[HI] Horizon Insights - Status Reports

[Thexare]

Signal received.

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Sender: Caitlin Moore
Division: Research and Development
Involved Ships: [HI]Caitlin.Moore, Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury
Location: Johnson Supply Depot
Tags: escort, Synth Foods, engine, maintenance
Priority: Low

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Report Details:

While testing some experimental engine modifications on my Voyager, I encountered an Oasis-class liner, SFV Lap of Luxury, operated by Synth Foods. I saw an opportunity to find out what Synth was doing out here and offered escort, which was a round trip to and from Omega-49. Synth appears to be helping the Zoners get out of Omega-49 since Bretonia took over.

They seem to have reasonably peaceful relations with the local Corsairs, enough to not get their temporary outpost shot down at least. So that's good.

My engine modifications resulted in approximately 3% improved fuel efficiency in the Omicrons, but more importantly a roughly 15% reduction in maintenance times. The Wlaker Nebula needs some additional filters and calibration, but I expect similar results when that's done. Total modification cost so far is rather negligible, easily paid for in meintenance savings after only a few flights.

Attachment:

Communications Log

[Caitlin's note: Started in Omicron Gamma.]
[27.05.2019 00:37:27] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Well howdy there.
[27.05.2019 00:37:34] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Heya!
[27.05.2019 00:38:58] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: So, where ya headed?
[27.05.2019 00:39:10] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Oh, Gran Canaria. Why do you ask?
[27.05.2019 00:39:20] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Want an escort? The Edge Worlds can be pretty rough.
[27.05.2019 00:39:35] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Can't hurt!
[27.05.2019 00:40:07] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Main office won't mind, gives me a chance to get a look around the Omegas.
[27.05.2019 00:40:19] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Makes sense. So, what's Cryer doing all the way out here?
[27.05.2019 00:40:30] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: We've got a few deep-space labs we're maintaining.
[27.05.2019 00:40:47] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Deep space labs, huh? Sounds neat.
[27.05.2019 00:40:55] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Just researching more drugs?
[27.05.2019 00:41:17] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Oh, never know what you'll find outside the Houses.
[27.05.2019 00:41:45] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Yeah, there are some oddities out here. Like people that would build a station next to a neutron star.
[27.05.2019 00:41:51] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Cryer's been interested in expanding their deep space presence, that's what our focus is in Horizon Insights.
[27.05.2019 00:42:03] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Never heard of you. New startup?
[27.05.2019 00:42:08] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: And these Zoners out here are some of our best customers for, y'know, obvious reasons.
[27.05.2019 00:42:22] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: These Zoners have been giving us a lot of hassle.
[27.05.2019 00:42:22] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Subsidiary branch, but yeah we're a pretty recent addition to the Cryer family.
[27.05.2019 00:42:42] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: I just don't get it. Every time we bring a load of Migrants to the relief station, that Velvet group flips out.
[27.05.2019 00:42:52] Death: ]\[el was put out of action by a hostile vessel.
[27.05.2019 00:42:57] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: "Oh, you didn't bring a Liner," or "Oh, you didn't have an escort!"
[27.05.2019 00:43:14] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Now they're complaining that we're just outright jumping the people to Theta.
[27.05.2019 00:43:21] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Yeah, see, the thing about dealing with people that move out to the boonies just to get away from people is
[27.05.2019 00:43:25] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: a lot of them are just dicks.
[27.05.2019 00:44:21] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Evidently.
[27.05.2019 00:44:42] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Some groups are friendlier than others. Careful with the people out at Eleven, they're pretty jumpy. Can't blame 'em really.
[27.05.2019 00:45:04] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Yeah, they're the ones we've been dealing with. Evidently they administrate Corfu as well.
[27.05.2019 00:45:06] Tip: The world of Freelancer is full of ambiguity just like real life is. Not all characters showing up as hostile are your enemies. Likewise - not all characters showing up as neutral are your friends.
[27.05.2019 00:45:57] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Yeah, I think that arrangement's been in place for a while.They sometimes consolidate management of nearby stations.
[27.05.2019 00:46:04] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: You'd figure they'd be a bit more appreciative of free humanitarian aid. Gotta' keep the company PR looking good.
[27.05.2019 00:46:12] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Canaria and, what was it... Lanzarote, I think? were like that.
[27.05.2019 00:46:25] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: I wouldn't know, unless I've made a delivery there.
[27.05.2019 00:46:39] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Horizon's dealt with the guys at Eleven before, but Velvet's a new group.
[27.05.2019 00:46:56] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Captaining these big Transports is a new thing for me. Us people in the Hotshot division are used to Freighters.
[27.05.2019 00:47:05] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Sometimes- agh, damned autopilot - a new group tries to look tough and just makes their own lives harder.
[27.05.2019 00:47:19] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Can you blame them, though? How many times have the Core walked all over 11?
[27.05.2019 00:47:33] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: And if not Core, someone else.
[27.05.2019 00:48:01] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Need the dimmer filter on my viewscreen every time I come here.
[27.05.2019 00:48:10] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Though, to be honest, it might not be enough times. Seems like they care more about their egos than the people Synth is trying
[27.05.2019 00:48:12] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: to help.
[27.05.2019 00:48:47] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: There's been issues out there that can make everyone look like an enemy, plus the well known inherent stresses of life in deep
[27.05.2019 00:48:51] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: space.
[27.05.2019 00:49:07] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: They'd be better off rotating duties between Freeports, but that's not what they do.
[27.05.2019 00:49:08] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Yeah, well, having uppity Zoners hampering our operations isn't making life easier for anyone.
[27.05.2019 00:49:22] hot.pants: Hasmed: peace
[27.05.2019 00:49:27] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Listen, we're going to be offloading and takin on people for about 10 minutes.
[27.05.2019 00:49:32] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Well, howdy.
[27.05.2019 00:49:35] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Aubrey: Hiya!
[27.05.2019 00:49:43] 2019-05-27 00:49:43 SMT Traffic control alert: Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury has requested to dock
[27.05.2019 00:49:48] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: If you're here when we release the mooring clamps, feel free to follow back to Theta.
[27.05.2019 00:49:54] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Sounds good.
[27.05.2019 00:59:11] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: We're ready to roll when you are.
[27.05.2019 00:59:20] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: I'm clear, was just getting minor repairs.
[27.05.2019 00:59:26] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Busy chatting up the Zoner? Oh, that's less fun.
[27.05.2019 00:59:28] Death: test0 suffered a self-inflicted catastrophic decompression.
[27.05.2019 00:59:46] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Looks like you're headed the same way we are.
[27.05.2019 01:00:11] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Mhmm, we subcontracted a few pilots from other Liberty corporations.
[27.05.2019 01:00:21] hot.pants: Alfonso; and DSE thinks is nice to transport people like cattles
[27.05.2019 01:00:30] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Pipe down back there, no one asked.
[27.05.2019 01:00:50] Francis_Torvul-T: Just a contracted transport pilot. Working for whoever needs goods hauled.
[27.05.2019 01:01:17] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Here comes another uppity Zoner. Watch this.
[27.05.2019 01:01:28] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Seems to have changed course.
[27.05.2019 01:03:38] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: So, anything else interesting I should know about you?
[27.05.2019 01:03:45] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Other than this mystery science your division is doing out here.
[27.05.2019 01:04:17] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Oh, can't think of much. We're just here to secure and expand Cryer's facilities out here.
[27.05.2019 01:04:40] Francis_Torvul-T: The ship's also been retrofitted to make things more suitable for large transit of people, its no luxury liner of course...
[27.05.2019 01:04:43] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: A lot of that is getting along with the locals, which is really the hardest part.
[27.05.2019 01:04:57] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Well that's less fun than I had anticipated. Do you just run deliveries, or are you a scientist yourself?
[27.05.2019 01:04:58] Francis_Torvul-T: but when you have a humanitarian crisis to deal with....
[27.05.2019 01:05:33] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: I do the occasional deep-space project, but I'm more of an engineer.
[27.05.2019 01:05:47] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: I help make sure our ships can deal with the anomalies and hazards out here.
[27.05.2019 01:05:59] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Other than this star, they really don't seem all that bad.
[27.05.2019 01:06:08] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: And as long as you've got shields, it just scratches the paint a bit.
[27.05.2019 01:06:27] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: I'm sure you've seen more than I have. Glorified pizza boy and all, you know.
[27.05.2019 01:06:30] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Long-term exposure still has issues even through shields, unfortunately.
[27.05.2019 01:06:36] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Big problem on Freeport 5.
[27.05.2019 01:06:46] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Tell that to the people on Leon and the Fr-, yeah.
[27.05.2019 01:07:16] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: But they're here because no one else wants to be, more than anything. So we ship out the medicine they need and leave it at tha
[27.05.2019 01:07:21] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: that.
[27.05.2019 01:07:46] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: I really don't get that. How can you enjoy being out here? It gets so lonely.
[27.05.2019 01:08:13] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Some people need their space, to get away from the past, or just because they can't handle people for whatever reason.
[27.05.2019 01:08:17] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Ain't really my place to say.
[27.05.2019 01:08:41] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Lot of 'em really just don't trust the Houses, and I can hardly blame them there.
[27.05.2019 01:08:55] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: [He shrugs slightly.] Whatever floats their boat, I guess. Bretonia has been giving people good reasons not to trust them.
[27.05.2019 01:09:05] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Same with Rheinland, really.
[27.05.2019 01:09:32] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: And hell, maybe some think that's the best place to hide to stay away from Gallia.
[27.05.2019 01:10:00] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: To be perfectly honest, as much of a good Liberty citizen as I am, I can't help but think that we're fighting a losing battle.
[27.05.2019 01:10:11] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Should have just fed them the Bretonians and boarded up California.
[27.05.2019 01:10:29] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: The Republic is dumping god knows how many trillions of credits and lives into a lost cause.
[27.05.2019 01:10:40] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: That'd leave 'em stronger when the time comes to invade California in force, though.
[27.05.2019 01:10:50] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: You'd be throwing away even more lives in California doing it that way.
[27.05.2019 01:11:08] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Just turn off the Jumpgates. It's not like they can bring a full fleet through the holes.
[27.05.2019 01:11:22] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: But we're past that, now that they've broken through Magellan.
[27.05.2019 01:11:55] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Well, we'll see what comes of it. It's mostly academic for me, honestly.
[27.05.2019 01:12:14] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: As long as you're out here, you're probably right.
[27.05.2019 01:12:27] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: I don't see the Gallics giving half a damn about Theta or Gamma.
[27.05.2019 01:12:36] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: At least, not until the Corsairs start poking them.
[27.05.2019 01:12:54] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: I've read about their type. They won't stop until they run out of steam or run out of space.
[27.05.2019 01:13:14] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: The good news is, runnin' out of steam is way more likely.
[27.05.2019 01:13:29] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: We'll see. I get the impression they're playing up their weakness.
[27.05.2019 01:13:31] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Oh this place doesn't look good.
[27.05.2019 01:13:45] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: It's temporary. We'll be de-orbiting it within a week.
[27.05.2019 01:13:51] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Ah, makes sense.
[27.05.2019 01:14:05] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: The Migrants only spend an hour or two at most on the station before being shuttled to the planet.
[27.05.2019 01:14:14] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Not much point patching up the asteroid dents for something that temporary.
[27.05.2019 01:14:32] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Exactly. It's more of a shipping platform than a full-on base.
[27.05.2019 01:14:53] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Hence why the Corsairs aren't bothering us too badly about it.
[27.05.2019 01:15:24] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: To be honest, they've always seemed easier to handle than the Outcasts.
[27.05.2019 01:15:38] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Those guys are just nuts.
[27.05.2019 01:15:53] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: The Outcasts have a stick jammed so far up their collective asses they've got bark stuck in their teeth.
[27.05.2019 01:15:57] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: The Corsairs are simpler.
[27.05.2019 01:16:09] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: A few bottles of rum, a few tubes of Synth Paste, and they're happy.
[27.05.2019 01:16:46] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: And really, can't blame 'em much. Man's gotta eat.
[27.05.2019 01:16:58] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Exactly. That's what Synth Foods is for, after all, right?
[27.05.2019 01:18:12] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Bet y'all were glad when the Landbewhat collapsed.
[27.05.2019 01:18:33] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: I won't say I was personally happy about that. Don't let corporate hear, but they're still people with lives.
[27.05.2019 01:18:42] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: You know, families and stuff. Just like the rest of us.
[27.05.2019 01:19:04] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Yeah, I hope they found their way elsewhere, but I can't sympathize much with all the destruction.
[27.05.2019 01:19:46] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Seems to me they got screwed by Rheinland and blamed Synth.
[27.05.2019 01:20:28] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Well, if your planet can't feed the people, you might need to step up and admit a bit of fault.
[27.05.2019 01:20:49] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Populations can only grow as fast as plants and animals.
[27.05.2019 01:21:03] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: But Rheinland's had issues with pride and mismanagement for a long time.
[27.05.2019 01:21:17] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: I mean, we are talking about a nation that went to war with a mining guild and lost.
[27.05.2019 01:21:29] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Then went to war with Liberty twice, and lost.
[27.05.2019 01:22:55] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Ah well, can't complain too much about them. If only because that's the easy access route to one of our bases.
[27.05.2019 01:23:39] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: No sense in complaining about much of anything. Not going to change a thing.
[27.05.2019 01:26:48] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Hmm. Think the engines will need a bit of retuning for the Omega region, but they work mostly fine as it is.
[27.05.2019 01:26:58] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Particles from the Walker don't seem to be causing significant issues.
[27.05.2019 01:27:25] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Well, that's... Good? I suppose. I'm no engineer, I wouldn't know the first thing about all that.
[27.05.2019 01:28:34] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Mostly just means less maintenance time and less wear and tear.
[27.05.2019 01:28:46] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Gotcha. Well, listen, it's been a pleasure, but the end of my shift is coming up.
[27.05.2019 01:28:51] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Maybe I'll see you later.
[27.05.2019 01:29:06] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: Yeah, I gotta get back and write a report myself.
[27.05.2019 01:29:11] Synth|SFV-Lap.of.Luxury: Alright, fly safe.
[27.05.2019 01:29:14] [HI]Caitlin.Moore: You too.

Message ends.