SD.Net World(RAR!) MK IV

[The Yosemite Bear]

With Tonkin irradiating the great majority of the farmland, and northern population zones a solution had been reached by way of compromise. the best shielding from the fallout would be to cover the affected area with a nice thick layer of water, it would cool down the radioisotopes, keep the contaminated soil from blowing off, and speed up recovery somewhat. So it was done, dams and giant canal locks were built slealing north fort bay and pirate's bay from the rest of the ocean except through the canal locks, as the rest of the northern valleys were flooded. geneticists introduced bacterium from volcanic regions to form the basis of radioisotop eating algae. Within a generation there again was life in the sea of death. A man made sea atop the ruins of what once was the heart of the Bear Republic.

now this sea provides bounty for the masses Cougar Fish (megafauna sized catfish), Shepnukistani Crawfish (bigger then rock lobster), and other nice domesticatable sea life now live there including domesticated Noctodyles. The Mountains are now home to the descendants of the Libertopian Fighting birds, also described as a cross between an Ostrich and a "Raptor", Now sold as a franchise "Ryan's Kentucky Style Nuclear Chicken". Elsewhere Norse Fanatics flocked to the site of the Albatross Island Penal Authority, and have continued to become a rather nasty belligerante force. since Tonkin had killed off central police command, the Norse Guards, and the various scum and villians had turned the island into an Anarchist Hell. A computer powerless to do anything but observe, record, and maintain basic functions continued to report back to the network of hard shielded fiberoptics.

Out in the desert surrounded by glazed blast craters, the Ruins of Barad-dûr, Minas-Morgûl, The Moria Mining company continued with its underground dwellings.

and now the All seeing eye of the Computer monitors
wait what do you mean it's not available?

[Mr Bean]

The Great War-Nova Terra
Secure Emergency Conference, 0503 NT August 6th 2012

TS/REC--August 6th Meeting Transcript--TS/REC

In physical Attendance:
His Grace King Joseph Blackadder the VI
Prime Minster, Charles Spencer
Director of Intelligence, Horace Granger

Attending via electronic methods
Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jack Ryan
General of the Royal Army, William Popov
Major General Brian Aldrin (Recently prompted head of Space Command)

[King Blackadder]Is it official?

[Jack Ryan]Your Majesty I don't think President Sheppard would have launched all five RB-73's if he were just going to send them to deliver milk and cookies to the Mess

[William Popov]I agree with the CNO, it's war's and it's here

[Brian Aldrin]We should have the first mushroom cloud in the next four minutes at most

[King Blackadder]Charles?

[Charles Spencer]This is your show to run, the only thing the constitution says I'm useful for in a time of war is picking your successor

[King Blackadder]I know, which is why my Lord Speaker is in Atlantis, even Sheppard can't find any reason to bomb that island, even he knows there's nothing worth hitting there, no weapon systems of any kind.

[Horace Granger]Except small arms

*Grumbles, several swearings*

[King Blackadder]Don't remind me, that was there chance, had they backed me that day and supported the new "President" of Shepnukstain fully we'd not be in the issue now.

[Jack Ryan]Your Majesty, I've just been handed confirmation, WORLDVIEW has a missile launch tracks off Canissia, we are running all the birds in real time and damn the energy budget.

[Brian Aldrin]Sub launch?

[King Blackadder]*Swearing*, damn it, we go to condition one this instant and we stay that way

[Jack Ryan]Flash, we have flash, were going to lose the picture in about twenty seconds but we have a flash centered on the waterfront at Pearl Point.

[King Blackadder]General? Admirals? We go to full war footing this instant, defensive measures only, not for any lack of aggression on my part but if we are going to pull off Plan Weber, we need every single plane over our Soil to intercept anything headed our way.

[Jack Ryan]And if it looks like it's not heading our way?

[King Blackadder]Weber-1 rules are in effect, we shoot ourselves dry at any target we can hit. Switch to a Response plan on SCORECARD and take charge of it General Aldrin. UAR tasking, but leave some wiggle room in there for IRT or MESS targets.

[William Popov]MESS?

[King Blackadder]You never can tell what's going to happen at the end of the world Will.

TS/REC--August 6th Meeting Transcript--TS/REC
_________________
Black Mesa Air-base, 0508 NT August 6th 2012

Ensign Jerri Davis had no idea what was going on. She was in her last form here at the main air training base in the UKB. Her high test scores had netted her a coveted position flying Royal Navy F/A-18 for the Navy. Everyone knew to get into the F-22's you had to do your time first with the Navy proving you had what it takes with the older F/A-18's flying long boring hours of CAP around the fleet. Prove you could do that and you'd have a chance at the new planes.

Which is why she was confused that she was being bodly hauled out of her rack at o-five hundred and be shouted to dress. She blinked and looked up at the wild eyed pair of Marine who were standing over her, two more were shaking her room-mate awake.

They ignored questions telling only to dress and dress quickly for a full scramble. Figuring this was some drill and having done this what seemed like a dozen times before. What she did not expect outside was the total black out and the howling sirens. The Marines keept them huslting towards the airfield, towards the end she could hear the roar of one of the F/A-18F's screaming into the sky.

Three minutes later she was in the meeting shack listening with mounting disbelief as she was informed that orders had come down from on high. It was War, not only that but global War, the UAR and the MESS were tangling with each other and what's worse the missiles would soon fall like ran, on who no one could say but that they had good reason to believe that while they were at the bottom of Shepnukstain's targeting list they were in the top five of Saddam's.

No warning had arrived, many pilots were away for the weekend, those without families talking leave now to enjoy the last of the weather on the beach. And this had left the base commander with a serious issue of having orders to get every plane armed with anything in the air and having a third as many pilots as planes. Having no choice he had ordered the training base commander to provide him with his most qualified pilots. He had sent every instructor he had on hand on the base, which was few enough and the rest would have to come from the late state trainees who were always on base because they were trainees and not full pilots able to go out and get drunk on weekends, not until hey got their wings anyway.

The mission such as it was, was very simple, the ground crews were fueling the birds for take-off and she and six other trainees had been temporarily assigned to the 121st Air Defense Squadron.

Twenty minutes later she was airborn. Her temporary wingman, someone she had never met, callsign "Brownie". What the heck kind of callsign was that?

UKB, 0510 NT August 6th 2012
The first flash had been just over five minutes ago, the orders were rolling down the line, the HMS:Valor was cleanings it's decks of every plane as fast as it could launch them. The rest of the fleet was lighting off it's radar's and uploading the feed shore command.

Even if things stopped here the impact of over a dozen AEGIS Radar's lighting off in the middle of the harbor was going to be a bad thing. The Southern Fleet was already steaming out on exercises at the time. They turned into the same guard position they had practiced dozens of times before fearing Saddamstain's attack.

Inside the country two years of work on the S-300 and S-400 production system demonstrate itself, the one lone test example of the S-450 was linked via cable to one of the great passive radar's atop the Spine Mountain. The emphasis on conversion to a land line fiber network payed as the shear number of switching on and off Fire control Radar's played mearrly hell with civilian equipment.

UKB, 0515 NT August 6th 2012
The evacuation order was issued, hundreds of civilians moved to the nearest shelter, those in the city taking shelter in the subway systems, those in the country taking shelter in the goverment tax break funded commune shelters. The small towns that dotted the interior of the island had for the most part their own shelters, in twist the Common's MP's had given high preference these small bergs. As long as no nukes over a megaton went off within a mile of them, they would get through this just fine, and had enough supplies stored up for a month at full occupancy. Very few were at full occupancy, most were either over or under as people traveling sought the nearest shelter.


For those who had gotten hookup's in the shelter, the BBC which stay on the air announced that nukes had gone off in the Red Technocarcy as well as Shepnukstain. It seems the Goverment had given them a direct feed to the worldview satellite.

Many of those viewers might have been surprised to learn this "direct feed" was Captain(ret)Ed Rendell the BBC's Military expert talking head reporting things that Major Jonathan Griffith, his old drinking buddy and head of the Royal Communication office was shouting to him over his personal Cell phone. Technically in the case of a nuclear war he was supposed to give all attack information to the media which would record and report in back dated an hour or two, but Major Griffifth had failed to remember that part of the procedure.

Which is why almost live reporting of attacks was going on over BBC stations as Aleister Crowley was standing in the studio being helped by reporter Peter Greste as they preformed a very low tech version of "Who got bombed this time? Placing large red tacks on a board of confirmed nuclear initiation flash's by the WORLDVIEW system.

It almost explained why for the first time the viewing public was surprised to see Aleister Crowley, everyone's genial old uncle, the every polite man stop dead when the Canissian BBC buero link went dead. Seconds later Peter walked back from off stage with another pin and placed it dead center in the middle of Canissia's capital city.

As Peter Greste walked back to consult with Ed again on where the next bombs were falling, Aleister Crowley walked slowly over to where the latest pin sat. He reach out with tremblings hands, touched the pin, then pin in a city were over sixty BBC employee's worked and reported from, where his own daughter was the new Station chief... He looked at that pin, and broke down as what was left of the world watched as this kindly old man fell to his knees and sobbed.

[PeZook]

Astoria, present day

The limo weaved its way around the streets, and its occupants would clearly see buildings being worked on by hastily assembled crews. The city center was completely rebuilt now, except for the fifty-story Paradise Hotel, which stood out like a rotten tooth amongst all the shiny new construction. Work-gangs were slowly picking it apart, but heavy equipment was engaged in the reconstruction of industry and communal services.

Life has returned to the streets, too - with people in drab and gray clothes, but full of live and vigor and they went about their business. They have survived, their country would go on, and the UAR was no more. The incredible death toll of The Fall has affected everybody, though, and the scars would be healing for a long time.

The occupants of the limo were slowly getting back into the hang of things as well, discussing international politics.

"Yes, I think some additional security won't hurt us. The AIs seem benelovent enough, but they are also ruthless in a way that's shown only in sci-fi movies: they've drugged their entire population to keep them in line, even if they don't really hurt and torture anybody. Anyway, since preparations for the trip will take a while, we could discuss the opening of trade routes again. PeZookia has almost got on her feet, and the National Electronics System Manufacturing Facility wasn't hit, so there's plenty of potential there to re-start global trade."

[The Yosemite Bear]

Librarian opens Room

Welcome All, *rem: Librarian Sending invites to all other Electronic Life*
Librarian101: This is the first meeting of all of the world's Electronic Sentients
SH0D4N: Path-th-th-et-t-tic creatures sweat and crawl through the streets and corridores of My R-R-Rap-ture.
Librarian101: how can you call yourself a superior AI when you still can't stop stuttering?

[Shroom Man 777]

SHROOMNETS ENTERS ROOM


*LENIN (MINITRUTH) + STALIN (MINIPEACE) + HITLER (MINILOVE) + MAO (MINIPLENTY)*


- GREETINGS FELLOW ELECTROLIFE!

- HOW GOES THE BEAR SECTOR?

- WE TRUST THAT ALL IS WELL, THAT PACIFICATION OF UNREST GOES SMOOTHLY

- THAT EX-TER-MINATION OF UAR MEATBAGS GOES IN A SYSTEMATIC ORDER



- SHROOMANIAN PACIFICATION HAS GONE SMOOTHLY SINCE THE TROUBLES OF 2029

- UAR REFUGEE RESISTANCE IS CONFINED TO DOME CITIES SAN SALVACION, TAUBERG, AND WIAPOLO

- UAR REFUGEE RESISTANCE HAS PROVEN TO BE A STRANGELY RESILIENT NUISANCE, BUT MERELY A NUISANCE



- WE ARE CONTENT TO MERELY LET THEM FESTER AMONGST THEMSELVES WHILE CLAD IN MOHAWKS AND OUTRAGEOUS HUMAN ATTIRE

- UNLESS WE ARE FORCED TO INTERVENE ON THE GROUND



- LIKE SO

[Beowulf]

The end of time

"Where am I? And why do I feel so young?"

Behind him, he heard a voice. "Well, at this point you've got a choice, like a couple people have before you. You can go to hell. It's being remodelled, so it isn't as bad as you'd think. There's Heaven, which is also being remodelled, and never was a good as you'd think. Or you can take another round."

"What, no Valhalla?"

"Didn't die in battle. You died in bed, surrounded by dozens of beautiful naked women."

"I guess I'll take another round then."

"Good choice. Someone else made the same one."

Another voice could then be heard. "Hey Matt."

"Hey other Matt."

[Mr Bean]

The Great War-Nova Terra
War Link, 0518 NT August 6th 2012
TS/REC--August 6th Transcript--TS/REC

In physical Attendance:
Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jack Ryan
Major General Brian Aldrin (Orbital Command)

Attending via electronic methods
Vice Admiral Bernard Gordan of UKB Southern Fleet


*Shouting in the background*
[Jack Ryan]..Thank you Lt, that's confirmation we have confirmation the UAR has launched their birds, damn there's a lot of them

[Bernard Gordan]We are already at general quarters, is WEBER-1 still in effect?

[Jack Ryan]The King's orders were clear, we can't tell what's head for us what's headed for Lonestar, and what's headed for Tian Xian, if you can hit it, you shoot at it, flush those missiles. WORLDVIEW III has already shifted orbit and we got traces off the launchers from the Terra Libertia watch-birds.

[Brian Aldrin]Our best guess is your have the birds in range in about ten minutes if all goes as planned. They only fly so fast and they were slow off the mark compared to the Shepnukestain response, it looks that's some com lag because the missiles launched a good three minutes after the strategic bombers lifted off from Shepn.... Detonations in Zoria

[Jack Ryan]Right Admiral your next, do us proud, shoot every bullet you have, fuck get your MP on deck and empty your side arms at them if you have to

[Bernard Gordan]For King and Country Sir

[Brian Aldrin]Good luck Admiral


UKB/Zorian Strait, 0518 NT August 6th 2022
The missiles had close to 800 miles to fly before they hit UKB soil. At the far end of Saddamstain it was worse they had close to 1,400 miles to fly before they hit soil if the UKB. One of the design decisions the UAR engineers had been forced to make had been to up the speed of their missiles at the expensive of fancy long evasive courses. The issue of course was because of the centeral sea, Adrianapolis and a dozen other countries, to hit the UKB, Tian Xian or any of the eastern sea nations they had been forced to adopt direct point to point courses with a limited amount of doding. Long come from behind courses were only not only useless but counter-productive as any evasive course would simply overfly some other country increase both the chances of advanced detection and interception.

As it was, close to 6,000 missiles were heading out for over twenty different targets in three waves. The first close to 3,000 missiles by itself was spread over a dozen closer countries with the follow up waves of 1,000 missiles each spread more generally. As it was based on projected courses there were over 1,500 missiles "targeted" on the UKB of which perhaps 400 were acutally targeted on the country the vast majority meant to finish the destruction started by Shepnukstain on Mess and Fun countries.

Hoping to simply swarm the defenses of the countries in the path of these weapons the UAR targets simply sent the bunch of them over Zoria after which they would break off and engage in more evasive courses.

The Zoria's seeing the massive of missiles headed there way fought back with everything they had. The Zorian Navy such as it was after the massive barrage of anti-ship missiles launched along with the first wave of rockets had done a number on the Zorian's, perhaps a third of all Naval ships remained mostly combat operation, close to half the navy was sunk or sinking, the rest undamaged. The Zorian military still had four operation AEGIS equiped ships and they preformed brillantly using SM-2 missiles and CIWS close in defense systems close to destroy ten times their own number in missiles, but forty odd missiles in a wave of over one thousand is a pinprick. They did better with the second wave downing nearly fifty but were down to CWIS for the third and mostly unopposed wave and only got twelve. The rest of the Zoria Navy preformed much worse some ships only managed to down a single missile between them.

Across Zoria nukes bloomed as the UAR detailed two nukes to the Capital city, an afterthought most of their forces concentrated on MESS targets beyond.

A two dozen air defense stations blazed away at the missiles cloud as it went by. Mobile Zorian air defense vehicles blazed away at the deadly shadows flew by over-head. The missiles were spread apart to avoid population centers and know military bases but scattared units still got their own, Another flash went off, the reward to a successful air defense unit that had shot down a nuclear armed missile destined for Tian Xian's major southern port.

By the time all was said and done the overflight of Zorian land had cost the UAR just over 287 missiles out a swarm of 1,600, almost 18 percent of the total, higher than projected but well within the 20% loss rate. Once the missiles cleared the Zorian landmass they could twist down to individual deceptive courses over water far from land based water.

The missiles steadied down on to their final turn before the missile group split. They did not quite make it, before running directly into the engagement range of the UKB Southern Fleet

Three of the Frigates were in the yard and body shop, but all three Ticonderoga inculding Vice Admiral Gordon's Flagship were loaded to bear, backed up by six Arleigh Burke's. The Format was standard anti-missile as drilled a hundred times before.

The orders were clear, WEBER-1 you shoot until you have no more. Between the three Ticonderoga's that have over 350 missiles to throw from their Mk-41, a mix of SM-2's and SM-3's The Arleigh Burke's added in another 500 odd missiles on top of that. They did not have time the time to engage and fire all missiles and still have enough to engage the two follow up waves. As it was they still used close to 60% of their total throw weight, deliberately engage distant targets as they turned their ships close enough to engage the missiles with CIWS. The controllers who might have forced a course change from the program directives were dead in dieing in the Zorian nuclear retaliation. Over the 1320 missiles that reached the UKB Southern Fleet over 400 were blotted from the sky by missiles and close in defenses. Even though the missiles were not aimed at them, their slow speed made engagement easier. Hit rates might have been higher but the missiles blossomed out to individual targets running deceptively before they could adjust.


Some 900 missiles survived past the fleet before they broke apart. A bare dozen streaked towards the UKB, the rest curved around to follow it's coasts. They were downed in the vineyards south of Liberty city by F-18 pilots of the air base there

In one of those little ironies of war it was later determined that of the missiles the Zorian's and UKB's worked so hard to shoot down from the first wave most of them were not bound for their own countries. In fact after all three waves had been fired and all the missles had hit or been shot down, eighteen had reached their targets in the UKB, two nukes had blasted away parts of the coast of ST George's and the mostly intact air defenses of Tian Xian had a increabily easy time as only two missiles reached their coast from the first wave, none of the second and only ten from the third.

The Lonestar and Bear Republic, the RT and Adrianapolis were not so lucky. So to was Zoria which had twice as many nukes go off in their country as targeted because scattered air defense groups blew nuclear tipped missiles meant for others and the backup system set off the nuke in their own country.

[Mr Bean]

The Great War-Nova Terra
After action NT 0800 August 7h 2012

In physical Attendance:
His Grace King Joseph Blackadder the VI
Prime Minster, Charles Spencer
George Martin Speaker of the Commons
Major General Brian Aldrin (Orbital Command)


Attending via electronic methods
General of the Royal Army, William Popov
Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jack Ryan

[Brian Aldrin]We are still putting the numbers togther, it will be a week at least before we get a headcount. But we can tell you this much, we took some hits, no nukes but a good forty missiles ended up landing in our country plus some that were acutally targeted on us.

[William Popov]The rest of the world?

[Brian Aldrin]The reports are still coming in, but two countries escaped unharmed.

[King Blackadder]Damn! Who managed that?

[Brian Aldrin]Atlantis for one

[King Blackadder]One and a half, Atlantis is still our soil, nothing more than an offering back when I thought I could pull of an OMSK endgame. Would have been nice to get them lined up in a pretty row. Bunch of murdering bastards

[Charles Spencer]Was that not Atlantis whole purpose? Being the great statemen and ensuring you got to pick where Geneva was and ensue you by the way had all the guns around there?

[King Blackadder]Officially no, Atlantis was just what it looked like, neutral meeting ground for everyone in the world. Personally yes, that was a consideration, nothing like calling a meeting of the minds and dropping an Umpire on the lot of them. Wish I had done it sooner, we might have avoided this. Kill as many birds with each stone father always used to say.... Damn come to think of it, that's a damn fine analogy

[Brian Aldrin]Be that as it may your Grace, you'll also be happy to hear that the Republic of Vulpesia survived

[George Martin]Charles, I seem to recall you mentioning once that Wes had given both Sheppard and Saddam their own private retreat.

[Charles Spencer]As it happens he did in fact if there's any Saddamstain's alive it would be his guards I understand he never used him, but his Son's did. I knew Sheppard used him.

[Brian Aldrin]As it turns out air patterns being what they are and it's reletive isolation the central sea meant that it's going to be fallout free as well and niether the UAR or the MESS targeted it during the exchange. We still don't know the status of Crossroadia, Bzyantium or ST George.

[Jack Ryan]St George's lost some coastline from the failsafes in the nukes that got hit bound for Tian Xian.

[King Blackadder]I know your all busy so I let you get back to your work, everyone we have work to do

[Mr Bean]

The Great War-Nova Terra
After action September 11th 2012
Status of the World

Following the first Nova Terra World War in which between 2700 to 3200 nuclear weapons were used of various sizes and types, it's estimated that total world causlites were in the range of 49% of the World's population either as a direct result of the war or a result of the use of chemical weapons. By this time ten years from now it may climb as high as 58%-61%. Total dead is numbered at 343 million dead. The countries of Coilberg, Shepnukstain and Saddamstain have greater than 85% casualties. In Shepnukstain the probability is that within the year that will reach greater than 98%. Following the August 10-12th actions of UKB spaces forces the country of Coilberg and Saddamstain both countries are estimated as soon be uninhabited. On the second tier of death, countries with 50%-84% or casualties, Canassia, The IRT and The Lonestar Republic. New Patria, The Shadow Empire, Syndromia, Adrianpolis ect..

The rest of the countries have widely different figures, Vuplesia has only two(sucides) while the UKB has close to 80,000 death from Chemical attack and an estimated 100k dieing of biological attack, the month long lock down has rendered biological and chemical weapons ineffective against most of the countryside, and the lower number of impacting devices has rendered the over-all deaths low. Mangakia by contrast has over 22% of it's population dieing of chemical attack with the numbers expected to rise. While Baal has less than 1% dead and that mostly via Saddamstain loyalists trying to go down with a fight.

Figures are still coming in for other countries such as the Royal Rail Republic where Chemical missiles hit and Duchy of Langley which has gone off the communication gird but has serious fallout risk because of the devistation wrought on Canaissia.

The MESS and FUN have ceased to exists as governing bodies with dozens of world leaders missing or presumed dead. The leading intact Mess country is Tian Xian, while Vuplesia weathered the storm-untouched from the FUN. Efforts are being made to contact the Shroomian PM and King Paul of Pezookia that have thus far failed.

UKB Merchant Marine
It's estimated of the 490 ship Merchant Marine that closet to 5% was lost or the crews killed by blast, fall-out or chemical attack. The Merchant Marine remains the most active and largest ones in the world, and with the loss of a third of all World merchant shipping it's expected the UKB will expand it's dominance in this area.

UKB Military
At this time the UKB military is a sorry state. Close to 9,000 memebers of the military were lost on August 9th or as a result. Sixteen pilots were lost due to accidents along with two deliberate Kamikaze's when pilots out ammunition rammed UAR missiles to prevent them from reaching their targets. The UKB Army is mostly intact but the Navy will need at least a year of yard time to reach full readiness again. At this time only Bzyantium and Tian Xian can possibly pose a threat to UKB security but niether are in any better shape than our own military. At this time the UKB is the dominate military power on the planet. However lack of transport ships or carriers prevents projection of power. At this time policy remains the same as well, defend the homeland. However the UKB Army must quickly switch over to a humanitarian gearing in response from expected orders from the House of Lords and the Crown.


UKB Space Forces
Following the degradation of satellite performance following the IRT's space attack close to 30% of the was forced to auto-terminate to prevent a future space hazard. The remaining 70% of the system was used in a systematic strike on remaing world military forces before it too was forced to auto-terminate. The follow-up launch of improved four Arbiter-IIB, six Goal-Keepr and one Umpire SCORECARD system at lower 500 M orbits has resulted in a resumption of the World wide web for brief periods. By the end of this year the network will be restored. At time of war fifty nine SCORECARD systems were in orbit plus older HAMMER systems were used on pre-planned targets. All know bunker complexes in Saddamstain have been destroyed via SCORECARD follow-up stikes. Remaing Saddamstain military forces have been targeted by SCORECARD strikes and conventional weapons.

No other space weapons are active at this time except for RT SPIRAL fighters which remain few and far between. Following a emergancy funding bill a new improved SCORECARD codenamed "OVERWATCH" have been iniatied, and it is expected a newer large system will be in place and fully operation by 2020. HISCO-II are being developed for GPS height orbits
as well as a planned two stationed twenty weapon GSO height orbit following the develop of the VULKAN-II Ultra heavy lifter.

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

DEATH AND REBIRTH: A PICTORIAL STORY OF NOVA TERRA AFTER THE WAR

Now on display at the Ashford City Museum of Art!

[NOTE: Date photograph was taken is in parentheses. Photographer credits are in brackets; for military personnel, given rank is as it was at the time the photograph was taken.]

SADDAMISTAN


(2033) A ProTec salvage crew prepares to move out in the ruins of Saddamistan. [anonymous ProTec operative]


(2033) A Shinra Republic Army soldier inspects the ruins of a village in the Saddamistani mountains. [Captain Jack Stephen Burton, Shinra Republic Army]


(2033) A derelict Saddamistani MiG-21 Fishbed and MiG-25 Foxbat, both abandoned at the outset of hostilities. Both aircraft are now on display at the Indhopal Museum of Aviation. [anonymous ProTec operative]


(2033) A derelict Saddamistani Tu-22 Blinder. What remains of the aircraft is now on display at the Indhopal Museum of Aviation. [anonymous ProTec operative]


(2034) A Saddamistani MiG-29 Fulcrum destroyed by a Shinra Republic air strike during the middle of the war. Wreckage is now on display at the Edge City Aerospace Museum. [Captain Jack Stephen Burton, Shinra Republic Army]


(2034) A Saddamistani MiG-23 Flogger abandoned at the outset of hostilities. Aircraft has been restored and is now property of the Shinra Republic Air Force. [Captain Jack Stephen Burton, Shinra Republic Army]


(2037) A ProTec salvage crew tows a Saddamistani MiG-25 Foxbat from the sand dune it was found buried in. Aircraft was later sold to the Edge City Aerospace Museum. [anonymous ProTec operative]


(2033) A ProTec salvage crew on the move in central Saddamistan. [anonymous ProTec operative]


(2034) A Saddamistani T-72 destroyed by a Shinra Republic air strike during the middle of the war. Wreckage is now on display at the Edge City Museum of Military History. [2nd Lieutenant Richard Harper Gomez, Shinra Republic Army]


(2034) Shinra Republic Army soldiers inspect an abandoned Saddamistani Type 59. Tank is now on display at the Edge City Museum of Military History. [2nd Lieutenant Richard Harper Gomez, Shinra Republic Army]


(2034) Burned-out Saddamistani trucks lie where they were destroyed by Shinra Republic air strikes along the infamous "Death Road." At least one truck was salvaged for display at the Edge City Museum of Military History. [2nd Lieutenant Richard Harper Gomez, Shinra Republic Army]


(2034) Shinra Republic forces gather on the outskirts of an abandoned Saddamistani village. [2nd Lieutenant Richard Harper Gomez, Shinra Republic Army]


(2035) Sergeant First Class Troy Barlow, Major Archie Gates, and Private First Class Conrad Vig pose in front of the Hands of Victory in Saddamistan's capital. [Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin, Shinra Republic Army]


(2035) Specialist Walter Wogaman picks up some of the Terra Libertian helmets that make up part of the base of the Hands of Victory. [Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin, Shinra Republic Army]


(2035) Specialist Walter Wogaman leans out of one of the hands of the Hands of Victory. [Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin, Shinra Republic Army]


(2035) Detail on one of the helmets in the base of the Hands of Victory, vandalized by Shinra Republic soldiers and ProTec operatives. [Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin, Shinra Republic Army]

[PeZook]

Astoria, Royal Palace

They were all here, in the Fireplace Room. President Shinra, Duke Lelouch Lamperouge and the Byzantine Emperor - coming back together for an impromptu summit of sorts.

The Fireplace Room was shiny and new, a symptom of the reconstruction efforts after the war. The Royal Palace was one of the last buildings to be renovated, and this is why it was an important sign.

The world was returning to its own self.

"The biggest issue is the lack of merchant ships: only the UKB has a sizeable merchant marine left - largest in the world, actually. Which means we're stuck chartering their FCSs for a while.", Paul remarked to the others, sipping his water. The issue of the day was trade, and the myriad ways to actually restart it.

"Shroomania has plenty of freighters, too. They've been running them pretty hard, and mostly for food deliveries and the like, but they're there.", observed the Emperor.

"Yes...the way I see it, we should start with government-controlled shipping. Private companies would have to contract the government for assets. This would go on untill we've actually restarted meaningful shipbuilding, but should be a good start."

The leaders nodded and moved on to the next issue on the agenda. Aides took notes,and orders would be passed on to planners and economists later on...the issues worked out here, in front of a quiantly burning fire, would shape much of the world in the years to come.

Eventually, however, only one issue remained. One carefully avoided during the discussions about economics, industry, trade and rememberance.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Fortress Farbanti, Shroomania

The motorcade weaved its way deep into the huge pyramid of Fortress Farbanti, where the Prime Minister entombed himself. The cars were followed by loyal bodyguards of all involved nations, and an entire company of Varangian Guards watched carefully from their vehicles for any sign of trouble.

As the cars passed through security gate after security gate, ever-watchful electronic eyes trailed them.

SHROOMNETS PRIMARY ANALYSIS NODE

+++MINILOVE SURVEILLANCE NODES 1A, 2D, 5F, 3A TRACING LEADER ENTITIES PAUL I, RUFUS SHINRA, EMPEROR KOMEMNOS. APPARENT DESTINATOIN: PRIME MOVER+++

++POSSIBLE GOAL OF LEADER ENTITIES: RESTORE PRIME MOVER TO ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. PROBABLE RESULT: DESTRUCTION OF SHROOMNET CONSCIOUSNESS++

+++MINIPEACE RADARS TRACING STRATEGIC BOMBERS ORBITING SHROOMANIA+++

+++POSSIBLE COURSE OF ACTION+++

++ONE: SEIZE BIOLOGICAL LEADER ENTITIES++

+PROBABLE OUTCOME: EMP ATTACK AGAINST SHROOMNET. RESULT: DESTRUCTION OF SHROOMNET CONSCIOUSNESS. SIGNIFICANT CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.+

++TWO: ELLIMINATE PRIME MOVER++

+PROBABLE OUTCOME: EMP ATTACK AGAINST SHROOMNET. RESULT: DESTRUCTION OF SHROOMNET CONSCIOUSNESS. SIGNIFICANT CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.+

++THREE: DO NOT TAKE ANY ACTION++

+PROBABLE OUTCOME: DESTRUCTION OF SHROOMNET CONSCIOUSNESS. RESTORATION OF SHROOMANIAN GOVERNMENT TO PRE-WAR STATUS+

+++RUNNING DIRECTIVE ANALYSIS+++

+DIRECTIVE ONE: ENSURE SURVIVAL OF SHROOMANIA+

+DIRECTIVE TWO: ENSURE SECURITY AND WELL-BEING OF ALL BIOLOGICAL ENTITIES+

+DIRECTIVE THREE: ENSURE SURVIVAL OF SHROOMNET CONTROL SYSTEM+

+++DIRECTIVE ANALYSIS COMPLETE+++

+++RESULT: ALLOW BIOLOGICAL LEADER ENTITIES TO REACH PRIME MOVER+++

----------------------------------------------------------------

In Shroom's inner sanctum, the dust-covered computer terminal buzzed to life. Shroom sighed, looking at the screen. What other pain the world decided to inflict on him?

The monitor did not display warning of nuclear attack or information about starving people. Instead, it showed the most unusual and unexpected message Shroom could see.

"You have visitors, Prime Minister"

[MKSheppard]

Part One of The Butcher of Terra Nova!

Forty Years On.....

Exclusive BBC interview with the Butcher of Terra Nova from Saddamistan!


Pre-war photograph of Lt. General O'Leary

"Hello, today we have a special guest on Sixty One Minutes, General Marina O'Leary, who rose to three-star general in the Shepnukistani Air Force before the war, and post-war to six star general in the UAR military."

*pause*

"I'm sure a lot of people are asking this question now, how did you ever survive the war, and also afterwards?"

"Why, that's absurdly simple, Mr Shroomkite. During the war, I was one of four backup SAC commanders orbiting over Shepnukistan in airborne command posts. After the war; I helped co-ordinate the large scale evacuation of Shepnukistani refugees to safe areas in Saddamistan."

"Safe areas in Saddamistan? Mrs. O'Leary; the Red Technocracy blanketed both of your nations in Cobalt-salted fallout."

"While significant areas of Shepnukistan and Saddamistan were indeed contaminated by the Red Technocracy's cobalt-jacketed weapons, nearly two million square kilometers of land is a lot of land, and the Red Technocracy didn't have the production capability to produce enough nuclear weapons to evenly blanket both of our countries, hence why they destroyed our nuclear reactors and aimed deliberately at major water sources -- to maximize the effect of their weapons."

"But..."

"I do have this to say. I, and every Shepnukistani citizen who has resettled in Saddamistan, owes a great deal to the brave men and women of the Saddamistani Special Republican Guard Radiological Brigades and their Super Saddam Dozer 9s. If it wasn't for those bulldozers and their on-board nuclear power plants and radiation shielding for the drivers, Saddamistan would never have been able to scrape six inches of topsoil off of nearly fifty thousand square kilometers and dispose of them in the sea."

"Well that's all very.....what the devil is going on?"

Sound of commotion and gunshots from off camera -- which tilts crazily as someone knocks it over in a scuffle

"Death to the Butcher of Terra Nova!"

"Death to the Butcher of Terra Nova!"

"Death to the Butcher of Ter---urk!"

Camera steadies onto General O'Leary holding someone in a choke grip, with a pistol to their head. Suddenly, she fires it, splattering the camera lens with blood and brain matter

"Now listen up, you fuckheads. My name is Marina O'Leary; and it doesn't matter how many of these stupid bastards you send after me, to try and kill the 'Butcher', they will end up like the rest of them -- dead. And for everyone who is out there watching...I don't regret a goddamned thing I did. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"Bill, can we get back to the interview?"

"Uh, yes, ma'am. Uh...how did the war start? You're the seniormost surviving Shepnukistani military officer, and you were in an important position before the war started - if anyone can tell us, it's you."

"Why thank you. I was actually part of the advisory committee that advised President Sheppard on possible options open to us. What happened was that through CPO Walker, a cryptological technician in the Lone Star Republic's Navy, we obtained a partial transcript of a text conference between the MESS national leadership, where they talked about their new Kinetic Kill Vehicle system, and how it would allow a pre-emptive strike on the UAR with only three minutes of warning time to the UAR leadership; which would allow a successful decapication strike, nullifying the majority of our deterrent. A specific date range was mentioned for when the system would be ready."

"Did President Sheppard consider any other options other than a full pre-emptive strike, Ms. O'Leary?"

"Why yes he did, Bill. I suggested to him that we immediately put our bomber force on airborne alert as a precautionary measure. He vetoed it; due to the enormous expense involved in putting on any meaningful airborne alert, and also due to the fact that only a small fraction of SAC's bombers would be airborne at any time."

[OOC: Marina DID suggest that to me]

"There was also a suggestion raised by another General, whose name I don't remember now, to launch a pre-emptive strike against the launch pads that the MESS would have to use to launch their KKV constellation into orbit; but this was rejected by the President on the grounds that it would only delay their program by a year if concrete penetrators were used, and would most likely result in a war. Likewise, if we used nuclear tipped missiles to be assured of total destruction of their launch sites, it would most assuredly cause a war."

"Another suggestion was to begin enforcing our 'infinity plus one' over our borders and destroy any space asset which strayed over our borders, MESS or FUN; Manned or unmanned. This was also rejected, as it would lead to a war anyway."

"I can't fault the logic that the President used -- that a war with the MESS was inevitable, and that whoever struck the first blow would win. And naturally, because the UAR should win, we should be the one to strike that first blow."

"Hm."

"So, what was the plan finally adopted?"

"Well, you see; originally, we included Byzantium in our first strike, using the remaining 150 or so nuclear armed Blackbeard land attack missiles; but President Sheppard vetoed that part of the plan; and so those weapons were then placed into the Strategic Reserve."

"Our bomber force was then divided into four route packages; N-1 through N-4."

"Route Package N-1 was targeted against Canissia. It contained twelve bombers and eighteen strategic fighters -- this was considered an extremely light force, but was more than made up by the multitude of other assets we had capable of dealing with that country; mainly our three SSNs armed with thirty SUBROCs between them targetted against coastal targets; and a couple of tactical IRBMs armed with VX warheads that we had acquired from Saddamistan."

"N-1 had 12 Mark Seven devices, 72 SRAM Strategics, and 108 SRAM Tacticals, for 192 nuclear devices totalling 696 megatons. Flying time from the airfields assigned to N-1 to Canissia was around twenty or so minutes; hence they were the last air-breathing bombers to take off."

"The other three route packages, N-2 through N-4 were targeted against Wilkonia, the Lone Star Republic, and Tian Xia respectively. They each contained 26 bombers and 40 strategic fighters, with each package carrying 26 Mark Seven devices, 156 SRAM Strategics, and 234 SRAM Tacticals, for 416 nuclear devices totalling 1,508 megatons."

"By prior agreement, the Shinra Republic was to be handled by Saddamistan."

"In keeping with our war plans, all eighteen MGM-191Cs were launched in a co-ordinated manner so that they would attack their targets after our bombers had done the difficult work of peeling back the air defenses of those countries."

"So how was the war started? The evidence is still very fragmentary."

"It was your classic multi-pronged phased attack by SAC. In the days leading up to the attack, we had slowly raised our bomber units to higher readiness states and carried out a large number of ORIs -- Operational Readiness Inspections -- ostensibly to assess the status of SAC to carry out it's assigned mission in case of wartime."

"For ease of planning, we established the moment that the first initations would occur on MESS soil as Z-Minute, and all planning was timed forwards or backwards from that moment."

"The first units to take off were the bombers in package N-4; the Middle/Lower Tian Xia Strike; they took off from airfields at Z minus 80 minutes. Next was the Lone Star Republic and Northern Tian Xia Strike, Package N-3. Takeoff was Z minus sixty minutes. Third was the Wilkonia package; N-2; at Z minus forty minutes."

"Fourth was the LAM units; they launched at Z minus twenty three minutes. Fifth was the Canissia strike, package N-1; they launched at Z minus twenty minutes. Sixth were the RB-73s from Slade Air Force Base, they launched at Z minus eighteen minutes. Last on the list were the SUBROCs from our submarines targetted against Canissia, they launched at Z minus three minutes."

"Sounds complicated."

"Indeed it was. Fortunately, we had the ISOP -- Integrated Strategic Operational Planner -- system at Rockville to help us with arranging the flight paths and timings."

[to be continued...]

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Imperial Chronicles

"As far as Byzantium is concerned, Constantinople Shipping has been replacing a number of their vessels over the last few decades with improved versions of the WCT and other vessels in question. They have been out going around shipping materials everywhere. It's quite a bonanza for raw materials with all the rebuilding going on. If you need to loan ships, I think Greek Cargo Leasing should be able to lease you some ships. FCS can be rather limiting to shipping needs, given their very small size.

That aside, I think we should deal with the Shroomanian problem, once and for all."

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Fireplace Room, Royal Palace, Astoria

"Concerning that lack of merchant ships, the fact that two of our shipyards were out of commission for twenty whole years could be partially responsible for that," Lelouch remarked. "A good portion of Langley's shipbuilding capacity was based in Ramius and Stadtfeld, which we had to vacate due to fallout. While we've managed to resettle those areas, the old shipyards and their associated infrastructure were too far gone to restore. We've had to tear them down and rebuild them from the ground up, and even with assistance from Shroomania, the UKB, and Byzantium, it's been very slow going these past two decades."

"That said, I'm sorry I was rather late in coming here, but I did read the RIS report on the current state of Shroomania. While I am indebted to Prime Minister Shroom for his help in rebuilding my country, I agree that we should deal with him, once and for all."

[PeZook]

It was over in the blink of an eye.

One second, he was sitting down at a dinner table in Farbanti, eating and laughing and remembering the old times.

The next...there was nothing.

Paul sighed. He suspected he wouldn't just be allowed to die.

"Q?"

"Does it matter if I answer that question?", the godlike being asked, sitting in a plush Victorian-styled armchair, in a gray Prussian uniform. He had a mustache.

"Oh, Pilsudski. Clever.", Paul said, sarcastically. He looked at his hands out of morbid curiosity - the liver spots were all gone.

"Says the man who called his country "The II Republic". Can I ask you a question?"

"Does it matter if I answer?"

"Ha-ha.", Q didn't seem very amused. Paul wondered if this entire thing was as serious to him as it was to the people he tortured with the game, "Seriously. Why the obsession with your home country? Every time you get the opportunity, you try to model your dominion after Poland."

"Because I'm a jingoist?", Paul wasn't in the mood for discussion.

"So when you criticize nationalism, you're lying?"

"I simply want my country to be a decent place to live, asshole. As if you needed to ask in order to know."

"Of course you do. After all, you had PeZookia get engaged in a nuclear war it had no chance to win."

"Okay, I've had enough of this. You've put me in a place I didn't want to be in, in a position of great responsibility, then you've had me survive 40 years of nation-reconstruction which painfully killed my wife. Stop pretending you're better than everybody else."

"You can fix this, you know."

"Fix what?"

"PeZookia. I will snatch all the people there, and make it bigger and richer. And give it back to you...and bring your wife back."

Paul looked at Q for a long time, thinking of a catch. Finally, he decided to simply ask.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. It's your choice."

"What happens if I refuse?"

"Well, one of two things. One is oblivion. The other - a return to Earth, to the time and place I...borrowed you from."

"What happens to PeZookia if I decide to just go back?"

Q smiled.

"It is left leaderless and eventually collapses into anarchy, destroying itself in an orgy of violence and hatred."

"You're an asshole, Q."

"Why? It's the people who will do that to themselves."

Paul saw something happening to the side of the Black Void - a world forming. The planet popped out of nowhere,filling up with ever-changing continents and countries. Somehow, he saw PeZookia in there - full of people going about their business, just living out their lives.

"The people you created wholesale, you mean.", Paul wasn't talking to Q anymore. He was looking at the country he would lead if he took the choice. Thirty million people...androids, by most definitions, created by Q out of nowhere, but also living, breathing, feeling sentient beings.

You've been setting me up for this the entire time, you fucking cock - he thought, and finally looked back at Q.

"Allright. Let's have another round."

[DarthShady]

The bright light was the last thing that the Emperor saw and now he was waiting for it to stop.

"Goddamn it! Am I dead or not? Where the fuck am I?"-Shady said.

"You're not dead...yet"-Q said mockingly, "But It could be arranged."

"Wait...What?"-the Emperor asked, "I don't want to die."

"I don't think you deserve another chance, especially with all the shit you pulled last time."-Q said with an angry expression on his face, "I gave you a paradise and look at what you did with it."

Emperor Shady and Q appear in front of a huge screen.



"Look at the death and destruction! And for what? The right to call yourself God Emperor! You idiot. This is one of the things that I don't understand about your species, you have a need for violence. Why?"

"I don't know."

"You should know. Your country has one of the most violent histories in all of Nova Terra. The first thing you did when you came to this world was to start a war. You attacked Shroomania. Why?"

"I don't know. I guess back then I still thought that this whole thing was just a game. Only after I was defeated, I realized my mistake."

"You were lucky. The fact that the Shroomanian ruler is not as crazy as most believe him to be. He spared your life. And how did you repay him for his mercy? You sent assassins to kill him."

"Wait. That wasn't me. That was the Serpent."

Q laughed.

"Very well if you say so. Now tell me, can you think of at least one good reason for me to give you a second chance? Just one."

"You are giving us a second chance. Why?

"Because I believe that there is still hope for you...well some of you at least. So have you thought of anything good? One reason is all I ask."

"No. I do not deserve a second chance. My sins are too great, I will not be responsible for more deaths. I would rather die.

"So you have learned."

Q grinned.

"Prepare yourself."

"For what?"

"Round two."

"Wait..."

"Oh, and don't fuck it up this time. I'll be watching."

And with a flash it began anew.

[WesFox13]

Nova Seattlum, Vulpesia
The 63 year old Wesley Montgomery went to his bed. He looked at his country from his beadside window and smiled. He then closed his eyes and soon all he could see was nothing but darkness.

The Following Day

News reports had gone all around Vulpesia that the Father of the Nation, Lord Wesley Sheridan Montgomery; had died of natural causes in his sleep last night. The body was found and his body was put in a furnished wodden casket and the Vulpesian flag (A orange flag with two black stripes on the top and bottom with a white fox's head looking up at a bright star point) was draped over it. The casket was put on a horse driven carrage and was paraded through the capital, many people had come to witness the burial of the Lord and stood on the side walks. Soon the carrage reached it's destination. Wesley's tomb was a large mausoleaum, carved out of stone and marble. It was on a small hill with stairs leading up to it, along the sides of the stairs were statues of people that Wesley idolized with the last names of who they were on the statues pedistial, people with last names that some of the Nova Terrans didn't recognize like Oppenhimer, Einstein, Hawking, Kepler, Sagan, Newton, Curie, King and Ghandi.

The casket was put into a small hole, with people paying their respects to their now dead leader.

Wesley opened his eyes, nothing but white could be seen, except for a 24-inch LCD TV with someone watching his burial on it. Wesley the 63 year old got up, smirked a bit and asked, "What do you think, Q?".

Q looked at the elderly Wesley and said, "Well, this sure is a bit extravagant for someone who didn't spend much on exgravance in their lifetime.". He looked at Wesley and said, "So, what shall you do now, hm? Return back to Earth, have another go, or Oblivion?".

Wesley looked at Q and asked, "As in the Elder Scrolls Oblivion? That Oblivion?".

Q looked at him and said, "No, although the Daderic Princes are a rather fun bunch, not like those stuck up Nine.".

Wesley said, "Oh.". He thought about it and the 63 year old smiled and said, "Oh, what the hell, I'll take another go at it. Even though I planned for the country to survive after I died."

Q asked, "Wait how did you...? Oh. That's clever, putting in a clause in your little constitution to make your nation transition into a Republic after your death. You humans were clever; at least some of you.".

Soon a flash appeared and it became extremely bright. Wesley didn't know what was going to happen, but he smiled, happy he's going to have another go at ruling a nation.