I Wrote This In Tribute To Flayra And Co.
nooby
Join Date: 2003-04-21 Member: 15717Members
Join Date: 2003-04-21 Member: 15717Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Did I achieve my aim?</div> This was an idea to give back to Flayra and the Other developers (makers, modders etc) a little thank you for their efforts, do you think I succeeded in my aim.
It was outback Australia of the 21st century. Simpson looked again at the multi-dimensional hologram. So close as to be magic. Simpson could see now why the ancestors chose this place, this world. Standing on the edge of the m-dh, watching it slowly rotate in the darkness, Simpson could see the likeness. Of course he had been away for a number of years, doing his Uni years.
He looked again to the outside, and marvelled at the similarities. What odds to find such a world and colonize it before the major blocs. He would have to do advanced teacher history if he wanted to know the full story. Was it that important to him, he had two days to choose his advanced study. Choosing advanced teacher history would disallow him for sciences, did he want to turn his back on his lifes ambition.
Simpson motioned a form chair to his side. He sank gratefully into the soft caress, silently thanking his father for having purchased this extravagance, he was weary from his travels. He relaxed as the chair moulded to his body and began the slow deep vibration that he always enjoyed. He slipped easily into reverie.
The days and nights of hard pounding, high pitched vibration, unable to rest, to relax, had taken its toll. His reknowned strength/endurance had been sapped by this mindless, endless, pounding on his sensitivities.
His choice had been limited to the courier. A marvel of science and engineering, it was the fastest transport in the known volume of space. Its speed came at a price. The ship was just a shell filled with engines and control mechanisms, with a few take-off chairs added for the discomfort of its humans. Oh and a food dispensor.
His body succumbing to the ministrations of the chair, he found himself remembering his early lessons about the people who flew the couriers. They themselves could only control the ships for two years, they then had to return to the homeworld. This position was a much sought/fought over prize.
For two years service the choice of land and/or study was theirs, given by a grateful government. The toll, no children after their duty. The brutal energies and radiation over that two years caused unwanted mutations. But the government wasn't stupid, at the start of their careers, when they were at their prime, they had their sperm and ova stored. Pilots usually married one another, not for snobbish reasons, but they knew they were altered and usually stayed amongst themselves. They looked down on no-one and no-one looked down on them, the truths of service were taught to all, earlier lessons had been learnt.
The only humans who could continually withstand the gruelling pounding were the Flayraians, genetically altered humans built to live on a 5 grav, hard radiation, irradiated world, its significance, the biggest known supply of Gasnium and Burgun our species had ever seen.
The Flayraians had taken their name after a famed leader of modding, at first it was used as an insult, this soon changed as people realised the mistake in insulting a six foot, eight hundred pound person, who thought picking up your car and playing catch with it was fun.The insults continued for a while, just behind closed doors.
The name, modder had for a time also been used as an insult, the intellectuals thinking they were superior, had turned into elitist snobs and spurned the playing and enjoyment of pute games. They sneered at the working and middle class people who played. The workers and middle classes knowing how to enjoy themselves and not caring to waste their precious leisure time, continued to play pute games. They made it a point of spending at least three hours a day playing games.
The playing of games came to mean sport or anything not intellectual. The turn around came when a choice of who to alter had to be decided. The intellectuals having the most influence were at first estatic that a member of their class had been chosen (ha, chosen, they had forced their choice). The slow agonised death of their "chosen" soon changed their minds.
They conceded defeat albeit it without grace. The tests were then allowed to be done scientifically, which was a joke among the lower strata. The snobs own methods were being used to choose an inferior as the superior for this procedure. It was a further slap across the face when a pute playing, sports minded worker was chosen.
The pute game was a mod that had survived from the twentieth century called Natural Selection. It had been zealously guarded from the corporate bogeyman. The community of players and modders had generously donated time and money to allow the group who called themselves Flayraians (to honour the memory of one of the original makers) to keep control.
The first successful subject of the genetic experiments, was a passionate Natural Selection player, so while all the painful alterations took place he played NS. This gave him a cult like following. The popularity of the game became a new industry. This game was controlled by the Flayraians of which he was one. They kept the game playable for all, and by so doing increased its popularity.
The new aim for growing youngsters was to be universal champion. The benefits to humanity were enormous, the whole race became fitter, stronger and faster. Why you ask? The games were changed into both physical and mental challenges. How you ask?
The original group were a bunch of geeks, but intelligent geeks, who saw that simply having pute games wasn't enough. At the time a prominent member of their group was suffered from a physical illness, and so the idea of the physical side came to be. They impressed a then prominent sports comporation to sponsor them.
The idea was simplicity itself. The first part was a physical challenge of foot races, swimming, acrobatics, bike races and flying. All elements had multiple choices and were strictly handicapped. The first contests were made to allow everyone to compete on a reasonably even field, they were designed so that those who competed ( most everyone) were more physically capable and fit. The categories corresponded to armour categories.
The light armour category was for slighter built people while the heavier built people were allowed to compete in the heavy armour category. All alien playing oponents were likewise placed. This was the first time seperate fields were created. The best in both fields for both races were made into teams for the ultimate world challenges. Winners were given tax free status for one year.
The competition were as follows. A competitor competed in his/her category (light-heavy) to find the top ten in each category. Players competed only if they were declared fit by a panel doctor. Any illness/injury excluded you for the year. Any form of cheating as has been said meant permanent bans. The top twenty were then payed by the government to live, practise and train intensively for one month before the world vs world championships. The world champions each recieved one million credits tax free and free travel to any competing planet.
The bonus for humanity was that the race as a whole benefitted. The contests had many levels and prizes, so every level was hotly contested. The attraction of being able to suppliment your income without attracting taxes was the sealant. The government of the first country to hold the contests had been shown the benefit of changing the tax laws to exclude earnings from the games.
They were shown that if people won money without tax they would put that money back into training, equipment and facilities that would earn tax and all would benefit, The final argument used was, that the population would get fitter and the cost to health systems would decrease. The economy would get all the benefits and would be cost effective. The first flow on was cheaper priced equipment.
It was still a very courageous goverment that first put it into place.
The first to implement the scheme had just won an election, and had four years to see the impact. The first years budget went into surplus from sales alone. It was so successful that following governments carried on the policy and improved on it. The policy spread to all countries and worlds as they realised that their athletes were falling behind in the world competition, The Olympic Games.
One exceptional standout at the time was the foresight of the Flayraians, who had implemented total bans for cheating. The use of drugs to enhance performance was a total ban, it effectively killed this practise. Who would be tempted to ruin a lifetime income for one minute of glory. The use of any cheat ever, was a total ban. All measures to ensure accuracy and to deny both accidental or malicious results were looked at and implemented. The most effective method was you had your picture splashed across every media as a world loser, this stigma enforced the anti-cheat laws-rules, and hatred for cheats.
The control of the anti-cheating body was named Worlds Against Cheats. This was made up of one representative from each country from all worlds. The first law they passed was a total ban for cheating. No exceptions/amendments or modifications were made, zero tolerance was the rule. The second law, any representative that was caught cheating or helping a cheat would lose for their country a seat on the body, forever.
This severity and its enactment without any fuss astounded everyone, until the then chairperson replied that this was the downfall of other organisations. Deals had been made behind closed doors to allow special circumstances to prevail, no more, we will have fair and equitable games. The start of a new way of life.
I had settled into a light doze and continued my history ruminations. The first Flayraian had joking said that he would like to honour that first group of dedicated modders, the name was so well known that it stuck. The Flayraians ( the modders) realised the potential first, here was a new race being engineered who could not compete, who would be so wealthy a world that no bribery would be effective.
They approached WAC and put forward this theory, WAC immediately saw the wisdom and made his new world the overseers of WAC, the ultimate authority. He was overwhelmed with the offer, he saw the implcations and was humbled, he accepted because he loved the game.
The first years were hard on the new Flayraians, everything had to be specially made and the debt was enormous. The first few generations struggled, until a bright young Flayraian president had the audacity to claim independance. He offered the observation that all debts were paid due to the fact that they were isolated from the rest of society, due to physical restraints, and the powers that be could come down and take over or wipe out their million people any time they liked.
In the meantime no Gasnium or Burgun was sent. The Flayraians used the time while the rest argued to build their own spaceship. They built it using Burgun, but made it ten times the size of any previous sized ship. The engines were built around Gasnium, but unrefined in the normal way. This ensured no known being other than a Flayraian could fly it. The size, power and radiation would crush or kill any lesser being. Burgun being the densest material then known also was the strongest. Gasnium was a radioactive material one thousand times more energy efficient for less material, it could only be refined on Flayra.
The corporations first reaction was to send troops and a fleet to teach the hoodlums a lesson. The first ten ships that fired on Flayra were obliterated with one shot. No-one had foreseen the devastation a ship and weapons from a high gravity world would/could deliver. The rest of the fleet backed away. The Flayraians were horrified at the deaths, but stood firm. They told the fleets to go home. Cooler heads prevailed and recalled the fleets.
The new president said that no discussion would be entered into. They were now a world that would trade but would no longer be bullied into giving away their planet. They had no need for the things that the other planets supplied. They would no longer live in poverty while corporations grew rich on their toil. He stated that history backed his decision as the right thing to do.
The planets fell into line and accepted their soveriegnty. The corporations thought otherwise, the first to learn the lesson was Bio-Form. This corporation had grown rich terraforming worlds and keeping the populations subservient, their attack cost them dearly. They thought to bombard the planet with rail drivers, massive rock throwing devices.
The problem was that the atmosphere and gravity were too strong for the puny forces they wielded, the rocks bounced back into space. They then used energy weapons that also were useless, they only lit the sky in a lovely fireworks display. The next order was their last, they stupidly sent troops to the surface, they were crushed before they landed.
The president decided enough was enough and sent his fleet, ( the Flayraians were not stupid enough to believe they would not be attacked in some way, they had built fifteen ships altogether, four more battlecruisers, giving them five, five destroyers and five scouts.
One scout was immediately dispatched to the world of the executive who had given the order to attack. They had been staffed with ten elite commandos who exacted punishment. The ten had been issued with heavy armour made out of Burgun, these were faster, heavier and better than tanks, they could withstand most ammo fired from primary wepons by most forces.
They simply walked into the office of the corporate chief and took him for trial. Although only one could use the lift, even then it was touch and go. The weight of their suits almost made it impossible. At the same time they made it known to the media they would not be intimidated nor fired on without response.
The media was behind them 100%, the Flayraians had shown footage of the attack as it was occurring and the sight of the flattened bodies and ships was enough to swing support away from the corporations. Also telling was the Flayraians went out of their way to ensure no innocent casualties happened. They asked who had issued the order and had taken only those responsible. When attacked, only sufficient force as to disable was used.
The next fleet, stupidly fired nuclear weapons on the world from a sneak attack. The swift response was total annihilation of that fleet. The word was then sent that from now on any ship passing the fifth and outer planet would be annihilated without warning. When asked what about a ship floating in under distress, the answer was they would be taken to a space station that was going to be built outside the fifth planet.
An inner string of twenty weapons stations would be built, and would from now on be the only point of contact. The president warned all, the consequences of attacking Flayra was full and unconditional. No further discussions would take place. The other response was that the current corporations would no longer be traded with. No products of any sort would be traded to these banned entities, anyone thinking to do sneaky deals would find their trade banned.
When asked why these drastic measures, the president replied, "These people have no regard for human life, they deserve no consideration from right thinking people. We are morally obliged to stop all trade with them". The response earned Flayra a prominent place in all world conferences, all worlds knew the Flayraians wanted no shady deals and would back the agreement of any deal/contract to the hilt, they would also keep all parties honest. No sneaky underhanded tactics would be tolerated.
Fifty neighbouring worlds immediately asked for and received entry into an alliance with Flayra. The word was given, do not attack any of these worlds, they are now under our protection. It took the corporations one last lesson before they listened. An owner had his own little terraformed worldlet which he lived on. The Flayraians televised the return of five rocks to him he had arrogantly ordered delivered to Flayra.
The absolute destruction of this worldlet gave notice to all corporations and worlds that retaliation would be swift and complete. No attack would be tolerated, play fair or suffer. The Flayraians let it be known they were building two hundred Battlecruisers as the mainstay of their fleet to protect the worlds in their care.
The Flayraians made it known that no conquest or taking of worlds was in their philosophy. They simply couldn't survive long term on others planets. This was a brilliant lie on their part, but alleviated many peoples concerns. The simple truth was that other people and their things broke too easy when Flayraians played rough-house.
The steady rise to power and prominence of the Flayraian alliance was heralded as a model for all right thinking people and worlds. Their influence in decision making was increased after the Tanner affair. The government on Tanner had thought they were exempt from being honest and reneged on a deal to a less wealthy world. The world was named Tews. The Tanners thought because they were part of the Flayra alliance they could ride roughshod over Tews and no-one would worry. They thought wrong. The Flayraians biggest horror was of a bully, they were very aware of their own ability to be the bully.
When the call from Tews was sent a sub-fleet of the Flayraians who were doing research on an adjacent planet sailed there immediately. When told of the matter they had a Tews official beam the Tanners and asked if they were going to honour the deal. The Tanners in their arrogance said they would not, whereupon the Flayraian admiral walked into view and told the counsellor to change their minds. They still didn't see their error. They said no.
The call was cancelled and the fleet sailed to Tanner immediately. The truth was relayed to the media and asked to come and witness and film the proceedings. Two more sub-fleets were called and arrayed around the planet. The call was put out to all worlds to send one ship with an official with the power to speak for their world on it. A blockade was established and nothing went into or out of the planet. The Flayraians after they had gained prominence in negotiations had built a conference ship. This ship contained an oval ampitheatre that had acoustics and sound so all could hear.
The gathered assembly was asked for help in deciding punishment for this flagrant transgression and disregard for honesty. They were shown the recording of the beamed meeting. To prove the truth of the matter a delegate was chosen at random, and a beamed meeting was initiated, albeit from a room inside the great ship, the meeting was shown real time to the assembled delegates. The furor when the delgate returned to the meeting hall was deafening.
All delegates were asked to think about the problem, then to type in a suitable punishment, they were given beam facilities to contact their respective governments if they weren't sure of their worlds response, but informed that 1 hour was the maximum time allotted. They were to make a judgement and warned that this was the punishment all worlds would now suffer for future transgressions of a similar nature.The delegates all agreed a total blockade for six months Earth time was the fitting punishment. The only exception was medical emergencies.
The delegates offered one warship from each world to add to the blockade to add the legitimacy and weight of universal opinion. The Flayraians accepted. The blockade was successful. The standing of the Flayraians was pre-eminent. They gained in strength, power, prestige and the gratitude of all worlds, even the ones disciplined. The pastime of the Flayraians stemming from their beginnings was the playing of Natural Selection, the game had slightly declined in overall popularity to other games but now became pre-eminent again.
Simpson had fallen asleep and the chair had been set to awaken him in an hour. He was thankful for that hour he was refreshed. He arose and left for his fathers funeral. He arrived early but still the crowd was there before him, he should have realised, they would naturally welcome him and offer their condolences to the son for the loss of his father, he looked up and noticed for the first time, he wept both for his father and the sentiment on the banner.
WE WELCOME HOME OUR FAVOURITE SON AND COMMISERATE WITH HIS LOSS. WELCOME HOME UNIVERSE NS CHAMPION.
It was outback Australia of the 21st century. Simpson looked again at the multi-dimensional hologram. So close as to be magic. Simpson could see now why the ancestors chose this place, this world. Standing on the edge of the m-dh, watching it slowly rotate in the darkness, Simpson could see the likeness. Of course he had been away for a number of years, doing his Uni years.
He looked again to the outside, and marvelled at the similarities. What odds to find such a world and colonize it before the major blocs. He would have to do advanced teacher history if he wanted to know the full story. Was it that important to him, he had two days to choose his advanced study. Choosing advanced teacher history would disallow him for sciences, did he want to turn his back on his lifes ambition.
Simpson motioned a form chair to his side. He sank gratefully into the soft caress, silently thanking his father for having purchased this extravagance, he was weary from his travels. He relaxed as the chair moulded to his body and began the slow deep vibration that he always enjoyed. He slipped easily into reverie.
The days and nights of hard pounding, high pitched vibration, unable to rest, to relax, had taken its toll. His reknowned strength/endurance had been sapped by this mindless, endless, pounding on his sensitivities.
His choice had been limited to the courier. A marvel of science and engineering, it was the fastest transport in the known volume of space. Its speed came at a price. The ship was just a shell filled with engines and control mechanisms, with a few take-off chairs added for the discomfort of its humans. Oh and a food dispensor.
His body succumbing to the ministrations of the chair, he found himself remembering his early lessons about the people who flew the couriers. They themselves could only control the ships for two years, they then had to return to the homeworld. This position was a much sought/fought over prize.
For two years service the choice of land and/or study was theirs, given by a grateful government. The toll, no children after their duty. The brutal energies and radiation over that two years caused unwanted mutations. But the government wasn't stupid, at the start of their careers, when they were at their prime, they had their sperm and ova stored. Pilots usually married one another, not for snobbish reasons, but they knew they were altered and usually stayed amongst themselves. They looked down on no-one and no-one looked down on them, the truths of service were taught to all, earlier lessons had been learnt.
The only humans who could continually withstand the gruelling pounding were the Flayraians, genetically altered humans built to live on a 5 grav, hard radiation, irradiated world, its significance, the biggest known supply of Gasnium and Burgun our species had ever seen.
The Flayraians had taken their name after a famed leader of modding, at first it was used as an insult, this soon changed as people realised the mistake in insulting a six foot, eight hundred pound person, who thought picking up your car and playing catch with it was fun.The insults continued for a while, just behind closed doors.
The name, modder had for a time also been used as an insult, the intellectuals thinking they were superior, had turned into elitist snobs and spurned the playing and enjoyment of pute games. They sneered at the working and middle class people who played. The workers and middle classes knowing how to enjoy themselves and not caring to waste their precious leisure time, continued to play pute games. They made it a point of spending at least three hours a day playing games.
The playing of games came to mean sport or anything not intellectual. The turn around came when a choice of who to alter had to be decided. The intellectuals having the most influence were at first estatic that a member of their class had been chosen (ha, chosen, they had forced their choice). The slow agonised death of their "chosen" soon changed their minds.
They conceded defeat albeit it without grace. The tests were then allowed to be done scientifically, which was a joke among the lower strata. The snobs own methods were being used to choose an inferior as the superior for this procedure. It was a further slap across the face when a pute playing, sports minded worker was chosen.
The pute game was a mod that had survived from the twentieth century called Natural Selection. It had been zealously guarded from the corporate bogeyman. The community of players and modders had generously donated time and money to allow the group who called themselves Flayraians (to honour the memory of one of the original makers) to keep control.
The first successful subject of the genetic experiments, was a passionate Natural Selection player, so while all the painful alterations took place he played NS. This gave him a cult like following. The popularity of the game became a new industry. This game was controlled by the Flayraians of which he was one. They kept the game playable for all, and by so doing increased its popularity.
The new aim for growing youngsters was to be universal champion. The benefits to humanity were enormous, the whole race became fitter, stronger and faster. Why you ask? The games were changed into both physical and mental challenges. How you ask?
The original group were a bunch of geeks, but intelligent geeks, who saw that simply having pute games wasn't enough. At the time a prominent member of their group was suffered from a physical illness, and so the idea of the physical side came to be. They impressed a then prominent sports comporation to sponsor them.
The idea was simplicity itself. The first part was a physical challenge of foot races, swimming, acrobatics, bike races and flying. All elements had multiple choices and were strictly handicapped. The first contests were made to allow everyone to compete on a reasonably even field, they were designed so that those who competed ( most everyone) were more physically capable and fit. The categories corresponded to armour categories.
The light armour category was for slighter built people while the heavier built people were allowed to compete in the heavy armour category. All alien playing oponents were likewise placed. This was the first time seperate fields were created. The best in both fields for both races were made into teams for the ultimate world challenges. Winners were given tax free status for one year.
The competition were as follows. A competitor competed in his/her category (light-heavy) to find the top ten in each category. Players competed only if they were declared fit by a panel doctor. Any illness/injury excluded you for the year. Any form of cheating as has been said meant permanent bans. The top twenty were then payed by the government to live, practise and train intensively for one month before the world vs world championships. The world champions each recieved one million credits tax free and free travel to any competing planet.
The bonus for humanity was that the race as a whole benefitted. The contests had many levels and prizes, so every level was hotly contested. The attraction of being able to suppliment your income without attracting taxes was the sealant. The government of the first country to hold the contests had been shown the benefit of changing the tax laws to exclude earnings from the games.
They were shown that if people won money without tax they would put that money back into training, equipment and facilities that would earn tax and all would benefit, The final argument used was, that the population would get fitter and the cost to health systems would decrease. The economy would get all the benefits and would be cost effective. The first flow on was cheaper priced equipment.
It was still a very courageous goverment that first put it into place.
The first to implement the scheme had just won an election, and had four years to see the impact. The first years budget went into surplus from sales alone. It was so successful that following governments carried on the policy and improved on it. The policy spread to all countries and worlds as they realised that their athletes were falling behind in the world competition, The Olympic Games.
One exceptional standout at the time was the foresight of the Flayraians, who had implemented total bans for cheating. The use of drugs to enhance performance was a total ban, it effectively killed this practise. Who would be tempted to ruin a lifetime income for one minute of glory. The use of any cheat ever, was a total ban. All measures to ensure accuracy and to deny both accidental or malicious results were looked at and implemented. The most effective method was you had your picture splashed across every media as a world loser, this stigma enforced the anti-cheat laws-rules, and hatred for cheats.
The control of the anti-cheating body was named Worlds Against Cheats. This was made up of one representative from each country from all worlds. The first law they passed was a total ban for cheating. No exceptions/amendments or modifications were made, zero tolerance was the rule. The second law, any representative that was caught cheating or helping a cheat would lose for their country a seat on the body, forever.
This severity and its enactment without any fuss astounded everyone, until the then chairperson replied that this was the downfall of other organisations. Deals had been made behind closed doors to allow special circumstances to prevail, no more, we will have fair and equitable games. The start of a new way of life.
I had settled into a light doze and continued my history ruminations. The first Flayraian had joking said that he would like to honour that first group of dedicated modders, the name was so well known that it stuck. The Flayraians ( the modders) realised the potential first, here was a new race being engineered who could not compete, who would be so wealthy a world that no bribery would be effective.
They approached WAC and put forward this theory, WAC immediately saw the wisdom and made his new world the overseers of WAC, the ultimate authority. He was overwhelmed with the offer, he saw the implcations and was humbled, he accepted because he loved the game.
The first years were hard on the new Flayraians, everything had to be specially made and the debt was enormous. The first few generations struggled, until a bright young Flayraian president had the audacity to claim independance. He offered the observation that all debts were paid due to the fact that they were isolated from the rest of society, due to physical restraints, and the powers that be could come down and take over or wipe out their million people any time they liked.
In the meantime no Gasnium or Burgun was sent. The Flayraians used the time while the rest argued to build their own spaceship. They built it using Burgun, but made it ten times the size of any previous sized ship. The engines were built around Gasnium, but unrefined in the normal way. This ensured no known being other than a Flayraian could fly it. The size, power and radiation would crush or kill any lesser being. Burgun being the densest material then known also was the strongest. Gasnium was a radioactive material one thousand times more energy efficient for less material, it could only be refined on Flayra.
The corporations first reaction was to send troops and a fleet to teach the hoodlums a lesson. The first ten ships that fired on Flayra were obliterated with one shot. No-one had foreseen the devastation a ship and weapons from a high gravity world would/could deliver. The rest of the fleet backed away. The Flayraians were horrified at the deaths, but stood firm. They told the fleets to go home. Cooler heads prevailed and recalled the fleets.
The new president said that no discussion would be entered into. They were now a world that would trade but would no longer be bullied into giving away their planet. They had no need for the things that the other planets supplied. They would no longer live in poverty while corporations grew rich on their toil. He stated that history backed his decision as the right thing to do.
The planets fell into line and accepted their soveriegnty. The corporations thought otherwise, the first to learn the lesson was Bio-Form. This corporation had grown rich terraforming worlds and keeping the populations subservient, their attack cost them dearly. They thought to bombard the planet with rail drivers, massive rock throwing devices.
The problem was that the atmosphere and gravity were too strong for the puny forces they wielded, the rocks bounced back into space. They then used energy weapons that also were useless, they only lit the sky in a lovely fireworks display. The next order was their last, they stupidly sent troops to the surface, they were crushed before they landed.
The president decided enough was enough and sent his fleet, ( the Flayraians were not stupid enough to believe they would not be attacked in some way, they had built fifteen ships altogether, four more battlecruisers, giving them five, five destroyers and five scouts.
One scout was immediately dispatched to the world of the executive who had given the order to attack. They had been staffed with ten elite commandos who exacted punishment. The ten had been issued with heavy armour made out of Burgun, these were faster, heavier and better than tanks, they could withstand most ammo fired from primary wepons by most forces.
They simply walked into the office of the corporate chief and took him for trial. Although only one could use the lift, even then it was touch and go. The weight of their suits almost made it impossible. At the same time they made it known to the media they would not be intimidated nor fired on without response.
The media was behind them 100%, the Flayraians had shown footage of the attack as it was occurring and the sight of the flattened bodies and ships was enough to swing support away from the corporations. Also telling was the Flayraians went out of their way to ensure no innocent casualties happened. They asked who had issued the order and had taken only those responsible. When attacked, only sufficient force as to disable was used.
The next fleet, stupidly fired nuclear weapons on the world from a sneak attack. The swift response was total annihilation of that fleet. The word was then sent that from now on any ship passing the fifth and outer planet would be annihilated without warning. When asked what about a ship floating in under distress, the answer was they would be taken to a space station that was going to be built outside the fifth planet.
An inner string of twenty weapons stations would be built, and would from now on be the only point of contact. The president warned all, the consequences of attacking Flayra was full and unconditional. No further discussions would take place. The other response was that the current corporations would no longer be traded with. No products of any sort would be traded to these banned entities, anyone thinking to do sneaky deals would find their trade banned.
When asked why these drastic measures, the president replied, "These people have no regard for human life, they deserve no consideration from right thinking people. We are morally obliged to stop all trade with them". The response earned Flayra a prominent place in all world conferences, all worlds knew the Flayraians wanted no shady deals and would back the agreement of any deal/contract to the hilt, they would also keep all parties honest. No sneaky underhanded tactics would be tolerated.
Fifty neighbouring worlds immediately asked for and received entry into an alliance with Flayra. The word was given, do not attack any of these worlds, they are now under our protection. It took the corporations one last lesson before they listened. An owner had his own little terraformed worldlet which he lived on. The Flayraians televised the return of five rocks to him he had arrogantly ordered delivered to Flayra.
The absolute destruction of this worldlet gave notice to all corporations and worlds that retaliation would be swift and complete. No attack would be tolerated, play fair or suffer. The Flayraians let it be known they were building two hundred Battlecruisers as the mainstay of their fleet to protect the worlds in their care.
The Flayraians made it known that no conquest or taking of worlds was in their philosophy. They simply couldn't survive long term on others planets. This was a brilliant lie on their part, but alleviated many peoples concerns. The simple truth was that other people and their things broke too easy when Flayraians played rough-house.
The steady rise to power and prominence of the Flayraian alliance was heralded as a model for all right thinking people and worlds. Their influence in decision making was increased after the Tanner affair. The government on Tanner had thought they were exempt from being honest and reneged on a deal to a less wealthy world. The world was named Tews. The Tanners thought because they were part of the Flayra alliance they could ride roughshod over Tews and no-one would worry. They thought wrong. The Flayraians biggest horror was of a bully, they were very aware of their own ability to be the bully.
When the call from Tews was sent a sub-fleet of the Flayraians who were doing research on an adjacent planet sailed there immediately. When told of the matter they had a Tews official beam the Tanners and asked if they were going to honour the deal. The Tanners in their arrogance said they would not, whereupon the Flayraian admiral walked into view and told the counsellor to change their minds. They still didn't see their error. They said no.
The call was cancelled and the fleet sailed to Tanner immediately. The truth was relayed to the media and asked to come and witness and film the proceedings. Two more sub-fleets were called and arrayed around the planet. The call was put out to all worlds to send one ship with an official with the power to speak for their world on it. A blockade was established and nothing went into or out of the planet. The Flayraians after they had gained prominence in negotiations had built a conference ship. This ship contained an oval ampitheatre that had acoustics and sound so all could hear.
The gathered assembly was asked for help in deciding punishment for this flagrant transgression and disregard for honesty. They were shown the recording of the beamed meeting. To prove the truth of the matter a delegate was chosen at random, and a beamed meeting was initiated, albeit from a room inside the great ship, the meeting was shown real time to the assembled delegates. The furor when the delgate returned to the meeting hall was deafening.
All delegates were asked to think about the problem, then to type in a suitable punishment, they were given beam facilities to contact their respective governments if they weren't sure of their worlds response, but informed that 1 hour was the maximum time allotted. They were to make a judgement and warned that this was the punishment all worlds would now suffer for future transgressions of a similar nature.The delegates all agreed a total blockade for six months Earth time was the fitting punishment. The only exception was medical emergencies.
The delegates offered one warship from each world to add to the blockade to add the legitimacy and weight of universal opinion. The Flayraians accepted. The blockade was successful. The standing of the Flayraians was pre-eminent. They gained in strength, power, prestige and the gratitude of all worlds, even the ones disciplined. The pastime of the Flayraians stemming from their beginnings was the playing of Natural Selection, the game had slightly declined in overall popularity to other games but now became pre-eminent again.
Simpson had fallen asleep and the chair had been set to awaken him in an hour. He was thankful for that hour he was refreshed. He arose and left for his fathers funeral. He arrived early but still the crowd was there before him, he should have realised, they would naturally welcome him and offer their condolences to the son for the loss of his father, he looked up and noticed for the first time, he wept both for his father and the sentiment on the banner.
WE WELCOME HOME OUR FAVOURITE SON AND COMMISERATE WITH HIS LOSS. WELCOME HOME UNIVERSE NS CHAMPION.
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