Mactan Base

CLASS: Deep Blue

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 270

Lane Hackers are mostly composed of former Los Angeles Ageira Technologies employees who created the extremely complex scanning and database system known as USI (Universal Ship Identification). Departing the company rather acrimoniously in 750 AS, they have become a growing problem in the Independent Worlds.

The Lane Hackers in Magellan and Galileo share one common origin -- Ageira. The scandal that erupted within the company after the great Galileo bypass project, which resulted in the unnecessary construction of a hugely expensive set of Jump Gates and Trade Lanes, forced several executives and an elite development team out. This would become the second part of the core of the Lane Hackers, along with the original California scanner group that fled to Magellan.

The investigation continues to this day, but has so far been unsuccessful in locating the Lane Hacker bases. No Hacker leader has ever been captured, although various Rogues in the Independent Worlds have been caught possessing remarkably accurate information regarding upcoming high-value shipments.

Security measures have been added to the software, but the Hackers remain one step ahead, leading Ageira security experts to believe that there are many sympathetic programmers still within the company, possibly being secretly paid off with the proceeds from the thefts. The Lane Hackers prefer to sell their information to others rather than do the dirty work themselves, although they sometimes swoop in and tractor in cargo if it's particularly juicy. Fancying themselves as modern-day Robinhoods, they avoid direct confrontation when possible, unless they are dealing with Interspace Commerce or Ageira.

They like to frequent Freeport 4 and the Ames Research Station, as their asteroid bases within the clouds can become claustrophobic. Their cardamine addiction forces them to trade Lane shipment info for drugs with the Outcasts and the Liberty Rogues at Mactan, although usually it ends up being the Liberty Rogues who act upon any information, and take the fall when anything goes wrong.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Outcasts
* Independent Miners Guild
* Liberty Rogues

* Outcasts

## News

The Outcasts and their most loyal agents stepped in almost immediately in anticipation of something like this happening, and set new rules for distribution according to set keys. A small group of Liberty Rogues defied them and followed their own rules of distribution, but they didn't fare too well - the Dons, despite the ongoing crisis in Malta, do not tolerate insubordination.
For this reason, several powerful Junkers and Rogues immediately decided to dilute Cardamine instead of redistributing ostentatiously against the wishes of the Outcasts at the expense of their clients, thereby raising their own shares. Fortunately for these savvy businessmen, word did not reach the Outcasts until some time later, and thanks to an improved network of cooperation, most of the organizers were able evade Malta's assassins.
However, all these measures had only limited effectiveness. Many end-clients and casual Cardamine users have been forced to seek medical attention due to their deteriorating health due to potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms. It is not known how many Cardamine users eventually died because of the shortage, but it appears to be in the order of single-digit percentages - much to the very verbal displeasure of the Outcasts themselves.

Professor Nagel and her team are certain the Pulse originated from outside Sirius, but are otherwise no closer to identifying its source or mitigating a future Blackout event. "Following the Blackout, we began to see immediate signs of jump hole destabilization in multiple different regions, with many ultimately falling out of phase alignment altogether", she commented. The dramatic upending of Sirius' jump hole network has already prompted many groups to abandon stations and withdraw from systems that appear to risk being cut off.
While months-long trips between the stars are possible thanks to the Liberty Engine and many centuries of innovation, few ships are designed or provisioned to make such arduous journeys. Those who were displaced by Sirius' redrawn map hope that system connections will return, while adventurers and explorers rush to discover new routes.

For some time, it had been alleged that Insurgent and Xeno-backed cells had been stirring trouble on Erie, inciting violence in the population and seeking to turn the planet into a second Veracruz. Never, however, had such open acts of terror been visited upon the governing Libertonian forces.
The response was quick and decisive. In coordination with the LSF, Vice Admiral Hamish aboard the Battleship Alma lead a Liberty Navy task force directly into the system in Operation Pesticide, escorted primarily by Siege Cruisers, Gunboats and fightercraft, with many of the Navy's capital warships tied in the Vespucci campaign or ever watchful at Liberty's borders. They were met by Zoner Q-ships based from Bethlehem, with many coming from as far as Galileo or even the Sigmas, accompanied by a motley assortment of freelancers and other anarchist elements. Leading the Zoner line was a Aquilon-class carrier, the Pinnacle.
While the Pinnacle came under heavy bombardment from the Alma and her task force, supplies quickly gathered onto Zoner transports from Erie attempted to run the Navy blockade. While some transports were lost to Navy bombers, others yet escaped to parts as of yet unknown. This 'victory', however, came at a heavy price. The Pinnacle was lost with most of her hands still on board and the rest captured, while the Liberty Marines landed virtually unopposed, quickly securing population centers for both the safety of Libertonian assets and the civilians on Erie itself. The Alma is settled now into the low orbit of Erie, a constant reminder to those below that they are under the protection of the Liberty Navy. A comfort to some, a dire warning to many more.

## Rumors

* Being a Lane Hacker is a commitment to a way of life. I guess some would call us hedonists -- maybe we are. We live for pleasure and the moment. I used to work for Ageira and I can tell you that this is a much better way to live. We enjoy the finest things in life -- we eat the best foods, we wear the best clothes, and we have the best toys. And the Cardamine. As much Cardamine as you want. If we could just land on Curacao, life would be perfect.

* No actual Lane Hacker has ever been captured. Sure, some of our lackeys have gotten tagged by the police or military, but nobody ever knows enough to finger the Lane Hackers. It just goes to prove that we're smarter than everyone else. That's why we left Ageira. We didn't get the recognition and money we deserved. The executives thought they could get fat and rich on us carrying them, but now they have to spend billions on upgrading their security with new, cheaper "experts", only to find we are always one step ahead.

* The Outcasts run Cardamine in here from somewhere out in the Tau worlds. They ship it out from here into Liberty, with the Rogues handling much of the dangerous work in New York. We pay a pretty high price even here. If you wanted to make a killing, get in close with the Outcasts and buy some Cardamine further up the stream, closer to the source.

* In this system we make plenty of raids on valuable shipments traveling between Liberty and Bretonia. We use the Jump Hole to raid shipments in Cortez that may be trying to bypass Magellan, and the Jump Hole from Cortez to California let's us get back to our beloved homeland. Financial freedom has its costs, I guess, but it's quite the adventure being out here. It's certainly more exciting than that stuffy lab on Pueblo Station.

* The Outcasts are a pretty odd lot. Can't figure them out sometimes. They wear those funny breathers that act as Cardamine inhalers. In the heat of battle they can give themselves a Cardamine booster with a flick of the wrist. Maybe that's why they're such awesome pilots.

* The Outcasts are holding out on us, no longer providing us the quantities of Cardamine we used to regularly receive, surely they realize our friendship is worth the investment? Unless of course they want to lose access to our ability to pinpoint the nicest, and coincidentally, most vulnerable convoys.

* Our founders designed the entire USI software system to track ships and their contents throughout the entire Trade Lane network in the Sirius Sector. Ageira didn't give us a penny extra. So they left and started the Lane Hackers, along with a scanner hardware development group from Colorado. IC uses the USI system to calculate precise shipping insurance rates. With USI there is no cheating, like there was in the old days. The shippers hate it, but they have to insure their shipments. Since we have access to the data, we know the precise cargo each ship is carrying, along with it's position on the Trade Lane network - so long as the ships are using the Lanes.

* There's a Jump Hole into Manchester just to the west of this base. Our raiders often pop through and hang out in the North Sheffield Field, waiting for an unsuspecting Bowex Gold shipment on the Trade Lanes. It's easy to intercept them when you know when they're coming.

* Since we know what ships are hauling what, we can hit the Gold freighters and sell the Gold to the Rogues at their Montezuma base in Cortez. This keeps the Rogues pretty happy with us, and oftentimes they do our dirty work, which leaves more time to pursue our own diversions - like dropping Cardamine.

* The Rogues keep trying to make deals that would see us share the Cardamine we receive from the Outcasts. I don't see how their shortages are our problem, if they want to avoid the risks of dwindling supplies, maybe they ought to do a better job of rationing it.

* Of all the factions in Sirius, these are the ones that know what they want and how to get it. They have more money than they need, and all the information they need to get more. We are blessed that the Hackers are so willing to spend their money on our Cardamine. Their intelligence helps us nab the goods we need back home, so once we deliver a load of Cardamine, we're always eager to fill up our freighters again before heading back.

* The Lane Hackers Trade Lane technology access is truly remarkable; Hackers give us specific information regarding ship manifests. As payment, they often alert us to high-value cargo coming through the system in return for our Cardamine shipments. If we could only get our hands on their technology...

* If you want to get in with us, you'll need to take some Cardamine on a short run. Be friendly to the Hackers and Rogues; stay away from those Corsairs, though. Bad news. The Corsairs came here on the same sleeper ship as us, the Hispania, but decided to abandon the ship before it arrived at its destination. We had to build our fortunes with less then half the resources the other Houses had.

* I'm starting to get sick - guess I've been away from home too long. These runs to Liberty can be taxing. The inhaler masks aren't a long term substitute for the Cardamine-infused biosphere of Malta, and the concentrated Cardamine doses we sell to the Rogues and Hackers aren't suitable for us. It'll be a week or two before my condition gets critical. I plan to be back home well before then.

* We often make Cardamine shipment transfers at the Rogue base in the Cortez system, or here. I'm heading on to the California Rogue hideout with my Cardamine - I can make more money with only a little more risk. The Rogues can then handle the last leg into Liberty. I don't like going there, too many Bounty Hunters.

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:46 UTC*