Among Friends?

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2183

Pravin,

Your lead in population is short lived since we have eked ahead of you with internal growth and the establishment of Academgorodok in the Monsoon Jungle. I doubt this will give us a long term lead since we don’t have a plan to expand our holdings in the near future, although in a decade or two there will be many more bases in the Monsoon Jungle and I hope there is a huge potential more bases.

Two projects have been started, and we have a good lead and I expect to get at least one of them. At this point I’d put my energy on Rose finishing the Energy Grid before anyone else since she started it so early. Of course, she could be an idiot and started it at a base with a pathetic amount of minerals. If you review the intelligence report you may notice that there are a number of Projects in progress, so you will have a good deal of catching up to do.

Most of our basic land terraforming is done so we will be removing fungus and planting forests in a large swath of fungus in the southeastern portion of our territory. Dee stole the territory for two bases and I will have to make it up somehow. Plus, I do enjoy ripping the fungus out by the roots and replacing it with good ol’ Earth vegetation.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2183

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I have most unfortunate news. We did not make the breakthrough, we wanted, as anticipated, we did achieve technology on gene splicing which allowed us to increase our food production. In all I suspect that it was a very important breakthrough since it did give us the means to feed our growing population. I have attached our map file to you, gratis. Should you choose to send us yours it would be welcome, but, not required. We can only hope that it somehow compensates you on not getting your repayment as expected and it "sooths your ruffled feathers". We still plan on repaying you but I doubt we will be able to send you anything new soon. It will be ten years before our next breakthrough.

Our free market economy is having some disturbing effects but the ability of our specialists to calm the fears of the people have been most useful. We are still growing and I think we have passed you once again in population.

Little else occurred this turn I am sorry to say...

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center – UNHQ

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2184

Pravin,

I know how you feel about technological breakthroughs, they are both unpredictable and exasperating. Even though we discovered that technology a while ago I know you will still benefit from it, and I suspect you already are. I noticed your population is surging, and I think it will likely surge more as your society attains it full potential. We will not be able to ‘boom’ again for a half-decade or so when some more critical infrastructure, namely children’s crèches, are complete in our younger bases.

I’m glad I had a terraformer with our new base in the Monsoon Jungle. Although the growth and efficiency associated with a Democracy is terrific it is punishing for a new base such as Academgoroduk, and if it didn’t have the former with it there likely would have been a wait measured in decades before its scout defender and former were done. As is stands they have already built a road, and will start on a forest next year. This area is so rich I am somewhat worried that our bases will grow too fast and outstretch our ability to maintain societal control.

There is sad news, too. Our transport captain decided to take a chance and investigated a Unity pod. An isle of the deep promptly killed the crew and sank the ship. Its last transmission was heart rending since the crew realized in those few terrifying moments that they were doomed, and they continued transmitting while the visions of horror permeated their consciousness. They died in agony, which started out as mental agony as the mindworms paralyzed them with terror and then physical agony as the worms ate their way into their bodies. It is episodes like this that increases my dedication to fortify our defenses, and eradicate these foul creatures once and for all.

May they rest in peace.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2184

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

What I feared the most with our change to a free market economy is happening, the planet is rising up against us. A rogue mind worm attacked one of terra-former crews and destroyed them and did collateral damage to the remaining two units. I am ordering the garrison from UN Haven City to sortie and destroy the worm and I have recalled the trance rover as well from the polar area to provide quick response alert if another worm attack is expected.

We are still working to build more infrastructure and work towards a more peaceful society. But, it is hard. Many of our citizens seem to demand more and more recreational outlets and while I really cannot blame them they do take time and money. I can only hope that with a few more improvements we can add to our resources and help build them quickly.

UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY has cleared the last of the fungus and is now in route to Morgan territory. We expect to make contact in three turns. I hope that once we make contact Morgan and I can help build a bridge to a greater understanding on this planet.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2185

Pravin,

We are working toward a vast improvement in our infrastructure also, and all my bases except the base in the Monsoon Jungle will have the basic recreation commons, recycling tanks, and children’s crèches, in addition to our ‘free’ network nodes and hologram theatres. Our capital has been working on a Research Hospital, which should ‘goose’ our research there dramatically! Moreover, our food resources are not so limited as they once were so our growth rate, when not booming, is acceptable. We have even started prototyping a trance synthmetal defender in our new Command Center! Shortly we will be building trance synthmetal transports to start harvesting the Unity pods in the vast seas that surround us.

I now know what precipitated what I believe to be a war between Morgan and Dee. It seems Morgan ‘appropriated’ Centauri Empathy from Dee and she was none too happy about it. Now Morgan has the gall to start building the Empath Guild! Of course he will fail since we have such a large head start, but he does have some chutzpah, doesn’t he? I also noticed that Rose finished the Energy Grid project. I regret getting that one since it would have boosted our energy production significantly, but we can’t have everything you know (but we can try!!).

I haven’t noticed the native life being any more nasty and voracious than they are normally since our shift to a Free Market system. Still, your warning was taken to heart and our veteran Unity rover has been upgraded to have an empath attack ability. This should prove invaluable in fending off these malevolent Chiron life forms, and it is an obvious outgrowth of the trance defense that has served us so well. All our bases’ have had this ability for a while now, and it only makes sense to augment this with a few mobile empath reaction squads.

Take care, and good luck with Morgan. He can be quarrelsome, but if you butter him up a little I’m sure he will be reasonable. Dee is another matter, but that may come later.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2185

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

Our captain from UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY reports that he will make contact with the Morgan main base in two turns! I am beginning my preparations for our first dialogue and I do hope it will be productive. Perhaps I can help negotiate a peace between the Gaians and Morganites? In any event I at least hope to get safe harbor for our ship and some needed supplies and repair assistance for our ship.

I was contacted by Roze and we were able to make reach an agreement for a technology transfer. Roze sent me technical files that will allow us to maximize our energy production from tidal generators in exchange for our files on gene splicing. The technology was about equal in importance and it will give our coastal bases the chance to improve their energy production.

The garrison from UN Haven City did sortie from the city and found the rogue worm and destroyed it. The planet pearls were collected and returned to the base for more energy. The garrison will return as well next turn and assume their duties. The terra-formers are moving back into position to begin the final task of raising the ocean floor to connect our land mass with the small island chain.

Our veteran trance rover team will open a Unity pod next turn and I do hope it will have some vital information our resources we can use. The reports I get from the council of High Commissioners indicate that our society is becoming more adjusted to the effects of the free economics and we should not have anymore riots for want of material goods and recreational outlets.

We also will begin building several more sea foils, UNSF PEACEKEEPER and UNSF KOFI ANAN, equipped with trance protection as well as a transport to begin searching these sea for Unity pods. There are a great many in our area and with adequate protection we should be able to harvest them with ease.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center – UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2186

Pravin,

I am not entirely positive the Morganites and Gaians are at war, but I got a fragmentary message to that effect. If you can arrange a settlement of their dispute that would be excellent since I don’t want to be caught between those two. Dee is enough of a pain without having Morgan turning into a nuisance by trying to drag me into a wasteful war. I have nothing against Dee, and Morgan and I see eye to eye on most things, so an intervention on your part would be a good thing.

We have something of a minor crisis on our hands. The isle of the deep that destroyed our transport is making its way to University Base in a frightening and single minded b-line, and it has one of those vile mindworms in its gut that I would be willing to bet any amount of energy would like nothing better than to devour the brains of our good citizens. This, of course, is completely unacceptable. Our fast response empath rover is on the way and should be able to make it before the worm can strike and I will take great pleasure in watching every one of those slimy wormlets wither and die under the onslaught of our emapthi. Crispy fry them all! The only remaining problem will be the isle itself that is a threat to our sea formers. I will likely have to switch production somewhere to an empath foil, although I regret having to do so since it is a waste of resources. And here I thought things were going pretty well! Damn worms!

You will likely note that the witch Rose has developed Industrial Automation – my ‘little birds’ tell me that she has started the Planetary Transit System, and this technology will allow that. While I care little of this project I want the technology that allow it in the worst way. Both of us have been disappointed for a long time since our scientists have denied us this boon, and this technology will allow both of us to prosper. Luckily we are scheduled to make a breaththrough soon and I truly hope our dreams won’t be dashed yet again.

In other news our population will grow to 39 next year, and this will be the old fashioned way – no ‘population booming’. Our smaller bases did not participate in the last boom since they did not have crèches constructed, but abundant nutrients and newly built crèches have made all the difference. Soon we will be ready to boom again, but not in the near future. They will be nowhere near a stability crisis, but I expect that a few more booms will put them there.

I have also noted I now have some stiff completion to complete the Emapth Guild. Morgan and not fewer than 2 Gaian bases are working on this Project, and this is one of those critical Projects I simply just must have! I am even thinking of asking Morgan for a loan to hedge my bets, and it will be worth it even if the terms are harsh. Heck, I’d even ask Deirdre for a loan! It would serve her right if I got a loan from her and then beat her to the Empath Guild! After all the irritation she has caused me such a turn-about would be just deserts!

Lastly I think you need to talk to Rose. I looked over the maps you sent (which did improve my mood, by the way) and it looks like Rose has expanded west. There is a trace of a base boundary on one of the western islands your foil passed by and I suspect that she has either ferried a pod over or her landmass is attached to more territory to the west. This is not good news since I would like nothing better than seeing that sneak-thief Rose bottled up, and if you can do it at her expense so much the better. It is truly alarming to think she might have plenty of elbowroom to the west!

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2186

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

Or captain of UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY reports he will make contact next turn with the headquarters of Morgan Industries. We have completed our preparations for the upcoming discussions and I do hope they will go well. I think Nwabudike Morgan and myself will have much to talk about.

I did notice the boundary a line that extended westward along the islands that I am sure Roze has colonized. It just stood to reason that she had moved that way since she had been the population leader for some time and I doubt that she could have achieved that with only the small portion of the northern island that we share. Our sensor arrays keep the border under constant surveillance and we have plans to boost our border garrisons to include anti-espionage teams. We have achieved a defacto peace arrangement with Roze but I am not so trusting to believe that she will never turn her gaze south.

We now have solid confirmed reports that there is an island to the east, as to the size it is still unknown. Our problem now is completing the last section of land bridge to connect our area to it. My High Commissioner of Terra-Forming reports that the area is extremely geologically unstable and will require more energy than had anticipated completing the project. It is very fortunate indeed that we have switched to a market economy that will generate the funds we need. What aggravates me is that we did complete our eleventh colony pod but it will now be at least a decade before we can set it up. During that time the colonists will have to be supported by UNHQ resources, a further drain.

We expect to open a Unity pod next turn that we found in the southern pole area. I once again hope that it will be of some great use for us.

Lastly, my High Commissioner of Intelligence and my senior military commander reports that all evidence and long range radar indicates that the rogue isle of the deep has reached your land base. I hope your rover team did reach the coast in time.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center – UNHQ

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2186

Pravin,

I am not entirely positive the Morganites and Gaians are at war, but I got a fragmentary message to that effect. If you can arrange a settlement of their dispute that would be excellent since I don’t want to be caught between those two. Dee is enough of a pain without having Morgan turning into a nuisance by trying to drag me into a wasteful war. I have nothing against Dee, and Morgan and I see eye to eye on most things, so an intervention on your part would be a good thing.

We have something of a minor crisis on our hands. The isle of the deep that destroyed our transport is making its way to University Base in a frightening and single minded b-line, and it has one of those vile mindworms in its gut that I would be willing to bet any amount of energy would like nothing better than to devour the brains of our good citizens. This, of course, is completely unacceptable. Our fast response empath rover is on the way and should be able to make it before the worm can strike and I will take great pleasure in watching every one of those slimy wormlets wither and die under the onslaught of our emapthi. Crispy fry them all! The only remaining problem will be the isle itself that is a threat to our sea formers. I will likely have to switch production somewhere to an empath foil, although I regret having to do so since it is a waste of resources. And here I thought things were going pretty well! Damn worms!

You will likely note that the witch Rose has developed Industrial Automation – my ‘little birds’ tell me that she has started the Planetary Transit System, and this technology will allow that. While I care little of this project I want the technology that allow it in the worst way. Both of us have been disappointed for a long time since our scientists have denied us this boon, and this technology will allow both of us to prosper. Luckily we are scheduled to make a breaththrough soon and I truly hope our dreams won’t be dashed yet again.

In other news our population will grow to 39 next year, and this will be the old fashioned way – no ‘population booming’. Our smaller bases did not participate in the last boom since they did not have crèches constructed, but abundant nutrients and newly built crèches have made all the difference. Soon we will be ready to boom again, but not in the near future. They will be nowhere near a stability crisis, but I expect that a few more booms will put them there.

I have also noted I now have some stiff completion to complete the Emapth Guild. Morgan and not fewer than 2 Gaian bases are working on this Project, and this is one of those critical Projects I simply just must have! I am even thinking of asking Morgan for a loan to hedge my bets, and it will be worth it even if the terms are harsh. Heck, I’d even ask Deirdre for a loan! It would serve her right if I got a loan from her and then beat her to the Empath Guild! After all the irritation she has caused me such a turn-about would be just deserts!

Lastly I think you need to talk to Rose. I looked over the maps you sent (which did improve my mood, by the way) and it looks like Rose has expanded west. There is a trace of a base boundary on one of the western islands your foil passed by and I suspect that she has either ferried a pod over or her landmass is attached to more territory to the west. This is not good news since I would like nothing better than seeing that sneak-thief Rose bottled up, and if you can do it at her expense so much the better. It is truly alarming to think she might have plenty of elbowroom to the west!

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2186

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

Or captain of UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY reports he will make contact next turn with the headquarters of Morgan Industries. We have completed our preparations for the upcoming discussions and I do hope they will go well. I think Nwabudike Morgan and myself will have much to talk about.

I did notice the boundary a line that extended westward along the islands that I am sure Roze has colonized. It just stood to reason that she had moved that way since she had been the population leader for some time and I doubt that she could have achieved that with only the small portion of the northern island that we share. Our sensor arrays keep the border under constant surveillance and we have plans to boost our border garrisons to include anti-espionage teams. We have achieved a defacto peace arrangement with Roze but I am not so trusting to believe that she will never turn her gaze south.

We now have solid confirmed reports that there is an island to the east, as to the size it is still unknown. Our problem now is completing the last section of land bridge to connect our area to it. My High Commissioner of Terra-Forming reports that the area is extremely geologically unstable and will require more energy than had anticipated completing the project. It is very fortunate indeed that we have switched to a market economy that will generate the funds we need. What aggravates me is that we did complete our eleventh colony pod but it will now be at least a decade before we can set it up. During that time the colonists will have to be supported by UNHQ resources, a further drain.

We expect to open a Unity pod next turn that we found in the southern pole area. I once again hope that it will be of some great use for us.

Lastly, my High Commissioner of Intelligence and my senior military commander reports that all evidence and long range radar indicates that the rogue isle of the deep has reached your land base. I hope your rover team did reach the coast in time.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center – UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2187

Pravin,

Those blasted mindworms! The isle dumped its lethal progeny in the one place where our empath rover can’t get at it, and I expect that it will attack the trance defenders next year. They will have the advantage of trance, and a sensor, and I hope they are able to hold out until the rover arrives. The isle is still lurking too, so I have ordered the cheapest empath foil to be built. I plan on attacking and destroying the isle, and its nasty mindworm minions. If anything this is a lesson that we need another empath rover since our territory is so linear and hard to defend with a few rovers.

I did call on Morgan and he was very pleasant, but refused my request for a loan! Imagine that, and I was willing to give him very generous terms too. So I went to plan B. Dee called me and demanded some low level technology, I believe it was Planetary Networks, and seeing her mood I thought it best to give into her demands. Then I called her up and asked for a loan and she gave me one! While Dee is belligerent she loans me energy, and magnanimous Morgan say nyet – very strange.

It looks like Rose is about to complete the Planetary Transit System. I can’t imagine how she did this so fast, but can only guess that she had several bases working on the Energy Grid and had one switch over. I don’t like the idea of her getting too powerful, but will have to live with it I guess.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2187

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

Like many things we have both discovered about life on this planet when you gain a benefit you also seem to gain a negative. My negotiations with Nwabudike were marvelous! In fact they went so well he offered to form a "pact" as he put it where we would increase our economic/social and military assistance, we agreed. Nwabudike even up linked Lady Deirdre Skye's communication frequency to us for free! We talked for days about future planning and goals. During the discussions we broached the subject of a loan and he all but fell over himself offering us very generous terms and a large sum of energy credits. The credits we used to begin our land expansion efforts anew and complete several other projects and we still had a large amount of funding left over for our reserves. This a very good thing since my High Commissioner of economic planning has informed me that within the decade we might have to impose some planned economic measures to "reel in" the economy for a while. The energy credits we will bank will give us the time to fund our planned economic expansion.

The negative side of the situation was that Nwadudike did give us Lady Skye's comm. frequency and in my pride I thought I could contact her and help smooth over relations with all concerned. Unfortunately Lady Skye was extremely belligerent to the point of out right hostility. She ranted for hours and would not let me even try to explain things and issues we had in common and not in common. She then ended her tirade with an outright demand for technology. I was almost willing to capitulate to her demands but the Council of Governors vetoed any transfer of technology. We Peacekeepers believe in the free flow of information for the prosperity of us all but not under threats of violence. With our refusal she then declared a state of vendetta, as she called it. We call it a state of war. Luckily for us with our new alliance with the Morganites I feel much more secure. Nwadudike has offered to help repair UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY and I will then order her out to scour the oceans between us to keep any Gaian ships from coming to close to us. I begin to see why you have had so many problems with her. I wish I had taken more time to prepare for our first meeting like I had with the
Morgan. I think it would have gone off much better for us all.

Our trance rover team did uncover the Unity pod and it had plans for laser technology stored in some data crystals. I had been hoping that it would have more advanced technology but laser weapons will put us on par with the Data Angels should a conflict arise. I have ordered the rapid construction of a laser/trance rover team at UN Commerce Committee base due to its vast mineral resource base the construction will only take six turns to complete. With the recently constructed command center at the base the team will undergo training there before departure and be highly trained to handle any problems on this planet.

We also begin building our foil/transport/foil exploration team at UN High Commission next turn. I can only hope that the team will quickly pay for itself by returning many Unity pods for our use.

Lastly, since we have made a pact with the Morganites I think it is only fitting that we discuss this issue. I have worked out a treaty with the Data Angels and I have even done so with the drone faction. I have even worked out a deal in which the leader of the drones will support my candidacy for governorship! So I think it would be in both our interests to at least explore the possibilities of a pact? If anything I would suspect that in the depths of the Gaian councils if they knew if any attacks would be launched against you that your allies, the Peacekeepers and Morganites would come to your aid. This I would think would give them pause before attempting such a thing.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2188

Pravin,

I hate to say ‘I told you so’, but I will anyway. Deirdre has been a major pain since we first made contact and she immediately declared Vendetta. She has generally been irrational and, I believe, unstable. At the moment we have a Treaty, as does Morgan, so I am not willing to antagonize her unduly. She does have the ability to inflict damage on us through bombardment from foils or action by sneaks. Sadly, I just gave her the technology to make sneaks in MY 2187, which she ‘demanded’. I could tell she was a centimeter way from declaring Vendetta and I decided to part with this technology to put off the day when we may be at war. You are so far away that I can’t believe you will be able to pursue your vendetta against her, but you are welcome to try. It all strikes me as so pointless – I mean, why would she declare vendetta on you? You have much in common, although she may have an issue with your economic system if you are running Free Market.

I suspect that Morgan may think I am a bad credit risk since he already loaned me energy to finish the Virtual World. I suspect he doesn’t want to loan me too much so that he doesn’t put all his eggs in one basket. After all, if he loans me all his energy then who is in the driver’s seat? Why, I am since he will be living in fear of my default. Maybe he is diversifying and I can see why that makes sense.

I am willing to consider a Pact with you and Morgan since we seem to have so much in common. We have been Pacted with Morgan for a long time and we have had no trouble at tall with him or his people. I was very nervous when I found his base on my continent by the last 50 odd years of peaceful coexistence have allayed my fears. I cannot say the same about Dee’s impetuous colonization of my island AFTER she knew I was here! That is an outright provocation and I suspect that it will turn out badly, for her that is.

As for Dee’s fleet, she has explored the area around her island and I suspect she has colonized other islands. Many of the Unity pods along my western coast have been opened, and Dee’s foils have disappeared mysteriously afterward. I suspect she has had trouble with isles of the deep and it serves her right. The oceans are truly huge and I don’t think you have to worry much about Dee’s fleet, whereas I will. So, if we decide to Pact I would ask that you not take you foil to any of our western ports. This way we can avoid any incidents where Dee attacks you, and me in the process. I would hate to have Dee’s and the University’s tenuous relationship shattered as a result of collateral damage from another war.

I did have one ‘oops’ this last year. I sent a trance scout to snoop on Dee’s base on my territory and as soon as it left my territory the scout’s home base went into riot. The citizens started whining and crying about ‘war mongering’ and ‘military action’. I almost couldn’t believe my ears. Here we have a scout with no offensive and little defensive ability doing a little exploring and they think I have authorized a military invasion?!! Clearly these idiots don’t know what war really is, which makes sense since almost none of them were on Earth in its final harrowing decades. Unfortunately there is no reasoning with them so the scout will be recalled, rather ignominiously I might add. I guess that means we will have to build a sneak to check up on Dee, and considering her hostile proclivities I think it might be appropriate to link into her datalinks. For warned is for armed, as they say.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2188

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

A leader of the opposition led a movement to end the conflict with the Gaians and as a result we did transmit the basic information on probe teams and the like. I suppose it was a small price to pay for peace when compared to the loss of life she could have incurred.

We expect to have four cities enter into "golden ages" this turn and more to come. At several of our bases the decisions are being made as to if the they should be medical research complex are continue on as they have in the past. I can only the addition of research hospitals will only add to the overall knowledge of the planet and of us.

UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY entered a dry dock and main Morgan base and it will be rebuilt as quickly as possible. Once we have completed the proto-type for laser weapons we will upgrade the ship as well.

There is little to report this turn. Perhaps in five turns when we make our next discovery we can then shore something then.

United Nations General Secretary,

*~*~*~

University Base, MY 2189

Pravin,

Foiled again! We got our breakthrough, but as usual things didn’t go as planned. My august scientists provided me with the specifications for Ecological Engineering. This is useful, of course, since it lifts mineral production restrictions, but it isn’t what I wanted! I even held my nose and called up Rose (or maybe I should call her ‘Thorn’) and offered to trade Industrial Automation for Ecological Engineering. She muttered something about ‘aiding your unethical and immoral research’ and gave me a resounding ‘no’! The gall of that woman! After she was done lecturing me she gave me one of her infuriating sly smiles, blew me a kiss, and abruptly broke the connection! Now we will have to wait up to a decade for our next breakthrough unless your scientists manage to get there first.

If all goes well we will complete the Empath Guild next year. This will be a singular achievement since I am told it will allow us to snoop into Dee’s and especially Rose’s nefarious plans, and hopefully detect what they are up to. Dee seems to be predictably antagonistic, but Rose is more sinister and I trust her as far as I can throw her and considering my age this is not very far. Moreover, I think it is eminently possible that there may be other factions here on Chiron that we have not made contact with yet. We have explored only a small fraction of this world, and it will take a long time to do this manually. It has been suggested that the emapthi may be able to hone in on these other settlements and it is possible we may be able to make contact with them.

You will note that I have offered a Pact treaty to you. I think it is in our best interests to have a closer relationship since most of our misunderstandings seem to be behind us. Plus, the trade energy would be most welcome. If you accept I will be more than happy to exchange world maps.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2189

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We welcome you and the University into the pact of friendship that I hope in time will grow as big as Planet. Once our foil has been repaired I might have the good captain pay you a courtesy call so that we can exchange information face to face. Since we are now pact brothers perhaps we could work on the following proposition. My scientists are about to make a breakthrough in a field that we expect to allow us to build artillery weapons. This would be our repayment to you. However, perhaps we can work the following deal. Transfer to me a technology that you believe that Roze would be interested in. I will then try to broker a deal for industrial automation. When I am able to complete the deal I would transfer back to you the new technology. In turn, our next discovery we will send this to you as well. In essence, you and I both get two new technologies while Roze only gets one. Please consider this offer I believe that Roze and I have a much more cordial relationship and I will be able to get the deal done. If Roze does not agree to the deal then I will still transfer to you our next breakthrough. Either way you gain at least one new technology for your troubles.

Little else occurred this turn to remark on. Our foil is being repaired and our trance rover team is still exploring the pole region. I hope that they will be lucky.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2190

Pravin,

We finished the Empath Guild, and it will be up and running next year! This opens up a whole new world of information, and I can hardly wait to start poking around in Dee’s and Rose’s business. I’ll be happy to give you a report summarizing the basics since I’m sure you are curious.

Your foil is welcome at our bases, and they can stay as long as they like. I will ask that you not investigate the Unity pods in the area since we will be investigation these shortly. There are plenty of pods, and a whole ocean full near your territory, so I would appreciate it if you were to respect the sea in my neighborhood.

I’m going to decline your offer to broker a deal with Rose to get Industrial Automation using my technology, presumably Ecological Engineering. Your ‘fee’ is a little too high for my taste, but I’m willing to listen if you have other ideas.

By the way, I did a little poking around on your bases and I have to congratulate you. If only our University bases were so well developed, stable, and contiguous. It will take us a long time to catch up with you, and many of our ‘ends’ are ragged.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2190

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I assume you have received the same warning I have from my ecological engineering scientists that native plant and animal life activity will increase dramatically as we approach Alpha Centauri B. I have taken some measures to minimize our exposure to attacks but who can say what might happen. I have attached a map file for your review and now that we are "pact mates" I expect that you will respond, in kind.

The only major event that took place is the completion of the land bridge to the small island to our east. We are clearing out a fungal patch and we will begin installing sensors for our eleventh colony. I will order up a twelfth colony as soon as our new laser/trance rover inspects the area and selects a spot for colonization.

Little else of importance happened this turn. We are only two turns from our next scientific breakthrough if all goes well. We completed our second trance foil UNSF PEACEKEEPER and once it clears the dock we will put down the keel for the transport ship. Once the transport is complete we will move out and investigate the Unity pod just off our coast. We will also begin at that time our third foil UNSF KOFI ANAN that will be a new class of foil, one that has laser canons.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2191

Pravin,

The Empath Guild has lived up to its billing. It is very interesting to be able to snoop into other people’s business, particularly if they seem to have hostile intent. I know, for instance, that Dee has the same number of technologies as I have, as does Rose. Here is a quick breakdown of the various factions on Chiron:

Gaians: pop 33, 9 bases
Cyborgs: pop 22, 9 bases
Morganites: pop 12, 3 bases
Angels: pop 34, 8 bases
PKs: pop 38, 10 bases
Drones: pop 15, 4 bases
University: pop 41, 11 bases

You can see that we are the population, and hence resource, leaders here on Chiron, and we are followed closely by the Gaians and Angels.

I did get in contact with the only other faction to survive the Unity disaster. One of my lab assistants Aki heads a faction she calls the Cyborgs, and they are a strange bunch. They have taken to merging themselves with machines and various algorithms to a point where the machine and human consciousness are interchangeable. In many ways this sounds like it might be advantageous, or even a natural outgrowth of what technology provides. We have had machine prosthetics and artificial limbs and organs for a long time, but this is the first time that semi and fully aware entities are bonded with the human brain. I can only guess on how this influences human decision-making, but the effects must be profound. For instance, Aki didn’t even mention the fact she was a lab assistant on the Unity mission, and insisted on being called the Prime Function, whatever that is. In any event she wasn’t very friendly and refused all issues of technology trade, although she did agree to a Friendship treaty after I gifted her some technology. Overall she seems less developed, and it is my guess that is because she has been excluded from the world community for so long. I will be happy to act as her ambassador to the rest of the factions.

Dee has done it again. She opened a Unity pod and released an isle with a spoor launcher and mindworm, and these horrors are just 2 sectors from Monitoring Station! Luckily our empath foil is located there and will be able to deal with the threat, assuming Dee doesn’t capture or destroy it first. I even rushed our empath speeder to that base in case the blasted things land. I am afraid that the spoor launcher will start pummeling the base or pulverizing the forests of the area. It would please me to no end to kill the unsavory thing and harvest a good lode of pearls, since I estimate there would be at least 60 when the mindworms are destroyed. The foil would more than pay for itself, assuming it isn’t sunk in the process. I will be sure to let you know the outcome, which is sure to be messy.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2191

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

On behalf of my government I thank you for your information concerning the population and resource statistics. The empath guild I think will serve you well. I am somewhat displeased though by your comments about performing liaison duties between the Cybernetic Conscience and us. What if anything would you consider for the comm. frequency for them. I ask this because in a turn or so our UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY will be repaired and I will send her on her way to find Conscience. It could take decades if not longer. On the other hand I could loan the UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY to you and have her secure your coastal area and patrol for sea creatures in exchange for the comm. frequency. I suppose it is a matter of accounting, rebuilding a base defender unit several times or a comm. frequency, which costs more. Please consider this plan.

Little else occurred this turn. UNSF PEACEKEEPER left the yards and is now patrolling the coastline while the freighter UNTF U.N. AID is being built. We should have it done in four turns with the application of some extra energy. We are nearing the completion of site preparation for our eleventh colony and have ordered a twelfth colony pod to be set for construction at UN Great Refuge.

Our sensors detected one of the Data Angels supply crawlers just on the border extracting minerals. I hope that someday soon we also could benefit from these vehicles and the prosperity that they bring.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters, Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2192

Pravin,

That b*tch Deirdre! Now she is sending a colony pod from her base on my island to steal more of my land! It is headed at this moment northwest, and if she establishes it some of the land around Gragarin Memorial will fall into her dirty hands, including forest and a sensor I built to keep a watch on her. I am telling you right now that if she does this then all bets are off and you can expect unpleasantness. I exact my pound of flesh for this aggressive act! The trance scout from Gragarin Memorial is rushing south to station itself near the border to…discourage…any attempt by Dee to steal from me, but if she does then one ill turn deserves another.

One thing that occurred this year that will make you happy is that the isle Dee loosed north of my coast fought and sank Dee’s foil. My empath foil promptly left port and ripped the isle and its two mindworms apart and came home with 90 energy! Dee’s capricious act resulted in her loss and, due to good planning and good fortune on my part, we netted the equivalent of 5 years of our current energy surplus. So now there is one less Gaian foil out there to trouble both of us, and harvest my pods. I’ll do a little snooping next year to tell you how much of a Navy Dee has left.

This next year our basic infrastructure for bases on the main island is complete, and we are working on 3 trance transports, an extra sea formers, and a variety of other projects. I am currently sending a trance scout and 6 of our formers to rip out the fungus in the southeastern corner of our island. This area is blighted with an almost complete cover of fungus, and this former gang should do a good job of tearing the fungus out by the roots, planting roads, forests, farms and sensors so we can have two new base sites! It will likely be a long while before it is done but I think it will be worth it. This is not as effective as your ability to build land but it will have to do.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2192

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We completed our new transport craft early with the addition of a few energy credits and it will now begin exploring the seas with UNSF PEACEKEEPER to harvest the Unity pods. I do have concerns that with the increased native animal life that opening these pods could be very risky. With that in mind I have ordered the rapid completion of our third sea foil, UNSF KOFI ANAN. We completed our laser/trance/synth-metal rover team early as well so additional upgrades will now be done at all of our bases so they will ALL have the most advanced weapons.

We should be able to establish our eleventh colony next turn baring any troubles with the installation of the sensor equipment. We will soon transition back into a planned economic model. The need to expand once again is paramount and since our foil at Morgan's base will leave soon I doubt he will even notice the "blip" on his economic radar, we hope.

Our next discovery should happen next turn and I can only hope it is what we expect rather than a surprise. I grow tired of the inability to selectively "pick" our science direction and it is proving frustrating indeed. The High Commissioner of Science and Technology always gives me the same speech over and over again that scientific breakthroughs are more akin to an art than science. My response lately has been that we should put him in charge of the arts rather than our labs.

I would be careful in antagonizing the Gaians as long as the extra energy from the sun seems to give the native life more robust energy. We lost our polar exploration rover team this turn from an attack by a spore launcher. I no longer underestimate Planet anymore.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center – UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2193

Pravin,

Deirdre established a second base on my island and, as expected, she took my forest and sensor, which her base is not using to build and expand. My retaliation will be series of probe attacks where I will strip her of her technology, energy, and world map. If she doesn’t like it that is just too bad since she has done nothing but be aggressive and disrespectful of my people and territory since we met. I even gifted her technology to stop the war she declared when we met, and once in the near past to avoid a war. No more! She may declare vendetta when we get our due, and we will be upgrading our coastal defenses as a result so we can deal with this likely threat. A new combat foil may be needed, too, to ward off any bombardment she may care to undertake. In short, we are preparing for war, even if it is a cold one.

You are wise to think twice about harvesting the Unity pods during high native activity. I would suspect that most of the pods would be infested with native life, and that this life may be strong and hostile. Our transports won’t be done for a while, and in some cases a long while, so I am not too worried. Another suggestion: if you do inspect a pod make sure it isn’t in fungus since the native life seems particularly adept and destroying humans caught in the mindworm’s native environment.

Although it is frustrating, there is nothing ‘sure’ about science. You may not get what you want, but that is the way things work and I wouldn’t get too worried about it. If anything it makes us more careful in how we lead our scientists, and their work can bear unexpected fruits. For instance, I was upset when my scientists gave me Adaptive Economics until I understood that this is a stepping stone to Environmental Economics, which promises to unlock the maximum energy we can harvest from Chiron. It is likely that either Environmental Economics or Industrial Automation will be our next breakthrough, but nothing is certain.

I am contemplating a switch to a Planned economy soon so we can do a short population boom at the bases that recently completed crèches. I have found out that the maximum size our bases can achieve without riots is 4 or at most 5, depending on energy production. You, and to some extent Dee and Rose, can expand further but we are saddled with a social instability that grows when our bases get to size 4. As a result we have started building research hospitals at a few bases, although this is very expensive. In the long run it will be worth it.

Our base in the Jungle finished its colony pod, which will not be on its way. It will be slow since there is very little infrastructure, but that will change with time. All these bases will continue to produce colony pods to prevent them from growing too fast, and expand our holdings in the area. I want 3 bases in the area before one can start building infrastructure while the newer bases continue to pump out pods until the landmass is full, or so full I don’t care anymore. I’d like to have between 15 and 20 bases in the near future.

Lastly, Dee has 2 synthmetal laser foils, one isle of the deep, and sea lurk, which is similar to what attacked Monitoring Station a few decades ago. I was disappointed since I was hoping her navy was destroyed, but not such luck. It also seems she has 2 sea colonies in production, and 2 established sea colonies. Both sea colonies are around the Monsoon Jungle, and I am tickled pink that we prevented her from utilizing the landmass by colonizing it first.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2193

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We did make the scientific breakthrough and in the field we expect, artillery weapons. We can not convert any weapon system into an artillery system, if needed. My security council immediately argued for the need to build several of these units along our border with the Data Angels so that we can hit any probe teams that cross over, uninvited. What I am most pleased about is that we at last compensate you. This technology might come in handy with your up and coming battle with the Gaians. We were also able to trade with Nwadudike Morgan the files on artillery weapons for his files on Centauri empathy. That technology alone is ten times the value of the artillery systems and since our next anticipated breakthrough should come in the field of exploration. We suspect that either we will make a breakthrough in intellectual integrity or ecological engineering. Either of these would be of great use to us. Our next breakthrough will not occur for most likely 12 to 15 turns depending upon how much we gear up our economy. It has been agreed to that when we do make the next breakthrough we will switch back to a planned economy. By that time we should have built several new bases, and this is likely three counting from this turn. With that in mind we will need to "boom". However, that boom will be contingent upon us getting industrial automation technology. It is crucial since all of our bases will soon be near the maximum limit of population so it will do us no good to "boom" with no room to boom in.

Little else of interest occurred this turn. Our foil and transport are now moving out to explore the sea Unity pods and I hope they will bring back many valuable items. We will concentrate those pods that are not in the fungus first then move back to those who do. By that time our third sea foil should be ready to help assist in guarding the transport.

Now that our books are "clean" do you have any suggestions for any other exchanges in technology. Since we are now "pact mates" I do hope you can look beyond the "quid pro quo" attitude you have taken for so long.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2194

Pravin,

I got another wonderful call from Rose. Before I could even hold my nose and say ‘hello’ she got to the point: give me your worthless technology ‘or else’. I couldn’t say “Shove it up you’re a**! I’m not giving you one tidbit of information, you black hearted b*tch!” fast enough, and she promptly declared Vendetta. Her intentions are finally out in the open, and in a way I’m relieved since I knew this was coming; it was only a matter of where and when. Watch your back Pravin, since I started snooping in some detail and she has a significant probe force and a surprisingly large laser infantry and rover army. Luckily she is still running Free Market, so if she decides to use them offensively her people will punish her (although I think that is a grand idea!). Moreover, she is so far from me that I am not worried one bit. Let her declare her pointless war, but I will not forget – she is on my ‘list’ and one day I will have my revenge for all the slights and attacks she has heaped on me back on Unity and here on Chiron. As a side note Morgan called me as his foil was passing by and after we had conducted some very pleasant business I asked him to honor our Pact and declare war against the Data Devils. He declined, and I can’t blame him. He is in a pretty weak position and war is bad for profits. Luckily he has a choice; as usual, we of the University don’t.

Our efforts to rip the fungus along the southeastern portion of our island have hit a snag. As a former was attempting to enter a fungus-infected sector a mindworm boiled out, and it is now poised to attack. Luckily we have a trance defender there to guard the three formers, but they may not be able to hold out since they are green and without sensor support. Our empath rover was speeding to the area and didn’t quite make it there. If the trance scout succumbs the empath rover will be able to take care of the blasted thing, and guard against future attacks as the formers thrust deeply into the pink mass of death. A backup trance scout is on the way too, since these formers need protection in such a hazardous area.

We converted to a Knowledge based society this year and the effects have been immediately felt. The boost to our science rate was significant, and we now can expect a breakthrough every 7 years. The efficiency boost, although minor, is welcome, too since it decreases the loss of energy due to distance from our capital, and the economy and lab penalty since our energy allocation is 40%/60% to energy/labs. I’d prefer a Wealth society focus, but Industrial Automation has proved elusive to everyone but the Data Devil Rose. Maybe one day I’ll have the pleasure to pry it out of her cold, dead fingers.

By the way, thank you for the files on Polymorphic Software, which I assume will be authorized for transfer next year. A few well place artillery units may be useful against any wandering foils that decide to plague our bases, but that is a task for a later date. I haven’t considered military technology seriously but maybe I should. It is so tempting to build our society but some thought should be given to a stout defense and a worthy offense. Laser weapons are, in my opinion, pretty worthless and adding Conquer to the mix of objectives for our scientists may be a good idea, especially since Dee has been getting more and more belligerent as time continues and I may have to do something decisive about the bases she has infested my island with.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2194

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I presented your last communication to a combined meeting of the Council of Governors, Security Council and the High Commissioners and we have reviewed the situation between you and Data Angels and have formed the following policy. First and foremost we support you as a pact partner and as such we will support all ethical policies that you take as long as they conform to the UN Charter. Second, we encourage you to try to come to a peaceful solution to the current problem with the Data Angels. We were able to work out a similar arrangement with the Gaians shortly after our failed first attempt at diplomacy with them and since then we have worked out a solid plan of peaceful coexistence. Third, as long as this vendetta does not get into a shooting war we will maintain a non-aggressive stance with the Data Angels. If you expected to have the Peacekeepers march across the border to fight a war for you, you are sadly mistaken. Fourth, if the Data Angels should cross our border and launch attacks at us we will expect the following from you. Military intelligence as to the exact disposition of the Data Angels forces, energy credits to offset our expenditure in war material and the transfer of any military technologies that you should make. Fifth, we will continue to try and ease the situation with the Data Angels and if we are able to broker a truce then we will expect you to accept whatever terms we can negotiate as long as they do not require a monetary or technology transfer from you. WE the Peacekeepers will bear any cost of any compensation packages to the Data Angels in support of peace on this planet. I think you will find these conditions both fair and reasonable to all concerned. These are our terms and if you do not wish to accept these terms then we will have to rethink our diplomatic position with the University. I think you will find the Peacekeepers a most honorable and fair ally. We welcome your response to this proposal.

Last turn was a very eventful one to be sure. We did establish our tenth colony along the area that we had raised from the sea floor. In building the colony there was, what we thought to be, a Unity pod to the south. In reality it turned out to be an alien artifact that looks to contain data crystals of some sort. We have yet to find such a device and we are returning it to UNHQ for analysis that should only take a couple of turns for transit. Our transport also spotted what they thought was a Unity pod floating at sea but upon retrieval they brought on board a most wonderful and dangerous object. When the outer casing was removed they found what turned out to be an alien war machine of untold power and capabilities. It is heavily armed and protected by unknown armor plating they we can not even begin to fathom. The battle ogre as the science team calls it seems to have "coded" itself to the commands of the first creature it saw and will only take orders from it. It seems to understand very rudimentary commands like defend, attack and move. The operator of the battle ogre is a young ship handler who is just 18 turns and is now in command of the most fearsome weapon system we own. Just the presence of the thing seems to strike fear into all who look at it. We intend to sail it back to UN Data Acquisition and transfer it to the base so that it can upgrade the defense of that base since it does seem most likely that should the Data Angels attack the first blow will land there.

I do hope that you will understand our position that we have taken and see it for the fair and reasonable approach that we Peacekeepers are known for. Perhaps it might be time for us to convene a planetary council and elect a Planet Governor who can insure some stability. You have the remaining comm. frequency and as such you can call the meeting and propose and SUPPORT our claim for the governorship of Planet. In that role I can hopefully broker a stronger peace and insure that the UN Charter is enforced.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center – UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2195

Pravin,

To be honest I am not concerned with Rose or her dirty war. She is simply too far away to be much of a threat to the University of Chiron. I do appreciate your and the Council’s vote of support in this matter, however. I don’t have a problem with your terms, except as follows. Point one – accepted. Point two – I will not, under any circumstances, authorize the transfer of real or intellectual property to settle the war that Rose started. I am done buying off aggressors, be they Dee or Rose. If peace can be arranged without the University having to pay extortion then fine. Point three – I don’t expect or necessarily want you to gear up and attack the Data Devils, so we have no conflict there. Point four – I will gladly ‘loan’ you military technology as long as you agree to do the same. It does me no good to have Rose run roughshod over you for want of decent defensive or offensive weaponry. She has used sneaks in the past, and that is likely to be her opening salvo, so I suggest you prepare for such an eventuality. I will also happily give you as detailed a rundown as I can on the disposition of her forces. As to compensating you for your energy expenditures in a possible war, there I draw the line. I will assist you as I can, but I will not fund a war Rose declares on you, which would punish me for her warmongering. Nor would I expect you to fund a war declared against me, although I would appreciate support as you are able. As to compensation packages, don’t be too generous with warmongers since it only whets their appetite for more. History is replete with warmongers who took tender morsels of appeasement, only to go back for more. Look at Dee – she extorted technology out of the University and the Peacekeepers under threat of war. As the old saying goes, fool me once…

Congratulations on your good luck with the Unity pods. I will be interested in your mysterious Battle Ogre, and its arrival seems well timed since there may be trouble with Rose. Just don’t let her subvert your bases or this weapon! It would be tragic if it fell into her grubby little hands. Your artifact is just as mysterious and I look forward to your report. I’ve notice that Dee and Rose have items that resemble the artifacts you describe sitting in their bases, and they must not know what to do with them.

As to the Planetary Governorship, it is likely the contest will be between you and me. In fact, I can guarantee that it will be between us since we have the highest populations, due to your eminent prestige and leadership abilities, and my influence with the Empath Guild. As I mentioned before, I will support you if I am not a nominee, but since it looks like I will be a nominee I can’t give you my support. I will say that I will do nothing to influence the other faction leaders to vote for me, and I’d bet Rose will be none too interested in seeing me as Planetary Governor. Aki, Dee, and Morgan are wild cards, and Domai has pledged to support you. So as I see it any election would be up in the air, so the results will be interesting, although I’d give you a big edge.

I also have an offer for you. I will ‘loan’ you a technology, such as Ecological Engineering, if you will agree to forward to me a technology you get in the future. To me this seems like a wonderful deal for you since you get to use the benefits of this, or another technology, while you gear up your labs, and it reduces the chance of technological duplication. If you examine our lab output you will note that we are producing 2 to 13 times more scientific research as the other factions. Poor Domai is way behind the game with a measly 12 research, and I have gifted him a few technologies. The next highest scientific output is yours at about 70 per year, and that says a lot since you have had to build your infrastructure while our bases seem to come ready-to-research. Our research is over 155 per year, and it will only get larger as we expand in the Monsoon Jungle and get Research Labs on line. The only request I’d have is that you not give or sell this technology to opposing faction, which in this case means Rose and Dee (who has a poor track record of hostile actions against both of us). I’d also appreciate it if you didn’t give or sell this technology to those outside of our tripartite.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2195

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

On behalf of planetary peace I contacted the Data Angels and had many meaningful discussions with them. The end result is that I was able to broker a truce for you and the vendetta has been called off. So neither one of us has to "gear up" for war, our positive relationship with Data Angels and Data Roze paved the way to peace.

I think you fail to understand how critical technology is and how vital it is to survive on this planet. In your last letter you commented on how fortunate you are that ALL of your bases come with network nodes pre-installed which is a fantastic boon for your people coupled with the virtual world this gives you two improvements at no cost, a tremendous advantage. The drones and other factions do not have your capabilities and what you see as envy they see as the right to survive. I doubt you will ever fully appreciate this fact since to be without is something you most probably have not had to live with for some time and time blurs perceptions, myself included. So your actions antagonize those who can not meet your currency of exchange, technology, plain and simple.

This does bring me to another issue, namely, the planetary governorship. I thought our agreement was for your FULL support for our claim for the mantle of Governor. My High Commissioner of Intelligence reports your empath guild already gives you a great advantage in any planetary vote since you can use your agent’s empathic abilities to sway the votes of other leaders. An advantage I think you would not have been able to gain if we had not struck our original bargain that "allowed" your completion of the virtual world project. We could have easily switched the virtual world project to UN Commerce Committee and completed it many DECADES before you and we could have still completed either the human genome project or the weather paradigm. I doubt you would be where you are today without that agreement. So even though you will most likely be nominated for the role what I am asking you is to support the spirit of the agreement and support us for the role of governorship. I think anything less smacks of ingratitude of the agreement we made. It was obvious that without the aid of the virtual world you would not be able to support a large population and with your higher science rate you were able to gain more technologies than anyone else and thus reach the point you are at. To believe anything else is to deny the facts. With the large population you gained stature on the planet and thus have a role to play, but not as planetary governor. If for some reason we would have fallen behind and had never "boomed" our population and thus never had enough votes to be even nominated to the position then we would support your role as governor and would have most likely voted for you. THAT IS WHAT THE AGREEMENT WAS DESIGNED TO DO, not for you to use the benefits to block our claim. We the Peacekeepers would never have agreed to allow you the virtual world only to have you use the benefits to block our rise to the governorship.

So I have to be blunt about this and to the point. If you will not honor the spirit of the agreement in which it was forged then I have been ordered by the combined councils of the Peacekeepers to end our pact and revert to our previous treaty of peace arrangement. We take this action not lightly I assure you but if you do not support our claim then essentially you bargained in poor faith with us since you had no intention what so ever to support us. This we would see as the mark of someone who does not truly honor the scope and purpose of an agreement. I hope both you and your academic review board take the time to fully appreciate this situation and I hope you choose the honorable approach. I think you have a vital role to play on this planet but I do not feel your leadership will unite this planet and maintain peace.

As for your proposed trade of technology we can only agree to such a treaty when the issue of the planetary governorship is resolved. We should not "muddy" the waters any further until we can get a new solid agreement and partnership established.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2196

Pravin,

Thank you for brokering a truce with the Data Devils. That is one less thing for me to worry about, until she decides I need to be executed again, of course.

As to the governorship, I was quite clear that our agreement in my vote for the Governor of Chiron had the exception of voting for my self if I were to be a candidate for Governorship. I have not been duplicitous in this, and agreed under your threat to complete the Virtual World ahead of us. What you failed to realize is that the VW takes 50% more minerals than either the WP or HGP and it is entirely possible you wouldn’t have finished it AND the WP ahead of us. Our position stands as it is – out in the open and crystal clear. Would you like me to quote you from the text?

If you choose to end our Pact and not take advantage of technology trades that is your decision. I think you will be poorer for it if you do and I will regretfully have to conduct my business elsewhere.

Zak

*!*!*!

UN Headquarters, MY 2196

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

It is my duty to report to you formally that we have ended our pact agreement with you. It seems that your intent all along was to not honor the "spirit" of the agreement we forged. I can assure you the Peacekeepers would not have allowed the virtual project to fall into your hands if we did not believe that you would support our claim for governorship. Your own words suggest that you "could" support our claim now you take the position that you "would" only support our claim if you were not a candidate.

The only exception I would stipulate to this agreement is that I ("could" - not would ) vote for myself in the unlikely case that I am a candidate for planetary governor, and
considering my territory that seems highly unlikely.

It now seems clear that you never had any intention of supporting our claim. I regret that we fell into your web of murky intentions. With that in mind we have ended our alliance with you so that we can recruit other leaders to our cause. I think we can, in time, build a solid foundation with the Data Angels and the Drones. I think we can also maintain our "pact" with the Morganites. With the support of these factions we might stand a chance to gain enough support to claim the governorship. I also wish to let you know that should we fail to unite enough leaders behind our leadership we will then support the next likely candidate, other than you, most likely the Data Angels. It is in our best interest to forge the strongest alliance possible with the Data Angels.

We hope that we can still maintain "civil" tones but do not look to the Peacekeepers for any additional support. As to your "conditions" for the exchange of technology we find them far too restricting. I suggest that that we continue as we have done in the past, if possible, a technology for a technology.

We will continue to exchange communications but it seems redundant to inform you of the day to day happenings since you have your empath guild to give you this information.

Good luck Zakharov...

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2197

Pravin,

Well, your ‘creative’ interpretation of our agreement and hard feelings over my keeping my side of that agreement is very disappointing. ‘Spirit’ has nothing to do with – it is more wishful thinking on your part. I even agreed to your agreement under your threat against us and, regardless of the situation and your accusation, we will keep it even now. Be careful or this apparent self-delusion and bitterness will eat at you and spoil your idealism.

I also find your claim that our terms for technological exchange are too ‘restricting’. We offer to ‘loan’ you technology for a promise for a technology in return seems more than fair since you get to use it to expand and enhance your society. After all, what better terms would you wish? Or are you looking for gifts?

Good luck with the Data Devils, and with Dee. You are libel to keep Morgan happy as long as you remain in a Free Market system, but Dee is not likely to be so friendly and Rose can be downright cantankerous and…dangerous. Oh, and did I mention that Rose has the largest army on Chiron? Now, I wonder what she might do with that, with you so close to her and all.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2197

University Council of Regents and the office of the Provost,

It seems you still seem to labor under the perception that we "threatened" you into agreeing to support our claim for planetary governor. I spent several days reviewing the UN Charter trying to find the passage that expressly prohibits one faction from building a project that another one is already building, I could not find it. I can assure you that we COULD have completed the virtual world project and either the humane genome project but most likely the weather paradigm before you. It would stand to reason that once you were blocked from the virtual world you would go for the humane genome project leaving us the weather paradigm. However, I am sure this would have caused much "grief" on your part and as such we worked out a deal, you got the virtual world and we got an empty promise. How fortunate for us. Either way it is now water under the bridge and we plan on moving on to bigger and better things.

Your inept attempts at trying to scare us away from the "Data Devils" just proves our case more that our "alliance" with you was wrong from the beginning. Regardless of what if anything would you have done to help us should the Data Devils attack. Would you send troops, no. Would you provide energy credits, no. Would you have given us military technology, perhaps. I think, as does my father and the entire Peacekeeper councils that it we are better off with the Data Angels as an ally than you as a friend.

What I find most illuminating is your complete reversal of your stance on technology sharing. My father advanced this program over 60 turns ago and you turned him down at every point. The one time you did agree and it failed to work as expected you swore never to participate again, but here you are now asking just that, WHY! Also, I should add that you wish to make so many "regulations" concerning our use of the "loaned" technology that it is hardly in our best interest to do so. When the other leaders to share approach us, my father would be forced to deny them and thus erode our status even more. No, you plan is too rich for our blood.

I have studied the figures and it now becomes a waiting game. Who will blink first. Should either one of us turn away from market economics we risk alienating CEO Morgan. Morgan is the key, plain and simple. I have studied this problem in depth for my father and I suspect that the Gaians will abstain, the Data Angels will vote for us and perhaps the Drones as well leaving the Consciences and the Morganites holding the "trump cards". Should you call a vote while maintaining a free market economy, and us as well, Morgan could go either way, but should one of us go to a planned economy then I predict Morgan will vote for the other. I suspect this is why you have not called the planet council all along.

Well, perhaps when my father is feeling better he will take time out of his schedule to inform you of our newest breakthrough.

United Nations Peacekeepers,

Joshua Lal

Governor - United Nations Headquarters, First advisor to the General
Secretary and head of the Council of Governors
United Nations Headquarters Command Center - United Nations Headquarters

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2198

Pravin and Josh,

We will have to agree to disagree on the ‘agreement’ we have. You will note that I did not put in past tense since in my mind an agreement is an agreement and, if you carefully review all of our conversations, that we have always kept the letter of our deals. Honoring the ‘spirit’ of deals is a shockingly naïve statement from a faction that holds a legal document, the Charter, in such high regard. Is this document up for interpretation based on what an individual faction wants? I would suggest this would be a very poor idea since a written agreement, or document like the Charter, needs to be held for what it is, not for what you want it to be. ‘Wishing’ for something and reinterpreting documents is a slippery slope of revisionism.

I had to laugh as you expressed your desire for a pact with the Data Devils. The irony was striking: the Peacekeepers want to ally with a faction that, without provocation, declared war on another faction. And have you asked Rose for technology lately? I’d bet she was even less forthcoming that I have been accused of being. So, who would be a better friend to the Peacekeepers? Think long and hard. As to a potential war, I was very clear that I in no way expected or wanted the Peacekeepers to pursue war with the Devils. I offered support, as I was able, but drew the line on a full fledged bankrolling of a future war, and said that I wouldn’t expect but would appreciate support from the PKs if I was invaded. That seems about as much as an ally could provide, especially since our resources are very similar, and in many areas (such as mineral production) your are superior to ours.

You are correct that my stance technology has changed in that it has become more liberal. I found your father’s argument that technology should benefit everyone to be somewhat persuasive and was willing to bend. Your society benefited from Ethical Calculus for about 30 ro 40 years. If you review our conversations you will not find any significant complaint on my part, only my disappointment that the ‘loan’ wouldn’t be repaid. If you don’t like my terms that is your problem, but in any case the offer still stands. If you would like my files on Ecological Engineering all you have to do is ask. My other terms apply to those that have or have had hostile intent toward us. After all, would you give a weapon to someone who had attacked you in the past? I view technology as the most potent weapon available, and I am loath to have it fall into hostile hands.

I haven’t called a Planetary Council vote out of respect for you, Pravin, since I know it means so much to you. I haven’t spent much time tallying votes except to note that you have more influence than I do, even with the Empath Guild. The only point I would disagree with you is that Morgan is almost irrelevant due to his small population, and small influence. The linchpins in my mind are Rose, Dee, and to a lesser extent Aki. I don’t know how the other factions will vote but I have my suspicions. My only conclusion is that there are so many variables that the results are unpredictable.

In other news, we established our second base in the Monsoon Jungle, and another colony pod will be complete next year. My goal is at least 4 bases there, and more if possible. One site in the southeastern edge of our island is ready, and a second will be done in the next decade or so. It is hard going since there is so much fungus to rip out. A few years ago we had a breakthrough in Industrial Automation and our first supply crawlers will be complete in the next year or so. We have prepared mines for many of our bases, and these or forests will boost our mineral output significantly.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2198

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

My friend I wish that we could rebuild some of the trust that seems to be lost on our part. I blame myself for agreeing so quickly to the earlier arrangement without getting more details ironed out. Let us just say for now that we need to start fresh and try and rebuild our bonds of support. In time your actions will have a much greater impact to how quickly or slowly we will start that process.

As for Roze I really think you need to understand our situation. We look at you and the horrible problems you seem to have with the Gaians as a model of how not to treat your neighbors. We intend to build a strong relationship with the Data Angels because we are neighbors. With all do respect your faction is very far away and the Angels are right on our doorstep. Logic dictates that until technology or time can shorten the distance we are better off building a geo-political axis in our own backyard rather than half a world away. Unfortunately your mere presence seems to send the Angels into a tail spin and as such it will complicate our work in building a pact with them.

We also plan several more colony pods to be built along the new area we discovered along the south eastern area of our territory. In fact, we should have colony number twelve up and running in a decade a colony number thirteen not far behind that. At that point we really need to re-exam our growth and see what can be done at that point. We always seem to have at least three to as many as five cities in "golden ages" so these help expansion and our cash flow greatly.

As your empaths will report we completed our first hospital complex at UN Great Refuge. It should do wonders to advance our science and benefits to our people. We have several more slated to be built. Also, your agents will also report that the mysterious artifact unlocked the secrets of high energy plasma. Our scientists quickly used the information to begin designs for an armor plating that can be used both for soldiers and vehicles. The armor is all but impervious to any weapons we have and only at close range can the armor be damaged. Once we complete the prototype our front line garrisons will be upgraded.

Lastly, we have dispatched our two foil ships UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY and PEACEKEEPER along with the transport to search out another sea pod for investigation. We can only hope it brings back even greater treasures.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2199

Pravin,

Gotta love those Unity pods! We found one of those mysterious artifacts this turn, and we should be able to link it to a network node in a few turns. Then the trance transport will go out to acquire even more of these wonders! Who cares if they are from a dead alien civilization as long as they yield up their secrets to us! At least their extinction will give us some benefits, even if it didn’t benefit them much.

By the way, congratulations on equaling our population during the last year. I’ve been surprised you haven’t done this before due to the greater stability our your society and the effects of the Human Genome Society. It is unlikely we will be able to keep up with your expansion, although we are likely to retain our lead in science. Our one hope are the four or five new base sites and the construction of additional facilities that will allow greater expansion.

Your comments on our rocky relations with the Gaians are a little surprising. While they declared war on us immediately after we bribed them with technololgy they have been fairly communicative, although our relationship has deteriorated since we have been running a free market economy. They trades us Centauri Empathy for Gene Splicing, which I was happy to trade for since it gave us the ability to build the Empath Guild. See the advantages of technology trades? Dee got the ability to expand her society while we got the opportunity to compete with her to build the Empath Guild, which she lost.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2199

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

This turn was both very profitable and rewarding for the Peacekeepers. Our new found technical files on plasma armor were exchanged with our good friend Nwabudike for his advanced ecological engineering files. As you know already those data files allowed our engineers to unlock the mineral secrets of this planet and our mineral production has skyrocketed. Our thermal boreholes are pumping out 7 minerals per turn and in one case we can not even use the borehole due to the extreme negative damage it would do the environment, we would be simply squeezing the planet dry. With the massive increase in mineral production we were able to close the production gap on several projects. You have commented several times about our seemingly lackluster growth. Yes, we could grow faster but we have accepted the lack of extreme growth in exchange for more stability. As your empaths have informed we have fostered many medical/psych talents at each base to promote more harmony and understanding.

As to the diplomatic front your "peace" was brought about by OUR intervention on your behalf during my discussions with the good Lady Deirdre Skye. So even though you have peace with both the Gaians and the Data Angels it was due to Peacekeeper expenditures of political capitol for the purpose of maintaining peace.

We offer the following trade in technology. We will transmit files on plasma armor in exchange for industrial automation. This is a very "similar" deal that we struck with the Morganites as far as levels of technology. Since it was not an issue for him I doubt it will be for you, correct? This will be a straight up trade, with NO exceptions. I also plan on contacting the Gaians next turn to see if they might be interested in this technology since we are in great need of technology to help reduce the impact our industrialization has on this planet. If you agree I will pre-approve the transfer on the next turn.

Lastly, I wish to clarify something you have "eluded" to on several communications. You seem to be saying that you still plan on honoring the original agreement, as you perceive it, concerning the planetary governorship, correct? Does this "sum up" your position. So even though we now agree to disagree about the meaning and spirit of the agreement you still plan on honoring the agreement as YOU see it, correct? Have I gotten this clearly?

Little else of importance occurred this turn of note. Once again your trained empaths will keep you up to date as to the "details" of our land.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center – UNHQ

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2200

Pravin,

Morgan will be giving me the files on High Energy Chemistry for free, although he doesn’t know it yet. You see, he committed an unpardonable sin – he stole my technology, the same technology you now possess. He will be donating High Energy Chemistry and one other technology he might acquire in the future to the University of Chiron the same way he acquired them from me: probe action. The first time he stole my technology I vacillated between rage and knowing that Morgan had been a good neighbor. I decided to forgive but not forget. Then, despite my best efforts, he stole a second technology under the guise of our Pact and that was the last straw. I terminated our Pact so he could not do this again and stationed a defensive probe along our border. There are now four probe teams in production and Morgan faces a storm until I get compensation of what was stolen from me. Do I care if it harms our relationship? No. I haven’t decided whether Morgan Studios itself is forfeit yet, but I have time. He has this one base on this island and I have many. He will pay for his grievous error in judgement. So, you see I will not need your technology since Morgan will provide it for ‘free’. And you can bet that an anti-espionage team will now defend every University base since it is clear I cannot even trust my ‘friends’.

Your hubris is amazing, Pravin. I bought my peace with Dee with a technology bribe, the same way you bought your peace with Dee the pacifistic warmonger. Is your memory that short? You did assist us in resolving the war Rose declared on us, and I appreciate that, but to be honest I was completely unconcerned if that war was resolved since she is so far away. We now have a profitable trade treaty with her (although I have no memory of agreeing to this treaty) and I will happily rake in the energy. Who knows – maybe she will become more reasonable, but I am not optimistic.

I will honor my agreement with you on the Governorship issue as I agreed to it. I have been clear and consistent on this issue, and you will find that I keep my word when I give it. I have little sympathy for those that lie, cheat and steal and I will apply those same ethics at me and those with whom I do business.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2200

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I was grieved to hear that you have broken off your pact status with Nwabudike Morgan. I think you have to look at the source of the problem as to why in the past one hundred years almost every faction that comes in contact with you either antagonizes you or declares war against you. I think if you look closely you will see that it is your strict policy of information exchange that baffles and angers many of the other leaders. I myself would never "stoop" to such attempts but desperate people take desperate actions. Morgan is now "hemmed" in by either your faction or the Gaians. He has little room to expand so he must use technology to expand his resources to help his people. I know what I am saying will be like water rolling off a synth-metal roof and you will most likely think me mad but you are to blame for your own troubles. You could share more or help your fellow planet citizens. Why every once in awhile we contact Forman Domai and he always ask for a new technology or a map file or energy credits and we give them to him. Why do we do this, because we wish the Drones to survive and prosper and not fall so far behind that all they see is the gleaming towers of prosperity shadowing their empty and broken lives. One day your position on this planet might draw enough negative feeling that not one but three maybe four factions might "team up" to pull you down. I hope that will not be the case. Rather than you inciting more riots and panic if you agree to hold your hand against the Morganites I will transfer to you the plasma armor files at no cost. This alone will save you considerable amounts of minerals and energy that you can then use to rebuild your perimeter defenses and block the Morganite industrial espionage teams from entering your cities and labs. Please consider my offer.

Little else of interest occurred this turn. Our ships are exploring more territory and we have selected the site for our first sea colony. It will have access to two mineral rich deposits on the sea floor as well as two very rich nutrient growths. We will begin building and preparing the site for our tenth colony along the southeast section of our territory. Once we complete that site and our thirteenth we will begin "raising land" again to close even more the " C " shape area to our territory. We hope to eventually enclose almost 90% of the area to our east to provide a safe haven for our ships and people.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2201

Pravin,

Who is antagonizing whom? Dee declares war on me when we first meet, and Rose declares war for no reason I can detect (other than her own depravity). You will note that other faction leaders are even less forthcoming with technology as I am, so that part of your argument falls on its head, too. I have a simple sense of right and wrong that maybe you don’t understand: declaring war for no reason is bad; stealing is wrong; honoring agreements is good. If these principles have antagonized the other factions then I would suggest that they are the ones who are mad, not me. Now Domai is a special case and I HAVE given him technology.

Morgan is a special case also since he knows better and he will pay the price. I should have invested in anti-espionage teams before and this is the perfect opportunity to both exact fair compensation for his wrongs and ensure it doesn’t happen again. I’ll have to destroy his probe team, but that is a bonus. That said, I will absolve Morgan of one of his debts to me if you will transmit the files on High Energy Chemistry. He will still ‘owe’ me, but that remains to be resolved. Morgan is expecting a breakthrough in a few years and then I will have that too. When this issue is resolved perhaps Morgan and I can resume what may be a mutually beneficial relationship. If you are serious about this arrangement it would be best not to dawdle since our probe assault teams will be ready next year and the assault will begin in two or three.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2201

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We had a most wondrous and joyous turn in celebration of the centennial date of our landing on Planet. I ordered a two week break for all citizens to enjoy time with their families and rejoice in the accomplishments we have worked and forged on Planet. There were many parades and feasts for all and a special banquet was held in my honor and all of the remaining pod members who landed here. There are only 23 left of the original pod members left. The longevity treatments are too costly still for all to partake so they are rationed out according to position and need. I myself will undergo another treatment next turn in order to continue my work here. I almost hate going into those tanks and having to submit to the pain and agony that they inflict but without them I would be gone so long ago. I only hope that either we can improve the process or I can someday forgo the treatments and pass on look so many other good people have. However, for now I have work.

I think you do not understand the "terms" of our proposed trade. We will "gift" you the plasma armor and with it the means to upgrade the armor to make it withstand the mind attacks of the mind worms. You will get two very important and powerful technologies but only if you do NOT in any way cross the borders into Morganite territory. I fail to understand why would we give you plasma armor technology if you still plan to cross the borders to inflict harm on the Morganites. If you accept our terms your probe teams will stay on your side of the border and will on "interdict" any "possible" Morganite industrial espionage teams should they try to cross. I will try to convince my friend Nwabudike to forestall any future actions against you but you can not in any form cross his borders. I am trying to keep the escalation of violence to a minimum and under your plan you only mean to ratchet up the tension. I think I can appeal to your sense of reason. The two technologies I am offering will armor your troops and vehicles to such an extent that only the largest and most terrible of mind worm attacks will be able to effect your troops. The armor is also based on the plasma armor designs that we are now prototyping that makes the wearer all but invulnerable to normal attacks. I think this is a tempting offer since it will also protect you against the native life form attacks that the Gaians are using so in a sense your troops will have the edge in both conventional and non-conventional combat. Please consider this offer carefully. I am only making this offer once and should you decline I will not re-offer it again since I will then concentrate on supporting my pact-mate Morgan. For now I will try and remain neutral in this affair.

I also pleased to report that we had a VERY productive trading session with the Data Angels. We gained access to the "resonance" technology that upgrades our plasma armor to offer psionic defense and we also gained the most elusive technology, industrial automation. We also exchanged maps files with Roze and it was most illuminating to say the least. She has an enormous amount of land to colonize and has only begin to "scratch" the surface of her area. She could easily build 5 to 7 more colonies on the small "continent" to her west. That is right "CONTINENT"! It is enormous! If she every is able to expand more quickly she could build a huge civilization that would dwarf both of us! We were stunned into silence when we looked at the files for the first time to say the least. I can only hope that our meager holdings do not "encourage" her to take any brash actions. I think this was the first step for us to build a new alliance with the Data Angels one that will be prosperous for us both.

Lastly, I wish to try and make you see that the reason these other factions "strike first" is because they feel they have no other recourse but to do so. They have little if nothing to trade since all you prize is technology so if they can not meet your price they have no other choice but to get it by other means. Does this justify their actions, I do not know. We have been almost as blessed as you have with some natural and system advances while others have not. I can not say how exactly I might react if I knew you had the technology I needed to make my people's lives better but I had no means to get it. I might like to think I would still take "the high road" but who can say when your people, the children are crying from hunger. I doubt you will understand this but you have only to look at our earth history when the third world nations rose up and tore at the industrial world to demand their fair share of the resources and bounty. You too could become the next United States if you are not more "giving" and "generous" with your resources and technology. I offer this only as a warning, please take heed...

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center – UNHQ

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2102

Pravin,

I’m glad you party is going well. You must be very pleased that the technology you acquired from Morgan, who stole it from me, has yielded you such fine returns. I don’t hold this against you much, but I do hold it against Morgan. At this moment there are three probe teams on his border, a fourth on the way, and several more in production.

If you are offering the two technologies High Energy Plasma and Field Modulations as compensation for Morgan’s theft then I accept, and I will wipe away the two black debits he incurred when he violated my labs and stole what is mine. I will also agree not to violate his territory as a result of his incursions. Kindly transmit these in the next year, pre-accepted, and I will call off my espionage teams, who will assume a defensive posture around my bases. I will not drop my guard again, I can assure you, since Morgan has shown me the level of trust I can expect out of Pactmates.

By the way, I can see a way to agree to your last point, which I read as the end justifies the means. If I read it correctly then I have the right to take what I want because others are unjustly withholding it from me. Therefore I am perfectly justified in not only taking my ‘compensation’ from Morgan, but whatever else I want if I don’t happen to have it. And perhaps I should apply your logic to Dee, too? She may have technology she has been unjustly withholding from me, and it would only be fair is she were to ‘share’ it with me, even if she didn’t agree to it. Or maybe I should apply this ‘rule’ to you, since you are unfairly withholding High Energy Plasma and Field Modulation from me, and therefore putting my people in deadly peril from attacks from my ‘friends’ like Morgan or from mindworms. Somehow I think you might take offense to me stealing from you, hmmmm? And you might take offense if I were to liberate all that illegally hoarded technology from anyone else? Beware the slippery slope of your illogical deductions, Pravin, since you may not like where they lead. There is either the rule of law or there is not. Theft if theft. Murder is murder. If some theft or murder is acceptable you may find your precious Charter in shreds, and you may feel a singular piercing glimmer of understanding that it was you who started the shredding. I am willing to be reasonable, but there must be a certain justice, and compensation for wrongs, or the rule of law that you espouse is an empty and false promise.

Lastly, the United States slid into anarchy and destruction because they turned from science and logic to religious fundamentalism. I can assure you that will not happen to the University of Planet.

Zak

[Hydro]

UN Headquareters, MY 2202

University Council of Regents and the office of the Provost,

While my father is undergoing his treatments this turn I have been asked to respond for him on behalf of the Peacekeepers. You will find attached, as agreed to, the two technical blueprints for the armor designs. We will monitor each turn the border you share with the Morganites to observe if any violations occur by ANY party. I am sure my father will be most pleased that once again his skill in diplomacy has once again diffused a hostile situation without loss of life.

As to other issues. First, we had no idea the technology that we traded with the Morganites had been obtained through less than honorable means. If we had know, IF YOU HAD INFORMED US OF THE TRANSGRESSIONS, we could have declined the exchange and brought it to your attention. We do not traffic in information that was obtained without the willing consent of both parties. The FREE flow of exchange must be a willing an open exchange that benefits the whole. If you think we feel guilt or remorse, no. We had no idea as to HOW the technology was obtained nor did we ask since we had NO REASON TO DO SO SINCE WE WERE UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM. Your failure to "share" even that information is your fault not ours. How can the police catch the robber if you never report him to the police? In the future we will try to be more careful and demand more details as to the source of the technology to insure that this situation will not happened again. Second, I find it hard to sympathize with your situation as to the free exchange of technology. Your labs and computer networks are the finest on this planet. I am sure your science rate is twice ours if not more. If one or two lesser technologies might "slip" through your fingers do not expect a Peacekeeper to weep for you. We do weep for the other factions on this planet who measure their science breakthroughs in quarter century intervals not years like you. Your argument when boiled down to the a simple analogy is one of a child collecting marbles. There is always one child through hard work or luck or indulgent parents who has nearly ALL of the marbles and when he sees one child with the one type of marble he can not have he cries foul. If you NEED a technology all you have to do is a little increase in resources to your labs and BAM instant breakthrough! We do not discount or take little the enormous sacrifice it took you to get to this level you are now. We respect the hard struggle you went through but other factions have had worse luck than you. Or these other factions for whatever reason can not match your science rate, for many obvious reasons, and as a result have found themselves lagging behind and being forced to do with less to help the increasing numbers of people they have to support. We have both been lucky since we have both benefited from the inherent bonus our people seem to have as well as those alien artifacts and Unity pods. I also feel as well as many others on the Peacekeeper councils that your exchange rates are too high for many other factions to meet. There are also many cultural differences that now block the exchange of information such as the Gaians revulsion to free market economics. It would have been "simpler" for us all if we could have remained under one command, one system so that we could have pooled our resources but that is not the case. We are as unique and different as the people and cultures of earth when we left. So if you expect the Peacekeepers to offer up any breakthrough we make at no price to you, you can think again. We might not always demand a technology for a technology, we can see beyond that basic and primitive agreement. If the Drones should contact us and demand a technology, even the Data Angels, we will give it to them. Will we try and get "something" in exchange, yes, but if not, we will still transfer it to maintain prosperity for all. I think that is why we have never been "probed" by the Data Angels since why do such a thing when you can just "ask for it". That stolen piece of technology triggered the exchange of eight technologies among four factions, though the means by which it started are not honorable the end result was a huge net gain for us all and for our people. We all benefited from the exchange, even yourself. So in the future if you should find yourself falling behind the other factions and needing a particular form of technology to aid your people and economy please contact us and we will assist you. On the other hand while you remain the premier faction on this planet, a millionaire among the middle class, do not expect charity from those who need it.

We have little else to report other than the High Commissioner of Colonization had decided it is time to begin the construction of sea colonies and our first colony should be under construction within a turn or two. Our eleventh colony should be up and running in three turns, if all goes well and our twelfth within eight turns. This makes three more colonies within a decade. We have also prepared plans for the construction of large habitat domes for our larger cities so that they can accommodate larger populations. Rather than the expanding and expanding it is time to grow up rather than out. We now have more than sufficient infrastructure in four cities to support a growing population. Once we have three habitation domes completed we will move back to a planned economy in under to fill them up, so to speak.

I hope that we have clarified our position....

United Nations Peacekeepers,

Joshua Lal

Governor - United Nations Headquarters, First advisor to the General
Secretary and head of the Council of Governors
United Nations Headquarters Command Center - United Nations Headquarters

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2203

Pravin and Joshua

I already told you I don’t blame you much for acquiring the technology from Morgan, who got it through nefarious means. You are also correct that I should have contacted you earlier, but you must understand that I had essentially forgiven Morgan his first theft after I sent him a strong rebuke and that he had only stolen the second technology in the very recent past. He will not have the opportunity again so I do not think this will be a problem.

Your marble analogy was amusing, though, since it can be applied to any number of abilities, not just scientific advancement. We have all been gifted or cursed with different abilities or liabilities. For instance, our society excels at science and we are prone to social disorder that limits our vertical expansion. Your society has an innate leadership and talent advantage, while having a tiny problem with bureaucratic inefficiency. The Gaians have their strange rapport with the strange blighted ecology or Chiron, but they (as you noted) are blind to the advantages of a Free Market system (btw – I’m amazed we’ve been able to maintain a friendship treaty with Dee, whereas you have a truce. I may have to sweeten the pot to keep this situation). And so on. You can hardly share your ability with me neither can any other faction. We of the University of Chiron have a ‘mobile’ ability that can be easily transmitted. I do not mind this, if we are appropriately compensated but I object when this is done against our will. This would be no different than me stealing a Gaian mindworm, or one of your lofty bases with all of its talents. You must understand that to us our scientific advancements are like children, and to see them stolen or abused strikes at the very nature of our society, much like atrocities or violation of the Charter would strike at yours. I would suggest you not be too blithe about criticizing us for objecting to theft, or for compensation for our sweat and blood.

As a thank you for your recent efforts I have a gift for you – information. I poked my Empaths of the Guild to pull a little data you may find useful. As odd as it may seem I do not spend a whole lot of time worrying or obsessively poring over their data and there were a couple of items that I found to be interesting. I will let you draw your own conclusions.

University – 50 pop, 12 bases, 22 techs, tech 1/8 yr
Gaians – 46 pop, 11 bases, 18 tech, tech 1/15 yr
Cyborgs – 29 pop, 11 bases, 17 techs, tech 1/10 yr
Morgan – 12 pop, 3 bases, 20 tech, tech 1/51 yr
Data Devils – pop 4? (oops – need to recheck), 10 bases, 21 tech, tech 1/10 yr
PKs – 48 pop, 11 bases, 21 tech, tech 1/11 yrs
Drones – 21 pop, 4 bases, 12 tech, tech 1/27 years

So you can see that there is an amazing degree of similarity in bases, and population among the lead factions (University, Gaians, Devils, and PKs). Our science rate is much higher than everyone else, but since we earned our tech our tech rate is artificially high.

In other news, we now have 3 artifacts that we will cash in soon. I can barely wait to see what wonders they will produce! In addition there is a likely breakthrough next year, so we have the possibility of 3 technologies in one year! I can hardly wait!

Lastly, we are likely to establish 4 or 5 new colonies in the next 10 years or so. This will round out the land on our island with two new bases literally carved out of the fungus, and take advantage of the Monsoon Jungle, which is not explored so I have no idea how much expansion room there is here. Dee has inconsiderately placed a number of sea bases near the Jungle, and these bases are making colonization less than optimum, resulting in wasted time. She was there first, but I dislike the delay, and she likely dislikes the denial of the wonderful resources of the Jungle to her sea bases. I can’t help but wonder if the Jungle is connected to the large continent Rose has! Wouldn’t that be a bit of irritating irony if my Jungle were near Rose? I would have to build a bunch of infantry probe teams fast…

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2203

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I am no recovered from my treatment and I feel much better, much younger. The after effects of the treatment I still find very unpleasant but they fade over time until the next treatment.

I doubt you will ever truly understand our argument. The fact that you are about to "cash in" on three new possible technologies only proves my point. When the drones called us about 15 turns ago and asked us for the plans on ship designs we gave them to them, with no strings attached. In essence this is their version of a Unity pod. I studied the data and yes it does look like that nearly four factions are almost equal in power and capabilities but that leaves three others behind. Bad luck on Nwabudike's part landed him on a small island with little room to expand. I do not condone his actions but I will not condemn him to the pits of hell for stealing your technology. Suffice it to say it will be another point where we will have to agree to disagree.

Little else of interest occurred this turn....


United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2204

Pravin,

Yes, this was a grand year! First my loyal scientists presented me with the specifications for Environmental Economics, which finally unlocks the energy this niggardly planet will provide to fund our labs and fill our coffers. Moreover, we will be able to unlock the latent ability of the forests we have planted to give us food, and extra psychological benefit for our generally unruly citizens. Then the alien artifacts yielded Optical Computers and a complete surprise – Synthetic Fossil Fuels! Now I know what you are thinking, that Synthetic Fossil Fuels will throw a ghastly weapon that is three times more effective than lasers on the world scene, but this is only part of this technology. Much more important, in my mind, is this will allow us to put a specially adapted Fungicide on all our formers! Finally we will be able to not only rip the fungus out by its nasty roots, but to also poison it to make the task 50% more efficient! I authorized, at great cost, 4 of our formers to be upgraded with fungicidal ability immediately, which will greatly assist our placement of bases in the southeastern portion of our small island.

I have been persuaded by part of your argument regarding technology, Pravin. We will gift appropriate technologies to the factions that have fallen behind in the technology race, which are the Drones and Consciousness. Neither of these factions is anywhere near us and they can’t possibly present a threat so I see no problem in gifting them one or two, and maybe more in Domai’s case, technologies. This should allow them to expand their holdings and, hopefully, thrive. I am more reticent in giving technology to Dee considering our history, and the fact she is my neighbor and stole some of my limited land. Now she has the gall to build yet another colony pod! She has nowhere to place it but two sectors from my southern-most base, and she is in for big trouble if she does that!

The only other news I have is rather unpleasant. One of our trance transports investigated a Unity pod and found a Unity rover. Normally this would be great news, but the citizens of University Base decided it was their rover and, since it was outside our territory, immediately went into revolt! I had to take three sectors out of production to quell the unrest, and the foil is rushing back to the mainland to dump the foil in our territory so that these whining idiots will stop blubbering and resume their work. We will refit it with empath ability so it will be useful, but in the meantime University Base is in starvation and has no mineral production. This is not quite a disaster, but it is close, since having University Base go off line dropped our science production by 10%, and that galls me. I considered scrapping the rover since that would quell the idiots but, considering how short resources are, couldn’t bring myself to do it – and now I have to pay the piper.

I’m glad your treatments have gone well. In a few years we will have developed a new regime that will hopefully make the procedure less painful and lengthy, and I will be happy to forward it to all the faction leaders as soon as our research hospitals can make some progress.

Zak

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2204

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

This turn was not as fortunate to us as it was to you. In opening a Unity pod our famed UNSF GENERAL ASSEMBLY was destroyed by a rogue worm that was clinging to bottom of the pod. Whatever was in the pod was long since gone, consumed by the sea worm I suppose. UNSF PEACEKEEPER was able to destroy the worm with no damage to itself but none of the crew survived from the General Assembly.

I wish you good luck once again but I doubt you will ever need luck again after the windfall that has befallen you. It seems with the discoveries you have made you may have rounded the corner on this planet and it will soon know its master. I am sure this will catapult you into a lead that will be hard for anyone to catch, your labs and your faction will be a leader on this planet. We ourselves are expected to make a breakthrough next turn in either cyber-ethics or planetary economics. I have been told that it will most likely be cyber-ethics since some of the research is still not "there" yet to possibly support the science of planetary economics.

I applaud your "new" program to "gift" needed technology to the more impoverished factions, a program we have followed for decades, in order to aid them in their cause and the plight of their people. You will soon see the benefit of your actions by the fact that these factions will soon have the means to support themselves and feed, cloth and house their people in a manner fitting to a human being.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters, Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2205

Pravin,

Luck? Not so much luck as perseverance. My teams have opened at least a dozen or two Unity pods and we finally got a string of good results. I will admit that the early string of pod’s yield of nutrient squares were incredibly important in the early days since our land was so poor, and if I had to do it over again I’d pick the nutrient sectors. I seem to recall that you had an artifact a while ago, too, and when you linked it with a network node you got High Energy Plasma, which is a good thing. All I can suggest is to continue to investigate the Unity pods, using proper safeguards such as resonance trance foils, of course. We currently have 3 transports roaming the seas, which is OK for now but I’d like to have a few more when we can scrape up the resources.

I have to compliment you on your suggestion on sharing technology, by the way. I called up Aki and offered to give her a technology, and she gratefully accepted. Then she offered a Pact, and I threw in a second technology for good measure. Neither of these technologies was new or critical, and as I recall both were technologies the rest of us have had for a while. Now, Domai was a different story. I was willing to give him anything but our most recent advances and guess what he insisted on? In the end I had to turn him down, and we both went away disappointed. To my mind he is greedy and grasping, and he has some cheek asking for Environmental Economics AND Cyber Ethics! There are any of another dozen techs I would have gladly given him but he wouldn’t even consider it. Oh, well – his loss.

I noticed your population is pulling steadily ahead of ours, and I can’t say I’m surprised. We seem to have a huge problem growing past size 4 without riots, and one of our population needs to be diverted to mollify the discontent. This effectively means our maximum population size with a recreation commons, holo theatre, and research hospital is 6 and I’d bet you’d be able to have at least 8 or perhaps 9 with the same facilities. Our only hope is to invest in tree farms and hope that increases our stability, but I’m not holding my breath. As a result we are taking a more horizontal expansion approach, which is less efficient but probably needed, considering our stability issues.

An interesting proposal crossed my desk this last year: a cost benefit analysis of switching to a Green economy. I know this is going to be a surprise, but it is almost better for us since the efficiency boost is tremendous, we can quell unrest of our workers better than in Free Market, and I am told we might be able to capture some of those nasty mindworms and make them work for us. The only hit is in commerce and in energy production, but not as much as I might have thought. At this point it makes more sense to stay the course, but as our society gets bigger the efficiency drag will get larger. A side benefit is that Dee may be willing to be friendlier, although Morgan is liable to slip into an apoplectic fit. I have been wronged by both parties but, if I had to chose, I ‘d chose Dee since Morgan hasn’t seen fit to expand to adjacent islands or sea colonies like Dee has. I might even be able to work with Dee, too. Now, isn’t that strange? I sound a bit like you when you talk about how strategic it is to keep Rose happy since she is a neighbor. Basically, I’d rather have Morgan as an enemy than Dee. However, we are not developed enough to pursue this yet, but maybe sometime in the future it will make sense.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2205

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I have the most glorious and wondrous news to report. A lone researcher in a section that had little to do with the emphasis of our scientific progress happened to contribute some very needed data and as a result we were also able to unlock the energy secrets of this planet as well along with the knowledge to create vast tree farms to increase resources and provide a very, very needed eco-system friendly technology. There were two stumbling blocks for our continued "prosperous" growth: energy and the environment. In one step we have conquered both!! UN Great Refuge had unearthed a vast mineral supply which in one sense is very good but to truly "exploit" these reserves would have meant damaging the environment to such an extent that I would have expected the entire planet to rise up and attack us. I have ordered well over half of our bases to beginning construction of tree farms as soon as they clear any current production backlogs from their factories. Once the production facilities can "ramp up" to make the needed seedling planting machines and other support equipment to nurture the trees and supportive growth our eco worries will be long past. What a glorious day this had been. I intend to contact my good friend Nwabudike next turn as well as Roze to see if we can not work out a trade, if not I will give them the technology anyway since such a powerful technology can not be kept under wraps. The advantages of this technology outweigh any "faction" concerns in favor of the prosperity of the whole planet.

Our twelfth colony pod will arrive on site next turn and set-up next turn. Our thirteenth colony pod is done but the needed sensor improvements and road work are lagging behind. Once that complete the road and sensor and I fear clear some fungus before the colony pod can leave. With the unlocking of our energy resources it has now opened the door to some needed changes in our society. Once we complete the tree farms for several of our cities we will switch back to a planned economy but with a slight modification that will allow our citizens to accumulate wealth and in turn prosper. With these changes our population will expand almost at the speed of light and then when the end looks close we will also transfer to a "green" economy to put the breaks on the expansion and increase our economies efficiency.

On a somber note we lost our last sea foil UNSF PEACEKEEPER last turn. Our transport opened another Unity pod and another sea worm moved to attack the transport. The captain of the foil moved his ship in and almost killed the worm but the ship was consumed by the worm mass and all were lost. The transport was not able to rescue any survivors and it looks like we will order the transport back through a southerly route to complete mapping the western seas. Any "new" foils will be armed and protected with the resonance armor technology that might have saved these foils.

Lastly, I agree your achievement in missile/chemical technology was terrible and wonderful breakthrough for you. However, we also agree that we too must try to achieve the same breakthrough and have ordered our labs to try and make the same breakthrough as well.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2106

Pravin,

Please accept my condolences for your foil crew. Our first foil had a near death encounter with an isle and only just escaped with their lives. So far our sea foils and transports have been relatively fortunate. The only casualty was our first unarmored foil that transported our colony pod to Acedemgorodok in the Monsoon Jungle, and luckily he did so on his return trip. Being unarmored they succumbed quickly and the only message we got was a garbled farewell from the last semi-sane crew member as the isle was engulfing the stricken foil. Your idea to equip your foils with resonance armor is an excellent one, and all of our transports will be equipped with resonance armor.

We switched to a Planned economy for so we could complete a population ‘boomlet’. Budushi Dvor has lost two population in the production of two colony pods in the last three years, and Climatic Research has just finished a crèche. A few of the other bases are going to try to go to population five, or six, and the governors of these bases express profound optimism that this will optimize resources. I am not so sure since I know once we move back to a Free Market economy we will have to deal with riots again and, although our population and energy will be higher, our mineral production will be lower since we will have to rely on kelp and tidal harnesses to boost our food supply. I only plan to use this economic model for a two or three years and then we will switch back over to a Free Market economy.

Our prototype of resonance armor will be done this year, but through a bit of bad luck and bad planning it will be completed in both a transport and a plasma garrison. The switch of a planned economy is the rub since otherwise the transport would have taken a year longer. This is vexing but if I would have studied the yearly reports from Mendelev College I may have caught the error.

Congratulations on discovering Environmental Economics! With the echelon mirrors and boreholes that you’ve mentioned have been constructed I would guess that your energy production will spike nicely, resulting in more energy reserves and a nice boost in your scientific research! I’m glad you agree with me that giving certain powerful technologies to potentially hostile factions is not a good idea. The last time I checked Domai and Dee wanted nothing to do with you, which is their loss considering how generous you may be with your discoveries. Or are you hoping to improve your relationship with them with a gift? I’d be curious how that turns out.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2206

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

It was a busy turn for us all again here at headquarters. Many decisions and plans were prepared to begin our next phase of growth. Our problem is that many of our bases are at size 5 to 6 population index already and soon they will be at 7. My planners inform me that we can make some adjustments to housing accommodations and could support up to possibly a size 9 population without habitat domes but the problem is the environment. Feeding our population and providing resources will be tough job for us all. At UN Great Refuge the population is "stuck" until we can either solve the ecological problem or find more nutrient resources, such as sea farming, that will not impact the environment so harshly. We are building more sea farms in that area. My High Commissioners of Economic Planning, Terra-Forming and Environment do tell me that moving back to a "planned" economic model will reduce greatly the amount of pollution that is created since we can impose regulations and limits on the factories and plants that create the toxins. We are still studying the issue for now but a decision must come soon. We have been a free market system for some time and as such it has brought about a great many boons as well as busts.

We will establish our twelfth colony next turn, there was some delay in getting to the spot. We will also complete the site preparation for out thirteenth colony in about 5 to 6 turns, about the same time as our first sea colony is ready. Once we have completed some needed improvements in our new colonies, farms, tree stands, boreholes we can then move to expanding more land by raising more sea floor. My High Commissioners are still studying sites as to where to expand to but no firm decision has been made. I suspect the most likely area will be to continue to close the " C " shape entrance even tighter so that we can more closely protect our "inland" sea area and raise more sea floor along our southern shores moving south to the polar cap area. We also are beginning to build a borehole along the thin edge of the polar cap landmass to provide energy and minerals for UN Health Authority. I had ordered several impact studies to be made to see what effect there would be in building a massive borehole so close to the ice caps but I have been told it would be minimal at the worse. As long as we do not build many more in that area the borehole should have no effect.

Lastly, I was unable to contact either Roze or Morgan this turn for some strange reasons. I am sure that once they hear what I have to say they will want to talk. It does seem our next breakthrough will come in the area of military science again. I am not too pleased with that prospect since there are so many other fields that we could be exploring but that is what happens in science. One discovery leads you to another and you never know what that can be.

I appreciate your condolences for our valiant crews. As soon as we can
build up some more improvements we plan on rebuilding our fleet with the
most advanced armor and equipment as possible so that we can explore our
eastern sea area.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2207

Pravin,

We made a breakthrough this year in Doctrine: Initiative, and I ordered Mir Lab to complete the Maritime Control Center this year. This required 200 energy, which I didn’t have, so I had to call up Aki for a small loan and I sold Environmental Economics to Rose. I didn’t think you’d mind since you intended to give or sell this technology to Rose anyway, and the 75 credits did allow us to complete the MMC immediately, and this Project will be instrumental in our transports exploring the seas and gathering the abundance of Unity pods. Effectively, this will increase their movement rate by 67% and that is significant! I will also consider constructing cruiser-based transports, but that will likely be delayed until after tree farms are done since they are hideously expensive, and more expensive to prototype.

Our population boomlet is giving me cold sweats since some of our cities threaten to grow to size 7 and I know that is not sustainable once we go back to a Free Market system next year. I did a little tinkering so that most bases will not grow that much since I would hate to have rampant starvation cause the death of my whiny but productive citizens. This last boom will be the last one until we get a good number of tree farms built, and perhaps a few more crawlers to boost mineral production.

I forgot to mention we established a new base Zvedny Gorodok two years ago in the southeastern part of our continent. Our fungicidal formers have removed the fungus at another colony site nearby, but it will be a while before we level the rocky terrain there so it is likely that it will be two years before the colony is established. The fungus in the Jungle is giving me big problems since, when combined with Dee’s bases, our base sites are limited and there is always that blasted fungus in the way! Every time we try to enter a fungus sector some blasted mindworm comes boiling out. Luckily the scout is outfitted with empath ability so, even when we are running Free Market, we are able to deal with it, but every delay vexes me. We only have one former there and I hope to get more soon. Unfortunately the bases grow so quickly due to the high nutrient production that there is likely to be instability in the near future, especially if we aren’t able to spall off a colony pod to ratchets down the population a bit – effectively sending the troublemakers to found a new colony, which gives them no time for petty things like rioting and complaining about only getting two hours a day in the Virtual World.

I have no idea why you haven’t been able to contact Rose or Morgan since they answered my calls immediately. Perhaps you are calling them too much? Even a good friend can get tired of they are bothered all the time.

Zak

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2207

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I am truly amazed at the progress you have made my friend. I doubt there is anyone anywhere on this planet that could possibly complete a secret project such as the maritime control project in one year. The total commitment of your entire society must have put into such an effort. I could not ask this of my people to make such a sacrifice, this might explain why your society is so unstable at times. I congratulate you on your efforts.

We have passed the required legislation needed to make the changes to a planned economic society. There was some resistance and there was a lot and I do mean a lot of credits that came into play by lobbyists for the free market system. I suspect that many of the syndicates had help from the Morganites but the leaders we have groomed looked past many of these bribes, and that is what they were, and voted for the needed legislation. The special interests were able to push the non-corporate income preservation act so that individual citizens and partnerships would not be effected by the changes so many of our citizens can still pursue dreams of wealth.

We did establish our new colony and we should have several more up and running in a 5 to 7 turns. Our emphasis now is on internal growth not external. We will be habitat domes and tree farms and other improvements and our cities will explode. Our economic planners expect that we could out surpass and out distance even you in two decades. In the meantime our terra-formers will raise more land to prepare "spin-off" colonies.

There is little else I can tell you that your empath spies can not. I think we have all turned a corner on this planet that we will see major events occurring that will change the face of this planet forever.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2208

Pravin,

Finish a Project in one year? Hardly! Mir Lab had been stockpiling minerals for over 20 years, ever since Rose finished the Energy Grid in fact. I decided that it was a waste to reallocate the minerals, and lose half in the process, so I had the base administrator keep on accumulating. I knew another Project would come along, and the Maritime Control Center was certainly a worthy Project. I did have other reasons, though. Mir Lab couldn't build anything else while it was accumulating, and getting the Project off the books let the base get up to speed on its resources and improvements. In other words, it will now be able to complete a supply trawler or two to goose mineral production, and start a tree farm, which I view as critical to our expansion.

I decided to stay on a planned economy for another year. The reasons were a little subtle, since when on using a Planned Economy New Arzamas would finish its colony pod next year, which will speed it on its way. We were also able to rush the completion of Zoloto Gold's research hospital, which would have been too expensive if we had switched back to a Free Market economy. After running the numbers it is clear that there will be a day when a Free Market is not as efficient as a Green economy since extra citizens are taken off resource production to keep riots in check. This limits our food, energy, and mineral production to a degree I hadn't really understood until the last few years.

One of our transport captains investigated a Unity pod bobbing in some fungus this last year and, as he approached the site, we all held our breath. Being caught in the fungus by an isle of the deep is potentially deadly regardless of the armor and abilities you may have. The fungus makes the craft and its crew vulnerable to native attacks, and it is highly likely that they might succumb or at least be grievously damaged. They were lucky this time and hauled in 150 energy credits - which is quite a boon. The day will come when our luck will run out, though, so it is best to be prepared.

In the next five years we will have established a total of 17 bases. Three colony pods are en route, and a fourth will be finished at New Arzamas next year. I suspect that we will have to stop since I have been advised that there is a limit to how much horizontal expansion we can have without severe instability, which we are susceptible to anyway. There is no use pushing our luck.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2208

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

Our economy is now settling in to the changes we have made and our growth and industrial production are up greatly. The only thing that will stop our rapid expansion is the lack of nutrients, city size and ecological issues. We expect that with our terra-former abilities nutrients should not be a problem as to city size we are in the process of laying out habitat domes for all our major cities. Lastly, the ecological issues are our biggest concerns and once we complete the tree farms we have started this last issue should not be a problem and it will also help solve the nutrient problem.

We completed our first sea colony and we might build several more and place them in the western sea area. They will serve as an important forward listening post for our territory. We are also planning to rebuild our navy and with that in mind we are rebuilding them with the best technology we have. We are in the last stages of building the sensor array for our thirteenth colony and it should be done next turn and the colony will establish itself the next turn.

Little else of any importance occurred this turn that your empaths have not already reported to you. It does seem clear though that your technological lead is increasing by an almost exponential growth. I suspect that unless something "tragic" happens I doubt that little will trouble your lead in that area. It was very far sighted of you to keep accumulating the resources for you project. This is the advantage of being a technology leader in that you gain the first chance to accumulate any projects that make themselves available. I fear now that short of a miracle we will not be able to claim any future ones since we are constantly playing "catch up" in this race. Who can say, perhaps when our new fleet is complete we can discover a few of these artifacts and return them to our base to aid our cause.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2109

Pravin,

We have not seen exponential growth, merely a 'boomlet' similar to the one you are now likely enjoying. Our primary bases are now size 5 to 7, although any base about size 4 is likely to have some serious instability. We are done growing vertically for a while and will have to rely on horizontal growth. Our scientific rate did rise with the last boom, but only marginally since there was an 11% increase. This was not nearly as great as our last boomlet where our scientific output almost doubled. There is the rub, and the reason why I always fear for the ability of the University to compete. The other factions, and especially yours, have the ability to population boom and experience a huge increase in resources as a result. Already many of your bases are size 7, and the only bases of ours that are size 7 are hovering on the brink of chaos and have no hope of growing further anytime in the near future. So you can see, perhaps, why I am always afraid since our growth ability is quite limited and we have always had to fight hard for what we have. Half the other factions on Chiron have shown me ill will in the past, with the notable exception of you and Aki and to some extent Domai, although he is none too friendly. In many ways I am surrounded by enemies who would like nothing better than to take what I have worked so hard for.

I do have a suggestion for you that has served us well: invest in supply crawlers to harvest minerals. I noticed that your bases are harvesting them manually. This is a waste, since your people could be harvesting food, energy, and a more modest set of minerals in other places - a far richer and lucrative 'haul', if you will. You have some rich mineral deposits in your territory, and a single crawler on a mineral lode with a road and mine will take in 7 minerals, and will pay for itself in a mere 3 or 4 years. Even crawling the minerals for a forest makes sense since this may boost the minerals output by 20%. All of my bases completed at least one crawler before starting on their next improvement, which was typically a tree farm. If you have any bases with less than 10 or 15 minerals you might consider switching production to a crawler. Another benefit - you can cash in a crawler for a prototype or project, so they are a great investment any way you slice it

Also, it doesn't look like you have adopted a Wealth strategy. Why? Although morale takes hit as citizens and soldiers become a bit soft, the boost to energy production is significant and the reduction in industrial costs is wonderful. It also has the effect of increasing trade income, and in combination with Free Market this can be significant indeed.

One of our transports opened a Unity pod and got a surprise - a Unity helicopter! Luckily it was relatively close to a base and, after exploring for a bit, it headed for Mir Lab before its fuel ran low. This copter will be used for exploration, but after a while its usefulness may decrease as the areas around our little island are fully explored. Maybe I can refit it with empath ability? I'll have to check that out - it would be a terrific fast-response defender against worms or isles!

I have a few more items before I let you go. Rose has developed Non-Linear Mathematics. I called her up and she told me, in no uncertain terms, to get lost. I would gladly trade technology to you if you could acquire this advance for us. Let me know what you think.

Lastly, you mentioned you had acquired Rose's world map. I purchased Aki's world map a short while ago. Ever since I found out Rose had taken control of one of the Unity pods I have been worried and I would be willing to trade maps just so I can know what she is up to. Aki is a long way away, but it is illuminating to see her territory and how she is doing. You may have noticed that she is growing and thriving, unlike Morgan or Domai. She may make up for lost time.

Zak

*!~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2209

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We accept your proposal for the exchange of map files. Ours is being sent pre-approved to you and we would expect the same in exchange. I think you will find the maps of interest to you.

I was able to contact Roze but little came of the exchange. I currently lack any information she would find of interest it seems and as such had little time to communicate. I could only suggest possibly working a three way exchange in which I contact Roze and offer her a technology that she does not already have that you would route through me. As I stated before my scientists expect to make a breakthrough in the military science field in a few years so perhaps we could work out something then. I contacted my friend Nwabudike Morgan since we have been growing more and more worried about his situation. It seems that for many, many years a "cabal" of industrial leaders have all but taken over the government and Morgan has been locked in an industrial power struggle with them. This would explain why the Morganites have done so little to expand their holdings and I see that you have even taken another "bite" out of their meager holdings as well. I am not all together pleased by this move by your faction since you seem to have found a very rich and prosperous land to the north that you are colonizing. I would hate to see you to continue to exploit the obvious problems the Morganites seem to be having for your gain. You have achieved much and I would think that a few "sectors" of land is not worth the problems you will create down the road by this provocative move.

Some of our cities have reached population index number eight and are still growing! I appreciate your advice and we are making plans for more crawlers but the bottom line is environmental damage. We simply are pulling minerals and energy from the earth at the maximum capacity at which it can handle it. Any more, even by using a crawler would send shockwaves of ecological distress through the area and summon forth massive amounts of mind worms. No, that is something we cannot and will not risk. At one base if we were to add even one more sector of production that might include mineral production it would shoot us over a pollution index rating of 35!! Our hope for sustained growth is the tree farms and with them we will reduce by over 1/2 the pollution problems we have and open up even more nutrients to sustain growth. By completing one tree farm at one base we will add over 5 nutrient levels to our reserves in one instant. That would fuel a population growth of unprecedented proportions!

By some stroke of luck our lone remaining transport UNFT AID came across what they thought was a Unity pod and when they pulled it aboard it was an alien relic. The transport is far at sea and it will take almost four to five turns for it to make its way back to a base but that should put it around the time we will make our next discover. So we should have a double bonus that year. Our sea colony pod put to sea this turn and it should arrive in three turns and our thirteenth colony will be set-up next turn. At that point we will concentrate on sea colonies for a while and expand our holdings that way for the foreseeable future until we can add more land through our terra-former operations.


United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2210

Pravin,

I've attached my map files, pre-approved for your inspection. I hope they prove to be useful.

One of our transports has determined that the Jungle is indeed an island and that it isn't even close to Rose, for which I am supremely grateful. It is also apparent that it will not be possible to set up more than one or two more bases than the planned number, which is 5. Planetary Archives was established this last year along the eastern coast of the island, although it is not in the Jungle itself, which is only in the northern 2/3 of the island. It will be able to harvest a few of the sectors, though, and that is the important thing - early growth. A fourth base will be set up next year, and a fifth the year after.

We finally ran out of luck investigating Unity pods. One of our synthmetal trance transports sighted one last year but wisely decided to prepare by parking himself next to it. It was a good thing he did since when he opened it a nasty isle came out and readied an attack. The good captain promptly sped away at full speed and is now 4 sectors away, which I sincerely hope will be enough. A bad thing is that the isle and its mindworm cargo could make for the Jungle and the vulnerable bases there. I'll have my administrators keep a careful eye out so we are prepared.

It turns out the Unity copter isn't such a boon after all. The craft went on an exploration mission at the maximum edge of our range and when it was done I got an emergency message from Mir Lab - riots! I had to authorize the governor to take 2 sectors out of production to quell the disturbance. This means that the copter will be next to useless if it has to stay within our territory without citizens staging violent protest against my 'war mongering'.

I do have some good news, though. Monitoring Station completed its tree farm this last year, and I am anxious to see if it helps quell some of the unhappy citizens at that base. The rest of the bases are further behind Monitoring Station since it has a relatively high mineral production and had a head start.

As to Morgan, I have zero empathy for his loss of territory. He was not using the Monolith since it was outside of the useful range of Morgan Studios, nor was he using the now arid farmland with a solar collector. He also lost a forest sector, but I consider this as a mild punishment for his poor behavior. If you are concerned you might want to consider gifting him a base since he seems to be unable to do such basic things such as run his faction - pathetic.

Here is a rundown of the factions. You will note that Morgan is now far behind everyone, including Domai.

University - 68 pop, 15 bases, 27 tech, tech 1/6 years
Gaians - 50 pop, 11 bases, 20 tech, tech 1/9 yrs
CC - 37 pop, 12 bases, 22 tech, tech 1/10 yrs
Morgan - 12 pop, 4 bases, 22 tech, tech 1/30 yrs
Data Devils - 43 pop, 10 bases, 22 tech, tech 1/14 yrs
PKs - 68 pop, 12 bases, 22 tech, tech 1/14 yrs
Drones - 17 pop, 5 bases, 16 tech, tech 1/17 yrs

BTW - congratulations on finding the alien artifact. They are invaluable since they have so much potential. But I can't help wondering why their society is now extinct, or are they just hiding? I'd bet Dee has something to say about this.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2210

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

All of the senior councilors have studied the maps you sent us with great interest. I am amazed at the architecture that the Cybernetic Conscience has developed. It is truly unique to say the least. I really do wish that sometime I will be able to make the long journey to visit them.

I have wonderful news. We had a city actual reach population 9 index and with only a very slight extra application of energy the entire population is stable and happy, an impressive achievement! UN High Commission is at population 9 with several other cities in hot pursuit. With the almost completed tree farms we will begin habitat domes that will skyrocket our population since the last roadblocks will be removed, ecological destruction and nutrient deficits. We have debated for many years how much more to grow out and we have decided that we will only build a new colony once every decade and we will use the surplus resources to build up our "core" cities into true metropolis!

Our long-range sensors at UN Data Acquisition picked up a strange event just across the border in Data Angel territory. There used to be a farm and solar collection station at sector 97-107 and now all there is a fungus. I suspect the Data Angels ran into ecological problems and caused the planet to "fight back" so to speak. I am glad the ecological retribution did not carry over to our territory but who can say. I am ordering the garrison unit and our battle ogre on full alert.

Little else of interest occurred this turn of note.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2211

Pravin,

I have to say I'm impressed. Size 9 cities, and no end in sight! I knew it was only a matter of time before you 'boomed' your way past me, and 'boom' you have and continue to do. We will have to do what we can to catch up, or at least keep competitive.

This has been a good year, Pravin. I got around to reviewing a proposal from one of our junior scientist administrators, and she suggested upping the energy allocation to psychological welfare of our citizens would have a positive effect on lab production. At first I though this was completely ridiculous, and then I scanned the simulations she had done. It was, quite simply, brilliant. For a mere investment of 10% of our energy output to luxuries to sate the savage wants and desires of our scientists we will create 'talents', or super motivated scientists (instead of simply brilliant scientists). I took her beta run and its input parameters;,put in a number of variables she didn't have access to (she is a junior level researcher, after all) and was shocked to find out that she had underestimated the effect! I gave an emergency call of the Academic Council, and a rather flustered Ms. Su-Ung, to an immediate meeting and had her present her findings. The Council agreed whole-heartedly and this last year the energy allocation was altered from 60% labs/40% economy to 60% labs/10% psych/30% economy. The effects were profound - a 12% increase in lab output! Now our output is nearly three times that of any other faction, and it will only grow as our infrastructure falls into place.

In other news, we established Lab Three on the northwest coast of the Jungle. Just before we planted the base we noticed Dee had placed a sea colony called Ocean Flower, which will deny us much of the sea in the future. This is a port city, so at least we will have some access, even if Dee will command most of the territory. Now we have 4 bases in the Jungle and, like I mentioned, a fifth will be set up next year.

The isle that I mentioned is heading toward Gaian territory for some reason. I'm letting it go, not that I can do anything about it. The transport captain is breathing a sigh of relief and is heading on his way. Another transport captain opened a Unity pod and it, too was infested with an isle. He was able to get 3 sectors away, and we will see if it was good enough. A third transport found a Unity transport. It was old and slow, and I authorized 80 energy to upgrade it with trance and resonance armor. Now it will stand a chance in the days ahead.

I do have some bad news. The tree farm at Monitoring Station did not make the base more stable, for which I was profoundly disappointed. We are now seeing the ecological damage you mentioned. Citizens have reported disturbing dreams, which are often so vivid that they have to go on holiday for a week or more to recover. The dreams are the same in every case - the knowledge that we are harming Chiron, and that Chiron is angry. What kind of rot is this? Still, there are many things different about Chiron than Earth. The advent of psychics is one, since in over 200 years of scientific study there was not one shred of evidence that there was any psychic ability in humans (or animals, for that matter). Now we are here on Chiron and these same abilities are manifest, and the Empath Guild and Dee's ability to control these mindworms and talk to them is all the proof I need. The rules have changed.

Glad you like the map. I was unimpressed with Roses' progress, and her territory. She needs some serious lessons in terraforming. At least Morgan and Dee understand the value of forests, and even Aki and Domai have a few.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2211

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We have good news to relate even though I am sure your empaths would have informed you of this at some time. We completed our first tree farm at UN Headquarters. I am awaiting the results and they should be complete by the end of the turn. We do not really need the added psychological benefits but it is the ecological improvements we are seeking. Even with all of our advanced terra-forming capabilities we simply have reached the maximum amount of resources we can pull from the area surrounding our headquarters without inflicting massive ecological trauma. If we can boost our nutrient production and reduce the amount of pollution by the expected 50% then each tree farm will be a miracle. More bases are reaching the population index level of 9 and with the completion of the tree farm at UN Headquarters we will begin building the first habitation dome. The plans are remarkable, truly inspirational. We do plan on quickly building another supply crawler but we will then start on the dome. The project will massive with part of it encompassing our current headquarters complex. I will be able to look out one side of my office and see the face of Planet and through the other, the Eden we will build. Parks, waterfalls, trees, lakes and even part of it will be dedicated in my honor to recreating the lush landscape of my homeland, India. Each habitat dome will recreate some part of the lost eco-system of earth so that be traveling to each city we will preserve what our planet could have been.

I applaud your redirection of resources into additional psychological outlets. We Peacekeepers have been practicing this for almost the entire time we have been on Planet. As we completed more infrastructure improvements such as holo-theaters and recreation commons the additional energy has been magnified since there are more outlets for the energy to be used by more people.

I thank you for your compliments and I do agree I doubt there is anything you can do to catch up with our population now. Once we have the habitat domes operational our cities could reach a population index as high as 19 perhaps 20. With that many people all working in one area focused on one task it will be child's play to build anything. We also will be able to dedicate more of our people to science our engineering so that they can improve both areas. I even have a dream of creating several bases that will only have scientists! Imagine that, no workers no drones, just scientists all working, focused on one goal. All of the day to day needs will be met through automated equipment and the supplies will be harvested by the supply crawlers. I doubt this base will get a habitat dome but image a population 9 index city with just scientists!

Next turn we will be establish our first sea colony to the west and within the decade we will setup one more in the western seas and then at least two maybe three to the east. This would account for our growth for the next fifty turns which should give us ample time to raise more land to prepare more land colonies. The advantage of only building one colony a decade is that any colony will immediately receive high priority in energy allocation to complete needed base improvements to allow the colony to thrive and expand quickly.

Lastly, I wish to broach the subject again, will you call a planetary election? I have made plans to build a sea foil to depart for Conscience territory within a few turns. It is a large expense in material and support cost and time to have the foil take what will most likely be a fifty turn trip if not longer. We will do it but the cost for the crew is immense to say the least the sacrifice they have to make. The bottom line is that the Peacekeeper nation will grow and continue to grow for a long time and if you were hoping to out populate us to garner more votes I doubt it will happen. We need a leader for this planet.

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2212

Pravin,

It seems I'm in something of a fix that is partially of my own making. You see, there are no less than three isles of the deep loaded to the gills with mindworms and they all appear to be headed directly for my home territory. My own transport crews when trying to unlock a Unity pod released two of these and the third was evidently released by Dee. The third was badly damaged so I took a chance and had our damaged Unity chopper try to take it out. The last I heard was a muffled scream, silence, then a confused crash and abrupt silence. Sensors report they nose dived into the sea. I expect this isle, which is 90% damaged, to disgorge its two mindworms next year near Mandelev College, and our empath rover will be waiting for them. The sea former in that area had the good sense to run away. We have one empath foil at Zoloto Gold, but it can take out only one of the two approaching from the northeast and northwest - so I will have to choose carefully. One has a mindworm and the other a spoor launch, and I think the spoor launcher is the bigger threat since it can destroy improvements with impunity from the sea.

There was one other odd occurrence. There was what appeared to be one of those fungal blooms near Koppernigh Observatory this last year. They did report some pollution but evidently it doesn't take much. I've carefully checkED our other bases to ensure there isn't too much pollution just in case. This is also another very good reason to build more fast-response empath rovers.

We discovered Adaptive Doctrine this last year. While seemingly unimportant it is a probably key to military technologies of the future.

If you want to call a planetary election I will call one. Frankly, I'm surprised you've never asked before. The election will be held in MY 2213. Good luck.

Zak

*~*~*~*

UN Headquarters, MY 2212

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I admit I was surprised at your reaction to the planetary vote you have stalled on the other times I suggested it to you. Perhaps I was not so "blunt" as I was this time. I have to be brief since I am working long hours in preparation for the vote.

We have reached our maximum base limit without increasing more waste an inefficiency due to the large expanse of territory and people we guide. Our population index is now over 83! I have ordered all city population 9 governors to put more emphasis on supporting more "talents" at each base thus reducing the pressure for more production. Once the new habitat domes are built we can then move forward with more nutrient, mineral and energy production. The tree farm at UN Headquarters has done wonders! We put two sectors of tree stands into production and the extra nutrients and minerals has boosted our production all without any impact to the environment!

We get only "sketchy" reports here but I did see the attack wave of worms heading to your area. I am glad the long ago we have dedicated ourselves to making sure each city has two garrisons that both are equipped with trance defense capabilities, good luck!

United Nations General Secretary,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters , Planet Command Center - UNHQ

*~*~*~*

University Base, MY 2213

Pravin,

Or should I say Governor Lal? Unless you vote for me or abstain you are now Governor of Chiron. The vote went in a way that is not hard to fathom. Morgan voted for you, and Aki voted for me. That much was apparent since they are pacted with us. Everyone else abstained. Apparently Rose doesn't like you or me very much, and Dee likely hates our economic choices. As for Domai, who knows?

Part of my isle problem was solved when my empath rover took out two mindworms that put ashore near Koppernigh Observatory, yielding 60 energy which is always welcome. The damaged isle is still there, and I ordered a sea former to make itself a potential victim since the isle will likely lose against a fully healed former since it is 80% damaged. If it doesn't attack this year then the former will retreat. The isle to the northwest is making a b-line for Mir Lab, and our empath foil will intercept it. The worst news is that the northeast isle is making for Lab Three, which doesn't have a defender yet. I fixed that by allocating energy to rush build a trance scout, and an empath scout is nearby and may be able to help. By way of luck a Unity pod in the area yielded another Unity copter, which is now 2 sectors from Lab Three. The isle could also consume Dee's base Ocean Flower, which has no defender. I've warned Dee and the sea base and, regardless of our differences, I hope they pull through. I know we will.

We had another artifact breakthrough this year - Advanced Military Algorithms. This dovetails nicely with last year's discovery of Adaptive Doctrine and will go a long way to filling our applied military void. There is a particular Project we have draft plans for, the Hunter Seeker Algorithm, and we are only one technology away from unlocking its secrets.

We should be finishing a host of tree farms in the next few years, and then we are on to bigger and better improvements. This last spate of mindworm and isle attacks has reminded me that, while our defense are good, they are not as good as they could be. We also need to build a few sea bases as a screen, but this will take a long time since our long, thin island will take a lot of sea bases to form a bulletproof screen. Those are tasks for the future, though.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2213

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I have to brief once again since the demands of my new office are still new and weighty. We are still working on the planetary administrative staff and selecting key people to fill agencies and departments and the selection of ambassadors. As one of my first acts I did contact each, or tried to, faction leader and see what if anything I can do to help build a stronger alliance. The most interesting of all was Aki of the Conscience. My dealings with her were very similar to dealing with you. The most important trade we made was the acquisition of technical blueprints to build a perimeter defense around each base. My military advisors prodded me into this trade and we have made production changes to our border cities production schedules so that they will be equipped with the defenses as soon
as possible.

We should be able to complete within the next five turns the tree farms that we need and then we can build the habitat domes and start expanding again. Many special interest groups wish for us to move back into a free market economy to fund this expansion but under our current system with the special legislation allowing the citizens to accumulate wealth and prosper without state restrictions we seem to have the best of both worlds. My only concern is that our smaller bases will grow to quickly and place to much of strain on the resources they have.

Lastly, I do not blame you for voting for yourself but I am disappointed that I could not have solicited more support so that I could bring a mandate to this office. I intend to make sure the guiding principal of our mission is restored on this planet and that the UN Charter becomes the bible for all to live by.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor, Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2214

Pravin,

This has been a terrible year. Lab 3 is gone, wiped away as if it never existed. This is the fatal reward for our exploration of the sea and its byproduct of releasing and then running away from this isles, and the citizens of Lab 3 paid the ultimate price. Will this halt our exploration of the sea? No, but it will make us more virulent in our defense.

Speaking of defense, our empath foil destroyed an isle that was bearing down on Zoloto Gold, and the isle along the western side of the island died attacking our sea former. There are two more isles in the area, and to defend ourselves I ordered a resonance empath foil to be built at Mir Lab. It looks like defense is now higher on our list of priorities.

I have to cut this message short since I have a wake to attend.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2214

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

The loss you have been dealt is terrible and the horrible loss of life is beyond comprehension! On behalf of the Peacekeepers I wish to express my deepest condolences and as the Planetary Governor I promise you the full support of our office in your time of need. In that regard I have included in our transmission an aid package of 37 energy credits for your use and we will transmit another 25 energy credits per turn for the next four turns. This aid package is the least we can do to provide succor for your people in their time of need. There is no expectation on our part for repayment and we would not accept it if you did, this is a disaster relief package. The atrocity that has befallen you transcends any petty problems or issues we might have. I hope the sum of 137 energy credits will be of use to you in rebuilding the lost colony and the defenses to protect them.

The relic we up linked into UN High Commission gave us some very interesting military data. Unfortunately for you it would not aid you in your struggle against the worms but it would be very effective against an enemy that would attack you with ships or vehicles that had great speed. The computer technology it provided seems to help "anticipate" the opponents attack and where it will fall.

Lastly, I was able to make contact with Deirdre Skye and for her protection and that of her people I gave her the resonance armor technology. I suspect that even the Gaians are plagued by these worms and it seems they have little pre-disposition to develop these technologies.

Good luck and I hope you pass on to your people that the Peacekeepers and the Planetary Governor stand with them. In light of this tragic attack I felt what we need is the ability to respond quicker to such emergencies. As such, we will begin "alter" our expansion plans and prepare a colony pod soon to colonize the small island/mountain to the south east of Morganite territory. This should put our Peacekeepers in a position to provide military assistance to help defend other factions from just these types of incursions.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2215

Pravin,

I appreciate you gesture, but I have to decline. Although our loss if profound it would be better to gift these resources to factions that are at a significant disadvantage, like the Drones. We will recover, and I can assure you that the lesson has been learned. From now on all our new colonies will have defenders with them to that they at least have a fighting chance.

The mindworm assault continues. It turns out that air cover will not protect a land-based unit to be protected from a mindworm assault. On a good note, Lady Skye took care of our isle problem off our western coast by capturing the isle and the spoor launcher it contained. Another new isle is approaching from the east, and it contains two mindworms. Luckily two empath rovers are available to take care of their slimy pink butts. It seems we are a magnet for these worms, and it is incumbent on me to defend my people with defenses and an appropriate offense.

On a good note, we completed seven tree farms this last year, bring the total to eight. To do this I authorized a change to a Planned economy, which improved production but hits deeply at our scientific output. I had to balance the loss of progress to potential growth, and I chose growth. After the tree farms are complete we will work on more supply crawlers, defenders, prototyping, and more research facilities, and hab complexes.

Lastly, I am willing to trade you any technology I currently have for Advanced Subatomic Theory. If you are interested let me know.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2215

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I have consulted with the Peacekeeper councils and we are willing to make the following exchange. We will transmit the files that will allow you to upgrade your equipment with the comm. jammer computer chips and the technical blueprints on how to build specialized proto-type labs in exchange for your technical files on fossil fuel formulas. We feel this is an equitable exchange since the potential energy/time/mineral savings these "skunk work" labs offer is almost immeasurable. If you agree we will pre-approve the transfer of the information next turn.

I was amazed to see how drastic a reduction you labs have suffered. My planetary administrative staff inform you have almost the worse science rate now on this planet! I would predict if you allow your science rate to suffer so you will soon find yourself behind many other factions in a quick order. Why next turn alone we expect to make another breakthrough in the field of military science and also have the expected interval between discoveries drop to about every 8 to 7 turns possible. A rate almost ½ faster than yours! This is also why we were so motivated to help your people rebuild after these terrible attacks. If you still need the energy credits you have but to ask and the aid package is yours.

We have little of else to report of any importance. I do hope that you will quickly restore your defenses and I am equally sure the proto-type labs will aid you in your work.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2216

Pravin,

I have attached, pre-approved, the files for Synthetic Fossil Fuels, and I trust you will attach the files for Advanced Subatomic Theory in return. I am sure these files will assist you people very well, as will your files help us prosper.

The output of our labs has indeed been drastically reduced with our migration to a Planned economy, but we are in no way scientifically destitute. In fact, our output is half what it was, but it is still approximately equal to yours and many multiples that of the other factions. I place very little stock in the years to a breakthrough; I focus on the output itself and the number of breakthroughs we have had (we have 5 more technologies that any other faction so our technology breakthrough cost is much higher). With all of our primary bases to size 7 our long-term output will be substantially increased, as will our mineral and food output. We will move back to a Free Market system next year, and I expect our lab output will reach new heights.

I do have some good news. The worms that landed next to University Base have been dispatched, with a good haul of energy too. Our empath foil will kill the isle next turn if it hasn’t moved on. A greater danger is a rogue worm roving in the Jungle since our defenses are rather thin there. A Unity pod yielded a rover, which will do a good job and hopefully kill this worm before it does us more harm.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2216

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We have up linked the required files and have pre-approved them for release. Unfortunately for us our breakthrough this turn was a technology that was made redundant almost immediately, particle accelerators, by the plans you will send us for missile technology. I ordered a survey of your area and you do seem to be attracting an undue amount of worms and other native life forms. I have asked the city governor of UN Great Refuge to prepare plans for a biology lab so that we can study these creatures more in depth and perhaps hatch, or grow or whatever these things do to reproduce in a laboratory environment. Once the trained worm is of sufficient size then it can be turned over to our Peacekeeper forces for incorporation into our defenses.

We have completed the habitat complex at UN Headquarters and it is magnificent to behold! What a wonder it truly is to see. I have up linked data files for you to review so that you to can rejoice in splendor of it all. Nutrient production is still a problem but another supply crawler will be put into production to increase our resources at UNHQ. Little else of interest has occurred this turn of any importance except that our brave captain of our newly commissioned transport ship sailed forth on his shake down trials and decided to take it upon his own initiative to open the Unity pod that had been "bobbing" in Peacekeeper Bay for over a 100 turns. What we thought was a Unity pod all this time turned out to be another alien relic! It will be returned to UN Temple of Sol for linking into the network there. My planet administrators tell me you have several of these items sitting unused for some reason. I ask out of curiosity as to why you have
not up linked them already? You are not required to answer but I was just curious.

Good luck in your defense of the worms. If you feel that a UN Peacekeeper sea base strategically located offshore of your territory would help in alerting you to a mind worm sea attack I could consult with the Peacekeeper councils to see what could be done.

I do worry about your constant shifting of economic strategies to "eek" out some meager gain here and there. Perhaps switching to a green economic model could offer you the best of both worlds without the constant upheaval and it would possibly help you against these worms, just a thought...

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2217

Pravin,

The reason we haven’t linked the two artifacts is simple – I didn’t want to duplicate the research we had agreed to exchange. Once we had your files I gave the base administrators at Academgorodok and Academy Park and we had two breakthroughs: Planetary Economics and Centauri Meditation. The applications for Planetary Economics is clear – hybrid forests, and an economic trade boost. I think that eventually we will invest in biology labs and Centauri preserves and we will breed isles of the deep. It is only fair that after they have plagued us so much that we make use of them.

We do have an interesting problem – too many artifacts. I am considering establishing colonies simply to cash in the artifacts at the intrinsic network node! Sea bases will be prefect for this, and I think that after we have hab complexes in place and boom a little more that we will concentrate on hybrid forests and sea colony pods that will gird our island nation.

We switched to a Free Market again and, as expected, our scientific rate doubled. That is most satisfying, let me tell you, and the longer we harvest these resources the better off we’ll be! I have to disagree with you on switching economic, or political, systems. Switching to a Planned economy for two years saved us years of labor and hundreds of energy credits when completing our tree farms, the resources of which will be invaluable.

Lastly, we appear to have pierced the upper limit on mineral production. One base is harvesting 17 minerals without ecological damage, even under a Free Market economic system. With our closely spaced bases and small territory will limit further mineral expansion until we can rip out the remaining fungus, build land as you have done, or build boreholes. All that we can do at this point is rip out the fungus and plant trees since we can’t raise land (yet!) and boreholes take 24 years to build! That is a long time, and it is only feasible if there are multiple formers working the project at one time.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2217

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

It seems that every artifact we discover and unlock only seems to "fill in the gaps" in technology that we have jumped over. The information on fossil fuels allowed us to build missile launchers but we skipped a vast array of other particle weapons that we are just discovering now. I suppose if war should come we would have the means to build state of the art weapons as well as more reliable and inexpensive ones.

We made vast progress this turn and completed many projects ahead of schedule. This has been a great boon for us. We have also celebrated a milestone since UNHQ just passed the population 10 index level and we are still growing! Many other bases will soon grow as well since the habitat domes are being built at a quicker pace.

Little else of interest occurred this turn to report or inform you of that your empaths will not have done so already.

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2218

Pravin,

Well, there were no crises or rogue mindworm attacks this year! We didn’t even have to dispatch a nasty spoor launcher or isle this year, and that is truly wonderful. I suppose it won’t last long, and we will be prepared. There is a rogue mindworm stalking Academgorodok and for the moment I am happy it doesn’t attack. If it does we will have a severe counterattack, and will harvest the pearls in compensation.

Our transport fleet is very busy indeed, and building a few more might be a good idea. Like you we are very busy with infrastructure, and after we have a few hab complexes done a pop boom might be in order. The only other bit of news is that we are expecting a breakthrough next year and I can hardly wait!

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2118

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

Our colony pod has set forth for the long trip to the large island just east of the Morganite territory. It will be the first base of many on the island that will serve as a Peacekeeper forward observation post in that area.

Once again it was a very prosperous turn for us and we continue to grow and grow and grow. My High Commissioner of Terra-forming reports that another land raising project will soon be completed in along our southern coast line. We will then turn the terra-formers loose in that area and build up a sensor station for new colony pod along with other improvements in that area.

We will soon complete our prototyping of a missile empath foil and it will escort our transport pod into the eastern seas to discover new areas and treasures. I can only hope that either more land or Unity pods will be found.

I am afraid once again I must return for another treatment to help restore my vitality. I have had to rely on my son more and more of late to help with the smaller tasks at hand. I am pleased to hear that your people were spared any further attacks this turn.

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2219

Pravin,

We finished a few improvements, including hab domes and recreation commons in our smaller bases. When we finish a few more hab domes and tree farms we will pop boom again to grow our resource expansion, which has been rather flat recently. Another key will be establishing a few more bases in the near future – our transports are looking for likely sites. If we don’t find anything especially fruitful I suppose we will have to invest in expensive sea colonies.

Our breakthrough was a surprise – Nonlinear Mathematics. Our research was set on Discover and Build, so this was the last tech I thought would come to light. It is needed, I am told, as the underpinnings of other more useful technologies so I suppose we would have to acquire this technology sometime.

I hope your longevity treatments go well. I have had only two since being on Chiron and I can’t imagine why you seem to require them so often. I hope you are well, and if there is something I can do to enhance the treatment regime let me know.

Lastly, we did have a mindworm attack last year at Academgorodok and we lost a trance scout. The worm was severely crippled and a Unity rover finished it off. Luckily a pod at Academy Park yielded an Ogre, like the one you have. I will be our defender at Academgorodok in the near future, and the rover will be upgraded to empath to help our new colony pod through the fungus.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2219

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I am now recuperating in the hospital facility at UNHQ following a replacement of several my organs that failed prematurely. For some reason unknown to the doctors I have a condition that rejects the effects of the longevity treatments I take. Perhaps when our technology becomes more advanced we can conquer this problem.

Little of any drastic importance occurred this turn of note. I did contact several leaders and made some technology trades for energy credits, some were very rewarding in deed. I wish I could get a better exchange from the some of the other factions but their meager resources seem barely adequate to sustain them let alone pay or exchange for technology. We also completed our first perimeter defense system around UN Data Acquisition. This should prove very useful should any attack fall on that base. We also completed our land raising project and once we complete some more improvements in that area they will move on to raise more land. Our colony transport is making slow progress right now so it might be a while before they reach the island.

Well, good luck again on switch economic models. We intend to stay with our current system until we reach the up most capacity of our habitat domes. At that point we will switch to a green economic model.

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2220

Pravin,

Like you there is little new to mention, and that is a good thing. The last 10 years have been rather traumatic and while I didn’t really think we would succumb to this nasty native onslaught it did hurt us. Maybe one day we will migrate to a Green economic model but for now we will have to live with the depredations of these nasty native life forms, and then kill them and harvest their pearls.

You will note we have started a few hybrid forests in our bases that have completed hab domes. Our other core bases have a small problem of riot control and they need research hospitals to be completed before they complete hab domes, and then they too will likely start on hybrid forests, too. I will not mind the research boost either, so the significant investment will be most useful.

As we grow I am finding the penalty of our closely spaced bases. Our island is so small that we would have been cramped anyway, but I am finding that there is no longer room for crawled forests and expansion of our base populations. I may have to allocate these crawlers to finish prototypes and Projects unless our formers can catch up with the demand for space. This problem will only become more acute as we population boom after the hab domes are completed. You will note that we are working on Aesthetic Virtues, which promises to allow greater population expansion and an inherent police benefit. This last item attracts me due to the inherent instability our bases, which will only get more problematic as we grow.

Lastly, would you consider a technology trade for your technology Superconductor? We have a number you may be interested in.

Zak

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2220

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We agree to an exchange of technology. We have attached the files on the superconductor technology but we have sent them in an encrypted format. What we propose is the following exchange, you will transmit your files on centauri mediation and planetary economics for our files on superconductor material. We also promise not to pursue the project the ascetic virtues or the xenoempathy dome since they do seem so crucial to your people. We would also either transmit to you our next scientific discovery, whatever it might be, that we make or the sum of 100 energy credits of your choice. Please consider this offer...

Last turn we experienced our first attack by the native life forms in some time. An isle of the deep deposited on the coast next to UN Haven City several mind worms and a massive spore launcher. The garrison from UN Haven city defeated the spore launcher and a mind worm and survived both attacks. My son ordered the garrison from UNHQ to attack the remaining worms and end the threat. Unfortunately one of the garrisons, one of our first that has never been upgraded with any advanced armor or weapons was defeated in the attack. However, the reserve garrison did defeat the worms and will shortly return to the base. Aside from the loss of life the worms destroyed the improvements in that sector and left a massive fungal growth in the wake. It will take some time to rebuild that sector to its previous state.

The one advantage in the destruction of all of those worms was a massive infusion of energy credits that allowed us to complete many city improvements. Some of our cities are actually nearing the point that they will run out of improvement projects and there is always the need now to improve our environmental status since we are pulling even more resources from Planet. They hybrid forest project is crucial to our continued growth and the ability to create a centauri preserve to help reduce environmental effects are as well. I do hope that you will agree to our proposed exchange so that we can use the needed technology to help our people. I also realize that the superconductor technology is the "lynch pin" to making many more advanced breakthroughs such as fusion power and advanced labs such as a supercollider.

Our brave transport in the eastern seas opened a Unity pod and the resources found in it did allow us to complete the recycling tanks at UN Amnesty Town. We will also complete very soon our missile foil and it will sail forth with our transport to seek more lands and Unity pods.

Lastly, I hope you find the solution to your growth problems. It is a constant struggle for us but I can assure you that it is possible since some of our cities are approaching population index 13, almost twice the size of two of your cities.

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2221

Pravin,

I will have to decline your offers for the technology trades. Did you seriously consider I’d trade two of our hard-won technologies for two, especially when one is a key technology as Planetary Economics? As for selling eight years of research for 100 energy I would have to say no, too. Consider this – our energy surplus on a given year is over 100 energy when considering trade and energy allocation. To sell this would cheapen our accomplishments. If you have a counter offer I’d consider it.

We will be migrating to a planned economy next year. We now have five hab complexes done and can make a good use of a population boom, and there are a few improvements that will benefit from the industry bump. Of course our lab output will suffer, but that is life. I don’t see us staying on this path for more than five years of so.

We did have a bit of good luck with Unity pods. In one case we got a Battle Ogre, which strangely needs no support. We also got a couple of energy boons, which are also welcome.

I have to agree with the benefit that planet pearls give when destroying mindworms. It is annoying to have them show up in at inconvenient times, but it is up to me as the faction leader to ensure that we do not have too many lapses, and hopefully no lapses, in defense. Eventually we will migrate to an active offense to eliminate these and any other blights that might afflict me.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2221

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I think you spend too much time in your labs and not enough time with the administration of your government Prokhor. I will assume that my last transmission was "edited" for your review and it did not come across in its complete form. Here is the relevant passage again that was somehow edited and misunderstood:

" We have attached the files on the superconductor technology but we have sent them in an encrypted format. What we propose is the following exchange, you will transmit your files on centauri mediation and planetary economics for our files on superconductor material. We also promise not to pursue the project the ascetic virtues or the xenoempathy dome since they do seem so crucial to your people. We would also either transmit to you our next scientific discovery, whatever it might be, that we make or the sum of 100 energy credits of your choice."

As you can plainly see we are offering two technologies for two technologies, plain and simple. We are also imposing self-limitations upon ourselves to not exploit two projects that would also be of benefit to us as well. I think you offered this same proposal not too long ago so perhaps for some reason you have changed your mind since you now seem to expect more than a one for one or two for two exchange of technology (see below )

" Pravin, I will have to decline your offers for the technology trades. Did you seriously consider I'd trade two of our hard-won technologies for two, especially when one is a key technology as Planetary Economics? "

It does seem to me that some technology now has more value than others to you, is this correct? For sometime you seemed to have lived by the simple rule "technology for technology" and when I offer it to you, you now decline. I do wish you provide some guidance or format by which you will exchange technology. I have offered again the same exchange under the same terms. If you have a counter-offer than please submit one. I do not wish to diminish the work of either your scientists but many of the accomplishments you have achieved have come about by way of alien artifacts and not do to any expenditure of energy on your part. We do not discount the resources and manpower you have expended to build ships, just as we have, to explore the seas and harvest the Unity pods. But our ships have already paid for themselves many times over in the wealth in resources and technology they unlock. So I do wish you would not "preach" to me of all people about your sacrifice and how an offer of 100 energy credits for technology is a "slap in the face" when many of the technologies cost you nothing. Your network nodes that unlock the artifacts are built at NO COST to you do to your engineers expertise in this area so there is no cost there to you, unlike us. The ships that return with the artifacts more than pay for themselves once they harvest even one pod. We ourselves have not been as fortunate since our first ships were all destroyed, except of one, in opening the pods, but even so they did destroy several sea worms and the energy returned in planet pearls more than compensated for the cost of the ships loss. So I expect these comments will make there way into the "edited" form so you will most likely get much of this out of context and as a result become infuriated. I hope that you can see the point I raise and at least see the merit in it. If you choose to decline the trade then we will not offer any future trades in any form until you can provide an acceptable format that we can both agree to work out an exchange. We will wish you luck and pursue trades and exchanges with other factions that we hope will be more open to the free flow of information.

We also completed several more habitat complexes and we also completed our first aqua-farm that boosted our sea farms production greatly. Our colony ship is making slow progress through the fungus fields but we expect once it is clear it should make better progress. What has become apparent is the need to build more kelp farms to harvest the needed proteins and nutrients they offer to maintain our rapid growth.

Little else of importance occurred last turn of note except that our brave captain once again opened a Unity pod and the resulting resources allowed the rapid completion of the recreation commons at UN Amnesty Town. My admirals have tried talking to the captain to warn him of the dangers of opening pods without an escort but he seems head strong to do things his way. As long as he succeeds there is little that will happen to him but should he open a pod that has been infested with a sea isle than may luck be on his side for nothing else will. I suppose this is the luck of the draw as to what these pods and relics might contain but fortune does seem to smile upon you in this regard. I do hope that you will share some of that fortune with others as well.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2222

Pravin,

You are correct. I didn’t read your missive closely enough and I apologize for my lapse. Perhaps I was tired, or simply in a bad mood. Regardless I think you have been ill used. So, to clarify – my stance is that the University will trade technology for technology. There will be occasions where we will not want to trade a technology right away because it is of a sensitive nature, or to ensure it doesn’t spread to other factions that have, in the past, threatened us. It is possible that we will consider some technologies more valuable than others – that is simply a fact of life. But most, or almost all, are not inherently more valuable than another.

As to acquiring technology, I will not apologize for how we have acquired our technologies. The advantage of our faction is our scientific ability just as yours is leadership ability and the draw of a good majority of Chiron’s human talent. You are fully as able as we are to link artifacts to your nodes, the only difference is that you have to build them, which you can do due quite easily to your extraordinary growth and the talents your society has. Moreover, I would argue that we have fully invested and risked in our transport fleet to gather the resources from Unity pods at sea. You have done the same. So, these technologies are not ‘free’, nor are they the purview of only the University. We have simply had the advantage of a more aggressive exploration of the sea, and a bit of luck. You will note that most of this is not really luck, but the number of Unity pods we have explored. On average our transports investigate one every year, or one every other year at worst (unless they are transporting some prize to a base) – so our haul of artifacts is an artifact (if you will forgive the play on words) of statistics and numbers. Nor have we been immune from the trials of the sea – witness the attacks of the isles, which were largely released by our own transports. We have paid, and paid dearly, for our artifacts.

We had a bit of good luck this last year. A Unity pod opened by a transport resulted in a tree farm at Academy Park being completed in one year! The same thing happened at Planetary Archives, and I think you can appreciate this since you have had several facilities completed by the resources from Unity pods, too.

I expect our Planned economy to help us population boom this next year. I do not expect it to be as smooth as your population expansion, however, and it is likely that our expansion will reach a functional roadblock around base size nine or ten and that many of our additional citizens will be needed to quell riots.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2222

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

Since you made no "counter-offer" in any form that would even approaches an equitable exchange of information we will be forced to adopt our policy as stated in our last transmission.

" If you choose to decline the trade then we will not offer any future trades in any form until you can provide an acceptable format that we can both agree on to work out an exchange."

I think it very unfortunate that as time goes by that you seem to become even more alienated from your fellow leaders and other people on this planet. Every day that goes by I realize how fortunate it was that I was elected Planetary Governor to lead this planet and not you and the xenophobic/paranoid approach you take to diplomatic exchanges. This is not meant to be an insult simply a statement of the facts. Your actions clearly indicate more than your statements do. Over the past century you have pursued an isolationist policy in all forms and on the few times you have wanted to initiate an exchange you wished to dictate the implementation, use and dissemination of that technology. Even when we agreed to "limit" ourselves in the use of the technology ( see our last transmission ) this was still not good enough for you. These are not the actions of an inspired leader, rather, the actions of a dictator. I sometimes doubt if your society is a democratic one since I would suspect that your people would enjoy and prosper from exchanges with other factions. I suspect that this is how you keep a choke hold on your control of your people and government.

Little else of importance took place last turn. We contacted several leaders and made several exchanges of technology for energy credits. Except for yourself no one else has any technology that we do not already have or they posses some type of technology that is allowing them to pursue a secret project and do not wish to see it fall into our hands. We respect this stance that they take for we would do the same. However, even with that being the case the need for us all to prosper we Peacekeepers have found a way to exchange information on an "equitable" format.

Some of my planetary staff did report that your cities seem to be under constant strain and turmoil. Perhaps the constant drive to increase your population and maintain your technological lead is too much a burden for your people. Might I suggest building more cities but keeping a population "cap" on each one so that you do not put such a strain on the meager facilities that they offer to your people.

Lastly, I have been taking a keen interest in the operations of the Gaians. They seem to have the ability, as do you I believe, to "grow" isles' of the deep. It is the consensus of the Planetary administrative staff that this can only be a positive development since these "tame" isles will do much to keep the seas clear of the rogue sea creatures. I do hope that you will try and help protect the other factions as well, simply out of a sense of humanity for you common man.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2223

Pravin,

If you read my last transmission carefully you will see that I did offer a means for trading information: quid pro quo. The only exceptions I offered were if the data were deemed to be of a sensitive nature, which you have already acknowledged is the stance of other faction leaders who seek to protect their Projects from others. This offer is open and if you choose to not take advantage of it then that is your loss. I have traded information with other faction leaders quite frequently, most noticeably Dee and Aki, to both of our benefit. In fact Dee has been a most willing technology trader, even giving us access to Projects we would not otherwise have access to. Now, we did give her very valuable technology in exchange, but that is only fair.

I will take umbrage with your assertion that I have alienated the other faction leaders. I have a trade treaty with all but Aki, which whom I have a Pact. I noticed you have a trade treaty with Domai, Rose, me, and the Data Devils and a Pact with Morgan, so apparently you have poorer relations with Dee than I do. Moreover, we have had these treaties and pacts for a very long time while some of your trade treaties are rather recent. So, who has better relations with the other factions? That can change in an instant, of course, and our relations with some are rocky, but I am currently pleased with our progress in diplomacy.

I also find your accusation of me being a dictator to be truly insulting. Just because we don’t give away our technology, which our one true asset, you accuse me personally and our society in general of being a dictatorship. Protecting our own interests does not make us a dictatorship any more than you trying to get the best deal for your people. The fact that I may decline the ‘deals’ you suggest may lead to hard feelings on your part but it does not mean that I am a ruthless dictator. I think the values, and progress, our society has established under a democratic political system speak for themselves. We have readily traded technology with any faction that has technology to trade, and in a few instances we have ‘loaned’ technology or gifted technology to technologically barren factions (as yours once was before you population boomed). This has enhanced all of our cultures, whether you wish to acknowledge this or not.

Our cities are not experiencing as much stress as I might have thought as we pop boom to our next plateau. I suspect we will always be behind you in population, and hence resources, and will have to make up for this deficit with creativity, drive, and the proper application of resources. As you surmised, we will begin our next phase of colonization soon, and I haven’t decided whether this will be sea or land based, but it will likely be more sea than land based.

Our transports continue to yield results, both fruitful and interesting. One transport yielded enough resources to finish the recycling tanks at Academy Park in one year. This means that this base has had two or three significant improvements filled for ‘free’, and as you said, the transport (and the expensive upgrades it required) have paid for themselves many times over. The other event was a temporal rift, where one transport was catapulted across the sea into unknown territory. When it was done its fuel supply was mysteriously recharged and it was able to continue its mission of exploration. Our other transports are busy hunting down Unity pods, as you might expect. Our modest foil fleet has also started exploring since we have left the Free Market economic system, and their departure won’t cause mass riots. They won’t stray too far from home, and the empath foils will shadow the transports in case of trouble. I’d rather slay the isles they unleash before they get our homeland, and gather the energy credits they yield, than let them come to us and wreak their havoc.

Our terraforming issues at our home territory are becoming more acute since any improvement requires the removal of fungus and then forming the un-blighted territory. The fungicidal formers are a great help, but they just can’t keep up with the demand now that we are booming. I am tempted to tell the crawlers that are harvesting forest minerals to report to Monitoring Station so they can complete the Aesthetic Virtues Project, but I think I have a few more years before things get wildly out of hand. It is a good problem to have – exponential growth, and the increased resources it provides!

By way of summary, here is the status of all the factions:

University – pop 92, cities 16, sci/turn 214 (planned eco), # tech 34
Gaians – pop 70, cities 13, sci/turn 107, #tech 27
CC – pop 43, cities 12, sci/turn 113, #tech 31
Morgan – pop 13 (pathetic!), cities 3, sci/turn 66, #tech 26
Data Devils – pop 47, cities 11, sci/turn 100, #tech 28
PK – pop 112, cities 14, sci/turn 241, #tech 28
Drones – pop 20, cities 7, sci/turn 37, #tech 23

I find it interesting that the primary contenders are now you, the University, and the Gaians, with the Consciousness catching up as a middle weight power to the Data
Devils. Poor Morgan and Domai - they are now so far behind I don’t see how they can ever catch up. It is a good thing you are cleaning out their energy credit reserves to sell them technology or they’d be completely outclassed right now.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2223

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

Let us once again, agree to disagree, when it comes to the subject of technology and the governing of your people. We Peacekeepers would never interfere with your internal politics unless you commit an act that would be in violation of the UN Charter, then by Charter regulations we would move in to restore order and perserve the UN Charter. As to technology exchanges once again we refer to our previously stated position. It is obvious to us that you do have several technologies that do not by themselves have exceptional bonuses for instance your files on building cruiser hulls. I also do not believe that centauri mediation is more valuable than my files on superconductors. So I can only assume is that you only wish to beguile me into an exchange that only favors you and the end result is a quid pro University not quid pro quo. Offer terms of an exchange to us and we will review them, until then we consider this matter closed. I do not blame any faction for preserving a monopoly on a particular technology that they might use to gain a lead in a secret project. That is why when we brokered the exchange we do so with the idea that we would not pursue those projects, so there would be no risk to you and your projects from us. We did engage in some trades with our good friend Nwadudike and the result of that exchange is that we gained files on how to train our soldiers better and the creation of a police force and files on societal changes that would allow us to switch, if need be, to a society that prizes knowledge over all else.

Our valiant transport captain escaped death again when he opened a Unity sea pod and found it infested with sea worms. Our empath/missile foil protected in resonance armor is speeding to intercept the sea worm before it makes landfall. The transport captain promptly radioed in the coordinates of the beast and it should be no problem.

Little else of importance occurred this turn of note so I leave it to your empath guild to review with you the details of our lands.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2224

Pravin,

I have good news. We built a new base in the Jungle named New Lab 3 in honor of the base consumed by mindworms. This time we did not mess around and had an empath rover lead it to its new home, and that rover will remain there until its defender is constructed. We also had another bit of good luck when we explored a Unity pod adjacent to the base since it provided the resources to complete a tree farm! What luck! That is three tree farms completed in the Jungle from Unity pods! The only bad thing about this base is that fungus or rocky terrain surrounds it. It will be a long time to develop this base to any level of productivity.

We immediately linked an artifact at the New Lab 3 network node and got Superconductor, so I’m afraid that we will have to wait for a technology trade. This is…unfortunate. It seems you wish me to place an offer with you when we wish access to one of your technology files for your immediate review. In the future I will offer you a technology for one we have that I believe you may find to be useful, and I will do so immediately. Perhaps if our communications are clearer and less acrimonious we can avoid this duplicated research and linkages to the benefit of both of us.

Our sea foils will be migrating home starting next turn in preparation for our migration back to a Free Market economy. Our transports will continue to troll the seas for Unity pods, and a rover will investigate land based Unity pods on coastlines. Hopefully this will yield more treasures since the picking of Unity pods is becoming a bit sparse.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2224

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

It was a very interesting turn for the Peacekeepers. Our brave transport captain and crew took it upon themselves once again to open a Unity pod, or what they thought was a pod, and they found another alien relic. It will be returned as quickly as possible to our base and installed into the network node under construction at UN Haven City. In all that should take 5 to 6 turns depending upon how quickly the captain can make it back and dock at UN Social Council and transfer the relic. Combined with our expected breakthrough next turn we should have several major breakthroughs in a very short amount of time especially since our interval of breakthroughs should drop to one every eight years! Another more ominous development was the landing of several mind worms by the isle of the deep next to UN Amnesty Town. There are several defenders, both equipped with trance protection, so my generals tell me we should defeat both worms and our empath/missile foil should be able to dispatch the isle of the deep so it can no longer wreak havoc.

We are having more problems each turn maintain food production at UNHQ and
the main reason for this is the proximity of bases to each other and the allocation of sectors of production to each base. I have ordered a review to be completed next turn to analyze how we can be more efficient in food production. When the review is done we will order some major changes in sector resource allocation so that our headquarters can continue to grow. What is becoming more clear each turn is that the sea is becoming a critical source of nutrients for our people. Without them I doubt we could ever have grown as quickly and as much.

Lastly, with all due respect to you and your government the reason for the severe decline in our relationship is the result of your desire to maintain a superior technological lead over everyone else on this planet irregardless of need. Your data files on hybrid forests would help our people immeasurably in all aspects of development yet you will not even discuss the issue of an exchange even when we made certain promises as to the development of that technology to preserve your project. Each turn you have had the chance to submit a "plan" by which we could broker a trade and you have failed to provide one. I see no other reason other than your desire to maintain your fragile lead in technology at the expense of my people and the other factions of this planet. So when you are willing to make a "deal" so to speak then please contact me but until then do not expect the Peacekeepers, and in particular myself, to be friendly in the face of this form of oppression. I think your reluctance to make an exchange stems from the simple fact that you now see our Peacekeeper labs as a threat to your monopoly on technology. You see how strong our people have become and how developed and stable our cities have become and this is a threat to you. I think this is very plain to see by all concerned and it is the only reasonable explanation that we can discover as to why you will not even discuss an exchange of information since each exchange does more to help us now than you, plain and simple. It is a sad reality that we are now faced with that we are no longer partners on this planet but competitors.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2225

Pravin,

I do congratulate you and your scientific output, which is about the same as ours while we are in a planned economy (which is shockingly inefficient, although it does allow explosive growth and good industrial production). Our ‘issues’ around technology are centered around communication and self interest. You wish to get technology in trade or on loan, whereas I want to exchange technology – and there is part of the rub. As a result of my society’s scientific ability and aggressive exploration of the sea (and investment in the Maritime Control Project) we have had a consistent lead. If choose to begrudge us our lone advantage in science then that is your problem and all I can do is make my position clear, and be painfully explicit when I want to trade technology, since that is what you seem to want and require.

The Unity pods have once again yielded us a huge boon, which this year is the completion of our first hybrid forest at Zoloto Gold! These are very expensive improvements that cost more than the Human Genome Project or the Weather Paradigm! Of course, the benefits are enormous in food, energy, ecological and societal stability. A few other bases have started this enhancement, but it will be a long time before other hybrid forests are done.

I agree that sea terraforming is key to growth and success here on Chiron. In fact, we would not have been able to grow as much as we have since our territory is so limited and we didn’t have access to advanced terraforming techniques available to you from the Weather Paradigm. In the future I see the sea providing huge energy and potential food benefits due to sea trawlers, although building supply crawlers on a foil chassis is not prohibitively expensive.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2225

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

It seems that you have finally made yourself very clear and we the Peacekeepers now understand your true intentions as you stated below:

" If choose to begrudge us our lone advantage in science then that is your problem and all I can do is make my position clear, and be painfully explicit when I want to trade technology, since that is what you seem to want and require. "

I think you could have summarized your policy more clearly by just stating that " we will only trade when there is an advantage to us only". I think this clearly shows that you no longer follow a "quid pro quo" policy of technology exchange as I stated earlier in my last transmission. The idea of a mutual exchange in which both parties benefit does not seem to factor into your equation anymore. So even though you could make an exchange you will not do so since any exchange with the Peacekeepers will not benefit you as much as it does us. I think that I intend to close the chapter on this issue and move on and not broach it again, even should you make an attempt to somehow justify your policy in light of the obvious reasons why you really pursue this policy. When a time presents itself again for a possible exchange, in whatever form that takes, then we will have to cross that bridge when we get there.

We defeated the sea launched worms with ease and our missile/empath foil UNSF Unity defeated the isle with only minor damage. The foil will make a course to UN Social Council to complete the minor repairs and scout ahead for the transport with the alien relic. Out of nowhere another worm appeared next to UN Great Refuge and several military units were dispatched to defeat the worm. It had been the hope of the generals to give the border garrison units more battle experience for our troops but they were not ready it seemed for the challenge. Though they did weaken it considerably so that the garrison from UN Great Refuge destroyed it with ease the border garrisons themselves were destroyed. I suppose that in some sense I should be grateful that this was just a lone worm and not a full fledged invasion since the failure of those troops then could have spelled even greater problems. We have issued orders for new garrisons to be built with the latest technology and I have conferred with my generals that we need another rapid attack force in the central provinces of our area to provide support against future occurrence.

Lastly, I wish to congratulate you on your completion of a hybrid forest. It was no small feat for you to complete and I am sure it will help your stability problems.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

[Hydro]

University Base, MY 2226

Pravin,

I’m surprised that you don’t invest more in trance, resonance-armored transports. They are quite expensive but the dividends they yield are very significant. We currently have four scouring the seas and they have been quite lucky. Well, luck doesn’t have everything to do with it since the Maritime Control Center lets them investigate Unity pods and then flee if an isle shows up (the fact that these isles and their mindworm cargo then afflict our cities I will leave for the time being). Standard foil based transports are at something of a disadvantage due to their flow speed, but I have found that pairing them with an empath foil would work well. Unfortunately for us our extended periods of time in a Free Market economy makes this strategy infeasible, but it would work very well indeed for you if you run a Green economy or even a Planned economy.

A Planned economy is yielding us a huge population increase, but our energy surplus has shrunk considerably. Imagine my surprise when a Unity pod gave us 200 energy! This boon allowed us to finish a research hospital, hab dome, crèche, tree farm, and a rec commons. Granted, all of these improvements were near completion, but allocating these resources allows them harvest their benefits and work on another improvement.

This last year we have completed the minerals necessary for the Aesthetic Virtues Project. It turns out we had a surplus crawler and allocating it to the Project allowed its completion much faster. Significant benefits are the increased hab allowance in our cities, but more importantly the extra discipline gives us greater stability.

It seems you are having the worm problems that afflicted us for about ten years and I wish you well in your efforts to exterminate these blights on life on Chiron. It seems they come in waves, testing the defenses of all but the most prepared societies. I know that we invested significantly in a series of modestly priced empath rovers as a fast reaction force to slay these monsters, and a few empath foils to take care of any isles that happen to harras our cities. This last point is especially important since, due to the long, thin nature of our island, almost all of our cities are coastal.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2226

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We completed our review of resource allocation and it has become clear that the central cities, in particular UNHQ, can not support themselves without major outside assistance. Even UN Aid Station that reached population index 15 has reached a "plateau" of growth unless we can furnish it with more resources, in particular nutrients. What we have decided is to use the eastern peninsula of land as a source of supply for the central cities. We also plan on raising more land soon but first we need to build the farms to support the cities. In support of the outer colonies they will now get more sea-formers for building sea farms to help compensate them for the loss of land that by rights should belong to them. Luckily for us we are not talking about huge amounts of sectors, perhaps only 3 to 4 at most. Of course, this entire effort would be irrelevant if we had hybrid forest technology. But since you found someone else to trade with and obtained superconductor technology we currently have nothing to offer you for it. Of course even if we did you would not transmit it since you wish to use it to maintain your technological lead at the expense of my people. But of course, I digress once again…

Nothing else of importance occurred this turn of note. Our colony ship has at last sighted land and it will pass through the narrow straights on the southern side and land our colony pod on the western slopes of what we think is a volcanic island. The crew sent a transmission informing us that they have sighted land but the central mountain is "obscured" from what we think is smoke. We can only hope that the volcano, if it is one, is going into dormancy.

I also thought you might want to know that I commissioned a study in which the Peacekeepers would move back to a "free market" economy with a knowledge emphasis and the results were surprising. Our energy rate would climb to almost 300 credits per turn and our science rate would expand to such a rate that we could expect a breakthrough every 6 years! This is becoming a very tempting possibility but one we will not broach until at least half of our cities reach population index 14. At that point we should have even greater resources and our labs should be even more efficient. My only concern would be the resulting "unrest" that might occur but I am told our specialists can deal with it.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2227

Pravin,

Isn’t the lure of the Free Market almost irresistible? I have been checking what switching economic plans would do and, like you, I found the impact on our laboratory output and energy yield to be tremendous. Of these, the laboratory impacts are the most significant, since the yield would double! However tempting this is the prospect of exponential growth in population is a greater siren call, since population equals resources. I had expected our society’s stability to be tenuous as it grew, and it has, but not so much that it is stopping our growth. Therefore we will stay with the inefficient Planned economy, for a while.

The only other bit of news is that we found another relic this last year. It will take a while to shepherd it to a node, but that is a priority and it will take the transport out of action for at least half a decade and maybe more. Another transport found a nice cache of 50 Unity credits, and energy is always welcome.

We also started the Xenoempathy Dome. I don’t expect to finish this Project, it will merely use it to stockpile resources for a future Project. Who knows what the future might bring?

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2227

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I have little of any thing "important" to discuss with you this turn. In all it was a very uneventful year. Only a few items of importance that came across my desk. It does seem that several of the Data Angels bases are running exceptionally high pollution rates. While aside from the obvious what does concern me is the "proximity" to that area. Should any mind worm attack be triggered we could quickly see worms coming across the mountain range that separates our two factions. Fortunately for us we have completed our first biology lab this turn and we intend to grow our first trained mind worm. It should be a very interesting experiment one worthy of you studies. Our transport foil with our colony ship began its run through the narrow straights and we hope to unload the colony pod within a few turns. We intend to focus on building at least three interlocking bases on that island so expansion will be the first priority. Lastly, our foil carrying the relic shall dock next turn and with luck we should have it installed within the following turn. I have ordered the foil captain to take some much needed rest and his crew some shore leave.

We completed several city improvement projects but many of our cities are now simply running out of "stuff" to do so we will turn over their surplus energy and resources to a stockpile for others to use.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2228

Pravin,

I have a gift for you: Centaur Meditation. This will allow you to build the
Centauri Preserve, which, in addition to giving ecological benefits, will also allow you to nurture native live. I wish you the best in your effort in creating slave native life and hope you will give me updates on your efforts. Another plus is the empath, which should help your societal stability. This should allow you to continue your improvements.

We are still growing and expanding and I expect that in three or four years it will transition to a Free Market economy. At this point I expect that our energy and lab output to skyrocket and that we will have maxed for a good period of time. Our last two main bases will complete hab complexes this or next turn, and when these two lagging bases catch up a bit is when we will consider our transition.

One last note – there appears to be no ‘maximum’ limit on our mineral production now. One base is putting out 20 minerals and I will be very interested when the borehole is completed nearby, which will spike its energy and mineral output. Have you found any increase mineral production after the completion of the ecological friendly improvements? I don’t snoop in your bases that often so I am just curious what your experience has been.

Zal

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2228

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

On behalf of the Peacekeeper people I wish to express our gratitude for your generous gift in technology. I am still somewhat taken aback at your change in heart since for over a decade now your intentions have been very clear as to your desire to maintain a technical superiority over us. However, I will take the gift and give you our thanks and perhaps we can at last turn the last page in this book and begin a new one.

Next turn should be a wonderful one indeed. We will unlock the secrets of a relic and we will most assuredly continue our impressive growth in population and industry. We can only hope that the new information will help us to become even greater masters of this planet.

I am becoming more and more concerned with the reports I get from the Data Angels and the seemingly total disregard they have this planet. It seems clear that if they continue on this path they most assuredly will fall victim to this planet and then we Peacekeepers will be forced to help the Data Angels from themselves.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2229

Pravin,

It has happened again – Rose the Data Devil gave me a call, demanded energy, and when I refused she declared vendetta. I can only surmise that she thinks she is powerful now that she is building up a grand army and she thinks she can use this to intimidate me. She can think again. She is so far away that she is, quite frankly, irrelevant. Now, if Dee or Morgan declared war that would be different. They could both be threats, but Rose is not one. I will be content to let her have her useless war and the, when she is least suspecting, I will strike back and teach her what war really is since it appears she needs a lesson.

The only other event was that we completed the hybrid forest at University Base, and the boost in energy and food will be most useful, and it will also allow us to grow our capital to size 16! In other bases our growth has stagnated, but just as many can continue to grow. We will soon need much more terraforming.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2229

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

2230 will be one of those turns that the historians will right about as a turning point, a watershed mark, for the Peacekeeper civilization. Our relic unlocked secrets on how to build very effective anti-aircraft weapons and advanced military installations like bunkers to help protect our soldiers. We also were able to make an exchange with our pact brother Nwabudike and we got the elusive hybrid forest technology at last which we immediately ordered all major cities to start production on at once. What was most pleasing of all is that we were able to call a planetary vote to increase trade relations on this planet and with a little bit of negotiations I was able to get everyone to support the pact, except of you. I do hope you will support it since even if you do not you will not be able to cancel the pact since everyone else supports the measure including myself leaving you very little votes, if any, to support you. What this will do is double the energy production/trade we enjoy and we expect to produce/trade over 400 energy credits a turn!!! With that amount of resource at our command we can crash build any hybrid forest in a matter of several turns if need be!! We also discovered two more Unity pods within in just a few sectors of our coastline so we will move quickly to try and exploit these gifts, no matter what they bring.

After reviewing the data from our economic advisors it has been determined to stay on this current economic course for a while longer until we get several more cities, our goal is 7, to population index-15/16 level. Once we complete that we will transfer not to a free market system but a green economy. Several simulations indicate that switching to this model will give us almost the same level of economic power along with a move away from a wealth driven society to a knowledge based one will give us a research level that will be massive!

With so much else happening this turn there is little else we could say that your empaths do not already know. We do hope to land our colony pod next turn on the mountain island and we will keep the transport handy in case we need to move any specialist teams into areas that require Peacekeeper intervention.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2130

Pravin,

This is a great year for the University too – we discovered Pre-Sentient Algorithms! We immediately started the Hunter Seeker Algorithm at University Base and we will do everything in our power to complete this all-important Project forthwith.

Another interesting note is that our science output is almost at a level when we were in a Free Market system before our population boom. I have done a few simulations too and noted that a Green economy has its advantages, but the lure of all that trade and raw energy and the scientific production is just too good to ignore, for now at least. This may change as our far flung holdings expand and the inefficiency loss mounts, but for now it is clear which economic model is superior.

One of our transports had an interesting occurrence – it was ‘cloned’, so to speak. Imagine – one minute you are approaching a Unity pod and then next there is this strange vortex, or a convergence of some sort of unknown particulate emissions, and then there are two of the boat, and the crew. The captain of the transport had a spooky meeting with himself, as did the rest of the crew. There was an immediate question as to which was the legitimate crew and I had to insert myself by declaring that both were University citizens with full rights and privileges, and that their situation is not dissimilar to that of identical twins. That seemed to appease them and they went on their way to explore and gather resources for the University.

The only other news we have is the fast completion of two crèches, a research hospital, and a hybrid forest.

Zak

BTW – I did support the trade treaty. I will not begrudge a little more trade energy, especially when we will be in a lucrative market economy! The energy boon should be significant.

[Hydro]

UN Headquarters, MY 2230

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I was a bit dumbfounded to learn that you, the University, have surpassed the Peacekeepers in population! However, I did take some comfort when I was also told that Aki and her Consciousness had surpassed you in technology. Perhaps this is all just temporary since we are all expanding more quickly than you. I was also amazed to hear that Peacekeeper labs actually have a higher technology rate than your labs! This was the greatest shock since all the separates us now is just a few technologies and for intents and purposes we are equal in all aspects it seems.

After the fanfare had died down we had much work to do. Our expanded energy credit supply was of great use and we put our wealth into the near completion of the hybrid forest at UNHQ. UN Aid Station, Great Refuge and Commerce Committee will all complete hybrid forests within the a decade with the extra application of our vast energy resources. We will also concentrate on more boreholes and kelp/tidal farms to continue to supply more energy to our cities.

The Unity pod we found just of the shore line of UN Social Council only had map/sonar readings of the surrounding area but the fortunate thing is that it did reveal several more Unity pods making three pods in all just at our finger tips, so to speak. Also, our colony pod at last landed on the island and it will be two more turns before it is set-up but then we can apply some
resources to expanding that area as well. My generals tell me we should concentrate on building several more sea colonies westward so as to build a "chain" of bases linking our main area to our newly colonized area. One suggestion has been made by both the Data Angels and the Morganite factions is that we help them out by building several bases for them to aid them in their expansion. There are several small islands in the vicinity to your east that could be of great use to the smaller factions. I think it is a noble endeavor to bring us all closer together, wouldn't you agree?

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2231

Pravin,

Yes, this is a year of surprises. The University has been growing very fast indeed, and it is interesting that as our base improvements come on line that the societal instability I was worried about has turned out to be manageable. The result is that almost all of our cities will be size 16 in the near future, and that the growth potential of the cities in the Jungle is significant.

As to technology, I am confident that the University will retain its lead due to our laboratory output and the lead we hold over many of the factions. Aki did surprise me by discovering Pre-Sentient Algorithms shortly after we did, and it is somewhat ironic that she did so because of the technology we sold her. If you care to look you will see that we have a significant lead in the race to complete the Hunter Seeker Algorithm, which is very important to our future plans. When this is done I will be happy to Pact with anyone, including that sneak Morgan, since there is little chance of him breaking our interlocks. Our technological advance will take another leap when we migrate back to a Free Market system which should increase our lab output by at least 50%.

Your suggestion that we build bases for other factions has my qualified support. I would be happy to build bases for Aki, and perhaps Morgan and Domai. Neither of these is a threat to us. I am currently ambivalent toward Dee due to her past and her significant potential. The Data Devils are a different matter and I would view gifting her any bases as a hostile act since she has declared Vendetta against us; in fact, she has done now declared vendetta twice. Or maybe I should support this so when our troops sweep through her bases we will have a greater pool of spoils? Maybe. That is an interesting thought.

When our major infrastructure improvements are complete we plan both colony expansion on land and sea and also a significant enhancement of our military. There is prime sea territory around us and I would like to grab it before Dee does. These bases would provide a useful early warning center, as well as being a useful location for future growth. Currently our military has been given short shrift due to our focus on infrastructure and this will change. It does us no good to build these wonderful bases only to have a half-hearted attack take this away from us. A full-fledged program of construction of Command Centers, infantry upgrade, probes, speeders, and cruiser transports will be started in the next few years. In particular, cruiser transports seem tempting since with the Maritime Control Center they have an enhanced movement rate. Now, I wonder why I might like a long-leg amphibious strike force? Perhaps they could pay Rose a visit.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2231

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

We have completed our first hybrid forest at UNHQ and next turn we should be able to complete another one the following turn at UN Aid Station. Our plan is to complete at least two more at UN Great Refuge and UN Commerce Committee within four turns so as planned four hybrid forests within a decade! That is a massive achievement. My High Commissioner of Terra-forming was quick to point out that there are several sectors of land that though they have farms on them would produce more resources if they had forests on them. So once we complete another borehole at UN Haven City we will move four terra-formers back into the central cities to re-terra-form about 6 perhaps 7 sectors of land into forests. I also have plans to begin a solar collection facility on Mt. Unity as well.

Our colony pod should reach next turn the colonization site on the mountain island. We have also began to prepare another sea colony pod to be dispatched to the area on the eastern side of the narrow straits. This should provide another link in our chain of bases and provide security for those approaches.

We did open the Unity pod and it was filled with energy modules that we used to nearly complete the hybrid forest at UN Aid Station. They transport crew will move on next turn to open another pod just to the south west of their location.

I am still very concerned about the rampant ecological disruption that the Data Angels are doing in their territory. Should it trigger a massive mind worm assault we Peacekeepers would have to step in to take action to halt it.

Lastly, I am glad you agree with our proposal. Once we have our mountain-island colony going and a second support base up and running we will build another colony pod and place it on the small island just to the east of your territory and then decide if we will give it to the Data Angels or the Drones.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2232

Pravin,

I am quite satisfied how our infrastructure is coming along. We already have four hybrid forests, and innumerable tree farms, completed and more on the way to completion. The high cost of investment is well worth it and there is little, save a hot war, that would dissuade me from altering our course. More importantly, we are far along in our building of the Hunter Seeker Algorithm, and are accumulating the resources for the Xenoempathy Dome that Dee completed a while ago.

You may have noticed that we are steadily upgrading our garrisons, too. This was brought home by Rose’s gratuitous declaration of Vendetta on us (again), and it would be unfortunate if we were caught with our pants down. In short order all of our coastal bases will have the latest armor, and we will soon build a quick reaction force and strategically placed empath rovers to deal with other threats. I am a little worried a bout Dee, but I will continue to pay her demands (like Planetary Economics, which I was loathe to give up – that is how she got it, by the way). I will likely feel free to say no next time, and if she declares Vendetta then I will be in a position to take the bases she planted on my territory, and maybe bases on her island. You should note that I would only accept surrender from those that declare war on me, Pravin. I am not an aggressor and am more than willing to live in peace with all my neighbors, but I have a long memory. Chiron is a big place and there is no excuse for declaring Vendetta for no cause. Rose is already on my ‘list’, and Dee and Morgan have black marks.

Lastly, one of our bases is producing 28 minerals without eco damage. Isn’t that extraordinary? I wonder how high that can be pushed? We completed our second borehole recently – I am reluctant to spend so much time since they take 24 years for a single former to complete.

Take care,
Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2232

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

It was another wonderful year for the Peacekeeper nation! I contacted Roze and after some initial discussion she agreed in principal to a "pact". I immediately traveled to their headquarters and spent several months in consultations with her and the end result was the signing of a "pact" that will cement our two nations together. We talked about a wide variety of issues and of course your "vendetta" did come up. I told her in all good conscience that the Peacekeepers could not declare at this time a state of vendetta against you since from our perspective you have given no overt act of hostility to force us into supporting the Data Angels and she supported our position, which was surprising. I asked her to end the vendetta but the Angels seem to think that YOU are the instigator of this fray and not them and as a result they can not end the conflict until you do so. So as long as you take no overt action against the Data Angels we should be able to maintain normal relations with the University, for now. I do hope you can work out some means of seeing a way to end this conflict.

On another front we also contacted our friend the Drone leader and worked out an exchange of technology that allowed us to develop "silk steel" armor. This material makes plasma armor look like paper and it also opened up several more very interesting industrial applications. What I would like to do is exchange this technology for your cruiser hull technology. If you are inclined please uplink the files and we will of course un-code ours and the exchange can be made. I have been told that we are two turns from another estimated scientific breakthrough in the same field as the cruiser hull technology so I would ask that you "pre-approve" your files and I will of course unlock ours. Should you choose to not trust us and not pre-approve the files then should we make the projected breakthrough next turn and in the same field of cruiser hulls then we would of course have to decline to make the trade, unless you would be willing to offer something else.

We completed our second hybrid forest and it should come on line next turn. We are only three turns from building a borehole at UN Settlement Agency and then as I told you earlier we will move our terra-formers out to build more tree farms and several mine/energy stations. It is unfortunate that your formers do not have the speed of building as does ours. Almost every base has a borehole except for one and of course our sea base but the minerals/energy they provide is unparalleled.

Our mind worm and trainer are about to embark on a long-range expedition into the polar region to recover as many "pods" as possible. We hope the worm will be able to travel much faster than a vehicle and as such recover more pods.

United Nations General Secretary,

His excellency The Planetary Governor,

Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS

*!*!*!*

University Base, MY 2233

Pravin,

So, you have Pacted with a warmonger, someone who demands and then summarily declares war when they don’t get what they want. History is replete with this type of individual and the societies they support, and those peoples that find solace in having such ‘friends’. I would expect that those that declare war without any defensible justification would be sidelined and ostracized by the Peacekeepers, and here you Pact with them. All I can say is that you are a hypocrite - so much for the ‘Peacekeepers’ and your precious Charter.

I will not trade technology with someone who has pacted with someone who has declared war on my people, and with whom we are currently at war. I contacted Domai myself and acquired the files on silksteel armor. As for future technology trades, they are at an end until you end your Pact with Rose the Data Devils. You are on your own.

Zak

*!*!*!*

UN Headquarters, MY 2233

Academician Provost Prokhor Zakharov,

I was very disturbed by your last transmission. I really do suggest you "re-think" your statements and revise your position. I think it was you who said just a few turns ago that, and I quote, " I am a little worried a bout Dee, but I will continue to pay her demands (like Planetary Economics, which I was loathe to give up - that is how she got it, by the way). I will likely feel free to say no next time, and if she declares Vendetta then I will be in a position to take the bases she planted on my territory, and maybe bases on her island. "

It seems that you are the obvious aggressor in this situation, and in all situations when it comes to technology. When Lady Skye demands information and technology, you bow to her demands in order to maintain peace yet when the Data Angels ask, you refuse because they are not to much of a threat to you. I think this "sums up" your position in a nutshell. We made our pact with the Data Angels in order to maintain a sense of order and harmony in our corner of the planet. I used what influence I had with Roze to try and end the conflict and she agreed as long as you end it first. I suggest you pay whatever "coin" she demands so that world harmony can be maintained. When I have been contacted by your pact mate Aki I have bowed to her demands in order to maintain civil relations with all the planet leaders. I highly suspect that you have benefited from those demands as well so I really do not wish to hear how wronged you are and how you have been taken advantage of since I am sure these exchanges have helped you. The exchange of technology by all parties results in the greater advancement of the whole rather than the one and I now see very clearly that statement is your antithesis. In the future I suggest you do the same as we have done and trade information for peace and as such increase the whole over the one. I also wish to bring up another subject based upon the statement above. I wish to make it very clear as Planetary Governor I will not stand for your active aggression against Lady Skye and the Gaians. If you require more land or more colonies simply build them. Any act of overt aggression upon your part against the Gaians, which we are not pacted with by the way, will result in our declaration of support of the Data Angels and Gaians. As far as I can tell the Gaians have done you no wrong and have taken no overt hostile actions and as such any action on your part is strictly prohibited if it involves attacking them to seize their colonies. The land she claimed was "unclaimed" land and as such she had the same right to it as you did, she just got their first. I think it was very wise indeed that we choose to end our alliance with you since you now seem to be the belligerent on this planet. As such I intend to rapidly build up our island base as quickly as possible and expand our holding there to serve as a military staging facility should you choose the reckless course that past tyrants have taken. Be forewarned that the Peacekeepers will now keep a strict eye on your day to day operations and as such we will make sure that all of the other faction leaders will get up to date information as to your industrial/military and social status.

Since you have decided to proceed down a path of destruction I see no reason to elaborate any further on our factions development. Rest assured that we will work even harder to prepare for any possible eventualities. Our labs our now superior to yours. Our population will soon match yours, again, and surpass it. Our military forces are nearly equal. So should you choose the patch of destruction be for warned that you will stand alone against three very strong allies.

United Nations General Secretary,
His excellency The Planetary Governor,
Pravin Lal

United Nations Peacekeeper Headquarters
Executive Office of the Planetary Governorship - Alpha Centauri System
Supreme Planet Command Center - United Nations HEADQUARTERS