Turns of AXT-042, third thread

[cbn]

Congrats on the tree farm Walt-- You continue to be the tech leader- I have the turn and will play after work.


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Foreman cbn of the Free Drones addressed the people on a public vidcast.

" Honoured citizens, I come before you to clarify some matters that have arisen from recent events. There has been a recent public announcement by the Cult that thay seek a truce. While we are considering this option we remain unequivocally at war with the Cult. Many of you lost sons and daughters in the massacre of 2172 and understand our reticence to trust the Cult.

Since that first attack we have gone to great lengths to upgrade our troops against the dreaded mind attacks of the Cult. When, for the very first time we entered cultist territory, they offered a truce with no explanantion, reparation or discussion of terms. Put bluntly, we find it difficult to trust the Cult regardless of their change in government. We are continuing to study their offer but unfortunately it appears that war may be inevitable.


We note that the Gaians have cited us as a faction to be watched and a possible world power. While we appreciate the compliment of an honoured friend, there is still much that we must do to ensure the safety of our society. We remain a laggard in technical research and need to improve our efficiency to better our economy. We must continue to work hard for the betterment of ALL the workers.

To all the factions of the world, we say this: We seek peaceful co-exstence. We have no intention of making war with anyone but if attacked we will defend ourselves and pursue our attackers. We seek no quarrel with anyone. all we ask is that the Free Drone sovereignty over its own lands be respected."

[NorthSwordsman]

Turn to Tench.
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Offical press release: The first advisor is saddened that the drones have refused to agree to peace terms without substantial compensation. The war will thus continue. The Prophet has called for the ecologically-loving factions to unite against the polluting drone menace to Planet. Better to squash such a horrible threat while they are small and weak-minded fools.

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Overheard by a reporter:

First Advisor to his military aides: The weak-minded drones don't wanna benefit from peace. Give 'em hell, boys. Teach them what mindworm food means. I shall feed Domai to the worms myself.
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[Tenchusatsu]

Year 2185 to Walt.
_______

The conflict between the Cult and the Drones continues to be an interesting one to watch. It seems the current leader of the Cult is still paying for the foolhardiness of the prior leaders, and the Drones are harboring a bitter sense of vengeance.

Speaking of which, Lady Deirdre has sent an emissary to Aki Zeta 5 of the Cyborgs in an attempt to bring a formal end to our conflict. Unfortunately the Cyborgs tried to extort technology from us in exchange for peace, and we refused. Their reaction to our olive branch puzzles me completely. The psychological profile of Aki Zeta 5 suggests that she is a pacifist. Indeed, I figured she would rather go back to her research and domestic development efforts instead of wasting resources on a war she cannot win, despite their superiority in (non-psionic) military technology. And I might add that it was she herself who started this conflict. Why they see us as a threat is beyond me. Why they would choose the tough road of war over the easy path of peace is also beyond me.

As Tolstoy once wrote, "War, what's it good for?"

[Walt]

2185 to cbn.
______

"This money thing is pretty cool!"

Overheard in the lobby at the Morgan Exchange

[NorthSwordsman]

turn to tench.

[cbn]

2185 is done and sent on to the Cult

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Overheard at central command

" We have the latest dispatches from the Cult. They threaten to feed you to the mindworms. As well our spies indicate that they are further militarizing their bases."

"What of our armies"

" Task force Alpha continues to gain ground while Sword and Juno are preparing their attack plans. We are ready to implement our plans under Scenario C"

" General, these are fine plans and I am confident in your abilities but . . . . . is continuing this war the right decision ? They have offered a truce and their government is radically changed. I just can't bring myself to trust them."

" Well foreman . . . . You know the tactical situation. They are geographically close enough to send out a task force and land on our home island without warning. To be prepared for this we would need a massive army patrolling in all directions. Their truce offer was just that, an offer to stop shooting. We have no assurance that they will not sneak attack again and , as you are aware, attackers almost always have an advantage over defenders. Militarily, the best option is to continue the attack and reduce their threat."


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An open message to the Cult


Honored first advisor

Your prophet once again attempts to mislead world opinion. We have not demanded any compensation but merely noted that you have offered none. Our position is simple. We were attacked. We gathered our forces and counterattacked. When our attacks begin to be successful, a truce is offered with nothing else other than the Cult's word regarding peaceful intentions. Sadly, while we respect you, first advisor, I am unable to trust your faction.

Throughout , we have acted with honour and candour. We would not accept a truce if we did not intend to respect it and felt that the best option was to maintain our vendetta status while we considered this weighty decision. Our last dispatch did promise to consider the idea and keep talks open.

Your prophet's response has been to insult us and call for other factions to attack us. It is now obvious that war is inevitable between us. I will continue to send emissaries to the peace talks but I hold out little hope for a negotiated settlement.

[Tenchusatsu]

Year 2186 to Walt.

[Walt]

2186 to cbn.

[cbn]

2186 is done-- 2187 for the Cult

[NorthSwordsman]

Turn to tench

[Tenchusatsu]

Year 2187 to Walt.
_______

Journal Entry, Year 2187
Lindley, Head of the Mindworm Trainers

Arrrgh! The mindworms call out to me! They are in agony! We Gaians have broken our promise to them, they say!

For the past several months, they have been yelling at my mind, invading my dreams, shreiking, crying ... They demand to know why we have abandoned them. When I told them that I don't understand, that I would never betray them, they showed me ... images ...

Images of settlers expanding out like locusts in a field of wheat and corn. Images of rampant, unchecked, and deliberate expansion projects. Images of industrial supply crawlers roving through the hills, multitudes of miners, pollution, destruction ... thermal boreholes slicing through Planet's flesh and plundering at her heart ... a massive construction project next to the shores at Lucky Autumn, disrupting the aquatic wildlife ...

The worms tell me that unless we Gaians return to our promise, they will no longer assist us. They even threatened to disrupt our industries actively. My mindworm trainers out in the field have reported that their latest attempts to communicate with wild wormboils have failed miserably, and they were forced to defend themselves. Luckily the worms already under their tutelage have not revolted, and the trainers assure me that there is no chance of that ever happening, even if we drastically poured nuclear waste down a borehole. But that is of little comfort to me, especially as the worm cries continue to drown out my very thoughts ...

I must consult Lady Deirdre about this. Surely she too has felt what I felt ... hasn't she?

[Walt]

2187 to cbn.
_____

"In the commons at Gaia's Landing stands a tall white pine..."

- Lady Deirdre Skye, Conversations with Planet

"White pine . . . I can make a nice bookshelf out of that."

- Morton Stanley, craftsman, Morgan Industries, overheard at a lumber sale.

[cbn]

2187 to the Cult

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" Enemy units in sight"
"All units prepare to fire"

Radio intercept in the Drone Cult frontier

[NorthSwordsman]

2188 to Gaians.

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Cultic battle report: One "Free" Drone unit destroyed, minor damage to our forces. Estimate destruction of remaining units shortly. Drone reinforcements spotted, exactly where we expected them to be.

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WNN Vidcast: Today, our glorious forces destroyed part of a Drone attack force attempting to seize one of our holy cities. The drones refused our peace offering, instead choosing to show their true plans by attempting to force us to submit. We have not given up hope that a peaceful settlement will be reached, but considering the intractableness of the leaders of the faction, there seems little chance that peace will reign in the near future.

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[Tenchusatsu]

Year 2188 to Walt.
_______

Private Conversation between Lady Deirdre and Head Trainer Lindley

D: Tell me, my friend, what is troubling you?
L: Have you felt it? Have you heard the worms cry out in agony?
D: (bowing her head in shame) Yes, I have.
L: Then you are aware that they are crying because of us? Because we are polluting Planet? Have we indeed broken our promise to Planet and her mindworms?
D: We have not broken that promise, I assure you of that. It's just ... it's a temporary measure.
L: What are you talking about?
D: Lindley, have you seen the news reports several years back? The construction of a Tree Farm by the capitalistic Morganites is a tremendous accomplishment for both humankind and for Planet. It proves that human progress can go hand-in-hand with environmental responsibility. Not only that, but this achievement was made by a nation whom we thought only saw Planet as a strumpet to be taken. Ironically, it was their Free Market economy, which ironically pollutes the environment, that led to the development of the Tree Farm.
L: But you are against a Free Market economy! Are you having second thoughts --
D: Absolutely not! Instead, Druid Tenchusatsu has suggested a plan he calls "Pop Boom." This involves starting new development projects, expanding the population growth boundaries in each of our bases, and managing all of the headaches associated with such rapid growth. This involves a temporary abandonment of our beloved Green economy, and that is the reason for the mindworms' cries of anguish that you ... that we ... have felt.
L: Are you sure this is wise? What of your daily conversations with Planet?
D: Not a day goes by where I don't feel the anguish. I plead daily with Planet, telling her that these are mere growing pains for us, that we need to do this if we are to prevail over the less ecologically-minded factions out there like the Morganites. Or the Cyborgs. Or even the honorable but misguided Drones.
L: How long is this necessary? Wouldn't the resulting overpopulation be just as bad for Planet, if not worse?
D: This current project is scheduled to finish next year. We may institute future projects. And although I have the same worries as you do, the Druid assures me that as long as each and every citizen remains devoted to our cause, there is no danger that the increased population will result in further ecological damage. In fact, it might help Planet, knowing that she'll have more friends fighting and toiling on her behalf than ever before.