1105

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.

Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A) Date: 101-1105
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.

Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A) Date: 201-1105
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.

Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A) Date: 224-1105
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.

Pixie/Regina (0303-A100103-D) Date: 241-1105
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."

Regina/Regina (0310-A788899-A) Date: 274-1105
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.

Dentus/Regina (0601-C979500-A S) Date: 361-1105
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.