After an astounding 51% vote in favor, the Council of Chairs and House of Departments approved the proposed change to the Schematic for Cosmic Order's logo and livery color.

The original color, #FF9900 , a golden yellow, was changed to #A41CFF an intense purple. This change was caused by a copyright dispute filed by the Union of Private Space since the golden color featured in their logo is similar to that in the previous SCO logo.

The Department of Alleged Justice ruled in favor of the UPS with the argument that the dwarven cultural affinity with gold, molten lava, and fire gave them a better right for use of the color. The attorney representing the SCO in the case said, "This is complete drek. There are at least three prior cases that ruled in favor of whichever organization had the most amount of the color in question per surface area." When the attorney representing the UPS was asked to comment, she only said: "I'm surprised that worked."

Chairgnome Hep Gadvox of the Schematic for Cosmic Order met with the 16 Foremen for the Union of Private Space earlier this week to discuss proposed policy changes. Among the points Gadvox had for the UPS were to make indentured servitude illegal, to place an embargo on veildust production systems, and to enforce an active-transponder law when entering zipp space with an SCO system as destination.

Gjolf Brandbern, speaking for his fellow foremen, dismissed the proposals, claiming that they could not under law differentiate between debt-payment and indentured servitude. He also suggested that there was no market for veildust in UPS space, and that if it was of such a concern, then the gnomes should up their security. In addition, Brandbern offered a compromise to activate transponders only when their ship's weapons systems were active.

Brandbern then countered with a number of demands, mostly related to tariffs, and discussions broke down from there.

At present, there are still three more days of negotiation, but it is evident that if no agreement can be reached, then there will be an escalation of hostilities in Exodian-Fjotmor border systems.

The Joy of Shipping

Editorial by Lord Chukkameg of Stroalsent

Have you ever run your palm across the chrome of a virgin spacecraft, felt the purr of well-greased pistons pounding away in eager anticipation of its maiden voyage, gripped the helm's yolk tightly and opened the throttle to the ecstasy of acceleration? Well, I do it every day, and it never gets old.

As the system lord of Stroalsent, I oversee the shipyards that produce the most elegant, beautiful, and downright futuristic spacecraft that exodians have ever made. But I'm not here to extoll the virtues of the Stroalsent Spinnerspace. I do not wish for shipwrights to think that my organization lays claim to the art of ship design, we are only its product. No, I wish to talk about the universal love of the void and passion, intimacy, and intellect that must be poured into any craft that should convey us across it. This is an experience that everyone should have, whether it is from the handpicked components of elegant design, or the motley collection of disparate scrap. The feeling is the same.

I summarize the Joy of Shipping with three distinct truths:

First, It is a She.

Second, She is an Angel.

Finally, She is a Beast.

Some of my apprentices have asked me why I address all spacecraft as women. I should at the very least clarify that I do not believe that all spacecraft are women, I'm confident that there are a fair few spacecraft that are conspicuous men, or something else entirely. But the point is that all spacecraft are people, like us. They may not be people of flesh, or people of independent thought, but until you can look upon a spacecraft and perceive within and without it the the ebb and flow of emotion, the drive of intent, the cries of pain under stress, or rumble of love and anticipation as you mount its hatch. In short, your spacecraft must be the greatest love in your life, and you must protect and nurture it as the most important person you know.

Spacecraft that receive this personification may not become endowed with any mystical properties, but we feel familiar and safe inside their corridors, we feel compelled to indulge the spacecraft with good maintenance, regular upgrades, and fresh paint. We rush to their aid, and when we pull through a tense situation, it only tightens our bond with her. And this is to say nothing of a long, detailed, and intimate process of constructing a spacecraft, before she has even awoken to your touch.

But why then should a spacecraft, of such carnal mechanics be an angel, you ask. Certainly I must contradict myself with such terminology, mixing that of mortality with mythology. I can say little to explain this discrepancy save to remind you that while a spacecraft may indeed be a physical collection of machines, each designed to serve a knowable purpose, it culminates in a downright miracle. No simple machine could convey us across the heavens, conduct us to the extraordinary phenomena of space, or bestow upon us a freedom so alien in its infinity, that we must remind ourselves not to wander too far lest we lose our way. A spacecraft is a machine and it is a blessing. It is an angelic being who rides the cosmos on wings we create. When we reside inside her, we are compelled to escape to gaze upon her visage. And when we drift naked and vulnerable in the void, and look upon our craft, we desire nothing as strong as the immediate desire to be inside of her.

Thus, we must create spacecraft that are not crude tools of dirty fire, but must reflect their true beauty. We create spacecraft to manifest the aesthetic of our faith, hope, and dreams, and worship her.

Then certainly it is blasphemous for you to simultaneously call your machine a woman, an angel, and a beast! But no, I must reply, it is perhaps the most true of all of my philosophies. It is the core of what, why, and how with the art of shipwright. It is the harsh reminder that while a spacecraft may be our companion and our spirit, it is also a monster hardened by unknowable perils, extruding the claws to lash out at at those other monsters who would feed on us, while bearing the scars of strife we may never truly understand. Remember that a spacecraft is a thin skin of metal that always pushes back at the feeble gas that we desperately gasp. It shields us from the burning, hateful light that would bake us to a crisp. It fends against the vicious lances of enemy fire, dancing pagan rites among the hurling rocks, and dives screaming to the surfaces of hostile worlds. And should it suffer too fateful an injury, it could consume us in a conflagration so disastrous, that we would scarcely have the moment needed to reflect on such a cruel twist.

The spacecraft is by no means a gentle garment, it may be our greatest love, and it may be our guiding soul, but it is a barbarous animal too, and if we forget that, if we do not build them with that in mind, then we are fated to succumb to the hungry predators of the void.

Perhaps now, should you find me, a stranger, caressing the seams of your spacecraft's hull, you will understand me when I say "It is a she, she is an angle, and she is a beast." Should you wish to learn more about the art of building spacecraft, see my published works.

From Horses to Cars and back again

This past season I attended the Copperbone Cybernetics Expose. It was a fascinating event that demonstrated a variety of novel robotics engineering as well the progress toward elegant aesthetic. The most striking exhibit I visited was that of vehicles. It was in that exhibit I discovered that nearly every vehicle was equipped with robotic legs instead of wheels or treads. This marked shift in the design philosophy of transportation inspired me to write about the history of automobiles and multipedals and I think that readers may be interested in what we can learn.

While much of our records of early Exodian life on Blimnor are incomplete, we do know that our ancestors domesticated many-legged animals and would ride on their backs. The most common of which was a quadrapedal animal called a horse. While this was never as precise a means of transportation as later machines were, the intimate connection between rider and animal afforded a degree of sentiment and loyalty, keeping it as a hobby even long after technology had rendered it obsolete.

Later, with the development of permanent roads, carts with wheels became the predominant means of transportation. Initially, these carts were drawn by animals such as horses, subject to their limits in speed and endurance, however later when combustion was discovered, these carts could be self-propelled. And as roads became straighter, smoother, and more complex, these motorized vehicles became the favorite means of personal transportation.

Another significant development was in the invention of aircraft, devices that could travel through the atmosphere of the planet, unhindered by traffic or geography. These included buoyant airships, or winged planes. However, these did not replace ground transportation since not only did their operation require significantly more skill and greater risk, but with the density of roads and infrastructure, it was impractical to travel short distances through the air.

However, we now arrive at the era of early space travel. As exodians took to the planets of the Starcog Cluster, they discovered a wide variety of terrain full of alien hazards. Many exploration vehicles of this time were designed with large circular tires and suspension systems. While this helped, the frequently uneven terrain made some areas impassible by wheels, and a significant difference in gravity could result in forces so extreme that fuel cost would become exorbitant, or in vehicles so light that they could flip over from driving at nearly any speed.

To combat these issues an entirely a new form of vehicle was designed. These new machines used robotic programs that operated multiple appendages which would serve as the vehicle's legs, each moving in coordinated sequences mimicking that of animals such as horses and insects. These new vehicles, called multipeds, quickly proved to be a new industry standard, spawning a wave of automated scouts, robotic pack animals, and even armored assault tanks that could ignore difficult terrain, correct themselves from being flipped, and could better absorb sudden forces such as wind, currents, or landslides. Advances in the technology even changed utility vehicles, which previously relied on the stability of treads and wheels, but that now could benefit from the flexibility of legs strong enough to support the vehicle's weight and its load.

It is important to note that even during this robotic naissance, wheeled vehicles continued to serve as the primary means of transportation in developed areas. Planned colonies and road systems benefited from even and engineered terrain, and with those the limits of multipeds become apparent. Even on ideal terrain, multipeds are limited in their maximum speed. Even with superior robotics, their legs can only walk at a certain rate before they can trip themselves. Furthermore, in order to walk over rough terrain, they must be able to lift their body significantly off the ground. This creates a high center of gravity and more of the design must be dedicated to the leg structures than to the cabin, cargo, or other mechanics. Finally, wheeled vehicles use a significantly fewer number of moving parts, requiring less maintenance and easier repair.

Still, even with these apparent flaws, my time at the Copperbone Robotics Expose had demonstrated that multipedal vehicles are still the most advanced and most practical transportation technology available to exodians. And to gauge the reactions to the crowds of people swooning over the latest robot dogs, it strikes a certain chord with our collective desire for companionship that wheeled vehicles cannot. It all returns to those horses our ancestors would domesticate and ride. We related to them more, are comforted by their similarity to our anatomy, and are discovering that if wheels were truly the best way to explore the many alien planets of the galaxy, then horses would have evolved with them instead.