SDNWorld Redux: Story Thread the Third

Post by **Coyote** » 2009-02-18 01:16pm

Hokkaido Prefecture
City of Heijo-kyo
Imperial Royal Palace District

Admiral Hiro Fuchida was allowed to approach His Divine Majesty, but had to remain outside the personal exclusion zone demanded by his guards. The tenno, or "heavenly sovereign" was a youngish man for Emperor, being 45 years of age and, despite the attention of the finest groomers of the realm he was quite thoroughly prematurely grey. Instead of debasing himself to the use of dyes, however, he had embraced the grey as a sign of wisdom. It was particularly odd, the grey perched so stately above his face, which had retained its comparatively youthful appearance, with few wrinkles.

"Admiral Fuchida," the Emperor said plainly, his voice rich, friendly, and amazingly informal. "By all means, rise." The Admiral stood tall and straight before his Emperor. The tenno had acknowledged his prescence, but not yet bid him to speak. He very delicately put the last brush strokes of a haiku on rice paper, on an easel before him, then turned to face the Admiral.

"Please, Admiral," he said, disturbingly informal. "Have a seat. I desire to hear of our situation at the border."

"Yes, Majesty," the Admiral said, and went to sit. A servant appeared with a chair in perfect timing, as Fuchida knew would happen. He'd visited the Emperor once before, with a group of newly-promoted Admirals at a brief tea ceremony to celebrate their ascencion to the highest rank of the Imperial Japanistani Navy's premier defense arm.

"You shaved your mustache," the Emperor said. Fuchida kept his startlement well-disguised. That had been eight years ago, and he had not even looked directly at me, he thought.
"Yes, Majesty," he said, for he could not think of what else to say. The Emperor looked at him critically for a moment, comparing mental pictures.

"Too bad," he said, "I thought it made you look dignified. To be honest, it may be jealousy on my part. When my facial hair comes in, it is patchy and most undignified." Fuchida could not help but fidget at this extrememly personal turn of conversation. He also did not know if he was supposed to regrow the mustache to please the Emperor, or if doing so would remind the tenno of his own inability to grow attractive facial hair..? "Anyhow, please," he said, "What of the foreign devils?"

"Our Navy has scored a minor victory over the devils just a week ago," Fuchida was pleased to announce, "Boarders said that these crews acquitted themselves well, fighting to the end even as their ship was boarded by our commandos. One of our commandos made the ultimate sacrifice to close the victory in our favor." The Emperor drank in the words as he drank in his tea.

"Excellent," he said, "See to it his family receives my personal thanks," he said, and no sooner were the words out of his mouth when one of the many silent servants nearby ran to the Palace to secure a parchment and begin writing the standard Imperial letter of congratulations, which His Majesty would sign.

"So," the Emperor said, "They acquitted themselves well in their ships, but not once they were prisoners, I take it?"
"No, they did not," Fuchida admitted, "I fear I over-estimated their stature as warriors," he admitted, his head bowed. The Emperor was silent for another moment.
"Yes, I read the report," the Emperor said, "Many barbarians among the crew, I take it?"
"Some, Majesty." The Emperor sighed, and tch'd.

"For a house to be strong, the bricks must be uniform," he said, "Our old adversaies weaken themselves; diluting their singular strength to increase their manpower pool with others of questionable talents and motivations." Fuchida said nothing; he personally agreed with the assessment. "Have the devils crossed the threshhold since?"

"No, Majesty," Fuchida replied, "The sanctity of the Eternal Penninsula and Archipelago remains intact since they left our borders," he said. The Emporer smiled his satisfaction.
"Then you have performed your job most honorably," the Emperor said, "Do not feel as though you failed by giving these devils the chance to prove themselves to you personally," he said, "As a warrior, you need to know the measure of the men you face. You offered them an honor, and it was they, not you, who flinched." The tension in Fuchida's stomach eased considerably.

"Thank you, Majesty," he said.
"Thank you, my good Admiral," the Emperor said with a smile, "You have maintained the dignity of my realm, and for that, I am grateful. I will arrange for immediate reinforcements to be sent," he said. The next servant in line tensed to run. "The Fifth Tsushima Guardian Unit shall be at your disposal should the devils attempt another reconnaissance at Kitakyushu. And, of course, the Hiryu battle group will be at your disposal as an immediate reserve. After the formation of the CATO alliance, and the unpredictable nature of the FTO submarines incursions, I want to see to it that no devils infiltrate our territory."

"Thank you, Majesty," Fuchida responded. He had been prepared to accept rebuke, and he was walking out with praise... and reinforcements. It was a good day. They were finishing their tea, and an agent of the Imperial Family Agency approached, waiting outside the exclusion zone, and bowed. The Emperor bid her approach, and she spoke low in his ear, and remained bowed until he dismissed her.

"Admiral Fuchida, it is serendipitous that you are here. The Tokeitai has requested permission to conduct reconnaissance in devil skies. I will attach a group of them to you, so that they may report their finding directly to your headquarters."
"Thank you, Majesty," Fuchida said again. The Emperor returned his bow, and another agent of the Family came forward to escort the Admiral away. The Emperor was done with him now; and Fuchida had to show results from the unexpected boons he had been given.

Results:
Admiral Fuchida to maintain his defense of the Eternal Pennisula and Archipelago.
Reinforcements given: 1 carrier battle group; 1 elite Army division, 1 Naval Special Recon team.
Admiral Fuchida has the blessings of the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Imperial Tokeitai (Naval Intelligence)
Reconnaissance Force: Ryukyu-17

The Japanistani Tokeitai, or Naval Special Intelligence force, was a catch-all unit that conducted "ideologically sensitive" operations of importance to the Japanistani Navy. Everything from ordinary military police work up to and including border security, running work camps, and espionage and counter-intelligence roles were assigned to its many branches. Today, however, it was the activity of Special Recon Group Ryukyu-17 that was at the fore of activity.

The Ryukyu R-99 and R-99/A airborne surveillance aircraft specialized in both air search and sea hunting missions, particularly in the hunt for any potential submarines that might try to "accidentally" blunder into the waters that belonged to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The Tokeitai was certain that Shroomania's decision to fold itself into the ethno-militarist union of Slavic barbarians so soon after the Warden Incident was no coincidence. Admiral Fuchida was taking no chances that the FTO wouldn't attempt a similar incursion into the Home Waters as well.

But the display of resolve was not limited to mere overflights. Shima-class Frigates also plied the waters inside the IJN's traditional sea borders, aggressively patrolling for increased submarine activity.

The Imperial Japanistani Navy would exert all efforts to seek out any foreign devil sub that wandered into their waters-- and destroy it.

There were those that felt that last week's incursion of a civilian tramp freighter was, in fact, an accident of the ill-trained crew, using old and mistreated equipment... but the Tokeitai had decided to take no chances. The tramp steamer and it's crew of 20 had been classified as "foreign intelligence agents" and executed, and now the Admiralty was intent on rooting out any more infiltrators that might be out there...

Results:
The Warden incident makes Japanistan paranoid of foreign spies & subs.
The decision of Shroomania to join CATO confirms fears of a new, more militant foreign policy by "foreign devils".
Imperial Japanistani Navy goes into high gear, again aggressively patrolling home waters.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2009-02-18 02:33pm

Constantinople Times

Officiating ceremony of 1st Imperial Kataphrateoi Tagmata

The 1st Imperial Kataphrateoi Tagmata has been officially formed. Consisting of

Legio I Konstantinoplis Kataphrateoi
Legio IX Jerusalem Kataphrateoi
Legio VIII Sinope Comitatenses
Legio V Korinth Kataphrateoi
25th-28th Mobile Air Defence Legion

The 1st Imperial Kataphrateoi Tagmata will be deployed to Jerusalem. The 2nd Imperial Comitatenses Tagmata is nearing completion and will be officially formed by mid year to year end.

Siege · Post by **Siege** » 2009-02-18 02:59pm

The Brain Wars Begin!

Anlace Tower, downtown San Dorado

The elevator doors slid open, revealing yet another starkly lit floor of the expansive laboratory complex located deep underneath the headquarters of the Outside Context Division. Out of the elevator stepped a number of men in designer suits, lead by a single gray-haired scientist in a shoddy lab coat.

“Gentlemen,” Dr. Walter Bishop proudly announced, “welcome to the Hive.”

For brief moments the men in suits simply looked around in astonishment. The laboratory was massive. Dozens of people were moving back and forth. Computers hummed. Unrecognizable machineries made strange noises. Complex equations rolled by on high-tech videoscreens. And then to know this was but one floor of many…

“I thought your division was… A few dozen people total”, one of the suits exclaimed. An id-badge identifying him as an assistant-manager with Ralson Concerns.

“It was”, Dr. Bruce Vanderbilt replied smugly. “We’ve since expanded the scope of our operations. If you’ll all come this way please?”

Bishop and Vanderbilt lead the small group through the warren of laboratories. In one room, technicians were working on the wiring of a loosely anthropomorphic robot on caterpillar tracks. In another, men in hazard suits were very cautiously filling a blue liquid into helix-shaped vials marked with the SiNtek logo. Behind panes of reinforced glass one of the visitors caught the briefest glimpse of what seemed like a gigantic octopus-like creature. Then the group made a final turn and came to a thick steel blast door. Vanderbilt and Bishop produced keycards and opened it.

The group entered a sparsely lit circular room. It looked like it had at one point been some sort of underground reservoir, long-forgotten and paved over by San Dorado’s city planners. Now the OCD had taken possession of the warren of underground spaces, it had found a new use. Machinery, file cabinets and computers lined the walls. A number of big glass cases stood interspersed in the room, their contents obscured by a strategic lack of lighting.

The group came to a halt before one of the cases. “Thanks you all for coming”, Vanderbilt began. “Have all of you signed the confidentiality papers? Yes? Excellent, then I invite Dr. Bishop to begin the presentation.”

The gray-haired scientist stepped forward and smiled awkwardly. “Gentlemen!” he began. “What we are going to tell you today has a history. A history, I might add, that did not start in San Dorado. What we will talk to you about today is based on this…” he pressed a button on a small remote control, and spotlights snapped on inside the glass casing. "Behold!"

The suits gasped.

The casing was an aquarium, and inside it was a bottlenose dolphin-- but it was only barely recognizable as such.

“What you see here”, Bishop continued, “is specimen zero. I myself call him 'Jones'. He's dead by the way- washed up in La Palma Harbor about three months ago.”

“Is that a… Cyborg dolphin?” one of the suits asked incredulously. Then, when Bishop nodded enthusiastically, “where did it come from?”

“We’re not sure” Dr. Bishop sounded delighted, as if it was an intriguing but harmless puzzle. “Maybe Tian Xia. Maybe the USSR. But we know Shroomania and the CSR have been running an animal cybernetics program for many years, so our best bet is that it came from the Old Continent.”

“So then it’s a weapon.”

“Oh yes. Very much so. See these crusted plates along his sides? Titanium armor. The twin deformities on either side of his skull have been engineered to house sensor units. And these silver lesions running through his skin are fiber-optic cables, linking his nervous system into an onboard computer. Make no mistake gentlemen- this is not just any dolphin. It is a weapon dolphin.”

“It is scary stuff”, Vanderbilt added. “Radically advanced. The creature was dead when we found it... The cybernetics didn't work. But it has given us ideas, it’s taken us in new directions... Things we would never have thought of. All our work is based on it.”

An older suit frowned in response to that. “… and what work would that be?”

Vanderbilt just smiled. “Well, that's just what you're here for, isn't it?"

Result: Cyborg dolphins!

Post by **Coyote** » 2009-02-18 05:25pm

RAF Z-001
en route to Byznatium

King Arik's Royal Zeppelin was his favorite way to travel. Not only did the Zepp have a spacious suite with all the comforts of home in it, but it was gentle to ride in, quiet, and the whole atmosphere aboard was unhurried. It was, in a way, the closest thing to a break that Arik got when on visits to and from foreign states.

It angered him that the Nationalists had gotten in such an uproar over the CATO. Arik himself had been operating under the impression that the various nations of the Old Continent would bind togethe rin times of common defense regardless; CATO simply affirmed that he'd been right. To be honest, had I the foresight... or, let's face it, the political courage to do it, I'd've sponsored a proposal like this myself, he thought. Now, here I am, flying right past all of CATO, oooohh, the evil empire, blah-blah-blah... look at me, in my Zeppelin, flying by CATO!
"Shit," he murmured.
"What's wrong?" asked Katerin.

"Oh, sorry," Arik said, accepting the whiskey-and-soda she brought to him, "Just lamenting the political myopia of some of our finest back home."
"They're scared," Katerin said, "The sub incident, the KKV test, the unknown sleeping giant of Japanistan, the jihads... it wears at people. They start getting defensive."

"CATO is an excellent opportunity to work together with our neighbors for common goals and interests," Arik said. They moved out to the back of the Zepp, where the open aft deck provided a comfortable, if a bit cool, place to ponder as long as the airship was at low altitude and speed. Arik loved the view and the feeling of freedom it offered. "I guess I'm just surprised at the xenophobia."

"Love, you are too open and generous for your own good," Katerin said with a sweet smile. "Your penchant for multi-lateralism and including as many other nations as possible makes some people wonder if you're trying to be King of the World, not just King of Canissia."
"A world where we have as many friends, or at least cooperative partnerships, as possible is --I think-- a peaceful andmore stable world."

"The thought that 'there is too much trade between nations for there to be a war' has been tried before," Katerin said.
"Oh, I know better than that," Arik said, "Economic interests are important, and they can be a powerful motivator, true... but the pursuit of profits isn't enough to provide ethical leadership. I try to be a good player on the world stage to help secure our general peace and well-being."

"Not everyone can know that," Katerin said. They looked over the railing for a bit. Dolphins --unarmed ones-- swam behind them, chasing the shadow of the Zeppelin as they arced playfully through the air. He remembered one of his Zeppelin trips in the previous world, in a last-ditch attempt to spread diplomacy as the first nuclear war had nearly erupted, over... what was it? Oh, yeah-- Libertopia. Goddamn Libertopians.... he'd already gotten most of his wives through the portal back to Earth with enough gold to set them up comfortably...

"Well, Japanistan has begun to stir a bit, again," Arik said, "Maybe we'll get some perspective back in the Parliament if they remember who the real threat is."
"I guess we'll see, at that," Katerin said, but she didn't sound convinced. "Ohh, look," she said, "The lights of Byzantium..."

The Zeppelin was approaching the Byzantine shore, and soon they were landing. It was a cool summer evening, and they were a bit behind schedule, but the Emperor didn't seem to mind. The Imperial Military Band was there, playing the national anthems of both countries, and there were ranks of troops which King Arik gave a quick, cursory inspection of with the Emperor Heraclitus. It was a magnificent sight, the more so in the evening lights. Then they moved into the Palace, where there were fine foods, fine wines, a cornucopia of delicious Byzantine treats, and-- belly dancers.

"This is so much less awkward than when we go to Shroomania," Arik muttered. "What's that dance they always do there, with the construction men?" he asked Katerin.
"The 'YMCA'," she answered.

There was also tables of delicious Byzantine chow:

And performances by Byzantine folk dancers, from Anatolian villages:

Some people started to get a little too rowdy; so the Emperor had to make them move outdoors to continue their revelry.

But eventually, they started talking business.

"So," the Emperor said, "I suppose there is much on your mind these days... CATO among them?" King Arik nodded.
"Indeed," he said, sipping some brandy. "Not just that, but I need to clarify that I am going to be forced to make some concessions I won't want to make. My Parliament is... intimidated by CATO. I think there are better things to be intimidated about."

"Japanistan, I suppose?" Heraclitus said.
"Precisely. They've been simmering for years since Shepistran got wiped out; now with that Coilerburg submarine thing they're starting to stir. I don't want my people distracted by the non-issue of CATO, so I want to find something reassuring to take home to show them the benefits of partnering with CATO."
"Seeing Byzantium walk the tightrope can't hurt, either, I suppose," Heraclitus said.
"Very true."

"Well, we're working on the SHEL project," the Emperor said, "What else were you thinking?"
"Part of the reason I'm here is to brainstorm," Arik said, "I'd always wanted to talk with you about the possibility of developing solid-state laser CIWS systems for ships to replace the old Phalanx system; also maybe putting some larger, heavier lasers onto some ships, where practical. Maybe even looking at getting lasers onto aircraft, although I think we're still looking at C-130 sized stuff for now."

"So, some joint defense projects."
"I was pushing the 'science' angle," Arik said, nibbling at some Turkish Delight given to him by a buxom belly-dancer/server that Katerin glared at. "And, to be honest, I was also wondering if Byzantium would be willing to be my front man for getting things from the rest of CATO for awhile... until the panic in my Parliament dies down," he said, with a frown.

Post by **Steve** » 2009-02-18 06:34pm

Saffonburg, Sabika

After a few days in San Dorado Stephen joined Sidney in leaving for Sabika, where he would continue his Frequesue tour while President Hank engaged in talks with President Kalawi, elected a year and a half prior on a pro-FTO platform thanks to the slow return of prosperity and the violence of the Sons of Sabika turning the populace against them.

The timing of the tour meant that the two Presidents spent some more time together in talks, mostly further detailing on the world situation and on the future of the Arbitration Committee set up by the San Magdalena Accords, the chair of which was held by a Cascadian appointee coming up at the end of the first mandated term that would open the position up to the other signatories. The issue of the Committee was now newly-altered by the fact of Coilerburg's effective "surrender" to San Doradan control, which meant its seat and its duties as a signatory now went to the powerful city-state. With one of the growing issues being a three year old petition before the Committee to permit the counties of Coilerburg adjoining the border city of Saffonburg to be transferred to Sabika, as they were inhabited by a Sabikan ethnic group and minority within Coilerburg, the two Presidents had agreed to visit the border region together after they did their business in the Sabikan capital, starting with Saffonburg itself. The city was not a metropolis, weighing in at about 140,000 residents, but it adjoined critical resource locations on both sides of the border and served as a key waypoint for the regional rail and road lines.

After a day spent in the provincial city, the two Presidents intended to take a helicopter together to cross the border and arrive in the county town of Halisbad within Coilerburg's border, the centerpoint of the area requesting reunion with Sabika, after which they would be taken by plane to the capital Roterburgh where, after meetings with Coilerburger officials, the two would finally part ways.

The helicopter flew over the border checkpoints, where Indhopali troops were checking border passes for vehicles moving through, entering Coilerburger airspace right on schedule. A field of brown field grass waved lazily from below with hills ahead that the craft would crest before getting to Halisbad in about another forty-five minutes. "Better view from up here than if we'd taken a car," Stephen remarked from his window seat, Hank sitting across from him.

"Of course." Sidney shook his head. "You know, I can't believe people of our statue continue to drive around in cars. They're dangerous, they're slow... Helicopters are infinitely preferable. They are an elegant way of travelling. Quick, smooth, and very safe."

"They're also easier to park, the drivers don't need as much training, and they won't fall out of the sky if something goes wrong," Stephen pointed out in riposte.

Sidney smiled. "Stephen- we're presidents. I would hope that our drivers are given all the training they require irrespective of our preferred mode of transportation."

"Ever try driving versus flying a chopper?" was the sarcastic response. "Besides, I like driving. Though God knows I'll have to get used to it again after twelve years of Security Service chauffeurs."

"I bet you've never tried to drive a car through the San Dorado rush hour", Sidney grinned. "The traffic is absolute murder- more often than not literally. It's the closest thing to madness this side of Shroomania. Only thrill seekers and the desperate drive to their destination. Everybody else avoids it like the plague. I don't even have a driver's license!" He pointed over his shoulder. "I could probably pilot this thing though-- if they let me."

"Ha." Chuckling, Stephen added, "Maybe they'll let you later. Though you have a point on the driving situation in your country. Cascadia has nice open roads winding through the mountain valleys and forests, at least."

"Hmm, that sounds nice. I love the energy of my city, but it tends to wear you out after a while, and there's really nowhere to get away from it." Sidney shrugged and produced a silver hip flask. He took a sip of the whisky inside and shrugged again. "Maybe that's why we've got as many nutjobs as we do. I should visit Cascadia sometime. Unofficially, I mean. I used to like the mountains..."

The helicopter lurched suddenly as the pilot began twisting it to the side and around, warning klaxons coming from the cockpit. A streak of fire and smoke zipped by them. "Sweet Lady!" Sidney cursed as the unexpected movement jerked him sideways. The flask careened out of his hand, slamming hard into the floor of the cabin.
Training from three decades before for the "native" part of his mind caused Stephen to shout, "RPG! Get the chopper down!"
The pilot's own training was causing just that reaction, the helo moving toward the bottom of the upcoming hills. "Everyone get out!" Stephen yanked hard against the door on his side to open it. They were still about twenty, thirty feet off the ground, low enough to survive a jump if they did it right but it'd probably hurt. "Roll with it!"

The two Presidents and their immediate security escorts made the jumps one after the other. The pilot and co-pilot weren't so fortunate, the latter having just opened his own door when a second RPG collided with the chopper and blew it up, causing the blackened carcass to come crashing down to the earth.

Sidney Hank's world blurred. One moment he was in the cabin, the next a bodyguard grabbed his arm and dragged him to the side door. Then he was plunging through space. Air rushed by. Somewhere above him things were exploding. He fell, catching glimpses of sky, ground, sky, ground. Flaming debris pattered past him. He caught the briefest glimpses of the chopper's burning wreck, falling after him, then another of the ground approaching perilously quick. And then, everything went black.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2009-02-18 08:27pm

Coyote wrote:But eventually, they started talking business.

"So," the Emperor said, "I suppose there is much on your mind these days... CATO among them?" King Arik nodded.
"Indeed," he said, sipping some brandy. "Not just that, but I need to clarify that I am going to be forced to make some concessions I won't want to make. My Parliament is... intimidated by CATO. I think there are better things to be intimidated about."

"Japanistan, I suppose?" Heraclius said.
"Precisely. They've been simmering for years since Shepistran got wiped out; now with that Coilerburg submarine thing they're starting to stir. I don't want my people distracted by the non-issue of CATO, so I want to find something reassuring to take home to show them the benefits of partnering with CATO."
"Seeing Byzantium walk the tightrope can't hurt, either, I suppose," Heraclius said.
"Very true."

"Well, we're working on the SHEL project," the Emperor said, "What else were you thinking?"
"Part of the reason I'm here is to brainstorm," Arik said, "I'd always wanted to talk with you about the possibility of developing solid-state laser CIWS systems for ships to replace the old Phalanx system; also maybe putting some larger, heavier lasers onto some ships, where practical. Maybe even looking at getting lasers onto aircraft, although I think we're still looking at C-130 sized stuff for now."

"So, some joint defense projects."
"I was pushing the 'science' angle," Arik said, nibbling at some Turkish Delight given to him by a buxom belly-dancer/server that Katerin glared at. "And, to be honest, I was also wondering if Byzantium would be willing to be my front man for getting things from the rest of CATO for awhile... until the panic in my Parliament dies down," he said, with a frown.

"With regard to the Solid State laser project, we are willing to work on a CIWS system that can be installed on ships. But that itself invites.. potential problems. While most of the technology originated and was funded in Byzantium, CATO and MESS both have an interest in the technology and we are sharing it with both sides. While we are more than happy to work with you and the CSR, I want to make sure no one grumbles if the said technology ends up on both sides and that no one takes offense. Because if someone does, then it will be seriously down for the count between alliances, if you know what I mean.

CATO and the MESS have much to work together on, but there's also plenty of avenues for possible friction. The recent furore in your own parliament will be a guide. While CATO does not have any aggressive tendencies against.. anything other than a failed state... notwithstanding the usual CSR idealistic rumblings, we must however defend ourselves against external threats. That of course turns me to the Continental defence treaty that was signed years back. Will that still hold in the current political climate?

And Japanistan.. that sore spot in the under belly of this damn planet. They have gone quiet over the years, and I have been forced for the last few years to ramp up military spending just to ensure that should they dare invade, they will earn a bloody nose. That good for nothing Egyptian Caliph refuses to listen to my overtures. Constantly raving about potential Byzantine invasions when I am practically giving a tidy sum a year to keep them quiet. It seems that Japanistan's paranoia rubbed off on them. The Syrian Caliph is firmly in my pocket, but should the Egyptians move openly to join Japanistan, then I will be cutting off oil revenues to them. Let's see if the Sultan will feel so jolly when he can't get his favourite meats. Already that ramshackle of a state teeters on the edge of economic collapse.

And if Japanistan seeks to play games with air space control, so can we. Denying them the right to launch any object that will cross CATO space will make think twice."

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2009-02-19 05:51am

THE BATTLE FOR BRAINS

Super Secret Shroomanian Sovereign Special Sciences Sector (S7)

He felt cold and wet.

Like a chrysalis emerging from a cocoon, drenched in embryonic fluid and clawing to emerge from his egg sac.

There was a sharp hiss, and a painful white light engulfed him.

The liquid air drained out of his chamber with an oozing sucking sound, and then he felt the stale sterilized air on his skin and smelled its antiseptic scent with his keen olfactories.

He clambered onto his feet, picking himself up from his fetal position in all his naked nudity.

"Doctor Goldblum, Doctor Goldblum!"

"Yeah...?" Doctor Ian Malcolm Goldblum uttered tiredly as he emerged from his mind-machine interface chamber. He pulled the electrode interface crown off his head and went off to find a towel. "What is it?"

"We're running another systems test and we wanted you to sign for... for it."

"Oh, right," Doctor Goldblum nodded absently as he wrapped a tiny ill-fitting rag around himself. "Come on, let's head for the vault."

"Sir, I was wondering."

"Yeah?"

"Where did it come from?"

"Heh," Goldblum chuckled. "I asked that same question too when I was new, and you know what the answer was?"

"What?"

"They said 'Don't ask'." Goldblum grinned. He led the assistant to the massive vault guarded by S7 security and together, with the necessary keycards and biometrics scans, they opened it - once more to the hissing sound of breaking hermetics. "Yep, here we are. Here it is."

"Amazing..." the younger scientist gasped. "It's a brain... in a jar. I still can't believe it."

"You said you were running another materials' test?"

"Yes, sir."

"On what?"

"Apes, sir. We've decided to graduate from cetaceans to simians, the next step in evolution!"

"I see," Goldblum tightened the rag around his waist. "Carry on."

"Yes sir. I'll have to do a preliminary systems check before I wheel the brain off and..." the scientist trailed off. "Sir... the nutrient fluid's bubbling. It's been active, hasn't it?"

Doctor Goldblum nodded. "I was testing the mind-machine interfaces, and it's been really receptive to human brainwaves."

"But sir, the technology's not yet been rated for human testing!"

"No, it hasn't," Goldblum simply said. "Not yet."

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2009-02-19 06:41am

VOMIT COMET

Farbanti, Shroomania
Unreal Time

"I say, I say!" Baron Ben Dover, the Sovereignty's representative in Sirnoth and formerly the SHAFT's main man in Astaria before the country's unfortunate virus bombing, exclaimed. "This CATO thing sounds like it could really be a big thing. Give those MESSheads and bloody FTO colonials the willies and give anyone second thoughts about sailing their shite in our goddamn waters!"

"Hear hear!" Melchett cheered.

"With all our nations working cohesively in the CATO," Exarch Decius said over a glass of champagne. "Security will no longer be an issue with Shroomania and the nations of the former SNC working as one. We'll be figuratively tightening our belts, so to say."

"Oh Decius, tightening our belts?" Melchett asked mockingly. "We can't do that! Not with another serving of Shroomanian giant squid sushi sashimi on the way!"

"Ah, what the heck?" Decius laughed. "The Patriarch won't know, anyway, eh? Hahaha!"

"You lot are as drunk as skunks," Shroom shouted. "You guys better not fall off the Eye, 'cause I'm not gonna be cleaning that fungal faux pas!"

"Drunk?" Melchett McMeistervater said indignantly. "Respectfully, Mister Prime Minister, I must ask - how dare you insinuate such a thing?"

"Hahahahaha!" Melchett laughed. "Just japing, sir."

"Yeah..." Shroom mumbled. "Well, at least there aren't any goddamn journos to take any pictures this time. You guys better take those off when the ride's over, okay Decius, Dover... Melchett?"

"Aye, sir!" they chorused as one.

"Jolly well good then!" Shroom cheered as he went over to his other guests. He opened the sliding glass door and stepped out over to the car's 'balcony'. "Shady, Stanislav, how goes things?"

"Da, comrade," Stanislav said in his thick accent. "Things are going fine. Ve are just discussing yet another bombshell to drop to the world after ze announcement of the CATO, regarding our mutual countries."

"Here, Shroom old friend," Shady said jovially. "Come smoke vodka cigarettes with us!"

"Well, I've got my own cigarillo box over here," Shroom gestured to the thing in his breastpocket.

"Hah!" Shady laughed. "Miami, my friend, is not Cuban. But da, I hope we are in a no smoking zone."

"Why, you are indeed!"

"For the Motherland!" Stanislav yelled as he took a long long drag from his 'vodka cigarette' and reduced the thing into a tiny smoldering stump with one hard inhalation. He billowed massive quantities of smoke from his nostrils. "I think I am inebriated, my lungs have absorbed too much of the vodka smoke! Why, Karl Marx, is that you?"

"Nyet!" Shady laughed.

"Errr..." Shroom excused himself and went over to the sanest compartment, where Paul and Heraclius were over at - with Duke Lelouch, making the newcomer not feel out of place. "Hey!"

"Let me just say, Shroom," Paul waved. "You sure know how to throw a party. Great sight, great food, and you've managed to get that stiff Decius drunk. That's gotta be something."

"Indeed," Heraclius agreed. "The man's gotten quite fond of your Lord Melchett - I better make sure the Patriarch doesn't catch whiff of this!"

"Like I said," Shroom smiled. "At least there aren't any goddamn journos to take pretty pictures of them in their full party regalia. Hey, Duke Lelouch, how's it going?"

"It's great," the Duke of Langley replied enthusiastically. "I don't get out much of my tiny little corner in the Pacific, so this is a nice change of pace. I must say that the view of Farbanti, it's quite something."

"A super spectacle sight, yeah," Shroom agreed. "You might want to check San Dorado, if you're heading over to Frequesue sometime soon, quite a place too, I might say, if you ignore the block wars and the zombies. But yeah, I'm glad you could make it here in time for the after party. How's the food?"

"It's great, I really liked the giant squid sashimi. I must simply have the recipe!" Langley said as he took a sip from his champagne glass. "It's simply - "

Before he could say anything, the Eye of Farbanti suddenly lurched as a loud noise filled everyone's ear. The Shroomanian Anthem, in all its glory, filled the air and then there was a very loud explosion - followed by countless more - as fireworks erupted out of the Eye's iris.

Then the Eye of Farbanti began spinning faster and faster, though the cars were gyro-stabilized to prevent any discomfort. But the suddenness of the event...

"URK!" Duke Lelouch vomited in his champagne glass and after wiping his mouth, looked sheepishly at the world leaders around him. "Oh my..."

"Oh... dear me," King Paul echoed his statement, as did Heraclius, and Duke Lelouch blushed as he thought they were responding to his wretched faux pas.

But they weren't, for they too had made the same wretched faux pas as he had, as he could see from their refilled champagne glasses.

Prime Minister Shroom laughed. He was the only one without a champagne glass, and was thus the only one spared from making such a dreaded mistake as filling his champagne glass with...

"Crap! I'm gonna need new pants," Shroom groaned.

And then they all LAUGHED.

Post by **Coyote** » 2009-02-19 08:56am

ASTRONAUT WOLF PHIDEAUX TO TEST-PILOT EAGLE ESCAPE POD

Astronaut Wolf Phideaux --whose wife is incredibly hot-- will be the first to pilot the Eagle escape pod in its glide-and-recovery test today from a extreme high-altitude Zeppelin, sources say.

The Eagle escape pod, actually the separable command module of the Eagle spacecraft, will be released from the Zeppelin at the edge of space, where the air is so thin and cold that even the Zeppelin crew must wear space suits to survive. The pod will be accelerated to reentry-velocity speeds and them eject the rocket engines used for the test, and finally glide to a splashdown landing off the coast of Katangwa.

Model of the escape pod/command module.

Details of this exciting step in the Canissian space program will be shared with the public as soon as they become available.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2009-02-19 09:57am

The Next Step (In Evolution)

Super Secret Shroomanian Sovereign Special Sciences Sector (S7)
Somewhere in North Point

"No, no, no," Kappa Killian Kroener objected. "We cannot use apes as the next stage in brain science. We simply can't!"

"But Killian," Doctor Benjamin B. Bennett laughed. "Apes are the next stage in brain science. They're the closest thing we've got to actual-factual human minds, and we're trying to create a neural net processor that, by 2029, will hopefully give us our first-ever self-aware Artificial Intelligence. We'll want something as human as possible, if not an actual human mind, then almost human will suffice."

"Killian," Doctor Ichabod Irving looked at him sharply. "You're the youngest amongst us, the most promising of us. I know you have many ideas, you're eager to prove yourself but you must substantiate your claims with facts. What we're doing isn't just any ordinary thing, what we're doing... it's... science."

Kappa Killian Kroener sighed.

"You want the truth?" he began. "Well, I hope you can handle the truth, gentlemen."

"And what truth would that be?" asked a synthetic voice from off-screen.

"That of the very nature of the human mind, whose nature we've witnessed time and time again. Do we really want to use minds too much like our own? Simians, apes, chimpanzees, gorillas - monkeys thumping their chests and flinging shit at each other. Do we want these kinds of intelligences, these kinds of disembodied brains, inside our jars?"

"Gentlemen, what we want are the cetaceans. Those minds accustomed to living in the fluid depths of the ocean, in three-dimensional space, totally submerged and completely immersed in sensation." Kappa stared off into the distance. "They glide in the water effortlessly, talk to one another in the frequencies of sound. They speak in music and we... we must listen."

"Kroener. Your logic is sound." Stephen Shroom-King concluded, and all fell silent at the sound of his synthetic speech. "Your youthful vigor is of clear benefit to our undertaking. Our science. Do what must be done. I approve of your proposition - the Cetacean Constellation will be commenced in due time. Gentlemen, you are all dismissed. Return to your stations and continue your good work."

Post by **Coyote** » 2009-02-19 01:36pm

EAGLE 'EHAZE' TEST PLATFORM
SERIES-II TESTS: MANNED ESCAPE POD REENTRY

"And 3... 2... 1 launch!" The words carried through the radios of the EHAZE crew as the giant Zeppelin shuddered under the ejection of the Eagle command module. "It's away," Mel Tarkon said as the cockpit flew under thrust towards the surface of Terranova.

"God damn that thing is fast," said Nathan Foreman, the chief engineer of the Command Module portion of the project.
"Got to approximate, or outdo, re-entry speeds," said Tarkon. Foreman got a strange look on his face.
"I dunno," he said, "That thing is already off our scope. We're getting feed now from the chase planes and the ships."

"Uh, sir," said one of the techs, "I think we have a problem."
"What kind of problem?" Tarkon asked, his voice tense with alarm.
"Looks like an overshoot," another tech said. The overshoot was confirmed by one of the chase planes.

"What the hell?" Tarkon asked, "What happened? Where's he going? Why do we have an overshoot?" In the control cockpit of the EHAZE, people were already doing calculations and going over their notes. The chase planes rode the capsule down as it hurtled towards Veleria.

"Crap," someone said.
"Crap? Crap?" Tarkon yelled, "What was crap? What happened?"
"The rocket thrust pack," the tech said, "It's basically the same one we used before. Same specs, everything."
"Yeah," Tarkon said, "It worked."
"It was load-tested with two 200-pound dummies," the man reminded him, "But Phideaux is in there by himself. He's maybe 190 soaking wet, plus the pressure suit..."

"The thruster pack is rated for something that is almost a hundred pounds heavier," Foreman suddenly spoke up. They looked outside-- the fiery plume was long gone; the trail of smoke already dissipating in the high winds. By now the rocket pack would have run out of fuel and ejected, putting Phideaux on a trajectory for the dark heart of Veleria itself.

"Crap," Mel Tarkon whispered.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2009-02-19 03:52pm

MSA annoucnes new cooperative agreement with Tonkinese Space Agency

Officials at the Johnson Spaceflight Center in the Shinra Republic today announced a new limited partnership between the civilian agencies of the MSA and the Tonkinese Space Agency. Details have remained scare in the wake of the announcement and the specifics of any legal documentation have not been released. However several officials speaking on the record indicated that in return for a limited technology sharing agreement, which already has Tonkinese engineers touring facilities in Wilkonia, the IRT has granted full overflight rights to the MSA and its daughter agencies.

Off the record several officials stated that there is more to the deal than is being made public but no one within the entire MSA administration has been made privy to those details. Speculation has run rampant that Wilkonia's Royal Space Agency was the prinicpal mover in getting the deal done but officials from that agency have refused comment both on and off the record as to their role in crafting this agreement.

Result: MSA gets overflight rights in return for some carefully concealed concessions to the IRT.

Post by **Steve** » 2009-02-19 06:20pm

(OOC: By me and Siege, as you can expect)

Sidney Hank floated in a universe of pain. He could remember nothing. He knew only that he existed, and he existed only to feel pain, a burning white hot sensation just behind his eyes. He didn’t know how long, or how short, it lasted. In his private universe of hurt there was no such concept as time.

He rose up through the ocean of white. Facts, ideas and memories began to flicker back into his brain. The pain started to settle into a rhythm. A plunge forward, followed by a brief respite, and then another plunge. A single realization coalesced in his mind. Someone is pulling me out. He could feel it by the way the pain moved.

For some reason that seemed remarkably funny. Laughter bubbled from his lips, startling the bodyguards pulling him forward. He broke through the veil of white. Somewhere, someone was yelling, but he couldn’t make out the words. He tasted dirt. He felt the irregular, dancing heat of flames against his face. His vision, blurry at first, began to clear up. A hillside. Crouching men in tattered clothes, pistols in hand. The burning, ruined husk of what had once been a helicopter.

“Sweet lady”, Sidney croaked. He felt dizzy. His limbs felt like lead. His chest felt as if someone was stabbing him with knives. But the sight of the burning chopper was enough to pull him out of shock. He struggled to get to his feet.

Meanwhile Stephen's landing had only been slightly more successful. He'd rolled with the impact, the only reason he hadn't broken something, but he could feel every bone ache from the landing and suspected he'd nearly dislocated a shoulder. The surviving Cascadian Security Service bodyguard was at his side just as he stood, sporting a bit of a limp from where he'd landed with too much weight on his foot, likely spraining his ankle in the process. "Where's Wally?" he asked, thinking of the other bodyguard.

"He didn't make it, Sir," was the answer from Agent Satter.

"Pilots didn't get out either," Stephen muttered to himself, having noticed now that there were two very blackened shapes in the pilot seats of the downed chopper. "Sidney?! What about President Hank?!"

“Over here”, Sidney growled dizzily. He clutched his chest with one arm. Something in his side was hurting badly. Must’ve cracked a rib, he thought. His head swam. And I think I have a concussion. He looked at his bodyguards. Alexander seemed okay but for a number of scorch marks on his neck. Charlie’s face was ash-gray however. The PSS-man sat on the ground clutching a leg that was bent in unnatural angles. The president felt queasy looking at it. “What the fuck just happened?”

"Someone was shooting at us with RPGs," Stephen answered in irritation.

“No shi-” Sidney snapped back, but he was interrupted by voices coming from somewhere further downhill. Someone was coming, and whoever it was, considering what just happened they were probably hostile. “Shit. We’ve got to get out of here.”

"They're cutting us off from the border checkpoints, we'll have to go further in-country," Agent Satter remarked. The burly Yukon native leaned over the fallen San Doradan agent. "His legs are busted, especially the right. I'll need someone to carry him."

“I’ll do it”, Sidney volunteered. “No, Alex”, he cut off the protest of his other bodyguard. “You’ve got a gun, which will no of no use to us if you’re carrying someone. You and Satter here keep us all in one piece.” He hooked his shoulder under the armpit of agent Kinley, who gasped and looked close to fainting as the president pulled him up. Stephen came to his aid, though not before finding his dead man's body and getting the sidearm for some further self defense.

The small, tattered group stumbled uphill, in the direction of the thickets at its crest. Once there they would be protected by at least a little cover. But the voices behind them rapidly drew closer. Sidney felt his heart pound in his chest. The weight of the injured agent pressed on his shoulder, sending nauseating waves of pain through his hurting ribs. The going was slow. Too slow.

“Sir”, Charlie hissed between his clenched teeth. “Sir, this isn’t gonna work…”

“Shut up”, Sidney growled. “Just keep moving.”

Behind them someone cried. They’ve spotted the wreck, he thought. Sidney looked ahead. The treeline was only a few hundred meters away now. At the rate they were going it might as well have been on the moon. With a sinking feeling Sidney realized they weren’t going to make it in time.

“Leave me here”, the injured agent moaned. “Just get out of here.”

“Sweet Fortune Charlie”, Sidney growled. He felt angry and agitated. “This is no damned time to play the hero!”

“You’ll never make it with me”, hissed Charlie. “I can hold them off for a while. Just go, dammit. Don’t make me the reason you all get killed.”

"Sidney." Stephen looked over at him. "He's right. God help me, but he's right." Dammit, if only I could be twenty instead of fifty!

Sidney Hank briefly closed his eyes as the realization sank in. They were right. Charlie Kinley, his bodyguard of over five years, had to be left for them to reach safety. There wasn’t another way. Wordlessly Sidney nodded, feeling a powerless rage as they carefully lowered the agent to the ground. So much for ‘no-one gets left behind’. The president knelt, looked the ashen-faced bodyguard in the eye, grasped his shoulder. “Take these bastards down, alright?”

Charlie nodded weakly, clasping his handgun to his chest. “Sir yessir. Now get the hell out of here… Sir.”

The group left the stricken bodyguard behind and ran for the cover of the nearby thicket. The agents did better than their charges, though in part because of the injuries of the two Presidents. As they got to the tree line there was the sound of gunfire, a couple shots snapping in the air before a longer sustained burst of them answered for several seconds... and then silence.

Just as this silence told them Charlie was gone, they made it to the trees. They were of a hardwood kind, thankfully, strong enough to take bullets. Stephen reached toward his waist and where he'd stuck his slain bodyguard's Glock. "Mister President?" Satter looked at him.
"Yeah, I know, I know.... you have to protect me," he answered, a bit out of breath. "But by the sound of things... we're going to need every gun... we can get."
"Sir, the PSS guy and I can hold them for awhile, enough time for you and President Hank to get further away," Satter answered.

"Away to where? There's no telling how many of these people are out here. Strength in numbers, Agent."

“We should… Continue to move east”, Sidney was trying not to breathe hard, something in which he only partially succeeded. The short sprint had significantly worsened the pain in his ribs, and his breath came in jagged gasps. “There’s… Villages on the… Slopes of these hills. They were… On the maps.”

"Fine..." Needing to catch his breath further, it took Stephen a moment to add, "But we're going together. You want to protect us.... you'll need to watch our backs..."

“No protest from me there…” Sidney looked longingly at the pistols the other three men were carrying. For the first time in his life he felt oddly vulnerable without a side-arm. Just my luck, he thought. Then there was no more time for debate: behind them once more echoed the calls of their unknown pursuers. He shook his head. “We gotta vamoose… All of us.”

Karmic Knight · Post by **Karmic Knight** » 2009-02-19 10:38pm

Cloud Ruler Temple, Outside Azzan

"Sire, I have just recieved word from San Dorado, a helicopter carrying Presidents Hank and Garrett has crashed, seemingly shot down in the Coiler wilderness," said King Brandon's aide.

"What can we do?"

"As of now, we have only the CFR troops even close to the probable locations of the presidents, so, Not much, I'm afraid."

"Does anyone have a plan?"

"Mirata has the usual, invade. Baerne is recommending helicopter rescue, nothing out of Coilerburg or Indhopal, though."

"So, we have a major problem, does VEIL have any assets in the area?"

"I wouldn't be aware if they did or not, sire."

"Well, contact Shrubber and get the information, if we can get people to search the area of the crash, or to investigate possible groups or persons responsible for this, we have to find out"

The Royal Retreat, Also Outside Azzan

"So, the jihad has be rescinded, I was unaware that that could happen," said the former King, Jeffry, "This will end our professional contact, yes?"

"Correct, The Zorian Satan has chosen to repent for the crimes against Allah, and the Caliph has chosen to accept the Zorian's repent."

"Good," with a wave of his hand, one of the guards, recently hired, raised a pistol and shot the Islamic man in the head, "get rid of the body, I have thinking to do, my throne shall not evade me for much longer."

Post by **Beowulf** » 2009-02-19 11:10pm

Imperial Palace
Hong Kong
Tian Xia

Word of the disappearance of the presidents had reached the highest level quite quickly. "Is there anything we can do?" asked Beowulf.

"Unfortunately, not really. Choppers don't have the range or speed to get there for a good 6 hours. We could send a couple fast movers for an overflight, but the FTO might take that wrong."

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2009-02-20 02:36am

Orena, Royal Palace

"There's simply no way we can help, sire. We've contacted FTO military authorities, but the key here is to get support to the site ASAP, and, well...we're half a world away.",Minister Sikorski concluded his quick briefing. Paul stared into his desk for a while - he didn't like feeling impotent.

Suddendly, he realized something, "Wait...isn't there a CSR naval base in the south of Frequesque? Maybe they could help."

Paul's ministers looked at each other, "The FTO isn't going to like it. You know how they view the CSR, sire."

"Well, yes. And to be honest, they can probably handle it themselves: but in such a situation, I can't imagine that additional rescources will go unwelcome. Won't hurt to ask."

Minister Buczynski nodded and got up, "I will ask the CSR if they can help, and pass it on to the FTO."

"You do that."

Results: PeZookia asks the CSR if they happen to have something in their naval base that they can offer the FTO for help. Or if they're willing to help at all

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2009-02-20 03:05am

Constantinople Times

Phalanx Games releases two long awaited titles: Warhammer 40K Dawn of War and Empire Total War

Empire: Total War

Dawn of War

Phalanx Games specialises in Real Time Strategy games, and this winter, it releases its latest slew of games, namely Warhammer 40K Dawn of War and Empire: Total War. Featuring the latest graphics, both games promise hours of fun and replayability for fans of the Warhammer 40K series and the Total War series. Initial sales have been said to be excellent.

T-4MS order and Transport order renewed

Another 12 T-4MS order was renewed. Last year's transport order was also renewed.

Army expansion

The Army has listed down a number of new units to be raised over the next 2-4 years. They are:

4 Varangian Heavy brigades and 4 Varangian Light Brigades
2 Mountain Comitatenses Legions
2 Airbourne Comitatenses Legions
2 Marine Comitatenses Legions

The army indicated that it has accepted the K-3 Black Tiger and that it has entered full scale production. Black Tiger variants have also entered the last stage of acceptance trials.

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2009-02-20 03:09am

Palace of the Soviets, Crimson Star Republic

- We got this incoming...

- I know, I know, - Stanislav shaked his head. - To be fair, we have a few wings there, and they have enough firepower to basically kick the shit out of any paramilitary shitheads who could be there. The problem with these shitheads is that you have to know where they are to hit them. Also, hitting them isn't exactly the same as searching for the lost people, right?

- We have a Mi-26 there, - Yuri reminded.

- A Mi-26?

- Yeah, and with escorts as well. Basically, it's a leftover from the tension period, was used as a mobile CP for the case the war with Beowulf's colonial pawn would go hot.

- Oh right, - Stanislav murmured. - That changes stuff. We got mostly PCIA troops in Frequesque, right? Organize a "search and secure landing location" air group... but first inquire! If the FTO allows our bombers, fighters and every aerial asset we have there to cross the search zone with impunity, and take any measures to secure the landing zone for the Mi-26.

- They'll make countless airspace violations during the search!

- That's why I'm asking the FTO, - Stanislav laughed. - Of course, tell everyone to have their digital cameras ready. It's been a while since we had such a brilliant opportunity to fly over someone's territory LOW and LEGAL. Isn't politics fun?

- I'm getting to the FTO at once. This is also transferred to CATO nations.

- Very good, we're winning either way! - Stanislav grinned.

A.F.S.R., Livorno Harbor Airfield, CSR Military Base

- So they think we'll be the heroes to save those poor chaps, eh Misha?
- Not before they let our birds run all over the place and secure the landing zone, as well as clear everything in vinicity.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2009-02-20 03:15am

Midgar, Shinra Republic

Word of the shootdown in Coilerburg reached the President before it broke across all the networks, for once. Rufus wanted to do something, anything. Stephen Garrett was a friend, and he was in danger. And though he had had very little contact with Sidney Hank, he had worked out a deal with him to increase relations with San Dorado. That made him a partner. And Rufus Shinra wouldn't just leave them to their fates. Not if there was anything he could do about it.

Luckily for him, he had assets on the continent. But they were at the opposite end of the continent, and though the Navy had SAR teams at their Syl base, these were geared towards maritime rescue. Not a retrieval in hostile terrain. Still, it was something.

"What else do we have, outside of Syl?"

"Not much I'm afraid," began the Shinra CNO. "At least, nothing in the immediate area. Battlegroup 3 is off the coast of Velaria, while BG-1 is sailing around the OC."

"We could deploy tactical aircraft in a reasonable timeframe," this from the Air Force chief. "But they probably wouldn't be useful, and helicopters would take some time to get there. Of course, the FTO has its own air assets..."

"I know, I know. And I'm sure that, given their assets are in the area, and they probably know the terrain better than we do, the FTO is in a better position to help than we are." Despite the logic of the statement, the President wasn't especially happy. "Well, we'll send a message to the FTO, offer what assistance we can. And seperate messages to San Dorado and Cascadia, expressing our concern for the safety of those aboard the helo and our wishes for their safe return. We'll also let them know that we've offered any assistance we can give to the FTO in the matter." He paused for a moment, then continued on. "And try to get in touch with Sophia Garrett. I want to talk with her." He knew the Cascadian First lady fairly well, and had a feeling that a call from one of Stephen's friends might give her some comfort.

Results
We send the usual letters to San Dorado and Cascadia. We also offer help to the FTO, utilizing the assets* we already have in the Vineyards and anything else we can get to the area. Also, President Shinra makes a call to Sophia Garrett to offer friendly words and to try to comfort her during the crisis. Since he doesn't know about Daphne Sinclair, he can't do the same for her. Sorry, Siege.

* Fleet Activities - Syl (Kingdom of the Vineyards)
1 Hercules-class CG (rough Ticonderoga equiv) [SRS Boston]
2 Argo-class DDGs (rough Burke equiv) [SRS Whirlwind, SRS Defender]
4 Gorgon-class FFHs (rough Halifax equiv) [SRS Manticore, SRS Jaguar, SRS Eagle, SRS Harrier]
4 P-3C patrol planes [from Patrol Squadron Three (VP-3)]
1 battalion of Marines [from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Third Marine Division]
Various helicopters, and other such support units

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2009-02-20 04:02am

Official Communique to the FTO nations' authorities

The Crimson Star Republic informs you that our forces in Livorno are ready to initiate a search and rescue operation with two full wings of Su-39 ground assault aircraft, a Mi-26 with a full company of elite PCIA troops augmented by several Ka-52 assault helicopters, as well as all other aerial assets in the region, which include Mi-8 transport and assault helicopters, and Ka-29 naval assault helicopters.

The operation can be started and be in full control of the Coiler airspace in approximately 6-7 hours from now. We require your full cooperation, including the access to airspace, overflight allowance and clear and secure airfields in vinicity of former Coilerburg territory, as well as the permission to use battle ordnance and tactical missiles in case paramilitary resistance will be faced during the search and rescue operation.

If the FTO nations cooperate fully, we presume that we can complete the operation in less than 10-11 hours.

Siege · Post by **Siege** » 2009-02-20 04:56am

Sudden Shock

Tower of Commerce, downtown San Dorado

Files were stacked on the desk, and the desk lamp cast a pool of light into the shadowy executive office. The sun was slowly setting. The colossus that was the Tower of Commerce had gone mostly quiet hours ago. Daphne Sinclair sighed deeply. Whoever says a president’s job is good fun is full of shit.

As executive director of DELEJ she replaced Sidney in his absence. It was a job she was good at. But the incessant micro-managing… The folder in front of her contained a myriad proposals for the budding North-Frequesuan coast guard organization. From rank structures and insignia to proposed logos; Daphne couldn’t get herself to focus on the matter. It’d been a long day. She made a decision and slapped the file shut. Tomorrow would be-

With a forceful ‘thwack’ the door to her office was thrown open. A man and woman, both in the dark suits of the Presidential Security Service, both looking like they meant business, barged in. They were followed by an aide with an apologetic look on his face. “I’m terribly sorry about this Miss Sinclair, they simply wouldn’t-”

She silenced him with a look, then gazed at the lead agent. “What is it?”

“There’s been an incident, ma’am.”

Daphne went white. That could mean only one thing. She grabbed the piece of paper the agent extended. Her hands began to tremble as she read it. Lost radio contact… Militant activity… RPG fire… Shootdown… Survivors unknown… Oh sweet Lady please no.

He’d been so damned casual about the whole affair. Only a few days, he’d said. A few days of flying about, of wheeling and dealing across the continent. A tycoon playing the part of a statesman, the way he liked to do so much. ‘We Hanks have our legacy to consider, my dear’ he always said with a crazy fake Russian accent, and she never understood how that was funny. She’d been irritable when he’d left to catch the plane, more because of the extra workload than anything else. Sure Sidney, she recalled saying. I’ll run the madhouse for you. You just go about cavorting with your chums.

Would that be the last thing she’d ever say to him? She felt guilty. Her lips trembled. The two agents stared at her expectantly. Then her panic slowly began to turn into fury. What am I, a pathetic b-movie damsel in distress? Dammit Daphne, this is more than a personal concern. Pull yourself together. You’re in charge. You’re in charge for a reason. Do something!

She slammed the piece of paper down on the desk. Anger flashed in her eyes. “Get Helena” she ordered the aide. “The Cascadians must know of this immediately.” Wasting no more time she grabbed the phone on her desk and punched in one of the quickdial buttons.

“Bank. You already heard? Good. Get everyone down there.”

“What do I mean by ‘everyone’? I MEAN EVERYONE!”

Result: The Tower clears everyone for access to the region

. If you decide to send assets, please keep the following in mind as a rough guideline:

* There will be Indhopali soldiers rushing in from the border in the west, and army units from both Coilerburg and San Dorado moving in from the east. In addition the CAF will probably deploy whatever (limited) warplanes it has. This means there are loyalist Coilerburg units in-theater. Try not to open fire on them.
* All deployed assets are cleared to land, disembark, refuel etc. at Halisbad AFB close to the border. Be advised that we can't promise there won't be people with digital camera's there

.
* In order to avoid blue-on-blue accidents the FTO's Joint Naval and Airspace Command (JNAC) will coordinate the efforts in conjunction with the regional command of the Armed Forces of San Dorado. Regional Command has OPCOM.
* The theater will probably get crowded.
* And finally, don't find us, we'll find you

.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2009-02-20 05:21am

Shinra Republic Naval Fleet Activity Syl, Kingdom of the Vineyards

Captain Peter Scott, SRN, commander of the Shinra naval facility in the KoV, had gotten the message authorizing action to support the rescue efforts, through the FTO. He coordinated through the FTO's Joint Naval and Airspace Command (JNAC) and the local Regional Command of the Armed Forces of San Dorado to send P-3C aircraft to the last known position of the downed aircraft to attempt to make contact with the party, via the emergency radio everyone hoped they managed to have on them. The P-3 was not a dedicated command and control aircraft, but it could loiter over the area for a long time, and the crew was trained in coordinating sub hunts, plus he had four of them, which meant they could keep a continious presence in the air. If nothing else, having contact with friendly aircraft would keep the downed party's morale up.

Plus, as his intelligence officer pointed out, if the Crimsons were going to take a hand in the rescue, the P-3 crew would be in a good position to observe their tactics and procedures. Even though their ELINT gear wasn't as good as the dedicated EP-3s, they could still pick up comms chatter and radio procedures thanks to their role as an airborne command post. Plus, while it was likely the CSR didn't have their most bleeding-edge technology based in the AFSR, watching their troops work could still prove instructive. And it wasn't like the Crimsons had never seen a MESS P-3 patrol plane before, so they wouldn't be learning much they didn't already know.

Results
SRN P-3s ready to go loiter in the area, to hopefully pick up the downed party on the radio, and to try and serve as an airborne command post (they'll have flares to drop out of the sonobouy chutes and all that good stuff, of course). As an added bonus, they'll try to set themselves up to observe any CSR rescue and ground surpression operations to see how they do things. And since the P-3 has been around since forever, the CSR isn't likely to learn anything about us they don't already know.

EDIT: Needless to say, FTO JNAC and the San Dorado REGCOM would supply them with whatever identification and verification procedures needed to make sure both sides know that yes, they are chatting with friendlies. Recognition code-words, mother's maiden name, date and place of birth, anything to try and verify the ID of who is speaking with them.

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2009-02-20 05:32am

Livorno Airfield. AFSR.

Korabelnikov smiled.
- They cleared everyone. Get these birds up in the air and move to Halisbad, they set up everything to coordinate rescue efforts there.
- But in any case, comrade general, we'll be there in a few hours, sir. Who knows, maybe their local militia would save them? - asked one of the PCIA officers overseeing the troop deployment.
- Who the hell cares! I want those photos on the first pages of PRAVDA, and make sure there are big red banners everywhere, got that? - laughed Valentin.

An Il-76MF slowly took off, the sound of it's roaring engines made the following words of the General indiscernible.

- Yes, comrade general, we won't let you down!

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2009-02-20 06:45am

The Ring

Fabowice, PeZookia

Zaspa was always somewhat seedy, home to many of the fine upstanding members of PeZookia's criminal community. Despite the fact it was getting much better recently, plenty of career criminals still lived in the former Worker's Quarter, unable or unwilling to forge better lives for themselves.

Patryk Durczok wasn't really one of them: he was young, and impressionable, and easily impressed by money, fast cars and callous disregard for the law shown by many of the older criminals living in his neighborhood. For that reason, he hooked up quickly with the underworld, and has been running errands for them ever since - perhaps hoping that one day, some of the splendor would shine on him as well.

When two burly men grabbed him by his coat and forced him into a white van, his daydreams of glory turned into ones of sheer terror.

"Hello, Patryk. A little bird told me you were asking some people stupid questions", a middle-aged man said to him once he was handcuffed to the seat, "Why don't you tell me something about that?"

"What? I don't know what the hell you're talking about!", Patryk answered defiantly, as he's heard he should do. Inside, he was scared shitless.

Detective Filip Dobrzański sighed and shook his head, "Listen, kid. I've been through this a hundred times. You'll stay tough and defiant for some time, then we'll kneecap you and you will tell us everything. You want to be a cripple for the rest of your life?"

One of the burly thugs - in reality, ASTF officers - pulled out his gun and cocked it to underline the point.

"Fuck! Fuck! No, please, don't!"

"I thought so. Let me ask you again: why were you asking around for Boguslav Miksevich?"

"I don't know! Brzytwa asked me to!"

"Who's Brzytwa?"

"Uh...I don't know his name...", Patryk began, and jumped as the officer got up and aimed the gun at his knee, "I really don't! Jesus christ, please don't!"

"What do you know?"

"He's my sponsor in the group. I run errands for him."

"What group?"

"The group...guys from the hood. We hold together..."

"Where do you meet?"

"The Akuda Bar..."

Fabowice Voyvodship Police Command building, ASTF headquarters

"Brzytwa? I know him. Low-level thug, formerly a soldier for the Mafia. Spent six years behind bars and disappeared from our radar in 2004, hasn't been noted since.", Amanda said once briefied on what Filip's team found out, "My first case after graduation, actually."

"It's been ten years...we had no idea what he was up to all this time?", Sebastian asked, reading the personal file on his PDA, "He seems to have been moving around a lot. We should probably check some of his old adresses."

"Good idea. But there's one thing bugging me about this whole thing...this 'John Smith' is the only person we told Miksevich is alive, right? So how come Brzytwa knows the name all of a sudden?"

"They're obviously connected.", Sebatian nodded, playing with the PDA's stylus, "But how? Does this mean there's a slaver ring operating here, in PeZookia?"

"In PeZookia and elsewhere. Linguists think Smith was talking with a Syrian accent, native to Damascus most likely."

"Well, damn...this just keeps getting better. Did Tomek send that note to the Byzantines?"

"Yes, he did, but we didn't get an answer yet. In the meantime, Filip wants to meet with Brzytwa and offer him a sale."

For a few minutes, Sebastian was silent, weighing the risks. It was a chance to find out more, but it could also blow Filip's cover. And they needed that to finish the transaction with their mysterious Syrian. They could put Brzytwa under surveillance, but then again - it would suck up rescources for little probable gain.

"Could we send somebody else?"

"Tomek, perhaps?"

"Fine. It's about time he's earned his wings, after all. But I want backup on site."

Akuda Bar, later this evening

The music was deafening, the cigarette smoke thick, and the lights low. While some people genuinely appreciated such atmosphere for utterly innocent reasons, criminals thought it convenient, for it helped hide their activities and shady deals. Hence, while not all dark, loud bars were fronts for criminal groups, all fronts were dark and loud.

Tomasz felt somewhat uneasy. He's worked with Sebastian and Amanda for years now, but mostly as an assistant: finding information, co-ordinating forensics, digging through databases and sometimes working as security for more direct operations. Now he was being sent in for a direct sting, and it would be up to him to ensure the entire setup worked. If he succeeded, though, it would mean a promotion.

And probably a raise, too, he thought to himself, trying to pierce the badly lit interior, looking for Brzytwa. It took him a while to find the man: in no small part due to the fact he now wore a tailored suit, rather than the ragged street clothes the police photographed him n the last time.

He also had two burly friends with him, who were obviously there to beat up anyone Brzytwa thought annoying. Taking a deep breath, Tomek decided to play it Va Banque - he approached the table.

"Are you Brzytwa?"

The inhabitants of the table, including Brzytwa himself, almost jumped up at the insolence.

"Get lost"

"I asked you a question. Are you Brzytwa?"

The thugs got up, preparing for a fight. Brzytwa himself put down his drink and just stared at Tomek.

"I don't know you, and I don't know anyone called 'Brzytwa'. Now get lost."

"Miksevich sent me. Word is, you are looking for him."

The attitudes changed all of a sudden. Brzytwa's bodyguards looked at their boss, who nodded - and they both sat down. Tomek was offered a seat, too.

"You just earned yourself a minute of my time. How about you use it, and tell me what you want?"

"Well, you've been looking for Miksevich - obviously, not for the hell of it. While you won't find him in PeZookia, he sent me to see if you meant business, or are just sticking your nose in things you really shouldn't touch.", Tomek looked Brzytwa in the eye, and tried not to flinch. This wasn't the usual low-level goon. He was smart, and streetwise.

"Business? I have no idea what you mean."

"Then you were poking around? That gets people killed, you know."

"Don't threaten me, boy."

"Then answer my question.", Tomek forced himself not to shiver under the gaze. The man had an aura of a killer, and even the knowledge that there was a SWAT team waiting just around the corner in case of trouble didn't really alleviate it.

"I heard rumors about someone with that name. I wanted to make sure he wouldn't interfere with me. That's all."

Tomek nodded.

"Then it will please you to know that we don't interfere with local groups. In fact, we could profit greatly from co-operating."

"Not interested"

"I understand. But just in case, you can just give us a call under this number."

"I said I wasn't interested. Now get lost."

"Think about it.", Tomek said and got up, leaving a note on which he's scribbled a landline number. It was set up for the express purpose of dealing with this case. He gave the bodyguards a glance and left the club, walking to his car. Just as he was reaching for the keys, somebody grabbed him from behind and painfully twisted his arm. Before he could scream in protest, he was turned around and faced two men.

"You think you can just come here and act like you own the place?! You're coming with us, boy!"

A third man brought a car around and stopped on the street. The few people that milled about didn't pay much attention to the entire matter: fights were commonplace here.

"Let me go, you sorry fuck! You'll regret this!"

In response, the man just laughed and pushed him towards the waiting car. Tomek felt panic rush in, as they pushed him inside the vehicle. What the hell happened? Where was the backup?

And where the hell are they taking me?

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2009-02-20 07:15am

Presidential PERIL

Farbanti, Shroomania

"Jesus Christ, I can't believe this!" Shroom shouted. "Hank, Garret... gone? No, it can't be!"

"Prime Minister. Their helicopter was shot down over at the middle of nowhere - even if they did survive, if no one gets them out soon, then whoever fired those SAMs at them are going to get them and fire some more SAMs at them," said Johan Ludwig Baylor, director of the Sovereign Secret Service.

"Goddamn this, is there anything we can do?"

"Not at this moment," Baylor shook his head. "We don't have any assets within the vicinity positioned to do anything."

"Fuck. How about the rest of them? Surely those FTO guys are doing something?"

"They are, sir. But from our intel, it seems like the Crimsons are leading the rescue efforts -"

"What?" Shroom did a doubletake. "The goddamn Crimsons? They're staging a rescue effort? I mean, I know they've got a couple of guys there, but they're doing the rescuing? Goddamn it, what are the Vinish and the Indhopalis doing? The Baernes? Even those cocksucking Coilerburgers?"

"The Crimsons are just leading the charge. We don't know exactly why they're the first ones who reacted, but now everyone is in on it..."

"Everyone but us..." Shroom grumbled.

"Even the Shinrans are getting in on it, I think," Baylor offered.

"Goddamn it. We can't even help in the goddamn rescue effort. I can't believe this. We're just watching while my friend's ass is on the line."

"That's if they're still alive, sir."

"You goddamn right they're still alive!" Shroom growled. "And we won't leave them behind! I'm sure the SSS has assets in the region, right?"

"We have some personnel there - a couple of agents who can be activated and who can be in the region within a few hours - but they're limited in number and..."

"Just activate them," Shroom barked. "We might not have military assets in the region, but if you're right and if everyone else is going to be in on the rescue effort, then it's gonna become a very big bloody mess and the chances of fucking up'll be huge. We don't have anything else to add, military-wise, but the Sovereignty's influence in the region doesn't involve military stuff anyway. We've got other assets, other resources, a whole fuckton of it that we're gonna use."

"And what would those be, sir?"

"Pull some strings, we've got stratellites all over Frequesue as part of the FreeCom. It's part-owned by the Vinish, and part-owned by the San Doradans, so I'm sure they won't object to it if we tell them that we're all in this together and we're gonna do what we can do to help."

"I see," Baylor nodded. "We'll enact a selective communications block out, make sure no one who doesn't need to know knows anything they don't need to know, make sure nothing is leaked through to any of those people in on the assassination attempt. We'll reposition some of our strats and commandeer those within the region to aid FTO, MESS and CATO assets operating in the area - to serve as communications and coordination assets. We'll make sure they're secured, and we'll bring some of our own orbital satellite assets to monitor the situation."

"Right," Shroom agreed. "You know what to do, now go back to your Refrigeron and make sure it gets done. We can't stand back and do nothing when our friends are in danger. We've got to save Sidney Hank. I've got to save Sidney Hank. And President Garret too. Yeah."

Prime Minister Shroom dismissed Johan Ludwig Baylor, and after a minute reached for his Pink Phone.

Over the skies of Frequesue

The regional stratellites repositioned themselves, realigned their transmissions, while communications satellites or ground-based antennae moved to accommodate their sudden change in pace. The assets selected by the VINE and the SSS began filtering out unnecessary or unwanted communications, while the selected stratellites began moving to coordinate with the FTO, MESS and CATO's combined communications.

Other stratellites began transmitting a message from Farbanti, relayed through The Tower in San Dorado.

The message carried a Prime Ministerial override code and said, in Shroom's voice:

Sidney Hank, we won't leave you behind!

Meanwhile, a short-burst radio transmission was beamed to one of the SSS' men on the ground.

Not just one man, though.

But one man...

With an elephant.

Results:
Shroomania works with San Dorado and the Vineyards to hijack FreeCom so that the FTO, MESS and CATO groups can use them to communicate and coordinate with one another.
Frank the Elephant will save Sidney Hank!

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

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Frequesue Tour Post 3

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