Aurora 4x
C# Fiction => General C# Fiction => Topic started by: Aajowa on November 19, 2021, 09:25:14 PM
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Hey! I've never documented or written fiction for an Aurora play-through before, but I thought i'd give it a go because the plays I've been making lately have been getting increasingly difficult to track and this might keep me motivated to remember which tanker fleet vanished vs. was absorbed, or why (a) ship is transferred to (b) task group and etc. This play-through attempts to act as a single organisation within humanity, as a result it is smaller than you might expect.
SETUP
The year is 2025. After a promising decade of spaceflight rebirth; the second space race comes crashing to the ground alongside the aging ISS and crew alongside dozens more satellites, after unknown sabotage.
There is no shortage of blame, with wild accusations of nations attempting to supplant global order, to false-flag operations, to magnetic or even alien interference.
Details are lacking, but after worldwide communications were suddenly cut on July 11th 06:34 (GMT), it is understood that an unknown satellite impacted the ISS at 06:36 (GMT), and brought the station down over a populated strip from Croatia to Montenegro - and with dozens more of humanities satellites falling all over the Western world.
Blame initially focused on China eventually shifted to grief, after absence of evidence and a compelling counterpoint that communications disruption and economic impact brought them no benefit and resulted in the highest single death toll of any country regardless of lack of debris impact.
With the worlds mourning growing dimmer and recovery accelerating, focus shifted on securing the globes remaining communications arrays and ensuring space would continue to be developed, under more stringent and centralized management. This would ensure humanities future without recreating the sword of Damocles above human worlds.
As a result of growing concern of a repeat event, the United Nations voted to create a supranational union to represent humanities plethora of interests, terrestrial and otherwise. The union would consist of all member states that voted to the affirmative. The charter of this Grand Union of Nations would:
i) Responsibly run elements of civil administration within all seven continents without
preference or bias;
ii) Arbitrate inter-national arguments using fair judicial proceedings, and interfere with
member nations attempting to illegally secede or invade others;
iii) Coordinate and manage interplanetary colonization or exploitation in a sustainable
manner;
iv) Operate institutes of learning, training, and research to ensure scientific progress is
funded and maintained, and;
v) Supplant SETI, and coordinate scientific and diplomatic efforts with alien races if
discovered.
The Grand Union of Nations was formally established Monday, the 31st of October 2039, but did not begin administration until Sunday, the 1st of January 2040. This log serves as the Chronicle of the GUNs.
Starting Parameters will be displayed below, but here's personal/flavour limitations:
1) Maximum ship size will be racial armour tech level x 500 tonnes, both to limit size creep and scale to what would be IMO realistic at given eras of spaceflight. To scale, when complete the ISS will weigh ~420 tonnes - Smaller than some fighters despite being football-field sized (I know solar panels pad that size, but still)
2) Limiting ship weapons to railgun only. In part because of research limitations as shown below, and in part because I'm loving the recent railgun volley size customisation options. Ship-boarding is fine, but with research on the back burner it likely won't be feasible.
3) Limiting to naval shipyards/ships only. Because pain is pleasure, and maintenance hurts.
4) Retiring ships that have served for 30 years or more. Exceptions will be made for 'famous' ships that have made a case for preservation in orbit of Earth as a sort of museum piece.
5) Though using a conventional start, SM mode will be used to give TN, geological survey sensors, and a handful of basic ground unit designs. It's an odd way to set that up, but I don't know beforehand exactly how much RP it would cost and I don't want to have any spare. SM will also be used to snip out the starting spaceport, because we won't be using it for years yet and removing it is not an option even in conventional starts.
6) All military ships must be single-ship-jump capable, or not jump capable at all with the RP being these are warp drives rather than wormhole-generating jump drives.
Game starting state is attached (hopefully). I suppose I need an imgur account to embed pictures?
Welcome to GUNs, let's have some FUNs
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"smeg", thought Evie Lloyd. Around her, the new years celebrations were kicking off. In her office however, the buzzing alarms and confetti were an unwelcome annoyance. Born 2020, Evie had grown up during all eight waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and between the Great Social Distance (GSD) of the 20's and her overbearingly academic Mother, she had never stood a chance to grow accustomed to the social world. Rather - she was happiest behind a desk, particularly this brand-new number; Sleek, monochrome, and all glass and polymer-It represented her almost total authority here despite still smelling like a "Wet-plastic fart", per her Fathers description.
Described as "Career-oriented" by her few friends, and "A stone-cold bitch" by almost everyone else, she had graduated Summa cum laude in the first cohort of 'gUNI' as its' youngest participant and was rewarded with entry to the advanced leadership program of the Grand Union of Nations.
Fighting against men and women twice her age and tenfold her experience, she alone had come up top and was offered this most prestigious posi-
-BEEP. . . BEEP. . . BEEP
-tion.
"Gods what an annoying sound. Why is the volume so high?" she thought.
Using a touchscreen built in to her desk to her left, she poked the alarm to stop, her finger leaving a small smudge on its' pristine surface. She was well aware already of the date and time. It was midnight. She had officially just assumed control of this organisation, and the organisation had just assumed control of a wide series of portfolios roughly comparable to a small nation.
BEEP. . . BEEP. . . BE-bip!
By her own estimate, the departments she now managed were understaffed by almost a third. Despite now overseeing a globe-spanning conglomerate of academies, factories, refineries, and mines, the powers-that-were had understaffed the union by a whopping 2. 3 million personnel. She would rectify that with wideband recruitment campaigns, and balance the additional cost by diverting currently stockpiled funds and resources to the Financial Services Department (FSD) Investment Division, and send a few extra staff to spruik the organisation to the Appropriation Committee of the UN. Now where was Eve?
Eve Flynn, scientific extraordinaire and now certified missile-monkey, was currently gorging on vegan party pies in the common room down the hall with her staff. Despite being midnight at the office, every staffmember was present for this momentous occasion. It wasn't only a new year and decade, it was a new era and they were at its' helm. Within ten minutes, all celebration was to cease and they would have a forty-minute briefing. Tomorrow they would arrive at 08:30 to begin the first official work day (on a Sunday, of all things!).
Evie viewed the common room through her in-built computer screen and allowed herself to ponder. Eve and Evie had been friendly rivals at gUNI, and both had graduated top of their respective classes. Eve was one of the few people who saw Evie as a person, and one of the fewer who'd call her "career-oriented". Mostly, Evie knew Eve just liked to blow things up - this would be mentioned in the briefing later. For now though, Evie watched the party on one screen and blew on her party kazoo. She'd have nine minutes now until the briefing, and set her eyes to her right - onscreen, a detailed treatise quantifying the merits of interdepartmental collaboration was very much food for thought, and would only take eight minutes to read.
I apologise if I mix up Evie and Eve. 41 name themes and who-knows how many thousands of options but it seems RNG has picked Eve and Eve-with-an-i for us. On the plus side they're both easy to RP as academically gifted career women, even if Eve is a little strange and Evie a little. . . "career-oriented".
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"Welcome, everyone" announced Evie as newcomers crowded in to her office.
Almost sixty people in total would be attending this meeting in person, and almost two thousand more across the globe were watching from their own office screens.
Beginning with what she thought was a quite rousing speech about the new dawn approaching humanity (10 minutes), Evie offered a brief synopsis of the organisations goals and history (15 minutes), a prolonged enticement of the multitude of departments to collaborate with one another with a very convincing statistical breakdown (5 minutes), and finally tied together the organisations goals with a realistic target that she would later personally request Eve Flynn develop - An autonomous satellite capable of determining the mineral composition of asteroids from a distance, in order to launch future scientific or even commercial endeavors.
This would require a very substantial rocket launch system, a robust supply chain, and an investment of billions of dollars.
It would also require Eve design a missile (albeit one that didn't explode), which would surely help her departments' morale after months of pure administrative activity.
With these specifications, Evie dismissed the large crowd with dull glazed-over eyes, and looked at her clock, realising it was almost 1:30 in the morning. She must have talked a little too enthusiastically about coordination and the history of her departments. Whoops.
As her final action of the evening, Evie sent through a few emails - One to begin the process of identifying launch pad areas for the eventual survey satellites, one to commit to training one cohort of full-time paid peacekeepers, one to Eve to remind her of the rockets' specifications, and one to her mother to rebut her concerns that her speech and meeting would be a failure. This was a very successful morning, all things considered.
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2040-2050
January 01 2040 -
Evie Lloyd had a tremendous effect on the moral and operations of the Grand Union of Nations. Her advocates cite her inaugural flurry of activity as the strongest series of actions the GUN had ever seen. Her detractors maintain that within her first month, she had lost 63 million USD to administrative reshuffling, scientific tests, manufacturing expenses, and military training on an unnecessary cohort of peacekeepers. Her strongest detractors speculated her to be naive at best, and deranged and dangerous at worst.
Within the halls of the UN and doubtless elsewhere in the world there was no shortage of debate on whether the Grand Union would secure enough funding to offer all the solutions it had promised, or whether it would prove a disastrously costly failure.
Regardless, motion had been set and inertia had been overcome, and Administrator Lloyd's vision began to take shape as old industrial hubs within GUN jurisdictions sprang back to life, and world-regarded manufacturing and financial centers emerged from donated city blocks like mushrooms after a storm.
With over 50,000 recruits joining the organisation per month, carefully guided development, and Administrator Lloyd's curation - within a few months the GUN deficit had shrunk to a third. Lloyd's detractors were quick to note that without defeating the deficit within two years, the GUN would simply run out of money.
May 30 2040-
Eve Flynn, covered in black soot and cursing with her assistants with regards to the whereabouts of that 'damn 10mm ratchet', walked to the computer terminal that would display whether or not the nest of wires and sensors was correctly reading its' own signals. Nodding to the electrical development head standing aside her, she enabled him to press one of the four oversized buttons attached to the spaghetti-esq tangle in front of them. Flickering on, the screen televised a few thousand scrolling lines of code before reaching its' conclusion - It worked, though a small internal sensor detected a metallic intrusion and switched off per its' safety override. Eve looked at her assistant, isolated the power supply, and sent him to dive among the brambles. She'd be getting that ratchet back no matter how long it took.
On conference call between Evie - ('sorry', she thought to herself, It's 'Administrator Lloyd' now) and a handful of delegates, Eve announced it would take three months or so to develop a compatible rocket system to launch the satellites to targeted bodies of the solar system. With a range of over ten billion kilometers, there would be for the first time no place too far to survey. The only conceivable problem would be getting the rocket to space to be launched by a dedicated guidance system orbiting the planet.
October 22 2040 -
Administrator Evie Lloyd received two bits of good news on October 22nd. The first was that Eve had submitted the final draft of her 'Flynn Booster Rocket', which would carry a geo-survey satellite in to orbit of any interplanetary body Eevie or future administrators chose. The second was that bean counters noted a transient net positive balance to the GUN of 1 Million USD, the first monthly surplus in the organisations' history.
Knowing full-well that it was impossible to keep the surplus up at current rates of expenditure, Administrator Lloyd called in Declan Green, fellow gUNI graduate and head of the Sensor Research science division. Cutting the R&D budget by 25%, Evie tasked Declan Green with creating a sensor capable of detecting the gravitational pull of an object. 'Grav Sensors' would allow firing the autonomous Flynn Rockets to bodies without human intervention or piloting.
Coordinating three quarters of the UN's research centers from his own center in Michigan USA, Mr. Green would spend the next several years developing this cutting-edge technology while Administrator Lloyd continued ensuring funding and supplies for the GUN, and developing a more robust portfolio that wouldn't see her scrounging for sponsors.
August 18 2041 -
Sunday morning, Administrator Lloyd woke with one thing on her mind, and one thing only - For all her plans for the GUN, the organisation was still losing millions per month. In order to preserve the reserve of funding the organisation was bestowed with, she would have to gain a surplus by any means necessary. Furiously typing on her iPad 12, she arranged three emails - Firstly, mothballing one more research center. Secondly, suspending the production of maintenance supplies and fuel until further notice, and thirdly diverting manpower and resources to expand the financial hubs the GUN had established under the first days of her leadership. By months end, the GUN was back in the black, with a modest 3 million USD from UN contributions per month entering the treasury. At leisure, the two research centers (one in Hamburg, Germany and one in Gaolu, China) could be filled to boost output.
November 16 2041 -
Within the nation of Nigeria, when the city of Abuja was planned and declared the new capital some fifty years earlier, a vast portion of jobs and government funding vanished from Lagos. In the first days of Evie's tenure as Administrator, she had begun funding the purchase and redevelopment of the better part of a square kilometre within Lagos. Promising to bring between fifty and two hundred thousand manufacturing jobs to the city, and more through flow-on effects, the project garnered special attention from the President of Nigeria themselves, permission was granted to use a substantial part of Apapa port for UN manufacturing activity.
As of November 16, Stage 1 of 4 of this development was completed, and the manufacturing district of Apapa began in earnest, roughly doubling UN production capacity. Immediately, Apapa began distributing construction components that would be shipped to Administrator Lloyd's next project - A substantial greenfield development and financial hub within Uruguay.
June 03 2044 -
Administrator Lloyd was not an especially cautious nor reckless person. After several stable years of a small, trickling inflow of capital the GUN had accrued almost a third of a billion USD, and it was high time that some risks were taken. Having pondered its' merits and dangers, she'd taken the liberty of typing this email several times already over the course of many months. Today, she submitted the email to the GUN internal server and officially reopened Gaolu's research division.
Mothballed employees working on other projects could now resume working on the gravitational experiments deep belowground, alongside Mr. Greens' existing coordinated experiments. Though not permanent, it would be able to run for at least a year, and greatly aid progress of the automated Geological survey satellites that would soon blossom through the solar system.
Sensing bean-counter interference, Administrator Lloyd reminded the accounting division that the upcoming 16-million-USD monthly deficit was to be expected, and even disregarded as being temporary.
June 28 2045 -
Administrator Lloyd received almost sixteen thousand emails today on her external account. Most were spam, many were irrelevant, and only a dozen-and-a-half made it to her attention. Of this only two were of note - The first, that donuts in the break room of a small manufacturing center in Austin, Texas had attracted the attentions a very large and angry wasp and that the resulting YouTube(2) video had begun to go viral. The second, that her old-time nemesis from gUNI had died. Both made her smile.
She also received two emails on her internal account - The first being that the GUN was ten months from bankruptcy unless a research division was shuttered again, and the other affirming that after half a decade of dedicated recruitment campaigns the GUN had finally overcome its' worker deficit.
Deciding the loss (Closed now to 15,000,000/month) was not of extraordinary danger, Evie decided to hold off on shuttering Gaolu until new years. and decided to watch the wasp video one last time before leaving for the day.
July 18 2047 -
Anticipating celebration, administrator Lloyd had flown out on Monday for a Thursday day-long celebration in Lagos. After the better part of a decade, the creation of a substantial manufacturing center in Nigeria had finished its' fourth stage, and the factory complex created over two hundred thousand jobs. With all these factories still producing materials to create the first true financial hub in Uruguay, the GUNs financial outlook would surely soon lift. As a matter of security, Evie authorised the creation of a second Peace Corps to guard the manufacturing district - word had reached the GUN of local unrest caused by such a large influx of industry. Though these rumors were likely just nay-saying, the President of Nigeria authorised the stationing of this 185-man garrison, and ensured that Lagos would continue to welcome local GUN investment for the foreseeable future. Administrator Lloyd acknowledged the subtext, and began quietly drafting several greenfield developments within her head, to be announced later.
Meanwhile against her better judgement, Evie took the moment as an opportunity to seek approval from local governments across all six other current major GUN locations to host peacekeeping and security forces. With three approvals, Evie authorised three new stationings and brought UN permanent armed forces to 925 full-time peacekeepers, acting predominately as security guards and local law enforcement.
August 01 2047 -
Under advice from senior staffers of the United Nations, and sitting members of the cabinet of the supranational Grand Union of Nations, Evie had elected years ago to delegate a small amount of time to returning to gUNI. In order to maintain a cutting edge of skill and continue developing further, Evie continued her education from the moment she graduated.
As of August 01 2047, she was now qualified to lead shipbuilding operations and operations of this nature once commenced would benefit under her advanced leadership.
Alone in her office, she sat looking at her new certification hung proudly on the wall. Tracing the smooth glass of her still-quite-dashing desk, she daydreamed about the future until as always another alarm snapped her back in to reality. If it weren't for the tone, volume, and arrogant chirpiness of the alarm to her left, she'd find its' consistency quite comforting. Still looking away at her doctorate, and with a mild contempt, she punched the part of the screen that acknowledges the alarm and silences the program - and got back to work.
31 December 2049 -
The decade is coming to a close. New years eve 2049 happened to be on a Friday, but there were no celebrations to be had for Evie. With a decade of her tenure gone, she would soon have to argue her case for reelection. With tantalizing updates from the now Doctor Declan Green regarding gravitational sensors, and with GUN funding as tight as ever-Evie felt stuck in a rut and needed something bold to argue her case. She did not spend her life to this point to form the prelude of someone elses story, and every hour she'd spent dedicated to study or practice would, should, could not be in vain. She just needed to think of something that could excite her. But what?
Looking over her at her wall, she realised she just needed to think bigger.
Thanks for reading this far! First decade of a relatively slow playthrough. I hope you all enjoyed my nonsense. Active Grav Sensor Strength 10 is ~6 months away, at which point it'll be time to design the orbital stations that will launch interplanetary geosurvey satellites (IE Eve Flynn's explosionless missiles). Financial centers are halfway done, and with construction centers on repeat, industry will soon start to snowball until population constraints kick in. I just want enough income for all those research centers to run! I'd have started again in a normal playthrough after a year to adjust the numbers, but i'd already committed to the writing the AAR, whoopsie!
Here is: Dr. Declan Green, Evie at decades-end, and the state of our nascent supranational federation as of the start of the decade.
Let me know if there's something you'd like me to change up in the story or suggestions to whatever. I'm still looking to make an imgur account so I can embed images so it's not so. . . textblocky
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July 02 2050 -
Doctor Green was ecstatic. He and his team had finally made it possible to detect an object by way of gravitational waves - without kilometre-long interferometers like LIGO, and had even managed to detect the gravitational impact of orbiting bodies in Sol. Sure, its' range was orders of magnitude less than the static models of old, but it was also smaller by that same margin and presented infinitely more opportunity. Within hours, Doctor Green had spitballed a dozen applications and began arranging the next sequence of tests to apply its' design to automated rocket guidance systems.
Back in Evie's office, convincing the powers that be to retain her had been suprisingly easy, and she had won hearts and funding necessary to begin the next phase - Obtaining land and building a facility capable of distributing Flynn-class rockets to orbit for interplanetary dispersal. The site had been narrowed down to arid strips of land in either central Australia, or the old Texan launch sites leftover from private spaceflight contractors in earlier decades. The choice was easy, given its' existing infrastructure. With a flourish, she signed off to begin the refit - which would take several years yet. Following this was a doubling of the production capacity of the Lagos construction factories, with soon almost a half-million people now working under its' management scheme.
January 02 2051 -
After six months, Doctor Green was exhausted, yet continued to work - Having just completed a state-of-the-art guidance system for interplanetary satellite launches, it was now time for his team to pick up the penultimate stage of his contribution to the project, by developing a system that could interface with the guidance system and launch these satellites without knocking itself out of orbit.
After that, convincing Administrator Lloyd to stake her reputation and career on Green's team and expertise seemed even more difficult. For all the billions she'd funneled to his research network, there was no guarantee she would adopt the Green Rocket Control System or the Geo-satellite Launch System for her system-wide survey project.
November 28 2052 -
At the conclusion of Doctor Green's involvement with the geological survey project within the Sol system, Administrator Lloyd laughed. Not with great heart, nor without emotion, but with precisely the warmth to ensure him that she would indeed be staking her entire career upon his life's work. Evie stared at him via commlink, and smiled - Doctor Green would receive funding sufficient to continue his work until retirement, but only after her project of focus was complete.
Returning to the matter at hand, Administrator Lloyd viewed progress of her infrastructure spending - Within a year the construction factories of Lagos would be complete, and a few years later so too would be the ordinance transfer facilities to load these first-gen satellites. The launch systems would be fine for this first generation of spaceflight, but next generations would be different and would require vastly different technology. Calling via satellite link, she requested scientist He Lin Wu of Gaolu's recently reactivated scientific institute - With his expertise in material composition, they could quite possibly make space-faring ships of a size even greater than the disastrous former ISS.
September 14 2055
With great enthusiasm, He Lin Wu informed Administrator Lloyd of his new advanced composite armour - Lighter than conventional steel plating, it offered both protection from solar radiation and a more flexible loadout. Moreover; his team had offered to design plates to replace the Lloyd-classes existing steel structure, allowing it an extraordinary weight reduction of 56%, bringing it to a mere 176 tonnes.
All of this was good news to Administrator Lloyd, whos continuing deficit of 2,000,000 USD per month and delay in bringing back the Boco Chica launch facilities were having a toll, and feeding online criticism of substantial mismanagement.
At some point and somehow I've paused the construction activity, and i'm not looking to save scum. Administrative bungle? Corruption? A rogue robotic Elon Musk, haunting the site and frustrating attempts to bring it back to a serviceable state? Who knows!
November 2, 2057 -
Officially thirteen months before the completion of the rocket relaunching site in Boca Chica, Administrator Lloyd authorised the construction of not one, but two Lloyd class orbit launch platforms. With each being less than half of its' original weight, small alterations to the aeronautical factories enabled both to be adequately built launched for comparable cost and time. Evie was ecstatic, and marked down the 1st of January 2059 as the day that would change spaceflight.
In anticipation, a department-wide email blast was sent to the Rocketry Division, requesting twenty four total rockets be ready by that date. This would allow twelve consecutive launches in January alone, enough to begin the survey of each planet that she had promised to deliver by the close of the decade.
After the completion of the Lloyd-class platforms, she would need to redouble efforts to secure a net surplus for the GUN, as the financial crunch continued to hinder humanities plans.
January 01 2059
Live from Boca Chica, the six astronauts selected to enter space for the first time in almost two decades waited. Sitting in two groups of three, they nervously waited to enter each groups' house-sized shuttle. The tests had been run, the lights had gone green, and no fewer than a thousand scientists, experts, and bureaucrats had been placated to enable this moment.
Alerted by the intercom that their moment had come, each trio entered what would be their home for the next week. Without further ado (though with almost twenty years of it behind them), both crews simultaneously began their launch proceedings. With the world watching, many had argued the dangers of launching both at the same time. Administrator Lloyd would have no delays. She had one year and one year only to survey the system before decades end, it would not be wasted for protocol.
After almost ten minutes of flight, information began beaming back to the surface, and the launches were deemed a success. With a wave of champagne now flowing across the world- administrator Lloyd allowed herself a moment to smile, before ordering the four already-mounted rockets launched at predefined orbits over Venus. Each day for the next week would see four new rockets launched to meet the interplanetary platforms, and fired with haste towards new planets.
Under supervision of the Union of Nations Exploration Command (UNEC), The twin orbital launch platforms of UNEC 0001 - Lloyd and UNEC 0002 - Flynn waited mere kilometres from one another. In a few moments, they would launch the first survey satellites to orbit another body within Sol.
With a crackling order given, the Lieutenant Commander Josse Smekens directed personnel aboard both platforms to fire - and with a grand yet silent shudder, one truck-sized rocket from each team vanished to the void. Within weeks, they would reach orbit and begin recording detailed geological information. Eventually if anything of note was found, they would beam these records back to Earth. Smekens breathed a sigh of relief at this first successful firing towards Venus, and awaited the next command.
Back on Terra Firma - anticipating further exploration, Evie authorised the manufacture of another fourty rockets. This would be an interesting year ahead.
January 8 2059 -
The expended modules of the Flynn and Lloyd crackled with red-hot friction as they descended through the atmosphere, en-route to a splashdown in the pacific. Having launched between them two dozen interplanetary rockets, they had come to the end of their useful life and been decommissioned
Deleted taskgroup. For unknown reasons their deployment has been ticking up despite orbiting the population - presumably due to either the lack of either spaceport/a hangar/engines? The first seems strange to me given that fighters can enter/exit gravity, and the last seems strange because they got in to orbit without them anyway.
Could anyone clarify why these fighters are considered deployed in orbit of Earth?
With rockets en-route to all solid planets of the solar system, the scientists and geologists of the Exploration Command (UNEC) began waiting patiently for results, and began urging on Administrator Lloyd to prepare more launch platforms and geo-survey rockets at her earliest convenience.
Administor Lloyd knew this was an unlikely proposition; with a per-launch cost of roughly thirteen million USD, it was simply not feasible until expansion of the financial hubs in Uruguay and Malaysia were completed. She had finally begun GUN expansion in to the solar system however, and know that she alone had been responsible for what is now two dozen human constructs flying silently through the void.
Anyone wondering how my elections work; I flip a coin for reelection. If heads, she wins. If tails, I select the three best candidates and choose the one with the highest political reliability for RP popularity reasons.
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I figured out the deployment counter - It resets to zero every construction cycle or something similar. Next fighters will remain up as long as necessary
01 February 2060 -
Administrator Lloyd had once again secured reelection, no doubt due to her convincing flurry of interplanetary transits which were now beaming back information from their respective bodies. With a new decade begun, she determined the best way to resume launch operations was to expand financial streams - Instructing worldwide construction operations to begin a South-East Asian financial hub that would generate an up to an additional 25 Million USD/month. To support this, additional mines through the Western half of Australia would be established with governmental permission.
Febuary 12 2063 -
Due to rising concerns surrounding substantial greenfield developments throughout the globe, Administrator Lloyd began authorising the first of what would be an additional three peacekeeping corps. This would ensure continued security of GUN assets, as well as keep local law enforcement well-supported. The total number of full-time security personnel within the GUN was 1450. Though her detractors maintained this number was insufficient to protect humanities' interests in the event of local unrest, such situations had remained mercifully non-extant.
March 09 2066 -
Administrator Evie had yet to receive any affirmations from the few dozen drones scattered throughout the solar system, and the chorus of voices wishing to redouble the effort was only growing over time. With satellites already prebuilt, it was time to relaunch orbital platforms that would allow the eyes of humanity to gave upon the remaining bodies and noteworthy moons of Sol. How convenient then, that this would reignite excitement immediately before the decennial election period. This was a time of relative financial stability and growth for the GUN, and a risk in this matter would surely be of limited impact.
November 23, 2068 -
With the launch of two new Lloyd orbital platforms, the UNEC once again began probing the bodies of the Sol system with unrelenting haste. Within a month, all fourty geosurvey satellites stockpiled had been used, and orders to create dozens more were written by Administer Lloyd with what her detractors called relentless disregard for funds or duty.
In the minds of those loyal to the long-serving Administrator however, this was a long-due reward. With a brief shuttering of research experiments - and the longer-term impacts of earlier investments becoming a grindingly-slow reality, it was now feasible to allow this second tranche of exploration expenses.
Noting growing resentment regarding the perceived lack of security, Administrator Lloyd requested training of an additional two peacekeeper corps to be bundled amongst the exploration announcements. Though she could scarcely afford them, dulling the accusations of her detractors would be necessary to gain reelection.
December 15 2068 -
With great relief came the receipt of a data cache from four satellites orbiting Luna that when combined, formed Earths' collective geological lunar expedition. Celebration ensued in this proof that the decades-long 'First wave' of exploration was a success. Unworthy of the grandeur of this news was its' content - The moon was barren.
Horrified scientists had seen Earths' great mineral bounty and assumed that all bodies must be somewhat endowed, and some fringe voices stated that minerals of trans-newtonian property were exclusively the result of eons of activity that could only have occurred on Earth. Moderates would state that perhaps in the event that formed Luna, these 'TN' minerals were sequestered by Earth and that other bodies would prove bountiful. In truth, no one knew what the results of the remaining survey would be.
Resigning herself to her office to conference with the leading scientists and geologists of the globe, raging discussion formed as to how an entire celestial body could be bereft of useful material. Administrator Lloyd knew that with her latest flurry of satellite launches, she needed some good news if GUN, and her political career, were to stand a chance.
March 16 2069
Ending a period of relative radio silence amongst the solar system, bandwidths began chattering, then blazing with data beamed back from a half dozen points in the solar system at once. Unexpectedly, satellites sent out mere months ago were reporting a combined mineral lode of hundreds of thousands of tonnes from comets nearest to Earth. With such a sudden and strong validation of her geological survey program, Administrator Lloyd noted a prominent silence among the mineral-naysayers that had decried her as having wasted billions on nothing of substance.
With a small, hardy core of conspiracy theorists calling this data dump a hoax, the Administrator enticed some of the more wild fans to present any evidence of 'Manufactured data' or 'TN-materials-being impossible'. Evie waited now with gripping anticipation, to see if there would be any positive data from the main bodies of the solar system.
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Ahhh man, I lost power nine years in to the next decade. Welp, time to redo this. Evie didn't win the coin flip last playthrough, but I decided to roll it all again rather than try repeating the same decade of gameplay/hours of typing. Let's go Administrator Lloyd!
This ended up being all RP though. I know nuclearslurpee gets unfathomably deep in to the RP and politics and I love him for it (death to the Bellepheron Class and all of its' advocates) but is this too much RP for not enough gameplay? We're still not even in space proper
To most, it came as little surprise that incumbent Evie Lloyd had won an otherwise fiercely contested election. With extraterrestrial mineral data validating her chosen course of action, a grand surplus delivered, and industrial capacity growing by the day - her detractors had few points to argue on beyond criticism of her handling of domestic terrorism and allegations of national favoritism. With millions of dedicated scientists, tens of millions of productive public servants, and the nations of the superstate in boom - it was time for long-dreamt plans to be announced. Born in science fiction and sculpted by her dreams, the object of her desire would soon be made real. Humanity could have it all if only they would continue her support.
Within the Grand Hall of Representatives, the combined political rabble of almost a hundred nations sat, holding for the decennial speech that had become quite the tradition within the Grand Union. Countless voices filled the spacious auditorium with diplomatic formality and vapid pleasantries while elected officials, their guests, and a legion of translators held countless conversations amongst themselves. Patiently standing afront the squalls of conversation, Evie waited for the din to subside.
"Ladies and Gentlemen", she spoke - her voice amplified threefold beyond the squall. Ripples of conversation ensued as translators began their work.
"After almost a third of a century, you have all been so patient to allow us to continue our work. Many of us had yet to begin our political careers when this movement began, and yet we stand together even now. To those who's candidates were not victorious - I thank you for voting with your conscience, and I hope to do you proud in their stead. Your kindness in allowing our work to continue - directly or otherwise - is appreciated beyond what my words can express".
"If I may," she paused "I'd like to return this kindness by telling you all a story. A story of both fact, and fiction. A story that occurred thousands, tens of thousands, and millions of years ago - All of them at once, yet only one of them at all. A story of our Adam; our Eve - without whom we would not be standing here today. This is the story of Aeve, and this is the story of the First Step. "
Evie took a deep breath and a sip of water, and began telling the story that she had so long been retelling to herself.
"On this day, whether it be the brightest day or darkest night, we find ourselves. Amongst trees long-since gone, amidst a field now built or buried and at the surface of a primeval ocean, we meet Aeve. Aeve looks just like us, perhaps shorter, perhaps hairier, and perhaps nothing like us at all. Aeve stands, or swims, or lies on their back and it is like this that we meet them.
Craning their primitive vertebrae, Aeve looks up. Neither searching for food, nor scanning for predators. Aeve simply looks up, and for the first time notices the stars. A smattering amongst the clouds; one twinkling light lasting in defiance of a coming dawn; perhaps a dazzling display of constellations we today wouldn't even recognize
Does this gaze last a moment? an instant? an hour? During this gaze, Aeve watches the stars - dancing for them and only them amongst all the world".
Evie took a moment to sip a glass of water, and allowed the translators to continue their work of disseminating her message. Without them, she was making noise every bit as pointlessly as the diplomats before her had been only moments earlier.
"And this moment, ladies and gentlemen, comes to an end. Aeve returns their gaze to the world, and after moments or hours begins to move again. Whether swimming or walking, Aeve takes their first step, back again in the 'real world'. This step began a journey - A journey first to discover, then understand, then reach the bodies and stars of this universe. Every child of Aeve, every one of their descendants up to and including us has been on this journey. Every step our ancestors have taken has gotten us closer to the stars, the planets, and the adventures of the universe, and with but a few final steps we will reach the destination of all humanity - a trillion daydreams met by infinite stars, holding every adventure within".
Evie had admittedly been thinking of that moment a lot lately - having dreamed it up once as a youth and having held it within her secretly for decades. It sounded so childish once, but the reality of a humanity beyond Earth had become so increasingly plausible that it seemed impossible now to avoid. Perhaps this is the boundless optimism earlier space-enthusiasts had felt during the First and Second space races prior to the Great Crash of 2025.
Holding for an unexpected applause, Evie had to wait but one more moment to release her life-long ambition. Evie described to the crowd her plan to build a surface-to-space transit system and an unprecedented astronautical port, which would allow cost-effective transfer of people and cargo to orbit. As airports and seaports opened up the world horizontally, the first-ever 'spaceport' would open up to humanity the universe itself. With the world in front of her through seat or screen, she revealed her final plan - The creation of an orbital shipbuilding facility capable of creating the spacefaring vessels that would allow any qualified and willing person to become their own Armstrong, Carver, or Macarthur. With her televised speech beaming across the world, she and her jubilant supporters looked forward to beginning the projects that would forever mark mankind.
Within the crowd was a man solemn amidst the revelry. A man standing incredulously amidst his supporters, barely able to suppress one of the coughing fits that had for so long haunted him. How could these delegates have voted for her, her flowery speeches, and her naive optimism? The Grand Union needed an unrelentingly-powerful economic base and military security more than it needed words and self-confessed daydreams. Even now, populist politicians the world across scapegoated the GUN for the problems of their state - threatening to withdraw as suited their whims - and with tensions between authoritarian Eastern nations and the liberal West on the rise, the threat of a schism cleaving the Union apart were growing.
Without either neutralizing the threat of secession or disintegration, or overwhelming the projects' expense this would a white elephant that would doom mankind's attempts at spacefaring until long after his Grandchildren were dead. The mineral wealth of a hundred million celestial bodies ought be the domain of humanity, and every habitable world to be discovered and colonized would reduce poverty and suffering across all mankind. If he were to live long enough to see the very dreams Administrator Lloyd kept talking about, Conor Hicks would have to replace her.
-
January 1 2070 -
Immediately following her inaugural speech, Administrator Evie Lloyd committed fully to diverting industrial resources towards these new projects. While the dual industrial and financial centers she had guided in Lagos would support the next stage of humanities ambitions, it would be well-insufficient in its' present state to either construct or fund these mega-projects. Having faced two decades of baseless accusation regarding corruption regarding Nigerian/GUN development contracts, it would be necessary to build a sequence of factories of unprecedented size - Somewhere warm-weather, with agreeable living standards and existing local infrastructure, and with a substantial existing port.
With an estimated quarter-million workers necessary to keep that factory in production, she instructed her new secretary Kg Zami Myo to head a team to determine the most willing and practical nations and sites. With papers signed and resources released already, Zami would be vested with power to approve or decline the location propositions of this facility if and when a site was chosen, with only a perfunctory signing off from Evie.
With her now-tangible goal of developing a system of interplanetary transport, Evie also began sending invitations to dozens of members of the globes military leadership. If there was to be a new dimension of commercial and military naval command, a recruitment drive begun too early was far better than too late.
Finally before closing all commlinks and videos for the day, she sent a final email to He Win Lu, savior of the Lloyd-class launch platform. It would be necessary to continue research on armour sheathes and plating for any eventual space-born vessels. The mission profile for ships would change significantly with the removal of atmospheric activity, and it would be necessary for armour to develop alongside it.
April 1 2070 -
As was becoming tradition, a new wave of small satellites were launched from the ageing Lloyd-class launch platforms. Within days, three dozen more of Eve Flynns' mainstay survey rockets were sent out to the aether. Having received permission to source targets of their own rather than rely on old command chains, Lieutenant Commander Konjit Li'ol took delight in targeting comets that had escaped earlier notice due to their long orbits and distant location. Many of the latest bodies would beam back information within months, given their small size.
Konjit considered whether to send a wave of satellites to bolster GUN mineral exploration on the major bodies - With substantially more data still being crunched by their autonomous AI cores, it was anybodies guess whether additional survey satellites would be of any assistance, or indeed whether the results would be back by decades end. Surely though, the fabled Flynn rockets final stage could feasibly be replaced by a new generation of satellites with a far more substantial complement of survey equipment.
As the Lloyd-class shuddered at the next waves' launch, Konjit pondered the longevity of the platform she was stationed on. A relic of the late 50s, they were the spark that led her down the path of astronavigational study at gUNI. Born in '41, the Lieutenant Commander Konjit had watched their initial construction and launches during her final years in highschool, and within her they'd created an unquenchable passion. Feeling the launch through every beam and surface, Konjit still held wonder for each launch and began the next step of the launch sequence.
Each launch of such a substantial payload interrupted their velocity by up to several kilometers per second, and she would now have to adjust with its' small and largely powerless side-mounted thrusters. With that task taken care of though, Konjit returned to the crew entertainment screen - she and her two crewmates were in a linked, 3-v-3 game against their sibling platform and their turn was beginning.
August 27 2070 -
Smiling, Administrator Lloyd received news of the receipt of a new mineral data packet from the Sol-spanning Geographical survey. Officially the newly-surveyed Wild comet was now the third most geologically-valuable body within the solar system, beaten by only the Comas Sola comet, and Earth itself. With more satellites reaching moons and bodies missed in earlier years, data continued to flow from even the smallest Solar objects.
Earths' mineral contents were now mostly eclipsed by the comets of the system. Evie knew that despite the early Lunar setback, soon it would be known that there were deposits on other planets that would dwarf even Earths' generous reserves. Amidst mixed opinions on the matter, her plans to develop humanity to a multi-planet species hinged on those planets being worth colonising. To secure support in creating the ships of humanities future, Evie needed a geological win.
January 03 2073 -
In continuation of a disappointing series or results; the combined moons of Earth and Mars, and the entirety of Mercury had come up barren. Devoid of nonconventional geology, it would be unlikely substantial human presence would ever eventuate on these convenient local bodies. Though hope for Martian colonisation continued, it was beginning to look increasingly unlikely that human habitation within the inner system would be a wise decision.
Geophysicists were agast, unsure whether or not conventional models of the formation of Earth were correct. If all the large observed bodies of the Solar system were bereft of this geology, how was it possible that Earth was somehow held all these blessings?
Administrator Lloyd had long been funding an unconventional laboratory within Myanmar, with U Myo Htun continuing research into the potential for trans-system transit. On the back burner now for decades, she grappled with whether or not to cut his funds to redouble focus on Sol's affairs, or to double it in search of more verdant extra-solar fields. Amidst a growing concern about the pattern of the last four major body surveys, Evie decided that for now, the course would be maintained while more data was received.
July 02 2073 -
Recieving word from Secretary Zami that construction of the Irish megafactory was complete, Evie authorised redoubling of construction efforts to build the first human orbital shipyard. At the behest of the heads of staff of the still-forming naval High Command, she also moved to cut scientist Htun's involvement with the still-fictional FTL research project. His ability to visualise the dynamic stresses of intersystem transit on drive components would be useful for a much closer-to-home project - Heading the research team attempting to create a new generation of hydrocarbon-powered interplanetary engines. With dedication and priority funding, it would be feasible to create an efficient, powerful engine prior to completion of the shipyard that would build these vessels.
Konjit Li'ol was ecstatic. After years of on-and-off rostering aboard the 'Flynn' launch platform, she had been promoted to Commander. This meant she would be qualified through service to begin naval training for eventual interplanetary vessels. She began to imagine herself at the helm of a ship, steering towards planets she could only see via telescope. Smiling still, she wondered if she would miss the Flynn, and whether or not she would work with and of her former crewmates again. Cramped, aging, and coming to a state of obsolescence, she was glad to have served the Flynn, and wished its' new Officer Karina Brandt the best before departing back to Earth.
September 25 2074 -
A small transmission from the outer system began feeding data to the terrestrial satellite web. Bouncing from one to another, the signal was met with elation and relief. The survey of Uranus had been completed by its' diligent and ageing satellite array. 'The Herschels' as they were known, were four satellites nicknamed William, John, Issak, and Anna. Dutifully, they had scanned the entirety of the body with a resolution of within one square meter. Holding this data and using the most advanced predictive algorithms, the Herschels had finished their namesakes' study and determined Uranus contained over seventy-three times the amount of Sorium as Earth.
With a margin of error of less than 1%, the Herschel family had determined there to be over slightly under fourty-one million tonnes of the exotic material - enough to make well over eighty billion litres of starship fuel. Though the solid bodies of the Solar system had thus remained barren, the comets and now gas giants of Sol appeared rife with opportunity. Having finished their decades-long task, the four satellites began to enter the atmosphere of Uranus - each gathering and sending their final atmospheric readings before going silent.
Having heard the news and still concerned about the lack of rocky planet readings amidst the celebration, Administrator Lloyd poked and prodded her administrative staff to find ways to divert more resources to the mega-project shipyard. Within hours construction efforts were increased by 7.2%, and even Evie allowed herself to celebrate.
August 10 2077 -
U Myo Htun had had more than enough of these shenanigans. He was not just bright, he was a genius. That administrator may keep showering him with praise but she continued to swap his funds and tasks like a woman-gone-mad, wasting his abilities and endangering his academic legacy. Not one year had gone by in his two decades of service without her mothballing him for some months, or now sending him on some godforsaken project to redesign the combustion engines that had been delivering payloads to orbit since the 1960s. In exchange for being given a modicum of funding security, he'd agreed to oversee this project. After wrangling teams of graduates and sorting out the technical specifications, he had finally completed the new 'Htun'-class interplanetary booster. Sending the files to his overseer (some overly enthusiastic secretary introducing herself as Zami), he briefly drafted his resignation before instead directly informing Administrator Lloyd that the job was done, and he expected his new team to continue assisting his work on the Grand Warp Theory.
With receipt of the new Myo Htun engines, the Department of Naval Design reconfigured their prototypes and reran their simulations, and soon returned good news to Administrator Lloyd - The new 'Discovery' class exploration ship would be ready as soon as shipyard construction was authorised; it needed only her signature. With a build time of approximately a year, the namesake Discovery would be ready on the current schedule by midyear 2069.
Evie was concerned. The expense of running all the political wheelings-and-dealings for those who supported her in her aspirations was beginning to grow like a cancer. With Wu, Green, and now Myo Htun all receiving substantial scientific grants for their own areas of interest, there was simply no money left for the other necessities of growth. To support the new naval expenses the Grand Union would soon be incurring, it seemed necessary to expand the GUNs control over the global financial system.
May 27 2078 -
Invisible to the naked eye during daylight, nightime stargazers of Earth had come to recognise the small, bright dot moving above them. Almost like a comet, the speck moved across the horizon every 90-or-so minutes, and could be seen from everywhere in the world less the polar regions. This most significant, moving speck was finally fully operational. Linked to a hundred launch sites spread across the globe, the dot was the combined effort of the entire human race. Property of the United Nations Exploration Command, or UNEC, the shipyard was officially christened 'UNEC Shipyard 01' at 9:31:40 GST, May 27th 2078.
Speaking at the opening ceremony within a small conference room aboard the megaproject, Rear Admiral Gregiore Couture spoke to a crowd of thousands watching from miles below, all across the globe. A friendly man of admittedly few words, the speech was over in less than a minute. With a smile and the push of a button, systems were engaged for the laying of the yards' first ever hull. Somewhere below, Evie Lloyd viewed the short transmission with a teary eye. After fourty years her dream had begun to come true, and soon the Discovery would herald a new era of spaceflight.
Drawing now-unused industrial capacity from building the station, she now moved to finish its' surrounding infrastructure. With many of its' orbital components assembled and with ground connection sites underway, the first astroport would be finished in late 2081, allowing free movement between Earth and Space.
July 26 2078 -
July 26 2078 was a day that saw the instantaneous silencing of the bulk of Administrator Lloyd's more vocal detractors. Beaming live from two pairs of twin martian satellites, receipt of the geological findings of Mars cemented it as presently the most resource-abundant body in the solar system. Eclipsing Uranus in both deposit volume and variety, Mars possessed deposits of three Trans-Newtonian materials.
Over eleven million tonnes of Corbomite only a small distance under the surface, almost fifteen million tonnes of Sorium at a moderately-accessible depth, and twenty-two million tonnes of Gallicite, buried deep within the core. With this final validation, Administrator Lloyd had convinced the waiting world that there was indeed sound reason to expand beyond humanities' terrestrial boundary. With the last of their final message transmitted, the autonomous satellites changed course to impact the Meridiani Planum, to rest not too distantly from the lost Opportunity Rover.
With the structure of the very first Discovery class ship growing within the shipyard of UNEC, the future seemed bright. In recognition of the twilight of the program, the two venerable Lloyd-class launch complexes were sent out of orbit, to burn up over the Pacific.
November 28 2078 -
Commander Li'ol sat at the helm of the Discovery. The third spacefaring vessel she had ever been on, she noted the contrast between the sleek, new interior of the Discovery against her last command position aboard the Flynn. Too small to host a dedicated bridge, the Discovery instead had an unpartitioned control space nestled between the common room and one of the auxilliary oxygen scrubber systems. From here, she could engage each of the ships modules, while also keeping watch over the twenty five other members of her crew. Hand-picked by Administrator Lloyd, it was her job to keep both the twenty GUN crewmembers and the five directly-sourced international astronauts from eachothers throats for up to four years.
While largely more spacious than a Lloyd, and an order of magnitude moreso than the old ISS, it was impossible to how even these well-disciplined men and women would react given the intense proximity they were to maintain. Looking to the split crew that would operate with her this shift, she instructed them to engage the engines and depart the ringed shipyard surrounding them. Surrounding the ship and crew were the tiny forms of several thousand yardworkers celebrating the launch from aboard the yard itself.
Though specks to one another at a distance of several hundred feet, both teams waved furiously at one another through any window or viewing platform they could find. Not visible to either crew were the hundreds of thousands watching from streaming services and telescopes across the world beneath. The workers seized the celebration while they could; within a day, the last of the construction detritus would be cleared and the months-long process would begin anew.
June 01 2079 -
With the decade drawing to a close, Administrator Lloyd knew she had to make the most of the photo opportunity presented by the launch of the second Discovery class vessel. The 'UNEC 0004 - Adventure'. Boarding a flight to orbit for the first time, Evie for the very first time witnessed the result of her works with her own eyes. Nestled within the arms of the vast shipyard was the ship she had spent so many hours dreaming of. Watching from a viewing platform in the Lead Shipwrights office, she felt a vibration as the ship departed to a modest fanfare - The launching of these ships would one day be routine, and would fail to attract attention from anyone other than the most die-hard space fans. For now though, she felt wonderment at the sight.
Ensuring the opportunity was not wasted, she held a private meeting with the construction supervisor. She and the GUN had been driven to the very brink of bankruptcy by these projects, and if funding for his generous salary was to continue he would have to better his performance - Each Discovery was simultaneously an expense the GUN could not afford, while also being a diplomatic and cultural asset the GUN could not afford to lose.
Waving off the young and enthusiastic Lieutenant Dario Hume before he departed to take the helm of the Adventure, Evie wondered if there would be a future for him if the GUNs financial disarray was not put in check. Quietly, she ordered that the third of the sister Discovery ships be the last, for now.
September 29 2079 -
Lieutenant Dario Hume was happy, and so was his crew. All twenty-six of them were the first human crew to detect elusive trans-newtonian elements offworld. Lt. Hume couldn't hide his pride to have beaten Commander Konjit Li'ol to have found a deposit first, especially given her substantial head start. In celebration, the Adventure sent a request to rename the asteroid from 9969 Braille to Dario 1. It wouldn't be accepted of course, but in this moment of triumph anything was possible.
Back on Earth, Administrator Evie Lloyd was in crisis. Earth could maintain three Discovery class ships with proper rotation. However, the system of transport threatened to collapse without furhter development - development she could neither afford nor delay. With her fifth election coming up, she needed for the GUN and herself to appear stronger than neutronium as support for th-*= wheezing Conor Hicks continued to grow. Delays had pushed the opening of the astroport back to early 2082, and her critics continued to doubt if the budget would even hold out to the 2083-84 financial year, when the GUN was predicted to be back in good financial health.
Commander Konjit had been bored for some time now. Having spent ten months and a day further away from home than any human had ever been, she and her crew had been chasing what they had begun to call 'ghosts' in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids with the borderline-magic mineral deposits that even the brightest geophysicists couldn't prove existed. Receiving news that the cocky Lieutenant Hume had beaten her crew in finding their shared target, and even requesting they rename a celestial body after him was precisely enough to reignite her competitive side.
Stopping herself from transmitting a less-than-gracious message to her new rival, she instead chose to think positive - There were ghosts here to amidst the debris, and come hell or high water she and her crew would find them first.
-
As always I shudder slightly at the challenge of a conventional start, though I suppose it does make the achievements all the more rewarding when they finally come.
At the moment a fleet of asteroid miners looks the way to go, though given the limitation on military only shipyards that's not going to be possible for quite some time. I wonder how GUN will resolve that problem when the time comes.
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Administrator Lloyd has won four of five election rerolls, with the exception being the first crashed 2070 play. I would have tried giving her more RP decades ago if i'd known she'd still be here now. She's now my longest-serving democratic leader for any play-through, if only by a power trip. Hey El Pip!
January 27 2080 -
Evie Lloyd rejoiced. She had won the election, and won by such a margin that Conor Hicks withdrew to retirement immediately after results were released. The Hicks political movement had taught her that the sensation of security was every bit as important as sensations of hope, and she instructed her cabinet that the first order of business after rectifying the GUN financial sheets would be increasing military research, and doubling staff of the Peace Corps at a minimum. Calling her old gUNI friend Eve Flynn, Administrator Lloyd requested a meeting to discuss the relevance of ballistic technology for naval defense.
April 26 2080
The friendly rivalry between the young Dario Hume and his senior Konjit Li'ol had developed somewhat over the last few months upon Konjit learning that Lieutenant Commander Dario been granted his renaming request (Braille 9969 Dario 1 being the first TN-composite asteroid ever discovered). Scrawny and often awkward, Dario was in Konjit's opinion the perfect target to pester, and begun what would become months of trash-talk.
Taking any opportunity to fluster her competition and at behest of her crew, months of mock fighting, sarcasm and critique flew both ways through the Solar void between the sister ships. Every empty asteroid would spur another round of teasing, and both crews and their leaders worked all the harder for it. Communications were delayed by some hours, so there was never a heated exchange for them to have. After months of public trash-talk had become some soft and private flirting. Dario and Konjit had found themselves both infuriated and infatuated by one another and with a promotion for Lt. Com. Dario being discussed by naval command, it was Konjit's recommendation and reference that saw him promoted to her equal.
Now both Commanders of the Grand Union, both Dario and Konjit were intensely concerned with just two things. Firstly, beating the other in finding the next 'ghost'. Secondly, they would Censored! for their entire inter-deployment period in some thirty-odd months. GUN protocol forbade shipboard romance, but outside the confines of the void GUN naval personnel were still human, and permitted to act as such.
June 25 2080 -
The UNEC 0005 launched to mild celebration, several hundred kilometres above a Category 4 typhoon. Known as the Innovation, the third sister ship had been delayed several months by administrative bungle. Though Administrator Lloyd dearly wished to attend the celebration of the Innovation, the destruction the storm was doing to GUN assets required her somber, undivided attention. Headed by Lieutenant Commander Park Jae-Min, the Innovation would not continue the task of her sister ships in the asteroid belt. Rather, the Innovation would head to the Jovian moons and other small bodies, scanning stragglers while the venerable autonomous satellite network continued to do its work.
About six hundred million miles away from the Administrators' main concerns, the Discovery had a major problem. Only one and a half years in to its' work, a poorly-connected duranium plate detached and cut through a crucial nexus of wiring within its' primary geological sensor - the resulting short blew fuses and wiring across the ship, requiring Konjit and crew to scrounge and raid almost the ships entire supply of spare materials. With all systems still functional if not somewhat jerry-rigged, Commander Konjit made the decision to return to Earth for refit after the current scan, prior to any further accidents that could leave the first-ever true spaceship dead in the water. With an estimated 160% supply of material at hand to fix any unlikely engine troubles, her confidence assuaged the doubts of her crush-cross-competitor.
Acknowledged by both, yet spoken by neither was the fact that the refit would alter Konjit's planetside schedule, and they would not have the opportunity to personally meet. Spacefaring naval personnel live under tyranny of distance. Forced to miss births, sicknesses, funerals, and all Earths events' in between.
July 21 2081
With the Discovery in refit on Earth and with Captain Emma von Rosenheim retiring, Dario Hume received an entirely unexpected offer. Fifteen months after his Konjit-assisted promotion, he received the chance to take her vacancy. As the current most-famous explorer of the day, it appeared he was in demand back home. By taking Captaincy, he would be of too high a rank to remain aboard the Adventure, and would have to head back to Earth early.
Back to Konjit.
Having just finished a survey of Eurynome, Captain Hume issued orders to alter course from Vanadis to Earth, to refit and meet the woman of his infatuation. He would of course be gracious in acknowledging he was her senior, and would certainly tease her one bit. In truth, with her seventeen years older, serving seventeen years longer, and responsible for the majority of the original survey satellites of the Solar system he wondered just how she could have been passed over for promotion. As acknowledgement from his crew confirmed their new direction, he began feeling nervous over their eventual meeting, dread slowly following.
October 18 2081
After two months together on good old-fashioned ground, Konjit and Dario sat together in a park midway through what was locally Spring. Surrounded by spring wildflowers and lawn bordered by large trees, they were only a few miles from the tertiary transit hub of Administrator Lloyd's fabled spaceport. Having spent yet another day together, Konjit received a buzz on her iPhone XXii. Naval rostering had determined the crew to be sufficiently rested from their deployment, and had been scheduled to resume normal ground-based duties the following week. Within months, the combination of refit-completion and the opening of the new port would surely see her depart for up to another four years. Sensing a need to make the most of it, she huddled closer to him amidst the bloom.
15 February 2081
The day after valentines day 2081 marked the grand opening of the global spaceport. With the combined opening ceremonies of transit hubs across the globe, the first influx of cargo and passenger-laden shuttles launched. Each of the thousand shuttles now in operation would allow travel or delivery in hours what would have previously taken days or months. Konjit and Dario knew this would be the last few days they would have together, and planned to make the most of it.
Thousands of miles away, Administrator Lloyd reshuffled the industrial priorities of the GUN. With cargo and people transfers now economically feasible, it was would soon be time to generate designs for the first off-world freighters and ferries. These ships would enable humanities expansion amidst the Solar system, though admittedly they would have no current destination. Evie began to attend a scheduled series of meetings to determine the feasibility and options for any potential extraterrestrial colony.
With Luna so close, it was possible that it would serve as a test bed for humanities colonization efforts. With Luna being an object of human fascination for so many millennia, its' colonization would increase awareness, public sentiment, and excitement for future space expansion. Its' sole drawback was the absence of trans-newtonian elements. These elements had cemented Mars in the industrial forefront, and would be greatly used against any pro-lunar argument. In addition, its' small size would only enable a GUN presence of several million colonists - an undersized colony without true purpose. The final argument from the anti-lunar side were that any colony or industrial activity would detract from the primordial beauty of the Moon, and that lights and industrial pollution would befoul humanities' collective property.
More distant and more fierce, Mars presented an entirely different opportunity. With vast sandstorms, high radiation, and the possibility of marsquakes, it was entirely feasible that any colony would be destroyed through catastrophe, or would never develop due to logistical concern and cost. With half the Earths' size yet no oceans, there would be vastly many more sites to choose from and its' capacity for development would surely represent that. With almost three dozen million GUN colonists amidst scores from other nations, Mars would become a boon to all humanity. With its' rich deposits of three of the eleven currently-discovered Trans-Newtonian materials, it also presented an opportunity for extraction and geological study.
With consensus not reached and with further debate about the social and political implications of becoming a multi-planet species, Administrator Lloyd decided to create a new naval and administrative command. The United Nations Colonial Command [UNCC] would determine the most suitable course of action, and would later manage the logistical elements of these interplanetary developments.
February 5 2084 -
Chatter amidst the solar system was briefly interrupted by the chirps of several almost-forgotten satellites. The sister satellites over Titan had finally completed their mission and determined that under the dense clouds of nitrogen and methane, the moon was the third-most bountiful body surveyed in the solar system. With vast quantities of Uridium and Corundium, it appeared feasible that perhaps one of Earths first colonies would orbit amidst the rings of Saturn. Millions of miles away, the news was relayed to the three sister ships of the Discovery class, causing many mixed feelings. After years, Dario 1 remained the only ghost discovered, and thus far the belt continued to prove itself barren.
For now, venerable drones continued to work in tandem with their living counterparts to try and discover all that there was to find in the Solar system.
July 4 2084 -
And with the silent search broken for a moment, a message came from Exploration Corps 02. Formerly commanded by Dario Hume, the Adventure had found the second-ever asteroid to contain trans-newtonian material. Konjit was sure to ignore any earth-sent messages from Captain Hume regarding the Adventures' 2:0 lead over the Discovery, and congratulated the Adventures' crew and Lt. Commander Kimba over their find.
Still stationed over Ganymede, the Innovation requested both kindly shut up as they had yet to leave the moon since beginning deployment, and by tonnage of minerals discovered rather than instances of minerals, they would surely yet win the contest.
March 1 2085 -
Finally able to offer a proper response, Lieutenant Commander Kimba allowed her crew to type the next message. Quite short, they had quite diplomatically agreed to the simple message:
'3:0:0'
Uproar ensued for hours as her sister ships composed their response, as the Adventure continued a winning streak that made news headlines.
April 30 2085 -
And another message was sent
'4:0:0'
With such a streak, it was no longer a surprise that gamblers back on earth had become embedded in the action. Though Administrator Lloyd would by no means be using her insider knowledge of fleet movements to determine the most likely next winner, she simply couldn't resist placing a quiet $100 bet on the Innovation being next to discover a body, and a smaller $50 bet on the Discovery. She'd always liked an underdog, and at any rate there were very favorable odds on both by this point, as the growing fame of the Adventure had begun to influence bookmakers the globe across.
August 28 2085 -
And with patience, diligence, and the opportunity to finally oust the Adventure's confidence came Commander Konjit's news - On the final asteroid before returning for a months-overdue refit, there were exactly 20,000 tonnes of Tritanium of the asteroid Adelheid. Triumphantly, Konjit began plotting the course back to Earth with an ahead message of
'Got one. 4:1'.
Already en-route for refit aboard the Innovation, Lieutenant Commander Menard maintained that scanning asteroids was childs-play, and returning to the moons of Jupiter would yet yield mineral riches.
Being only thirty months in to their latest deployment and with supplies to last, Kimba and crew was eager to continue working without competition - Getting a 5:1:0 before the others returned would see them return to Earth as champions.
October 22 2086 -
Schmoozing for years, Dario Hume had become quite popular amongst naval command. With the venerable Admiral Couture retiring, the twenty-eight year old had been hand-picked for promotion. He was now de-facto head of humanities' navy, and could assign, task, and promote whomever he wished. While the crew of the Innovation left departed from Earth after their latest overhaul, Admiral Hume sent a private message to Commander Konjit. He and she were on equal footing in the history books, having both discovered important TN deposits. If she wished, he would grant her a higher position to remain on Earth indefinitely.
Turns out I missed Dario's promotion to Rear Admiral (Lower half) in January 2086. Whoops!
Febuary 19 2087 -
Commander Konjit had decided to return to Earth after her current deployment. With permission granted, she would serve from Headquarters rather than offworld. With that in mind, her discovery of the second-in-a-row mineral deposit came as a welcome surprise. With her main rivals of the Adventure soon scheduled to be overhauled for many months, she only needed a few lucky breaks to return as 'Number One'.
In announcing her discovery she included a small and veiled joke towards Dario. Given that she had now discovered more asteroids than the fabled Admiral Hume, would it not be fitting to rename '46 Hestia' the 'Konjit 2'?
May 20 2087 -
And with news sites blaring information, the famous Commander Konjit had narrowed the gap to 3:4. With her intial renaming request declined due to there not being a 'Konjit 1', Hestia had been renamed Konjit to honour its' surveyor.
With a second deposit discovered, the chance was now here for her to seize the day over Admiral Dario and his insignificant rock, the 'Dario 1'. Taking the high ground however, Konjit decided against submitting a renaming request and instead allowed her crew a good-natured taunt towards the Adventure's crew - who were still stuck paralyzed in overhaul.
November 16 2087 -
And with the Adventure having set back out the month earlier, Commander Konjit was amidst intense competition. With yet another rock discovered (her third), Konjit's Discovery and Kimba's Adventure were neck-and-neck at 4:4. Eyes were on the rival sisters, as news organisations and bookmakers alike continued reporting the celestial competition.
Watching this from above a small and quiet moon of Saturn, Lt. Commander Menard lamented her distant duty. Without a single deposit discovered over these minor moons thus far, it appeared the Innovation stood no chance of victory. Quietly however, she had won good money on a bet on Commander Konjit some years back, and had put those winnings on Konjit discovering the next mineral deposit.
June 14 2088 -
And with the survey of Kassandra complete, Commander Konjit pulled in to first place. At 5:4:0, the Discovery had finally overtaken the Adventure as humanity's preeminent survey ship. With good money flowing to punters all across the system, Konjit decided it would be best to not just return to Earth after deployment, but to retire altogether. The last few years had been the most wonderful closure to the last few decades, having all started with the launch of the ancient Lloyd-class platforms. Also considering retirement was administrator Evie. Coming up to a half-century of service, she had decided to gracefully retire. With her dreams complete, there would be new a new administrator come 2090.
10 January 2089 -
Within a short order, Monday had hosted two very mixed events for Exploration Command. Firstly, the decade-old equipment aboard the Discovery had given up the ghost and required substantial repair. In contrast, the oft-forgotten Innovation had discovered its' first noteworthy moon. Orbiting Saturn, Enceladus hosted over three hundred and sixty thousand tonnes of TN materials. With five known kinds present, this would be the widest-variety concentration yet discovered outside Earth.
Lt. Commander Menard proudly announced that by weight, the Innovation was now in a firm lead in the competition. Responding independently from across the asteroid belt, both the Discovery and the Adventure returned an identical message:
'5:4:1'
With simultaneous damage to the Discovery and Commander Konjit's upcoming retirement, in addition to the highly disputed 'tonnage victory' of the Innovation, the three rivals agreed to announcing an amicable draw. Each commanding officer and crew however, knew in their heart of hearts that they had won the contest.`
December 31 2089 -
In the dawn light over Italy, a shuttle approached. Ferrying passengers from the orbital port above to a repurposed airport in L'Aquila. Descending through the atmosphere, Konjit Li'ol began to wonder about life after service. Having smuggled a peach-sized space-rock back through customs, she planned her New Years. Being a modest celebrity astronaut and hero of the GUN, she had managed to convince a jeweler nearby her to see her today. Though normally closed for NYE, the elderly jeweler would work all day to turn the stone from a streaky charred lump to two unique, polished, and unadorned rings.
With a GUN New Years Eve party and retirement celebration coming up, Konjit knew she needed to meet a certain man during the night party. By evenings' end, the famous explorer Konjit and the esteemed Admiral Hume would finally be engaged.
Addressing the members of GUN one last time as Administrator, Evie Lloyd bid them farewell and the best. With her lifelong dreams fulfilled at 71, she would watch from retirement as humanity began to make the most of what she had built them.
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Ahh, I forgot to re-add attachments after closing the tab. Below is just the final screenshots of Evie and Konjit.
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If you upload the screenshots to Imgur, you can then use the IMG tags to put the pictures into the body of the post. You can either use the picture button or type out [ IMG ] and [ /IMG ] around the URL of the image. Remember to include the .jpg at the end! And of course, without the empty spaces I had to leave there.
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30 January 2090 -
Addressing the crowd for the first time, new administrator Dobiegniew Koziol ordered a change of pace for the GUN. Never against stretching the truth, he declared that the "obvious" attack over sixty-five years ago that formed the GUN could reoccur and cripple humanity. Playing on fear, Administrator Koziol incited those listening to doubt their neighbors' intentions and to trust only the Union. Administrator Koziol would make a safe, secure Earth with only their modest contributions. It would only take a substantialminor tax-hike and a simple three-step program.
The first step would be the tripling of the GUN armed forces. After that, it would be expanded again as finance allowed. The second step would be investing substantial finance towards naval research. Simple and effective, both of these would secure GUN borders and keep any future insurrection in line. With his inaugural ceremony complete, Administrator Koziol headed to the office he would spend at least the next ten years in.
Entering the Office of the Administrator for the very first time, Koziol found it wanting. Tired, dated, and devoid of much more than an old retro-40s desk and some shelving, the new Administrator ordered refurbishment to begin within the month. With campaigning done, Administrator Koziol met with his advisory staff and determined that the best way for him to win again would be to prove himself Administrator Lloyd's superior. Quietly, he began drafting methods to build a new naval shipyard, even larger than Lloyds.
August 23 2091 -
Under command of Lieutenant Mads Holgersen, the Adventure reported distress back to Earth. As was the case with most Discovery class ships, accelerations and deceleration had once again detached a geological survey sensor plate. Without notice, the ship suffered immense electrical damage in the short, and did not have sufficient supplies to recover. Limping back to Earth, the Adventure would require significant repair at UNEC Shipyard 01.
What they did not realize was that orbiting several kilometres behind the fabled mega-structure, a new multi-armed shipyard was taking form.
Only a skeleton thus far, it was not visible from the ground without a telescope. Chasing the UNEC like a predator, it presently was little more than steel and duranium, and lacked the bright spark of the UNECs many lights. Within the decade however, Administrator Koziol would have it operational, and easily double the size of its' predecessor. More modular in design, it would also have the capacity to host multiple construction yards and was specifically planned to be a far more potent legacy.
September 11 2093 -
With sadness came the retirement of famed propulsion scientist U Myo Htun. Crucial in developing the Myo Htun engines that powered the Discovery fleet, U Myo Htun had remained gainfully employed within the GUNs Department of Power and Propulsion. Though considered odd for risking his academic legacy on trans-system travel, he had gained respect through the Unions' academic and political circles. An oddly energetic renegade, his somehow both rich and poor family would benefit from spending more time with him in retirement. Without him, the DPP would surely be set back in its' efforts.
November 30 2093 -
Lieutenant Commander Murumba Mwai was having a wonderful time lately. He had received command of the Discovery and found traces of trans-newtonian minerals in the asteroid belt all within his first month off-world. Already unpopular amongst his ship, his leadership style had been in question from his first week. Not in question now though were his results.
Though he dreamed of command over a true warship like those Administrator Koziol kept promising, news from Earth was that military research had stalled with the retirement of Eve Flynn. After an adventure in the meanwhile, Lt. Commander Mwai would continue his track through the asteroid belt. Though his request to rename his first asteroid after himself was declined, he had instructed the crew to call it 'Mwai Rock', regardless.
April 28 2096
The result of almost over a third of a centuries' work, the forth-final collection of Satellites beamed back their report from over the skies of Venus. With only satellites above Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto remaining, the Flynn class rocket now a dwindling species.
As was so often the case, the report contained no mention of trans-newtonian material. Though rich in many other desirable elements, GUN-sponsored mining would not occur on the second body of Sol. Secretly, Administrator Koziol was relieved. Besides Earth, only one major body between Sol and Jupiter had these elusive elements. With receipt of this data, the decision was made easily that the colonisation effort would begin at the turn of the century, and bring mankind to Mars. Preparations would begin
Febuary 22 2097 -
With the first stage of his new shipyard complete, Administrator Koziol signed off on its' expansion. With the monster-sized construct fully ready by November, he would need the engineering team working to design the new freighters to pull overtime shifts for at least the next half-year. If the yard was to begin construction on the new Koziol class freighters upon completion, there would need to be significant changes to Koziol designs. With the most advanced, pure duranium hulls they would be at their structural limits, but by midyear 2098 these freighters would start shipping around the clock. With cargo holds brimming with pre-fabricated colonial infrastructure, mining equipment, and assembly machines, there would be a substantial settlement prior to humans ever even stepping foot upon the red planet.
Releasing basic technical specs of the upcoming ships would prove a mistake however. Anticipating that the release would add to excitement over the eventual martian colony, critics instead saw the Koziol as having far too cramped a maintenance module and fuel nacelles of insufficient size for any safe transit other than between Earth and Mars. In addition, its' speed and fuel efficiency had gone down by a large margin when contrasted against the famed Discovery class. Rebuking practical concerns (while ignoring environmental worries), Administrator Koziol stated that the upcoming Koziol class would be capable of travelling up to two billion kilometres before having to refuel, and could thus feasibly reach as far as Jupiter and return without needing an in-group tanker to refuel them. Sacrificing longevity and onboard services for cargo capacity, the Koziol class would be a functional if uncomfortable mainstay of the Union for some years to come.
August 26 2097 -
With the controversy that surrounded the Koziol class, Administrator Koziol required good news. Though the colony would be laid per his schedule, public sentiment had shifted against him as the world continued to contrast him against the idealistic Administrator Lloyd. Determining that part of surpassing her would include replacing her legacy ships, Administrator Koziol began a flurry of ordinance:
Firstly, three new Discovery ships were ordered. Each launch of the mothballed exploration vessels had heralded new appreciation for the Unions' efforts thus far, and matching her constructions would surely improve his position. Commissioned in 2078-2080, the three original ships were becoming increasingly dated and preempting their eventual decommissioning would paint him during the elections as a forward-thinking legacy builder.
Secondly, two new multi-faceted science centers would be opened to increase the width and depth of the Unions' research. One would be dedicated to the study of wealth and markets, and headed by renowned economist Noah Rogiers. The second would continue the decades-long pet project of the Lloyd administration, researching seemingly-impossible faster-than-light travel. With any discovery in this field, credit would go to Administrator Koziol for discovering what Administrator Lloyd could not. If FTL-engines could be created, it was possible they could open up the solar system to Humanity. Even less likely, it had been hypothesized that even other star systems could be accessed using the long-fabled tech. Though the Administrator personally believed it far-fetched, the theory continued to be un-provable one way or the other.
November 24 2097
On Mars and rougher than intended, the first shuttle of the Koziol hit the ground on the summit caldera of Elysium Mons. Controlled remotely by a nervous member of its' trained-yet-inexperienced crew, the large shuttle would make a several trips over the course of an hour to drop prefabricated infrastructure within a relatively sheltered impact crater on the summits' North-West. With several other of these vessels behind, the spotty shuttle nicknamed 'Ladybird' began unloading procedures for the first time.
A site sheltered from the predominant winds by the caldera's large North-Western ridge, the summit would eventually become host for the majority of Martian Union activity. From a list proposed by experts the world across, the site was chosen out of a dozen potential destinations. Between dense local ore deposits in the stable igneous stone helping initial development, rich corbomite to the West, and with wild plans to terraform Mars in the very far future, the raised volcanic platform would form an ideal mountain or island-capital, far above the plains or seas.
While the nations of Earth would eventually follow in colonizing Mars, the Elysium Quadrangle and its' two dominant shield volcanoes would be sole domain of the Union. With the poll to determine its' name overruled (because nobody respectable would move to a city called Marsy McMarsFace, the overwhelming winner), the province and city of 'Elysium' would eventually become home to over thirty million.
July 5 2099 -
With the construction of eight Earth-to-Mars Freighters completed, and with the final addition to the Discovery fleet underway, Administrator Koziol reprimanded staff at the Department of Logistics. Tasked with creating a method of inducing two hundred people in to a safe and reversible coma for interplanetary transport had thus far yielded no results. Infuriated, Administrator Koziol stated that their funding would be cut and their academic careers ended if results were not given in time for Martian colonization.
With another total eight more Koziol freighters yet to be delivered by the giant, underfunded 'UNCC Shipyard 01', the refit for new as-yet-unfinished colony ships could not begin. Quietly, the Administrator thought to himself that in the event of transportation being feasible, there were now several people who might just find themselves marooned on Mars if their attitude and progress did not improve.
More pressing though; to support the growing navy there would need to be a diversion of funds and industry to allow for better fleet support. The last few years had been steadily eating into the national fuel reserve, and with the burn rate increasing it did not seem capable of lasting much longer. Not much time after that, so too would the various ship maintenance facilities on Earth reach their breaking point.
Thanks Garfunkel! The four-image limit was becoming a minor problem, with each decade becoming more filled in with gameplay rather than part-for-padding-part-for-fun roleplay
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A test of the imgr embedded pictures? I didn't include Murumba Mwai in last post because he had the good sense to retire within a decade of being posted aboard the Discovery. Good riddance, he seemed like a bit of a weenie.
(https://i.imgur.com/6hvumpt.png)
Ooh yes yes, embedded pictures. I intend to abuse the snot out of this.
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A conventional military-spec freighter. It was just as painful as I feared.
The second generation of GUN leaders are failing to match up to their predecessors. Mwai seems far worse than the first batch of Discovery captains, while Koziol does seem a bit unstable and an egomaniac (naming ships after yourself is never a good sign). Fingers crossed the election does not goes his way.
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In Aurora, much like life, the worst ones always get reelected. Conventional, tiny military freighters. What's not to love?
March 03 2100 -
Re-elected to the chagrin of over 40% of the voters, the triumphant Administrator Koziol watched the system-wide shipping map with a smile. Above him, he could see five ships of the Koziol class above Earth in overhaul after their colonization efforts of the last few years. Staggered in several smaller groups, six more continued their Martian journey laden with mining equipment and infrastructure. Alone, one final Koziol transited the void between Earth and Luna to establish the first Lunar colony. Largely, these efforts were a success. One besmirching error on his ventures however was the lack of humans transiting this void. The minor recession of the late 90's had damaged Union research effort as funds were diverted to more pressing concerns. The newly-named Napoleon class would not be ferrying colonists for some time yet, it seemed. With the global financial recovery well underway, it was now feasible to continue research on the matter.
Undesired, yet increasingly expected, was a small blip representing the Discovery hovering over Earth. Though scheduled to be in the Oort cloud now, the beleaguered first true ship of the Union was increasingly showing its' age at over two decades in the most brutal solar conditions. With eight years to go before decommissioning the UNEC 0003 - Discovery, time was running out to decide whether to moor it permanently to UNEC Shipyard 01 and continue maintaining it indefinitely or to have it scuttled like the old Lloyd class platforms. Ever looking for ways to dismantle the recently-deceased Evie Lloyd's legacy, Administrator Koziol would likely make the announcement to preserve or scuttle in a few days at her state-sponsored funeral.
April 21 2100 -
Discovered, then lost, then rediscovered and relost again and again over the better part of the 19th through to 20th centuries, a lonely rock coasted silently through orbit towards its' host star. 27P once again continued its twenty-eight year elliptical transit of the solar system as it had since time immemorial. Often forgotten or lost by astronomers due to its' distance and difficulty to spot, the elusive Crommelin remained a small, lonely speck within a mostly uncaring system. In all its' life, it had had only one visitor, and even the memory of that was fading.
Unique of all its' countless transits, this time it would not depart the inner system alone. In response to growing critique of Earths' blindness amidst the solar system, it had been determined that a small, experimental listening-post would be placed on the wanderer. The sole of its' kind for the time being, the otherwise diminutive Crommelin would bear a crown of radars, satellite dishes, and detectors until the end of time.
Justifying the cost of this faraway listening outpost would be the establishment of autonomous mines on the mineral-rich comet. Working tirelessly while the Crommelin was outside reach of Earths' growing freighter fleets, the mines would be emptied of their products as their host approached perihelion. During this particular transit however, there would only be a decade or so for the Crommelin to be developed before it slipped back out of range of the Koziels
The Administrator determined that hypothetically, many more of these listening posts could be constructed on-world and shipped in pieces to bodies all across the Solar System. Discouraged yet still not illegal, non-Union interplanetary travel had continued since the 1960s, and for security the Union would need far greater surveillance of all non-GUN movement. Stating that these developments would aid with understanding potentially-dangerous asteroids, Koziel secured the support he needed to begin the expensive Crommelin deployment.
Using the next few decades' data from these listening posts however, Koziel was also quite eager to hypothesize possible armament of the asteroid belt. With traffic and resource control in-system becoming gradually less-then-hypothetical, it was sure to one day become a point of contention between the many independent nations and those under the Union. Eventually, arming the main bodies between the inner and outer systems could prove advantageous to security on Earth, as would controlling the main thoroughfare to the outer-system. Administrator Koziel decided to preempt this, and began diverting a portion of the unions' once again dwindling funds towards weapons research.
September 12 2101
Inspecting one of the to-scale prototype accelerator arrays of the magnetic accelerator program, Bundi Martin was aghast. Incorrectly-fitted coils, wildly inefficient muzzles, and an ungodly mound of untamed wiring. Administrator Koziol would be here within the week to check up on progress and he would surely have his head for the disarray of the program.
Word around was that there would be small, technical research positions available off-world once colonised, and some of these were speculated to be less-than-voluntary. Hyperventilating, Bundi Martin rushed to his office alone. Some hours later, he would be found dead of natural causes. Considering it a likely heart attack, the advice was to shutter the program until a specialist of the area could be found to reorganize the program. Academy Commandant Kapuku Makaya had seen a rich crop of graduates in recent years, but under her guidance gUNI had failed to produce even a single kinetic-weapons expert since the late Dr. Martin.
Endeavoring to fill the gap, Administrator Koziol instead offered the flexible-if-grim Doctor Ramiro Leote a position: Restructure the mag-accelerator program and retrain from sensors to weapons development, or act as head surveillance operator on-site at the under-construction Crommelin listening post. According to the Administrator, a tenure of some years alone on the six-kilometre rock would surely aid understanding of the intricacies of operating such an endeavor, perhaps even being critical to the success of the program.
With his choice begrudgingly made, Dr. Leote would remain on Earth and swore to himself there might just be an accident in the lab, should the Administrator ever decide to view progress in person.
November 21 2101 -
With the solar system survey approximately 74% complete, the six ships of the Discovery class plied the Oort Cloud as best they could searching for trans-newtonian ghosts. In the farthest reaches of Solar space, one hundred fifty six men and women of the Union searched for the rarest of minerals, each occasionally delving further than any human had ever been from the comforting light of the Sun. With this though, finally came the unfortunate reality that their small ships were never designed to reach the clouds' outermost bodies.
Moving to address this, the engineers of the Union released designs for a new Outreach class fuel tanker, to escort the fabled survey sisters to the outer regions. Enraging Administrator Koziol, these unprompted designs offered much critique of his recent exploration fleet expansions. By altering their designs somewhat, a new model of Discovery would have had the easy ability to reach the outer regions - but by keeping them as they were, the ships Administrator Koziol built were obsolete from the start.
Conceding defeat, Administrator Koziol tasked the grand shipyard of the UNCC to begin construction of seemingly the last two Koziol class freighters. Assuming the designs held up to scrutiny in the meanwhile, retooling for construction of two test tankers would begin in early 2102. The fleets of the Exploration Command would be reshuffled to two multi-ship exploratory fleets, and if this proved a success Administrator Koziol considered whether the new tanker inclusions could allow even the short-ranged Koziol freighters to reach the outer system, finally silencing their and his critics.
March 31 2103 -
Infuriated, Administrator Koziol asked one last time if Dr. Brod had mis-communicated. Almost as if by magic, the troublemaker had announced he had cracked the specifications of safe colonial transport not even one week after the hulls of the two new Outreach tankers had been laid. Demanding six months of shipbuilding apiece, the new tankers were now the sole obstacle to his achievement of putting mankind on Mars and Luna both. At this rate, it would be mid-decade that the first colonists would put foot on the foundations the Koziol's had so carefully been delivering.
Silently promising to himself that the good Doctor would be becoming quite acquainted with his transport module, Administrator Koziol demanded that Dr. Brod send detail of his new modules to the Unions' rogue engineers. Having already developed the Outreach in their spare time, they clearly needed more to do. Re-configuring their original designs for the Napoleon colony ship, they ought be able to deliver a half-sized ship suitable for construction from the dormant UNEC shipyard. Hating himself for utilizing Administrator Lloyd's legacy project, he bade the Doctor goodbye, and returned to the challenge at hand: trying to write a convincing speech insisting allowing forced labour was a good thing when used in healthy, regulated moderation.
May 15 2103 -
Across the night sky, the people of Earth were treated to a sight they had not seen for some years now. Flickering to life, the luminous shipyard of Administrator Lloyd once again caught the eyes of those below. Within the day, it would begin construction of the long-awaited Napoleon class colony ships. Announced a month earlier, the reduced-capacity ships would soon begin moving eager volunteers to land for the first time on humanities' most convenient destination; Luna.
Around July, Two hundred newly-minted Armstrongs would descend for the first time to the far side. A decades-old concession to avoid visual pollution from Earth, the base would receive several thousand colonists to test its' strength before numbers would begin to rise again exponentially at decades-end. Disappointed, the thousands of trained colonists hosting delayed Martian dreams would have to wait yet another year yet to submit their terrestrial resignations and begin preparing themselves for statis and transport.
Secretly relieved though were the few Earth scientists, administrators, and advisors that had found no friend in Administrator Koziol, the smiling fiend. With dissent hidden behind their graciousness, his plans for the future had caused no few troubles amongst those who served humanity.
(https://i.imgur.com/2Aj2jbV.png)
June 19 2103 -
Approaching one of the terminals at Earths' predominant spaceport, the small 'Napoleon' ship passed concourses, mile-long walkways, and dozens upon dozens of the small connection ports that allowed folk and freight alike to travel the globe in minutes. Reaching the loading area of Bay 12 heh, the Napoleon docked to receive its' "cargo".
Fitting both and neither definitions of folk and freight, the two hundred comatose individuals were ready to be packed in to the hundreds of strange storage life-supporting devices that the ship had been built to carry. Ranging in size from underweight to even the largest adult, they would be virtually guaranteed to survive the trip. The only individuals not present in this first voyage were children - It would be some years yet before the travel administration ended the ban on minors transiting, once the long-term effects proved to be safe.
Having met the fleets' two freighters and with the "cargo" aboard, the Napoleon departed without incident, ready to deposit its' sleeping beauties at 'Lunar Base'. Halfway among the rows of sleepers was Administrator Markus Zimmermann. Only starting his career, he had voluntarily taken control of the Lunar colony at the behest of Administrator Koziol, unknowing that he was marked as N.R.E, 'Never Return to Earth'. If the colony were to fail, he would be 'accidentally' left behind as Koziol's scapegoat. By the time any rescue could be launched, he and his truths would be frozen and forgotten in the frigid Lunar dust beyond the view of Earth.
Whistling, Lieutenant Commander Adelina Dinescu began the first-ever manned journey to the Moon.
December 7 2103 -
Some months later, Administrator Markus shuffled through the crowded halls of Lunar Base, meaning to reach one of the colonies' many life support domes. Integral to the sprawling site, they each supported the air, heat, and power of the colony. Though the average colonist did not know, the nodes were one and all stretched well beyond capacity. Having been rebuked by Administrator Koziol when requesting international assistance, the denizens of Luna Base would have to wait some months yet for additional deliveries of vital life-supporting infrastructure. Meeting with one of the head technicians responsible fo life-support, Markus heard that Koziol had dumped thousands upon thousands of colonists more than the base could support. Receiving word from the technician that it would take over a half-million tonnes of dedicated support nodes delivered to reach any sort of equilibrium, Markus sent word to close down the welcoming center. Koziol seemed desperate to bolster the colonies' numbers to prove himself a capable administrator, but it was no longer feasible to indulge him if it risked the lives of thousands of people now uncomfortably breathing in the hot, moist, barely-recycled air.
On Earth, hundreds of individuals received notice of cancelled flights while thousands more were advised of substantial, unknown delays. From his seat of power, Administrator Koziol swore against the renegade Lunar leader, and began drafting funds for ship-borne military transit modules. Years yet in the making, they would require substantial deviation from the civilian transport in order to keep these security personnel fighting-fit after arrival.
(https://i.imgur.com/KEhhqHz.png)
A recurrent divided-by-zero error forced me to reload a save, and I didn't notice I hadn't reattached the two freighters to the Napoleons' group. As a result, not enough infrastructure made it to the colony by years-end when the task group was supposed to swap for Mars. Whoops! If unrest reaches zero, Luna (or any other colony) will declare their independence from the Union
Sensing sentiments were turning against his efforts, Administrator Koziol decreed that upon return from Mars, six additional freighters would begin depositing the much-needed life-support and other forms of infrastructure to the renegade Markus Zimmermann. Though out-of-sight of Earth, colonial growing pains were far from out of the minds of the people who now openly protested both his decisions and leadership. He would need to re-establish control over both the colony and the Earth.
December 21 2103 -
Far from the civil unrest of the oldest two colonies was the UNCC 0018 - Napier. The Napier was another Napoleon-class colony ship, currently in orbit of Mars. With its' shuttles now ferrying two hundred of the first Martian colonists down to the future capital of Elysium, the Napier had suddenly found itself one of the only ships still traversing the Martian distance. After a day-long sojourn while ensuring the colonists did not come to unintended harm, the Napier would then begin its fourty day journey back to an Earth that was far less peaceful than when last departed. Beaming back an offer to Earth to pick up Lunar colonists willing to travel to Mars instead, the Napier received back a negative response. Luna would, for all intents and purposes, be on its' own until its infrastructural issues were fixed.
December 27 2103 -
On December 27, something quite peculiar happened. More specifically, a while prior something quite regular stopped happening, and today this was finally noticed. A small beep heard periodically in a disused sub-basement of one of Earths' many data relay centers had stopped. Untended for years now since a spate of retirements in the '90s, there was nobody who worked on site that even remembered what the small chirpy irritant even did, much less noticed its' silence. On the 27th of December, a keen astrology buff who's Grandfather once worked at that site called up requesting any sort of update of the beeping. Finding silence in the old and dusty room, that prompt instigated a brief flurry of activity at the old satellite survey array as workers hurriedly searched for anyone still-living who could inform them how to work the machine, as it used a decades out-of-date programming language and an entirely obsolete user interface.
Kelly Mae (Born as Khaleesi Mae, but she'd changed her name years ago when the reference became lame) was an octogenarian, a former worker at the array, and the solution to this long-forgotten problem. Briefly, she brought herself out of retirement to whack the machine three times as had always been done (citing 'percussive maintenance') and pulled out the small and dusty 'keyboard', a relic that had often been used before the age of touchscreens.
To the mounting excitement of Kelly and staff, the screen displayed...Nothing. After a lifetime of surveillance, four of the eight final Flynn geo-survey satellites had drawn the simple conclusion that Saturn was giant ball of hydrogen and helium. Save for some interesting isotopes and the occasional molecule-of-interest in its' rings, Saturn was entirely...uninteresting. Grumpy as old women tended to be when drawn out of retirement, she instructed them on how to use the decrepit machine down the hall that had also fallen silent. In this case, the silence was because at a Christmas party some decades earlier, a can of 'Schweppsi' had been spilt on it and nobody could find a replacement buzzer. With all agreeing that the noise had been intolerable, the decision was made to continue observing the silent and dusty machine, and to not search for the well-buried box of buzzer components.
Millions of miles away, the four now-ancient Flynns continued their survey of Jupiter, not programmed to be aware that they were the last of their kind.
September 1 2104 -
Unrest on Luna continued to rise, as the sole terrestrial satellite continued suffering Administrator Koziol's negligence. With an equalibrium almost reached, communications channels between Koziol and Himmermann reopened, and the decision was reached to resume passenger transfer between Earth and the Unions' rebellious colony at years end. Having been the subject of controversy across the globe, the growing pains of Luna had sparked conversation about colonial rights not seen now for centuries. Extraterrestrial territories would be granted higher comparative rights, and taxes paid to the union would continue to be deferred for some years after the territory gained self-sufficiency.
Unknown by the overwhelmed Administrator Koziol was that six hundred people within the Lunar Base had been quietly redistributed to Mars by the Napier over the last year, while Earth>Mars passenger transit had been halted. Quietly, these people began distributing dissent amongst the colonists of Elysium, and the potential for a non-Earth-centrist model of Humanity.
Unknown by the beleaguered Markus Himmermann of Luna or Konrad Oelsner of Mars, was that Administrator Koziol's electromagnetic accelerator program was nearing completion, and that upon finishing all funding would be diverted to military cargo transfer. With the potential for 'peacekeeping' warships and off-world peace corps, Administrator Koziol would not allow insubordination amongst the colonies like had begun on Luna under that dangerous rogue, Zimmermann.
24 February 2108 -
Approaching a bleak rock far from home, the first Exploratory Corps of the Union heard word from Earth. After scanning the large, 140 kilometre wide body, the Corps would return to Earth as they had so many times earlier. Ordered back rather than returning of their own violition, this was to be an entirely different homecoming. After substantial backlash to early plans to scrap the sister ships, the Discovery, Adventure, and Innovation would be presently retired on Earth after their thirty-year service. Decommissioned, the three sister ships would be used as orbital museums to the history of mid-century space flight, and had been spared disassembly. Administrator Koziol, responding to existing unrest seeded by his misfiring Lunar colonization, had yielded to tens of millions of signatures petitioning to save the iconic relic ships and decreed they would be maintained for all time.
In begrudging recognition to their service, the Administrator announced this final asteroid to be surveyed -formerly the '1996 TR66'- would be renamed the 'Discovery', and that three replacements - The 'UNEC 0011 - Dutiful', 'UNEC 0012 - Assiduous', and 'UNEC 0013 - Diligence' would be commissioned prior to decades-end. Seeming to forget the controversy of building Discovery-class ships that were currently obsolete, the Administrator found himself once again being questioned in regards to competence.
December 23 2108 -
Dr Ramiro Leote was a gifted man in regards to communication and sensors. Brilliant, by some accounts. In contrast, Dr. Leote was neither gifted, nor brilliant, nor frankly even adequate in kinetic research. Having been forced to make the swap many years earlier however, re-qualification was beginning to suit him. With the project having indirectly killed his predecessor, Dr. Leote had to admit he was pleased with himself for developing ship-mounted magnetic accelerators. Theoretically able to launch projectiles with great accuracy, the accelerators would enable the research of accurate, long-ranged railgun weaponry. With the threat of deployment to the colonies still in the air, Dr. Leote sent the classified information to the Administrator. Administrator Koziol would undoubtedly wish to begin utilizing the new technology immediately. Dr Leote still wished to utilize the technology on the Administrator, but for now he settled for a promotion and a nice glass of champagne.
December 24 2108 -
Administrator Koziol was delighted at his early Christmas present. Cancelling the paid time off of some thousand-odd research staff, he ordered the immediate design of a suite of sensors to enable both noticing and targeting of in-space objects. With miniaturized versions of the deep-space tracking facilities now on Outpost Crommelin and Outpost Herculina, the redesigned systems would allow these weapons to identify, target, and hit objects up to ten-thousand kilometers away.
His head awash with ideas, such as a shipyard to the scale of UNCC Shipyard 01, Administrator Koziol signed off on the creation of a new naval branch and its' primary shipyard. Though the UNEC and UNCC built ships for one another interchangeably, it would be necessary for the new Security Command to maintain secrecy of practice and design, and they would build for themselves exclusively.
Lying as he tended to, Administrator Koziol barely managed to overturn all resolutions disallowing the mounting of space-based weaponry. Under the guise of 'asteroid defense', both a single and dual-barrel railgun design would be generated for use on both naval vessels and Earth-based sites. Though the non-Union nations of Earth would have little to fear from meteor impacts now; a silent chorus began to grow, wondering if the greater threat was indeed the soon-to-be-militarized overreach of Koziol himself.
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I got wildly distracted while playing, and overshot by seven years with most of the decade written/played as Administrator Koziol. Uhh, oops! He'll have to win two coin flips next decade if he's to remain, to account for winning this one through a certain shadow council's negligence
April 02 2112
Research head Banou Ansary, while developing the Ansary Large-Object Search Sensor, was found dead at approximately 10:28 on Saturday evening, April 2 2112. Though by all accounts it appears to have been the result of an accidental discharge of the sensors' high-capacity microwaves, the Janitor who discovered the grizzly scene was reported as noting open doors and a lab in disarray. This was not entirely out-of-character for Dr. Ansary, though the sheer state of the lab caused...discussion.
With sentiment against space-militarization and the controversial sensor reaching a feverish pitch, there was no shortage of speculation as to whether the 'accident' was true or covering up the act of a hostile foreign power. Less discussed however, were private reports that Banou Ansary had threatened to migrate to one of the many nations that did not recognize or submit to Union jurisdiction, or audio recordings from within the lab that included a conversation at approximately 6:56 that evening between Dr. Ansaray and an unknown individual.
(https://imgur.com/a/I5TxjkE)
November 5 2112
Almost oblivious to mass-protest, Administrator Koziol decided to release a heavily-redacted version of the 3-Gigawatt nuclear reactor to be used in Union warships. Built as bog-standard, the reactor would be the heart of all future vessels for the time being. Critics continued to point out that transferring parts and fuel for the vessels risked a nuclear catastrophe every big as devastating as Chernobyl, Fukushima, or Chicago. With the dynamicism of orbital mechanics and the variability of launch sites, advocates would continue to argue that a single accident anywhere could have the same impact as a dirty bomb, irradiating unpredictable and vast tracts.
With support from the the same right-wing that had him re-elected, Administrator Koziol disregarded the concerns of anti-nuclear and environmental advocates and began terrestrial construction of several of the mammoth mobile reactors. While each one would eventually find itself in the core of a naval spaceship, presently with the classified and secretive 'UNSC Shipyard 01' still under construction, it was simply a step to ensure faster construction once the orders to build could be given.
Febuary 18 2117 -
Unexpectedly, the Floyd satellites finally completed their mammoth task. So frequently forgotten, the slow survey came to an end with a blip; Jupiter, tempestuous as ever, had yielded an almost humerously small amount of trans-newtonian Sorium gas. Similar in volume to Earth's now-dwindling reserves, the Jovian supply of Sorium was well-dwarfed by those within the mantle of Mars. Currently suitable only as a scientific curiosity, Jupiter would be best served as a stopover point between Earth and the Jovian moons of Europa, Ganymede, Io, and Callisto. Administrator Koziol had determined that once naval dominance over the other terrestrial nations was achieved, it would be feasible to 'stretch', allowing Union expansion to those four faraway bodies. Remembering the difficulties of subordinating the rowdy Lunar and Martian colonies, Administrator Koziol determined that keeping status quo would be most achievable by first achieving a firm militaristic dominance.
At almost the same time on the polar opposite of the Solar system, fuel within the exploratory tanker the 'Outreach' burst its' refuelling line. Capable of spilling 5/6ths of the yearly output of an entire fuel refinery every hour, the decision was made to shut every safety valve until the line could be replaced in its' entirety. Without a spare, the Outreach had to depart the three shorter-ranged Discovery-classes under its' care. Lamenting its' four-month unscheduled return trip, the Outreach broadcasted a seemingly-innocuous, yet dangerous question: "What if we had facilities out here, in deep space?".
April 24 2117
Administrator Koziol was present for the grand opening of the first 'Asteroid Interception Site' alongside regional GUN-member nation representatives, and two non-member state representatives. Promising it to be the very future of terrestrial security, Administrator Koziol smiled and lied to the delegates as easily as a toddler cries and smegs its' pants. The GUN had made multiple concessions in order to avert the risk of a multinational arms-race, and had even co-opted funding for the ambitious, globe-spanning project. With consent of the territories covered by the GUN anti-meteor umbrella, the Union had finally been able to open the first of the thirteen systems that would 'protect' the world. While seemingly pliant in agreeing to the demands of site defense, quantity, and shot capacity, the Administrator had ensured placement of the sites solely to benefit the Union in the event of war. With the ability to take up to twelve anti-satellite shots per site per minute, the so-called 'Meteor Umbrella' ensured any nation to directly conflict with Union interests would be sent back to pre-orbital technology. While the grand terrestrial armies and navies of the Unions' member nations would keep the sites secure, the GUN's perogative would continue to be elimination of national competitors within space - thus ensuring its' continuing relevance, budget, and supremacy.
With full understanding of its' implications, Administrator Koziol flashed one last congenial smile towards the delegates and press, and snipped the ribbon.
April 30 2118 -
Just before midday on Sunday the 30th of April, tens of millions of people across multiple timezones were resting, attending Church, and running their household errands. With a general peace across the globe, there were little reports to become alarmed about and fewer economic woes than ever before.
Hundreds of miles above the generally-tranquil terrestrial scene however, the combined admiralty of all three naval branches stood waiting in one small cordoned room. With most of the yard classified and inaccessible, even the shipwrights were unable to access vast quadrants of the site without proper authorization granted in triplicate and identification cards with correct authorization. Seemingly late, Administrator Koziol was to soon announce the grand opening of 'UNSC Shipyard 01'. Without viewing ports or vision of anything at all, it would only require the shortest of ceremonies before being deemed ready to begin production of up to four Nelson-class escorts.
Grappling with one of the four airtight blast-doors that would allow him out of the highly-secretive central section, Administrator Koziol's ID card would not allow him out. For all intents and purposes, Koziol was imprisoned. Unable to contact assistance, the highest-civil servant on Earth was trapped, late, and needing to pee. Almost a hundred meters away through many sound-proof and well-armored rooms, the delegates continued waiting for the unpopular and missing Administrator.
Watching from one of the sites' many CCTV displays, the head shipwright of the facility and one of his guards laughed. Neither was able to open the doors, and neither was willing to call one of the few people on-site with power to free their guest. Well-acquainted with the security operations of the site, both of them knew better not to wander away from their respective jurisdictions.
The better part of an hour later, Admiral Dario Hume-Li'ito decided to fill the void and address the crowd. As highest-ranking member of the GUN's naval forces, he briefly christened the site before dismissing the group. Several minutes later, an irritable Administrator Koziol entered the room and found it vacant. Almost relieved, he began heading towards the nearest sanitary station and toilet before swearing - finding those doors too to be locked.
August 09 2118 -
Unwilling to attend, Administrator Koziol watched from hundreds of miles below as two twin warships, the first of the Union, began departing the shipyard. Both of the Nelson class, the escort-class vessels and many more would attach themselves to the ever-growing fleets of freighters to provide support and vision as they traversed the Martian distance.
Knowing there was quite literally nothing to see at the christening given the shipyards' intense secrecy, Administrator Koziol was content to sit and watch the 'spectacle' from the comfort of Earth. Lunar and Martian ideals of independence would surely begin to decrease with his watchful guards now on constant patrol, whilst reports from Indonesia regarding progress with military transport modules were by all accounts positive.
Speculation regarding the necessity of warships within the Union continued, amplified all the further by Union disregard of nuclear non-proliferation treaties in mounting these new, militarized reactors on their ships. With the leaking of several classified documents regarding some of the general specifications, it was quickly apparent that these were military ships ill-suited to accompany a freighter fleet, being four times as fast and an entirely different range and deployment. Amidst disgruntled Union nations and non-Union members alike worried talk began, wondering if the Union had in fact designed a commerce raider.
(https://i.imgur.com/AXg1TLM.png)
Smiling alone in his office, Administrator Koziol continued to watch the fanfare.
February 25 2119 -
With now a full half-dozen warships on either on patrol or in close following of freighter groups, Administrator Koziol made an unexpected announcement. Following recent discontent due to the growing armada of extraordinarily huge, two-thousand-tonne warships, research would be diverted somewhat to producing more reasonably sized ships of only a few hundred tonnes.
Though most agreed this was a step towards disarmament, Administrator Koziol sent word to the heads of the UNSC, that production of the Nelson class would not slow or cease, and that the eventual requisite production would be drawn from elsewhere.
March 12 2119 -
Well-advertised was the celebration of the opening of the third slipway of UNCC Shipyard 01. Able now to produce up to six-thousand tonne of freighter hulls, it was considered to be a sign of Administrator Koziol's committal to civilian pursuits. Relieved, many leaders of the world called on him to continue his beneficial trend towards peaceful cooperation.
Less advertised and indeed entirely devoid of announcement, was the creation of another slipway for the Security Commands' primary shipyard. With capacity unknown to the public, the shipyard would continue to construct warships at an ever-greater rate away from prying eyes.
December 23 2119 -
In the grandest scandal of Union history, Administrator Koziol was impeached for under grounds of a 'breach of public trust' under Section 3 Subsection 4 of article 17 of the supranational organisations' constitution. The intensely-divisive former Administrator Koziol would be disqualified from running for office on Earth and would consider himself intensely lucky should he avoid imprisonment.
In the ensuing re-election, the three most suitable candidates were the well-known Lunar Base governor and extraterrestrial rights advocate Markus Zimmermann, the relatively unknown yet politically-connected Christopher Gardiner, and the famous former-president of the combined Ukrainian-Romanian superstate, Alik Tereshchenko.
While Administrator Zimmermann was well-regarded for his handling of initial trans-planetary tension upon Lunas' foundation, his open ambition for Luna to join the Union as a voting state was considered quite divisive, with many thinking that the thirty-thousand-strong population should not receive the same legislative rights as the established multi-million-strong nations of Earth. Recently revealed - the rescue mission of the Napier and his steady, even-handed rule had painted him as an egalitarian humanist.
(https://i.imgur.com/RaIw4C5.png)
Christopher Gardiner was considered by most to be the underdog of the election. With many drawing parallels to first Administrator Evie Lloyd, Gardiner's professionalism and boundless enthusiasm saw him compared to the well-loved Lloyd, while contrasting as a polar opposite of the now-disgraced Administrator Koziol. Without administrative experience however, convincing the hundred-odd electors of the GUN to gamble the next decade on him was considered a risk.
(https://i.imgur.com/uNpeCLH.png)
Campaigning from the far-away Herculina Outpost, former President Alik Tereshchenko had come to his position due to a now-famous series of events after rebels in Romania-Ukraine ousted his democratically-elected government. With these rebels funded by a non-GUN member state, the far-away Tereshchenko gained the attention of electors who had previously voted for Koziol by promising the same military dominance Koziol had been, without the drawbacks that he himself presented.
With promise of funding and returning Romania-Ukraine to democracy by way of force, Tereschchenko seemed every bit the fierce-but-fair militarist he was years ago, while fighting his famed tri-fronted war. Blind in both eyes and in ailing health, the so-called 'Last Lion of Odesa' promised leadership of substantial character, if not unflinching sternness.
(https://i.imgur.com/mov9nhw.png)
Koziol won the first flip, so I guess this decade did end up being legitimate. Lost the second one and so i'll make a poll for who gets voted in as Administrator. First or most votes wins, depending on if anyone's around between now and next decade.
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At least Koziol got some sort of comeuppance, even if it wasn't quite what he deserved.
On the matter of the election, after careful consideration I realise I cannot in good conscience vote for either of the vegetarians so it has to be the blind warmonger.
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Please vote in whichever election is currently running. It helps democratize the playthrough and could well be
GUN fun!
I realise I cannot in good conscience vote for either of the vegetarians so it has to be the blind warmonger.
I won't lie that made me snort a little. Though I wish Tereshchenko had won, Chris had the only vote when I started playing and won by default. Though that ended up being fortuitous, because there's currently a tie at 1/1/1 and Tereshchenko has died twice in this playthrough, but thanks to the magic of errors and reloading, continues to endure through some sort of vile necromantic magicks.
January 16 - 2120
Christopher Gardiner accepted his new position with a gracious, friendly grin. To the surprise of betting men and women the world across, the one hundred thirty two electors of the GUN had selected him and him alone to rule Earth. With Tereshchenko's ailing health and Zimmermann's contentious political opinions, Administrator Gardiner ended up being the only palatable choice, and won by a reasonable-if-underwhelming margin. Promising a better and more peaceful existence, Administrator Gardiner hoped to rebuke the militaristic trend the GUN had taken of late, much to the relief of the independent nations of Earth. Unexpectedly for new-administrator Gardiner, all Administrator logs dated from 2103 onward were entirely missing. Prints, documents, and data-drives all appeared to have been wiped in the final days of the last administration. Blindly then, Administrator Gardiner began the task of rebuilding the picture of current events.
It appeared that GUN finances were not so healthy as Koziel had reported, that funds were being diverted at an alarming rate to military research, and that the Unions' patrol ships had been ordered on loose, undocumented errands. Though their logs were clear of any useful information, the stray warships had been reported to have been seen at outposts Crommelin and Herculina, pinged by Martian sensors while unaccompanied, and most alarmingly had been sighted (though unreliably) by the dated, conventional sensors of several nations' colony ships. Making note to request the full flight data from Naval High Command, Administrator Gardiner would see to it that the record gaps were filled; with refined sorium in such scarce supply, why had these fuel guzzling warships been making such wasteful flights?
Almost four hundred thousand kilometres away, the tension was almost palpable. Being home to over forty thousand of the most adventurous men and women, Lunar Base was not a colony short of opinions, arguments, or bullheadedness. In one thing however, all were now unified. Across drinking modules and across living quarters in every quadrant of Lunar Base, discussion was raging that Luna and its' inhabitants hadn't a voice in Administrator Gardiners' election. This was not made so abrasive by Markus Zimmermann being so thoroughly outvoted. This was not made so enraging by the ailing Tereshschenko failing to mention the rising gap in living standards between Martians, Terrans, or Lunarians. Luna was now home to native-born children, and in every corner of Lunar Base it was universally enraging that denizens of Lunar Base could not democratically ensure their children's' future would be bright.
Not one to let tyranny on Earth remain unchallenged, Markus Zimmermann moved through the corridors of Lunar Base, consoling his constituents and enforcing that loyalty to him - and only him - could provide these newborns the future their parents now so desperately desired.
May 26 2112 -
Far from the political tensions of Earth, Exploration Corps 01 was continuing to delve amidst the bodies of the cold, dark Outer System. Or more accurately, was currently scheduled to be doing so. Once again, the cantankerous refueling system of the groups' Outreach-class tanker had forced an early return for repair and resupply. Long considered a post for the witless, the ship in question was crewed only by its' skeleton staff as Union naval officers worked aboard more valuable vessels. Aboard the beleaguered 'Ostrich', things were now taking a turn for the worse.
Never truly designed for long-range space exploration, the Outreach class was quickly proving itself a temperamental and ill-suited company to its' three Discovery wards. Many months past what could be considered a 'normal' deployment length, the crew of the Ostrich were feeling the effects of short supplies and cramped quarters. With tensions high aboard the ship, few if any could pass up the opportunity for some Zero-G mischief. Long a staple of the Union Navy, gambling while in deep space was one of the few ways the crew could relax so many billions of kilometers from home or entertainment. With the entire third shift now onboard for the entertainment, one of the two full-sized crew quarters was sequestered for the evening to allow the pursuit in relative comfort. With time from home growing and no shortage of ill-temper, it had finally come to be that a small winning, a moderate rebuke, and a large argument caused the first open brawl in space.
Brawling as intensely as possible in micro-gravity, the floating crewmembers kicked and punched as if sparring in a dream. Unable to harm each other in any meaningful way, the reckless shuffle upended a tray of jello shots they had all been 'drinking', with it and other objects now floating through the scene. With a spark, a single open jello shot flew at leisurely speed in to a wall-mounted computer terminal. Adsorbed by the sensitive equipment and finding any small opening to fill, the errant beverage-turned-threat shorted the entire section the crew was in. With an almost-instant deprivation of heat and oxygen, the brawl, winnings, and quarters were all quickly abandoned as the crew huddled in to the remaining functional areas of the ship.
Barely within the orbit of Neptune and with billions of kilometres travel yet, there were now numerous alarms puncturing the silence. Adjacent, the three Discovery ships urgently discussed what to do while so far from Earth. The fleet commander for the group, Lt Commander Kokk, had learnt the subject and protocol numerous times while studying at gUNI yet was hesitant to act. Developed by former Administrator Koziel, protocol stated no ship was to be left abandoned for fear of being discovered and reverse-engineered by Terrestrial powers. Under the advice of Admiral Dario Hume-Li'ol and other high-ranking naval personnel however, Administrator Gardiner had amended this to allow for abandonment in case of life-or-death emergency, or stranding while offworld.
Knowing that this was potentially the most dangerous return trip to Earth since Apollo 13, and knowing that word would soon reach Earth of his hesitance, Lt. Commander Kokk issued orders to evacuate the ship, before life support systems shut off, or the rapidly-degrading circuitry of the ship destroyed it. With a rough approximation of orderly evacuation, the thirty-one crew of the Ostrich entered and departed the lifepods, with the drunkards that had doomed the ship and its' valuable fuel wondering whether perhaps the risky gauntlet home would have been worth it.
In the days that followed, Administrator Gardiner acknowledged that the rowdiness of the crew was in part due to a lack of proper officership aboard. With such dutiful individuals in scarce supply, the decision was made to open a secondary campus of gUNI, allowing a doubling of officer intake. Combined with re-posting officers upon the decommissioning of several Discovery and Koziel ships, the roster would regain some level of sufficiency around the time new campus opened, predicted to be in mid-2126.
(https://i.imgur.com/9sgOHDE.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/R6VpnyN.png)
First ship destruction of the Union. It would've been better if it hadn't been lost to RNG and my own poor mission planning. Whoops! Outreaches get the exploration guys out to the Oort, but they just don't have the longevity to stay there with them.
August 30 2122 -
Lunar Leader Markus Zimmermann seethed. Though he had meant no ill-will towards the denizens of Earth, several potentially-inflammatory online posts he'd made had begun to circulate around media outlets around the Solar system. After twenty-odd years of serving the Lunar people, pressure mounted for him to resign his position due to posts suggesting Luna secede from the Union, and operate independently. The self-righteous Terra-rists (as they were known amongst the more contentious Lunarians) continued to try and claim his scalp, but not one person left on Luna disagreed with him. The conventional Earth-centric method existence was destined to end, and word leaking from settlements surrounding Elysium Mons suggested this sentiment was fairly universal amidst the colonies. While governing the sprawling Lunar Base, Markus continued posting. Posting on the Lunar network (itself a carbon-copy of the terrestrial internet), he was outside the jurisdiction of Earths' wireless domains, and continued to agitate uncontrolled.
Watching the spectacle from under house arrest, former Administrator Koziol had little to do but laugh. Drinking was always an option, and it was paired quite well with these particular broadcasts. He had shaken off most of the allegations that had ended his career, but it was the discovery of damning records of his scheme to scapegoat and essentially murder Zimmermann that had seen him declared guilty. To see Zimmermann on the brink of a self-imposed career collapse was nothing short of uplifting.
Also watching the spectacle was the victor of their electoral stoush, Administrator Gardiner. Extending the olive branch, Christopher requisitioned several million tonne of valuable infrastructure to grant to Lunar Base. Though the Lunarians continued to agitate as was becoming their culture, they remained entirely dependent on Earth. Controversy continued over their taking of terrestrial handouts while critiquing the planet as a whole. With almost fifty thousand Union citizens living on Luna, the shadow of their original shaky colonization and the political reality of their small population continued to cause tension. Though granting Luna its' own representative in Union affairs was far from feasible, this latest donation would surely soothe its' rowdy denizens, and convince them of Earths' continuing support.
September 04 2122 -
In the death-knells of the Outreach class, problems continued to manifest. The 'Outreach', first and namesake ship of the class, was sixty two days from Earth when it suffered a similar issue as the 'Ostrich'. Having been recalled earlier due to mission completion, the crew quarters aboard the tanker came in to harm around the asteroid belt due to a minor collision involving itself and a glaringly phallic-shaped rock. Having seen the scalding the crew of the Ostrich had received, and being comparatively close to the safety of Earth, the Outreach decided to continue its' course despite the moderately-sized and humorously-shaped hole in its' side. Again lacking a commanding officer to reprimand for the ships' poor navigation, the powers-that-be of the Exploration Command petitioned a further expansion of gUNI, which was prompty rejected for cost considerations and the lack of finely-tuned sensors on the Outreach - it couldn't dodge what it couldn't see, regardless of who was at the helm.
November 13 2122 -
Orbiting Earth after almost two months of travel with few relevant supplies, the gallant crew of the Outreach managed to successfully repair the hole in their ship, and internal damage to their accommodation and life support systems. To the minor celebration of all aboard, the crew of the Outreach would be rewarded with a small badge of recognition for their ingenious and potentially life-saving fix. The badge given for 'Meritorious repair work' was both a source of pride and shame. Pride, because of its' uniqueness and potentially life-saving nature. Shame, because it depicted a stylized picture of the hole they patched, which was indeed quite brazenly phallic.
I'm getting a lot of errors and a few fleets that think they're in overhaul despite being closer to Venus than Earth. I'm going to SM them back to Earth and change some task groups around. Maybe delete and respawn the ships if that doesn't work. Just a note for if anything goes wrong.
https://i.imgur.com/308xZ9O.png
May 8 2123 -
Approaching Earths' spaceport at a brisk 150km/s, the beleaguered ships of Exploration Corps 01 had good cause for relief. Lacking their grand tanker, the one-kiloton vessels were far more diminutive a taskgroup than they had been at their departure, but were no less welcome. Departing the vessels for their long-awaited leave, the crews separated in two. One group of several dozen were to be debriefed and released, the other far-smaller group was to be debriefed and detained. Though punishment would be lacking, the cohort responsible for destroying the Ostrich would most likely be stripped of rank and benefits. Though initial talk of heavy fines and punishment were considered at the outset of problems, the argument that they were in some sort of solar 'international waters', during their rest time, and not breaking any Union laws won, and no sort of civil or criminal punishment was be sought.
With only five-to-six years left of service, the Curiosity, Revelation, and Endeavour began overhaul for their final expedition to the outer-reaches of the solar system. With scarce supply of fuel for tankers following the demise of the Ostrich, the fleet would eventually be well-provisioned for its' final trip, and would likely be scuttled by decades-end.
July 27 2124 -
With the final tests of a new batch of satellite dishes and listening arrays, a new task for the well-fatigued Koziel freighters began. Having resisted calls to change the name of the ship class from the disgraced former administrator, three Koziels would detach from Earth>Mars transit to move several more of these constructions to the asteroid belt. With civilian and national traffic growing by the year, the listening posts of the inner system were becoming increasingly important for traffic and freighter management. Despite growing controversy over Union interference in national traffic, it remained imperative that the ears of the Republic continued to grow. One day, knowing the whereabouts of a stranded or crippled civilian ship could prevent loss of life, and under Administrator Gardiner, the controversy and expense of the program was considered acceptable.
March 05 2126 -
Several months ahead of schedule, Administrator Gardiner stood in front of a sizable crowd of well-dressed individuals. With a short speech he addressed the eager cohort, impressing upon them both the nobility and danger of their path. In short order, they would begin graduating this new campus of gUNI, and would soon become the leaders and executives of the Union. Though the ceremony was due to occur some months after in the Southern Hemispheres' Winter, the eventual time of opening saw him in a blazing heat wearing heavy academic robes bestowed upon him by the University Chancellor. Sweating under the oppressive sun, Administrator Gardiner was soon relieved to find the promised refreshments and light lunch provided. Barely fitting in to several lecture halls used for the day, a grazing herd of several thousand officers, academics, and students made their way through the better part of a tonne of assorted multicultural drinks and snacks.
On a platter amidst the tables and revelry, one lone half of a devilled egg-salad sandwich sat unattended, until finally taken by an unassuming but well-dressed young lady. Standing against a wall so as to avoid the crowding, she was bumped by an equally well-dressed man and lost her prized half-sandwich. Though everyone was pleased to begin study at the campus, every person to sit in that particular lecture hall would eventually note a peculiar stink within the left half of the room towards a low air vent within the wall. Though no trace of sandwich was ever found, the conditioner unit would blow a distinctly unpleasant smell through the hall each time the room was in use, much to the chagrin of students and lecturers both.
March 14 2127 -
Doctor Sigge Berlund had begun working on the ill-tempered fuel injector system for the 'Myo-Htun' chemical thruster years ago as a pet project, as a recent graduate of gUNI's doctoral program. Having identified several areas of potential on existing thruster designs, he began to theorize potential ways to utilize exotic trans-newtonian exhaust to decrease fuel consumption. With the retirement of Doctor ####m Ayasha in October 2126, Administrator Gardiner hand-selected Doctor Berlund to continue Ayasha's thruster-development project. Five months later, Sigge announced his successful attempt to utilize Sorium exhaust as a catalyst for conventional hydrocarbon fuel. By designing a thruster that could effectively utilize this diluted fuel, an expected 10% fuel use reduction could be achieved - and with potential to decrease further fuel usage with future research. Impressed by both the report and suggestion, Administrator Gardiner provided Doctor Berlund a fully-staffed research lab to continue his valuable propulsion studies.
By this point i've found in an old post of Steve that the error has something to do with unloading installations. I've narrowed it down to one of Colonization Corps 2,3,5, or 6. Further testing is required. After the four overhaul i'll merge them all in to a new large task group now that the planets' maintenance facilities can handle a larger influx of shipping. As long as the new large groups don't all come in at once, it should be fine. Followup that seems to have done the trick. If anyone gets an error 2786, try rejiggering your groups.
June 20 2129 -
Aboard Earths' fabled spaceport was a lone old man. No taller than five foot six now, age had shrunk him considerably - he had both claim and pictures 'proving' his formerly six-foot self. Undampened by his considerable age, he was as effervescent as ever while giving his combined farewell-slash-retirement speech. Former-Admiral Dario Hume-Li'ol was here both to end his service career, and to catch his personally-chartered flight to Mars. With substantial arthritis, the lower gravity would do him well in retirement while the sparsely-inhabited red world had long been his chosen retirement place. Among the assorted luggage of the well-travelled man were the ashes of his wife of several decades and two ornately-carved rings. Having not left Earth now in some decades, the realities of orbit began to set in once again as his aging joints were relieved of their haunting pressure. With only minor gravity in the rotating passenger terminals he felt twenty again, and bade his former fellows farewell
If you check 2110's log, I have mistakenly called him Dario Hume-Li'ito twice. He is Hume-Li'ol, having hyphenated his name with Konjit Li'ols earlier. I didn't expect him to have such a good career after returning to Earth, but he ended up somehow the highest-ranking Union naval commander. I retired him because he's entered 'very poor' health and i'd like to RP him having a good retirement.
Once again, Christopher Gardiner began ramping up his campaign for election. Incumbent Administrators were quite often re-elected in Union history, and he was somewhat convinced of his ability to woo the GUN's electors. With a modest platform of industrial expansion, he believed himself a palatable option. Still the least 'spicy' option, the incumbent Gardiner marketed himself as the safest option amongst a motley assortment of controversial or untested candidates.
(https://i.imgur.com/G5qNGQP.png)
On Luna, the long-maligned Markus Zimmermann also began his campaign. With almost a decade of activist work since last election, he hoped he could sway more of the electors this decade than the previous. With calls for his resignation ongoing, he was a fervently-debated choice due to his Extraterrestrial rights campaigns and a platform for substantial social progress. Though wildly supported offworld from both Union and small non-union colonies, his lack of support amidst the electors of the GUN continued to hurt his chances.
(https://i.imgur.com/xa34TzI.png)
Blind yet fierce as ever, the octogenarian Alik Tereshchenko called in all favors from the electors, and asked them to finally allow him to secure global geopolitics and Union assets. With a platform much the same as last election of recovering departed Union states and militarising the Solar system for Union gain, many who rebuked him last decade as unfeasibly militaristic were coming to see his side, as the jostling competition amongst nations for land and resources off-world expanded exponentially.
(https://i.imgur.com/ygm3zlo.png)
Finally, a latecomer to the election was part-time civil-servant Donna Spada. With a modest career in modelling, she had managed to kickstart a substantial political campaign using her social media following. Every bit as popular as the late administrator Lloyd, the woman was considered largely a joke until demolishing each of her opponents in one of the pre-election debates. Now considered seriously, the would-be administrator campaigned on a platform of extraterrestrial expansion, building automated mining colonies offworld, and cutting red tape to remove many of the limits on non-Union colony growth. Hinting at the necessity of pragmatic military adventurism to keep non-Union nations under control, she had even managed to win over several of Tereshchenko's hardline supporters.
(https://i.imgur.com/uVviOUQ.png)
The poll should be on top. Thanks for reading again!
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Gimme the warmongering Lich please...vote (1) for 'Honest' Alik!
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Gimme the warmongering Lich please...vote (1) for 'Honest' Alik!
Ask and ye shall receive. This'll be a violent long decade I think. A fun one to RP, by all means though.
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I won't lie that made me snort a little. Though I wish Tereshchenko had won, Chris had the only vote when I started playing and won by default. Though that ended up being fortuitous, because there's currently a tie at 1/1/1 and Tereshchenko has died twice in this playthrough, but thanks to the magic of errors and reloading, continues to endure through some sort of vile necromantic magicks.
He cannot die as he must achieve his destiny - to win an election and lead the planet to glory. Or bloody disaster. But either way it had better be exciting.
Blindly then, Administrator Gardiner began the task of rebuilding the picture of current events.
Gardiner modelling his leadership style on Tereshchenko, this is a promising start.
Lunar Leader Markus Zimmermann seethed. Though he had meant no ill-will towards the denizens of Earth, several potentially-inflammatory online posts he'd made had begun to circulate around media outlets around the Solar system.
He means no ill-will, he just hates Earth and all it stands for. Baffling that people are upset by this reasonable stance.
Having resisted calls to change the name of the ship class from the disgraced former administrator, three Koziels would detach from Earth>Mars transit to move several more of these constructions to the asteroid belt.
Disappointing, should definitely have renamed them. Or had them fitted with illegal weapons and sold them to the most corrupt politicians possible, it's what Koziel would have wanted.
Administrator Gardiner was soon relieved to find the promised refreshments and light lunch provided.
A rare sign of civilisation - light refreshments being served. I approve.
I missed the vote, but it appears that justice prevailed and Tereshchenko won. So that's alight. :D
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I had to cut out a good chunk of post. It'll be unedited from Febuary 14 2135. Sorry this chapter took so long! Originally I was delayed by an error that forced me to replay and rewrite, then current events made a post themed around subjugating Ukraine feel a little...off.
With three votes (two for Tereshchenko, one for Spada), our dear lich shall usher in his new dark age. If he dies mid-decade, Spada will take over.
January 13 2130 -
Alik Tereshchenko stood grinning amidst the clutter and dust of Outpost Herculina. Having announced his victory, Union electors had voted overwhelmingly in favor of his appointment to Administrator. With his team already on-site on Earth, he would soon give his speech to the Union to reconfirm the priorities of his administration. Knowing full-well that the broadcast would be received and dissected by all nations of Earth, declaration of a full-scale military reshuffle would be poorly received at best, and wildly threatening at worst. At over eighty however he had to act fast to achieve his goal of liberating homeland within his lifetime - it would be necessary to rectify military deficits as soon as possible.
His address would therefore consist of a carrot and a stick. On the one hand, he would take a page out of candidate Spadas' playbook and liberalize independent colonial ventures. Granting this decades-long request would ensure he was not considered particularly totalitarian, while potentially securing the Union a new source of capital and mining goods. On the other, his empowerment of the Union military would ensure terrestrial stability for the Union, despite long-rising global tensions. Commentators across the globe would note that during its' existence the GUN like the defunct EU had never needed a true standing army - Member states under the Union had long held universal articles of defense, and creation of a standing army could only signify intent of military adventurism.
Using the two to offset one another, deposed Ukrainian president-turned-Administrator Alik Tereshchenko hoped his arguments of balance would ensure that the Romania-Ukraine regime would not receive assistance over his tenure. With only a few non-Union states supporting it, direct GUN intervention could come by decades end if only they could prepare properly.
Hundreds of millions of kilometers away, Premier Sergiu Mihalcea saw the threat, and arranged for immediate re-militarization of the state-run economy. The people of Romania-Ukraine had duly rejected the Grand Unions' tyranny, and left through force. The insipid peace corps of the Union had withdrawn decades prior, allowing the people of the combined state to determine their own fate outside extranational jurisdiction. The old puppet Tereshchenko still acted on behalf of globalists and not his homeland, and finally was being used as a pawn to 'liberate' the free states. Premier Mihalcea would not have it, and neither would his people.
Our beloved GUN, a summary;
(https://i.imgur.com/oZ5fgUr.png)
The treacherous dual-republic of Romania-Ukraine, a summary;
(https://i.imgur.com/havX9Qn.png)
January 17 2132 -
Alik Tereshchenko had settled in well to his new life as Administrator. With tensions continuing as a result of his desire to rebel-held regions in Eastern Europe, he considered himself quite lucky to be out of the share market. Every press release he made sent the market to a tumble or frenzy, and every move he made was carefully dissected by a legion of would-be political experts. A thousand people coming up with two thousand motives for his actions was both humorous and wildly irritating. Knowing full-well that this would agitate both the tyrant of his homeland and the gawking masses, Administrator Tereshchenko released the news that several new ground force infantry prototypes had finished development, and would soon be trained within the facilities that had until recently been training Union peacekeepers.
As expected, the politically-minded went immediately to a state of furor. Unexpectedly, global share markets rose. Apparently, the commercially-minded had adjusted their appetite on conventional and poorly-equipped peacekeepers, and revitalizing the military with 'Union Guards' evidently reduced the risk on market investments. Alik requested market data be sent to him in real time for the next fortnight, in order to gauge the enduring financial reaction. No need to request political updates, as they were far more intrusive and seeped in regardless of how hard he tried to ignore them.
January 18 2132 -
Enraged, Premier Mihalcea responded to this new military transgression with releases of his own. The numerous 'Infantrie Brigada' of the Peoples Republic would be bolstered. Doubled, even. Though securing nuclear arms from his nations supporters had proven impossible thus far, requests were made to every supportive non-Union nation for conventional and trans-Newtonian armament. It appeared the imperialistic Union would not allow the people of Eastern Europe any respite. Additionally ordering the establishment of several vehicular divisions to counter the Unions' aggressive weapons development, the Premier would not allow a mote of Union control over his homeland.
October 21 2132 -
Amidst fanfare, a representative of the Tereshchenko government attended the Unions' first guard graduation ceremony. Recently refitted, the brigade was smaller than anticipated, containing a modest fifteen hundred dedicated men and women, and their supporting vehicles. By dawn the day after, the grounds would be cleared for the induction of the next cohort, with several armored vehicle companies to follow afterwards. With sanctions mounting on the growing Eastern Bloc powers and with international tensions on the rise after Administrator Tereshchenko's military readjustments, few if any doubted those incoming cadets would not see action.
Thousands of miles away, Administrator Alik attended a ceremony celebrating the opening of the first non-union mining colony. Though he could not see them jostling, a dozen foreign leaders were held at bay by his security as they approached, each attempting to flatter him with flowery words and insubstantial platitudes in hopes of softening him up to granting further solar mineral rights.
Members in attendance noted to themselves the significance of the dual-ceremonies. Here, Tereshchenko himself continued to attempt appeasing Union and Non-Union nations alike with promises of continued peace and cooperation. In parallel however, were several thousand graduating military personnel, each swearing to defend the Union against the very nations that Tereshchenko was attempting to ingratiate. Circling above it all, ships of the UNSC continued monitoring the situation in ever greater numbers. Working only amidst their own naval hierarchy, the aging yet well-armed ships were poised to strike with just a moments notice, should the need ever arise.
November 20 2132 -
Roaring to life amidst a spectacle, the twenty brand-new vehicles of the 'Ninth Vehicular Company' began maneuvering before a small crowd of delegates. Though technically the first of its' kind, an old misinformation strategy was employed to infer a larger force number. With four supply-laden helicopters performing deft aerial acrobatics above, the sight was a well-choreographed if poorly-attended spectacle. Showcasing far more advanced equipment than the recent graduate ceremony and with no families present, the ceremony was over in short order before the next cohort of trainees began activity less than twenty-four hours later.
Not fooled by the spectacle, Premier Mihalcea dismissed the events as more sabre-rattling, to boost GUN morale. The troops of his free nation were more numerous than all the Union combined, and were not spread out worldwide on alleged 'Peace-keeping' operations. Against the new Union vehicles would be the well-armored Main-line tanks, produced by the dozen in central Romania. With vehicles more numerous and better armored, the Union wouldn't stand a chance if they tried to bring Romania-Ukraine back in to compliance.
September 03 2133 -
After three years of fostering small independent Solar ventures, Administrator Alik virtually officiated the opening of a Canadian-run mining colony. Having dozens of 'control' stations throughout the solar system, the Canadian government had been granted first-of-its-kind mineral rights to Comas Sola. Now the largest non-union colony in the Solar System, the mining facilities on the distant comet would generate almost two-thousand tonnes of valuable material per annum. Using private contractors, the materials would be shipped to Earth at Canadian discretion - the single largest concession yet granted to a single nation. Though hardliners rejected any notion of extra-national or private commercial development, Tereshchenko recognized that seeming pliant and cooperative undermined arguments coming out of the burgeoning Eastern Bloc and freed Union-directed industry to produce and deliver more valuable forms of infrastructure.
October 07 2134 -
Quite early on a Thursday morning, Tereshchenko was doing two things. Firstly, he was being read reports of the completion of a massive mining district in New Caledonia, and secondly he was learning of the release of a new cohort of mobile artillery platforms. Several years in the making, he was somewhat elated to hear a recording of their celebratory first firings. Alik was known for his fierce appetite for risk, but he wondered if he would even need to risk utilizing the platforms - the news was that the Bloc was in dire financial straits, and would either become unable to grow their military, or collapse entirely. With a history of unstable Eastern-European coalitions, the feedback was positive for the Union. Signing off on the new postings for the artillery pieces, Tereshchenko reaffirmed five more companies of them and permitted a recently-commissioned research lab to join Doctor Hei's work in power and propulsion.
December 25 2134 -
Christmas day 2134 across the world saw two things:
First, the delivery of presents across the globe. Despite the downward trend of most organised religions during the 21st century, Christmas maintained its' longstanding tradition of a unifying period of goodwill. Secondly and in stark defiance of that goodwill, the troops of Romania-Ukraine preempted Union aggression, and began an overwhelming assault to the surprise of pundits and strategists alike. Blocked by heavy snowfall and with the Northern plains bogged by substantial melt and runoff, Ukraine was well-defended from the North, while the West were almost impassable, and bristling with fortified infantry and artillery.
In response to Tereshchenkos' warmongering, and in recognition that the Union appeared to be in some sort of waiting game for the Bloc to crack, Premier Mihalcea had used the security-lax festive period to bring war to Union forces across Eastern Europe.
PRRU
Moving to capture agrarian Moldova from the North and East, Ukrainian forces came across little resistance and saw surrender in less than a day. Pictures of the disheveled Moldovan president signing the peace accord in bloodied casual wear would circulate the world by days end, and would generate great unrest despite arguments of the signing being invalid, made under duress. Concurrently, mobile divisions stationed in Southern Romania began a rapid transit over the Danube, taking the only border bridge. With the now-poorly-named Friendship Bridge under Romanian control and with few-if-any passable ways to attack the aggressor states, independent forces began movement towards Bulgaria, and afterwards the crucial waterway bisecting Turkey.
GUN
[Edited out some sections like the one here, because writing about towns being levelled and sieged while they're now actually being bombarded and sieged seems shoddy]
At the behest of Admiral Tsukamoto Montaro, the UNSC began requesting targets from the ground-based OTS spotters. The twenty warships of the UNSC struggled to find isolated targets to strike without hitting city centers themselves. With consideration for the citizens beneath, the Union would not burden itself with a twenty-second century repeat of the bombing of Dresden. Determining not to raise dangerous and radioactive dust from their exotic weaponry, they would wait until the situation beneath was either improved or desperate enough to warrant such actions.
This is where I found out the OTS spotters have light personal weapons rather than FFD. I believe this must have happened when I redesigned them in a rush after errors forced a reload. On a quick test, indiscriminate barrages caused a civilian:combatant casualty ratio of about 12000:1, so the now-useless UNSC will be sitting this one out until a small group of newly-designed spotters are recruited.
Tereshchenko, formerly convinced of Serbian support, was stunned to discover the borders would be closed to Union personnel. Determining that maintaining neutrality would best protect Serbia, the only relatively-undefended path towards Romania would remain closed to GUN and PRRU both. Beginning a far-harder journey, the recently-stationed Union Guard Brigades began their 1055km transit to the Sofian battleground. There the battle would be quickly joined.
On a near-universal day of rest for billions across the world, boiling tensions had resulted in the deaths of over twenty-five thousand people. Men women and children who had been celebrating the end of an uneventful year at morning were now bloodied or dead at evening, presents unopened and the wrecks of their homes and livelihoods now scarring the unexpected battlefield.
December 26 2034 -
[Another cut section. Damn Russians]
With the death toll mounting and the holiday season brought to an horrific end, Tereshchenko signed for immediate refurbishment and expansion of Union ground force training facilities. Though it wouldn't be operational until late 2136, there was not one mote of dissent regarding this priority despite its' immense economic disruption.
In a wide belt from Debresen to Burgas, scenes native to any war began to appear. With roads clogged with newly-created refugees and with the death toll rising by thousands an hour, there were few within the Union that were not either transfixed to hourly news broadcasts, or discussing the worst political and humanitarian crisis in over a century.
December 27 2134 -
From his seat of power in Kyiv, Premier Mihalcea viewed the progress of his invasion. In defeating Union forces in Europe, he would be able to secure his nation against the ousted Tereshchenko and his imperialist ilk. Long dreamt by his party, proving secession from the Union was possible by force would strike a hard blow against the GUN - similar to the secession of the United States from Britain several centuries earlier. Like the old British Empire, the lingering implicit threat of violence would ensure that the Union provided its' remaining members with a path to peaceful independence.
If only his countrymen didn't have to shed blood to make them see that.
Shocked by the Boxing Day massacres in Chișinău, Mihalcea ordered a single-days grace for the residents of Moldova. After collecting and disposing of the dead, Premier Mihalcea instructed non-combatants to leave the city, and head through a new humanitarian corridor to Poland. Though the trek to Poland in wintertime would be harsh, it would prevent further 'misunderstandings' with newly-appointed Ukrainian law enforcement.
[Another cut section]
December 28 2134
With Union troops in withdrawal from Sofia to nearby Pernik, and with heavy street fighting across the Bulgarian capital, PRRU Mitralors' began moving to position. Similar to the suppression of protestors in Chișinău, violent crackdowns on the civilian population broke most of the unprepared civilian resistance. With fighting at a temporary standstill in Hungary and Bulgaria, Tereschchenko's goal of a direct invasion of Kiev was in peril. Instead of moving South as expected, the vehicular divisions focused instead on encircling Sofia, seeming instead to protect the city from counterattack. With most of the Bulgarian cabinet missing or dead, it appeared that the mostly-Romanian brigades were hunting for leadership to secure a peace treaty.
From behind a wall, Mayór Petar Savu addressed the mounds of sandbags and wire fortifying the Largo, home to the Bulgarian administration. Nestled within its' many layers were the local citizenry - stubborn defenders that were preventing him from securing a Bulgarian peace. Forbidden from razing the complex to the ground and without a Bulgarian translator, his crude gesturing was insufficient to move them. Estimating them to have little in the way of food or supplies, a small-scale siege of the administrative center would suffice. With Savu's own fortifications beginning to take shape surrounding the center square and adjacent streets, if the President or her cabinet had survived thus far, they and their guards would soon be forced out.
December 29 2134
Though global-scale conflict had not at this point broken out, targeted terrorist attacks on GUN assets globally had increased in the preceding twenty-four hours. Making global news, an entire shift of several thousand Venderite miners were killed in Brazil when dissenting locals stormed the unguarded civilian complex. Looting what they could, charges were placed to collapse the deep shafts and destroy the complex entirely. The valuable complex was destroyed in less than twenty minutes, by rainforest conservation extremists that had found themselves long-ignored.
In secret, Administrator Tereshchenko had discussed former Administrator Koziol's fate. Though he had disgraced his office, all his actions thus-far had been solely to safeguard against this exact eventuality. Vindicated, Koziol would be pardoned and his house arrest withdrawn. With this news instantly leaking towards Zimmermann and his sympathizers, an inflammatory Lunar request to explain was received and rejected by Tereshchenko. Though discussions regarding the possibility of a Lunar rebellion had begun, there was simply no way for the colony to survive on its' own, and such an event was presently the least of the Administrators' concern.
[I deleted the rest of the post related to the war, because it was mostly focused on levelling Kyiv, Odessa, Mariupol, and settlements downstream of Kyiv all the way to the mouth of the Dneiper, half for story and half to explain the inexplicably high civilian death toll]
Febuary 14 2135 -
As agreed, the Christmas-Day war came to end at midnight, Valentines Day 2135. Signing upon the peace two days earlier was the bruised Premier Mihalcea, forced to sign a peace under similar circumstances to the Moldovan president eight weeks earlier. Despite its' estimated 3.6 billion dollar weekly damage bill, the war had calmed in its latest days. Cut off from fuel and ammunition, the stalling of the PRRU's main offensive had proven catastrophic and prevented damage to the extent seen in the first phase of the war.
The Valentines Armistice of 2135 would not see the PRRU rejoin the Grand Union of Nations. Over the course of three months the conjoined territories of Ukraine and Romania would be forcibly separated from one another, democratic governments reinstated, and both nation states would rejoin the Union as member states. Knowing that his homeland was again returned from nationalistic extremists, Tereshchenko determined that he would step down at decades-end to retire in his hometown, Odessa.
With peace signed, it would only be a matter of time before other entities within the GUN and without sought to violently force development of their own interests, and Administrator Tereshchenko endeavored to find likeminded people to address the security deficits that had allowed the PRRU the confidence to openly attack the Union, and initially overwhelm Union defenses.
Records of casualties over almost 8 weeks. Total GUN losses: 20676. Total PRRU losses: 25124. Total civilian losses: 312000.
(https://i.imgur.com/Vve4YbE.jpg)
March 16 2135 -
Addressing the Hall of Representatives were three men of great power. Administrator Alik Tereshchenko, Admiral Tsukamoto Montaro, and General Boris Heckel represented the highest ranking members of the administration, navy, and army. The three were to convince the Union at large that the best course would be a substantial expansion of the Unions' army and navy. Former Union leaders had assumed compliance of extra-national and extraterrestrial governments. Despite Lunar Administrator Zimmermann's protests, so far Union relations had been largely been peaceful. Independent attacks on Union assets in addition to the recent outright European war had shown that compliance had to be assured - through overwhelming military capability.
Following the full adoption of the Romanian and Ukranian peace treaties and with rebuilding efforts in Eastern Europe fully underway, the Union was losing in excess of a third of a billion dollars a month. It would be necessary to rectify this, and then immediately adopt the first true Union standing army, with additional developments in transporting these troops to the colonies. Increasing military strength and power projection outside the domains of Earth would ensure that the imprisoned war criminal Mihalcea was the last to threaten the goals of humanity and the Union.
November 13 2136 -
Attending the graduation ceremony in person, General Heckel watched the newest expansion of the Union military with great interest. The First Union Defence group was comprised of eight demountable surface-to-orbit railgun sites, alongside some eight hundred infantry and two dozen spotters and mobile artillery to protect them. Spreading several dozen of these sites around the globe would ensure no nation would be able to maintain local space superiority in future, as well as enforce Union presence on nearly every corner of the Earth.
With a planned two hundred thousand military personnel being trained by the end of the century, the Union would soon have a standing army comparable in size and greater in strength than even its' largest member states. With few updates to make regarding ship-based troop transportation, this ceremony was the best military update General Heckel would see for a good while yet.
Settled after the initial ceremony and knowing full well that this first group would be one of dozens, Heckel enjoyed his light refreshments - It was quite warm for the season, and the day would be quite long indeed.
March 14 2138 -
At his colleagues request, the far-away Admiral Montaro made plans to meet with Administrator Tereshchenko. Updates from the Union research divisions assured Tereshchenko that new micro-reactors would soon be available for the long-awaited 500 tonne escort ships. Delayed for years by environmental activists and nuclear safety concerns, arguments for ship-mountable nuclear reactors on surface-capable ships had finally won, and a prototype was almost ready.
Estimating the final adjustments would be finalized between April and June 2140, the first ships would begin construction within thirty months. Agreeing that the new 'Montaro'-class escort ships would suffice for extra-planetary protection, there would be a decline in production of the the far larger 'Nelson' class, with the signing of production contracts to fall for the first time in history.
Febuary 14 2139 -
Four years on from the Valentines Armistice and its' associated treaties, the Premier of Ukraine and the President of Romania gave a dual address to the Hall of Representatives. The post-war period had seen a great economic boon, with the books of the Union balanced to deliver a small monthly surplus, and damage from the Christmas war now considered almost entirely rectified. Scars still existed in riparian zones adjacent to the Dneiper river, but the deepest craters had become welcome wetland habitat, and were considered acceptable reminders of the war. Hearing this speech of peace and reconciliation were non-member states, all believing that these subjugated nations were no longer acting upon their own interest and were opinion-less protectorates, nothing more.
Expansion of the armies had been ongoing, and there were now a half-dozen new military bases; one in each continent and with more being trained. The free nations of Earth were growing stifled while adjacent to what they each believed to be an Empire in all but name. Above it all, the shipyards of the UNSC were churning out warships, while renovation of the sites that used to construct and launch the Lloyd-class geosurvey launch platforms would see them soon launching multitudes of warships allegedly to "Protect Union Shipping". Without access to the materials or sciences the Union had, these conventional nations could do little but watch the disparity between the GUN and themselves grow with increasing contempt.
The Electors of the Union had another year to decide who would steer the Union for the next decade, and there were several candidates considered likely to take the position. After such a dramatic decade, there was no shortage of candidates taking up a multitude of positions and offering to solve a plethora of problems they considered of utmost importance.
Remember you're an elector! The poll should be on top of the page from posting til I start next decade.
1. Markus Zimmermann.
The first was as always, Markus Zimmermann. One of the first Union Administrators, Zimmermann had spent decades addressing the need for a Lunar and Martian voting presence within the Hall of Representatives. Alongside campaigns for extraterrestrial rights, he had a longstanding reputation of being a competent if contrarian leader. Attracting the votes of the farthest-left electors, Zimmermann had either continued either drive the Union to be its' best, or sat stubbornly as a thorn in its' side - Depending on who you asked.
(https://imgur.com/bsMfuUd.jpg)
The arguments against him ranged from that suffraging less than a hundred thousand colonists would effectively disenfranchise billions of Earth-dwellers by diluting their voting rights - as well as that he was an extremist, a weak-stomached vegetarian and quite possibly a communist, though the latter allegation was yet unproven.
2. Donna Spada.
Appealing to the more moderate-left electors was Donna Spada making her second election appearance. Ever charismatic, Mrs. Spada had endeared herself during the Christmas war by leading relief efforts and charity drives. Passionate and friendly, she advocated for a trend towards keeping military strength and international cooperation high, while setting groundwork for eventual extraterrestrial rights without prematurely granting elector status. Ever known for her cheery and flexible nature, Donna Spada was considered a genuinely cooperative leader, moreso than any of the other candidates.
(https://imgur.com/hv8bCbL.jpg)
Detractors considered her to be an inexperienced and ineffective leader - Having not acted as an administrator for Earth or its' growing list of colonies, it would be difficult to gauge her effectiveness on the job. Against this argument was that she mirrored Evie Lloyd in passion and starting experience. With tiredness of the Unions' established path growing, Administrator Spada's open-mindedness would make peace a likely possibility.
3. Topi Manninen.
Having gone viral online for looking perpetually miserable, the Finnish candidate Topi Manninen had secured Nordic support of his current campaign following his tenure at Parliament House in Helsinki. The internet had become enamoured by his gloomy and depressing personality and looks - much like was common for grumpy or sad-looking cats during the 21st century. Though former Minister Manninen had enjoyed his time as a Finnish minister, he had never understood the internets' obsession with him and stereotypical of most Finns largely desired a life of service out of the spotlight.
(https://imgur.com/Vz5cPcs.jpg)
Campaigning for modest yet effective Union expenditure, most centerists considered Mister Manninen to be an ideal and proven if mundane leader. The internet had already began trending petitions regarding the miser becoming Administrator of Earth, with his endearing similarity to Eeyore continued to bolster his otherwise inexplicable popularity.
4. Christopher Gardiner.
Having moved towards a slight nationalistic tendency over the last decade, Gardiner was the the third of three repeat candidates and the only of the three to have formerly been an Administrator of Earth. Manning the Aten deep space tracking station, Gardiner had watched the war from afar and determined that the best way to continue peace was through increasing Union strength. Unknowingly Gardiner had become an ideological clone of Tereshchenko, and attracted the same voter base that had seen the outgoing Administrator elected in the first place.
(https://i.imgur.com/1LOZVqV.jpg)
Popular during his tenure in the 20's, his existing supporters would vote for him without much argument, while his detractors discussed whether his previous inaction had caused the conditions leading to the Christmas war.
5. Aja Upadhya.
The candidate most appealing to conservative-leaning electors of the Union was Aja Upadhya. Migrating to the US as an adult, Aja was raised in a somewhat strict, traditional Indian household that saw her valuing both traditional ideology and the delicate environment with equal parts. Having been selected as Administrator of the US-lead civilian mining complex on Halley's Comet, Aja loved nature, tradition, and astronomy to the utmost.
(https://imgur.com/mlTNnSX.jpg)
Administrator Upadhya resists the notion of foreign influence and would see the Union not only strengthened militarily, but would go so far as to ensure the colonies of Earth remain just that - colonies, nothing more. Non-union mining colonies would be heavily taxed and Union dominion over international affairs would be paramount. Her strong-armed stance made her an extremely attractive candidate to those who felt Union weakness caused the Christmas war, especially amongst the European nations who had lost so much during the PRRU invasion.
And finally, a farewell to the outbound Tereshchenko, the luckiest (evillest?) leader to grace my gameplay - I've never had someone so old and so injured come back so many times from the dead. I'm starting to think all the error-related reloads are due to him and his magic. I'd RP his retirement ceremony, but honestly the lich probably just crumbled to dust.
(https://i.imgur.com/Br49ObF.jpg)
-
With Gardiner winning 2-1 versus Zimmermann, let's continue down the
fun only military path. Assuming GUNs name has something to do with our obsession with railguns might be an overreach but the correlation sure
seems suspicious. Because it was an ~eight month break between starting that last chapter and finishing it, here's a quick summary of the game and nation:
GAME characteristics
(https://i.imgur.com/0sMRiDF.jpg)
RACE characteristics
(https://i.imgur.com/PDuNPyB.jpg)
January 01 2140 -
Celebrations throughout the world erupted to mark the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Grand Union of Nations. From its' earliest timezone in New Zealand all the way to the West Coast of the Americas, the following 24 hours would be marked by fireworks at a scale not seen since the 2100 New Years Eve, before conventional fireworks were restricted Jan 2nd 2100 for environmental concerns. Waving this for one night, the skies across the world lit up in sequence, to no lack of annoyance by Earths' tracking stations and active sensors, each system firmly believing the world was under bombardment or some unknown cataclysm.
These alarms were ignored in favour of champagne and wine, and whilst the world partied the diligent operators of the Unions' many space tracking stations...also partied, but under a veneer of legitimacy granted by the constant resetting of the alarm systems. Administrator Tereshchenko celebrated also, enjoying the revelry despite not being able to see the fireworks. By all accounts, this celebration just-prior to the second inauguration of Chris Gardiner was a wonderful sendoff and he was content to listen to it all.
January 14 2140 -
Administrator Zimmermann paused from his duties to view the inauguration of Christopher Gardiner. Their diametrically-opposed ideologies had seen the electors induct Gardiner over Zimmermann for the second time in just a few decades, an understandable preference given Zimmermann's platform was based upon perpetual dilution of Terrestrial voting rights as the number of colonies continued to grow. In comparison, Lunar Base had not expanded much in the last decade - Supplies of crucial infrastructure had been interrupted during military tensions and the outbreak of the Christmas war, and then shipping efforts had largely been directed by former Administrator Tereshchenko to continue creating new tracking stations on major asteroids, worlds, and moons deemed of interest.
Sending a terse yet polite message to the new incumbent, Administrator Zimmermann suggested a meeting soon; the first visit of a sitting Union Administrator to the Lunar colonies. This would be an attempt to ambush the leader and coerce out of him ten new Koziol-class freighters in addition to beginning the first steps towards a Lunar spaceport. This would be all but laughed at, but made the idea of a few new freighters seem quite reasonable in comparison. The ever-larger number of destinations for ship freight had seen fewer and fewer visitors to Luna in recent years, and this 'Colonization Corps 04' would be dedicated solely to Earth-to-Luna infrastructure and colonist transport, if only he could convince the new Administrator to work with the colonies rather than focus on Earth.
Having seen and done this all before Administrator Gardiner continued preparing to take the reins of the GUN, glad that the spectacle had overtaken controversy regarding the name of the recently-laid UNCC 0041 - 'Romania' and the UNSC 0025 - 'Horlivka'. This next decade would surely not see UNSC ships used for anything other than protecting cargo preventing piracy and of course rescuing stranded spacefarers - and for this he was grateful. During the series of pre-inaugural briefings however, he had noticed a peculiarity in that there were two as-yet unconfirmed ship prototypes that had apparently been worked quite far along in their designs. Briefly noting the size and armament of the designs, Gardiner endeavored to follow up on these mysterious
submissions - they were the first he'd yet heard of them, and by the looks of things were very much almost ready to produce.
April 09 2140 -
Amidst no shortage of press, Administrator Gardiner stood in front of the crowd to shake hands with Administrator Zimmermann to finish off his whirlwind Lunar conference. With Lunar Base having no dedicated conference room, the crowd of dozens found themselves in a cleared warehouse in one of the capillary residence hubs. With a substantial part of the growing city established underground, the sealed lava tubes and caves under the surface were a naturally warm area of around 17 degrees Celsius. With effort, a fragile yet breathable atmosphere had been established by sealing the craters and caverns that served as their entrance. This made for a branching linear city of tens of thousands. Though few could fit in the warehouse, hundreds were waiting in the cavernous corridors watching via screens and waiting for their glimpse of the Head of the Union; the only Administrator save for Zimmermann to ever poll positively among the Lunarians.
Now as the first sitting Union Administrator to leave Earth and having defied detractors who had called it a needless flight risk, Gardiner had led the meeting in an unexpected direction to what Zimmermann had planned. The wily Lunar leader had determined to strong arm Gardiner in to creating a dedicated colonization corps with a sacrificial goal of establishing a Lunar spaceport. Giving up the latter would secure the former - or so he thought.
Rather, Gardiner thought it a splendid idea. A new Colonization corps would be established, in order to deliver several hundred pre-fabricated modules to orbit of Luna. This automatic cargo handling station would allow a new class of freighter to traverse established Union colonies; one with 50% greater cargo capacity in exchange for lacking shuttle bays. At this point, the Lunar colony and eventually even Mars would each receive a direct freight corps to continue sending uninterrupted infrastructure to each. Though the lava tubes had proven habitable with only moderate modifications, it was still a substantial undertaking to continue growing Lunar Base and that infrastructure was sorely needed.
Stunned at the compliance of Administrator Gardiner, Markus Zimmermann could do nothing but grin - He had achieved what he considered to be a major concession from the Union government, and officiated the closing ceremony with barely concealed glee.
April 29 2140 -
Good news came to Gardiner after months of talks with former-Administrator Tereshchenko. After years of research, scientist Pak Hei finally unveiled the first full-scale model of the new 1 Gigawatt ship-mounted nuclear reactor. A far smaller version of the existing 3GW primary nuclear reactors, the eighty tonne module would allow for a sufficient supply of energy to power the new generation of reasonably-sized UNSC ships. Gardiner had come to realize that the 2000 tonne Nelson class warships were far too large for escort duties, and had brought Tereshchenko's vision to life of a reasonably-sized 500 tonne escort capable of travelling from the surface of Earth to the colonies as necessary at an incredible 300km per second. In tandem to these would be the new 'Lion' class defence platforms. A team of seven would operate the 180 tonne machines from a stable orbit, allowing Earth to be protected from both unrest and piracy even if all warships were on duty elsewhere.
Acting as a second line of defense alongside the numerous surface-to-orbit installations of the Union Army, this would ensure adequate balance of power between the army and navy. Administrator Gardiner had noted with caution the eagerness of the Admiralty and Generals, and was worried that the intentions of both were more towards their own career advancement rather than the advancement of humanity as a whole. Though he largely trusted the intentions of Montaro and Heckel, it was impossible to say if their successors and subordinates would remain similarly dependable, and thus preventing any future possibility of a coup would require neither to have a major advantage over the other.
The ground-based STO weapons of the army had the advantage in range, size, and fortification and thus the naval weaponries would have to compete by measure of quantity. Administrator Gardiner contacted ground-based manufacturers across the Americas and Asia contracting the construction of ten Lion platforms and a half-dozen Montaro escorts. Above these factories, UNSC Shipyard 01 continued spitting out new Nelson escorts to replace the older warships.
March 12 2141 -
March 12th was to be an extremely busy day for Administrator Gardiner. First, he was re-establishing the commitment the Union had towards commercial and civilian pursuits by unveiling the UNCC's new slipway; the fourth possessed by the Colonial Command. Secondly, he was to preside over the launching ceremony of three new sister ships; the England, the China, and the Carthage. These were entirely ordinary Koziol-class freighters and would normally be launched by any upstanding available officer. In this case they were also the first freighters of Commercial Corps 04, and to help unify the colonies it would be advantageous to preside at their Christening.
Then and with far less fanfare, he would also attend the opening ceremony of the UNSC's fourth slipway. Now able to produce sixteen Nelson escorts a year if needed, it was already responsible for the bulk of the Unions' military. With the first of the ordered Lion class delivered and with the frame of the Montaro now complete, these Nelsons would patrol the shipping routes of the Solar system, in addition to posting in orbit above the colonies colonies and escorting Union freighters. There was now no contest over the military control of Earth or the solar system.
Finally at days end, he would attend the departure of Colonization Corps 02 on their first journey to Mercury to found Outpost Mercury. This would be the third major Union colony, and would likely have an eventual Union population of well over three million. The outpost would straddle the craters of the Northern polar regions in order to make use of its' ice deposits and more survivable polar temperature. With no names yet chosen for the new outpost, the Gardiner Administration decreed that the public ought decide.
Please suggest a name! I haven't come up with anything other than Vulcan, Brightside, or Twilight. The first two being ironic given that the areas in question are typically <-100C and the last isn't 'optimistic' enough.
September 15 2141 -
The long-serving Martian Administrator Konrad Oelsner retired from public service after decades spent guiding the colony to its' present state. The colony of fifty thousand bade him farewell as he left the seat of power on Elysium to Mansur Zivian. Administrator Zivian had long-ago left his wealthy family and good name, determined to prove himself amidst the blossoming colonies. Finding colonial life far more difficult than expected, he struggled to get by for years during economic disruptions during and after the Christmas war and was far too stubborn to call it quits.
Doubling down, he had befriended the hardworking Oelsner and began a life of public service. Befriending the powerful amidst the colony, he was considered the most popular candidate and likely the best and was sworn in with little fanfare. Despite the substantial delay in telecommunications between worlds, his very first message as Administrator was to remind the family
he had left behind that he had made it despite their doubts.
The following messages were more congenial, offering assistance and good faith to the administrators of Earth and Luna and assistance to the growing other Union colonies wherever feasible.
(https://i.imgur.com/8FpxUTk.jpg)
September 20 2141 -
A century prior, the foundations of general relativity were somewhat shaken by 'exotic matter', the eleven so-far discovered materials that defied Newtonian physics as they were understood at the time.
Bridging the gap between the rules and exceptions required hundreds of questions and thousands of thories and through this, Neo-Physics was born. A student of this hypothetical school Sigge Berlund had continued on the lifes work of a half-dozen of the worlds brightest neophysicists using substantial Union funding. Shocking the world on September 20th, his first draft of the 'Berlund General Model' was released for peer review.
Raising both questions and cortisol amidst scientists the world across, part of the new model suggested delicately balanced bridge-points far from the gravity well of stellar objects containing trans-newtonian matter. These points were hypothesized to be where the unpredictable forces of the stellar objects' exotic matter overpowered the force of its' gravity, towards the tapering edge of its' gravity well.
Hypothetically, these 'breach points' would exist adjacent to other breach points in other stellar systems despite their immense distance in spacetime. Sigge Berlund suggested that this distance could be crossed in an instant with a sufficiently complex mechanism to control those fluctuations and transfer mass along that plane. Though no such mechanism existed and the field was entirely theoretical, there was uproar of having to learn a new model amidst recent graduates of gUNI.
Addressing the response and the academic furor in public a few days later, Sigge specified that these points might also exist outside the orbit of Saturn all the way to to Oort cloud, though it was impossible to determine where they might be ahead of time if they existed at all. Sigge also happened to suggest that similar intra-system travel points existed between gas giants presuming those bodies also contained any traces of exotic matter.
At this point however the conference devolved into a borderline brawl and no suggestion of proper academic behavior or light refreshments could assuage either side.
I've just realized Tereshchenko's still here as of July 07 2142. I swear I retired him and i'm getting scared. I'm retiring him, saving, calling an exorcist, and saving again.
May 15 2143 -
The two dozen men and women of the First Colonial Guard Platoon were sworn in months ahead of schedule, in order to introduce them at a brief military parade surrounding a Martian History exhibition in the arid deserts of Nevada, USA.
Showcasing geology, old Earth cultural beliefs regarding Mars and extraterrestrial life, and the planets' contemporary colonization; the exhibition was considered a wild success despite the scorching heat. With a heatwave reaching 48C/120F most outside activities were brief and sweaty affairs. The display of microbial fossils discovered in the sediment around Jezero lake were particularly contentious, due to raucous interruptions by those religious adherents that refused to believe their authenticity. All in all however, the day was well-received and widely televised.
Those men and women would find themselves transported via new Trojan class transports to Mars later that year; the first Grand Union land-based military presence to reach another world.
Febuary 10 2144 -
Receiving the news of its' completion Christopher Gardiner determined that the newest research lab in New Zealand ought be assigned to Pak Hei; who had shown herself a fierce advocate of the Berlund General Model. Her preliminary assessments had convinced the Administrator that she might just be able to 'crack' one of the more pressing engineering issues regarding interstellar travel, and he had no qualms in doubling her staffing for the duration of his tenure as top Union servant.
If she could continue producing these fascinating hypotheses and experiments he might just be able to convince the bean counters to allocate her yet another research center, scheduled for opening late 2149. The new model had finally after several years stopped causing academic uproar and increasing funding towards training and answering its' issues no longer caused mass protest and strikes - though possibly because the previous generation of unconvinced Neophysicists had by now already resigned in protest.
Recent distribution of the colonial guards to Mars and Luna had for the most part quieted the colonies, and Chris noted to himself the striking calmness of the Union. He wondered briefly whether this was a soon-ended calm or whether he could rely on this trend to continue. Disregarding it in either case as a blessing, he continued the very busy and very important work of reorganizing the knickknacks on his desk.
April 25 2144 -
Almost in spite of this universal state of calm, trouble began to hit Colonization Corps 03 as it passed through the asteroid belt scarce few months later in the way of concurrent shortages of fuel and repair supplies.
Leuitenant Commander Femke de Gelder of the freighter 'Ukraine' called to the rest of Colonization Corps 03 in horror. Months earlier, he had disembarked on Titan alongside some of the task forces other officers and crew in order to partake in some traditional Titan Gambling. Outside the jurisdiction of tax and law offices it was not illegal to gamble on a wide range of things, and he had assigned his second officer to oversee activities during his shore leave.
With that second officer taking the opportunity to also gamble outside of Union jurisdiction with the other crew members aboard, his ship had missed refueling from the taskgroups' assigned tanker. With the fuel now long-since distributed through the one-way valves to the other ships of the small armada of freighters, there was no way the Ukraine would be able to return to Earth - and there wasn't enough fuel in the tanker to allow him to rectify this. An emergency message was broadcast then to the only other Outreach still in service; the aging 'UNCC 0019 - Oshkosh'. With it in orbit of Earth, the Ukraine was now stranded.
Concurrent to this, the shuttle bay door of the 'Chile' was struck at a piercing angle by an asteroid fragment approximately six by six inches across, and almost twelve inches long. Despite its' low speed its' size gave it the power to pierce through the shuttle bay and embed within one of the small shuttles' engines. Having used most maintenance supplies on-route, the crew lacked anything to fix the hole or shuttle and sealed the bay. Once back at Earth, the taskgroup would be firmly reprimanded for their disciplinary issues with the ships overhauled completely and repaired.
By some stroke of luck, the stranding of the Ukraine happened only 53 million kilometers away from the 'Dario 1'; the first ever asteroid to be proved to contain trans-Newtonian materials by the well-regarded Admiral Dario Hume Li'ito. Christopher Gardiner was somewhat happy even despite the incredible failures of the crews. The stranded ship would wait on Dario 1 for rescue by the Oshkosh whilst freighters would deliver communications supplies to the rock. Outpost Dario would become the latest tracking station commissioned within the asteroid belt, and this disaster need not be considered a failure on behalf of the Union but rather a daring rescue of a stricken vessel towards a monument of humanities' progress.
(https://i.imgur.com/3mUzCui.jpg)
May 21 2144 -
Maybe Chris Gardiners' optimism was a little hasty. After assigning substantial funding to scientist Pak Hei, she had decided to retire. Not only that, she released well-circulated articles that the idea of interstellar travel was impossible. Whatever she called a 'Jump Drive Efficiency 4' was science fiction and would remain so; at least according to her. He could sympathise regarding her three months of effort in such a difficult field, but was disgusted by the method of her resignation. The first he had heard of it was a news telecast showcasing a 'GUN Academic Scandal!' and wildly inaccurate posts about funding misappropriations.
Salvaging the controversy as best he could, Administrator Gardiner instructed her assistants to continue their work under a new scientist. Caroline Kastrup called it a promising field, but after Pak Heis withering remarks about her own field, hopes for interstellar travel were greatly diminished.
July 26 2145 -
Disheartened by his detractors, Sigge Berlund retired from government service aged 62. Despite his new theoretical models holding up against academic scrutiny, the backlash following Pak Hei's denouncement had taken their toll, and the further study of applications of his theory towards interstellar travel would have be be undertaken by someone else. Though he still believed in his model and theory, the burnout had been taking its' toll and he would do what he could from the sidelines to maintain that it wasn't all just 'quack pseudoscience' as the tabloids were claiming.
Attempting to salvage his reputation as a scientific visionary, Administrator Gardiner assigned all available academic bandwidth towards Caroline Kastrups' theories. With just a single advancement in applying Berlunds' General Theory, confidence would be restored in the Gardiner Administrations' priorities. The faith in the Union that had seemed to coalesce during the prior few years was beginning to evaporate with this continued scientific rebellion and Gardiner needed at least one substantial win during the second half of his tenure in order to convince the Electors' he was worth keeping around for another decade. Two of Sigges labs would go to Kastrup, while the other would go to the quiet and conscientious Thavong Navaratna as she continued Sigges work.
October 10 2145 -
Goodness, we're running out of P&P scientists at this rate!
And with the frustrations of masses accusing the Gardiner Administration now firmly directed at Ms. Navaratna, the usually quiet and academically-inclined 61 year old decided to follow in both her predecessors' steps and withdraw from the field of Neo-physics. With near-constant protests outside the academy regarding what was considered a widespread misappropriation of funding, Christopher Gardiner did what any reasonable leader is likely to do in such a scenario:
He doubled-down.
Thidar Kay Win signed several contracts in order to secure directorship of the Malaysian Institute of Higher Research. Firstly he would continue the research of Berlund-Navaratna regarding the feasibility of interstellar travel. Secondly he would travel only with approved security contractors in order to reduce the risk of protest-related disruption. Finally he would be forbidden from resigning for a period of no less than three years on pain of heavy financial penalty.
At this point Gardiner wondered if it would not be better to follow the not-so-subtle suggestions of the academic version of an angry mob, and forget about interstellar travel. There was functionally infinite resources within the Solar system. He always had the tendency to be a bit too enthusiastic however, and the notion of backing down did not agree with him. Conceding that the issue would likely make or break his career, he began looking at the source of inflammation surrounding these scholars.
It was a shock to him to see that just one woman was quite possibly the origin of his adversaries. A fixture of gUNI and older than many of its' campuses sat the tiny yet fierce Kapuku Makaya. Heading the primary university of the Union, the academy commandant held an outdated and shockingly conventional view on theoretical neophysics. Having been the second-ever appointed academy commandant and holding tremendous sway within the academic world, he endeavored to meet her and if possible, to convince her that this path would prove fruitful if followed.
Best case scenario, she might reconsider arguing that the Berlund General Theory was fantasy. Worst case scenario, the centenarian would double-down as he had, and publicly admonish his academic expenditures. Despite her small stature she was considered a giant within the field, and winning her over would surely stop the tide of resignations and malcontent within Union research centers.
(https://i.imgur.com/atVNb0x.jpg)
The ancient commandant of gUNI
September 21 2147 -
After years of concern and nearly running out of time before scientist Win could withdraw from their position, Administrator Gardiner had some fantastic news. With the begrudging assistance of Academy Commandant Makaya, Sigge Berlund, and no shortage of union science funding there was now hard evidence supporting the Berlund General Theory. A working experiment had managed to send half of a micro-gram of sorium out of a sealed vacuum to an unknown destination. Measuring the entire closed system confirmed that the substance was indeed no longer present and had indeed 'teleported' to an unknown location. The results were perfectly replicable, and it had shown sorium would play the greatest role in interstellar travel in future.
The destination was completely uncontrolled, though it was theorized to be within 50,000kms of a breach-point of one of Earths' closest stellar neighbors. If it could be reproduced and controlled at a macro scale, Win suggested it would be possible to send larger and more complex objects through using a similar process.
Despite objections to the legitimacy of the experiment and no shortage of controversy, the results were immediately published to the world as the next domino to fall in the Unions' interstellar ambitions. Amidst wide-spread published doubt regarding the experiment, the swelling price of Sorium on the open market proved that at least the financial and resource markets believed in the legitimacy of the the Gardiner Administrations claims.
December 17 2149 -
Little had changed in the prior two years. With hard evidence applying Berlunds' General Theory the leakage of scientists had largely stopped, whilst the expansion of humanity amidst the Solar system had become almost routine. Several names had begun to take shape regarding the name of Outpost Mercury, but nothing had yet transpired. With an election looming the ever-contentious Lunarians were once again stirring about voting rights, but even their complaints seemed quite tame against recent decades. All in all, the Gardiner Administration approached the end of its' second term in a positive yet lukewarm condition. There had been achievements across the board, but nothing particular stood out compared to the characters of previous administrations. There were no major outstanding issues coming out of this tepid decade - just the ever present droning of international shipping rights and colonial voting. Pundits noted that this was in
effect the most uneventful election in living memory.
Campaigning still at the opening ceremony of the latest gUNI campus, Chris Gardiner implored the electors present that this rate of progress would only continue as his administration maintained the course. Doubt began to grow though, given the 72 year olds' seemingly ailing health and the contracting Union budget - These military and research strides had come at great cost, and there was no certainty of their continued financial feasibility.
Let me know your names for Lunar Base and Outpost Mercury!
Candidate 1: Chris Gardiner
(https://i.imgur.com/Uk2PBIL.jpg)
A two-time Union Administrator, Gardiner has shown aptitude for running the GUN, even though his administration has grown stale as far as the public believes
Candidate 2: Markus Zimmermann
(https://i.imgur.com/Js3QV6J.jpg)
The only candidate to have a fourty year history of campaigning against the very electors he needs to rise to power, Markus Zimmermann
Candidate 3: Elora Wolfenfield
(https://i.imgur.com/7YjU7Mk.jpg)
A politically-inclined psychopath. Elora Wolfenfield. There's not really much to say other than who in their right mind would vote for her?
Candidate 4: Aja Upadhya
(https://i.imgur.com/Eh4WwrG.jpg)
A conservative and traditional graduate, the second-highest administrator in the Union besides Gardiner.
The power cut forcing a reset last time I tried. You'll never guess who's still around.
(https://i.imgur.com/qnBBswh.jpg)
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A politically-inclined psychopath. Elora Wolfenfield. There's not really much to say other than who in their right mind would vote for her?
After such a fate tempting description I obviously had to vote for her. :D
Though I am mildly annoyed that the greatest candidate has been cruelly denied a chance to stand, win and then blindly lead the GUNs to yet more glory. Consider this a write in vote for Tereshchenko, the candidate they literally cannot kill.
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Hmm, I wish there was a moderate colonial rights advocate, that could set up a path for colonies to have full membership, here is how I suggest setting it up:
First, new colonies with low pops and you can simply say that they vote trough their nation of origin or closest nation until a time they can vote elsewhere.
The decide what number of people a colony need to be a full nation, I usually go with 25 million which is when a colony flip automatically to be a source of colonist, but maybe a smaller number is more appropriate, like 5 or 1 million given the low pop game this is. But for the purpose of this post lets say a full colony is 25 million and then you can change all numbers suggest accordingly.
After that create a colonial seat (s) that represent all colonies that are large enough to be considered their own entitites and not vote trough their parent nation but too small to have their own seat due to vote dilution. Say, 1 million to 25 millions. This seat represent a nation worth, should there be enough small colonies with population exceeding that, in my example 25 million, so 50 million spread over several colonies then there would be two seats. Typically, in the future these seats would be grouped per system, or cluster of systems if the population is too low in system.
Secondly, consider either or both (a) make the leader (president?) of GUN a direct vote. Then there is no vote dilution, all get equal say. And (b) make GUN bicameral. Have a senate that works like described above, each colony/nation sends a senator. Or maybe three who then vote among them to determine their colony stance and single vote. Each colony decide for themselves who they send.
Then we have the House, that works by representative voting system like Ranked-choice voting or something, just so long as its not first past the goalpoast voting. This way there can be heaps of political parties who collects votes on whatever body and every person have an equal vote.
I would suggest then that the goverment work that legislature is created in the House and voted on, and then send to the senate, who vote to either accept or reject it back to the house with recommendations. If both accept it it then becomes law. Or maybe both the house and senate can suggest, vote and send it to the other. Just as long they both agree.
If the leader is not direct vote I suggest the House elect them.
Just my thoughts, you go wherever your story takes you Aajowa, enjoying this so far!
Think I will vote for the Lunar dude just to see what happens, don't like him really, would preferred someone more moderate but maybe something interesting will happen :D
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Right, that's two votes for the
communist colonial rights advocate, one for foul centrist scum, and one vote split 50/50 between the Anti-Lloyd and the literal undead. Democracy is alive as ever. I'd still like suggestions for names for Mercury and Luna's outposts - Their people demand both name recognition and infrastructure and I'll be damned if those greedy commies are going to get two things at once!
And thanks Hostergaard - I like the sound of population-based voting rights. I need 100x the infrastructure per million pop compared to standard and given my ship and industry constraints I reckon five hundred thousand would work great. Else by my calculations it'd take centuries to move the infrastructure required, with trade good infrastructure developing on Luna/Mars still at the standard rate now being worth 0.01x what it normally would be (The requirement is 10000 infrastructure per CC per million; 20000 per million for Luna for example, where a standard [italic]Koziol[/spoiler] can only carry 0.4 infrastructure apiece). I largely forgot how the electoral system worked during the break, so its' nice that Zimmermann got through to allow for the system to be rejiggered. As of 2159, Tereshchenko is still alive and kicking at 110 years of age.
(https://i.imgur.com/Rd9qVAE.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/Zt9FuEd.jpg)
A brief summation of the Unions' cabinet/congress under the Zimmermann Model
The Grand Union is formed by member states much like the EU as an additional level of government, though leaning more towards US-style federalization. In doing so member states maintain their own sovereignty on Earth but cede mineral rights to all TN materials, pay Union dues, supply Union labor via visa programs, and abide by the OST of 1967 and subsequent agreements. Enforcing this, the Union maintains rights to inspect both construction and operation of member state sites and shipping as part of substantial material and industrial control systems. These sites and ships are not considered important, and are not tracked on screen. Over time, ratified Union legislation can empower the government or curtail its' abilities. With over a century of negotiations and legislation, it's inevitable that the purpose and activities of the GUN has expanded beyond its' origins which I believe was closer to an empowered ASEAN/UN than this blended EU/US frankengovernment.
While originally each member state controlled one elector chosen by their nation in order to represent its' interests, the age of Zimmermann brings forth grand changes more suitable for this Grand Union. The hundred-odd electors of the Union will now become a horde of thousands of bureaucrats, each representative position created and filled to represent the interests of a million of their underlying nations' citizens. These people are still known as Electors, and hold a position similar to a congressperson or minister. This body of electors is called the Cabinet. Where terrestrial nations exist in deficiency of this population, they will keep their one current elector. It is up to the member nation to determine the method of their electors' accession. It stands to reason that most democracies will elect those officials as an additional level of government, while more authoritarian governments will assign these positions from a top-down approach.
Where extraterrestrial colonies exist at a population under fifty thousand, colonists are entitled to vote for electors of their country of origin assuming that country allows. 50000 seems to be the hard-coded minimum population capacity. The only populated body to be within this threshold currently is Mercury, with a population of several thousand.
From fifty to five hundred thousand, colonies are considered to be territories under the Union and these colonists begin to gain voting rights independent of their home nations. colonists are able to vote for members of a voting block focusing solely on colonial affairs. This coalition for colonial affairs will represent all minor colonies, with the number of electors being based on the aggregate population of all colonies represented. Currently the coalition for colonial affairs has a single member rounded up from 180000 colonists, working equally for Martian and Lunar voters.
At over five hundred thousand (The equivalent of fifty million in a standard game) the colony accedes to a State under the Union and receives its' first elector, and continues to receive an additional electors for each half-million colonists. This gives Luna 17 electors at its' highest census, Mars 78, and Mercury 7. Venus would get over 200, but given its' high CC won't likely ever be colonized given my TF speed is 0.01. Finally, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn have a combined elector count through dedicated electors or the bloc of well under 100. In real life i'd imagine this would be cause for contention given that the voting power of an extraterrestrial citizen is effectively double that of a citizen on Earth, though the argument could be made that this discrepancy prevents a more unified terrestrial majority silencing many disparate colonies by always voting for a leader favoring Earth over all else. Think the US Electoral college being founded to reduce metropolitan tyranny. It doesn't stop it, but certainly does a great deal to mitigate its' impact and curtail its' growth.
Member states may sell or lease land near strategically important or urbanized areas in order to bring projects and Union investment. This land is used to house static units as well as all constructed installations on Earth. Away from Earth this land is owned and developed solely by the Union assuming no electors offer development complaints - such as building on the Earth-locked side of the Moon. These developments are manned by member nation citizens, or Union colonists when off-world.
Exemptions to Union TN material controls may be made with governments to form the civilian mining complexes, but control over these joint ventures is ultimately retained by the GUN.
Extraterrestrial colonization may be undertaken by these nations with permission from the Union, but are not heavily controlled - with nations maintaining their own territorial sovereignty. Again, they do not exist in-game Mining rights are offered to companies and nations for materials found on the periodic table, though the logistics and development of these deposits are left solely to the purchaser. Lord i'd love it if normal elements, alloys, and/or isotopes were included in-game; but for now this is just flavor because they're assumed to exist under the notice of the player.
January 05 2150 -
Markus Zimmermann stood unsteadily while addressing the electors of the Union. While his advisors had strongly recommended against giving an address at the Hall of Representatives, after decades of campaigning he needed to affirm both to the Union and himself that his mindset was cooperative with the denizens of Earth - and what better way to introduce himself as the new Head Administrator of Earth than to do so in person. Hidden under his suit, a sturdy frame prevented him from buckling under a weight approximately five times over what he had grown accustomed to over decades spent at Lunar Base. In full spite of his frailty, Administrator Zimmermann addressed the crowd and televised audience across the world promising both trans-planetary cooperation and a rejuvenation of Union democracy.
Whereas traditionally the Administrator of Earth had become the 'Head Administrator' by proxy, the position would now be separated from the role. Where they could be filled by one person, it would no longer be a guarantee. Zimmermann would gratefully return to administrate Luna, with a combined Terrestrial and Lunar entourage administrating the Union. Meanwhile, the electors would find the number of their positions based off of population rather than by equal right between nations. Though this caused no short uproar amidst smaller states, a slim majority of nations stood to gain and the idea was ratified within months.
Wondering how he had ever considered this a comfortable world to live on; the maladjusted Prime Administrator finished his speech, enjoyed some well deserved refreshments, and waddled clankily away to lie down feeling as if he weighed a tonne.
November 10 2150 -
In the lead up to Prime Administrator Zimmermann's election, the Union delegated funding and manufacturing capacity to allow for even more reliable secure communications between Luna and Earth. Spanning this distance was now a steady stream of data for both civilian and government pursuits. Beginning 2:35am (GMT), a lance of data began streaming towards Luna from Earth - Though the bulk of it was unintelligibly complex modelling, it was best summed up as a breakthrough in Thidar Kay Win's jump drive technology.
Previous prototypes could only jump microscopic objects using vast energy reserves with machines many orders of magnitude larger, Kay Win's breakthrough allowed a prototype capable of sending four times its' mass using only a modest power supply. Theorizing that a 250 tonne version of the engine could hypothetically transmit entire starships, the broadcast was peppered by excited proclamations and requests for funding and tests. By days end, Win had secured the support of all eight Union-funded labs, and expected she could finally answer the final questions preventing FTL travel to new solar systems by decades' end.
January 20 2153 -
Union economists were in dismay. After years of submitted complaints, expositions, and addresses their prophesied worst-case scenario had occurred. The combination of an exponential demand for Duranium with an insufficient and somewhat linear supply had depleted Union supplies of the super-valuable mineral. Talks of a 'functionally-infinite supply' died instantly as the Union released its' first press releases - The Earth was presently in a significant Duranium shortage.
Following market shock, Zimmermann himself was forced to reiterate that the Union was not in danger of losing its' space-faring status. Announcing austerity measures out of "an abundance of caution", the production of maintenance supplies would be ceased for the time being, in addition to redirecting the Colonization Corps. Temporarily, they would cease shipping autonomous mining complexes to the colonies, and would instead divert effort towards moving communications arrays and the infrastructure these growing colonies so desperately required. In the meanwhile, these advanced mining complexes would be installed on Earth to operate for some years.
Amidst the ranks of the enraged were the many thousand of manufacturers who had in effect lost their incomes. Resulting from this, Zimmermann's growing legacy as Administrator would struggle to re-balance from this mass stand-down where he had only three years ago promised to work with the best interests of Earth in mind.
April 11 2153 -
Sluggishly departing from the one of Earths' three primary shipyards, the sister ships of the England II and the Peru began movement to rendezvous with Colonization Corps 02. With the new directive of expanding the Unions' eyes and ears amidst the asteroid belt, the Corps had been beleaguered by maintenance shortages and construction delays and would graciously accept the newcomers. For a while, it was not likely that UNCC Shipyard 01 would see any more of these titanic 2 Kiloton ships constructed.
November 09 2153 -
Having taken over Win's research, Caroline Kastrup was thrilled to announce her breakthrough - It was now possible to send large-scale objects through these non-Newtonian tunnels with relatively little impact. Hypothetically it would require a full reboot of system power and a substantial re-calibration of any onboard sensors upon arrival but for the most part it was theoretically a safe and effective method of travel. The 'Berlund-Hei-Win-Kastrup et al' method of interstellar travel would be realized once the new 'Win-Kastrup' prototypes were fully developed. Adjusting for this, there were two final questions to ask; How to find these hypothetical breach points between stars, and how best to design a ship that was dedicated over 25% to its' Inter-system engines, once crew space and armor were considered.
Resolving to answer these final questions by decades' end, the Administration continued diverting research efforts towards developing gravitational anomaly sensors. Scientist Deborah Hartwick had made convincing arguments in her controversial thesis regarding re-configuring the active sensors used by UNSC ships, which had been mothballed for some years while funding was secured.
January 08 2155 -
Administrator Zimmermann had elected against returning to Earth for his yearly address. With his health continuing to decline he took the advice of his medical team to avoid interplanetary travel in favor of making his address in the comfortable gravity well of Luna Atrophying as a combination of both poor physical management and age, he had begun to lose the ability to stand of his own accord, and was now largely bound to wheelchairs and exoskeletal walking aides. Soothing the concerns of nations who had born the brunt of his austerity measured earlier, Zimmermann announced the resumption of supply production that had been ceased years earlier.
In addition, a substantial expansion of UNEC Shipyard 01 would see Exploration High Command receive both an additional slipway, and a doubling in construction capacity. The month of December 2154 had been uncharacteristically warm on Earth both in terms of climate and in terms of market conditions. Months of speculative investment had been building in the latter half of the year, which had begun cresting even higher than the all-time highs of '52. Despite this existing inflation of value, the days end would see a full eight percent uptick in the share market, due solely to market interpretations of the announcement.
The yearly address had been long bet on to be favorable despite health concerns surrounding the beleaguered Octogenarian, but besides his announcement of government expenditure on space travel it was the investment in UNEC Shipyard 01 that saw unexpected and vehement excitement. Questions raged as pundits and enthusiasts alike speculated what new ship design could possibly require a ship of such grand size of 2000 tonnes; the limit of human engineering.
Not even focused towards the size, why would Exploration High Command require such a large ship and in such numbers? The most enthused of the watchers began speculating that perhaps decades of Union research towards interstellar travel were close to bearing fruit - Amplifying this, online articles and video blogs system-wide began asking whether it was possible that the dawn of a new Space Age was beginning.
May 20 2158 -
In secrecy, the academics of the Union began a flustered debate. It had been speculated since the release of the Berlund General Model that interstellar travel was possible. This was still theoretical in its' entirety, but no longer considered a cause for laughter, more a scientific capstone to be reached for and achieved. Since more developed hypotheses began forming, most neophysicists had adopted the 'Berlund-Hei-Win-Kastrup et al' model as the primary method through which humans were likely to reach the stars. An almost fundamental part of this method was discovery of gravitational fluctuations, able to be utilized by massive and hypothetical interstellar engines.
Originally these engines would have to be be in the order of trillions of tonnes using more energy than the Sun for each jump, but several iterations had began to suggest more reasonably-sized engines particularly since Pak Hei Win had began its' study in earnest, albeit with scarce Union funding. The only thing preventing the prototyping of such an engine was there was no evidence these fluctuations existed - and preceding this issue was that no tool yet known could confirm, measure, or discover their existence.
As the result of Doctor Hartwick's efforts, a new Gravitational Survey Sensor was unveiled in the early morning and revealed in high secret to these debating Union academics. In spite of having convinced the Administration some years earlier that a breakthrough was imminent, there were still several substantial issues with the creation of any truly trans-stellar craft. First would be fitting a ship with this quarter-kilotonne sensor suite, and the second would be configuring an engine capable of delivering the ship through one of these anomalies if it were to find one. The technology was there in pieces, but time was becoming quickly scarce before funding was diverted away.
Amidst the squawking gathered crowd were two scientists in horrified agreement; Humanity was soon to become an interstellar species, which by all accounts proved any life outside the Solar system could also have that capacity - with an unknowable intent and unmanageable threat. Humanity had at large been thrusting themselves onward towards the stars but had not fully committed to recognizing the risk. Breaking the silence between them, Ramiro Leote and Huang Xiu Guo (the Unions preeminent kinetic researchers) determined that they must begin convincing a select and powerful few that a new generation of warships and military technologies were required to ensure the survival of Humanity in a potentially hostile galaxy. If necessary, these powerful few would have to "alter" the democratic model the GUN had long held dear should the universe prove...unwelcoming.
February 28 2159 -
Announced to the world, the laying down of the twin ships the Kastrup and the Win heralded the dawn of the second space age. The culmination of the works of millions of citizens and the supply of trillions over decades, these two ships would seek out the subtle anomalies that would see Sol linked to unknowable star systems. Caroline Kastrup herself made news during the celebration albeit for all the wrong reasons - The ceremony was somewhat soured after an unsober Kastrup mentioned that though the technology was proven at a small scale in labs, there was no true way to know if these full-scale designs worked or even if Sol possessed these travel points. She gave it a "Good 50/50" that interstellar travel was even possible from Sol before succumbing to the refreshments provided.
The 'Kastrup' class- The largest and most...effective ship class ever built.
(https://i.imgur.com/vQR1mtK.jpg)
Military freighters? Ten year long gravsurvey ships going 75km/s? This playthrough produces only BEAUTY. I'm aware there's too much fuel but those conditional <50% orders keep stranding my small and short range ships, this hopefully should let them get back even after factoring in orbital periods.
Pundits were still on-board with the notion that interstellar travel was possible, though tension would only grow in the following months until the ships were to set sail. It was understandable that Kastrup began to find herself new though often unhealthy coping mechanisms given the pressure of knowing your life's work was about to be either verified or destroyed. Amidst the watchers was a small yet growing faction within the Union cabinet who believed quietly that the endeavor was a mistake. Leaving the cradle is a necessary part of life, but to do so without support is to enter the grave. All it would take to delay talk of searching for other systems and planets was a single major error, or a deterrent.
Bombarding the email systems of Caroline Kastrup were the usual scientific inquiries, but a recent and persistent point of contact and stress was an anonymous mailer detailing themselves as a representative of the Restraint faction - One that was desperate to prevent her invention and ideas from being utilized due to a sense of extreme danger. Initially disregarded, Doctor Kastrup had began to listen to their concerns with greater interest and had begun to wonder if her lifes' work was in fact a threat to humanity.
September 16 2159 -
With surprisingly little fanfare, the twin ships now forming Exploratory Corps 01 departed UNEC Shipyard 01. Constrained excitement was felt amidst optimistic observers, but updated modeling from some of the most respected scientists of the Union had downgraded the chance of a G2-V type star like Sol having the necessary characteristics to form these bridges, and had even recommended scrapping the mission for the foreseeable future due to cost-versus-benefit concerns. With Sorium and starship fuel both low, these vast trans-Jovian survey missions were both so far and sparse that allegedly they could not be reasonably justified with the new figures.
Original estimates had originally said there were between zero and thirty points outside the orbit of Jupiter where a transit point could be and this was not likely to have changed, but now the odds of there being even one valid bridge were factored to almost zero. In spite of these adjusted, last-minute figures, Administrator Zimmermann elected to maintain the course, much to the chagrin of those surrounding him who feared what such an exploration may bring.
Fortunately for those unaware of the dissent, the Kastrup class had a range over double that of any operational vessel save for the Outreach tankers, and could therefore reach all thirty potential transit points, including the outer eleven which had long been outside Humanities easy reach. With weeks to go til his next election, Zimmermann begged whatever passed for a God for the new ships to find something -ANYTHING, that would validate his expenditures on these ships and the science behind them. Silently surrounding him, Administrators and scientists alike prayed to whatever idols they could fetch that something -ANYTHING, would prevent either of the sister ships from completing their nascent mission.
Amidst the prayers and curses, Exploration Corps 01 began the many-month journey to its' first survey location.
Election candidates!
Candidate 1 - The miserable Manninen
(https://i.imgur.com/UszPvl9.jpg)
Tophi Manninen is a man well known and in fact solely known for his pessimism. Originally of a sullen and quiet disposition, he has recently been recruited to the dissenting group of leaders known for wanting to keep humanity within the influence of Sol alone. The Restraint faction had influenced Tophi early on in its' gestation, and he was now firmly of the mind that the greater universe would have to wait until well after the Solar system was fully developed, and such exploration and expansion was made fully necessary.
Candidate 2 - The up-and-coming Reyna
(https://i.imgur.com/UszPvl9.jpg)
A newcomer to Union politics, Administrator Jacob Reyna had been diligently watching Outpost Reinmuth in the asteroid belt for years. Invited as a touring Administrator to address a function in early '54, Jacob had accidentally impressed the newly-reformed cabinet with his long service history, diligence, and focus. While rubbing shoulders with the newly-installed elite, Reyna had stolen not only a pocket full of snacks during the long function but the hearts of the electors who now discussed his installation. With few opinions regarding extra-solar expansion, likely a Reynan Administration would continue the search for new systems whilst not scaling the search further once discovered, content with what has already been achieved
Candidate 3 - The incumbent Zimmermann
(https://i.imgur.com/OS2fqEu.jpg)
Well known advocate Markus Zimmermann had seen the entirety of human space colonization to this point and was eager beyond measure to see it reach its' next stage under his leadership. Having succeeded in revamping the electoral system towards equality, his next and only goal is to see humans expand as far as possible through an empty cosmos. Though age, atrophy and a recent minor stroke have taken his ability to walk unassisted he still wishes to guide mankind further into the future, and the recently deceased still living former Administrator Tereshchenko was testament to determination being a far greater force than disability.
Candidate 4 - The extrovert Hernan
(https://i.imgur.com/Hb17GKY.jpg)
Arnaldo Hernan is a newcomer to politics - Intensely friendly whilst maintaining a level of methodical professionalism. Hernan had failed in his election attempt in his homeland yet had managed to secure candidacy for the entire Union through sheer force of personality. Popular amidst European electors and those in South America, his thick accent and well-spoken words are quick to soften those who oppose him. Welcoming positive change and with a true scientists mind, Hernan embraces the Second Space Age, and firmly believes that should FTL travel be in reach of humanity it is the duty of the Union to embrace it.
Candidate 5 - Luis Brandao
(https://i.imgur.com/Eq5o3Qh.jpg)
Luis was a French academic student who quickly became aware of his distaste of humanity. Starting as an urge to get away from urban centers, Luis became increasingly malcontent with the notion of being near anyone at all. It was Luis' dream job then when an Administrator vacancy opened up at Comas Sola Outpost; a listening station in one of the farthest corners of the colonized solar system. Whereas most would consider him the antithesis of an ideal politician, his exposure to the Restraint faction and their ideals while so isolated had a profound effect on him, and ever since he had endeavored to put aside his distaste for people and gain political power to prevent humanity from spreading at all
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Obviously I'm voting Tereshchenko and not just to spite the weak and pitiful fool Zimmerman. Humanity needs an unstoppable force of nature to drive it's expansion, who better than a leader who literally refuses to die?
If forced to vote for an actual real candidate then it is probably Reyna. Not because I think he is any good, just because he is the least terrible.
Luis was a French academic student who quickly became aware of his distaste of humanity.
What Luis has done there is confuse 'humanity' with 'the French', they are very different things.
On a more cheerful note, as you say the ship designs from GUN are a sight to behold. I admire your patience in persisting through with such incredible ships.
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Also writing in Tereshchenko.
Presumably Zimmerman is enlightened enough to have instituted ranked choice voting, so my vote should then pass to Zimmerman. The man knows what he's doing, and age seems to have mellowed the rabble-rouser.
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Also voting for Tereshchenko, because I haven't even read this yet and am woefully ill-informed yet want to have an opinion anyways, and I am told this is how democracy works. Also I am extremely susceptible to peer pressure.
(I have bookmarked this to actually read though.)
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Also voting for Tereshchenko, because I haven't even read this yet and am woefully ill-informed yet want to have an opinion anyways, and I am told this is how democracy works.
Soon we will find out what sort of Democracy this story has.
The standard kind where the candidate who has the most votes wins, or the other kind where there is a complex system that means the loser somehow emerges victorious. Exciting times!
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Continuing my long standing support for Tereshchenko, if this is denied (and since Reyna seems like a poorly disguised clone of Manninen) I would reluctantly vote for Arnaldo Hernan.
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Zimmerman because I want to see you fight spoilers with conventional engines! ;D
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Oh, are we still voting? Well, nuclearslurpee already voted, but I, um, suclearnlurpee, will vote for Tereshchenko!
I have also actually read through this recently, so I am invested in the outcome now. Long live democracy, long live the lichogarchy!
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I L'Pipe also vote for Tereshchenko, his great experience is exactly what is required at this point.
No this isn't a false moustache, why are you asking such rude questions?