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C# Fiction > General C# Fiction
The War of the Worlds
Louella:
--- Quote from: H. G. Wells ---No one would have believed, in the last years of the 19th Century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space.
No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinised, as a man with a microscope studies the creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.
Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets.
And yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours, regarded this Earth with envious eyes.
And slowly, and surely, they drew their plans against us.
--- End quote ---
The year is 1895. The Martian invasion of Earth has been defeated, thanks to our microscopic bacterial allies. However, the threat from Mars itself remains. Study of the Martian artifacts has opened up untold avenues of scientific research, and a great age of Progress awaits.
--- Quote from: Sir W G Armstrong ---To the Rt. Hon. J. A. Chamberlain, Civil Lord of the Admiralty
Sir. It gives me great pleasure to inform you that our efforts to reproduce the mechanisms of the Martian Heat Ray have been a success and our Elswick works are now able to produce these weapons in sufficient quantity to outfit the Achilles class aetherships currently under construction, as well as field guns for the Royal Artillery.
--- End quote ---
The Achilles class frigate is the first aethership to enter service with the Royal Navy, and though of modest performance, is a capable combatant.
Powered by two Mitchell Drive engines, and armed with a reverse-engineered Heat Ray, it will take the fight to the Martians.
The other Great Powers are not standing idle, they too have devised their own aetherships with salvaged Martian technology.
A new Great Game is afoot.
--- Quote from: Action of February 5th 1895 ---Capt. Aiden Holt, of 1st Battle Squadron reports the destruction of two Martian vessels, of unknown configuration. Our sensors are seemingly insufficient to make out details of enemy ships, despite being sufficient to achieve a firing solution. A number of Martian prisoners were taken, and are being kept in quarantine.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: Admiralty briefing, March 1895 ---The reports of the destruction of an American squadron seemingly by Martian aether torpedoes are of great concern, as yet there are no countermeasures, though the Ministry of War has set up a number of committees to investigate solutions. In the meantime, we shall have to devise our own aether torpedoes.
--- End quote ---
Garfunkel:
Are the Martians and the other Earth powers NPRs? Or are you controlling all of them?
Louella:
Martians are NPRs, yes. And all the other Earth powers, and there are a lot of those heh.
(Qing Dynasty, India, Imperial Russia, France, Imperial Germany, Austria-Hungary, Dutch Empire, Imperial Japan, Kingdom of Italy, Ottomans, Spain, and Brazil-Portugal)
Louella:
Economic Crisis of October 1895
--- Quote from: Miss Eleanor Whittaker, propulsion researcher ---To Treasury Secretary Mr. Samuel Lee
Sir, I appreciate that the research we are undertaking is expensive, but the success of this war depends on finding a method of outmanoeuvring the Martian fleet, such that we, not they, can dictate the terms of engagement. Our ships are still too slow to decline action should that be disadvantageous. Surely you can appreciate this dilemma.
--- End quote ---
Ruinously expensive research has led to the UK being heavily in debt, even with the efforts of the most skilled economists.
--- Quote from: Lt. Col. Dylan Bartlett, Coldstream Guards ---Well, yes, bayonets were not particularly helpful against the Martian Fighting Machines last time around, but who knows what other aliens might be out there ?
--- End quote ---
Debate about the utility of the new powered infantry combat armour and the future need for bayonet drill, has occupied a great many military minds.
Louella:
The Blockade Of Mars
Mars is an impregnable fortress, any ship foolish enough to approach the Red Planet is fired upon by innumerable weapons from orbital forts, and even from the surface. If we are to win this war, a better plan than a direct assault is needed.
Analysis of Martian ship movements shows a number of vessels travelling to and from the asteroid belts and Jupiter. These do not appear to be military vessels, given the shape of their engine plumes.
It is believed that Mars may lack materials for conducting this war, and these vessels may be obtaining them from mines on the asteroids and moons of Jupiter.
If true, this flow of material must be stopped, and Mars cut off.
To this end, a blockade of Mars must be put in place.
Operation Stepping Stone
--- Quote from: Captain Alice Reynolds ---To Rear Admiral Gilbert, Home Fleet.
Sir, attached is my report of the action of 12th August. In brief, the 2nd Frigate Squadron detected a number of Martian merchantmen, and destroyed them completely. None of the Martian ships were able to escape. We marked the location of the wrecks, for the Salvage Squadron.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: Captain Natasha Donnelly, Salvage Squadron ---What do we have here ? What do you make of all these tubes, Chief ? Think this is something the science boys would be interested in ?
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: Henry Mahmood, engineering researcher ---An analysis of the Martian devices obtained recently by the Navy reveal that it is a kind of scoop or funnel, the use of which allows a ship to collect elemental Sorium from the outer atmosphere of gaseous planets. A second stage to the device contains a refining catalyst, operating on the same principles as a terrestrial Sorium refinery, allowing the ship to produce fuel directly. By products of the process appear to simply be vented to space. Most of the devices obtained exhibit damage, no doubt due to the manner in which they were obtained, but sufficient components remain intact to assemble a complete apparatus. Engineering drawings to allow production of our own harvesters will be completed shortly.
In addition to the Sorium harvester, the recovered Martian devices include an apparatus that appears intended to allow one ship to refuel another, whilst both are underway, which shall prove most useful in enhancing the endurance of our ships, allowing them to remain on station longer
--- End quote ---
Profound Social Change
In the wake of the Martian invasion, the women's suffrage movement in the UK had received a great boost, with many of the Kingdom's young ladies enthusiastically studying the sciences, engineering, and even military matters, resulting in profound changes in society.
While there was a degree of hesitancy amongst the more traditionally minded officers, the record of the young ladies in conducting the war against the Martians was exemplary, with the 1st Space Lord mentioning their dedication to Queen Victoria during the Jubilee of 1897.
Queen Victoria was amused.
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