Sheffield Station

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Sheffield Station
Owner
Bounty Hunters Guild
Location
F-4/5, Manchester

CLASS: Zeus

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 1330

Sheffield Station houses many of the off-shift prison, manufacturing, and mining personnel who work in facilities scattered throughout the Manchester system. A large number of guilds and shipping companies have regional headquarters on Sheffield, including Bowex and Gateway Shipping. But the Bounty Hunters Guild more or less administrates the station, and its members keep the BPA Newgate prison filled to capacity.

Bribes & Missions Offered

Bribes
Missions


Commodities

Imports
Commodity Price
Medical Equipment 28$
Light Arms 54$
Oxygen 11$
Water 9$
Food Rations 31$
H-Fuel 192$
Consumer Goods 14$
Ageira Gate/Lane Parts 475$
Synth Paste 11$
Munitions 54$
Xenobiotic Filters 47$
Exports
Commodity Price
Deployable Mining Container 50,000$
Robotics 23$
Criminals 440$
Gin 34$
Crew 332$
Boron 34$
MOX 25$
Pharmaceuticals 30$


Ships sold


Ship Class Price
Piranha Light Fighter 13,952$
Barracuda Heavy Fighter 12,458$
Hammerhead Very Heavy Fighter 24,979$


News

[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] 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] Shotgun Diplomacy

ERIE -- 828 AS -- In a turn of events for the quiet system, the Liberty Navy press corps has released information about an incident involving a Slave Liner. Spokesperson to the CNS Bradley Stern addressed the conference by stating the ship had refused to comply with orders issued by patrols, and that it was being conducted in a manner that raised all manner of red flags. The Delaware was forced to position itself such that the ship was forced to stop, and when a cargo scan was conducted it was revealed that the Liner was carrying a vast quantity of munitions. With its secret loose, the Liner attempted to escape and was promptly disabled by secondary cannon fire.

Upon further investigation, the Navy has successfully identified the ordnance being transported as being sourced from Rheinland. Going as far as to state that they contained serial codes which correspond with weaponry used by Rheinland's own Military. Naturally given the circumstances around the discovery of these weapons and Liberty's history of hot and cold relations with the neighboring House, it is expected that this development will lead to further scrutiny when it comes to potentially suspicious activity.


Rumors

Bounty Hunters Guild
  • The best way to catch a Molly is to use bait. If you can take out one of their engines, the other Mollys are going to stay behind and try to rescue the distressed pilot. That's when you find out if you are good enough to do this job.


  • Quite a few constables came by just now after their shift had ended, looks like things here are getting bad enough that people are considering drastic career shifts to stay in the black. I'm sure corporate is having a laugh, I pity the greenhorns though, they don't seem cut out for this sort of thing.


  • My father was a Bounty Hunter and so was his father before him. Dad started taking me hunting with him when I turned fourteen. I've been doing this ever since, and I've bagged over four hundred criminals in that time.


  • Bowex transports basic supplies from here to the other bases in this system. A lot of the Commodities that come through here are either on their way to Liberty or New London. For us it's good to sit on a major trade route. We get supplied well, and the criminals are drawn to these traders like flies to honey. All we got to do is clip a few wings.


  • Your past does not matter when you become a Bounty Hunter. Once you join the Guild, all is forgotten. For many it is the only chance they have to turn their lives around. I'm not saying life is all roses from that point on - far from it - but it's better than going back to the Newgate.


  • Outcasts come into this system via the Magellan Jump Hole, so if you are looking to bag an Outcast, then I suggest you look in the Sheffield North. Be careful - Outcasts are pretty touchy with a hold full of Cardamine and have no problem blowing a hole in your ship.


  • There is a law in the Bounty Hunters Guild that must never be broken. The proper authorities can't ever be told the location of the Jump Holes. Any Bounty Hunter who breaks this rule is expelled from the Guild, and is usually the victim of an accident.


  • Lane Hackers do a lot of raiding in this system. They know when the Gold shipments are going to come through, and yellow metal is one of their favorite finds.


  • I usually don't bother with the prison convoys. The Police Authority usually escorts those themselves, so there's nothing in it for me. They'll claim any pirate kills as their own, which means I don't get paid. It's easier to nab a few Gaians near Birmingham, or a few Hackers coming from Magellan. If you bag both groups on the same trip, you get payment from both Liberty and Bretonia.


  • Side Arms and H-Fuel are shipped throughout this system from this base. Even though these shipments are staying in the system, the haul is still dangerous. Side arms are a favorite of many criminals, especially the Mollies. We sometimes use shipments like that as bait.


  • This base's location between the two major ice fields in this system leaves us with plenty of options. All kinds of scumbag criminals come into this system. You name it, we got it: Mollys, Gaians, Outcasts, and even Lane Hackers. Most of the action takes place north of the Trade Lanes, except the occasional Molly raid on the Newgate.


  • Welcome to Sheffield. This base is a major distribution point in this part of Bretonian space. Aside from a small police outpost, this is the last stop before hitting the Independent Worlds if you head towards Liberty.


  • The legal team has been hard at work lately, probably means they managed to score some big-time contracts with Bretonia. While I'm glad work's opening up, part of me is still surprised this rainy moshpit can actually get worse.


  • There are two Jump Holes in this system. The Hole to Leeds is in the Birmingham Ice Field; the Hole to Magellan is in the southern part of the Sheffield North Ice Field.


Border World Exports
  • Pharmaceuticals are in demand at this facility, both for local use by injured Bounty Hunters, and for transfer to Newgate. You can pick those up from Cambridge.


  • Boron makes it to this base all the way from Pittsburg. If you feel like you haven't had enough adventure, you can always continue your journey to Scarborough or Southampton. They'll purchase the Boron there for use in shipbuilding.


  • Want to travel to California and make lots of cash while you're at it? Buy MOX from Birmingham, take it to the Yukon. Then load up with Optical Chips from Los Angeles, and head back here.


Bretonia Police
  • We maintain a presence here at this base because a lot of shippers, though they often rely on Bounty Hunters, still want to see the legitimate authorities. We run patrols from this area into the North and South Sheffield.


  • I don't like being here at this base. I would prefer to be stationed at a police base where there are more of my kind. Several of the Bounty Hunters I have encountered here were criminals that I put away at one time or another. I doubt any of them have really changed their ways. Only their targets.


  • The Crown has instituted a work program for the least dangerous criminals at the Newgate. They mine ice in the Sheffield South. I run the patrol from this base, which keeps their mining operation secure from attempted breaks. We've had a few attempts, usually assisted by Molly raiders.


  • I fly a patrol from this base all the way to the New London Jump Gate and back again. Last week I came up against a few Mollys on their way from Birmingham. One of the Mollys escaped, one died, and the third is on a convoy to Newgate.


  • A lot of the Cardamine that flows into Liberty comes through this system. Have you ever tangled with an Outcast? I and two other police interceptors engaged four of them a few days ago. It was a mistake to go against them with fewer numbers. The other two interceptors got cooked.


  • Gaians are a bunch of pansy rich kids who had no problems in their lives, so they decided to create one. Terraforming isn't anything terrible or unethical. As a matter of fact, it will eventually save Bretonia. I take pleasure in wasting or busting those filthy snobs.


Gateway Shipping
  • I hate crossing the Independent Worlds. When I signed up for the H-Fuel run from Los Angeles to here I thought it would be an adventure. I'd say it's closer to a nightmare. Gateway doesn't pay me enough to get killed. Gateway's route goes by Sheffield and over Manchester. Our IMG partners often help us out near Freeport 4, but travelling through the Barrier ice fields is quite dangerous. Lane Hackers, Outcasts and Liberty Rogues are on the prowl there.


  • Hauling Pharmaceuticals to Sheffield might be the easiest run that Gateway does. Sure, the pay isn't great, but I don't care as long as I have a better chance of making it home.


  • I ship Food and Consumer Goods to this base from Kensington. It's a living, and you only have to jump from one system away. Mollys can be quite a problem on occasion, so be careful if you try it. But it is a hell of a lot safer than crossing the Independent Worlds.


Universal Shipping
  • Two of my escorts bought the farm back in Magellan, and so did one of my gunners. Too bad, we had made it all the way from Newark with a full load of H-Fuel without incident until then. Luckily, our transports made it safely to Freeport 4, where we patched outselves up and waited for replacement escorts to be sent.


  • Universal Shipping hauls Light Arms to this base from Detroit. A portion of our shipment is sold here, and then we continue to New London to sell the rest. You could always do the same, if you are a competent pilot, but be aware that every criminal from here to New York will be gunning for you. Xenos especially love those Light Arms.


  • Our shipping firm brings Trade Lane Parts from Trenton to Waterloo. It is a lucrative run, but exclusive to the triad of Universal, Ageira and DSE. That may seem a bit extortionate, but it's neccesary because of the sensitive nature of those components. Less reputable firms don't have the neccesary security measures in place.


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