414 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
414 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
From: Universe Today <headlines@universe.today>
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To: Nikolaos Soloviev <nikolaos.soloviev@voortrekker.com>
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Delivered-To: Nikolaos Soloviev <nikolaos.soloviev@voortrekker.com>
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Subject: Headlines: September 19-25, 2421
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Date: 25 Sep 2421 00:01:39 +0000
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Date-Local: 11 Apr 2419 03:25:39 +0000
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Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf8"
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HEADLINES FOR SEPTEMBER 19 - SEPTEMBER 25, 2421
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[We received your request to discontinue the following segments:
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"Market Watch", "In Sport". Your content preferences have been
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updated.]
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⦿ "I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT": EARTH SHIPS SMASHED AT MARS
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September 25 (UT): In a shockingly effective blitzkrieg attack,
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Belter ships, led by the captured Earth cruiser ENS Brooklyn,
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smashed the Earth Navy flotilla recently engaged in attempting to
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suppress the labor riots on Mars.
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A Universe Today ship in Mars orbit, equipped with military-surplus
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sensing gear, obtained visual and long-wave infrared imagery
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detailing the entirety of the short and decisive combat. Based on
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that imagery, retired wing general and military analyst Nathan
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Coopersmith, recently arrived in Mars orbit at the time of the
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battle, described the tactics of the attack as "absolutely
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textbook."
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"They came in at maximum thrust on a shortest-time vector from
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Ceres, and didn't even slow down before opening fire at maximum
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reload rate. We would have set up that attack exactly the same
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way," Coopersmith said. "That's absolutely critical, and very
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telling. That velocity advantage gave them the ability to launch
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their missiles far outside the range of the ships they were
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targeting, and they made those shots count. I don't know where
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they're getting their training, but one thing is absolutely clear:
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this was not just a bunch of wild rock hoppers. Maybe they were the
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ones who stole Brooklyn, but I'm not even sure of that. Whoever's
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crewing her now, though - they know exactly what they're doing."
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Those initial launches from the stolen ENS Brooklyn, leading the
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Belter ships, appear to have caught the Earth units in Mars orbit
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completely off guard, despite over twenty-four hours' warning of
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the incoming attack. Three ships - the cruiser ENS Pittsburgh, and
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the frigates San Juan and Caguas - were immediately
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destroyed. Based on imagery gathered by Universe Today during the
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attack, it appears no other ships were targeted in this initial
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assault, including ENS Chicago, flagship of flotilla commander Wing
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General Hall.
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"Again, that's absolutely textbook," Coopersmith said. "It's how
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you make the most of the advantage. Instead of spreading out your
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fire, you concentrate, go for knockouts you know you can get
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instead of shooting at everyone and hoping for luck. It's textbook,
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and it's smart - if you find yourself counting on luck to win a
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fight, you already made a mistake somewhere. But I'd been counting,
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and Brooklyn had used up all her shipkillers to get those
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knockouts. It was a good shot, but I didn't see what they thought
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they could do to follow it up."
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Following the initial attack, the Belter ships turned over and
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began hard deceleration burns which would end with entry into Mars
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orbit. The remaining four Earth Navy units brought up their engines
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and began to maneuver, apparently attempting to form up around ENS
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Chicago.
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For several minutes, no further attack occurred from either
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side. "The remaining Earth Navy ships were clearly preparing to
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sortie out and meet their attackers, and it looked like the Belters
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were trying to come in and slug it out in high orbit," Coopersmith
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said, asked to describe these events. "It didn't make sense,
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especially with how effective they'd already been - sure, they were
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out of missiles, but at close range they'd lose in a hurry and they
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had to know it. I couldn't imagine what else they might be doing,
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though."
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The purpose behind the Belters' actions became clear minutes later,
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as long-range radar aboard the orbiting Universe Today ship
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resolved several dozen small objects separating from the group of
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decelerating ships. Evidently released prior to the deceleration
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burn, these unidentified objects continued to accelerate in toward
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Mars orbit.
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The events which followed occurred so quickly that no one aboard
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Universe Today's ship in orbit was able to tell what had
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happened. Coopersmith and other analysts were later able to
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reconstruct the sequence of events based on imagery gathered during
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the attack.
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"When I saw the radar returns scatter and fade, I realized what
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they had to be," Coopersmith said. "Rocks. Small Belt objects,
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maybe a couple thousand tons each, rigged with engines and some
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kind of shaped charges to shatter them into fragments. We think
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they must have had some kind of targeting system, too, God knows
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how. They knew they didn't have enough missiles for every ship in
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Mars orbit, so they used what they did have, and it worked better
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than I could have imagined. I've never seen anything like it."
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Seconds after the unknown radar returns disappeared, ENS Chicago
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exploded, killing Wing General Hall and his entire command
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staff. The two frigates nearest the explosion collided in orbit,
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destroying ENS Phoenix and rendering ENS Ann Arbor unable to
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maneuver, and leaving the frigate ENS Appleton as the only
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remaining Earth Navy unit still functional.
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"I knew Steve Hall pretty well," Coopersmith said. "He was the kind
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of officer we used to call a killer. Bold, aggressive,
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hard-charging, always ready to bring the fight to the
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enemy. Officers like that tend to pick their subordinates for the
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same qualities, and clearly Steve had done that here. I don't see
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any other reason why Appleton would've kept going out. Maybe her
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captain thought the rock hoppers really were done, maybe he thought
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he'd surprise Brooklyn with a knockout and clean up the small fry
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after. I don't know, and of course we can't ask now. At least he
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got a few shots off."
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ENS Appleton, still building thrust toward escape velocity,
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succeeded in launching nine of her twelve shipkiller missiles at
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Brooklyn. However, the stolen Earth cruiser's point-defense weapons
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proved to be capably crewed, shooting down all of Appleton's
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weapons well outside their attack range. Less than a minute later,
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Appleton was hit and destroyed by another of the Belters' asteroid
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weapons.
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In the aftermath of the battle, the stolen Brooklyn and the other
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Belter ships entered orbit, accepted the surrender of ENS Ann
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Arbor, and instructed the Earth marines still on the surface of
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Mars to surrender at once. Liana de Buys of the Red Rock Guild
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echoed the instruction, adding that the Martian miners would accept
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these surrenders if given. "Your mission here has failed," de Buys
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said, in a general broadcast from a Mars NewsNet transmitter. "Your
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ships are destroyed or crippled. Your resupply, your
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reinforcements, your air support, are all gone, and you know you
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can't hold out forever. Surrender now! We will treat you as
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prisoners of war, and send you home as soon as we can. If you try
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to hold out instead, on your own head be it."
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At press time, most of the marine formations on Mars were confirmed
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to have surrendered and been taken into custody by their erstwhile
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enemies, with only a few holdouts at Endeavour Crater still
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fighting. It is thought that ENS Ann Arbor, the only surviving
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Earth ship at Mars, may serve after repairs to ferry home the
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surrendered marines. Governor Ritter could not be reached for
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comment, and Universe Today has unconfirmed reports that he may
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have been killed in the fighting, or captured and executed by Red
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Rock Guild miners. Universe Today will bring you further bulletins
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on these events as new information develops.
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⦿ PUBLIC INFORMATION CLAIMS COLLUSION IN BATTLE OF MARS
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September 25 (UPI) - Shortly following the explosive news of the
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Battle of Mars, Earthgov's Office of Public Information claimed
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"credible evidence" suggesting that one or both of the Luna-Titan
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Alliance partners had "colluded with Belt-based criminals" in the
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attack on Earth's ships.
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"In recent days, Earth's deep-system intelligence platforms have
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observed highly suspicious movements on the part of ships known to
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engage in criminal trade with Titan," a spokesman for Public
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Information said in a press conference. "While we continue to
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develop and evaluate new information, we expect at this time to be
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able to report very soon that Titan, presumably in conspiracy with
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parties as yet unknown on Earth's moon, provided material aid in
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weapons and personnel to the Belter criminals who went on to commit
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their atrocities in Mars orbit.
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"Earth's government wishes to reassure the populace of the Solar
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System that these criminals will not escape justice for their
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terrible actions today. Our fellow citizens, our way of life, our
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very freedom have come under attack in these deliberate and deadly
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acts. We will bring justice to the terrorists responsible, and we
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will make no distinction between them and those who aid and harbor
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them. Earth has stood down enemies before, and we will do so again
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this time."
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The spokesman did not ask for questions.
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⦿ EARTHGOV DECRIES DESTRUCTION OF KEARSARGE BY TITAN
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September 19 (UPI) - Following the destruction of an Earth frigate
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in an attempt to intercept a Lunar passenger ferry four days ago,
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Earthgov's Public Information Office stated that the incident was
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an unprovoked attack by a new alliance actively attempting to
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instigate warfare with Earth.
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"ENS Kearsarge was engaged in an internal police action with regard
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to a single passenger aboard the Moon ferry Quetelet," a Public
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Information spokeswoman said. "Kearsarge's Captain Whitlow
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requested that Quetelet permit civilian police officers aboard
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Kearsarge aboard, so that they could arrest a citizen of Earth who
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was suspected, with probable cause, of engaging in treason and
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espionage against Earth.
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"Instead of assenting to this peaceable request, Quetelet attempted
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to flee the scene, necessitating a pursuit by Kearsarge in defense
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of Earth's security interests. Just prior to Kearsarge's successful
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overhaul and boarding of Quetelet, Titan's faster-than-light ship
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appeared and opened fire without warning on Kearsarge, destroying
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the ship and murdering our naval officers and crew before they had
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any chance to defend themselves or even attempt to surrender.
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"Earth's government cannot accept such treatment of her brave
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defenders. Earth's people will not allow it. The actions of Titan,
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and of the regime currently in power on Earths' moon, constitute a
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direct attack against the national security of Earth, and our
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longstanding policy in such cases has been to respond as firmly and
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assertively as our adversaries should choose to require of us."
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⦿ LUNA FOREIGN MINISTRY DEPLORES EARTH ACTION AGAINST FERRY
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September 20 (UPI) - A spokesman for Luna's Foreign Ministry in a
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press conference today issued a strong statement regarding the
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recent interception of an Luna Passenger Lines ferry Quetelet by
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the Earth Navy frigate Kearsarge.
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"We are aware that Earth claims this unprovoked attack on an
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unarmed passenger vessel to have been an internal police matter,
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threatening none except her own wayward citizen," Li Yen-au
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said. "These claims fall short of reality in several respects. When
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the captain of our passenger ferry correctly declined to halt and
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be boarded, Kearsarge responded by opening fire with weapons
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designed to destroy other military ships.
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"It is only thanks to the timely intervention of our new treaty
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partner, Titan, that no innocents were killed as a result of this
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crime. We understand that Earth claims the destruction of Kearsarge
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to be itself an unprovoked attack on a vessel operating peacefully
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within the bounds of accepted interstellar custom. This, too, is a
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lie.
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"Kearsarge had already struck the ferry Quetelet with one missile
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and fired a second, clearly intending to make good on her earlier
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threats to destroy the unarmed ship, when the Titan ship And Yet It
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Moves arrived upon the scene. And Yet It Moves' captain, having
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been made aware of the situation by a report bravely transmitted by
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Quetelet's own Captain Crozer, judged that Kearsarge would not
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accept a demand to cease fire, and acted as she felt necessary to
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defend the innocent lives aboard Quetelet.
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"We of Luna wish now to express our deepest gratitude to our
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Titanian allies and friends for their swift and decisive action in
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defense of our citizens," Li said in concluding her remarks. "We
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wish also to advise any and all who would so attack us that they
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would be wise to consider carefully the fate of Kearsarge before
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embarking on such a rash course of action."
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⦿ SILO SHIPS SEEN SHIFTING ORBITS IN "MAINTENANCE TASK"
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September 21 (UPI) - Following confirmed reports of Earth's "silo
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ships" adjusting their orbits, questions to Earthgov's Military
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Information Office were met with the response that the ships'
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movements are related to ongoing maintenance required to keep the
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giant vessels ready for action, and are not in any way associated
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with political events in the system.
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"This is an ordinary maintenance task that's performed from time to
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time," said Major Willem van Dort, in response to a UPI
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correspondent's question. "We have to make sure those ships are
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ready when we need them, and that includes their engines and
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navigational systems. Having them change orbits is just a way to
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make sure that they're fully functional and ready to defend Earth
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if they're needed." Asked whether he thought the ships might be
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needed to defend Earth in the near future, Major van Dort said that
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he had no further comment, and ended the call.
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The six "silo ships", each large enough to be distinctly visible in
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the night sky, are the backbone of Earth's deterrent forces, and
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thought to carry between two and four hundred nuclear warheads
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apiece. Retired wing general and military analyst Nathan
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Coopersmith, when asked about the ships' movements, agreed with
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Major Van Dort's comments about maintenance, and also noted that he
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does not recall the last time he heard of the ships being moved.
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⦿ SPY HANGED FOR TREASON ON GANYMEDE
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September 23 (GNI) - Alexander Anders Seifert, a former worker in
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Earth's military shipyard on Ganymede, was publicly executed today
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for treason and espionage in the courtyard of the Ganymede
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Garrison's headquarters and administration building.
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"Alexander Seifert was convicted of passing crucial military
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secrets to known members of a Titan spy ring operating on
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Ganymede," said General William Tasker, after descending from the
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gallows. "While his Titan accomplices have for now escaped capture
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and military justice for their crimes, Seifert himself was not so
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fortunate, and he has now answered for having endangered the safety
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and security of Earth by his actions."
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Tasker, thought to be in charge of a secret naval project on
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Ganymede, went on to say, "Some may ask whether it is appropriate
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for a military tribunal to pass judgment on a civilian. To them I
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say: Look around. Look at what's happening in the system. Earth's
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enemies surround her on every side, and she must be defended at all
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costs. At a time like this, we soldiers must step to the fore,
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stand our posts, and do what must be done. If you find our actions
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distasteful, remember that the blame for them lies not with we
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ourselves, your sworn protectors, but rather with our enemies,
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internal and external, who force us to take such actions in defense
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of us all."
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While the law mandating capital punishment in cases of treason
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remains on Earth's books, Seifert's is the first such execution
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actually carried out in almost sixty-five years. The last, of the
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infamous "Tycho Seven", occurred in 2357, shortly after Luna's
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secession from Earth.
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⦿ CARAVAN FORMING IN ARIVADA, HEADED FOR WYOMING CAMP
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September 23 (NAB) - In the wake of riots at the Wyoming New
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Prospects Facility, a caravan reportedly consisting of hundreds of
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individuals has begun to form in southern Arivada, with its members
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claiming they intend to "close down" the facility.
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"They're enslaving people in there," said one woman, who claimed to
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be a caravan member but otherwise declined to identify
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herself. "They say it's a chance at a new life, but it's really a -
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a prison, they're forcing them to work, starving them." Asked what
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they would do upon reaching the camp, the caravan member said,
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"We'll figure that out when we get there, I guess. But we've got
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lots of trucks."
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A spokeswoman for the Population Administration, reached shortly
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before press time, said only, "We are aware of the assembly in
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Arivada, and we are prepared to take necessary measures to ensure
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it does not interfere with the smooth running of the New Prospects
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Facility."
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⦿ YOUR THOUGHTS ON MARS AND THE BELT
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In last week's update, we asked for our readers' opinions on the
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recent news of events on Mars and in the Asteroid Belt. Here's what
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you had to say.
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"I hope those Martian malcontents finally get what's coming to
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them. Ever since they started up with this pointless unrest,
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materials futures have been plummeting with no end in
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sight. People's retirements are on the line here! Can't they
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understand that?"
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- JAMES ST. JAMES, Investment Analyst, Lake Shore Drive
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"Are they even still human out in the Belt? I hear they can barely
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even have kids with normal people any more. In another generation
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or two, they'll be a different species, won't they? So why do they
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even care what happens anywhere else?"
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- PAMELA CHRISTIAN, Proud Mom of Four, Lenox Park
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"It's about time they took it to the rich [unprintable] who've been
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exploiting them! Those [unprintable] have had it too easy for too
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long. They don't like gettng a taste of the just consequences for
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what they've done? Well, [unprintable] them! They really won't like
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it when the same thing starts up here at home."
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- "X", [unprintable], Lakeview Towers
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"If it's true about how those miners and their families have been
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treated, I don't like it. Who would? But to think that violence
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will bring any kind of improvement - as much as I understand the
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impulse, a cursory reading of history shows that it's clearly
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misguided. Only civil engagement among all stakeholders equally can
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create lasting change."
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- [withheld by request], Government Major, Cornell University
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"Where does the Belt get off interfering with inner system affairs?
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They've made it very clear they don't want anything to do with us,
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except when it comes to marking up the raw materials we need to
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rebuild Earth's infrastructure. That's probably the only reason
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they're throwing in on the side of the miners who keep complaining
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about their contracts - they don't like the competition."
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- ANDREW CHO, Purchasing Manager, Casper
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"Honestly, at a time like this, Mars is nothing but a distraction
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from the real problem - this new alliance between the Moon and
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Titan. Their crazy rhetoric about the menace from Earth isn't new,
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but they've really heated it up lately, and I'm starting to worry
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that they'll use it as an excuse for some kind of sneak attack on
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our interests. We need to face them down now, instead of worrying
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about a bunch of rioting rock-grubbers who don't know a good deal
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when they see one."
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- [withheld by request], Loving Earth, Friendship Heights
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"The whole thing is madness. Look at history and you can see
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arrangements like this are never stable long-term, and the ill will
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they generate is a long-term liability that always outweighs the
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short-term profit. This was always coming, and as long as we keep
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trying to hold down Mars, it's only going to get uglier. We can't
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do anything about the past, but we can change the future, and it's
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time we treated fairly with them instead."
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- JOSEPH MUELLER, Freelance Historian, Roland Park Recovery Zone
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⦿ QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
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"The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery
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and despair into hope and progress." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
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To update your content preferences, message HELP to
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headlines@universe.today.
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