Weekly GTVA News:
During a routine scouting run, the GTD Marmion received a general distress signal from the Mitkar jump node. A Vasudan science ship designated the GVSc Midguard with a crew of 120 Vasudan scientists had an overload in engine 2 causing half the ship to explode. A handful of the crew managed to evacuate in escape PODs just before the explosion. However, due to the hazardous radiation leaking from the Midguard's exposed reactor, the crew wouldn't survive long. GTVA command immediately reacted to the problem, sending the medical ship Rowville to rendezvue with the stranded crew. But the Rowville's ETA would be two hours late. The Marmion was order to intercept the Vasudan scientists, but they were experiencing major fluctuations in their power grid caused by a small mishap in the reactor room two days ago. The Marmion could not make a Subspace Jump in its current condition.
A Triton class freighter had warped into system 15 minutes earlier. They picked up the distress signal from the Midguard as well, so they offered GTVA Command their assistance. The Marmion informed the freighter of their situation, but ordered them to continue on their current course because it would be too dangerous for the freighter to make another Subspace Jump before their Subspace Drive had fully recharged. The freighter's captain, Captain Mark Silverman, disobeyed the Marmion's orders and immeditately set course for the Mitkar jump node. The Marmion attempted to intercept the freighter so that Captain Silverman would not risk the lives of his crew, but the Triton freighter was too fast. It powered up its jump drive 30 minutes before safe recharge time, and defying all odds, made it to the Mitkar system safely.
Due to the heroic efforts of Captain Silverman and his brave crew, most of the Vasudan's who escaped the Midguard's blast were saved and returned to full health. Captain Silverman was awarded by the Vasudan goverment and GTVA Command for defying the odds to save the doomed crew of the Midguard.
A controvesial issue is arising in the military division of the GTVA. A revival of artificial intelligence drones to help in the defence of the GTVA. Many influencual political wings are making a strong case to bring in the drones to save Terran and Vasudan lives in the event of a third Shivan invasion. The pilots and crews of GTVA ships are having mixed feelings about this issue. Some are afraid that they will lose their jobs if the AI drones are reintroduced. On the other hand, many are happy that this will reduce their changes of getting KIA and that they will find another job in the AI drone construction career and spawns of this.
We cannot deny the fact that the AI wars of the 2220's and the 2240's could reimerge. But the scientist insist that they have corrected this problem and that they won't make the same mistake twice. This was also said in 2238 just before the second AI war. However, if this problem doesn't occur, their's no denying that these AI drones will save hundreds, if not millions, of Terran and Vasudan lives if the Shivan's do decide to return.
Over the past couple of weeks, there have been rumours in the lower decks of some Vasudan destroyers of a new Hammer of Light presence. The Hammer of Light division was widely publisised in the Great War with strong religous beliefs and prophecies. When the second Shivan force was discovered, there were fears in the GTVA of the HoL being resurrected. With strong opposition from the Shivans and the Neo-Terran Front, the GTVA would not have survived a third opposing faction during the second Shivan war. A variety of declassified information that was recently released by the GTVA and the GTVI disclosing reports that the NTF did come under fire from unidentified Vasudan vessels during periods when the Vasudans were not supposed to be engaged in that area.
The GTVA is still beginning its rebuilding phase from heavy losses in the last Shivan engagement including the relocation of the Capellan community. A new hostile threat could seriously dampen the latest reconstruction efforts in the GTVA, so we all must pray that these rumours are not legitamate.
GTVA scientists and engineers are continuing their hard work on making an inexpensive fully operational life support system for both Terrans and Vasudans. This project will make an environment system benificial to both Terran and Vasudan lifeforms and if successful, this system will be be fitted into all GTVA ships allowing for more cooperative involvement in the alliance.
It is well known by xenobioligists that Vasudan's require a consentrated form of Argon gas in their 'air' periodically. The Argon gas in this form is toxic to Terrans under extended circumstances. A joint life-support system that laces the Argon gas with another concentrate helps to counteract this effect and has proven to be very effective with no symptoms in Terrans and Vasudans in the experimental period of two years. However, the system to create and replace this concentrate is extremely costly and not an optimal choice.
The newest system is very cheap and efficient and is looking very promising. It replaces the Argon with another harmless molecule that simulates the effect that Argon has on the Vasudan physiology. This molecule is still in the design phase and shouldn't be available for at least another three years in the most optimistic outlook.
Another disturbing discovery was made yesterday. The GTFr Bateman had just picked up a critical supply of construction material to take to the Wolf 359 system for some urgent repairs. Directly after the Bateman made its first jump, it was ambushed by unknown Apollo class fighters. The Bateman reported that the renegade ships were using much more powerful weapons than the old Great War relic's standard issue of ML-16's. They appeared to have the same ferosity of a standard Prometheus cannon. The Bateman managed to destroy two of the eight fighters, but its hull could not withstand the force of the attack and the crew surrendered their ship. Reports are a bit sketchy after this, but there was a weak subspace signature left over during the post-investigation. The signiture was reminicent of a freighter of unknown design, but definately not the Bateman itself as its signature was also detected.
It is still unknown what happened to the Bateman or where she and her crew were taken. Admiral Tsocahlis of GTVA Command reported to the media that he believes there is a mercenary or pirate presence building up in several GTVA systems and that it would not be tolerated. He would not disclose which systems these are though. There is growing pressure from the Merchant's Guilde for the GTVA to design freighters with more defenses. There is strong support for more freighters to have a shield system like the expensive S variant of the Poseidon class freighters. The GTVA has not responded to these requests.
