Alliance News Network (Now open for discussion)

Hello there fine folks of MEU!This new thread is the place where you can find all the CDN updates!    

Also, if I'm not available to update this thread, could an officer please edit a post and include the update. Usually, posts can take around 15 updates before GS telling you to stop.

January 2010  

01/29/2010 - Cerberus Human Experimentation Lab Discovered on Trident

"Federal investigators on the planet Trident have uncovered a Cerberus cell. Authorities seized the human-survivalist group's laboratory, finding two dozen prisoners who claim that Cerberus subjected them to biotic-suppressing drugs with potentially brain damaging side effects. The captives were briefly questioned before being released back to their families. Only one Cerberus operative was captured during the rescue operation. Six others were killed and two reportedly committed suicide rather than face arrest."

"More details this hour regarding the human-survivalist cell on Trident. Victims told federal investigators of a "torture den" where Cerberus doctors drugged and forced captives to perform biotic actions to exhaustion. "The pain in my head was unbelievable," said a female survivor who asked to remain anonymous. "I couldn't even feel my feet. I thought I had a stroke. A man died of a cerebral hemorrhage, and I would've gone next if they hadn't rescued us when they did.""

 01/31/2010 - 24th Fighter Group Honored for Role in Battle of the Citadel

"The 24th Fighter Group of the Citadel Fleet received the Galactic Unit Citation today for their role in the Battle of the Citadel over two years ago. It is the highest honor awarded to a military unit and recognizes gallantry above and beyond those of the Palladium Star, awarded to all Citadel and Fifth Fleet units who fought in the battle. The 24th were the first unit to engage the geth flagship Sovereign. Unable to pierce Sovereign's kinetic barriers, the unit nevertheless gave their lives distracting the warship and the geth fleet during the Destiny Ascension's docking attempts to evacuate the Citadel Council. Only one-sixth of the fighter group survived the battle and the offices of the Council decided the most fitting honor would be one awarded to the entire unit."

February 2010

"The Citadel Council has produced a report of the economic progress of Council space which underwent a deep recession following the attack on the Citadel. The Citadel claims unemployment is falling amidst job growth, but the chairman of the Vol Protectorate has accused them of denying access to their statistical sources, thus allowing the Council to manipulate the data in their favor. The Council maintains that withholding sources is standard procedure in turian, asari, and salarian government and is vital to investor confidence."

"The extrasolar comet CR1331 Kingu will soon pass by the hanar colony world of Belan (Undercurrent). The comet contains a volatile gas element that the system's sun will warm up, but it is not known how the reaction will alter the comet's trajectory. It is impossible to determine whether the comet will strike Belan or simply pass it by. Hanar citizens are hastily evacuating the colony while their government petitions the turian fleet to commission a dreadnought to intercept the comet."

"Aish Ashland, granddaughter of energy magnate Jonah Ashland, attended her hearing this morning for red sand possession. "I think I and a whole lot of people don't even known why it's illegal," she said. "Biotics have stuff like this in their nervous systems twenty-four hours a day. Why is it legal for them?" Her supporters surrounded the courthouse hoping to get a glimpse of the socialite whose infamy hasn't stood in the way of her e-book deal or other engagements, such as the event this evening in which Aish's DNA will be donated to the Hollywood Bank of Fame."

"Three simultaneous break-ins at the Citadel Council's Ministry of Finance have provoked outrage from the Council and cast suspicions on the Vol Protectorate, who in recent months demanded to see galactic economic data that the Council refuses to make public. "We unilaterally condemn these actions, whether they were done in our name or not," said Nao Clan spokesman Udra Nao. "The fact that this data has been posted on the extranet for all to see speaks to the dissent among the people the Council represents, but theft is a crime that our species takes seriously." The Citadel Council approved of this condemnation in statements released this morning, but they do not consider the matter closed - the asari Spectre Tela Vasir has been assigned to the case."

"A panel of experts at the Institute for the Study of Astronomical Bodies have ****fied the comet CR1331 Kingu as harmless to the hanar colony world of Belan. They say the comet's outgassing process will alter its course and it will cleanly miss the planet. The reaction on Belan ranged from gratitude to disbelief, while the turians, who were considering sending a dreadnought to destroy the asteroid, welcomed the news and said they will send a news probe to observe the comet's historic passing."

"Socialite Aish Ashland has had her DNA rejected by the Hollywood Bank of Fame on the grounds that it does not match the sample attributed to her health ID card. Preliminary analysis indicates the DNA she submitted was that of a close female relative. Office watercoolers galaxy-wide are buzzing with the news. Las Vegas casinos have placed odds on the identity of the sample, covering all her known relatives. The most popular is her close cousin Lili at 2:1. Additionally, odds that this is a deliberate publicity stunt are currently placed at 1.5:1."

"Earth nations gathered around their vidsets today for Super Bowl CCXIX, an annual sporting and media event that culminates the North-American-Union-Rules football season. The New York Giants defied expectations and took down the Beijing Dragons in a tight 24-19 game. The highlight was a 69-yard pass from krogan QB Bragus Thul. The game's top-3 hit commercials were Aldrin Labs' hilarious "Improvise", Unithirst's "Coffee Cola Rock 'n' Rolla", and Binary Helix's "Not My Future, Thanks." As for the greatest tease, it goes to the trailer for the soon-to-be summer blockbuster Nekyia Corridor, which sent sports fans to the extranet trying to find out what the heck a nekyia was."

"A growing consortium of scientists have signed an extranet petition claiming that the findings of the ISAB concerning the Kingu comet are in grave error. Using telemetry from the Shining Sky orbital station, they calculate that CR1331 Kingu will come close enough to produce a dangerous meteor shower and possibly disrupt the planet gravitationally. Millions of citizens are headed for higher ground to await the alleged doomsday, blocking all traffic arteries and overwhelming spaceports. Travel to Belan has been restricted."

"The Citadel Council welcomes the planet Turvess to the galactic community today. The planet's sentient species, the raloi, launched their first space telescope into orbit last year, which detected the presence of the asari cruiser Azedes. Tomorrow, visitors from all over the galaxy will land outside six cities on Turvess, bearing welcome wishes and gifts for the raloi. Tickets for the Council's sponsored ships have been sold out for months, and due to disease concerns, no other ships are legally allowed planetfall at that time. A comm buoy near Turvess will be dedicated to sending welcome messages to the planet for twenty galactic standard hours."

"The Kingu comet has hurtled past the hanar colony world Belan, and its disruption has been devastating. Though the main body of the comet did not strike the surface of the planet, the comet, at one-quarter the size of Belan's moon, disrupted tides all over the planet with its gravity. Tsunamis have ravaged coastal cities all over the globe, breaking levees, flooding urban centers, and drowning non-hanar citizens. The Citadel Council has declared the entire planet of Belan a disaster zone, and estimates of the full credit value of the damage will take months."

"The Kingu comet's wake of destruction continues to dominate the news cycle. New video shows meteor showers caused by hot gasses breaking giant chunks of ice off the comet. No population centers were struck by the impacts, which left craters up to 180m in diameter. Meanwhile, the Intergalactic Red Cross, the turian Lifebearer Brigade, the hanar organization Healing Waters, and hundreds of other charities galaxy-wide have pledged their support to housing and feeding the uncountable refugees of the planet."

"Images coming out of the hanar colony world Belan are brutal. Though one might think an aquatic species such as the hanar would survive flooding, tsunamis more than fifteen meters high crushed many hanar living close to the coasts. Collapsing buildings and broken power lines have also caused casualties. Pest-driven diseases plague the refugee camps and insects and mold spores have infested abandoned neighborhoods. Reconstruction efforts have begun in some cities, beginning with the all-important drainage of areas still under water. Spaceport traffic is still jammed as millions of citizens attempt to return to their homes."

"The verdict is in and the news is stunning. Aish Ashland attempted to switch her own DNA at the Hollywood Bank of Fame with those of her estranged fraternal twin Mina. The socialite said in interviews today that this was her way of apologizing to Mina for a lifetime of stealing her boyfriends and tormenting her. "My twin sister has always been the best of our family," Aish said, "and I knew the world didn't need more Aishes. It needed more Minas, so I substituted a cheek swab of hers instead of my own." The odds placed on Mina at gambling casinos came in at 42:1, the highest of any of her female relatives. Mina Ashland could not be reached for comment."

"Many human planets and colonies celebrate St. Valentine's Day today, a holiday themed around romantic love and the greeting card industry. Prospective or established mating partners exchange love notes with one another, and some add gifts of cut flowers, jewelry, or sugary confections in the hopes of receiving sexual favors. Industry insiders estimate over 2 billion Valentine messages will be sent this year on Earth and an additional 5 billion throughout the human colonies. The holiday is rapidly spreading among the asari and volus, who embrace its unusual mix of commerce and reproduction."

02/15/2010 - Krogan Delegation Ejected from Raloi Welcome Ceremonies

"The Citadel Council delegation to the newly welcomed planet Turvess ejected its krogan representatives today after the introduction of a krogan sport called kowla devolved into a brawl that left three dead and fourteen injured. The krogan representatives denounced the ejection, saying that kowla was successfully introduced to Turvess "with its traditions fully intact," and that there was no need to overreact. A poll taken among the Turvess indicated that only 21% opposed the move to remove the krogan from the remainder of the ceremonies."

 02/16/2010 - Ellis Valterus Arrested in Tuchanka Dreadnought Scandal

"C-Sec authorities have arrested a turian lawmaker on the Citadel who was funding a krogan project to rebuild a dreadnought on the planet of Tuchanka. Ellis Valterus, duarch of the Meade Cluster, smuggled everything from blueprints to rare materials to backpacks full of cash to the Talyth clan, according to C-Sec officials. The sting operation to capture Valterus took one and a half years. If successfully prosecuted, Valterus faces life in prison with no possibility of parole."

"Six members of a group calling itself TruthHax has been arrested for the illegal uploading of sensitive economic data from the Citadel Council. An additional four members of the group were shot to death in what appears to be an internal struggle. Tela Vasir, the Spectre assigned to the case, had no comment on her role in these matters, saying only that she considers the case resolved and is pleased with the rapid results."

"Now that the celebrations on the planet Turvess have ended, a raloi delegation has been sent to the Citadel for a three-month stay. The delegation will be educated in intergalactic law, history, alien biology and culture, and the rudiments of mass effect physics. Due to an outbreak of the H7N7 flu virus that infected the avian raloi during the opening ceremonies on their planet, the raloi on the Citadel will wear environmental suits whenever they are in contact with an alien species."

"The governmental response to the situation on Belan is receiving fire today. As fresh food supplies spoil, starvation and looting have become rampant. Some cities such as New Plentiful have been spared the worst of the chaos as their geography allows for emergency air- and spacelifts of supplies. Others, such as the subarctic city of Whitecap, must deal with a paralyzing lack of infrastructure as well as temperature extremes. The official global death toll has reached 110,000 and estimates place the complete figure anywhere from 1.1 to 3.5 million."

"Tonight's telethon to assist the disaster-struck planet of Belan should be a star-studded affair. A-list entertainers such as Alis Price Vladamir Bukin will appear in the 2-hour special, directed by Ronny Lam. So full is the guest list that the entire cast of the extranet series Crashcart was turned away at the door. Legends like Amita Valla will be putting in the hours working the comm units. "We want to let Belan know we're a caring galaxy," she says, "and if it takes some rich and spoiled entertainers to call attention to the fact that a few million people just died, we're there for you, sister.""

"Filming of the space epic Nekyia Corridor took a turn for the worse today as lightning struck the leading man. Nathan Gold, star of the 5.1-billion-credits-so-far enterprise, was strapped to the surface of a spaceship in the upper atmosphere of a gas giant when lightning hit the hull. Insulated against most of the effect, the Golden One had his suit's electronics suite fried and had to signal for assistance to get oxygen. Director Morgan Bierster says that he hopes the footage will stay in the final cut of the film. "You can't make stuff like this up," says Bierster. "It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime sensation.""

"This weekend's galactic box office crown went to the new dramadey hospital buddy actioner Heartbeat, at 3.8 billion credits, edging out the romantic horror Night Winds at 2.9 billion. In at third is the sleeper hit With Soft Shoe Number, at 800 million credits, surpassing its previous three weeks on the charts. The no-budget comedy about a volus and an elcor trying to make it on Broadway apparently has staying power, confounding elcor and volus critics who roasted the film."

"Militant separatists on the turian colony of Taetrus have claimed responsibility for a downed commercial cruiser that crashed into a remote farming village on the planet. Believed to be a botched hijacking, the cruiser was going at orbital velocities when it hit the ground, creating a furrow three kilometers long and setting fire to the surrounding countryside. There were no survivors. Fire experts say the flight recorder is unlikely to have survived an impact at such speeds, which can exceed thirty thousand kilometers per hour."

"The annual One Future Summit, a seven-day convention held on the asari homeworld of Thessia by ecological conservation groups across the galaxy, opened its doors today. Attendance for the convention is estimated at 200,000 per day with another 300,000 appearing virtually. All profits will be donate to conservational causes. This year's theme is terraforming. The convention hosts such luminaries as Iali T'Nuson and Ben Vabo. Elsewhere in the host city, the more radical fringe has reportedly set up a parallel, underground convention called the One Chance Summit in which ecoterrorism techniques are not barred from discussion."

"A Mantis spaceplane led the Earth Systems Alliance fleet on a high-speed chase tonight, originating in Mexico City. Sixteen-year-old Jorge Asensio reportedly stole the plane from a poorly secured mercenary landing pad, having learned how to fly from a flight simulator computer game and the ship's onboard VI. Following major highways to his school, he buzzed the soccer field before the United North American States Air Force was scrambled to deal with him. Climbing to the upper atmosphere, he outran the pursuing planes, was then pursued by Systems Alliance fighters in low earth orbit, then ran out of fuel over Antarctica. After parachuting from the plane, he froze to death before authorities found his body. Charges of criminal negligence are now being filed with the Tiburón Rojo mercenary company."

02/26/2010 - Infamous Cerberus Operative Escapes Custody on Trident

"Skye Turnick, the sole surviving member of the Cerberus cell responsible for the now-infamous "torture den" of captive aliens on the Terminus Systems planet Trident, escaped from custody at 9:37 local time this morning. A paramilitary attack using vectored thrust gunships destroyed the escort boats surrounding the prisoner transport and then took off with Turnick. Other prisoners in the transport bore witness to the event, some of them even helping the guards out of the water. Trident's Maritime Justice Department reports no leads in locating the escape craft, noting that Trident has only has a few high-res spy satellites or down-looking radar balloons to be tasked to such an operation. Asked if she believes the attack was commanded by Cerberus, Special Agent in Charge Angela Rhow said, "If it looks like a bomb, and explodes like a bomb, it's a bomb.""

"Transworld 1 opened its doors for the first time today, inducting it into official records as the tallest building in the known galaxy. Built on the planet of Kosh in the Attican Traverse, Transworld 1 has its 1002 stories devoted to shopping malls, office space, three hotels, a zoo and aquarium, and of course parking. Situated on a world where the gravity is only 70% of galactic standard, the building uses mass effect fields to lighten the load in key areas. This extravagance is paid for by a marked increase in rent — office space in Transworld 1 comes at a pricey 61,000 credits per square meter per year."

"The manhunt to find Skye Turnick and his Cerberus allies has slowed space traffic to a crawl on the planet of Trident. In their dragnet to catch Turnick, the Global Maritime Justice have covered every starport on the planet. Critics say it's not a wise strategy. "There seems to be a hurry to show that they're doing something when the most likely route off the planet is straight up," said Ranier Drakensburg, mayor of Black Bay, Andrada. GMJ responded in a press conference today, saying that they had no evidence that the alleged Cerberus criminals had single-stage-to-orbit capability. Additionally, many of the spaceports were already closed today due to the inclement weather that plagues Trident throughout its rainy season."

March 2010

"Principal photography on the space epic "Nekyia Corridor" came to a halt today as the leading lady Kate First walked off the set. Phone footage of her tantrum has hit the extranet, and helmer Morgan Bierster says it isn't just another fake-reality eyeball-grabber. "If we wanted free marketing, she'd have been nagging us naked," he quipped. Scribe Eddie Karbeti has reportedly been brought in to do rewrites to the script in order to soothe the savage starlet. Karbeti got the gig after the 28th script draft gave former writer Stan Kirbus permanent nerve damage in the wrists. He'd better hurry; in three days, the lease is up on the mass effect relay they're using as a set."

"Dalatrass Narra of the colony Mannovai underwent surgery to remove a stomach polyp today. The surgery lasted two hours, and the salarian matriarch is expected to return to her duties late tomorrow night. One of her personal doctors, Jiahe Urc, confirmed that the polyp was benign and only noticeable due to a slight inflammation that had been causing the Dalatrass pain. Before the operation, Narra signed a letter transferring power to Vice-Dalatrass Husaru, since she would be under general anesthesia for the duration of the surgery."

"The manhunt to find Skye Turnick came to a fiery and tragic conclusion today. Acting on an anonymous tip, GMJ enforcers surrounded a compound on the island of Ness. Cerberus operatives inside attempted to first fight and then flee using the gunships they had used in the Turnick jailbreak. Armor-piercing missiles brought one gunship down over the compound. The other, fleeing the scene, was shot down and plummeted into a halfway house for runaway youths. Firefighters are working to contain that blaze now. Two GMJ agents have been killed, six wounded, and an estimated eleven people from the halfway house have been hospitalized. No word yet on their condition. The GMJ will not give details about the Cerberus connection, but it did confirm that the pilots of both gunships died in the crashes."

"The nations of Earth are in suspense tonight as the Systems Alliance hears Ford v. Huerta, the first case of a human leader using reconstructive data storage to prolong his brain functions and stay physically capable to perform his duties. Speaker of the House Lisa Ford has led the charge against Huerta, saying that the last year of his term was illegitimate. A stroke left the President legally dead and in cryocool for an hour and a half before his brain functions were fully transferred to a computer. The amount of memory degradation was never fully revealed. According to the United North American States' line of succession, if Huerta was considered dead, then power would transfer to the Vice President and Speaker Ford would have held the position of Vice President for the last year."

"R&B singer Lady Sweat has died at age 24 in a medical facility on Charon. The self-titled "hardest-working girl in show business" and "musical ambassador of Earth" was returning from Mannovai in a commercial cruiser when solar activity touched off a proton storm. Protons passed through the ship's hull, incapacitating the crew with radiation poisoning by the time the cruiser reached the Charon relay. Authorities suspect that traces of alcohol, cocaine and maxx found in all of the passengers during postmortem analysis may have been a contributing factor in the passengers' failure to seek shelter in the cruiser's shielded compartment."

"Socialite Aish Ashland is under fire tonight for her comments about the death of Leila Montrose, better known as Lady Sweat. "This just goes to show that you can't do drugs and fly a spaceship at the same time," she quipped. You've got to be responsible about it. I know I always snort up somewhere safe, like a police station or courthouse". Her probation officer was unavailable for comment."

"Supplies of the vaccine for simian bacterial fever have run out in many planets across the galaxy. The Citadel Committee on Disease Prevention announced this week that production of the vaccine is going slower than expected. Out of an estimated 95 billion doses scheduled to be produced by the previous month, only 70 billion were made due to manufacturing and logistical difficulties. Public health departments galaxy-wide have been flooded with calls by people asking where they can get the vaccine. The CCDP is warning citizens against going to the black market for the vaccine: most such operations are frauds."

"The controversial tell-all e-book "Criminal Negligence: The Citadel Council and the True Story of the Geth Threat" went on sale at midnight last night and was lapped up by lovers of conspiracy theories and politics everywhere. Written by a C-SEC officer personally responsible for asari Councilor Tevos' safety, "Negligence" alleges that the Citadel Council knew the geth were travelling outside the Perseus Veil long before their attack on Eden Prime. Other revelations, such as the geth spreading to not one but five planets before their attack on the Citadel, are now being revealed to crank up the hype on the author's tour of the Council's homeworlds."

"The manal, a biotically active bipedal animal commonly known as the "asari chimpanzee", has been taken off the critically endangered list after two decades of conservation efforts. "This has been an enormous task, calling together the very best of geneticists, ethologists, zoos, conservation groups, and grassroots support", said Interplanetary Wildlife Fund president Diaza T'Rome. The primary cause of the manal's reduced numbers had been habitat loss due to encroaching cities."

"Analysis of the flight path and transmissions of the MSV Sevrum, the commercial cruiser that crashed on Taetrus last month, reveals chilling details of the hijacked flight. As the flight attendants were taken hostage, the pilots turned the ship at the terrorists' request, but not in the desired direction. When the terrorists stormed the cockpit and overpowered the pilots, the flight became erratic as they sought to gain altitude and regain their bearings. Finally, as the crew fought back, the ship rolled and yawed before crashing to the ground and disintegrating. Fortunately, the pilots had disabled the ship's FTL drive, which could have caused a megaton-scale impact."

"Expert witnesses were introduced today in the Systems Alliance trial of Ford v. Huerta, starting with the petitioner's side. Dr. Samuel Wachhaus testified today that President Huerta was brain-dead for too long to make a full recovery. Questioned on Huerta's apparent cognitive health afterward, Wachhaus testified that the VI ran Huerta's artificial memory so successfully that it took over his brain functions so that "there was no Huerta anymore. This is not a person with a VI memory, it's a VI with a partially-organic operating system". The respondent's experts will begin testimony tomorrow."

"Expert witness Dr. Lin Shiyin testified in the Systems Alliance trial of Ford v. Huerta today. He claimed that the former president made a full recovery from a temporarily brain-dead state. Stumbling a little when grilled on Huerta's timeline of cognition, Lin nevertheless made the case for Huerta being in full control once his motor functions and memory were assigned synthetic analogues. "To believe that he is now a different person, a synthetic, is to draw a line where no line is needed", he argued. "A new man did not appear on the table when the first open-heart surgery was performed. His life was merely extended beyond what was thought possible at the time"."

"The Galactic Combat Sports League was forced to alter its title card last night after heavyweight contender Bant Cruor came down with simian bacterial fever. "Bant says he wants to fight, but he's never been this sick in his life", says corner man Leif Karlsson. "He's puking out of both stomachs. If he got into the cage now, the only thing he could do is hope the smell keeps Ghuli away". Rox Ghuli, for his part, understands. "I don't want to defend my title against someone who's not at their best. The fans want a fight, not a slaughter". However, a slaughter is what they got when Randy "Giant Killer" Dozois substituted for Cruor that evening. The human didn't stand a chance against Ghuli, getting knocked out by the 150-kilo krogan after just 41 seconds."

"A team of Earth scientists in Australia have won the Hitara Prize for Biology for their work on Prothean comm towers. Their research found that the towers produced small but significant amounts of ionizing radiation, enough to damage the DNA of Earth creatures such as fruit flies and bees. It is now believed the Protheans were resistant to low amounts of radiation and avoided deploying comm towers on planets where they would have an ecological impact. This research marks the first Hitara Prize for humans in a scientific field, where they are often at a disadvantage compared to species that have longer held advanced technology."

"The United Congress of Industrial Miners marched in protest today outside the Citadel building in New Arara on the planet of Thessia. An estimated 1.5 million union workers and advocates came out to voice their opposition to the Council's plan to lay off more than 90,000 eezo miners, shippers, and refiners. Ostensibly designed to trim the budget deficit in a year of financial turmoil, the plan is seen as a pretext for union-busting by the UCIM. "We know this galaxy runs on eezo, and in a year of recession and slow growth, now is not the time to commit financial suicide", stated UCIM spokesperson Nareesha Rajput. Council press secretary Vaninth T'Joan responded with a prepared statement: "It is our job to remain fiscally responsible to our member planets, and in tough times like these, we are forced to make unpopular decisions". Asked if robots could do the jobs the Council has cut, T'Joan said, "That is my understanding, yes"."

"The galactic box office this weekend was dominated by "Husks 2: Awl Justice". The adaptation of the teen-survival/horror/legal-thriller raked in an impressive 2.1 billion credits, followed closely by the guess-what's-coming-to-dinner asari romantic comedy "She's a Keeper", which earned 1.8 billion. The week's most dismal showing is from the much-hyped disaster/action flick/coming-of-age story "Taze Patterson: Part 1: The Beginning", which earned just 433 million. Sharpstickintheeye.com calls it "a cheese grater for the senses. It's the simulstim equivalent of pity sex...somehow, even the action scenes seem bottom-end and stilted, as if created by homeless people finding scraps from better vids in the studio garbage bins"."

"Species throughout Council space are celebrating the asari holiday of Janiris today, a springtime fertility ritual marking the new year. Janiris is celebrated with the making and wearing of flower wreaths, exchanged among friends and lovers. This year, Janiris falls upon the same day as the Earth holiday of St. Patrick's Day, a once-religious holiday now widely celebrated in secular fashion with parades and the consumption of green fermented drinks. To mark the dual holiday, humans are making wreaths containing shamrocks, the festival's traditional plant. Earth's Chicago River, usually dyed green for the day, will be dyed blue as a nod to Janiris."

"Astronomers are excited tonight as the probe TR-15 Letus comes the closest any probe has ever come to a neutron star. The star in question is in a globular cluster approximately 18,000 light-years from Earth. Though it contains slightly more than two times the mass of Earth's sun, its radius is a tiny 15.8 kilometers, spinning at approximately 24% of the speed of light. The probe was sent to the star via the Kappa Iota Relay, a charted but rarely-used relay predating the Rachni War. The relay was abandoned due to the highly lethal radiation found on the other side, but the small doses that pass through the relay are manageable for a shielded probe. Control of the radiation emission and reception of Letus's signal is made possible by the infamous Dark Switches, a set of previously unknown control functions the Protheans installed on mass effect relays."

"GBC News correspondent Robin Lasky has been arrested as part of a mass sweep by authorities in the Republic of Ghurst on the planet Tuchanka. Lasky, who was covering the rebellion within the krogan state, is being held without charge at the notorious Urlukah Federal Prison, where she may be imprisoned for life or face the death penalty. Already, an extranet petition begging for her release has gathered over 50,000 identi-tags, but experts remain skeptical. "Tuchanka prisons don't respond well to human rights campaigns", says Neil Ulster of Universal Reporters. "They respond to ransoms"."

"A new religion is gaining ground on Earth, Palaven and Mannovai. The Church of the Divine Plan, also known as the Dalemitrians, believe that the Citadel was constructed by the Protheans as a space ark, used to preserve life when gamma ray bursts and other lethal space weather sweeps through the galaxy exterminating all but the faithful. According to adherents, this disaster will strike "near the end of the century" and the Citadel Council is criminally liable for refusing to import species' DNA to the space station. C-SEC ****fies the religion as an apocalyptic cult, and cites their numerous weapons violations as a "troubling sign". The church's annual income is estimated at nearly 900 million credits."

"New footage tonight from Tuchanka shows that the prison where GBC News correspondent Robin Lasky is being held is ill-suited for human inmates. The temperature stays at 37 Celsius during the day, parasites breed in the cells, and the food is usually live. Originally detained without charge, Lasky is now accused of spying. She is reportedly bunking with two krogan females, one who brutally stabbed her mate to death and another convicted of murder and grand larceny. GBC News has requested Lasky's immediate release, but officials say she will be part of a mass hearing in a few days."

"It has been one Belanese month [six Earth weeks], since the comet Kingu caused devastating tides that killed over a million Belanese. Now, with the water drained wherever it can be drained, the rebuilding starts. This planet has never seen so many humans, salarians, and vorcha. Migrant workers are a common sight; so are the charity volunteers and religious groups. The turian government and its scientists are daily targets of hatred and blame for not doing more to stop Kingu. Citadel Emergency Services estimates the refugee count is over four million displaced, either moving inland or to flotation cities and other planets, or waiting in temporary housing for new habitats to be built. Normalcy may eventually come, but it still feels distant."

"Installation artist June Fasha unveiled her latest massive creation at the seasonal reopening of the Milgrom Museum of Art on planet Bekenstein. The piece, titled "Connected", features a single beam of white light from Milgrom's moon colony aimed straight down to the museum using carefully-placed reflectors and antiscatter algorithms to bypass atmospheric interference. Fasha's selection as the featured artist at this event was hotly debated among art critics as she has been accused of producing 'stunt art' to ensure notoriety rather than artistic merit. Fasha's patron Donovan Hock took exception to the criticism. "Art is an expression of one mind attempting to stimulate another", Hock said. "Just because it's big and flashy doesn't mean it's without value. 'Connected' proves that today's artists will go to fantastic lengths, even to another planet, to find another mind. If its medium overshadows smaller pieces, well, that's a commentary on the modern individual's sense of insignificance on the galactic stage"."

"After a five-game suspension, turian clawball legend Neno Raxirian is back on the scene just in time for the semifinals against the Tarax Threshers. Raxirian was suspended for having a jarvus-string racquet, an illegal advantage he claimed not to know about. Coach Helven can't wait to get the midfielder back into the mix. "He's got some rust to shake off, but I'd rather have a rusty Neno picking up grounders and sending them downfield than anyone else. He gets the ball to the shooters, and that's what matters". Raxirian himself is modest about his accomplishments. "I just want to put this behind me", he says. "I don't like black marks on my record, and I sure don't need any help putting that ball through against the Thresher line"."

The rest of the March entries will be fitted into April's section due to some crappy GS character limit :(

March 2010

"A 24-year old graduate student has been killed by pod crabs on the planet Virmire, officials say. The student, Jeff Sizemore, was on Virmire to do his master's thesis on tide pools and was on a beach when the creatures struck. The large pod crabs feed on mollusk-like creatures and are usually considered harmless by Virmire natives. There were no warning signs of an attack. "The crabs are dumb as stumps and aren't afraid of anything", says Virmire resident Rhane Elaxen. "You can drive a tank through a pack of these things and they won't react". Members of Sizemore's research team found his mauled body, which bore no marks of pod crab mouths. "I don't understand", said fellow student Gayle Schreiber. "It's like they killed him just because he was there"."

"GBC News correspondent Robin Lasky attended her hearing in Ghurst today along with 40 others. The charges were read en masse, and no legal counsel was provided. However, when asked if anyone wished to speak on the accused's behalf, a GBC news producer detailed the history of Lasky's correspondence, saying it was balanced and often supportive of the regime. The ruzad, or judge, said her footage would be reviewed to determine her guilt or innocence. An individual trial for Lasky will be held in seven days."

"Noveria Now's annual "50 CEOs Not to Mess With" issue hits the net today. The e-mag's number one this year is Eldfell-Ashland Energy exec Jonah Ashland, beating Ganar Yulaz of the Blood Pack mercenary company and third-placer Killira T'Nama of Binary Helix. Says the mag: "Ganar can send goons to your door, but Ashland can set the price of helium-3. Which is more likely to pinch you, your family, your business, and your government?" Coming in last was newbie Marcus D'Angelo of Spyte Media, whose spat with Prime Minister Amul Shastri of Earth led to a deluge of mocking viral videos until Shastri cried uncle. "We'll never look at a Hindu cow the same way again", concludes the "Now" team, "and fortunately for the cows, neither will Shastri"."

"Tonight: Inside the war on Garvug. A Terminus Systems world with a population of 40% krogan and 30% vorcha, Garvug has always been a rough place. But now corporate armies, many of them from companies based in Citadel space, have crossed the line. They have backed a coup of the krogan clan-based government in exchange for unfettered access to the planet. Eco-engineering firms like Binary Helix and Guanghui Solutions seek license to repair the balance of nature at any cost, while mining firms like Sonax Industries want access to state-protected iridium deposits. The aborted coup has turned into protracted fighting in the capital of Dhazil, with the state's army slowly gaining the upper hand. As night falls and reinforcements for both sides arrive from off-planet, this is still anyone's game."

"The day was marked by fierce fighting on the planet Garvug in the Valhallan Threshold. Comm buoys aimed at the star Paz have been taken out by state starships, cutting the system off from all outside communication. The Intergalactic Press got a news ship through the relay, bringing video from the planet's capital Dhazil. Corporate forces fought for air and space supremacy, shooting down at least two ships but losing five of their own. Artillery pounded power stations and airfields from outside the capital, paving the way for what will no doubt be a push into the streets. "This is going to get worse before it gets better", said a Guanghui armored unit commander. "They don't know who they're dealing with"."

"Today marks the human holiday of Passover, commemorating the liberation of slaves through the power of an omnipotent deity. Humans of the Jewish religion celebrate with a special meal of unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs, and the meat of a young herd animal. During the meal an ancestral story is recited about the flight from their oppressors and the miracles that saved the Jewish people and gave them law. Songs, prayers, and a ritual reading of questions designed to educate the young round out the ceremony. Traditions differ on whether or not other species are allowed at the meal: one rule says the presence of non-Jews makes the meal impure, but another rule says that all who are hungry should come and eat. The second view has dominated in recent years, and small businesses have sprung up that specialize in making dextro-amino-acid-based food for turian and quarian participants."

"With the price of eezo falling to affordable levels, the strange and dangerous sport of "densing" has caught on among young people of all species. Competitors wear mass effect field generators turned up to twice normal and attempt to shove one another out of a ring. Described as "sumo for the skinny", the sport can easily result in strains, sprains, or broken bones when participants crash to the ground. But fine-tuning the generators allows for competitions that would never take place in a traditional gym. "I think it's hilarious", says 50-kilo veteran Jewel Dyson who has a 13-1-1 record. "I can throw guys two or three times my size across the room"."

 April 2010

"DC1938, a small garden world circling the red supergiant SM2183 Rua, exploded today in a rare phenomenon called core fusion. The planet's uranium core collapsed in on itself, igniting a thermonuclear explosion large enough to rupture the planet into several pieces. The shock wave and loss of atmosphere has reportedly killed more than five billion native inhabitants. There is one known survivor: an infant rocketed from the planet in an FTL escape pod picked up by the human cruiser MSV Kent. The inhabitants of the planet, previously unknown to the galaxy, were a spacefaring race who used crystalline matrices for their computing needs. The infant has been taken to medical facilities in the local cluster, where he is breathing gases in a ratio similar to the atmosphere of his home planet: 65% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, and 15% krypton."

"GBC news correspondent Robin Lasky was released today after court proceedings in the krogan republic of Ghurst. After a two-hour trial and forty minutes of deliberation, Ruzad Drau Sorze deemed that Lasky's reporting was no threat to the state. Lasky, who attended the trial intubated with oxygen following a jailhouse assault, was in tears as her parents and producer hugged her and wheeled her out. The ruzad's decision was reportedly influenced by a 180,000-credit "review fee" that GBC News paid to compensate the ruzad for his time, a fee that was apparently unpaid by the prosecution."

"Peace activists demonstrated today at the headquarters of Binary Helix, Guanghui Solutions, and Sonax Industries -- the three companies forming the backbone of the corporate army on Garvug. Demanding that the corporations lift their siege of the planetary capital Dhazil, the protestors burned corporate logos in effigy and called for a galactic boycott of all three companies' products. Meanwhile, krogan have been reacting to the war with amusement. "The corporations will win the war, no doubt", said Urdnot Galem, clan media director on Tuchanka. "But are they dumb enough to expect peace ever again?""

"Earth's 2185 baseball season opened today with a faceoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Vladivostok Bears. The Russians brought a brutal A-game and punished the Tigers 11-4. A grand slam in the second inning gave the Bears an early lead and demoralized the Tigers. "We were making fundamental mistakes out there, myself included", said Tiger pitcher Dave Marlboro. "I threw every way I could, and they just kept popping them off. We were not playing how we were in training just three weeks ago". The Bears go on to face the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards next week, while the Tigers take on the Kyoto Katanas in a home game."

"Corporate forces on Garvug have won a major victory tonight: Sonax infantry units surrounded the Clan Hailot ancestral fortress and pounded it with rocket-propelled grenades, singularity projectors, and mass accelerator fire. In a bloody invasion that yielded twelve casualties, troops stormed the doors and took the fortress, destroying krogan resistance and replacing the clan flag with the Sonax Industries logo. There is no word yet if clan head Hailot Wrund was inside the building during the attack. Elsewhere in the city, troops had to pick their way through booby-trapped power stations, hospitals, and water purification facilities. "It's not over yet", said one young special forces officer, who declined to be named. "They haven't even begun to fight"."

"Volus comedienne Sura Non sparked the entertainment feud of the week when her comments about the war on Garvug caught the ire of CitSpace Daily opinionator Max Power. The scampy humorist said that conquering a krogan and vorcha world "is like buying a beehive with a sign reading 'Pre-Shaken' and saying, 'But darling, it's 20% off!'" Power slammed her, saying the krogan on Garvug have been victims since the planet's inception, and mocking their pain is tasteless. Non shot back: "If Power doesn't understand that I was mocking the corporate monkeys who made the decision to invade, I suggest he start stretching and get a flashlight so he can try to find where his head is lodged". Supporters of Non have taken up the fight, mailing Power over 1,500 flashlights to date."

"Garvug's state-run forces received another blow today when newly arrived corporate armies retook the Garvug System's comm buoys. After a tense two-hour battle, the state's finest retreated to FTL in order to avoid total destruction. Through the comm buoys, the corporatists can direct communication to other planets that may wish to send reinforcements. Asked if they will censor the media, who have been relying on FTL ships using the mass relay to escape the system, Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight said, "Anything that gives away vital battlespace information or appears to be a coded transmission will be stopped. Aside from that, we believe in working hand-in-hand with the media to publicize what we anticipate to be a swift and relatively painless victory"."

"Counter to corporate military expectations, the Hailot clan chieftain remains at large on Garvug. Though initially suspected to be among the dead in the clan fortress, Hailot Wrund successfully retreated to the countryside. In a radio broadcast, he belittled the corporatist invaders and exhorted his followers to fight them. "We are clan", he roared. "They are merely co-workers. If we make their victory cost them enough, they will leave". Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight later responded in a press conference "I would like to thank Mr Hailot for broadcasting from a radio tower so that we know exactly where he is", she mocked. "If he thinks he will outlast us by causing financial and physical damage, he is unaware of the high value of his planet and the consortium's long-term strategic vision"."

"Conflicting stories tonight out of Garvug, where corporate and state forces clashed over a radio tower. State army units claim a victory, saying Hailot Wrund led an ambush that destroyed two armored personnel carriers and shot down a Mantis gunship. Video exists only of the gunship, which is clearly in flames and being urinated on by krogan forces. The corporate consortium battling for Garvug say no planes were shot down, and that their bombs killed over a hundred krogan and vorcha infantry near the CXN radio tower. This remains unconfirmed. At press time, the tower is known to be in corporate hands and Hailot Wrund remains at large."

"Terminus Systems denizens are enraged tonight as the Citadel Council finished a six-day series of war games simulating an invasion of their space. Officially, the exercises were defensive in nature, but six turian and three asari dreadnoughts rehearsed positioning and bombardment. "This is more than saber-rattling", said Dick Ackerman, prime minister of the colony world Arvuna. "This was an attack rehearsal. It was timed to coincide with the invasion of Garvug. Terminus citizens are now on notice, and they are being called on to declare their allegiance or be counted as cowards". Council press secretary Irana Tinos reassured the Systems that these exercises are the duty of any military, and that this event was planned months before the incident on Garvug."

"The surprise hit suspense thriller "The Demon and the Nightmare" opened at #1 this weekend, earning 1.78 billion at the box office. The mostly-true story of a pair of thresher maws that nearly wiped out a salarian colony on the planet Dagnes uses an old-school, "never-show-the-monster" approach that is a huge hit with fans. Slipping to second place is the girl-power vampire buddy comedy "Bloody Mary," which raked in just 955 million credits. In third, the krogan war comedy "Ruck Humpers," whose rude humor isn't translating well to Cit-space audiences. Grossing just under 430 million over the last three weeks, the widely-panned film is barely in the black."

"Earth's most famous political family welcomed a new member today as the wedding of Chao Hsu and Valerie LeBarre kicked off on Luna. A record two million spectators turned out in Cape Canaveral to watch the bride and groom launch to the moon, where an exclusive guest list of 1,500 witnessed the couple recite their own vows in iambic pentameter and exchange tungsten carbide rings. LeBarre's stunning ring is a flawless 16-carat marquise-cut diamond flanked by rare emeralds, and is estimated to be worth just over three million credits. The bride mixed traditions by changing from a European white wedding gown into a red Chinese cheongsam for the reception, where the happy couple danced to "Forever Eyes" by Shasta Miles. The spectacular evening's finale saw the newlyweds ride off to the honeymoon suite on a white horse brought to Luna just for the occasion."

"Thessia's prestigious Erana University is under fire tonight after suspending 17 students for holding a human-history-themed costume party. The students say no ill will was intended, but university officials believe otherwise. The office of the president released a statement, saying "Video of the incident puts the lie to the claim that this was not a racist affair. With all the human historical figures to draw from, these students chose to dress up as Adolf Hitler Elizabeth Bathory, Caligula, and Pol Pot. They ate a cake shaped like a suicide bomber. Human students were neither invited nor welcomed at this party mocking their species". More than 100 students did not show up to ****this morning to protest the suspension, while others are planning an asari-history-themed party in retaliation."

April 2010

"Corporate forces' hunt for clan chieftain Hailot Wrund on the planet Garvug enters a new phase tonight. Experts in fugitive recovery are arriving from notorious places like Omega to hunt down the former head of state. Drones and search aircraft are scouring the hills near Dhazil, and Binary Helix has imported two units of varren handlers in attempts to literally catch the clan chief's scent. The phones of soldiers, reporters, and civilians alike are being confiscated so that if Hailot makes a call his cellular frequency can be easily picked out to triangulate his location. "When he reaches out to touch someone, we're going to touch back", promises Lieutenant Sheri Spindlemyer. "I don't think anyone wants to be within crater radius of him right now"."

"The controversial Earth court case of Ford v. Huerta came to a close today with a 5-4 decision supporting the end of the President's term. Chief Justice Ling announced, "This is not the first time human beings have technically died only to be brought back with proper medical attention. That the window of resuscitation has lengthened is no reason to support a partisan attack on the legitimacy of the President. The legal definition of death must be expanded beyond brain death to include cellular death as well". Following the decision, protesters erupted into violence on the Washington, D.C., Mall and in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. The crowds chanting "Down with the zombie!" were quickly suppressed as riot police cleared the capitols with microwaves and stunners. More protests are reportedly planned for the weekend."

"Late-night comedians are weighing in on Ford v. Huerta, the court case that has enough cyborgs, presidents, and controversy to be a Hollywood blockbuster in its own right. Cal DiCosimo said "We're supposed to care that the President was brain dead after his stroke? What I don't get is that a room full of doctors said he had brain activity before it". Natasha Lyons targeted the Speaker of the House, saying, "Her entire argument is that for the last year, she's wanted to be Vice President. I'm sorry, honey, you don't get out of working that easily". And Manny Zupo gave his analysis: "For the last year, we've had a zombie cyborg president. Why does the speaker want this to end? Every twelve-year-old can now go to ****and say 'my president's just as cool as the asari"."

"Mobs on Earth marched today to protest the Systems Alliance's decision to uphold President Huerta's term. Over 1.5 million marched in Washington, D.C., 2 million in Mexico City, and 750,000 in Ottawa, many of them wielding lit torches and pitchforks as a retro political statement. Capitol police in D.C. took the bait, clashing with protestors who threw torches into their ranks. Fifteen protestors and three police were injured. "It was rough today, but I'm not worried", said Sergeant Hathaway of the Capitol Police. "They seem like the kind of people who bring pitchforks to a gunfight"."

"The Systems Alliance decision on Ford v. Huerta has sparked dozens more protests today all over Earth's United North American States. Incensed by the violence of the previous day, groups sizes have doubled in major North American cities. Reaching four million in Mexico City and spreading sister protests to Los Angeles, Toronto, and New York, the demonstrations were largely violence-free. The notable exception was Washington, D.C., where mobs' sheer numbers overwhelmed riot police. A video of citizens chasing police down Constitution Avenue has garnered over 900 million hits in the first 12 hours on the extranet site uploadednews.com."

"Earth's politicians called for a stop to the rioting in the UNAS even as some of them praised the rebellious spirit of the protesters. Speaker of the House Lisa Ford toured the morning talk show circuit to make it clear that although she rejects the Systems Alliance decision, there seems little choice but to abide by it. "The people marching in the streets in my name are welcome to do so", she says, "but we must categorically reject the violence that the Systems Alliance oppressors use". Now that her day in court has come and gone, Ford admitted that there seem to be no other options."

"The disruption of a Cerberus cell on planet Bekenstein has revealed that the human-supremacist group communicates to operatives through steganographic messages concealed in everyday extranet broadcasts. "We became aware of this when we found media producers on operatives' contact lists", says Alliance counter-terror expert Meng Zhao. "It turns out they had key people hiding marching orders in news stories. For example, one cell would strike if their extranet filter tagged a science news article. Financiers sent money to cells based on the numbers in altered box office reports. All an investigator would see if they confiscated the computer is a glut of headlines and tabloid trash anyone could be reading". Asked if Cerberus would discontinue this practice when this secret was made public, Zhao said "It's possible, but there are easy work-arounds. I suspect they'll keep the method but change the signals"."

"Corporate forces on the planet Garvug believe they have killed opposition leader Hailot Wrund in a so-called decapitating strike. Special ops soldiers made a positive ID on his convoy and followed it to a ranch house in the hills north of the city of Ikrit. They then painted the house with a laser designator that helped a Raptor drone shoot a rapid-fire mass accelerator directly into the living room. Now, only a flaming crater indicates where the house once stood. DNA samples from the wreckage have been sent back to Binary Helix laboratories in the city of Jundrag, where they will be analyzed and compared to the information on Hailot's medicard."

"Light heavyweight sensation Zarren "The Varren" Casias scored an upset victory over light heavyweight champion Luis "Laser" Reyes in mixed martial arts action last night. "Fight Night at Earth's Pontiac Silverdome" was delayed by hooligans in the stands, as human and turian fans threw drinks and chairs at one another, and over 30 people were ejected. The five-round match only lasted two, with Luis receiving cuts over both eyes early in the first round that may have hampered his vision. Allowed to continue, a desperate clinch by Reyes brought the match to the ground, where both fighters slipped in the blood and Casias brought things to an end with a triangle choke. Casias is the second turian to win the light heavyweight title, and his victory puts non-humans as title-holders for all nine weight ****s."

"A video of several human C-SEC officers beating a group of three salarians is garnering millions of extranet views. Two C-SEC officers stopped a salarian on the Citadel for driving erratically and found two more salarians in the trunk of the aircar. Attempts to restrain the three led to a fight in which the officers electro-shocked and beat the salarians. When two more C-SEC officers arrived as backup, they continued the beating until the driver died of his injuries. It is not clear why the two salarians were in the trunk. Although both had criminal records, their only offense at the time was violating restraining harness laws."

"Further developments tonight in the case of four human officers beating three salarians; our news team acquired police interviews that reveal the two in the trunk were gang members hiding from a rival gang targeting them. The ward attorney will charge the four officers with the use of excessive force. Meanwhile, the family and friends of Haruta Sio, the salarian who was beaten to death, held a vigil in his honor. "He was with a bad crowd", said his brother, Jundub, "but he stayed clean. He was just giving a ride to some guys in trouble. This shouldn't have happened"."

"Hailot Wrund, leader of the former state-run army of Garvug, released a video today mocking the corporate forces trying to capture him. "I'll save you some time", he said, "that DNA you're analyzing was some other hump". The video is half an hour long and exhorts the scattered state forces to engage the corporatists in a guerilla war. "They've moved into our house", he said, "now it's time for them to pay the rent". Sonax Industries supreme commander Lira Speight responded: "Hailot Wrund is a head of state. He should learn that picking up a rifle doesn't make you a soldier, and talking into a video camera, even less so"."

"Late-night comedians have finally found some humor in the situation on Garvug. Sura Non quipped, "Corp experts are saying Hailot Wrund will be hiding where nobody's around for kilometers, so they're searching theaters showing "Taze Patterson". Next up, Unara T'Zeli, who says, "Hailot Wrund is well-hidden. How well-hidden, you ask? While they were looking for him, they stumbled across Aish Ashland's missing talent." And Cal DiCosimo took a political bent: "They said they almost killed Hailot Wrund this week. He was so close to dead, Lisa Ford said, 'Can I have his job?'""

"Principal photography wrapped today on "Nekyia Corridor", the troubled space epic from Morgan Bierster that has officially reached the benchmark of the most expensive simulstim ever made. Champagne flowed freely on the set for one hour before technicians moved to strike the equipment and actors reported to the audio room for overdubbing work. Bierster predicts a long post-production process. "We've got over 3,000 effects shots to simulstim, but I am confident that they'll come out at the quality a picture like this deserves". Asked if more setbacks could sink the project now, he responded, "Any delay now would have to be due to an act of God, and if He does that to me, I'll kick His holy ass"."

"Our top story tonight: terror on Taetrus. Vallum, the colony's capital, was hit with a blast that obliterated its downtown area and left a crater five kilometers wide. Shockwaves from the blast were powerful enough to destroy buildings 11 kilometers away. Casualties are unknown but are expected to be massive. The Radiatum, Taetrus' parliamentary building, was at the epicenter of the blast and is believed to be its primary target. No registered armed ships were in orbit or in the sky above Vallum, leading authorities to believe the blast was caused by a ship used as a weapon of tremendous force, aimed at the Radiatum and accelerated to near-FTL speed. Fourteen separatist groups are claiming responsibility at this time."

"The list of dead and missing on the planet of Taetrus continues to grow. At the time of impact, the planet's Primarch was in the Signis, his executive building, now indistinguishable from the rest of the rubble. His viceroy, chief of staff, and countless workers are also dead -- burned, or vaporized by the tremendous impact of the FTL vehicle. There is seemingly no end to the death and destruction; besides the Signis and the Radiatum, three museums, four national monuments, and the Esarus Mint have been destroyed, with many of their occupants killed."

"General Timus Aurelos toured the wreckage site of the Vallum Blast today, giving the claw salute and attempting to lift the spirits of the rescue workers within the so-called collapse line. "All turian space is praying for the people of Taetrus tonight, for the lives that were lost, for the families that mourn, and for the workers who toil here", he declared. "I assure you that the cowards who did this will have no safe harbor anywhere in the galaxy. They will be found, they will be killed, and their twisted labors will come to nothing. They have not crushed a people; they have united one far larger than they ever dreamed". The rescue workers responded with chants of "Taetrus! Taetrus!" and presented the general with a Hierarchy flag taken from the rubble."

 May 2010

"Reaction to the attack on Taetrus continues to pour in from across the galaxy. "This is an act of war", stated Minister of Agriculture Idus Valen, who became Primarch of Taetrus by the laws of succession. "This is an attack against all civilized colonies of the galaxy", stated Ulra Nron of the Vol Protectorate, who ordered a natonal day of mourning for those lost in the destruction. On Palaven, millions of turians in dozens of cities marched in solidarity with the victims of what is becoming known as the Vallum Blast. The death toll is still unknown, but estimates run anywhere from 150,000 to 1.1 million, which could make the day of the blast the second bloodiest day in turian history, ranking just under the first 22 [Earth standard] hours of the Battle of Digeris."

"Clearing bodies is just one of the grim tasks firefighters and medical personnel are performing in the city of Vallum tonight. Remains are being taken to indoor gun ranges, hielae (throwball courts) -- any nearby intact buildings with enough open space to accommodate the dead. Even citizens outdoors at the time of the impact were not spared -- the sudden blast was enough to burst organs and eardrums in a phenomenon called overpressure. "It's like tossing explosives into a lake", explains Lieutenant Razun Scartos. "You don't need shrapnel to get a lot of dead fish". Meanwhile, nearby hospitals are full to the brim with the living -- at least 4,500 turians managed to limp or carry one another to nearby Haemona Medical Center, which previously had capacity for only 1,500."

"The outpouring of support for the turian victims of the Vallum Blast has reached across the Milky Way. "Today, the whole galaxy bleeds blue", said Earth's European Union's Prime Minister Hertz. On Thessia, Matriarch Tiala ordered the Serrice Republican Guard to play the turian anthem "Stars Behind Me" during their changing of the guard, an act last performed during the Krogan Rebellions after the turians lost Uchalda. The quarian Migrant Fleet made no symbolic gestures, but are sending two dozen cruisers to Taetrus packed with emergency supplies. The Salarian Union, meanwhile, is donating heavy moving equipment: state-of-the-art construction-grade vehicles that use mass effect fields to alleviate secondary collapses when digging through rubble."

"The culprits of the Vallum Blast remain at large, but colonial, Hierarchy, and Council investigators are narrowing their search. Only two of the twenty-one groups that now claim responsibility have previously demonstrated the hacking skills necessary to use a spacecraft as a weapon, and only the separatist group Facinus is known to have made the attempt. Facinus is believed to be behind the [Earth local date] February 22nd hijacking of another commerical cruiser that crashed at suborbital speeds in an uninhabited area. Facinus' goal is to separate Taetrus from the Turian Hierarchy, who they see as having betrayed the trust of their people. Though Facinus' structure is cellular, its political arm's base of operations is in the Diluvian Wildlands on the Taetrus island continent of Eluria."

May 2010

"The search for survivors in the rubble on Taetrus continues tonight. Only sixteen trapped people have been recovered alive, and experts say the chances of finding more survivors are slim. Bulldozers and heavy cranes are removing debris from the city's four major highways. Only a handful of aerial ambulances have made it to the interior of the rubble. Firefighter Extan Relius says that there is little hope for those in the central crater: "The impact didn't just knock buildings over; it picked them up and dropped them". New calculations indicate that even this massive blow was relatively mild compared to what it could have been -- the ship involved was only starting its acceleration to FTL speeds, and achieved a velocity under that of a mass accelerator bullet before contact."

"Post production on the mega-simulstim "Nekyia Corridor" may be the latest casualty of the Vallum Blast. One of the sim's major scenes involves a lovelorn pilot committing suicide by flying a ship into a city at FTL speeds. Asked if this would remain in the final cut, director Morgan Bierster replied "You'll have to wait and see", but added, "The project deals head-on with themes of death; the title's "neykia" is actually a Greek word -- the best translation for an asari tradition asking for guidance from the dead. We're not about to ruin it all with some exploitative sequence. It would be tasteless to further traumatize those hurt by this tragedy". His actions back up these words -- the sim's cast and crew have started a charity called "Recovery Corridor" to collect donations for the families of those devastated by the blast."

"A glimmer of hope on Taetrus tonight: rescue workers found a turian child, alive, buried in the wreckage of the museum known as the Enrarium or the "old postal office". The nine-year-old child, found in a collapsed stairwell, is known only as "Octa". She has no injuries other than scratches on her carapace and some loss of hearing. She is conscious and being treated for dehydration and malnutrition. The press has not been allowed to interview Octa yet. Saren Yahirix, the rescue worker who found her, said that she didn't even cry out. "We didn't hear a thing. We just opened up the wall, and there she was"."

"A video of the separatist group Facinus celebrating the Vallum Blast surfaced today. Footage shows noted separatist Kihilix Tanus praising pilot Vamire Squaron for his successful aiming of a private vessel and ejecting from it before it accelerated to its hyperlethal speed. The conversation implies that Squaron bypassed the ship's safety protocols by installing an improvised FTL plotter, using an archaic design no longer in service throughout Citadel space. The vid also shows Tanus criticizing the Turian Hierarchy for failing to respond to the humanitarian crisis on the planet Belan. "They are old xemna [herd animals], only responding when they themselves are jabbed". He then threatened a storm of lightspeed vessels, one for every week that Taetrus remains "subject to the human-appeasing lackeys that run imperialist space," referring to the Hierarchy and Citadel species."

"Gruesome news out of Taetrus tonight: Four turian men have been arrested for stealing healthy organs from the dead at the overcrowded Haemona Medical Center. The men posed as nurses and used fake identity cards to gain entry to the hospital's morgue. Two ran interference while the other two, skilled in surgery, removed kidneys, lungs, and gizzards from the freshest corpses of those who died just days after the Vallum Blast. The turians were discovered by a diener, who suspected something was amiss when the men attempted to prevent him from seeing the bodies. "I cannot believe I'm the same species as these parasites", said the diener, Daherax Antivus. "Whatever happened to shame?""

"As the last fires of Vallum are finally extinguished, new estimates for the numbers of dead and missing in the Vallum Blast have been established. Fire marshals now put the number of recovered bodies at 4,278. Military police estimate the death toll at 138,000, based on missing persons reports and traffic flow estimates for the city on the day of the impact. The cost for repairing the damage is estimated at 338 billion credits, to say nothing of the city's gross domestic product that was estimated at 4.8 billion per year and is estimated to fall to 1.3 billion by the end of the fourth quarter of 2185."

"The reorganizing of Taetrus' governmental infrastructure following the Vallum Blast reached an important milestone tonight, as the colony's Laudatix -- the ministry of citizenship rankings -- held its first oserun since its office was destroyed in the blast. The oserun, a ceremony that recognizes the promotion of turians to a new citizenship tier, was initially overseen by local general Timus Aurelos, who swore in the new minister, Anela Saneraxis. Aurelos then turned the ceremony over to her, and Saneraxis formally promoted 1, 238 turians, ranging from young adults entering 2nd-tier boot camp to Radiatum lawgivers in the 23rd tier. Saneraxis called on the latter in her closing remarks, saying "We know the task before us is mighty, and we look to our leaders to help us serve with dignity and strength. Together, we will prevail"."

"Today, corporate forces on Garvug intercepted a shipment of explosives and weapons to the rebel forces on that planet. The weapons, which included surface-to-air missiles, mortars, and small arms, allegedly come from Clan Urdnot on Tuchanka. "This was a critical find", said Lieutenant Colonel Iason Riggs of Binary Helix. "It is imperative that the galaxy knows we have zero tolerance for those who aid insurgent forces, whether from the Terminus or elsewhere, and we will call out those who act against us". Urdnot Jatt, spokesperson for Clan Urdnot's financial arm on Tuchanka, appeared unimpressed: "What is Binary Helix to us? Or Sonax or Guanghui Solutions? They barely come to our planet, let alone sell anything"."

"Primarch Idus Valen addressed the colony of Taetrus in a [Earth standard] forty-minute speech culminating in a declaration of war against the separatist group Facinus. The primarch spoke from the steps of the Sanhei Memorial, received seven standing ovations, and was frequently interrupted by applause as he detailed the crimes of the previously little-known group. "Our enemies will not escape the long talons of justice", he stated. "Their dreams of anarchy and unaccountability have given birth to a mass murder that marks them as criminals, not heads of state. We call upon their neighbors in an ultimatum: deliver them to us, or share their graves". He announced that the Turian Hierarchy will be lending its support in a military effort against the Diluvian Wildlands, a rural wetlands area where Facinus holds the greatest influence."

"New video and details about the first few minutes after the Vallum Blast emerged today. The Carifinum, the emergency management agency responsible for public crises on Taetrus, delayed its initial response to the calls by half an hour -- a critical misstep that citizen advocacy groups claim could have saved lives. The Carifinum released this statement today in its defense: "From the noise of the blast and the size of the fires, we judged a nuclear scenario possible and, in fact, probable. Our first response, made within minutes of the blast, was to send out teams with particle counters to ascertain if we needed hazard suits to avoid being irradiated. Once it was clear that the weapon used was solely kinetic, we sent every available hand to the blast zone. It would have served no one if our response had gotten our brave rescue personnel killed"."

"Players of the extranet game "Galaxy of Fantasy" held a virtual march supporting the survivors of the Vallum Blast. Over one million players attended in the virtual space of Radiatum Park, where an online kiosk set up by the game's developers allowed them to donate to the victims of the blast. "The players have been incredible", says community manager Enrique Schofgee. "The entire basis for the game is turian mythology. To see turians under attack like this in real life strikes a chord in our players to do something". Prominent player Alila Minaro agrees. "We spend hundreds of hours defending and maintaining this world immersed in turian culture. You can't do that and not have a little turian public spirit rub off on you"."

"In a prepared statement uploaded to the extranet, Taetrus separatist Kihilix Tanus demands that the Turian Hierarchy recognize the island continent of Eluria as the free and independent state of Parthenix, or face further attacks from spacecraft used as weapons. Calling the Vallum Blast "merciful" and saying he has ships that could hit with "100 times that force", Tanus boasted that even Palaven itself was not safe. Primarch Idus Valen responded almost instantly, saying "Justice neither trembles nor runs in the face of evil. We will execute our plans, no matter the threat". The extranet reaction has been more biting: despite the vid being released only hours ago, a game application called "Radiatum Response" has already gone viral. The app allows players to orient crosshairs on the faces of the turian separatists in the video and fire excrement, bullets, or pies."

"Two reporters from the Sirenum Scopuli Network have attempted to re-create the scenario necessary to cause another Vallum Blast. Faking their credentials with high-resolution omni-tools, they managed to charter the private vessel MSV Zothera and fly it into orbit; there, a computer expert claims he set its coordinates for the city of Regeris but was stopped by the ship's hardcoding. "FTL plotters are all about safety, and you need a very specific skill set to bypass them," says Serus Lilix, who handled the piloting. "It's like finding a particle physicist who can also build a locomotive." Primarch Idus Valen was asked in press conference today about the incident and he praised the reporters for their work. He declined to comment on the specific differences between the reporters' tactics, those of Vamire Squaron, and the failed [Earth local date] February 23rd hijacking now attributed to Facinus, saying "I'd rather not broadcast an instruction manual on what Facinus has learned.""

"The Vallum Blast has governments re-examining a critical question: do major metropolitan areas need kinetic barriers? The technology exists: emitters designed to shield asteroid-prone colonies can be mounted on high-altitude balloons and tuned to allow slow-flying planes and starships in while shielding cities from ships flying at hyperlethal speeds. Some turian cities on Palaven have them already. But the cost is substantial: covering a sprawl such as Earth's Los Angeles could initially run as much as 848 million credits, with an annual cost of 74 million to monitor and maintain the emitters. Less wealthy cities would have to do without, bumping them up on the list of potential targets. Experts say the easiest solution is to upgrade ship VIs so that bypassing the safety protocols is even more difficult. "The hype is that anyone with hacking skills can turn a ship into a relativistic weapon", said Taetrian professor of computer science Arayna Hanus. "Fortunately, hard-coding prevents this in 99% of cases"."

"Last night, to the relief of many colonists on Taetrus, the sun finally set on the Vallum Blast. For the last two weeks, suspended dust in the atmosphere promoted the formation of high-altitude ice particles that reflected the sunlight at all hours of the day and night. The result has been the so-called "doomsday glow" in the sky that was so bright that citizens as far away as Dilix could read a paper book by its light at midnight. Civil authorities repeatedly reassured Taetrians that this was not due to any type of nuclear fallout. Though Taetrians can finally get some sleep without closing their blinds, the effects of the dust will linger -- the global atmospheric transparency level has dropped a grade, and this dimming is expected to continue for another month."

"The Citadel Council announced that it will hold a galactic employment summit in thirty [Earth standard] days' time to seek answers while grappling with a downturn in the galactic job market. This announcement comes just days after figures for planetary unemployment were released. Colonies, as a rule, were havens for job growth, with their median unemployment rate at 4.4%, rather than the 13.1% that homeworlds suffered. Some planetary leaders such as Palaven's Primarch Enterus say growing vorcha populations are inflating these numbers and the figures are much lower. Others, such as Thessia's Matriarch Tiala, point out the opposite: "Vorcha are the great undocumented," she says. "If all of them were included, we would see the true unemployment figure, which would be staggering to those unused to species-specific variations in the data.""

"Over 60,000 troops from the Turian Hierarchy arrived in orbit around Taetrus today to assist in that planet's struggles against the Facinus separatist group. While the troops are staying in orbit for an additional day before being dropped in the Diluvian Wildlands, the Hierarchy's General Partinax was met by Primarch Valen and General Timus Aurelos at the Vallum spaceport. Hundreds of well-wishers were on hand with homemade signs, salutes, and chants of "Partinax, Partinax." The 60,000 troops will be joined by an additional 110,000 Taetrian forces traveling by air and sea to the Diluvian border. Meanwhile, Pavan Sahira, provincial ruler of the Diluvian Wildlands, states that Facinus has departed from their province and any attack would be an unprovoked act of aggression from the Hierarchy and planetary government. She called on Partinax to be merciful and not to "taint the talons of our galactic army with the blood of our own kind.""

May 2010

"Turian clawball legend Neno Raxirian has joined the Hierarchy forces heading to Taetrus. The 39-year-old is on the 14th citizenship tier, making him eligible for conscription. Raxirian says he's volunteering. "There's a time and a place for clawball," he said in an interview with GBC News, "and there's a time to serve honorably." That he has done -- in a brief service stint during his adolescence, he received a citation after his unit came under fire. Is this seeking out past glories? Raescir Rockets fans know his performance has slipped of late -- the team has only 9 wins this season, backed by 7 losses. Raxirian denies the stats have any relation to his decision. "I don't think anyone could look at the Vallum Blast and say they don't want to help. For me, funding a charity isn't enough. I want to be there. I want to act now.""

"Reports from Taetrus indicate that the human crew of the MSV Atlanta have been arrested for spying. The crew, including five reporters from the Earth cable news channel Mirror, was accused of attempting to photograph dead turians -- a misdemeanor in times of peace, and a graver offense during wartime. Said Hierarchy Navy spokesman Commander Iustinix Sylvatus: "The charge does not translate well, but their intent was clear. They were using their ship's scanners to monitor the battlefield and report on it. We cannot allow this, as it gives away vital intelligence and compromises the memory of the dead"."

"The weekend box office went to comedies and romantic comedies once again this week, as the so-called "Taetrus effect" has spoiled appetites for action fare across Citadel space. "Check and Mate," the story of asari maidens' tribulations at Earth's World Chess Championship, won the number one spot, taking in 2.05 billion credits. Second place was salarian family fare "We Meet Again, Doctor Fear," at 1.6 billion, milking the gag of a captured secret agent with a wrist-mounted time machine that can only take him fifteen minutes back. Third went to the badly timed "Bullet Train," which eked out 160 million credits, a 40% drop-off from the previous week. Fourth was the disastrous "C-SEC" at 97 million. The action flick's revenue stream came primarily from Tuchanka, where a labeling error mis-categorized it as a comedy."

"Primarch Idus Valen held a press conference today to announce the beginning of the air campaign against the Diluvian government and Facinus separatists. "Over one week ago I gave clear and specific demands to produce the leaders of Facinus and renounce separatism," he said. "These demands were not met, and the Diluvians will now pay the price." He went on to say that to respect the dead, Taetrian and Hierarchy forces would not allow press cameras or communicators in the battle zone and would arrest or eject any violators, including those using satellites or starship scanners. The gathered human reporters walked out in protest of this policy, which is considered the right of the deceased on turian worlds, but is viewed as dictatorial by humans."

"The astronomical team that launched the TR-15 Letus probe is being blasted by the scientific community for falsifying results about the neutron star Turix. "The data they were posting was too good to be true", said Dr. Aurana T'meles, who reviewed their work. "When they claimed to have sent the probe through the relay leading to Turix, we all wondered how and why the Protheans could have built a corresponding relay so close to such an energetic star. Then came questions about isolating the probe's signals from the radiation, claims of unprecedented dark energy control -- I would almost go so far as to use the word 'hoax'". Letus team lead Dr. Akil Carinii apologized for what he called "sloppy record-keeping" but insisted his findings were authentic. "The galactic community has but scratched the surface of all the functions of mass relays", he said, "and my team will continue to try to solve their mysteries"."

"Mass cannons pounded the Diluvian Wildlands on Taetrus today, devastating the region's urban centers in what colonial forces call the Constant Lightning Offensive. Though no journalists were allowed to photograph or film the area, audio files from eyewitnesses told the story of a brutal bombardment. Early warning radars and other scanners were the first targets, followed by power stations, naval yards, telecommunications nodes, and airfields. There is no word at this time if Diluvian army units have been hit, but anti-air batteries would obviously be among the first targets; given the tremendous firepower used today, it is likely some were hit. Some reports say that anti-air missiles were launched in the north, bringing down a gunship, but the colonial forces deny it, and the report cannot be confirmed at this time."

"The colonial forces on Taetrus continue to hammer the separatist government of the Dilvuian Wildlands. The Constant Lightning Offensive is flying more than 2,100 attack sorties in a [Earth standard] 24-hour period, relentlessly striking the Diluvians' command and control centers. Dozens of bridges across the swampy terrain have been destroyed, cutting Diluvian armored and artillery units off from any resupply. Reports of dogfights in the air have been confirmed by colonialist general Partinax, but he claims such engagements should be over shortly. "All enemy airfields have been rendered incapable of operation", he said. "Diluvian air command has been turned into a crater. Any enemy fighters presently in the air were there when the air campaign started and will not find fuel or rest for their pilots anywhere"."

"As the air campaign rages on Taetrus, it is a lonely time to be a peace activist. A HCC News poll found that nearly 93% of respondents of all species said the colonial government had the right to go to war with the Diluvian separatists, and 54% said it would be reasonable for the Turian Hierarchy to use weapons of mass destruction in response, despite that action violating Citadel convention. Still, the turian embassy on the Citadel is surrounded by protesters who say the Hierarchy is doing is too much [sic]. "Practically every turian joins the military -- it's mandatory," says protestor Sarai Bridei of Universe Without War. "There's no distinction to them between military and civillian targets. Hospitals, schools, houses of worship -- they're all fair game, but they won't let you see it on camera"."

"It's been called the biggest blow to reporting in decades: the Cerberus witch hunt. More than 300 human journalists, editors, technicians, and other media personnel have been fired over the past month on suspicion of working for the human-survivalist group. "The discovery of one cell using steganography was a disaster," says former GBC news anchor Kyung-Soon Paek, "We thought if a terrorist cell wanted to send an encoded message across the galaxy, they'd want it in military signals or a galactic news broadcast to guarantee priority messaging in the comm buoy system. But all the media got for its investigations was paranoia and a lot of good people smeared." Counter-terror expert Luis van Graal agrees. "Cerberus is well-financed. They're probably using quantum entanglement communicators and laughing at the rest of us." Emily Wong, who survived a 25-person firing at the Future Content Corporation, had a different take: "With all the sudden vacancies, if there weren't Cerberus operatives in the media before, there certainly could be now.""

"Earth's summer movie blockbuster season has fired up, and the downloads are hot! Winning the weekend was the wholesome dairy-powered superhero "Milk Sheik", who kicked his way up to 4.15 billion creds; a strong showing by the cerebral "Dark Goddess" netted it 3.87 billion, breaking records for a suspense vid; third went to big-budget horror "Akuze" with 3.4 billion; fourth was the Asariwood musical comedy romance espionage simulstim biopic "Make It Look Real: The Lili T'Nigus Story", which sang, danced, spied and smooched its way to 2.96 billion. Reviews of "Make It" have been glowing, launching Oscar buzz based on the sim's elusive "YWNBWITFM factor", extranet slang for "you would not believe what's in this [expletive] movie"."

 June 2010

"The Taetrian capital of Vallum came under attack again today as a turian male crashed an aircar bomb into the kinetic barriers outside the Sevnis, a building serving as emergency government headquarters. Packed with explosives, the aircar struck the barriers and exploded, killing the driver. That driver was Alsadrus Tertius, a former sanitation worker with ties to the radical separatist group Facinus. Sevnis guard Titrinus Machaera counts himself lucky. "He [Tertius] clearly didn't know about the barriers. If he had, he'd have aimed for the gates and maybe gotten some of us guards or the crowds outside". War Minister Uvalum Septimax did not downplay the incident. "We face a determined enemy", he said, "and we cannot afford to relax our vigilance"."

"The separatist group Facinus released a video today condemning the colonialist air campaign against targets in the Diluvian Wildlands. "The cowards of the Hierarchy have betrayed the turian people, first in their appeasement of the humans, second in their oppressive taxes to support their agenda to weaken our empire, and third in the bombardment of their own kind to support their archaic institutions," said Kihilix Tanus, nominal leader of the separatists. "Their General Partinax is a craven murderer. This bloodshed could be avoided with a simple duel between the two of us, yet he would hide behind his conscripts." Asked for comments, General Partinax said simply, "I don't hide.""

"Citadel space is abuzz with the news that highly esteemed General Partinax has accepted separatist leader Kihilix Tanus' challenge to duel. General Partinax has survived seven duels, five to first blood and two lethal; Tanus' record is unknown. Negotiations continue at this hour as the general's staff narrows down a list of weapons. The general favors a turian sword called a mexta, saying it's harder to cheat in swordplay than with firearms. Tanus, on the other hand, favors a type of pistol duel known as a barrier room fight. Despite the excitement, the duel may only minimally impact the war strategy. General Partinax says the air campaign will continue during the duel: "The prize here is the life of one enemy, not the entire course of the war." It may not be merciful, but the general says it is the only condition upon which the Hierarchy would permit him to risk his life."

"As reports of strafing runs and bombardments filter in from urban centers across the Diluvian Wildlands, all eyes are on General Partinax. Negotiations have ended in agreement upon a barrier room duel between the general and Kihilix Tanus in two days' time. In this duel type, combatants armed with pistols enter a room with an opaque retractable wall dividing them. When the wall is dropped, the duel begins. Representatives from both sides will monitor the proceedings, which will be recorded on visual media. Per turian custom, the records will not be made available for public distribution. The general's staff must now locate a neutral meeting place that is unlikely to be an ambush site for either side -- trust is difficult to come by in this conflict."

"Stories of civilian casualties on Taetrus pour in at this hour, following an attack on the city of Iratiana. Mass accelerators have destroyed apartment blocks, hospitals, train stations, and markets, killing dozens or hundreds with each hit. Colonialist forces appear unswayed. "Military emplacements on the continent of Eluria were built in easily defensible population centers during a civil war a few decades ago", explains War Minister Septimax. "Consequently, bombardments cause high loss of life. If I can give any advice to the people of the wildlands, it is to get into bombardment shelters and as far away from military targets as possible". General Partinax's response was more direct: "We have a saying that hopefully translates appropriately", he said. "There is no such thing as a turian civilian"."

"The duel of the century is on hold tonight as senior Facinus representatives refused to accompany colonialist forces to the predetermined duel site, suspecting a trap. "There were no journalists there, no witnesses, and planes were screaming overhead", said Facinus separatist Janus Pagasi. "They had tanks and armor units nearby; they clearly meant to capture us". General Partinax, for his part, said at his daily press conference, "It's not in our interests to meet the enemy unprepared. However, we acknowledge the lack of trust between us, so we must guarantee that no unfortunate accidents will befall the Facinus delegation. Media were present today; tomorrow, they will be more clearly visible so we can get this over with"."

"The duel between General Partinax and the Facinus separatist Kihilix Tanus is over. After the separatists were picked up and driven to an undisclosed location, the combatants spent a short time testing their weapons before entering the barrier room. Video, covering the event from six angles using high-speed image capture, clearly showed that neither combatant used a kinetic barrier. Tanus fired first by about two-tenths of a second, but missed. The general did not miss. Partinax's shot knocked Tanus off his feet; as he continued to advance, he shot until his weapon overheated, by which time Tanus was dead. Tanus' inner circle and bodyguards reportedly had to be restrained after the duel, though no additional bloodshed followed. After the cameras were deactivated, the separatists -- and Tanus' body -- were returned to the pickup location unharmed."

"A bootleg video of the duel between General Partinax and Kihilix Tanus has garnered over seven hundred and ten million views on the extranet. Numerous parodies have already surfaced, the most popular being set to Lady Sweat's "My B*tch Now." In a press conference today, Partinax refused to answer questions about the duel out of respect for the dead and said only that he was disappointed but not surprised that Tanus' death was being broadcast on tightbeam. Despite the turian social taboo of showing wartime dead, it seems they do like to watch covertly; downloads of the duel in turian space were second only to the number of downloads in human space."

June 2010

"A bootleg video of the duel between General Partinax and Kihilix Tanus has garnered over seven hundred and ten million views on the extranet. Numerous parodies have already surfaced, the most popular being set to Lady Sweat's "My B*tch Now." In a press conference today, Partinax refused to answer questions about the duel out of respect for the dead and said only that he was disappointed but not surprised that Tanus' death was being broadcast on tightbeam. Despite the turian social taboo of showing wartime dead, it seems they do like to watch covertly; downloads of the duel in turian space were second only to the number of downloads in human space."

"Diluvian forces on Taetrus have released what they claim is the actual video of the duel between General Partinax and Kihilix Tanus. In the video, Kihilix's first shot appears to hit a kinetic barrier that springs up around Partinax, a clear violation of the terms. Colonialist forces were quick to point out evidence of digital tampering in the video and have uploaded video of the hole created in the wall by Tanus' missed shot. Asked for his reaction, Partinax responded: "It's expected that they create propaganda as part of their war effort. I can tell you that it doesn't feel good to be starring in such propaganda, but under the circumstances, it could be a lot worse.""

"After days of round-the-clock bombardment, the ground campaign in Taetrus' Diluvian Wildlands is underway. The swampy terrain has colonialist forces depending heavily on the Jiris infantry fighting vehicle, a hovercraft capable of navigating swamps with ease. At this hour, fierce fighting is underway on the shores of the Talae River, where separatists have taken cover in the undergrowth and are firing armor-piercing missiles at both the ground forces and the air support that aims to clear them out. Earlier, a cabal of biotics took a stand but were quickly wiped out by vehicles that flanked them and saturated the area with antipersonnel frags. Asked if he expected the ground campaign to result in less collateral damage than the air maneuvers, General Partinax responded, simply: "No.""

"Colonialist forces on Taetrus are coming under fire today for allowing a journalist to die in their care. Grant Keyes, a human working for the Future Content Corporation, was detained by colonialist forces when he was caught filming war dead in the city of Iratiana. Commander Lahere Dianix, commander of the destroyer on which Keyes was held, explained that they were unprepared to detain humans. "We didn't have anything with levo-amino-acids on board," he says. "He refused even water and died of dehydration." However, parts of the story raise significant questions: dying of dehydration would likely have taken a week or more, and any doctor checking on Keyes' condition could have hydrated him intravenously with saline without fear of poisoning the prisoner."

"The ground campaign on Taetrus is proceeding with brutal speed as both sides jockey for a strategic advantage. The Diluvians' advantage lies in their fixed positions, hardened pillboxes two-and-a-half meters thick that are stationed outside area cities. Colonialist armored forces are avoiding these emplacements by sweeping through the marshlands and cutting off the Diluvians' supplies, hoping to starve them out. The colonialists' Jiris fighting vehicles have a decisive range advantage in open terrain, as their missiles can hit a target twenty kilometers away before the enemy even sees them. Knowing this, the separatists are taking cover in jungles and city streets, using the terrain to draw their enemy in. As one separatist tank commander put it, "This will not be easy for them. We are not on Garvug"."

"More questions arise tonight in the death of journalist Grant Keyes. Turian colonialist forces on Taetrus are now claiming Keyes was held for eight days, during which time he refused water. Keyes' producer at the Future Content Corporation refutes this, saying he was in contact with Keyes just four days ago. Keyes' camerawoman Letha Maragos is also missing; the pair's abandoned aircar has been found on an Iratianan street with damage to its top and bottom, indicating the car may have been forced to the ground. Commander Lahere Dianix promised a full investigation, saying, "The acts of my subordinates are my responsibility. If foul play was involved, it will be discovered"."

"Colonialist forces on Taetrus surrounded the city of Spaedar and met stiff resistance from armor and artillery units as they tried to take the Spaedar Spaceport -- the engagement was quickly nicknamed "the naval battle" due to inclement weather that dumped over 25 cm of rain onto the city. The close quarters of Spaedar streets negated many of the colonialist forces' technological advantages. Tanks, drones, and other combat vehicles hunted one another in the flooded alleys, and spotters hidden in buildings called down missile artillery on colonialist reserves. These were countered with cruise missiles from offshore ships dropping precision munitions, silencing the separatist missile artillery and blacking out wide swaths of the city. The battle is expected to continue through the night as colonialist forces attempt to press their advantage."

"Tonight, the ground war on Taetrus enters a new phase; citizen resistance. Military duty is the turian qualification for citizenship; as such, an invading force expects most turians to resist. The average turian family keeps military-issue small arms in their home, and demolitions training teaches citizens how to create homemade firebombs that can blind a tank or force the crew to abandon it. Earlier today, General Partinax announced the colonialist strategy for suppressing citizen militias: first, they will establish "safe camps" within the cities, a traditional turian tactic that incentivizes surrender; then, the invaders will go house-to-house and shoot virtually everyone who remains as a combatant. "Those are our terms", Partinax said in the press conference. "There will be no deviation"."

"Colonialist forces on Taetrus have announced the capture of the city of Spaedar tonight after several days of fighting. Surrendering citizens are pouring into the safe camps, housing centers built during the city's initial construction for just such an occasion. These have already been supplied with cots, toilets, antibiotics, food, and medical staff. Meanwhile, gunfire erupted on the streets as citizen snipers tried to stop house-to-house killings by the hastatim, soldiers whose job more or less translates to "execution squads." The army is keeping close-mouthed about casualty estimates, and underground extranet sites say anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 people were killed today in Spaedar alone. Even Facinus sympathizers are having trouble calling the resistance a success, but they claim anywhere from 200 to 500 colonial casualties."

"Commander Lahere Dianix held a press conference today regarding the death of human journalist Grant Keyes on Taetrus. He now says that four soldiers in the Tenth Mechanized Infantry forced the journalist's car off the road, questioned Keyes, and attempted to arrest him. A scuffle ensued, and the turians' claws nicked the carotid artery of his camerawoman, Letha Maragos, while restraining her. Keyes became violent and was shot in the leg -- both humans were taken into custody where first Maragos and then Keyes died. The turians lacked supplies and human blood or a viable substitute, and could not perform a transfusion. Asked if charges will be brought against the patrol, Dianix replied, "Turians are not as litigious as humans. The matter will be resolved shortly.""

"A new development in the death of human journalist Grant Keyes has exemplified the differences between turian and human cultures. Sergeant Sanus Iheras -- the commander of the four soldiers who pulled the journalist and his camerawoman over and was allegedly responsible for their deaths -- has apparently commited suicide. He was found this morning with a fatal gunshot wound to the head, presumed to be self-inflicted. Such suicides are common in turian cultures after great transgressions and are seen to expiate family or unit of shame and failure. The act also frequently closes any judicial matter or investigation into the deceased and their actions. Asked if this brought closure to the case, Keyes' widow Lara said, "Not at all. I never wanted anyone else to get hurt over this. It's senseless"."

"An epidemic of poisonings on Taetrus raises a question for the occupying colonialist forces: Are the so-called "safe camps" for surrendering civilians really safe? Hidden cameras in the Dedaris stadium-camp reveal high tensions among the occupants, as well as thefts, drug abuse, and sexual assaults. Colonel Partainis, the camp's commanding officer, took the media's questions seriously: "We suspect the poisoning incident was an indiscriminate revenge killing. We've seized a new food supply -- a louza [poultry] slaughterhouse -- just to be sure. As for individual crimes, we are not here to rehabilitate anyone. We provide an environment that is safer than the combat theater. That is all". An occupant, who asked not to be named, says he prefers it here. "It's spit soup three meals a day, but I've got so many medical problems...I wouldn't last an hour outside. That doesn't make me a traitor"."

"Today on Taetrus, General Partinax took time out from his usual press conference to address what colonialists are calling "misconceptions" about the Hierarchy's role on the planet. "There are persistent rumors that we are nationalizing businesses of the dead in order to pay for the war", he said. "That is simply untrue. What we want is the population coming to the safe camps, surviving the war, going about their business, and paying their taxes. The deaths are of those that give us armed resistance". Asked if he knew that the Diluvian Wildlands had iridium deposits, he said, "All colonies have natural resources, but economics are only one element of war, not a sole cause. We are here because we were attacked. End of message"."

"The weekend box office is down 17% from this time last year -- industry insiders blame the constant coverage of the war on Taetrus as competing mindshare. Still, Greek-versus-god actioner "Diomedes" speared 1.52 billion credits, holding steady from last weekend's 1.61 billion take; "Call Me Sally" opened at 1.33 billion, proving that painting an undercover asari Spectre in human makeup is still good fish-out-of-water comedy; historical drama "Farixen" cruised in at third with 928 million, a reasonable profit for the low-budget sim; rounding out the bottom of the charts is the art-house-release fourth-wall-breaker "Rodin vs Metagodzilla", which carved out 751 million. "Milk Sheik" and "Make It Look Real" survived for a fourth week with 748 and 655 million, respectively. (All numbers independently confirmed by entertainmentfact.com)."

"Tonight: Is the colonialist strategy on Taetrus working? The killing of civilians in Earth wars usually serves only to stiffen popular resistance, but Earth wars rarely offer such a stark contrast between safe captivity and death. "The dual approach is necessary," says Lieutenant Colonel Satorim of the 3rd Infantry. "Without the camps, no one would ever surrender. Without the hastatim, we would be here for years and still get shot at." Some surrendering citizens have even collaborated with their captors. "Our most valuable intel comes from sympathizers," says Satorim. "After seeing the Vallum Blast, they know what the separatists want and think it abhorrent. They'd rather be counted as patriots.""

"A disturbing find on Taetrus this week reminded colonialist troops of the consequences of failure. Army units seized a house in the Diluvian city of Madra; in a work shed, they discovered two improvised FTL plotters in the late stages of weaponization. The shed belonged to Ulrixen Ravidus, a suspected Facinus supporter. Described as having "few skills in the astrophysics department", authorities believe Ravidus may have harbored Vamire Squaron, the pilot who allegedly launched the hypervelocity craft that caused the Vallum Blast. Further evidence in Ravidus' residence suggests that Facinus tried to use a ship as a weapon on military targets in the early stages of the Diluvian invasion, but the vessel was shot down by colonialist forces as they began to establish air and space supremacy."

"Umsung Holdings (CSE: UMH) announced today that it has completed the buyout of Sonax Industries in a friendly takeover. Umsung will provide approximately 119 billion credits in debt and equity financing for the purchase of the company and future funding commitments. The move is expected to significantly boost Sonax's share price, which has been falling precipitously after perceived missteps in the war on Garvug. Asked if new management will result in a change of direction on that planet, CEO Iseul Rhee replied, "We have conferred with Admiral Speight and see great potential in Garvug. The infrastructure of the occupied areas is unharmed and is beginning to turn a profit. The correct move is not to withdraw, but to commit fully to establishing a permanent peace zone on the planet.""

"It was a star-studded night in New York City as the long-awaited space epic "Nekyia Corridor" held its premiere at the Royal SimulCinema 189 in the East Village. Light & Shadow Pictures spared no expense as the red carpet took the haute couture along a bridge of carbon nanotubes over an eerie pit of holographic ghosts. A-listers were everywhere, from Ace Skidmore to Symon Eldfell. Even Lisa Ford stopped by -- the Speaker's district was home to 11 of the sound stages used in the film. Leading lady Kate First was on hand with her life partner Elyina Renezia; lightning-rod-leading man Nathan Gold made only a video appearance, as he was on Thessia for the simultaneous Usaru premiere. Director Morgan Bierster commented: "We're excited and exhausted. The sim's been getting fabulous buzz in the pirate community, and it's great to be here and give the glitterati their turn. We've got four hours to go, and then we'll know if I should cut my wrists or not"."

June 2010

 06/26/2010 - Hastatim Soldiers Acknowledge Image Problem

"Turian soldiers of the hastatim, assigned to crush civillian resistance on Taetrus, are the first to argue that the hastatim are not death squads. "Our purpose is to transport people to the safe camps", insists a sergeant who asked not to be identified. "We're not the ones making the decision to fight -- they are". In order to facilitate that goal, hastatim members are trained in foreign languages to supplement translators and are issued combat ambulances to transport those who cannot transport themselves. But the soldiers are also the first to admit that they have an image problem. "The burial units are tough to look at, and the cremator smell gets to you", said a corporal, also asking not to be named. "But that's just one aspect. These people have been warned. All that's left are shooters and looters"."

"An attack on a safe camp on the planet of Taetrus has, to the surprise of many human observers, increased sympathies for the invading colonialist forces. Four gunmen dressed in colonialist uniforms, presumably separatists, attempted to gain entry to the camps before their identicards malfunctioned and a firefight broke out, killing eight and wounding eleven. "These incidents are not unheard of in turian history", explained General Partinax at his daily press conference. "Their objective was to cause bloodshed within the safe camps and attribute it to war crimes. They want the camps to seem unsafe to humiliate us. But public sympathy often swings the other way, especially when the truth comes out. The camps are a place of mercy, and the public reacts strongly to anything that threatens that tradition"."

"Flash mobs rallied today on Taetrus, protesting the prolongation of the war. Safe camps were the scenes of many such rallies, where noncombatants tried to pressure the citizen resistance fighters into surrendering. "The soldiers here aren't faceless snipers", said Teheris Gaudium, organizer of the rally in Spaedar. "They are our husbands and brothers, our wives and mothers. We're marching today to show that if they want to separate from the Hierarchy, they'll be separating from us, too". Organizer Hanae Daphnon was even more blunt. "The resistance has gotten countless people killed. The sooner everyone surrenders, the sooner we can all go home"."

"Controversy brews tonight over the decision to continue the war on Taetrus. Analysis by a Second Star Broadcasting reporter reveals that the colonialist army has captured or killed 21 of the 24 top Facinus leaders. Casualty estimates from across Diluvian lands run from 15,000 to 18,000 uniformed fighters and 45,000 to 80,000 citizen insurgents. Deaths of noncitizens, which include children, the mentally incompetent, and those unfit for duty, are estimated between 7,000 and 8,000. While these numbers indicate significant progress in the war, General Partinax is quick to say major combat operations are not complete. "Our estimates are that 60-70% of the population has made it to the safe camps," he announced. "That is a significant number, but the unknown factor is the number of citizen insurgents who will continue to resist. This war's prolongation is on their heads.""

"Diluvian separatists attacked a weapons destruction facility on Taetrus today, detonating a truck bomb at the gate to the steelworks plant where captured weapons were being stored. Squads of citizen militia swarmed into the plant, trying to steal small arms and missile launchers; however, they met stiff resistance from an infantry platoon stationed at the facility. After a half-hour standoff, the separatists were forced to retreat into the city, leaving their dead and wounded behind. The fight has become a highly publicized victory for occupation forces, who have gathered more than 140,000 weapons from surrendering citizens and military units."

July 2010

"The wait is finally over: "Nekyia Corridor" opened at midnight last night to throngs of camped-out fans. The 5.3 billion-credit juggernaut broke first-day release records, sucking up 2.97 billion credits in 20 (Citadel standard) hours. "At its core, the sim's about falling in love, losing that love, and trying to get it back", says director Morgan Bierster. "It just takes place in one of the most dangerous parts of space where ancient asari once believed the souls of the dead went". Turian reviewers have called the FTL-impact scene "haunting" in light of the Vallum Blast, one saying "being in the body of the pilot is gut-wrenching; the cut-away leaves everything to the imagination and is just the right move". Human reviews were mixed, one saying, "it harbors the vain hope that the viewer will turn his brain off while [the movie] at the same time bends over backwards to stimulate it... the result is adrenaline-charged, but emotionally exhausting"."

"Productivity is taking a hit across Citadel space as the so-called "Nekyia flu" spreads. "My company gave us the afternoon off", says Birili T'Lannas, a Thessian fan of the space epic. "Half of us were dead tired after camping out last night, and the other half didn't come in today, so they gave up". The sim is also proving popular on salarian worlds: "Some friends went last night, and they won't stop quoting it", said Ijib Tar, a custodian at Mannovai's Itarus University. "It's showing on all the simtables at our local theater, so the lineups won't be bad". Even rear echelon soldiers on Garvug are getting a taste. "They've earned a break", said Captain Andre Closson of Sonax Industries. "Some of our troops have been waiting for this sim longer than they've been enlisted. It reminds people there's a bigger galaxy waiting for us. We screen it one hour at a time, though, on account of its length"."

"The reviews continue to pour in for "Nekyia Corridor", some offended, but most overawed. "A simulstim that can impress both human and asari audiences is hard enough", says columnist Gara Sator of simswithguns.com, "but Bierster has the insane dream of going after the whole galaxy. From the reaction I saw among salarian audiences, he might just get it". Meanwhile, Lucy Tannenbaum of sharpstickintheeye.com says, "The adventures of the protagonists are so jaw-droppingly extreme that they would be called unbelieveable in a holo, except that you know that this is a sim, and some crazy mother[expletive] actually had to do it. Before the shock wears off, you're willing to believe any hoo-ha the script throws at you"."

"Box office receipts are in, and audiences went to hell and back for the sexy movie with the unsexy name. "Nekyia Corridor" demolished four-day records, scooping up a tidy 302 million extra credits from its Earth audiences in North America, who had a three-day weekend due to a political holiday. "Nekyia" broke three records for single-day takes and capped the Thursday-Monday streak off at a whopping 13.3 billion credits. Asked if there was any way to increase the hit's profits, director Morgan Bierster said, "I guess we could build more theaters". Meanwhile, back among mortals, the comedy anthology "Gagged" scooped up 677 million credits. Says producer Scott Hayson, "Yeah, we brought in a pretty big audience ourselves...during Nekyia's intermission"."

"A meteor strike has delayed the construction of the Susskind Supercollider, a particle accelerator being constructed in Trikalon's orbit. The Susskind is a type of collider called a fermitron and is a centuries-old asari venture now funded, named, and built by humans. It's believed a fermitron hasn't been constructed since the time of the Protheans. Formerly scheduled to come online in September (Earth Standard), the new damage will prolong construction until 2186. When completed, the Susskind collider will be 13,508 kilometers in circumference and will encircle Trikalon completely. The Susskind is the largest artificial satellite ever to have human workers and will be the galaxy's largest building in terms of square meters, surpassing the volus' hotel-filled Mall of Quanaha."

"The struggle to contain vital information is a key part of any war, but today it's more difficult than ever. Citizen reporters, aided by cheap, concealable technology such as camera-clothing and micro-surveillance can easily cross the line from witness to antiwar activist or spy. "We feed the major media outlets satisfying, nonvital info", said Lieutenant Colonel Sanex Irvinus. "In return, they tend to stay professional. It's more difficult when a noncombatant plants a microbug on a person or vehicle. Their data goes straight to the antiwar media, and minutes later, the mainstream echoes it. You wouldn't believe the counter-surveillance methods we've had to use". Activist groups like TruthHax say the trend won't go away. "Intelligence services and media conglomorates pay for info, and activists just do it because it's right", said one unnamed source. "If you could stop a war with information, if you could kill its support without driving up the cost in lives, wouldn't you be obliged to try?""

"A dashboard-camera video of an improvised explosive device that toppled an infantry fighting vehicle on Taetrus has garnered over 560 million extranet hits. Five servicemen were riding in a C77 Tyrus vehicle when the explosive, buried in the center of the road, went off. The bomb, made from two artillery shells and a detonator, threw the 13-ton vehicle into the air but failed to pierce its kinetic barriers and armor. The crew escaped with minor injuries and used the Tyrus' eezo core to lower its mass and right the vehicle with the aid of a tow cable and an aircar. Asked about the crew's hospital stay, Corporal Siyan replied, "We're resting, eating, and buying stock in Armax," referring to the vehicle's manufacturer."

"The following video has been isolated as potential junk mail or a virus-infected message. A safe preview follows: >>>ATTENTION ATTENTION THIS IS THE VOICE OF FACINUS THE BAREFACE COLONIALIST FORCES AND THEIR CORPORATE MEDIA LACKEYS ARE FRAUDS THE AGE OF GALACTIC EMPIRES IS OVER THE SAFE CAMPS ARE A LIE CIVILIANS ARE BEING MURDERED RESIST AT ALL COSTS NO OCCUPATION CAN WITHSTAND A FULLY ARMED POPULACE THEIR CASUALTIES ARE IN THE THOUSANDS DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE TO JOIN THE REVOLUTI****621 FATAL ERROR NO CARRIER.

"A viral extranet video containing an embedded virus has analysts wondering if Taetrian separatist group Facinus is to blame or whether the culprit is Hierarchy intelligence and psychological operations teams. "Propaganda has come a long way since the days of the leaflet and Axis Sally," says Taylor Joyce, former Alliance psyops specialist. "When it comes to the extranet, black propaganda, posing as the enemy to put words in their mouths is the order of the day. The Hierarchy wants separatists associated with viruses and spam -- things you ignore and delete -- rather than rational beings with an alternate point of view." Former Hierarchy agent Gradius Iherax is confident the virus is Facinus' work. "Any black-prop operation must be performed with a backup plan for when, not if, the truth comes out. If the Hierarchy did this, the loss to their honor and credibility would be tremendous. The op would never get approved.""

"The rate at which Diluvian citizens are capitulating to invading Hierarchy forces is amazing to some observers, but not so to psychological specialists such as Lilira Sycoram. "Inasmuch as one can speak of species-wide cultural trends with any accuracy, turian society is set up to take military orders for communal action. You have an entire population that understands the costs and methods of war. When it becomes clear that the ideological center of a movement is beaten, once the 'center of gravity' goes, turians readily switch their allegiances to the larger, successful community -- in this case the Hierarchy. This tends to happen only in turian-on-turian conflicts, but when it does, it spares both sides the long, bloody guerrilla wars seen so often in many other species' history.""

"There were no surprises on the download charts this weekend: "Nekyia Corridor" is on its way to becoming the highest-grossing sim ever. The long-awaited actioner charmed another 9.1 billion out of audiences galaxy-wide, passing the asari ****c "Confederates" in adjusted credits. "It's absolutely unreal to be at the center of something this big," says director Morgan Bierster. "I can only say thank you to the fans for giving me my own Hollywood ending. I thought I was going to have to sell shoes for a living when this was done." In the giant's shadow, low-budget holo horror "The Phage 2" scooped up 653 million credits by squeezing scares out of a sentient salarian biowarfare project that dissolves people outright."

July 2010

"A-listers are following the queen of asari pop in the latest charity trend: adopting turian children displaced by the Vallum Blast and subsequent war on Taetrus. Between reinventing herself, music genres, and everything else, Arah T'Hass adopted four children orphaned in the blast. Megastar Delilah Jordan followed suit by adopting a pair of twin boys, and recently, Columbia Rios and her husband took in a whole family of refugees. Said T'Hass, "I hope it does catch on! There's so much suffering on Taetrus right now. It felt like the only moral thing to do. And having one dextro kitchen and one levo kitchen is totally not as hard as people make it out to be." Asked for her opinion on the violence of the war, T'Hass replied, "The turians have their way of dealing with it. I have mine.""

"A new technology is helping victims of the Vallum Blast breathe easier -- literally. Researchers at U. Thierax are attacking the myriad of respiratory diseases caused by inhaling dust around the blast site. Dubbed "medi-gel for the lungs," the Eupulmos Device analyzes a patient's tissue or medicard record before adjusting its virally-delivered superdrugs to match the patient's genetic predispositions. After that, the mister sprays the aerosol into the patient's nasal passages and the drug is absorbed into the lungs. The mister can also deliver microsurgery machines to make non-invasive repairs to tissue and has a color-coded nozzle at each end with separate agent reservoirs for dextro and levo patients. Said one ER staffer, "The effect is incredible. In a year, the whole galaxy will be using these things.""

"Colonialist forces in the Diluvian Wildlands on Taetrus have surrounded the fortress of Kasatum, believed to be one of the last holdouts of the separatist leadership. The building, built in the early days of the planet's civil wars, is reinforced against most explosives and has hardpoint-grade kinetic barriers to resist mass accelerator attacks. The separatist group claims it has two dozen hostages inside and in a sign of their increasing desperation, demanded a spaceship to depart the planet. Asked if he would consider the group's demands, General Partinax replied, "We have a negotiation specialist handling that, but I can say giving Facinus access to another FTL craft is quite low on my list of desirable outcomes.""

"The standoff at Kasatum fortress on Taetrus has come to a grisly end. At 0721 local time, colonialist forces dropped a 6-ton thermobaric bomb on the historical fortress with a parachute, slowing its decent so that it would not trigger the kinetic barriers. The bomb was loud enough that even reserve units of the surrounding army were issued hearing protection, and dust kicked up by its mushroom cloud became a breathing hazard. Portions of the hardened building were still standing when the smoke cleared, but those inside are presumed dead -- the bomb consumed all oxygen in the immediate area, sucking it out of ventilation ducts before they were melted shut."

"General Partinax answered critics today over the bombing of the historical Kasatum fortress. The general said that, despite what Facinus forces claimed, there were no hostages within the fortress. By using miniature duct-crawling drones equipped with an ultrasonic device similar to ground-penetrating radar, the army was able to scan and locate all individuals inside. They deduced from positioning and audio data that none were hostages. Only then was the go-ahead for the bomb given. "We were lucky", the general noted, "but that doesn't take anything away from the skill and preparation of our people on the ground"."

"Turian medical units on Taetrus are at the center of a patent controversy tonight. A volus claiming to be the inventor of the much-vaunted Eupulmos respiratory device says his design was appropriated by the turian military without payment or permission. Similar appropriations have occurred throughout the history of the turians and their client race; the volus have extensive patent laws, and the turians barely recognize the concept. "This inventor should take pride in the success of his product," said colonialist liaison Tertinus Septinas, "not shake us down for a fee every time it is used. The flat sum we've offered is quite generous." The Eupulmos designer, Ora Thubb, says he's soured forever on turian culture: "I thought the turians had a meritocracy. What's the point if your contributions get brushed off?""

"Systems Alliance Prime Minister Amul Shastri met with Dalatrass Narra on Betau, the first day of the salarian New Year. Originally marking the end of winter in the southern hemisphere of the salarian homeworld of Sur'Kesh, Betau is traditionally a time of repaying debts and petitioning favors -- and today was no exception. The two spoke about Earth's superconductor supplies, Sur'Kesh's soil-enriching burngrass, and the inflation of the galactic credit. Shastri gave Narra an Arabian horse with implant reins and genetic material cloned from Magnolia, one of George Washington's steeds. In return, Narra, knowing Shastri's love for flying, presented him with a ****c Tess Auburn 2166 aircar with gwaskin upholstery."

"A suspicious disappearance on Irune has provoked outrage in the Vol Protectorate as Ora Thubb, the inventor of the Eupulmos respiratory aid, has gone missing. The volus inventor made news recently by demanding payment for his design, which is in heavy use by the colonialist army on Taetrus. Ambassador Din Korlack says the Protectorate wants to believe the best of their turian allies, but added, "as the Earth-clan say, this doesn't pass the smell test". Local law enforcement officers on Irune say their leads are promising, but the disappearance is straining relations between the two species' embassies on the Citadel. This is of great concern to the Taetrus war effort. According to one report, volus-owned companies have supplied more than 60 billion credits of material to colonialist forces, about 45% of the war's public cost so far."

"Many citizens have returned to life as usual on Belan, but refugee camps are still filled to capacity by those left homeless by the Kingu comet. The Salarian Union has received much praise for their relief efforts, but Belanese government officials claim aid from the Turian Hierarchy has dropped sharply since fighting started on Taetrus. A Hierarchy spokesperson responded, "Our people have never set Belan aside. While some of our efforts shifted to Vallum after its attack, and needed to remain there in case of further attack, assisting in the rebuilding of Belan always was, and remains, a priority for Palaven.""

"A mass arrest of over 200 alleged slavers in the Salarian Union city of Aegohr on the planet Nasurn is being credited tonight to Spectre Tela Vasir. "There are cases that can't be talked about and ones that can", said Supervisory Special Agent Yalson Sao. "We are pleased to say Ms. Vasir -- may all her eggs hatch -- was instrumental in breaking one of the ringleaders of this operation". The term "breaking" may not be entirely figurative -- the batarian in question is recovering in an Aegohr hospital with injuries to three eyes and several small joint fractures. Vasir herself declined lengthy comment, attributing her success to "good intel"."

"The story of Ora Thubb, the wronged inventor who vanished under suspicious circumstances, came to a grisly end today when divers found his body in Irune's Hovita Cove. The waterlogged body had been hacked open in an effort to sink it, a somewhat redundant measure given the low buoyancy of a body in Irune's ammonia-heavy seas. Just prior to the discovery, Thubb's widow received a call from kidnappers telling her to bring five hundred thousand credits to the Dulez Bridge, a call that police say must have come after Thubb was already dead."

"Tonight: Has the galactic media forgotten the war on Garvug? Corporatist forces have held the colony capital unopposed by state forces for months, yet still the krogan and vorcha under****strike back with shooting sprees and skycar bombs. Neither can get close to the fortress-like enclaves where the corporatists have established high-security zones for their troops, but it is clear that no civilians are protected, a fact that hurts the corporate bottom line. Incursions into the countryside looking for the elusive Hailot Wrund have borne little fruit. Still, Sonax Industries supreme commander Lira Speight is confident. "There is a wedge between the vorcha, who will carry out suicide attacks, and the krogan, who will not," she says. "Every day we find bodies from their infighting. Their numbers are dwindling. Ours are not.""

"Law officers on Irune announced a breakthrough in the case of deceased inventor Ora Thubb today. Three Turian men -- two dead and one alive -- were dropped off at a police station along with personal digital assistants containing evidence about planning Thubb's murder. The police are crediting Spectre involvement with bringing the investigation so far forward. Major Loz Atad says two turian Spectres handed the alleged criminals in, making it clear they had been pulled off of Taetrus to solve this problem. "The message was unmistakable", he said. "Turians and volus are partners"."

"There's a new development tonight in the quest for justice for the victims of the Vallum Blast. Vamire Squaron, the pilot who allegedly launched the hypervelocity craft that caused the impact, was found dead in the Diluvian city of Madra. "I got an anonymous tip that there was a body inside...I didn't even recognize him at first", said Private Faros Riten, who was tasked with house-to-house searching. "I put him on the flatbed, and everybody started congratulating me". At a crematostation, the body's genetic structure was compared to Squaron's medicard record and was confirmed with 99.97% accuracy. The cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrest, an unusual diagnosis in a 41-year-old turian. Asked if he felt any closure, Riten replied, "Don't worry about me. Worry about the people that lost someone"."

"Citadel Council observers were on hand in the city of Vallum today as Hierarchy forces destroyed the captured, weaponized FTL plotters found a month ago (Earth Standard) in the Diluvian city of Madra. "These are symbols of a type of war no civilized galaxy wants and no civilized galaxy should suffer," said Taetrian Primarch Idus Valen, who was given the honor of detonating the plotters at a bomb range at Fort Urix. Asked if the plotters' creator, Vamire Squaron, was the only person with the knowledge and intent to create weapons such as these, Valen seemed to agree but gave a noncommittal response. Asked how the plotters represented a type of war different than one involving conventional weapons of mass destruction such as a dreadnought's main gun, Valen responded, "I'm sorry, but that's all the time we have.""

"A family's space tourism flight around the gas giant Archanes has turned into a nightmare. After an ion engine malfunction, their emergency booster rocket went offline and the ship was caught in the giant's orbit. Their plaintive distress signal to the Systems Alliance indicates that their orbit is steadily decaying and that they expect to reach the point of no return in the next two hours. The six members of the Sorenson family have qualified for unassisted spaceflight, but now those logged hours are being put to the test. A nearby manned Helium-3 station is walking them through a repair procedure for the booster. While viewers everywhere hold their collective breath, the eldest daughter, Kristal, is performing the extravehicular activity needed to make the necessary repairs."

"The story of the Sorensons, a family whose ship became trapped by the gas giant Archanes' gravity, has ended with heartbreak. Though the family's daughter Kristal managed to repair the malfunctioning booster rocket in time, she had no time to get used to the pressure differential between the ship and her hastily-donned pressure suit. Decompression sickness gradually caused her to become disoriented and she lost consciousness outside the vehicle. Unable to mount a second EVA to rescue her before the ship reached the point of no return, her mother, Freja, fired the rocket and flew the ship to safety. A ceremony honoring Kristal Sorenson's sacrifice will be held tomorrow on her home planet of Eden Prime."

"Comedian Cal DiCosimo has issued an apology today for his comments about deceased vacationer Kristal Sorenson. DiCosimo, recorded on a headcam video at a nightclub, said, "You know what's wrong with our news? Hundreds of people are getting exterminated on Taetrus every day, and what are our journalists reporting? One rich little human girl who fell down a gravity well." After the comments garnered millions of extranet hits, DiCosimo issued his apology: "My remarks were intended to be pointed at members of the news media, not the family and friends of the deceased. I am sorry if I hurt anyone in their time of grieving, and I wish to pay my respects to a very heroic young woman who saved the lives of her family.""

"Corporatist forces on Garvug are reeling today as the Sonax Corporation's command ship Excelsior was destroyed in geosynchronous orbit over the planet. Comm traffic at the time of destruction suggests the Excelsior was destroyed by a warp bomb hidden in a supply ship's cargo payload. The ship had a crew of several hundred, none of whom are expected to have made it to escape pods after the blast. It is known, however, that Sonax's supreme commander Lira Speight was on another ship doing troop review at the time. A video uploaded from the surface of Garvug minutes later revealed guerilla commander Hailot Wrund, apparently missing an arm. His statement was brief: "You humans have an expression: 'Tag.'""

July 2010

"The corporatist forces on Garvug struck back against guerilla positions today, conducting over 150 house-to-house raids and bombarding 33 targets in the mountainous regions outside of Dhazil. Insiders say most of the gunships flying attack sorties were Guanghui Solutions forces. All but one flight of Sonax ships remained grounded, and Binary Helix only fields logistical support staff. Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight denied rumors of a rift between her corporation and the eco-engineering subsidiaries, saying, "Our command structure is centralized, but our capacity to fight is not. Today is an object lesson in that fact.""

 August 2010

"New statements by Binary Helix representatives regarding unusual ordnance on the planet Garvug are pointing to a lack of unity among the corporatist alliance. "Our corporation profits from robust alien ecosystems," said deputy oversight director Grigori Petrenko, criticizing Sonax for its use of what they speculate to be chemical warheads. "Dropping nerve gas is not only useless but counterproductive. The concentrations necessary to kill a krogan or vorcha will kill everything else downwind." Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight responded mere minutes later, denying the criticism was based in fact. "Petrenko was speaking hypothetically and quoted out of context. Chemical weapons are militarily and politically unfeasible, and so we aren't using them in our munitions," she said. "This isn't the 20th century.""

"A controversial vid is making its way across the extranet, causing PR trouble for the corporatist forces on Garvug. The vid shows Sonax Industries soldiers executing nearly a dozen krogan, alleged guerilla sympathizers who defy their captors to literally their last breaths before they are pushed into a mass grave. When the vid first hit the extranet yesterday, Sonax's stock price dipped dramatically, but at this hour it seems to have recovered and even jumped up 0.4 credits per share. "What we're seeing here is a deeply disturbing trend," says senior news analyst Hannibal Brown. "Were this a vid of krogan killing humans, Systems Alliance politicians would be saber-rattling left and right. But the perception is that all krogan are warriors, or at least able to defend themselves. Their execution is being treated as the cost of doing business on Garvug.""

"Footage of an incredible confrontation made its way onto the extranet and attracted more than 225 million views almost overnight. The reluctant star of the latest extranet craze is human veteran C-SEC officer Tarmiel East, captured on a security camera during a dramatic confrontation with suspected krogan drug-runner Hunjon Sard. The routine stop quickly became a fight for survival in a knock-down, drag-out street brawl that East managed to win bare-handed. Details are sketchy, including how the video made it to the extranet, but C-SEC Commissioner Serjeck Hankiloran refused comment, saying only that the matter was under investigation."

"The Mother's Star, the largest natural gemstone-cut diamond in the galaxy, was blessed by Earth's Pope Leo XIV today. The Star weighs in at 2,105 carats and was found on the asari colony world of Sanves. The diamond is undergoing a galactic tour to be blessed by major religious leaders of Council space. Tomorrow it will be taken back to Thessia for the final leg of its journey. After an incantation by asari atamna (a collection of high priestesses), it will be placed in the crown jewel collection of the republic of Ulee."

"A team of fishermen and marine biologists on the Terminus Systems moon of Arvuna have successfully captured a deinorostrum, a carnivorous sea creature some 35 meters long. With an armored head and sharp beak, the deinorostrum resembles the prehistoric dinicthys fish of Earth, but on a scale similar to blue whales. It was herded into an offshore pen using sonic projectors, which are key in keeping the creature captive as few cage materials can actually hold it. The "deino" is the largest predatory sea creature ever captured on Arvuna; it measures as the fifth largest known in the galaxy, exceeded only by the megalosteus family of creatures on Trident."

"Tonight, a painful but non-literal blow was dealt to corporatist forces on Garvug: Binary Helix, one-third of the triumvirate of corporations fighting guerilla forces on that planet, is withdrawing their logistical support. "We laid out two strategies at our stockholder's meeting, and the voting made it clear which we would pursue," said spokesperson Othello Nash. "The time has come to end our involvement with partners that are not acting in good faith and to reinvest ourselves in more dynamic markets galaxy-wide." Asked for comment, Sonax Industries supreme commander Lira Speight responded, "Sonax's resolve will not waver. We are already reaping profit from this planet. If it is not coming fast enough for Binary Helix, then I'm sure Guanghui Solutions will enjoy taking their share.""

"Psyotics, the latest trend in body modification, is catching on outside the Illium club scene where it first began. This craze has adventurous revelers injecting specialized capsules under their skin that react to certain audio frequencies by lighting up. While the lights can be any color, the most common is a deep purple that mimics the glow of violet-shifted biotics. A single injection typically lasts for the evening, after which the capsules disintegrate. Dr. Frakus Mijier of the Nos Astra Medical Academy cautions party-goers on use of psyotics. "Any untested substance deposited into the bloodstream has side effects, and potentially dangerous ones," he warns. "There is no standardization for psyotics, so those capsules you get on the street could be made out of anything.""

"Reconstruction of the Signis, the Taetrian executive office building destroyed in the Vallum Blast, was completed today by the Hierarchy Corps of Engineers. Donations of wood, marble, and fabricator materials poured in from all over the galaxy to enable the famous building to stand again. The new building is an exact replica of the old, a move that lead engineer Naxus Ursinus said was expedient and an important political symbol. "On a practical level, we wanted to give the Primarch a place to work that wasn't out of a hotel room somewhere," she said, "More importantly, we are showing our enemies they have not changed us." Asked if the new building was hardened against megaton-scale blasts, she replied, "You can't stop an FTL craft with a stronger ceiling. Our first line of defense is the common citizens' awareness of what their neighbors are doing.""

"Fashion Week kicked off on Illium today with a dazzling presentation by fashion icon Scarlet Jane, who wowed the crowd with a collection of intimates and casual wear influenced by quarian designs. "They are such an inspiration," Jane said. "They can take anything and give it their own flavor. They are a culture of innovation. I love them!" Braced for record numbers, Fashion Week culminates with the Luminary Gala sponsored by the weekly "Who's-Who" program. This year, the event will be hosted by Carson Noble, owner of the fashion magazine, "Noble.""

"Sunset tonight marks the beginning of the human holy month of Ramadan on Earth. Until the next moon, over 2.7 billion Earth humans and 2 million in the colonies will abstain from eating, drinking, or having sexual intercourse during daylight hours. Giving to the poor or feeding them while breaking fast in the evening is encouraged, along with praying and reading from a holy book. Humans in the colonies will base their fasting timetable off of visual sighting of the largest crescent moon; planets with no moons or extreme photoperiods follow Earth's timetable. Those who are travelling more than 64km are exempt from fasting but must make up the days later with fasting or buying the poor an evening meal -- humans in non-geosynchronous orbit are considered to be travelling at all times."

"Alarms rang throughout the salarian system of Antilin yesterday when an alien ship bearing a strong AI signature triggered fears of a geth attack. Renko Turwin, Director of Near-Orbital Security, explained: "When evidence of powerful AI heuristics was detected onboard, our security forces thought it was the vanguard of a geth invasion. However, we consulted quarian scientific advisors who assured us that the signals failed to match any known geth signature." According to Turwin, the biggest surprise came next: "The ship's intelligence then communicated with us. It asked us to calculate the value of Pi to the first quadrillion digits. Some 20 questions followed after that, all of them beyond our realm of expertise. We're currently awaiting advice from outside consultants before proceeding. As yet, the ship matches no known alien species.""

"A high-profile spat between fashion royalty Carson Noble and darling designer Scarlet Jane resulted in a Jane no-show at the Luminary Gala held last night. Noble was caught on video by an audience member, commenting on Jane's collection. "Since when are we getting ideas from that gypsy race? What's next, vorcha cuisine at the buffet?" Noble denies the statement and has refused to apologize. Meanwhile, a small group of quarian protestors have picketed Friday's event. Scarlet Jane could not be reached for comment, but her publicist released a statement noting that her client "could not attend the event in good conscience.""

"Nashan Stellar Dynamics has finally unveiled the 2186 Whip, the spaceship designer's much-anticipated first entry into the aircar market. Nashan's press release calls the Whip, which was in development for nearly 5 years, "the most intensively designed aircar ever to hit the market." Features include phased kinetic barriers to cushion crashes, autofoam dispensers, power lumbar support seats, a pressurized cabin, and engine sealants for amphibious travel. The sticker shock will only be the good kind: 29,599 credits will get you a fully loaded ride."

"Tonight on "Luminary": Homeless street rat, adventurer, mercenary, actress, head of a multi-billion-credit media giant and everything in between, Micah Envy has done it all. Known for her candid interviews, avant-garde fashion, and business brilliance, she continues to be a force of nature. Tonight she speaks out about her charity work for the planet of Belan, becoming a first-time mother at 63, and how to make a thermal clip using only an omni-tool and parts from a junked security mech. Tune in tonight for an in-depth portrait of Illium's brightest "Luminary!""

"A breakthrough today in the case of the mysterious "ghost ship" in the Antilin System: Famed exo-biologist Jordan Detweiler from MIT's Extraterrestrial Studies Group traveled to the ship, now held in quarantine. Detweiler engaged the ship's AI system, which has been piloting the craft for an undetermined number of years and appears to be the sole sentient lifeform onboard. Given previous failed communication attempts, Detweiler explained how he succeeded: "In rudimentary terms, it was an I.Q. test. The ship's AI was determining that we weren't some band of dullard space pirates, that we understood things like quantum string theory, emergent systems, and a host of other advanced concepts. I was able to satisfy its demands and gain access to the interior. I need to do more analysis, but I think this is the exo-archaeological find of the century. I will say that the ship appears to be at least 8,000 years old.""

August 2010

"A corporatist army general is dead on Garvug tonight, and authorities consider the circumstances suspicious. Noah Vardos, a 61-year-old brigadier general, died of a gunshot wound to the head at Hanarsh Army Base in Dhazil. A base-wide alert sounded when the body was discovered but was cancelled a short time later. Vardos served in the Sonax Industries army and was known to be a close friend of supreme commander Lira Speight. Speight herself answered few questions about the incident, saying only that his position will be filled by Colonel Oleg Horvat. General Vardos is survived by his three children."

"New information in the death of Brigadier General Noah Vardos has raised more questions than answers. Colonel Richard Hawke, overseeing security at the Hanarsh base where the general died from a gunshot wound, said that no inquiry into security procedures is planned at this time. No suspect leads are reported, and GBC News has acquired an e-memo sent out to all senior base personnel warning of strict consequences if any personnel talked to the press."

"In a galactic exclusive, GBC News has acquired a copy of the suicide note of General Noah Vardos, who died earlier this week from what is now believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The three-page note jumped from topic to topic with the general blaming himself for pursuing but not catching three krogan who escaped off-planet and who are now believed to have perpetrated the warp bomb attack on Sonax command. Vardos described the worsening situation on the planet as a "Charlie Foxtrot," and took responsibility for the men and women he had "gotten killed for half a credit a share." Sonax Industries has not commented on the suicide note."

"The scientific community is abuzz today after the latest report from MIT exo-biologist Jordan Detweiler was filed last night from the Antilin System, where he's currently investigating a mysterious "ghost ship." Claiming a breakthrough, Detweiler writes, "What I've discovered is nothing short of astonishing: This so-called derelict ship isn't derelict at all. It appears that an alien race has downloaded its consciousness to a massive array of quantum computers onboard the vessel. It's my belief these aliens now reside entirely in a virtual world and have been there for at least 8,000 years." Detweiler estimates the population of the virtual world numbers close to one billion individuals. He explains: "The ship's AI is something of a caretaker to these people, or even a god depending on how you look at it. More importantly, the AI is now requesting our help. It says a power failure is imminent and threatens the entire virtual civilization.""

"In a long-awaited announcement today on Taetrus, General Partinax declared the end of major combat operations in the Diluvian Wildlands. "We are grateful to the brave men and women who got us this far," he said, "and we now call on the people to contribute to the great task ahead." Public works projects employing the formerly captive population in the reconstruction effort are scheduled to begin at the end of the month, an effort that is expected to dwarf the cost of combat operations. This does not, however, mean that the entire army will be pulling out -- more than ninety percent of the colonialist fighting force is scheduled to remain in-country until the end of the year to provide security, while the remainder of the units will be rotated out to give troops time off."

"Opinions were plentiful this week after MIT's Jordan Detweiler stunned the scientific world when he revealed the existence of a virtual alien civilization residing in a derelict "ghost ship". Niran Patalung, a Buddhist scholar at the Center for Religious Studies in Bangkok, said, "I'm struck by the parallels to ancient human beliefs in reincarnation. Clearly, life does not end for these aliens when they 'die.' Their souls, if you will, simply re-inhabit other virtual personalities and continue living." Thomas Copeland, spokesman for an Earth-based atheist group, disagreed: "That's true until you pull the plug. Then what? All these 'souls' just wink out, that's what. Those who would latch onto this incident as proof of some higher level of existence are simply projecting their own wishful thinking onto digital noise." Mr. Patalung replied: "One man's noise is another man's music. Perhaps in his next life, Mr. Copeland will be less tone-deaf.""

"Local police on Earth have arrested plastic surgeon Erzsebet Vidmar for the gruesome murder of over thirty asari who frequented her clinic. Dubbed "Vidmar the Vampire" by the popular press, Vidmar allegedly killed her victims for their telomerase, a substance essential to slowing the aging process. Vidmar is allegedly obsessed with the asari extended lifespan and has attempted to purchase telomerase in the past as part of a plan to engineer her own tissues. Officials were quick to point out that the science behind her methods was shoddy. "You can't just inject telomerase and expect a fountain of youth," said Dr. Antonin Esposito, who reviewed her work for the police. "If it were that simple, Dr. Vidmar would look a lot better than she does.""

"The fallout continues for beleaguered editor Carson Noble regarding comments he made during an Illium Fashion Week presentation of quarian-inspired clothing. A series of extranet vids, taken at public media events and dating back almost six years, has recently surfaced. The vids feature Noble making a variety of racially charged statements. This has prompted a call for his resignation as contributing member of the Fashion Media Collective (FMC), adding to the list of legal actions over cancelled public events amidst the controversy. Lawyers for Mr. Noble have made no comment other than stating he is "on vacation with his family and cannot be reached at this time." Noble himself has not consented to any interviews since the story broke several weeks ago."

"The galaxy remains riveted to the ongoing saga of the AI-driven "ghost ship," now in danger of perishing because of dwindling energy reserves. Evolutionary biologists have jumped into the fray, with one claiming the extinction of the virtual alien race is the natural order of things. "Face it," turian scientist Elgus Paramon argued, "these aliens were clever, but they weren't clever enough to build a better battery. Their lack of foresight is a failure to adapt to changing conditions. Their species represents an evolutionary dead-end, and their civilization should be allowed to perish." Responding, the chief exo-biologist investigating the ship, Jordan Detweiler, said "Mr. Paramon would have us commit genocide by turning a blind eye to the situation. We can save this civilization. The power requirements to preserve their virtual world are manageable." The matter is now being referred to the Citadel Council for further consideration."

"With time running out, no decision has yet been reached in the case of the alien "ghost ship" found drifting in salarian space. Exo-biologist Jordan Detweiler estimates the energy reserves currently powering the virtual alien world are down to 4% and will fail soon. Meanwhile, opportunistic explorers boarded the ship last night and managed to hack into the virtual civilization. Before they were caught, the hackers spent six hours interfaced with the ship's computers. In that relatively short period of time, it appears that some 180 years passed within the virtual world. Both hackers are currently in deep comas and doctors are unsure as to their recovery. "The interface was too much for their systems to absorb. Trying to re-connect their minds to their bodies after being "away" for so long mentally was too large a shock. Physically they're fine, but I'd wager scrambled eggs have more consciousness.""

"By the time we heard the bells, it was almost over: socialite Aish Ashland and singer Jenellen Lepp got married yesterday at midnight in a secret ceremony in Nos Astra. "Me and Jel only met three months ago," Aish said, "but when he proposed I decided to get married right away so we could have a honeymoon during the conjunction on Illium. Our horoscopes there are totally charged! We'll have a family wedding once Jel's Red Sand Scratch clears up." Ashland's probation officer had only this to say of the nuptials: "She left the state. She's in violation.""

"The saga of the alien "ghost ship" has come to a surprising end. Earlier today, reports surfaced that the Citadel Council was prepared to rule against saving the ship, fearing its AI system was sophisticated enough to pose a "security threat of unknown dimensions." In response, chief scientist Jordan Detweiler inserted himself into the virtual alien world to warn its citizens of their civilization's imminent end. He returned one minute later -- apparently equal to half a year within the accelerated timeline of the alien world -- bringing a treaty offer from its inhabitants. At that point, details turn sketchy. One inside source claims the virtual aliens offered scientific advancements "far beyond anything we have" in return for assistance. A veil of secrecy was immediately erected, with Citadel intelligence agencies ****fying the matter as top-secret. Rumors now have Jordan Detweiler embarking on a Council-sanctioned mission into the virtual world to make diplomatic contact."

"Today marks the beginning of the religious holiday of Nyahir or "First Cresting Bloom" on the hanar homeworld of Kahje. Lasting a full thirteen days, this celebration honors the gift of speech that many hanar attribute to the Protheans, known on Kahje as "The Enkindlers". The celebration is a mixture of contemplation and competition as the faithful perform stylized debates, poetry duels, and other traditional hanar art forms. Winners' names are inscribed in bioluminescence for a year on the sides of Mount Vassla, an underwater volcano at the heart of one of the oldest Prothean ruins on Kahje."

"He started one of Nos Astra's hottest companies. His vision landed him on magazine covers. His parties were legendary -- and he was a fake. Delumcore Systems CEO Jaxum Borlin is actually Rolan Quarn, a turian from Erinle who met Borlin on vacation. When Borlin died from a heart attack a week into his holiday, Quarn boldly lifted the CEO's passport, sampled his genetic material, and passed himself off as a tanned Borlin. Even close friends simply thought that Borlin seemed "energized" and "eager to get back to work." Despite a lack of credentials, Quarn successfully ran Delumcore for two years before a routine traffic stop took a fresh tissue sample and caught the discrepancy in his geneprint. Quarn is being held on charges of fraud and impersonation, and goes to trial tomorrow."

"A new wrinkle in the trial of Rolan Quarn, the turian who masqueraded as the CEO of Delumcore Systems: passing himself off as Jaxum Borlin isn't the first time he's stepped into someone else's life. Quarn has impersonated dozens of other people including a stunt driver, sous-chef, martial arts instructor, ambassador, varren tamer, news anchor, and stand-up comedian. Nos Astran police chief Sonja Treme stated that Quarn is being "cooperative" and that "he was living off of what he made once he joined Delumcore. Borlin's personal accounts haven't been touched.""

"Nos Astra police are on a manhunt this evening for Rolan Quarn, who slipped his tracking bracelet and led police on a two-hour chase before disappearing. Before he left, the turian recorded a message to the employees of Delumcore Systems, thanking many of them by name and giving advice for the company's future. Quarn ended by saying "Sorry about the bail. I wish everyone the best. I've never been prouder of the people I've worked with, and that's saying something." Authorities believe Quarn will be attempting to book a passage off-system."

September 2010

"The new e-book "First Contact: Who Needs It?" by author Kurt Riven has zoomed to the top of this week's best-seller list. In the book, the counterculture icon argues that contact between extraterrestrial species is inherently a bad idea. Riven writes, "Aside from the inevitable wars, jingoism, and disease that always follow first contact, there's a more insidious problem: the homogenization of culture, of thought, of ideas themselves. As soon as I see how your ship works, I don't need to figure it out myself. I'll copy yours and whatever hope we had for something new evaporates. Maybe mine's a different shape, but so what? The same problem exists on a galactic scale, where all major species are busy duplicating each other's ideas. It would have been better if they never met." Ironically, in light of the book's success, many copycat books are already popping up across the extranet."

"The Galactic Video Music Awards kicked off tonight with dazzling numbers from Eff Tee El, Bootyherax, and Blue Giants. In what will undoubtedly be called the entrance of the year, Eff donned a cowboy hat and reinforced codpiece to ride a low-powered biotic singularity onstage. As for the awards, Best New Artist went to Domino Masque, Best Choreography went to Skinsuit's "Mix It," and the coveted Video of the Year went to Varrencage for their anthem "Let It Up, Let It Out." A moment of silence for deceased singer Lady Sweat preceded her band's performance of "Where You Gone?" with the soulful vocals provided by VI-vian Wonder. But the most memorable antic of the night was dubbed the "Quarian Kiss": Lita'Orn nar Idenna stripped off her mask when she won Best VI-Directed Video and gave presenter Illesa T'Nasty a big wet kiss. Lita's representatives say she is expected to make a full recovery."

"After a week-long honeymoon on Illium, Aish Ashland is returning home -- as a free woman. Sources say that during the flight back to Earth, this newly-divorced newlywed discovered her ex-husband Jenellen Lepp in a delicate situation with another couple... and a bag of narcotics. A tearful Aish had this to say to the press: "I don't know what he was thinking. He had no right to use up my stash, and I can't live with someone who disrespects that. Also, you've got to have fidelity in a relationship, and I know about fidelity. I've had a music pod for 19 years.""

"A record 7.3 million credits was paid for breeding rights to Gorefang Akosh Himon Igole Forvros, the varren who wowed judges at this year's Inter-Colony Varren Kennel-Club Show on planet Kruljaven. Gorefang is a red-striped clefnose from Tuchanka who, his trainer boasts, "has torn the heads off of a dozen armored mercs." While the judges had no way to verify this particular qualification, Gorefang is free of scars and has fine dentition. Don't rule the claim out, though -- experts say that piercing standard krogan battle armor is quite possible for a varren in top shape. Tests have recorded Gorefang's jaw exerting more than two metric tons of pressure per square centimeter. That's quite a bite!"

"In a case many are calling "preposterous", socialite Aish Ashland's ex-husband Jenellen Lepp is demanding a divorce settlement from his former spouse. Legal experts say the singer has zero grounds for a settlement, if only because the marriage lasted less than a standard galactic week. Critics are calling the entire "now-they-are, now-they-aren't" fiasco a publicity stunt timed for the release of Lepp's album, "Depth of Field," which debuts next month. Aish Ashland could not be reached for comment."

"A dangerous new bug called "Wee-Cee" ripped through several thousand public extranet terminals last night and potentially infested millions of private connections. The bug targets simulstim watchers, randomly cutting into programs with static feedback that causes headaches and even seizures in some viewers. Asked what people could do to protect themselves, Synthetic Insights senior programmer Neartanlis Ontant says, "Simple: buy and register an accredited, VI-monitored anti-virus program and keep it updated. I don't understand why people won't spend 50 credits to shield themselves when plugging stimuli directly into their brains.""

"C-SEC authorities are clamping down on the latest craze among extreme sport enthusiasts: "curve gliding." An idea first joked about on the popular weekly drama "The Lower Wards," curve gliding is dangerous and all too real. On the Citadel, a glider straps a power cell to a specially designed, pressurized glider suit, jumps from a high-altitude point, and follows the curve of a ward as far as possible before having to land. C-SEC officer Robert Coles said: "Not only is this activity dangerous to the glider, the chances of hitting a person or flying into traffic are significant. It's only a matter of time before someone crashes an aircar because of this." C-SEC has stepped up their vigilance in response to an incident that ended with a potential glider under arrest for attempting to scale the Citadel Tower."

"Panic swept the extranet as programmers studying the Wee-Cee bug discovered that the "static" it generates in simulstim programs contains masked data. Although scientists insist that the data is scrambled in a way that can't be "read" by organic minds, the simulstim industry lost hundreds of millions of credits over the weekend as downloads dropped 80 percent. Rumors have circulated that Wee-Cee is everything from a geth infiltration program to a malfunctioning rogue AI, but authorities say there is no indication that the malware is sentient. Omni-tool users who have been infected can download an adaptive system wipe-and-restore from all major extranet provider home pages."

"Authorities have made 15 arrests so far at the offices of cross-promotional media company Shared Visions, a start-up corporation responsible for the Wee-Cee bug. Shared Visions faces the wrath of extranet providers, simulstim distributors, and omni-tool manufacturers as investigators confirmed that the bug was a failed attempt at designing a covert delivery system for subliminal advertising. The link was discovered after the malware's data was unscrambled to reveal an advertisement for "Razor Pumps," a line of athletic footwear with a Shared Visions account."

"More than 23 million extranet users have signed up to sue Shared Visions, the company that created the notorious Wee-Cee program as part of an advertising campaign. CEO of Spyte Media Marcus D'Angelo weighed in on the subject, calling the malfunctioning malware "quaint." He added, "The last people who believed subliminal advertising was effective also thought playing music backwards could make kids kill themselves. If you can't sell something up-front, you have no business selling it at all." Shared Visions could be faced with paying up to 3.8 billion credits in damages."

"A simultaneous attack on three iridium mining facilities on Garvug has captured galactic attention tonight. The facilities, which are outside the colonial capital of Dhazil, were captured by Sonax Industries early in the planet's occupation. Krogan and vorcha guerillas first set off truck bombs to penetrate the outer fences of the heavily guarded mines before shooting personnel. Moments later, the guerillas used explosives to collapse the mouths of the mines. Casualty estimates are low because of Sonax's extensive use of robo-miners, but the move cuts off a significant income source for Sonax and the planetary government. The strike's timing is clearly no coincidence: Sonax's quarterly shareholders' meeting is tomorrow."

""Security" and "accountability" are the watchwords of Sonax Industries' quarterly shareholders' meeting tonight on Illium. Fearing disruptions or attacks from guerilla sympathizers, the company tried to keep the meeting location under wraps; however, hundreds of protestors found it, and fences and paramilitary forces are the only thing keeping the crowd back at this hour. The course of the war on Garvug could change tonight, as the board of directors is expected to meet shortly after the shareholders vote on company direction."

"The Sonax board has spoken: after six months of war on the planet Garvug, Sonax Industries' board of directors voted 6-5 to withdraw troops from the combat theater beginning in thirty galactic standard (35 Earth standard) days. To date, war casualties include 2,586 Sonax troops and 438 contract soldiers. Fielding troops and conducting the war has cost an estimated 21 billion credits, not including revenue lost from destructive acts such as the iridium mine attack just days ago. Within minutes of the announcement, Guanghui Solutions, the war's other major investor, fired off a press release saying they, too, would withdraw their troops from the planet."

"Sonax Industries' decision to withdraw from the planet Garvug is still making waves tonight as pundits absorb the news. "The lesson here is that corporate forces can't hold a planet on their own," said Josef Kohl, GBC news contributor. "They can't face a determined enemy. Might be useful as supplemental troops or in corporate-on-corporate actions, but war is an inherently unprofitable enterprise." Julius Redstone, former adviser to President Durden, says the board did the right thing: "The army gave it all they had and couldn't destroy the guerillas' capacity to pull off large, coordinated attacks. The one-sided war that it was in the first few months would have been profitable; but as soon as that metric disappeared, they had to pull out. Iridium only sells for so much.""

"The famed "virtual ghost ship" is back in the news today after a reported sighting of MIT exobiologist Jordan Detweiler. This follows weeks of rumors that Detweiler had embarked on a diplomatic mission into a virtual alien world that he discovered on the ship's supercomputer. It is now understood that Detweiler's body remained in a controlled coma while his consciousness explored the artificial civilization. However, multiple eyewitnesses on the Citadel claim to have seen Detweiler visiting the Presidium recently. A Council spokesperson would only say, "We do not comment on internal Citadel matters." This fueled speculation that Detweiler was indeed acting on behalf of the Council in his logins to the virtual world."

September 2010

"Recent polls show that two out of five respondents can't name their Citadel Representative, and that three out of ten don't know the difference between full and associate membership on the Council. Educators and political parties are calling the polls an alarming indication of just how little the average citizen feels connected to galactic-level politics. "Even if a Council member makes a decision that trillions love," critiqued political commentator Erlan Golta, "billions will still hate it. So they take a middle road that turns their macro-level policy decisions into pure bureaucratese. A typical Council meeting produces a novel-length request for new Citadel carpeting before the issues that affect everyone else are actually discussed.""

"Political commentator Erlan Golta clashed today with Bryan Theodor, host of the popular late-night "Eye on the Stars." Golta appeared on the show to discuss his new book "Juggling the Monkeys: An Insider's View of the Tower." When Theodor accused Golta of being deliberately inflammatory in his portrayal of Council politics, Golta said "Are you kidding? I could show you signed orders drawn up to book Commander Shepard on obstruction of justice. And this is from the offices of the Councilors after the [expletive] Battle of the Citadel." Messages both condemning and applauding the controversial writer have flooded in. When asked about Golta's guest appearance, Theodor remarked "It's always a pleasure. Anytime Golta wants to be catastrophically wrong in front of millions of viewers, I'm happy to have him on.""

"In a disturbing discovery, two hikers recently found a mass grave on the planet of Uresium. Investigators have now confirmed over 430 skeletal remains of turian soldiers dating back to the Krogan Rebellions of 749 CE. Recent seismic activity on Uresium exposed the grave, which had been overgrown by local flora. Turian authorities have begun work with local colonists to ensure the integrity of the site and its remains. Chief archaeologist and historian Salur Darikun released a statement saying, "We will ensure that these sons and daughters of the Turian Hierarchy are returned home and recognized for their supreme sacrifice." Darikun hopes to begin transporting the remains to Palaven early next week, with a laying-to-rest ceremony planned for later in the month."

"An unusual twist today in the case of MIT exobiologist Jordan Detweiler: acting on recent rumors that he was seen visiting the Citadel, Detweiler's daughter, Kyra, traveled to the galactic hub and demanded a meeting with him. Although she signed a confidentiality agreement, Ms. Detweiler claims she was repeatedly denied access. "They only let me see my dad after I raised hell about it," she said. "I can be prosecuted for speaking to the media, but I don't care. He's in danger. There's something wrong with him and the Council knows it." Council representatives continue to refuse comment on the matter."

"Kyra Detweiler, daughter of famed MIT exobiologist Jordan Detweiler, has released a statement to GBC News alleging the Citadel Council is covering up her father's deteriorating medical condition. "He didn't even know who I was -- his own daughter! I got five minutes to speak with him before security whisked him away. Is he sick? Is he brain-damaged?" Council representatives declined to comment on the situation, fuelling speculation that Dr. Detweiler was profoundly changed by his visit to the virtual world inside a derelict spacecraft. "Silence is a terrible answer," wrote columnist Urla Dhen. "The public doesn't know much, but it knows that anything relating to AI or synthetic life is something to fear. Refusing to comment leads us all to assume the worst.""

"A furor has erupted over the recent GBC News conversation with Kyra Detweiler, daughter of noted MIT exobiologist Jordan Detweiler. Ms. Detweiler alleged the Citadel Council is covering up her father's deteriorating medical condition, triggering a media backlash from all quarters of the galaxy. In response, the Council held a hastily arranged press conference to manage damage control, at which spokesman Anton Galer said: "Acting on behalf of the Council, Jordan Detweiler did indeed visit the virtual alien world he discovered. Yes, Dr. Detweiler was seen on the Presidium recently, but this was his body, not his mind. He has, for lack of a better term, 'swapped' with an alien consciousness in the virtual world. This procedure was the most stable way for their ambassador to gain access to our physical universe for diplomatic discussions." A stunned media corps quickly erupted with questions, but the Council spokesman declined further comment."

""Waters of Kolono," the newest expansion for "Galaxy of Fantasy," is the hottest gaming title this season with an estimated 3.14 billion downloads after yesterday's midnight release. The title is already out-grossing mega-simulstim "Nekyia Corridor," but the producers aren't flaunting that fact. "We're just pleased that both long-time fans and newcomers to the game are excited about this expansion," says lead designer Ferrus Korlick. "Players can now immerse themselves in 200 to 300 hours of new gameplay." Korlick also addressed technical difficulties with the release: "For those having some trouble logging on from Earth, we ask for your patience. We haven't fully recovered from the fire in the server stadium last night.""

"The scientific world is still absorbing the news that an ambassador from a virtual alien civilization is currently visiting the Citadel. An inside source reveals that during his travels within the virtual civilization, MIT exobiologist Jordan Detweiler agreed to allow the virtual consciousness of an Ambassador Sygan to use his body as a conduit to interact with our physical universe. It is unclear to what extent Dr. Detweiler maintains control of his body. "It's complicated," said the source. "We aren't just talking about diplomatic ties between two planets or species, but between two universes: one physical, the other virtual." The source has refused to divulge details on the nature of the virtual alien world."

"Breaking news tonight from the Citadel, where Ambassador Sygan, the virtual alien inhabiting Dr. Jordan Detweiler's body, called an unscheduled press conference to issue the following statement: "Long ago, our people lived in your universe of physical matter. When our sun went supernova, we sought refuge in a virtual world free of needless pain and suffering, climate disasters, disease, and many other ills faced by creatures of solid flesh. Some now feel that remaining in this world after the danger had passed was a mistake. We realize that distress can sometimes provide a catalyst for evolution. We miss the turmoil of physical existence. As such, I formally petition the Citadel Council for asylum. I no longer wish to return to my former world.""

"After yesterday's stunning request for asylum, Ambassador Sygan has been placed in a secure wing of the Presidium while the Citadel Council deliberates its course of action. Questions have arisen about the legal, ethical, and physical implications of allowing the emissary to remain in Dr. Jordan Detweiler's body while the exobiologist's mind remains in the virtual alien world. When asked what the Council should do if the aliens were to hold Detweiler hostage, Detweiler's daughter, Kyra, said, "Pull the plug. Remind them who's really in control." The Council has already ruled out this option, citing the moral implications of of wiping out the last remnants of an entire civilization."

"Deadlocked Council deliberations over the fate of Ambassador Sygan ended today with a surprising twist: the Council will grant asylum to the virtual alien emissary in the body of a volunteer, allowing famed MIT exobiologist Dr. Jordan Detweiler to return to his own body. Ambassador Sygan will transfer her consciousness into the volunteer's body, while the volunteer's consciousness is downloaded into a computer. Upon hearing this decision, some 400 individuals from various races have volunteered to "swap places" with aliens inside the virtual world who wish to re-join the physical universe. One asari volunteer regarded this as "an amazing opportunity to explore a new realm of existence," while a salarian volunteer said, "I'm doing it because I'm tired of our universe. It's a mess.""

"Geologists studying the crust of the seemingly lifeless low-gravity planet Sifurman have discovered a fossil of what may be the largest creature in the galaxy ever to walk on land. "It's the thrill of a lifetime," says Professor Orin Taul. "We theorized Sifurman used to support life, and this is proof beyond our wildest dreams." Paleontologists have already partially reconstructed the skeleton and say that this unknown giant had four legs and would weigh up to 280 tons in Earth gravity. Taul added, "We're still analyzing the data, but I suspect the creature will share structural similarities with Late Cretaceous sauropods on prehistoric Earth." Soft tissue analysis is sketchy, but it hints at the giant's secondary and tertiary "hearts" that would have pumped blood to its neck and tail."

""The Galaxy of Fantasy" expansion pack "Waters of Kolono" continues to dominate the charts, but users are complaining about long load times, lagging servers, and frequent disconnection. Many users have purchased multiple accounts to play with all new ****s at once, but head of development Reta Latronus asked users to stick to single accounts during the first few days of the release. She warns that so many VI-assisted hacks running at the same time will slow the realm down to a crawl. "Our servers should be running smoothly by the end of the week," she said, "In the meantime, just find a team.""

"Controversial musician Gretel Batts is seeking treatment after an onstage meltdown. The latest scandal surrounding the unpredictable rocker involved her walking out on a charity concert on Earth after an obscenity-laced rant. Her band, the Dramaxeens, kept playing during the often-incomprehensible and vulgar tirade but soon dropped off when it became clear the obscenities weren't part of the lyrics. The ten-minute exchange, which heaped scorn on (among others) the Vol Protectorate, the concert's sponsor, Pope Leo XIV, and Sonax Industries, culminated in Batts throwing her guitar at the crowd and being restrained by security before she could do further harm to herself or others. Already a new turn of phrase is circulating on the extranet -- we can't repeat it here, but it starts with "Batts" and ends with "crazy.""

"A protest on the human colony planet of Sathur turned ugly today as demonstrators clashed with security forces outside the Regional Governor's offices. With unemployment figures up by ten percent, planetary governor Vien Suchart has proposed a bill to devote the colony's resources toward the growing of ossilbir, a high-nutrition vine that's become an Alliance military staple. Given the 90% average humidity across most of the planet, Sathur is ideal for growing ossilbir, but protestors fear that the new plant will overrun entire continents. Many are using the almost-uninhabitable garden world of Cassilda as an example of what can go wrong when a non-native species is introduced to a new environment."

October 2010

"From the outside, it looks like a collection of silver bubbles linked by tubes -- but inside, it's a busy city filled with people from all species. That's the dream of Javier Oha, an architect participating in "Impending Design", a seminar on the future of cities as the galaxy moves into the [Earth Standard Date] 23rd century. "We have to accommodate changes in taste while maintaining full functionality for all sentient peoples," says Oha. "For example, the interior of the 'bubble-city' is designed to be comfortable for body sizes ranging from volus to krogan. The modular rooms, inspired by Earth-colony buildings, give us a structure that can be taken apart and rearranged to meet any needs." Oha urges curious viewers to take a virtual tour of these experimental cities online."

"The average vorcha has a life expectancy of only twenty years -- can that be extended? If so, should it? These questions are being asked after a paper published by Dr. Minador Lux claimed experimental gene therapy might be able to double the vorcha lifespan. At a press conference, Lux stated that "the unique biology of the vorcha already holds the key to slowing down their aging process. We must simply adapt their ability to undergo radical cellular changes when adjusting to new environments." The report was widely condemned by the scientific community, including the University of Sehgan's biology professor Himar Patathor: "Lux's paper combines gross irresponsibility with wishful thinking. The doctor is talking about waltzing in and tinkering with basic physiology as if he were beading genes on a string! This could only begin to be excusable if he solicited the opinion of a single vorcha about his work -- which he has not.""

"The Salarian Institute for Exo-Archeological Research announced today that the latest addition to its museum is now open to the public. "Our new 'Lost to the Ashes' wing is devoted to sapient races destroyed by nuclear war," said institute director Narid Jarwinar. "So far, we know of six species in the galaxy whose history has been devastated by the fires of atomic Armageddon. Entire civilizations once flourished, rose to great heights of scientific advancement, and then destroyed themselves over disagreements we can often only speculate about." The museum's new exhibit specializes in preserving artifacts of those lost races in an effort to shed light on their history. "Who knows what these races might have offered the galaxy? By carefully analyzing the remnants of these cultures, we may yet decipher a nugget of knowledge that puts a face to these unknown people.""

"Just when it seemed the worst might be over for Sonax Industries, rumors are flying that their supreme commander Lira Speight has floated her résumé across the extranet. Speight denies the rumor and says the document, which seems to have been made by someone who knows her employment history, is a fake. "I am a Sonax employee," she declares. "I am under contract until the last Sonax soldier leaves Garvug. It would be premature to look for other opportunities when there is still a mountainous task ahead of us." Meanwhile, Sonax's stock has taken another significant dive, dropping 12.3 credits a share over the course of last week."

"Further controversy is brewing over a proposed life-extension treatment for vorcha after revelations that research funding was provided by Blood Pack commander Quash Hurgott. Some fear that Dr. Minador Lux's age-lengthening research may strengthen the already powerful krogan and vorcha mercenary band. Others believe it's a lure for vorcha recruitment. "The doctor and his highly theoretical work are incidental," claimed one Citadel diplomat. "The promise of longer life is simply a carrot for Hurgott to dangle in front of his vorcha 'friends.'" Lux's research has been confiscated and is currently undergoing review to determine whether it falls outside the boundaries of the Citadel's genetic engineering restrictions."

"It was announced today that a deep-space mining ship stumbled upon a previously unknown world in the Nubian Expanse that appears to have suffered a nuclear holocaust. This planet, 433 Spidau, brings the number of known sapient species destroyed by nuclear war to seven. "All evidence points to a massive exchange of nuclear weapons some 1,000 years ago. Scans indicate at least ninety cities reduced to rubble that still bear radioactive markers," said Narid Jarwinar of the Salarian Institute for Exo-Archeological Research. "Reaching the nuclear threshold seems to be an important epoch in any civilization's evolution. This discovery is just another reminder that surviving the threshold is by no means guaranteed. Yet each race we discover is another potential treasure trove of new information and new ways of looking at the universe. It's also proof that every race -- even ones separated by vast gulfs of space -- face the same universal struggle for survival.""

"Controversy engulfed the Salarian Institute for Exo-Archeological Research today after an anonymous employee leveled accusations that it is deeply involved with salarian intelligence services. The unidentified employee said, "They claim to be studying ancient galactic cultures in the interests of expanding our view of the past. That's true, to a point: the institute does serve a legitimate academic function and is staffed with genuine scholars, but it's just a front. Their research is carefully monitored by salarian intelligence. Any 'interesting' discoveries they find are quickly passed along to the spooks. The fact is, without the covert funding provided by salarian intelligence, the Institute would cease to exist." When reached for comment, the institute's director Narid Jarwinar angrily replied, "We're outraged at this attempt to disparage our reputation. These accusations are patently untrue.""

"New evidence has surfaced amid accusations that the Salarian Institute for Exo-Archeological Research is a front for salarian intelligence. Research documents have been obtained from teams working on the newly discovered planet 433 Spidau, which was the scene of a nuclear war some 1,000 years ago. The documents indicate the teams found an underground bunker stocked with advanced weaponry which was still intact; however, those items went missing when shipped to the institute for analysis. The implication is that salarian intelligence intercepted them en route. Institute director Narid Jarwinar today conceded: "We conducted an internal review and discovered a handful of employees working for the institute who did have current intelligence ties. Those employees have been terminated, and our institute is ready to move forward without undue influence from the state.""

"The Salarian Institute for Exo-Archeological Research announced today that its director Narid Jarwinar is stepping down. "We wish Dr. Jarwinar the best of luck in his future endeavors," said institute spokesman Hamis Kerad, who cited "internal disagreement" as the reason for Jarwinar's departure. In the same press conference, Kerad pointed out the Institute is petitioning the public for investors. "In the wake of our recent mistreatment by the press, a number of our trustees have withdrawn their support," he said in a press conference today. "However, we remind potential donors that the institute maintains an exclusive presence on the planet 433 Spidau, and there is no better time to become a part of history." Asked what percentage of the intitute's funding came from intelligence service fronts, Kerad replied, "I don't count kepta [roaches] as they leave the house. I'm just happy that they're gone.""

"A navigation malfunction turned tragic when an Oyama Industries surveyor landed on a restricted planet and died at the hands of enraged local colonists. A video smuggled off-planet shows Jason Pyrrus, son of billionaire entrepreneur Byron Pyrrus, being held captive and brutally executed. The ship landed on the planet Kopanis, whose colony is a known haven for followers of Strata Pact, a fanatical anti-technology group who have cut themselves off from the wider galactic community. Infamous for acts of terror against industrial manufacturers, the group established the colony 17 years ago. Kopanis' star, Jornous, is located inside the Terminus Systems; therefore, no formal inquiry can be made in to what sparked the event. Pyrrus was 34 and leaves behind a wife and two daughters."

"Billionaire entrepreneur Byron Pyrrus has offered five million credits for any information on the group responsible for the death of his son, Jason. Jason Pyrrus was executed yesterday at the hands of the Strata Pact on Kopanis. The Strata Pact, a militant anti-technology group tied with several acts of terror, has offered no reason for the execution. A visibly shaken Pyrrus announced at an Illium press conference, "Anyone who can bring me the names of the monsters responsible will get five million credits. No questions asked." Illium authorities strongly caution against individuals confronting the colony, which is reportedly quite militant and well-armed, even by Terminus Systems standards."

"Ivor Johnstagg, the man who tried to take the life of volus ambassador Venta Tox, was released today after spending 21 years in prison. Johnstagg made headlines when he tried to shoot the ambassador from the top of a car park on Illium. He claimed to be sent by Eternal Earth, a now-defunct radical political party founded after the First Contact War. Investigators found no evidence of his claims and diagnosed Johnstagg with paranoid schizophrenia during his incarceration. The backlash from the assassination attempt almost cost the Systems Alliance an embassy seat on the Presidium. Upon his release, Johnstagg issued a statement saying he intends to refuse any offers for his life story since he has "powerful, powerful enemies waiting to see what I do. I'm either a quiet man or a dead one.""

"Maybe it's the downturn in the economy or the fact that it's the largest jackpot in history, but people are snapping up tickets for the 1.7-billion credit prize in this year's Lucky-88 Lottery. Says one player: "Guarded optimism: Our office pool has collectively purchased 315 tickets. Wistful hope: What a dream come true if we had that winning number." It's rumored that over a billion tickets have already been sold on planets from Thessia to Caleston. The draw will be held next week."

"The weekend box office is in, and audiences paid to be horrified. Salarian shocker "The Jar" played on the universal modern fear of being trapped in a simulstim to the tune of 2.05 billion creds; "Talons," on the other hand, played on the human fear of turians rending human throats with their razor claws, scaring up 1.86 billion and not a little controversy. At third was the counter-programming "The 840-Year-Old Virgin," whose romp through the life of an impossibly nerdy asari netted a handy 1.43 billion. Coming in fourth was the low-budget "Binder," which answered the question: "Who exactly binds the books covered in human skin in all those other horror movies?" If you never wondered this, you're not alone -- only 998 million credits went to this cerebral chiller."

"The Terminus Systems colony of Kopanis is in flames tonight, having suffered a devastating attack allegedly perpetrated by Eclipse mercenaries. The colony garnered galactic attention when billionaire Byron Pyrrus sought information on the execution of his son at the hands of the Strata Pact, a terrorist organization based on Kopanis. If the speculation that Eclipse and Pyrrus are responsible is correct, this private war against the anti-technology zealots would be one of the largest individually-funded offensives in recent history. Pyrrus himself, who was last seen on Illium, could not be reached for comment."

October 2010

10/16/2010 - Krogan Warlords to Attend "Living History" Lectures on Gataly

"The Royal Center for Education and the Arts on the planet Gataly is hosting a two-week lecture series on the Krogan Rebellions, part of the "Living History" initiative to chronicle both sides of the war. The focus of this year's talks is the enslavement of several occupied worlds by krogan forces and the possibility of reparations for families of former slaves. In a surprise announcement, several krogan warlords from Tuchanka have stated they intend to attend the lectures."

"A history lecture on the Krogan Rebellions turned into a battleground of impassioned debate today. Former asari commando Matriarch Adora Ellja recounted her experiences during the Rebellions for audiences attending the lecture series. Her haunting descriptions of raiding slave camps on krogan-occupied worlds deeply affected many in the audience. Then, during a question session, krogan Warlord Ravanor Tusk asked if the asari would pay reparations for krogan slaves used as forced labor during the last days of the war. After Matriarch Ellja denied any krogan had been enslaved, Tusk's response was: "You're either a fool, a liar, or senile." The rest of the evening turned into a heated argument between Warlord Tusk, Matriarch Ellja, and students and historians attending the lecture."

"Gataly's "Living History" lecture has been extended as the question of Krogan Rebellion slave reparations is fiercely debated by academics, legal experts, and the last three asari veterans of the war. Says one attending krogan: "My father's father was captured by asari and forced to build their camps. After the war, he killed himself out of disgrace. If the asari want to settle debts, they can start right there." Asari historian Koni Sollia claims that krogan were enslaved in only a few isolated incidents: "Shamefully, a small minority of asari commando groups did use krogan prisoners as forced labor during the Rebellions. The enslaved were less than a hundred in number and the commandos responsible were stripped of their rank and severely punished. Strangely, while the slaves taken by krogan numbered in the tens of thousands, I haven't heard a word about reparations from their side.""

"Krogan and vorcha crowds danced in the streets and fired weapons as starships took home the first of the corporate soldiers who had occupied the planet Garvug since an aborted coup seven months ago. "No one in my platoon is going to miss it," said one anonymous soldier serving with Guanghui Solutions, "but everyone's wondering if they could have done more." Their situation is less grave than that of government forces in Dhazil, who describe the situation as "a nightmare." Orut Tairn, liaison to the Rassk vorcha pack, wonders, "What do they think is going to happen without troops? The guerillas are going to take back power and everyone in government's going to get purged." Orut is fleeing the planet and he's not alone -- Starways Space Travel says all flights leaving Garvug are booked solid for the next six weeks."

"The winner of Lucky-88 Lottery's 1.7-billion credit jackpot claimed the prize today... then promptly gave away the first payment. Hours after the Unified Bank of Irune transferred its first payment to a lucky hanar called Brimyell, the credits were donated to various relief funds for the disaster-struck planet of Belan. Brimyell spoke to the press about its visits to the beleaguered planet, saying that it had been touched both by the suffering and the spirit of cooperation among its people. "The sum this one received was a blessing which it believes should be shared. May Belan be guided by the gifts of the Enkindlers. Also, while speaking to the press, this one would appreciate a moment to request that people cease petitioning it for funds it no longer possesses. It is having difficulty keeping up with its e-mail.""

"Accountability remains a source of heated debate in the case of a collection of sensitive turian military data uncovered on a memory chip that was purchased at a salvage yard on the planet Monrini. The chip was one of many that was auctioned off to scrap trader Sidney Wall. Wall learned of the data when he began to catalog his purchase for resale. He reported the find to local authorities, who confiscated the chip and contacted the Turian Hierarchy. The chip's contents are reportedly wide-ranging, including blueprints for turian fighters and results of turian war game scenarios. The Hierarchy will begin a formal inquiry next week to seek culpability."

"A celebration thrown in honor of Tandy Noble, daughter of billionaire media mogul John Noble, is being called the social event of the season. The festivities began with a fireworks display rivaling anything that could take place planetside: custom orbital explosives maximized for display in vacuum were created for the event at a cost estimated in the tens of millions. Invited guests watched the presentation from Noble's private cruiser as it circled the rings of Saturn. Noble also used the opportunity to introduce his new e-magazine "Haute Monde", which is aimed at the galactic elite."

"The bombing of fifteen high-traffic docks on Omega has been confirmed as salvos in the ongoing gang war plaguing the troubled station. Over two hundred people were killed and nearly a dozen starships were destroyed in blasts that targeted docks controlled by the Blue Suns mercenary group. Witness reports are mixed, with some claiming to have seen Eclipse mercenaries before the explosions, while others say that Blood Pack mercs ran through the vicinity just prior to the bombings. The Citadel Travel Advisory recommends immediate cancellation of all travel to the station."

"A botched cosmetic surgery is the centre of a three-way legal battle between representatives of asari actress Monia "Kitten" Calder, producers for the weekly drama "The Lower Wards," and the private practice of surgeon Dr. Ahwid Francis. In documents released today by Calder's legal representative, the actress is seeking damages from Dr. Francis for "unacceptable results" on a recent facial reconstruction procedure. In a separate but related action, the actress is suing the producers of "The Lower Wards" for "violating the contract that does not include a physical representation clause" upon her termination from the drama after nearly 18 years. The documents contend that the actress is within her rights to alter herself via elective surgery if desired."

"Travel to Omega is still off-limits as 79 more people were gunned down an hour ago in what security experts are calling "an escalating bloodbath". Captain Quart Vadus of Elanus Risk Control claims he's seen this kind of thing before and that it will get worse before it gets better. "It isn't rare for Omega to experience this level of violence," Vadus said, "but it's rare for it to last this long. Gangs are taking advantage of the chaos to settle old scores before the power shifts again." Asked what ordinary citizens on Omega should do to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, Vadus responded: "Hide.""

"The luxury liner Grande Mar had to make an unscheduled stop at the now-violent Omega space station when onboard systems catastrophically failed during a routine touring cruise. The crew quickly secured passengers aboard the ship before while hastily conducting repairs. An Omega representative known as Aria T'Loak encouraged passengers to make the best of their stay and assured anyone wishing to "see the exotic sights" that Omega was safe and secure. No incidents were reported aboard the Grande despite heavy fighting reported to be taking place elsewhere on the station."

"Earth's Council for the Preservation of Human History and Culture has officially designated the colony of Eden Prime as a "culturally significant site". Eden Prime was humanity's shining jewel, demonstrating the species could succeed on the galactic stage, before it suffered a devastating attack by geth forces led by ex-Spectre agent Saren Arterius. A public memorial and museum have been opened at the site of the destroyed colony. The opening ceremonies, scheduled for next week, will feature a visit by Systems Alliance Prime Minister Amul Shastri."

"The Sol System is abuzz after a Binary Helix research outpost found life on Jupiter's moon of Europa. Scientists on the Nautilus Facility, a station built underneath Europa's vast ice sheets, discovered microorganisms inside a rock sample taken from the moon's ocean floor. "Life is tenacious," says head researcher Dr. Zsuzsa Gaul. "Scientists have theorized for decades that Europa could sustain an underwater ecology. It's incredible to be at the vindication of some of the field's earliest xenobiological hopes." Dr. Gaul hoped to find even more sophisticated life as her team sends more probes to explore the site where the microorganisms were found."

"The Systems Alliance is clashing with Binary Helix over which group has first rights to the genetic material of of newly-discovered microorganisms on Jupiter's moon of Europa. "Europa is Alliance territory," says Commander Lowrie, head of Intrasolar Development. "We gave Binary Helix permission to build a facility, not patents to Sol-system life." Binary helix spokesperson Jamie Cho replied: "The contracts signed by the Alliance were very clear: Binary Helix has first claim to any new biological life forms created, modified, or discovered on Europa. Since legal precedence is in our favor, the Alliance is trying to split hairs.""

"The process is quite literally stomach-turning, but gourmands across the galaxy are lining up to try Reversal, a new gastrointestinal immunosuppressant treatment that allows dextro/levo species to safely sample each other's cuisine. The process is expensive, lasts less than 24 [Earth Standard] hours, and the food provides no nutrition, but restaurants are already busy booking dextro/levo food parties. "It's an adventure," says food writer and Reversal enthusiast Livian Messalina. "We're opening up new ranges of texture and flavor to each other. Taste still varies from species to species, but that's part of the fun." Doctors are warning these bold new epicures to watch out for leftovers -- meals should be eaten as soon as possible, and users must purge before the treatment wears off."

"Don't be surprised to find your human friends in a costume today as large portions of Earth and its colonies celebrate the holiday of Halloween. Originally a "day of the dead" in which masks were worn to scare off evil spirits, Halloween evolved into a secular holiday with popular activities such as carving fruits, wearing costumes, and the curious custom of children going house-to-house, begging for food. It's the biggest night of the year for the candy industry -- 25% of their annual sales are typically purchased for the purpose of being distributed on Halloween. This year's hottest-selling costumes include "Zombie Huerta," "Lili T'Nigus," and "Geth Hunter.""

November 2010

"Parents, beware: Isenberg-Wyatt Toys has unveiled a new robot that's already flying off shelves. Battle Buddies appear to be simple blocks, but when their owners pit holograms of the toys against each other via the extranet, the real-life robots change in color, configuration, and sophistication. "They're great," young Battle Buddy enthusiast Paul Von Kern confided. "Once you finish enough tournaments, they look really scary, and you can make them fight from school even if you leave them home." All this fun comes with a price tag, though: basic Battle Buddies start at 5,000 credits; tournaments, which promise special transformations for the winners, have entry fees attached."

"After a week of mercenary infighting, the death toll on Omega is estimated to be anywhere from 900 to 1,100. The wounded continue pouring into clinics already tasked to capacity. Hostilities appear to have ceased, however, since the arrival of several Blue Suns freighters and a rumored meeting between gang leaders in an undisclosed nightclub on the station. The Citadel Council is maintaining its advisory against travel to Omega, noting that this peace may only be temporary."

"Salarian historians are petitioning the University of Serrice to return artifacts taken by asari anthropologists from the colony of Mannovai 400 years ago. The University's Office of the Curator released the following statement: "While we respect Mannovai's request, the artifacts in our collection were given freely to our representatives in good faith so that we might protect and provide access to these pieces of history. The galaxy's turbulence has destroyed the treasures of too many civilizations, and our university has a proud tradition of providing a safe haven for items from all cultures." The salarian collection includes paintings and sculptures commissioned within a year of the first landing on Mannovai, as well as medallions from League of One members who died in the colony's defense."

"More institutes of higher learning are increasing pressure on the University of Serrice to return historical relics taken from the colony of Mannovai. "We're pleased with the support," said Mannovai Parliament Member Shayar Edcronus. "The University of Serrice doesn't want to acknowledge the cost of their flippant cultural plundering. A trip to Serrice costs time and credits not every salarian can afford." The University of Serrice's Professor Baliya Haphia was quick to respond: "Four centuries ago, several of my friends on Mannovai died to help me escape with some of the colony's oldest artifacts before a batarian fleet bombed their spaceports. There was nothing 'flippant' about their bravery. Our display is as much a tribute to their courage as it is to Mannovai's past.""

"The human Hindu holiday of Diwali begins tonight, a festival of lights celebrating renewal, a new financial year, and the triumph of good over evil. For five days, celebrants hang traditional candle lamps called "diyas" outside their houses to guide good fortune to them or celebrate the gods' victory over darkness. On starships where open flames consume needed oxygen, diyas are typically replaced with an LED display outside the practitioner's cabin. Diwali is also a time for exchanging gifts, eating sweet foods, bathing with oil, and lighting firecrackers. Though often celebrated secularly, the holiday is not without its spiritual side - observant humans use the days to contemplate the inner light, or "soul", that transcends the physical form."

"A recent natural disaster on the colony planet Taharon has rendered most of its available fresh water toxic. A rare seismic event opened several giant fissures under the ocean and water tables, releasing dangerous bacteria into groundwater reservoirs. Within months, most fresh water sources were found to contain lethal bacteria levels. "It's everywhere," says one resident. "We have to fry our running water with UV rays just to wash food or dishes. Not to mention showers. People reek." Despite this, not one of the 3,500 colonists who live on the planet is relocating. "We've been here twelve years, right from the beginning," says Ning Tsai, a local agritech. "We're not giving up now." He may not have a choice, however; experts agree that specific repercussions to the ecosphere cannot be predicted, but that the outlook is most certainly catastrophic."

""The Skale," a new nanotech diet aid by Black Horse Foods, hits shelves today. The much-anticipated device is capable of excluding food matter after it is consumed. Taken internally, Skale nanotech monitors the user's consumption and stops the digestion process if the food is beyond stated parameters. The excess matter passes on as a harmless waste that is naturally eliminated. Black Horse literature describes the device as "a practical and safe solution for those watching their diet, and a miracle for those with potentially life-threatening allergies." The Skale and its 1-year-warranty will run about 300 credits."

"Published today: the results of a long-term study on the effects of performance-enhancing drugs and technology on athletes in privately-owned sporting leagues like the Galactic Football League and Universal Rugby Association. The results were released after being held up in legal tangles for the better part of a decade: athletes who participate in these private leagues, known for casual use of banned substances, pay a dear price for a shot at galactic fame and fortune. The report details effects that include toxic levels of carcinogens, abnormal brain chemistry, sterility, and significantly shorter life spans. No species is immune; even krogan and vorcha players displayed debilitative symptoms."

"The new Black Horse Foods diet device called "The Skale" is now linked to the deaths of at least four young humans and one volus. Ingesting The Skale allows users to remove food from their systems and lose weight. The device shipped with multiple safeguards, but savvy hackers have already posted code spikes on the extranet that allow full control of the device's anti-digestion settings. The result has been a growing collection of users who reduce their food intake to dangerously low levels in efforts to stay thin. Representatives from Black Horse Foods did not immediately respond to inquiries."

"The Turian Hierarchy opened the doors today to a new wing of the Tianar Museum of Military History, dedicated to the history of interspecies conflict. The event, held on the turian homeworld of Palaven, was attended by representatives from all Citadel races and media from around the galaxy. Hunner Genchak, the museum's curator, hoped to encourage conversation on the cost of war for a species. "The turians have long held military power as a touchstone to cultural identity. This exhibit acknowledges that our proud legacy has a price." The museum holds never-before-seen relics such as declarations of war on various planets throughout the Krogan Rebellion period and a wall dedicated to those killed in action during humanity's First Contact War."

"Systems Alliance rescue workers rushed to save Binary Helix employees trapped in a flooding underwater research facility on Europa today. A distress signal sent from the Nautilus Facility eight hours ago reported a breached outer wall and malfunctioning escape pods. Alliance commander Lowrie hinted that sabotage may be to blame: "It doesn't look like an accident. Unfortunately, water destroyed the security systems along with most of the facility's computers. Given the conditions, I'd like to congratulate our med teams for rescuing everyone in the Nautilus Station before it completely flooded." Over protests from Binary Helix, the Alliance is confiscating data from the station "in the event that anything or anyone inside the Nautilus Facility is responsible for this disaster"."

"A photo taken by Clan Ravanor miners during a drilling operation on the krogan homeworld of Tuchanka is reigniting debate on the existence of a colossal thresher maw. The photo, now being viewed widely on the extranet, adds to a long line of evidence that skeptics call an old and treasured hoax -- and believers call irrefutable proof. For centuries, krogan settlements bordering Tuchanka's deserts have told stories of entire clans swallowed by this colossal thresher maw. While locals claim the ancient creature is real, no outside sources have confirmed the beast's existence."

"Once again, fighting returned to the Terminus Systems world of Garvug, but this battle was brief and pointed. Guerilla gunmen overtook government buildings throughout the capital of Dhazil, meeting minimum resistance. In a televised speech from the former Sonax headquarters, clan chieftain and guerilla leader Hailot Wrund announced martial law until the government takeover was complete. "After this year of bloodshed and uncertainty, our home stands strong," he said. "Garvug has brought down the tyrants and bloodsuckers of the galaxy. Our task now is to rebuild on the ashes of our enemies and take this colony to a victorious future.""

"An attack of unbelievable scale has taken place on the planet Garvug's capital of Dhazil. According to one independent journalist trapped in the city, mass cannons have destroyed the seat of government recently retaken by Hailot Wrund, as well as most buildings within the city. Reports of assassinations and precision bombardments are coming in, but as Sonax Industries controls all comm buoys in the Paz system, their accuracy is unverifiable at this time. Sonax-controlled imagery showed a large fleet moving from behind one of Garvug's moons to orbit over the planet's capital, a force including Binary Helix ships, which supposedly left Sonax's coalition months ago. No representatives from those companies were available for comment; on the way to his skycar this morning, Binary Helix's press secretary said merely, "You'll see.""

November 2010

"Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight held her first press conference in weeks, displaying satellite images of Sonax and Guanghui Solutions divisions landing in Dhazil -- or what remains of it. Speight showed little concern for the cost of life from the brutal bombardments, but pointed out that the roads, spaceport, and mining infrastructure remain intact. Sonax, Guanghui, and Binary Helix stocks closed high in response. Sonax's nearly 1000% boost was the talk of the trade floor as the "win by losing" strategy became apparent."

"Sonax Industries presented a list of confirmed dead or captured enemy commanders on Garvug today: 90 of the 112 names are presumed out of action. Among the dead is notable guerilla leader Hailot Wrund, who apparently survived a poisoning attempt before fleeing in a skycar that was driven out of the air by Guanghui Solutions gunships. An autopsy revealed that after Wrund's heavily armored car slammed into a mountainside and armor-piercing incendiary rounds ignited its fuel into a fireball, the trapped and wounded Wrund finally died of smoke inhalation. The corporate coalition is making the autopsy video and gun-camera footage publicly available at midnight tonight (Garvug local time)."

"Sonax Industries, Guanghui Solutions, and Binary Helix held a joint press conference today to address shareholder concerns about the new offensive on Garvug. Spokespersons detailed a campaign of careful media control dating back several months. Binary Helix explained that their rift in the coalition was a ruse. Guanghui gave details of special forces left on Garvug disguised as civilians, whose mission was to pinpoint insurgency leaders when they came out of hiding. Sonax reps spoke at length about the actual board vote (8-3) to continue the war once they were filled in on the so-called "wooden horse gambit." Said CFO Abayomi Osoba, "We had a responsibility to keep the company from going under. We regret that there was no way other than to ask for forgiveness after the fact." Asked if the board would face charges for perpetrating fraud on stockholders, he responded, "Our legal department can explain Illium's laws in that area. You'll find them quite flexible.""

"Veteran award-winning drell actor Fell Fannus accepted a lifetime achievement award from the Art and Culture Foundation's annual event held at the theatre that bears his name, the Fannus Centre. Fannus is known for a body of work that spans more than 40 years and includes live performances, blockbuster vids, scripts, and directing projects. The entertainer is part of a select group of performers that effortlessly cross boundaries between species. Fannus thanked the assembled luminaries and quipped, "I am fortunate to have made a career out of being other people, because I don't find myself terribly interesting." Fannus' latest directorial project, "A False Face," opens this week."

"The corporate watchdog group BALANCE, headed by Dr. Trent Leeds, has challenged a contract between Genex Chemical and a group of colonists settled on the planet Watson, who are embroiled in an ongoing debate on corporate colony sponsorship. Genex came under fire last year for offering to sponsor a group of colonists under an agreement that allowed them to test new synthetic soil amendment products with little peer review from third-party scientific bodies. The legal challenge will be given a preliminary hearing by the Citadel Board of Planetary Settlement (CBPS) this month."

"Black Horse Foods, makers of the controversial diet aid "The Skale," have issued a formal recall of their product as shares dropped by more than 66% in the past week. The move comes in the wake of more than 34 deaths, chiefly among youth, attributed directly to the product. Medical authorities on Citadel-space planets are calling on retail outlets to remove the product from store shelves, although use of The Skale is still approved for prescription in cases of severe allergies or food restrictions. Neither public relations staff nor legal counsel for Black Horse Foods would comment on the recall or pending legal action by families of the deceased."

"No matter what happens in the galaxy, we love to talk about it -- this season's hottest companies are on the bleeding edge of communications. Developers and manufacturers of extranet server-buoys, browser programs, and omni-tools were the fastest-growing firms this quarter, and were popular investor picks. Last month, Skywire bought up Quick Space, an up-and-coming research and development group, for 34.9 billion. Rumor has it that Quick Space has found a way to significantly lower the price of building quantum entanglement communication equipment, news that has left many of their shareholders salivating in anticipation."

"A cache of antique munitions was recently uncovered by colonists mining for palladium on the planet Enael. The miner who made the discovery, Lawrence Daskin, immediately contacted authorities, who began an emergency evacuation of local colonists to a safe distance. The cache, which includes more than 100,000 artillery and mortar shells as well as land mines and high explosives, is believed to date back to a skirmish between batarian forces and Citadel forces over seventy years ago. The munitions removal is expected to last until late next week, after which colonists should be able to return to their homes. Said one expert, "While this is obviously a big inconvenience for the folks living here, it's not the kind of job you want to rush.""

"In the first half of an exclusive 90-minute (Citadel standard) interview, Sonax Industries supreme commander Lira Speight sat down with the Future Content Corporation's Emily Wong and answered questions about the war on Garvug. "We -- and I mean the army, not the board -- had a nearly impossible task once the insurgency was established," she says, "and success would not have been financially possible without Umsung Holdings' backing. I presented the idea to the higher-ups of letting some negative stories through on the comm buoys to win trust with the news media, but it developed into more. The president of Umsung was good friends with Sonax's chairman; when the offer was made, the idea clicked: the board realized the power of winning by losing. From that moment on, we played the wounded bird and gave the snakes exactly what they wanted to see.""

"In the second half of Emily Wong's interview with Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight, the admiral alternately argues about, confesses to, and speculates about the moral repugnance of her actions. "I don't regret the deception," she said, "to shareholders or anyone else. What keeps me up at night is [the death of Brigadier General] Noah [Vardos]. He knew the real strategy, but he saw good people dying under him; Garvug residents dying for no reason - it haunted him." As to the civillian casualties, she responded "Our test story, the video of krogan being executed, that wasn't genuine, but damn few people questioned it. Once we saw the public's saturation point, when they weren't shocked any more and just wanted it over, we gave them what they demanded, as fast as we could.""

"A patrol of Alliance Marines recently stumbled across an asteroid miner who had been marooned on a deserted station for over two years. "Billion to one chance," said Captain Matthew Brown. "I looked out the window just as we flew over the surface and spotted a light in one of the buildings." The survivor, Pashtol Nima, was a drill operator who'd disabled his tracking beacon while in the field to make up for lost time on a job, unaware that the operation was closing up behind him. "We all thought Nima shipped out early, like he kept saying he wanted to," said Nima's former foreman Jim Ratham. "He's lucky it was cheaper to leave the life-support equipment behind on this job instead of hauling it back into space." Although severely malnourished and suffering from psychological distress, Nima is expected to make a full recovery."

"Do human parents leave too much childrearing to synthetic hands? Recent studies show that more than half of urban human households use a robotic or VI babysitting service at least once a week, and a quarter use them more than three times per week. Pediatricians say that it's too much time spent with stand-ins. "A robotic caretaker is meant to supplement real-life parenting, not replace it," says Dr. Alger Coppton. "Childhood is when we form our deepest familial connections. Spending this time with synthetic surrogates is neither healthy for nor fair to a child." Single father Riley Brennan says that sometimes, that time is not an option. "I work double shifts four days a week. I can't afford a real babysitter. I'd love to be home more, but at least this way I know my son is being looked after while I'm at my job.""

"Eldfell-Ashland Energy is refusing to meet with representatives from the Quarian Conclave as they clash over rights to rich veins of palladium discovered on several asteroids on the outskirts of the Nubian Expanse. "Eldfell-Ashland's sole contribution to the project was to appear with an armed frigate after we finished surveying, then demand that we vacate the unclaimed area," says Captain Ahlis'Laspar vas Nalotir. "We will continue mining until Eldfell-Ashland presents the Conclave with proof of ownership or speaks to us without hiding behind a gun sight. We would prefer both.""

"Eldfell-Ashland Energy has accused the Migrant Fleet of destroying a cruiser, three frigates, and six mining freighters in the Nubian Expanse over a mineral-rights dispute. The quarians denied all charges, saying that they last saw Eldfell-Ashland's ships retreating out of sensor range, presumably to refuel at their cruiser by the system's mass relay. Eldfell-Ashland spokesperson Yves Nevil responded: "Yesterday we lost contact with our ships out in the Expanse. Shortly afterward, we received a distress signal from the MSV Stanislaw reporting an 'alien attack.' We have very little doubt as to what happened here." Eldfell-Ashland officials are planning to go before the Council and ask that the Migrant Fleet be banned from Citadel space."

"The Migrant Fleet's place in Citadel space is today's leading debate, as the Presidium prepares to launch an independent investigation into the destruction of an Eldfell-Ashland Energy mining fleet. "That this is even being discussed is frightening," says asari diplomat Cerca T'Awnas. "There's been no time to inspect the fleet's wreckage, and no formal charges were laid. It's a blatantly premature condemnation of the quarian people." Public opinion on the matter, however, is more mixed. "The Flotilla is a floating scrap yard," says an entry from popular blogger Feyro Derlan. "When too many ships are beyond repair, what are the quarians going to do, take out a loan? It was only a matter of time before they turned pirate.""

"Earlier today, the Migrant Fleet rescued an Eldfell-Ashland Energy employee drifting through the Nubian Expanse in a lifepod. Navigator Camilla Gutierrez, the only survivor of the MSV Stanislaw, says that quarians had nothing to do with the attack that stranded her: "The ship's silhouette was just massive. There's no way the quarians had that monster in their Flotilla. I've never seen anything like it." Asked about the attack itself, Gutierrez reported, "They blew out our engines before we knew what hit us. Smoke was everywhere. I heard the captain yell something about boarders before he ordered us to the lifepods." Eldfell-Ashland says it is relieved Gutierrez was recovered, but that the Citadel investigation should continue "until all parties involved are satisfied.""

December 2010

"After his latest fiasco, police are charging self-declared elcor performance artist Nockrick Taur with breaking and entering, computer intrusion, inciting a riot, destruction of property, and resisting arrest. Taur broke into the Reyanommond auditorium on the Citadel during a showing of the popular new musical "Hearts on Breaking Shore." Halfway through the program, Taur used a jamming signal to short out every translator in the theater, then triggered a fire alarm. "It was a nightmare," says one theatergoer. "It was dark, people were suddenly shrieking gibberish, and no one knew what was happening. One poor salarian got his arm broken just because he was standing between the crowd and an exit." Taur expressed no remorse over the 44 people injured in the panic, only saying as he was led to jail: "Smug satisfaction: It was an admirable success in forcing people to face their overdependence on technology for modern convenience.""

"Simulstim director Hoyt Marrazo is being accused of using unscripted, real-life trauma in his controversial mockumentary "Holly's Last Chance." Marrazo instructed actor Cordan Ryng to put on his recording-rig before coming to the set, which was deserted when Ryng arrived. "Then three or four thugs jumped out," Ryng said. "One cracked my leg with a baton, then kicked me to the ground. They beat me for at least two minutes and 34 seconds, because that's how long Marrazo's footage lasts." Marrazo denied all charges of a setup, insisting that Ryng was fully aware and consenting during the scene. "I'd never destroy the bond of trust between a simulstim director and his actor for a cheap shock," said Marrazo. "If Ryng's doing this to get out of more filming, there are smarter ways to get out of a contract.""

"Youth United is a galaxy-wide extranet group that aims to connect young people of all species. Founder Darchas Clark says he wants to provide a helpful, positive environment for children to learn about each others' cultures. A batarian raised in a human family, Clark says he knows things can be difficult for young people of mixed backgrounds. "My parents were good people, but they didn't know how to help with my struggle to relate to either batarian or human cultures when I was a kid," he recalls. "It's important that Youth United lets kids know they're not alone in that struggle. There's still too many vicious and ignorant attitudes towards mixed families out there." The group's services include chat sessions with peers and counselors, free ****s on alien languages and cultures, and a guide to the galaxy's major legal systems."

"Rare salarian artifacts will be returned to Mannovai after a month-long visit to the colony by Professor Baliya Haphia. "The families of the salarians I met changed my mind on where these artifacts should ultimately rest," says the professor, who had staunchly defended keeping the items in the museum of the University of Serrice. "Sometimes it is easy to forget that a curator's job is not only to preserve the past, but also to inspire the next generation with its own history." Credited with facilitating the agreement reached between the University of Serrice and Mannovai, Professor Haphia has been asked to accompany the honor guard escorting the artifacts back home."

"The last shovel of soil has been laid over the time capsule buried underneath the Cairn, an ambitious sculpture its project lead hopes will be her longest-lasting monument. "Most time capsules are lost or abandoned," says Andrea Schumacher, the Cairn's lead architect. "The Cairn has been inscribed with pictograms developed by anthropologists and semioticians. These graphics are designed to show any species that there's something buried below. What any given race makes of the capsule is for history to decide." The Cairn is a simple, 300-meter block covered with a thick coat of weather-resistant, nigh-indestructible polymer. Over 20 museums have contributed materials for the capsule, including instructions on how to build starship drive cores and a map of the galaxy's mass relays."

"A team of reporters from Second Star Broadcasting has made a discovery that they claim puts the war on Garvug in an entirely new light. Working undercover for several months at Guanghui Solutions, the journalists uncovered evidence that the company, along with Sonax Industries, was concealing a cache of Prothean technology on Garvug for their own private financial gain. The reporters' painstaking documentation has garnered the attention of the Citadel Council's Committee on Paleotechnology, which demanded that the corporations allow their inspection team full access to the Garvug site in question or face reprisals to their offices in Citadel space. The investigation promises to delay Guanghui's release of a high-performance mass effect field generator scheduled to be on the market in just a few months."

"Biologists on the arid world of Ekram were shocked when an insectoid colony shoved them back from its nest with a biotic field. "At first I thought it was our meteorologist, Darren, goofing around with his L1 implant," says Dr. Andile Ndiaye, who leads the team studying a beetle-like invertebrate called a kirik. While most animals can theoretically develop biotics if exposed to element zero at the earliest stage of their lifecycle, insects and similar arthropod-like species on other planets were previously thought to lack the complex neural pathways needed to develop control over biotic powers. "We're getting calls from all sorts of specialists," says Dr. Ndiaye. "Studying the kirik will be a treat if we can actually get near the little critters again.""

"The insect-like kirik on Ekram are not only powerfully biotic, they could also be far more intelligent than Earth insects. Once the insect colony figured out the scientists studying it weren't predators, the kirik began sending out unified biotic pulses in different strengths and patterns. "When a biotic repeated these patterns back," says linguist Martha Cospiel, "the kiriks' broadcast patterns changed. If this is indicative of systematic learning, it could be the beginning of real communication between us. It also indicates total brain volume is not as important as we once thought. We're hoping they might be as clever as cats or even dogs.""

"Dr. Andile Ndiaye released this controversial press statement earlier today about his work with the biotic and possibly intelligent kirik on Ekram: "At first our communication with the colony was basic -- me, you, food, not-food -- but the more our biotics 'talk' to them, the faster they learn. We suspect their complex social structure puts their learning ability on par with that of dolphins. 'Uplift' has become a dirty word, but the kirik are perfect candidates." Seconds after his speech, the extranet exploded in a furious debate over Dr. Ndiaye's proposal. The Citadel Council has sent several ships to monitor traffic to and from Ekram as it decides whether or not to permit the research team to remain on the planet."

"Whether or not to uplift the biotic kirik colony of Ekram continues to be a popular and often contentious point of debate. "It's ridiculous to compare this to Tuchanka," writes political blogger Erlan Golta. "The krogan already had the capacity to use the weapons and starships we rained down on them. These insects don't even know how to work a coffee maker." Cydelle Fei, author and think-tank consultant, says it's already too late to worry about that. "Whether it's genetic research conglomerates or curious biotic tourists, we're not going to leave these Ekramite bugs alone," she writes. "At least bringing the colony fully into the fold of sentience will grant them rights and protections no dolphin or viyak ever had.""

"The researchers studying Ekram's biotic insect colony became unexpectedly stranded today. "We told the kirik we'd have to leave if our swarm-queen -- that is, the Citadel -- pulled us off-planet," says head researcher Dr. Andile Ndiaye. "When we started back to base, the colony lifted our groundcar right off the road because it wanted to keep talking." Despite the power of the hive's biotics, Dr. Ndiaye says he never felt in danger and that the kirik immediately expressed concern that they'd damaged the team's "feelers". "Their curiosity is incredible," says Dr. Ndiaye. "Leaving them after first contact would be like abandoning a child." In response to this incident, the Citadel has sent several representatives to evaluate the kiriks' current level of intelligence and compare it to standard galactic sapience tests."

"Grab some pillows, snacks, and a comfortable outfit! Got Serbos' 342-hour-long epic, "Iota Horologii," will be playing at select theaters in Citadel space this weekend. Released a decade ago, the critically acclaimed box office bomb tracks the fortunes of twelve alien families as their empires clash in an unnamed galaxy inside the Horologium supercluster. Viewers who don't want to stay for the entire movie will be relieved to know they can come and go as they please. If the showing proves popular, the distributor is considering screening other lengthy cult ****cs such as the surreal 95-hour "Molt" or the 43-hour adaptation of the Earth ****c "Gravity's Rainbow.""

"The weekend box office is in, and holiday fare is being passed over like bad fruitcake. The The dance flick "Off Stage" opened at number one, raking in a tidy 2.73 billion credits. Loosely based on the true story of a paraplegic asari dancer who learns how to move almost entirely through biotics, the movie was a hit with critics who lauded newcomer Shai L'Tanas' performance. Holding steady at number two, "Blasto Saves Christmas" absconded with 1.9 billion credits from audiences who can't get enough of the hanar-exploitation hero. Sharpstickintheeye.com calls the sequel "wince-worthy." Coming in at number three was "This One's Hanukkah Cheer" with 955 million, followed by "With Genericized Holiday Spirit" at 673 million. "Teenage Ninja Kwanzaa Force" scraped up 448 million worth of laughs, landing last on the top-earner list."

"Hospitals are once again cautioning people about overreliance on medi-gel. "It's a lifesaver, but it can't perform miracles," says registered nurse Rutos Kar. "Emergency rooms are filled with people who think applying medi-gel on a fracture instantly heals it. Then they stand on the break and worsen the injury." Kar advises people to go to a hospital in the event of major trauma but does recommend keeping your medi-gel supply topped up. "It's excellent for first aid and preventing infections," he says. "Medi-gel is handy when diseases from across the galaxy are getting dropped off at your local spaceport three times a day.""

"The Hearstfield Intercontinental Resort has made swimming a breeze, or at least breezy, with the opening of its microgravity water park on the moon of Voya. The park features a tidal pool with floating 20-foot waves, a miniature "mountain" of water, and a terrace composed of dozens of hot tubs suspended in midair. This three-story complex may seem overwhelming, but owner and manager Jacqueline Birchmen says the Hearstfield has constantly pushed the bar of extravagance by never thinking small. "Everyone called the engineering and building challenges monumental," Birchman says, "but we saw the opportunity to make every visit to the Hearstfield a galaxy-****event. Our suites are booked for up to a year, so our guests obviously agree.""

"After months of living in squalor at government-mandated safe camps, civilians in the Diluvian Wildlands of planet Taetrus are finally going home. Lana Ixiri, a banker who left for the camps early, had no idea what to expect. "All anyone knew was that there were bombings and lootings, so I thought I'd be coming back to a gutted house or a pile of rubble," she says. Lana was one of the lucky ones. Some windows in her prefab house were shot out, but moisture damage to the wood-framed house was limited. Older neighboring houses have rotted and become unsafe. Lana is just one among thousands trying to reconstruct their lives now that the resistance has been quashed. "It's been so long," she says. "It's hard to remember what normal is.""

"Once feared by the population, colonialist forces on Taetrus now face the daunting task of reconstruction and reuniting family members. The turian charity Orphans of War estimates that the Taetrus conflict now includes casualties of more than 75,000 missing persons and 16,000 children who have lost both parents. "The hastatim are supposed to get everyone," says Corporal Vitola Raedun, "but at least half of the ones I know won't shoot a kid even if he's looting, so they end up in these holding pens that are practically halfway houses." Raedun says the easiest way to reunite is to get on the extranet, but if the children are too young to use a computer, then relatives must go to the camps and the orphanages in person. "That's just a nightmare," Raedun says."

"If you ever wanted a piece of the galaxy's ditziest socialite, now's your chance. Aish Ashland is selling her heart online. It's not the one currently in her chest, but one of two spares she had grown from cloned tissue at a lab in the Earth town of Pacific Palisades. "Originally it was there in case something awful happened," she said, "but after my recent marital difficulties, I've decided that it's time for the world to know that my heart has moved on." Bidding starts at 50 million credits for the organ, which doctors say is in excellent shape. All proceeds from the sale of the heart will go to Aish's self-founded charity, the Aishwarya Ashland Center for Rehabilitation Medicine."

"It's a dream come true for 64-year-old multimillionaire Rakesh Dutta, whose daughter Kanta made the winning bid for Aish Ashland's cloned heart last night. "Appa's a total celebrity addict, and he loves his present!" Kanta raved to FirehoseofFame.com minutes after the final bid closed at 115.6 million credits. "He knew I was searching for a donor, but he had no idea he was getting Aish's heart." Ashland herself said in press release, "I'm so glad I could help someone who's obviously one of those suffering people. I think suffering is a terrible thing and we should all try to avoid it as part of the Christmas season." Dutta will be flown from his native Sri Lanka to Los Angeles, where he will undergo surgery to replace his heart with the 24-year-old socialite's spare. Dutta's heart was failing after a bout with diabetic cardiomyopathy."

"It's a dirty job, but someone must do it. Lieutenant Astrae Rubicum of the occupying Hierarchy forces on Taetrus is responsible for culling the feral animals filling the cities. "It's nearly impossible take care of pets at a safe camp," he says, "so people just left them outside when they fled their houses." Rubicum estimates over 50,000 pets were abandoned in Spaedar alone, and his animal corps has euthanized at least 10,000, not counting the ferals that don't fit into the trucks and are immediately destroyed. "On the good days, it's sad," he says. "On the bad days, it's gut-wrenching." People are camping out at the crematostation every morning, waiting to see if the animal corps brings in their pets. If no one picks up the animals between intake and processing, they are euthanized. Rubicum hopes that families now returning to their homes will be able to reunite with their pets in time."

December 2010

"It was grueling, it was frustrating, and it had us on the edges of our seats. Last night's game between the Washington Hackers and the Usaru Maestros broke the record for the longest game in biotiball history. In the ninth overtime period after a whopping 91 minutes [Citadel Standard] of game time, the Maestros finally put away the winning basket to end it 79-77. Said Maestros forward Tyra T'Sanis, "Both sides were exhausted, and that's when you let the fresh girls play defense. It was all we could do to keep that ball afloat." Hackers coach Jerome Manning still thinks his team came out winners. "We took it to the Maestros on their home ground and we had them tied," he said proudly. "Our players are 20, 30-years-old, up against players who've been in biotiball since the sport was founded, and we still gave the fans a show to remember." The Hackers go on to play the New Orleans Loa next week, while the Maestros face the Seattle Sorcerers in the semifinals."

"Citadel Council investigators have announced formal charges against 14 of 24 board members of Sonax Industries and Guanghui Solutions. The move follows an investigation that confirmed those companies withheld Prothean technology from the galactic community for personal gain and instigated an interplanetary war to that end. The investigation credited unnamed Spectres who secured what they say was "irrefutable evidence" of the corporations' complicity. Included in those indicted is Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight. High Commissioner of Galactic Rights Yrania Asula said, "The acts of these corporations went beyond mere illegality and into crimes against the galactic populace. We invoke the right of the Council to admit evidence garnered by Council representatives to prosecute the parties involved for their misdeeds." Lira Speight's office reportedly responded with the following statement: "Try.""

"The death of a salarian enforcement agent on planet Garvug is causing a stir among Council watchers and Sonax stockholders alike. Sources close to Sonax commander Lira Speight allege that Spectre Lonar Maerun made an attempt on Speight's life and was wounded by her security. Maerun's assistant died, shot after a weapon malfunction left him vulnerable. Sonax officials allowed journalists to view but not photograph a charred salarian body they claim is Urjon Taltz, Maerun's companion. Speight herself did not appear at the press conference, and spokesperson Victor Cohen attempted to assuage reporters, saying the Sonax board was "looking into" complying with the Citadel Council, but added that, "the law clearly states that we are in the Terminus Systems, and their act of aggression goes beyond any legal attempt to solve this matter.""

"Umsung Holdings, Sonax Industries' parent company, has announced sweeping changes to upper management in light of new evidence that has caused significant damage to their brand. The Sonax Industries division will now be known as Kore, and each board member currently under Council investigation for war crimes will be given a retirement package for services rendered. Said Umsung representative Areum Khan, "It is a new day at Umsung, and we are grateful to the Citadel Council for shining the harsh light of truth on the missteps taken by our employees." Admiral Lira Speight's replacement, Vice Admiral Sanele Mabuza, is expected to take command of the armed forces on and orbiting Garvug in three [Citadel Standard] hours when the sun rises over its capital of Dhazil."

"Today marks the human holiday of Christmas, celebrating the birth of the semi-divine teacher-prophet Jesus in Earth's Christian tradition. The holiday is commemorated through omnipresent music in public areas, lavish gift-giving to relatives and loved ones, the cutting and decorating of trees placed indoors, and the hanging of flexible footgear near fire pits. While all of the above practices are secular, more religious humans attend a prayer service either on the night before or during this day. The holiday spirit is traditionally shared with others by wishing for "peace on Earth and good will towards men." Once considered universal, that greeting has since been replaced by "peace and good will towards all creation.""

"Former Sonax (now Kore) employee Lira Speight has reportedly fled the planet Garvug. Citadel investigators, allowed access to her personal quarters by Kore Admiral Sanele Mabuza, were able to determine that she took steps to alter her appearance before departing with a flight bag full of negotiable bearer bonds and platinum. She is believed to be traveling with up to five trusted bodyguards. Investigators have released no details about the make or model of the ship she used, nor have they speculated on her likely location. Asked if she would likely remain in the Terminus Systems to stay outside the Council's reach, spokesperson Dixali Arborandum replied, "If she wants to stay out of our reach, she'd better find another galaxy.""

"The saga of former Kore employee Lira Speight has apparently come to an end. A body with a geneprint matching that of her medicard to 99.998% accuracy was presented to a regional medical examiner on the Omega space station. Her bodyguards explained to officials that she was in a hotel and complained of headaches shortly before collapsing and could not be revived. The medical examiner, Ur'shok Aranhur, declared her death a result of a massive stroke and concluded there were no signs of foul play. Lonar Maerun, one of several Citadel Spectres assigned to bring in the fugitive admiral, says the evidence satisfies him. "She was under considerable stress," he said. "I guess it got to her more than she let on." Speight is survived by one brother. She was 47 Earth standard years old."

"The galaxy's longest-running game of chess finally came to a close as Dowumon Thunloon of Dekuuna checkmated Victor Kovisk of Luna. A board game of skill developed on 11th-century Earth, chess became popular on the elcor homeworld a few years after humanity was granted an embassy on the Citadel. Both players have competed professionally, but Thunloon and Kovisk's legendary 12-year game was "a friendly match" that its extranet followers are sad to see end. "A flower of moves blooming over a decade," wrote one fan. "I remember the first check better than I remember my kid being born," admitted another. They may not have to wait long for a rematch: Kovisk warmly congratulated Thunloon on his win, to which the elcor replied, "Pleased acceptance: Thank you very much. Tentative excitement: New game?""

 12/29/2010 - New York City's Times Square Ball Moved to Presidium

"The Earth city of New York is breaking with a centuries-long tradition this year to inaugurate a new one. The Times Square New Year's Eve ball, a crystal globe festooned in lights that descends in the last moments of the old Earth standard year, will be moved to the Presidium on the Citadel, where it will descend at precisely one minute before midnight, Eastern Standard [Earth] Time. In the ball's place on Earth will be a volumetric display of the Citadel ball, and giant monitors up and down Broadway will display the crowds on the Presidium. "We feel this is our year," said New York mayor Trudi Raspallo. "Humans are on the galactic stage now in a big way, and we invite the galaxy to celebrate with us.""

"The manhunt is on once again for Rolan Quarn. The turian con man and thief is believed to have stolen the Times Square New Year's Eve ball, sending event organizers on the Citadel and in New York into a panic. The time ball, which is four meters in diameter and weighs 5,185 kilograms in Earth gravity, disappeared sometime in the station's last night-cycle just two standard days before the New Year's Eve festivities. While it is possible Quarn did not steal the ball, a paper note claiming responsibility and signed with his handprint was left at the scene of the ball's disappearance. "At this point we don't know if it's still on the station," said a source in C-SEC who asked not to be named. "Frankly, we don't even know how he got the thing into an elevator. It was fully assembled.""

"Citadel security continues the search for the stolen time ball meant to mark the passing of the human New Year. Captain Armando-Owen Bailey, whose men have searched countless docking bays for signs of the device, says there is evidence that the perpetrator used a mass reducer to get the ball off the Presidium. "We can't shut down all traffic without piling up half a million partygoers," says Bailey, "and we're certain that was part of the plan." Event coordinator Nyala Alaynas says the theft will not stop the festivities. "We've still got spotlights and fireworks and lots of that fizzy gold drink," she says. "Like the humans say, the show must go off.""

January 2011

"Last night's observance of the human New Year on the Citadel is already being called "the shower of gold," and is getting endless coverage on morning news shows. After the New Year's Eve time ball was stolen, event organizers created an emergency team to stage the climactic moment. After assembling over 350 biotic attendants, organizers dumped four hundred kilos of glitter and mylar strips at the base of the spire. During the final countdown, the biotics lifted the mass into the sky, held it there with singularities, then, as strobe lights fired in time with the new year, pushed and pulled the sparkles into a tornado that rained down on partygoers. "I got it all over my scalp and some in my mouth," said one asari, "but I also proposed to my bondmate at midnight, so I'd say the night was a big success.""

"OUT-OF-GAME NOTICE: The Cerberus Daily News will begin a hiatus on January 24th, finishing its run of one full year. Daily postings will cease except for three weeks in 2011: a week of posts will precede a downloadable content release, and two more weeks will lead up to the release of Mass Effect 3. The CDN team thanks fans for their attention, comments, and feedback (both in and out of character!). We are sorry to go, but we had fun -- we hope you did, too!"

"Riots broke out today on the colony world of Olor as part of a fierce struggle over water rights. Demonstrations at the corporate headquarters of the municipal water company AquaStructure turned violent when corporate police attempted to break up protestors. Firebombs and gunfire ended with thirteen dead and forty wounded. This is one of many recent demonstrations that have called attention to the dichotomy between wealthy salarians and poor humans on the planet. The breaking point came when AquaStructure decided against building pipes in the human district of Xi Hu, effectively denying the residents any hope of running water. "I just thought that's how the colony was going to be," said Chunkai Zhi, one of the human residents. "Then I found out that the salarian districts were getting all the water they wanted. That's not right." AquaStructure representatives had no comment on today's violence."

"An unexpected issue has developed after a new vine was introduced on the colony world of Sathur: mold. "The Alliance Bureau of Food and Drug Safety confirmed that the mold, which forms as a thin, non-poisonous layer of powder on some strains of ossilbir, easily washes off without a trace," Governor Vien Suchart assured the press. "All ossilbir shipped off-planet is thoroughly washed and inspected before packaging." While the mold has no toxic properties for most levo-amino-based sapient species, several reports of people experiencing hallucinogenic episodes after ingesting small quantities of the mold -- referred to as "Creeper" in some black markets -- have surfaced. While properly cleaned vegetation can still be legally shipped from Sathur, more than 60 Citadel worlds are recalling products made with ossilbir grown on the colony."

"Humans and turians are gathering on the planet Kruljaven today to participate in joint training and survival exercises between their two militaries. "The Alliance is pleased to coordinate this effort with the Turian Hierarchy," said Admiral Pat Forsythe. "Our marines will compete against their turian counterparts in a series of mock battles in harsh environments that will test preparedness in the face of extreme conditions." Outside observers are calling it a diplomatic move aimed at increasing cooperation between the two races as Earth's military becomes increasingly involved in Citadel defense plans. Spokespeople for both parties denied that the exercises have anything to do with current tensions on Khar'shan. "Similarities between the planets are purely coincidental, and official commentary on the Khar'shan situation comes directly from the office of the Citadel Council," said Forsythe."

"The mixed media showcase of krogan creative works, "One in a Thousand," opened last night at Illium's prestigious Municipal Institute of Art. As krogan history is often viewed by others as violent and tragic, the art display challenges viewers to rethink their established views on krogan culture. Dr. Alissa Banser, the institute's program coordinator, explains: "We wanted to explore different aspects of the krogan people, from the dark to the sublime. We hope to inspire debate on the very nature of how we define 'art'." Some early reviews have hailed Dr. Banser as courageous; others call the showcase "exploitative" and "in poor taste," noting that few, if any, of the show's pieces were created by krogan artists. The showcase is on display until (Earth standard date) February 21."

"The moon of Voya is shaping up to be the entertainment destination this year: to date, twelve major acts have been signed to play Voya's 600,000-seater stadium known as "The Parthinade". Tickets are already going fast for performers that include Domino Masque, Chatbak, M.D.G.S., and Lili T'Nigus. Interestingly, concert organizers are only releasing footage of the shows a year after a given performance. "These are one-of-a-kind concerts," says the Parthinade's booking manager Ivica Folnovic. "As such, our electronic security measures are geared toward blacking out outside recording devices. Our mission at the Parthinade is to host events that have to be seen live to be believed.""

"How prepared are you for a hull breach? Is your starship's registration up to date? Have all of your spacesuits been pressure-tested within the last six months? During Space Safety and Awareness Week, everyone inside Council space is being encouraged to make sure their safety knowledge is up to galactic standards. "It could save your life," says SSAW organizer Kyo Tanaka. "You don't want people terrified every time they start their engines, but they need to respond quickly and efficiently in the event of an accident. Most companies that train pilots offer refresher courses on navigation, maintenance, alien flight protocols, and emergency responses. Why not take advantage?""

""A Fine Line: The Journal of Darkness and Hope" hits stores this week, and the book is making waves with critics and audiences alike. Co-authored by asari prisoners of war, survivors Jiana Kintani and Bellah Ans tell the story of torture at krogan hands during their 140-year ordeal in the notorious POW camps of Planet Densaak. Communication was accomplished via a complex series of rapping that was barely audible through the wall separating the cells. The two were liberated at the hands of asari commandos and saw each other's faces for the first time aboard the military gunship that carried them off-planet. Kintani lost a long battle with the asari disease ahok fasciitis late last year, but lived to see her story in print, reading an advance copy on her deathbed."

"Controversy brews tonight as scientists on Mars assess the contents of a newly opened chamber in the Prothean ruins. The opening has been a dream of exoarchaeologists for decades, delayed by the many steps necessary to replicate Prothean code keys and crack the cryptography for entry. Critics say the Milky Way Foundation, which provided supercomputers for the cryptanalysis, could hoard any Prothean discoveries. Dr. Unira T'Lam, liaison from the Citadel Committee on Paleotechnology, says she's been kept in the dark. "Foundation personnel have orchestrated a security system that keeps out everyone except a select cabal," she accuses. "Anything could be taken from inside and we'd never know." Dr. Ilsa Warren, who heads the analysis unit, dismisses the allegation. "We've made it clear all technology stays in situ throughout the cataloging and analysis process, which could take years," she says. "Dr. T'Lam's fears would be more appropriate closer to the end of the decade.""

January 2011

""Creeper," a powerful new hallucinogenic drug, is fetching record prices at 9,000 credits per gram on the black market. Several fringe spiritual groups are claiming it grants especially potent visions, while recreational drug-users say it offers hours of colorful daydreams with virtually no side-effects. But not everyone is so sanguine about its use: "There are no long-term medical studies on the effects of creeper on someone's body," warns Doctor Darla Rory, a specialist on addictive substances. "And as always, people prone to addiction are at risk. Creeper's sense of escapism hooks people on a psychological level, not a chemical one. It's extremely insidious in that regard.""

"Alliance headquarters on Arcturus Station is buzzing about an unusual incident tonight. Information is still sketchy, but it appears asari explorers have alerted Alliance leadership to a previously unknown colony of humans in the Alpha Centauri system. The asari were monitoring a primitive alien species on a planet in the region when a human party approached and ambushed them, taking at least one asari scientist prisoner. Rather than intervene and potentially inflame the situation, the asari contacted Alliance leadership to maintain peace. But as one Alliance source confided, that's easier said than done. The source explained: "The thing is, we can't find any record of these people. None. So what are they doing out there?" Further details will follow as the situation develops."

"Surprising details have emerged about recently-discovered human colonists in the Alpha Centauri system who captured an asari scientist. Alliance ships performed a reconnaissance overflight of the planet in question and gathered details about a settlement there. After cross-referencing with Alliance databases, a clearer picture has emerged. An Alliance source explained: "These people are literally a lost colony in every sense of the word. We're 95% certain they originated from the Manswell Expedition of 2070." A background check reveals Victor Manswell was a billionaire who funded his own private spaceflight in the year 2075 after growing frustrated with the pace of official exploration. Pre-dating the use of mass effect relays, some 300 people joined the expedition and were placed in cryogenic freeze for the journey. After a successful launch the colonists were never heard from again... until today, if Alliance suspicions prove true."

"An effort is underway today in the Alpha Centauri system as Alliance specialists work to establish contact with a lost colony of early human explorers who took an asari scientist prisoner. Mission Commander Jon Hayes said: "As near as we can tell, these people slipped through the cracks. They were considered missing when communication was lost with their ship after they left in 2075 and fell off the radar, so to speak. It's entirely possible they have no idea what's happened in the galaxy for the last 110 years. We're treating it as a first contact situation." Accompanying the military will be experts from a variety of fields, including sociologists, anthropologists, linguists, psychologists, geneticists, and a host of supporting medical personnel. One anthropologist commented "It reminds me of those 19th century explorers who discovered tribes deep in the Amazon rainforest. The natives had no idea the wider world existed.""

"The mission to establish contact with a lost human colony from the Manswell Expedition bore mixed results this week. According to Commander Jon Hayes, Alliance ships landed far from the human settlement so as not to exacerbate an already uncertain situation. "We didn't want a whole armada of ships descending from the sky to spook these people." Nevertheless, the colonists feared an attack when Alliance personnel approached on foot. "They put up a spirited defense. A few of our people were wounded, and unfortunately they suffered a few casualties as well." Once the situation was under control, a dialogue with the colonists was opened. "It took some convincing that we were humans from Earth. They suspected an alien plot." Eventually, an Alliance representative was allowed into their camp to make contact with their leader and check on the condition of their asari prisoner. Details are pending."

"More news today out of the Alpha Centauri system, where an Alliance mission has made contact with a lost colony of human explorers from the Manswell Expedition of 2070. "To say these people are in a state of shock would be an understatement," said Commander Jon Hayes. "Nearly 120 years of history has passed them by. When they left Earth, nobody knew aliens even existed." The colonists' asari prisoner has been released and is in good condition. "They were understandably spooked by the asari. Who wouldn't be, seeing a biotic alien for the first time? In fact, I want to personally thank the asari for her restraint in this matter. She could have fought her way out, but once she understood the situation these people were in, she was patient and let the Alliance resolve the situation." Sociologists are now working with the colonists to decide the best course of action for the future."

"Some closure today in the case of the lost colonists of the Manswell Expedition: after educating the colonists on the state of galactic affairs, Alliance personnel asked the group where they wished to live. Nearly half of them voted to stay on the planet, with one of them saying "Everything has changed so much that I don't see how I could ever go back. Mass relays? The Citadel? Robot wars? I wouldn't know what to make of any of that. I feel like a caveman seeing New York for the first time." Others were eager to rejoin galactic life. "I just discovered one of my descendents is still alive," another colonist explained. "How weird will that be, going back to see him?" An Alliance sociologist said they will help the colonists assimilate into modern life if they choose to return to Earth. "Follow-up interviews and seeing how they adjust should be fascinating," she said."

"Sathur, home to fields of vines that produce the hallucinogenic drug commonly called "creeper", has frozen all immigration applications "until we can sort out genuine colonists from cut-and-run opportunists", declared Governor Vien Suchart. "A year ago, we were a colony of 4,000. Now we're receiving that many petitions for citizenship in an hour. Even if we wanted to accommodate every immigration request, we simply don't have the infrastructure." Governor Suchart says he'll be regulating ossilbir production facilities more closely, after several crates of creeper were discovered in the homes of factory workers last week."

"Authorities remain baffled by the cause of an explosion at an element-zero processing plant that killed six last week on Planet Urksone. "You always risk a blast when you run test charges," says safety inspector Ziph Betress. "If your eezo is impure or you run the wrong voltage through it, bam. The plant's equipment seemed to be functioning fine, but we're still examining security footage." The plant's owner, Liyasha Losine, remains skeptical that the incident was accidental. "I'm not pleased Inspector Betress isn't pursuing the possibility of sabotage or other outside causes. We keep our safety systems in perfect working order. Element zero doesn't just become unstable on its own.""

"The human colony of Drasta is hoping to attract potential settlers with its fresh air, clean rivers and hospitable climate... but don't bring your credits. "Internally, we're sticking to a barter system for our first ten years," say leader of the colony Loran Evanko. "Whether it's work, goods, or advice, we want the colony to be self-sufficient before we start using credits. It'll make us less of a target for raiders, motivate us to know the land, and help screen out romantics." Even visitors to Drasta will be asked to bring in useful goods or skills of their own while staying at the colony. "We're not tyrants," Evanko assures us. "Colony members can keep their accounts. We just ask them to make any fiscal transactions off-planet.""

 01/21/2011 - Audiences Flock to See "Patriots" and "Dr. Kepral" This Week

"The weekend's box office is in, and awards season is in full swing. "Patriots", the true story of a human serving with the salarian navy stationed at Jaeto, netted a comfy 2.3 billion credits, while tearjerker biopic "Dr. Kepral" came in a close second at 2.24 billion. "May to December" examines an asari girl on a quest to learn the life story of her vorcha father, pulling a respectable 1.88 billion; and the ambitious remake of "All Souls' Rising" brings forth Earth's Haitian revolution in all its flawed glory, holding firm at 1.75 billion in its third week. On the lighter side, the slapstick "We the Sheeple" skewered just about every visible galactic politician for a modest 1.28 billion. Described by the producers as "all the laughs you expect from Orwell's 'Animal Farm' before you actually read it," the comedy is down 600 million from its opening weekend."

"The galaxy is on high alert as starships belonging to the Earth Systems Alliance and Batarian Hegemony refuse to back down from a confrontation in the Skyllian Verge. The encounter began when a frigate from the batarian colony of Aratoht discovered an Alliance cruiser, the SSV Budapest, on patrol in the Bahak system. The Alliance claims the Budapest was chasing a pirate fleet that has been harassing human colonies in the Skyllian Verge, and that it was fully within its rights to travel through Bahak's space. The Batarian Hegemony has demanded the Alliance's immediate withdrawal from their colony's system. Three batarian cruisers stationed on Aratoht are now on their way to join the confrontation."

"The Alliance cruiser that sparked a standoff between the Earth Systems Alliance and Batarian Hegemony has retreated from the Bahak system. Hegemony officials claim to have found no trace of the pirate fleet the Alliance was allegedly pursuing when the SSV Budapest flew into the system. The Alliance maintains it was chasing pirates raiding human merchant vessels when it crossed into batarian space, but refuses to release any of its ships' logs. Despite this, Citadel observers say the Alliance's withdrawal has done enough to ease tensions. "The Hegemony knows the Alliance is attempting to save face," said one anonymous Citadel diplomat. "At this juncture, the humans' retreat from Aratoht [in the Bahak system] has gone from a diplomatic crisis to an embarrassment they want swept under the rug.""

"Historians and astronomers alike are abuzz tonight over a new paper published by Dr. Amanda Kenson of the University of Arcturus. Her team claims that by testing the dust trapped in the gravity wells around a mass relay, and comparing its composition to that of dust clouds in the same system, scientists can create a timeline of when the relay passed through the dust. Her conclusion? "Only a small fraction of the mass effect relays date back 50,000 years," she writes, "The majority are far older, indicating they were created by a species predating even the Protheans." Dr. Aurana T'Meles of the University of Serrice met the information with skepticism: "While Dr. Kenson's methods appear sound, the asari tried a similar procedure centuries ago and discounted it. What civilization could have spanned the galaxy for not thousands, but millions of years? If this were the case, we should have found mountains of evidence of their passing. Where is this species now?""

Arrival

March 22
Evidence continues to mount that the system of mass relays attributed to the Protheans predate their civilization. Dr. Aurana T'Meles of the University of Serrice, a one-time skeptic of the claim, now says she's a convert. "This team has been meticulous in dating relays from many locations," she says in her findings. "It is not their responsibility to hypothesize who created the relays, only to isolate the eras of their construction." Such hypotheses abound and usually feature disappeared species like the arthenn or zeioph. Nearly all have been ruled out since they did not coexist with the oldest of the relays. Dr. Amanda Kenson, team lead for the initial discovery, could not be reached for comment at broadcast time.

March 23
Dr. Aurana T'Meles' office in downtown Serrice was broken into last night after she made galactic news for supporting the controversial study that claims mass relays predate the Protheans.  "I don't understand," said a flabbergasted Dr. T'Meles.  "All they stole was research done by Dr. Kenson earlier this year.  If they'd waited a month, they could have read it all in a published paper."  Security footage shows four batarians dressed in Civilian clothing breaking into Dr. T'Meles' office at 4:13 local [Thessia standard] time.  Skin cells from the scene identified one burglar as Palash Tarn, a former member of the Khar'shan military's Batarian Special Intervention Unit.  No officials from Kar'shan were available for comment.

March 24
Reactions to the discovery that mass relays were not created by the Prothean civilization continue to pour in.  Oh Kahje, the response is largely denial and shock.  Religious leader All-Bright Olos the 10th, the Sounaril of the Manas tradition, reacted by uploading a 13-minute speech to the newsnets that urged calm and peace.  "It is no heresy to say that the Enkindlers themselves may have been Enkindled," the hanar said.  "It is their example of selflessness, courtesy, and willingness to share their gifts that teaches these ones how to live.  To say there was something before them, an even more noble being, gives these pertinent an even swifter current to ride, a greater model to which we can all aspire.

March 25
Two unauthorized researchers have been arrested and charged with attempting to tamper with the Lowas relay.  "Zahi Moon and Ellis Veech were found on Lowas' outer surface, planning on accessing the command switches embedded in the relay," says Council Relay Security officer Lisa Tanabe.  "They were about as successful as the last hundred people who tried.  The real harm was parking a research vessel near a potential collision zone where debris would take weeks to clean, and we know what a single screw can do to a ship at high velocities."  Tanabe is referring to the tragic explosion of the Mihairokov, a spacecraft that hit an orbiting metal bolt that caused the ship's cabin to depressurize, killing the passengers onboard.

March 26
A series of security incidents at mass relays throughout Citadel space has led to the redistribution of the Council's peacekeeping fleets.  "Public attention has shifted to the relays, and relay-related crime is elevated," says Captain Miyamoto Whelan of the Alliance fleet.  He went on to list starship loitering, debris dumping, and suicide by relay as chief incidents to be policed.  The resulting military presence has been disruptive enough to cause hours and sometimes days of delays for regular flights. "I don't see why they need to park cruisers on the route to freaking Voya," said commuter Lakshmi Dasgupta.  "No one's attacking Voya, and don't tell me they're there to guard something that's indestructible." 

March 27
Commerce took a plunge yesterday as galaxy-wide traffic delays ground transport and finance to a halt.  "I'd estimate we lost 612-billion credits across the galaxy," says macroeconomics expert Dora Voke, "and we would have easily doubled those losses if it wasn't for the asari business holiday."  While traffic flow between relays is back to normal, the effects are still being felt by commuters and vacationers.  "Unbelievable," says Roman Basee, a citizen from Mars who was taking his first holiday in eight years. "The starline says they'll rebook, but it's just crazy that everything can grind to a halt.  The Citadel's got to make sure this doesn't happen!"

March 28
In a surprise move, respected Systems Alliance admiral, Steven Hackett, testified today before the Citadel council that the joint chiefs of the Alliance have relaxed their attitude toward the increased construction of turian dreadnoughts. "The Alliance is behind our councilor one hundred percent," the admiral said, a significant departure from the Chiefs' protests of the past. "Having recently conducted significant joint operation exercises with the turians, as well as smaller efforts with salarians and asari, the Alliance Navy feels the threats of the 22nd and 23rd centuries [Earth standard] will be external to the signatories of the treaty of Farixen." Batarian ambassador Nel'Tarras Tilshan reacted vehemently. "The humans appear to be falling into a bloody-minded course, and we hope they turn back. Dreadnoughts are not for peacekeeping, they are for devastating planets! Hackett now sides with those who are a direct threat to the batarian people."

Check out entry December 6th. Looks like I was right in saying there's more on Garvug than just minerals :)N7v1K0

I wonder what kind of Protheon Technology it was...

Maybe weapons...and maybe Cerberus will get their hands on it...then we could get a 'Garvug Prothean Weapon DLC' pack! :D

I wonder how this whole Kirik thing is going to play out...I predict we will be fighting some in ME3...

I think 'uplifting' them could be dangerous...especially with the Reapers' track record with insects...

I wonder how this whole Kirik thing is going to play out...I predict we will be fighting some in ME3...

I think 'uplifting' them could be dangerous...especially with the Reapers' track record with insects...

majinstrings

Good point. They could be an enemy in ME3

Today's enrty is amazing! The Kirik are actually worried about the researchers being pulled off the project! :oN7v1K0

I just read it...wow...I'm definitely looking forward to how this plays out...hopefully, the Citadel doesn't do anything stupid to damage relations with the Kirik...otherwise, I predict this will end really badly...

They lifted up the teams 'groundcar' with biotics!? Doesn't sound like an alien species we want to be enemies with :P

What's this? No new updates?

I just popped in ME2 and read about this weekends box-office...

"Blasto Saves Christmas" is in 2nd place :lol:

Bioware really needs to make a Blasto animated short film or something :lol:

What's this? No new updates?

I just popped in ME2 and read about this weekends box-office...

"Blasto Saves Christmas" is in 2nd place :lol:

Bioware really needs to make a Blasto animated short film or something :lol:

majinstrings

DLC Captains Quarter's mini-game! :lol:

What's this? No new updates?

I just popped in ME2 and read about this weekends box-office...

"Blasto Saves Christmas" is in 2nd place :lol:

Bioware really needs to make a Blasto animated short film or something :lol:

majinstrings

You're right!

Did they decide to stop CDN?! :(

Edit: Okay, that was really weird. The updates for the last few days vanished from my post for some reason. I swear I remember putting them here on their repective dates. And today's update was late for some reason, hence my surprise above.

you know all these thing with the kirik's is pretty obviously taken from a star wars book series called the dark nest.

in it there are intelligent insects called killiks that are able to use the force in different ways and they were "uplifted" by a jedi

you know all these thing with the kirik's is pretty obviously taken from a star wars book series called the dark nest.

in it there are intelligent insects called killiks that are able to use the force in different ways and they were "uplifted" by a jedi

Mr_Silent_D

Serious? :o

Could some of the other entries be references to games or books too?

you know all these thing with the kirik's is pretty obviously taken from a star wars book series called the dark nest.

in it there are intelligent insects called killiks that are able to use the force in different ways and they were "uplifted" by a jedi

Mr_Silent_D

:lol: That's awesome...

So, I guess we won't be seeing them in ME3 after all...too bad...

I just saw the 12-15-10 entry and it says 'a galaxy-****event'...

What's up with Gamespot censoring class?

I just saw the 12-15-10 entry and it says 'a galaxy-****event'...

What's up with Gamespot censoring class?

majinstrings

IDK, it's plain stupid really.

Looks like the situation on Garvug is escalating quite rapidly. Spectres trying to assassinate Lira Speight...

The entries have gone on to page 2, if you're wondering what happened to them...

Lol turians stealing balls :PN7v1K0

:lol:

What a horrible DLC that would make...

"Shepard, good work dealing with the Collector's! Now can you help track down the New Year's Ball?"

...Or maybe it would be totally awesome :P

Entry 10/1/11 made me lol :P

For those of you who don't know, Milky Way Foundation is a corporate front for Cerberus. Funny that council reps don't have access to artifacts

Entry 22/1, check it out

Another possible war in the Verge? :| 

Entry 22/1, check it out

Another possible war in the Verge? :|

N7v1K0

It looks like war has been avoided...for now...

I wonder if the Batarians hate humans so much that they would actually help the Reapers or maybe take the Reaper invasion as an opportunity to destroy humanity...

Even with Reapers coming to wipe out all life in the galaxy, I don't really see Batarians allying with humanity...

Just read the last entry...

"What civilization could have spanned the galaxy for not thousands, but millions of years? If this were the case, we should have found mountains of evidence of their passing. Where is this species now?"

:lol: ...Aaaaand cue Mass Effect 3 trailer...

Check the 2nd page in this thread for all Arrival CDN updates.

Don't ask how I got them this early... :P