ONN: Gaius Space Station Destroyed

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Originally Published on July 4th, 2490
Orbital News Network/Grant Jones Reporting

After the authorization New Geneva granted Advanced Research and Experimental Systems two days ago, ARES has been dispatching delegation after delegation to all known corporate owned floating cities, space stations, and Colonies. Their intent? To ensure the loyalty and compliance to New Geneva in this new stage in the Sol System. With the Martian Wars in full swing, there have been rumors that the conflicts will get out of control and bleed into the rest of the Inner Planets territories.

Gaius Station was the crowning achievement of Romulus Corporation, a corporation that was rumored to have started before the Transcendence War went on full swing, and one of the very few corporate entities to have claimed to have been part of the Coalition of Progressive Nations and New Geneva as well. While their focus was Robotics and Defensive Systems, they produced their unique units with their own sense of style, ornamenting their units and weapons in a mix of technology and class that is still present in high society environments, even Luna Colony itself. In time, Romulus Corporation would begin their building efforts on what would be later known as Gaius Station, a Space Station built under the same elegance and unique style, with gold ornaments and statues alluding to old, and long gone religions, mixing a unique sense of elegance, technology, legacy, and faith. Located near the Belt, past the Mars Orbit, it was a beacon of what a Corporate Space Station would be like: filled with success, ensuring a flow of credits to everyone doing business there, and most importantly, complicit to New Geneva and Corporate Law. Divided in five sectors and twenty levels, Gaius Station also had one of the most decorated docking areas in all of the Inner Planets, housed 75,000 people, and had facilities to tend to over 50,000 transients, tourists, and visitors in general, it was also considered the last stop before going further into the Outer Planets, that is, until New Geneva put restrictions traveling forward.

Last night, at 11:39 PM, the glorious Gaius Station was destroyed. And a grand number of theories and conspiracies have started to flow furiously through the net: Either the Clans directed an attack on Gaius Station through the Hidden Demons, or Advanced Research and Experimental Systems had reason to suspect Gaius Station was aiding the War Effort on Mars somehow, early reports however, suggest that there may have been survivors and they are heading back towards the Mars Orbit seeking refuge from what at this moment remains unclear.

We will keep updating you on this story as it develops and more information is presented.

EDIT1: ONN has made contact with one of the many ships fleeing from the impact zone on what was Gaius Station, the Caesar III Freighter, the ship's captain, requesting for anonymity has come forward with telling information concerning the incident:

At 7:55 PM, the ARES Delegation arrives and docks on Gaius Station, immediately requesting an audience with Gaius Station Director Tiberius.

At 8:22 PM, the ARES Delegation arrived at the office of the Station Director, a meeting which was held privately took place.

At 9:45 PM, a break is taken, ARES ships with the exception of the personnel shuttle begin to circle Gaius Station.

At 10:40 PM, the meeting ends abruptly, residents of Gaius Station are given one hour to evacuate as there are orders to sanitize the Station.

At 11:39 PM, a Controlled Nuclear Device goes off obliterating Gaius Station, according to Caesar III's Captain, tens of thousands of residents from Gaius Station are now under Refugee status and are looking for shelter.

With the conditions currently held on Mars, the red planet is not a viable destination, so the Refugees will most likely flee towards other Space Stations, Colonies, Floating Cities, and Earth itself.

Caesar III's Captain believes that Advanced Research and Experimental Systems will repeat the same tactic with all of the several Space Stations near the Belt, and they will be moving inwards, combing the Inner Planets themselves, which could cause a Refugee Crisis.

More on this story as it develops.

EDIT2: Advanced Research and Experimental Systems, through Cassandra Areia, has issued an official statement on the actions that took place on Gaius Station.

“The actions taken on Gaius Station are regrettable, but more regrettable are the actions taken by the Romulus Corporation. As Advanced Research and Experimental Systems has discovered a complex distribution network from several corporations towards the terrorists on Mars, we have started several operations and investigations into any and all corporations within the inner planets, we expect full compliance and cooperation while our investigations and operations take place. Unfortunately, Romulus Corporation has decided to align with these terrorists, and when faced with evidence of our findings and refused to comply with our directives, they have reneged of their position with New Geneva, effective immediately, Romulus Corporation is declared a Rogue entity and will be treated accordingly. And through New Geneva's authorization, we now openly declare any member of the Martian Native Tribe Clans as terrorists against Corporate Law, any and all Corporate Law Enforcement Agencies, Private Military Contractors, Private Military Companies, and anyone looking to better their stand with New Geneva and better their own lives, are given carte blanche to fight these terrorists, and turn them in, dead or alive. All is needed is proof of identity and New Geneva will handle the rest. For those entities our there, a word of warning yet again: you're meant to be compliant with New Geneva and its directives, which have given us our way of life, and your means for profits, while we regret the actions we were forced to take on Gaius Station, we won't hesitate to take the same kind of action yet again if we are faced with any kind of resistance. You have been warned, and we will not stop until every single one of these terrorists are brought to Corporate Justice.”

With this statement, several space stations have started to see hundreds, maybe even thousands of residents pack their things and retreat inwards. Additional reports suggest that the Earth bound traffic has also increased, which represents a risk to those refugees who are not familiar with Earth's atmosphere, radiation, and overall conditions. Fortunately, it appears that Free Company set up a field clinic anticipating a situation like this. Traffic to our own Cocoon Station has also been increased several dozen times, which will represent a Refugee Crisis not unlike the one we experienced a couple of years back. With ARES and its fearsome fleet moving from the Belt towards the Inner Planets, there's a very high chance that this crisis will get worse before it gets any better unless titular corporations of all these territories comply with New Geneva.

We will be providing more updates as this story develops.

What are your opinions? Do you feel Advanced Research and Experimental Systems and their actions are more than justified? Do you feel other space stations, such as Cocoon are equipped to deal with a constant stream of Refugees? If you were forced to evacuate your home, what would be your plan of action? Please leave your opinion and your comments in the comment section below.