23 DEC 3301
Last week, Professor Ishmael Palin issued a request for evacuation shelters with which to establish a new research outpost on Maia b1ba in the Maia system. Today, Professor Palin announced that the request had been positively received by the galactic community, and that he and his team were now in a position to start work on their new base of operations.
"Given the strong correlation between the presence of Unknown Artefacts and the mechanical issues currently affecting starports, it's of the utmost importance that we continue our research at a remove from the civilian population," said Professor Palin. "This new outpost will allow us to do exactly that, and it couldn't have been achieved without the support of the public."
Professor Palin said he hoped the new station would be up and running within a week.
23 DEC 3301
The third treasure hunt from eccentric billionaire Alfred Jeffress has come to an unexpected end, with not one but two pilots claiming the grand prize. Commanders MAX RED and Sync Mercy completed the treasure hunt within seconds of each other, prompting Jeffress to declare them both winners.
As with Jeffress's previous treasure hunts, competitors were required to solve a series of riddles to find the mystery object at the centre of the search. Competitors were led to multiple systems, eventually landing at Lasswitz Terminal in the Mentor system, and finally to the Prism system where the mysterious object was found.
When the winners were announced, Alfred Jeffress released a brief statement:
"I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to the winners, both of whom will soon receive a share of my personal fortune and the deeds to a new ship. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all those who took part – your enthusiasm has made this endeavour more than worthwhile."
23 DEC 3301
Last week, the Hel Purple Energy Industry launched a public appeal for crystalline spheres to commemorate the upcoming winter solstice festival – a tradition from Earth's ancient past. Hundreds of independent pilots got into the spirit of the occasion, taking to their ships to deliver the requested commodities to Snow Moon in the Bento system. A spokesperson for the Hel Purple Energy Industry said:
"We're thrilled with how it's turned out, we really are. Some said this appeal didn't have a chance of succeeding, but the response from the galactic community shows that the winter solstice still means something to people. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check on the turkey."
23 DEC 3301
In the early hours of tomorrow morning (7.00am GMT), the GalNet monitoring of powers' activities will go offline for a short period while the latest data is assembled.
Any pilots who operate for one of the powers must deliver any cargo or vouchers before this time to ensure their activities are registered.