plus simple:
NEWSPAPER
Chinese Lunar Mine Operational
APR - Beijing, China
Chinese authorities today announced that their state of the art Zhou Enlai
Lunar Mining Complex is operational and functioning at one hundred percent
capacity.
"We are pleased to be making significant progress not just in pushing back the
boundaries of exploration for all humanity, but in developing the lunar
territories in a way that benefits the Chinese people and the global market,"
said Nghia Lam, Chinese Premier.
While the United States and Nigeria still dispute China´s claims to the
lucrative Palus Somnii and Mare Crisium regions, Chinese construction has
proceeded apace while diplomatic negotiations continue. "We feel we have some
valid claim to those territories, certainly," said Robert Holden, Secretary of
the Interior for the U.S. "But we would prefer to find and equitable
arrangement that would allow our countries to work together in developing
man´s first real home outside of our own planet."
The first ore delivery from the factory will be launched by mass driver
tomorrow and should arrive in Earth orbit by next week.
NEWSPAPER
Mass Driver Accident Kills Over 2,000
APR - Ibadan, Nigeria
The historical first delivery of ore from the Zhou Enlai Lunar Mining Complex
ended in tragedy today when a targeting error resulted in the payload slamming
into the outskirts of the city of Ibadan in Nigeria. Thousands died in the
initial blast that was compared to a small nuclear bomb as the payload
impacted in a sparsely populated suburb, while thousands more were left
disoriented, homeless, and without power or water in the wake of the
explosion.
Chinese officials have halted all other deliveries from the Zhou Enlai Complex
and are working with both the United Nations and officials from McMoran Global
Steel to determine the cause of the error. McMoran Global Steel was
responsible for the construction of the mass driver, winning the contract from
Page Industries in a heated bidding war.
"Obviously we took the utmost precautions in building the Zhou Enlai driver,"
said spokesperson Sean Murphy. "But something has gone terribly wrong. Our
only real response as this point is to offer our condolences and aid to the
people of Ibadan, and insure that such an event never occurs again."