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Doc received the com and returned in kind. The quality was grainy due to not just ion storms but heavy rain and thunder storms in his area. He is seen wearing a casual shirt. In the background is the back wall of his rustic home with a fire in the fireplace and an old rifle mounted on the wall above the hearth. He has a steaming cup of coffee before him.
Hello, fellow Zoners. I thank you for reaching out. Do forgive the quality. Heavy rains and thunderstorms have been the norm here today. A bit on the cool side but not terrible.
Rolling thunder can be heard in the background
I do not know what you have all discussed nor am I privileged to it but I can give you a solid report from here. I have the [MFE]Pasteur, one of my fighter craft, keeping eyes within the Pennsylvania system. Captain Pickett has kept his routes between Erie, Bethlehem Station and Pinnacle Outpost to watch who is about and to do his part to keep the Zoner populace safe and has even played diplomat where needed. Some of what he reports has been problematic. I can confirm one colony vessel in the system. They are refusing to leave and have stated that they will re-colonize the system. I can also confirm one Q-ship near the station. He claims to be the governor and as such is allowed to have it. I will see about getting names.
I can also report hostile action around Bethlehem. Two Auxesians and one Xeno were having a lengthy.....disagreement...when a member of the 46th arrived. The 46th destroyed the Xeno and the the Auxesian fighters. The Pasteur rescued a Liberty Navy pilot and returned it to the member of the 46th as a gesture of goodwill. This incident is several days old now but it is worth the mention.
Also, the Liberty Government has imposed a ban on freighters other than miners and miner transport ships going more than 10k outside the lanes. I see this as the government exerting more control.
A sharp clap of thunder is heard as Doc looks skyward.
That was close! On the ground, Zoner security patrols have been doing their jobs amongst the Zoner population. Also amongst us are Liberty patrols. While the civilian population goes about its daily business and largely ignores both groups of patrols, there is a tension of distrust in the air. Liberty has suggested that Zoner patrols work together with theirs to find and weed out the Insurgents. As we do not know who they are, we cannot be certain of who to look for. Our patrols are watching Liberty patrols quite closely as they do not trust them. The overall mood is that things were quiet until the government showed up and while the populace wishes they would leave, they show no signs of doing so. I do not think they know who I am by sight nor do they know where my home is. It is just as well.
Another sharp clap of thunder is heard and the room fills with blue, flashing light before settling down
Lastly, as I am sure that you know, the government refuses to talk to me. The Treaty of Bethlehem needs to be re-drawn and some accord on Erie needs to be reached. The people have stated that they want a new governor, preferably one who is Zoner. Somehow, someway, we must get them to the table. I can and will fight on the ground if I must and there are a lot of Zoners militiamen that are more than ready to do the same. In space, Captain Pickett is but one man in a fighter and cannot fight a war.
We also read the Frontier Gazette as I am sure some of you do. I personally never trusted the media of any source and still do not. If you want information, I will do my best to get it to you. Just keep me in the loop. As to what is true in the paper, I cannot confirm the events reported. I am not saying they are false, I am just saying that I cannot confirm them.
Thank you, All, for including me. For the moment, I need to shut this system down. I will be back up once the storms clear.
Brad observed the silent room for quite awhile after Doc had brought them all up to speed on the changes taking place in and around Erie. "It is plainly apparent that the Governments stance is one of hope that we will tuck and roll back into the edge worlds. Never to bother them again. We have each already agreed that we need limit landings both in Penny and abroad. We have each agreed that we need to enact sanctions. And we have each agreed that we need to enact some form of support for the growing....lets not call them insurgents, but rather Freedom Fighters. We can continue to talk and hash, but I think we need to proceed to a vote on restricting Liberty and her agents from access to our facilities. At minimum." Brad glanced at Sailas. "If we want to continue to discuss further sanction's, against those who do business with Liberty we can. But we need to" Brad held up his hands and did a pair of air quotes. "Get this out the door". Brad gestured to the communications' on the wall "Even in stages, we don't need a full proof line item plan. We need to respond to this in kind."
Bob noticed the room go silent after Doc's short but sharp attendance. After Brad's response to Doc's comm's he thought it was time to respond:
Dear friends, after this report we cannot simply go idly by and hope this will pass. I urge you all to come to a consensus and yes, do have a look at the automated notes made on your data pads.
We need to get to a mutually agreed position SOON if we don't...
Bob took a sip of water and looked sternly at the members...
...we are all fecked and pardon my language but we need to make a statement here. So my advise is to set out personal differences aside and forget about our personal interests. Let's get together on this thing.
Bob took his glasses off and and looked at each member with a stern, firm and determent look.
... And mind you, the airlock thing is still in place though I'd rather see you all go off in peace and without issues
And less than a minute after Bob's words the general voice alarm announced with a calm computer voice that all docking bays would be depressurized within a few minutes. Bob, as always, meant what he said. Even when having to put friends or attendees and their crews to a meeting in a pickle. Suffice to say, Bob did not give a frick any longer. He just wants some results.
As the people in the meeting room where shocked with the sudden computer announcement no one noticed that Kris, the administrator of Freeport 1, had left just before the announcement. As the room settled after the automated announcement a face appeared on the main screen in the meeting room.
A familiar face appeared. It was the face of Kris Tofferson, the Freeport1 administrator.
He took a deep breath after he saw the sheer astonishment in the room.
Good day attendees, as you all know who I am I will forgo the introduction.
Now I have seen and heard you all talk about actions to take and things to do... I am very upset by your lack of resilience and strength. YOU are just trying to keep your own walkways clean and don't give a frick about what this could do to your fellow Zoners. YOU, and that means you as well Bob, are all selfish and egotistic.
For that very reason I depressurized the airlocks and as of now I even cut off outside communications.
You are on your own now. You have 24 hours to some to a conclusion.
Bob stared at the screen sharply. With a stern look on his face not seen before...
Sailas snarled involuntarily glaring at the OSI representatives.
"I don't appreciate being threatened. Regardless, I'm calling your bluff. SLRC abstains from the vote.".
Sailas leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
"Sure hope everyone here is ready to die, because without SLRC voting, we've all got about 24 hours until we're floating meatbags of ice. Personally, I don't mind dying, I've got my affairs in order. Sure hope the rest of you do."
Sailas pulls out a cigar and lights it up in the conference room.
"Make that 23 hours with all the oxygen this cigar is burning." he said around the smoke.
The look on Bob's face hadn't changed after Sailas' response. In fact, his face had become ash-grey and started to match his hair color even more...
He stood up in anger and addressed the room:
If someone could switch off that screen please...
And as the screen turned off a few seconds later Bob continued...
Now my friends, and yes you are still my trusted friends, while I may have made a provocative joke as to get your attention this is NOT something I planned not was actually going to follow up on. It seems administrator Kris has taken matters in his own hands. To do so is not approved in my book. So trust me when I say I have no hand in this and dislike the sudden way of being coerced to a forming conclusion as much as you do.
Let me know if you want me to turn the screen back on so I can talk to Kris. Maybe I can talk some sense into him and have him stop this madness as this is not the way we should go about. And I, for one, know that someone is going to have to answer for this. I'm pretty sure you all know who is not on the OSI bonus list this year.
Bob took his seat again while noticing the angry looks from all those in the room. "[i]Well, he thought to himself, this is a clusterfrick if one ever lived to see it..." and he grabbed his datapad and started typing while having his ear open to the room.
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