Voxigraph Directors

Remember my article back in early December last year about Lord Houl taking controlling share of the Bell’s Voxigraph, well I’ve discovered further changes have been made to the firm.  Originally it had eleven directors including Lord Houl himself, now another two directors have joined the firm bringing the total to thirteen.  These two new directors were well hidden from sight however I have managed to ferret out their identities.  They are both doctors although what type of doctors they are I still haven’t managed to ascertain as yet but I do have their names:

• Dr. Nu Vesper Calif
• Dr. E. Tyrell

This company will have a worrying monopoly on communications in the Empire and outside it too, I understand from my source in Norway that Russia have already placed orders for their military bases. 

Knowledge is power, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  With complete control of communications across the lands Voxigraph will effectively remove a significant power block from the Empire, I wonder if the Empire is aware of this potential loss in their powers. 

I am sure the Monopolies Commission will be interested in the firm very soon.

Empire Bans Drug 9

In a controversial move the Empire through the House of Lords has passed legislation declaring the Drug 9 is now a controlled substance due to its extremely addictive qualities and potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms.  Use or purchase of the drug is now a criminal offence with a minimum prison sentence of five years at the Acheron mining penal colony in the asteroid belt.  Everyone knows that the average lifespan at Acheron is less than six months.

Defenders of the new faith are already calling it attack against their religious freedoms.

The Empire have made a serious error in this ban, I believe they have effectively walked into the trap laid by this new faith.  By banning they have made it the most desired drug within the Empire, the prohibition years of the 1920s proves that.  If you want to people to want something you ban it, people always want something that is illegally or forbidden.

Only a fool would believe a drug like 9 would ever be legalised for general public consumption considering its dangerous side effects.  By banning it has also brought the new faith further into the public eye and the potential for new followers.

They would of have been better off applying the usual government red tape thereby slowing the whole process down by decades.

One of my sources however believes that the new faith has converts within the government and this was in fact the new faith's plan all along.  This way they can sell the drug on the black market at a considerable profit.

Either way the Empire's position has been weakened, countries outside the Empire will definitely be taking advantage of this gap in its armour.

Red Thames

A London evening newspaper reported that there was a decolourisation of the Thames near Wapping Docks this morning extending some thirty feet into the river, it was described as a deep red colour. It appeared to be like a slick oil sitting on top of the river.  Max Drum London’s mad astrophysicist jumped on the news like a blackbird finding a juicy worm in the mud, his press statement was and I quote: “The scrolls have predicted this event: ‘…when the river runs red, death comes…’ we need to prepare our immortal souls, place your faith in The One NOW!”

Nothing ambiguous in that statement is there, fortunately a new source of mine was close to Wapping early this morning and was able to take a sample of the red liquid before Empire locked the entire area down.  This particularly source knows his chemistry and was able to separate the various components of the sample:

• Grease (maybe gun grease)
• Chrism
• Water, Sugar, Fats, Proteins, Salt
• Red cells
• Platelets
• Unknown organic component that acts like a virus

This organic component had some unusual properties according to my source, for a brief period of time when tested with damaged organic cells it seemed to repair them.

I'm not sure what this all means I am no scientist but based upon information received I would say something happened last night and it was probably something bad!

What Lies Beneath

A recent source has sent me some curious information regarding tunnels beneath London.  London to say the least riddled is with tunnels from the Underground to its notorious sewage network.  My source found a tunnel connecting his cellar direct to the river Thames, ending close to Wapping docks.  On the way back he slipped and nearly knocked himself senseless against what seemed to be remains of old Roman ruins, see fantograph taken below:

It was however fortunate that he slipped because otherwise he wouldn't of spotted something odd on the opposite tunnel wall, see fantograph taken below (click on it to see full size):

See the button like shape in the centre to right of the an evil looking head, not a button but a knob.  When my source turned it forty five degrees clockwise into the nine o'clock position a section of the tunnel wall swung open revealing a second tunnel.  After a quick investigation of this second tunnel however showed that it wasn't just one tunnel but many.  My source had had the forethought to take a compass with him, the second set of tunnels heads mostly in a north eastly direction.

My source took samples of the red paint used to make lettering and symbols on the tunnel wall, he has just literally confirmed that it isn't paint but human blood.

The source was also quite surprised by the lack of rats in the tunnels being that the main tunnel leads directly to the river.