25.10.18 - Have you been suffering from a light fever? Dizzying headaches? Racking coughs? In all likelihood, you've contracted a case of Cretian Flu - a disease which has swept across the entire Tau 37 system. The virus is native to the Corsair planet of Crete, where it is believed it claims around 35,000 lives annually. This is largely due to local conditions, poverty and a lack of widely available medicine, as opposed to the potency of the strain.
Station Hall was quick to react to the endemic, with the advice that any resident who was exhibiting signs of the illness should seek medical assistance at the infirmary, then confine themselves to their quarters. A representative was quick to issue the statement that, "the Flu is completely harmless, so long as treatment is sought immediately." Already a 'buddy system' has been implemented, where an ill resident can elect a friend to fetch food from the cafeteria for them while they are confined.
The infirmary is also well stocked, with enough generic wide-spectrum antiviral drugs to keep every one of the currently affected victims dosed for a week. It is believed that before this period is up, a large shipment of pharmaceuticals largely consistent of Cryer's "CF932-VS2" anti-Cretian Flu shots will be delivered by Omicron Supply Industries. This supply should be enough to completely eradicate the disease from the station.
The virus, quickly dubbed the "Coughsair Cold", is believed to have arrived on Freeport 10 aboard one of the freighters that was shipping humanitarian goods to Freeport 9 in Omicron Theta. It was further spread by members of the Independent Miner's Guild docking for supplies, returning it to their own installations in the process. Strangely enough, pilots of the Outcasts that have been exposed to the flu seem to be completely unaffected.
28.10.18 - Many pilots have had their bad days ' ship malfunctions, poor spatial conditions or just plain terrible luck. But had the thought that these annoyances could save your life at some point ever crossed your mind? They certainly hadn't to Independent Miner's Guild pilot Ian Sordil, yet a faulty fuel distributor cell ended up rescuing an otherwise normal day from the jaws of death and disaster.
Mr Sourdil had been aboard to buy supplies for IMG holdings in the system with his 23 year-old Clydesdale 'Helga'. Malfunctions on ships of that age are pretty much the norm ' however the majority of faults will be picked up by engineers on the flight deck before the vessel is allowed to leave. The 26th was an exception to this rule when 'Helga' undocked.
Upon leaving the station, Mr Sordil reported what he described as a, 'thumping noise' to flight control, then proceeded to head home. Unfortunately ' or fortunately, as luck would have it ' his ship had just lost a crucial component in its fuel system ' the distributor. The effects of this became apparent when shortly after entering the Malvinas Cloud, all propulsion systems died, leaving him dead in the water. What he didn't know was that an Outcast raider patrol had been stalking him for the last 10k.
Confused at their mark suddenly dropping off the radar, they reportedly raced forward, almost crashing into the beleaguered Clydesdale which had drifted out of sight into the lee of an asteroid. Mr Sordil said that, 'seeing those Outcast ships shooting past was the scariest moment of my life ' if I hadn't lost all power right then, they would've followed me right the way back to base. Then we'd all have been dead.' After an hour of sitting on minimal power, hazarding death by freezing, he risked sending out an SOS and was picked up by a passing IMG patrol. An Outcast we found in the bar declined to comment on the matter.
Mr Sordil concluded our interview with the statement that, 'a lot of people would have been furious with the engineers for not spotting the issue in the first place, but right now, I just want to give the little bastards a hug!' It would appear that every cloud has a silver lining ' especially if it stops you being blown apart by Outcasts.
30.10.818 ' 'Today marks a pivotal moment in the war on flu,' says resident physician, Doctor Rodgers. Early yesterday morning, a full shipment of CF932-VS2" anti-Cretian Flu shots was delivered by Omicron Supply Industries at the request of Station Hall, relieving what has been revealed to be a failing stock of wide spectrum antiviral drugs.
In order of vulnerability, the vast majority of station residents who have been affected have been administered the shots. Shots will also be provided at a later date to all those currently unaffected in order to attribute them with immunity to the strain. Given the surplus delivered, shots will also be offered to the miners affected by the disease at a reduced cost. Infirmary bills will still apply to non-residents as usual, however.
The inoculation and treatment process has by large gone smoothly, with exception to Jonathan 'John' Johnson, the station's resident Cyanophobic and leader of the one-man-cult, the JJJ. Due to the shots' blue packaging, he has refused to allow orderlies to administer the injections, and has been quoted as saying, 'I'll burn them out, kettle and fish!' Mr Johnson's 'hatred of the colour blue', while inexplicable, resulted in his sedation to allow medical staff to safely inject him.
The way Station Hall rapidly and effectively dealt with the problem has led to praise from elements of the population. An announcement has already been made stating that improved quarantine methods and screening for disease on docked and moored vessels is under discussion.
It is thought that improved screening and separation techniques will limit the damage future outbreaks could cause, given that lifelong spacers have weaker immune systems on average than their planetside counterparts. A complete recovery by all affected should be seen within the next four to five days, at which point it is hoped that stationside economy will recover to previous levels. Sales of Olbas Oil and tissues rose by 231% over the last week.
02.11.818 ' Zoners ' Freeport 9 ' Have you ever run across the pitiful specimen commonly known as the 'university student' and wondered how these seemingly malnourished, persistently antisocial pariahs will soon come to represent Sirius' intellectual elite? No, you're not alone ' these sentiments echo exactly the thoughts of our own editing team; an attitude that has absolutely no correlation whatsoever to Cambridge University denying our request to attend their creative writing courses. Many consider these students to be little more than grant-grabbing malcontents of dubious use. This has never been more apparent than to the Zoners of Freeport 9, following the release of an in-depth anthropological study into spaceborne Zoners by the University of Crete.
The release of the decade long study by the sociology department of the colloquially nicknamed 'Corsair Collage' (made famous by 'Extortion 101 ' how to make your victim squeal') coincided neatly with a sudden escalation of hostilities between the aforementioned Zoners, and the Corsair Empire. The title of the dissertation? 'Zoners get upset when murdered'. Yes. The forefront educational establishment of Omicron Gamma invested 10 years and countless credits into stating the obvious. Surprisingly, prevalent urban legends persist regarding the temperament of the Zoners as a people, ranging from the fact that if you punch one he'll cry tears of joy, to the fact that they have a gland that actually induces powerful sensations of euphoria when they are pirated.
The study states that on average, upon the murder of a family member, or resident of their own station, occupants are statistically likely to become around 326% more hostile to the party/parties that caused the grievance. We managed to secure an interview with one of the few Corsairs actually taken prisoner during the last bout of hostilities, Praedonis Cuculi. As a member of one of the 'rookie' home guard squads that first attacked the station, he was the first to meet the defenders before they were fatigued by incessant raids. He described the situation to us.
"Ey, you gri-ingo basterds! You theenk you can hold the Cosairs at bay for evaar? You's one stu-upeed gringo, gri-ingo. We's gonna keel you deader than dead." After a while our canny reported bribed him with some Synth tofu, on account of the fact no-one else would eat it. His his stomach relatively full, if mutinous, he described the actual events that led to his downfall. "We-ell, I was shooting some of them Zoner gri-ingos yesterday and the damn things turned around and started shooting back, ma-an! I thought I was hallucianating. We were told them feelthy gri-ingos would sit there an' take it!"
So there you have it - straight from the mouth of a Corsair. The students didn't get it entirely wrong! Zoners don't like it when you shoot them!
01.12.818' Over the last month or so, wandering residents of Freeport 10 have been trickling home. The merchants, the explorers, the researchers, the men and women with itchy feet. This homeward-bound migration is at least partially due to a scheme set up by local spokesman Howard Lovecrepe, in tandem with the bold statement that, 'Standing together we are stronger than alone.' This appears to have been a winning format, given that a staggering 5 Zoners having registered so far, with more giving signs of interest in such cooperation.
Another important factor of the scheme is that it has brought fresh blood into our community. This is an important in preserving a real sense of community in such small societies, as new ideas and mindsets are brought to the table. Already we have had Zoners from the war-torn Omicron Theta system coming to seek refuge, and Station Hall has welcomed them with open arms. One of the most notable arrivals so far, was that of captain John Douglas, who had immigrated from the Omicrons and has now signed on for full citizenship rights.
The reason this arrival is so significant is the fact that his ship, the Valkiria, is a Zoner Borderworld Transport ' otherwise known as a 'Whale'. These ships are merchant behemoths, and among the largest cargo ships of their class in Sirius. It is believed that the addition of this single ship has almost doubled the cargo capacity of the Freeport Merchant Fleet. One of our journalists caught up with Mr Douglas to ask him his thoughts on the station so far. Happy to oblige us, he answered '[the] station is peaceful, one of the many reasons I came here. I escaped from the tensions and conflicts in the Omegas and Omicrons to be a peaceful Zoner again.' Given that we sure love peace out here, it sounds like he'll fit right in.
Spokesman Lovecrepe earlier wrote on the subject of the expanding merchant fleet, and closed with the words, ' I'm extremely proud that residents are coming together like this. You're all doing your home a great service, and your fellow residents are as equally proud of you all as I am.' Here at the editorial team, we happen to agree. Keep up the good work, Zoners!
05.12.818 ' Earlier today while one of our investigative reporters wasn't stalking Spokesman Lovecrepe around Freeport 10, Freeport 10 News uncovered what could possibly be one of the greatest local finds of the decade. Have you ever heard of the Dice Corporation? No? I wouldn't have thought you had. It is in fact, despite the naming, it is a tiny local business run by resident Dave McGavin from his mother's house on Nine-Deck.
"But what does it do, Mr mysterious and devilishly handsome editor-man?" I hear you cry. Well, worry not, for we did actually investigate this awesome company's activities this time (no, this is not a repeat of the 'Brownwater Scandal'). "So, stop filling space. Just tell me already." Yeah, sure, whatever. Stop nagging me. You're not my mum. Simply put, the Dice Corporation does gambling. After not watching Spokesman Lovecrepe play a game using Dice technology in the window seat on the right hand side of Ken's bar on Four-Deck, we elected to find out what this magical technology was and where it came from.
"You haven't actually explained what it does." Will you shut up? I'm getting to that! It was a holoprojector, that projected the iconic green felt of a blackjack table into the air, a couple of inches above the tabletop itself. This magical device is destined to bring gambling back to Freeport 10 in a big way. After not witnessing this feat of money-generating brilliance, our trained monkeys in the investigative branch tracked down Mr McGavin via his scent, to enquire after an interview.
A short while (and some flung poo) later, we had our statement. "Dice Corp hasn't ever really been anything big. I just use to just tinker with technology and try my hand at programming, then flog the results. That's what led to the '21Greens" machine being developed. I'd been working on that one on and off for the last three or so years. I sold the first one to Mr Lovecrepe, so I'm hoping that this time the product will really take off. Already I'm looking for ways to increase production. I think this could be the one that gets me out of my mum's house."
And there you have it. One man with a skill. One man with a dream. One man with too much junk just laying around. And what was that dream? To get out of his mum's house. Mr McGavin, we salute you. There is no greater purpose in life than creating technology devoted to the higher calling of gambling. But still, questions continue to circle around the machine: how awesome will it be? How much better will it make your sad and boring lives? How much did Dave pay me to write this? All these questions are irrelevant. I'll be buying one when it comes out, and to hell with impartial reporting - you should too!
09.12.818 ' Today terror struck Freeport 10 to its very core. This abject horror and fear brought back the terrible memories of the Outcast aggressions of years past in our older residents. But it was not Outcasts or Bounty Hunters or Miners who sparked panic onboard today: an abomination unlike anything witnessed by residents before launched a brutal and chilling assault on the peace of the Tau 37 system.
A alien construct of unknown origin was first spotted some 13 klicks from the station. While patrols' sensors were not able to get a secure lock on the craft, it could be plainly seen even from that distance. The ship was blue or purple, and radiated light from its unholy innards. It was a breathtaking sight, but only so far as it highlighted its unnatural nature, its perverse form.
Several residents who had shortly returned from the Tau 23 system after welcoming a guest to the station were present to witness the construct's attack. It slowly moved towards the station, and after closing to within station weapons range, opened fire with several deadly vollys of laser fire, that decimated nearby patrols.
We secured an interview with Aksel Goldstein, who valiantly covered the transports which had been moorered to the station throughout the incident. "Well, the 'beast' (I call it this way for lack of a better word) was sitting infront of Freeport 10 and it was looking at us. We... well at least I felt some strange things in its presence. Things like thoughts...that were not my own, feelings I never dreamed I could expirience. Then, the beast started shooting."
It is believed 13 innocent ships were shot down without warning nor provocation, the pilots of which were promptly rescued in a daring effort by all currently assembled surviving ships. All those rescued were suffering from varying degrees of injury, with 4 being of a critical nature. It is believed that two of those four have already died. The Outcast Jack Ramirez later arrived and praised the evening's horrific events with a chilling series of statements as he commanded outraged and terrified pilots, "Do not insult the spitits". When called on the murder of innocent civilians, he cold-bloodedly replied, "Then they deserved it".
Station Hall has already issued a statement to the effect that countermeasures to these attacks are already being implemented, and that panic would be counter-productive and harmful. The families of the pilots in question are being searched for, but it is believed that the majority were out-of-system traders from other Freeports.
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