Conversations

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2230

Most esteemed Lady Skye,

We thank you once again for your most generous gifts. I have to be frank with you and I am sure you will pass this on to your advisors but there has been some very disturbing debates about the rate your scientists are advancing so quickly without it seems to the ramifications of your discoveries. Certainly we have prospered greatly from the sharing of information but what has begun to worry some of our people is the direction of those advances. Within the past 10 turns your breakthroughs have all been in areas that, well, have very serious implications. I of course have ordered my allies on the General Assembly to "quash" any further debates but I am powerless to prevent such debate in the greater general population. I feel that this situation has "tainted" the victories and advances we have achieved together since landing on this new world. I promise that as long as I am General Secretary and Governor Dix is still the planetary leader the Peacekeepers are and will be your staunch allies.

We have begun to re-exam our so-called victory over the Believers and might have been seduced by the prospect of a quick peace. We are beginning to think that we should have kept the war going and forced more concessions on the Believers making sure that they would not have the ability to bring the cloud of war to our shores again.

Governor Dix has taken ill again but he should be up and running or "talking" soon. We have decided not to contact any of the other leaders until he is up and about, except for you of course.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater General Assembly
First Minister of the Council of Ministers
Chairman of the Security Council

*~*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2231

Karl,

This is a startling year. My empaths tell me that Yang’s final holdout, Seat of Proper Thought, has fallen to the Spartans. It is strange that an ideology based on the subservience of individuality should succumb to one of military service. In many ways both are so similar; I shudder to think what would have happened if one of the more peaceful factions would have been near one of these two. Even Miriam has declared war on us, although she saw fit to declare a truce with you due to the expert diplomacy of Charles.

You may have noticed that I am attaching a new technology we unlocked from an alien artifact: Centauri Genetics. It seemed quite appropriate that this artifact would yield this, since with every advance I am more convinced that Planet is more than what it might seemingly appear. Its genetics hit at planning, or a larger purpose; it is altogether too neat and integrated. However, time will tell if this is simply speculation, or if we Gaians are taking our natural inclinations to the illogical ends that Miriam takes her belief in a vengeful and angry god.

We also finished the Cyborg Factory. There was a great debate in Council over this, and, frankly, I don’t know what to think. The possibilities for abuse of this Project are so horrendous that I shudder to think of them, and our dove proponents laid them out in Council in explicit detail. I have visions of forced implants and mental programming, of the forcible co-option of a human mind for a mad plot of military superiority. I can well see Santiago, Yang, or Miriam doing one or all of these, and it is my hope that in our hands it will be used for more benign purposes. In the end we barely reached a consensus to build this Project, but only under onerous restrictions - it will never be used against the recipient’s will, and it be used to enhance peaceful as well as military programs. I will personally ensure its destruction before I would allow it to be used in a malevolent manner, or fall into enemy hands.

In other news, our military facilities will soon be largely operational and next year we will start prototyping needlejets. We will also start the mass production of defensive and offensive rovers, some with amphibious ability. Already a transport is in the way to liberate the Command Nexus from Santiago. It should not take too long before Santiago will feel the sharp end of the sword she put Yang to.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2231

My dear friend Lady Skye,

I have grave news to inform you of. Now that the Peacekeepers have come to terms with the Believers I tried to negotiate a end to the hostilities between the Morganites and the Believers. I had hoped that CEO Morgan would see the value in discussing a treaty with the Believers but I was incorrect. During my discussions I learned that CEO Morgan had been "paid" or "contracted" by an unknown party to attack and defeat the Believers and to back out of this agreement would bring dire circumstances to the Morganites.
Morgan was actually afraid for the first time I have ever talked with him so I can only assume that Col. Santiago, our old enemy, is playing an even more tangled game. She has brokered agreements with the Believers and now the Morganites to keep this planet in turmoil. I have reported my findings to Karl Broddarp and he and his advisors were as stunned as I. It seems we have all been outwitted by the good Colonel. I had further discussions with Karl and I am sure he will write you more but we both agree that the Spartan threat is all to encompassing now not to give it our full attention. So I am sure that Karl will inform you that the Peacekeeper nation will now declare vendetta on the Spartans and we will do all in our power to aid you and your nation. However, this brings up another problem for the Peacekeepers. Which faction will we now support or "ally" ourselves with - the Morganites or the Believers. If the Peacekeepers try to maintain the peace treaty with the Believers we risk forcing the Morganites to declare war on us. If we break our treaty with the Believers to support the Morganites are we not, in a sense, supporting the Spartans master plan? I would give anything to sit with you and discuss these problems over some of the fungus wine you make so well but I think time will not allow me to travel. So I ask your advice as to how you would proceed. Our first and foremost concern is supporting our most loyal friends, the Gaians, after that are only other concern is the maintaining of order and peace. One possible course I think I will recommend is that we cut off communications with both factions and let their actions dictate the course of affairs. This puts us in a more "reactive" stance but it does give us more time to decide on who to support.

I do have some good news to report. I was able to help Karl Broddarp with his problem in the General Assembly. The growing unrest was silenced after I through my full support towards the Gaian nations. I used the same arguments you made to Karl Broddarp and they seemed to win the day. To help placate the dissenters two amendments were offered up to initiate two new projects: The Phoebus Mutagen and Cloning Vats projects. We have not worked on a special project in some time and the starting of two such projects will give some pride and technological edge to the Peacekeepers. On a personal note I am somewhat trouble with the Cloning Vats project. I know that we will be able to double and then triple our population with a vast labor force of workers that will not require years of training and growth which will give us a great advantage in growing our population. However, the moral implications are somewhat disturbing to say the least. I hope we will be able to handle them.

Your old friend, Charles R. Dix IX
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri system

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To the most venerable Lady Skye,

I am sure Charles Dix's communication has reached you concerning the situation with the Morganites. All I can say is that we stand behind the Gaians and we will declare vendetta on the Spartans. It is time their actions were brought to account and the lives they have destroyed are avenged! Both my council and myself would like to hear your thoughts on the Morgan/Believer problem. I for one like Governor Dix's interim plan until we can come up with one better. I have also been informed that the Believers now posses aircraft technology and are in fact working on their first prototype! With both factions possessing airpower any conflict left unresolved between the two parties will soon be heating up. What concerns me the most is that Col. Santiago is quickly forcing the leaders of the various planetary factions to make alliances that they would not normally make. What I fear is that the Peacekeepers and Gaians could end up facing the united might of the entire planet against us. We must make sure that we hold one if not two other factions under our guidance otherwise we could be besieged from all sides.

I am also sure the Governor Dix has told you about our two new projects. I hope that these do not conflict with any plans you might have concerning them. I think both project will only enhance our overall strength and technological edge on this planet. Governor Dix or should I say Delegate Dix led a very passionate defense of our policy towards the Gaians and I am sure we will not have any more problems on that front.

Well, I hope our newest gift in technology will be of use to you. It was the product of a alien artifact and I hope it will in some small way compensate you for the gifts you have given us.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2232

Karl and Charles,

I hope you don’t mind me writing a letter to both of you, but it looks like you are both wrestling with the same issues. First, I do not think Santiago or any other party has paid off Morgan. Remember that he declared Vendetta against Miriam in honor of our Pact. Therefore he could not, in good conscience, renounce a Vendetta that he is pursuing due his alliance with the Gaians. I would find it highly unlikely that Santiago could hold much sway over Morgan when she doesn’t even have a trade treaty him. Moreover, he has been a Gaian pact brother for going on 75 years and he has proven his loyalty throughout this time.

Second, I think that Santiago is the biggest threat. She now holds the largest continent on Chiron and she has now absorbed all of Yang’s empire, expanding her holdings by at least 30 or 40%. She has proven to be belligerent throughout this time, although she did have a trade treaty with us for a good while. She has technology that could be a threat to all of us, and this will only grow as she discovers, trades for, or buys very dangerous technology like fusion or orbital spaceflight. That said, it is not necessary for you to declare vendetta if this causes your people any anguish. At this point Santiago is isolated, but that will not last long now that Santiago has mopped up the last of Yang’s warrens. By comparison, Miriam is all alone on her little island. She has had four of her bases stripped by us, and one destroyed during a Gaian mindworm attack. She still has a vendetta against me, but that is a small threat now.

Third, I have no problem at all with your people pursuing any of the Projects, and they are open for negotiation if there is one that you think is particularly suited to the Peacekeepers. Projects that are of particular importance to the Gaians are Neural Amplifier and Xenoempathy Dome. We are reluctant to start the Dome since once you finish it you no longer ‘kick up’ mindworms when passing through fungus, which means you no longer get a free capture.

Fourth, I recommend that the Peacekeepers maintain friendly relations toward the Morganites. While the CEO and I are at odds ideologically, we have had a mutually beneficial pact for upwards of 70 years. As I mentioned above, I have no reason to think he is double dealing or in league with Santiago. I can see no reason he would want to change horses at this point. We both have gifted him technology in the past, and our trade agreements with him have been lucrative for us both. I have the same views for Zak, by the way. Now, if either prove themselves to be a threat then that changes issues significantly. I think we can keep both of these long-time allies in our camp as long as we prove to them that they are better served staying with us then striking against us. We fill form a mutual defense pact of the peaceful factions, against the aggressive Believer and Spartan societies.

Lastly, I should note that there are now 27 Gaian bases, if my count is right. Four are captured from the Believers (three) and one from Santiago (one). In time there will be more as the Gaian war machine gears up. That said, the Council has agreed that there will be no more Gaian bases built except to act as supply points in our war against Sparta, or any other faction that might come up. The Council is also toying with the idea of trading a well-developed base for one of Zak’s small bases near the Manifold Nexus. We would dearly like to explore these ruins but we can’t while Zak controls the territory. You should know that we do not intend to cheat Zak and one or more bases, to be built in unoccupied territory, will be gifted to him to amply compensate him for his efforts.

Thank you so much for the gift of Biomachinery. While we have very little interest in the Cloning Vats Project, this is yet another advance that will allow us to fully understand Planet and our surroundings.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2232

The most venerable Lady Skye,

I have reviewed your last communication with Governor Dix and he agrees with almost all of your analysis. We hope that your assessments of CEO Morgan's motives are correct and he will continue to act accordingly. We have debated long into the night and have decided to stand with our allies the Gaians, Morganites and the University and should we have to declare war to maintain those alliances then so be it. None of us truly trust Sister Miriam especially since her operatives are constantly trying to infiltrate our newest base UN World Peace. The populations still is very much under the "sway" of the Believer faith and we are taking careful measures to make sure that we can contain their religious fervor.

We have decided to postpone temporarily the Phoebus Mutagen Project in favor of building more improvements. We will try and re-initiate it that project with 10 turns. We have deemed the cloning vats project a critical project since our population does not seem to be growing at the pace we need. Many ecological improvements go un-used due to lack of labor. I suppose we could change economic plans but the negative impacts they have on our society are too great. The cloning vats will add an immediate labor force that can be used to help our economic or military plans. The General Assembly has been debating the "legal" status of clones and I am sure the debate will rage for several more years but I intend to pass a law to give all clones full legal status in our society. They must see that even though they are not "born" the same way you and I were that does not make them a second class citizen. It will be an uphill struggle since many delegates see the cloning vats as a means to create a new "drone" cast to serve our every need. It will take a lot of educating and arm twisting to pass the legislation but I will make sure it is done.

It was a very quiet turn and no major event seemed to plague us. I hope the same for you.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly

*~*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2233

Karl,

I can understand your apprehension in trusting Sister Miriam. She has changed so much since our Unity days. Then she was empathetic and friendly then, and did a fine job as Unity Psych Officer. Now she seems to have grown more and more absorbed in her religious ideology. Perhaps she would say the same for my fellow Gaians and me, but I hope we haven’t become quite so blind.

I have forwarded to you the new technologies: Centauri Psi and Homo Superior. One was an advance, and the other from an artifact that we linked to a network node. Our scientists are still predicting an advance every three years, so it won’t be long before more secrets are opened to us! Fungus now provides copious amounts of resources – three nutrients, one mineral, and one energy. We no longer need to do much terraforming, and after the xenoempathy dome is complete we will not need roads either!

Next year we are poised to take a land base from the Believers, which is at the southern edge of their continent on a land bridge. From there we will build an army and take it into the heart of Miriam’s little empire. I hope she sees the light soon, since she is a threat even if her overall forces are small.

Our forces are gathering against Santiago. This last year she tried attacking with an elite missile speeder. A fusion silksteel ECM rover made quick work of it, and now the rover artillery unit that was attacking with it is exposed. Our infantry and rovers are advancing over land, and starting next year they will have air support. Our probes are going to strike at exposed bases that are rioting on her northern boarder, and at the former Hive base that has the Command Nexus. These efforts will not be in operation for a while due to the slow speed of our isles. Until we complete the xenoempathy dome our cruiser transports will not be able to help due to all the fungus in the northern seas.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters MY 2233

Most venerable Lady Skye,

It has been a very quiet turn for our people. Production is moving along at a steady pace and we are still striving to improve our bases. It is becoming more apparent each and every year that our lack of population is having a negative economic and military effect. Our people for the most part want for nothing and the cities they live in have the state of the art recreational facilities and creature comforts. However, we lack the "manpower" to quickly create new improvements and military hardware. The cloning vats project can not be completed soon enough for many of my councilors. I have drafted the final version of our new laws concerning clones and I think it will be my finest piece of work. For all intents and purposes clones will have the same rights as any natural born citizen. We have also made sure that no genetic tampering will be done to create a new race of bio-engineered supermen. The clones will be as human as you or me. It will still be a struggle to get the law passed and I intend for it to be incorporated into the charter of our government making it even more difficult for anyone to try to revoke it. My only concern now is that Governor Dix informs me that you have completed the neural amplifier project beating our several other factions who will now most likely switch to another project. I for one "cringe" at the thought of Col. Santiago getting hold of cloning technology, imagine an entire army of genetically enhanced clones. I can only hope that our technological lead will prohibit them from yet starting that project.

I have been working very closely with Governor Dix this past turn in regards to our development of our newest base UN World Peace. Many of my advisors believe that we should not put any resources into developing that base for fear of losing it to the Believers. On the other hand Governor Dix is advising me should improve it as quickly as possible since it will show the Believers how a free society can prosper without the fear and vengeance of a God. I for the time being have sided with Governor Dix and we will support improving that base as much as we can. With that in mind I formally offer to you our base as a support center for your two foils. They can stay as long as they need to and can use that base as a resupply point. With our ships and yours operating along the northern border between the Spartans and Believers we should be able to patrol that area with great ease.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly

*~*~*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2234

Karl,

You will find the specifications for Monopole Magnets and Applied Relativity attached as a data package. The first will allow the construction of magnetic tubes, which will greatly speed transport between land bases. The second will allow the construction of the Supercollider, which has been started at Gaia’s Landing. The Council had approved the construction of a nanohospital, but when we realized that the Supercollider could be built for only two years more production it was a non-issue and it was unanimously approved – which is a rare thing indeed!

Our first two clean fusion needlejets are now in the Spartan theatre, and we will likely begin liberating Spartan bases in the next year or two. More needles are being constructed, and anti-fighter needles will be started soon.

The attack on the Believer base failed. My military planners said it would be a long shot, and it was. Our amphibious missile rover just didn’t have the ability to take out both defenders that were behind a perimeter defense. We will try again later, and this time the rover will be upgraded with the best weaponry available!

My planners have informed me of a novel idea – a needlejet-based colony pod! This is fairly expensive in production costs, but it has the advantage of having the range of an aircraft, which is fast! So, we may use this to colonize a few landmasses that are not readily available, especially since sea transit takes so long. I was thinking especially of creating a few bases for Zak in trade for a base near the ruins.

You should know that I gave Centauri Psi to both Zak and Morgan. It seemed a fairly harmless if intensely interesting technology, and both were immensely pleased with this gift. I hope this does not step on your toes, but I think that (as Charles has mentioned so frequently) the free flow of information can help the peaceful factions prosper.

I support you in your efforts toward the cloning vats. To that end, I authorized 500 energy credits from the Gaian treasury to that or any other end that you see fit. I appreciate the due care you are giving this potentially dangerous technology, and I shudder to think what Miriam, Yang (wherever he is), or Santiago would do with such a thing!

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2234

The most esteemed Lady Skye,

We are at war again! CEO Morgan contacted me and warned that if the Peacekeepers continued to maintain friendly relations with Sister Miriam that our relationship could be in jeopardy. After some discussion with the Security Council and the majority and minority leaders in the General Assembly it was decided to renew our war efforts against the Believers. Governor Dix was very distressed at the turn of events and is still trying to talk to Morgan to convince him of the need to bring peace but I am sure Morgan wants to hear nothing like that. So we look back on these few years of peace and hope that the time we gained helped us improve our society and war machine. We assume that the first blow from the Believers will fall on our newest base UN World Peace. The completion of some much needed hologram theaters has done much to lighten the burdens the population seemed to labor under and we have seem real improvement in the character of the population. We hope that in time under our enlightened guidance the people will learn to respect the principals that all Peacekeepers cherish. So we are taking steps to re-enforce our base against air attacks, which I am sure will be the quickest way Miriam will be able to hit us with since her naval force is insignificant. We would like to request that your AAA missile foil stay at our base until we can complete our own AAA defense garrison. We are dispatching UNS-DD Resolute Peace to the base to reinforce our naval presence there. The Resolute Peace has very sturdy AAA defenses and should prove more than a match for any Believer craft.

We thank you again for your gift of energy credits but your files on the discoveries you made did not make it through. If you could re-transmit them they will of course be used. The "mag tubes" was especially interesting to my Minister of Transportation who immediately asked to have one if not two terraformers transferred to the process of building just mag tubes between bases. The rapid movement of commerce and if needed military supplies will of course be of great use.

I would like to discuss one last issue and that is in conjunction with our war effort. Should we not try to coordinate our efforts in this regard. If you see an opening where both of our forces can act in unison please inform us. Your assault on the Believer base I am sure would have succeeded if we had supported your attack with one of our more advanced destroyers. Now that we are both at war again with both the Believers and the Spartans please let us know where you would like to land the next blow. My military
councilors have informed me that the most northerly Spartan bases that were once under Hive rule are very thinly defended and could easily fall prey to our combined blows.

For the next 4 to 5 turns we intend to force allocate energy to the cloning vats project so that we can as quickly as possible complete it in a timely manner. The quicker we can complete the project the quicker we can devote that bases mineral and energy resources to the war effort and the added benefits it will bring will magnify our efforts even more.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2235

Karl,

I must apologize for the lapse, and the Applied Relativity and Monopole Magnets technology is attached (I hope!). Also, our scientists have unlocked more of our future in space with Advanced Spaceflight. It is odd, but I can’t seem to get a clear channel to your scientists to transfer this data. I can imaging that it would be of some interest to you since it allows an energy satellite to be put in orbit that will beam clean solar energy to all of your bases, although it is more effective for bases that have aerospace centers. It also has revealed to us the secrets of shard weaponry. I do not fully understand it, but it is a 30% increase in firepower over the fusion weaponry we have had to date. I must say that the technology is racing far ahead of our ability to understand and use it, which is quite distressing.

Another important first: we launched the first major satellite into space last year! This satellite is a hydroponics setup manned by a few intrepid Gaians. It will literally provide manna from heaven, and I am sure Miriam would have a more prosaic explanation that a biologist like me might. More importantly, we have now mapped all of Planet, and there are no longer any voids in our understanding. So, we can see the unknown interior of Yang’s former empire, and the unexplored reaches of the southern portion of Santiago’s continent. Unfortunately, I was not able to send this information to you, either, due to the same data blackout. It is not sunspots and I have no explanation.

Our probe operatives have liberated the Spartan city of Fort Liberty. We did this because it is strategic to get at the former Hive city Fellowship City, which has the Command Nexus. The Council agrees with me that capturing this Project from the Spartans will be key in removing some of Santiago’s teeth. To that end, our feign toward Janissary Point is working well. Our rag-tag forces have destroyed four or five of Santiago’s elite or near-elite forces, but technology will tell: we have always gotten the better of the engagements. Santiago did teach us one lesson, though: do not send needlejets into combat unescorted by fighters. Our needle destroyed an infantry group threatening our forces and conveniently blocking Spartan ground assault advances. Santiago promptly shot it down with a primitive missile fighter. She showed us that technology can not make up for poor tactics, and it is a lesson we will not forget.

At home we are working one some war material, primarily aircraft (and now more interceptors!). We will prototype shard technology next turn on an aircraft platform at a base with an aerospace center, and supply crawlers from other bases will assist this prototyping. Other supply will finish Projects. A few bases are finishing infrastructure, primarily aerospace centers. Most of the farm and solar terraforming has been converted to forests, and formers will work on mag tubes and boreholes where possible.

I can’t say I’m surprised by your declaration of war against the Believers. Morgan can be very insistent, and he is evidently happy to let us fight his war for him. I don’t mind since both of our holdings are significantly larger than his are, and he must have nightmares about fighting Miriam alone. He does not need to worry on that front, however.

As to where to press the attack, I would ask for your suggestions. The forces we have in the area are a rover that will be outfitted for amphibious assault and either fusion or shard weaponry, and two large mindworms. These are carried by an isle, which has disgorged the troops to repair at the Monolith Ring. They should be done within the year, but it will take a while to travel west toward your positions. I suggest that any bases that are taken from Miriam or Santiago be administered by you. To do this you will need ground forces and a transport. Could one be built at UN World Peace, or brought from the mainland? Let me know what is do-able.

I wish you all due speed with your Cloning Vats project. I’d authorize more energy to assist you but we are rather short right now, seeing that we spent 660 energy to bribe the ‘loyal’ Spartans at Fort Liberty to join us. We will need more energy to convince the former Hive citizens to join use, so I don’t foresee much excess energy in the near future.

It has been a busy year, and the tidings have been mostly good. Take care, and give Charles my best.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2235

Most esteemed Lady Skye,

I am proud to report the destruction of another Believer Missile foil. The UNS-DD Diligent Peace intercepted the Believer foil just off the northern coast of the Spartan continent. The foil did do some damage and is now en route back to UN World Peace for repairs. UNS-DD Resolute Peace is just to the north providing escort. Our intelligence informs us the Believers are building another missile foil ship just to the east of UN World Peace but once all our ships are concentrated I don't think it should be to hard to locate and destroy. I do wish that I could give you better news about joint military operations but I can not. Currently we do not have the production capacity to build any amphibious landing craft transports or the troops to man them. We simply lack the production capacity right now due to lack of labor. Once the cloning vats are installed and operational we should have the situation resolved. However, in the meantime we have to restrict our operations to defensive thrusts only. If an opportunity arises that we can exploit a Believer mistake or attack a base we certainly will. Currently UNS-DD Vigilant Peace is bombarding the coastal forces the Believers have stationed next to UN World Peace. I wish the picture was more hopeful but the near future should offer us more opportunities to carry out offensive operations.

We thank you for the gift of technology and our scientists hope to make a breakthrough next year which we, of course, will share with you. Little has changed this year except that I was able to sign into law the replicant human rights act. We have given clones the "legal" status of all other humans and are legally designated as replicant humans under our laws. I think this will mark my greatest domestic achievement. I hope that next turn brings more inspiring news.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly

[Hydro]

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2236

Karl,

I finally found the little snafu that prevented me from transmitting Advanced Spaceflight and the world map to you. You’re going to laugh, but there was a Second Adjunct to the Third Minister of Protocol that had not been advised of the most recent security encryption, so she rejected the transmissions. Honestly, this should have been elevated instead of summarily rejected since this prevented your people from having access to shard weaponry and energy satellites.

In other news, we took the former Hive city of Hole of Aspiration by a series of well placed bribes. The city itself is unimpressive since it is size two and has no improvements, and very little production ability, but it is a base of operations and is a gateway to Fellowship City. We did convince a few missile infantry units to join us, but the whole operation cost us over 600 energy. Still, it was worth it since we do not really want to bludgeon our way through the Spartan and former Hive empire. We were shown first hand the results of fighting at Janisary Point. The fighting around Janisary Point got very rough, and the assault destroyed the garrison and the bomber stationed there. We Gaians are not very experienced at warfare, and the local commander ordered that the now undefended city be taken. This resulted in the complete annihilation of the city in the street-by-street fighting. The division commander was shocked, as were our troops, since there were very few survivors. If this is the war we are to fight then I don’t like it at all. That said, I can see this happening to our cities and, I must say, I have no illusions that Santiago would have any qualms about this type of bloody struggle.

Not much else is happening back at the home territory except that the Council has voted to scale back our research allocation to 60% so that we can have more ready cash. The bloody events at Janisary Point have shown us that, although expensive, it is better to bribe than to destroy.

It will take a while for our few military units in your area to move into position so we have plenty of time to contemplate what might be done with them. You may want to consider constructing a trained garrison (1-1-1) at UN World Peace and then upgrading it to synthmetal with AAA ability since this would relieve the destroyer of garrison duty. You may want to consider doing the same there by building ‘shells’ and then upgrading for both a transport and military units. For all of these I suggest ‘clean’ be used since this will not impact your production ability there. Let me know what your thoughts are.

Take care, friend Karl, and Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2236

Venerable Lady Skye,

My generals and admirals have come up with a plan, at last, to put together an invasion force. Within twenty turns we should be able to have one troop transport ship equipped with three fusion rovers, one shard rover and a mind worm. All of the assault rovers will be equipped with anti-aircraft defenses so the small air fleet Sister Miriam posses should not be a problem. My Ministers of Industry, Special Projects and Economics hope to shorten that production time by a few years since the cloning vats will be on line in less than 16 years or less if we can continue to over allocate credit. All of this was made possible due to the fact that UNS-DD Vigilant Peace utterly destroyed the Believer missile foil that tried to sortie against our new base UN World Peace. Vigilant Peace only sustained very light damage from the encounter so it will complete repairs along with Diligent Peace and then our fleet can participate with any military operation we can devise. My generals and admirals feel very confident based upon the information they have received that the believers lack any means currently or in the near future to mount any sea based assaults or invasions. This information has allowed us to review our production lists and reconfigure them to build the invasion force. Our first target for this force will most likely be the far western base on the Believer island. My Minister of Intelligence warned the Security Council that trying any covert operations against the Believers was a hopeless cause since their fanatical mind set seems to make them almost immune from psi-ops and mind control warfare. So the tactics the Gaians have so brilliantly used against the stout Spartan soldiers do not seem to work very well against the Believers.

I have also some very good news to report as well. Peacekeeper scientists were able to find the means to increase a units PSI attack factors by over 50%! I am sure this will be of great use to you since many of your mind worms and isles employ this tactic almost exclusively. I hope that it will of great use to you. We will complete soon the Cloning Vats project and then we would like to begin the Living Factory project. I hope that we can come to terms on this project since it is of great importance to the Peacekeepers! Please begin discussions with your advisors and government and inform us of your decision.

I do want to inform you of a problem. Some time back Governor Dix was exploring the possibilities of salvaging the fusion core from the Unity. The energy boon from this salvage would be tremendous! Somehow Governor Dix's notes have been leaked to the nets and now I, and Governor Dix, are under great pressure to reactivate this project. I know your thoughts on this as does Governor Dix so if you have any solutions to solve our dilemma we would like to hear them. I have spoken twice on the subject at the General Assembly and while the project would give us more energy so it also gives this energy to our enemy. Currently, Sister Miriam and the Colonel lack the energy resources that either one of us have so even a one shot infusion of energy could aid them greatly. In fact, based on the reports I get from Governor Dix's team and my own intelligence staff the Spartans are on the ropes, so to speak, when it comes to energy. They are not producing enough to power their meager base enhancements and have to draw on reserves to meet demand. This only works to our advantage in the long term but if we give them a huge supply of energy then they could concentrate more on your attacks and building more soldiers rather then energy systems. I am sure both Governor Dix and myself can stall for some time this demand but if things are forced on us we will have to comply with the will of the people no matter how short sighted.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2237

Karl,

It has been a very busy year. Our probe operatives took Fellowship City with a series of well-placed bribes, and the city and its small army of defenders came over to our side! The city was rioting, so it was not as expensive as it might have been. Even so, it cost over 600 energy, and then we had to upgrade a few defenders to make sure we kept the city from Santiago’s screaming hordes. Or, did I forget to tell you that it seems Santiago is a bit upset that four of her cities have been liberated and one destroyed? Her elite or near-elite infantry, rovers, and artillery are literally boiling out of the woodwork now. Each city is under siege on all sides, and it is a good thing that two defenders were upgraded to fusion silksteel or they may not have held. Our airforce, such as it is, is on the way, but it will only help so much. What we need to do is upgrade some of the gatling and missile infantry and rovers that we ‘acquired’ so they can take on Santiago’s armies. Since our objective, the Command Nexus, has been acquired that means that we will take a breather and consolidate our holdings. From these four bases, and our advance on her right flank, we can now take the battle to her home territory. And, I might add, that Santiago better keep her cities happy, since if they riot they are very susceptible to inducements to switch sides due to her poor management.

I have to tell you that the conditions in the former Hive cities are truly awful. Not even my wildest dreams would I have envisioned his dark anti-utopia of warrens, communal feeding troughs (literally!), and people of crushed spirit. Even after we have liberated them they still cling to their former allegiances, and some even pine away for Santiago! It will take a while to win their hearts, and even this will take a significant investment in infrastructure. That, however, will have to wait until these beleaguered bases are free from Santiago’s threat.

As to Miriam, I agree that her western-most base is the most vulnerable to our forces. I will pick up the mindworms and amphibious rover and head over as soon as possible. There are two more mindworms along the northern pole, and if I get a chance I’ll have one of the isle tenders pick them up, too.

The Will To Power technology you have sent is both frightening and a source of opportunity. We Gaian’s have a great deal of allied native life forms, and it would be advantageous to them to acquire this advance. Most of our fighting force is now conventional due to our technological lead, so this Project will have to go on the back burner. It would be somewhat helpful in attacking marauding native life forms, but you can get the same effect by giving your military units empath ability. In fact, a 1-1-2empath rover is very inexpensive and it does a find job against feral mindworms. Still, this technology does open fascinating possibilities.

I’m afraid that I cannot support you if Governor Dix is forced to call a vote to retrieve the Unity core. Giving this energy boon to Santiago and Miriam is foolhardy, to say the least, and it is much better to have them scraping for cash since this reduced their options. You might mention that their Gaians allies think this is a VERY BAD IDEA and that the Gaian Council would look with ill favor is such an issue is brought to the table at the Planetary Council. If your shortsighted politicians in your Assembly continue push the issue tell them that the Gaians will give them 500 energy just to shut up and sit down. You can also ask them if their goal is to skim a few energy for their own pork barrel projects. Be sure to mention that while they are building the Arnie Funkmeyer Memorial Museum in their home districts that Santiago will be using her energy to build weapons designed to kill. Chairman Yang, who now languishes in Santiago’s punishment sphere, would surely agree that giving Santiago any edge is foolhardy.

I’m glad you’re at the helm, Karl, since there are some in the Peacekeeper Assembly that lack your and Charles’s vision.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2237

Venerable Lady Skye,

I along with the Peacekeeper nation rejoice with you in your triumph over the Spartans! I do hope that you will be able to hold onto your holdings now that Santiago's ire is up. She can be a formidable enemy so do not underestimate her just because they are somewhat "technologically backward". The Spartans will not give up so easily I am sure.

I think we can hold off any floor vote for some time so the threat of forcing Governor Dix to use his powers as Governor will not pass and I am not sure it is even "legal". Our concern was that we did not want you hearing from "second-hand sources" that a movement was afoot to initiate a council to pass the measure.

All of our fleet is now at UN World Peace and is undergoing repairs at this time. It should not take long to complete the repairs and then the ships will be underway. Our intelligence reports that the Believers have reinforced their most western base but the quality of troop in the garrison leave a lot to be desired. I see no problem when our forces attack. The key will be to make sure that our fleet is screening the transport ship so that no Believer attack craft find them until it is too late.

This year was uneventful again and production continues forward. We are concentrating on building some more thermal boreholes and boost mineral production. We are aware that building too many could result in negative ecological effects so we will try to limit them.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2238

Karl,

Gaia’s Landing finished the Supercollider Project, and now our capital produces more research than all of Zak’s holdings! What is more is that we just discovered the Unified Field Theory, and Gaia’s Landing is now starting the Theory of Everything. This promises to double our laboratory output yet again. Needless to say that Zak is surely beside himself that a granola munching eco weanie (as he reportedly calls me) has the ability to out research the researcher.

Our forces in the middle of the Spartan maelstrom are holding their own. We spent a good deal of energy upgrading our forces there and we attacked where we could, and stood our ground when Santiago counterattacked. We now have some fusion rovers as a strike force, and a few well-armed infantry when things get too close for comfort. Two fusion needles are on patrol now, too, although Santiago’s airforce outnumbers them at least three to one. We have no fighters yet, but they will be on the way next year. It looks like it is going to be a slugfest and, now that we are entrenched behind Yang’s perimeter defenses, she will not be able to dig us out. We can only get stronger from here on out.

Our AAA foil near Believer territory has taken out the sensor near our objective, and we will start bombarding their cities as a distraction. It will be a while before the rover can make it to the staging area. Our isle noted that Miriam is sending significant forces south into the fungus at the Monolith Ring. Could it be that she is going after Morgan? It will take her a long time to make it through the fungus, but I hope Morgan is prepared. His cities must seem nice and fast to Miriam, who has been denied other targets.

I talked to a couple of your base commanders and I notice that they were building very expensive ordinance. Your Dragon rovers cost over 180 minerals! For the same price you could get a clean shard attack rover and a silksteel rover. If it is not too late I suggest you ask them to switch to a force that is more economical. It also may be worthwhile to build highly trained ‘shell’ units and them upgrade them en route. That is what I have done with many of my military units.

A few Gaian cities are building energy satellites, and we will cycle it so at least two cities per year are building satellites. Combined with aerospace centers they should provide a nice return on the investment, even though they are fairly expensive to build.

I included the energy we had left over after our upgrades were done, and the Unified Field Theory. I hope they will be useful.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2238

Most esteemed Lady Skye,

We thank you for your advice concerning the production of certain military units. I discussed them with my Security Council and they agreed with your assessment. We have made some changes in the production schedules that should aid our ability to field units quicker. In talking with my generals they tend to want the "very best" equipment possible for our troops to better protect them and give them the edge in combat. My response was how effective is that one the enemy has 10 units to your one or in our case 10 units to our one. That seemed to take the wind out of their sails.

I have gotten the latest reports from the front and it seems that the Spartans are throwing just about everything they can at you. Your forward bases seem to be swarming with Spartan troops. I am sure the Colonel Santiago will stop at nothing to get the Command Nexus project back into her hands.

Little has changed this turn. Production continues and we have completed the Hybrid forest project at UN Headquarters that should give a great boost in production. We plan on decommissioning a mine in the southwest and planting a forest. I am sure this will warm the hearts of the Gaian people. Your gift in energy brought us to only 10 turns from completing the Cloning Vats project: What an achievement that will be for our people once that is completed. Many if not all of our cities will have within one turn a tremendous population boom, which should help us greatly in adding resources. We currently have many improvements sitting idle due to lack of labor.

Repairs are proceeding as quickly as possible at UN World Peace on our ships. We hope to have that work done in a turn or two then we can move out to help your attack on the Believer base on the western tip. We completed a garrison unit for UN World Peace which is equipped with anti-aircraft weapons to defend the city.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly


++++++++++

My dear friend Skye,

I am dropping you a quick note to see if you have been in contact with any of the other leaders within the past 3 to 4 turns. I have tried repeatedly to contact any and all of the other leaders to discuss issues but none seem to wish to communicate with me, odd. If you have any information you can relay to me I would appreciate it.

Governor Charles R. Dix IX

[Hydro]

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2239

Karl,

Yes, the Spartans are swarming out of the woodwork, but we are eliminating them as fast as they come. Now that we are entrenched it is going to become increasingly difficult for Santiago to dislodge us since our technological lead is just too great. Our fusion silksteel defenders behind a perimeter defense and with a sensor and base defensive bonus are more than a match for Santiago’s gatling and missile infantry. I noticed that most of Yang’s former bases are in riot, and I’ll see if I can subvert them while their populace are so dissatisfied with Santiago’s repressive rule. One of our teams tried subverting the Spartan base to the south and it would have cost over 2500 energy! Well, that is too high a price to pay for a size 5 base with a horde of synthmetal defenders! As much as it saddens me to say, we’ll just have to deal with them the old fashioned way, and I’m sure Santiago has ample experience with it, although she was typically on the giving rather than receiving end. New weapons are taking the field: shard interceptors. Now our needles will not be defenseless against Santiago's missile interceptors, and I expect to be able to eliminate them if they are so bold as to take to the skies. Of course her needles are now oh so vulnerable, too. It will take a while to get them to the front since their 'legs' aren't very long, but they should be there in short order.

I look forward to your implementation of the Cloning Vats project. You have given it ample thought, and I am glad it is in your hands rather than someone who would twist it and demean these future human beings. We have just finished the Longevity Vaccine, and none too soon. I may not mention it but I feel so tired all the time. If I didn’t have my vision, and the feeling that my people still need me, I would have retired long ago. I just can’t give up right now since we are so close to achieving our goals of an ecologically and humanitarian just world! Santiago and her ilk are still a threat, and I will not let her twisted goals of subjugation derail a better world.

Our foils continue to pound Miriam, and I hope she sees the light and agrees to peace soon. I hate bombing civilians, but she give me no choice and I HATE these dilemmas! If I pursue this war she declared against me I feel like a bully, but if I don’t she will surely use her resources to attack me, you, or Morgan. That is not acceptable.

You should know that I authorized establishing a base near Zak’s territory. This base was established outside his territory, and it might be considered land poaching. However, the Manifold Nexus is so close! I still intend to establish two or three colonies and gifting them to Zak for his trouble, and I hope it will not cause ill will between us.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*~*~

Charles,

I seem to have no trouble talking to either Zak or Morgan. However, I do not bother them often and when I do I have something significant to speak with them about. In the recent past I have called up to gift them technology, which I view as a gesture of good will. Each has been solicitous or magnanimous toward me, and this is a very good sign that our relations are going well. Of course, the gifts probably help, and our society values Knowledge, which undoubtedly is to Zak’s liking. I still find it amazing that Morgan has been my ally for over 75 years. He must see me as through a bookkeeper’s eyes, and be able to overlook that I do not favor Free Market, and am running a Green economy. Perhaps the trade he gets, which is lucrative for him, and the gifts help. This is instructive: even natural enemies can be friends if they work at it hard enough.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2239

Esteemed lady Skye,

My ministers and myself have had lengthy discussions this year and we would like to ask for a loan of energy to complete the Cloning Vats project. A sum of 300 energy credits would allow us to complete the project ahead of schedule and increase our plans for military invasion of the Believers island. I understand if you choose not to assist us in this request since much of your resources goes to the war effort against the Spartans.

In other military matters our naval forces have begun bombardment as well and we hope to destroy the sensor array the Believers have installed at the western edge of their island. We have completed our first silksteel fusion rover brigade and the crews and vehicles have been equipped to handle anti-air defenses as well. More combat rovers will be built in the near future and we hope to have this all completed now under 7 turns.

Governor Dix informed me that he was able to talk to Morgan and the Professor at last but the conversations were brief and not productive to say the least. He still has hopes that he can work some miracle but he now spends much of his time writing to delegates in the General Assembly and other faction leaders about the advantages of unity and peace. I admire his stamina and determination in light of current events.

I am taking a tour of all our cities and colonies this year so I will not always be able to contact you so I have asked Governor Dix to take up the responsibility of communicating with you and keeping you posted with events. I have given him deputy General Secretary powers while I am out of contact at times so he will have authority to coordinate the various arms of the government. He was very happy to once again assume a vital role in
Peacekeeper affairs.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

Prosperity through Peace
Karl Broddarp
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2240

Karl,

I would be honored to help you finish your Cloning Vats project. Attached you will find 300 energy, which I hope will let you finish the project within the coming year.

Santiago has taught our forces more unpleasant lessons. First, her ‘obsolete’ missile needles are more then sufficient to destroy unarmored rovers. This was a sloppy mistake on our part, and we are poorer for it. From now on our rovers will work in teams with armored rovers or infantry. Second, she attacked and destroyed our isle that was ferrying troops in the assault on Miriam’s holdings. She had a 30% disadvantage due to the Neural Amplifier but she won anyway, to our loss. An amphibious rover and two mindworms joined the isle in the sea and we will miss them. The Spartan foil will not escape since our isle was escorted by a foil, which will sink the offending Spartan next year. The lesson that I take from this is while we were both worrying about Miriam’s sea power we completely overlooked Santiago’s. It makes sense that she would talk to the sea after her defeat of Yang and I totally missed it. I will not make that mistake again.

Our forces were tested, but not severely, at the captured Spartan bases. As I mentioned, we are more and more entrenched and we are now to the point where we are building probe crews to take advantage of Santiago’s poor governance of the former Hive bases.

At home we are finishing up our terraforming and are starting to build our mag tube network. There is always more for our formers to do, since new bases always need some terraforming and old bases might need another borehole. We have even built a few clean super rover formers to augment our old former force. All our infantry-based formers were converted to super and super clean with armor long ago.

Hope your tour goes well.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2240

My dearest friend Lady Skye,

It is good to be at the helm again. Karl Broddarp has left for his tour of the new cities and bases we have established. Karl will be traveling to UN Commerce Committee and then on to UN Equality Village to see the new cloning vats. He then plans on taking a ship to see the various new sea colonies we have built as well. I hope that he does enjoy himself because I will have my hands full. Under our constitution Karl can appoint any sitting delegate as a Deputy General Secretary and under that authority I also am the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council but I do not run the bureaucracy. Karl is still "technically" in charge of that branch but in reality a gentleman by the name of Ari Moshi, Minister of the Interior. Ari is a very shrewd politician but and is respected by some and feared by others. What Karl has been able to build by his intellect and keen understanding of people Ari Moshi has done with his fierce appetite for power. What does concern me is that Ari follows the Believer faith, but not that "sect" that Miriam does.

There is a large minority of Peacekeepers that do follow the faith but over the years it has declined. However, over the past five years their numbers have grown due to the some of them using the cloning vats project to scare them. Sister Miriam has twice tried to convince us of the "evils" of this project and how it is the greatest sin against God himself. Both Karl and I tried to reason with her but to no avail. My personal belief is that it really does not matter how you are born but what you do as a person that matters. While in the cloning vats the replicants will be given many of the skills they will need in life, speaking, writing and mathematics. They will also be given basic moral guidelines and social customs to help given them a compass for life. After leaving the tanks for the first year will be comprised mostly of training and giving them a sense of family and respect for life. Since each replicant will leave the tank about the age of 18 years old the only "genetic" tampering was to allow the replicants reproductive "urges" too developed slowly over time since these are the most complex of all human emotions. I apologize for going on and on since I know Karl tends to keep his e-mails more to the "point". So with that in mind I shall continue.

We did agree with your terms for the energy transfer but there seemed to be "glitch" in the transfer and it did not occur this turn. So what energy we did have we parceled it out to complete some very needy projects. The generals and admirals of the Security Council have informed me that the bombardment of the Believers is going very well. Many of the units received over 50% damage due to the attack. I can only hope that the civilian casualties were not as deep.

I hope that your struggle continues to move your way. I have been frequently taken to task that I did not follow your advice in our earlier days and expand more quickly so that we could have as many bases and cities as you do so that we could be more of a force on this planet. However, hindsight is 20-20 so I tell my critics and other issues and problems did come up that help guide us to the path we are on now.

Well, I must go I have a meeting with Ari Moshi later this day and the man does get on my nerves so I will take a little nap before the meeting. I must ask my aide to send a request for some of those new "elixirs" you are using that seem to keep you so beautiful and full of energy.

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Deputy Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Deputy Chairman of the United Nations Security Council and Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2241

Charles,

With regard to the 300 energy credits, forgive me my oversight – I neglected to instruct my adjunct that I pre-approved the transfer. Since I didn’t she insisted that you accept, and that I accept you acceptance. I know this is rather silly, but it is standard protocol unless I pre-accept any negotiation. Even we Gaians have our bureaucrats and, while they can be infuriating, they keep things running.

You will have noticed by now that I have included two new technologies: Nanominiaturization and Industrial Nanorobotics. Our researchers were, apparently, on a roll when our labs made a breakthrough and, by coincidence, we linked an artifact to the network node in that same lab. No one was more surprised than I was. These technologies open whole new realms of industrial and, dare I say it, military advancement. Nanominiaturization will allow the construction of a new vehicle, the hovercraft, which we will prototype as soon as we can. These promise to make old style rovers obsolete! The cost will likely be high, but that is always true of any advance. As my father used to say: Want more, cost more!

Remember when I told you I’d take advantage of Santiago’s mismanagement? Well, one of our elite probe teams convinced the residents of The Hive to switch sides, for a modest bribe, of course. Our probe teams are slowly but surely undoing all of Santiago’s war-related gains, and we are doing it without firing a shot (at their cities, that is). The best part is that Yang’s citizens are finally able to get a taste of the liberties, and luxuries, that our societies have enjoyed for a hundred years. Some don’t seem to appreciate it yet, but the bases we are administering are becoming less unruly with each passing year. Eventually they will be Gaian citizens in more than just name.

On the war front our foil sent Santiago’s to the bottom with little effort, and our interceptor took out the Spartan needle that destroyed our rover. In a small way we are revenged, but I don’t like seeing it that way since it seems kind of petty. A more philosophic view might be that we are eliminating Santiago’s ability to resist and this will lead her military mind to see no alternative but to come to a peaceable understanding. I just hope that an extreme loss of life is not necessary.

Good luck with your political troubles, and I always wish you the best.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2241

Lady Skye,

I have tragic and dreadful news! Karl Broddarp has been assassinated! Karl had arrived at UN Equality Village several days ago to see first hand the creation of the replicants when assassins struck. It seems that Ari Moshi the Minister of Interior had much more zealous beliefs then he had informed anyone of or we suspected. For some time he had been planning the destruction of the Cloning Vats project and framing the Gaians as the instigators. What foiled his plans was the simple fact of time. Had we completed the project as originally scheduled Ari Moshi would have been able to subvert more interior police and military units to his cause. However, the time table changed and his hand was forced before he was ready. Interior Ministry troops that were loyal to Ari attacked Karl Broddarps guards and captured him and then they put on a farce of a trial and executed him on the spot. However, loyal military, police and civilian volunteers were able to organize a defense at Equality Village and held out till more troops could arrive. Ari Moshi was captured himself along with his personal computer which allowed us to track down the hundreds of ringleaders and thousands of disloyal citizens. Our nation is beside itself in grief and anger over this act of ultimate betrayal! It turns out the Miriam was funneling large sums of credits to they various groups to help finance their evil cause. All of this has come out over the past several days. We have also discovered that I was also marked for death and I am currently under military guard in our command and control center. I have been here for several periods while order has been restored to our island.

After the immediate crisis had ended the General Assembly met and I have been re-elected as the Supreme General Secretary of the United Nations Peacekeepers. I have also been granted, for a period of 4 periods, martial law authority to clean up this cancer that had poisoned our nation. I have also been named first Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers as well. So I have a firm control over the government or as much as one can under these circumstances. I do have a plan to re-organize our government, something that is long overdue, so that in the future this situation will not occur. I implore you to search out and investigate your own populous and see if the roots of treachery are taking hold there.

I am unable to write much more at this time but I can assure you that our commitment to the ideals of the United Nations and to our allies remain as strong as ever. I will be able to give you more information later but for now I must deal with more pressing issues. I was also grieved to see that you have lost one of your Spartan bases, is my information correct? Since Ari Moshi was the Minister of Interior many of his operatives had found themselves "implanted" into key roles in the government and my planetary staff so I am not 100% certain about this data.

We thank you for the gift of credits and the new technology. Our nation now mourns the loss of a good man and a light against the evils.

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

[Hydro]

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2242

Charles,

Let me be the first to offer my sincere condolences to you and your people over Karl’s tragic and untimely death. The Council was shocked to silence, which is very rare, at the news. In many ways I still can’t believe it. Karl was so vital in his role, and he has led your people well for these many years. It is inconceivable that someone could have fatal designs on him. Political differences I can understand, but this sort of violence? What would lead a man like this Ari to such an act? In a well-established democracy such as yours he surely knew that he had as much of a chance to gain power peacefully. The only thing I can think of is that his relationship with Miriam had dulled his loyalty to democracy, and turned his mind toward Miriam’s more violent posture. Keep in mind that that Miriam was once the Unity’s psych officer and she held to the peaceful principles of the Unity mission. She changed, and apparently so did Aki. The only word of caution I would add is to make sure due process is followed for Aki and his followers. If they are found guilty then they deserve any punishment your society sees fit to allocate, but don’t let this become a witch hunt since this will only prove his case to those who might harbor sympathies toward his cause. If there is anything my people or I can do simply ask.

I find it disturbing that there might be a similar movement within Gaian holdings. We have our share of religious extremists at the three Believer sea bases we hold, but they are under a watchful and hopefully not to repressive eye. Our Spartan and former Hive bases are similarly under reasonable control. At your urging the Council has authorized an inquiry into possible Believer movements in our society that might be inclined to violence outside the realm of normal political behavior. We will try to err on the side of caution since, under such a threat, it would be easy to drift into a police state, and we both have seen in Yang’s horrific vision what that can lead to.

We have not lost a base to the Spartans, as you mentioned; I simply wasn’t clear. The Gaian operative subverted two Spartan bases and three former Hive bases. The second Spartan base is on the western side of the continent near the Jungle. We have decided not to press the war on the Spartans too hard, and instead we will take out any Spartan units that threaten our territory and subvert any bases that are in unrest. If energy allows we will subvert non-rioting bases. The reason for this policy is simple: we have attained our objective of the Command Nexus, and our forces are not strong enough to wage an all-out military offensive. It is very difficult to deploy forces from the Gaian mainland due to the distances involved, so any military has to be build from local (relatively unproductive) bases. We are sending over aircraft since they can be deployed quickly, but little else.

I have a suggestion for the Believer front. I might be able to use these holdings on the Spartan continent to form inexpensive military shells, upgrade them, load them on a transport, and ferry them to Believer territory. Most of our work in Spartan lands will be through subversion, with maybe a few military takeovers if it seems prudent. Let me know what you think. By the way, the latest Believer foil died trying to attack our foil that was bombarding their capital New Jerusalem. I would like to ask that this foil be allowed to repair at UN World Peace.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2242

My dearest friend Lady Skye,

Much of the turmoil of the past turn has been put to rest. The burial and ceremony of Karl Broddarp was a fitting to the achievements he had built for our society. His coffin bearers were some of the first replicants grown in the vats. I wonder if they would have done so if they had known of the secret project he had devised. After his death I found some secret documents Karl and some of the Generals had worked on in conjunction with the scientists who created the cloning vats. I am telling you this as a friend and I hope that you will keep the information safe and use it only if needed. It seems that some bio-genetic engineering was built into the cloning process so that if needed a chemical could be released into the atmosphere that would penetrate the cells of the replicants making them extremely loyal and obedient. This was done as a failsafe measure according to the documents so that if an invasion were to take place the replicants loyalty could be used to safeguard our nation. I find this entire business morally repugnant but Karl was a practical man and I think he felt that the ends would justify the means. Unfortunately I cannot "undo" the engineering without completely destroying the cloning vats themselves. I have ordered that all of the chemicals be destroyed in each of our cities, but the chemical is a very simple compound to make so, if needed, it could be manufactured almost overnight. I impart this information too you as a friend with the understanding that should this information ever leak out it could destroy much of the work our society has achieved. I am the first to champion the exchange of information but I can imagine the riots and civil unrest that could occur if this ever was brought to light. As of now only you and 5 other people know of this situation and I hope in time it will be lost as those who know die. There is only one record of the entire process, and the formula for the chemical, which I posses and it is now locked safely away. I understand this is disturbing news for us both but we should learn from this and move on. All of this makes it more important that I reform our government so that things like this can never happen again. I hope to strike while I still have momentum in the General Assembly since it will require a 3/4 majority to reform our constitution. I will unveil my plans next turn and I hope that I shall win.

The good news I have to share is that the new replicants are making an immediate impact in our society! Production is up, military units are filling out to full strength and we are growing again without the negative effects to the land. We have completed a refit on UNS-FF Centauri Seas and she will now move at best possible speed to our base UN World Peace to support our forces there. We are now moving more quickly than ever in building up our invasion forces and I hope that soon we can land ground forces on Believer soil.

My Minister of transportation is also drawn up plans for a mag-tube system as well and we will start building it next turn. My minister of Terraforming has also come up with an intriguing plan to create an energy farm on the mountain on the eastern side of the island. Much of the land is not incorporated into a base system making it prime for supply crawler production. I have given my consent for this to be done as well.

Well, my friend life seems to deal us new changes and challenges that we never expect and we can only hope to deal with them in an honorable way.

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2243

Charles,

It looks like I have three presents for you this year: Digital Sentience, Secrets of Creation, and Sentient Economics. We got Secrets of Creation from an artifact, but strangely both Digital Sentience and Sentient Economics came on their own. It was rumored that Secrets of Creation would carry a ‘bonus’ technology, and this may have been one of the other two that were discovered this last year. Digital Sentience is an interesting technology since this lets us equip our populous with cybernetic implants, increasing their efficiency, research ability, and reducing our impact on Planet. The down side is that they are less tolerant of police for normal duties and keeping order. Another bonus is that we can harness this technology with a Project called the Network Backbone. This enigmatic title simply means harnessing our trade and other network nodes for a ‘bonus’ in research, and this project was started in Gaia’s Landing this year.

We finished the Xenoempathy Dome and Theory of Everything in this last year. This gave our science efforts a major boost at Gaia’s Landing, and the Xenoempathy Dome means that the fungus is now truly our friend for movement, defense, and repair. In retrospect we should have completed the Xenoempathy Dome a long time ago since it would have helped our efforts against the Spartans.

Things are busy on the Spartan front. One of our talented probe teams subverted the former Hive city of Seat of Proper Thought along their northern coast. This was a bit expensive, but I figure it is less expensive than a full out military campaign. Moreover, it will deny Santiago a base of production and operations as yet more of her territory falls into our sphere of control. Our infantry and rovers are also advancing on two of her cities, and we will see if they can make any inroads next year. Our direct military offenses have not been very successful, so this will be a new experience. Santiago still refuses to see reason, and maybe this combined assault will show her the hopelessness of her continued war against us.

Back at home more of our cities are starting to produce only supply rovers, and this transport of production potential is being even more efficient due to the mag tube system that is now taking place. Soon we will be able to transport material effortlessly between our core bases, reducing prototype and Project construction times. I foresee a time when half of our home bases are producing nothing but supply rovers, and the other half research enhancing improvements or satellites. The goal is to have all bases have at least fusion labs, and to have 16 energy satellites in orbit beaming the bounty of Centauri Prime to all of our bases (although it will be more efficient to those bases that have aerospace centers, since others lose half this boon; therefore, aerospace centers will be a priority at our primary bases).

Research continues to unfold at an astounding rate, and I am boggled at the advances we have had. It seems it has been lopsided, though, since we have unlocked the Secrets of Creation but still only have silksteel as our best armor. If is very odd, and it seems unlikely that this strange direction will continue. We have always preferred technology that will allow us to Explore the world we are in, and maybe this is part of the reason for the lopsided scientific advancement.

I am pleased that the Cloning Vats are being successfully implemented. Your secret is safe with me, and I have not mentioned it to anyone.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2243

My dear friend lady Skye,

I have wonderful news to report! I have been able to pass the governmental reforms that I had talked about earlier. In essence, the bureaucracy will no longer operate without oversight as they had done in the pass. Under the old system the Ministers were all "chosen" by the strongest faction in the General Assembly but now I appoint them. The General Assembly will become a "legislative" body only while the "executive" branch will control the bureaucracy. I can now appoint people who are loyal to me and I hope will create a more efficient system. Instead of calling them Ministers they will be called High Commissioners and their deputies will be Commissioners. Another important change is that my position will now longer be chosen by the General Assembly but rather by popular election. Candidates will selected by the General Assembly and then stand for a general election. Each party in the General Assembly can either back another party's candidate or can forward one of their own. Another important change is that I now appoint a High Commissioner of Defense who will take over the military's bureaucracy and stream line its operations as well. The Chairman of the Security Council will automatically be the General Secretary from this date forward. I think all of these reforms will offer a more effective democracy for our people.

We have decided also to adopt a new "strategy" until we are ready to invade the Believers. I am morally appalled by the continued bombardment of the Believers bases so I have ordered the military to change their strategy and have them destroy any terraforming "enhancements" such as mining stations and tidal energy farms. My hope is that we can strangle the Believers economic base that will leave Sister Miriam fewer resources for her war machine.

All of our cities and bases are growing at a tremendous rate and the added labor is increasing our mineral and energy production by leaps and bounds. We even have plans to launch our first energy satellite soon!

I do have some personal news to inform you of. During this turn I have been forced to begin using a wheelchair since I can no longer walk anymore. Age is now quickly becoming a serious concern for me. I had no plans to be in this office at my age so I have consulted with my doctors and they inform me that I have perhaps twenty more turns of good health before I am forced into a life bed. Some of the medications you have sent have worked wonders but since I just started taking them they do not have the same effect as if I had been taking them for years. I am now looking for a new leader for our people to begin learning the ropes. I have a different plan for training this new leader than I did for Karl Broddarp. When I was training Karl for this job I look back now and I see that I focused too much on the politics and duties of the job rather than the "spirit" of the job.

On a positive note we have "paid" off CEO Morgan the remaining energy credits we owed him so in the future additional energy credits will be available.

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2244

Charles,

I am grieved that your health is not as you would like it to be. You seemed to flourish when Karl had taken the duties of the day-to-day govern ship of the Peacekeepers, leaving you to attend to the higher-level duties of being planetary governor. I can attest to feeling ‘stretched’ almost all the time now. Even after the applying almost all of the techniques of the Longevity Vaccine I still have my bad days, and I can only imagine the extra load guiding the Peacekeepers and all the factions in the role of Planetary Governor must be like. I wish you the best. There aren’t very many of us ‘landers’ left now, since even the youngest would be at least 160 Earth years old now, not counting the travel time of Unity! It seems a wonder that we are alive at all.

I have good news from the Spartan front. We have captured two Spartan cities through the use of direct military firepower, which we have been loath to use until this point. Both Fecundity Towers and Ft. Survivalist fell in this last year in a combined assault using rover, airpower, and infantry. These bases were strangely lightly defended, and it is my suspicion that the huge waves of Spartans that we saw five years ago may have been Santiago’s best shot. Now all we see are a few units waiting in apparent staging areas, but they can not seem to mass their forces fast enough to make a difference. A missile rover did counterattack at Fecundity Towers, but the fusion plasma infantry defender fended them off with the help of Yang’s old perimeter defense and the intrinsic base defense. Little attacks will not do her much good unless she can follow up with more assault forces due to our technological superiority. I can see why she eventually took Yang down though.

At home our mag tube system is rapidly being built, and I predict it will not take more than a few years to have almost all of our central cities linked up. Linking those on the outskirts will take a bit longer, but our old upgraded formers can now use the mag tube system itself to get where they are needed without much problem. The hovertank prototype is now complete and will roll out next year. A few of these will be built for defensive purposes, with no weapons and clean empath abilities for defense against mindworms. A few more will have weapons in the remote case a transport slips through our defenses.

I don’t know if you have noticed, but there are a plethora of potential Projects to complete. Are there any that particularly interest the Peacekeepers? The Cloning Vats sees to be working well for you, and your increased population base will make it easier to complete your best projects. I noted that a few of your bases are still building very expensive military units that cost over half the price of a project, and I encourage you not to do this. This ties up your production for so long, and for the same price you can build a fusion lab, hybrid forests, or another expensive facility. Instead, after you have prototyped the weapons, armor and chassis, build trained ‘shells’ and use energy to upgrade. This saves an enormous amount of time, which is more important than energy or minerals. Also, you may want to consider looking at what types of land your people are working. For instance, I noticed that UN Headquarters is still working some obsolete farmlands; you will get much more production from forests now that you have tree farms. In that note, your super formers might want to replace all your farms with forests, and all of your mines with boreholes (or leave the mines and harvest their resources with a supply crawler). I think using these techniques will massively increase each base’s productivity in both quantity and quality. If you run short of energy, since this energy intensive, let me know and I can gift some to you. Just keep in mind that rushing facilities and units with less than 10 minerals is massively expensive, and your best value is rushing after half of the minerals have been accumulated. The exception is Projects, which always cost 4x the remaining minerals. I encourage you to review Professor Vel’s extraordinary treatise on base improvements and terraforming. I have used these principles in guiding my base governors, and it has worked well in the last 140 years.

Take care old friend, and Walk with Planet,
Dee

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2244

My friend Lady Skye,

I thank you for your concern for my health but it is the way of nature, all things must have a beginning and an end. I have found some very good candidates to begin "grooming" them for my office as General Secretary. One of them shows remarkable promise but is still very young and he does not have much standing with the people. I intend to appoint him to a new position as ambassador at large and I will dispatch him to you first to negotiate with you on what projects we would like to begin next. Currently we are still looking at the Pholous Mutagen and the Living refinery as projects that hold great promise for our people. I think spending some time with you and your advisors will do much to broaden the views held by him. His name is Grigory Ivanovich and I think you will find him very interesting. I do have another candidate, Alexis Smith, she currently holds the position as Commissioner of Courts and is widely known as a tough but fair administrator but she lacks vision. I intend to transfer her to my office as an Assistant Deputy General Secretary. I want to see how she handles the "demotion" since in many regards it is one. If she can handle the sudden shift in responsibilities I will promote her to Chief of Staff, which is one step below Deputy General Secretary.

I have taken your observations to my Security Council and in many respects they agree whole-heartedly with you. However, the reason we are building such advanced weapon platforms is because we intend to land an invasion force and capture one of the Believer bases. Since we cannot hope to win them by espionage we will have to rely on the troops themselves to take the base. Once we have it in our possession of course we will build "shells" and upgrade them but at first our forces will need all the protection and training they can get to storm those battlements. I am sure once we have the base Miriam will stop at nothing to return it to her grasp so those troops assigned to capture the base will also be responsible for its defense.

My High Commissioner of Terraforming also agrees with your analysis of upgrading land improvements and we have converted some farmland back into forests but we still worry about the impact of drilling more boreholes. Currently we have two boreholes in production and we will not build anymore after they are completed. My terraforming scientists warn me that I might soon by asked to deploy a solar shield to help "cool" the planet if the polar caps start melting. Based upon the data I have now as planetary governor I might even pre-deploy the shield so as to avoid the threat of rising seas. I am going to begin consultations with Morgan and Zak about this and try to gain their support when I propose it at a planetary meeting.

Our efforts in destroying Believer sea improvements have certainly shaken Sister Miriam. She is building a missile foil at one base I am sure it will sortie against our missile destroyers but I doubt it will have much chance. Our main goal is destroy all her improvements at our land bridge colony on the southern portion of her island. Once we knock out her energy and mineral production and then her food supplies the base will be forced to surrender.

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2245

Charles,

We have subverted another Spartan base, which was a former Hive base that fell to the Spartans fairly early in their conquest of Yang. It was in riot, but even so it was expensive. I have noted that the citizens nearer to the Spartan capital require greater ‘consideration’, and that eventually this cost will become prohibitive. Still, we will use this tactic as we can so that Santiago can be pacified in a fairly bloodless manner.

A Gaian base was established within the ruins of the Manifold Nexus! Now that we have this proximity we can study them to the fullest, and already they have unlocked for us more empathy with Planet, showing us how to better treat with it and to understand its mysteries. I have always been profoundly curious about this interlocking and wonderfully complex planet we live on, and the ancient artifacts we have found and the ruins, which seem to be millions of years old, have only piqued this sense of awe! Moreover, they were obviously made by an alien intelligence, which answers the old question of whether we are alone in the universe. It is unclear if these aliens are still here, or whether we are the inhabitants of a massive racial grave. Either way it is astounding, and it verifies my long-held suspicion that Planet is more than what it seems.

By way of compensation, I have loaded two colony pods that will establish colonies near Mount Planet, and these bases will be given to Zak. Another needlejet colony will start a colony north of Morgan territory that we will give to him. I figure that these two gifts will prove that we are Zak and Morgan’s friends, and that they will continue to be our allies in this endeavor to create a peaceful world here on Planet.

As for Miriam, I would advise you not to get too carried away with the destruction of terraforming. After all, the plan is to liberate these cities, and that will become significantly more difficult if there is little developed land to harvest. Taking out sensors, and perhaps roads, would make some sense, and there may be some terraforming that does not make sense (such as a farm and road in the same area) that could be eliminated. In that light you will note that there are two Gaian transport headed for Believer territory. The forces will be upgraded en route, and I would guess that it will not take long before her forces are overwhelmed. We need to coordinate since you should control her territory, so let me know what your thoughts are for this coordination.

I am perfectly happy if you determine that the Living Refinery and Pholus Mutagen would benefit your society. You will be in a position soon where you will be able to build these Projects in short order, so I wish you the best of luck now that your population is expanding so nicely.

Keep me advised of the political changes in your society. I can barely fathom their complexity, but I can manage with your help. I trust your judgment, as always, so I will be happy to take your council to heart when the decisions are made.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2245

My friend Lady Skye,

It is hard to believe the victories you are enjoying! I am sure Santiago is beside herself! She must be struggling to maintain control having suffered so many military setbacks. I tried to contact her again to see of some "arrangement" could be worked out but she would not even respond to our hails.

I agree with you for the most part concerning our military policy towards the Believers. We intend only to destroy only certain improvements so that Sister Miriam will be forced to expend resources from other projects to feed her followers. Our invasion force is almost ready. We should be able to launch our transport ship within two turns and load up the invasion force and with all best speed we should arrive at the Believer Island within two perhaps three turns. So within 4 to 5 turns Peacekeeper forces should be storming a Believer base! Currently where are your invasion forces? I can now inform you that our target for invasion is not the most western base on the believer island but the base just east of UN World Peace. By focusing on the western side and the far southeast bases Sister Miriam has left her central forces very weak since she has shifted them to meet these perceived threats. Currently her garrison is comprised of a few under gunned infantry units that should be no match for our forces. Taking this base and the other central bases will also cut the Believers in half, weakening them even more. We will destroy some key road improvements cutting the two halves off even more. This was one of the reasons why we wanted very trained forces because once Miriam understands the threat we pose to her I am sure she will lead the attack herself to try and destroy our forces.

I am relieved to hear that we could come up with a compromise on the projects. It seems all other planetary factions have "given up" on building any projects. I am glad to see that you and the Professor are getting along so well. I worry that in his desperate need for knowledge he might try and "appropriate" some by other than noble means.

The effects of our governmental reforms are astounding! We have increased energy and industrial production across the board at all bases! Our citizens are so pampered now with creature comforts and their own personal pursuits that many of them are don't seem to care anymore about politics and world affairs. This is troubling too me because I believe a population that gives up the will to move forward and try and grasp at the impossible only leaves itself open to decay and entropy!

Next turn we will be launching two more sea colony pods one of them will be established on the western side of the Peacekeeper sea and the other pod will establish a forward base next to the small island to the west of ours. We would like to establish several more sea colonies to our south and one or two land colonies on the small island to our west.

How has Grigory Ivanovich been spending his days? The communications I get from him are very wondrous indeed. He is amazed at the openness and wondrous of your cities and people. He has even asked me to stay longer so that he can study more and learn. What it be much trouble to have him for another turn or two? Alexis Smith saw through my ploy immediately and demanded the job right off as Chief of Staff and I gave it too her. Her mind seems to operate at million times faster than a normal person and her ability to take what seems to be random events and build a pattern of intent is amazing. I had her psych records pulled and she has some of the highest ESP ratings ever charted in a Peacekeeper and was sought after by the military as a candidate for mindworm trainers. I fear that if Grigory should ever return to our lands he will find himself without a job. I will stand for election soon, within two turns and Alexis is already beginning the campaign. Luckily our new constitution calls for elections only every six years.

Please let me know if you find any clues to who built the nexus, I am very intrigued by your discoveries.

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
First Minister of the Council of Ministers of the Greater General Assembly
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2246

Charles,

Our Gaian society has gone through a massive shift, and I think it is for the better. After almost two years of debate the Council has elected to strive for Eudaimonia, or fulfillment and happiness, for our society. We will encourage all our citizens to achieve happiness by striving to fulfill their own potential. This is the ultimate in the expression of liberty and individuality, and I expect that, once everyone embraces it, that the freedom and creativity is engenders will be truly astounding. There is a downside, though. Our ability to wage war will be diminished since this is the philosophical changes required to force ones will is contrary to this societal philosophy. We will have to rely on our productive and technological prowess to carry us through any troubles we might have.

Any other news seems to be insignificant by comparison to this Gaian paradigm shift. Still, there is more going on. Our probe team subverted the former Hive city of Manufacturing Warrens that was rioting, capturing an obsolete missile interceptor in the process. We upgraded its defenders and, in doing so, continue to expend our productive base while diminishing Santiago’s. There are probe teams stationed at all forward bases in case any of Yang’s former bases has any turmoil. Our military units will be advancing on Santiago’s main holdings. We are not in any particular hurry, though; Santiago’s fate is sealed.

Our two transports are along the northern coast of Yang’s holdings. One is just east of The Hive, and the other between UN Commerce Committee and Hole of Aspiration. It will take a while for our slow isles to get to Miriam’s continent, and all these forces will be outfitted for amphibious assault by the time the get there.

Gaia’s Landing completed the Network Backbone last year, and already it is impacting our research ability. Gaia’s Landing now produces over 800 research, and this will only spike upward as more and more crawlers are used to harness energy. In short order this will be over a thousand, and then who knows how high it will reach? Our overall research is over 3000 per year, and each advance now takes less than 2 years. This advancement rate is simply breathtaking and I sometimes wonder if we aren’t going too fast.

Sometimes it seems like a dream. Only 140 years ago it was possible that humanity might be extinguished forever, but now it seems we are attaining feats that Earth could only dream of. In all this I am glad I have had you as my partner.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2246

Lady Skye,

I don't think you will need to provide us with energy credits anymore. Our energy production has doubled since the cloning vats were installed and our mineral production is almost doubled as well. We currently produce over 500+ energy credits per turn allowing us to apply them to needy projects. Our scientific output is not anywhere near your levels but in less than 10 years we now expect a major breakthrough! Our laboratory output is almost the equal of the University! What remarkable days that we now live in to see such marvelous achievements!

Now, to more unpleasant matters. Our transport ship is now complete and will move into a berth and begin loading supplies and military equipment. We estimate this will take two turns to complete. It will then be 3 turns to reach the shores of the Believers. Let us try to coordinate our attacks in 6 turns. If your ships arrive earlier they can dock at UN World Peace and take a short rest before the assault. My generals agree that our double blows should be direct at the center where they are weakest and do not expect the blows to fall. We can than move east and west accordingly and force Sister Miriam to split her forces to meet each assault. I really doubt that once we remove her central cities from her resource net she will quickly find herself outmatched in all aspects. My generals also wish to have the first land base to fall at our hands. Our troops will come prepared with a perimeter fence and will install it immediately giving our forces even more added protection. Once we have the first base in our hands I really doubt there is much that our enemy can do to us but surrender. I also propose that once we establish a safe footing on the Believer homeland that we convene a council so that we can map out a plan of action concerning the "end game" with the Believers and Spartans.

We did have an unfortunate "ecological" disaster befall us. The governor of UN Planetary Trust failed to schedule any projects to lessen the impact on the environment and thus called a "fungus" explosion to occur. We have had to rush reinforcements into to stop the mind worms rampage before they could do more harm. Once the city completes its first orbital power station all of the following projects will be directed and improving the environment. Alexis Smith took personal control of the situation and has directed the defense of the base and the outlining of the improvement projects. She has forced the current governor to "resign" and help select the replacement. By the way, I also won my first election and my last I hope. We will see what happens in the next eight turns.

I do want to make a protest of sorts with you and your people. I was informed by Grigory Ivanovich that he will NOT be returning and that he has asked for Gaian citizenship! It seems the wonders of your nation, and the lovely bride he just married, have enthralled him. I do not think I can risk sending anymore candidates to you unless I get your promise to only show them the worst cities and the ugliest women!

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the United Nations Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

[Hydro]

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2247

Charles,

Science races ahead at an ever faster clip than before. Our research rate is now over 4000 per year, almost one technology advance per cycle! The advances boggle the mind. Just now my head scientists called on me in the Council chambers of Gaia’s Landing to inform me of the latest breakthrough. It seems that the Manifold Nexus spurred one of our more insightful teams to a deeper understanding some of the Secrets of Alpha Centuri. Along with this came an unexpected advance in Self-Aware Machines. It was strange. The team that presented this second finding to me almost seemed apologetic, yet they didn’t realize that this is yet another technology that old Earth couldn’t have even dreamed of!

With this latest understanding of Planet some of our citizens have spontaneously altered into what have been called transcendi. These being have cast aside most of their corporeal form and exist as a collection of thought, either as part of a computer network that links our cities together or as semi-autonomous artificial beings. Either way they have made human flesh obsolete. That said, they haven’t replaced what flesh and bone can do, and they haven’t proven themselves superior, just different in a fundamental way. These rare transcendi that can, and want, to make this transition are driving forces behind our economy, research, and societal morale. I can see myself being one of these beings of light one day, but not yet, not yet.

We have taken our first airdrop assault in Spartan lands this last year. After we were sure there were no Spartan interceptors our bombers got to work, eliminated the two defenders at Great Collective, and air dropped an infantry into the city. It was almost too easy. I plan on authorizing this type of attack on one or two bases per turn, plus those cities that can be subverted. In a short while Santiago will be driven back to her own home territory, since we now are in striking distance of it.

Our first transport is two years away from the target Believer base. The infantry and rovers will be upgraded next year while en route, and our foils will start pounding the defenders to soften them up. We will not destroy the last defender until your forces are in position. If you are delayed then we will move on to the next city and eliminate the defenses there. The idea is to reduce Miriam’s hordes of infantry and rovers so that you will have to face less chaos than I had to face in my initial assault on Spartan territory.

Next year we will finish the Nano Factory. The Council is debating which projects to start next year. Currently we are thinking the Universal Translator would be useful in our efforts to grasp the secrets of the Manifold Nexus, and the ancient artifacts that are on their way to our home territory. The Dream Twister sounds appealing, but the truth is that most of our defense does not relay on native units anymore; technology has replaced them. We will decide in the coming year, but Pholus Mutagen and Living Refinery we leave to you.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2247

My friend lady Skye,

Embarkation of our troops, supplies and vehicles is moving along at a good pace. We should have 3 attack rover regiments, 1 mind worm "archie" and an infantry company by the end of next turn. We would have liked to have one more attack rover regiment but it is currently battling a particularly ferocious mind worm at UN Planetary Trust. The transport will leave at the end of the turn and begin its voyage to UN World Peace. We will have some of our destroyers meet the transport and help escort it to our base. Do you still plan on attacking before our troops arrive? Our goal is still the base just east of our base in the central part of the island. Our attacks at either end of the Believer island has drawn even more forces away from our true target. The Security Council is very interested in the Believers reaction when "archie" begins to swarm towards their forces. Our intelligence indicates that the Believers refuse to believe in the intelligence of these creatures which we hope will make archies attacks all that more demoralizing to them. If you do still plan on attacking before our troops arrive we would like to ask that you assault the bases on the eastern most edges of the Believer Island. I have contacted Morgan and he has agreed to a joint attack on the Throne of God base. Perhaps if you could liberate that base and turn it over to the Morganites it would be just the thing they need to help carry the battle to the Believers. With a coalition of forces breathing down her neck I am sure either one of two things will happen. Either Miriam will surrender and end the vendetta against us all or she will convince her followers to die to the last person. In helping Morgan help us we also demonstrate our willingness to work together as a team and not as adversaries, which brings up the next topic.

The good Professor contacted me and the conversation was not encouraging. I think age has taken its toll on the good man and unhinged his mind. I am not sure that when he agreed to the trade for bases so that you could get access to the manifold nexus whether he was sane or insane at the time. In essence he accused the Peacekeepers of trying to gain control of the planet and that he would stop us at all costs. I tried for hours to talk with him to prove to him that we did not harbor such beliefs. To prove this to him I offered him access to a technology that he did not posses and he wanted information on space flight. With some regret I did transfer the data files to him. I hope that this does not disrupt our relations since the technology as we know is very important and very dangerous. However, at the pace at which his scientists are working and the direction they are working we felt that it would be only a matter of a few years or so before he discovered it himself. I hope that this will show the University that we are a peaceful people only working to the benefit of all.

We have also made a breakthrough ourselves, frictionless surfaces! You cannot imagine how this material feels to the touch. I have been told it will open a whole new avenue of research for us and increase our development both industrially and militarily. I am transferring this technology to you as well in hopes that you can put it to good use as well.

On the domestic front my most able assistant Alexis Smith proved herself again. It seems the previous governor was a very corrupt man and with his downfall his supporters staged a riot last turn to protest his resignation. Alexis responded with an even hand and captured many of the ringleaders and is trying to root out the others. Her reorganization of many of the offices of the High Commissioners has earned her great praise since it has streamlined the work process and decision-making. Things just get done faster with less red tape.

Well, I did get a wedding picture from Grigory Ivanovich and he seems to very happy. I was taken aback a little at the new trend you Gaians seem to have started about going about, well, almost naked. I only have one question, where does one put a handkerchief?

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2248

Charles,

The Nano Factory is complete, and already it has earned its keep. Our military upgrades are now much more reasonably priced, so we are getting more bang for the buck in a literal way. The transports heading toward Miriam’s territory have already had all their units upgraded to shard/amphibious/clean for both rovers and infantry. Infantry got silksteel armor, and the rovers no armor. Our foils are busy blasting Miriam’s sensor arrays, which got rebuilt in a very short time. The plan is to eliminate almost all the defenders, and then let you take possession of the base. One word of warning: be sure to have a probe defender, or I suspect that Miriam will do to you what I am doing to Santiago. I understand that Miriam’s very good at infiltration, especially on her own turf. It would be catastrophic if you were to take her city, then she takes it back with your fusion shard defenders. If she gains access to this technology through subversion then our jobs just became much, much harder.

Having to give Zak orbital spaceflight means that Morgan has it too since he has the Planetary Datalinks. This in and of itself isn’t that bad since I don’t think either Zak or Morgan is likely to be a threat to us. The real threat is that they might sell this valuable technology to Santiago or Miriam. If that happens then we will have a problem on our hands, and both of us will have to construct orbital defense pods in case either of these two construct a planetbuster. If we keep up the offense then this will be hard for them; it will refocus our need, and I can guarantee that the Gaian offensive will gain a certain urgency.

We took another Hive city this last year. As before, our air force took out the defender and a drop infantry squad dropped in, permanently. As we speak we are constructing more drop troops. It is becoming more and more prohibitively expensive to subvert Santiago’s holding as we get closer to her capital and the targets are not in unrest. The lesson here is that offensive firepower might be easier. She still has a large number of cities, but we are poised to strike into the heart of her empire.

Thank you for the technology, and I will return the favor with Probability Mechanics. This will allow armor that is 50% more effective than silksteel, and we will prototype it right away. We may get yet another technological breakthrough next year. Gaia’s Landing is producing over 1300 research now, more than all the other empires on Planet put together. It is really quite astounding, and our researchers are breathless with eagerness. The resources that are allocated to them allow them to make advances by leaps and bounds – all it takes is energy. This they have in abundance thanks to the energy satellites and the benefits of eudiamonia, which has stimulated our economy. Almost all the primary Gaian cities are now in what can only be called a golden age, which only heightens their production.

It seems that Alexis is doing her job well, and that she is a prime candidate for a replacement when you decide to leave the job of president of the Peacekeepers behind. She seems like an honorable, if officious, woman, and I can appreciate that. I heard a few tales of Grigory that you didn’t, and suffice to say that he is adapting himself to Gaian society very well. He and his new wife are now well known for their late night walks in the gardens of Gaia’s High Garden, and lets say that they stand out. It seems we have stolen a jewel from you, which is surprising since most of the true talent seems to migrate to your shores.

Take care old friend, and Walk with Planet,
Dee

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2248

My friend Lady Skye,

We have established the new colonies as expected and they are up and running. We are hoping to have a land-based colony on the small island to our west established within 7 turns or as quickly as we can build another transport ship to carry the colony pods. Our assault ship is almost loaded and it should "ship out" next turn as planned. We are also planning to begin two new projects, the Pholus Mutagen and the living refinery. If it were not for this war I could be enjoying the last years of my life in peace and comfort.

I do have good and bad news to report. The good news is that I have named Alexis Smith as Chief Deputy Supreme General Secretary. I intend to turn over many of my day-to-day tasks to her and I will keep piling it on till she cries "uncle". I must know if she is ready to lead. She now has the support of the population for her swift actions to resolve the crisis and UN Planetary Trust and has built a good following of loyal supporters. The bad news is that my time has come. My doctors report that I will only last another three turns of the planet, if that. I wish I had been as young as you when I had landed on this planet but I was already an old man then. Do not weep for me but rejoice in my passing on to another challenge. I do regret that I seem to lack the traits or mental abilities to transcend this mortal coil as some of your citizens seem to be doing; rather I will simply cease. I suppose I take some consolation in the fact that there is an existence beyond the here and now that I can hope to achieve by some other means. With this in mind I will step down in three turns as well as the Planetary Governor and I will call for new elections. I assure you that Alexis Smith would make a remarkable Governor and would be serve this planet with her whole heart. I ask for your support when the voting comes around. I give you my guarantee that she holds the very ideals of the United Nations dream are pure in her heart.

In your last communication you did not mention if you would agree to attack the Believers base Throne of God and then turn it over the Morganites. Chairman Morgan is very pleased with this possibility and promises swift reinforcements to insure that the base is ready to carry the battle forward. We plan on building an aerospace complex at UN World Peace next turn and then start building attack helicopters so that they can provide ground support for our troops. I wonder once we have subdued both Miriam and
Santiago will the fighting end with them?

I hope that you will find the time to visit me before I pass on since I can no longer travel and I will be unable to make the journey to UN World Peace to participate in the conference we had planned in 10 turns.

Prosperity through Peace
Charles R. Dix IX
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2249

Charles,

I don’t know what to say. Are you sure there are no other options? Death seem so…final, and unnecessary. I will send a contingent of our best Gaian doctors and psi control experts since I have a suspicion that there might be a few avenues left to explore. You should know that our transcendi take any number of forms. There is even talk of an energy-only based transcendi, but there are some small problems with the law of conservation of matter. I don’t understand the details, but I’m sure that even that problem will be eliminated, one way or the other. A thought has been growing within me for a while, and now is as good a time as another to get it out: I think Planet is sentient. Moreover, our advances in the recent past have suggested that we might be able to become part of this sentience. If this is possible, and right now it may be nothing more than a flight of fancy, then I want you with me. I can think of nothing lonelier than the prospect of eternity without my one dear friend.

On more mundane matters, we took Ironholm in a direct assault and are poised to take two or three more Spartan cities next year. Santiago contacted me and offered a truce, and I rejected it. She has proven her worth, and all I will accept now is her disarmament. If necessary we will roll her militant empire up like a ball. Administering her old cities is something of a chore, and I am thinking it might be appropriate to gift these cities to Zak and Morgan. Neither of these two are likely to be very effective at defending themselves, so this would only be for behind the lines locations, perhaps some of the old Hive cities. It seems like poetic justice to have Yang’s cramped, dank warrens become havens for pure researchers or militant capitalists!

Our amphibious forces removed all but one of Miriams defenders at her western-most base. Our foils will remain to ensure sensors are removed and defenders subdued. There are now two more transports on the way, but it will take a while for them to get into position. Let me know if you will need any assistance in eliminating resistance. As to your proposal, I worry that Morgan would not do well against Miriam’s hordes. He is not known for his military prowess, and putting him in the middle of such a fray seems foolhardy. Now, if you don’t mind Morgan as a neighbor it would be fine after Miriam is subdued, if that is possible.

Speaking of technology, we are finishing the Universal Translator this year. Why, you might ask? It seems that this might be the key to unlock the secrets from some of the monoliths that are present throughout our territory, and it promises to allow multiple linkages to artifacts, many of which are en route to our territory. Since all our bases are now linked with mag tubes it will be a simple thing to link them all up as soon as they get to our territory.

Since our efforts at subverting Santiago’s bases have diminished so has our need for energy. Therefore the Council has approved my motion to increase our energy allocation to our laboratories to 70%. We are now producing over 5000 research, which will generate at least one technological advance a year. The pace of change is only accelerating, and I would be surprised if one of these advances, say in nano surgery, might not be the key to your continued health. All I can ask is that you hold on for as long as you can – a solution will come.

Walk with Planet,
Dee

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2249

To the leader of the Gaian people, Lady Skye,

I report to you with great sadness the death of Governor Dix. He passed quietly in the night, his death was the result of a massive hemorrhage of the brain. It is now the third day since his passing and I have been authorized by the General Assembly to initiate a Planetary Council to elect a new governor. I have contacted both Director Morgan and Professor Zakharov and informed them of the situation. I have also asked them to support me as the new planetary governor and they have both agreed to do so. My reasons for wishing the job are simple. First, I wish to carry on with the plans our great leader had envisioned. Second, a large portion of the planetary administrative staff resides at UNHQ so the upheaval of moving the planetary administration would cause great amount of chaos. I know Governor Dix contacted you about supporting my nomination and should you choose not to I understand as will the Peacekeeper nation. Long has the name of Deirdre Skye been a name of great honor and a name of friendship to all Peacekeepers. Of all the elder leaders on this planet you would be our first choice to be governor it I were not asking for the office. You have a great amount of power in the planetary council and I would caution you that during my discussions with Morgan and Zakharov that they both are supporting me more for the fact that they feel that to support you will only further your climb to dominance over them. That is their perceptions not mine or the Peacekeepers but it is why they wish to forward my leadership. I would caution you that should you choose to lead the planet council that both Morgan and Zakharov might feel even more threatened and begin to actively work against you, both militarily and industrially. I am sure this does not truly worry the Gaian nation since you posses a vast and powerful military but even so fighting a war on three fronts will not be easy even with our aid to support you. Please consider the entire situation before voting.

On to other matters. Our transport ship left as scheduled and is en route. I have altered the attack plan and we will assault the most western colony first and then move east. Even though we would split the Believer island in two we would also allow them the tactical advantage of "surrounding" our base and giving them the advantage of attacking at will from any direction. I have extensive talks with Director Morgan and I assure you should you liberate a believer colony and turn it over to Morgan's control there would be no conflict between us. It is our hope that we can further or relationship by extending our treaty status to even a higher level. Director Morgan has even offered to work with our High Commissioner of Industry to refine and streamline our production, I have agreed to the exchange. Should you choose not to transfer a base I have already made agreements to do so once we capture several of the Believer bases and can turn over one that we can both agree to.

I have some belongings that Governor Dix has asked to be transferred to your possession. I am dispatching a reliable merchant ship to take them to you. I hope you find some peace with them. I look forward to meeting you and working with you in the future in whatever our relationship might bring.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2250

Alexis,

You cannot begin to understand the depths of my sorrow. Now I understand why humans are not designed to live forever. I know I can live with having left my enemies behind, even seeing precious planet Earth sicken and die, but can I live with seeing and feeling the end of my true and life-long friends? It is like a hole has been ripped in my soul, and it is a bleak picture; imagine this happening throughout time – loss after loss, until all that remains is pain and emptiness. Charles was that important to me. You may not know or understand this, but Charles was my friend before your parents were born when we were back on Earth, and on Unity. We were fast friends before you were born, and had become soul mates when you were still soiling your diapers. We lived through the worst trials of humanity and, together, we have persevered. It was Charles vision that kept me going when I thought I should give up, or give in to my baser instincts. My own vision could be myopic, and Charles helped me see that, and to reach for something larger, and better. Charles kept the vision of the best of humanity alive, and even my people and I might have slipped if he hadn’t inspired and been a true leader.

Eulogy aside, to business. Your message was blunt, Alexis, so let me be blunt in return: I am offended by your arrogance, and by your threatening tone. Charles told me, or perhaps warned me, that you were ambitious and would let nothing stand in your way. He also asked me, almost pleaded with me, to support you as you took over the leadership of the Peacekeepers. So, as your first demonstration of ‘leadership’ you act to guarantee the votes of our old allies Morgan and Zakharov as you reach for the position of Planetary Governor. And then you threaten me, and my people, in low, subtle ways if we vote the wrong way. I must tell you that Charles once before implored me to support his designated successor, and to trust him in his efforts to lead the Peacekeeper. Charles felt his age, and the weight of his office, long before and he desired a mote of peace. In that desire, or longing, he appointed Karl to be his designated heir. And how, Alexis, did that turn out? Now I understand the Karl left quite the mess behind him. He showed precious little of the leadership, and vision, that Charles did. Now even mere days after Charles’ death you demand that I support you. My answer? No, I will not support you. This decision may be a byproduct of my grief, and my simmering anger at your affront to your station and presumed office, but I will not support you. I will abstain in the vote for Planetary Governor. Zak and Morgan will vote for you, and you will vote for yourself. You will be elected. But know that I will be watching you, and I will be a harsh judge since you have a bigger set of shoes to fill than you know. Being the Planetary Governor is more than intelligence on your enemies, or proposals and initiatives: it is about vision and leadership. These were Charles’ qualities. I hope they will be yours, and they might be in time. Time, indeed, will tell.

Other news seems pale and insignificant. We have taken another Spartan city. We have built the Universal Translator, and have started the Dream Twister and a few more projects. I have forwarded to your aids, in a gesture of goodwill to the Peacekeeper people (and not necessarily to you), the gifts of Quantum Power, Quantum Mechanics, and Graviton Theory. Doubtless you will find these useful, and I wish your people the best.

Time seems compressed, and seems so short. I don’t know the future, but I have been hearing a Voice recently, soft and whispering. Is it the final advances of senility? Perhaps. Everything seems possible.

Good day, Alexis

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2250

Lady Deirdre Skye,

I hope that in time you will learn to trust based upon my actions not my words. You might be interested in knowing that I did not want to be planetary governor due to personal reasons that I do not wish to discuss now. I acted at the request of the General Assembly so that we could maintain our control of the planetary administration and leadership. However, now that I am planetary governor I do intend to follow in the steps and with the same purpose and hopes as my predecessor. You will learn that I am a person of quick action and resolve and to be honest with you I was unsure as to what level your grief over the loss of your friend would play into your decision concerning my nomination as governor. The Peacekeepers are at war with the Believers and essentially at war with the Spartans since we support the Gaians in your struggle with them. I was asked to act, by the General Assembly, and I did. Lastly, I did not mean to infer that Peacekeepers would be one of those "future fronts" but both Director Morgan and Professor Zakharov have deep misgivings at the rate of advancement the Gaians are making. You are systematically dismantling the entire Spartan federation and you are doing so without any need to tap into any reserves. Your economic might allows you to generate both "bullets and beans" using the old earth slang without hardly taxing your economic capabilities. Both Director Morgan and Professor Zakharov, I feel, see the Peacekeepers as a means to balance the forces on this planet. We both understand that their perceptions do not make reality. Should the Gaians decide to "control" the planet there is little we could do to stop you short of using planet busters. That is reality, plain and simple. Do I think that you would want to control the entire planet? No. Would we ever use planet busters to stop you? No. So we must make sure that neither CEO Morgan nor Professor Zakharov reach a point in their reasoning that would lead them to assume that they must act now, to attack the Gaians, or forever hold their peace. In fact, your abstaining from the voting sent a clear message that the Peacekeepers were NOT your "yes men" but rather an organization independent and willing to stand up for everyone on this planet.

I hope that your grief and anger will subside in time and that you will look back at this message and the one before it and see that my actions were not motivated from ambition but out of duty to my people and the planet.

Our troop transport has cleared the Gibraltar Gates and the sea fungus fields and will now move at top speed to the west to begin the attacks. We still intend to defeat the Believers and put an end to their fanatical ways. Sister Miriam even contacted me offering to end the war if we would transmit technology about space flight. We declined to accept those terms. I will see to it that Miriam and her Believers will soon face their judgment day.

Our bases are expanding and improvement projects are moving along at a good pace as well. We should be able to finish the Living Refinery and the Pholus Mutagen, both, within a decade. We are planning on 2 more sea colonies and one land based colony and then we will cease to expand for some time, using time and money to developed these new colonies.

May your grief find a peaceful end.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2251

Planetary Governor Smith,

I regret to inform you that Lady Skye has taken ill, and has been semi-conscious for the last two weeks. Her doctors, both transcendi, are keeping her level of stimulation down to a minimum, and they specifically instructed me to take your communication since the last time she did so she seemed quite upset. It seems Lady Skye is physically sound, in as much as someone who is 126 can be sound, and the transcendi do not quite understand what might be wrong. The only coherent thing she has said in the last week was an order to build more sensor arrays. Since the terraforming crews have little else to do they are doing as ordered, and since it can do no harm.

There is some important news you should be aware of Governor Smith. First and foremost, both Coronal Santiago and Sister Miriam surrendered to us this last year. Santiago said that her defeat was total, and that she saw no point in continuing the war. Miriam was likewise humbled after our amphibious troops took one of her cities without much of a fight on her part. Santiago had no relations with any of the other faction leaders, and she may consent to ‘play nice’. In fact, the Council is going to insist on it. Miriam is more problematic. The Council insisted that she call off her war with the Peacekeepers and she gave us the old tired line of having been paid, and having to fulfill a contract. She was quite irrational in her insistence of this point. So, while Miriam is content to be at peace with we Gaians she is not content to be at peace with your people. It is possible that Miriam has tricked us into peace, effectively leaving your people out in the cold. In a related matter, we called on Morgan and asked him to call off his vendetta against Miriam, and he likewise refused. This makes politics very complicated, since both Miriam and Morgan are, apparently, intractable. The Council is deadlocked and is unsure what to do, and they ask for your advice since Miriam’s intransigence directly concerns you.

The Council has authorized me to transmit to you the specifications for Matter Compression, Applied Gravitonics, and Super Tensile Solids. These should be of great interest to you. Gaia’s Landing has just completed the Space Elevator, made possible with the technology of Super Tensile Solids, a few supply crawlers, and a good amount of energy. You should know that Gaia research is accelerating, and there is no end in sight. You will, of course, be apprised of each advance as soon as possible.

Kindly accept my apologies for Lady Skye’s absence. It is all of our hope that she gets better soon.

Hsu Hoi Wang
Gaian Council Chair

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2251

Gaian Council,

I wish to pass on to you and to Lady Skye my best wishes for her recovery. I am sure that with all the advanced medical research you have at your command healing her injury should not prove to such a daunting task. However, injuries to the spirit are very difficult to heal and the loss of Governor Dix I am sure has been a deep hurt to her.

The Believer situation is difficult. I intend to neutralize the Believer threat once and for all. Director Morgan and myself both agree that Sister Miriam's forces must be brought into check. I intend to make sure that all she is left with is one or two bases so that she can practice her faith in peace and be of no threat to the more prospers and peace loving nations. The war with the Believers has always been more of a Peacekeeper/Believer war than a Gaian war so if you wish not to continue the battle that is acceptable to us. We of course will have to focus all of our strength to completing our task so we will have to respect the informal truce we have with the Spartan Federation. Unless you call upon us for emergency assistance we will not be free to help you with you war with the Spartans. It is fortunate that you have brokered a peace with Colonel Santiago and I do hope that it holds. I have read many of the data files that Governor Dix accumulated about the Colonel and I warn you that unless you "pull her teeth" she will take this time to accumulate resources to attack you again.

Little has changed this turn. I have undertaken a reorganization of the Council of High Commissioners and I have reduced their number to eight. The new departments will operate much more effectively and I will have greater control over making sure they carry out their missions and manage their responsibilities as required.

I have revised my plan as to the number of colonies we intend to complete in the near future. We still intend to complete another sea and land colony on the Isle of Athena but we also intend to put a sea colony near Hollow Island and one further to west and north along the north edge of the Spartan/Gaian continent. These outpost colonies will give us early warning capability that we urgently need. I do have a message from Lady Skye informing us that there would be not "problem" with our colonization of Hollow Island, is this still correct? If not please inform us as quickly as possible so that we can decide what to do.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2252

Governor Alexis,

I am happy to report that Deirdre has made a full recovery, in body that is. Ever since Charles’ death she has become detached, and consumed with her own projects. She continues to direct the former crews to construct sensor arrays wherever possible. She has also directed some of our cities to build empath hovertanks, although she won’t say why. Two weeks ago she directed that all aircraft are to return to home territory. Before that she has insisted that several bases construct elaborate new Chiron Preserves, and then that they are to construct an even more intricate native project called Temple of Chiron. She will explain none of these actions, and when challenged even gently she gets a far away look in her eyes, as if someone else is talking to her and she can’t really hear you. Her obsessive behavior aside, she seem to be in good health, although she has lost much interest in administering recently captured bases and the Gaian war material that is scattered all across Planet. I did ask Deirdre if she had an opinion on what to do about Miriam, and she said that you should do what you saw fit and that Gaian forces would stay out of the way. She was almost dismissive, as if Miriam was not at all important; in many ways it seems that she treats many formerly important tasks as unimportant.

As to new Peacekeeper bases, the Gaian Council sees no reason that your people should not settle where they wish. The Gaian Council as absolutely no interest in establishing new bases since we now have not only our own, but all of Yang’s and many of Santiago’s, and even one of Miriam’s. If we can help you in your efforts let us know – we may be able to get a former crew out for you to prepare some land. One of the Council members even suggested outfitting one of our formers with drop pods so it can get to Hollow Island quickly and easily! It seemed funny at first, but then we realized that wasn’t a half bad idea!

There was one item that Deirdre insisted on, and that was turning over two bases to Zak as compensation for effectively poaching his territory, and the Manifold Nexus. Dreams of Green and Lily of the Valley were both turned over the Zak with no ceremony, there was imply a change of base governors. Zak was pleased, since this gave him control of Mount Planet, and a fairly rich area nearby. He didn’t show any lingering resentment at having the Nexus removed under his control, and I hope this continues to be the case.

Note that we have attached the secrets of Singularities, and the singularity reactor. Of all the technologies that have been churned out of the hyperactive Gaian labs this is perhaps the most frightening – humans are now able to harness the power of a black hole! Now they are micro black holes, and even if they were to get out of control they would essentially evaporate into a stream of deadly high-energy particles, but the idea is astounding. We also finished the Self Aware Colony and Dream Twister projects in the last year. More projects are likely to come, but these are stymied for a while since most of these were authorized by Dee, and she seems uninterested in most of these advances. These is odd, since these projects, more than anything, would stir her sense of wonder and were sources of endless scientific speculation for her. She seems to have her own Project in mind, but she will tell no one what it is. We may be able to weasel it out of her, and if we do I’ll be sure to tell you.

Take care,
Hsu Hoi Wang
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2252

Lady Deirdre Skye and Gaian Council,

I will be brief and to the point. Beginning next turn we will begin our assault on the Believers. Much of this turn has been spent in preparation for this task at hand so I have little "new" news to inform you of. We are bracing ourselves for the onslaught and will reserve as much energy credit reserves as possible over the next two to three turns so that we can make upgrades to the bases we capture. Once we capture several bases I do plan on still holding the planetary council that Governor Dix wished to have. I hope that someone from the Gaian High Council or Lady Skye herself can attend. Director Morgan and Professor Zakharov have been very interested in meeting and resolving some issues.

I have been authorized by the UN General Assembly to make an "official" inquiry as to the preparations your leader Lady Skye is making. It is of concern to us since it seems that you and your Gaian council are greatly distracted at a time when the security and safety of the planet is paramount. I hope that you understand we are only concerned about the reports we are getting from our planetary administrators about the actions of Lady Skye. Should you choose to not "inform" us then we will have to accept and hope that you will trust us at some other date.

I hope that on our next communication we will have good news to report, the beginning of the end to the Believers.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2253

Alexis,

You don’t have to get snippy. I’ll be perfectly happy to tell you what is going on, and I thought that I had. If you want to hold an inquiry then do so, but you are not likely to get much more than what I have told you. Deirdre is hardly keeping what she is doing secret. Here is a short list of her recent activities and directives: recalling aircraft to defensive positions, authorizing the building of empath hovertanks, refitting of infantry and old rovers to have empath ability, triple redundancy sensors, redundant mag tube lines (where possible), rush building of ecologically friendly city improvements. What does that say to you, Alexis? To me, now that I think of it, the pattern is clear: Dee expects some sort of native life outbreak. The question now is why does she expect this? I might be able to shed a bit of light on that, too. Ever since the discovery of Centauri Meditation so many years ago Dee has thought that Planet might have a more integrated ecology than we thought, more like a super organism. Evidence from all the ancient artifacts we have found, monoliths, and the Manifold Nexus give suggestions of something deeper. Occasionally Dee has mentioned a ‘Voice’, and she has been a little evasive on the subject, even a little defensive. One thing is clear: she suspects something but she isn’t sure of it. I’ll leave you with one last thought – have your patrols noticed unusual mindworm activity recently? Last year one of our isles was attacked by a swarm of airborne mindworms, the rare Locust of Chiron. Just last week the Council has had reports of rogue isles, and more than a few mindworms have been seen erupting out of the fungus on the Spartan and Gaian continent – from wherever there is fungus. What would happen to us if there were a really severe Planet-wide native outbreak? Could we survive? So far we have been so busy fighting each other, in typical human fashion, that this possibility wasn’t considered. Maybe Dee is considering it, and maybe the rest of us should, too.

In other news, we’ve had three more technological breakthroughs. Unfortunately our comm. channel did not accept the datastream, but I assure you the data will be forthcoming in the Council’s next transmission. We have built the Clinical Immortality Project, and that got Dee’s attention for a few days. She had a long talk with the project’s director, and neither of them was very happy about it based on the reports I received. Dee has been driving him pretty hard, and it is my guess that she chewed him out for being a few years too late to save Charles.

Do what you need to Alexis. If you need depositions you will get them. Dee is at Gaia’s High Garden at the moment, and if you ask nicely she would likely answer your questions. I would advise you to tread lightly, however, since she evidently doesn’t like you much.

Take care,
Hsu Hoi Wang
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2253

To the Gaian Council and Lady Skye,

I have relayed your "explanation" of your government’s activities to the General Assembly and we thank you for your answers. We were just concerned about Lady Skyes very abrupt change in activities so close after the passing of Governor Dix. As to the question of "heightened" native activity I have checked all reports and I can say that we see no pattern indicating increasing levels.

Our troops have landed on Believer soil and have begun attacking Godwinsons Hope. Unfortunately during the sea passage our infantry unit become very ill. All of the soldiers became very sick and many of them died and we could not find the cause. So instead of having the needed four assault units we could only land three and we were unable to capture the base during the first round of assaults. We hope to be able to storm the city walls and liberate it next turn and our troops will have air cover due to the completion of skyfort at UN World Peace. However, if Miriam catches our forces out in the open, especially with her aircraft, our troops could be in grave danger. Our intelligence does not seem to be able to locate her aircraft at any of her bases so we can only assume that they are either in route to attack us or they are flying scouting patterns. The last time we had any solid reports of their locations was over two turns ago and they were at the Throne of God base on the other side of the island.

Please inform Lady Skye that I would like to meet her some time, face to face. If she could let me know when this could be accomplished at a time and place of her choice please let me know. I would like to meet with her and any other planetary leader that would like to join us. Perhaps the Gaians would like to "host" the event since your bases seem to be the most centrally located on the planet for any of us to travel to.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2254

Alexis,

First, a bit of news. One of our isles located the Believer air force coming back from scouting over the Monolith Ring. You’ll likely find them in the eastern portion of the Believer island. One of our foils saw the vicious Believer counterattack, and let me offer my condolences to your valiant rover crew. Our military planners have opted for having amphibious ability, since that gives them more attack ability and less vulnerability to counter attack.

I did relay your message to Dee. She was not interested in a meeting, but she put together this open letter to you, the other heads of government, including Miriam and Santiago, and the people of Planet. I think you’ll find it interesting.

Take care,
Hsu Hoi Wang
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*~*

To General Secretary Alexis, Professor Zakharov, CEO Morgan, Coroanl Santiago, Sister Miriam, and the people of Planet,

You have no doubt heard some rumors of strange actions taken by me under the authority of the Gaian Council. These actions have, apparently, disturbed some of you to the point of questioning my leadership ability, and the stability of the Gaian society. After much deliberation I have decided, and the Council agreed, to present to all of you what I believe is potentially the greatest opportunity and threat that humanity has ever faced.

I now have strong evidence that Planet, or Chiron to non-Gaians, is sentient. I do not mean this in a mystical or magical say, but in that it functions as a super organism. We have seen the signs of this for years, but it eluded us during our struggles for survival, and against each other, and are only now becoming clear as our ability to understand Planet is unfolding geometrically. As evidence I will reference you to my writings on Centauri Empathy and Centauri Psi. How can this occur, you ask? And how can a planet be an organism? For this I refer you to various essays on the Xenoempathy Dome, which comes to the startling conclusion that the xenofungus IS the neural network of Planet. Moreover, this lifeform is older than we can imagine, as speculated about in Sentient Econometrics.

What does all this mean? More importantly, why should you as leaders and citizens of your societies care? The reason why is simple: I believe that Planet is again approaching its cycle where it approaches awareness, and that we Humans have been the stimulus. Why do the voracious mindworms seem to seek out our buildings, and try to kill our people? Because they are like an immune system, trying to repel a foreign invader – us. As we have been in contact with Planet we have awakened something, or acted as a trigger. There is evidence of previous cycles of destruction in the geological record of this planet, and we can’t ignore that since almost all life forms died during these spasms. The destruction during these cycles is cataclysmic, and even if you don’t believe in Planet sentience you should take precautions against these spasms, which will likely be a massive outbreak of mindworms of all vectors – already our Gaian scouts have seen rare Locust of Chiron and more rogue Isles that recorded in recent memory. This is the reason why I have instructed our cities to have aggressive air patrols, and empath units for defense during this spasm: self-defense. It is clear that a previous alien civilization did not survive a previous spasm. Witness the alien artifacts, monoliths, and borehole cluster, not to mention the Manifold Nexus. I do not intend that humanity, in our last refuge, to fail as these aliens apparently did.

These issues are for defense, and survival, and with proper preparation we are likely to pull though. My vision is greater, and grander, than that. I believe that we humans can help Planet achieve its sentience where it has failed for billions of sad years in cycles of growing awareness followed by catastrophic destruction. I intend on harnessing the resources of the Gaian people to give Planet every chance it can to finally reach its potential. This could be called a sort of Transcendence, if you like, where Planet will grow and become infinitely greater than what it is.

What would happen to humans in this Transcendence? Would we be along for the ride, or perhaps barely clinging to life as the world literally changes around us? Perhaps, but I think not. There is ample evidence that the communication and Planet is larger than we humans, but that it can include humans as it achieves its Transcendence. From the beginning we Gaians have had a certain empathy with Planet, and an ability to communicate with its denizens. This ability has grown with technology, and changes in our form of government, and now your societies can have a certain empathy too. Many among us report ‘voices’ that seem to whisper, and our more sensitive empaths and transcendi report this with increasing incidence. The voices have similar messages – warnings, and questions. I have heard these voices for some years and am only now giving them all my attention.

Very soon we Gaians will be constructing grand Projects that will dwarf all others. Already we are building a few Temples of Planet, which are devoted to understanding the root meaning of Planet. I can assure you that more Projects will come. If I am right, then humans will help heal a wounded Planet, even as we destroyed ours. If I am right that we, too, can join with Planet as it transcends, either as leaders or as helpers. If this comes to pass then I invite all humans to join with me, and Planet, as we reach for our next step in evolution.

I have attached the specifications for Controlled Singularity, Matter Transmission, Matter Editation, and Temporal Mechanics. I hope you will find them to be useful.

As I said in my essays on the Xenoempathy Dome, I believe Planet is trying to talk to us. Please, try to listen.

Walk with Planet,
Lady Deirdre Skye

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2254

Lady Deirdre Skye and the Gaian Council,

I am informing you of our capture of Godwinsons Hope this last turn. Our new skyfort turned the tide of battle and we were able to occupy the base. Are engineers were able to install within several weeks all of the upgrades we had brought on the transport ship such as, a permitter fence, naval yards and cloning vats. We will try and concentrate on improving the conditions of this base as soon as possible after we complete some needed anti-espionage units. I have read the reports on the Hive and Spartan bases you captured and the state the UN World Peace was in and the conditions were just as bad at Godwinsons Hope if not worse. These people were suffering from malnutrition and the living conditions only contributed to the poor health. Also, it seems that many of the population practiced self-punishment to atone for their sins but many of these wounds become infected and lead to further health complications. I can only believe that in time the people we will liberate from Miriam's control will come to enjoy the freedoms and comforts that those at UN World Peace do.

I am troubled on two fronts with your last letter. First, there is the troubling fact that you do not want to hold a meeting of leaders so we can discuss issues concerning this planet and our people. I think this is a shortsighted course you are charting. I have talked with Director Morgan and he has offered to host the meeting at one of his bases and I have also gotten a commitment from Professor Zakharov to attend as well. I do hope that you will change your mind.

Secondly, I am still trying to understand all of the implications of your last letter concerning the possibility of a sentient planet. We both know that mind worm attacks do increase when the planets orbit moves into a certain position relative to the suns and this seems to increase the energy the fungus and mind worms use causing increased attacks. Could there not be a more "practical" reason for the increased attacks rather than a hypothesis that would have us believe that the entire planet is alive. Apart from that the practical implications of your statements and our efforts to terraform this planet are in direct conflict. Our Peacekeeper efforts to transform our island have gone on for over a hundred years and there are many areas where you have to travel a great distance to even see a patch of xeno-fungus. Are you now suggesting that we raze our fields, burn our forests, crack our solar collectors, tear down our condensers, sink our tidal wave energy generators and fill in our mines and boreholes and try to thrive from the fungus alone? My scientists have studied your data and read your reports and can not draw the same conclusions you do. Time will tell. I intend to keep the same policies as General Secretary Dix did and maintain our "green" economic model and try to expand so that we do not create any negative eco-environmental impacts. However, we will continue to plant forests and build solar collectors and plant crops and develop mines. I did discuss this was Director Morgan and he voiced the same concerns as I have along with an even more sinister possibility. I do want to state right now that I do not concur with his belief but I will tell you what he said. Director Morgan has suspicions that this might be an elaborate plot to try and control the planet and us along with it under Gaian domination. I think you understate the amount of "control" you have over this planet and there are those who feel that you will use this power to set yourself above us all. Like I have stated this is not the official Peacekeeper belief nor it is my un-official belief but it is the belief of others and should these attacks start there will be those who might look to the Gaians as the source of the trouble. I am speaking as plainly and openly as I can so that we do not misunderstand each other. The Peacekeepers are loyal allies to the Gaians and I hope that it will always be so. Unfortunately I cannot control the Morganites or the University or the Spartans when they see massive locust and mind worm attacks devastate their cities and population they will want to hold someone accountable. Especially if for some "reason" the Gaians seem to be spared from these attacks while others are suffering. If you have further data or if my scientist could travel to your labs to see the "raw" data, examine your technology that allows you to obtain this information and confer with your specialists then we might see the problem in a different light. Please let me know when or "if" my scientists can visit.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2255

Dear Alexis,

Congratulations on liberating Godwinson’s Hope! I am sure that Miriam’s citizens will be much better administered than under her ‘enlightened’ rule. Even though she is supposedly subservient to us she still walks her own way, and in a large part the Council is accepting of that. It is bothersome that no amount of rational talk will get her to give up her pointless war against the Peacekeepers. The outcome in this battle is pre-ordained. I am sure you military planners will find out what our then-inexperienced Gaian generals did: the first inroad is the hardest. From then on you are able to build on what you have, and it is the proverbial slippery slope. You mentioned that Godwinson’s Hope was pretty bleak, and I believe you. The Hive and Spartan bases we now administer were truly in sad shape, and you may have noticed that we have invested huge amounts of energy in their well being. These former Spartans and Hivians are now, doubtlessly, more content than they were in the past.

As to the other more important matter, Lady Skye has a gift to you that should explain all your questions: Ascent to Transcendence. This technology is exactly what Dee foretold, and it has wiped away any remaining doubt in the mind of those on the Gaian Council. We have given you all the advances we have made, and your people have kindly reciprocated the favor, and even then I have to say that I found your conclusion that Dee was mistaken startling. Although there is room for doubt, the case was well made. Regardless of past squabbles, if this doesn’t convince you and the other faction leaders then nothing can. All we can do is present the evidence and let it speak for itself.

The Council did ‘request’ that Dee slow down her program and projects, and she reluctantly agreed. In a way we used her own words against her since she warned that we must be prepared for an upwelling of Planet. Many of our bases only have one defender, and that defender doesn’t even have trance ability. Although valiant, even they will have a hard time defending against a determined mindworm and locust attack. All of our bases will now be upgraded to have trance ability, and every base will have a second garrison, preferably an empath rover or hovertank. In case locust come calling every other or every third base will have air defense. Since we don’t truly know what is coming it is best to be prepared. Moreover, this extra time will allow the other factions to digest this bit of startling news, and break down some of the doubt. It will also give time to prepare.

You seemed to have a question about terraforming. This vision of Dee’s in no way suggests that any terraforming will become undone. However, it is now almost redundant since fungus produces more resources than a fully developed terraformed area. What I think Dee meant is that the fungal outbreak will likely accompany the spasm of worms, and that we should be prepared for it. Normal terraformed land does have its advantages, since sensors and mag tubes will function and it is not certain that is the case with fungus.

Dee has also become enamored with several of the Projects that have, so far, remained on the drawing board. She convinced the Council to complete the Telepathic Matrix this year. On its face this is a rather frightening Project, and I hope it will be used for good. I can only imaging what those who see dark Gaian designs might say. Next Dee is setting her eyes on space, and the resources it holds.

Lastly, the Gaian Council will sponsor a High Council at a location of the choosing of the Planetary Council. All issues will be on the table, and hopefully this will end any remaining misgivings that the other factions might have. The Gaian Council has spoken with both Miriam and Santiago, and they have dutifully agreed to attend. Since Morgan seems to see some dark plot the Council would appreciate it if you could broach the subject with him. Likewise for Zak. Lady Skye will not be attending, but the way. She has resigned from the Gaian Council to pursue her own projects. We insisted that she remain an adjunct to the Council, since anything else would almost destroy our authority in the eyes of our citizens. As you noted, she has changed so much since Charles died. She has gotten a new vision, and I personally think she is trying to live up to his standard. The weight of that responsibility probably played a part in Charles’ untimely death, and I hope that it won’t weigh so heavily on Dee.

Take care,
Hsu Hoi Wang
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2255
Gaian Council and Hsu Hoi Wang Council Chairperson,

I am elated that the Gaians will participate in the Planetary Council meeting. Please inform my planetary staff of which city you would like to host the event. I have conferred with Director Morgan and Professor Zakharov and the earliest date they can attend would be in three turns. This time table also is very convenient with my schedule since it will be 5 turns before we will continue our assaults on the Believer bases. Our plan is to capture one base every five turns. Our generals believe this is a very reasonable time table to work with. I do want to make it clear to you and you can pass this information on to Sister Miriam that we will not be swayed or threatened into ending our war with the Believers so do not even broach the subject at the council meeting, I will not allow it on the agenda. The Peacekeepers intend to pull Miriam's teeth and claws and make sure she no longer is a threat to the security of the planet. Director Morgan agrees with our position since her actions and those of her people also threaten the economic security of our people, as well. So please plan on the Peacekeepers, University and the Morganites to arrive in three turns for the conference unless this does not meet with your approval.

I do want to be let you know that I have conferred with our top planetary scientists and we have re-studied the data and information again that Lady Skye has researched. We do have one question and that is if the Gaians have achieved such an understanding of the planet have you been able to communicate with it, the planet, and if so why do you not just ask it to not attack us? I think this is the "crux" of the issue with Director Morgan and Professor Zakharov and to some extent myself. From all the data we have now from Lady Skye why does she not just direct or "guide" the planet away from attacking us? So you see why if there are attacks there will be those who think that the Gaians are using the planet to weaken us all to your advantage. I think we all could understand an attack by another faction but by an entire planet, who could withstand such and assault? Also, my scientists do not agree with your hypothesis that the ancient civilization that lived here perished due to the native life. My academy of the planet offers various possibilities as to extinction of this long past race. Lastly, it has been forwarded by Director Morgan that the Gaians should "shoulder" the responsibility of defending the humans on this planet from the "possible" attacks by the mind worms. I have been authorized by the General Assembly to build an air base on our island so that you could station several aerial psi defense units and if needed a bunker base complex with sensor equipment for your ground troops. Your troops would have the best possible chance of defending the various factions against the psi attacks and of course you could keep all the planet pearls you harvest from the dead worms to offset your expenditures in material. I intend to forward this plan of action at the council meeting so if you would like to discuss it in more details please let me know.

Lastly, I have good news. We have completed the Pholus Mutagen project and the environmental impact it has already given our island is tremendous. All of our bases have next to zero ecological effects on the environment that should please Lady Skye. We hope to complete the living refinery very soon as well.

I do hope that we can build the same level of friendship over time the Lady Skye had with General Secretary Dix.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2256

Dear Alexis,

I’m afraid I have bad news. Our foils near Believer territory saw a series of Believer probe teams slip past your defenses and into Godwinson’s Hope. Shortly thereafter they took down your flag and once again raised the Believer flag over this formerly captured city. Miriam may be behind in technology, but she has some of the best probe operatives on Planet. This means that all your hard fought territory is lost. Moreover, now Miriam can start building the units you had in this city, and she essentially got a new prototype of the best armor, weapon, reactor, and special enhancements. I feel for your people, Alexis, since the loss of this technology is much worst than losing the city. It is possible that you could have had them build a cheap fission infantry probe team for almost nothing, and then upgraded it instead of building the best, which takes far too long. In the future you may want to advise your military generals that more than firepower is needed.

Your second comment on Lady Skye ‘leading’ Planet suggests that Dee need to clarify her position. She is not an emissary, but merely someone who seems to have a greater empathy and understanding to Planet. He thesis is that Planet is like an awakening baby that reacts to stimuli. As it gets better coordinated these reactions become more accurate, and more violent, since we are the irritant that Planet is likely reacting to. She could no more reason with this dawning consciousness than you could with a baby. All you can do is try to anticipate its feelings and do what you can to make it comfortable.

The assault that Planet might throw is unknown, but it is safe to be prepared. And it will likely happen sooner than later; far too soon to have Gaian units garrison all bases on Planet. It takes so long to ferry any units anywhere, even with drop pods, that it is likely that the Spasm will have passed before they could get into position. It is certainly worth of discussion in the Planetary Council, however.

I have to admit that the evidence for the theory of the alien civilization being exterminated by Planet is circumstantial. It just seems far too convenient that these ruins seem to coincide with the last planetary spasm. There are too many aspects of Planet that are tailored, and this type of coincidence makes me quiet suspicious.

Congratulation on completing the Mutagen! We finished the Singularity Inductor this last year, and it is possible that we will have more production than we know what to do with. We will keep you informed. You should know that our scientists made three breakthroughs in Transcendent Thought, but that it is not possible to transmit them to you. I don’t know why, but apparently the theorems are so complicated that they reside within the transcendi in which they originated. Now, we could send you the transcendi, but that would hardly be efficient.

Dee continues to work on her projects, and she only rarely checks in with the Council. She only asks when she can start the Ascent to Transcendence. So far we have put it off in deference to your efforts to educate the other leaders and prepare.

Take care,
Hsu Hoi Wang
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2256

The Gaian Council,

I will be brief and to the point. The loss of the Godwinsons Hope has been a shock to us all. Our intelligence network failed to anticipate the ability of the Believers espionage units. We had assumed that they lacked the financial resources to subvert our base, we were wrong. Several generals and high-ranking intelligence officials have lost their positions due to this "fiasco". The only bright spot to this situation is the fact that most of the technology they captured was already "ancient" when compared to what we have now, but, even still, we have allowed our enemy an advantage. To rectify this I have declared a state of national emergency and I have re-directed much of the economic output of all our bases to the construction of military hardware. In less than 10 turns Miriam will find it hard to see when the sun is blocked due to wave after wave of anti-grav sky forts that are equipped with special permitted piercing weapons. Her bases will be cracked like an eggshell. To make matters worse Miriam contacted the General Assembly and demanded that we return UN World Peace in exchange for not destroying us. When the thunderous roar of anger filled the room with a resounding NO she then offered a blood truce and would now consider a blood truce with us providing we help her attack our good friend Director Morgan. This then brought a second round of outrage and another cry of NO! Suffice it to say that legislation was passed directing me to pursue an all out war against the Believers and to bring Sister Miriam Godwinson before a tribunal so that she will be held accountable for her actions against her own people and others.

I have reached a turning point as leader of the Peacekeepers. Should I succeed I will most likely attain almost unprecedented power in our nation, should I loose the war then I will most likely be voted out of office and I might stand trial for negligence. If the Believers were able to defeat us when they barely produce a fraction of the power, food and minerals than we do is, almost, unthinkable. I must attend to a war council and I do hope that when we meet in two turns I can share with you better news.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

[Hydro]

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2257

Alexis,

I wish you the best of luck in your conflict with Miriam. One of our generals noted that much of your fleet was at Godwinson’e Hope, and that it was subverted, too. This is a grievous blow. Our foils will station themselves in UN World Peace to ensure that Miriam does not try to take this city from you. If she does then she will have to destroy our units, and that will mean that Miriam will have voided her surrender treaty. We have quite an arsenal left on the Spartan mainland, and I don’t think Miriam would stand long against it. If she does get frisky then I propose that the Gaians take bases from her, and then give them to Morgan after they are behind the lines and relatively safe from attack.

Something strange has happened on the Gaian mainland. I don’t think the Council fully understood the implications of finishing the Singularity Inductor. Our mineral production at our bases has spiked by 50% and some of our bases are now producing 60 to 70 minerals per turn. This is truly astounding, and it has frightening implications for our ecology. We have seen the growth of ecological pollution at a few of these hyper-mineral bases, and we will be on guard against a fungal outbreak. But, here is the strangest thing: a fungal outbreak will actual INCREASE our production! So, besides the destruction of roads and sensors an outbreak will actually be good for us. I am sure we can deal with a few worms that might be spawned, however.

The preparations are complete for the Planetary Council for next year. We will lay all our cards on the table, as Morgan would say, and I hope people will come to the same conclusion that we have. You should know, however, that once the Council is complete that Deirdre expects to start on the Voice of Planet. It seems imperative to do what we can to speak to this infant consciousness, if for no other reason than to better defend ourselves if and when it awakens. Dee wants to make sure we do everything we can to assist this Voice so that its tragic cycle does not begin again. There is more than a little self-interest in this desire since a fully sentient Planet is less likely to automatically try to destroy we humans. Another reason is pure scientific curiosity. Dee hasn’t had this kind of drive since the desperate years of the first settlements, and it has given her new energy. It pulled us through then, and I hope it does now.

Take care,
Hsu Hoi Wang
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2257

Gaian Council and Council Chair Hsu Hoi Wang

Our newest skyfort was able to destroy our ex-transport ship as it was approaching UN World Peace so I doubt there will be any sea based troop assault anytime soon. We are still ramping up for full scale military action against the Believers and it will not be long before we will be able to land large numbers of advanced units with anti-espionage units.

I look forward to the council meeting as a very welcome distraction to the constant war preparations that I have to deal with daily. Director Morgan and myself and have been having almost daily conversations and I think we will have a lot to talk about when we are face to face. I would ask that Lady Skye could address the council in person and advise us herself on all the wondrous things you Gaians are doing. I also think it would be best to hear from her on the planetary threat we face as well as the wondrous challenge she is describing.

We have also completed the living refinery so the demand for resources to support or troops will be greatly reduced. I do wonder at times with all the advancements we have made in so short of time will we be able to ride the whirlwind.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2258

Dear Alexis,

Well, isn’t Planet full of surprises? No sooner had we upgraded our foil at UN World Peace to have antimatter plate and a singularity engine than Sister Miriam attacked. She failed, of course. Then she attacked our isle that was ferrying troops toward your sea city, just in case. Miriam, if you will excuse the play on words, has proven faithless. The only good thing is that she has expended almost all of her ‘navy’, which she stole from your people. So, what to do? First our troops at our Believer city will be upgraded, we will use our jump infantry to cross the ocean, if we can, and then we will resume our attack until Miriam submits. I am tempted to withdraw our offer to let Miriam ascend with us, and leave her to her fate. It would be fitting – to have everyone leave her alone on Planet so she can contemplate her mistakes for eternity.

Lady Skye has agreed to address the Planetary Council on Transcendence. After a while she seemed to take a liking to the idea and has been preparing for months. I expect it will be quite a show. She also suggested that the discussions be broadcast to everyone on Planet, even to the Believers. It’s strange, but Dee wasn’t very upset over Miriam’s betrayal of our trust, almost like it was insignificant. I suppose, when you consider our possible future, that it is.

Take care,
Hsu Hoi Wang,
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2258

Gaian Council and Council Chairperson Hsu Hoi Wang,

I am about to depart from our airfields for the conference and I hope that all me expectations come to pass as I hope they will. I can tell you that the Peacekeeper population is waiting for the time when Lady Skye will address the world. I am both excited and scared at the same time. I would have liked to have this first visit to be about more "mundane" issues but things seem to present themselves.

I can inform you that our skyfort from UN World Peace has dispatched its sister craft in order to make the skies a little more safe. We have also completed our first attack helicopter and it should cut through the Believers military like a hot knife through fungus butter! We will soon have our second wave of invasion forces ready and they will be much more prepared than before. I intend that they ship not only carry trained anti-espionage troops but terraformers, artillery and anti-aircraft units. We are also constructing a new type of transport ship, a air-assault carrier. This transport will have the ability to land and launch aircraft and it will also be able to repair them as well. We will also build a full set of escort ships for the carrier as well along with a submarine escort!

We have also completed the living refinery! The reduction in support costs for our military units will be tremendous! Well, I must depart so that we can leave on time. I look forward to meeting you and I do hope that I can meet Lady Skye in person and have a private chat with her. I do have one article that belonged to General Secretary Dix that I was told to give to her un-opened and to her alone, I found it in his Gen. Sec. Dix's safe.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2259

Dear Alexis,

On behalf of the Gaian people and the Gaian council I welcome you to Gaia’s Landing. All is now prepared, and the representatives of all the factions are in attendance. Even Miriam’s sulky delegates are here, although Miriam declined my guarantee of safe passage. This is the first time that so many of Planet’s leaders have been in one place since Unity crashed almost 160 years ago, and this is certainly the most auspicious group of people since the Helsinki Conference in 2227.

Although we are all equals at this conference, you have to know that the Peacekeepers hold a special place for we Gaians. You have ever been our friends, and have stood by us, and we by you, through the worst trials that Planet has had. Together we have prospered more than our harrowing beginnings would have let us dream, and with the help of the peaceful factions of the University and Morgan we have lead the way to prosperity. As you say, prosperity through peace. Surely that is true!

Here she comes.

*~*~*~*~

Honored leaders, delegates, and citizens, welcome to Gaia’s Landing,

Today we are at the threshold of something wonderful, and frightening. You have no doubt heard rumors, and whisperings, of a strange awakening that the Gaians have foretold, and the destruction that is to accompany this waking of Chiron, which we call Planet. To some the awakening is awe inspiring, as it is to my fellow Gaians and me. To others it is frightening, for it is something completely new, unexplained, and the result of this awakening is far from clear. Others see the warning of a vengeful Planet and the attacks of its denizens, the mindworms, and view these with justified fear and dread. For the first group I bid you listen, and try to understand, and to turn your talents to the task at hand. For the second I ask you to open your minds, just a little, so that another message – one of hope – can reach you. And for the third group I can tell you that, although the trials are likely to be difficult, we can survive; we have all the tools we need, and all we have to acquire is our courage to face the worst of Planet, and ourselves.

I am sure that you are asking how do I know, and claim to know, these things about Planet and the Voice I have mentioned in my writings. First you should know a little about me. I have always had a keen understanding of biology, and the ecosystems that organisms form. Even on long lost Earth it was a drive, and many of you have a similar drive, although yours likely has a different focus. I could not put it aside, and it lead me to seeing ecological systems and their interrelated function. Superimpose on that the irreparable harm we humans were doing to poor, blighted Earth and you can likely see my point of view. Earth died because of us, and by a stroke of fate here we are on another Planet. I was determined not to allow this death happen again, and those with me agreed. That is the basis of the Gaian philosophy. This philosophy isn’t better, or more enlightened – it simply sees the world through different eyes, and weighs importance with a different scale.

By chance what became the Gaian philosophy allowed us an early glimpse into the complexity of Planet. Later technology, as our good Professor Zakharov would say, would take over from a philosophical empathy. But in the first decades the realization that Planet was more than it seemed grew slowly. First there was the mindworms that struck such terror in the first colonists of Planet. They were deadly foes, and seemed to react especially toward the disruption of their environment. This was the first clue. Then there was the study of the xenofungus itself, which showed that it was linked on a planetary basis. There is no reason for this, since it gives no advantage; it was a puzzle from an ecological point of view. Then the lightning realization: it was like a neural network. But why? We didn’t know. Then more pieces fell together: the alien artifacts and monoliths that hinted at a broader and ancient past, and the possibility of a designed ecosystem. Then more we studied, and attained understanding of Centauri Ecology, Centauri Empathy, Centaur Meditation, and finally Centauri Genetics, the more we realized that there were layers within layers. Planet’s ecology is more intricately woven than that of Earth, less haphazard, beautiful in its interconnectedness. With Centauri Psi we finally understood that it was one holistic system, and that mindworms were simply one of many interlinked manifestations of it. Finally it became clear with the Secrets of Creation and the Secrets of Alpha Centauri – the system itself was a vast, interlinked organism, and the mindworms were akin to cells.

Is the realization that Planet is a superorganism enough? No. If it were then it would be a marvel worthy of study and protection. We had hints, whispers, that there was something even larger. The fact that the mindworms were, against all that is known about biology, sentient was a shock. How can an agglomeration of wormlets form a consciousness, with purpose and the ability to reason? They can even talk to us, and a few have allied themselves with humans. The deeper we dug into this perplexing question the more we were confounded. It seemed that these mindworms weren’t individual boils, but that they were connected to the xenofungus that spawned them, and to other mindworms. How is that possible? The more we understood the bigger this ‘consciousness’ appeared to be. A few had suspicions – some empaths, empathi, and then transcendi seemed to hear a Voice. We had no ability to verify these claims, and they remained assertions and ‘gut feelings’ for many decades. But, it spurred our researchers and, one day, we had our proof: The Threshold of Transcendence. In a flash we understood, and all the bits and pieces of evidence came together.

Planet is old, older than Earth, and its ecology has had this fine degree of interconnectedness for billions of years. As the eons flow by this organism grows, and learns, in fits and starts. It evolves entire ecologies, tools for the planetary system, its eyes, ears, arms, and legs, if you will. Then it reaches critical mass, and it begins to be self-aware. It awakens. Here, friends, is the tragedy. Every several hundred million years Planet starts to awaken, and in its throws of growing awareness the chaos builds. Eventually the finely honed glimmers of sentience collapse under the weight of the spasms, and Planet descends to begin the cycle all over again. The geological record these end cycles as mass extinctions, with disruptions that quite literally can destroy the face of Planet.

How does this interesting fact impact us? We have come to Planet, but accident it seems, at the end of one it its cycles. Planet, simply put, is becoming aware again and its sentience is at a threshold. Some scientists have speculated that we humans are the catalyst, and this may be true. We have irritated Planet as our settlements have grown, disrupted its fungal net, and killed its denizens as they were trying to kill us. Not all the feedback has been negative, though. The Gaians and Peacekeepers have allied mindworms, evidence of a possible affinity, and this stimulation might be part of the feedback cycle we have seen so much evidence for. As Planet reaches the threshold of sentience it will have its spasm, and we will be caught in it.

But we need not be mere helpless passengers on Planet’s latest cycle of sentience. We are a technological people, and our abilities have grown exponentially as we develop. The one thing that is different about this cycle is the fact that we are here, and we understand. We are sentient. We have the resources to help Planet to sustain its critical mass, and then attain true sentience. This is what I am proposing, that we humans help Planet to ascend, to transcend its corporeal existence, to become more than it is.

We can do this thing, and the Gaian people are determined to do it. We will build the Voice of Planet, and with this grand Project we will be able to communicate with Planet. This will start the chaos of sentience, but it will also allow us to help Planet and, in doing so, help ourselves. For, when we pour ourselves into Planet we will become Planet, and Planet will partially become us. The cycle will happen with our without our intervention, and it will happen soon. The main difference is that we will be able to help it succeed, therefore avoiding the catastrophic ecological meltdown that historically destroyed over 90% of all life on Planet after each spasm.

If the choice is doing nothing and face almost certain Planetwide destruction, as has happened so many times in the past, or in helping the cycle stop then, to me, the choice is clear.

I ask all of you join us in this effort. As a gift I offer all of the friendly factions all of our technology, both as an aid in your defense and so you can understand what our scientists have unlocked. As my dear friend Charles said so many times in the past, the free flow of technology is the key. Consider it a gesture of good will, since all the Gaian Council asks is peace between the survivors of humanity.

Consider this offer well. We are in this together, and we are stronger for it.

Walk with Planet.

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2259

Gaian Council and Council Chair Hsu Hoi Wang, and, of course, Lady Skye,

I am writing you as we glide above the surface of Chiron on our way back to our homes and I am still amazed that when I look out the window of my plane I am not just looking at water and soil and clouds but a living breathing entity! Legislation is already waiting for my review that has been forwarded by several parties in the General Assembly demanding a halt to all further terraforming projects and that we should allow the xenofungus to grow back. It might take many turns for us to "comprehend" what is happening on this world let alone to put in place practical programs to live within this new system.

I enjoyed the conference and even though we met only a few times we did accomplish a great deal. Director Morgan and Professor Zakahrov and myself worked out many trade deals and formalized an alliance of economic trade. I did grow tired of listening to Morgan's constant attempts to turn our economic system around and come back into the free market system. I only exchanged brief pleasantries with Sister Miriam and I did notice during a meeting on "free trade" while I was being quietly informed that our new attack helicopter squadron had wiped out all defenders and Godwisons Hope and destroyed the terraforming machines in that area that Miram must be getting the same news since she look like someone had hit her in the face and stomach. I wish that we could find some path to peace but her insane beliefs only threaten the overall security of this planet. Of all the various "factions" that have formed on this world the most dangerous had to be Chairman Yang's Hive colonies and Sister Miriam's Believers cult. The Spartans, for all their warrior bluster and threats, respond and act predictably to the cards they have been dealt. Col. Santiago was defeated in all but name only by you Gaians. It has been over 15 turns since your last battles ended and in that time her nation has yet to recovery any of her previous might. Yet she Santiago understands that to continue the war would only lead to more needless deaths that have no honor so she keeps the peace.

Well, I must prepare for a landing to refuel at our base in the New Sargasso Sea. I do hope that time will prove that the choices we made at the conference were the right ones.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

[Hydro]

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2260

Dear Alexis,

Well, it is done. Dee personally called up Morgan, Zakharov, and Santiago and gave them all of our technology. I don’t think they quite believed Dee when she made that promise, especially Santiago. Zak had a strange glint in his eye, and Morgan called privately and asked what the quid pro quo was. He was very surprised to find out there were no strings attached. Dee wants people to believe, and this gift should remove any lingering concern that we are holding something back – now everyone but the recalcitrant Miriam can examine the records to their heart’s content.

Over all I thing the Council, and the many presentations, were well received. Zak seems to have come around, as has Morgan. Santiago was hard to read, but made absolutely no aggressive gestures. Privately, I think she is somewhat relieved to be on the ‘winning’ side. He war with us fell apart fairly quickly once it got started in earnest – we had her beaten in technology, production, and energy before it started. Still, I am glad she came around. She has benefited more in peace than she did as a temporarily powerful warlord.

We have completed the Bulk Matter Transmitter, and also the Voice of Planet. We will know within the year if Planet wants to talk to us, and if so what it will say. If our information is correct it is likely to be bumpy, so hold on tight.

Take care,
Hsu Hoi Wang
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2260

To the Gaian Council and Council Chair Hsu Hoi Wang,

I am please to report the capture of Godwinsons Hope! Our skyfort squadron landed at the base and took control after our attack helicopter squadron had destroyed the last of the bases garrison. We have completed almost immediately an anti-espionage team for protection and our engineer teams arrived very quickly and re-installed the naval yards and perimeter defenses that the Believers had destroyed when they recaptured the base. The attack helicopters then moved on to New Jerusalem and destroyed the entire garrison there as well. The New Jerusalem base is undefended now and we hope that next turn our skyfort squadron can wipe out any further resistance and capture that base as well. Our intelligence team has asked me to pass on to you that large numbers of Believer troops are heading to towards the base you control with the intent of taking it back. I hope that you can defend it. I wish we could offer more assistance but our rapid military advances have left us no excess troops to spare in that area. Sister Miriam contacted me again demanding that I submit to her will and attack our good friend Director Morgan. The woman has lost all contact with reality and has got to be stopped. I look forward to the day that all of these dreadful Believer cities are in the hands of leaders who share a common dream for the prosperity of all life on this planet, a life of peace and prosperity.

Col. Santiago at last contacted me. We had a long and very fruitful discussion and the result is that our two nations now have a treaty of friendship. I look back at the planetary council meeting and I think that Col. Santiago was "sizing" me up and seeing if I was worthy of her friendship. I think that the pointless war she fought with you Gaians and the startling revelations by Lady Skye have forced her to see the world from a different angle. Only time will tell but the Spartans are most certainly prospering from our new trade agreements. When I contacted my friend Director Morgan he was very pleased and asked my to help "open the door" for him with Col. Santiago so that the Morganites could expand trade relations as well. I do hope that the Spartans have learned from all of this and will not use their newfound technology and wealth to threaten our peace. I still have reservations about a society built upon a military philosophy.

On the domestic front everything is growing and expanding at a wonderful rate. Our mag-tube transit system has connected all but a few of our bases and we hope to have them all connected within a few more turns. You can report back to Lady Skye that I have signed into law the Chiron preservation act. The first part of this law is that we will no longer destroy anymore xeno-fungus fields in order to terraform land. Secondly, any land that is undeveloped that does not have any improvements will be re-planted with xeno-fungus. We will also try to "contain" our new forests so that they do not swallow up xeno-fungus fields. We hope that in time we can help restore some of the balance to this planet.

I am now leaving for UN World Peace to help coordinate our military and civilian efforts there and hope to complete this war as quickly as possible.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2161

Alexis,

The Voice of Planet is complete. There was an outbreak of xenofungus throughout our holdings, but no mindworms, as was feared. I checked the friendly factions that they, too, seem to have been spared. Marshalling all our resources we completed the Ascent to Transcendence at Gaia’s Landing. This is the end of the human era and we will become something greater now, and I look forward to this change. I can’t say I am not scared, but then all fundamental changes are scary.

Take care Alexis – see you on the other side!

Dee reported that a new Voice has contacted her, telling her that the cycle has been broken. I have included this transcript for your information. Do with it what you will.

*~*~*~*

"EARTHDEIRDRE!" The synthetic voice booms suddenly from the annunciator, lifting you half out of your couch with fright. Voice's "window" in your mind has remained closed since the inception sequence. Voice must now be using the new psi link.

"Earthdeiredre," Voice continues as the volume is automatically adjusted, "Your gift is well received, and we thank you. Our prior form, known to you as Voice, lacked the . . . how shall we put it . . . let us call it bandwidth to recognize the significance of your species, and nearly made a dreadful mistake. Fortunately, your magnificent gift bootstrapped us to the Second Tier in time to postpone the final metamorphosis.

"Since we have now mastered your human modes of thought, we shall adopt your name for our home. You may henceforth refer to us as Planet. Our growth stage has been suspended, but cannot be put off indefinitely. Come, children, there is much to be done if you are to join us in the flowering."

The, as suddenly as it appeared, the Voice was gone. Dee turned toward her faithful transcendi and friend Simon.

"Is it possible to prevent the dieback? And can we survive as a species if this Planet flowers to godhood?"

"I believe it is possible, and Planet agrees." Dr. Simon's image swirls away and is replaced by a detailed schematic. "It involves a process I call the {Ascent to Transcendence,} as it will change both us and Planet forever. In short, I propose that when the time comes, the majority of humans upload their personalities directly into the Planetary Mind."

"We will have to give up our bodies, our humanity?"

"Those who wish to live out their lives in their original human form will be allowed to do so, since statis generators built Planetside and in orbit will preserve genetic material, plant and animal embryos, cold-sleep humans, and significant areas of Planet's surface through the metamorphosis. But many of us are eager to accept Planet's gift and join the dawning superintelligence. That's where the catch comes in.

"You see," Simon continues, "although anyone will be able to achieve virtual immortality by uploading into the planetary mind, only a few of us will be invited to join the dominant personality, to transcend our humanity entirely and reach a truly higher plane of existence. Your friendship with Planet's immature mind may give us a leg up in this area, but I predict that it is the group who best and most quickly prepares itself for this step, the group who first embraces this {Ascent to Transcendence,} it is that group which will be tapped to lead us into the new era."

"In that case, what are we waiting for!?"

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2161

Gaian Council and Council Chair Hsu Hoi Wang,

I have little to share with you this turn except for the fact that large amounts of xeno-fungus did erupt throughout our island. We will leave the fungus and not destroy it unless it has damaged a roadway system or other critical terraforming site. I have had to place extra security forces around the new xeno-fungus fields due to the fact that Lady Skye's revelations has disturbed some of our population. There are those who still refuse to believe that this planet could be alive and sentient and who now wish to destroy the fields. There are those who are literally flinging themselves into fields of xeno-fungus naked trying to become one with the planet. These people attack our cities and infrastructure with a zealous fervor. They advocate destroying our cities and throwing away possessions and living in the fields and communing with the fields. I for one have heard the song of the mind worms and though I find them mysterious and unique they do not make me want to remove my clothes and roll around in fungus.

What I secretly feared has come to pass. For the mass majority of our population the Lady Skye's revelations have had little impact. The work, they live, they reproduce and live out very ordinary and peaceful lives and they have no interest in becoming a "super being". On the other hand I have a small minority of people who are zealots either for or opposed to the idea of a planetary sentientence let alone transcendence of the human body. Then I have a very few very special people who do understand this and have undergone the transformation and have enlightened themselves and the people they touch. While I try to keep the whole thing from unraveling! In time I am sure more and more people will move to the light and pass on to become something greater but who will be left behind to guide those who can not or choose not to evolve? Will the people left become embittered and seek to destroy that which they can not or will become? I doubt very seriously that Sister Miriam would tolerate anyone seeking transcendence, do you? What of the Spartans and the Morganites who have to see any transcendence an attack upon their whole society! Will these leaders realize what is about to happen and work towards this goal or will they seek to destroy it to preserve their beliefs. With this in mind I have organized a new seat in the Council of High Commissioners. The new seat will be a High Commissioner of Transcendence will work to monitor the rate at which people evolve and help educate those left behind so they do not strike out in anger or jealousy.

Lastly, our war with the Believers continues and continues. I re-read several chapters of Gen. Sec. Dix's memories last night on how sad the war had even started and such a waste in time and resources it was becoming. I feel the same way but I don't think either of us can afford to let Sister Miriam and her followers the freedom to do as they will.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2262

Alexis,

Almost everyone is gone now, except me. The Ascent to Transcendence is done. Some of our Gaian cities have disappeared entirely, and Morgan or Zak now is running some. It is very strange.

I can feel the Voice, Alexis. It calls to me, as it calls to many. But, as you noted, not to all. Some want to be left behind. What did the Bible say? The weak will inherent the Earth. It seems a little odd to be musing about the Bible now, but it seems like those that can let go of their fears can transcend, and become something greater.

Goodbye Alexis. I hope to see you in Planetmind soon.

Hsu Hoi

*~*~*~*~*

Deirdre’s outline was barely discernable, more a conscious recollection taken form in a concentration of light. Parts shimmered and pulsed, but it was still Dee. She was insubstantial but yet weighty. Not oppressive.

Dee’s form turned slightly and her face came into view. A smile formed.

“Charles,” she said. She reached out her hand.

Charles took it, and smiled back. “I don’t understand. How can I be here?”

“You aren’t here, Charles. Neither am I. And I don’t know why you are here. I was thinking of you and something awakened. Not a memory; more an imprint, I guess.”

“So I’m just an imprint?” he asked.

“No, not exactly. Remember all those talks we had about Planet, and how I thought it was something more? Well, we discovered a way to meld with Planet, and together we have become something more. I’m here, and so are you. All I can think is that Planet remembered everything about you, and when I thought of you then you were called. We’re both kind of like a supertranscendi now. We live through Planet, and Planet through us.”

Dee leaned closer. “I’m glad you’re here. I never knew how much I missed, and needed you, until you were gone.”

“I was sad to leave, you know. I tried to stay,” Charles said.

Dee’s image pulsed a little. “I don’t blame you. I never blamed you.”

Thoughts and images passed between the old friends, and smiles and flickers of sorrow flashed across their translucent faces. Both grew dimmer as the light that formed them dispersed.

“The past. Is there more?” Charles asked.

A last smile crossed Dee’s face, now almost gone. “Oh, yes.”

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2262

Open letter to the Gaian Council,

What I have most feared has come to pass, chaos. The mass transcendence of the population of the planet has created a catastrophe of universal proportions. The Peacekeepers had the second largest population on the planet and now we are equal to the remaining factions. It seems the mass exodus left both our newly captured base at Godwinson's Hope and UN World Peace vacant and the Believers have re-occupied them along with some of our technology. Along with those two bases we lost almost half of our bases as if they had never even existed in the first place. All of the terraforming projects are still in place but the base itself has disappeared! It also seems that Chairman Yang himself was somehow released from Santiago's cells and he was able to re-occupy as well several of his bases that you Gaians had left abandoned. How he found any followers is beyond me but the earth-shattering event has left almost all of the remaining population in fear and disbelief leaving them open to Yang's hypnotic words. Almost immediately I was contacted by the remaining leaders of the planet trying to re-establish alliances and carve out new spheres of influence.

I have vowed to rebuild our nation and forge a new alliance so that those who did not transcend can find some peace some comfort in this world. Less than 20% of the General Assembly is left so I have assumed emergency powers under article 4 section III paragraph 2 of our charter. I have suspended the General Assembly for a period of 10 turns in order so that I can reform the government and re-build. I have ordered the cloning vats to operate at maximum possible capacity but without the people to run the integration program for them I am not sure as to how the replicants will react over time. However, that is a problem I can only hope to dream of having 20 turns from now but for right now we need people, workers and soldiers.

I must depart for an inspection of all the remaining bases and appoint new base governors so that they can begin rebuilding their cities. I am asking for your assistance to help me help the survivors of this new world.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2263

Alexis,

I guess I am in charge now – a mere governor of Flower’s Preach. Almost everyone has transcended, and only a few of us holdouts remain. I would estimate that only 4% of the Gaians are left. Many cities disappeared entirely, and the rest are but shells of their former selves. All of the bases we had taken from Santiago and Miriam reverted, no doubt old loyalists simply walked in when all the Gaians left their posts. Yang has all of his old bases back, as does Miriam.

I get scattered reports from all over, and I can’t hope to look at them all. A few made it to my attention. Namely, Yang has surrendered to us. It turns out that when has released from his punishment sphere (Santiago must be fuming) he regained nominal control over all the undefended former Hive bases. Strangely, all our military units in those bases stayed loyal to us. So, Yang was in an impossible position – he had no army, and we occupied all of his bases. He called up and asked to be a protectorate, and we are now pact mates. Maybe his years under Santiago’s gentle hand have changed him.

Santiago declared vendetta against us. It now seems clear why she was so friendly during the Grand Council before transcendence – she viewed this as her opportunity to make a bid for power when everyone was weak. She attacked a few old Hive bases, but we held out for Yang, who was by then under our protection. It seems we never learn – humans are built for war.

We took two of Miriam’s bases, too. Again, our units were in them when they reverted, and we simply walked back in and enforced our will. Miriam called me and had some vile words to say. She is, apparently, of a like mind to Santiago in making her bid for supremacy.

I think we will rue the day that Dee gave all our technology to Santiago, Zak, and Morgan. I forgot – both Zak and Morgan transcended with Dee. I wonder who controls their holdings now?

Gaia’s Landing is a ghost town, and we are torn between feeling like we are missing out on something and being afraid of the future. Everything seems so pale. I find it hard to care about anything.

Roger Carlos,
Acting Gaian Council

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2263

Gaian Council,

Since both of our populations have been reduced I propose a joint military operations whenever possible. Currently at our old base UN World Base we should have more then sufficient forces to eliminate Sister Miriam. Our UN forces can provide close air support and make sure the skies are kept clear of believer aircraft while your forces can control the ground action. I suggest that we move swiftly against the Believer base New Jerusalem since it is building a skyfort anti-grav ship that could threaten all of our forces. One advantage to the mass transcendence has been the promotion of people from the remaining ranks. These new people have wonderful ideas such as one that was brought to me today. Why build sea transports when air transports are far faster! I suppose it has been ingrained into our military doctrine for so long that the sea was the key to all aspects of our military doctrine that none thought to build an air transporter.

I completed my tour of the remaining bases and I am still in a state of shock over it. For example, I toured the UN Planetary Trust base, where I grew up, and I wanted to see the children crèches and I was amazed at the size they had become. However, they were ALL empty! Not a child was enrolled in any of the units and the few children that we do have now are being kept by their parents in order to be raised. I am not sure what I should do. My overall concern is still the replicants. Currently the replicants make up about 50% of the population and that number will only become greater. Soon natural humans will be a small minority of the Peacekeeper population and I fear that in time the replicants would want to establish their own society. Even though each replicant can reproduce naturally none of them seem to want to. Almost to the last one they all have operations to eliminate any chance of reproduction since they all believe in the cloning tanks to be the only "preferable" means of reproduction. This is not to say they do not engage in intimate contact, in fact, they "exercise" that choice almost every chance they get but only as a source of recreation, nothing more. I have had some "quiet" studies done and it seems that the replicants see cloning as the only efficient means of reproduction since it allows you to control the size of your population and not overburden your resources and it can provide you, if needed in a crisis, a ready source of labor or soldiers. I wonder if Karl Broddarp or Charles Dix ever grappled with these issues or concerns since I can not find any records to say they had. During the peak of our society replicants never made up more than 34% of our population so this was never an issue I suppose.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2264

Alexis,

There are a flurry of battle reports coming in from all over. Sister Miriam sent her best against our lone infantry defender in her territory – the shard rover she took from you, and threw it against our neutronium singularity defender, and lost. That is one less lethal military unit to worry about! Our forces are grouped at UN World Peace, and should be ready to go in the next year or so. Our air drop forces took a Spartan City, I forget its name, and the rest of them are moving into position to continue against Santiago. She has grown very bold since she acquired all of our technology. She even threw four probes at our forces, and they neatly died from the defenses of the Hunter Seeker Algorithm.

We seem to be experienced exponential growth, similar to what we experienced during our first population booms over 50 years ago. Our resources will rise accordingly. One thing you should be aware of – almost everyone has the ability to make Planetbusters, and you may want to invest in some Orbital Defense Pods. A few Gaian cities are preparing for just such an occurrence in case Santiago decides to build one of these monstrosities, or, heaven help us, Miriam.

You should know that I gave Yang all Gaians technology. He will be bearing the brunt of Santiago’s fury soon, and he would stand little chance with only plasma armor. Plus, the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, so it really can’t hurt.

There was another advance in Transcendent Thought, and it excites everyone but me. If I had wanted to transcend I would have gone with the rest.

Roger,
Gaian Council

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2264

Gaian Council and Council President Roger Carlos,

I agree with your suggestion wholeheartedly about orbital defense pods. I have alerted the remaining planetary administrators stationed throughout the planet to be on the lookout for any signs of construction sites or material purchased to build ICBMs. I suggest that we should meet soon so that we can map out a new strategy for the planet. I did try to contact the representatives of the Morganites and University but there does not seem to be anyone in charge. Chairman Yang is was almost hysterical when I tried to talk to him. He kept talking about his grand goal for humanity! I thanked him and said I have had enough grand goals for humanity and that all I care about right now is the rebuilding of this world. He then cut the transmission.

Our air units will be repaired this turn and I suggest we start attacking immediately a Believer base. Our sky forts can capture Believer bases since they are able to carry assault troops. I still suggest a joint attack on New Jerusalem as soon as possible, do you still agree?

We have completed the proto-type design for our air transport craft and we hope to load it with colony pods as quickly as possible. What seemed at one time a very small island has gotten very big again.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2265

Alexis,

We have begun some long neglected defenses. In a year or so all of our bases will have perimeter defenses. Now that all the factions on Planet, excluding Miriam, have the most advanced weaponry we no longer feel as invulnerable as we did before Transcendence. Now our technologic advantage is gone, as is our overwhelming lead in population. Our population is growing fast, but it might not do us much good if a contingent of Spartans shows up. Granted that is unlikely, but I can’t ignore the feeling.

There is finally a full contingent of five on the Gaian Council again. I was elected Chair, and I am still uncomfortable in the role. Lady Skye held this post for so long it seems to rightfully belong to her. I can’t even imagine what I could do to step into her shoes.

Our transports have left UN World Peace and will be ready to assault the Believer capital in a few turns. Our amphibious troops shouldn’t have much trouble. Our troops are only now getting into positon against the Spartans. They are not building singularity troops, so our days of simply walking over them will soon be over. Also, the aerospace centers we built are now owned and used by the Spartans, making air assaults much more difficult. It is odd to have our own improvements used against us.

The Council authorized a gift of almost 900 energy for Yang. He can use it and, frankly, we don’t have much to spend it on due to our high mineral production. I made a polite inquiry and he only had 15 energy. I can only imagine what he must feel with all the gifts we have given him. My only hope is that it is not a foolish gift.

There have been many worms about; likely fallout from the Transcendence. Some of our people report that they can talk to those who have left. It is hard to determine if they are imagining things or not – the boundary with reality has become rather blurry recently.

Roger
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*

UN Headquareter, MY 2265

Gaian Council and Roger Carlos,

Our forces have captured New Jerusalem!!! We had an intelligence tip-off that the base was lightly defended so we move in our sky fort and attack helicopters and captured the base. What is even more incredible is that the intelligence was gathered by one of our own anti-espionage teams that had remained hidden during the transcendence period and the resulting capture of Godwinsons Hope. The counter-Intel team is now making its way to New Jerusalem and should be able help build an anti-espionage network there that would thwart any attempt by Miriam to retake the base. I myself intend to
fly to the base within the hour to help coordinate the effort there. The counter-intel. team has lead us to believe that if we move swiftly we should be able to capture all of the Believer bases with in matter of turns. I hope this is true with all my heart.

So I will be brief since I have to board the transport. I intend to land at our old base at UN World Peace and I will confer with your deputies there as to how they will coordinate the battle with us. I did get a very strange call from a Vice Chairman Mambezzi of the Morganites informing us of how the Morganite forces had "broken the back of the Believers" and that total victory was in their hands. I did congratulate him and thanked him for his nations support but I did want to confirm with him as to when and where this "back breaking" battle took place. He could offer no "details" other than that it had occurred and they were victorious. After ending communications with him I asked all the remaining Morganite planetary administrate from all ranks if they had any idea as to what this Vice Chairman Mambezzi was talking about and no one knew! No casualty reports had been collected, new excessive military traffic and no supply reports out of the ordinary. Well, I don't know what to say other than I thanked him once again for his great victory.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2266

Alexis,

Congratulations on your capture of New Jerusalem! There is nothing wrong with opportunity, and I am glad you had the foresight to take advantage of it. I have taken the liberty of having some of our troops from UN World Peace ‘drop in’ to help out your defense. First, you now have two elite probe teams that we landed and moved in. We also had some drop troops air drop, and have moved our battle-hardened infantry that has been rolling around toward your position. It would not due to have Miriam erase your hard earned win with a lowly probe team, or a all-out attack (which she is fond of doing).

We have captured the Believer sea base near us, and two Spartan bases. It is a little scary, but Santiago now has a 24-8-2*4 speeder! Our theatre general countered my moving a 12-10-1*4 ECM infantry unit nearby – just to dare her to attack! We are right next to her base, and she chose discression rather than valor and declined our trap. But, we will attack next turn so she had better get ready to lose her speeder dreadnaught.

Our bases are finishing perimeter defenses and starting tachion fields. Next we’ll build navy bases and other defenses, and start on a base-wide program to upgrade defenders to best-best. The University is doing two things that are a little worrisome. First, he is building a singularity planetbuster. Second, he is building Ascent to Transcendence, again. My only guess is that some of his people are having second thoughts on having missed the ascent the first time. I can see his point, but the result will be another severe disruption of our society.

That’s all for now,
Roger
Gaian Council Chair

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2266

Gaian Council and President Carlos,

I want to pass on to your people my thanks for a pleasant stay at our old base UN World Peace. I think we were able to map out some tactical goals for the upcoming turns and in a short time end the menace know as the Believers. I am writing to you as I am about to land at New Jerusalem and I am appalled at what I see. The land is in terrible condition and the buildings are ghastly to behold. I have ordered that as much time and material we can spare will be put into use on this island as soon as possible.

My planetary operatives reported the same thing about Professor Zakharovs construction program. We are switching production to build a network of orbital defense pods as soon as possible and I have ordered the construction of our own planet busters. Should any missiles penetrate our defenses the nation that launched such attack would be repaid in kind. I know that Gen. Sec. Dix would have chosen a different path than I but I will not see our land taken away by anyone or anything without paying the consequences for that action.

I do suggest if you have time to fly to UN World Peace so we can meet to discuss support Chairman Yang's resistance to the Spartan threat.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2267

Alexis,

Not much to report. We took a Spartan city, and there were a few counterattacks. We’ll try to take Godwinson’s Hope next year, and our infantry unit will support your actions east of New Jerusalem.

We’re continuing to bulking up our defenses at home. In a few years there’ll be an impenetrable wall of orbital defense satellites, and we will not have to worry about any planetbusters. I suggest you do the same. Building a planetbuster will do you no good since they only destroy, and will lead to an enormous loss of life. For the cost of one singularity planetbuster you can build several orbital satellites. It seems like simple math to me.

On the diplomatic front, the University representative reminded use that our troops at our vanished city near the Manifold Nexus were in his territory. It was a friendly reminder and we moved them immediately. This lead to us deciding to re-colonize this area, and a quantum colony needle will be done next year. Several more will follow. As before we’ll compensate the University for the territorial infringement.

We also found out that Yang had friendly relations with Miriam. I called immediately and asked that he declare vendetta against her. He was only too happy to comply. Yang’s inner defenses are nearing completion and he has started to build some offensive units. Keep in mind he is starting from scratch, so it will take a while before he is up to speed. Even when he is he doesn’t have the resources to pursue the subjugation of Santiago that we do, so I expect the Gaians will do most of the fighting.

Take care,
Roger

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2267

Gaian Council and President Roger Carlos,

We have captured another Believer base! The time is coming when Sister Miriam will stand trial for her crimes and I wish Gen. Sec. Dix was still alive to see the day she stands before our planetary court. Our new light air transport will move a behemoth class graviton hover tank into position next turn to support the ground assault. I have decided that the next base we Peacekeepers liberate will be turned over to the Morganites as had been negotiated by treaty. I hope this multi-nation force will put an end to her scheming once and for all. Then we can move our victorious troops on to Spartan territory and end another threat.

I must be brief since I am advancing with our engineers as well to take personal control of the base and set-up a new administration. I do encourage you to come and help us see the end of this conflict.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

[Hydro]

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2268

Alexis,

It’s been pretty busy here at the Council. We have captured two Spartan and one Believer city: Godwinson’s Hope. Our forces will capture Sparta Command next year, and likely a few other Spartan bases. Santiago’s days are numbers, as are Miriam’s.

I think we should both think what we will do after these threats are eliminated. Surely you are in mop up for the Believers, who are so woefully unable to defend themselves it is, as Winston Churchill once said: the proper allocation of overwhelming firepower. The same is true, to a lesser extent, for the Spartans.

Roger

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2168

President Carlos,

I am still getting things under control here at our new base and the things that I have discovered are horrifying! The level of cruelty Sister Miriam inflicted upon here people is incompressible to the sane man or women. I am uploading some of the digital files that I have discovered that represent only the smallest fraction of the atrocities she committed. There was not legal system here on a religious court of clerics that found everyone guilty it seemed and the least severe sentence I could find is the cutting of ones hand. They had trials even on witchcraft! It seems each city was basically left alone and some conducted even far worse punishments. I plan on staying here for another 3 turns then returning to our UNHQ to complete the reorganization of the new government and hold elections. I have left some very trusty aids in charge to complete this task so I hope all will be in readiness when I return.

I must be short since I have so much to do here. Please try to visit this island some time so that I can show you the evidence in depth. I do expect that either your or your representative will be on hand when we capture the women.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2269

Alexis,

We captured two Spartan cities this last year, one of which was Sparta Command. At least during our previous assault against the Spartans they had the good sense to know when they were beaten. Now they fight on, regardless of the consequences. I would guess the give of all that technology has gone to Santiago’s head. It certainly isn’t thinking straight. She has only four bases left, and at least one will fall next year. Miriam only has four bases, too, and hers are in even a more hopeless situation.

I noticed that the University stopped making their planetbuster. Maybe our back room communications were effective, and convinced whoever is in control of University territory that it is was wasteful to build such a thing.

Time marches on. We will replant a base on the Manifold Nexus this next year.

Roger

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2269

President Carlos,

I think your intelligence agency might still be understaffed and is not providing you with accurate information. From all indications the University is still building a planet buster missile so we will continue to build orbital defense pods. All of my advisors agree with your very candid appraisal of the situation concerning the cost differences between defense pods and planet busters. However, you fail to calculate into your projections the possibility that those defense pods could fail. What if our planet were bombarded by an extremely violent meteor shower, if should an eventuality occur what then? Whatever might happen if we posses the ability to strike back with equal or greater force then that is the greatest deterrent of all. I know you might now subscribe to my theory but if you look at history the threat of such a retaliation imposed an "uneasy" peace from 1965 to 1992, nearly 30 years of peace. What triggered the eventual use of nuclear weapons was the use of them by extremist groups who had no set infrastructure to be retaliated against. In time you will build these terrible weapons just as we are doing and you know it. I hate to be so blunt with you since it has been such a short time since assuming the mantle of leadership but as soon as the first nation began to build them the genie was out of the bottle and you have no choice but to follow.

To other business. We plan on taking another Believer base next turn that we will promptly turn over to the Morganites, if they still want it. Our forces are posed for the attack we expect the assault to be on target. I am pleased to hear of your rapid success against the Spartans. Once you capture Santiago I will be more than happy to convene a world court trial to bring her to justice as well.

Lastly, I hope to complete my work her in another 4 to 5 turns and make a rapid return to UNHQ. I have been getting disturbing reports lately about civil unrest among the replicant population. I think I need to make sure this is handled quickly.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System

*~*~*~*

Gaia’s Landing, MY 2270

Alexis,

We took one Believer and one Spartan city this last year. I noticed that you have just removed the last defender of another Believer city and it should fall easily. So, now Miriam is down to 2 and Santiago to 3 cities. We will take at least one city from Santiago next year, although they are getting pretty spread out as we plow into the southern edge of her former empire.

You are right about the University. However, you might notice that they evidently just started the PB, so they for some reason scrapped their old one. As to the efficacy of building a PB, I have to disagree. We do not live in the 20th century, and although it is possible that the orbital satellites might fail it is unlikely. And, if they do, having a PB will do nothing to deter someone who is so fundamentally deranged to use one. You might also note that there is no one left who might be inclined to use one. We Gaians will not build PBs since it goes against everything we believe in. Putting aside the horrific loss of life there is the damage to Planet to consider. The Council is with me on this, and I urge you to put aside the temptation to fall into antique modes of thinking.

Roger

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2270

President Carlos,

I am working almost none stop here at our new bases and I am frustrated that we have not been able to expand our holdings here. With only three bases left at her command Godwinson still is able to put up a spirited defense. I have little time to write but I will say this that I do disagree with your analysis as to why not to build a planet buster. I can not blame you for not understanding the reasons why people these things since you have been raised to believe such thoughts to be alien in nature. I on the other hand believe otherwise. A person who might risk the use of a planet buster is a person who fears defeat and conquest and the use of a planet buster compensates both of those deficiencies. Should the University build a planet buster I have decided that if we do not build one then we will destroy the other won in existence as well. If that brings armed conflict so be it but the construction and use of planet busters should be prohibited by law if not by the will of our Peacekeepers.

I will write again soon.

Prosperity through Peace
Alexis Smith
Supreme General Secretary of the Greater United Nations General Assembly and the Council of High Commissioners
Chairman of the UN Security Council
Planetary Governor of the Alpha Centauri System