Road to Harmony- The Gaians History

[smacksim]

Originally posted by Snowflake
Ahh the sporelauncher, got you. That was 2106 right?

Yes, it is an easy year to remember because it was also so good for the grapes. Vintage 2106 'Fallow Rhine's go for hundreds of EC's a bottle.

[Illuminatus]

Yes. I am trying to add bits by bits.

[Snowflake]

Just noticed that Illuminatus added a paragraph after turn 2102. Was it meant to be 2103? I didn't have anything for 2103 so it would be great. Please post it down in the thread though, instead of editing my post. That way I'll be able to better organize the materials myself.

[Illuminatus]

I tried to maintain chronological order. - MY 2103:"Lady, we are receiving transmission from Lord Smacksim."
"Put him in."
"Mylady, we have just received news from colony pod. They have succeded in traversing the fungus and they expect to exit fungal wastes next turn. What is more important, we have discovered rainy terrain north."
"At last! Now people will survive!"
"Lady Skye, may I request that you allow hurrying production of terraforming unit? We are having difficulties with energy supply, and the sooner we build the solar collector the faster can we expand and develop."
"Wise plan indeed. You do know that you do not need to ask for confirmation of your orders?"
"My mistake. I did not wish to disturb you, but Lord Chaos is leading the colony pod, and I want to be perfectly sure about orders."
"Very well, now carry on."

[Snowflake]

Ahh you are right. I didn't even have a spot for 2103. Thanks Illuminatus!

[smacksim]

Originally posted by Chaos Theory
I like the description of the events surrounding the second colony pod

Me too. I fondly remember storming out of HQ dissatisfied with our CP's direction. And how Chaos remained calm and reasonable: 'Well, why didn't anyone say anything?' Hehe.

Can I add an imaginary timeline for our agriculture? Like what year the first White Pines were planted and what year the grapes matured, etc.? You could then reference it for added detail, if you wanted. Here's what I imagine:

• 2101: White Pines planted around Gaia's Landing (As per the game quotes about that)
• 2102: First attempts to eat Xenofungus unsuccessful
• 2103: First Xenobannana tree discovered
• 2104: Grapes planted at Fallow Time: Since it's on a river, we could rename it Fallow Rhine, btw
• 2105: First Hybrid trees grown in a forest near Gaias Landing (not true, but good story)
• 2106: First grapes from Fallow Rhine turned into wine. Vintage 2106 becomes valuable immediately
• 2107 Roadside arbors planted along road to Fallow Time (not true, no road, but again, just for story)
• 2108 Xenofungus found to be quite edible, especially flavorful from the Ebbin Flow river gardens
• 2110: Solar Panels found to help Xenotomatoes grow
• etc..

If you don't want to use any of that, that's fine. I was just thinking outloud, so to speak.

Edit: Also, I would find it fun to write about the Gaian sailors. just saying 'Gaian Sailors' makes me laugh for some reason. Let me know if you could use my writing about their adventures.

[Snowflake]

Great stuff smacksim. I will try to encorporate it for sure.

The planet demands stories of adventures of the Gaian Sailors written by smacksim.

[Illuminatus]

Should I write about our anvy for VOP? I think it is better not to reveal that we have the foil yet.

[Snowflake]

Remember this is the actual history record, not the IC story that you are going to show the other teams soon. You will not reveal anything here because this history record is not going to be revealed any time soon.

[smacksim]

Personally, I think we should write in the VOP about the navy. It's so hard for them to guess, it'll add panache to our spin. Here's a little sea shanty our boys did sing on the way out from harbor. Note that the song is about a gunfoil, and wouldn't even have been written yet! But maybe they adapted it from an old Earth sea shanty, as I did....

When Hydro and Cosmic and Colonyan, they walked the capstan round,
Upon the strangest craft that was ever seaward bound,
The music of their voices from tree to fungus rang,
As they sang the first sea shanty that Gaian sailors ever sang...

'Twas in twentyone hundred and three
In June, the thirteenth day
That our Gunfoil her anchor weighed
And for Hiveland sailed away, brave boys
And for Hiveland sailed away.

The lookout on the cross-trees stood
With a spyglass in his hand
There's a worm, there's a worm
There's a wormfish, he cried,
And she blows at every span, brave boys
She blows at every span.

The captain stood on the quarterdeck
And a fine little Gaian was he
Overhaul! Overhaul!
Let your native nets do fall
And launch your rafts for sea, brave boys
And launch your rafts for sea.

The rafts where launched with the men aboard
And the Isle of the Deep was in view
Resolved was each seaman bold
To steer where the wormfish blew, brave boys
To steer where the wormfish blew.

We netted that Isle, and the line played out
But she gave a flourish with her tail
The raft capsized and four gaians were drowned
And we never caught that Isle, brave boys
And we never caught that Isle.

To lose that worm, our captain said
It grieves my heart full sore
But, oh, to lose four gallant men
It grieves me ten times more, brave boys
It grieves me ten times more.

The winter star doth now appear
So, boys, we'll anchor weigh
It's time to leave this cold country
And homeward bear away, brave boys
And homeward bear away.

Oh, Hiveland is a dreadful place
A land that's never green
Where there's ice and snow
And the worm fishes blow
And daylight's seldom seen, brave boys
And daylight's seldom seen.'

That's just a song. I'll write some adventure stories now.

[smacksim]

"Lord Hydro! Captain! Sir!" Colonyan called out at the top of his lungs. But Captain Hydro, First Admiral and Lord Commander over all the Gaian Fleet, could not have heard him. Even at short distances, the shearing roil of the sea, the erratic slamming against the sturdy hull of the vessel by eight foot swells, was overpowering, crushing, and barely survivable, as Hydro was finding to his distraction.

"Come away from there Sir!" Colonyan continued to bellow from the foredeck.

Hydro looked up, untangling his wrist from the kelp that threatened to engulf his liferaft and clearing some of the sea foam from his face and eyes. He could barely make out the waving sillouette of someone above, someone who was apparently aggitated and waving frantically, seemingly for his benefit.

"It must be Colonyan" Hydro thought with a smile. Those new sailors were always getting over-excited at the smallest hint of adventure. That he should choose to investigate the wreckage himself was his perogative as Captain. "No use in getting jumpy Colonyan" he muttered to himself. "There'll be plenty of adventures ahead of us I reckon, son. Plenty that you won't want to remember, I'm sure".

Staring at the tangled junkpile in the dark and haze and sea-mist, Hydro briefly recalled his first voyages as a boy. Once, while skipping school, he and a friend had 'accidentally' sailed from Conneticut to Staten Island. Boy did they ever get into some trouble in those days! Why that particular voyage came to mind, he couldn't guess.... Perhaps it was that strange fellow they had met by the name of...what was it...Einstaggle?...Einhurst? Yes, that was it. Before I went into Cryogenic sleep I saw that man again. He was a scientist. That's who Prokor Zhakarov reminds me of! That crazy scientist who told me that I would one day prove him right. Prove what? If only the Cryo-sleep didn't make my old memories so hazy.

Lord Hydro turned back to the task at hand. Laying a bolt-cutter across the main seal and heaving with all his weight he pulled off the top to the unity pod and peered inside. Oh what a stench! Covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, Hydro turned on the funga-lamp and directed it's reddish beam to the interior...... A Rover!

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

"Sir, I didn't know what happened to you. Did you turn your comlink off? Are you o.k.?" said First Bosuns Mate Colonyan.

"I never thought I'd be so glad to encounter one of these landlubber trucks" said Hydro.

"So it is a Unity Rover then, Sir?" said an approaching well dressed sailor.

"First Mate Cosmic"

"Yes Cap'n?"

"Can you drive one of these things?"

"Why yes, sir, I had extensive training while on duty with ...."

"Good!" interupted Lord Hydro, "We put to shore in the morning. I want you to drive that thing back to Headquarters and give a report to the Council of Lords".

"Of course, sir, but may I ask, what is so urgent that I should drive seventy clicks across unknown shores and leave you without a first mate?"

Laughing heartily and putting an arm around Cosmic's shoulders, Lord Hydro turned to Colonyan "That'll be all, sailor. Make sure the rover is ready in the morning."

"Yes sir!" said James 'Kickstart' Colonyan, who, besides being First Bosuns Mate was also Chief Medical Officer of the Unity Foil 'Endeavor's Heart'. He turned down the deck to gaze aft at the impressive wake of their fair vessel. "I do wonder who'll be First Mate when Cosmic leaves...."

"Cosmic, I know you are younger and fitter than I. I also know that you would love to be Captain Cosmic one day soon. Well sailor, that day is not far off, I reckon. I think I know where to find our good friend the Professor. And you know what that means. We can get a real navy started. You'll not just be captain. You'll be an admiral of an entire ocean. But we have to bail the boat we have at the moment, no?"

"I think I see where you are going, sir. You want to send to Lady Deirdre and request that native units be sent in the direction of University territories for establishing diplomatic relations?"

"You read me exactly, Captain Cosmic"

And with that, Lord Hydro pinned the stripes and Gaian emblems of captaincy on Cosmic's shoulder.

[Chaos Theory]

You *do* realize that noisome means smelly, not noisy, right?

[smacksim]

It sounds good there. 'Noisome roil of the sea'

But it is rather unedited. So please, make further suggestions or corrections. Maybe there's a better word than noisome, too.

Edit: Now I see what you mean. I forgot I was showing how Hydro couldn't hear him...let's see. How about:

'Toiling roil of the sea' Nah, too strong

'Noonblast roil of the sea' Made up words are silly.

'carving roil of the sea'

'blasting roil of the sea' better

I want something like church bells as they sound in the belltower.

'belltower roil of the sea' not too bad really. but sound...

'Coaltower roil of the sea' sounds better, means less

'mindblasting roil of the sea' naa.....

'shearing roil of the sea' A compromise.

[Illuminatus]

Hmm do you mean sending mindworms across the eastern landbridge towards unknown AI? Hmm what would Hydro say about this. Probably nothing. There is a typo or two in it. But it is good . BTW I will use the shanty in VOP. I like the 'carving' one.

[smacksim]

My text editor is currently notepad. No spellcheck either. Sorry if the typos and alliteration were distracting.

I just picked three people that aren't as active around here currently. The rest of us are already in the narrative. It's also just a story, not meant to be accurate per se.