[OT] - Xenology - Story driven PBW.

[dogscoff]

Guys, I'm going on holiday for 3 weeks, starting Saturday. There's very little going on with the kaness right now so I'll probably just fill up my research, build and order queues and let you process the turns without me. If make sure all the ministers are off and make sure all the ships have orders the AI should leave my empire more or less alone, shouldn't it?

I'll try to play a few turns before I go, but basically after Saturday, just process without me until I get back.

Then it will be Druk-stomping time...

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
If make sure all the ministers are off and make sure all the ships have orders the AI should leave my empire more or less alone, shouldn't it?

Assuming it's 1.84 and you have the "AI should not make changes during a simultaneous turn game" option turned on, you should be fine.

Geoschmo

[Unknown_Enemy]

what about a temp replacement ?
with strict orders to do nothing unless Special Circonstances (Culture ) ?

More, if we start playing tunrs in your absence, it could be a turn-fest....
So Murden and civ2buff, let's say maximum of 1 turn per 24h.

Would that be ok to all of you ?

[ October 16, 2003, 15:43: Message edited by: Unknown_Enemy ]

[Murden]

That's good for me : one turn by 24 hours.

[civ2buf]

Thats fine, I usually get home from work to see that i'm the Last one to play the turn.

[civ2buf]

The Discipline Fleet Rebels discover another species

The rebellion fleet had flown through Navidon space for quite a while, not harried by these allies who were connected to the Explorer conglomerates who in turn seemed to be loyal to all three factions, but mostly loyal to their own balance sheet. Information given to Control Alliance admiral Qumo (7x'2x'189 formally), suggests that the Explorer factions have had several ships destroyed by the crystalline faction that Qumo is seeking after.

The Explorer moguls are losing their deep space information sources, which kept them on pace with the Control Alliance's knowledge of the galaxy. This would be bad in a way, because disconnected from deep space, the moguls are more likely to remain loyal to the Justice's faction, which lately has been advocating that the corporate powers of the foundation restrain their activities to territory claimed by the foundation. Now the explorer moguls can say they are following this rule.

Qumo and his fleet are completely immune to the rest of the foundation, they are seperated by vast spaces of ally claimed territory. To be truthful, allies and enemies alike have come close to prevent any expansion of the foundations' official borders. While other empires have expanded borders, the foundation has simply developed its three systems more thoroughly, and discovered many star systems.

The alien ship is blocking Qumo's fleet from the obvious paths to known Crystalline space. It is a largeish ship by foundation standards, and its proportions lead Discipline to guess it is a warship.

Qumo decides to stop and build some real defenses. The loss of the fleet at this point would be a horrible blow to both the Control Alliance and the foundation as a whole. The foundation is in dire danger of being merely a provincial trading nation. They will find war soon, and the loss of the huge amounts of trade they currently have with other nations will be devastating to Foundation economy. "If they would just understand that a galactic free trade zone will never happen, they would begin arming for the inevitable wars," he thinks.

This is the ideal of the Anarchists' who desire to trade with everyone and fight with no one. But the control alliance receives its funding from trade with the cyber aliens. Bizarrely, certain anarchists had no objections to funnelling trade profits to Discipline, and running the whole operation for a fee. Of course, most of the profits are just numbers in Anarchista's First Bank of Freedom, which is the preferred bank for all renegades and weirdos of the Foundation. Shareowners for the bank are primarily some of the first setllers of anarchista, and a few speculators on homeworld. Profits are skyrocketing as Anarchista slowly takes over the title of economic center of the Foundation.

While homeworld is certainly the place that produces the most in raw terms, Anarchista mediates the most virtual transactions and completely information based systems.

If Qumo can trade with these new aliens, like the perfect deal he has with the cybers, the Control Alliance will be able to triple its fleet, and control more research projects. But Qumo has an idea, a proposal for the cybers. A wickedly clever idea that would remove the neccesity of attacking the Crystalline completely. When Qumo has an idea, everyone onboard the Discipline notices.

[civ2buf]

Overthrow of the Judicio-Executive Administration

Protests against the Justice's new heavy handed tactics intended to hold on to his delicate power were held throughout the Robotian territories.

Latest polls showed 13% Justice, 39% Control and 48% Anarchists. The stumbling block so far had been the Justice fleet, that was now parked over homeworld. Anarchists now had control of homeworld's construction center. The corporate group that owned it had joined the Anarchist cause, along with many of the big interests, including the Explorers.

The big twist was the financial transactions connecting the rival Control and Anarchist Groups. The Anarchists' had won a peace by economics. The Control Alliance was dependent on the Anarchists' for funds, while the Anarchists' were realizing using the Control Alliance as a military contractor was a good idea.

The seven ship justice fleet was opposed by a small group of newly constructed fighters, the Justice class ships had no anti-fighter weaponry.

Despite the existence of the Justice, economics on most planets of the foundation followed the anarchists. Very few rules, only social aggreements and ostracism of renegades.

Even without a revolution, the Justice could have remained in office as a ceremonial leader. But when he asserted authority of the warfleet, he angered the fleet and everyone else.

Like the rest of the robotians, the war fleet crew and leadership fancied themselves as independent contractors, not obseqious slaves of the Justice. They had their own ways, and a colony where they trained, not far from homeworld.

Almost all of the 130 million residents of Anarchista were opposed to the justice, and some of the more extreme politicians wanted to declare Anarchista as the nominal capital of the robotians. It would only be nominal, because the anarchists were decentralized. But they still saw Anarchista as their shining jewel and the demonstration that had converted so many.

So it was that in the late parts of year 2410, the Control Alliance and the anarchists overthrew the Justice with a minimum of fuss, and instituted a elected forum for discussion and law. To counter the traditionalism of homeworld, the anarchists pushed for and got a system of one delegate per world. Which pushed the assembly heavily in the anarchists' favor.

Since the anarchists' were opposed to almost all laws anyway, they acted as a defacto veto on almost everything.
There were 16 Anarchists, 1 independent and 5 Control Alliance members in the assembly, corresponding to the 22 planets of the Foundation.

Just before the first session, the control alliance declared in secret that they had control of a colony whose existence would remain secret, and they choose a delegate for that colony.

The Anarchists' wanted to see the Judicial fleet disbanded quickly, as it was angering many citizens of the entire home system.

...

Qumo was still in transit to the new colony, which would be the factory from which their secret empire would be borne. News had not yet arrived of the agreement Control Alliance officials had made on homeworld. Qumo intended to set up operations and stay away from the Robotians as much as possible, while keeping in contact with allies. Colonial Administrator was now his official name and position, the two were the same to the new citizens, and he planned to rule these willing subjects in the proper way their race believed in. Unlike the Robotians, Qumo's subjects believed in authority.

[Unknown_Enemy]

The Quest.


As I emerge from the warp point, I immediately concentrate on my surrounding, looking for Xi-Chung fiends. But none are present. This warp point is clear, as is this system, I would have heard an enemy colony immediately. I see gravity distortions around this star, they must be planets. I focus my sight on a wave source. Interpreting what I am looking at, it must be a useless hydrogen gas giant. I start looking at all other objects of interest in this system, while feeling the unbearable loneliness of a Hawk of Eden on a long range reconnaissance mission.

No other race can truly understand my feelings. No one can understand the emptiness I feel when I leave the Multiplicity. These Drushokas and Kaness are just ignorant fools. I listened to them when they were speaking about the horror of loosing their precious individuality to merge in an Overmind.

They don't get it.

I am not the one who lose something when I ascend into the Master Mind. They are. These poor xenos will never be able to understand what it is to become an entire ecosystem, a living planet. Poor fools. My individuality never disappear. When I merge in the Overmind, I am neither lost or absorbed.

I become the Overmind.

I become the Multiplicity.

I embrace and become simultaneously all children of Eden. I arise as an immortal spirit which enjoys only life, looking at death as humans see the loss of body cells. We told the Aliens about that. But they still try to see us as they look at themselves. They cannot see that I am vulnerable only when I am not within the Multiplicity. But despite my fears, I am now exploring a new system after months of travel. I know what I am looking for. I am looking for the Nest. Somewhere is lying the source of the Xi-Chung infestation. I observed some of their ships, and I only feel pity for them. They fear the void, they sail in space because they cannot avoid it to reach new planets, but they abhor doing so. They will never understand the pleasure of bathing in by the light of a red dwarf, the sadness that reach you while meditating in front of a black hole or the peace feeling you achieve floating in a nebulae. Indeed, when I was the Overmind, I went to the conclusion the Xi-Chung are a danger to all other life because they are afraid of themselves, afraid to discover what and who they truly are.

We already have seen several of their colonies, and engaged several of their ships. They have not yet proven to be the mighty warriors they claim to be, but they are indeed aggressive and eager to attack us whenever they locate our ships. But the new breed of Hawks where given life with no other goal than destroying the Xi-Chung. However, as our might is rising, the constant flow of enemy ships sent toward our outpost is coming to a grind. Hawks of Eden are now advancing unopposed in the Beast's territory. We are still receiving threats and insults, but not anymore followed by suicidal warships.

While my brothers are investigating this mystery, I will be doing the long way back to our supply base, where I will be able to ascend into the multiplicity once again.

That thought alone strengthen me.

[dogscoff]

I'm back. Hi everyone.

[Unknown_Enemy]

Welcome back.
We have been nice and did not went for a turn fest.