This is Casey Murrow, of GRTV ("All the news that matters"), and I'm streaming
live from Zoquagsang, bastion of the 'Zoquagsang Values' cult, where news has
just broken that the gathering point for this year's St. Valentines's Day Regatta
will be Bernard City, possibly the most straightlaced spot in the whole Federation.
"We don't allow slaves, toxic waste, drugs, daytime TV chatshows, weapons or fun",
said Mayor Bernard XVII, "And trust that all the pilots in this year's race will
respect our beliefs while here, and perhaps even read the inspired writings of the
great Bernard I who founded our civilisation. They are morally improving, and only
19,000 pages long. May I lend you a copy?"
I asked Rear Admiral Millington about this strange choice of gathering system.
"Humph. Well, err. Put it this way, the starting system itself is Kumbaya, the
furthest known inhabited point; a communist hell-hole whose only saving grace is
their cheap gold. They don't have a shipyard, or even a proper station. Bernard
City, for all its failings, has a shipyard that sells 12 types of ship, and an
outfitters that stocks A4 and A5 frame shift drives, and every fuel scoop known
to humanity, even the rare (and hideously overpriced) A6."
"We suggest hanging around in Zoquagsang, fine tuning your racing ship instead of
getting drunk, until your scheduled departure time, then hopping a short 22 Ly
over to Kumbaya where the marshal will meet you in supercruise near the primary,
Kumbaya A, and log your starting time."
"A final tip? Watch your power consumption. Being able to jump the moment your
drive allows and not have to wait for ship temperature to get below 100% will
shave minutes off your time, over a 500 Ly race."
