Gelfiven News Network

Fiction Portal Intergalactic Summit
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Good afternoon New Eden! This is Gelfiven News Network, broadcasting from the SS Flame Nebula in orbit above the fifth planet. We bring you the latest news from everyone’s favourite corner of Molden Heath, with Taora Teonsur.

Save the Whales!

YC 121-03-12 • Kaldgronnur Harn • Gelfiven V

One of the last remaining herds of wild Gelfiven whales is under threat as new algae and fish farms continue to encroach on the animals’ feeding waters. Numerous activists from around the system have gathered on the Kaldgronnur sea platform cluster to protest against Native Freshfood expansion in this area.

“We must save our whales!” - said a middle-aged office manager from Gelfiven VI.

“Those animals were enslaved by the Amarr, and now they are free, like we are! They do us no harm! How can we treat them like that and put them back into protein farms?” - cried a teenage vegan activist from Matar.

“The hvalir have deep connection with the world spirit. Aoonathea watches over her children. Do not incur her wrath.” - warned an elderly local mystic.

The animals known to the locals as “whales” were first introduced to the oceans of Gelfiven V almost four hundred years ago by the Amarrians to be farmed for meat. These peaceful, majestic, bioluminescent creatures resemble a cross between a giant manta ray and a cuttlefish and can grow up to 60 m long. Herds of Gelfiven whales are commonly kept by the sea drifter clans here, but during the rise of the Republic, a wild population also formed - and it’s the whales freed by the Rebellion who are now slowly going extinct.

“If anything, the wild whales are a nuisance. They interbreed with our livestock. During the starfall season young females break away from our herds and we find uninvited guests on our pastures all the time.” - said a whale shepherd from the nearby Osvestur Harn. - “I know the seers don’t like that, but last year we had to shoot two most persistent ones to keep the rest away.”

“They should shut down the starport. We don’t need no fish-hugging wackos from all around the world in here.” - complained a grizzled fisherman in the local bar. - “I can’t even get to me boat!”

“The wild whales are more of a symbol to those people.” - commented Dr. Hyrri Halsigur, former employee of the Tidal Cove Marine Biology Lab. - “They are not an indigenious species, and plenty of them are still being kept on the farms. There’ll be little to no loss of biological diversity even if that particular herd is gone.”

As of today, the Native Freshfood subsidiaries still continue to expand the algae farm network around Kaldgronnur despite the ongoing protests.

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City tackles street crime through crowdfunding; locals blame capsuleers

YC 121-03-14 • Dober Harn • Gelfiven V

On the oceanic planet sparsely populated by the Vherokior sea drifters, Dober Harn is one of the few places that one might call a proper city. It is also home to a thriving Brutor community, famous for its radical pro-Shakor political sentiments and riots against the goverment of Karin Midular during the Muritor incident. People sometimes call Dober Harn “Little Rens” for a reason.

However, that little Rens used to have a little Amamake of its own. Harnstodur, or the Portway Quarter, was the place favored by those who sunk to the bottom. The police, understaffed and underpaid, rarely dared to enter the dark labyrinths of the old Portway, infested with the agents of the Angel Cartel and all kinds of unsavory elements eager to resort to armed violence to protect their way of life.

All changed a few months ago when Adhard Reinsdar, new chief of the local police, launched the so-called “People’s Support Initiative”.

“We had another bugdet cut and the situation around the old port got unmanageable, so we had to resort to essentially crowdfunding the police.” - explains Reinsdar. - “There are lots of honest people who would like to see a safer city for their businesses and their families. Everything about how we spend the money is totally transparent. All contracts and purchases we make with the fund can be viewed online anytime.”

But the real surprise came two weeks after the start of the campaign, when someone transferred 20 million ISK to the fund.

“We still have no idea who it was.” - confesses Reinsdar. - “The payment was made through a proxy corporation with a staff of one registered in Hek by CONCORD, so I guess it was a capsuleer.”

Armed with 20 million ISK, Adhard Reinsdar declared what the locals call the “Portway War” on crime in the Harnstodur.

“We expanded our ranks by recruiting many Fleet veterans on the orbitals, and we contracted a Dodixie-based independent security company to provide technical support, such as the facial recognition technology and server infrastructure for all our new cameras and drones around the problem areas.”

By the end of YC 120, the crime rates in Harnstodur plummeted by 70% compared to the same period in YC 119. Of course, some of the denizens of “little Amamake” are not at all happy about the change!

“We are free people! Da (beep) is this (beep)? (beep) (beep)!” - exclaimed a teenage Brutor street gang member.

“I can’t get out of my house without three cameras and a drone looking at me. What is this, Jita?” - compained a middle-aged Sebiestor exotic dancer.

“Bad for business.” - remarked an unconspicuous unemployed Krusual.

“We all pay taxes to the government, don’t we? Then why the police needs more and more money from our pockets to control us?” - asked a Vherokior bar owner.

People have their own theories about what precipitated the strange donation!

“I bet some (beep) egger got his (beep) kicked in here”. - said a teenage Brutor street gang member.

“An unsatisfied client, maybe?” - said a middle-aged Sebiestor exotic dancer.

“Smells like Cartel branch rivalry, with a rotten egg thrown in.” - said an unconspicuous unemployed Krusual.

“Some fancy new embezzlement scheme.” - said a Vherokior bar owner.

Numerous cases have already been filed into the planetary and system courts and the government is flooded with petitions disputing the legality of the stunt Reinsdar pulled with his crowdsourcing campaign. However, as of now, the people of Dober Harn still can, for the first time in years, walk all the way from the starport to the Old Port Market without fear.

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Alien ads spook station residents; authorites helpless

YC 121-03-15 • Native Freshfood Warehouse Station • Gelfiven V

A mysterious video of supposedly Triglavian origin, in which the “Zorya Triglav” addressed the “Foreign Narodnya” (that means us, humans) was seen repeatedly on the CONCORD billboards across the system today. Crowds gathered in the civilian docks of the Native Freshfood Warehouse to watch the “alien ad”, as they called it, disrupting the transportation system. The planetary shuttles depart behind schedule.

The message sent by the alien race is still not fully clear. Some speculate that the Triglavians declared a ritual war on the humanity so that we may prove our worth, while some consider it an offer of alliance against the Tyrannos Drifters and the Sansha’s Nation.

It is still a mystery how the Triglavians managed to hack into the network, but it certainly wasn’t done at the station level.

“We have nothing to do with the content on the CONCORD billboards.” - commented Telf Anuko, a system administrator. - “It comes down the fluid routers, and we just keep the board in working order. If someone got in, it must have happened in Yulai.”

“I don’t believe that this is an actual Triglavian video.” - said Arnstur Godila, deputy chief of the G5NF station security. - “It’s an act of psychological warfare by the enemies of the Republic. Whoever did this, tries to sow confusion and fear among us.”

“I don’t believe that this is the real thing either.” - added Telf Anuko. - “You know why? Because CONCORD still haven’t ordered us to shut the thing down. That means it’s intended and approved to be playing. Or noone in Yulai noticed it yet, which is hard to believe. Or they are not in control of their network at all anymore and can’t stop the stream or even send the command to power down the boards.”

The “Alien Ad” still continues to loop while conspiracy theories multply by the hour.

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Three NFS students dead by “killer oysters”; RSS investigates a secret society

YC 121-03-19 • Native Freshfood School Station • Gelfiven IX Moon 4

What began as a case of food poisoning turned into a ritual hallucinogen overdose as Republic Security Services prevented attempts of the school administration to sweep three dead students under the rug!

On Nov. 24, 120, three students of the Native Freshfood School, Oserin M., 20, Berizo K., 18, and Eitleinn H., 17, were found dead in M.'s quarters at the dormitory level. The autopsy revealed that the cause of their death was Entelmia iridis - a species of shellfish native to Gelfiven V that apparently was the last thing they ate. The quick invesigation ordered by the school assumed that the students had some kind of a party before they died, but poorly prepared exotic seafood led to their demise. All three died in their sleep some two hours after sampling the “killer oysters”.

Entelmia iridis is very pretty, its bright red and orange shells with pearlescent swirling pattern popular among tourists on the black market. However, it’s also deadly. The “leg” of the mollusc ends in a sharp spike, and the body secrets a powerful neurotoxin. When someone unfamiliar with it tries to pry the shell open with bare fingers, they more often than not end up stung and poisoned by the creature.

These shellfish are considered a rare delicacy; about five minutes in boiling water is enough to degrade the poison and make the “killer oyster” harmless. The school’s official investigation results stated that the drunk students miscalculated the time needed to boil the shellfish Oserin M. brought from his stay at home. It is estimated that 5 to 15 cases of Entelmia poisoning happen on Gelfiven V each year.

But there’s more to this case than meets the eye.

“The glands of this organism produce a very complex mix of alkaloids that on Matar are normally found in plants. Most of it acts as a potent muscle relaxant, but there are also ergoline-like compounds. Basically, in layman’s terms, this shellfish’s poison is like a mix of curare and LSD.” - says Dr. Halsigur, a Gelfiven V marine biology expert. - “And different parts of the mix have different heat tolerance. The curare-like poison normally decays in a few minutes at 70-80 C and the hallucinogene at 90 to 95 C. So if you prepare it just the right way, you can have a trip of your life. Overcook it, and it’s just a bland boiled shellfish. Make a mistake, and you will forget how to breathe and die.”

Usage of Entelmia 's hallucinogenic propeties is often connected with the local cult of Aoonathea, or Einördis - the spirit of the planet that also doubles as the sea goddess.

“Some of the really hardcore clans here use it.” - explains Halsigur. - “Taking those means that you entrust your life to the mystic who then guides you to become one with the “Mother”, and the goddess can accept or reject your soul. Rejection leads to a bad trip or death. It is like a second Voluval that those who aspire to become Mystics have to undergo at the hands of the clan’s matriarch, an extra initiation step. And it takes some skill to prepare properly so an outsider will likely mess it up. This is no “herbal tea”.”

But why would Oserin M., born on Gelfiven V and well familiar with the shellfish’s properties, mess it up? And why the teenagers resorted to such dangerous source of psychedelic drugs when there are much safer alternatives readily available on the black market for those who know where to seek?

Answers Ensi Skirn, Spike Lieutenant of the Republic Security Services.

“There were cases of “food poisoning” in NFS in 114 and 117, so this time we did our own parallel investigation. What we uncovered is troubling, as there appears to be a “secret society” among the students of the Native Freshfood School, probably extending into the personnel of the Native Freshfood proper. What happened to those three kids was indeed an initiation ceremony gone wrong. There was a fourth person on the scene - the one who actually prepared the “ritual”, and we have already found and detained them. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal anything else at the moment as the investigation is still ongoing.”

Currently, RSS is researching a possibility of a system-wide ban on harvesting, possession, import and export of Entelmia iridis or its toxin.

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Honestly. With the possibility of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, haemorrhagic shellfish poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning, catatonic shellfish poisoning, amnesiac shellfish poisoning, hallucinogenic shellfish poisoning, and the fact that shellfish are gross looking, I’m surprised anyone even contemplates eating them.

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It’s raining battleships!

YC 121-05-07 • Tidal Cove Island • Gelfiven V

It’s the starfall season on Gelfiven V, the time when the winds calm down a little and hundreds of tiny meteors flicker in the aurora-lit sky every hour as the planet’s orbital path crosses the Bosenids - a meteor stream originating from approximate direction of the star Bosena.

The starfall season is the time for celebration of a new local year for the sea drifter clans and marine wildlife alike - it’s whale mating season, too. The tourists from across the system flock to the small volcanic island chains along the equator (the only land on an otherwise water-covered world) to enjoy the celestial event.

But this time it’s special - because it’s going to literally rain battleships!

Explains Lc. Cmdr. Albo Hastvilur of the Gelfiven V Planetary Defence.

“Last year saw some power shifts among the capsuleer groups in the area. Some trying to bully others into submission, gangs coming and going. One large gang calling itself “Space Marines” was especially active towards the end of the year. They tried to just remove all opposition, and several station-scale structures went down. There were battleship fleet engagements, too. And that left a lot of debris behind. Now half an year later we got one of those debris fields coming our way.”

On Nov 24, 120, Gelfiven saw the destruction of 30 battleships, mostly Typhoon class, in a massive fight between Electus Matari and Space Marines. While most of the wrecks eventually fell on the surface of the nearby moon, some got hurled into deep space, and now, mixed with the Bosenids, remnants of this debris field are about to hit Gelfiven V within the next three weeks.

“No, there aren’t any even partially intact Typhoon hulls.” - explains Albo Hastvilur. - “First, the capsuleers looted and salvaged anything of value to them, and then, the local scavengers had six months to finish the job. The field now is mostly small scraps of metal and plastic. Currently, the Planetary Defence works on identifying and destroying any unexploded ordnance that might pose danger and anything bigger than few meters in size that might reach the surface. Good thing that most of it is tritanium that will break up on entry, but we have to be sure.”

But surely the battle of such scale saw thousands of lost lives?

“We do come across human and clone remains from time to time. Unfortunately, the Planetary Defence does not have the time and resources to extract and store those, much less to properly identify and bury all the deceased. The standard procedure is to incinerate them in space upon discovery. We have a Mystic to guide the lost and troubled spirits to rest.” - answers Lance Commander.

Meanwhile on the surface, several sea drifter platforms and a two small sized settlements are being evacuated as there still remains the possibility of debris impact along the 32° to 36° in the southern hemisphere. A total of 9700 people are being temporarily housed in the old harbor of Dober Harn, while larger settlements are readying the defence batteries to intercept any incoming danger.

Closer to the equator though, the tourists are preparing to enjoy the starfall like few ever seen before.

“We had to convert the employee quarters and most of the storage block into an impromptu hostel, and the reservations keep coming every hour.” - says Lestur Harulo, owner of the Tidal Cove Restaurant. - “Soon there’s going to be no free patch left on the whole island to put up a tent.”

“It’s going to be the firework of the century!”

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Outstanding report, ma’am! I may see if space is still available for a reservation at Tidal Cove. Sounds like a spectacular show.

If there isn’t, would you have a contact planetside for me to get in touch with? I would be more than happy to set a Planetary Command Center, and associated structures, if local government requires extra space for the tourist rush. I’m sure an agreement could be reached to allow them to use the facilities for tourist housing and sky tourism.

Many thanks again, and hope to see you at the festivities!

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Submit to the YC 121 New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest and you might win a prize.

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Hello Verdis! Thank you!

As far as I am aware, this particular island is small and maybe only a dozen or so people live there. Local middle class from the platforms and off world get there by air and sea on weekends to have a walk on an actual beach. It’s like a park for them. Only it’s mostly volcanic rock, and no hotels or anything of the sort. I picked the restaurant owner who decided to make extra money off campers as an example to emphasize how overcrowded those tiny islands got now.

I am sure that a prominent pilot like you can get an accomodation with no problem. Maybe on another island or a nearby platform.

Thank you. Done!

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G5NN wins 1 billion ISK at the New Eden Writing Contest

YC 121-06-30 • The Golden Masque • Yulai

…In a surprising turn of events, this humble news podcast was just announced as one of the winners of YC 121 New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest, taking the third place in the Academic/News category and a cash prize of 1 billion isk.

First and foremost, I’d like to thank the judges of the contest: Annabella Rella, Arrendis, Francophobia, Lasairiona Raske, Loai Qerl and Pol Macsliebh for their time taken reading and evaluating all the fantastic entries. The events such as this show that the capsuleers are not mere machines of mass destruction and there are many truly talented individuals among their ranks who deserve recognition, and enrich the culture of New Eden as a whole.

Second, I’d like to thank my sponsors who made this possible: the Arnod Clan of the Vherokior Tribe and personally Hafti Arnod, the clan’s Matriarch; and also, my good friend Ajhaira Arnod*, a retired member of Gradient and Lutinari Syndicate, who provided the ship, SS Flame Nebula, and the broadcasting equipment to get us started.

And third, thanks @Che_Biko for nudging me to enter the contest!

…New Eden is a place of infinite diversity. This podcast was created to give a wider audience a fresh, unbiased look on our home planet; to promote tourism and inter-community awareness in our star system; and, perhaps, to remind the capsuleers that a random ball of solid matter they just casually warp through may be a living, breathing world, with billions of people inhabiting it, an universe in itself, full of life and beauty, perhaps, even more diverse and complex than everything the NEOCOM-bound infomorph gets to experience in their daily pod piloting routine.

The money won will be donated to the Clan and used as the Clan elders see fit, to benefit and protect our home planet, our Tribe and our Republic.

*Not a searchable CONCORD-registered capsuleer tag.

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