Mercenary Monument Design Competition -

"Mercenary Monument"
digitally manipulated fractal flame collage by Mick Mather

DERBY, Oopsville - The Ministry of Defense has recently announced a design competition to erect a memorial to the thousands of mercenary soldiers who fought and died in the 100 Years Civil War throughout the Outer Dust Rings. Seen here is one of the early designs submitted by the ex patriot Terran artist, Michael Warren, himself a Mercenary Soldier attached to the legendary Point Squad Alpha led by the equally legendary battlefield commander, The Sloganeer. The monument proposed by Warren is a holographic image of a series of posts where actual signatures of the soldiers have been scanned and morphed into a common typeface. The site of these memorial posts are most impressive at night but shimmer and shine even in full sunlight. While this is only the first of many expected designs, it's the only proposal we have for illustration purposes to date. For a copy of the Request for Proposals and submission guidelines, please contact Ministry of Defense office closest to you.

Time and Space -

"Poster: Time Tunnel Week"

digital drawing by Mick Mather

DERBY, The Time & Space Continuum, Ltd. - The investors in TSC, Ltd. have announced the Grand Opening of Timegate Adventures. In a few short months the public will be invited to schedule week-long vacations that will not only take you anywhere in time, but will also have you back home before your tea has finished brewing! Ideal for that section of the labor force employed in high stress occupations and for research project teams whose work shouldn't be interrupted, this new business is expected to create thousands of jobs. From destination booking sales, time guides and relocation specialists to philologists, anthropologists and survival specialists. A planned series of time study projects is being undertaken by TSC, Ltd. in partnership with the Ministry Of Tourism for the purpose of identifying the most popular time sites and for development of affordable family package tours. Toward that end, Time Tunnel Week has been instituted to test the market as well as a means to solicit the time travel pioneers who will pave the way for this exciting new field in the leisure services industry.

Ex Patriot Terran Artist to Appear -

"A Square Peg and A Round Hole #21"
digital painting by Mick Mather

DERBY, Commondale Gallery of Art - In a few short weeks the unveiling of a new digital painting by the ex patriot Terran artist, Michael Warren, will take place in Commondale, Bards Wood, Derby. This new work is part painting and part installation where a special curved screen has been installed in the Main Gallery of the Commondale Gallery of Art. This unique construct will allow the viewer to walk into and become a part of the artwork - including the opportunity to make your way to the wormhole and disappear through the portal. Those who take advantage of this interactive aspect of the display will emerge into the Ballard Room of the gallery where 20 monotypes - created by the artist over a decade ago - will be on display. Access to The Robert Gate in Oopsville will be dedicated to patrons of this exhibition during the opening and this connection through space and time is intended to mimic that Jump Gate experience. Early registration for this event is already brisk. Contact your tourism agent now!

Ancient Monument discovered -

"Pyramid Valley, Oopsville"
digital painting by Mick Mather

DERBY, Oopsville, Ministry of Ancient Antiquities - A millennial storm recently made all known maps of the Great Northern Dessert of Derby void with a month long shifting of the sands by gale force winds. Even as cartographers were scrambling to retrieve satellite data, early remapping photographs showed a pyramid structure near Oopsville. The historic tourist attraction known as the Sand Hills of Oopsville suffered major shifting and initial assessments were grim for the future outlook of the area. The largest dune, having been completely removed by the storm, gave up its secret and both the Federated Park Service and the Ministry of Ancient Antiquities have upgraded their disaster reports to reflect the fortuitous news. In the photograph shown here, the scale of the monument is difficult to ascertain since it is dwarfed by the newly created dunes that surround it. The Park Service has already graded a service road to the area so that geologists and engineers can undertake the stabilization processes required that will allow study to begin as quickly as possible. Interested in seeing the new pyramid? Do you have a name for the new pyramid? The Ministry of Tourism is undertaking a public information campaign built around the important needs of preservation, scientific study and cultural heritage that will include day trips and specialty tours very soon. Contact your agent today!

Sport-A-Bout Transport Service -

"Two Seat Bug"
digital collage by Mick Mather

DERBY, Derby Historical Society - The Ad Club of Derby recently presented the Ministry of Transportation with a series of old advertising posters. The half dozen posters are of historic note for their prominent display of "The Bug", a 2-seat, mini airbus designed and manufactured by Sport-A-Bout, aimed at, and popularized by, the youth culture of the day. Also of prominent note and historic value is the appearance of the young Princess of Derby in each of the adverts. After the advent of the gates and jump ports, such transportation vehicles became needless in most urban areas and have been relegated to the province of collectors and enthusiasts of motive power. Transport Clubs in The Rural Counties still use all manner of vehicles and The Bug remains one of the most popular. While transportation industry manufacturing was greatly reduced, it is still a thriving industry today. Most Derby Day Trip tour operators include a visit to The Transport Museum where this poster set will become a permanent display. Call your tourism agent today!

The R2 Factory -

"Power Core Upgrade at the R2 Factory"
digital collage by Mick Mather

OOPSVILLE, DERBY, Ministry of Science & Future Technology - A recent advance by teams of engineers and AI developers at Netsky is expected to improve the intelligence capacity of machines to previously unimagined levels. The new power core hardware is assembled from millions of clusters of nanotech appliances capable of progressive, intuitive and creative thinking. Apparently, the AI code writers plugged a desktop model into the wrong power outlet where a surge resulted in the creation of magnetic fields that quickly became intertwined with - and took control of - the linear thinking loops. Soon, the model was creatively thinking and learning on it's own as evidenced by work output that was clearly defining, refining and recreating the field to achieve faster and better results as well as making innovations on the programmed linear task loops. The power core installations for factory line R2 units will begin soon and the Ministry of Tourism has already partnered with Netsky and their Public Relations department to promote factory tours. Contact your local agent for details!

Ministry of Education: School of Architecture -

"Close to Zero"

book jacket design by Mick Mather

DERBY, Ministry of Education - The bestseller on architectural engineering practices in low-gravity environments has recently been revised by Professor Dona Churnow. Publication of the second edition is pending - awaiting a decision by The University of Derby to use their own imprint again or move the tome to an outside publisher. The dust jacket, shown here, has also been redesigned by Michael Warren, the well known ex patriot Terran artist. An exhibition of the original painting is being planned when a release date has been confirmed.

Derby Historical Society -

"Star Baby Plasma Units - Maximum Postcard"
digital collage & artistamp design by Mick Mather

DERBY, The Derby Historical Society - The recent discovery of historic, private papers belonging to Princess Odelia of Derby uncovered a sought after 'maximum postcard'. Considered a rarity by philatelists and deltiologists as well as military historians, this pristine piece will be transported by The Kings Guard to an honored place in the Exhibition Display of the Tanak Wars. It is believed to be addressed to Princess Odelia in the hand of the legendary mercenary soldier known as The Sloganeer. There is no message on the back and no cancellation of the postage stamp, giving rise to the theory that this is but one of many postcards purchased and addressed but never sent. Only one other card of this type attributed to the mercenary exists and remains in the estate of Robert Robert Robert. The famed pilot, navigator and personal friend of The Sloganeer was a philatelist - known across two parsecs for his assortment of acquisitions - and that tattered, blood-stained collectible resides in his personal collection. Managed by the Robert Estate Trust, negotiations to exhibit the war torn postcard alongside the one shown here are underway. A ceremonial service on the anniversary of the armistice of that terrible conflict is expected to occur.

Stairway To Heaven -

"Bold Moon Ascending the Stairway"
digital collage by Mick Mather

FOREVERLAND, The Stairway to Heaven - Recent acquisitions by the Outer Dust Rings Art Museum - currently on view in the contemporary wing - include this piece by the expatriate Terran artist, Michael Warren. There has been much interest in the worm hole gates - known as jump ports - over the centuries since their discovery. This rendition of the jump port nearest Foreverland shows one of its moons as it crosses in front of the stair-like structure. Myth and legend have long since referred to this portal as the Stairway to Heaven, because, as it is written, the other end of this particular worm hole lies in deep space where Heaven itself is believed to be located. When the first astronomers discovered the unique physical structure of The Stairway some weight of truth was quickly applied to what had heretofore been relegated to the status of faith-enhanced remote viewing, traditional fables and superstition. The Museum is located in Oopsville, Derby and their hours run 24 hours a day Tuesday thru Saturday - closing at midnight thru to midnight Monday.

Clouds of Plenty -

"Harvest Aurora on Derby"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

DERBY, The Harvest Festival - Once again, as Waterworld draws closer to Derby, you can expect to view spectacular displays in the sky during The Harvest Festival. Every three years this close proximity of two extraordinary worlds initiates a game of hide and seek with a light show! Collisions between atmospheric gases and showers of electrons and protons guided by their intersecting magnetic fields set the skies aglow. As can be seen in this artists rendition of one spectacular auroral formation documented by the Ministry of Science & Future Technology a trip to Derby will be especially rewarding this year. For family fun and an educational package available nowhere else, now is the time to plan your festival vacation.

ODR Council for the Arts: Festival Poster Design Competition Winner Preview -

"Festival Poster #1"

digital collage by Mick Mather

DERBY, ODR Arts Council Competition Headquarters - The anticipated poster for this year's "Alignment of the 12 Festival" has been chosen. The design artist and winner of this years competition is Michael Warren, an immigrant from Terra and current resident of Commondale on Derby. This authorized preview contains no information on the Festival itinerary but the Ministry of Tourism, in concert with the Festival Committee, assures us that the official release will contain all pertinent information.

(Further information, star maps, system maps, jump gate locations, historic documents, arts & culture, myth & legend, etc. is requested - please scroll to the bottom of this page for details and contact info)

ODR Wire Service Special Report -

"Crossing the Line"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

LTK, Great Northern Oil Fields, ODR NEWSWIRE - Initial reports that invaders have once again taken control of the oil fields on LTK now appear to be false. A magnetic anomaly triggered a ghost image of a past event that witnesses said appeared to be another invasion. According to Caitlin O'Leary, a Great Northern Oil customer service representative, "a host of armed foot soldiers charged straight for us through a reddish, lined and mottled haze". The actual attack that is said to have ignited the 100 Years Civil War occurred at those specific coordinates. "We turned en masse and headed for the armory," another witness said, "and we were relieved to hear that it was nothing more than a rogue ion stream combined with an extremely potent magnetic spike that caused the mirage". This sort of apparition is quite common among the Sand Mountains at Oopsville on Derby but quite rare on LTK. This false alarm, while frightening, served as a warning to ever maintain vigilance, even during days as peaceful as these.

(Further information, star maps, system maps, jump gate locations, historic documents, arts & culture, myth & legend, etc. is requested - please scroll to the bottom of this page for details and contact info)

Ministry of Tourism -

"Derby Sunset"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

DERBY, Where the Sun Burns Down the Sky Every Night - The Ministry of Tourism will release a new series of post cards to kick off the "Sunset Season" as part of the "Your Paradise" campaign. Beginning next month, a commemorative postage stamp will be issued by the Outer Dust Rings Federated Postal Service and unveiled at a First Day of Issue Ceremony in the village of Commondale during the Alignment of the 12 Festival. All items - the postage stamp, post card and a Maximum Card First Day Cover - will be available during, and for 30 days after, the event. Planning a trip to Derby? Now is the perfect time. Welcome Home to Your Paradise!

*(further information, star maps, system maps, jump gate locations, etc. is requested - please leave additions in the comment box)

The Robert Sketch -

"Robert R. Robert Sketch"
montage by Mick Mather

DERBY, Veterans Museum - During the darkest hours of the Tanak Wars, the discovery of the first Jump Port on Earth afforded opportunities for diplomatic couriers and, eventually, military assistance. At that time entire ships went through the jump gates, requiring the steady hand and intuitive reactions of a skilled pilot/navigator. The most famous of these was Robert Robert Robert, a savant whose talent was in the practical application of the Mandelbrot and chaos theory mathematics required to navigate star ships through the gates. This years "Robbie Day" celebration will feature the unveiling of a Historical Document that was previously believed to have been little more than military scuttlebutt - the original anatomical drawing of the Jump Gate at Antarctica Station. Seen here, above the CAD image that went into every flight manual at that time, it was so accurate that the drawing itself, as well as the military post containing the coordinate parameters of this portal, has become known as The Robert Sketch.

Ancient Archaeological Sites -

"Hovering Pearl of the Royal Forecourt"
digitally manipulated photograph by Mick Mather

DERBY, Standing Stones, The Royal Forecourt and The Hovering Pearl - The oldest known ortholiths in the Outer Dust Rings system harbor a mystery, the "Hovering Pearl". Situated at the base of the Royal Forecourt, this iridescent globe is believed to be as old as the universe itself. It hovers at the exact height of 1 meter above these ancient ruins and is believed to be the origin of the psionic powers achieved by most inhabitants of the Outer Dust Rings. The yearly pilgrimage to this historical and religious burial ground by the faithful has continued, unabated, throughout the centuries.

*(further information, star maps, system maps, jump gate locations, historic & cultural documents, etc. is requested - please leave additions in the comment box)

Historical Site Considered for Commemorative Postage Stamp -

"Jump House"
digital collage by Mick Mather

DERBY, Outer Dust Rings Federated Postal Service - An historical photograph of the first Jump Portal on Derby was recently uncovered in an old filing cabinet at the abandoned Government Services Annex in Pottersby Crossing. The annex was once a bustle of activity approving visas, passports and diplomatic couriers. So busy that a hotel was built for the extended stay required when such approvals caused lengthier and lengthier waits. The original name, Hotel DuJour, went out of use almost immediately and has long been referred to instead, as Jump House. A generic term now, any facility used for a stay while waiting to access a Teleport is referred to as Jump House. Finding this photo has led to an official application to the Postal Service for a commemorative postage stamp. A small group of Peace Activists are attempting to block any approval, citing the appearance of the legendary Mercenary Soldier, The Sloganeer, in the photograph. Excited at the reference, not immediately noticed by the historic committee, the image seems to be gaining support from veterans of the Tanak Wars. Visits to the ruin continue to increase in popularity and transport from Derby to Pottersby Crossing have increased.

*(further information, star maps, system maps, jump gate locations, etc. is requested - please leave additions in the comment box)

Derby Tourism: Harvest Home of The Queen -

"The Great Agrarian Home of the Queen"
digital collage by Mick Mather

DERBY, Harvest House - In centuries past, Harvest House was the destination of a great pilgrimage. The indigious people share psionic powers, by the least as well as the greatest, that are thought to hail from The King and Queen, via fertility rites held during the harvest times at The Great Agrarian Home. The truth of this power is firmly rooted within, and traceable to evolutionary advances that have in no way affected the annual *pilgrimages, festivals or religious rituals.

*(further information, star maps, system maps, jump gate locations, etc. is requested - please leave additions in the comment box)