Primus Outpost

CLASS: Unknown

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Unknown

CREW: Unknown

Hidden deep in the system of Omega-48, the cryptic AI often fly under the radar of other factions that are more preoccupied with their human enemies. Utilizing this fact to the fullest, the AI has expanded its reach with the construction of Primus Outpost. With no heed paid to either esthetics or beauty, Primus is a purely utilitarian construction intended to only serve the AI and nobody else. As such, there is no need for life support or gravity, which not only makes Primus uninhabitable for humans, but also drastically decreases maintenance.

Once an abandoned and free-drifting mining station, the Primus Outpost served as the most crucial station under the control of artificial intelligence for many years, following the loss of the planet Gammu. For their specific needs, all life support systems were stripped from this station, and its components and materials were repurposed to construct a robust communications relay. This transformation enabled the Primus Outpost to function not only as a logistics hub for the AIs but also as their central coordination and communication hub within the Omegas.

However, after the tragic loss of the planet Gammu in 832 AS, the role of the Primus Outpost underwent a transformation. Its communications relay was redirected to the Valravn Citadel to facilitate a long-range broadband connection. Simultaneously, a small section of the station was designated to accommodate organic crew members, primarily Technocrats, offering them a temporary refuge until their ships became ready for their next voyages.

Nevertheless, the coexistence of AIs and organics on this station is far from ideal. Among the pilots who visit the station, there is a perception that the AIs at Primus Outpost hold an excessively pacifistic stance toward the current situation. This has led to frustration over the reluctance of the AIs to assume leadership roles and actively support the fight against the Core and other adversaries of the Technocrats in the region.

## News

As Crete demanded the Zoners of Theta turn over any Hunters aboard their stations and surrender docking control, the Freeport 9 administrators were confident that some kind of compromise could be found. A delegation from Gran Canaria was requested to assist with negotiations, due to the close ties between Zoner and Corsair communities on the planet.
Tragically, the Corsairs interpreted this delay as refusal, and launched a surprise attack while the delegation was en-route. Many of Freeport 9's crew are now being held as hostages while the Corsairs pillage the station. An urgent conclave has been called on Gran Canaria to discuss the Zoner response, while militias on Pygar have taken up arms in case the violence spreads.

Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection.
Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source.

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 decades the Zoners of Freeport 9 have kept themselves safe from Corsair reprisals by offering useful services, with their biodomes providing Crete with respite from the famines that once ravished it. Despite this, outrage has swept Omicron Gamma after a flight of Hunters killed Commander Juan Garcia, before retreating back to the No Fire Zones of Omicron Theta.
The Council of Elders have ordered the administrator of Freeport 9 to attend Planet Crete to hear their demands. Elder Garcia has vowed that the station's halls would "run red with blood" unless the Zoners turned over all BHG aboard the Freeport. The Zoners are yet to respond, likely trying to anticipate how the Corsairs will react.

The Corsairs see the Pygar colony as a direct competitor for the region's scarce resources, with Elder Garcia warning that there would be "dire consequences" should Freeport 9's biodomes reduce or divert their exports to Planet Crete. Whispers of alien ruins and Artifacts discovered below Pygar's surface may also antagonize the Corsairs, who rely on the Artifact trade as a source of wealth. The hardship of Pygar's extreme conditions and the uneasy relationship with the Corsairs has already led many colonists to consider a return to the now liberated Gran Canaria.

## Rumors

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:45 UTC*