07-29-2019, 09:48 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LUXURY LINER BARBADOS, VESPUCCI SYSTEM
With Gallia consolidating its claims in Sirius, preserving the wildlife of the garden planet of Gaia now falls upon an unlikely champion: Orbital Spa and Cruise.
Gaia's unprecedented wealth of wildlife has attracted the attention of EFL due to the likely presence of vast stores of petrochemicals in Gaia's soil. Eons of plant and animal life have likely matured into the fossil fuels that power the king's fleets and economy. However, harvesting these resources will likely mean upsetting the delicate balance of Gaia's ecosystem, and the sector stands to forever lose countless priceless species as a result.
Protecting the planet from any sort of interference was the raison d'etre of the terrorist organization known as the Gaians. Their criminality and piracy originally targeted the efforts of Cambridge University to study the planet and expanded to include anyone who would have the audacity to observe and enjoy the verdant world, including acts of piracy and murder against civilian filled OSC vessels such as the Shetland. Their co-belligerence with Gallic forces against the Bretonian crown seems to have finally caught up with them. Having resisted professors and eco-tourists looking to admire and protect Gaia, they've welcomed in a cold and unfeeling mining corporation whose only concern is the amount of profit they can reap from the corpse of the former Jewel of Sirius.
However, all is not lost. While Gaian terrorists now find themselves on the same side as those who would destroy their namesake planet, the fanatic's former foes now carry some of the last publicly accessible samples of Gaian wildlife. Several OSC liners such as the Breezewood, currently in orbit with the destination liner Barbados, carry carefully maintained menageries of Gaian wildlife for the benefit of their passengers. As the skies of the original world are slowly poisoned by Gallic industry, these safe havens may become the last homes of these beloved species.
"These beautiful birds are sources of pride for the ship and have a calming influence on the passengers, too," said Jonathan Seabourne, captain of the Breezewood. "We've always been quite fond of our 'non-human passengers', as we like to call them. Now in addition to pure decoration, we've expanded into conservation and breeding programs. With Bretonia under siege and resources dedicated elsewhere, we're quickly becoming these animals' last, and only, hope."
Of course, housing animals aboard a starship comes with massive logistical issues. Only about 25% of the vessel is available for use of crew and storage. Once living space, animal feed, and separate climate and ventilation systems are taken into account, almost 3% of Breezewood's total volume is dedicated to the wildlife. "About the same amount of storage space we dedicate solely to alcoholic beverages," Seabourne said with his signature smile.
However, Seabourne maintains the crew does not mind sharing close quarters with the creatures. "We wouldn't have it any other way. Our customers love these animals and we've come to view them as part of our crew and family. We hold celebrations whenever we have a hatching, and we mourn whenever one passes."
The wildlife also creates some legal issues for the OSC liner. "We've applied for a permit from [the Bretonian Police Authority] as Gaian wildlife is considered restricted contraband. We have yet to hear back from them." Ever cognizant of the laws of partner houses, the Breezewood has suspended all Bretonian routes until it can legally traverse with its cargo. However, Seabourne pointed out that given the progress of the war, "there has not been much demand for trips into Bretonia anyway."
LUXURY LINER BARBADOS, VESPUCCI SYSTEM
With Gallia consolidating its claims in Sirius, preserving the wildlife of the garden planet of Gaia now falls upon an unlikely champion: Orbital Spa and Cruise.
Gaia's unprecedented wealth of wildlife has attracted the attention of EFL due to the likely presence of vast stores of petrochemicals in Gaia's soil. Eons of plant and animal life have likely matured into the fossil fuels that power the king's fleets and economy. However, harvesting these resources will likely mean upsetting the delicate balance of Gaia's ecosystem, and the sector stands to forever lose countless priceless species as a result.
Protecting the planet from any sort of interference was the raison d'etre of the terrorist organization known as the Gaians. Their criminality and piracy originally targeted the efforts of Cambridge University to study the planet and expanded to include anyone who would have the audacity to observe and enjoy the verdant world, including acts of piracy and murder against civilian filled OSC vessels such as the Shetland. Their co-belligerence with Gallic forces against the Bretonian crown seems to have finally caught up with them. Having resisted professors and eco-tourists looking to admire and protect Gaia, they've welcomed in a cold and unfeeling mining corporation whose only concern is the amount of profit they can reap from the corpse of the former Jewel of Sirius.
However, all is not lost. While Gaian terrorists now find themselves on the same side as those who would destroy their namesake planet, the fanatic's former foes now carry some of the last publicly accessible samples of Gaian wildlife. Several OSC liners such as the Breezewood, currently in orbit with the destination liner Barbados, carry carefully maintained menageries of Gaian wildlife for the benefit of their passengers. As the skies of the original world are slowly poisoned by Gallic industry, these safe havens may become the last homes of these beloved species.
"These beautiful birds are sources of pride for the ship and have a calming influence on the passengers, too," said Jonathan Seabourne, captain of the Breezewood. "We've always been quite fond of our 'non-human passengers', as we like to call them. Now in addition to pure decoration, we've expanded into conservation and breeding programs. With Bretonia under siege and resources dedicated elsewhere, we're quickly becoming these animals' last, and only, hope."
Of course, housing animals aboard a starship comes with massive logistical issues. Only about 25% of the vessel is available for use of crew and storage. Once living space, animal feed, and separate climate and ventilation systems are taken into account, almost 3% of Breezewood's total volume is dedicated to the wildlife. "About the same amount of storage space we dedicate solely to alcoholic beverages," Seabourne said with his signature smile.
However, Seabourne maintains the crew does not mind sharing close quarters with the creatures. "We wouldn't have it any other way. Our customers love these animals and we've come to view them as part of our crew and family. We hold celebrations whenever we have a hatching, and we mourn whenever one passes."
The wildlife also creates some legal issues for the OSC liner. "We've applied for a permit from [the Bretonian Police Authority] as Gaian wildlife is considered restricted contraband. We have yet to hear back from them." Ever cognizant of the laws of partner houses, the Breezewood has suspended all Bretonian routes until it can legally traverse with its cargo. However, Seabourne pointed out that given the progress of the war, "there has not been much demand for trips into Bretonia anyway."