"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 16 May 827 A.S.
A New Home
Orbital Spa and Cruise has taken another step in its quest to provide hospitality to all of humanity. Each of the four original houses are well served by OS&C facilities. Hawaii's observation lounge offers vantages of the beautiful gas clouds on the border of Kusari. Rheinlanders and their guests can relax in the volcanic hot springs of Baden Baden. The socialites of Liberty can chose to ski the slopes of Denver or ride the waves on Curacao. And Bretonian daytrippers can delve into the history of their house from Shetland in orbit of the legendary planet Broadstone.
However, the large swath of humanity under the Gallic banner has been, until now, tragically underserved by Orbital assets. Hundreds of years of secrecy followed by decades of war have left humanity's largest house outside of the reach of standard OS&C routes. However, commercial traffic to Gallic locations will see a major boost with Orbital's latest development in Ile-de-France: a place to call home.
Denizens of New Paris have a new star in their sky: Riviera Resort. Having been granted a permit to conduct business in the Confederation earlier in the year, the OS&C station will serve as a point of coordination for all Gallic routes. "I am very proud to announce that GMS has just finished the initial placement of our OS&C space station in Ile-de-France," said Captain Jack Ashton, director of OS&C's logistics wing, Orbital Network Express (ONE). "The Station looks great and both ONE and OS&C have a lot of trust in its rentability. This is of course a great day for all parts of OS&C, and it is my hopes that with this station we can bring our ventures into Gallia proper."
Riviera Resort offers stunning views of the Gallic capital along with planet Maudon, but at the moment that is the extent of its amenities. "The station is closed for business for the foreseeable future as it will be under construction," said Ashton. "When it is finished we hope that it will not only provide a base of operations for ourselves, but that it will also serve as a hub for Gallians wishing to travel to other houses."
A Friendly Tour
Successful expansion into a new house requires infrastructure, both physical and social. While ONE has been working on creating a physical space for Gallic excursions, others in OS&C have focused on reaching out to partner with Gallic entities to better serve the Confederation. EFL has been instrumental in licensing Gallic ship technology and GMS is an integral partner in getting the station online. But mining corporations are not well versed in the art of Gallic hospitality. For that, you need the Agenza Turistica di Pruvenza, a project spearheaded by the Gruppu Parlamentariu di Marsiglia.
The Agenza is a fusion of several historical local tourism agencies in Provence. "Our goal is simple," said Cristofanu Casanova, the Agenza's head of business development. "Enhance Provence’s tourism industry." The group boasts of decades of experience in running tours in Marseille, Cannes Resort Station, and in-space flights. "We’ve been working with Gallia’s most influential and rich people, providing a wide range of services like nowhere around," said Casanova. "Peace is coming back to Sirius. Tourists, holidays and business are following."
Mr. Casanova offered a private tour of Provence to OS&C leadership, which they eagerly accepted. Liners Reverie and Red Velvet Club served as guinea pigs to gauge passenger reactions to what the Provence system had to offer. They were not disappointed. "While we knew about the Cannes and the facilities it offered, we were treated to some of the more unique sights in the system," said Captain Jonathan Seabourne, who tagged along in a personal fighter as head of White Star Lines. "Planet Avignon in particular is quite stunning and I would not have appreciated its blue-green swirls had it not been pointed out to me. I imagine we will have many reasons to visit Provence in the future."
The Agenza has promised significant subsidies to Orbital liners visiting the system, which the corporation is happy to pass along to its customers. Those looking for a more rustic experience can eagerly look for discounted rates to the system in the near future.
A Thorn in Our Side
Orbital prides itself on its abilities to forge friendships with interesting factions, but not all the denizens of the sector are interested in mutually beneficial agreements. Some continue to insist on taking unfairly by force that which could be fairly earned to the benefit of all. But if life were fair, we wouldn't need SPA-SEC.
The Security wing of Orbital Spa and Cruise has been busy stationing assets in orbit of planet Baden Baden on the front lines of the Rheinland Civil War. Their goal is to ensure that all sides in the internal struggle respect the corporation's neutrality. So far, there have been no reported incidents of military interference with Orbital's relief efforts in the system from either side.
But SPA-SEC is far more than just a passive shield for Orbital's resort worlds. It can be a fiery sword of vengeance when called upon. Orbital aims to be a wonderful friend to all, but to those foolish enough to be blinded by greed, SPA-SEC is a reminder that a love of peace is not the same as a fear of war.
The Red Hessian Zwetschgenwasser, for example, extorted the ONE logistics vessel Chicago out of $6 million credits and attacked a Kishiro vessel that was servicing Baden Baden. He also heavily damaged the liner Red Velvet Club while it was running empty, fortunately sparing injuries to passengers. For these sins, SPA-SEC has issued a bounty on the head of the pilot, one which Hiian Muro was looking forward to collecting in-house. "I made contact with the Red Hessian Zwetschgenwasser in Stuttgart System, just as I used the tradelane from Baden-Baden," said Muro. "He flew in the other direction."
What ensued was a lengthy chase across Rheinland space. Despite his love for accosting transports, the Hessian seemed unwilling to engage in a true battle before Muro called off his pursuit and returned to patrol duty. Zwetschgenwasser's bounty currently stands at $15 million for a kill, with additional bonuses up to $40 million to ensure he learns his lesson.
Of course, OS&C is not blinded by vengeance. "If he returns the money he's extorted from OS&C ships, we'll lift the bounty," said Seabourne. "I'd rather have pirates out there who know how to strike deals everyone walks away from. Killing him just gives an opening for an even more violent Hessian to possibly fill the gap. But if he keeps assaulting our liners, I'll lose no sleep on having to parlay with his replacement."
An Unusual Manifest
Each liner has her own unique amenities and offerings. For the Breezewood, flagship of White Spa Lines and command for Captain Jonathan Seabourne, most know the vessel for its Menagerie, a starlit space featuring wildlife from the garden world of Gaia. With the Eden of Sirius under Enclave occupation (and ensuing "development") these creatures became one of the last links between Sirius and its most unique planet, not counting the smuggling pens on planet Harris. However, not all parties are pleased to see the creatures under any form of captivity. Fortunately, one batch of potential enemies decided to try finding a mutually beneficial settlement instead.
Layla Velasquez is part of a new wave of Gaians, the radical environmentalist faction that opposes planetary terraforming in general and the development of Gaia in particular. While their members have openly attacked OS&C assets in the past, Velasquez seemed open to negotiating the status of the animals aboard Breezewood rather than attempting to intimidate or destroy the liner.
"The negotiations were testy at first," said Seabourne. "They opened with wanting me to voluntarily hand over my wildlife and paying them a fine for the privilege of being pirated. I countered with putting out some brochures for their corporate virtual adoption program. We eventually met in the middle."
The "middle" ended up being the installation of Gaian designed CUMEC systems, essentially self contained environments to replicate the conditions of the creature's homeworld. This required sacrificing some of Breezewood's precious cargo space to house the filters and hardware needed to keep the containment devices operational, along with housing the Gaians trained to operate it. " If [the CUMEC systems] are in your possession," said Velasquez, "We can not leave them alone in your vessel." As a result, ten wary technicians transferred to the liner near planet Hiran in Sigma-19 in a tense but ultimately successful partnership.
After a special permit from the Liberty government, the Breezewood now flies with her animals living in comparable luxury with the blessings of a Gaian captain. "If they wanted Breezewood dead, they could have destroyed us in Sigma-19," said Seabourne. "Seems they do truly want the animals to have a better habitat, and I admit their expertise with the creatures outpaces what we've managed to pick up along the way through trial and error."
A Plea For Help
Luxury liner Martinique has officially been listed as missing once it was 24 hours overdue for a scheduled check-in. The aging liner was due to be retired after its last trek through the Omegas, and it is feared that the liner might have gotten too close to the unusual sites of those systems while trying to offer its passengers once last spectacular vista before decommissioning.
"Luxury Liners are equipped with advanced communications systems to relay requests for help even in remote space," said David Crooke, an OS&C director. "The fact that we have heard absolutely nothing is worrying. Even more concerning is the fact that no unlawful group has contacted us about any ransom."
However, not all OS&C directors are as pessimistic as Director Crooke. "There is a lot of space for a liner to hide in," said Seabourne, "and no group has claimed responsibility. As the proud Captain of an Enterprise-class liner myself, I can tell you that a ship like the Martinique can last a surprisingly long time on minimal power. Even dead in the water, it can take days for the passengers and crew to deplete the oxygen in the ship."
Captain Cross, director of Triton Expeditions, has taken point on the rescue mission. "Triton Captains know the Borderworlds Pretty well," said Cross. "I sent Triton's long range exploratory ship, the Bustard Carrier OS&C|TE-Cloud-9, to search for the Martinique. Until we find her, we will see her just as missing, not destroyed." In the meantime, OS&C has reached out to all parties with active efforts in the Omegas to see if their patrols have come across anything. "I do not want to have a bad end come to your people," said Doc Holliday of Med Force Enterprises, Sirisus's most well known humanitarian group. "I will dispatch a scout to search for them and have a Med Force cruiser on standby once they are found. We will assist however we can."
Anyone with information on the Martinique is urged to post what they know to the original press release. OS&C hopes the use of "citizen SAR" will speed up the recovery effort, and every possible theory and lead is being investigated, save for one.
"Its another ALIEN ATTACK the GOVERNMENT doesn't WANT you to protect yourself!" proposed a user only known as TinFoil Tom. "Time and time again Liner after Liner is assaulted by the ALIENS! CAN YOU SEE THEY WANT OUR SKIN FOR TOAST! STAY HOME!!!!!!! DON'T TRAVEL ORBITAL! They made a deal with the aliens to sell them your SKIN! Its true just look it up!"
"The economics of the accusation make no sense," said Seabourne when confronted with the "theory." "Why sacrifice an entire liner when you could skin and process the passengers on the ground and transport just the flesh in a much smaller vessel like a Democritus, or even a Dorado?"
After a disconcertingly large number of seconds, he added "Also murdering scores of passengers is morally wrong. We're a cruise company, not a slaughterhouse."
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OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine
"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 6 June 827 A.S.
A Return to Normalcy
With the politics of Stuttgart stabilizing in favor of the Empire, Orbital's board voted to re-open the resort world of Baden Baden to non-Rheinlandic customers for the first time since the start of the Civil War. "While the war is far from over, the Stuttgart system is no longer the entrenched front lines of the conflict," said Jonathan Seabourne in a statement earlier today. "The absence of Republic capital ships means that we can safely transport passengers in and out without fear of being caught in the crossfire." Both sides in the conflict avoided confrontation with OS&C assets and Baden Baden's combination of humanitarian assistance with refugee evac along with SPA-SEC vessels in orbit ensured that the volcanic pleasure planet remained neutral in the conflict. Luxury accommodations are currently being converted back to their original purposes and the first batch of outside visitors are expected later this month.
A Run for the Money
The OS&C liner Red Velvet Club is well acquainted with the rougher company of Sirius. It comes with the territory she traverses. Triton Expedition vessels venture far from police and military patrols, and her luxuries are an inviting target for the pirates of the sector. A delicate balance exists between liners and raiders, and mutual understandings have emerged to keep all parties involved flying. When one side violates those understandings, things can take an unfortunate turn.
The Velvet was taking VIP's to Freeport 11 when it was stopped in Omicron Rho by the Auxesian pirate ~Barbarossa~. "I am no stranger to piracy," said Captain Caitlyn Cross, "and will "donate" as much money as the rest of you each month to ensure the safety of my passengers." However, the pirate demanded an excessively high fee that would have wiped out the profits of the journey and risked the solvency of the Velvet.
The Captain scanned her target and made the bold choice to run for Durban Station. Fortunately, Captain Cross's experience served her well and she made the right call. "As the fight started it showed that this pirate was, even though he had a bomber fully loaded with torpedoes, a terrible shooter." The evasive options for a Palace-class liner are limited, but Cross managed to dodge most of Barbarossa's attacks and repair what damage she took mid-flight. Eventually, the Core Battleship Olyana arrived on the scene and made quick work of the pirate thanks to the capital ship's superior range.
The Velvet needed only minor repairs after the incident, prompting Captain Cross to offer some advice to other would-be pirates. "A little cost analysis would have saved the pirate a lot of repair and ammo costs."
A Fond Farewell
Captain Jack Ashton has stepped down as Subdirector for Orbital Network Express. Ashton served the corporation well with his organization of the Riviera Resort project which he saw through to the end before handing off the access codes to his successor. "It has been a great honor to be entrusted with the task of having our first space station built, and of leading ONE and OS&C into this new era," said Ashton as he left Orbital's first foothold in Gallic space.
The rest of the board of directors has been universal in praise for Ashton. "We would not have been able to do all that we've done without him," said Jonathan Seabourne. "I'll be sorry not to see him at board meetings, but I too know well the siren song of the stars, and piloting a corporate desk leaves precious little time to actually fly."
Ashton remains a Captain, of course, and will certainly entertain many guests aboard the Boundless Pleasure in the future. His successor, Richard Charles, has already been hard at work organized a fleet of company owned rather than individually franchised logistics transports, ensuring that ONE will continue to improve its ability to satisfy the luxury needs of all of Sirius and beyond.
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OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine
"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 20 June 827 A.S.
A New Neighbor
Freeport 4, the IMG base in Magellan, was one of the many victims of the Gallic incursion into the Independent Worlds during the war. While orders of magnitude smaller than the tragedy of Leeds, the destruction of the base would be a dark premonition of the losses to come. Yet while New London has slowly re-built or replaced her shipyards and California continues to buzz with activity despite the lack of San Diego, Magellan remained a ghost system, her icy clouds standing silent vigil for the fallen station. But Magellan will be quiet no more.
Universal Shipping has officially opened Cordova Shipping Platform for business. USI with rumored help from the Liberty Government successfully outbid their Bretonian rival Bowex for the lucrative location. The layover stop between Liberty and Bretonia will likely see a dramatic uptick in interhouse traffic not seen since the days of desperate convoys running badly needed medical supplies past omnipresent Gallic patrols. Of course, more traffic in Magellan means less Bretonia-bound freighters flying past Curacao, which benefits both parties.
"We're a luxury world, not a bus depot," said Captain Jonathan Seabourne. "There were few things that frustrated me more than having my passengers' fist gaze of Curacao be interrupted by some retrofit transport puffing a load of ore to some smelter. Keeping the riff raff out of Cortez keeps everyone happier."
The transition still isn't fully complete. Captain Caitlyn Cross noted that the navigation infrastructure has yet to be updated to reflect the new destination. "The lanes still say Freeport 4 Wreck," commented the leading lady of the Red Velvet Club. It's an ominous oversight, almost as if Universal's new station is tempting fate to see if lightning does indeed strike the same place twice in the Independent worlds.
A Curious Constellation
Curacao is well known for its low light pollution contributing to beautiful starlit skies at night.
Recently, the denizens of Orbital's premeir luxury planet were treated to a new constellation in the sky: four bright, evenly spaced dots in a row. Those planetside have jokingly called it, "the chorus line." From orbit, however, it becomes clear the formation is less theatrical and more martial in nature.
During the Gallic War, a desperate and cash-strapped Bretonia begged Liberty for more millitary aid. Liberty, eager to see the Gallic conflict fought in someone else's systems came up with the Lend-Lease system, whereby Liberty captial ships would be "loaned" to a BAF that could not afford to buy them outright. For whatever reason, four of the beheamouths are now docked in tight formation in Curacao's orbits, their hulls facing towards the tradlane to California, proudly flying the colors of the Bretonian flag.
While the Treaty of Curacao and other NATO legislation does allow for Bretonia to temporarily deploy fleet assets to the Independent worlds, there is much speculation as to why four of Bretonia's fiercest vessels would be paying a visit to Cortez. None of the crews have (officially) come down for R&R, leading to mass speculation. Theories range from Bretonia attempting to return un-needed hardware to fleet exercises for a potential war with a resurgent Kusari to a pusch for annexation of Orbital's premier resort world. None of which, of course, has a shred of evidence to support it one way or the other.
Curacao Completely Unsuited for Refugee Resettlement
On a completely unrelated topic, Wanderlust wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the many amenities that make Curacao such a truly unique planet. The planet spanning ocean is only interrupted by a few hundred islands and atolls, all of which are practically filled to capacity by the 300,000 employees and 100,000 VIP's who call the planet home. There is barely enough space to accomodate half a million people, unlike the millions who made it off Leeds. The water, though beautiful and luxurious, is incapable of supporting any known fish species. Even algae fails to grow in the curiously antisceptic seas, leading many to feel that the water of the planet would be unable to support widescale agriculture even if there was land to support farming! And that's not even factoring the desalination needed because Curacao is one of the few inhabited planets to feature no natural freshwater sources whatsoever!
Did we mention that Curacao is inhabited by 100,000 or so tourists at any given time? These VIP's are the elite from all over Sirius and Gallia, all of whom take special delight in recording and broadcasting their vacations in real time! Curacao is one of the few places in Sirius outside of a Freeport where you see people from myriad factions co-mingling. Any sort of accident or use of force would result in injuries to the movers and shakers from all sorts of different corners of the sector. Could you just imagine the PR nightmare of being held accountable if something happened to the children of all those factions leaders enjoying their vacations? Especially if those events were being live streamed by beach goers and revellers?
Of course, one should not forget that Curacao is closely positioned, both historically and geographically, to the Liberty Navy. Naval officers frequent the planet for their precious R&R, which is no surprise as California is the only civilian system outside of New York to feature a permanent naval installation! Could you imagine how easy the logistics would be for Liberty to quickly deploy to Cortez as it did during the Gallic war? And we all remember how hotly they contested the Gallic offensive into the Independent worlds, even going so far as to sacrifice a captial ship to keep the system clear of foreign threats! In the process, of course, the Liberty war machine managed to push back the gargantuan captial ships of the Gallic navy. I'm sure any house fielding lesser hardware would think twice before staking claims to Curacao's economically useless beachfront property, whose only value can be derived from open tourism!
So come visit Curacao! Enjoy our beaches! Take in our worlds-class entertainment and dance the night away under our moonless skies. And then return to your myriad ports of call, content in knowing that while Curacao is a wonderful place to visit, there's just no place like home!
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OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine
"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 11 July 827 A.S.
A Royal Coronation
Kusari has been sadly underserved by OS&C assets since the loss of Mackinac several months ago. Orbital has deployed several stop-gap measures including increasing trips to the Golden Dragon Casino and partnering with the Zoners of Galileo to offer amenities and transit to Freeport 12. With luxury accomodations in Kusari proper at a premium, one enterprising OS&C captain had an enlightened idea: why not bring the richness of Kusari to the people instead?
The liner Kyushu Princess took to the stars for its maiden flight under Captain Asami Tamura. Every OS&C liner has its particular quirks and features that make them unique. However, they have traditionally adhered to a general aesthetic that gives novel amenities a certain familiar feel for our experienced travelers. Navigating to the forward lounge on an OS&C vessel is a universally familiar process. Once you arrive, though, you might find a zero gravity acrobatics performance or a space menagerie of Gaian wildlife depending on the vessel. However, the Kyushu Princess represents a radically different design motiff to better capture the spirit of Kusari.
"The Kyushu Princess will have all of the luxuries a normal OS&C package offers, including but not limited to Bars, Restaurants, Casinos, Pools and Waterparks," said Captain Tamura. "[However], most excitingly, traditional Kusari festivals shall be held on board as well as seminars teaching ancient and current Kusari traditions.
Between themed rooms and the more "traditional" uniforms of the OS&C staff, jaded travelers looking for something new or first time flyers looking for a taste of Kusari closer to home will be well satisfied.
An Interest in Conflicts
After a brief lull of peace in the wake of the Gallic War, the rivalies of Sirius have once again heated up. The factions of the sector find themselves jockeying for position to take advantage of neighbors that have recovered more slowly, and the skies are once more filled with fiery explosions and silent wrecks.
Fortunately, Orbital seems well positioned with the affected parties for this round of conflicts. The progress of the Rheinland civil war has seen the Stuttgart system well secured under the Imperial government. As a result, the volcanic streams of Baden Baden are once again available to all the citizens of Sirius to enjoy. The reorganization of the Liberty Insurgency also poses no threat to Orbital assets as both sides in the conflict respect Orbital's neutrality with our passenger service an explicit exception to Liberty's embargo of Vespucci. And Kusari's occupation of the Taus sees no threatened destinations with Orbital's new Gallic assets well behind the front lines in New Paris and most destinations booked to the isolated (and protected) Provence system. For the first time in recent memory, Orbital has no cancellations due to security concerns. Even with our abundance of caution for the safety of our guests, Orbital's shrewd diplomacy means precious few villains out there want to take shots at Orbital liners. Those that matter don't mind us, and those that mind don't matter.
In fact, Orbital's "just passing" mindset offers a unique opportunity for our travelers: the chance to witness these historic battles without having to enlist and risk life and limb. Recently, Captain Caitlyn Cross of the liner Red Velvet Club stumbled across an engagement between the Insurgent vessels INS-Renegade , INS-Gallant.Gallows, Non.Sequitur and the Liberty vessels 5th|LNS-Vermont, LNS-Alabama, 5th|LNS-Loyalist. and LPI-SWAT-Elizabeth. Once the dust settled in the California system, the Liberty forces were victorious. "All in all, it was an impressive show of Force," said Captain Cross. "My Crew and I had a Breathtaking view."
It was unfortunate that Velvet was making a cargo run at the time, meaning only her crew got to witness the awesome firepower of the Liberty war machne first hand. But other vessels making the run to Curacao will surely come across Insurgent activity, and potential passengers on the fence about booking a voyage would be well served to do so sooner rather than later. The legendary spas of Curacao are always worth the trip, but the potential for some fireworks along the way courtesy of the Liberty Navy will likely be a limited time offer.
A Whale of a Time
Terrestrial cruise lines offered many curious sights for planet bound denizens in the days of old Earth. With only a single planet to explore, enterprising captains had to make the most of the sights that humanity's homeworld had to offer. From glass bottomed boats to examine her extensive coral reefs to river cruises to explore historic ruins from the comfort of a stateroom, all sorts of curious itineraries opened up that seem quite pedestrian compared to the offerings of a modern interstellar luxury liner. However, Earth's mega-fauna did offer one experience that Earth's space-bound descendants could never quite fully replicate: whale watching.
Whales were giant sea-based mammals that had evolved similar features to that of fish. They breathed air but had giant fins and massive bodies that could not survive outside of the salt water oceans they called home. These "gentle giants" were sources of endless fascination as vessels would take day trips out to their feeding grounds to watch them surface. The less developed biospheres of Sirius's oceanic worlds has not given an opportunity for whale-sized creatures to evolve. However, that didn't stop Captain Jack Ashton from improvising a curious work-around that seemed to focus more on the "giant" and less on the "gentle" aspect of those ancient cetaceans.
"A very small group of wealthy unnamed individuals contacted me asking to rent the Boundless Pleasure for a trip to Freeport 11 in Omricon Delta," said Captain Ashton. "After a short pit stop I managed to enlist the crew of Barbarosa The One Eyed to take us Nomad spotting and man did we get lucky." Nomads, the enigmatic alien constructs of Sirius are known for their massive vessels that are as elegant as they are deadly, breath-taking in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Some would consider taking a Democritus-class luxury yacht into Nomad-infested space to be a deathwish, and they'd be absolutely right in thinking so. Fortunately, Ashton skillfully timed his excursion to have some unexpected escorts.
"Flying straight through an active battle between Zoners, Corsairs and Rogues we saw both Nomad gunboats, cruisers, and various other vessels." Even though Nomads have no respect for OS&C neutrality, clearly these "whales" had bigger fish to fry with so much action about. The Boundless Pleasure's passengers certainly had their choice of sights between multi-way battles and giant alien space ships. We can only hope that the ship had enough portholes to accommodate everyone.
A Bridge Too Far
Pennsylvania has a reputation for being a "safe" system. Its isolation from inter-Liberty trade routes make it a location that is not well traversed by the experienced pilots of Sirius despite Bethlehem station being a major travel hub for OS&C passengers going on to nearby Zoner, Junker, and other stations that do not have OS&C landing rights. As a result, both the Navy and criminal elements in Liberty use Pennsylvania as a sort of proving grounds for training rookie pilots until they earn their spurs. The entire system is essentially an extension of Valley Forge, and it can sometimes make for spectacular fireworks when a pilot bites off more than they can chew.
"I was ferrying some VIPs from Curacao to connecting flights out of Bethlehem when I passed LNS-Blitzburgh," said Captain Jonathan Seabourne of the liner Breezewood. "She was taking it to a squadron of Rogue gunboats and a cruiser. Sadly, the Rogue firepower proved too much for the mighty warship and she ended up getting lit up like a Christmas tree."
Breezewood was running empty on a return trip to Manhattan and so detoured for SAR operations once the enemy flotilla dissolved. No Navy crew could be recovered from the wreck, but curiously 10 or so Rogue lifepods made it through, some still having labels and tags to show their initial processing in Blitzburgh's hold. "It seems the detention cell on board Blitzburgh was the safest place to be," said Seabourne.
The pilots and other recovered effects were taken to Harrisburg station and formally turned over to the authorities, at which point Breezewood was automatically issued the standard bounty money for the Rogues. "I transferred the resulting bounties to Blitzburgh's accounts," said Seabourne. "I hope it'll find its way to the families of the fallen.
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OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine
"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 26 July 827 A.S.
A Bretonian Booze-Run
Orbital Spa and Cruise takes pride in our vessels' ability to take the scenic route. For most liners, our passengers are paying for the journey, not the destination. News of delays in flight bring cheers, not moans from our passengers who welcome the extra few hours of high quality VR enhanced entertainment, worlds-class dining options, or simply one last chance to take to the observation deck and stare into the void to see if anything stares back. For an intrepid group of pilots flying Orbital's most recent sanctioned event, however, time was of the essence.
Orbital's James Blackwood has organized the Community Culture Rally, a multi-part race celebrating the one thing that unifies all of Sirius: alcohol. Racers start each leg from an Orbital property and race to procure the proprietary drink of each house before returning. In a way, the race is an homage to the roots of terrestrial automobile racing's start in "bootlegging" illegal alcohol past police officers. The Bretonian stage saw four racers making their way from luxury liner Shetland in Poole to New London to procure her Majesty's signature beverage: gin.
The hefty prize pool was provided by the stage's corporate partner: Border World Exports. Bowex's defining corporate credo of "On Time. On Task. On the Move." served as an inspiration for the stage which strived to be as professional and speedy as its chief sponsor. "On time" manifested in the timing structure of the race where pilots were spaced out in 1:30 increments to start their runs, managed by Blackwood himself aboard the liner Tierra_del_Fuego. "On task" in the cargo that all pilots were tasked with procuring and returning to the start. "On the move" in how the racers blitzed through the course at a speed that would make the crown's preferred shipper proud.
Four intrepid pilots took up the challenge: Erwin Tobin flying the Korsuner's Luck, Kaworu Sato in the Silver Ronin, Anthony Stout in the Pacesetter, and Orbital's own Stan Stone flying the creatively named Orbital Racer. In the end, a stray corsair camping the tradelane doomed Sato's chances while some planetside docking mishaps knocked Tobin's time down. Only Stone managed an uneventful flight and took home top prize of 25 points in the standings and 25 million credits. Perhaps now he can afford to hire out Orbital's marketing team to come up with a new name for his ship!
The next stage will take place in Rheinland. Potential racers are invited to stay tuned for more details and enter their names for the next leg. Even if the grand prize of $450 million credits is harder to procure with one stage completed, individual stage prizes are still available for all of the sector's boldest pilots. Worst case scenario, you're at least guaranteed to finish the race with a beverage suitable to celebrate your victory or drown your sorrows with!
A Stylish Slaver
The OS&C Liner Breezewood, flagship of White Star Lines, has carried myriad types of passengers in her years of service. Like all Enterprise-class liners, her adjustable cabin walls allow for multiple configurations from sprawling multi-room suites to economical micro-berths. As a result, many across Sirius have graced her halls. Countless VIPs, tourists, vacationers, courtiers, ambassadors, pilgrims, refugees, settlers, scientists, socialites, and and even casualties have a Breezewood ticket stub in their scrap books somewhere. After an incident in New York, Captain Jonathan Seabourne can add another class of passengers to that storied list: slaves.
"I was carrying VIPs to Bethlehem where I found myself shooting the breeze with LPI-Isla.Nazumaki[Lt] at West Point," said Seabourne. "The officer's complaints about New York being quiet seemed to reach the ears of the gods of irony, for out of the Badlands tradelane came an Albatross filled to the brim with slaves."
The transport Hero_of_the_year was stopped by Lt. Nazumaki at which point Breezewood offered her services to help off-load the contrabands back on Manhattan. A quick jaunt through the tradelanes to the capital world gave the liner a chance to offload her VIP passengers while Orbital's front office arranged new connecting flights. A newly emptied Breezewood returned to the "scene of the crime" where she picked up on over 700 slaves. Nazumaki then provided an escort back to Manhattan where the formerly enslaved persons were transferred over to LPI medical for processing.
While the offer was made in the name of humanitarian interests, Nazumaki went on to compensate Breezewood for her time, unsolicited. "It's always a good idea to endear ourselves to house navies and law enforcement," said Seabourne of the gift of several million credits, "but I will never say no to extra credits if it means getting to do the right thing, too."
"Plus, for a single tradelane journey, Breezewood got to be the most stylish slaver in the sector. Yet another title to throw on the old girl."
An Authentic Experience
While Breezewood can claim the title of the most stylish slaver in Sirius, those looking for a more "authentic" experience now have a new option courtesy of Triton Expeditions, Orbital's more adventurous division.
The Stagecoach is a wonderfully storied Pilgrim-class liner that has been cruising around the sector for nearly 400 years. "We've found some documentation indicating that the Liner was initially constructed to assist in the exploration of the Ontario System," said Captain Charles Boles, the ship's newest master. "Her maintenance log abruptly ends in September 650 AS. Record keeping, or what passes for it within the Junker Community, picks up again with the former owner in 821 AS. She resurfaced as a miner transport in the Great Humboldt Silver Rush."
Like all ships that have spent time in Junker hands, Stagecoach is a mishmash of modifications, retrofits, and questionable upgrades. To meet the more exacting standards of Orbital Spa and Cruise, she was towed to Baltimore Shipyard to give Deep Space Engineering's specialists a crack at getting the vessel fully operational again. "We can see that the previous owners have tinkered with the reactor core," said Harus Burke, President and Director of DSE. "And by 'tinkered' I mean it's been thoroughly messed with to the point of almost being inoperable. We've attempted to figure out why this was done, and the only thing we can think of is a possible insurance scam gone wrong."
Fortunately, even the best laid schemes of Junkers pulling a fast one on Interspace are no match for DSE's expert engineers. After many hours of repairs and a new fusion core, Stagecoach was able to leave Baltimore with fully powered systems for the first time in centuries.
Passengers looking to capture the feel of early space exploration without the constant threat of losing atmosphere are invited to book an excursion in the Stagecoach's 3rd class accommodations. Individual sleeping berths, communal toilet facilities, and even water rationing allow Stagecoach's 3rd class passengers to experience the perils of deep space flight in an age when surviving to one's final destination was the exception rather than the rule. Shipwide entertainment options hearken back to a simpler time, with an extensive library, spacious verandas, and a game room that encouraged early passengers to gather together and make their own fun. Stagecoach promises a unique human element to all of its offerings, helping to recapture the magic of forming a "family of strangers" for the weeks of a flight only to go your separate ways upon reaching your final destination. For all their holoprojectors and fine dining, no other vessel in the Orbital fleet can quite capture the magic of these ephemeral social groups.
Of course, those desiring more amenities can upgrade their staterooms to ones that feature more of the accouterments of passenger spaceflight in our more "civilized" age. But the charm of Stagecoach lies in the unique ways it brings people together, and her passengers would be well served to forgo the temptation to spend the flight in their staterooms.
A Worthy Cause
The fallout of Bretonia's over-expansion during the Gallic war continues to create ripples in the sector's hospitality industry. Gran Canaria, a neutral zoner planet well known for its famous Safaris and pleasing climate, was a natural site for many organizations to host conventions while avoiding political implications of a house host. Being equally inaccessible to all, the planet became known as every organization's back-up plan, with the construction of Grand Vista Orbital further facilitating large gatherings. The trade platform's warehouses could easily and quickly be rented out, and many conferences and talks were given in orbit or on the ground in Omega-49. Even with Bretonian occupation, the intense focus on infrastructure investments gave hope that what the site lost in neutrality would be gained in ease of access. Alas, with the crown "taking its ball and going home," the insurgency ravaged planet is left in an even worse state for hosting duties than before. This leaves the conference organizers of Sirius looking for new alternatives.
Jill Xi of Med Force Enterprises is one such organizer who has found a novel solution. MFE is hosting an upcoming Sirius Wide medical conference in Omicron Theta from August 24 to 27. "We have an amazing group of speakers ranging from medical professionals, scholars, pharmaceutical engineers and many more," said Xi. "Also, besides from having great speakers we have two separate tracks you can follow and we therefore invite all you enthusiastic people whom are willing to learn, experience and absorb the knowledge shared to sign up for this amazing event at no cost thanks to our great sponsors."
Xi expects crowds too large for the local Freeport to handle. Life on the edge of civilized space is harsh with little room for error A sudden influx of hundreds of doctors and scientists with their accompanying demands for berths, water, food, and oxygen is simply too much even for the venerable Freeport 9. Fortunately, Orbital Spa and Cruise specializes in transporting slivers of hospitality to the most inhospitable corners of the sector.
The Red Velvet Club, the storied Triton Expeditions flagship, will serve as the host of the conference. Captain Cross's Palace-class liner will easily accommodate the dignitaries of the conference and their guests in the luxury afforded to their station. The vessel offers Xi and MFE the best of all worlds: A convenient neutral site for the medical professionals of all of Sirius to gather free from political concerns, luxurious accommodations, and spectacular views of the system. Interested participants are invited to sign up for the conference today. The opportunity to cruise aboard the Velvet with such illustrious and altruistic company is alone worth the trip.
A Wandering Nomad
Orbital's transport and resort options are well known across Sirius, but the corporation's fine dining options also rival those of any planetside restaurateur. This is all the more impressive when one considers that terrestrial chefs don't have to deal with the hazards of cooking in space. Many orbital chefs have started to prepare for the dinner rush only to find that the water supply has been diverted to cool ship systems or that gravity has to be taken temporarily offline.
Or that hostile aliens are broadcasting directly into one's mind.
The culinary cruiser Beefmaster under Captain Hilda Weingarten was returning from the Borderwolds with a load of Iridium to finance one of Orbital's finest future chef's dream kitchen when the trade lane dropped in Frankfurt. Staring down the transport was every pilot's worst fear: A Nomad.
Nomads, the enigmatic and omnicidal alien residents of the Omicrons, rarely negotiate. Their "communication" mostly consists of broadcasting images of terror telepathically into the minds of their victims before unleashing their overwhelming firepower. Usually, the best one can hope for is to be left alive with a thin sliver of hull as a "warning" to the rest of humanity. Sometimes, however, there is a deviation to their strange behavior.
"The little one communicated with me first and showed me an injured pilot I didn't see," said Weingarten. "I think the Nomad shot down the poor girl himself, and the pilot was in bad shape. But we managed to bring her to Manheim,"
Having made the pickup, Beefmaster had hoped to continue on its way, but the Nomad had other ideas. "As we departed for the New Berlin jumpgate, he stopped us again, but this time the little one wasn't that friendly. He threatened us and opened fire, and had the Rheinland Battleship Ernemia not showed up, I am sure my ship would have been destroyed."
The combined firepower of the battleship and the transport were enough to drive off the alien, allowing Beefmaster to finish her flight without further incident. Orbital once again extends its thanks to the brave men and women of our partner house Navies for keeping our tradelanes safe and our shipments arriving relatively ontime.
Service Notification
The OS&C liner Baltic Sea is indefinitely removed from service. Passengers with tickets for voyages on Baltic Sea will have their trips serviced by other comparable liners to be announced. Those instead wishing for full refunds are welcome to contact their respective Orbital House Office on Manhattan, New Berlin, New London, New Tokyo, or New Paris. Interhouse patrons should route their concerns through Orbital's corporate offices on Curacao.
> > > > Closing Transmission < < < <
OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine
"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 9 August 827 A.S.
A Curious Transfer
The Stagecoach, Orbital's Pilgrim-class liner, strives to replicate the authentic experience of the early explorers of Sirius. The vessels were famed for their reliability, but their robustness came at the cost of forgoing any amenities beyond a berth barely long enough to lay flat in and enough oxygen and ration bars to keep you alive by the time you reached your destination. As humanity's expertise with ship building increased and our transports became comfortable and even luxurious instead of just functional, Pilgrim transports became relegated to transporting increasingly desperate classes of travellers. Explorers gave way to settlers, settlers to refugees, and sadly in many cases, refugees to slaves. While nothing in The Stagecoach's history belied that in her 400 years of service she sunk so low as to transport enslaved persons, that streak came to a most unusual way while in service to Orbital Spa and Cruise.
Captain Brandon Bancroft, shipmaster of The Stagecoach was using the liner for its namesake purpose of transporting TAZ pilgrims to the Baffin system when he faced a daunting decision. "We were closing on the Baffin Jump Hole when out of the field a rather large group of Outcasts and Freelancers appeared on my radar," said Bancroft. "Rather than try and turn back I pressed the Stagecoach forward into the group." Normally, a liner versus such a flotilla would be a suicidal dive, but the captain was confident in the neutrality afforded by his passengers. "With a large group of Zoner Pilgrims aboard bound for Shasta Orbital, I was fairly certain that we would be granted passage."
As the diplomatic banter ensued to resolve the paradox of an unstoppable military force meeting an unmovable humanitarian target, a bizarre exchange was offered: one bottle of The Stagecoach's vodka for a single slave from the enemy fleet. "Of course we would have rather saved the entire group, some 2,700 in total, but given the rather tense situation... we did of course meet their monetary demands, along with the exchange for the slave."
Unsurprisingly, the health of the former enslaved person was in poor condition and well beyond the basic facilities of The Stagecoach to mend. Fortunately, TAZ is not the only Zoner affiliated faction to call Baffin home. "Bring the poor slave to our research base here in Baffin," said Doc Holliday of Med Force Enterprises. "He will be given proper care there." The former slave's condition is currently stable and improving. Hopefully his next journey on an Orbital vessel will be more enjoyable than his first.
A Night to Remember
Captain Stan Stone is normally employed running logistics routes for Riviera Resort. He, along with other Orbital Network Express ships, keep Orbital's first Gallic station running by providing the food, oxygen, water, fuel and amenities that keep the lights on and the crew alive. In short, he keeps this outpost of Sirius's premier hospitality provider hospitable. But every dog has his day, and when fortune smiled upon Captain Stone, he wanted to mark the occasion in style.
The Logistics Pilot found himself the champion of the Bretonian leg of the Community Culture Rally. His procurement skills were certainly put to good use while racing to purchase a bottle of Gin for Shetland in less time than his competitors. The victory, and accompanying prize money, were means, motive, and opportunity to celebrate and Stone found himself entering Riviera's dining room using the VIP entrance instead of the staff access hatch for a change.
"I just want to thank [everybody] for coming and showing me what a celebration party in the OSC style looks like," said Stone the morning after while nursing a visible hangover. With the aid of some Cryer pills and Orbital's legendary house blend coffee, he continued "Just...wow. It has been a very long time since I had so much fun, met so many nice people, drank so much of...everything with them, and in the morning felt so bad I wanted to cut my head off. But it was worth it, I hope you enjoyed it too."
The Orbital staff had quite the clean up on their hands, resulting in several curious artifacts to testify to the revelry of the night before.
"Someone forgot a bra with NeuralNet call number written on it in the men´s toilet and I found it there before leaving around like...uh, six in the morning?" said Stone. "Anyway, I took it for safekeeping because it´s quite personal, so if you can convince me you are either the girl which came to the party wearing this bra or you are the lucky person which was supposed to leave with it, you can have it." Anyone wishing to claim the rogue lingerie best act quickly, though. "My wife would not appreciate this kind of souvenir in my possession. Not to mention that what happens at the party, stays at the party, right?"
While Orbital wishes continued success for Captain Stone in the rally and that he finds many other occasions for celebration in the corporation's service, even Stone concedes that he's not a young man anymore. "I don´t think [the next party] can be earlier than, like, a month. My head still keeps spinning. And I still hear inside it that song which was for some reason played, like, twenty times that evening and we shouted the refrain so I almost lost my voice. You know the one."
A New Friend
White Star Lines, the division of Orbital that sticks closer to house space, also functions as the face of the franchise, making the friends the corporation relies upon to deliver the most exciting excursions possible for the rest of the sector. Friendships and partnerships with freelancers and groups lay the diplomatic framework that allows the more adventurous expeditions that Orbital offers to have a safety net to fall back into. Some of these friendships are carefully crafted over weeks and months, while others are completely serendipitous.
Breezewood under the command of Captain Jonathan Seabourne, found itself with a silent menagerie after some unexpectedly excessive radiation exposure from the Stellar Matter Stream in Puerto Rico. Customers were carefully shielded in their private quarters, but the public areas of an Enterprise class liner are not as well protected. While the worst that the passengers experienced were headaches and nausea, sadly the signature mascots of White Star Line's flagship perished due to radiation poisoning. Planet Harris used to be the main source of resupply for Breezewood's properly licensed menagerie, but with the evolving political situation in the Taus, the only source of the majestic creatures is now the original one: Planet Gaia, deep inside Enclave territory.
Breezewood settled on Halifax Freeport in Leeds, looking for a Freelancer willing to risk an excursion to liberate some of the creatures from the Royalist occupiers. "I had just posted the job to the Freelancer message boards," said Seabourne. "I left to get a cup of coffee and I had a reply by the time it finished brewing."
The freelancer Blank.Stare had accepted Seabourne's offer and was already on their way to the former Edinburgh system to meet the order, even before getting a confirmation from Orbital. Shortly thereafter, the hand-off was made in the Leeds smog cloud. "I though we would be moored there for ages looking for a pilot," said Seabourne. "I should have paid extra for sparing the Breeze an extra couple of weeks of damage to the paint-job."
Blank.Stare is normally a survey pilot in the Omegas, but welcomed the change of pace and the stack of credits. However, as is the way of pilots across the sector, it wouldn't be long before the two ships ran into each other again.
"We were flying the first batch of VIPs to Baden Baden with our new animal companions when we came across a familiar call-sign at West Point," said Seabourne. Since Baden Baden borders the omegas, Blank.Stare offered to escort Breezewood for no cost beyond the pleasure of having another pilot to talk to. "Making our way through Texas," said Seabourne, "we both realized that neither of us had a proper map of the Bering system, despite knowing that it somehow leads to Hamburg via jumphole. We elected to take a bit of an adventure."
The two ships made for the jumpgate to Bering instead of the usual route through Hudson. Once a bastion of pirates and Insurgent activity, the Liberty navy recently pacified the system with overwhelming firepower. "There were lots of wrecks," said Seabourne of the war-torn system. "Fighters from the Liberty-Rheinland war, dead tradelanes, and a cracked freeport." A quick survey of the southern end of the system found the suspected jump hole to Hamburg, and the rest of the flight to Baden Baden proceeded without incident.
"It was a fun jaunt and a good way to mix things up," said Seabourne of the survey mission, "But until its infrastructure is repaired, I don't see it becoming a routine Orbital path so long as Hudson is well maintained and the Rheinland civil war stays civil."
A Resurrected Reverie
Ever since her brush with almost total destruction, Reverie has been squirreled away at Freeport 1, the only station with proper ship fitting facilities that the damaged liner could limp too. An impatient Captain Theobald Franklin has been pacing the station's halls ever since with a single goal in mind: Getting his liner flying again.
"I assure you, I would never give up on my Lady, never!" said Franklin of his ship. "Only if she is engulfed in flames and reduced to space dust would I leave her behind. And then I would go and gather as much of it to integrate into the rebirth of her. Reverie will raise again from her ashes, like a phoenix, and will travel between the stars once more."
While the sentiment is noble, it takes more than strength of will of a ship's captain to hold the vessel together, and none could deny that Reverie would require a near total overhaul to be space-worthy again. A "proper" repair was estimated to be almost the cost of an entirely new liner. Resurrecting Reverie would be a Herculean task. Fortunately, Franklin found himself in the hands of the one group of people in Sirius who routinely play Lazarus with all things mechanical: The Junkers.
"Have faith in the skills of the Junkers," said Captain Caitlyn Cross, director of Triton Expeditions, when asked for advice. "You know I was one, and I know what I say when I tell you they can make miracles with machines and ships."
With a level of faith that would be the envy of any TAZ pilgrim, the Junkers set about the task of making the ship space-worthy again, offering a steep discount on labor provided that Franklin could procure the parts and equipment needed. This resulted in some unusual substitutions for a Renzu built liner. "I decided to replace Reverie's engines with a MOX Intermix Chamber from Rheinland," said Franklin after surveying available components. "The Commandant thinks that he and his team will be able to adapt these engines to Renzu specs. If this is true and the engines work, then the Liner will be a unique look in Sirius and Gallia."
However, even Junkers have their limits, and while Reverie can hold atmosphere and move under her own power again, there is far more to an Orbital liner than merely circuits and bulkheads. "The interior of the liner as well as her paint-job will still need a lot of attention to cover the patchwork up," said Franklin. "The cabins, restaurants, bars, spa-area need to be repainted, the furniture replaced, the outer hull needs an overwork, and so on, and so on; everything to Orbital's highest standards."
Looks like there things beyond even the Junker's skill sets, and soon it will be time to see what DSE and the other so called "proper" shipbuilders of Sirius can work to get Reverie back in service.
> > > > Closing Transmission < < < <
OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine
"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 1 September 827 A.S.
A Mistaken Identity
The investigation into the disappearance of Captain Orzel Faststar along with his liner Baltic Sea has been simmering on the back-burner of Orbital's security division for weeks now. The Shukensha class vessel vanished without a trace while traversing the Tau systems. No debris fields, no transponders, no sign of a struggle, and precious little for SPA-SEC to go off on. Various freelancer and zoner groups such as MFE, The Sirius Syndicate, and the Free Trade People have lent their services to the search. However, a recent "discovery" by Mick Tynchler of FTP only ended up creating more questions than answers.
While flying through New London, the FTP deputy stumbled upon a missing passenger liner in sector 3E, deep in the Devon Asteroid field. While the mysterious vessel did not broadcast any identifying information, it did appear to have active docking facilities along with defensive weapons platforms. Somebody lost this liner, and somebody was now occupying it.
Orbital's James Blackwood flew out to the site to verify the Freelancer's claims, but any hopes of solving the mystery of Captain Faststar were quickly dashed. "After further review I'm not entirely sure this is our missing Liner," said Blackwood. "At a quick glance, [this] appears to be an Oasis Class."
Oasis class vessels are the workhorses of Orbital Spa and Cruise, supplying affordable yet comfortable transit between houses for customers who care more about the destination than the journey. Most Oasis-class vessels flying Orbital colors are engaged in routine service between planets, most of which has been suspended to New London since the Gallic invasion. While a battle-damaged Enterprise could be mistaken for her leaner sister class, there is no mistaking the hull in New London for Faststar's missing Renzu-built vessel. The ship also matches none of Orbital's intact records, though admittedly the Gallic assault on Curacao leaves pre-war archives worryingly incomplete.
FTP set out to resolve a missing liner and succeed in adding another to list, and it seems like SPA-SEC will have more questions than answers for some time yet. "I know things have been turbulent as of late," said Blackwood, "but I don't think this one is ours. And if it's not ours... whose?"
A Doctor in the House
Orbtial aims to bring our legendary hospitality to every corner of Sirius and beyond, but we are far from the only organization that tries to make space a little more hospitable. Human bodies evolved for planetside toils are a poor fit for low gravity living. The brilliant doctors of the sector's medical services keep the human elements of the sector running despite the many ailments and physical strains that spaceflight places on the human frame. Countless innovations and treatments have transformed the deadly into the mundane, but new treatments cannot be discovered without cross-disciplinary collaboration in a sector that seems to increasingly favor petty tribalism.
Med Force Enterprises (MFE) recently took a stand against such factionalism with its 4-day Sirius-Wide Medical Conference. The medical meet-up was held aboard Triton Expedition's Red Velvet Club in Omicron Theta. "To sum things up, the conference is a huge success," said MFE's Jill Xi, the Chief of Medicine for Med Force General-B and organizer of the event. "So much that neither myself or Doc Holliday can find time to write even the smallest conference update. Suffice to say, we have been overrun with the success of it all!"
The conference featured an eclectic group of medical professionals from house space and beyond, allowing for healers from nominally hostile groups to share their knowledge freely for the betterment of all. "The one thing I truly love about these conferences is the people who come to it, sharing their experiences with the rest of us," said Doc Holliday, the well-respected face of MFE. "Seeing returning attendees from our last conference is indeed refreshing. Each brings a new idea and/or experience and with our staff, we try to incorporate some of what we learn into our database and bring aboard new people. I take pride in that just when we think we have found all of the answers, a new question comes along. That is what makes medicine so special...there is always something new out there."
The most talked about "something new" at this conference seemed to be the "Independent Synthetic Artificial Intelligence" named One Love. Opening with a display of artificially constructed organs that were seemingly indistinguishable from the "real deal," One Love proceeded to discuss their collaboration with MFE in Omicron Kappa to create their own artificially derived but undeniably human body. While One Love's language might have been a little too formal to pass a Turing test, they certainly displayed a flair for the dramatic as they pulled back a sheet to reveal a fully formed yet inanimate artificial human body. The macabre theatrical technique felt more at home in a horror movie of old than a medical conference, but the audience seemed properly enthralled with questions flooding in about the possible application for organ transplants and beyond.
Orbital even managed to supply its own contribution to the medical field. "My ship's doctor, [Andrew] Connor delivered a speech about the potential of medical marijuana and its use in the future," said Captain Caitlyn Cross, the master of Red Velvet Club and co-sponsor of the conference as Director of Triton Expeditions. While the medicinal benefit of extinct terrestrial marijuana is well known to medical historians, the medicinal applications of its synthetic descendant are still not widely understood. Cross's attempts for licensing the drug for use in house space was sadly met with firm disapproval, but it is hoped that with more academic attention on the topic, Orbital vessels will soon be able to offer a wider array of treatments for medical tourists.
"I have to admit, I was at one of the speeches and didn't understand a word," said Cross, "but the Docs seemed fascinated. I was able to make the evenings more entertaining than the speeches, at least for me." No Orbital hosted event would be complete without the food, entertainment, and amenities the corporation is known for and Cross did not fail to live up to our well-deserved reputation. Jill Xi seemed to agree with Cross's assessment of the amenities provided. "The crew of the Red Velvet Club really outdid the expectations!" said the conference's master of ceremonies. "Apart from a great buffet with delicacies from each and every sector, the attendees were entertained with a Zero-G Escape-Room, Exotic Dancers, Live Music and of course some great liquor from Doc Holliday's private store."
While there is no word on whether Doc's beverages were considered celebratory or medicinal, it is fair to say that everyone at the conference left it better equipped to heal the wounds of a war weary sector.
A Cordial Invitation
The saga of Captain Theobald Franklin's Reverie is a well known story to avid readers of Wanderlust. The liner found herself on the verge of total annihilation but managed to limp back to a friendly freeport. Lacking the structural integrity to safely travel to Liberty, the captain had to arrange repairs in-situ, which serendipitously put him in the hands of the Junkers. Now after weeks of repair, Junker ingenuity and Orbital style has turned a crisis into an opportunity, and Reverie is ready to rejoin the luxury fleet at last.
"We are done!" exclaimed an overjoyed Captain Franklin. "Everything is ready. The ship is running smoothly, we are restocked and ready to set out again. This calls for a grand party! I have already set everything up. so the only thing that is missing is you!"
Reverie's re-christening is set to kick-off on September, 12th at 7:00pm UTC at Freeport 1 in Omega-3. Where and when it ends is left to the Captain's discretion, but it will likely involve showing off the unique upgrades to the ship's engines. Reverie features a one-of-a-kind power core for a Renzu built liner which should leave all watchers suitably awed. Or as a giddy Franklin put it, "Let us rock the Omegas all together and give the Zoners and all the other people out there something to watch and talk about!"
A Need for Speed
Not all of Orbital's customers are content to sit in a conference room all day. For those who feel the need for speed, only the thrill of red-lining a ship to shave hundredths of a second off a rival's time will do. Fortunately, Orbital prides itself in its ability to cater to all needs.
The third stage of the Community Culture Rally saw the aspiring champions gather at the luxury world of Baden Baden in Stuttgart for a quick sprint over to New Berlin to pick up Rheinbier. Erwin Tobin, Stan Stone, and Anthony Stout set off for the tradelanes in a staggered start under the watchful eyes of the liner Tierra del Fuego. Orbital's own Stan Stone, fresh off his thoroughly celebrated victory in Bretonia, ran into some misfortune that quashed his potential win streak. A stray pirate patrol managed to down a lane and catch both Stone and Stout, leaving Tobin's Korsuner's Luck to live up to its name and take the checkered flag.
Even the largest of Orbital's ships are getting into the racing spirit. Captain Jonathan Seabourne's Breezewood, an Enterprise-class liner, recently took to the Dublin race track to prove that racing is not just a snub craft's game. Admittedly, the liner had trouble fitting through four of the gates, requiring the captain to slide the nose through the gate, reverse out, and fly to the next target. "Breezewood successfully triggered all the gates in 3:30.99," said Seabourne. "If you get anything bigger while flying anything smaller, you might do yourself a service and consider a career elsewhere in the corporation."
After 3 stages, the racers are neck and neck in the points for the grand prize of 450 million credits and a capital armor upgrade mk 8. There is still time for new applicants to throw their hat in the ring before the next stage launches from luxury liner Hawaii in Sigma-19. Whether you follow Stone's or Seabourne's example, newcomers are welcome in all classes of vessel.
> > > > Closing Transmission < < < <
OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine
"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 31 March 828 A.S.
A Return to Service
Eagle-eyed passengers looking up at the "big board" on Curacao were in for an unexpected treat. While the signature clacking sound continued to roll over for all the venerable ships in the luxury fleet, one indicator had been silently gathering figurative dust (Curacao's grand terminal, like all Orbital properties, is kept meticulously clean). At the bottom of the list, after every liner, cruise ship, transport, shuttle, and ferry was "BREEZEWOOD - OUT OF SERVICE."
While the designation has, traditionally, been granted to lost ships before their fates were fully determined, no wreath laying ceremony or investigation was ever launched for Breezewood or her well known Captain, Jonathan Seabourne, who also served as Chairman of the organization. But today, with no fanfare other than a knowing smile from the dispatch officer on the board, "OUT OF SERVICE" rolled over into "PARADISE LIMITED - MANHATTAN - BADEN BADEN" for the first time in recent memory.
Yes, Breezewood and her captain have returned to service, with "serve" being the operative word. "The only title I ever cared about was captain," said the former director, disappointing those hoping for juicy stories of corporate infighting. "I was only ever a placeholder, and I've been thrilled to read up on what Director Cross has done with the place. After a few years of wandering in the desert, it seems Orbital's finally found its huckleberry."
When asked about the sudden disappearance, Seabourne only offered comments that it related to a "personal health issue" and would go no further. As to where the former face of the corporation has been hiding these past few months, the Captain simply beamed his signature smile. "I hear Bielefeld is lovely this time of year."
A Bit of Magic
The Liberty Navy is rightfully proud of its magnificent hardware, but paradoxically the most impressive ships of the fleet are the ones that are seen the least. While Liberty's battleships stand their silent vigils in the tradelanes, the ship spotters of Sirius usually have blank spots on their checklists for one elusive name: Osiris. Fortunately, one lucky band of socialites got the opportunity to cross the name off in spectacular fashion.
Commodore Edwards of LNS Akhetaten found himself crossing paths with Breezewood while the latter was performing search and rescue duty in Manhattan orbit. The liner was hosting a large bachelorette party for a well known socialite and her 1,999 closest friends and took to playing "life guard" to keep the crew otherwise occupied. Captain Seabourne hailed the Navy ship looking to swap intel on any nearby threats but it ended with some spectacular fireworks.
"I jokingly asked for a demonstration of the hardware on an Osiris," said Seabourne, "and to my immense delight, Edwards agreed to put on a show."
Ensuring he limited himself to only declassified information, Edwards proceeded to show off the offensive capabilities of the battleship. From anti-capital ship cannons to defensive flack guns, the "oooohs" and "ahhhhs" of the passengers echoed throughout the ship, supplementing the guided tour provided by the commodore over comms. "I liked the green one best," slurred one passenger, holding what was unlikely to be her first, or last, Liberty Ale. "Though the orange ones with the long tails were also hella pretty."
But Akhetaten had one more trick up her sleeve, demonstrating the technology that the sine qua non of the class. After a countdown, Edwards deployed the ship's cloaking device, causing the massive warship to disappear before the passengers' very eyes. "It's like you're not even there!" exclaimed an awe-struck Seabourne over comms. "That's because I'm not there," came the reply from Akhetaten's bridge.
The warship, which had disappeared on the starboard side of the liner, materialized on the port side to give both sets of passengers a show. "Our entertainers work a lot of prestidigitation into their show in the Cabaret," said Seabourne, "but usually it centers on making parts of their costumes disappear and reappear. This is the first time I've ever seen it applied to something the size of a battleship at such close range."
The party-loving socialites will have quite the story to tell once they are planetside again, provided they remember any of it. But in this case, large ships suddenly disappearing can't be blamed on the alcohol, but rather the technical brilliance of the Liberty Navy and the showmanship of her captains.
A Resumed Subscription
With Wanderlust coming back to a full printing schedule, expect to see more of Orbital's in-flight magizine on board stations and liners near you. As always, the magazine is eager to print the stories of adventures all across Sirius and beyond. Do you have an engaging or amusing tale involving an Orbital vessel? Is so, we want to hear from you! Address all communications to Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Seabourne, and you might just see your words in the next copy relatively free of charge!
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OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine
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