097-1105
Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A)
By TNS Staff Writer
Officials of the General Shipyards
on Regina announced that it has completed negotiations with Tukera Lines
to locally manufacture L-Hyd drop tanks for use on high-capacity
commercial vessels. General will assemble components at its more modern
facilities on Pixie (0303-A1001030-D). The first production examples are
expected to be available within six months, at which time Tukera Lines
will begin high capacity service from the interior. Component assembly
will be carried out at General's more modern facilities on Pixie
(0303-A100103-D).
L-Hyd drop ships have only
been in service for the last dozen years in the interior, being made
possible by recent advances in the field of capacitor engineering, a joint
press release explained. Commercial vessels equipped with the new
generation of long-storage jump capacitors carry jump fuel in specially
designed L-Hyd drop tanks in excess of their rated tonnage. Upon
conversion of the fuel to the massive energy required for jump, the drop
tanks are explosively jettisoned through the use of break-away connections
and explosive bolts. Jump is executed when the remains of the tanks are a
safe distance from the vessel.
A spokesman for General
Shipyards explained that local yards are not yet capable of manufacturing
the long-storage capacitors required for the process, but that production
of the drop tanks is possible, thus allowing the high capacity starships
of the Tukera Lines to begin service to the Regina subsector.
L-Hyd tanks are not reusable,
and thus increase the absolute cost per jump. However, experience has
shown that the increase in cargo tonnage resulting from the elimination of
internal J-fuel storage more than makes up for this, the press release
explained.
The joint press release
concluded by stating that local manufacture of L-Hyd drop tanks marks the
dawn of a new era of commerce and prosperity in the Regina subsector.
Following the announcement, common stock in Oberlindes Lines plummeted 27
points on the Regina exchange before trading was suspended. Officials of
Oberlindes Lines were not available for comment.
101-1105
Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A)
By TNS Staff Writer
Close on the heels of the joint
announcement by General Shipyards and Tukera Lines that L-Hyd drop tanks
would soon be manufactured in the Regina subsector, came word by express
boat from the Imperial core that a decision has been made to deploy Jump-6
L-Hyd drop tank express boats on all major express routes. Initial
feasibility studies indicate that such a system could average jump-5.5 per
week by executing maximum jumps, and leaving current xboats to disseminate
information between the new major relay points. The system is expected to
cut communication time to the Imperial hub to under 25 weeks. The Initial
System Deployment Schedule indicates that the Regina subsector can expect
to be fully integrated into the network within a decade.
201-1105
Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A)
By TNS Staff Writer
Last night a series of explosions
ripped through Vehicle Assembly Building No 3 of the General Shipyards
facility on Pixie. Both company and military investigators on the scene
report that the damage was almost certainly the work of
saboteurs.
General Shipyard's Vehicle
Assembly Building No 3 housed the main assembly line for the production of
L-Hyd drop tanks. The L-Hyd drop tank project, undertaken in conjunction
with the Tukera Line (of Vland/Vland), is expected to open up the Regina
subsector to high capacity commercial access from the interior. A
spokesperson for the company reported that the explosions probably set the
project back by at least three months.
Imperial Navy Commander
Lobeck hault-Donosev, the naval system liaison officer on the L-Hyd
project, high General Shipyards press secretary Harcord Haveln discounted
any political motives for the sabotage. "There are commercial concerns in
the subsector", he said, "who place their own self-interest above that of
the population as a whole." When pressed to explain, he refused to
elaborate. The naval liaison officer to the L-Hyd project, announced that
Naval Counter-Intelligence was exploring the possibility that the sabotage
was the work of Ine Givar terrorists. Ine Givar activity in the Regina
subsector has thus far been limited to scattered and ineffective strikes
on Efate and Feri, but that this incident "definitely bore their
signature," he explained.
The public affairs officer of
the Pixie office for Naval Counter-Intelligence refused an interview later
in the day, but issued a press release disavowing any responsibility for
the remarks of Commander hault-Donosev and stating that the NCI had no
evidence whatsoever of Ine Givar activity on Efate, Feri, or
Forboldn.
224-1105
Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A)
By TNS Staff Writer
General Shipyards has reported 276
confirmed break-ins of its scrapyard at Regina during the last six months
and is considering instituting a "take a number" system.
241-1105
Pixie/Regina (0303-A100103-D)
By TNS Staff Writer
The joint investigative commission
released the findings of its investigation into the mysterious series of
explosions that ripped through General Shipyards' Vehicle Assembly
Building No 3 three months ago today. The two page report concluded,
contrary to initial statements, that there was no evidence of sabotage and
that the explosion appeared to be due to equipment failure resulting in
simultaneous discharge of liquid hydrogen and oxygen, which was detonated
by sparks from a short circuit in a flux welding unit which had been
inadvertently left on at the end of the evening work shift.
Public attention had been
riveted on the investigation since it was revealed that the explosions had
seriously set back the production of L-hyd drop tanks, equipment necessary
to the opening of the high-capacity commercial service between Regina
subsector and the Interior.
An initial oublic statement
by Naval Commander Lobeck hault-Donosev, the former project-liaison
officer, had suggested Ine Givar terrorist involvement in the incident,
and had mentioned Ine Givar activity on both Efate (Regina 0105) and Feri
(Regina 0405). A subsequent Naval Counter-Intelligence press release
denied any Ine Givar activity on Efate, Feri, or Forboldn (Regina
0208).
When the Naval
Counter-Intelligence representative on the joint commission, Lieutenant
Artura Gramlyn, was questioned about the inclusion of the planet Forboldn
in the denial statement, he replied "Well, there isn't any Ine Givar
activity on Forboldn. There isn't any Ine Givar anywhere in the Subsector.
We are familiar with all Ine Givar activity, and there isn't
any."
274-1105
Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A)
By TNS Staff Writer
The Traveller's Aid Society regrets
to announce the indefinite closing of its class A facility on Efate
(Regina 0105-A646930-D) and the posting of that world as an amber travel
zone. Gutted during a recent firefight in the administrative capital,
there are no immediate plans to repair the facility until civil order has
been restored on Efate.
In the event that travel to
Efate is necessary, a society travel agent remains on duty and can be
reached through the offices of the Oberlindes lines at Down-Franklin
Starport. Travellers are advised however, to avoid travel to this world if
at all possible.
361-1105
Dentus/Regina (0601-C979500-A S)
By TNS Staff Writer
Word was recieved today that two
weeks ago the Imperial Battle cruiser Adamdun mistakenly engaged and
destroyed the merchant craft Bloodwell of the Oberlindes Line. The
Bloodwell, according to the crew of the battle cruiser, was not showing
its ID transponder signal and would not answer broad-beam hails. The
Bloodwell was under full acceleration, and after it refused to change
vector in response to laser warning fire, it was engaged engaged by high-G
missile fire and destroyed. A subsequent (and unsuccessful) search for
survivors resulted in the identification of the ship.
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