Cambridge Research Station

Cambridge Research Station

File:Br03 02 base.png

Owner

Cryer Pharmaceuticals

Location

D/E-6, Cambridge

CLASS: Newton

GRAVITY: Partial

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 350

The Cambridge Research Institute is widely known as the largest intellectual institution in Sirius, surpassing its rival institutions in prestige by no short distance. This is mainly due to its proximity to Planet Cambridge, site of the largest university and research complex in the Sirius sector. Technically owned by Cryer Pharmaceuticals, the station is primarily a medical institute, though it produces medical and domestic goods to be shipped throughout Sirius. Although there are many avenues of research currently being explored onboard the station, the most highly publicised one to date is that of the collaborative work between Cryer and Planetform to solve the disease issues on the planet Carlisle in the Newcastle system.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes

Cryer Pharmaceuticals Bretonia Police Border World Exports Bounty Hunters Guild

Missions

Cryer Pharmaceuticals

Commodities

Imports

Commodity Price Robotics 19$ Gin 17$ Liberty Ale 38$ Nanotubes 51$ Titanium 23$ Oxygen 7$ Water 8$ Food Rations 16$ H-Fuel 167$ MOX 23$ Basic Alloy 25$ Polymers 20$ Optronics 117$ Consumer Goods 22$ Azurite Gas 144$ Xeno Relics 229$ Gaian Wildlife 282$ Platinum 162$ Quantum Multiplexors 59$ Synth Paste 25$ Aluminium 168$ Xenobiotic Filters 56$ Passengers (Bretonia) 249$ Biodome Materials 44$

Exports

Commodity Price Deployable Mining Container 50,000$ Medical Equipment 13$ Pharmaceuticals 13$ Crew 418$ Scientists 240$

Ships sold

Ship	Class	Price
Kingfisher	Heavy Fighter	13,558$
Civilian Ferry	Transport	225,506$
Civilian Gunboat	Gunboat	855,006$

News

[834 AS] Cryer Delegation Arrives at Harris

PLANET HARRIS -- 834 -- Cryer Pharmaceuticals location scouts have arrived on Planet Harris, amid speculation the medical giant will establish a facility on the remote planet. With the destruction of Atka Research Station, Cryer lost the primary production facility for their flagship drug -- Stabiline. Harris is believed to be a front-runner candidate for a replacement lab due to its strategic location in the Tau Border Worlds, BAF security perimeter, and option to tap into local supply lines. Liberty is believed to have provided significant diplomatic backing for Cryer's proposal, which is demanding complete legal autonomy for the site. Bretonian officials have declined to comment on the proceedings.

[833 AS] Gold Insecurity Invites Crisis

WATERLOO -- 833 -- Interspace analysts have published a report on the continued volatility of sector-wide Gold supplies, claiming that further instability invites disaster. The reports note the pressures placed on advanced Optronics, Bio-Neural Processor and Quantum Multiplexor manufacturing were already causing spiraling cost increases in adjacent market sectors. Market analysis also indicates that the bulk of Bretonian exports now consist of recycled and in some cases adulterated materials, likely indicating that stockpiles are running low. Interspace has called upon House authorities to collectively find the means of addressing the Dublin question before economic crisis becomes inevitable.

[833 AS] Stabline Prices Spike Over Atka Destruction

SIGMA-17 -- 833 -- Cryer’s share prices have tumbled on the news that Atka Research Station has been destroyed by brutal Outcast pirates. The remote station served as the primary manufacturing point for the revolutionary drug Stabline, which had promised to eradicate Cardamine dependency across the Colonies. Cryer spokeswoman Alicia Fisher confirmed that critical staff and research materials were successfully evacuated due to the timely intervention of private security forces and the GMG paramilitary. She noted that adequate Stabiline stockpiles exist to “manage demand for priority clients” while a replacement facility is sourced. Cryer is believed to have entered emergency negotiations with the governments of both Kusari and Bretonia to explore potential options.

[833 AS] Cambridge on the Line

NORFOLK -- 833 AS -- The number of recorded Corsair incursions across Cambridge has increased by 193%% in the last 3 years. According to Captain Edwards of the Battleship Norfolk, this is simply a result of the successes in detecting and reacting to attacks. "You can't respond to a Corsair you don't know is there," he noted. "The Cambridge Line ensures we know when and where to deploy our resources for maximum effect." Retired Major Jane Gilliam disagrees. "The Line was never fit for purpose," she says. "The Regents lobbied London to keep it, and so the pantomine continues." It is speculated that the spike in Corsair raids may have been prompted by increased resistance elsewhere, or a shift in their internal politics. Regardless of their true motivations, Interspace Commerce has recognised the elevated peril and adjusted its premiums accordingly.

[832 AS] Cardamine Withdrawal Epidemic!

MANHATTAN -- 832 AS -- Reports of Cardamine withdrawal-related hospitalizations have surged to unprecedented levels, with a specific hospital on Planet Manhattan recording a staggering 450%% increase compared to the previous year. A growing number of addicts are seeking emergency medical care, apparently unable to obtain their regular dose of the highly addictive drug. Symptoms of withdrawal rapidly progress into severe sickness, pushing many of these individuals into critical condition. While this troubling trend is observed throughout the Sirius colonies, Liberty is bearing the brunt of the crisis among the four major Houses. Remarkably, even Rheinland, where historical data indicated low Cardamine consumption, has witnessed a notable rise in medical cases linked to the illicit narcotic. Experts postulate that the extensive black market responsible for Cardamine distribution might be facing a shortage, or worse, that Outcast factions deliberately curtail the supply to bolster demand. Regrettably, no law enforcement agency has been available for comment on these concerns. The long-standing debate over Cardamine's controversial nature, juxtaposing its euphoric and purported medicinal qualities with the genetic alterations it inflicts upon long-term users, continues to echo. A key point of contention revolves around the plight of innocent consumers caught in this crisis. Yet, according to independent polls, a substantial majority of our viewers maintains that the substance must remain banned. In response to this escalating crisis, Cryer Pharmaceuticals has announced a forthcoming press conference. During the event, the company intends to unveil plans for an expanded production of Stabiline, their touted "wonder drug". This announcement promises affordable access to Stabiline for all patients grappling with Cardamine withdrawal, sparking a remarkable 15%% surge in Cryer Pharmaceuticals' stock following the revelation.

[831 AS/747 AGS] Gate Corps Clash Over 'Blackout'!

ABBEVILLE -- 831 AS/747 AGS -- EFL's 'Resilience Taskforce' today reported its findings on The Blackout, claiming to have gathered forensic evidence that proved the cause as Ageira negligence. A spokesperson claimed that the destruction of the Dublin jump gate by Molly separatists had created a hyperspace feedback loop that was propagated and amplified through the Ageira gate network. Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection. Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source.

[831 AS] Bretonia Announces Poole Draw-Down

NEW LONDON -- 831 AS -- The Bretonian government has announced a controlled withdrawal from the Poole system, citing ballooning costs and an increasingly strained state budget. Poole was once of critical importance to Bretonia, briefly hosting a Super Gate to Liberty during the Gallic War, and acting as a launching point for Bretonia's colonial ambitions in Omega 48. With the end of the war and Bretonia's withdrawal from Planet Gran Canaria, Poole's prominence waned. The cost of policing the system and maintaining infrastructure has significantly outweighed collected tax revenue in recent years, with Planetform's Terraforming Gas operations reporting disappointing year on year returns.DSE has already confirmed that it will begin deconstruction operations shortly, with the dismantling of the Cambridge jump gate expected to be completed by 833 AS. Planetform has confirmed its intention to withdraw prior to this point, while settling shareholder anxiety with the announcement of promising preliminary findings for a replacement site in Newcastle.

[831 AS] Bretonian Focus Turns on Mollys

SHEFFIELD -- 831 AS -- The Bretonia Police Authority has announced that the eradication of the Molly movement is their top priority. In light of the loss of the Dublin system and the seemingly connected 'Blackout', the dangerous terrorist movement has leaped to the top of Bretonia's most wanted board. Bounties on Molly terrorists have doubled, with Bounty Hunters flocking to the beleaguered House. Guild Master Tina Hale of Sheffield Station commented that, "this is a good deal for a job that's less dangerous than many of our Edge World boards." Despite this, prospective Hunters should be cautious, as the Mollys are notoriously cunning and brutal fighters. The bounties and Police crackdown do appear to be having some initial effects however, with reports of Molly attacks on shipping in the Cambridge and Newcastle systems falling over recent weeks.

[831 AS/747 AGS] 'Blackout' Causes Jump Network Fail

MANHATTAN -- 831 AS/747 AGS -- Two days ago Jump Gates failed simultaneously across Sirius, freezing commerce and neural net access across the sector. When the network resumed 31 hours later, restored communications broke the news of Bretonia's loss of the Dublin system. This twin shock has plunged the market into chaos, prompting fears of sector-wide economic recessions. Interspace estimates indicate that the stoppage alone caused billions of credits in losses. Gallia immediately accused Liberty of culpability for the outage, claiming the destruction of Dublin's jump gate instigated a cascading failure in faulty Ageira infrastructure. Ageira has sharply refuted the allegation, claiming such a systemic effect would be physically impossible. Independent researchers in Cologne and the Edge Worlds have also announced that a hyperspace pulse of unprecedented strength was detected moments before The Blackout, with data about 'The Pulse' being widely shared across the neural net in recent days. House authorities have remained tight lipped, refusing to comment on their own observatories' data.

[831 AS] Cost of Rebuilding too High?

NEW LONDON -- 831 AS -- Bretonia continues to face a difficult and lengthy recovery process following the conclusion of the Gallic War. The Bretonian people initially accepted this, and quietly pledged to come together and struggle on. While Bretonia is now witnessing an extraordinary rate of growth, it has come at the cost of severe cuts and harsh industrial quotas. Professor Timothy Ball of the Economic Review Institute says, "the recovery we've witnessed so far has been uneven, mainly benefiting Bretonian corporations and Crown agencies. If dividends of recovery are not felt by the average citizen, this inequality could become a major point of domestic political contention."

[829 AS] Marauding in Manchester

MANCHESTER -– 829 AS -- Reports from the Manchester system have now been confirmed by BPA and Bretonian intelligence officials: Liverpool Border Station, guarding over the Magellan jump gate and serving as the command center for police operations in the system, has been destroyed in what is being deemed a terrorist attack. Yesterday at 2200 hours SMT, nearby Sheffield Station and Kingston Border Station received automated distress signals from Liverpool, indicating an emergency aboard the station. Guild patrols redirected from Sheffield arrived on the scene within minutes, finding the border station destroyed. Search and rescue operations headed by Guild and BPA units commenced immediately and successfully salvaged several escape pods bearing several dozen survivors, who were immediately delivered to hospitals on New London. BPA spokesperson Sandra Halling held a press conference earlier this morning. According to joint police and BIS investigations, Liverpool was destroyed by antimatter explosives planted aboard the station. Their detonation caused a catastrophic chain reaction, resulting in the station's own reactors melting down and exploding. Of the estimated one-hundred-twenty persons on board at the time of the attack, seventy-eight have been reported as dead or missing. \So far, no party has taken credit for this heinous attack. However, Bretonian police surmises that it was likely perpetrated by either the criminals known as the Mollys or the infamous pirate organization, the Lane Hackers. The attack occurred following a significant redeployment of local Armed Forces units to the Cortez system for the purpose of joint operations with Libertonian security forces. This, says Halling, may have allowed terrorist sympathizers to exploit undermanned BPA patrols and smuggle illegal explosives through Manchester's ice fields, onto Liverpool Station. While investigations continue, Bretonian Police Authority has reinforced patrols within Manchester and established traffic controls at Kingston Border Station and Birmingham Station. Traffic to and from Liberty has been advised to reroute through the Cortez system.

[828 AS] Sprague Crisis

SPRAGUE -- 828 AS -- Following the conclusion of the war, Bretonia has continued to struggle with the ongoing refugee crisis from the many millions of displaced peoples from the Gallic Invasion. Although attention is focused on New London, the Bretonian capital which was besieged by the invaders, a number of Cambridge journalists have criticised the Bretonian Government for allowing another humanitarian crisis to emerge. Linsey Dawn - a prominent investigative journalist - has reported a large degree of 'disinterest' over the situation on Sprague according to her sources within the government. Going as far to say that "All they do is make sure supplies are dropped planet side. What happens after, they have washed their hands of it!". Dawn also reported that conflict among the different camps is becoming more and more common. The militias that are charged with the maintaining order of their respective camps have been raiding others to steal supplies she has claimed. Maggie Weber, a spokesperson for the Government has suggested that the Kingdom is going through a troubling time reeling from the devastation of the war with Gallia. Later offering a message of assurance that the Militia System on Sprague is temporary and the short-comings will eventually be addressed. Bill Douglas, one of the Border World Export captains who frequently deliver goods to Sprague has come out in opposition to the claims levied by Linsey Dawn. Stating that "This is a load of bollocks. Every supply run I make I hand off my goods to the local constabulary on Sprague. We do not need one of these journalists trying to spread lies at a time like this!".

[816 AS] Terrorist attacks rising in Omega-3

FREEPORT 1 -- 816 AS -- Omega-3 has a long and turbulent history of being a lawless space. In recent days there have been a particularly brutal spate of killings, with several BMM and Bowex convoys massacred. The Bretonia Armed Forces has been on the case for weeks, and yesterday successfully intercepted the mysterious attackers mid-ambush. Major Helen Hardy identified the assailants as Rheinland Military vessels, commenting that, “it was like 800 all over again” -- referring to Rheinland’s assault on Omega-3 during the Colony Wars. Following a complaint to the Rheinland government, defense officials were quick to deny responsibility for the attacks, pointing instead to the Military deserters-turned-terrorist group commonly known as The Wild.

[812 AS] Rheinland warns about “Wild” attacks

FREISTADT -- 812 -- For many years rumors have spread about attacks on Omega shipping by a group known as The Wild. Now their ships have been sighted marauding across Stuttgart and New Berlin. Rheinland has announced that MND intelligence has identified these menaces as traitorous Colony War deserters and war criminals, who stole Military hardware and vanished into the border worlds to enrich themselves. It is unclear what prompted the renegades to extend their attacks into Rheinland core space, however it is speculated that they may have been driven out of their old hunting grounds by other pirate organizations such as the Red Hessians or Corsairs.

[808 AS] Hamburg University restricts research access

ROTHERBAUM CITY -- 808 -- Hamburg University has announced a change to its publication process. Academics from other institutions will now need to subscribe to a ‘commercial affiliates’ programme managed by Republican Shipping to gain access to the university’s papers for peer review or research. Objections have been raised by New Berlin and Cambridge Universities, who argue that the move threatens academic freedom and scientific rigor. Hamburg University was bailed out by Republican Shipping three years ago when the institution faced imminent bankruptcy. Republican's Academic Investments Office say the fees schedule will subsidize "innovative research" and "push forward novel paradigms".

[805 AS] Republican bails out Hamburg University

ROTHERBAUM CITY -- 805 -- Hamburg University has narrowly avoided bankruptcy after negotiating a financing deal with Republican Shipping. The University's public funding was recently removed as a part of the ""difficult decisions” made by the government to stave off financial collapse. Republican is believed to have appointed itself as a “corporate guardian” for the institution, providing funding in exchange for exclusive rights to commercially exploit any resulting intellectual property. Republican representatives have confirmed that the investment forms part of the company’s broader plan to revitalize the Hamburg economy.

Rumors

Cryer Pharmaceuticals

We are not allowed to land on any planet inhabited by the species of Alien Organisms that we use for our research purposes here, so we have to ship them here through middle-men. You know, if you're a freelancer looking to make some quick cash, the staff on Atka in Sigma 17 told me they've seen shipments of the Organisms being exported from the Omicron Theta system. That might be worth investigating. The Zero-G production environment has enabled us to produce many exotic drugs not possible planetside. It also aids in researching diseases unique to space-dwelling humans, and treatment methods in Zero-G. Did you know, for instance, that a completely shattered bone can heal 40% more quickly in weightlessness, and that the recovery process is a lot less painful too? Cambridge Research Station was created to provide a stimulating research and development environment in Zero-G and to enable us to study the Alien Organisms from the Edge Nebula. These opportunities were unavailable on our planetside locations due to the Alien Import Prohibition Act of 500 AS, which prohibits the importing of any Alien Organism onto inhabited planets. Seems folk are worried about infecting a biosphere. From what whispers I've heared from the hotlabs staff, rightly so. One focus of the Zero-G research here is to improve drugs for those workers and travelers that frequently must exist in both environments concurrently, such as the police, military, and other pilots of small spacecraft that lack the aid of artificial gravity. We've discovered several new compounds that can only be produced in Zero-G. Cryer is trying to synthetically derive Cardamine from the Alien Organisms. Cardamine is naturally harvested by the Outcasts within the Omicron systems of the Edge Nebula. If Cryer can reproduce it here, but in a milder and more socially acceptable form, then all the Cardamine addicts in Sirius will be able to switch to our legal version. The Stabiline drug is a direct result of that research - it allows Cardamine addicts to survive, but it doesn't cure their addiction. Nothing can, given it's a physical mutation that the addicts undergo. Cryer is the sole Pharmaceutical producer remaining in the Sirius Sector for high grade medicine. Other companies may produce less lucrative medicines, but if it is specialised, we'll either already have the patents, or we'll be in the process of buying them up. We closely guard our secrets here. We feel that we charge very reasonable prices for our products, given the lack of competition. This station gets all of its basic supplies from Cambridge. We supply most of the Bretonian core worlds with our Pharmaceuticals produced here. Two of our biggest importers are Sheffield Station and Planet Leeds - especially now, as the Bretonians under siege on that planet frequently need treatment. Sheffield is always having to patch up Bounty Hunters and corporate escorts that come back with bits missing. There is a special secret lab that I'm not supposed to talk about. That's where all Organisms first go when they arrive. The scientists verify whether the particular strain has been characterized before releasing it to the rest of the researchers in the station. If a new strain is discovered, the shipment tends to vanish, both from inventory and arrival records. I guess someone up the foodchain has high hopes. Our efforts to synthesize Cardamine have not gone unnoticed by the Outcasts. The Atka Research Station in Sigma-17 is under constant attack, and their cronies in Liberty, the Rogues, are also stepping up attacks against our company. We definitely have a dangerous criminal enemy, which has led management to suspend direct shipments outside of Liberty unless Outcast activity is minimal along the route. Those criminals are feeling threatened by our Stabiline product.

Border World Exports

It's too bad Bretonia has to depend on a Libertonian company for our drugs. Just before the war with Kusari, the Cambridge Institute was putting Bretonia back on the map scientifically. Then the declaration went out, the Armed Forces mobilised and all those bright young minds got sucked away to Sunderland and the like. Cryer then filled the Institute up with Libertonians again. Considering we've got a war against the Gauls on our hands now, I doubt those fine Bretonian minds will be back any time soon. It's a real shame. We normally stop by Cambridge to pick up a load of Pharmaceuticals for the frontlines on our return trip up north. That doesn't interest the Outcasts up there as much, so its not worth their time to attack. Even the Gauls don't seem too interested in hitting a medical transport. Guess they have some semblance of dignity still. Three or four years back, a group of terrorists launched an attack on Planet Cambridge. They crashed a hijacked transport full of MOX into the southern hemisphere. In any case, the incident set some fairly prime pieces of real estate on fire. Cambridge's governor lost his job over the debacle. At least it prompted the government to invest in serious planetary defences. The whole thing rather stole the Molly's thunder, I dare say. The Mollies had been boasting they'd do just that to New London for years.

NOTE: Page generated on the 07/06/2024 at 15:55:46 UTC