** VIR has been updated to version 1.01, though this shouldn't impact anything. Just a couple crash/performance issue hotfixes, and a thing when using wormholes belonging to allies which is far beyond where we are at this point.**
Pursuant to the decisions of Inquisitor Laren and Admiral SirFozzie, construction began of the first Dorsal-class interceptor corvette.
Meanwhile, the 1st Nautilus Squadron set course for Riblagga and moved out. The next move was up to the ... whatever they are ... when they arrived.
2201.12.18 -- Meanwhile, the surveyors were busy elsewhere. The sweep of Norgon was complete, and Tellis Perj had discovered something fascinating. On Leesak III, nothing more than an inhospitable rock, he reports that there are 'signs of an ancient precursor civilization.' His further investigations of this matter have an estimated failure rate of 22%.
The Laggasch was going to return home, then head out to the vital chokepoint system of Impal Tov closer in to the galactic core from Solaris Troutentis. Putting the ship at risk under present circumstances seemed foolhardy however, so the next closest system was chosen instead: the pulsar Hodranus.
2201.12.22 -- The 'contacts', for lack of a better term, reached Solaris Troutentis, but completely bypassed it. Their vector suggests they are headed for Maghama. With no danger present at the moment, Admiral SirFozzie instructed the Nautilus Squadron to stand down, returning to spaceport to await the completion of their reinforcements. We could monitor developments from Humboldt as long as the contacts remained in our space. And if not ... so much the better.
One thing we did learn from this -- they clearly use a different type of interstellar propulsion than we do. Their route was not one that hyperlanes would allow. We'll have to monitor these developments closely.
2201.12.27 -- Confident that there was no immediate danger, the Laggasch, having not made the jump to Hodranus, redirected back to the intended goal of surveying Impal Tov. The only remaining system a single jump out from Solaris Troutentis, it is one of three vital chokepoint systems in that direction. Aslik Deesh's ship will need to make three jumps to reach it: Norgon to Dirmius, then back to our home system, then further on to their destination. This will take some time.
2201.12.30 -- The final day of the year. The contacts have arrived in Maghama. Intelligence has flagged them as 'Alpha Aliens', an unoriginal nomenclature signalling only that they are first potential alien species we have run into. They believe they have enough information for further, more in-depth studies. Here's a mock-up of what they think the contacts look like. Astonishingly, they appear to be organic life forms, not a mechanical construction devised to carry such. They bear remarkable similarity to some species native to the oceans of Humboldt, even ourselves!
Having discerned no evidence of hostile intent, the Collective has classified the Alpha Aliens as neutral for the time being. We have obscene amounts of sensor data, recordings of all known forms of communication, radiation, and so on emanating from these beings. It needs to be analyzed, which would require the services of the Society Research Dept.
Meanwhile, the public is humming with the news of this discovery. Many observers have noted that this is perhaps "the end of the first chapter in the book of the Onorhychus Collective's bid for a stellar empire." Time will tell if that observation is accurate.
Research Director Briefing
Dr. David Corperial, Society Dept. Research Director
Dr. Corperial, as the relevant RD, your department is the only one with the resources to properly investigate this. If you choose to do so, your current research into New Worlds Protocol, presently a hair shy of halfway finished, will be put on hold for the interim. Your choices:
** Finish the New Worlds Protocol research, which is estimated to take another 17 months. In the interim we will continue observing from a distance if possible, taking whatever military action is deemed necessary by command, and so on. You will be able to revisit this issue at that time.
** Conduct a special project to research the so-called 'Alpha Aliens' remotely, based on data collected so far and anything else our sensors can detect. This will take six months, at the end of which your team would return to it's work on New Worlds Protocol.
Dr. David Corperial, you are now on the clock.
It's been a heck of a two-week ending to our second year.