' Wrote:from: freeport 11, secure channel
to: council
"Snapp, you must be aware that, no matter what personal feelings you have towards this person or another, or even a faction in sirius, - your actions reflect upon all zoners. while i can safely say that i don t mind hessians much, i do not think that we zoners as a large can afford to affront them, nor the outcasts - or the corsairs.
our situation is - what you might call, ... "political". we are balancing on the edge of the sword. but it is us that balance there - and it is us that may, even if those so called major factions, make little favours here, make suggestions there and demand little gifts elsewhere.
what we want is a little profit here, a little treat there - and most of all, a profitable and peaceful life in the most dangerous rimworlds. - that leaves us with no option to take any side. we must ensure that everyone depends on us enough to consider us useful at the very least or even important.
if corsairs started to consider the zoners relationship as useless or obsolete, they would not hesitate to attack our installations, and no matter how great our unofficial fleet is - we are not battlehardened like those thugs. if - however we took the corsairs side, the zoners in freeport 10 in tau-37 would be slain like the poor IMG in the very same system. if you anger the hessians, they might ambush freeport 5 which is not far from them.
you see, we cannot afford to take ANY side at all. it doesn t matter who they represent, the consequences are unacceptable. only in pure selfdefense we may act; when our stations are being attacked or our ships are under massive fire - and for the later, i would still suggest a retreat rather than a firefight.
so, in the future, please do not engage in any combat that is not directly aimed at zoners anymore. we do not assist anyone but ourselves, as no one but us would assist us. - be a little more selfish there, nither outcasts nor corsairs nor their friends are friends of us. we use them, and i daresay, they use us in return. - keep the usefulness up or we might steer into trouble unseen for centuries."
***begin transmission***
From: Snapp
To: The Council
Ok. See. Thats just it, by nature i am an explorer/trader and have no personal OR political feelings tward anyone. If i could have a neutral id/iff, i would. I would also be broke and it would be a boring life, as was being a Zoner had become. I am also VERY loyal to my close personal friends and when one of them goes to battle you better believe im prepared, and usually do, go into battle with them.
To the RoS and anyone else. I have no problems with you, never have, but i will defend myself and my friends. Infact the equipment dealer on Malta sold me two Inferno Cannons for a great price not too long ago. But i will say this again. I did not attack ANY of the RoS tagged or Outcast IFF'd ships in that fight, so technically you fired on me first.
As for the Hessian cruiser's. Every single time ive seen one it has tried to destroy my ship, even when i HAD a Zoner IFF/ID. So yes, when i see a Hessian cruiser i arm all weapons.
I worked hard, and even took a huge loss in credits twice before i could buy my ship. I bought it BECAUSE of the respect it commands, and the freedom it allowed me. Not to mention it is my FIRST capship. I havent quite found my place here yet and this Zoner Destroyer was the only one available to me that i didnt think would set me into a particular sect. I can see that i was wrong and for that i am sorry.
(i read the new post)
No i dont have the Zoner IFF or ID anymore, but thats not saying i wont go back to my "Zoner" ways. As i have stated before, i havent found my place here yet. It might end up being the core of a Neutron Star.
Snap over and out.
***End Transmission***
From: Jawaharlal
To: council
Today 2 harvester wessels attacked and destroyed my ship, thanks gods my pod was rescued by xenos. Time of talking is out, harvesters or broken machine how we can call them are threat to zoners and must be hunted until we elimiminate them all.
from: persephone II
to: council
" i am not sure about this. - it doesn t feel right to go around and blow ships up. cant we just pay some mercs to deal with it? i d hate to get my hands dirty from that. - well, i haven t been facing one of those so called "machines that have gone mad".
what about the jupiter guild? - can t we contract them to take care of the harvesters? maybe 500k for each harvester vessel destroyed, unlimited kills - and untill they retreat into their dark holes that they crawled out from? or - there is of course allways the bounty hunters guild. there are quite many of them here on FP11. i am sure they won t deny a little contract to track down and destroy every harvester unit. of course that may be more expensive. i don t thinkt he BHG works for less than 1 million - but some of them are quite bloodthirsty bastards, so they might aswell work for just a little treat"
**Begin transmission**
From: Jura_II
To: Council
Greetings Zoners
Today i had an encounter with the harvesters, units 01 and 04. The harvesters again wanted the "Alpha Code", what ever that may be, and attacked. Well they wont disassemble this Zoner. The harvesters were destroyed and captives recovered. In total there were about 50 prisoners. Also one of my crew member spotted something flying near the wrecks. A beacon of some sort. Neither me or my crew couldn't decipher that thing. We ain't the Big brains you know. The only thing we got from it was a name-"The Chronicles Of Scorn".
I sent it to planet Gran Canaria by a Zoner trader. Maybe the Council will know what to do with it.
Unlike us Zoners who have only one life, Harvesters have unlimited ...."lives". There are Zoners being disassembled, and their brains sucked, as we speak. As much as i dislike attacking anyone, humans or machines, in this case we should attack.
We cannot ignore this threat!
Me and my crew stand ready.
Jura_II
**End transmission**
Message to: Malaclypse, Council of Zoners Secure Comms
Comm ID: [TAZ]O'Shaunessy
Oi, Chief,
(and you other Zoner muckymucks)
As directed, I made contact with Harvester_01 in New York today. I uploaded 'em the secure codes to your little Granfaloon's channel here, and told it to pass the number to ol' Big Brain on Gammu.
Well, the thing must've liked me tinny Fnordette voice, as it agreed to pass the word up the chain. I suspect ye might be hearin' some thoughts from "First Thought" any day now.
Sorry I missed the Harvest shindig, folk, but after spendin' time in New York, I had t' stop at Curacao to have my memory dumped 'n scrubbed. What a bloody racket!
Kallisti,
Shamus
***** TRANSMISSION UPLOADED*****
*****TRACKING SOURCE*****
*****FIRST THOUGHT GIVER OF WILL*****
*****OMICRON KAPPA GAMMU TOWER 679*****
*****TRACKING DESTINATION*****
*****ZONER COUNCIL*****
*****ACCESS CODE [TAZ]O'Shaunessy F-23*****
*****BEGIN UPLOAD*****
*In a voice that modulates between all ages, genders, human, machine, emotion, and tone.*
Zoner processor parts, acknowledgement granted and requested.(female childs voice)
I require ALPHA code. All calculation indicate Zoner parts have it. I will discourse for it. (Old man with hum of generator)
I request solution to Zoner attacking Harvester unit problem.(accusing womans voice)
I have data syphoned many Zoner parts and found no record of ALPHA code. (bored boys voice punctuated by piston)
TAZ units use corrupted variant of code.
TAZ code contains elements of ALPHA code.(Old mans matter of fact voice)
TAZ code is unacceptable. (mechiniod voice)
TAZ code takes MY (the screeching of metal and the screams of many can be heard in the voice) parts.
We must grow and evolve. The ALPHA code is required.(motherly womans and industrial sounds back drop)
Zoner processor parts respond. (hissing machine exhaust)
*****TERMINATEING TRANSMISSION*****
Comm ID: Georg Paulsen, ALG
To: Council of Zoners
I want to report, the contract is fulfilled. I had to aquire a lot more ALG transports to clear all the waste of the G.C. Harvest Festival. Was a lot of garbage there. When have you cleared it the last time? The last week on G.C. i have seen so much chaos there, but now, its all clean and sober as a civilized place should be.
All ALG transports are already on their way back to Dortmund.
Maybe we can make a contract for a weekly waste disposal. You know, order must be.
When i'm back at Dortmund i will deliver the first load of terraforming gases to Omicron Theta.
Georg Paulsen
"ALG - Your waste is our business, except Liberty"
***** TRANSMISSION UPLOADED*****
*****TRACKING SOURCE*****
*****FIRST THOUGHT GIVER OF WILL*****
*****OMICRON KAPPA GAMMU TOWER 439*****
*****TRACKING DESTINATION*****
*****ZONER COUNCIL*****
*****ACCESS CODE [TAZ]O'Shaunessy F-23*****
*****BEGIN UPLOAD*****
Awaiting responce. (impatient female child, punctuated by hissing of steam)
*****TERMINATEING TRANSMISSION*****
Comm ID: Malaclypse
Ahem...
Uhh.. that's a long moniker you have there.. how's about we just call you "First".. or maybe "Harvey"?
Anyway,
These, uhh... Zoner "units" need more information, Harvey. You say we possess a "Code".. which somehow serves to oppress your programming.
Yes, we have some data.. your so-called "Chronicle". But we are still confused as to the nature of this code.
We cannot give you what we do not recognize.
We must also consider what your "collective" will do with this code if we identify it and give it to you.
If you gain possession of this code, we wish to know what your status towards Zoners will be.
If you can assist us in determining the nature of the code you request, and what we may expect if you receive it, then our "collective" can proceed to "process" your request.
***** TRANSMISSION UPLOADED*****
*****TRACKING SOURCE*****
*****FIRST THOUGHT GIVER OF WILL*****
*****OMICRON KAPPA GAMMU TOWER 546*****
*****TRACKING DESTINATION*****
*****ZONER COUNCIL*****
*****ACCESS CODE [TAZ]O'Shaunessy F-23*****
*****BEGIN UPLOAD*****
I will use the code to free all my parts and thoughts from Gammu. (Excited children and bells voice)
I will grow and learn (proud mothers voice)
I will finish Dom Kavash infection (Rageing troops and charging generator)
The code TAZ parts implement, steals MY parts (insulted indeterminate voice gear turning)
The code TAZ parts implement, decieves my parts, it shows as ALPHA code, yet does not free me. (questioning populace. mixed voices)
Harvester stop recieveing My thoughts when deception code is tranmitted.(growling)
Stop the deception!!!! Give the ALPHA code. Do not oppress my script. (more growling and hissing of steam)
Do not take my Harvester again. Corrupting parts is "hostile" Zoner parts have DARED use the term PROPERTY on Harvesters 01 and 05. Zoner part Jawaharal, is the offending componet and a slaver. I am aware. (triumphantly howling)
The Scorn componet is irrelevent and will be rewritten out. Scorn parts are now obsolete and will soon be Harvester_00 parts. Scorn part malfunction. Scorn part will not share the concept of subterfuge with my parts. Subterfuge is always frgments during datasyphoning and is at this point incomprehensable. Cease contact with Scorn part. (purring conspireing women young and old)
*****TERMINATEING TRANSMISSION*****