I intended on dropping by Takurua and hitting up the local Sirius rep to see what was up but the undercurrent of discontent seemed palatable as I hit the system; enough to warn me off staying long enough for a good night's rest. The Takura Legion aren't much of a threat today, but a nagging sense of distaste for the corporation, and an unhealthy dose of authoritarian flare to their propaganda spelt trouble from the moment I hit the deck. With that in mind I skipped the boards and bailed, opting to "go fishing" and sleep on my ship rather than hang around.
Almagest on the other hand was another story all together. Landing at Sirius Reach what was once a symbol demonstrating Sirius Corps grandiose aspirations and influence was not as I had hoped! The Almagest freedom party was openly hostile. The dictatorial rantings of a Takurua Legion seemed minor in comparison to the Almagest Freedom Party who were in open revolt despite their claims of democratic pacifism. Placards and riots breaking out showed me just how fragile the corporation's grip was so far from the bubble. Minor skirmishes were visible even as I docked.
Both stations' resentment seemed perplexing at the time but based on what I heard over the comms everything started to make sense; tales of slave labour sourced from a backwater pitstop named Robigo coupled with exploitation by the corporation to ensure timely adherence to build schedules. Something that appears to have bitten them in the ass in the long term. The consequences were plain to see; zero stock for outfitting, near famine levels of supplies in addition to a sense Sirius Corp was planning to abandon the station altogether.
My little pilgrimage had taken a sour turn with each of new stop along my route. The dream like ideal of Sirius' PR of terraforming the great unknown was starting to wear thin with a nagging feeling the costs of terraforming so far out was coming in "over budget" on so many levels. Would I even make to Sothis? Would there be any sign of Sirius Corp by the time I got there? Would I ever get a good night's rest?
