Terraforming Poll

[Rabid_Cog (OP)]

With regards to this: http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php/topic,4988.msg55965.html#msg55965

What do you think should be done with the terraforming installation? Remember, survival is on the line here. If the other hives believe the Swarm is no longer necessary to insure their survival, the Swarm Hive members will most likely die, or at the very least be left with no hive of their own (which might as well be death). On the other hand, if the device is not used, there is the chance all the Wrix might die anyway from freezing.

Exactly how fast this device works is not known, but it is almost certain that it operates faster than the sun cools.

Vote away! What I'm going to do with the votes I still have no idea  
Maybe I'll go the route you guys suggest, maybe I'll go with option 5 or something. I haven't written further so lets see what happens.

Oh yeah, feel free to leave comments about your choice!

[sublight]

Nifty. Choices. 

Obviously the solution should be (PC) Keep it. Destroying it is an irresponsible risk to the race, and bluffing with it won't work long with the existing security holes.

However, the most ambitious solution would be to ship their research lab and an advance donation of the mines/factories ahead to the target world before using their own fertile selves to populate and claim New Wrix for the Swarm while leaving the terraformer behind as a good-by gift to the hives. Officially it would be 'self imposed exile,' but practically that gives the Swarm a guilt-free planet of their own far far away from the meddling hives who, thanks to the terraformer, are free to live long on a planet now low on trans-newtonian elements. Act II begins with the angry/impressed hives plotting to reclaim the wayward queens.

[Rabid_Cog (OP)]

I like that option

Unfortunately, its gonna be tough shipping enough over to make it work in Aurora's mechanics.

[chrislocke2000]

I've gone for option A. At the end of the day this is only ever going to delay the innevitable due to limits on how much greenhouse gas can be pumped into the atmosphere so I think far from eroding the power base of the swam it can be pushed as showing that the swam is working and they can now focus more on longer term solutions

[Rabid_Cog (OP)]

Interesting. A lot of people are in favour of playing it straight, right from the start. I should perhaps just point out that all of Swarm Hive's power is granted to them only begrudgingly by the other hives (many of whom are jealous of this power).

Before this little emergency, Wrixom was not a peaceful little nature preserve, it was a bloody warzone. Why do you think there were less than 400 million Wrix on a planet that could easily support over a billion despite their rapid rate of reproduction? Its because they kept themselves busy wiping each other out. To give you an idea, there is no word in the Wrix' clicking language for 'friend', or even 'ally'. The closest they have means 'not-enemy' which also has the implication of it being a temporary condition or 'belongs to' as a drone belongs to its Queen, a word that makes it clear the being in question has no choice in the matter.

Also, anyone is free to change their vote at any time, I set that option when I set up the poll.

[ShadoCat]

If they could ship it back and get themselves off planet that would be best.

If that it impractical, I'd go with DH's advice.

[chrislocke2000]

Hmmn, if they think they can keep reasonable cover how about letting on about the existance of the facility but being economical with the truth on how it is powered. Pick the rarest TN material on wrix or a reasonable match between rare on wrix and abundant on new wrix and state that fundemental to running the thing. Then use it as a lever to accelerate the population and industrialisation of new wrix to get to that mineral. There is then just the minor issue of keeping all the other hives in the dark and making sure any research into how to replicate the tech "fails".

[Rabid_Cog (OP)]

Hmmn, if they think they can keep reasonable cover how about letting on about the existance of the facility but being economical with the truth on how it is powered. Pick the rarest TN material on wrix or a reasonable match between rare on wrix and abundant on new wrix and state that fundemental to running the thing. Then use it as a lever to accelerate the population and industrialisation of new wrix to get to that mineral. There is then just the minor issue of keeping all the other hives in the dark and making sure any research into how to replicate the tech "fails".

Nice, someone who 'gets' how the Wrix work. These are the villains, they must act accordingly or be run over by the others.