What you always wanted to know but the regular media doesn't cover, here is The JOURNAL's annual report, with your host Sandi Fischer.
"Thank you and welcome to the show. I'm Sandi Fischer. Tonight we have a very special guest, Dr. Leonard Mombasa, Director of the NAF Archives and associate curator of the Cincinnati Heritage Museum."
"Thank you Sandi, I'm glad to be here."
"Dr Mombasa, may I call you Leonard?"
"Yes, of course."
"Leonard, what the people want to know, is what's this Celebration all about?"
"Well Sandi, what we have is a directive from the Chancellor himself, backed by a unanimous vote of the Assembly, to put on a weeklong celebration commemorating the first anniversary of the founding of the NAF and the six month anniversary of the Civil War's end. I can't give it all away, but I promise you it'll knock your socks off. We've been working on something extra special. A couple of special things actually..."
"Leonard, surely you can give us a clue?"
Sandi gave him a sly wink, but Leonard wasn't quite the attention-starved geek many made him out to be. Dr. Leonard Mombasa was actually one of Chancellor Trent's most trusted secret advisors - not just the stuffy professor image he projected.
"I'm afraid not Sandi - after all, that would ruin the surprise!"
"Well, what about telling us about the rationale behind this? We know that it's a celebration but there's got to be some other motive, right?"
"Sandi, I'll tell you this much - as much as anyone could probably figure out. After such a devastating Civil War, what we need most now is a sense of unity and higher purpose. This celebration will help to unfold our new VISION for the future."
"Leonard, I'll have to cut you off there as we move to commercial break - back with more later."
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"Welcome back, we're talking with Dr. Leonard Mombasa - Director of NAF archives and architect of the upcoming anniversary celebrations! I'm sorry to have to blindside you with this question Leonard, but I understand that all Assembly members are to be present in the celebrations?"
"Of course, it wouldn't be right otherwise."
"Well, what about Senator Evensong? Technically he's still a member of the Assembly until the by-elections are complete. And due to the continued unrest in his native state of Texas, that's a good two months away. Will he be there?"
"You forget that he was charged with treason and conspiracy to commit mass murder. He remains incarcerated in an Ohio facility and will remain there until his trial comes to a close. While we have made sweeping changes to government, we are still democratic. Separation of executive, legislative, and judiciary is still there to provide s system of checks and balances. His trial continues even as we speak and so I cannot comment further."
"Thank you Leonard, I didn't mean to touch on a sensitive spot. I know the Chancellor holds him responsible the six month civil war."
"Since when has The Journal been concerned with sensitivity? You thrive on controversy - "
"Better us than state-controlled media."
"At least there we agree Sandi."
"So, getting back on topic - will there be any special memorial for the 216 000 lives lost ?"
"216 339 lives actually. And yes, there will. There will be separate memorials for victims of the Civil War and the Incan War, as well as separate Civilians and Military Ceremonies."
"And will Mahatma Woz be there?"
"You mean Reverend Wocienski? Yes, of course. As the conscience of the nation and a key mediator for the peace process, he'll be there in a dual role. He'll be there to direct the memorial services for the Civil war victims and help deliver a parallel spiritual vision to the that of the Chancellor's Throne speech. Supreme Commander Hogarth will deliver the Incan Memorial Speech before returning to the field."
"Ah yes, it has almost slipped the public's mind. After such large scale devastation and the Managua offensive, we forget that there are still over a million troops eliminating the last of the Incan rebel force in Nicaragua."
"Yes, I've noticed the media pays little attention to it."
"Well, you're an archivist Leonard - why don't you tell us a bit about what really happened? We've been kept in the dark long enough."
"Well, after the Media Controls Act - which is thankfully over now -Chancellor Trent enacted a number of emergency measures. These restrictions were unpleasant in a democracy but necessary. Hogarth and the Chancellor took a massive nosedive in public approval after Evensong walked out and Northwest Theatre Command rebelled. The resulting chaos and loss of authority in a number of major cities and the temporary paralysis of the military command structure does lie on the shoulders of the media. Sensationalist reporting and fear-mongering drove many otherwise peaceful people into desperate action. The public has to trust that the authorities have things under control or they will start taking the law into their own hands. Fortunately, with a strong media and awareness campaign, things settled down quickly. Only a few determined extremists continued to cause trouble. After operation Burnaby was launched and Northwest Theatre Command replaced by loyal NAF commanders, and after General Vincente's brilliant Managua offensive, there were no further serious threats. Hogarth became a national hero. The Chancellor too, especially after he brokered a deal with the Isolationists and the Canadians. That Manifest Destiny's leader realized his mistake in siding with Evensong and declared his allegiance to the NAF was a just lucky break. We take what we can get.
Now, we made it seem like the NAF was always in control and that we didn't have to make concessions because that was what the public needed. A feeling of stability and security are necessary for order. Panic serves no one.
All of these dealings had to be kept secret because of the potential flare ups involved. Negotiations are always difficult and if the public was aware of what kind of deals were going on to ensure submission to NAF authority - they would have gone ballistic. In fact, those deals are still classified for the next five years. Conspiracy theorists are speculating all kinds of things, but we're not going to deny any of them. That just feeds their imaginations as they suspect we're trying to hide something. We're not. It's just that some of these deals are sensitive and public awareness would negate some of the agreements in those deals such as the withdrawal of criminal charges."
"Leonard, that was a doozy! I said, share a bit! Not the entire contents of the archive!"
"Well, that's what you get when you ask a historian to come on the show!"
"Haha! But really Leonard, we're almost out of time - a few last questions."
"Shoot."
"Is it really true that NAF Secret Service along with the military jailed the Isolationists, the Canadian dissidents, and the Mexicans for the duration of the negotiations? And that duress was used to convince them to make such "voluntary" declarations of allegiance?"
"I can't comment on that."
"What about the rumours about Congressman Maranos? That when the Secret Service closed in on him he put a bullet through his own head?"
"I can't comment on that."
"They say his last words were "I thought I was doing what was right, but I've unleashed hell on my people. May God forgive me.""
"That's a popular rumour but I can't confirm it. I'm just a historian."
"With contacts to the Chancellor himself! Surely you know!"
"Even if I did, I couldn't comment. But figure it out yourself. The Mexicans are now the strongest supporters of the NAF - perhaps there is truth to the rumour?"
"What about the rumours about the Incan clone army?"
"I can assure you that's being dealt with by NAF Military. We've got some tricks up our sleeves too. The clones won't be too much of a problem."
"What kind of tricks?"
"Well, I can't say - that would tip off the Incans."
"What about rumours that the High Council is thinking of nationalizing a number of key industries curently owned by the Big Twelve?"
"No comment."
"They say that since the Big Twelve were more concerned with their profits than in helping with reconstruction after the civil war that Trent wants to take the bull by the horns."
"No comment."
'What about reports that nationalizing key industries and limiting the power of the Big Twelve as well as expropriating funds to finance reconstruction and detox of Panama are supported by 58% of the public, with 22% against and 20% undecided?"
"This is far beyond the Celebration discussion I came here for. I have no further comment."
"Oh fine! just as well - we're out of time for tonight! Join us tomorrow when we speak to internationally acclaimed Director Yuyu Hakusho about his latest film "Panama's Judgement"."
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SUMMARY
NAF ends civil war.
NAf wants to find some way of thanking and compensating UK and ULS for their timely help.
NAF eliminates almost all traces of IIF in Central America. Detox crews working in Panama. Large quarter million strong force of ELITE troop, armour, and Mechwalkers are garrisoning the border with Incaland. Minefield laid. Spiderbots hunt Incan clone terrorists across the border.
NAF pushes for restoration of UN and creation of IPF.
NAF indicates interest in GAIAN MPP.
NAF develops KillZone Tech - an electromagnetic bombardment that renders all life and electronics dead within the zone. It cannot be shielded against with current technology. It has an effect similar to curare poison which attacks the nervous system.
NAF sends scientific mission to Pluto to determine veracity of rumours. Three science vessels - the Lise Meitner, the Ernst Rutherford, and the Robert Oppenheimer - are escorted by the Detachment C of the NAF Ninth Fleet (12 battlecruisers, 4 Galaxy class Carriers - each holding 220 Starfighters - 2 Overlord Class Cruisers, and 1 Fleet Command Ship.)
The Fleet is there only to protect the science vessels as they conduct their research.
Objectives:
NAF dominion and 100% security for continental North America.
Play a key role in IPF and UN.
Slow down space colonization race - who knows what horrors may be unleashed!
Security zone to protect earth from all outside threats.
End world poverty and world hunger.
Current NAF Stats:
Military:
Army: HUGE (70% on standby, 20% on alert, 10% active)
Navy: HUGE (patrolling continental waters)
Air Force: LARGE (60% alert, 40% active)
Space Fleet: HUGE (and growing)
Nukes: Several
Interplanetary Nukes: (secret)
Territories
All of continental North America
2 supertiny NAF Moon Bases
Orbital space above the continent
Diplomacy
Pact of Freedom: UK
Non Aggression Pact: ULS, GDFR, Mars, Australia, Italy, Sweden (unless they attack the UK)
Wars: Inca
Research:
Pluto, Saturn, any other earth colonizations
Genetic cure for radiation sickness
Construction:
Rebuild economy (1 yr)
Rebuild Panama (3 yrs)
Rebuild Labrynth (2 yrs)
New NAF HQ in Toronto - a vast complex that is architecturally advanced and militarily impregnable. (2-6 yrs)
Continental Missile Alert System (1 yr)
Automated Interceptor System (3 yrs)
Geosynchronous Orbital Construction Platform for accelerated Spaceship construction (2 yrs)
Union of Canadian and American Space Stations to provide maintenance for existing HUGE fleet. (1 yr)
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OOC: Skilord, that was a cool section you wrote. I wasn't sure whether you'd drop the bomb or not but I guess that's why NES's are fun! Gotta adapt!
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