was able to visually confirm several bodies in standard flight crew uniforms rather than spacewalking equipment. No signs of life have been identified, and artificial power is almost negligible.

The Terran Republic Space Force quick response fleet frigates have arrived at the location of Genesis 1. Shortly upon their arrival, the Probe lost communication with its command corporation and Exogen. The lead TRSF frigate captain sent word back that their arrival was imprecise and inadvertently disturbed the debris cloud, likely causing a collision with the Probe, knocking it offline. Video from the Probe was focused on Genesis 1 and cannot prove or disprove the claim.

Science Vessels will be needed to understand the fate of the ship better and research the craft.

Though records indicate 625 quantum node satellites were constructed and synchronized into the Cognition system, the TRSF could only account for 600 satellites. All private corporations attest that they are in full compliance and even submitted logs for forensics investigation. No debris was found in the area, and no potential collisions have been calculated. It is currently in question if the original total was in error.

During automated transport, one of the cargo grappler rigs suffered a malfunction, resulting in a full burn acceleration off the intercept path for Lunar orbit. Far off course and out of the solar system, engines and all systems shut down after approaching a planet whose gravitational well further adjusted its course. With no onboard systems running, it is impossible to locate the cargo rig without visual observation. It carried 25 of the quantum nodes with it.

Much fanfare surrounded the promotion of General Rajesh Bakshi to Prime General of the Space Force early this month. With a vacancy opening from the previous General's retirement, there were several candidates in the running. However, many claim as it is a partially political position, Gen. Bakshi clearly had the most support with his family's long history of status within the Senate. These opinions undercut his exemplary service in the military, from combat in several deployments fighting against separatists factions early in his career to spearheading capital-class vessel assignments and patrols. Gen. Bakshi has enjoyed a fast rise through the Space Force, but that should not take away from his many years of experience and responsibility in command positions. He often needed to turn down favorable assignments that came from his influential family ties. As one not to shy away from cameras and reporters, Gen. Bakshi's ideologies of reforming the "recklessly unregulated" space travel structure.

Having studied law at Cambridge, Gen. Bakshi has provided salient arguments against Ventura and several private corporations that have publicly balked at his philosophies that travel and missions throughout space should be much more highly regulated and documented. Stating reports that crime off-planet has been on the rise over the years and that a lack of general oversight can only inspire more of the same. They are already expecting that much of his initial efforts will curry support to address a solution to the "Wild West" of space. Several corporations have conceded publicly that employees' background checks have declined due to the rapid expansion of positions and duties to perform in the ever-increasing expanse of human reach. However, none have given credence to the lawless narrative Gen. Bakshi suggests.

Prime Senator Arya Bakshi took part in the promotion ceremony for her son remotely, as health concerns limited travel for her this week. Prime Senator Bakshi gave the guest speech of honor to support his new position. Sharing the same concern for the limitless freedoms enjoyed by nefarious persons off-planet, Senator Bakshi has promised that the Senate will work closely with the TRSF, providing resources to help bring regulation and oversight to an underserved sector. With the head of the TRSF now more closely aligned with a large majority of the Prime Senators, it is expected that changes that have been glacial in the past may now have the backing needed to advance quickly through regulation and ratification.

Two reports from separate agencies have emerged referencing the same unknown spacecraft performing maneuvers and various flights throughout Sol over the last few weeks. Sighted twice on LRTR-AESA and once on a visual recording, the vessel does not resemble any known licensed vessel of the TRSF, Ventura, or the private corporations. There is no transponder data for this ship, and it appears to be running as stealthily as it can while jetting around the solar system. It was spotted near the Terra Lagrange point and in a Jupiter orbit, where it was tracked by radar to Mars and disappeared behind the planet.

The craft is extremely fast and was calculated to reach a peak acceleration g-force of nearly 20 g. It maintained this brutal acceleration for over an hour, reaching a top speed of .018 c, nearly 2% of light speed within the solar system. Assumptions have been made that the craft may have stopped near Mars as radar registered albedo modulation and massive g-force deceleration before disappearing behind the red planet. With verifiable records of the craft and its unknown activities, many voices, including the TRSF, are in a fervor to identify the responsible party. With blame being pointed in all directions, it is clear that the recklessness of an unregistered ship running silent and off standard routes is a danger to anyone in the area.

The modest visual recording and 3D reconstructions from radar data indicate the vessel has a traditional aircraft-like silhouette with rear-swept wings and oversized external drives that appear to have a ramjet design. These unnecessary elements indicate a function for atmosphere-based maneuverability, but those assertions are currently only educated guesses. With no-one claiming ownership of the craft, it may fall to capture or destruction to find the responsible party.

As the expanse of human presence grows further from Terra, so does the time and resources needed to travel from one point to another. With a current diameter of roughly 600 JU, it would take over 4 years to travel from one side to another. In most circumstances, it is simply a matter of fact that must be accepted, but it is an unacceptable obstacle in efficiency for emergencies. The Archangel Foundation has recently announced its burgeoning solution to this problem. Though still in early-stage development, the program, as demonstrated, holds enormous promise.

The recently revealed Quantum Presence Interface Device allows for immediate and real-time control and feedback of specially created Subroutine chassis through a combination of physical controls and SIM-STIM feedback. Working on a complex system of twin-influence quantum entanglement for the instant transfer and feedback of information across the galaxy, the system is an extraordinary leap in technological achievement but is still in its infancy. The project team hopes to improve the process in many ways over the coming years. The team is hopeful that one day the process may be entirely handled through SIM-STIM, placing the user's consciousness directly into the Subroutine, as if it were their own body. Compatibility with many different Subroutine chassis and possibly even artificial bodies would be an additional advancement in the distant future.

Such a system's potential uses are near limitless, from touring new facilities, important life events, law enforcement, to crewing dangerous construction or technical missions without risking human lives. With the program now public, the Archangel Foundation is looking for more partners who can provide personnel and facilities to further test the QPID workflow in new environments for more rapid iteration.

Arya Bakshi, a long-standing Prime Senator for the Terran Republic and facilitator of support for impoverished communities, has passed away, leaving her seat on the Prime Senate open and the Senate in a state of chaos. With her extensive experience in a lifetime of public service and office, Prime Senator Bakshi acted as a linchpin for the continued role of the Prime Senate as political reformation regularly rose against the council. Key concerns of the Senate focused on the power of the life-long appointees who could undo or overrule even unanimous motions of the standard Senate. As the most publicly supported member of either Senate, her presence was critical in maintaining the Prime Senate.

Another Senator with rising popularity, Ezra Hendricks from the central African district, has begun a widespread publicity campaign urging the public and the Senate to disband the Prime Senate office. Hendricks claims the Prime Senate's presence adds fractious and crippling over-governance to the Republic. Promoted by the Reformed People's Democratic Party, Hendricks has strong support with older and younger generations alike. Hendricks has spoken of Bakshi's passing, that her wishes would have been to facilitate the care and protection of the people of the world. A task made easier with a streamlined government where a single decision can be made and then acted upon without additional oversight or debate.

With most private corporations contributing to Bakshi's charitable Foundation, it appears that even her more vocal detractors agree that caring for humankind now is as important as developing future solutions. The Senates continue to debate and attack one another. The seeds of turmoil have begun to sprout.

With more Senators joining the political revolution started by Ezra Hendricks, the solvency of the Prime Senate has been sent to a public referendum, a matter for the public to decide the final outcome. With Hendricks' and his supporters' clever use of news and social media appearances, the digitally distributed vote quickly swung in favor to dissolve the Prime Senate in a 62-38 outcome. With final decision-making power, the Senate has announced that this is a win for democracy and a reduction in unnecessary bureaucracy. Many Senators have pledged to their constituents and regions that the time for accountability has never been higher. The need for alacrity in the government is paramount to the survival of the species. Many pundits are hopeful that this single-level governing body will lead to more mindful politics. With each Senator's decisions directly impacting daily life for the public, a responsibility to those who have put them in power appears to now be higher than appealing to political favor.

Appearing as a key figure in this massive and historic moment, Ezra Hendricks has stated many times that he does not want to further his political standing or create a new office that would replace the Prime Senate. This is a charge many of his opponents have leveled against him. Spotlighting colonial America and the idealized history of its preformation government, Hendricks hopes that a body of equally powered representatives, infinitely more inclusive, will provide the most democratic means of governance. As a member of the Reformed People's Democratic Party, Hendricks knows full well there will still be disagreements and political differences. Senators will be more beholden to their voters than ever before, and stalemating politics may well become political suicide.

Rajesh Bakshi has formalized the support of the TRSF along with other branches of the Terran Republic Armed Forces for the Senate but has made many off the record comments at his disgust of using the death of his mother for both political enrichment and power brokering.

Since its discovery, Genesis 1 has been a marvel of speculation amongst conspiracy theorists and those who disapprove of the Republic's actions. Many believe Genesis 1 was a lifeboat for the elite to escape Earth's dangers as early as possible, leaving the rest to suffer. Others speculate the Republic was running its own colonization attempts to create colonies populated only with the most loyal supporters. But rarely do the conspiracies and discussions fall into the vessel's actual origins and its construction.

However, a post on an engineering-centric digital forum went viral when two self-proclaimed engineers who worked on the vessel replied to the post, discussing its construction. The original post had featured some newly released photos from the recent 'Theodule & Fils Export' corporation scientific expedition that revealed more detailed images of the vessel from close range. The first engineer to respond posted an offhand comment that this was the ship he helped construct from 2069-2074 but had transferred to other projects before completion. Hundreds of users bombarded the second engineer who responded after claiming that they were part of much earlier construction from 2066-2070.

The two forum members continued to share details for several days as questions poured in from around the globe. Though working in different departments and not crossing paths, both members seem to tell very similar stories. Both have been adamant that construction took place on the far side of Jupiter, away from the prying eyes from the rest of the solar system. Many have begun to deduce that this vehicle's construction may have been tied to the early Plastisteel market crash of the TREM, perhaps by the Republic emptying the reserves to construct such a large vessel in secret.

These revelations are only a few days old; it is assumed, but not confirmed, that if these engineers were part of this construction project, they might still be under a strict NDA from the Republic. So far, there has not been retaliation or response from the Republic, but the wheels of bureaucracy are occasionally slow to respond to online storytelling.

Several blackouts occurred on the quantum communication network last week, losing communication several times for extended periods with no clear indication of a cause. Heavily affecting off-planet communications, causing havoc with TREM trading, corporate mission planning, and delayed dozens of mission launches. Ventura admitted today to intentionally causing these blackouts as part of an intense and fast-paced hunt of an active Knights Errant terrorist cell. Offering apologies for those affected, Ventura explained the shutdowns were necessary to prevent the cell from communicating with others for support and limit their ability to counter hack the cybersecurity team.

Ventura shared the evidence that alerted them to the K-E cell’s activities, data logs describing the terrorists hack into the Ventura Blockchain and License Bank. The K-E were attempting to acquire blueprints and patents to numerous technologies in the secured system. The terrorists activated buried security routines when they accessed a dummy drive related to the new QPID system. One of many enticing traps Ventura says it has laid out in both digital and physical space. Once the cell caught the attention of cybersecurity, the 1st Mars Regiment private military deployed a quick reaction team from the Coyote special forces unit to engage and capture the so-called Knights members.

This raid turned deadly as the hacker group members opened fire on the exo-powered Coyote squad. One Coyote member was injured as a result of a malfunctioning exo-suit. The terrorist cell suffered massive casualties, with nearly a dozen killed. Three heavily injured members of the Knights were captured and transported to an undisclosed location. After receiving medical treatment, the surviving cell members will undergo interrogation with a new form of reverse SIM-STIM where a subjects brain activity and thought visualization are observed and recorded.

With the near-endless prosperity and year after year profits from numerous ventures, Ventura Corp has broken new ground on Mars to develop an expansive business park. Branching off the capital colony-city Ventura One, this business park will facilitate tens of thousands of employees and their families. At the opening ceremony, Ventura CEO Ulrich Lisbone announced this new hub of hundreds of permanent hab units is not intended for Ventura to fill with its employees. Instead, this new fledgling sub-city is designed to be populated by private corporations.

With Terra being an inadequate origin for space vessel assembly or launch, hampered with strong gravity and an ever-worsening debris field, off-planet headquarters are ideal. But with land prices beyond reason on Luna and Mars too far to easily transport an entire space fairing business, no good options were available. “But that changes today!” - claimed Ulrich. With numerous launch platforms, thousands of corporate offices, and dozens of ship assembly yards planned, many of the resources corporations would ever need will be awaiting them.

With an open offer to all corporations, Ventura is excited to bring more cutting edge businesses together. By paying only 100.0 L to Ventura, CEOs and their companies will get assistance to uproot from Terra and deploy their assets on Mars. With this one time fee, corporations could be up and running on Mars in no time. What sort of advancements could be made with so many like-minded businesses in one place?

Ventura will collect payment and work with corporations on pre-move paperwork and planning for the next two years. During the two years, logistical preparations will be ready to relocate all interested corporations as requests roll in. There is a limit to how many hab structures will be available. Once the planned expansion is filled, no other corporations will be accepted until the infrastructure can be expanded.

Reports continue to roll in over a developing story in deep space, where an orbital station constructor at Fulcrum 3N901was stolen. The unlikely and brazen incident has had personnel and agencies reeling and scrambling to confirm and understand the event in light of many assumed safeguards against such an action. From personality tests to transponder and event logs, there are dozens of intentional and innocuous obstacles to criminal behavior in space. Though the TRSF, other corporations, insurance companies, and even the Senate were slow to believe the accusations, Fulcrum is now getting support across the board as more evidence is presented and leads are being followed.

The incident took place as the construction crew had completed assembling the last of the pre-fabs for the orbital station. A mining team assumed disguised as a Fulcrum team hailed the station personnel, convincing the construction staff that the mining team was in need of emergency refueling. The mining team docked at the orbital station and met with the on-site crew. After a short brawl, the onboard Fulcrum construction crew members were locked in a storage area with comma access, the doors welded shut. After disabling the transponder for the construction vessel, it and the mining crew vessel left the system, quickly lost in the vastness of space.

It is now known the mining team's transponder signal was spoofed, but no corporations with mining activities in the area are aware of any crew being off mission. Prime General Bakshi of the TRSF has promised no such activities will occur within the Republic region but is expressing concern at the growing threat of lawlessness in the ever-increasing expanse of space. Weighty questions arise about who, if anyone, will act as the law in the farthest reaches of space.

To all interested corporations and Frontier Foundation:

Thank you for your interest in joining our collective on Mars. We understand some of you may still be on the fence and hoping to receive more information.

We hope to build a forward-looking societal environment that rewards focus and perspective. If you were to take your average person and drop them in the middle of a war-torn and poverty-stricken city, how much would you expect that person to accomplish? Same question, but now they are placed in a tight-knit society of business people, researchers, scientists, innovators... What might change? Over 100 corporations have currently requested to relocate to our facilities - nearly 20% of the current space - faring corporations. With this strong turnout, we have never been more excited to observe how everyone will innovate collaboratively.

That is what you have to gain.

We have great love and respect for Terra as we are all from the mother planet. However, there is a time where one must decide if they are on the best path forward. Some may already be on that path, and others may not be so lucky. We are merely opening the opportunities we have on Mars to others.

On the matter of the Republic, we do not choose to ruffle feathers. There is much to be gained through common respect and deference and much to be lost without diplomacy. How the Republic chooses to view your actions is with them to decide. We cannot be beholden to other people's emotions if they stifle our growth. And tactfully speaking, in the quest for law, order, and safety, our security and military strength grows with every alliance made. And I am sure that in every Senator's heart, they are aware that a single planet in space cannot hope to be the throne for an entire universe.

Regarding safety and security regarding the terrorist group, the Knights Errant, if going by sheer statistics, we offer the highest protection to our affiliates as the only organization to have effectively mobilized against this threat. Our resources, both financially and intellectually, have helped create active and passive safeguards to this dangerous group's activities. We will continue to flush out these terrorists and dismantle their operational capabilities within our reach. By their admission and our research, we can say that they are a universal threat, but a threat we take seriously and are the most well-equipped to defeat.

We have built an incredible communal expansion that we hope to fill with like-minded explorers. The cost might be high if only considering what you will lose, but not imagining what you might gain. We have already constructed dozens of fabrication centers, ship assembly yards, launch facilities, multi-household living facilities, gymnasiums, community and entertainment centers, and of course, premium business centers. With many corporations coming up on their fourth decade of space exploration, some facilities may be falling into disrepair or in dire need of upgrading. We have premium cutting edge facilities at your disposal.

I understand that this opportunity might not be for everyone, and we cannot supply everyone's accommodations. Yet. But the more we can build and grow our community, the more we can accomplish.

I look forward to meeting all of our hosted CEOs here in Ventura One.

-Ulrich Lisbone

108 corporations moved their operation centers to Ventura One on Mars. Ulrich Lisbone, CEO of Ventura Corp, made a speech directed to the spacefaring private corporations to woo them to move their operations to Mars. Following the unexpected announcement, invited members of the press toured the massive industrial park and corporate center constructed off of the red planet's ever-growing capital city. The expansion is equipped with the newest generation of 3-D printer prefab factories, dozens of launch centers and shipyards, and community centers that function as recreational facilities and corporate offices.

Citing the many logistic benefits of working on Mars, the Ventura marketing team worked hard to deliver the message of the immeasurable benefits of grouping so many like-minded entities working side-by-side. With over 100 corporations pulling up their roots from Terra, it appears the message was well received. Over the two year period that Ventura assisted corporations in moving to Mars, a hive of productivity and familiarity has been growing. Becoming a small city until itself, Ventura allowed the newly housed corporations to collectively name this broad expansion. Agora, once the meeting place of Greek philosophers and the birthplace of ideas and ideals that shaped the world, seemed fitting and was adopted for the new expansion.

The Terran Republic seems to have many split views on the exodus of so many corporations moving their operations to Mars. Some Senators feel that so long as gainful employment can continue, they cannot find an issue. More vocal Senators have taken their many grievances to the Senate floor and press regarding these corporations abandoning their roots and responsibilities to fellow citizens. Without a unified opinion, no political or economic blowback is currently expected. However, proposals that these corporations be treated the same as Ventura with sanctions and tariffs are slowly gathering more supporters.

Two former Ventura employees, both members of the 1st Mars Regiment, were arrested with several others last week in Shirehampton, Bristol, of the European District. A large brawl broke out at the rebuilt Hope and Anchor pub near the waterfront between the two unidentified men and a group of five unidentified patrons. Eyewitnesses not involved in the melee stated the fight broke out as arguments between the men and the patrons escalated over political differences. The two former Ventura employees have said they were out to celebrate reuniting at home after ten years of service when accosted by "belligerent and aggressive pillocks with a prideful hatred of spacers."

The violent encounter resulted in two local patrons' death, and two sent to the ICU in critical condition. The former private military contractors suffered severe injuries but are expected to recover in the coming weeks fully. Both of the former contractors were recipients of several bio modifications meant to help increase their combat effectiveness, one of the critical factors in the scale of violence. Gene therapies for radically increased bone and muscle density are commonplace amongst 1st Regiment contractors. These help to prevent bone loss in low gravity and deal with heavy loadouts regularly seen in duty. The combat effectiveness of these enhancements has been proven in this bloody and regrettable bar fight.

Both former Ventura employees claim that their lives were in danger from an increasingly agitated and aggressive crowd and had done their best to avoid a physical confrontation. They offer condolences to those affected and regret the outcome, and maintain that they were the victims. Ventura has yet to comment on the incident, while the Senate has made it clear it will weigh in on the matter, given the dangers of bioaugmented persons. The situation is made worse by the Republic's long-held stance against bioaugmentation. There are over 1500 former 1st Regiment contractors living on Terra, but it is unclear how many of those have received similar or other bio modifications. It is known that Ventura has been contacting these former contractors to advise them of the situation for their safety and discretion.

With the addition of 108 corporations on the planet, Mars has become a hive of innovation and self-sufficiency. Pushing their bio-agriculture research and development hard the last few years, Ventura is rolling out a long list of next-generation printed foods. To provide food independence for all of Mars and its satellite stations on Deimos and Phobos, a radical new means of food production was needed. Traditional agriculture and even advanced vertical farming were still too costly for valuable square footage to provide food en masse to locals with encapsulated atmospheres. But by taking a page out of advanced mechanical 3D printing, Ventura has been able to produce nutritionally valuable and passably attractive synthetic food.

"It's just simple molecular science paired with a bit of bio-nutrition.", said research team member Eógan Bátori, oversimplifying the task of creating amino acid infused molecular structures with functional replications of natural DNA and properties. The new production process has introduced more items to the menu over the last few months as flavor profiles continue to be tweaked. Now serving fresh "vegetables and fruits" and Synthmeat®, Ventura hopes that these breakthroughs will fuel pioneers and colonists of the future. The main turning point for the research was creating a base proto-gelatin to serve as a building block for the 3D printing food. "The bananas are probably the safest bet. It doesn't look that much different from the ones in old photos, but the taste is a bit bitter," taste tester Marley Gaspar shared.

One item whose relevance is not in question is crystal clear water production from essential elements filled with micro-nutrients. As Bátori states, "we are extremely proud of the water manufacturing. This was a massive hurdle for future colonies, but with access to the right elements, our process can provide clean water that provides an effective nutritional supplementation."

All Mars-based corporations have unlimited access to this new production technology and can purchase end products at discounted prices like all Mars citizens.

Ushering in a long-awaited new era, the Archangel Foundation is beginning to roll out a new series of consumer-ready synthetic 3D printers. Capable of printing an even more extensive array of end-product materials than even industrial machines of the previous generation were capable of, this new technology is a milestone for mankind. Capable of producing numerous alloys, rubbers, plastics, and even synthetic blends similar to natural fibers, these new 3D printers can produce a near-limitless variety of objects. The Archangel Foundation is also promoting a family of accessories and assembly options to further expand in-home manufacturing.

Previous generations of multi-material 3D printers have been extremely expensive, immense, and incredibly energy inefficient. Adding in the requirements of an extremely skilled and trained operator kept these processes out of the masses' hands. But now delivery of patented goods can happen in moments and a final product produced on the same day. Some Senators and law enforcement personnel are falling back on a nearly century-old debate on the potential misuse of these machines to print dangerous weapons such as firearms. But with their newly launched patent ticketing system, the Archangel Foundation has stated that only authorized, and official licenses can be printed. Though many tech and manufacturing professionals have argued it would be impossible to prevent a skilled engineer from removing these restrictions.

The surviving members of the captured Knight's Errant cell on Mars were sentenced today, following a lengthy legal battle. Not willing to settle for the charges of resisting arrest, violence, and possession of firearms, Ventura fought hard to collect and present concrete evidence that the arrested individuals were active members of the terrorist hacking group. Though the remaining convicts could not be directly linked to any previous crimes and offenses by the group, data streams pieced together from numerous damaged devices were able to prove their affiliation.

With the potential dangers the arrested persons pose and off-Terra locations not being suitably prepared for long term incarceration, Ventura needed a solution to the life sentence ordered by the court. Several sessions were held with the Terran Republic Senate to repurpose discontinued cryogenics technology for permanent prisoner storage. As one of the original experiments to extend human life on long space voyages and reduce resource needs en route, it serves a purpose I've simplified incarceration. But with no means available to successfully resuscitate an individual who has been cryo frozen, several pundits argue this is a death sentence. However, in a slim margin, the Senate granted access to this means of incarceration based on the idea that there exists a possibility to resuscitate these individuals at some point in the future.

The prisoners will remain in active custody as interrogations continue for the next six months or until officials determine it is no longer possible to persuade the terrorist group members to provide additional information. During this time, a series of cryonics modules will be transported to Mars, brought back online, and serviced into working condition.

Grave news from Mars details what can only be described as the first significant bloodshed on the red planet. Details are limited at this time as investigations are ongoing. It appears that three Ventura employees and six private corporation employees have been murdered deep in the undeveloped areas of the Candor Chasma rim. Possibly victims of an ambush, the nine personnel were found with two rovers, one of which had been struck by several electromagnetically accelerated rounds. The second rover was not damaged, making it unclear if it was present at the initial attack or possibly happened upon the crime in progress.

Both rovers have been stripped of all valuables; recently uncovered planetary artifacts, black boxes, communication, and navigational electronics, as well as both corp cipher key systems. Corp cipher keys allow for high-speed digital authentication for teams and vessels, ensuring security and chain of responsibility for all sensitive operations. Their use has skyrocketed in light of more recent events where lax security resulted in a costly lunar base construction vessel's theft.

Investigators have said they cannot link this crime to the previous vessel theft, but they have yet to rule out any possibilities. Those responsible for this heinous loss of life are unknown. Home to over 20 million residents across the planet, and at least one confirmed Knights Errant cell having been discovered, there are currently too many possibilities. Ventura has released an official statement that the 1st Mars Regiment is now conducting a widespread search for those responsible. Additionally, new observation and security posts will be staffed full-time, pushing unobservable areas further from active colonization areas.

Ventura's choice to place the convicted Knights Errant members into cryo-stasis has been met with multiple outspoken rejections of this idea as a means of fair and humane treatment of prisoners. However, logistical issues have been raised on how crime can be effectively fought and criminals punished in the farthest reaches of space. Admiral Bakshi of the TRSF and his command staff have spoken with the Senate and had Ventura members on this matter. The TRSF has pledged its assistance in general law-enforcement within the Republic cluster but cannot be held responsible for imprisonment for crimes that do not affect the Republic.

As further reaches of space become more populated, larger issues are beginning to arise. Currently, small outbreaks of violence between crewmembers have been the majority of the problems, but the theft of corporate property is on the rise, with one known significant theft. Based on centuries of human history, there is no assumption that these problems will not continue or increase in scope and scale. Some means of localized and tiered punishment or imprisonment will be needed. Currently, cryo-stasis for the most dangerous offenders seems to be the most practical solution. However, Ventura is imploring all corporations, citizens, and political figures to suggest realistic alternative options.

Before their sentences were carried out, the remaining Knights Errant members spent several months under interrogation to learn more of the organization's operations. No concrete information was given or verified about the organization size, but it was claimed to have several thousand members of various participation levels. Claims were also made that members include many ordinary citizens and corporate positions, with several members in the Terran military and possibly even the Senate. The most significant concern was that the group's recent disappearance may be due to a new and far more secure means of communication. It appears possible that the hacker group may have been responsible for the missing Cognition satellites upon TRSF arrival and the lost cargo ship with an additional 25 Cognition nodes.

Major interplanetary news networks have begun doing in-depth coverage and analysis of a group whose belief system has been slowly spreading for a decade and now seems to be on a rapid rise. The first trackable posts from the early roots of this group date back to shortly after the Lich signal's decoding, what many believed to be our first contact with another intelligent species. With much of human tension turned towards the stars, it was a time of unbridled excitement and fascination with the prospects of not being alone in the universe. However, this alien signal's massive disappointment and bleak reality left many to wonder if humankind was indeed alone in the vastness of space. With nearly 12,000 systems charted by corporations and only a single planet so far producing its own versions of life, the case for our solitude is strong.

The Seekers is an ever-growing group with strong beliefs centering around humanity being the mathematical outlier in the Fermi paradox, not only that we might be the first civilization to take to the stars, but that we may be the only. The group has been hard to label as some of the self-reported members casually dismiss the Seekers as an intellectual movement, while others generate the fervor of a cult. The groups' fundamental sentiment is "God is among us, God is us, we are God.". Raising the ire of religious groups, Seekers promote the achievements of humankind alone. Group members are extremely pacifistic and act altruistically whenever possible.

The group seems to have been born on Mars and online. Estimates from social media interactions and memberships put a conservative guess over 150,000 persons who subscribe to the group's ideology. Though predominantly centered on the Martian population, at least a third of Seekers still live on Terra. Occasionally described in the Senate as a "cult with no moral mooring", many refuse to interfere with a group on the grounds of valuing species superiority and origin. No other political or corporate organizations have yet commented on the Seekers.

With many factors at play in the ever-expanding Martian population, over 100,000 scientists are currently working on the red planet. With continuing advancement in technology, health, chemical, and astrological science, Mars is experiencing a runaway renaissance in research. With private corporations, the Archangel Foundation, and Ventura profiting heavily from this educational echo chamber, it is easy to forget those who find the situation unnerving. The Terran Republic has been concerned there is no Central Bureau established to overview their work.

The threat of potential ASAI exploitation is still a hot topic for many average citizens and politicians alike. Reports of more advanced research of human cloning is raising ethical concerns. Scientific groups have sent their assurances that all medical research is geared towards biocompatible cloned body parts, which will significantly improve medical treatment processes in the future. Unfortunately, both outdated methods based on somatic cell nuclear transfusion and induced pluripotent stem cells have long been forgotten. More incredible leaps have been achieved with a far more expensive yet effective method, based on printable reprogrammed embryonic stem cells.

Bioethicists across the solar system agreed that we are on the brink of transcendent discoveries. Yet, these can divide humankind into separate groups - those who can afford printable organic material on demand and those who cannot. As a defense, Ventura points to its pledge to offer full healthcare to all its employees, but Ventura can not possibly employ all of humanity. Human cloning was banned in 2018 in over 70 countries, but with the Terran Republic legislature overwriting many previous independent nation policies, regulation is modeled at best.

Ventura has announced their latest interplanetary vessel, the Seraphim, a multi-role high-speed craft with capabilities both for combat and atmospheric flight. Meant to serve any mission in any capacity, Ventura partnered with the Archangel Foundation to push generative design and machine learning to its development limit. The development team touted the vessel's enormous performance envelope as a testament to this iterative design process. The Seraphim can achieve moderately high performance numbers in nearly every category despite being a capable short-range interplanetary vehicle.

The reveal of this vehicle is accompanied by additional commentary from the media. Many have quickly pointed it out the Seraphim is clearly the same vessel seen years prior, recklessly jetting around the solar system, off flight plans, and out of radio contact. During the press briefing for the reveal, the Seraphim development team members answered questions about those previous sightings. "As with any multi-billion-credit development project, secrecy was important, as well as the ability to test many revolutionary features. Unfortunately, some of those new advancements needed real-world test runs. Of course, we're speaking of it's long-range remote control linkage and max acceleration."

With the extreme acceleration, the craft is capable of up to 20 g in the vacuum of space. The ship is designed for swift deployment. With a small cargo capacity, the Seraphim could also be used for extremely prompt deliveries or pickups. Still, they would need to keep in mind the effects of acceleration on its cargo. Due to its acceleration capabilities, the craft is piloted through a merger of traditional drone remote control and the latest version of the QPID interface system. Only by combining the two methods is a pilot capable of expertly guiding the craft through all scenarios.

The crew of the Veda Corporate Lunar Base of Deckard's Reach 7N1700 A 1 1 underwent a grueling 17 hours where standard systems of the facility malfunctioned in succession or went offline, unable to be restored locally. With the closed-circuit security feeds first to fall offline, technical crew members could not restart the system before interior bulkheads, and fire curtains closed without command. The on-site engineers are confident their actions did not restore the systems shortly before the next series of infrastructure-based systems began acting erratically.

Over the next 12+ hours, technicians and engineers appeared unable to regain control of the facility. Fire suppression systems released their payload agents, climate control radically increased cooling, and various modules lost power. Starting as an annoyance and ending with system failures that could've led to catastrophic injury or even death, the Veda crew furiously attest that they have likely been victimized by malicious hacking.

Ultimately, the Lunar Base was able to return to normalcy, but the on-site crew has stated that it was by no action of their own. The assessment of hacking raises concerns of vulnerabilities to the standard Lunar Base license electronic security. If true, additional security measures may be necessary to prevent similar or worse actions from happening in the future. Several corporations have already requested edit access to the Terran Republic license in hopes of implementing a corporate key security system.

With the inconceivable distances being reached by corporations, crews are already spending years undertaking missions to pioneer new planets, research distant anomalies, or settle remote Lunar Bases. In massive town-sized colonies, permanent isolation from Terra and Mars appears to be mentally survivable. Yet in cramped vessels and confined Lunar Bases, many of these crew members suffer from a narrow variety of mental health issues. With symptoms of extreme stress, depression, anxiety, and anger. Many affected personnel express concern there is a real problem with these unfavorable conditions.

Mental health experts treating crew members that have returned to Sol agree that most cases appear to have a similar list of symptoms, akin to prisoners in solitary confinement. Often wild mood swings, and frenzied or chaotic behavior. Several crew members serving in deep space over the last few months have needed improvised restraints as violent outbursts became a danger to other personnel. Restricting these individuals to non-critical areas has been the only solution thus far. Scores of previous reports of inter-crew violence are now being reconsidered through the lens of this new potential syndrome. However, many likely went unreported, with crew members not wanting to draw attention to these embarrassing incidents.

A small but growing percentage of experienced space-certified contractors are refusing job orders for long-range missions. A larger portion is only putting in requests for sub 500 JU ventures. As news spreads of this potential danger for long-range missions, corporations involved in Exogen are expecting to see less willing participation on ultra-long-range missions. With proper colonies a long way off, the need for a stop-gap solution is high.

Several missions requiring an emergency intervention due to a breakdown in crew safety from members succumbing to irrational anger or suicidal thoughts are at the forefront of the news this month. With mission lengths from Sol increasing rapidly, more reports fuel the speculation that humans may have a deep generational instinct for their home planet. Spending years onboard small confined vessels in the still dangerous vacuum of space or on lonely desolate moons, the human psyche is easy prey for a survival instinct psychosis. Now dubbed Magellan syndrome, this worrisome condition may threaten the expanse of human reach throughout the solar system.

With a profoundly vested stake in the booming growth of space travel and space-based technology and survival, Ventura Corp has launched a multibillion credit research panel for treatment and pre-diagnosis of this condition. Holding the patents and print licenses for nearly 2000 critical space-based technologies, Ventura may be the most financially exposed entity to a reduction in space exploration. Some voices are being raised at this effort: capitalist disregard for human life under the guise of humanitarian aid. Some who have been previously diagnosed with Magellan syndrome have been sponsored by Ventura as social mascots for building good press on this effort.

Another unfortunate side effect of this mental health threat, interest in colonization has begun dwindling. Even as climate change pushes more Terran citizens further from the equator, uprooting billions, colonization census surveys show a marked decrease in those willing to board the first wave of ARC ships destined for new planets.

In the early days of Exogen, arguments and small altercations between crew members were the most any corporation could complain about. However, over the decades, with more positions needing to be filled, longer mission times, and less direct oversight, legitimate crime has been rising. Theft of corporate property, skimming resource returns, and elicit black market activity are increasing in discovery. Some crimes appear to occur with just a single individual, occasionally entire crews have been compromised and their activities discovered. It begs the question of how much is going undiscovered.

Electronic crimes have been less commonly uncovered, but several fledgling members of the Knights Errant have been arrested working as traditional crew members. Corporations have begun staffing Small Orbital Stations and Lunar Bases with additional security personnel, but even those positions cannot be trusted completely. Admiral Bakshi of the TRSF has made several appearances in front of the Senate demanding an increased budget and jurisdiction to operate outside of the Republic region. Corporate Federation committee members are adamant that a return of the Republic's domineering practices in the outer systems will lead to unnecessary bloodshed and strife.

In the most recent hearing, Admiral Bakshi gave an informal ultimatum to the corporations, "Get your houses in order and make space safe for future colonies, or we will." The Terran Republic Senate's official statements after the Admiral's brusque departure from the floor was that, as for now, the Republic had no intention of overstepping the grounds outlined in the original Republic/Federation Accord.

The Archangel Foundation has spent several years continuing research from the early 2000s, hoping to breathe life into long theorized hypothetical elements. One of the most tantalizing of these theoretical elements is a four neutron atom or a tetraneutron. More often referred to as elemental resonance rather than a fundamental element due to its elusive nature, especially in laboratory conditions. But it has been long theorized as a legitimate matter state. Leading research has concluded a better term for a tetraneutron to be a "drop of nuclear matter."

The Foundation has found limited ability to create stable atoms of this structure for more than a few seconds. To test this atomic state better, a multi-wave collider would need to be built, a prohibitive expense for a single project. Yet, with local support from the Frontier Interstellar corporation, the research team has discovered under specific cosmic events, stable Neutronium-4 already exists. Found within the rings of 71900 A 4 in the Expanse system, Frontier Interstellar has already returned a sample to the Archangel research team that exceeded all expectations.

Neutronium-4's existence may be due to its proximity to a Wolf-Rayet star (Expanse 81900 A - RAD-Z: 19395-00821) or dozens of potential factors. To discover the natural process of creating this element, the rings of Expanse 71900 A 4 require more scientific research. Committees in Exogen have requested corporations help to expand the investigation by sending any available science team to Expanse 71900 A 4.

Ventura Corp made interplanetary news when revealing a massive change to their board of directors to the public. With aging members of the board needing to pursue their end-of-life plans, the Board of Directors has chosen to replace them with advanced AI Constructs. Ventura went to great lengths to assure the Terran Republic Senate and the public that these are by no means strong AI, just advanced machine learning adaptive intelligence models running on separate supercomputer arrays. Comprising three of the eight director seats, these Constructs will help guide Ventura towards continued profitability, diversity of production, and corporate solvency. "Capable of continual information gathering and processing, the Constructs will be of far greater import than their human predecessors ever were," stated Ventura CEO Ulrich Lisbone. Lisbon amended the comment later, "No offense to the former members or the current. It is a matter of fact that the continual advancement of technology is now more than capable of delivering value far beyond what a human is capable of."

The change has created several exciting business dynamics. The former board members and their next of kin will continue to receive income for 10 years after the replacement. The remaining five board members can also replace themselves at their own discretion with the same 10-year paytable.

Recent decades have had many industries awash with job-stealing automation, with Subroutines replacing human workers even on duties where human employment appeared to be the only viable option. Ventura's public announcement made several mentions of its standing as one of the largest employers of human workers. In Lisbone's latest interview about the change, he closed with a message to the public, "Were we to remain on Earth, I would agree that this evolution would be the beginning of a new paradigm for humankind. But our future is open and fluid. I choose to see this as merely a stepping stone on our path to a reset. Once colonizations begin, in a sense, each of us will be starting over. Building from the ground up. I look forward to a time where we reach a sustainable utopia. Where all humans live their best lives, free from the burdens of labor and money. But that time is not now and does not seem soon to pass. The coming decades will need billions of people working towards survival of the species."

In preparation for imminent large-scale colonization efforts, a testbed ARC test vessel built in the Terran Orbital Shipyard has been piloted to Luna and performed its first low gravity landing operation. The operation was a success, with initial engineering reports showing the vessel survived the procedure easily. "We still have many structural calibrations and measurement tests to perform as well as microscopic inspections of the high-stress components, but we are optimistic that we have a fully functional blueprint for all future ARC vessels." Reported lead engineer Tre Drake.

This craft has been built to the specifications for the proposed finalized ARC design, accurately designed and weighted to a fully loaded vessel. Responsibility for this project is a confusing joint venture between the Terran Republic Senate, the TRSF, Ventura, and the Corporate Federation. After years of debate, all parties have been able to agree to a collaborative effort to maximize the safety of all of mankind. As the primary purveyor of the ARC vessels, Ventura has doggedly pursued their financial interests. Where the Senate and TRSF have tirelessly pushed for expedited timelines and increased passive safety. The Corporate Federation representatives have done their best to maintain reasonable expectations as the private corporations will have the ultimate responsibility of each mission.

Once all inspections are completed and the results satisfactory, the vessel will be refueled for launch and piloted to Mars for a higher gravity landing operation. "With 223% more gravity, we feel this is the safest intermediary test surface we have available before final testing on Earth." Drake continued. "It is important for us to keep in mind how valuable the perfect operations of these vessels will be. This is not for the 3000 souls on board a single ship. This is about the thousands of ARC vessels transporting all of humanity across the universe. A test landing on Earth will be our final safety check. We know that there's a high likelihood there will be planets colonized with higher gravity than our own homeworld, but time is against us, and the push from all entities to begin mass production of ARC vessels is too high to ignore."

The landing site for Mars will be in the Hellas Planitia plain. If successful, the ARC will be piloted to Earth for its final test landing in Utah's abandoned region of the former United States. With three landing operations providing unique data clusters, propulsion engineers will be able to extrapolate proper burn profiles to ensure safe landing under almost any conditions.

Civil rights attorneys are flocking to former space workers as Magellan syndrome garners more news. The human resource department of several spacefaring corporations reports that employed space workers have been contacted by several law firms. These legal teams appear to be preparing for large class-action suits, leveled against the entirety of space-based enterprise. "The careless disregard for the mental and emotional pain and suffering of these humble employees must be compensated and put to an end," said Andrea Alois, Senior Partner of the Americas District Legal Group.

Appearing on many newscasts, Alois has rallied support for former space workers to receive punitive damages for their suffering, and hazard pay be given to current employees who still wish to work under these hazardous conditions. In her most recent appearance, Alois stated, "The actions of the corporations are at best indifferent, and at worst predatory. All but the most affluent of citizens are clamoring to lift themselves from poverty and the overcrowded conditions seen on every continent. Families and individuals alike are desperate and literally dying for colonization to begin."

"But that option is not yet ready, and when every day is a struggle for survival, any option is appealing. And while many genuinely beneficial opportunities exist, there are embarrassing numbers of skilled and valuable human lives being driven mad at the expense of corporate greed," Alois concluded.

The Admirals Office of the TRSF has provided documentation and affidavits in recent weeks, affirming the long known mental health risks associated with extended missions off planets. Admiral Bakshi has personally appealed to the Senate on the matter. The Admiral addressed this being another clear example of corporations having far too much liberty to risk lives and the future of humanity as a whole.

Two dozen corporations with missions operating at the outer edge of explored space have disclosed a litany of Lunar Base and Small Orbital Station staffings that have been terminated. In all cases, one or more crew members were reported to have experienced extreme duress and outwardly hostile or potentially destructive behavior. The ever-growing potential for Magellan syndrome has become a substantial potential concern for corporations, governments, and those seeking employment off-planet. With legal vultures already swooping in with promises of lucrative class action lawsuits, corporations are acting quickly to control their exposure.

Even in minor cases, with lower responsibility technicians succumbing to the mental hardships from the extreme distance from humankind, the potential for widespread casualties or mishaps is too high. The fragile and high-risk nature of these operations gives even one person the potential to threaten the safety of others. With potentially endless vectors of liability, corporations have been relieving long-distance crews, with no current plans to reactivate certain facilities for the time being.

Mismanagement, careless actions, ignored technical schedules, and psychotic outbursts could easily be responsible for many deaths and countless millions of credits worth of equipment damage. To limit vulnerabilities, all staffed missions planned for 1000 JU or further from Sol should be scrapped, and any currently staffed facilities should be evacuated. Research funds have been bookmarked for returning expansion duties as soon as possible, but no clear path has yet been revealed between psychological and pharmacological solutions. Ventura is offering its high-speed QPID piloted Seraphim fleet to retrieve crews for a fee to all affected corporations.

The recent months have been filled with corporations responding positively to the light shed on distant extrasolar missions. The extreme distances have been causing widespread mental health concerns, with hundreds of diagnosed victims and more coming to light each week. With threats of class action lawsuits, many corporations have quickly leapt at opportunities to do right by their employees and settle these damages as soon as possible. Only a small minority of corporations have refused or have yet to make their decision known.

There is great comfort in seeing the number of corporations who wish to take further steps to show they are a compassionate yet ultimately human business. Corporations like Jeda Zolu have set their sights on redressing more than those directly affected. And from intentions like that, a new union for space workers is being drafted. Still in its early stages, it appears inevitable that corporate employees working in both pre- and post-colonization space missions will be banded together under a common union to defend worker rights and push for ethical labor and wages.

Though Magellan syndrome was unexpected while becoming a space-based civilization, it may indeed become one of the most influential situations with lasting positive effects that continue for hundreds of years. Of the corporations that have already chosen to settle out of court early, they now must decide whether they support a workers union for their employees or not.

Due to frequent and ever-increasing station enclosures, Ventura has been mass-producing Seraphim rescue vessels for quick response to station evacuations across the galaxy. Taking the threat of Magellan syndrome seriously, after completing post-production quality checks, small groups of drone ships have been staged across the human explored areas of space. With this network deployment practice, rescue operations can be started far sooner than launching a vessel from a corporation's headquarters. Often, faster than nearby lunar bases can construct a return vessel. Castel-Azur and several other corporations have appealed to Ventura about purchasing licences for building their own Seraphim fleet, but all requests have been rejected. The propriety integration of QPID and next generation engines are still too valuable for unlimited access outside of Ventura.

These rescue vessels can use the full extent of their 20 g acceleration to arrive at an installation quickly, with medical equipment and solid-state food alternatives needed to safely ferry crews back to the Sol system. More extensive facilities such as lunar bases will typically need up to 38 Seraphim for a complete evacuation, as the vessel can only accommodate 8-10 passengers with provisions for a lengthy return flight. To prevent worsening any traumas or psychological impacts, return flights will often use in-route small orbital stations or other lunar bases to give occupants opportunities to move about and refresh themselves. Depending on the route's options, rescue vessels will stop at a station once every three to five days, though the onboard passengers can elect for less frequent stops and a quicker return.

Though the need for such a system is unfortunate, Ventura has shared that the increased actual mission use of the Seraphim craft is rapidly improving the QPID piloting system. The research and development team and dozens of advanced subroutines and algorithms are constantly monitoring data rates, communication signal lock, and biological component processing power. Ventura has reported to shareholders that the system's reliability has increased dramatically, but all of the additional mission data is hinting towards a massive expansion of capabilities.

Private spacefaring corporations and their workers have been pulled through tumultuous times for several years as stress and depression related to Magellan syndrome have ravaged productivity, expansion, and public perception in the viability of colonization. 2117 was a year where these corporations' laborers struck back, demanding recompense for the unsafe situations they have been placed in. Thankfully, cooler and compassionate heads prevailed, with many corporations settling damages out of court. Only a handful of corporations are experiencing labor strikes from their unwillingness to face accountability in this case.

With most of these class-action lawsuits settled out of court, space workers have been excited by not returning to work but changing the paradigm in which they operate. Hundreds of thousands of laborers across the spectrum of technical and administrative staff have begun formalizing the outline for a new union designed to safeguard space workers and pursue regulation for a safe and fair environment. With the majority support of the corporate CEOs, the new Extrasolar Labor Organized Nation union has now been formalized and is already changing the outlook for this developing industry.

Much as Exogen is an organizational leader and hub for corporations, so is ELON for their employees. Much of the initial funding for this union has come from compensated workers investing their settlement winnings into a common fund. With substantial financial and labor power, ELON has secured influential leaders and directors who have clear and decisive plans for protecting space workers now and in the future. With most corporations settling damages early and supporting the union, Exogen announced a fractional tax on all Lunar Base operations. This new fee will fund health and life insurance, disabilities and retirements, legal fees, and lobbying at the corporate and Senate level on workers' behalf. ELON has taken this as a sign of good faith. Creating a positive future where the focus can be placed, once again, on building a better future for all humankind.

Commerce and financial incentive for space exploration have been recently hampered by well-meaning unionization and support for space workers. Intense emotional responses to the plight of space workers have coalesced into ELON, an organized union nation of space workers. With well over 1 million members and gaining, the union has secured significant pay increases for crewed extrasolar missions. However, financial support shows signs of drying up as corporations pull back on their expansion and mission itineraries.

With Ventura Corp increasing output on its construction and development of settlements on Prestarum IV, they too are feeling the effects of these increased costs of doing business. With profit margins falling off sharply, new solutions are being drafted at a breakneck pace. Ventura has contacted Exogen with a proposal to work with corporations to address the problem more directly. By offering a joint venture solution, Ventura hopes to collaborate with corporations to share costs of re-prioritizing and expanding their research and development teams to target long-form solutions to Magellan syndrome.

Early estimates of a solution range between 30,000 to 50,000 Licenses will be needed to find a proper solution. Ventura is fronting 50% of this cost, hoping for supporting corporations to be a part of this effort. The Archangel Foundation has already signed on a sizable team to help with this cause, with a budget of 9000 Licence, but more support will be needed to expedite solutions.

Magellan syndrome brought renewed concern towards reducing mentally active time onboard vessels in transit. The Archangel Foundation has announced what it hopes will be a breakthrough technology for the future. Subcontracted through Ventura on their efforts to combat Magellan syndrome, research plodded along respectably until being bolstered by a massive influx of financial support from private corporations. Following contributions from Midgar Holding Inc., Srekom Technologies, Falkenberg, and many others, the Foundation held a press briefing to publicly discuss their findings and rally support for comprehensive research, testing, and certification. With these new advancements, they offer a multi-prong solution, including placing passengers and crew members into a state similar to that of science fiction's much-acclaimed "hypersleep."

During the presentation, Foundation researcher Isaiah Braun described how a new application of the QPID system allows putting the subject into a controlled paralysis state similar to a coma, with significantly reduced vital activity.

"The system shows great promise, but the more we delve into the workings of the mind, we have come across many issues which are currently limiting our progress. While pursuing the ultimate goal of genuinely transferring the consciousness crossover system, there have been many setbacks in what the human mind is willing and capable of accepting. Testing with subjects who have suffered massive bodily trauma has proven the most fruitful and subsequently led to a breakthrough that will soon be the standard for space travel.

"By dampening internal communication of the cerebrum and the cerebellum, we can place a subject into a highly controlled and extremely effective form of paralysis similar to a medical-induced coma. Combining that with our current research into brain stem control, we can further reduce the body's needs by constraining heart rate, body temperature, and oxygen consumption as well as maintaining extended sleep cycles."

This induced quasi-coma will help alleviate many hurdles with transporting crew months or even years to distant locations and shows signs of reducing much of the known stress from far-flung missions. But testing has shown that is not enough to significantly reduce the risk of Magellan syndrome, necessitating additional measures. Also, based off of the QPID system, two other therapeutic treatments have been developed that appear to offer the crucial boost to preventing or reversing Magellan symptoms. The first is a more fully immersive version of SIMSTIM, activating deep neural connections and bypassing many of the natural sensory inputs. This more intense SIMSTIM can be used daily by crew members to place individuals in a realistic and neurologically convincing environment, allowing them to travel to idyllic settings programmed to help reconnect emotionally to Terra-based life.

The second is still under development but uses the more advanced SIMSTIM system with the current QPID technology to allow crewmembers to "visit" with persons on other missions, Mars, Luna, or Terra. This final therapy device will require the most retrofitting to facilities as it requires both point of origin and point of destination equipment to be installed. Of course, rollout in civilian use will be cost-prohibitive, forcing "visits" to occur in specialized and limited facilities. However, with the apparent hurdles remaining, it seems that Magellan syndrome may soon be just a chapter in the history of humanity's exit from Terra.

For over 71 years, private corporations have led the charge in not only advancing space travel but establishing a network of viable planets that have been cataloged and researched for future colonization. What once began as the desperate attempt to find an exit strategy from our homeworld has become one of the most financially lucrative industries in human civilization. Private ventures and small corporations have become titans of industry, creating income streams of unimaginable wealth. Some corporations have ceased operations to pursue other interests, others have reduced expansion efforts as they restructure, but a select few have maintained their relentless push into the stars.

Ajax-Rando is a fine example of one such corporation publicly recognized for contributing enormous data sets to the Exogen system. The Exogen Library is the primary collection center of human knowledge about the universe surrounding us. It has grown and evolved throughout the years, adding new and more detailed information as lead scientists and research teams determine new criteria for future colony success. With its corporate history reaching far back to the beginning of private space travel, Ajax-Rando has survived through many personal and global ups and downs. And throughout that time, the corporation has often found itself in the limelight.

Actively participating in many large-scale operations, providing a public voice to the global community, and its massive employment history are some of the many aspects that have made Ajax-Rando a household name. But now, it can add another bullet point to its long list of achievements. The corporation is the first, hopefully of many, to visit 2000 exoplanets. A testament to what can be done with steadfast resolve and unwavering commitment, this historic milestone will be remembered even when humanity has permanently settled across the stars.

Brutal heat waves have been punishing the African, American, and Asian continents for decades, but the latest was the worst on record. Climate scientists have confirmed with local governments that over 1.2 million deaths last month were directly correlated to overheating. Between 40° North latitude and 10° South latitude, the American and African continents have seen stark changes to their population centers. The number of residents in these areas relocating closer to the poles for the last 70 years has been growing on an exponential curve, leaving fewer and fewer behind to keep infrastructure functional in these areas. Those living in far more rural areas have been the earliest victims, forced to leave early as local power plants go off-line and local government push for evacuation.

This year was the final exodus of major metropolitan areas in the coastal regions of the southern North American district. As the southernmost remaining city in the North American District, New York and its surrounding emergency shelter cities are now completing their 18-month relocation program. Of the 68 million who had been living near the uninhabited zone’s Northern border, the vast majority have taken shelter in the Terran Republic’s NAC emergency relief encampment. This area, located in the ZEC Pontiac area, is comprised of two dozen large swaths of land that have been cleared of vegetation and leveled for a visual ocean of habitation tents. Collectively covering 570,000 km.², the NAC ERE is now the largest and most populated refugee camp on Terra.

However, nearly 1 million refugees set their sights on Ottawa, where private corporation Frontier Foundations has been booming with manufacturing and productivity for space exploration. Having spent some time reevaluating and restructuring their business model, Frontier Foundations has had a surge of new hires, making employment opportunities in the area nearly guaranteed. Paul Newvel, VP of Media and Relations for Frontier, announced over 18,000 new hires for technical and custodial staff auto factories, over 14,000 construction hires, and more able workers are still needed. Newvel has shared they are currently in the middle of their most extensive interview/physical/psychological group testing for pioneer training. "We have big things coming." Newvel shared with a smile.

Terra's climate-based problems continue to worsen as seasonal droughts grow longer, multiplying the effects on the landscape. The European district summer drought, typically lasting from mid-May to late September, began as typical last year, 2135, but continued through the winter months into spring. Meteorologists cannot say with certainty if there will be any rainfall in the southern European district before the following year.

Residents in the southern and east-central European districts face increased hardship as previously challenging farmland has become completely unusable. Desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast have been tasked by the Senate to expand their facilities for increased production, but construction may take 9 to 12 months to complete. Another challenge facing these areas is transportation or irrigation for any increased water production. With no current pipelines that would effectively serve the significant regions in crisis, massive ground vehicular transport would be the best option. Though, the number of tankers needed to make a substantial impact would heavily impinge the electric transport fleets and necessitate reviving internal combustion-based rigs. None of the Senate are eager to push for once again increasing the global carbon footprint more than necessary.

With any potential solution up to 2 years away and agencies unsure of how to address subsequent challenges efficiently, European district residents in these areas are beginning to migrate north, much like their American district counterparts.

Considering the expedited pace of the world, the glacial speed of political actions can often be imperceptible. However, the Senate's latest session finally saw some decisive action regarding the calamity of Genesis 1. A secretive and failed attempt for the Terran Republic to move forward with a clandestine early colonization effort, Genesis 1 was a magnificent prototype ARC vessel that suffered a catastrophic failure early in its voyage. Though there is little public movement on airing out the details of its origin and mission, the Senate appears ready to bring the mighty craft back home.

On this particular piece of legislation, the Senate has authorized the disbursement of dividends to Exogen and corporations willing to assist in the retrieval. With the TRSF as the only space-capable means available to the Republic, it would be impractical to repurpose military equipment and missions for this task. Therefore, through Exogen, the Republic will offer spacefaring private corporations a reward for assisting in retrieving this mighty vessel.

The engineers who have counseled the Senate on this matter have submitted a large contingent of cargo haulers equipped with long-range engines and fuel tanks will be up to the task. Transporting special magnetic and physical grappling equipment, plasteel monofilament tow cables, and debris clearing nets, the army of haulers can return that section of space into a safe transit area once again. Corporations willing to build custom haulers for this effort will be able to reclaim their vessel after service, and receive a stipend from the Terran Republic.

At the request of the Terran Republic Senate, Exogen organized a large-scale multi-corporation expedition to clear the debris field at the Genesis 1 site and retrieve the broken vessel, bringing it back to Sol. 35 Corporations offered to support this mission, constructing novel subroutine-driven hauling vessels to safely and securely transport Genesis 1 back for inspection disassembly. Spearheaded by Sleipnir Galactic Industries, this effort used 81 custom-built hauling rigs, each equipped with 8 km of ultra-high tensile strength monofilament plasteel cable and electromagnetic anchoring blocks.

As a token of appreciation for this generous effort, the Senate is rewarding each contributing corporation 35 bulk units of plasteel. That payout will occur before the teardown of Genesis 1 for scrap, where the Terran Republic will recoup most of these costs. Ventura Corp has requested time to document and analyze the vessel before decommissioning, leveraging the weight of guaranteed success on future ARC designs. The Senate has granted this request with strong public approval, despite fierce opposition from Admiral Bakshi of the TRSF. Admiral Bakshi’s chief concern is the potential risk of Ventura Corp abandoning Terran-based authority and population, creating a separatist faction of which only those loyal to Ventura will be eligible for exoplanet colonization.

The Ventura ARC division leadership has shared their gratitude with the Senate for its rational and forward-thinking decision. They prepared to adopt any worthwhile engineering improvement to the current ARC design. Public opinion of the Senate and colonization efforts has been on the uprise despite worsening climate conditions on Terra. Even with more districts tightening food and power rations to accommodate the influx of refugees from uninhabitable zones, citizens generally feel optimistic that evacuations from the planet could be just a few short years away.

Against Admiral Bakshi's vocal opposition, the Senate granted the Ventura ARC division access to the Genesis 1 wreckage, content that all classified materials and equipment were removed decades ago. The ARC engineering leads have reported back on their conclusions from the inspections, finding both admirable and hazardous construction decisions in the design of Genesis 1.

From some of the positive discoveries that the ARC division will be exploring for the final iteration of the colonization vehicles, one of the most prominent is a new structure philosophy. Rather than relying on an intense external structural frame, the ill-fated vessel relied on a central spine of reinforced elevator shafts and various communication/chemical/resource lines to serve as the structural trunk. This design reduces the overall material needed and facilitates faster build time but requires a significantly more robust landing solution to maintain an absolute level touchdown. However, the ARC engineers have envisioned a massively reinforced lower section that will improve the structural integrity when landing without as critical of tolerances.

Additional contributing factors to the incident that crippled the original craft have also been discovered. Many of the mechanical passageways rounding the engine and reactive area we're built to maintain a pressurized atmosphere, assumingly to allow instant access for workers at any time. These passageways explosively decompressed when the experimental reactor detonated, creating a network of structural failures that spider-webbed through many key support areas. This appears to lead to uncontrollable atmosphere loss in the majority of the ship. In the finalized ARC design, during travel, these areas will be non-pressurized, compartmentalized, and include self-sealing wall inserts that visually draw attention to any breakages or stress fractures.

The last of planned changes is to reorganize cargo compartments on ARCs, moving most materials that will be disseminated or consumed over the first few months of life on an exoplanet to the top of the vessel. This requires additional freight elevators to maintain mission efficiency but prevents ARCs from spending most of their lives as top-heavy structures with largely empty lower cargo areas. Initially chosen for ease of loading and unloading material and equipment, the lower and midship cargo areas of the Genesis 1 served as weak points for structural failure.

Terror and tumult have ravaged Mato Grosso, located in South America, for months. Rising from the Amazonian basin, a would-be warlord has been amassing troops and raiding refugee settlements in an attempt to secure a new nation-state independent from the Terran Republic. Bloodshed in the area has been rising as local law enforcement could not keep up with the growing threat. Until an unauthorized military operation by the T.R.S.F. routed the warlord and his small army. The military strike was carried out with small-ordnance orbital bombardment of the army's encampment, after which fire teams of Space Force Marines swept all remaining resistance.

The admiral of the Terran Republic Space Force, Rajesh Bakshi, was called to the Senate to explain this invasion of a small country in South America. Senator Vince Armstrong stated the mission was not authorized by himself, Secretary of Defense for the Terran Republic Senate. Having no jurisdiction on Terran soil, any Space Force operation would breach the Republic Martial Code. The Senate learned Admiral Bakshi directed the attack and eliminated the small rebel group. Bakshi said that he was satisfied with support from his military cabinet, knowing the Senate would be slow to respond to a threat the T.R.S.F. could quickly nullify. The Senator pressed further, asking if Bakshi had approval from any member of Senate leadership that would authorize such an attack. The answer was a curt "No."

Senator Armstrong grew irate at Bakshi's lack of remorse, stating it is unheard of for one man to wage war unannounced and without approval from essentially anyone but himself. Bakshi was quick to shout down the Senator's phrasing, labeling the analysis as hyperbolic and polarizing. The Senate could not reach a vote requiring all senior members of the T.R.S.F., including Admiral Bakshi, to be removed from their positions. Many Senators preferred to withhold judgment until more data could be investigated about this operation and the separatist army.

The Terran Republic Senate granted the project leads for the next generation ARC vessels full and unfettered access to the Genesis One wreck. This includes any declassified design and engineering data from the craft's construction. Demand for the next-gen vessels has reached critical levels but insists on not making the same mistakes of the past.

CEO Ulrich Lisbone has hinted that this could be the beginning of a larger collaborative initiative between Ventura Corporation and any willing and able Exogen Partner Corporations.

"The task ahead of us is monumental in scale, and with so much riding on it, success is not optional. This project will take incredible resources and nothing but the sharpest minds we have to complete. Ventura has been proud to lead the way in technological development in the modern era. Still, the time has come to leap into the future, and to do this, we must work together," Lisbone broadcasted publicly after the Senate's decision.

But not all seem to share Lisbone's optimism. Several of the Exogen Partner CEOs were critical of such a gesture from the Republic Senate. The CEO of New Horizons offering this would not be the first time the Republic had employed carrot-and-stick methodology to engineer cooperation to their benefit.

Admiral Bakshi refused interview requests following the proceeding but has not shied from criticizing the Senate's "rash decision" publicly. The Admiral was overheard in the Senate rotunda loudly relating the situation to sympathetic Senators as opening the floodgates to another Cognition debacle.

"Every time we give the corporations an inch, they take a foot and have the gall to ask for more. Mark my words, society will live to regret this folly shortly. Genesis One was designed using military methods and resources that are purposely withheld from the public. Military assets, decommissioned or not, should be handled only by trusted TRSF members. Allowing this technology to spread freely could destabilize everything we have built."

The Admiral, however, did not expand on what harm came from the Cognition satellite development. He also ignored questions about whether the TRSF had plans to reveal the Genesis One transmissions if the Cognition satellites had not decoded the signal and their builders had not released the data.

Previously reluctant to comment on the latest Terran Senate verdict, Admiral Bakshi released a statement in response to the Genesis One data release.

"I continue to find myself somewhere between disappointed and disgusted in the Senate's handling of Ventura Corporation's attitude towards things that are beyond their reach. The Senate's kowtowing to this organization has put the very future of our society in jeopardy and created a possibility where the corporate greed will, if unchecked, be allowed to bring ruination to the stars, just as it has to Terran soil. Lisbone's ambition does not grant him carte-blanche access to anything he needs to accomplish his 'grand vision,' and I should not have to be the one reminding him of such."

Admiral Bakshi took a decisive stance at the suggestion of a possible collaboration between Ventura and the Spacefaring Corporations.

"We will be watching. The corporations took to the airwaves to remind everyone to 'Remember Genesis One' and trivialize the deaths of our men for their political agenda. Well, we remember Cognition. Deception will not be tolerated a second time. Military materials will be restricted to the fewest possible people and stringently controlled. We will respond accordingly if we see any indication of underhanded behavior or deceit for the leeway we have allowed you to have. Consider this the one and only warning."

Several Exogen Partner CEOs were quick to dismiss Bakshi's 'ravings,' one even stating in a sound bite that the man was 'all hat and no cattle.' Those who remember the Lich signal and its resultant events are wary of another lengthy confrontation with the Senate and the TRSF.

Whether this message is a threat or a genuine commitment to enforcement remains to be seen. However, more TRSF vessels have been cruising back into Sol, leaving posts in deep Republic space to bolster the fleet presence in the Capitol as the project nears initiation.

Ventura has declined comment on the Admiral's statements.

A several hundred-page document courtesy of Ventura Corp's salvage and study division was made public, with little redacted content. The lengthy report contains the complete findings of the engineering team, revealing both technical innovations and short-sighted designs in the intricate marvel's wreckage.

The report noted the use of a central spine of elevator shafts along the vessel's length, reinforcing the trunk structure while interlacing large networks of chemical lines, communication cables, and resource transfer mechanisms along this section. This concept reduced construction time and materials. However, due to forces acting upon this series of structural members, landings would need to be on near-perfect level grades. ARC project engineers have concepts to improve this design, reducing material costs further while increasing tensile strength and flexibility.

The report alluded to many issues in the design of Genesis One. Notably, mechanical passages and accessways of the reactor chambers maintained a constant atmosphere for quick access. When the prototype reactor experienced a cascade failure, these passages explosively decompressed. The resultant shockwave wrought structural failures throughout the ship, crippling the vessel and total loss of atmospheric control in the occupied areas. Proposed solutions involve compartmental exchange systems allowing a non-pressurized barrier around the reactor.

Another issue highlighted how supplies stored in the ship's lower levels would be consumed at an accelerated rate. This results in most of the remaining weight perched in the upper quarter of the ship's superstructure, significantly raising the center of gravity. Once landing has been completed, empty storage areas create a mid-ship cavity that could crumple in the event of a catastrophe. The engineers will increase this elevator count further and move cargo storage areas upwards as they will be emptied early in the colony's life.

The lengthy document continues, with Ventura's engineers pointing out solutions to Genesis One's design blunders and shortcomings, which raises several questions along the way. Neither Admiral Bakshi nor Ulric Lisbone has commented on the report. Hopefully, a sign that any conflict is being left in the past.

In what may become the most extensive collaborative effort in recorded history, Ventura has sparked the flame of cooperation, leading to a staggering surge in the development of the next generation ARC.

“We have reached the crux of this project, where it has become ‘too big to fail.’ Mankind must take to the stars, and quickly, if our way of life is to survive. As such, Ventura Corporation is proud to announce that we are opening our doors to any and all who can contribute to this project from a technical, economic, or industrial standpoint. There will be no shortage of arduous work ahead, and with the weight of the world upon our shoulders, many hands will be needed to lighten the load. I implore any able-minded or bodied soul looking to make their mark on the process of building the next ARC to act now. There will not be another chance,” Ventura CEO Ulric Lisbone said in a press conference this week.

Lisbone’s message to the other space faring CEOs was just as direct.

“The time is now, my friends. It is finally upon us. Our time to realize the vision of Archangielsky is here. To break for the heavens and catapult our civilization into the next era. This undertaking will take every ounce of tender and toil we can spare. It will test everything we thought we knew about designing, building, and operating these vessels. This challenge will not succumb to anything but our best. No assistance will be turned away. Once the project has been completed, I can assure those who answered the call of destiny will be the ones best positioned to reap the rewards of our trials and tribulations. Be deaf to the rhetoric of those who may cast skepticism upon this grand endeavor. Know that just as there is everything to lose in our united failure, there is everything to gain in our united success.”

Unconfirmed sources have hinted that Ventura has begun lobbying with the Terran Senate to introduce several bills to minimize the upfront costs of colonial expeditions going forward and subsidize the construction costs for a vast number of ARC ships. Expert analysis estimates suggest that just the private Exogen corporation's demand will require an ARC launch approximately every three days. Many have begun to question if Lisbone's statement of 'too big to fail' is an understatement. Ventura did not take any questions on how such a feat would be accomplished or how realistic these estimates are. However, one thing can be said for certain, and that is that this could be the answer to the widespread unemployment Terran citizens have been worrying about since the Cognition debacle.

Exogen has confirmed that the corporation Unfolding Technology successfully sent the first mission over 2000 JU from Sol.

The reality of this achievement is astounding. When the "Lich Pulsar" signal was first discovered, experts believed it would take mankind centuries to reach the point of origin. Now, less than sixty years later, the adventurous people at Unfolding Technology have overcome ninety percent of the journey. With a feat so easy to define, one must remember the extreme cost and dedication to the infrastructure needed to accomplish such a headline-grabbing effort.

Many of the CEOs working with Exogen took to the open airwaves to congratulate their colleague on this history-making conquest. However, as is common in the Exogen community, every achievement can be marred by controversy.

Two corporations, who have not been publicly identified, were sanctioned by the Exogen Foundation for gambling over the race to the frontier's edge. According to reports, a wager of two hundred licenses was placed between the corporations. The results of the race came down to less than a month. The organization issued a statement in response to the incident.

"Exogen wishes to remind all of our partner corporations that gambling and other questionable actions are strictly prohibited under the contracts we have entered. Corporations should not need to be reminded that creating ideal conditions for safe operations is the top priority for Exogen. Any actions which incentivize altering safety procedures should be avoided at all costs. This is an organization for the positive and collective growth of the species. Exogen will not devolve into a racing sports club for the ultra-wealthy."

Regarding the side betting that has come to light, the Extrasolar Labor Organized Nation shared the general displeasure amongst its members in several broadcasts. Still, the labor union was unable to release a finalized statement at this time.

True to their word, as confirmed by a series of leaked and released documents from Ventura Corporation engineering and press divisions, most of last week’s rumors have proven true. A suspicious phrase, ‘Project MACE,’ raced across open airwaves as communications between Ventura and Exogen CEOs flooded every available news source. Small snippets and sound bites hinted that the project would dwarf the TRSF fleet construction endeavors of yesteryear.

That may turn out to be the understatement of a century.

The new Modular Arc Construction Environment comprises several groundbreaking orbital stations, with infrastructure intended to support up to a staggering sixty assembly bays for the next generation ARC ships. Equipped with material refinement and part production facilities to support a vessel launch every three days, a threshold suggested in an earlier news report.

Numerous corporations have pledged their involvement in the massive undertaking. The Senate has given their full support to the project, working with Ventura CEO Ulric Lisbone to streamline the approval process for the construction to commence in the coming days. The Senate put forth several new programs and subsidies to the Terran populace, to allow for rapid training of new employees at a reduced cost to the corporation.

The latest news release contained blueprints and schematics from Ventura for varying modules and subsystems to be constructed for the enormous orbital manufacturing plant, built by corporations and brought into Terran orbit for final assembly by Ventura engineers. Partners have been quiet about the incentives Ventura is offering. But, it’s been implied that there will be performance-based rewards for top contributors. This brings a familiar taste of friendly competition for Exogen corporations to engage in, with everyone gaining from success and exceeding expectations.

Unfolding Technology suggested that they plan to launch far ahead of their rival corporations, but time will tell.

At 2151.02.22 06:00 PM, the first of many vessels was launched from Ventura One, carrying parts, equipment, and crew for constructing the new ARC factory. It reached the enormous sectioned-off area of space in the high orbit of Mars, with reports and eyewitness accounts of dozens more staging at private launchpads scattered across both Mars and Terra. Billions of Terran citizens have once again turned their eyes towards the skies, hoping for a surge forward in civilization.

But not everyone shared in the exuberance. A staggering eighty percent of the TRSF fleet returned to Sol and settled into defensive positions throughout the system in response to these new developments. With the largest fleet presence in humanity's home system since 2091, it appears that true to his word, Admiral Bakshi will be watching the proceedings with a close eye.

However, Ventura CEO Ulric Lisbone does not seem concerned about the TRSF's posturing towards his project.

"We have a long road ahead, and progress has always had impediments along the way. With our partners, we will make leaps and bounds to improve the quality of life for the average citizen among the cosmos. If that is of such concern to some, then their intention should be questioned, not ours. We have nothing to hide, and moreover, nothing to fear."

More rumors also continue to circle about developing programs and mandates for continual ARC launches among those privy to Senate dealings. Experts are confident that new legislation is on the horizon.

Ventura announced it had pivoted ninety percent of its engineering teams and support staff involved in the first ARC construction facility to constructing the next generation ARC prototype. This massive shift in resources marks the beginning of the next step in unlocking the stars to the masses of mankind.

However, according to an anonymous source placed among the crews aboard, several alarming developments have taken place by the TRSF. A member of a corporate cargo runner shared their experiences in dealing with a TRSF battle frigate.

"The Caelator hailed and ordered us to change our flight path on route to the plant. The next thing we know, two fighters came alongside us and directed us to dock with the Caelator. They pulled us all out from the ship at gunpoint and searched our ship. All of our computers and communications devices were confiscated, and then we were interviewed like we were criminals. Interrogated might be more like it! They held us for hours without contacting home base; no lawyers, no nothing. And we saw another half a dozen crews waiting for the same, so we weren't the only ones surprised by this. We contacted the corporate office when we reached the station, and corporate had no idea! They thought we'd had a communication malfunction."

Björn Heyerdahl, CEO of Sleipnir Galactic Industries, shared their outrage after discovering one of their crews was held for over sixteen hours without any form of provisions by the TRSF.

"The actions of the TRSF, which circumvent basic human rights, can no longer be tolerated! We call upon each of you to ask yourself, do you value freedom over profit and property?! We need to unite stronger than ever to fight for the rights of our people. These hard workers don't deserve to be treated so barbarically. We will strive to continue to improve our employees' living conditions while also fighting to protect our human rights from all who would infringe them. Corporations willing to join the fight for this noble cause are urged to contact me."

Admiral Bakshi balked at the suggestion that the TRSF had acted in an unethical manner, citing that any activity beyond the Terran atmosphere was under their sole purview.

"We will continue to do what we see fit to ensure the safety of our assets and the citizens of the Terran Republic. The corporations, as well as Ventura, are taking issue with having their ambitions checked. If anything, that justifies my belief that they have something to hide. These routine security checks are for the benefit of all. It's our job above all else to ensure that the safety of our home, and indeed, all of our territory, is not compromised in the name of 'expedient progress.' Corners will not be cut, and stones will not be unturned at the convenience of the Exogen fat cats while our citizens suffer the consequences. It is time to remind the corporations that they are not the ones in charge."

Many corporations have long been dismissive of the TRSF's mandates, after what many view as the unlawful seizure of property many years ago. Those with longer memories have a growing sense of dread, recalling that the Caelator, under a then Vice Commander Bakshi's command took the first lethal action in space. But with the next project, codenamed 'Prometheus,' estimated to cost more than five times the Cognition Network, many corporations had dubbed 'unreasonable military adventurism' will not be received well.

Ventura has urged all of its associates to stay vigilant in the face of these new difficulties and suggested that any reasonable cooperation with the TRSF be made.

Following a series of lengthy Senate hearings and proposal reviews, an arrangement has been made for Terran oversight of future colony missions, as part of the Exogen project, in return for substantial financial backing from the Terran Republic Senate. Ventura's ambitions are expected to scale well beyond the previous endeavors, with this new Republic funding and the surge in activity from Exogen corporations old and new.

"We expect many lengthy conversations with some of our partners about the new ways of doing business going forward. The new bill might ruffle a few feathers of the more 'independent' CEOs, but the path of progress is known to take some irregular turns. We as a company are ready to follow that path, wherever it takes us, knowing greatness will be our reward in the end," Vanessa Torres of Ventura Public Relations told the press following the signing of the new bill.

Public perception of interactions between Ventura and the Senate have been positive. As living conditions on Earth grow ever more dire, the citizenry continues to turn to anyone who will help them escape it.

Ventura shared promises that the weight placed upon its partner corporations will ease as more extensive and brighter projects loom on the horizon.

Behind the slow-moving political posturing of state and businesses, the heat of a new space race is brewing.

In line with the new senate bills for collaborative initiatives in space, Ventura has announced new job openings for an estimated 615,000 souls, working across numerous divisions. Approximately 40% of these new hires will receive training from Ventura before being transferred to other Exogen corporations. Training costs will be split between the Republic and Ventura One, with goals aligned to prepare a large workforce in record time; Exogen corporations are racing to 'buy in' and get the chance to pick from the roster ahead of their competitors.

Ranging from numerous administrative positions, pilots, colonial specialists, even scientists and defense positions, it has become clear that there will be more than enough work to go around as humankind seeks to catapult itself deep into space. Many Terran citizens quickly and loudly shared their concerns in the past that the space-faring corporations would opt towards a less 'human' workforce, as that has been the case in many industries. Some are quick to dismiss that concern while focusing on the positive, while others wonder how quickly they too can be replaced with thinking machines if corporate greed became the law of the land. Concerned voices online call for the Republic, if not the fleet, to keep corporations in check.

At 1305hrs today, several transport craft, flanked by numerous Seraphim escorts, were spotted maneuvering towards the massive orbital facility. The vessels in question appeared to be transporting personnel and supplies of tremendous value towards the station. Attempts from nearby vessels to move in for a closer look were given a firm dissuasion from the escort craft.

TRSF vessels in the area were also interested in the activity. The military frigates were not discrete in their use of broadband active scanning of the convoy, yet elected not to engage in any publicly available communication or maneuvers to intercept the Ventura craft. An anonymous source aboard one of the TRSF warships indicates a confrontation was considered. However, lacking evidence from previous forays into Ventura's affairs made the crew wary of further involvement without orders from higher up.

Several hours later, long after the transports had docked at MACE, large thermal signatures began emitting from the plant. The energy reading is in line with the main reactors of the facility finally testing at full power. This seems a likely indicator that Ventura has solved issues with the MACE refractory and refinement systems and is ready for the entire plant to come online.

Finally, gearing up almost a year after the plant's completion should come as welcome and exciting relief to the public, yet many seem stunned into silence. With several generations having passed from the formal decision to evacuate Earth, suddenly, a new type of life feels all too real. It is likely those living on Earth today may one day see their solar system as only a tiny light in the night sky. Yet, that is dependent on whether Ventura is finally ready to begin production on the next-generation ARC.

More as it develops.

Ventura's engineering team has sent an extensive collection of open messages to the participating spacefaring corporations, several private manufacturers, and Ventura's own manufacturing subsidiaries. These consisted of hundreds of orders and specifications for parts to be assembled and shipped to the new orbital assembly facility. Several thousand tons of materials were ordered. And design reviews by as many eyes as possible, Ventura has embraced a crowdsource approach to the construction of 'Prometheus,' the first of the new class of ARC ships.

"MACE was only the beginning. We have the infrastructure to get underway and will be doing so as quickly as possible. The workforce Ventura has procured for this endeavor is top tier, and we are well-positioned with the backing of some great allies. There has never been a time in our history that the goal of going forth into the stars, en masse, has been so within our grasp," Aleksander Khalitri, P.Eng and project lead for the Prometheus construction said early this morning, just after the first test of the primary forge.

"But the heavy lifting has only just begun. We have an estimated three years ahead of us, much faster than anyone believed, but still not fast enough by our standards. We will need our supplies and logistics to run like a Subroutine division for the entire time to hit that deadline, a daunting proposal, I'm sure. Still, I have the full confidence of our company and our collaborators. Our time is now, and our goal is clear. This critical moment of our history will be defined by this project's success or lack thereof. It is up to us. All of us."

Once again, crafts across both planets begin to appear on launchpads as thousands of workers galvanized themselves for a consequential undertaking, the likes of which have not been seen since the original hunt for Genesis One. Ventura CEO Ulric Lisbone was jubilant in response to the success of the orbital construction project and ready to jump straight into the Prometheus project.

"These are historic times. I am pleased to see so many rising to the occasion, heeding our call to action and not being intimidated by the actions of those who cast baseless suspicion towards our ambitions. We have hit a milestone that I have dreamt of for years, and I am grateful for the support we have received along the way. Our next steps have turned into a sprint, and the finish line is no longer beyond the horizon."

Lisbone has also released the entire design data for the MACE project to Exogen, allowing new facilities to be built, entirely under the control of whoever foots the bill. In remote places for corporations at the edge of the frontier, reducing transit times drastically for distant colonial attempts.

Late last evening, security forces of the TRSF docked aboard the orbital factory and initiated an offensive hunt, but not against some unknown assailant or the long defeated Knight's Errant. No, the new target of the TRSF is the free press of the Republic.

"I was on a call with one of my journalists. He was telling me that he'd uncovered something big, too big to broadcast. He was in the middle of sending me the files when the datastream was blocked, and I heard the flashbang. Then the feed went dead. I can't get in touch with any of my team aboard the MACE, nor can any department heads. None of us know anything that happened up there, other than the TRSF came out swinging against us for seemingly no reason," Christine Raulston, Senior Orbital Communications Director for the TRNW, broke the news just hours after the grim tale reached her ears. Several other administrative staff of the Republic's number one news source have shared a similar story, stating that their communications with Ventura's massive project have gone darker than the void itself.

"There is exactly one reason to silence the press, and everyone hearing this news should be terrified of what it means. Absolutely horrified. Mark my words, this is only the beginning of a storm which we may not weather. The Senate needs to take control of this situation before it is too late. It may very well be already," Katerina Suol, CEO of Takashemi Heavy Industries, warned in a quick sound bite before their next mining operations launch.

While the information industry and the world as a whole hold its breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop, we wish to inform all of our readers we will not be silenced, coerced, or controlled. The flow of the truth is the people's right and shall not be infringed.

An anonymous source has released a recording of a backroom meeting between several high-ranking TRSF members, including Admiral Bakshi. If the source can be trusted, this shocking security breach took place aboard the TRSF flagship, the Auctoritatis. The recording reveals Admiral Bakshi's perspective regarding Ventura and the space-faring corporations, which has been ill-defined in the past. Public opinion is split on whether the admiral is demanding evidence be found or be fabricated to support his views. No Senate members were willing to comment in response to this new development, and several Exogen CEOs have elected to confer with their legal counsel before responding. Silence from the Senate and corporations have stoked public rifts as concerns arise that colonies may be the manipulative and coercive elements that Admiral Bakshi fears they may be.

Public outcry quickly reached critical levels, with citizens clashing in counter-protests across the globe. Some support for the TRSF has waned as many citizens no longer have faith that the TRSF is stable or has their best interests at heart. Others have rushed to support the admiral and his campaign, fearing their freedoms and perceived reality may be at risk when entirely dependent on a corporation for survival.

While protests rage in the streets and leaders debate privately, few are those whose lives have not been touched by this recording. It is still unknown who has released this recording or if it is the same as the one who recorded it. The few voices to speculate on this feel one of the officers involved is the suspect, while others promote the long-forgotten Knights Errant group or Ventura itself.

TRSF Security Breach

Confusing new developments in the controversies surrounding the Prometheus project continue to raise tensions in the solar system. Once again, political bodies and corporations are struggling to assess the current state of affairs, as new information reframes the situation. Following an alleged security breach aboard their own capital ship, the TRSF stated the recent audio file that reached to the far ends of the galaxy, is nothing more than "a poorly-executed work of fiction." Space Force leadership placed blame for the alarming audio firmly at the feet of Ventura CEO Ulric Lisbone. Releases from the TRSF Media Relations division included incendiary language in the accusation that Ventura, and possibly other corporations, are actively attempting to discredit the Space Force and create divisions between factions.

"Ventura has knowingly created a culture that in the eyes of those who share it's mentality, that it is okay, and even rewarding, to challenge authority. To act without regard to the sanctity and stability of our society under the protection of those that govern it, with only concern for their own agenda. The Senate continues to not only allow this behavior, but rewards it. It has long been clear that Ventura has spun out of control with all of their amassed freedoms.

"The likelihood that they and their associates are merely absorbing the labor and resources of humanity, to rescue only themselves and leave the rest of our civilization behind, is to the point where decisive action must be made. It is entirely within our mandate to look for any and all forms of wrongdoing within our borders. Any decent and reasonable person cannot find fault with ensuring that these corporations are working for the good of everyone. We apologize for the necessary inconvenience that the corporations are feeling in response to our pro-safety and pro-humanitarian stance."

Ventura was quick to respond, with Lisbone calling the TRSF response 'farcical' and 'unhinged.' Without any individual taking credit for this now questionable recording, the situation has become a potentially explosive stand-off in belief.

"At some point I expect common sense to prevail in the leadership of the TRSF, but as of today I have yet to see any indication of such from the current administrators. The idea that we would focus any efforts, whatsoever, to such an absurd distraction to saving humanity, is laughable. I will admit, it amuses me how much time it appears the Admiral has devoted to perfecting this distorted image he has of my character, and my company.

"It says a lot more about him, that one of us is living the mind of the other, rent free. I can assure you, I do not get up every morning and mull over 'what can I get away with today?' I won't go into details, but spearheading operations that could last for generations, moving 12 billion souls across the galaxy, is no easy task. My hours are consumed with how best to solve endless problems.

"Now I am by no means an expert, but I am inclined to think the Admiral would do well from some rest and time away from work. Or better yet, focus on something of substance. Like responding to the rise in crime in space, lost vessels, or addressing how criminals are circumnavigating background checks for extrasolar positions. His attention needs to shift before this situation becomes, like him, further out of balance."

All across the galaxy, pockets of population are furiously debating who is acting in humanity's best interests. The cultural paradigm has citizens flocking to the proverbial camps of both men, but one group has made their stance clear. The spacefaring corporations continue to forge ahead on the Prometheus project, and the project managers from MACE have stated with all of the key components now fully developed, it's now time to put all of the work into practice, and build the final test ARC, the Prometheus.

The project is now ready to be completed, but tensions are firing up between TRSF and their constituents, and no agency is sure when or how to move. No one seems able to say where we will end up, by the time Prometheus's engines ignite for the first time.

A startling revelation reached the open-quantum channels today, as reports of several missing person reports across the globe were connected to more unsanctioned actions by the TRSF. Several instances of persons arrested were not reported to the required authorities on the surface, and no response was given when asked for what the charges were. It would appear that another suspicious leak from internal TRSF communications indicates that several warrants were executed on Earth against dozens of personnel and family members of key Exogen corporations within the Prometheus project.

Numerous CEOs and execs were quick to call the TRSF's latest unilateral action 'outrageous' and 'brazen,' with a CEO from the Corporation for Human Advancement in Outer Space. They wished to remain anonymous, calling for the Senate to "get control of their pitbull before someone puts it down."

When asked about it on their way into the office after the news broke, Thierry Castaignede of Castel-Azur had this to say.

"You want to know how I feel about this?? They arrested our crews at random! They held them illegally, withheld food and sleep, and when that wasn't enough to generate dirt on us – as there is none to find! – they took their families! This is mafia behavior! The TRSF constantly criticizes corporations and says they will be watching for 'underhanded behavior.' Underhanded! Good grief! The gall! The sheer gall and hypocrisy!"

But, not everyone shared in the outrage. Indeed, NewsWire did not have to look far to find an alternative perspective.

"Abducted? Talk about calling Terran soil Mars dust! This is a ridiculous attempt to change the narrative: We all know that those labeling ongoing investigations by TRSF as 'abductions' have deep ties with Ventura Corp. It's no secret that some of those corporations are essentially Knight's Errant, AI sympathizers, or Martian separatists that would benefit from a destabilized Terran Republic central government. They are trying to create a crisis to distract from the corruption seeping into the government through Ventura's lobbying efforts and unethical, greedy "projects" like MACE, and Tengri knows what else. And now that they are caught with Martian dust on their hands, they call foul! It is a clear-as-Sol scheme against the unity of Terran Republic," Aziz al-Ruha of Soulstone Corp was quoted as saying.

"Soulstone Corp stands where we always stood before; we continue to collaborate and support TRSF in their investigations and urge the Senate to fully support the efforts of the TRSF. The Space Force is the backbone and future of a sustainable Terran expansion. Soulstone Corp has closely collaborated with the Terran Senate on global issues since the early times of the late Senator Bakshi's cabinet. Although we are disheartened with some of their recent actions or lack thereof, we hope that the current cabinet corrects the course and does right by the people of Terran Republic!"

At the moment, the truth of either perspective seems to hang on who will write the history books.

Today marks a turning point for humankind, as the ARC prototype, Prometheus, left the MACE assembly bay under its own power. With no reported issues during startup, all inspections passed without alarm. After 100 years of working towards this unimaginable moment, the vessel is genuinely jaw-dropping to see. The result of the most expensive labor and materials project that mankind has ever seen spans an eye-bulging 140 meters in length and can be run by an onboard crew of 12 with remote support and Subroutine oversights.

"This truly is a physical manifestation of the vision and drive of a society's best and brightest. Gallons of sweat and tears, but thankfully minimal blood has been poured into this project, and we are quite happy with the results," said Alix Cowman-Zosma, the chief design engineer for the second generation ARC. Several other members made time to speak with the TRNW office in Ventura One.

"It truly has been a long and difficult road to get to this point, but I can safely say that I am thrilled with the results and beyond proud of my teams. They have achieved everything we have set out to do and more. Sure, there were some rough patches and speed bumps, but the road to revolutionizing an industry is very rarely well paved," Pauli Skews, the engine development lead, added.

"Watching everything come together over these last two years has been an unbelievable experience. We truly would not have gotten to where we are without the outpouring of support from the Republic Senate and the corporate entities. Their contributions allowed this project to slingshot into being beyond our wildest expectations. Now we have a ways to go yet, but we have a firm foundation to build upon," Cymbae Scheat, foundry foreman, had to say.

"This has, without a doubt, been the most challenging project I have ever been part of. But the results speak for themselves. Many sacrifices have been made to get this project off the ground, let alone to the level it reached. We are proud of the work we've done, and we firmly believe we've delivered the absolute best product we could, shattering expectations of everyone from executives to the buyers and the Senate themselves," Jill Kavamoko finished.

Souring the auspicious occasion, TRSF assets continue to take defensive stances across the system. Yet, these lifeboats that have nearly shifted into myth during a century of waiting for them to come to fruition have finally begun to roll off the line. For the moment, humanity as a whole seems to be lifted in excitement.