The Northwest Passage

[The Syndicate Leagues]

Location: Laptev System. Galileo Jump.

---

Astrocartographer's Logs, UN|Tekta.Unskyld;

Kalli Seydel - The logs from the first trans-Beringian astrogation arrest the attention of anyone who takes more than a second to glance at the datasets. The mathematical recursions of long-distance phase alignments - moved from a smuggler's bar story to probably the most well-funded pathfinding activity taken by the Unioners today - is certainly worth the investment. Linking together distant, disparate stars that exist under the penumbra of the transit map - beyond the shallow connections of random natural jump-holes and early superluminal trackways from the dawn of Sirian extrasolar exploration. Our answers to the great question - jump hole generators, superluminal drives - lack the mathetmatical satisfaction of true omnipresence. For now - for a time - the sublight spacecraft will rain supreme, and our voyages into the dark will remain mortal. Our people, and our craft, remain useful. This is more than the average Unioner cares to think about, of course.

The Unioners who accompanied BrisCon's survey of the Laptev tunnel did more than their share of filling in the blank holes. Laptev, north of the nightveil of charged particles - the thunderhead of the solar wind that sweeps interstellar space as far 'south' from the Orion Arm's galactic plate as Zurich, and as far 'north' as Texas, Kansas, and Laptev, bifurcates the known space of Sirian civilisation. Gallia knows nothing of such coiling expanses that have wrapped the heartland of the sector in its grasp, of course. In their innocence, they developed antihydrogen weapons to conquer us, unaware that Sirius was already wrapped with particles of desolation - to a remarkable saturation. We are, after all, simply a reflection of space - and how we use its natural resources. How its natural perils imperil us.

The maximum mass numbers for the Laptev connection were surprising. A fully loaded freighter can make the jump without disrupting the wormhole aperture. Like athletes, to reach superluminal transit - we are limited by our mass. Without the anchor of a consistent planetary orbit, it could be thousands of years before a stable phase alignment to Laptev emergently occurs. The system remains a territorial blank - close to the heart, yet free of antibodies, infections - any mar or counterbalance whatsoever.

Factor the operations logs from the most recent New York triangulation.

Remarkable. The inner system cupped within a pixel. At extreme ranges, similar stabilisation potentials emerge as present within the 'ambient' alignment of Laptev. New York itself is not free of dark matter inference. The badlands contains high levels of electromagnetic flux comparable to Laptev's ambient system. When working at such enormous scales, true measuring devices are relegated to best guess - if only humanity had pioneered the dyson sphere. One can dream.

---

"Though the past is scarred and the future untold"
" Be the boot heavy, the vacuum cold."
"I of the Liga,  do not fold"
"For suits or saints or beggar's gold.
Information - Recruitment - Message Dump - Feedback

[The Syndicate Leagues]

Location: Bering System, 27kilakimis from the Laptev Jump.

---

Astrocartographer's Logs, UN|Sumpter.Populi;

Horst Delle - Ay look, I've been pegged to go fishing for info if I ran into any starpunters who took the long and fast way through Liberty. Well, I found one. An Outcast Imperial freighter - seemed friendly enough, - I guess Loyola doesn't pack the influence she says she does, huh?

There's no secrets in a smuggling route. It's anyone's game, just like a wreck in deep space. They find your rat run and they're going to share it. Share the wealth, says I. Maybe not the best smuggler's motto - but I'm in it for the living, not to reach top-monkey.

Well, there's a virtue even in a mud-covered coin - the Maltese have better sensors than this old Gun-steamer - and if they're taking the same trips, then cardi-coin can pave the highway high. I might be overthinking it. Taxing my brain a little too much - after all, I'm not a highminder like Kalli and the scopers. But even old me can pull out a hat-trick once in a blue eclipse. Smile - it's a leap year.

[14.02.2020 15:17:30] -|-Sebastian.Ros: We can only get smaller vessels down this way.
[14.02.2020 15:17:38] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Laptev, y'know.
[14.02.2020 15:17:53] Death: =LSF=Lakenheath suffered a self-inflicted catastrophic decompression.
[14.02.2020 15:17:55] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: *grinning* Aw! Your tribe always were the wiliest smugglers around.
[14.02.2020 15:17:55] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Won't see me hauling the Cagliari down through Texas, too hot.
[14.02.2020 15:18:17] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: Not suprised your boys found Laptev. It seems everyone's finding the Unioner smuggling routes.
[14.02.2020 15:18:34] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Having friends in Galileo helps.
[14.02.2020 15:18:35] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: We were the first Rheinlanders to find a route to Gallia, and the first trans-Beringians to find a way up to Galileo.
[14.02.2020 15:18:50] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: *grunts* Hm. Hackers, or rogues?
[14.02.2020 15:19:02] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: They both used to be our pals out there. *pauses*
[14.02.2020 15:19:04] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Chrysanthemums.
[14.02.2020 15:19:14] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: Chrysanthemums that far south? *whistles*
[14.02.2020 15:19:26] -|-Sebastian.Ros: The Rogues and the Hackers tend to be fairly, uh. Insular?
[14.02.2020 15:19:27] Death: [HF]-GammaBlue was put out of action by UN|Vorfahr (Collision).
[14.02.2020 15:19:30] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: We don't run into 'em often. They keep to the north sigmas, and we keep to the south.
[14.02.2020 15:19:44] Death: istanbul was put out of action by -|-Sebastian.Ros (Gun).
[14.02.2020 15:20:41] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: *cautious, if affable*
[14.02.2020 15:20:46] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: Well, welcome to the Tanner.
[14.02.2020 15:20:48] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Can't say we often run into your people!

My ma' always like to beat into my soft Union-fees owing hide that if you run into a relaxed tradesman, you pay him the dues owed. You don't screw with for a fast-swiper or those'll be the only data-brokers you put in business. True enough, he handed over his data in trade. I figured he must have felt like a guest here - strangers often do, even if we don't lay out a doormat with our name stamped on it. Bering for one and all raises us a glass every so often. I guess the news of the fight percolates, huh? Like a cup of tar-black synth-bean.

[14.02.2020 15:35:42] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Anywho. I'd better scoot.
[14.02.2020 15:35:54] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: Aye aye. *pausing*
[14.02.2020 15:36:04] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: Before you leave, Outcast...
[14.02.2020 15:36:21] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Before I leave, right.
[14.02.2020 15:36:31] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: can ya' download us your navidata on the Laptev passage? The Union bosses will want to know if the holes have...
[14.02.2020 15:36:34] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: changed phase alignment.
[14.02.2020 15:36:59] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Absolutely. Uh. Lemme just send the data over.
[14.02.2020 15:37:15] -|-Sebastian.Ros: It was all fairly standard when I flew through.
[14.02.2020 15:37:30] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Bit rough, mind.
[14.02.2020 15:37:38] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: *with evident relief* Aye. Well, that'll save a good few lives.
[14.02.2020 15:37:59] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Aaand. Data should be sent.
[14.02.2020 15:38:09] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: Handshake recieved. *grinning*
[14.02.2020 15:38:18] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Safe run, Unioner!
[14.02.2020 15:38:19] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: Have a safe flight, Outcast. Don't hit a rock, now.
[14.02.2020 15:38:27] UN|A-Sumpter.Populi: Horst: Here's a contribution for the data.
[14.02.2020 15:38:48] /givecash -|-sebastian.ros 5000000
[14.02.2020 15:38:48] [2020-02-14] 15:38:49 You have sent 5.000.000 credits to -|-Sebastian.Ros.
[14.02.2020 15:39:01] -|-Sebastian.Ros: Many thanks! Adios amigo!

Yeah. Adios amigo. He was as much a friend as any stranger gets out there in the void that sucks the living flesh cold. A lovely new phase alignment chart, bought-and-paid-for by Unioner coin, courtesy of that 'Casts's sensor brush. Feast your eyes on this LIDAR data. Like an opera for the eyeballs.

The Lane Hacks won't know what smacked 'em.

---

"Though the past is scarred and the future untold"
" Be the boot heavy, the vacuum cold."
"I of the Liga,  do not fold"
"For suits or saints or beggar's gold.
Information - Recruitment - Message Dump - Feedback

[The Syndicate Leagues]

Location: Laptev System, Planet Taymr, Upper Orbit

---

Astrocartographer's Logs, UN|Hellion;

Riehl: - Hold me down if I'm to paint this data into anything approaching cartography, when it's writ-large in 'Tonian charting standard.


Matching Outcast data to Libertonian Seperatist cut-and-shuts to Greenwave Unioner cartography was like riding a sailboat in a hurricane where the ocean couldn't decide if it was mayonnaise, gasoline, or custard.

Jan chimes in. She's insightful - she always is. Perennial flower in bloom. She says we should drop a telescope up here. I figured she'd be thinking about the signal buoys.

It's still a bright idea. You can see all the way to the Omegas. Just a case of having as little stellar debris as possible in your way. Like standing on a mountain of glass.

Like a boreal forest, the lumberjack hadn't touched yet. You've been traipsing too long with the Gaians, Riehl. You're forgetting that little old rocksniffer like you are completely out of their depth and getting crushed by the pressure.

Yet all of the wonder and mystery was still home. Still the Tanner. Still ours. Still close to the heart.

Like realising your house has an ancient basement - or that the cave that you were born in had a crystal lattice as long as your arm. Beautiful. Shimmering rock.

---

"Though the past is scarred and the future untold"
" Be the boot heavy, the vacuum cold."
"I of the Liga,  do not fold"
"For suits or saints or beggar's gold.
Information - Recruitment - Message Dump - Feedback