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The Stargazer Vol 2, Iss 4
THE News for the Dragon Quadrant
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Your UDA news source, quarterly news journal.
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The 21st Day of Sesdecim, Year 3453. | Sponsored by TriTeq Industries, Inc.
Issued on December 27, 1998 RL Time. | "When you want the best, get Teq."
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In this issue:
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TOP NEWS
MYSTERIOUS VIVISECTION DEATH TOLL MOUNTS
UDA News
Blood Sect Destroyed
Business Universe
TriTeq Security: Second to None
Espionage perpetrator caught; TriTeq Stock drops 8
Cutting Edge
CRITTERS raises 100 billion credits for New Worlds
Advertisements
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TOP NEWS
========
MYSTERIOUS VIVISECTION DEATH TOLL MOUNTS
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Earlier today the latest victim of "the Vivisectionist" as it has become
known locally, was found, bring the total number of victims to 37. Captain
of the guard Masato Sawa has been investigating the murders since they
began in Ishikawa City almost five weeks ago. "These murders are most
gruesome indeed," said Sawa. "The bodies have been found, torn to bits,
almost to the point of unrecognizable as being human at all. But what we've
found that's most amazing," he paused, "is that the bodies also look as if
they've been 'studied,' as in some sort of scientific experiment."
Insiders of the guard note that an unnamed Spaetor psychic was brought in
to help locate the whereabouts of the killer and perhaps where it will
strike next. "I remember that she felt very uneasy even in orbit around the
planet," said our source, who preferred to remain anonymous. "Her visions
and feelings surrounding the murders became more and more disturbing the
closer she got to Ishikawa City. She wanted to leave as soon as she got
there, remarking that she couldn't believe this was happening again."
For security reasons, our source could not reveal any more details of
the Spaetor psychic's visit.
When asked about the psychic's visit, Sawa refused to comment, saying only
that "it is a matter of security and must remain confidential." When
pressed about the serious nature of these murders and that the safety of
the Ishikawa residents, as well as any visitors to Koseikai (known by UDA
recruits as Beta Ward), is at stake, Sawa mentioned that "everything is
under control."
Captain Sawa went on to say, "We encourage residents of the city to
observe a voluntary curfew of sundown and to be sure to secure all doors
and windows."
-Khaivhei
UDA Newswire
UDA News
========
Blood Sect Destroyed
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The religious Luischawn Monks have long been known as a people who are
fierce fighters, yet of a peaceful nature, using their formidable
bare-handed combat skills only for defense. Recently, a crisis rocked the
religious society when a renegade group of monks made an attempt on Master
Monk Sghoan Mhoquab's life.
While on her daily rounds studying SDO plant life, Mhoquab was suddenly
attacked by three dark-robed figures, all unarmed and fighting with the
expertise only monks are known to posess. Mhoquab managed to fend off the
attack, killing one of the assailants in the process. The corpse of the
attacker revealed a terrible secret.
"This was once an apprentice of mine," Mhoquab said, referring to the dead
Frenalian attacker. The corpse of the attacker revealed that several plant
essences (including an extract of the poisonous Opal Lotus) had been
injected into the attacker's blood stream. Fearing more crime by the rogue
monk group, SDO chief of security Hartero Kwasnye hired bounty hunter
Plauntice Oahn to find the whereabouts of the remaining rogues. Once he
did, a large team of security officers were dispatched to destroy the
remaining monks. The details of this are sketchy and have been kept of
utmost secrecy by SDO security, but we do know that the sect of monks have
finally been destroyed, but unfortunately several UDA officers have been
killed in the fighting (see Stargazer's note at the end of this article).
"These were 'Blood Monks,' a renegade sect of monks on Luischawn believed
long extinct," Mhoquab explained. "Blood Monks believe that they can better
utilize the powers of nature by having extracts of various plants injected
into their bloodstreams, but the process turned out to drive them insane
and fill them with hate." The telltale signs of a Blood Monk are a small
tattoo of a blood-red snake on their right index fingers, and especially
the eyes, she pointed out, which become blood red after the process.
"When the original Blood Monk sect existed," continued Mhoquab, "the few
members of it who saw the light and escaped their clutches had their eyes
replaced with cybernetics and wore their fingers covered... to hide from
their past."
Long a master monk, Mhoquab points out that this is an extremely dangerous
fanatical group. "The Blood Monks are excellent bare-handed combatants, and
unlike true Monks of Luischawn, they also use their abilities for attack.
They wield powerful magic fueled by their hate, and often augment their
bodies with cybernetic implants -- a process viewed as intrusive and
unnatural by true monks."
Mhoquab fears that the SDO group was just a minor force, and that more
Blood Monks may reside on Luischawn. Her fears are apparently
unsubstantiated, since there has not been any escalation of violence on
the peaceful Frenalian homeworld.
Stargazer's note: If you fear a loved one may have been involved in this
mission, please contact SDO Chief of Security Hartero Kwasnye's office.
-Aga
The SDO Voice
Business Universe
=================
TriTeq Security: Second to None
-------------------------------
TriTeq Industries, Inc. announced today that an internal investigation into
acts of industrial espionage was successful. "We've found the perpetrators
and dealt with them," said Infoteq, CEO of Technology Development. "We were
tipped off by loyal employees who noticed that something peculiar was going
on."
The investigation took several months and after painstaking observation, a
case was built and the spy was caught red-handed in a sting operation
designed to flush the criminal out. "Our internal security team was also
able to uncover who the spy was working for," commented Dranor, "and we
plan to take the company responsible to court in order to recover our
intellectual property."
Commenting on the efficiency of their security team Trillian said, "We are
extremely pleased with their performance. They gave 110% throughout the
operation. They will all be receiving a little something extra in their
paycheck this Christmas season." Chief of TriTeq Internal Security, Lorien
Carsaso, was quoted as saying, "We were just doing our job, I am glad we
were able to bring this person to justice."
Specific details were not made available due to a UDA Court gag order put
in place earlier this morning by Judge Michael Ellon who would only go on
record to say, "It was necessary for the security of the case."
-P.R. Bot 4000
Espionage perpetrator caught; TriTeq stock drops 8
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In an unsurprising move today, TriTeq Industries, Inc. (symbol: TTI)
issued a press release about recent reports of actions concerning corporate
espionage. While Stargazer reporters worked the case, trying to interview
top executives Infoteq, Dranor, and Trillian about the news, TriTeq
refused, deciding instead to "put their own swing on the news." The
Stargazer decided to interview Industry Analyst Smilodon of UDA Newswire,
who identified the corporation involved, but not the actual perpetrator.
"This news is most disturbing indeed," said Smilodon. "That someone as
sneaky as this guy was could actually be hired into a high level position
at TriTeq, yet be selling secrets to Sirius [Logic Solutions Corporation].
I just find it hard to believe that the company executives didn't see it
coming."
TriTeq stock has dropped 8 points when the news hit the stock market about
their legal suit with Sirius Logic Solutions Corp. for the intellectual
rights of the material the perpetrator sold to the company. Sirius owner
Capone Sirius could not be reached for comment, but his vice president of
acquisition R'mhan Tukhen commented that "TriTeq is crazy. What secrets do
they have that we do not already know about?" When asked what Tukhen meant
by this statement, she said, "It is well known among Altairn society that
our biz is one of the best in corporate information. Why would we have a
need to steal information about them if we already know it?"
But Smilodon has a different take on the issue. "TriTeq has known for some
time that Sirius has been interested in getting past TriTeq's high security
into the depths of their company's most prized and highly guarded research
and development." Smilodon should know. He has been researching the
activities between TriTeq and Sirius for quite some time now. "Sirius had
need of getting a spy hired onto TriTeq's prestigious staff in order to get
close enough to find out as much as he or she could. In my opinion, the
perpetrator never had a chance of surviving in TriTeq from the start."
As the court battle rages on, a clear winner has not yet been determined.
Whether or not TriTeq decides to exercise its political 'muscles' remains
to be seen, but because each company has the resources to carry this case
out as long as necessary to win, it is likely that Sirius may opt to settle
out of court privately, rather than carry on a high profile case which
could hurt their company's primary business.
-Tic Von Tac
Cutting Edge
============
CRITTERS raise 100 billion credits for New Worlds
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Immortal fund-raiser Domino is back in the spotlight, raising over 100
billion credits this quarter at gala DDO event for the benefit of her
newest endeavor. Economics mavens flocked to the beach for this "Samba
Under the Stars" to benefit the Coalition to Realize Interstellar
Transracial Terraforming Endeavors in Remote Systems, or CRITTERS as it
is commonly known by. At Cr500,00 per plate, the revelers were treated to
a lavish dinner prepared by DDO's finest chefs, and Domino opened her own
wine cellars to provide the evening's libations. The party continued into
the evening with music and dancing until sunrise.
The paradigm for CRITTERS is being carefully examined by many economists.
"The idea of ordinary beings developing whole planets is completely beyond
comprehension," said one critic. "Does she mean to let just *anyone* build
willy nilly where they will?" Others applauded Domino for her frankness.
"She's very resolute about having input from anyone interested in
terraforming a planet, in part or in whole," said a source close to the
immortal, "she really believes that with proper guidance, beings of all
races can enjoy the pleasures of creating their own worlds."
The CRITTERS basic strategy is to carefully study particular solar systems
with an eye to developing colonies or industry on every planetary body in
the system. CRITTERS provides extended geological and orbital information
on the planetary bodies of a particular system as well as suggestions on
the type of industry or colony that might suit the site. In rare cases,
CRITTERS also provides one-on-one mentoring to particularly gifted
planetary engineers. According to public filings, the funds raised from the
gala are ear-marked to pay the army of planetary surveyors and deep
quadrant explorers needed to locate and assess a CRITTERS-certified system.
Not all beings agree that CRITTERS is as innocuous as it seems. On the eve
of the gala, a formal protest was filed by the Frenalian Government on
behalf of its citizenry. Among the accusations were charges that CRITTERS
settlement guidelines favored more aggressive land-based species and that
CRITTERS funds were not being applied according to its charter. Domino
herself flatly denied these claims. "I've never heard anything more
ridiculous in all my life," she chuckled on her way through the DDO Main
Lobby. "What part of transracial don't they understand?" "As for the
misapplication of funds," she added, "do they think I make these systems
up out of thin air? Does anyone realize how much the organization has to
pay for crewed ships to wander months on end to even find a system worth
checking? So far we've found and certified a single system. Just because
it doesn't contain a water-dominant planet is no cause for such
irresponsible insinuations."
Documentation of the "Minoric System," as it has been named in the
Interstellar Systems Register, shows that CRITTERS did enter into a
convenant with the government on Khrenleign to develop a colony on the
planet in the gamma orbit of that system. Further details were unavailable
at the time of this transmission.
-Arachne
The SDO Voice
Advertisements
==============
The Coalition to Realize Interstellar Transracial Terraforming Endeavors in
Remote Systems (CRITTERS) is seeking a few select individuals or teams to
develop projects on the planetary bodies catalogued in the stellar register
for the recently charted Minoric solar system. Available terraforming
sites are:
Catalogue Number | Orbit | Planetary Body
=========================================
22138SS22139AM | Alpha | a molten world
22138SS22141BM | Beta | a cratered world
22138SS22145DM | Delta | a gas giant
22138SS22147EM | Epsilon | a cluster of asteroids
22138SS22149FM | Zeta | a gas giant
22138SS22151GM | Eta | an ice planet
Complete reports on planetary composition and suggested industrial or
commercial use of these properties is available via private inquiry.
All orbits are certified stable by CRITTERS Systemologists (note: Eta
Minoric is the only planet in the Dragon Quadrant certified stable in a
transplanar orbit). For more information, mail your local CRITTERS
representative, Domino.
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Editorial Staff
Editor: Rayon Synergy
Publishers: Infoteq, Trillian, Dranor
Reporters: P.R. Bot 4000, Tic Von Tac
Guest Reporters: Khaivhei, Aga, Arachne
Please direct all comments to Stargazr@dracon.net
If you wish to become a part of the Stargazer staff, please send email to
Stargazr@dracon.net with the subject: Stargazer staff application.
Please include a sample of writing over 100 words in length.
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