Fed2 Star - the newsletter for the space trading game Federation 2

The weekly newsletter for Fed2
by ibgames

EARTHDATE: January 26, 2014

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GA BUREAUCRAT CAUSED TRAFFIC CHAOS IN REVENGE MOVE AGAINST PLANET OWNER

by Ginny Pourer

[Editor’s note: for this story I sent one of my new newsdroids out to do some investigative reporting. Despite its background as a humble waitdroid, I think it has grasped the essentials of writing a good story and shows definite promise. Not to mention it makes a mean cocktail!]

The Galactic Administration is reeling from the revelations that a senior bureaucrat in the Office of Transportation deliberately caused massive traffic jams in the Rigel system as an act of revenge against Pugwash.

The facts of the case are clear; what’s disputed is the motivation behind them. Here’s what happened in the affair that has become known as Linkgate.

Kris Krispy is the Deputy Minister for Transport, overseeing all matters to do with transportation bureaucracy. His office employs many people and things charged with various aspects of traffic management – among other responsibilities, the clerk who issues ship permits is in his chain of command, and we all know what an honest and upright citizen he is!

A few weeks ago, his assistant Linket sent an inter-office memo to the functionary who is in charge of the Department of Spacelane Repairs, Ragejug. This individual’s job was to schedule traffic reductions and lane closures necessitated by repair or enhancement projects.

The memo suggested that it was “time for some traffic problems in Rigel”.

Ragejug acted on this by scheduling the closure of all but one spacelane into the star system for four days, under the guise of a “test”. This caused traffic chaos throughout the system, with virtual gridlock around the interstellar link. Result: massive inconvenience for all those trying to enter or exit the Rigel system, delays for Armstrong Cuthbert deliveries and extreme price fluctuations on the Rigel exchange as goods couldn’t be imported or exported reliably.

It wasn’t all bad news: Emily’s Emporium of Mechanical Delights & Electronic Wizardry reported an increase in teleport rentals. But given how expensive these devices are, it is not a solution available to any but a handful of travellers.

Ragejug has now resigned from his post and has been testifying to an inquiry into the affair. He has said he did not know what promted the request from Linket.

Krispy himself has admitted having instigated the closures, using Linket to issue the memo. He claims he was motivated by anger at the absentee PO for the system, Pugwash, and he hoped his actions would shock her into paying more attention to the economy she has neglected for so long.

However, this reporter has discovered that Krispy has a long-held grudge against Pugwash. It turns out Krispy himself is also from the planet Rigel and the two attended the same college. Pugwash not only refused to endorse Krispy when he stood for election as campus cycle monitor, the self-styled sexiest student refused to sleep with him and was quite brusque in turning down his repeated demands.

Plenty of motive for him to attempt to mess up her planet, don’t you think?

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