131129:
We are in the heart of Liberty, right in the center of all Sirius, far from our homeland. This is the place we have to pump the majority of our drug shipments into. Since the Libertonians have the most money and the most people, they have the most junkies. If we could find a faster route into Liberty we could increase the amount of Cardamine that gets here.

131164:
The Rogues can get to New York through the Jump Hole hidden in the same debris field this base is in. Also, there is a Jump Hole to California in the West Dallas Debris Field, though you have to be careful. Parts of that area are radioactive. There's another Jump Hole to the Hudson system in the South Dallas Debris Field.

131231:
Scrap Metal ain't the only kind of debris you'll find in the Jersey. Ever heard somebody refer to another person as good debris"? That means the guy they're talking about went on a little space walk without a suit on. That's what happens to rats and traitors. You want to hear the juicy part? LPI will put you into the debris too, if you make 'em angry enough.

131253:
Synth Foods offers tasty Pastes throughout all of Liberty and beyond. Our Paste containers are always filled and always on the go with your favorite Synth Foods flavors. Sure we lose daring pilots and gunners and engineers all the time, but when you have a job to do, it's just part of the work day.

131291:
The Bounty Hunters will hunt down and kill just about anybody for the right price. A lot of talk around here makes them sound more like hit men than Bounty Hunters. Sure, they nab a lot of criminals and make Liberty space safer, but they smoke plenty of innocents, too. Just because you are wanted by a corporation doesn't necessarily mean you did anything illegal; you might have made the wrong enemies is all.

131343:
The navy gives Universal special protection. After all, Universal Shipping handles Ageira's black boxes, covert military and government shipments, munitions -- you name it. If it's dangerous or expensive, Universal has its fingers in it.

131432:
The weapon platforms that surround this base make it almost impossible for an attacker to survive a direct assault on our station. As of yet, none who've tried have lasted five minutes.

131442:
It is a bad influence to have this Bounty Hunter scum amongst all of our cadets. The young lads are still easily influenced, and Bounty Hunters have no code, no honor, and no loyalty. It's not good for the newest of ours to be exposed to this.

131530:
The Rogues are our main problem between here and California. They like to hit you in the asteroid fields or in the Sierra Cloud.

131592:
There's an old Trade Lane route through this system that was damaged during a storm around 20 years ago. People say there are some old shipwrecks along it.

131602:
Our numbers are growing, and in time we will be strong enough to stop all foreign shippers from crossing this system. The Kusari corporations must understand that it is not worth the money they earn to ship their goods into Liberty.

131614:
This base serves as the primary trans-shipment point for Artifacts inbound from Sigma-17. The Hogosha run them through Kusari space, terminating their long run here. The Rogues then haul the Artifacts into Rochester via their base in the southern end of the system. Don't know why people love those Artifacts so much.

131630:
With their old union destroyed after the Popular Revolt, the Unioners reformed to become what they are today: political criminals dedicated to making Republican Shipping pay for the wrongs it committed against its workers.

131657:
The Golden Chrysanthemums that hang out at this base are into their Luxury Goods, probably the daughters of rich Samura and Kishiro executives in Kusari. I like 'em. They're all into Cardamine and stealing -- my two favorite past times.

131729:
They say there are still some small amounts of Silver and Copper in the Silverton and Copperton Fields. Takes a lot of shots to get much, though. We don't have time for that with Bounty Hunters around.

131738:
The very best students from the Liberty University of New York are handpicked by Ageira recruiters. Our corporation has always selected from the top one percent of each graduating class. The members of the Lane Hackers who left Ageira were no different.

131786:
Is personal armor putting a damper on your fun? Try Detroit's newest hypersonic Polymer jacketed round. That's right, our latest Barrier Breaker Armor Piercing Shells travel so fast you'll hear them break the sound barrier! They can penetrate ceramic armor plating, hull plating, engine blocks, reactor chambers -- you name it.

131908:
I heard some Bounty Hunters talking about trailing an Outcast in the Tahoe the other day. He lost 'em before they could get close enough. Probably hauling Cardamine. All those scum use it.

132149:
The smelters that work our metal works are oftentimes well-trained before they come here. A lot of these prisoners were legitimate factory workers who got tired of working for a pittance; now they work for free.

132360:
I enjoy doing my job and putting away the malcontents, but I wouldn't do it in Dublin. No lad, them Mollys will blow a hole in you the size o' the West Smog. I'll take 'em in smaller doses right here.

132374: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
If you care to visit Southampton, you can make good money there running supplies for BMM. We transport Ship Hull Panels, Super Alloys, and Basic Alloys there. If you decide to do that, you might want to pick up Scrap Metal, which is always in demand at the Stokes Smelter.

132375: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
The pollution you see in this system is a byproduct of BMM's industrial practices, but there wasn't much choice, as Bretonia had to catch up with the other houses in the early years. You will hear the lower classes speak of the ruthlessness with which BMM has run its corporation and its employees, but what they don't understand is that there was no other way.

132376: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
If it weren't for BMM's industrial power, Bretonia would have been over taken by one of the other Houses, probably Liberty. You see, our sleeper ship was the last to arrive in Sirius, so we got the most difficult area to colonize. Very rapid industrialization was Bretonia's only chance of economic survival, for better or worse.

132377: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
You want a nice easy run in-system? Usually BMM will ship the Basic Alloys produced here to Leeds. There we purchase supplies for our mining and smelting crews. There's no reason you couldn't pick up those Commodities and deliver them.

132378: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Ever tangle with a Molly? Aye, it's a tough fight. I have to do it quite often when I'm making supply runs to LD-14 from here. I'll ship Toxic Waste, Hydrocarbons, Boron, and Beryllium.

132379: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
I'm only telling you this because you are a trusted friend of BMM. Some of the MOX produced at LD-14 is shipped to this base. You know MOX contains Plutonium, right? Well, that means you can't let the Mollys get their hands on it. They have threatened to make a bomb and blow it up over New London.

132380: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
I'm one of the pilots who travels to Manchester to deliver supplies needed at two bases in that system. I bring Hydrocarbons and Polymers here from Birmingham. It's not a bad run, all things considered. At least I don't have to make the MOX or Toxic Waste run.

132381: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
You look like a scrapper. Well, so am I. I know I'm just a BMM cargo pilot, but I have dropped as many Outcasts as some Bounty Hunters. Sure I have escorts, and our ships travel in convoys, but it was me at the turrets when those bloody mask breathers went up in flames. I'm one of the chaps who makes the run into the Border Worlds. That's right, I run Beryllium to this base from Tau-23.

132382: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Leeds is running dry -- the system and the planet. The planet only has a hundred maybe a hundred fifty years left of minable goods in her. This place is dying and it will be ugly. I'm saving all I can to get me and me family out of this sulfur pit. I was thinking about working on the "short time," but my wife still wants more kids from me, so I have to do it slowly. That's alright with me, I suppose.

132383: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
I am one of the Bowex pilots that ships Boron from Los Angeles. A lot of people here think I'm crazy, but I like cruising the Independent Worlds. Sure it's more dangerous, but I earn more money than most. Being a good pilot is all about confidence. If you have it, you usually live; if you don't it's over quickly.

132384: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
I know the chap who runs the Basic Alloys and Ship Hull Panels to Freeport 6 in Tau-29. He usually continues the run to Yokohama in New Tokyo with the extras he hasn't delivered there. He's pretty good, but he's also pretty new. The last guy didn't last too long.

132385: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Bowex ships Basic Alloys down to Cambridge and New London. On the return flight we usually pick up Boron from Sheffield. It is a decent run that could make you some money if you had the inclination to burn some fuel through Bretonia.

132386: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
We cross the entire bleeding Bretonian colony to deliver Copper here from Freistadt in Omega-7. Talk about a dangerous run! First we fight Corsairs in the southern Sirius systems, and then we have to deal with Outcasts once we get to Leeds.

132387: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
If I didn't know better, I'd swear Bowex controls the Armed Forces. Here we are getting attacked from all sides by the Corsairs. There are flames pouring out of my ship, and the Armed Forces patrol flies right by to help a Bowex transport sending a distress call from thirty minutes away! When will the time come that we start getting a fair shake around here? Gateway Shipping has had to struggle from the very start because of all the history Bowex has with London.

132388: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
You think the Outcasts are bad? You should try going up against a Corsair. They are the meanest lads I've ever encountered. They make the Mollys look like schoolyard bullies. Once we left Freistadt with a convoy of eleven. By the time the Corsairs were finished with us, there were only five ships that limped into Cambridge a week later.

132392: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
This station produces Terraforming Gases, which, as you might guess, are vital to our operations on Harris. Harris is located in the Border Worlds and is therefore a dangerous shipment to make. We only do it for the good of Bretonia -- and money of course. Let's not forget that part.

132393: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Ah, dear sweet Perth, nestled in the heart of Gaian space. That's right, Perth is in Edinburgh, so I must fly into that dreaded chunk of space to deliver Terraforming Gases to our engineers there. One day an inhabitable Perth will be growing crops for the people of Bretonia.

132394: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
The Bounty Hunters in this system have been paid a lot of money to kill Gaians, and I love it. Bounty Hunters are not kind, and it makes me feel safe to know that my corporation has hired them to exterminate the Gaian threat. We are a noble company at heart, but sometimes you must deal with the repugnant to destroy the repulsive.

132416: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Bowex handles shipping to the Border Worlds to keep this base running. I don't make the shipments; I leave that to the pilots who enjoy danger. We deliver Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Goods to Freeport 6 and return with Fertilizers and Alien Organisms.

132417: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Ever think about traveling to foreign lands? Do you enjoy white-knuckle danger? Well this station could always use more H-Fuel. We get it from Osaka in Honshu. While you are buried in the middle of Kusari space you might as well stop and pick up some Optronics and Engine Components from Narita in New Tokyo. We buy them at a good price here.

132418: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Cambridge may be the breadbasket of Bretonia, but they need their Fertilizers to grow all that food, which is where Bowex comes in. We make the return trip with Consumer Goods bound for Freeport 6 and points beyond.

132419: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Once we get past the smog clouds to the south it is a pretty easy flight into New London. Bowex delivers Optronics and Engine Components to Southampton. Then we head to New London to drop off H-Fuel, often loading Pharmaceuticals for the return.

132421: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
I was raised in this system and was smart enough to get out of the smelters. It is a dead end to try and be a part of BMM. They will use you up and throw you away, just like they did with this system. Look around you. Does this place look like the work of conscientious people? Some say it was Bretonia's only choice. I think there is always another way.

132423: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
We are experts at shipping between Kusari and Bretonia. It has been this way for several centuries, and though it was Bretonia's industry that kept the system alive, Bowex was the life blood of Bretonia's industrial prowess. Remember that the next time you encounter some Gateway trash trying to haul scrap across Bowex space.

132424: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
This base trades in Alien Organisms and H-Fuel, two Commodities we need in our operations in Perth. We prefer to ship these vital project Commodities ourselves, but qualified freelancers are welcome to do the job. It is a good way to make money, if traveling into Gaian territory doesn't bother you.

132483: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Gaia is the reason I am here. We have the cruise ship Hawaii in Sigma-19, which offers everything that the Shetland can in terms of luxuries and pleasures, but this planet is unique. I come here every year and explore a different area.

132484: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
Gaia has many attractions. There is a beautiful stretch of beaches, a large preserve dedicated to wild animals, and a mountain range this is twice as high as anything I've ever seen in Kusari.

132485: [in vanilla, removed from disco]
It is a long journey here from Kusari. I'm stationed in Kyushu on the battleship Nagumo. I normally do Tau-29 patrols but never go further than that. Tau-31 is pretty, but Leeds is horribly polluted. We have nothing like that in Kusari.

132491:
Gaia is a remarkable planet. We are blessed with a pristine ecosystem that has supported the evolution of higher life-forms like giant reptiles and mammals.

132634:
After the Founders Day Revolt the Bretonian government sent several destroyers to quell the uprising. The miners had captured two mining ships: the Endeavor and Glorious, and the destroyers immediately opened fire on them. The Endeavor got hit in the reactor core and went up with all hands; the Glorious fled to an asteroid field to escape. The destroyers pursued Glorious into the field and right through a trap that the insurgents had set. One destroyer, the Longfield, was blown in half; three other destroyers suffered terrible damage and heavy casualties.

132635:
The first battleship that entered the system was the Hood, which restored order after GS&M miners revolted on Founders Day. The miners had revolted in reaction to their atrocious working conditions, but the arrival of the battleship was the last straw. They declared their independence from the Bretonian government and became separatists.

132641:
I don't understand why there are Bounty Hunters in this system. If the military can't curb the crime in this sector, then there is not much that common rabble will be able to do about it, either. I think that if the Gold shipments from Graves keep decreasing, Lady Edmund and BMM will be replaced with someone who can do the job.

132663:
I came out here to hunt for Outcasts and Gaians, but there's more reliable business taking out tourists on trips to the clouds, or down to Gaia. I specialize in a little area of jungle in Pangaea known for its ferocious monster reptiles.

132664:
We run a regular assault patrol into the Islay Cloud. The Gaians usually oblige us with at least one skirmish. What we're really hoping to find is an Outcast smuggler. That pays for more than a few nights in the Shetland Casino.

132665:
Orbital does a patrol run across the edge of the Islay Cloud to keep the Gaians in check. We know their base is in there somewhere, but that is a police and Bounty Hunter affair, not our problem.

132666:
The Outcasts have been attacking some of our runs. For this reason we invited the Bounty Hunters to use our ship as a forward base. They are not exactly the kind of guests we like to have on the Shetland, but sometimes one has few choices.

132667:
The Shetland offers discriminating travelers everything they could desire: luxurious buffets with delicacies such as lettuce, apples, and roast hindcow; lavish boutiques stocked with all of the latest Manhattan fashions; and wild, exotic animals.

132668:
Frankly, most people come for the gambling and feasting. The younger set opts for the planetside excursions. Most of the retirees just sit here and gorge themselves. Many are New Londoners, but we get a few of the Leedites, as we call them. They want one big trip before they die of whatever affliction Leeds gave them after living 40 years in that nightmare.

132690:
We do well cooperating with the IMG. They provide us with contracts that we could not get from BMM. They are an old company just like Bowex, so they usually hand the choice jobs to Bowex instead of us.

132691:
I believe that the Mollys take it easier on us than they do the other companies. This is because of our alliance with IMG and because we are not part of the group of old corporations that they have so much hatred for. They still attack our shipments, but not like they do the other companies.

132692:
The last thing I want to do when I'm in this system is come up against a Corsair. I always start sweating as I'm approaching the Jump Gate out of here. We got jumped three runs ago. I made it out of the system with one escort, but I was too badly damaged to take the Gold to Liberty. I had to stop in New London for repairs.

132698:
Our miners once found a half destroyed Outcast ship. The cockpit was still intact, so they brought the pilot's body back to our base. Some of our scientists ran an autopsy and discovered that they differ from regular human beings on a genetic level. Their cell reproduction requires Cardamine to build RNA.

132773:
The test subject who escaped from her cell several nights ago has been haunting my dreams. She slaughtered everyone that he came across, and when they dragged her back to her cell she was laughing and screaming the most horrible things, over and over she cried; "Santiago is coming!" Our communications officer tells us that the chance any messages she sent got through were very slim, but I still can't help worrying about who Santiago is.

132840:
The IMG guys at this base are nuts! You ever talk to one of these psychos? It's like they enjoy being out here in the middle of nowhere. I hate it out here, and I can't wait until I cycle back into regular space. There I can get back to worrying about Mollys instead of Outcasts and crackpot miners.

132841:
Because this base has a lousy filtration system, it stinks here, and the water is brown. Even though the miners talk your ear off, it's a lot safer than our base near the Beryllium fields. I don't know why the Outcasts don't attack these jerks like they attack the BMM base, but while I'm here I'll enjoy the relative safety.

132842:
The jerks here don't know it, but BMM has its sights on the Niobium fields in this part of the system. IMG doesn't deserve to mine here; it was BMM's lobbying that got the Jump Gate built here in the first place. This base is pretty safe right now, but as soon as I leave here and it's just IMG guys, you better watch out. Sometimes BMM pays pilots to pose as Outcasts and attack this place.

132850:
It sure is good to see someone who isn't a miner around here. I know there are Deep Space folks here too, but company staff are usually jerks who can't wait to get out of here. They all think we are weirdoes. You don't think I'm strange, do you? I've been out in the Edge so long I don't even know what's normal anymore.

132856:
Alien Organisms are brought here as a catalyst to the terraforming process. They speed up the operation at least three fold. We ship the little critters from Leeds.

133159:
This place is as far away as you can get from house space. We are in the middle of nowhere unless you count the Outcasts. Me, I don't give them lads any mind. If they kill us, then they kill us, a man doesn't control when his ticket gets punched.

133215:
I will let a ship go if it drops it's cargo without trouble. If you kill everyone you come across, everyone starts to run, and that means more work. Of course, if they try and get heroic or greedy, I blast them. It works both ways.

133244:
The Artifacts collected in Omicron Gamma are shipped to our various other bases in the adjacent systems. It is good to have a supply of Alien Artifacts throughout Corsair space.

133384:
I was once a Shibuya shopping girl in New Tokyo. Now I have purpose in my life. We will lead the women of Kusari to a new future, according to the teachings of Yuyu Matsuda, the martyred leader of our movement. Kusari males beware!

133417:
They say that The Golden Chrysanthemums hate all men. I would believe that. A GC would rather die than be captured by one of us. It is so sad to see a young woman look at life in such a harsh light.

133556:
The Golden C. are using the Ohka Field to get Cardamine into the system. We know they are not coming through the Jump Gates. It is infuriating that they are getting in right under our noses somehow. Soon those disrespectful girls will be put to rest.

133589:
The Golden Chrysanthemums represent all that is wrong with the young women of Kusari. They refuse to accept their traditional honored role as wife and mother in our society, instead becoming drug addicted man-haters. Samura tells us that they are working together with those dangerous Blood Dragons.

133601:
Freiburg keeps this base rather well equipped with basic supplies and Mining Machinery. Quite a shame, it was this shipping run that got destroyed just a while back. All hands lost, including my brother's wife, she was a good pilot too.

133622:
After the Eighty Years War we lost everything. My family worked for Kruger in those days. When the bottom fell out of the economy we lost our jobs and the bonuses that had been promised us. Worse than that, more than half of my ancestors were killed trying to mine gases in contested space. My brother joined the Hessians, but I am not a violent man, I joined Daumann.

133628:
Douglas is a tough post. Lots of Corsair activity in the area. I'm not sure why we're here, actually. The Manchester operation is far safer. There's just a few Gaians passing through now and then.

133630:
Corsairs got one of our supply ships with the Mining Machinery shipment from Thames yesterday. They could have to suspend operations tomorrow. All of our bits and crushers are worn out.

133631:
Oh, I've been walking on cat's feet around here of late. I owe one of those sly Hunters quite a few credits. Made him a bet he couldn't kill two Corsairs in one day, and whattya know, he does it! Ah, I've been avoiding him, hoping he's blown to little bits before he lays a hand on my money.

133632:
Poor Lying Pete has been in a frenzy of late, swishing this way and that, trying to avoid a certain Bounty Hunter. Makes me chuckle, it does -- first bit of humor I've had in many a month on this bucket of bolts I call a home. Pete thinks he's a dead man, but we know better, don't we?

133634:
Lying Pete owes a mean-looking Hunter quite a stock of cash. The Hunter is a good-natured fellow and gave me some credits to cook up a story about him killing Pete when he finds him, if he don't pay up. Well, he hasn't paid yet but the Hunter's gotten his money's worth, I'd say. Pete turned white and passed right out when I told him the Hunter aimed to kill him.

133635:
I bagged two Corsairs in one flight a few days back. I got paid handsomely by the BMM chaps here to do it. Plus, I had a bet going with some skittish miner who said I couldn't do it. He still hasn't paid me yet. He's too stupid for me to kill over it, so I've decided to torture him.

133640:
The other Bounty Hunter at this base has been killing a lot of Corsairs. I've decided to eliminate the competition. He made a bet with some bumbling miner named Pete, and now a rumor is going round that he's gonna kill him for not paying up. I know the Hunter; he's a good-hearted fellow, he won't do it. But when Lying Pete turns up with a bullet hole in his skull, I'm guessing they'll be lynching that other Bounty Hunter.

133687:
On this base we mine for Copper, Silver, and Cobalt. All will be shipped directly to the Ring in New Berlin. This is a dangerous run because of those damnable Hessians. I curse them all. We aren't the ones who exploited them; yet we are the ones who get killed.

133983:
My father died in "the Eighty," and his father before him. I guess most of my family was killed by them GMG. It ain't their fault though. We shouldn't have been going to where we didn't have any business. Damn the empire and damn the new government -- a republic...ha!

134032:
My grandfather fought in the battle for Richtofen; he was one of the few who survived. I used to watch him sitting in his chair, staring at nothing when I was a little kid. Though people said he was a great pilot, my father told me grandfather wished that he had died at Richtofen.

134087:
The appointments at this beautiful resort are of the finest quality. Manhattan is where we get all of our Luxury Goods -- from the art on the walls to the Phantasy Game Consoles in each room. In every way it's Orbital, exceeding your expectations.

134090:
The spring-heated mud baths of Baden-Baden make Sieglinde a singular vacationing experience. Where else can you wile away the hours covered in nutrient-enhanced moisturizing muds? Those wrinkles gotcha down, but you are afraid of dermaburns? Take off a decade or two in Baden-Baden.

134091:
Every month we hold our Sieglinde submersible-craft races. They are a favorite with retired pilots and adventure seekers. The oceans of Baden-Baden are deep and clear, which makes for some fun racing amongst the jagged rocks of the ocean depths. Luckily, only a few casualties per year.

134173:
Ruegen in New Berlin is where our convoys go to pick up the Hydrocarbons that this base needs to maintain its operations.

134224:
I've killed hundreds – old and young. You may think me a monster, but that is because your view of what's right and wrong is so narrow. There is no such thing as evil or good, there is only power and weakness.

134309:
The legendary TBob Biggs was known as a cautious man, but he willing to take big risks when necessary. Close to retiring, he had one of the best ships in the Guild. A certain Outcast pilot by the name of Juan Gonzalez had been implicated in a number of attacks within the Sigma-19 system. Biggs had a lot of reservations about taking the job, but the bounty was high. On that fateful day, he flew into the Donryu Cloud and was never heard from again. It is assumed that he finally met his match out there in Outcast territory, a fitting end for a Guild ace.

134936:
Republican requested that a permanent contingent of Federal Police be stationed at Alster to deter Unioner attacks. This place happens to be located near the most active criminal asteroid field in Hamburg, so we're kept busy.

134937:
We're put on full alert when the Vierlande prison convoy comes through. That's when all the criminal activity in this system peaks. It's a stressful time. Our patrol barely survived a Hessian attack launched from the Sudheime during last month's run.

134938:
The Federal Police runs daily patrols out into the Alsterfeld. You'll see Bundschuh, Unioners, even the odd Junker. It's a maximum activity area, as Hamburg Control puts it. We think there's a Jump Hole in there somewhere, but the Bounty Hunters aren't talking.

134939:
The Junkers are running Cardamine and Artifacts through here. We're almost directly astride their smuggling route, so it's easy to scan them. It seems like some of them have been slipping through our net. It's probably no accident that Heinrich suddenly got an unexpected windfall from a relative. At least that's how he put it.

134940:
There was a Unioner attack just last week. They came out of the Alsterfeld, heading straight for one of the freight trains in the dry docks. The base turrets laid down very heavy fire, but were not able to destroy all the enemy attack force. Two got through and released their torpedoes. The freight train Eifel was heavily damaged.

134941:
Hamburg has missed two paydays in a row. There's been grumbling among the ranks. After all, we have to make a living. It's awfully tempting to ambush some of those Hessian Diamond smugglers that pass by here and grab the loot for ourselves. No one would ever know.



Document Generated 2010-02-15T00:23:09-05:00