Incoming Transmission
Location: Research vessel Borealis
Comm ID: Aperture Science CEO
The Aperture Laboratories logo appears on the screen, with the slogan spoken by a feminine mechanical voice.
Aperture Laboratories, We do what we must... Because, we can.
The logo slides off the screen and feed begins of an overly well groomed man in a dark blue suit and tie sitting at a desk in a sterile white room.
Good morning people of Sirius. I am the CEO of Aperture Science. You may have heard of our work in the genetics field which has produced great results. But as of late we have been working on a project quite different. Again, we are prepared to deliver results. We were recently able to obtain funding for one of our most risky and expensive projects, our deepest thanks goes out to our sponsors because they made this breakthrough possible.
The CEO starts to show a very smug and wide grin
Mr. Newman, if you are watching this... Now would be a good time to retire.
After months of brutal research and testing, we are now pleased to unveil our latest creation...
Three days from today, on the twentieth of this month at 0:00 SMT we will send a single probe through this device. It will travel between two movable rings, using naturally occurring phenomenon that make this demonstration economically feasible.
The probe will enter at this point, in the Omega Three system:
And will exit here, in the New York system:
The trip will be completed In the blink of an eye, exceeding by far the distance and speed of currently available technologies.
Spectators will be welcome, as will the media. Scientific organizations throughout Sirius are also welcome to attend and verify the results for themselves. News reporters please contact us with any questions and make clear your intention to be present.
COMM TARGET:Research vessel Borealis SOURCE: [color=#33CC00]Lord Commander Alan Marskon ENCRYPTION:Medium Grade 992, 43 Variant.
Three hundred years ago, they claimed the same thing.
The Texas system still bears the scars of the result.
And now you think to repeat the same mistakes again, but in the heart of Liberty this time?!
No.
I will not let you put Liberty citizens in danger like this. The Legion will stop you, no matter what it takes. You have my word on this.
Characters Alan Markson: The Hellfire Legion's Lord Commander The Perihelion: Freeport Four's guardian, and yet much more. Missing and assumed Lost with all hands. Eric Dresmund: Junker, smuggler, thief. Last seen drunk on Beaumont Vayrn Wyard: IMG Recon pilot turned Neo-Terran Captain. Last location unknown
Incoming Transmission
Comm ID: Evelyn Foster
Origin: Newark Station
As a Liberty citizen myself.. I find your knowledge of history rather poor. The Texas disaster was not the result of an interstellar drive test, but a test of jumpgate technology.. A completely different category of event.
That said, while I am a patriotic Libertonian.. I don't see anyone beating Kishiro to the punch when it comes to drive technology.
COMM TARGET:Evelyn Foster SOURCE: [color=#33CC00]Lord Commander Alan Marskon ENCRYPTION:Medium Grade 992, 43 Variant.
Tell me, Foster, did you actually read what they said?
They spoke of their probe passing between a pair of ring structures, from one to the other, instantaneously.
This is no drive they're talking about. This is the exact same idea they were trying three hundred years ago: a faster version of jumpgate technology.
What was the end result of that, Foster?
Characters Alan Markson: The Hellfire Legion's Lord Commander The Perihelion: Freeport Four's guardian, and yet much more. Missing and assumed Lost with all hands. Eric Dresmund: Junker, smuggler, thief. Last seen drunk on Beaumont Vayrn Wyard: IMG Recon pilot turned Neo-Terran Captain. Last location unknown
Incoming Transmission
Comm ID: Evelyn Foster
Origin: Newark Station
Two problems;
One, this isn't the same technology that jumpgates used. If it were, they wouldn't be advertising, since that technology has already been perfected, sans range limitations.
Two, the gate disaster of Texas was due to two reasons. The relative infancy of jumpgate technology, and the attempt to pass through a dark matter cloud. The first is no longer an issue, and the second doesn't apply to this situation.
Trying to compare this to the Texas disaster is pretty shortsighted, considering the significant differences between those and this new technology.
Granted, there is the possibility of disaster, especially considering they are attempting to control natural phenomena to make this jump. But considering these phenomena have existed for decades within our knowledge, yet caused no disasters thus far, I don't think such hostile stances are appropriate until it is attempted. The Baxtar anomaly hasn't done anything to us yet, and its hardly enough energy to cause a system-wide catastrophe.
Besides, even if something does happen, it'll just hurt those inside the Badlands, and we don't care what happens to the criminals.
COMM TARGET:Evelyn Foster SOURCE: [color=#33CC00]Lord Commander Alan Marskon ENCRYPTION:Medium Grade 992, 43 Variant.
Similar claims were made three hundred years ago. They didn't think much could go wrong. Certainly nothing too dangerous.
Look what happened.
Can you say for certain that nothing will go wrong? Can you stand before Liberty citizens and tell them that without a doubt they are perfectly safe from having their homes saturated by yet another dark matter cloud, while the scars from the previous mistake still cover the Texas system?
And suppose they do succeed? Suppose they manage to transport their probe across dozens of light years from Omega-3 to New York without incident. Need I remind you what lies not two systems away from their little test zone? Are we supposed to sit back to watch the Rheinland fleets pour into the heart of Liberty?
Rheinland already knows about this project, do not forget that. I have no doubt that they will try to use it to their advantage.
If you care about Liberty, Foster, then stay out of our way.
Characters Alan Markson: The Hellfire Legion's Lord Commander The Perihelion: Freeport Four's guardian, and yet much more. Missing and assumed Lost with all hands. Eric Dresmund: Junker, smuggler, thief. Last seen drunk on Beaumont Vayrn Wyard: IMG Recon pilot turned Neo-Terran Captain. Last location unknown
Interstellar drive eh? sounds more like what the Zoners have been looking into, Wormhole anchors or stabilisers... something like that. Gotta wonder though, the Baxter and Badlands anomalies look like they eject more matter than they absorb, well... at least that's my Mafics scanners tell me. You sure they're not connected to black holes or something?
Well... it'll be interesting to see what ends up happening anyway. Just hope you got insurance.
Incoming Transmission
Comm ID: Evelyn Foster
Origin: Newark Station
Recipient: Alan Marskon
An ex-Navy defector and terrorist lecturing me on how to protect Liberty? No thanks, I'd rather listen to those trying to defend the nation, not those trying to burn it.
Now, as I said, there is a risk involved, yes. But not one large enough to have a system-wide effect. Everything in life has risk to it. No matter which direction you choose in any situation, there is risk. There is as much risk in your trying to prevent this event from happening, than there is in not interfering. Your intervention could very well cause another Texas incident as easily as anything. The biggest threats to humanity aren't natural disasters or failed technological experiments, but rash actions from impatient men.
Take nuclear technology into consideration. The largest nuclear disaster to ever happen; The nuclear bombs dropped on old Japan. They were not effects of nuclear technology being developed, but caused by the decisions of men with a trigger. Men like yourself.
While technology holds the capability of destruction, like nuclear weapons, it also holds great potential, such as nuclear energy, which can fuel ships, cities, stations, with very little waste. What if this technology turns out to not only be more efficient than jumpgates, but also safer? Then stopping it would be detrimental to everyone.
And your concerns over Rheinland are extremely short-sighted. Liberty's Navy is far larger, better equipped, and more advanced than that of Rheinland's. If Liberty had hit Rheinland hard in the throat like Kusari has to Bretonia, Hamburg would already be ours and we'd be threatening New Berlin itself. Rheinland doesn't have the ships to use this technology to strike us to any great effect. And the fleet that does get here will have no supplies. It'd be crushed by the New York defenses, which are far more powerful than any system battlefleet elsewhere in Sirius. It'd also weaken Rheinland's defenses, allowing our front line forces to push deeper into their territory with less losses. Diverting ships from Bremen's and Texas' defenses would be military suicide for Rheinland.
Got a few questions Aperture. I can understand Omega 3 but why New York? You do realize its about 10 -15 k away from some pirate base floating around in there? Aren't there already jump holes in that cloud as well?
Also I talked with a trader, the only valuable thing to ship from place to place is scrap metal and Quantum Multiplexors. Not a lot of profit.
Now I'm a simple man, a bomber pilot. I don't know micromorphic spheroid from a nano chamber but even common sense would have me to test a known, well used, newly installed, Nova Torpedo launcher on some floating rock where no one is flying around first. And you want to use a theoretical jumpgate next to several other stable access points, and in New York of all systems? Did Liberty even allow that? I mean, they don't allow you to laugh on the comm channels without a permit.
Is there any way you can maybe test this gate say'¦.next to some remote nowhere system and maybe link it to a nearby system then work your way further? I think they call that the scientific method but I may be mistaken.
And I'm not trying to open the hatch into deep space, but isn't a direct line to New York from Omega 3 kina a major hopping point seeing Liberty and Rheinland are at war? Did you also forget that jumpegate you are making would allow SCRA forces quicker access to the heart of Liberty?
You know, just things that are going through my head.
****Transmission Severed From Point of Origin ****
Sometimes, when all you want is to gain your freedom, you must be willing to risk it all.