Galnet archive

Freelance Report: Dr Lorax Speaks for the Barnacles

Doctor Elana Lorax, a leading contributor in the field of xeno biology, has released a statement to the media:

"Before we reached for the stars we destroyed countless species on our homeworld. Similarly, the colonization of Tau Ceti, Delta Pavonis, Achenar and many other systems resulted in the mass extinction of native life."

"But humanity has yet to learn its lesson. The cry for meta-alloys is not unlike the lust for beaver-pelt top hats in ancient times. Thousands of barnacles have been destroyed, and for what? Defunct stations can be replaced. If the barnacles are destroyed for their meta-alloys we will lose their secrets forever."

Doctor Lorax continued: "With a little patience we could unlock the secrets of the barnacle. Xeno biologists and chemists could learn to synthesize meta-alloys, given time. Unfortunately it seems humanity is going to destroy another unique lifeform for short-term, and short-sighted, gain."

Commander Corrigendum

Freelance Report: Dr Arcanonn Responds to Plea for Meta-Alloys

Responding to the suggestion that more meta-alloys be shipped to stations experiencing technical issues, Dr Arcanonn of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group has issued a statement:

"Many teams from the Canonn Interstellar Research Group have already started collecting meta-alloys. Some have been doing so for many days. But one thing bothers me. The community painstakingly collected and shipped thousands of tonnes of meta-alloys to Obsidian Orbital for Professor Palin. Where did they go? Surely the engineering teams at Obsidian Orbital didn't use them all up?"

"I want to urge personnel at Obsidian Orbital to help us by releasing their remaining stock of meta-alloys to the commodities market. Once the existing supply runs out, we will return to the barnacle sites to collect more."

"Since one of the affected stations is in my home system, I'm as eager as everyone else to deal with these malfunctions. It seems we have the means to fix the problems, so let's do it."

Commander Lord Zoltan

Freelance Report: Barnacles Continue to Occupy the Canonn

Verity Gavroche, public correspondent for the Canonn Interstellar Research Group, has been speaking to Dr Arcanonn about his teams' ongoing research:

"I realise the public might think our research has stopped because the barnacles and the Unknown Artefacts have not been in the news, but I can assure you that we are still hard at work. Many Commanders have undertaken expeditions to distant nebulae in the hope of uncovering more barnacles. We've also been working hard to map all the barnacle sites in the Pleiades. In fact, a new site was recently discovered on Pleiades Sector IH-V C2-16 C4."

"We are also trying to understand why the barnacles appear in the Pleiades. Are the raw materials in the nebulae important for their growth? Perhaps the ancient cloud the Pleiades is moving through has long held the 'seeds' for Barnacle growth, and they've only now taken root? We don't know, but we will continue our research."

Commander Lord Zoltan

Freelance Report: Dr Arcanonn Speculates on Palin's Disappearance

Dr Arcanonn of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group has spoken out about the disappearance of Professor Ishmael Palin:

"I hope that the professor is safe, but I feel a growing sense that he is no longer with us. As was recently made public, I am currently in hiding because a credible threat to my life was received. My fear is that the dark forces that sought to end my life have intercepted Palin on his way to Maia b1ba."

"We were told that the Diamondback Explorer that made the 'high-speed pass' at Obsidian Orbital appeared to be looking for something. Could it have been looking for the professor?"

"We didn't always see eye to eye, but Professor Palin is – or was – a great scientist and he is sorely missed."

Commander Lord Zoltan

Galactic News: Professor Ishmael Palin Missing

Authorities in the Maia system have reported that Professor Ishmael Palin, the scientist conducting research into the Unknown Artefacts, has disappeared. The professor recently announced plans to set up an independent research outpost on the planet Maia b1ba, but it has now been confirmed that the ship carrying Palin and his team did not reach its destination. Seneca Toule, a security officer based in Maia, released a brief statement to the media:

"Professor Palin's ship transmitted a status report not long after it left Obsidian Orbital, but since then no further reports have been received. All attempts to contact the vessel have been unsuccessful. A search is underway, however, and I am confident we will soon find some indicator of what has happened to Professor Palin and his team."

Galactic News: Ishmael Palin to Depart for Maia b1ba

It has been several weeks since Professor Ishmael Palin, the scientist researching the Unknown Artefacts, appealed for help in establishing a new research outpost on Maia b1ba. The appeal was enthusiastically received by the galactic community, resulting in a huge influx of deliveries to Obsidian Orbital, Professor Palin's base of operations. But since then there has been no news about the new research base, prompting some to wonder if it would in fact materialise.

In a statement released today, Professor Palin explained the reasons for the hold-up, and reassured the public that the research base would go ahead:

"I know the galactic community is eager to unravel the mystery of the unknown artefacts. The fact is that my team and I were sidetracked by our recent breakthroughs with the unknown artefacts and meta-alloys. I can assure the public, however, that the new research outpost will go ahead – in fact, and my team and I will be departing for Maia b1ba imminently."

The professor's ship, containing a wealth of valuable research material, is expected to set off in the next 24 hours.

Freelance Report: Detail of Dr Arcanonn Death Threats Revealed

Nelson De Rosa, chief of security for the Canonn Interstellar Research Group, has released a statement to the media:

"Dr Arcanonn has been receiving threats from crackpots for months, but this time the threat was more credible: that if he visited Professor Palin in Maia he would be 'terminated'. A meeting between the two scientists had indeed been planned, but was not common knowledge."

"We've now determined that Socha Korbemile, the doctor's research assistant, had been leaking sensitive information to an unknown source for some time. We are now probing possible links to Varati-based groups that have previously obstructed our research, and to the intruders who infiltrated Christian Dock in November last year."

"We are also looking for Dr Huros, whose militant views on alien life have previously brought him into conflict with Dr Arcanonn. I want to eliminate him from our investigation as soon as possible, so I would appreciate any information on his whereabouts."

Commander Lord Zoltan

Galactic News: Professor Ishmael Palin Announces Breakthrough

Professor Ishmael Palin has announced that his request for meta-alloys has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community, resulting in a massive influx of deliveries to his research base at Obsidian Orbital. In a statement, the Professor expressed his satisfaction at the response, and also shared news of a dramatic breakthrough in his research into the Unknown Artefacts:

"For much of the past week I have been investigating the ongoing technical issues at Obsidian Orbital, and I can now confirm what many of us have long suspected: the Unknown Artefacts are most definitely the cause."

"Apparently the objects have the ability to repair themselves – to re-grow, even – by extracting the necessary non-organic materials from their immediate environment. It really is quite remarkable. That's why they harm ships and other machinery – if they are damaged when they're scooped up, they use the metals in a ship's hull, or a starport's superstructure, to repair themselves. Even minor damage will trigger the self-repair mechanism."

"What is still not clear is if the meta-alloys can be used to counter this harmful process. That is what my team and I will be investigating over the coming weeks, using the research sample provided by the galactic community. As soon as we have something concrete to share with the public, we will do so."

This remarkable announcement represents a significant development in UA research, but it leaves the wider questions of the objects' origin and purpose unanswered.