Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Heretic »

To the Kohelethite Council,

I understand the tense situation between Texas and the Sanctum, and the foreign affairs department has voiced such concerns. They wanted the Watchmen of Humanus to withhold support in the war against the Warmachine, but I adamantly refused such an order and went ahead to launching our strike. This surely strained Texan-Watchmen relations, and while it pains me, if war between the Sanctum and the Republic of Texas ensues, we will be forced to stand back. It would be unwise for us to strain our relationship anymore to the point of hostilities. But rest assured, the Watchmen will not aid Texas in any way if such action against the Sanctum is taken.

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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by NoXion »

[...loading latest world news updates...]

Maps and Stats HERE

NEWS: 2154 CE


SOLAR SYSTEM

Watchmen join Sanctumite Crusade in massive assault on Warmachine territory

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The Watchmen of Humanus have joined the Sanctum's military campaign against the Warmachine of Mars Ultor. 50 Ground Targeting Satellites and 50 Anti-Orbital Drones were deployed by the Watchmen Space Force into the orbit of Mars, whereupon the satellites began wide-area bombing south-western Warmachine territory as a prelude to an assault by 200 Light Infantry units supported by 10 Turboprop Interceptors. Both the bombing and the assault have been concentrating their efforts on infrastructure and other economically significant targets in an attempt to sabotage the Warmachine's fighting capabilities, and orbital observers have noted fairly extensive damage to road and rail links in the areas targeted by the Watchmen forces. This series of military actions by Watchmen forces has opened up a second front for the Warmachine and seemingly as a result they have drawn back their forces from the Sanctum's territory in order to hold them off at the border fortifications.


PRGC forces begin anti-marauder operations in New Africa

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the space battleship Baruti

The Peoples' Republic of Greater Congo has deployed significant forces in anti-marauder operations in their New Africa colony on Mars, along with increased supplies and improved equipment for local defence militias. A Planetary Assault Vehicle landed a force of 70 Infantry, 30 Battlesuits and 10 Main Battle Tanks at a base of operations, accompanied by dozens of large military transport craft which disgorged their cargo at settlements all along the western border. PRGC militias received improved small arms such as plasma carbines and gauss rifles, as well as portable railgun cannons and ion-burst launchers for improved anti-armour and anti-air capabilities, respectively. The PAV and military transports were met in orbit of Mars by the space battleship Baruti, which is being tasked with providing orbital fire support for anti-marauder operations. Already the new measures are having an effect, with attacks on PRGC settlements dropping off significantly.


Technocratic Union begins constructing colony ship to Lalande 21185

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The Technocratic Union of Marispatria has begun the construction of a colony ship destined for the habitable planet Tirane of Lalande 21185, a red dwarf star 8.29 light years distant from the Solar system. The Union colonists will be sharing the star system with the Cytherean Alliance, who will be arriving first and will colonise the Venus-like innermost planet neighbouring Tirane.


AMERICAS

Southern Anarchist Federation on the rise in the CSA

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As public dissatisfaction with the Confederacy's segregationist policies continues to grow, radical political organisations such as the Southern Anarchist Federation are seeing increasing membership and activity, with the number and visibility of red and black flags becoming more noticeable with every protest and demonstration. While the approach of the CSA authorities to recent strikes and disturbances has been more measured than is typical, their refusal so far to budge on issues regarding non-human rights has resulted in an escalation of tactics on the part of the dissenting public, with more and more demanding the resignation of the human-supremacist Holden government. The most prominent manifestation of this has been the full-scale occupation of the State Capital building in Tallahassee, Florida. It was this event which has seen the response of the CSA authorities beginning to harden, as the hardliners within the Human Unionist Party clamour increasingly for more substantial action to deal with what Representative Sally McDairmuid called "foreign-backed communist agitators and radical anti-human organisations".


Legion of Steel Fists making a comeback?

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Representative McDairmuid's comments were made partly in response to the apparent comeback of the Legion of Steel Fists, which has issued a number of communiques concerning recent actions by striking mechanoids within the CSA. While not forswearing violent action, it seems that the LSF's recent responses to events in north America have been more measured than those during their heyday before the outbreak of the Pan-Asian War. LSF slogans and symbols have certainly become more prominent among the general mess of graffiti and stickers which typify the working class and non-human urban neighbourhoods of the CSA.


Higgs Boson researchers in final breakthrough

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Truly massive airborne structures are now possible, such as this planned sky city

A scientific research team based in the Peoples' Republic of South America has finally cracked the secrets of the Higgs boson after 20 years of intensive research. The pan-Solar scientific community now knows how to harness the Higgs boson in order to control the mass field of an object, enabling reactionless atmospheric flight through the principle of neutral bouyancy. This means that airships can achieve flight without the need of large volumes of bulky gas-filled balloons, allowing airship designers to devote more of the volume of their craft to other purposes. Higgs boson manipulators can also be fitted to spacecraft to greatly increase their operational range by reducing the vessel's effective mass, which has significant implications for extrasolar colonisation as a greater number of distant star systems are brought into easier reach.


Borehole drilling begins at Yellowstone

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Work by the Texan Army Logistical Corps and the Army Engineer Corps of the Pacific Union to neutralise the danger of the potential Yellowstone supervolcano continues, with the most critical stage of it now in operation. The boreholes to relieve the pressure are now being drilled out, and the ceramic-diamond turbines are now complete and on standby. The boreholes are expected to be complete by next year, and from then on the engineering team will be monitoring their performance and safety.


AFRICA

Atlas School begins accepting applications

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With construction expected to be complete by next year, the Atlas School of New Economics has begun to accept applications for new students and research grants. The construction and establishment of this new university has been an eventful genesis, accompanied by strikes, protests, searing editorials in local news outlets as well as an undercurrent of passive hostility from the EAA government. "Despite various attempts by illiberal collectivists to silence us, we are pleased to announce that from the next year the Atlas School of New Economics will begin its work of hosting and sponsoring education and research in support of fresh insights into free trade and monetary economics" said a spokesbeing at a press conference.


Transoceanic Maglev Tube to join PRSA and SAA

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The Peoples' Republic of South America and the South African Accord have begun a joint project to connect two of their major cities with a Transoceanic Maglev Tube. Upon completion, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro will have a direct transport link to each other, carrying cargo and passengers in large volumes and in all weather conditions.


EURASIA-PACIFIC

Extropian "Shining City upon a Hill" to be built in central Asian borderlands

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Joint construction of new city surrounding a large, artistic monument has begun, located in the highlands where the borders Marispatria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and N. China meet. Built by construction teams from all four polities, the monument is to be dedicated to the shared camaraderie and future advancement of all four Extropian polities. The monument and accompanying settlement is to stand as a testament to the struggles, successes, and ingenuity of the Extropian movement, providing a common focal point to draw those residing in any of the four polities that built it as well as the wider Extropian camp as a whole. It is expected that the new city will have top-rate transport facilities including a Cosmopolitan Railway station, as well as the full range of conveniences and amenities expected of contemporary Extropian cities.


Marispatria to connect India and Horn of Africa with Transoceanic Maglev Tube

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the Technocratic Union of Marispatria is to begin building its second maglev railway link to another polity, connecting the north Somalian city of Caluula with the city of Surat on the west coast of the Technocratic Republic of India. As with the Maglev Tube connecting Japan to Papua New Guinea, the tube terminus at the Union end is to be integrated with the Marispatrian transport network, this time connecting directly to the Cosmopolitan Railway network, rather than the upgraded Shinkansen railway as in Japan.


Union's Cosmopolitan Railway network to be expanded into Technocratic China

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Schematics of the Cosmopolitan Railway rolling stock. Click image to enlarge

Marispatria is for the first time to expand its Cosmpolitan Railway network outside of its borders, connecting and integrating the major cities of the Technocratic Union of China. Following the finalisation of plans and resource requisition, the Technocratic Union of China was formally accepted into the Cosmopolitan Railway Union, an inter-political body with the authority to issue licences to build Cosmopolitan Railway track and rolling stock that meets the specifications and safety requirements set out by the Railway's designers. The ambitions of the Cosmopolitan Railway Union are considerable, with plans being drawn up for the East African Alliance, West African Convergence, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and possibly the Technocratic Union of India and the Himalayan Federation to be invited as members of the CRU along with Marispatria and China.


[...end of file reached. News updates loaded]
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Mather
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Mather »

Office of the Vice Presidency of the Republic of Texas


TOP SECRET


To: Chancellor of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria, Hei Min

The government of Texas rejects your latest offer in it's entirety. Your last response goes against the letter and spirit of the Maryland Agreement and as such we reject it. Your 'concessions' amount to nothing more than a set of demands that you have sought to unilaterally impose upon us and each one of these 'concessions' violates the Maryland Agreement and goes against all the goodwill that has been built between our two countries ever since Chancellor Packston's state visit to Texas. Your last offer was a grave insult, not just to Texas but to the whole of North America and the spirit of goodwill that is enshrined in the Maryland Agreement. The cabinet reached a unanimous decision in rejecting your offer and this can only further illustrate the unacceptable nature of your offer for it is a rare occasion indeed when every single member of the government can reach a uniform agreement.

The Maryland Agreement is very clear on the subject of a Marispatrian withdrawal from it's occupied territories in North America and the conditions by which this should occur. It states that Marispatria must withdrawal when it no longer has the agreed upon consent of a majority of the signatories of the Maryland Agreement. There is nothing in the Maryland Agreement which gives Marispatria the right to dictate conditions concerning the future status of the occupied territories upon your withdrawal. With this in mind our government rejects the notion that the occupied territories have a right to self-determination, this issue is totally irrelevant within the wider context of the Maryland Agreement. It is the view of our government that should the occupied territories be made into a nation state (as you have suggested), that such a nation state would not be a viable one given its small size and would in all likelihood be subject to foreign pressures and could also quite easily fall under Marispatrian influence. The only way to guarantee against such an outcome is for the occupied territories to be placed under the collective sovereignty of the countries of North America. Our government also rejects your assertion that the "gains and privileges presently enjoyed by many within the administered region will be brushed aside under the joint-tutelage of those polities comprising N. America." Ever since our government began negotiating with you on the subject of a Marispatrian withdrawal from North America, we have not put forward any proposals that would negatively impact the civil and social rights of those who live within the occupied territories. Given that the occupied territories are to be collectively administered, the laws and policies that are currently in place in Texas will not apply in the occupied territories and I can personally promise that all non-humans within the occupied territories shall enjoy their full civil and social rights alongside those of the human population.

Despite the insulting nature of your last offer, our government is willing to let this slide as we genuinely wish to see a peaceful and diplomatically successful outcome to this issue. Our government hopes that you can come back to the negotiating table in good faith and that you abide by the Maryland Agreement as this is the best means by which we can all reach an agreement that is mutually beneficial to all parties concerned.

Vice President of the Republic of Texas

Joshua Adams
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Le Socialiste »

The Militant

A North American Spring?
How the uprisings in Texas and the Confederacy have changed the way we look at America


Image
Protesters engage security forces at a demonstration in Tallahassee, Florida.

2 days ago, Houston - From across the country they came. Men, women, and everything in between. A phenotypically diverse crowd, demonstrators converged on Austin in a show of force unparalleled in the city’s recent history. The “national day of action,” as it came to be called, shook the human-supremacist HNP to its core after over a million Texans rallied against state-sanctioned segregation policies within the education system. What began as a small strike wave spurred on by a dedicated group of teachers and education activists has become the catalyst for a broader movement against the reigning party and its allies.

The uprising first took on new dimensions when 1.5 million people went public and announced that they were cyborgs, showing off and sharing images of their enhanced parts on social networking sites like NetBuddies. Users like David Fraser expressed their solidarity with the educators’ strike while also declaring their refusal to hide what they believed to be their true selves.

“From now on, I no longer need to keep who I really am a secret,” commented Fraser after revealing his bionic arm to friends and family on NetBuddies. “I never liked having to hide my true self away and coming out has been the best decision I have ever made."

Teachers and activists involved in the national strike campaign welcomed the move from their cyborg comrades. A statement issued by the central strike committee immediately went viral in the aftermath of the revelations:

“In the struggle for justice and equality, we are always at our strongest when we are united. As we seek to abolish the injustice of segregation, our enemies will try every trick in the book to sow division and discord in our ranks . . . Despite the risk of imprisonment now hanging over their [the cyborg’s] heads, they have come out into the open to stand with us in unity against discrimination and bigotry.”

The HNP-led government has found itself on the defensive in the midst of one of the most serious challenges to its hold on power in decades. In a surprise move, police chiefs across the country implored the government not to issue a crackdown on cyborgs and other similarly enhanced beings (criminalized under the current government). Citing limited prison capacity and threat of general unrest, security officials urged party leaders to reconsider any potential call for mass arrests of those who had ‘revealed’ themselves to the public. The ongoing appearance of confusion and indecision amongst the ranks of the ruling party has served to fuel speculation that the human-preservationist regime now teeters on the edge of collapse.

Slowdowns amongst entire sectors of the national economy and low investor confidence has caused analysts to wonder how long the government actually has. In a development sure to cause enormous ripples throughout the remaining “bastions” of the capitalist world, exports have declined by a record 12.6%, while drops in consumer confidence have triggered staggering profit losses, forcing big-name companies spiraling into crisis and potential bankruptcy. The economy’s poor performance has brought even greater numbers of the country’s citizenry into the streets, as people dissatisfied with the party’s handling of the crisis voice their frustration throughout the Republic.

“We’re witnessing a profound shakeup in what remains of the capitalist economy,” remarks Meilin Lieu, a leading economist at the University of Beijing. “The ruling-classes of Texas and polities like it are watching how the HNP handles the crisis, for fear of similar occurrences within their own borders. The collapse of the Pan-Asian Federation represented a massive blow to this particular stratum of class society, but Texas’ fall may even have greater consequences for the remaining polities upholding classic, capital-intensive economics as the basis for their economies. It’s the domino effect of our era.”

Indeed, events in the Texas Republic have inspired similar movements in the neighboring Confederacy. The CSA, another human-preservationist polity, has faced increasing pressure both at home and from the international community to formally end the state’s segregationist policies and grant mechanoids full equality before the law - a move it has so far resisted. Protests and strikes opposing the pro-human policies of the ruling Human Unionist Party have erupted in mechanoid-heavy districts and workplaces. Mechanoid workers walked off the job at the country’s sole Magnetic Confinement Fusion plant in Charlotte, South Carolina last year over claims of unfair labor practices and limited worker’s rights, bringing operations there to a halt.

Despite President Holden’s offer to meet with strikers personally in an effort to address their concerns, marches and demonstrations have broken out across neighboring North Carolina, with civil rights activists and advocacy groups descending on the state capital, Raleigh. Solidarity demonstrations have broken out across the state of Florida, which has witnessed the full-scale occupation of the State Capitol building in Tallahassee, the first of its kind. Perhaps taking a cue from their Texan counterparts however, security forces in the Confederate States have so far been reserved in their response to the uprising, a clear effort toward limiting the extent of unrest gripping parts of the country.

All this may change in light of the emergence of radical political organizations in parts of the polity. The group pioneering this growth, claim analysts, appears to be the Southern Anarchist Federation, which has seen a rise in membership and activity in lieu of a government response to the conflict. Normally used to operating under conditions of illegality, the revolt has paralyzed leading decision-making bodies within the HUP, allowing groups like the Federation the opportunity to organize openly for the first time in decades.

The unrest has even brought formerly defunct organizations like the Legion of Steel Fists back into the fold. Long consigned to the supposed “dustbin of history,” operating cells for the Fists have showed up in rural areas where government forces are stretched thin and underfunded. The new developments have caused some politicians within the government to call for harsher punitive measures against demonstrators. Representatives like Sally McDairmuid, a perceived hardliner in the Human Unionist Party, has openly condemned the protesters as “foreign-backed communist agitators,” going so far as to urge party members to approve governmental action to “put down” the movement at last month’s session of Congress.

For Lieu, the progression of events follow a logical course. “Liberationist movements have a tendency to spread like wildfire, especially under conditions of fierce repression. History has shown us how movements can evolve into uprisings, into revolts - into revolutions. The Federation being the most contemporary example of this, I would posit we’re observing the irreversible effects of capitalist degeneration. The affected polities may continue on in some form, they might not. Time will tell what becomes of them.”

The air of discontent has even seemed to penetrate the reclusive Republic of California, recently out of a long recession that roiled markets and frightened investors. Not facing nearly the same problems or issues of segregation or prejudice as their Texan or Confederate counterparts, Californians have begun demanding greater transparency amongst the governing United Peoples’ Front coalition. A relatively secretive polity, the Extropian nation - termed “the American Hermit State” - has so far resisted scrutiny in recent years. Keeping mostly silent during the decades-long conflict between Pan-Asia, the Union, and its allies, the quiet polity was forced to partially open itself up to the world as news of economic contraction and destabilization ran rampant.

Not much is known about the nature or content of the current demonstrations, but what little has been seen indicate that protesters are tired of the government’s apparent reluctance to ‘operate openly’ in full view of its citizens. “When we got bailed out by the international community, we barely saw any of that money,” notes David, a protester at one of the demonstrations. “So much is kept from us - we want to know where that money went, and why our government insists on keeping us in the dark.”
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by NoXion »

[...loading latest world news updates...]

Maps and Stats HERE

NEWS: 2155 CE


SOLAR SYSTEM

Terraformation of Venus enters crucial stage

Image
A map of Venus in its current state, with waters in white and the land in grey, and the coloured areas representing territories. Click on map to enlarge

The Peoples' Republic of Greater Congo's efforts to resume the terraformation process, which the Pan-Asian Federation was forced to abandon during the war, have entered a crucial stage in which oceans and other hydrological features are taking shape. For the past three years Congolese terraformation engineers have been monitoring and adjusting the progress of carbon sequestration in the atmosphere of Venus. Three years ago specialised self-reproducing nanotechnology, rumoured to have been based on Nanotopian foglet designs, was released amongst the cloud decks, breaking up atmospheric carbon dioxide, releasing some of the oxygen and binding the excess carbon and leftover oxygen with local supplies of calcium derived from surface rocks, which subsequently precipitated out of the atmosphere in the form of "chalk snow" to collect as surface deposits. At the same time PRGC terraformation engineers have been introducing more hydrogen by carefully guiding comets and other icy bodies into the atmosphere of Venus, on trajectories carefully designed to ensure that atmospheric friction breaks up the bodies as slowly as possible, ensuring minimal alteration of surface topography and maximal atmospheric mixing. This is a process which until now has gone largely un-noted by the planet's estimated 24.5 million inhabitants, save for the adapted phenotypes, who have been increasingly confined into their habitats as atmospheric density decreases and the mix of atmospheric gases deviates further and further from its original parameters. These separate but related efforts have now combined to produce torrential downpours which are creating new rivers and ocean basins, as the atmosphere begins cooling down enough for liquid water to start condensing around airborne chalk particles, producing rain which is even now creating new bodies of water. While the hydrology aspect of the terraformation process is complete, PRGC engineers reckon it will be another three years until the atmosphere attains standard breathable conditions.


Watchmen forces feel the squeeze as Warmachine pushes into Sanctum territory

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The Warmachine of Mars has mounted a fresh offensive in the depths of a Martian winter, pushing battle-weakened Sanctum units further back from the original border and breaking the spell of trench warfare which had dominated the conflict over the past year. 100 units of Super Heavy Battle Tanks, escorted by the remaining infantry units and supported by 25 units of Ground Attack Craft, advanced through deep snows and rough terrain to break through Sanctumite lines and secure forward positions in their territory. Meanwhile the Warmachine has deployed 75 units of Mobile Anti-Orbital Artillery in its southern territories in order to counter the Watchmen's Ground Targeting Satellites and regain orbital superiority. This action has allowed the Warmachine's rapid reaction force against the Watchmen incursion to take to the field, with 100 units of Battlesuit infantry, 100 Light Tank units and 50 Mobile Artillery units pressing home their assault and gaining ground against the enemy, who have extended supply lines that are somewhat vulnerable to artillery attack as well as the dozen or so Thunderhead units remaining in action.


Marispatria begins process of "paraterraforming" Luna

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The Technocratic Union of Marispatria has embarked on one of it's most ambitious megastructure projects to date, a plan to cover the entire surface of Earth's natural satellite with a "roof", designed to hold in a breathable atmosphere once completed. Utilising the new mass-field manipulation technology developed in the PRSA, the project will begin by constructing and suspending interconnected "tiles" above the Lunar surface until it is completely covered. The resulting space between will then be sealed and a breathable atmosphere will be pumped in, enabling the surface to be terraformed. Once the atmosphere is fully pumped in to Earth standard, the accompanying air pressure will be enough to hold up the roof and the energy consuming mass-field manipulators will no longer be needed, and the Moon will hopefully be a more attractive place to live. As well as the mass-field manipulation used in its construction, the final product will also represent the largest collection of emerging technologies in the Solar system, incorporating a whole suite of nanotechnological systems which are designed to be self-sustaining and self-repairing, and which in many other ways mimic the interconnected and self-correcting nature of biological systems.


PRGC to build Higher Party School in Earth orbit

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The Peoples' Republic of Greater Congo is to begin construction of a university in Earth orbit, intended to be an educational and research institution for the purposes of upholding and promoting NeoSocialist doctrine across the Solar system. The Higher Party School is expected to have many branch campuses on Earth and other worlds, with a faculty and student body reflecting that fact. The campus will be the second such facility to be built in Earth's orbital space, accompanying the new research and inter-solar educational habitat built by Marispatria, currently in its third year of construction.


AMERICAS

Growing civil unrest in CSA as pro-human groups increase militancy

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The human supremacist militias see themselves as part of the front-line against non-human takeover by LSF cadres such as the above

Pro-human organisations within the Confederate States of America have become increasingly confrontational with Robomarxist and anarchist demonstrators, resulting in an increasing number of street battles as the police struggle with large and restive crowds. Other groups criticising human-centric policies have also come under assault, such as the Universal Suffrage Union, Students for a Pan-Democratic Society, and member organisations ofthe North American branch of the Global Technical Association. The pro-human factions are more splintered but are increasingly being seen to be working together on endeavours such as counter-demonstrations. More concerning for the stability of the polity are reports of increasing membership and activity on the part of human supremacist militias, armed bodies that are also virulently anti-communist and consider the Marispatrian presence in North America to be on of military occupation. Among the more active organizations in the opposition has been the Southern Anarchist Federation, its numbers continuing to swell in the aftermath of a wave of anti-establishment sentiment. The prominence of the group has led leading HUP officials to call for talks with the Anarchist leadership, in the interest of "averting further social upheaval and discord." Prominent members of the organization, however, have so far rejected any attempts to negotiate with the administration, claiming these to be an effort to placate and dissolve the movement. "The Federation will not compromise its principles, nor those of its members," declared a spokeswomen for the group. "We will not be distracted from our goal with talk of appeasement."


Pressure relief begins at Yellowstone as boreholes now complete

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One of the drillheads being used to create the boreholes

With the boreholes now completely drilled out and the ceramic-diamond turbines at complete readiness, the process of actually relieving the geological pressure in the Yellowstone hotspot has begun, and will take an estimated five years to complete according to preliminary measurements by the Texan Army Logistical Corps and the Army Engineer Corps of the Pacific Union. Chief Engineer Gary Cruz of the Texan Army spoke at a press conference "We're not out of the woods yet. It's vitally important that this work is not interrupted, so those of us in the Texan Army are watching events very closely. Thankfully the Texan government has realised the importance of our work and has made sure that we've gotten the funding, equipment and personnel necessary to see this through so far. Whatever the situation at home, we're hopeful that remains the case".


AFRICA

PRGC universities produce communications upgrade proposals

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Three universities have each produced a proposal for overhauling communications systems within the PRGC, after being commissioned by the government to come up with projects intended to strengthen the planning apparatus of the polity. Co-ordinating their design efforts, the three projects presented by the universities can be taken all together or individually in any combination. The first and relatively simple proposal from the University of Kampala in Uganda is for a network hardware upgrade of present communications infrastructure, including the total replacement of all conductive-wire data cabling with fibre optic line, from primary network trunks all the way down to the last kilometre of each individual connection. While most backbone infrastructure has been fibre optic for at least 50 years, many thousands of miles of copper cable remain a part of the PRGC's network hardware, especially in peripheral areas. When completed, this project will provide those living and working within the PRGC with maximal data transfer rates for the internet and local networks, even during hours of peak usage. The second proposal, from the Zanzibar University, is for a comprehensive upgrade of all computers, embedded networks and integrated circuits, replacing all current electronic designs with optical computers and photonic circuits. This will greatly reduce the weight and bulk of hardware, as well as vastly improve the potential scope for improvements in computing speed and power, which have so far been bottlenecked by silicon-electronic technology which long ago reached the limits of power and miniaturisation. The third and final proposal, from the University of Kinshasa, is a program of research into quantum computing intended to develop what computer science researchers call a non-local processing unit. This is a component that harnesses the phenomenon of non-locality to instaneously transmit data at an arbitrary distance to a similar unit elsewhere. It is this last proposal that has proven to be the most contraversial, with criticisms ranging from arguments that the project is based on shaky scientific grounds, to concerns that successful completion of the project will have devastating effects on the stock markets as well as render all non-quantum forms of encryption useless, exposing bank account data, government secrets and military data for all to see.


Reconstruction of Port Kuron to begin

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The major spaceport destroyed in the war by Pan-Asian ISGMs is to be rebuilt and upgraded, with all road and rail connections to nearby cities being fully rebuilt and improved upon, as well as the international-standard airport facilities, extensive ports and docking areas restored and extended beyond their original capacity. An infrastructure repair and renovation operation of this magnitude comes after the winding-down of Marispatria-sponsored reconstruction efforts in the Technocratic Republic of India and the Technocratic Union of China, in which considerable effort and materials have been expended in repairing the damage wrought by the war. "Today we begin to rebuild what was taken from us in the throes of a brutal and costly war," commented a representative for the reconstruction team overseeing the new developments; "We may never forget the Port Kuron bombings, but we can at least begin the healing process and prepare to move on." The timing of the port's reconstruction isn't without its detractors, who label the effort as 'too little, too late'. "It's been well over two decades since the port was destroyed," retorted a resident of outlying Tabou, a small town on the port's outskirts. "Twenty years - that's how long we've had to live with the memory of this attack. And now they think they can come in and restore it, telling us it's time to 'move on'? The fact that it took so long is shameful." Planning teams have indicated that a memorial commemorating the attack will be included in the new designs.


Growing rift between Coalition and workers' councils in EAA

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Friction the workers' councils and the NeoSocialist Coalition has been on the rise as the former seek to assert more control over their respective industries while the latter has entered into an acrimonious debate over the issue of relations with the PRGC, with a vocal minority denouncing the Congolese government and reigning party as authoritarian apparatchiks, citing the considerably longer than average careers in office of higher-ranking Congolese officials. Those critical of what they see as the PRGC's undue influence on the East African Alliance have argued that advice from their southern neighbours might have more to seeking to maintain a geopolitical advantage for themselves. "It would not do for the East African Alliance to avoid becoming the pawn of Marispatria, only to become a buffer zone for other participant on the global scene" said Yonatan Berhanu, Assembly Member for the city of Gondar in Ethiopia during what turned out to be a particularly heated session.


EURASIA-PACIFIC

Commune of India completes Solar Megaplant

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The Commune of India has completed its Solar Megaplant project, greatly increasing its energy output. The completion of the facility coincides with the winding down of post-war reconstruction efforts in the region, which have been marked by attempts to restructure local amenities in order to eliminate the structural phenotypical discrimination created by the former Pan-Asian government in order to cement their rule in the area. While outside observers have noted that AIs in particular still face institutional barriers, they are largely in agreement that the general situation has improved for most anthropoid phenotypes, an observation borne out by the increased non-human immigration from neighbouring polities that the Commune has experienced in recent years.


Democratic Republic of China sees growth in LSF activity

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The Democratic Republic of China has seen a significant increase in activity by the Legion of Steel Fists, with the authorities making substantially more arrests against alleged LSF operatives on charges of sedition and sabotage. Some analysts have sourced this apparent growth in activity to legislation recently passed by the government which limits the emigration prospects of the non-human inhabitants of the DRC, including confiscation of passports and denial of exit visas. Statements from the LSF have increasingly targeted the government of the DRC, with one polemical publication calling the polity "the Solar system's largest single dominion of non-human oppression in the name of Capital".
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Mather »

The Austin Times


Texan economy in recession
(16/01/2155)

The Bank of Texas has confirmed what many economists and analysts have been saying for the last year, that the Texan economy is heading for a recession. The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Texas made the announcement yesterday during an emergency meeting held to discuss the deteriorating state of the economy.

The Monetary Policy Committee's annual report on the state of the economy confirms that the economy has suffered four consecutive quarters of negative growth over the course of 2154. The first quarter saw a decline of -0.2%; the second quarter a decline of -0.8%; the third quarter a decline of -1.3%; the fourth quarter a decline of -1.6%. Economists officially define a recession as a period of two or more consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, though some economists prefer a definition of a 1.5% rise in unemployment within 12 months. Over the course of 2154 the unemployment rate rose by 2.3% which means that by either definition, Texas is now in a recession. Most economists and analysts blame the ongoing political instability and social unrest in Texas as the main cause for the collapse in investor and business confidence in the economy. They also warn that the spread of such political instability and social unrest to other major economies such as the Confederate States of America and the Democratic Republic of China threatens the health of the entire global capitalist economy and any chance of a recovery. If the current wave of instability and unrest spreads any further and engulfs the other major economies in North America and East Asia, the ability of the worlds economies to work together in promoting growth will be severely curtailed and could threaten to limit any measures taken by Texas to deal with this recession.

In reaction to the Bank of Texas statement, shares on the Austin Stock Exchange suffered heavily across most sectors of industry. At the end of yesterdays trading, the Austin Stock Exchange was down by a staggering -4.2%. This represents the biggest single loss in a days trading in Texas since the end of the North American War back in 2090.

----------

HNP hardliners split to form new far right party
(09/02/2155)

Twelve members of the House of Representatives and one member of the Senate have left the Human National Party and have announced that they will be forming a new far right party. The thirteen Congressmen held an impromptu press conference at the Imperial Hotel in downtown Austin where they officially launched the National Restoration Party (NRP). Although the thirteen Congressmen have yet to hammer out a manifesto or any major policies for the NRP they did announce that Senator Carlos Ortiz will be the new party leader and will be the official NRP candidate for the Presidency come the next elections. Speaking to the press, Senator Ortiz told them that they were unhappy with the Hindle administration on a whole host of issues, namely the apparent inability of the government in dealing with the current political crisis and the wave of unrest which has paralysed Texas for the last two years. He said "None of us took the decision to leave the HNP lightly, for decades the HNP was the natural home of all those who sought to better our Republic and to protect and serve the wider interests of humankind. Sadly none of us can say that is the case now. Under the Hindle administration, incompetence and narrow minded thinking have become the order of the day. Instead of providing leadership, the HNP under Hindle has allowed events to end up leading them. In these volatile times, such recklessness poses a mortal danger to the very foundations of our Republic and society. In response we have taken the decision to leave the HNP and to form our own, the National Restoration Party. We aim to be the political home for all those patriotic citizens who have felt abandoned by the HNP and those who wish to see our Republic safe and secure again. Whilst we have our differences with the Hindle administration we are not averse to working with those in the HNP, either in our out of Congress, who have the national and human interest at heart. Our decision to leave the HNP must not be seen as a rejection of the HNP as such but a rejection of the incompetent Hindle administration and those within the HNP who have allowed our Republic to be brought to the brink of outright civil war. We are confident that with the support of our citizens, we can collectively solve the crisis that is gripping our Republic and work on establishing a secure and prosperous future for all".
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Le Socialiste »

United News Agency (UNA)

Former Governor Ken Hiroto ascends to Chancellory

Image
Chancellor Ken Hiroto

17 minutes ago, Tokyo - Special election seasons are traditionally considered to be as droll as they are rare. Known to be particularly rigid affairs, special elections often run like the well-oiled machines they are. Surprises amid such an atmosphere are few and far between. So it came as quite the surprising shakeup when Marispatrians awoke to the news that former Japanese governor Ken Hiroto, a relative newcomer to the national political scene, had been tapped by a combined session of the Assembly as the man to succeed Chancellor Hei Min. He will be the first governor to assume the Chancellory in 63 years (the last governor to hold the position was Chancellor Niels Stijn of Belgium, in 2092).

News of Mr. Hiroto’s appointment sent Marispatrians scrambling to media and social networks in a bid to learn more about the lesser-known politician. Searches about the country’s newest Chancellor soared, while polls featuring questions like “How much do you know about Chancellor Hiroto” were overwhelming negative; that is, a large majority of people seemed to have never heard of him. Despite the aura of ‘mystery’ surrounding him, his appointment has been well-received amongst those who knew him well - namely, his constituents in Japan.

“Japan flourished under Hiroto,” claims Yuuki Tsubasa, a commercial fisherman off the coast of Isumi. His partner, who identifies only as Ren, nods in agreement. “We did well under him, he listened to us. During his time in office, our councils gained considerable pull and influence. Leisurely hours rose, and weren’t tied to production rates. We knew of other governors who’d pushed programs where the two rose equally; that never happened here.”

When asked about the general air of mystery surrounding Chancellor Hiroto, Hana Natsu chuckles. A longtime supporter of the man, she finds the situation humorous. “It’s not like we’re out in the boonies! Japan has been a member-state for several decades now - we’re an integral aspect of a multi-faceted world. We pioneered the technology that enabled the maglev tube between us and the South Pacific Alliance. It was our soldiers that drove the Federation out of Korea and held the far-eastern line for nearly a decade. We’ve made great strides alongside Hiroto, it’s astonishing that so few beyond Asia have heard of him.”

Indeed, it would appear that Chancellor Hiroto’s name rings fewer bells the further west it goes, with only 28% of African and European citizens - between the ages of 18 and 99 - recognizing the former governor. And that number decreases dramatically amongst those under the age of 18, as well as among respondents over 99. “I wasn’t aware of him, no,” confirms Bilal Hamid of Sétif, Algeria. At 118 years of age, Hamid is among the majority who’d never heard of Hiroto. “It’s not for lack of anything - besides perhaps my own ignorance,” admits the Sétif native. “I’ve never really payed much attention to that part of the country; I expect the same would go for many a citizen in Japan if they were asked about my little piece of the world.”

Mr. Hiroto will succeed Hei Min at next week’s ceremony before the Assembly, where he’ll be sworn in as the Union’s sixteenth Chancellor. Despite his newcomer status, Hiroto presides over an impressive record as Governor of Japan. Serving two consecutive terms (2138-2146), Hiroto worked with his Korean and Russian counterparts to aid in the region’s transition from wartime to peace, overseeing a number of programs that would go on to help ease and facilitate the process of rebuilding domestic - and newly independent - infrastructures.

The Joined Economic Reconstruction Track is considered Mr. Hiroto’s crowning achievement, linking up the redevelopment processes of the Union’s regional economies with the growing, but managed, markets of China, Pakistan, and the Himalayan Federation. It is this ‘special relationship’ with the polities in question (and the region by extension) that has led some analysts to believe helped propel Hiroto to the Chancellory. Some speculators have gone so far as to say his leading role in cementing the deal between the Chinese rail councils and the CRU provided the final push necessary for his appointment.

"If the rest of country seems taken aback by the news, it's because they should be," notes Tsubasa, resting after a day out at sea in the council's lounge. "Our Hiroto is an underdog of sorts - no one expected him, of all people, to be chosen. Outside of the immediate region, no one's ever heard of him. They're unsure as to how he'll administer to the home and foreign needs of the union." He smiles. "They'll find out soon enough."
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Red Commissar »

Vanguard scanned the crowd following LeClerk's speech, noting that for the most part, they were very pleased with his speech. The applause was genuine rather than a forced one out of politeness, and even facial expressions that he understood with his software seemed to indicate that even those who did not applaud were impressed.

The International school had been long discussed in the numerous Congresses of the NeoSocialist International. The necessity of the organization was recognized, but there was rarely agreement where to actually build it. Both the Congo and South America wanted to build the school on their territory, both claiming that they in fact were the driving force of the revolution. Compromise solutions fell flat, and even then suggestions to move to the ultimate 'neutral' ground- space itself- were dismissed. As odd as it may seem now to the members of the Congo, the suggestion of a school in a space station was seen as too much of a novelty, with space stations seen only as novelties at best, useful only for residence space and fueling stops.

Of course, many of the people working in the countries of the International were probably not even born during those years. Now space does not seem as new a place as it once was, and indeed the space surrounding Earth seems to have become familiar as much as the land and seas.

The Lumumba Higher Party School was suggested to be built in space mainly as a way to overcome sensitivity that the Congo SR was given preferential treatment in the training of Congolese Socialist Union cadres. It was also a useful demonstration of the Congo's resources and a show of commitment to start moving into space after starting well behind the rest of the world's powers.

The idea to have an international school attached to the Higher Party School was suggested off handily during a meeting of the Council of the Republic. The topic had been a third rail in any of the NeoSocialist countries, worried that it would open up old arguments over who should host it. Despite his Pan-Africa affiliations LeClerk seemed to be the most interested in the project and pushed it heavily in the subsequent Congress of the NeoSocialist International, offering that the international school would be under the supervision of the international rather than any individual nation.

This seemed to have put South America at ease, though Vanguard knew it was mainly their confidence that compared to the Congo, they had more trained professors and educators to offer for the project and could not feasibly be shut out by the Congo. It was unreal to Vanguard how quickly the school was agreed, a sharp contrast to the last time the concept was brought up earlier in the century. The university seemed to be destined to end up becoming even larger than the parent Higher Party School, and members of the Congolese government quietly acknowledged that the Higher Party School would in effect become an annex of the international university in time.

There was still wrangling of course over what to name the international university of course. Many names were suggested drawing from old figures of Socialism, like Marx or Lenin, to the founding figureheads of NeoSocialism. This was just as problematic when the school was suggested to be built on the soil of one of the member states, again with sensitivity that their figures would be given unwarranted importance.

The International settled for the vague name of "University of the Earth", and it would likely be appended and changed once moods changed. Vanguard was personally not in favor of this, knowing it was too bold to claim that name. Likewise more ideologically loaded names like "The People's Friendship University" and numerous variations were seen as stereotypical. The future similar institutes would be created in Mars and Venus once the populations there warranted the project, and they would become branches of the original school, carrying on both the political teachings of the International as well as more practical scientific and liberal arts programs for those seeking specializations of a less political nature.

Probably of the most interest to Vanguard was that the university would have the first truly integrated body, including mechanoids and uplifts who had previously been kept at their own institutes due to old prejudices. This would be necessary in order to ensure that NeoSocialism is not written off as human-centric, though it would take time. From experience as Foreign Minister he knew that bigotry towards groups outside baseline humans was still strong in many parts of the world, which he had seen emerge in ugly forms with the collapse of the Khartoum Confederation and the Pan-Asian Federation. Even in governments which subscribed to the NeoSocialist creed still had to grapple with this, owing to human workers often blaming mechanoids for making work unavailable, and uplifts for just being weird.

What ever the International University would be called in the future, Vanguard was confident that it would create the next generation of the movement's leaders, their organic intellectuals, ones finally free of the prejudices and tradition of the previous century.
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by NoXion »

Non-local processing technology "a potential threat to global markets" - FinancialTimes.com

Recent announcements by the University of Kinshasa of proposals to develop a new type of computer component called the Non-Local Processing Unit (NLPU) have generated significant consternation in those parts of the world with market-based economies, following the initial wave of excitement as the implications begin to sink in. On the face of it, the ability to instantly communicate between two points of any distance with no lightspeed delay, presents a significant boon to Solar civilisation. Live, real-time communication at interplanetary and even interstellar distances would become possible. Spacecraft would be able to send out drones and scouts capable of instantly transmitting their findings back to the mothership, providing a form of FTL sensors. Latency in communications networks would suddenly become a thing of the past for most users, and even those without such upgrades would see the benefits in the form of near-total elimination of lag.

But there is a dark side to all of this, market analysts have warned. If NLPU technology spreads to the market economies, then at the very least it would spell doom for algorithmic and high-frequency trading, which rely on signal latency and speed of light delays in order to function. The effects of essentially killing off such a segment of the financial sector would include, but are likely not limited to, worsened market liquidity, increased volatility, and increased costs of trading and investing for market participants. This would have unpredictable knock-on effects that could lead to a chaotic progression of bubbles, crashes, trade wars and depressions. And that may not be the worst of it.

If causality is merely an illusion created by the lightspeed barrier, as suggested by the findings of several research programs into quantum gravity, then information transmitted between NLPUs could travel in time as well as space. This means that at the very moment the first NLPU becomes functional, messages from the future could start pouring in, warning of all kinds of dangers and opportunities. This would give a massive first mover's advantage to the very first of those to construct such a device and make use of it in such a fashion. They would be able to effectively take control of the markets with the foreknowledge granted by such a device, even if others after them followed suit and did the same. It would also allow anyone with an NLPU to break most if not all forms of encryption, as ciphers that were previously NP-hard would become trivially easy to crack. If it turns out that NLPUs can transmit through time as well as space, then the consequences would be far more devastating than the effects of merely instantaneous communication.
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Le Socialiste »

Union News Collective (UNC)

Hiroto: No immediate plans for withdrawal from administered areas
Cites political and financial ‘instability’ in former U.S.

Image
Chancellor Hiroto at a naval base outside Delaware City, DE

Washington, D.C., 44 min. ago - Chancellor-elect Ken Hiroto appeared before both houses of the Assembly Monday, in a bid to sway policymakers away from approving legislation regarding a ‘phased drawdown’ of Marispatrian personnel from Union-administered areas in N. America. The territories, which amount to former U.S. states Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., have been a source of friction between the Union and the continent’s native inhabitants. An ongoing diplomatic tug-o’-war concerning the fate of these lands has unfolded over the years, to the consternation of polities like the Republic of Texas who have lobbied to see Marispatria’s presence in the region decreased, if not withdrawn completely.

“It is the view of this administration that any talk regarding this matter may be a bit too premature, given the enormity of the crises confronting America’s peoples” commented the new Chancellor. “There was a time when the withdrawal of Union forces seemed not only feasible, but the logical next step toward mending relations; I fear that time has passed.” Mr. Hiroto was said to have met with prominent members of the autonomous Peoples' Authority (PA) during his 3-day visit to Washington, D.C last Wednesday. The PA administers to the day-to-day needs and services of the region, and acts as the primary governmental entity in the area.

“I think that meeting had a lasting impact on him, yes,” confirmed Senator Zhea-4, a policymaker associated with the bloc of Assemblybeings who’d brought the bill for withdrawal to the floor. “I think Mr. Hiroto was on the fence going into that meeting with the PA; it wasn’t until he returned that his tune changed. Now, I fear for this bill’s longevity.”

The Chancellor’s unequivocal endorsement of the country’s longstanding presence is likely to incense Texan lawmakers and administration heads who’ve pressed for the immediate withdrawal of Marispatrian persons from the region. Many still consider the lands to be historically linked to the former U.S. and its descendants. What’s more, Hiroto’s reversal comes at a time of significant social turmoil for Texas, which has witnessed a years-long movement against the Preservationist government and its reigning party. How current President Andrew Hindle will react to the news remains to be seen, as the embattled leader struggles to reign in a struggle that has targeted the ruling HNP and its Confederate counterpart.

The Chancellor’s unannounced arrival on the American mainland will likely cause a stir within Hindle’s administration as well, which has sought to demonstrate its ability to win decisive diplomatic victories while boosting its approval ratings at home. Mr. Hiroto’s visit to D.C., which occurred without any prior consultation or notice for the Hindle government, has threatened to plunge the two powers into a ‘cold spell’ lower than that suffered during the early years of the Federation Wars. Some have speculated over the motivation behind Hiroto’s bold maneuver, while others have accused the Chancellor of intentionally embarrassing his Texan counterpart.

“It was a reckless move on his part, and I think he knows that,” mused Senator Zhea-4. “But then, that was probably the point - he’s leveraging the country’s position at the negotiating table. What he needs to take into further consideration is that these moves threaten to undo years of progress.”

The Chancellor showed no signs of this before Monday’s combined session, however.

“We stand ready to reaffirm our commitment to the stability and wellbeing of the continent and its people - all people,” confirmed Chancellor Hiroto in a series of closing remarks. “The Union has played its peacekeeping role for over half a century now and done it well, seeing to the protection and re-enfranchisement of all altered and non-human beings at a time when their communities are hounded and persecuted under the guise of human 'preservation'. We intend to combat these ills, and will continue on in this capacity insofar as we are needed.”
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Mather »

The Austin Times


BREAKING NEWS: Marispatrian diplomatic office in San Antonio comes under attack as HNP and NRP hardliners demonstrate against Marispatrian "imperialism" and "arrogance"

Three deaths reported so far including the Marispatrian cultural attache

(14/09/2155)

Within the last hour reports have been coming in that the Marispatrian diplomatic office in San Antonio is in flames after coming under attack by hardline activists from the HNP and NRP. Information is still coming in and our reporters on the ground say that the situation is still tense and volatile, although the worst of the violence seems to have subsided after a show of force by the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD). The SAPD have now cordoned off the former diplomatic office building and the immediate neighbourhood surrounding it. In light of the events in San Antonio, Interior Minister Nguyen Van Thuan has ordered police departments across the Republic to deploy armed police to guard all embassy and diplomatic buildings should further trouble arise. Van Thuan has also cancelled all leave for policemen and has recalled all those currently on holiday back to active duty.

Image
The Marispatrian diplomatic office burns after coming under attack by hardline human nationalists

The protest was initially peaceful and included no more than a few thousand demonstrators, made up of mainly young activists from the HNP and NRP. Two hours into the protest, trouble started when a group of roughly five hundred protestors stormed the diplomatic office, turning the demonstration into a riot. The rioters quickly overwhelmed the police using a variety of weapons such a baseball bats, molotov cocktails and pistols. Once they had broken through into the diplomatic office they then torched the building. The ensuing inferno spread throughout the building, killing at least three people so far, though the death toll is expected to rise. Among the dead was James Carter, the Marispatrian cultural attache. According to the SAPD, James Carter and two of the rioters died in the ensuing fire as the building was quickly engulfed in flames. Twelve policemen have been treated for injuries with two sustaining life threatening injuries and so far fifty four arrests have been made, according the the SAPD.

The protest had been called in response to recent announcements by the new Marsipatrian Chancellor, Ken Hiroto, concerning Marsipatria's continuing presence in North America. Chancellor Hiroto's statement that Marsipatria will not withdrawal from the territories of Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C. has caused considerable upset and opposition from some quarters in Texan politics. Hardliners, both in the HNP and NRP, have accused Marsipatria of breaking it's promise to reach a deal concerning it's presence in North America whilst others have even gone as far as to accuse Marsipatria of having no real intention of ever reaching a deal and that Marsipatria has always sought to legitimise it's presence in North America on a permanent basis. The NRP leader Senator Carlos Ortiz, has made numerous statements to the effect that Marsipatria has even played a part in orchestrating the current wave of social and political unrest that has swept both Texas and the Confederate States of America over the past few years. Speaking on the phone to one of our reporters, Senator Ortiz gave us his response to the events in San Antonio "What happened today in San Antonio was both regrettable and unfortunate. My sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of James Carter and all others who lost their lives today. No one wants to see a repeat of what happened today, however it would be a big mistake to see this event in isolation. This event, while tragic was in many ways inevitable. If we wish to calm peoples passions and anger then the onus is on Marispatria to turn away from the reckless and irresponsible path of confrontation and it's seeming inability to treat other sovereign nations with respect and a sense of equity. Marispatria must stop acting like an arrogant imperialist bully if there is to be any hope of a lasting settlement that can heal the wounds that have been inflicted on North America and it's peoples. I hope this serves as a wake up call to Marispatria, if so then at least some good can come out of this tragic event."

So far, there has yet to be an official response from either the Texan or Marispatrian governments.
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Le Socialiste »

Image

“We’re gonna have to find ourselves a new bar after we finish here. The patrons here are vile.” Adma’s words brought David back from what he assumed was akin to a meditative state. He’d observed similar mental processes in the humans he surrounded himself with on a day to day basis, and by all indicators he’d somehow drifted into something similar to it. In a sense, fascinating; on the other hand, predictable. When you sit across from someone long enough you can’t help but pick up their habits. You can love them or hate them for it, as alien as that may seem - but you can never fully unlearn what you’ve witnessed.

David smiled, artificial lips peeled back in a half-hearted attempt at amiability. His companions weren’t ones to complain at the lack of human emotion, but a sociable and agreeable disposition could translate over into greater opportunities for him, he’d found. Whereas a small but militant subculture existed within the android community that refused to deign on ‘human-centric’ behavioral norms, David was very matter-of-fact. He preferred a level-head to the blind dogmatism of the Legion, though he supported it from a purely practical position. Whatever is most expedient.

David distanced himself from the trademark rhetoric and symbols of the AI-left, adopting male pronouns and dress. He observed the appropriate features and mannerisms from a ‘young age’, learning the importances of charm and likability. He did not forget who he was or where he came from - such was impossible. At heart, he was a pragmatist.

“Your unease is contagious. We’ll leave soon, I promise.” David smiled again, looking to the male situated beside him in the booth. “Jesus Harlin, unclench. It’ll be fine.” He motioned to the front of the club. “It’ll be in and out, finished before it even begins.” He placed a hand on Harlin’s arm. “And besides, I know the guy.”

Adma chuckled quietly, her laughter muffled by the white noise in the background. She nursed the drink she’d ordered almost an hour ago. “There’s always a guy.”

“You two don’t quite seem to grasp how quickly things can transpire here,” noted David. “When I say it’ll be over soon, trust that it’ll be over soon.” Adma shook her head.

“It’s not to say we don’t believe you brother, ‘cause we do. You’ll have to forgive us, though. This is bigger than we’re used to. How you managed to swing it remains beyond me.”

David nodded. Truth be told, he hadn’t expected this to work either. How he’d managed to pull this off was beyond even him. He’d only been working with Adma and Harlin for less than a year, and if there was one thing David had learned in that time it was that trust was a rare commodity in this world, much less amongst Star Kvltists. It was hard enough attracting their attention. The Kvlt made a point of keeping a low profile on Mars ever since the Syrtis Major debacle over two decades ago. David had been among the last companies of the Union to sweep through the area in ’27, back when the world stood on the precipice of interstellar war. That same year the Federation invaded Pyongyang, and the rest - as they say - was history.

David’s thoughts turned to the man who’d been at the forefront of that campaign, the man who’d passed from his ‘memory’ until news broke of his untimely demise several years ago. It wasn’t too uncommon, overhearing the conspiracy theories that Salvatario Baldassare was still alive. Some continued to think his ‘death’ was staged, while still more remained convinced that he’d ‘gone underground’ so as to prepare for the next cataclysmic crisis. The best one came from a retired servicebeing he’d met outside a bar in Astana. According to this one, the former Chancellor wasn’t just among the living - he was also no longer recognizable, inhabiting a new, younger form. Now that had elicited a chuckle. For what purpose? he’d asked. Beats me, shrugged the woman. I just know what me and my buddy saw.

Baldassare was a man of many achievements, but immortality wasn’t one of them. David humored the girl, but disregarded her story immediately. It simply didn’t compute. Gradually, the rumors fell off, continuing to persist in some circles but by and large isolated from the mainstream. Now after nearly 30 years he was back on the planet, residing in an older part of Marispatria’s Bela district. Back, but for a different purpose. Times change.

Adma downed what remained of the glimmering blue liquid and grimaced. “Hu will want us to report in as soon as this goes down,” she reminded David. She smacked her lips, turning to look at Harlin. “You’ve been quiet, brother. What ails you?” David quietly agreed with Adma’s assessment. The boy looked downright despondent. “Everything alright?”

Harlin shook his head. “Something’s not right.”

“About the deal?” Adma inquired, glancing at David.

Another shake of the head. “No, nothing like that. There’s...just something off, is all. I can’t place it.”

David snaked an arm around the shoulders of his dejected comrade. “We scanned the place before we came in, brother. Everything checked out.” He tapped a lone finger against Harlin’s temple. “Your worries are all up here. In your head.” Harlin shrugged, looking even worse for wear. “I guess.”

“If it helps any,” mused David, glancing about the room, “we’re going to leave soon.” Adma frowned, unconvinced. “You seem pretty sure of yourself. What makes you say that?”

“Because,” murmured David as he pushed himself up from the booth, “he’s here.” He put his hand out, motioning for his companions to stay put. “I’ll see if things are still a go.” He strode over to the man who’d just entered. A quick scan revealed little in the way of suspicious activity; indeed, this newcomer seemed relatively unassuming as far as dress and posture go. Nothing in his eyes or other facial features threw up any red flags for David. He’s definitely our guy.

“Cutting it a little close for my tastes, but at least you deigned to drop in.” David extended a hand to the man, who let it hang. “I trust your side has everything squared away?”

“It’s all ready upstairs,” muttered the man. He gave a slight nod of the head to the duo in the booth. “Grab your friends and let’s get this over with.” David let loose a stifled chuckle. Amused by this new presence, he turned and motioned for Harlin and Adma. He extended a hand to the staircase situated near the door. “After you, comrade.”

As the Kvltists made their way over, David and his new ‘friend’ began the climb upstairs. The man cast a look behind him, marking the distance between himself and David’s companions. He cast his gaze downward, keeping an eye on the steps in front of him. They reached the landing before long, standing in an area of the club lined with rooms typically reserved for private parties and illicit dealings. Despite its shimmering cityscape, Bela carried a seedy underbelly predicated on a nascent arms market. Most of these weapons went between the various sects and polities that supplied and demanded them, with Bela serving more as an in-between location for foreign merchants than a permanent base of operations. Most dealers avoided Extropian locales as a general rule of thumb. City officials continuously sought to stymy the booming industry, cracking down on suspected dealers and any associated networks. A valiant effort, to be sure. If they managed to even leave a dent in the business David never noticed it, though.

The man stopped outside one of the rooms, his hand on the doorknob. He motioned for Adma and Harlin to come closer. “The information pertaining to the location of the ISGMs are behind here,” he whispered, his voiced nearly drowned out by the pulsing ruckus downstairs. "I was wary of anyone lifting them from me, so I reserved us a room and stowed them away." Adma licked her lips, a grin splayed across her face. “Let’s do this.”

The man nodded, sliding his hand over the detector. David heard a click, and the door was open. Adma walked in hurriedly, Harlin in tow. David brought up the rear, clenching and unclenching his fists. He stepped inside, the man closing the door behind him. Another indistinct click of the handle, and that was it. David gave a tiny sigh and walked over to Adma, who was beginning to show shades of doubt. She looked up at him, a confused look splayed across her face. “David, there’s no plans here.” David frowned, looking around the room. “That’s curious, I was told this guy was legit,” he whispered back, placing his hand on Adma’s shoulder. In one swift motion he cupped the back of her head, before bringing it down on the desk in front of them.

Adma cried out, reeling from the pain. She struggled to spin around, lashing out at David. Behind him Harlin was engaging with the dealer, both locked in a furious embrace in a bid for the upper hand. David wrestled Adma to the ground, standing to bring a foot down on her knees. She managed to evade the brunt of his attack, but David heard a slight crack nevertheless. Adma winced, bringing both legs around in an effort to sweep him off his feet. David fell hard, but seeing as pain wasn’t exactly a factor he wasted no time lingering on the floor. Lunging at Adma, the two of them hit the wall opposite, crashing into a monitor spanning the entire wall. David quickly brought his hand back around Adma’s head, burrowing his fingers in what little hair there was to bring her head against the screen. Once. Twice. Three times. Dazed, Adma slumped back. Remembering what he’d learned, David forced her mouth open to extract a small tablet disguised along her inner cheek. He wasn’t about to let her check out. He set about tying her her hands and feet together, before turning to see how the dealer did. Harlin lay in a pool of blood, the remnants of a tablet lodged in his mouth. The man glanced at David, before giving an apologetic shrug of the shoulders. “Forgot these bastards carried kill-pills.”

David frowned, his displeasure no longer hidden. “It would’ve been better to have them both, but no matter - I’m not the one taking them. You can report to your agency why you failed to bring both subjects in. As far as my director is concerned, the Union’s role in this affair ends here. Texas can handle the rest.”

The man nodded, righting a couple of chairs that had toppled in the scuffle. “Did they indicate the exact targets for these ISGMs if they managed to get their hands on ‘em?”

“New Houston, Galveston, and the Olympus Mons compound.”

“I’ll notify my boss.” The man looked David in the eye. “Why did your director order you to help us?” David cocked his head, somewhat surprised at the directness of the question. “The Kvlt is a danger to every polity on Earth and beyond. Rest assured when I tell you we did not do this out of kindness. If these two had managed to obtain information pertaining to the locations of these weapons they’d be a threat to us as well. It was deemed wiser to inform your agency of the danger and neutralize it before it spiraled.” He shrugged.

“It was the expedient thing to do.”

David turned toward the door, motioning for the Texan to unlock it. The man complied, and David stepped out into the hallway. He nodded in the direction of the two bodies. “Will you need any help with those?” The agent shook his head. “No, my men will dispose of the guy and take the woman in for questioning.”

David looked at them again. Suddenly, he was indifferent to their fates. He’d done his job, now he’d let the Texan do his. He turned to leave. “In that case, we’re finished here.”
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Le Socialiste »

United News Agency (UNA)

Protesters storm Texan consulates in Frankfurt and Seoul; dozens wounded
Chancellor Hiroto appeals for calm

Image
Protests against the San Antonio attack erupted throughout the country.

23 minutes ago, Frankfurt - Demonstrations against the attack on a Marispatrian diplomatic office in San Antonio, Texas, erupted across the Union Thursday, with crowds swelling to a quarter of a million in some cities. The number of people rose dramatically in areas where work cancellations were called for in response to the killing of nearly a dozen Marispatrian nationals, resulting in some of the largest work stoppages seen since postwar reconstruction. Numerous senators, including many within the governing Popular Front, declined to show up for work in response to the events in San Antonio, with many legislators and officials taking part in demonstrations around the Union. “If we don’t take a stand today, what’s to say we won’t lose more of our own tomorrow?” mused Senator Yhiv of Ankara, where officials estimate upwards of 20,000 protested the attack. “We want an end to the bloodshed; what occurred in San Antonio must never be allowed to happen again,” commented another, who opted to remain anonymous.

Protests were predominantly nonviolent in most places, with a select few devolving into near riots in places where anti-Texas rhetoric and sentiment ran particularly high. Demonstrators occupied the Texan consulates in London, Beirut, and a number of other locations, with participants engaging in acts of civil disobedience. One of the most vocal demands of the protesters has been for the closure of all Texan consulates within Marispatria, and the deployment of greater security measures in all Union offices throughout the Republic, with Marispatrian contractors overseeing much of the work.

Despite the general display of peaceful and nonviolent tactics Thursday, violence still erupted in a couple of cities. The scene was especially hectic in Frankfurt, where James Carter - the Union’s former cultural attaché for San Antonio - had lived with his family. Accounts of what sparked the violent confrontation between protesters and consulate workers remains murky, with equal blame falling on either side of the conflict. Witnesses reported hearing taunting remarks from a couple of workers within the Texan consulate, resulting in the storming of the building. Rioters scaled the walls of the building before overwhelming the few guards stationed on the grounds, according to a statement issued by security cooperative 3219:

“While exact details of what took place remain elusive as of now, we know that at least two workers from the consulate taunted demonstrators while the protest was ongoing. This included the heckling and interrupting of speakers, the chanting of pro-Preservationist slogans, and so on. This continued until less than two dozen protesters broke off from the main crowd and attempted to scale the dividing wall. While peacekeepers stationed on the grounds were able to stem this initial upset, their actions only antagonized the crowd, resulting in more attempts to storm the building. After three additional attempts, protesters were finally able to make it over the dividing wall and overwhelm the peacekeepers, resulting in numerous injuries but zero deaths. The two workers were dragged out of the building and beaten, before being paraded down the street until security enforcement put an end to the proceedings. Over 103 arrests were made.”

Similar events unfolded in Tokyo, where demonstrators stormed the Texan compound and attempted to burn the building down. While no deaths have been reported as of yet, 12 workers within the consulate were said to be seriously injured and currently undergoing treatment.

Chancellor Hiroto, flanked by administrators from the Domestic and Foreign Relations departments, issued an immediate appeal for calm and a return to normalcy in the aftermath of Thursday’s events. “What occurred today, with the attacks on the consulates in Tokyo, Frankfurt, and other cities is reprehensible,” stated the Chancellor. “We are deeply saddened by these displays of violence, and will do what we can to remedy the situation.” Mr. Hiroto went on to reaffirm the Union’s commitment to better relations with Texas, acknowledging that while the attack on the Marispatrian diplomatic office represented a sobering setback, it had only been carried out by “a minute minority of hardline Preservationist types, that do not represent the population of Texas as a whole.”

The Department of Foreign Relations, which Mr. Carter had served under prior to his death, has announced it will investigate the San Antonio attack(s) in the hopes of updating its security systems, in tandem with Texan law enforcement.
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by NoXion »

[...loading latest world news updates...]

Maps and Stats HERE

NEWS: 2156 CE


SOLAR SYSTEM

Texan colonies on Moon, Mars experience sympathetic uprisings following New Mexico

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A foggy morning in the city of Nueva San Antonio

Following the seizure of New Mexico by the Texan Anarchist Federation and allies, like-minded workers in the Texan colonies on the Moon and Mars have taken control of their workplaces and have effectively seceded from the Republic in the areas under their influence. On Mars, unions in the industrial sectors of agriculture, construction, manufacturing and mining, who have been striking since 2153, followed their Earthly comrades' example and have seized control of the coastal state of Urania, making the city of Nueva San Antonio their unofficial capital. Urania and its neighbouring states of Acheron, Tempe and Pavonis collectively form the economic heart of the Republic of Texas' possessions on Mars, with plentiful land for development and abundant mineral resources having fuelled the expansion of urbanisation and the growth of farmland considerably from the outset. Delegates from the now-collectivised industries in question have stated that the Uranian Collectives are willing to offer material support and assistance to their compatriots on Earth and the Moon, although such assistance would be very much vulnerable to a spacial blockade or raiding by the Texan Space Force, given the Uranian Collective's lack of a military space presence beyond a couple of dozen last-generation Assault Ships that were drydocked in the military spaceport when the anarchists claimed Nueva San Antonio.

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One of nearly a hundred cargo ships captured by the rebels, with which they hope to make supply runs to support their comrades elsewhere

Meanwhile on the Moon, anarchists and sympathetic workers gained control of the colony after a swift but heated struggle, in which the radicals and strikers would have been defeated had it not been for a last-minute subversion of the colony's automated security systems. This eventuality swiftly turned the tables on the colonial security forces, who were routed as a result being caught between besieging workers on the outside of the Command & Control centre and increasingly hostile systems on the inside. When the rebels finally breached the inner walls of C&C during an apparent lull in conflict, they found the inhabitants all to be either dead, unconscious, or disarmed and locked in small rooms guarded by security bots, the sole exceptions in a system which had seemingly shut down not long before the rebels' entry. A small datapad containing a text file was later found in the Colonial Governer's office, which read simply "No need to thank us - yours in solidarity, The Lunatic Tendency"


Saboage of Warmachine logistics hinders front line efforts

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A Watchmen infiltrator

The Warmachine of Mars has experienced a speedbump in their latest offensive which began strongly last year but has since run into increasing problems as Watchmen commandos and infiltration units carry out hit-and-fade attacks on logistical centres and transport infrastructure. This has stalled the Warmachine assault forcing them to once again resort to positional warfare, networks of trenches and bunkers springing up on both sides as strength of fortifications becomes more important than maneuverability.


Foundations laid for Space Tower at New Zanzibar colony

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the top-station of the partially built tower

The Congolese colony of New Zanzibar on Venus has begun construction of a Space Tower, which when completed will greatly increase the colony's capacity for space traffic. Based on the same technology as the Space Fountain, the New Zanzibar Space Tower is intended by its designers to be the tallest structure in the entire Solar system that is dynamically supported from the ground, with an interplanetary-class spaceport at both the top and bottom ends and numerous smaller docking stations/landing pads at intervals in between. Various observers have noted that this project is a savvy move on the part of the PRGC, leveraging their current presence in order to place them in prime position to expand on Venus post-terraformation.


Higher Party School begins outreach program

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Manyara Ssanyu, Regional Delegate for the Indian branch of the outreach program

The Higher Party School established by the PRGC last year has begun an outreach program aimed at the younger NeoSocialist polities like the East African Alliance and the Commune of India. Following the conclusion of the Pan-Asian and Machine wars, the NeoSocialist international has made it a priority for such polities to develop a skilled native workforce as well as the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged in those conflicts. The program will use the construction, expansion and upgrades of amenities as an opportunity to run workforce training and skills development initiatives, at the conclusion of which the newly NeoSocialist polities will not only have improved utilities, but also a skilled and experienced workforce able to maintain and if necessary expand the Commune's facilities.


Cytherean colony ships take off for Lalande 21185

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The colony ships made a ceremonial flypast of Earth on their way out of the Solar system, as a final goodbye

With the completion of the interstellar torchships Stanislav and Strugatsky, the Cytherean Association's colony fleet is now on it's way to the innermost planet of the red dwarf star Lalande 21185, 8.29 light years from the Solar system. This mission is intended to found a new home for those adapted to the natural conditions of Venus, the terraformation of which has increasingly confined persons of the Cytherean phenotype inside their habitats. While a vocal minority amongst the Cytherean Association has long criticised this project as "giving in to the ambitions of those not of Venus", a majority has consistently agreed that the opportunities offered by the colonisation of a virgin planet in a faraway system heavily outweigh the costs of moving close to a million people.


Confederate Sol-Earth L1 colony "Jemison" complete

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The Confederate States of America has completed its cluster of 5 Bernal sphere habitats at the Sol-Earth L1 Lagrangian point. This newly constructed space habitat will serve as a centre of space-based commerce and industry for the CSA, expanding from its previously intended purpose as a form of insurance against disasters on Earth. While the CSA managed to complete the habitat cluster on time and under budget despite increasing instability at home and elsewhere in the north American continent, voices from both the Democratic Federalist Party and the New Republican Party have raised doubts about the Human Unionist Party's more ambitious plans to construct a larger Bishop ring habitat


AMERICAS

President Hindle assassinated by "the Covenant"

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The Covenant members involved in the attack were well equipped and experienced

The President of the Republic of Texas, Andrew Hindle, has been assassinated at his presidential countryside retreat as he recovered from an illness. A far-right human nationalist group known as the Covenant has claimed responsibility for the assassination. The President's retreat was attacked with a 48 man commando unit made up of ex-soldiers and special forces who are now known to have joined the paramilitary organisation. Despite their success in mortally assaulting President Hindle, most of the unit has been killed and the rest captured by Texan government forces. As Vice President, Joshua Adams has been sworn in to complete Hindle's term as President. In a lengthy letter sent to all major Texan news organisations and published on various online communities and human nationalist websites, the Covenant blame Hindle for the situation Texas is now in and say that "[President Hindle] did not take the measures necessary to control the wave of Extropian scheming and communist subversion currently sweeping Texas".
In his first act as President, Adams has declared a state of emergency and martial law in Texas and all its colonies in space. He has assumed full emergency powers and the Texan Anarchist Federation, as well as all other socialist, communist and Extropian organisations, have been completely outlawed. The Covenant has been declared an illegal and a terrorist organisation. Strikes have been declared illegal and trade unions placed under government management.


Texan Anarchist Federation seizes control of New Mexico

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Texan riot police before the attempted clearance

After a series of ongoing strikes in the energy and mining sectors, extensions of similar mass industrial actions that have been taking place since at least 2153, things heated up and turned violent after riot police tried to clear the strikers and the pickets they had set up around the mines and power plants across the state. The heavy handed police actions were executed on the orders of New Mexico State Governor Bill Donaldson, an HNP hardliner who feared that the strike had the potential to breathe new life into the protest movement that has swept across Texas over the past few years. In response to the police crackdown, workers in virtually every other sector have downed tools and gone on strike. A visible majority of workers have joined up with the Anarchists and staged an armed insurrection to overthrow state rule in New Mexico. They have attacked police stations, military bases, government offices, and Mayor's offices across the state and have managed to overthrow and capture the State Governor, who is to face trial for his actions and will most likely be sentenced to indefinite house arrest.

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One of the RoboFacs appropriated by Texan workers and anarchists

New Mexico under the control of the workers and anarchists has very quickly transformed, although mostly in a subtle manner save for widespread defacement of advertising. Banks are empty or have been put to other uses, and videos uploaded to the global net have shown people playing football with bundles of cash. New Mexico is a centre for manufacturing as well as mining and energy generation, and thus over a dozen commercial Robofacs have been appropriated to serve the needs of New Mexico residents. The state legislature has been disbanded and replaced with a confederation of workers' councils coordinating in constant communication. All forms of oppression and discrimination suffered legally by non-humans has been abolished and work undertaken to tackle social discrimination as well as going towards the effort to abolish their status as second class citizens.

After this, the anarchists and workers have appealed for others in Texas and on its colonies to rise up and join them. They have also launched an appeal for support and solidarity to workers across the globe and the solar system as well as to the NeoSocialist countries.


Protestors occupy government buildings in the Pacific Union

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Avery Peyton, one of the many participants in the Million Mechanoid March

Somewhat mirroring recent trends in Texas, worker militancy in the Pacific Union has been on the increase, which has culminated in demonstrators targeting administration buildings for occupation and acts of civil disobedience, with the most militant series of actions taking place in the capital of Seattle, Washington. Wildcat strikes and workplace occupations have been carried out with increasing frequency by the Red, Black, Grey and Green unions, meanwhile the Yellow unions have been experiencing shrinking numbers and influence while the Blue unions are coasting. One of the biggest demonstrations of the year in the Pacific Union was the Million Mechanoid March, which was actually closer to 10 million by most estimates, and which was a massive day-long event starting from Tacoma in the morning and ending at central Seattle in the evening. The polity has been experiencing something of a deepening political divide, with the membership and activity of a diverse array of anti-capitalist organisations and phenotypical liberation movements becoming more prominent in frequency and magnitude in the western states, while the eastern states have seen a surge in the numbers and visibility of private militias and paramilitary groups. The source of the division largely revolves around the Pacific Union's relationships with Preservationist polities, especially Texas.


Demonstrators take to city squares in California

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One of the smaller satellite demonstrations

The Republic of California has experienced growing protests calling for greater transparency from the ruling government, which has been unfavourably compared with the Cameroon Pact's ruling caste of transhuman bureaucrats and politicos. Despite a majority of California's inhabitants being non-baseline, complaint has been rising that even among the transhuman segment of the population there are social divides, including accusations that major government and commercial positions are disproportionately awarded to uploads, nanoborgs and other posthumans while variant humans and cyborgs get passed over more often than not. Mechanoids and smaller AIs have also with voiced concerns over increasingly asocial and instrumentalist treatment at the hands of posthuman superiors and authority figures. These developments and the opaque nature of the polity's governance has lent among average Californians an increasing credence to the notion that they live under a posthuman plutocracy that is becoming more and more distant both socio-politically as well as biologically. As a result, Extropian organisations and the radical progressive wing of the transhumanist movement have become more popular than ever, with the NeoSocialists and anarchists also finding more advocates as well, especially among baseline humans and hybrids. Protests organised by these entities have proven popular, with major public city squares in Oakland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas becoming packed with hundreds of thousands of occupying protestors. Satellite demonstrations have also been taking place in the smaller cities, which reflect more local concerns but which are often organisationally linked with the larger events.


First unit of New England PSI-OPS Troopers sworn in

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The Democratic Republic of New England has officially sworn in its first psyonically-active military unit, in a public ceremony that was widely televised inside the polity and streamed over the internet for a global audience. During the ceremony at least a battalion's worth of the unit could be observed, with most commentators speculating about the possibility of more on the way soon. While information about the precise capabilities of this new unit is not public knowledge, a leaked slideshow purports to show that it will be divided into "Synergy Teams", in which telekinetic individuals will work under the command of those with telepathic abilities, including the ability to look through the eyes of their subordinates on the field.


AFRICA

Kinshasa-Brazzaville trials computer tech and comms infrastructure upgrades

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A researcher begins work at the University of Kinshasa

The Peoples' Republic of Greater Congo has opted to run trials of the technologies offered by three universities last year. The trials will take place in the city of Kinshasa-Brazzaville, with the University of Kinshasa conducting research into Non-Local Processing Units, while the University of Kampala and the Zanzibar University will work with the Kinshasa-Brazzaville Telecommunications Union to deliver the upgrades to communications infrastructure and municipal computer hardware. It is estimated that delivery of the upgrades will be complete within five years and that the first run of NLPUs will be complete within the same time-frame.


African Continental Union formed following Cameroon Pact's ratification

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Ibrahima Michi, project leader of the WACstar satellite network

With the long-awaited ratification of the ACU Treaty by the Cameroon Pact, the African Continental Union has now been officially formed and can now act according to its agreed capacities. The ACU will serve as a common point of interest for polities in Africa, and will also serve to provide a common front for dealings and eventualities external to the continent. To this end, the West African Convergence has opened up its WACstar navigation satellite constellation to all ACU members, the Cameroon Pact has pledged to provide the bulk of any ACU military response force, the Malagasy Nanotopia has offered all ACU members access to its nanotechnology for the purposes of environmental and medical research, and the South African Accord has drawn up plans for an all-Africa motorway network, with construction to commence once the placement of routes through the Nanotopia has been finalised.


Municipal workers' councils in EAA organise strikes to force NeoSocialist Coalition's hand

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A striking cyborg dock worker

The NeoSocialist Coalition's internal debate over the East African Alliance's relationship to the Peoples' Republic of Greater Congo has spilled over into the municipal workforce, who have largely voted for strikes intended to push the NSC into further distancing themselves from the PRGC. The strikes follow the increasing number and volume of calls for the EAA to forge their own unique path forward, free of foreign involvement.


EURASIA-PACIFIC

Urban conflict in DRC rises as LSF step up their campaign

Image

The history of urban conflict in the Pan-Asian Federation and its successor polities is a long and complicated one, with roots extending to before the founding of the Asian superstate. A complex web of inter-ethnic feuds, national rivalries and religious sectarianism was stirred together before being overlaid and riddled through with the new social challenges presented by the flowering of phenotypical diversity beginning in the mid-to-late 21st century. The result has been an ever-evolving cast of thousands of criminal gangs and militant groups (which are sometimes hard to tell apart), most of them local to their conurbation of origin and constituting a constantly shifting network of alliances, non-aggression pacts and feuds across eastern and southern Asia. This has proven to be difficult to fully remedy, in spite of revelations that this state of affairs was for the most part purposefully orchestrated by the Gang of Twelve as part of their social engineering, the full extent of which is still yet to be revealed. The Democratic Republic of China's post-war reconstruction efforts have had a significant ameliorative effect on the rate of urban conflict, and indeed until this year it had been consistently going down since post-war reconstruction had reached a crescendo.

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One of many urban gangsters in the Guangdong MMZ

But this year has experienced a sudden spike in urban conflicts, and the DRC authorities know exactly who to blame; the Legion of Steel Fists. "They are clearly fomenting chaos in order to better hide their own activities, sponsoring organised criminals and illegal militias" said Qiu Chin Qiang, the Mayor of the Guangdong Mega-Metropolitan Zone (one of the world's largest conurbations encompassing the cities of Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong, being home to nearly 200 million people), which has experienced the worst of urban conflicts, both historically and within the last year. Other voices have blamed the rise in violence on the nature of post-war reconstruction in the DRC, such as social justice campaigner Shun Bai Wu who mentioned recently on her blog that "the needs of working class communities in the Guangdong MMZ have been consistently neglected, and this policy of dereliction has finally come to a head".


University of Dubai begins telekinetics research program

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The University of Dubai in Marispatria has begun a program of research into the use of telekinetics for military purposes. A press release accompanying the commencement of research outlined the goals of the program, which included the development of telekinetic barriers which psyonicists could erect in order to shield people and places from attack. The research team has members drawn from all across the Technocratic Union, and their efforts will be suitably generalised so as to be applicable to civilian applications such as disaster relief and the emergency services, as well as military uses.
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Heretic »

Image

The command room was chaotic. Holographic videos and charts popped in and out as technicians, analysts, and the occasional executioner scurried around. While the circular tables were empty, the outskirts of the room were swarmed with Watchmen support staff.

"Warmachine patrols sighted in A83-38.2!"

"We are six months behind on tank productions! Where the hell is our workforce?"

"Our sources report that our grasp in the EAA is slipping, sir!"

The sound of a collision of bodies and objects echo. A few sighs and curses ripple across the stressful room.

"What can the Atlas School do about tha.."

"Forget about some dirthole in Africa, we got a war right in our front porch to fight!"

"Why the fuck did we even join the Sanctum? They seem pretty shifty to me."

"Well, it's either them or the Neosocialists and anarchists that have been recently popping up. You there, what's the report on Texas and the CSA?"

"Lemme check, sir. Um...it's say, er, that the tensions are brewing between the Pro-humanity groups and the Robomarxists. Experts say that if this Robomarxist trend keeps up we'll lose Earth as a Preservationist demographic. There is still debate about our stance on the Texas problem. Some of the higher-ups think we should support the Covenant."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think we should also put our attention on the Democratic Republic of China. Steel Fist activities have seen a rise in many areas. The Pacific Union and California is also seeing robomarxist tendecies. We suggest an increased effort in increasing the loyalty of the preservationist nations in light of these actions. Play up LSF terrorism, the Gang of Twelve, these Neosocialist riots, the robo-virus, the Warmachine; the Extropians and Neosocialists are out to get the little man and destroy what's left of normal life."

"Alright, make it so. Now, what about...hey watch it, you fool! This shirt is worth more than your life and doesn't need any coffee spilled on it! Anyway, what about the EAA? The Director has been adamant about it being our priority, though I still have no idea why."

"....and so, that's what we should do concerning New England. If we play our cards right they'll be a powerful friend to have."

"Come in, Squad 2. Come in, Squad 2. What is your status, over. Damn, I think we lost another recon squad to those tin cans."

"Deploy 100 more tanks to the eastern front. Let's push those monsters back to their junk yards."

"Look at all those rebels. Moving supplies in and out. Hey, tell SecCom to send a commando squad and muck up the Uranians."

"What did the Director say? Hold on, I can't hear you, let me go somewhere more private... Alright, say that again. Really? Are you shitting me?"
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Le Socialiste »

Confidential

To: Wu Zheng, Prime Chief of Defense for the Technocratic Union of China

From: Faizah Mariam, Intelligence Coordinator for the Technocratic Union of Marispatria

Greetings,

I have been instructed to inform you and your department that Union intelligence has received worrisome information pertaining to the situation in California. As you are no doubt aware, we've been troubled by the lack of communications from the polity and its isolationist tendencies. We resolved to uncover what information we could after the Republic cut itself off from all correspondence(s) with Marispatrian consulates and departmental offices. The truth, it would seem, is damning: we've discovered the presence of what we can only assume to be among the last remnants of the CyberShadow, the very likes of which dominated in Pan-Asia for nearly a century prior to the Gang of Twelve's defeat. We mustn't allow what remains of this shady cabal to flee, lest it return in greater numbers. While we consider military intervention a last resort in all matters of foreign policy, we feel compelled to ask: will you aid us in neutralizing this threat?

Sincerely,

Faizah Mariam
Intelligence Coordinator
Technocratic Union of Marispatria
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by NoXion »

Confidential
Image


To: Faizah Mariam, Intelligence Coordinator for the Technocratic Union of Marispatria

From: Wu Zheng, Prime Chief of Defense for the Technocratic Union of China

Greetings,

We have been watching developments in the Republic of California with growing concern. It seems that the opacity of capitalist market systems has fostered an unhealthy civic environment in which remnants of the CyberShadow have been able to hide themselves. Rest assured that we will ready and willing to support Marispatria in any action you decide to take.

Sincerely,

Wu Zheng
Prime Chief of Defense
Technocratic Union of China
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Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Mather »

Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Texas


DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND MARTIAL LAW


I hereby declare that the Republic of Texas and it's colonies in outer space are now under a state of emergency and martial law. In making this declaration, I invoke Article 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of Texas, which grants the Executive extraordinary powers in times of exceptional danger and emergency. I would like to stress that I make this declaration with a heavy heart and with much regret but given the circumstances, I am left with no other choice but to take decisive action to save our Republic from disaster and total collapse. I promise that as soon as this emergency passes and as soon as the danger that threatens our Republic is no more, I shall revoke this declaration and return our Republic to a fully democratic and constitutional order.

- All powers and authority currently held by Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) shall be immediately transferred to the Executive. For the duration of this emergency, all legislation shall be drafted and implemented by the Executive, with Congress having a consultative role that works with, as opposed to, the will of the Executive.

- The Armed Forces will be deployed in a security and law enforcement capacity throughout the Republic, to protect us from the current terrorist threat that is posed by the Anarchist Federation and the Covenant. The Armed Forces will work and cooperate with the police forces, security services and intelligence agencies to uphold the security and safety of our citizens, to fight terrorism and subversion and to preserve the democratic and constitutional order of the Republic. I urge all citizens to welcome this development and to work with the state and it's agencies, as the interests of our citizens and those of the state are one and the same.

- The Armed Forces, the police forces, the security services and intelligence agencies have been granted extraordinary powers of arrest, detention and investigation. All civil liberties and rights concerning the accused and prisoners shall be suspended. This shall allow the state to deal effectively with criminality, subversion, sedition and terrorism.

- A nationwide curfew is now in effect, lasting from 2100 hours to 0600 hours.

- All Texan citizens are now prohibited from either entering or leaving the Republic and all international travel has been suspended. Exceptions shall be made at the state's discretion. The Armed Forces shall be deployed to secure and seal all land, sea and air borders of the Republic, both on Earth and in outer space.

- The Executive shall be given extraordinary powers to prohibit and suppress all political parties and organisations that threaten and/or undermine the security and stability of the state, work against it's interests and imperil the safety of our citizens.

- The Executive shall be given extraordinary powers to prohibit and suppress sedition, misinformation and enemy propaganda. This applies to all forms of media and communication such as the printed press, radio, television and the internet.

- Strikes and all forms of industrial action that sabotage economic productivity are to be prohibited. All trade unions are to be placed under government management.

This declaration takes effect immediately.

President of the Republic of Texas


Joshua Adams
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Mather
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Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:50 am

Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Mather »

Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Texas


TOP SECRET


To: The Democratic Republic of China, The Pacific Union, The Confederate States of America

It is now obvious to all that the recent wave of unrest and violent subversion that is sweeping all of our respective countries is not being done in isolation, but is part of a wider global conspiracy to weaken and undermine the Preservationist Alliance and the cause of a sovereign human destiny and self determination. I have given orders to the intelligence agencies to investigate this matter and while I have no concrete leads at this moment in time, I am convinced that this wave of unrest and subversion is being instigated by Marispatria, though I will not rule out the likely involvement of other hostile countries and NGOs either. All of our countries now face an existential threat and it is under these dire circumstances that I urge you all to consider taking the necessary measures to avert this very threat. I urge you all to consider issuing a declaration of a state of emergency and martial law in your respective countries as our enemies operate outside the normal parameters of politics and constitutional legality and we cannot deal with this threat using normal methods, given the ruthless nature of our common enemy. Our ability to overcome this crisis shall depend on our common resolve and our determination to take a united stand against our common enemy and those who seek to divide us so as to pick us off, one by one.

President of the Republic of Texas

Joshua Adams
User avatar
Mather
Posts: 170
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:50 am

Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by Mather »

Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Texas


TOP SECRET


To: The Axis of Borelia, The Democratic Republic of New England, The Confederate States of America, The Pacific Union

I wish to inform you all that the Republic of Texas shall soon seek to invoke the Maryland Agreement in permanently removing the sovereign presence of the Technocratic Union of Marispatria from the territories of Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C. Due to the current unstable and volatile situation in North America, I am convinced that Marispatria is using it's presence on North American soil as a base of operations in it's quest to undermine the nations of North America and to spread it's influence and imperialist ambitions out into the wider Western Hemisphere. This conclusion is not just based on mere opinion but is based on the information I have at hand that is being collected and analysed by Texan intelligence. I intend to share this information with you all once Texan intelligence has complied sufficient data that will expose the actions of Marispatria in a way that is irrefutable. This will happen no later than 2157 and I urge you all to make the necessary preparations so that next year we can begin the process of securing our region from the threat that is posed by Marispatria.

President of the Republic of Texas

Joshua Adams
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NoXion
Posts: 556
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:51 pm
Location: Nova Mundi

Re: Nova Mundi: 2115 (game thread)

Post by NoXion »

SECRET TRANSMISSION, SIGMA PROTOCOL
Image


To: President of the Republic of Texas, Joshua Adams

The Pacific Union stands with the Republic of Texas in these turbulent times. Rest assured that when the time comes, the Pacific Union will vote to eject the Technocratic Union from North America. We have also been in communication with our Californian neighbors to the south, and our dialogue has shown promising signs that they too will also vote for Marispatria's exit. If The Axis of Borelia, The Democratic Republic of New England and The Confederate States of America follow suit then that will give us the majority of Maryland Agreement signatories necessary for the Technocratic Union to have no choice but to leave according to the terms of the Agreement.

General Council
Pacific Union
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