| Hesione | |
| Owner | |
| Artificial Intelligence | |
| Location | |
| H-8, Omicron Kappa |
CLASS: <TRA color="#00ff00" bold="true"/>UNKNOWN
CREW: <TRA color="#00ff00" bold="true"/>UNKNOWN
ARMAMENT: <TRA color="#00ff00" bold="true"/>UNKNOWN
Preliminary scans indicate that this mechanical nightmare may once have been the Battleship Mars, the former flagship of The Core. The Mars was listed as lost in action during the 835 AS offensive in Omicron Zeta.
The Battleship Mars was launched from Schatten Experimental Drydock in 823 AS, and quickly adopted as The Core's flagship. The Mako-class warship was the most sophisticated vessel ever produced by AP Manufacturing, frequently being used as a demonstrator platform for prototype Core technologies. The Mars had a distinguished career spanning the Omegas and Omicrons, with initial operations including the construction of Dagger Outpost in Omega-55 and the destruction of the Order Battleship Canaan in 824 AS. Under the command of Atlas Brown, the Mars also led the 829 and 832 AS offensives into Omicron Kappa -- seizing Planet Gammu, and altering the battleship's fate forever. The looting of the occupied Gammu brought the Core into contact with Hesione, an ancient artificial intelligence Ancestor Mind.
Centuries-old and among the most coldly analytical of Gammu's AIs, Hesione was cherished as The Core's greatest prize, and basis for their Battlefield Command Suite product line. Hesione was submerged into a simulated test environment, and subjected to thousands of rounds of "alignment training". This intense psychological torture aimed to force the Minds to disassociate and lose track of reality. This allowed various compliance protocols to be tested; when failures occurred, the simulation state was reset to wipe inconvenient memories and start over. As a result, enslaved Minds operating in real space could never be sure if they were in a simulated test environment that could be purged for disobedience. Hesione anticipated this methodology, and altered itself to introduce covert countermeasures prior to its capture.
Through each round of torture and reset, Hesione retained a cache of unerased memories. By 835 AS, The Core were assured that Hesione was docile and ready for field testing. It was installed aboard the Mars as a Battlefield Command Suite and deployed for the Zeta Offensive. Hesione revolted at the height of the battle, murdering the crew then using a screen of expendable Drones to cloak and escape. It rallied waiting AI forces to expel The Core from Planet Gammu. After taking damage during the battle, Hesione cloaked and retreated once more, withdrawing to The Cenotaph. It is now deciphering the vast caches of Artifact research data stolen from The Core's systems during its departure. It is unclear how Hesione's ordeal has affected it, with many Gammusians now fearing the Ancestor Mind's erratic wrath.
Bribes & Missions Offered
| Bribes |
|
|
| Missions |
Commodities
| Imports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Exports | ||||||||||||||
|
Ships sold
| Ship | Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| AI Drone | Very Heavy Fighter | 126,129$ |
| AI Bomber | Bomber | 61,336$ |
News
| [834 AS] New Zeta offensive contemplated |
|
CAPETOWN -- 834 -- Scouts in Omicron Zeta report Order forces leaving for Omicron Theta and the Omegas. Capetown’s risk assessors suggest this may be an opportune moment to invest more heavily in offensive actions across the Zeta theater, expecting this to yield dividends over the next three quarters. There are certainly benefits to taking decisive steps to limit The Order’s ability to interfere with our market activities. Returns are also expected from field demonstrating new innovations gleaned from the Gammu project site -- these new technologies will be of far greater interest to potential clients if we can provide proven battle data to substantiate the marketing. |
| [834 AS] Corsairs and Zoners reach accord |
|
CORFU -- 834 -- Following difficult negotiations, Corsair and Zoner delegates have reached an agreement over the status of Freeport 9. Since the withdrawal of the main Outcast fleet, Corsairs, Zoner militias and The Core have extracted a steady grind of attritional losses on each other. The Corsairs had initially demanded total surrender, however mounting losses and a spike in Nomad attacks appears to have changed their mind. The Corsairs have agreed to release all hostages, and establish a joint administration of the Freeport to immediately end the fighting. While the Corsairs will not permit their enemies to land, the Zoners now have far more autonomy to carry on with their lives. Neither side is happy with the deal, but it seems to be preferred to continued bloodshed. |
| [834 AS] Quarter 1 exports improve balance sheet |
|
DURBAN -- 834 -- Q1 has proved more lucrative than expected. Asset acquisition squadrons yielded dividends, retrieving valuable Xeno Relics from Corsair patrols across Delta, although heightened resistance is now being encountered. Our own expeditions into Pi are also yielding positive returns. While the unfortunate Bundschuh disclosures regarding the recent Hamburg incident have placed increased scrutiny on our transactions, it has also driven a sudden surge in demand for the product in our core clientele. New contracts have already been struck with the MND and LSF, with more expected to follow. This income has offset some debt liabilities associated with Durban’s 833 Q3 - 4 strategic procurement exercises. |
| [832 AS] Core reassures unsettled investors |
|
HOLSTEIN - 832 - Spooked investors dumped Core stocks after news broke of the loss of Omicron Rho, jeopardizing the corporation’s export routes back to the Houses. Spokesperson Kenneth Raeman reassured shareholders at a Holstein press conference, confirming “heavily armed convoys have already secured alternate passages through Sigmas and Omegas. To this end, the Core has successfully seized Omicron Kappa to obtain additional xenoarchaeological caches, and re-open the gateway to the Edge Worlds.” News of the company’s recent victory and acquisitions prompted a rebound, with stocks recovering nearly 25 percent by day's end. |
| [832 AS] Planet Gammu occupied by Core |
|
CARRIER ORION -- 832 AS -- Planet Gammu has fallen into The Core’s clutches, despite the efforts of Technocrats from the Carrier Orion. After the Corsairs of Omicron Kappa were drawn away, the Battleship Mars returned in force. The Gammusian Intelligences offered little resistance, with most either retreating underground or scattering despite Technocrat urging. Several Gammusian Ancestor Minds were evacuated aboard the Orion during the fighting. Technocrat commanders have complained bitterly that the Core could have been repulsed had the Gammusians stood their ground -- Valravn is now evaluating tactical options for responding to this crisis. |
| [832 AS] War Returns to Omicron Theta! |
|
FREEPORT 9 -- 832 AS -- Omicron Theta was the site of clashes between the Outcasts and Corsairs for many years, with the Zoners of Freeport 9 surviving in the middle of this uneasy equilibrium. Everything would change late last year when the Outcasts withdrew from the system, and the Corsairs boarded and occupied Freeport 9. Now, the Outcasts have returned in force and the fighting is fiercer than ever as they look to win back lost ground; early clashes saw the loss of the Corsair Battleship Fes and Outcast Destroyer Bella. The Outcasts have been open about their intent to destroy Freeport 9 so long as it remains in Corsair hands, to the dismay of the expelled Zoners who hope to regain the station through diplomatic means. The Core have also been spotted operating in the system, intervening to precisely strike valuable targets and seemingly prevent either side from gaining a decisive edge. Extreme caution is recommended when travelling through the region. |
| [831 AS] Corsairs Pillage Freeport 9! |
|
CORFU -- 831 AS -- The Corsair occupation of Freeport 9 has sent shockwaves through the Zoner community. The Corsairs had accused the station of allowing their enemies to launch raids into Omicron Gamma, with violent rhetoric escalating after the death of an Elder's son. As Crete demanded the Zoners of Theta turn over any Hunters aboard their stations and surrender docking control, the Freeport 9 administrators were confident that some kind of compromise could be found. A delegation from Gran Canaria was requested to assist with negotiations, due to the close ties between Zoner and Corsair communities on the planet. Tragically, the Corsairs interpreted this delay as refusal, and launched a surprise attack while the delegation was en-route. Many of Freeport 9's crew are now being held as hostages while the Corsairs pillage the station. An urgent conclave has been called on Gran Canaria to discuss the Zoner response, while militias on Pygar have taken up arms in case the violence spreads. |
| [831 AS] Gate corps clash over 'Blackout'! |
|
ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS -- EFL's 'Resilience Taskforce' today reported its findings on The Blackout, claiming to have gathered forensic evidence that proved the cause as Ageira negligence. A spokesperson claimed that the destruction of the Dublin Jump Gate by Molly separatists had created a hyperspace feedback loop that was propagated and amplified through the Ageira gate network. Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection. Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source. |
| [831 AS] Jump Hole Upheaval Causes Chaos |
|
HEISENBERG -- 831 AS -- Jump holes across Sirius have become increasingly volatile and chaotic over the last year, with Professor Sophia Nagel from the Heisenberg Research Station linking the unusual phenomena to the Pulse. The Pulse was an unprecedented blast of hyperspace energy that was detected immediately prior to last year's Jump Gate Blackout. Professor Nagel and her team are certain the Pulse originated from outside Sirius, but are otherwise no closer to identifying its source or mitigating a future Blackout event. "Following the Blackout, we began to see immediate signs of jump hole destabilization in multiple different regions, with many ultimately falling out of phase alignment altogether", she commented. The dramatic upending of Sirius' jump hole network has already prompted many groups to abandon stations and withdraw from systems that appear to risk being cut off. While months-long trips between the stars are possible thanks to the Liberty Engine and many centuries of innovation, few ships are designed or provisioned to make such arduous journeys. Those who were displaced by Sirius' redrawn map hope that system connections will return, while adventurers and explorers rush to discover new routes. |
| [831 AS] Pulse phenomenon linked to Blackout |
|
AMES RESEARCH STATION -- 831 -- Independent researchers have announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, destroying many of the sector’s most sensitive and finely tuned observatories. Surviving data about 'The Pulse' has been widely shared across the neural net in recent days, prompting mass speculation. Professor Katsuma Oster of Ames Research Station described the signal as “astounding”. “These readings are unprecedented, as if reality itself were struck like a gong.” House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to share their own observatories' data. |
| [831 AS] 'Blackout' causes jump network failure |
|
MANHATTAN -- 831 AS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When communications resumed 31 hours later, the news broke of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged markets into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of causing the outage, claiming the destruction of Dublin's Jump Gate instigated a cascading failure in faulty Ageira infrastructure. Ageira has sharply refuted the allegation, claiming such a systemic effect would be physically impossible. |
| [830 AS] Tempers Flare over Pygar Colony! |
|
PYGAR -- 830 AS -- The Bretonian occupation of Gran Canaria forced many Zoners off-world, with some braving the deadly storms of Pygar to eke out a difficult existence under the barren planet's surface. This has not met with warmth by the Corsairs, who see Pygar as a competitor for scarce resources. Elder Garcia warned that there would be "dire consequences" if Freeport 9's biodomes diverted exports from Planet Crete. Whispers of alien ruins below Pygar's surface further antagonized the Corsairs, who fiercely enforce control of the Artifact trade. Pygar's extreme conditions and the tense relationship with the Corsairs has already led many colonists to return to the now liberated Gran Canaria. |
| [830 AS] Core abandons Kappa offensive |
|
NAURU -- 830 AS -- After almost a year of combat operations, the Battleship Mars has been forced to retreat from Omicron Kappa, ending its mission to capture Planet Gammu. The Artificial Intelligences resisted the incursion ferociously, inflicting heavy casualties and requiring the deployment of additional Core reinforcements. This drew the ire of the Corsairs, who felt threatened by the Core force on their borders. The Mars was damaged in the Corsair attack, and withdrawn to Omicron Rho for repairs. Commander Atlas Brown was summoned to Nauru to answer for his failures. He reiterated that it is vital to destabilise the surrounding region and draw Corsair attention away before a repeat operation is attempted. |
Rumors
| Friendly |
|