//A piece of news begins to circulate across the United Systems and former United Systems colonies in the Fringe.// Director and Martian Dictator, Dr. Laura Alurney, has passed away this evening aboard the Martian Ark, somewhere between the borders of the Fringe and MiniKnog space. Most well known for her rule over the isolationist technocracy of Mars, Dr. Alurney has been regarded with a great degree of animosity ever since she rose to the top of the Martian Council, and within the first few days of her position as the Head Director, began the process of minimizing the power of the other Councilors before outright abolishing the system, instating herself as the Director and Dictator of the Martian Technocracy for life. A woman of great wealth and power, she had access to the greatest medical technology in the galaxy, and put it to use for the extension of her own natural life through anti-aging procedures and the progressive cyberization of her body, eventually bringing her life-span well beyond the typical 120 year lifespan of humans. It is thought that the Director had fallen ill largely due to complications caused by her great age and the sudden onset of stress from the loss of Mars due to the threat imposed by the growing strength of the Ruin. During her tenure as leader, she brought about many sweeping reforms to Martian society, including the complete enclosure of the Martian people from the surrounding galaxy, severing all diplomatic relations to the United Systems as she devoted the planet's resources to scientific research, eventually focusing it on the nigh-singular research of the entity which nearly erased her species' homeworld and its biosphere. Her death has come as a cause for celebration to some in the galaxy, who viewed her as an abusive autocrat that viewed the Martian people as an endless supply of subjects for her experiments against the Ruin and her other areas of interest. Dr. Alurney is survived by her daughters, though both have gone missing, with their last-known whereabouts being in the Fringe six months prior to the loss of Mars. The position of Director as such remains open, but it has been theorized that Dr. Samuel F. Croft, a former adviser to the Director, will rise to take the lead of the Martian people in the wake of this crisis of leadership. Doctor Laura Alurney February 8th, 2988 - April 15th, 3285 //Multiple articles are linked below. Most are related to United Systems politics, but one seems to be related to a theory on the formation of Hyperspace originating from the Haven Federation.//
