The Aftermath
Narrator
Join Date: 2018-01-15 Member: 235071Members
Join Date: 2018-01-15 Member: 235071Members
Two years…
It had been two years since Pater Aestus had been defeated and the Lava War had ended. Two years since the greatest bloodshed the planet had ever seen. Tens of thousands of fish had lost their lives in the struggle to free themselves from the Pater’s oppression. Despite such a loss, those that remained created an age that had never been surpassed in Aboveworld’s history. This period saw widespread peace, tranquility, and unity. Parties that had argued for so many years came together to build the world, and its government, back to its former glory. This great age of peace, sadly, came to end far too soon.
The FMMA: Just while the Lava War was ending, scouts managed to recover the remains of their previous leader, and in a short time restored Aurora to life. This was proven to be a mistake, for their leader, so much time away from her forces, suffered a severe mental degradation that affected most of the FMMA forces, some of the High Council included. After careful manipulation, the still sane members of the council triggered a brutal civil war between themselves and Aurora’s loyalists, culminating on her defeat by being launched into space via rocket to the FMMA space station, ending in an intense firefight between her and the security staff. Since Aurora still had absolute influence over the machines, her departure and final death hit too hard for the minds of the robots. They forgot what little humanity they had, becoming bolder and more pragmatic, while erasing many of the restraints they had regarding thier approach to the planet and it’s denizens. Because of this, a new overseer was chosen for the position of Inquisitor: the now former general, HAL. Because of his efforts, with the most sane of the High Council, the FMMA has been having a sort of positive relationship with the government of 4546B.
The SAHP: It had been two years since the SAHP's leader, Silverwing, had been captured. All presumed him to be dead. Shortly after his disappearance, the SAHP elected a new leader, Silverwing’s own son, Redfin. He swore to get revenge on the machines for what they had done to his father. He was young, persuasive, and fiery, and he rallied the whole of the SAHP behind him. He attempted to lead several small campaigns, but failed at seemingly every turn. Redfin’s own wife had been killed in a raid on one of the machines’ caches. After hearing this news on the battlefield, Refin was overcome with rage and tore the machines apart with unimaginable cruelty, gaining the SAHP’s first, and only victory thus far. Now, battered and beaten, the SAHP plans its next move.
The Conglomerate: Little is known what happened to them. Mere months ago, The Conglomerate, sent to help with the recovery of the innocent citizens of The Underworld, suddenly fled. Any and all help sent to find them have never returned. However, a brief contact was made by an FMMA leader from what sounded to be a fledgling private in the Conglomerate army. “[static] H-hello? Does anyone copy? Does anyone- [static] We're finally able to keep a signal live long enough to send this message but I'll have to be brief. I am Karno Vanpattis, and I have gathered as many Grand Reef refugees as I have been able to find, and am asking that they have a place to stay until the ruins of the Conglomerate have been fully revitalised. My group have deemed themselves the Vanpatites, and I will give you our co-ordinates now... They ar- [static]”
The EPCA: Of all the parties, it truly would be the party that stood by peace all this time, to be the last ones to retain peace. The Reefbacks, led by the president @Ralij, have made amazing strides in keeping the peace between the parties. They have annexed many of the small parties, pleading for greater roles of government for small fish, and created a large, and influential governing board. It is unknown whether or not the EPCA will back down in the future election, or if they will even be allowed to.
The UCR: While General Draco has sustained open and frequent correspondence between himself and the Aboveworlders, a majority of the UCR has remained hidden. They were sent down to The Lava Zone, to help with the rebuilding of the innocents of the Underworlders with The Conglomerate and The DC. Whether or not their absence is by design or not is unknown. However, those who did not help with the rebuilding have faced extreme poverty and hunger. The Oculus had joined the EPCA, and as such, abandoned the Jellyshroom Caves and joined the other small fish in the Grassy Plateaus. As Crabsnakes cannot come into contact with direct sunlight, they have resorted to feeding off the meager population of Biters that reside in the Caves, which has in turn enraged the GCSC. More and more Crabsnakes have begun fleeing to the Lava Zone, never to be heard of more from the Aboveworlders.
The DC: The Devorandem Confederacy has been oddly silent as of the last year. Despite the Reapers past exploits of daring violence, after the Lava War, they stagnated and eventually fell out of power. While the party is still together and participating, their contributions have been few and far between. General Carrie has answered questions of their inactivity with, “We just need time to come back to ourselves. After the death of Bonecruncher, we’ve all lost a part of ourselves. We will continue to help the Underworlders with their continued survival, all we ask is some understanding towards the DC.”
The GCSC: After the death of General Bite's family, he slowly dragged himself down into an intense bout of depression. The GCSC cut themselves off from the rest of Aboveworld, even from those soldiers stationed in the Jellyshroom. They confined themselves into the Mountain Island under the General's orders, and planned to stay there until those piloting the giant Antecedent mech could return from the Antecedent Castle, which could take months, or even years. That is, from the ruins of the Precursor Array not long ago, they found a mass of depleted Ion crystals, still intact from the previous detonation. From these shells of Ion, and the help of the few FMMA scientists that would help them, they were able to create new Ion crystals, able of generating enough power for Antecedent mech for decades. And, thanks to the FMMA, these new Ion Crystals were made incapable of overloading and ultimately exploding. From this new found discovery, and the prospect of unlimited power, General Bite ordered the entire GCSC to the Lava Zone, in hopes of finding the Antecedent mech.
The PH/SP: Soon after the Lava War, the Warper leader, Enderguy, left to return the Void creatures back to their homes. After months of direct contact, he announced that he would be staying with the Void creatures to learn of their way of life and their power, to see if they could become long-lasting allies with the Aboveworlders. He subsequently cut off his transmission, and his whereabouts are only up to speculation. To keep the PH/SP together, a newly made Warper, by the codename of “Watcher” rose to the tops of the Warper ranks, and eventually became their leader. Under the leadership of Watcher, the PH/SP have become much more efficient, albeit much more secretive. A declaration was made by Watcher, detailing his highest rank officers and their ultimate goal. “INCOMING PH/SP TRANSMISSION FROM UNIT NO.57007 "WATCHER" - HEAD PH/SP COMM DIRECTOR... ... ... ... TRANSMISSON RECEIVED. LOADING PHSPDATA.TXT ... LOADED FACTION NAME: PH/SP (PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY PARTY) FACTION GOALS: REDUCE CARAR INFECTION BY 35%, [CLASSIFIED]. FACTION TROOPS: [CLASSIFIED] SELF - WARPING QUARENTINE ENFORCEMENT UNIT [CLASSIFIED], [CLASSIFIED], 100x REPAIRBOT MK1 FACTION COMMANDERS: SOUTHERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.00451: "MONTESQUIEU" WESTERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.24601: "VALOR" NORTHERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.64222: "FADE" ELITE SQUADRON: UNIT NO.57005: "REAPER" FACTION - CONTROLLED AREAS: SOUTHERN BLOOD KELP, SPARSE REEF,
END TRANSMISSION.”
The Concursores: While not truly a governmental party, the Concursores have made a name for themselves by their extravagant “Peace to The Underworld” rallies, led by none other than ex-POW, DJ Ampeel. They, in fact, began the efforts to relieve the innocent Underworld creatures, by offering up their help, and most importantly, their music. By such standards, have the Concursores been recognized as a major contributing factor for the peace that had been enjoyed by all for so long.
The NDSL: A new governmental party based in the Lava Zone. Not much is known about them, only that they are comprised of Anti-Totalitarian army leaders. From their few transmissions to Aboveworld, they are led by, a now nameless, Dragon; and they are currently under political fire from both Pater-sympathizers and enraged, poverty-ridden fish living in the desolate and inhospitable conditions that the Lava Zone provides in spades. More is clearly to be revealed from them, but the question of when, is unknown.
And these are the conditions that the inhabitants are in at this present time. Though, a new conflict is brewing just under the flippers of 4546B’s residents. Only time will tell their actions, and whether or not these creatures can truly live without a Pater.
Let the Aftermath of the Lava War begin.
It had been two years since Pater Aestus had been defeated and the Lava War had ended. Two years since the greatest bloodshed the planet had ever seen. Tens of thousands of fish had lost their lives in the struggle to free themselves from the Pater’s oppression. Despite such a loss, those that remained created an age that had never been surpassed in Aboveworld’s history. This period saw widespread peace, tranquility, and unity. Parties that had argued for so many years came together to build the world, and its government, back to its former glory. This great age of peace, sadly, came to end far too soon.
The FMMA: Just while the Lava War was ending, scouts managed to recover the remains of their previous leader, and in a short time restored Aurora to life. This was proven to be a mistake, for their leader, so much time away from her forces, suffered a severe mental degradation that affected most of the FMMA forces, some of the High Council included. After careful manipulation, the still sane members of the council triggered a brutal civil war between themselves and Aurora’s loyalists, culminating on her defeat by being launched into space via rocket to the FMMA space station, ending in an intense firefight between her and the security staff. Since Aurora still had absolute influence over the machines, her departure and final death hit too hard for the minds of the robots. They forgot what little humanity they had, becoming bolder and more pragmatic, while erasing many of the restraints they had regarding thier approach to the planet and it’s denizens. Because of this, a new overseer was chosen for the position of Inquisitor: the now former general, HAL. Because of his efforts, with the most sane of the High Council, the FMMA has been having a sort of positive relationship with the government of 4546B.
The SAHP: It had been two years since the SAHP's leader, Silverwing, had been captured. All presumed him to be dead. Shortly after his disappearance, the SAHP elected a new leader, Silverwing’s own son, Redfin. He swore to get revenge on the machines for what they had done to his father. He was young, persuasive, and fiery, and he rallied the whole of the SAHP behind him. He attempted to lead several small campaigns, but failed at seemingly every turn. Redfin’s own wife had been killed in a raid on one of the machines’ caches. After hearing this news on the battlefield, Refin was overcome with rage and tore the machines apart with unimaginable cruelty, gaining the SAHP’s first, and only victory thus far. Now, battered and beaten, the SAHP plans its next move.
The Conglomerate: Little is known what happened to them. Mere months ago, The Conglomerate, sent to help with the recovery of the innocent citizens of The Underworld, suddenly fled. Any and all help sent to find them have never returned. However, a brief contact was made by an FMMA leader from what sounded to be a fledgling private in the Conglomerate army. “[static] H-hello? Does anyone copy? Does anyone- [static] We're finally able to keep a signal live long enough to send this message but I'll have to be brief. I am Karno Vanpattis, and I have gathered as many Grand Reef refugees as I have been able to find, and am asking that they have a place to stay until the ruins of the Conglomerate have been fully revitalised. My group have deemed themselves the Vanpatites, and I will give you our co-ordinates now... They ar- [static]”
The EPCA: Of all the parties, it truly would be the party that stood by peace all this time, to be the last ones to retain peace. The Reefbacks, led by the president @Ralij, have made amazing strides in keeping the peace between the parties. They have annexed many of the small parties, pleading for greater roles of government for small fish, and created a large, and influential governing board. It is unknown whether or not the EPCA will back down in the future election, or if they will even be allowed to.
The UCR: While General Draco has sustained open and frequent correspondence between himself and the Aboveworlders, a majority of the UCR has remained hidden. They were sent down to The Lava Zone, to help with the rebuilding of the innocents of the Underworlders with The Conglomerate and The DC. Whether or not their absence is by design or not is unknown. However, those who did not help with the rebuilding have faced extreme poverty and hunger. The Oculus had joined the EPCA, and as such, abandoned the Jellyshroom Caves and joined the other small fish in the Grassy Plateaus. As Crabsnakes cannot come into contact with direct sunlight, they have resorted to feeding off the meager population of Biters that reside in the Caves, which has in turn enraged the GCSC. More and more Crabsnakes have begun fleeing to the Lava Zone, never to be heard of more from the Aboveworlders.
The DC: The Devorandem Confederacy has been oddly silent as of the last year. Despite the Reapers past exploits of daring violence, after the Lava War, they stagnated and eventually fell out of power. While the party is still together and participating, their contributions have been few and far between. General Carrie has answered questions of their inactivity with, “We just need time to come back to ourselves. After the death of Bonecruncher, we’ve all lost a part of ourselves. We will continue to help the Underworlders with their continued survival, all we ask is some understanding towards the DC.”
The GCSC: After the death of General Bite's family, he slowly dragged himself down into an intense bout of depression. The GCSC cut themselves off from the rest of Aboveworld, even from those soldiers stationed in the Jellyshroom. They confined themselves into the Mountain Island under the General's orders, and planned to stay there until those piloting the giant Antecedent mech could return from the Antecedent Castle, which could take months, or even years. That is, from the ruins of the Precursor Array not long ago, they found a mass of depleted Ion crystals, still intact from the previous detonation. From these shells of Ion, and the help of the few FMMA scientists that would help them, they were able to create new Ion crystals, able of generating enough power for Antecedent mech for decades. And, thanks to the FMMA, these new Ion Crystals were made incapable of overloading and ultimately exploding. From this new found discovery, and the prospect of unlimited power, General Bite ordered the entire GCSC to the Lava Zone, in hopes of finding the Antecedent mech.
The PH/SP: Soon after the Lava War, the Warper leader, Enderguy, left to return the Void creatures back to their homes. After months of direct contact, he announced that he would be staying with the Void creatures to learn of their way of life and their power, to see if they could become long-lasting allies with the Aboveworlders. He subsequently cut off his transmission, and his whereabouts are only up to speculation. To keep the PH/SP together, a newly made Warper, by the codename of “Watcher” rose to the tops of the Warper ranks, and eventually became their leader. Under the leadership of Watcher, the PH/SP have become much more efficient, albeit much more secretive. A declaration was made by Watcher, detailing his highest rank officers and their ultimate goal. “INCOMING PH/SP TRANSMISSION FROM UNIT NO.57007 "WATCHER" - HEAD PH/SP COMM DIRECTOR... ... ... ... TRANSMISSON RECEIVED. LOADING PHSPDATA.TXT ... LOADED FACTION NAME: PH/SP (PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY PARTY) FACTION GOALS: REDUCE CARAR INFECTION BY 35%, [CLASSIFIED]. FACTION TROOPS: [CLASSIFIED] SELF - WARPING QUARENTINE ENFORCEMENT UNIT [CLASSIFIED], [CLASSIFIED], 100x REPAIRBOT MK1 FACTION COMMANDERS: SOUTHERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.00451: "MONTESQUIEU" WESTERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.24601: "VALOR" NORTHERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.64222: "FADE" ELITE SQUADRON: UNIT NO.57005: "REAPER" FACTION - CONTROLLED AREAS: SOUTHERN BLOOD KELP, SPARSE REEF,
END TRANSMISSION.”
The Concursores: While not truly a governmental party, the Concursores have made a name for themselves by their extravagant “Peace to The Underworld” rallies, led by none other than ex-POW, DJ Ampeel. They, in fact, began the efforts to relieve the innocent Underworld creatures, by offering up their help, and most importantly, their music. By such standards, have the Concursores been recognized as a major contributing factor for the peace that had been enjoyed by all for so long.
The NDSL: A new governmental party based in the Lava Zone. Not much is known about them, only that they are comprised of Anti-Totalitarian army leaders. From their few transmissions to Aboveworld, they are led by, a now nameless, Dragon; and they are currently under political fire from both Pater-sympathizers and enraged, poverty-ridden fish living in the desolate and inhospitable conditions that the Lava Zone provides in spades. More is clearly to be revealed from them, but the question of when, is unknown.
And these are the conditions that the inhabitants are in at this present time. Though, a new conflict is brewing just under the flippers of 4546B’s residents. Only time will tell their actions, and whether or not these creatures can truly live without a Pater.
Let the Aftermath of the Lava War begin.
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The Battle for the Reef.
The Minister's Loyalists were amassing forces in the Sparse Reef whilst what remained of the 4th Division gathered in the southern regions of the Grand Reef. They sat there, both of them, for days on end, neither side knowing that the other was there on the other side of the reef. Both of them had the same end-game, though; by the end of the week one side would own the Sunken Island.
The floaters beneath the Island were long since dead; killed by residual Kharaa and Ion energies that polluted the Grand Reef like a bad odour. The Island had sunk to the sea floor completely during the Lava War, along with the Precursor technology inside. Each side wanted it for a different purpose (the 4th Division to create weaponry and the Loyalists to wager some sort of peace treaty with the rest of the ocean).
The 4th Division reached the Sunken Island first. They fortified it with Ion defences and began to extract the super-hard alloy from within, which came to be known as Beianite amongst members of the Conglomerate (after the 4th Division's leader at the time, Beil). They had little time to harness it, however, before the Loyalists arrived. They came over the Kharaa-stained hills of the Grand Reef and fought the 4th Division to the death upon the slopes of the Sunken Island.
There they fought, tooth and nail, to overcome the enemy. Many Crabsquid died in the fighting, but most died in the terrible event that followed.
Beil discovered the portal within the Island. She found a way to harness the reactor that powered it and overloaded it with Ion. There was a green explosion rivalled only by that of the Array's downfall, and thus the Loyalists and 4th Division were burned. Their ashes washed away on the currents, and what remained of the Beianite was blasted in all directions across the ocean. The 4th Division and the Loyalists still search relentlessly for the substance, which has all by now melted into the sands.
And that is where we come in. I am Karno Vanpattis, and my group of refugees are known as the Vanpatites. We search for refuge, but fear not to take to the fight in defence of our people. If we must fight we shall do so with honour and valiance.
Trust me, leaders of the ocean, I despise the 4th Division and the Loyalists as much as any other. We want nothing more than to see them both fail in their attempts at finding the remaining Beianite, and we will see this done. Refuge is nothing without the sanctity and knowledge that our enemies are crippled and frail.
And thus we ask for your assistance. Leaders of the ocean, I implore that you take the matter of the 4th Division and the Loyalists seriously. Though they may be weak and in hiding they are still at war. If this is allowed to boil over there may be no return for the ocean we love. And perhaps, once this is all over, we may be able to rebuild our homes in the Reef and see ourselves return to our ancestral lands.
Authorization for this, that, the other this, the other that...
complaint 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...
Project one completed stage seven
project five completed stage eleven
The figure adjusted himself on the chair
Khaara cure: administration ongoing on population - capture and forced administration authorised by order of the High Council.
Khaara erradication: Ongoing. Require cooperation with other forces for maximun efficiency. Use of terror tatics for evacuation of the neighboring civilian populations to Khaara infestation is authorised by order of the High Council.
Again, the figure moved on the chair, massaging his face and closing his eyes looking for a brief respite after hours of work.
"Leave it to an organisation filled with talking fleshbags, and they will manage to supress work with this "paperwork".
Unsophisticated savages..."
"That you were working fine with for all these years. You were chosen for this because you were so amicable with them in the past, Casual"
"Yes, yes, yes I remember, thank you very much, HAL. And what are you doing here? Missed me so much you needed to enter my room to pester me?"
"Routine check, you know how it is."
"Does this have anything to do with the retirement of #481 last week?"
"I don't know. You could help me in that regard. You two were working together at the time"
"We were working together, yes. Adapting live tissue to our interface is always a good way to past time"
"Not my personal preference, but if you enjoy it, so be it. But, from what I know, it usually involves less screaming and trashing compared to what happened that week"
"Depends on the experiment, HAL. Depends on the experiment."
"No doubts about that. But so much noise in a laboratory not used for such experiments, as it's logs show. Not even used by you and #481"
"Is this an interrogation, HAL?"
"You tell me, Casual. Is this an interrogation? Because it is, from another perspective, a good conversation between two synths. Which this is is up to you"
"I'm still a High Councilour, HAL. I'm sure certain things can and cannot be done"
"And I'm the Inquisitor, Casual. #481 gave me quite a lot of trouble when I visited him last week. Are you going to give me trouble, or cooperate?"
"I'm feeling a bit tired from all of this, paperwork, HAL. Perhaps I may entertain you."
"I'm sure of it, Casual. I may be alone, but I do make up for a great audience. The same happened last week with #481. And #351. And Cancer Man before that."
Casual gave a look with the most neutral expression he could. HAL evolved much. Too much for his own good. Now isn't how it was during the Lava War. HAL was the superior one in this room.
The door opens, and the diminutive figure of a peeper on a office suit and oversized glasses entered the room
"I'm sorry sir, but the joint of ministries are about to meet with the president @Ralij . Your presence were requested."
"Thank you, Woody. I'm going" The fish scurried off the room, leaving the two figures alone
"As you can see, HAL, we ran out of time"
"Indeed, Casual, and I'm sure you will find time for our talk to continue when I call"
"I'm a busy man, HAL. I'm not at your disposal"
"You wouldn't be in this situation without your own doings, Casual. I'm here to clean the mess. And I dislike when such a thing happens to one of ours because of someone trying things without care"
"Good day, HAL."
"Good day, Casual"
And with that, both figures went on their separated ways. Casual stopped, looked at the figure of the Inquisitor, and with a grin, whispered
"Barking at the wrong tree, HAL. You should know better."
I was made General not 2 months after my father went missing. I was already his most trusted lieutenant, so the people thought it made sense to elect me. I knew then what I had to do. I rallied my people, and we went in search of my father. Only to find nothing. We raided every cache we could find, praying he would be there, but alas, we believe him to be dead. We held a vigil.
I began conducting more raids. If they thought killing him would demoralize us, they were wrong. He became a martyr, and we fought harder than ever. Still, it wasn’t enough. Campaign after campaign went by, with the loss of life rising each time. But we were making headway. Stolen resources. Intel. Every battle lost, but never did we go home with nothing to show.
We live in constant fear that the machines will strike and wipe us from this ocean. Even as I write this, we are shoring up defenses. I have given my lieutenants the plan for our next raid. These small skirmishes are leading to nothing but the deaths of our people. Our families. My own wife… We need to stage a larger attack. It’s the only way. If nothing else, perhaps our numbers will allow us to win the day. But not quite yet. We’re still healing from our last battle, and our first victory.
To this very moment I still cannot stop the memories of that battle. Seeing her ripped apart by those machines. Seeing nothing but red and piles of scrap metal after. It haunts me. Yet the people praise me for my ferocity.
Those metallic monsters will pay. For what they’ve done to my people, for what they did to my beloved, and for what they’ve done to me. They’ll call us rebels. Try to snuff us out. But they can turn the whole goddamn ocean against us. I will not stop until every last robot is laying in a heap at the bottom of the ocean.
My name is Redfin, son of the Great Silverwing. I’m the leader of the SAHP.
And I’m on the warpath.
Edit: Fitting music to go with it.
INCOMING PH/SP TRANSMISSION FROM UNIT NO.57007 "WATCHER" - HEAD PH/SP COMM DIRECTOR...
...
...
...
TRANSMISSON RECEIVED.
LOADING PHSPDATA.TXT
...
LOADED
FACTION NAME: PH/SP (PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY PARTY)
FACTION GOALS: REDUCE CARAR INFECTION BY [CLASSIFIED]%, [CLASSIFIED].
FACTION TROOPS: [CLASSIFIED] SELF - WARPING QUARENTINE ENFORCEMENT UNIT [CLASSIFIED], [CLASSIFIED], 100x REPAIRBOT MK1
FACTION COMMANDERS:
SOUTHERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.00451: "MONTESQUIEU"
WESTERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.24601: "VALOR"
NORTHERN SQUADRON: UNIT NO.64222: "FADE"
ELITE SQUADRON: UNIT NO.57005: "REAPER"
HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS: UNIT NO.64206: “COVER”
HEAD OF [CLASSIFIED]: UNIT NO.43962: “VADER”
HEAD OF [CLASSIFIED]: UNIT NO.65261: “FURNACE”
FACTION - CONTROLLED AREAS: SOUTHERN BLOOD KELP, SPARSE REEF,.
END TRANSMISSION.
INCOMING PH/SP TRANSMISSION ON EMERGENCY FREQUENCY
...
...
...
TRANSMISSON RECEIVED.
LOADING COMMAND1 .TXT
…
FADE: When shall I move, commander?
REAPER: We must wait. We need to gain more strength. Cover, how’s the campaign going?
COVER: Not bad. People still see us as the enemy. They’re starting to trust us, though.
REAPER: Good. We need all the support we can get.
VADER: FURNACE and I are making good progress the project. We’re on schedule, but it still might be a couple months until the first tests.
COVER: Do you need more resources?
FURNACE: We’re fine for now. Now that you mention it, we need some more of the rubble from the QEP. It’s almost ready, then progress should increase by nearly 150%.
REAPER: How much time exactly do you have left. We need the… ...products.
FURNACE: Um…
REAPER: HOW MUCH? *SLAMS TENTACLE ON TABLE*
FURNACE: ...two weeks?
REAPER: That’ll do.. For now.
VALOR: What should monty and I do?
MONTESQUIEU: (Coldly) Don’t call me that.
REAPER: Stay put. Don’t engage ANYONE unless you’re attacked. You have enough troops?
VALOR: We’re fine.
REAPER. Good. FADE, you’re on the supply run, correct?
FADE: Already happening. My troops are going to the coordinates as we speak.
END TRANSMISSION.
Unneeded.
Stupid.
Really unneeded.
Random paperwork they decided to torture me with.
Why?
Ah well.
We have biscuits.
Oh, now some decent paperwork.
Yes, we need to build a hospital.
I don't know what we should name it.
Is that really a problem?
Call it the Really good hospital.
There.
Yes, we do need the thermal plants.
What toxic waste?
Tell the protesters that they're stupid and they can all go home and read cat memes.
And thermal plants don't produce toxic waste.
We were stationed at the foot of a hill, just on the outskirts of the Sparse Reef, near the Dunes. On the other side of this hill was an enormous store of Beianite, and the 4th Division were mining the living daylights out of it. We were going to stop the operation, and take the Beianite so that it never fell into the hands of the 4th Division or Loyalists again.
"For the Conglomerate!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, and as I charged over the hill my army followed.
The chunk of Beianite was larger than I had expected. It protruded from the sand and rock like the butt-end of a sinking ship. It was grey, as it usually was, and it... bubbled. It bubbled and frothed at the edges, and I had no clue as to why.
A fifth of my men had fallen in the battle; a necessary sacrifice which saw the 4th Division men destroyed. I just hoped that Nejo was still alive. "Nejo!" I called his name. My voice echoed across the field of dead, and in a short while the small Crabsquid rushed to my side.
"What is it, Karno?"
"You see the Beianite? It's bubbling, Nejo; why is that?"
Nejo took strides towards the enormous mineral. "Yes, yes, I noticed that too." He touched it with one mandible, and soon after snapped it back to his side, as if he were in pain because of the action. "Damn! It's hot!"
"And?" I was desperate for answers.
"Well, when the Island blew and the shards of Beianite were flung across the ocean, I don't think one landed here. No, no, I think that this sample has been moved here for a specific purpose..."
"And what is that purpose?" I asked.
"Well, you see... T-the-" It was unlike Nejo to stutter; he was always so sure of himself. "the bubbles aren't there for no reason. This particular sample appears to be growing in size. If you look carefully you will see it expanding."
"That's why it looks so natural, then," I deduced. Other samples that we had discovered were made of sharp corners and edges, as the Precursors would have constructed their corridors and buildings anyway. This Beianite was more crystalline, and... natural. Natural was the only word I could find.
"What's causing this?" I needed to know, but the look on Nejo's face told me he didn't have answers. "Run some investigations. Find out how the 4th Division are achieving this, and do it quickly."
"Yes, Karno," Nejo scurried away.
We produce results. All the time spent complaining on how we do things costed time. And using a presentation on how a more moral fishkind approach, despite the fact in increases the risk of infection by 20%, for the healthy individuals.
So what if some fish were terrified beyond belief? These same fish were immunized, the infestation was destroyed and sterilised, with minimal chance of it returning.
There is so much time to either deal with the Khaara, definitively, or to care about their so called "morals"
At least harvesting the dead bioforms are netting interesting things.
Casual entered his room and sat on a very confortable chair. He stood still for a while, contemplating the fact many of the government would gladly dance in the edge of the abyss if that meant good publicity and "oh we are so very grateful of our brave leaders for caring about us". Just for a third of that same village fall ill the next week. But the sentimentality was preserved, and that was ok. Despite the fact another source of Khaara was developed there but hey, details!
A terminal nearby came to life.
"Greetings, representative"
"Greetings, High Council. How may I serve?"
"How much you know of this new element now available on the market, Beianite?"
"Material used for construction of Precursor facilities. Durable. Resilient. Can be manipulated for many uses."
"Correct. An opportunity appeared to obtain more of this material. Are you familiar of the current state of the Conglomerate?"
"Three forces vying for control. One of then previously unknown, coordinated by a certain Karno Vanpattis. This one only have some numbers"
"And he with the other forces are killing themselves over a vast mineral field of Belamite"
"Oh? That is interesting. I suppose we could extent the hand of friendship for these lonely crabsquids"
"See to it, representative. We await your report. After all, we could deal with this ourselves"
The terminal shutdown itself. Casual sent a probe, and after estabilishing a link, with a practiced smile, said:
"Hello Karno Vanpattis. I am Casual, High Councilour of the FMMA. I understand you need help, and I'm here to offer. So, shall we talk?"
Hello?
Yes?
This is me.
This is the dictator of the NDSL.
Dictator in a good way, mind.
like the Romans used to have every now and then.
Yes, get on that.
We can't have houses burning up randomly.
Why did you use wood?
Wood and lava are bad together.
Use plasteel.
That rather nice chap had some I remember.
Actually, get all his subs that were destroyed, and melt them down.
Use the ALZ to melt them down.
Also, what's this I hear about boilers breaking?
We already have a boiler for everyone.
Harness the heat from the lava.
One wing of houses is ready?
good.
They'll fit 1/3 the population of the lava zones.
We're going to need to do something about the streets though.
I know.
Use more plasteel for them.
[Transmission ends]
Most of them were digging, like I had ordered. Digging around the burning hot crystal, to see what they could find. We needed to know why it was growing, and how the 4th Division planned to use all of this Beianite. It was important to maintaining the current sanctity of the oceans. The Lava Zones were at peace beneath their new ruler, who, I had heard, was worried more with the tourism of the place than rebuilding it from the devastation of the Lava War. He didn't seem like a guy I'd particularly like. Mind you, I'd never met him. And I didn't plan to. In my book, anyone in those caves is bad blood.
"Harder, men!" I yelled. They dag faster into the stone and sand. Nejo, the smartest man at my disposal, stood next to me, as did a radio at my other side. I had toyed and fiddled with it for hours now, trying to broadcast a signal. The best I'd done was a small broadcast not too long ago. I gave my name, my situation, and that's about it. "I've been trying for days and I can't get this bloody thing to work..."
"You'll get there," Nejo relieved me.
"That I will," I slammed a mandible against the contraption. "Stupid thing. If it knew how much I needed it right now... Do you have any idea what the FMMA would pay for this stuff? Do you have any idea how high in their good books I'd be? Higher than the Prime Minister was, I tell you that."
"And throw Katyusha in there as well," Nejo chuckled. I wasn't so impressed.
"You haven't exactly got the attitude of the Vanpatites down yet, have you?" I scolded. "Katyusha was a tragedy. The Prime Minister slaughtered Katyusha in the ring."
"His champion slaughtered Katyusha." There was a moment of painful silence. Nejo was right, of course. Katyusha was killed by a champion, but at the behest of the Prime Minister. Nejo broke the silence. "Karno, I'm not sure you've got our attitude down. The Conglomerate and the GCSC had been at war ever since the Election. It wasn't just a war between the Prime Minister and Bite; they wanted to see all Crabsquid dead, and we prevented that." There was another silence. "Don't allow your hatred of the Prime Minister to scramble your thoughts. She would have killed you if she got the chance."
Silence, broken by me. "The Beianite, then. Tell me more."
"I don't know any more, Karno. I have theories, but-"
"Theories are better than nothing; spill it."
"Well, I was thinking that, maybe..." Nejo stopped mid sentence. I looked at him. His face was pale.
"Go on," I told him.
"Karno, look!" He pointed upwards, and, jetting towards us through the blue were a dozens of far off robots.
"Holy shit... That's not the 4th Division is it?!" Nejo began to back away.
"There's no way I'm chancing it. Vanpatites! To your stations!" The Vanpatites dropped their tools at my order, and scurried to my side. What a wonderful feeling it was, to have your orders followed without question. I would never let that go to my head, though, like the Prime Minister did. "If this is the 4th Division we will be ready! We will fight until we can fight no longer, and die at each other's backs! Ooh Rah!"
"Ooh Rah!" everybody chimed in.
But as the objects grew closer, they didn't appear to be Beianite in creation, nor did they bear any marks of the 4th Division. They were white, and shimmered in the sun of mid day. The one on the outside were aquatic in stature and shape, as if they were built to swim. The one in the middle just looked like a drone; no more than a machine on a water-born propeller.
And then they came down to the field, the twenty android-looking machines to the left and right of one small drone, a screen in its centre. And a voice emitted from that screen; one that I was very thankful to hear.
"Hello Karno Vanpattis. I am Casual, High Councilour of the FMMA. I understand you need help, and I'm here to offer. So, shall we talk?"
"If we must, under these circumstances." I swam upwards slightly, to gain height on the drone I was now looking slightly down upon. "You wouldn't show your face here? You're too good for that?"
"How about too cautious?" Casual's stern voice bellowed. He sounded like a man (or as close to a man as he could manage) who had seen much. "I am only here for one reason, Vanpattis, and it isn't to exchange idle insults, so I shall refrain. I am here because of this behind me." I imagined Casual gesturing to the bubbling, frothing crystal of Beianite, still growing out of the sands. "What a fine mineral. I understand you want friends in the rest of the ocean."
He must have gotten some of my broadcasts. "Correct," I said.
"And I suggest you start with the FMMA. I am here to make a proposition."
"Lay it on me."
"We will give you money and our services in exchange for this mineral and supervision. Do you accept?"
I was slightly taken aback. "S-supervision?"
"These twenty androids will be your friends. They will accompany you in your endeavours, and will be a living symbol of our newfound alliance."
Reluctantly, I agreed to this proposal. They surely couldn't do much harm to my plans. "Okay," I said. "Now how about the money? How much are you willing to give?"
"We'll discuss details later. Just know that you will receive a worthy sum for the Beianite you give to us."
"And what are you planning on using the Beianite for, exactly?" I asked. I was incredibly curious.
"Now you're prying." Casual said disappointed. "Now I begin to wonder whether you want this proposal or-"
"Fine, fine, we'll iron out the details later, then." I backed away. "How do you want us to get this Beianite to you?"
"However you can." Casual said. This didn't excite me.
"But with 4th Division soldiers swarming the are we will-"
"-have to make do." The FMMA leader was incredibly stern. I didn't like his tone, and yet his proposal of an alliance excited me to no end. "My androids will surely aid you against the 4th Division and Loyalist savages. Thus I leave them with you. May we talk again, Karno Vanpattis."
"G'bye, Casual." The drone picked itself up and swam away, out of sight and over the horizon.
Apparently they had something we hadn’t seen before, at least not to this degree. Aquatic androids. If they can do that, who’s to say the couldn’t make an artificial Mesmer? Oh god, maybe they already have. I’ll have to be more careful who I disclose our plans to. There was that one private who was awfully eager to know our next move. I’ll be having a talk with him.
They made some sort of deal with the Congolmerate. Those damn, dirty traitors. They’d just lay down and submit as the synths took over the ocean? If that’s how things are gonna be, then they’re just as bad as the robots. Although, this gives rise to a new plan. Perhaps I could contact the GCSC. I know their hatred for the Conglomerate runs deep. Deeper than maybe my own for the machines. Their numbers could allow me to stand a chance. If nothing else, Bite and I have both lost family to that alliance. Perhaps.
I’m afraid. For myself, for my people, and for the ocean. But I don’t let that fear hold me back. I’m driven by my anger. A fury so white hot it’ll melt the metal right off of those machine bastards. And I will win. I don’t care how long it takes. I would prefer not to lose so many lives but sometimes it’s a necessary sacrifice. They will burn, and if we have to burn with them, so be it. At least then the ocean will be a safer place. I hope…
To anyone who knew it, that was the cold fury of lightings that precedes a terrible storm.
He entered his room, locking his door and promptly went and sat on his chair, a beautiful piece of mahogany with red cushions. It wasn't too long for him to reach under his desk, and open a bottle for the emergency migraines whiskey.
"It isn't good for your image to drink on the job, Casual"
Picking a couple of glasses, the answer went without the representative bothering to address his visitor
"Rich, coming from the one who never walks by without a lit cigar on his mouth, Cancer Man"
The visitor, appearing as a late 50's man wearing a black three-piece suit, laughed bitterly at the comment.
"Unfortunately for you, you are here occupying this room, and I'm not. Thus I'm allowed some leniency on my habits" said Cancer Man, after taking a glass full of whiskey from Casual, and sitting back on his chair.
"What do you want, Cancer Man? I'm busy" said the councilour, trying to surpress the incoming migraine
Taking a sip, the visitor leaned back and spoke with a very neutral voice
"The High Council fears your current responsibilities may interfere with your position as a High Councilour. Mind you, they know you are working as best as you can with what you have available. How was the meeting?"
"Another city fell to the Khaara. Their relief convoys were obliged to stood their ground while the bioforms ravaged the population, simply because their evacuation procedures didn't work. And our troops couldn't force those fish to leave the area, since, despite being an emergency, gilliatarian procedures had to be observed. My friend, they don't understand the gravity of the problem. And when everything fails, the responsibility of it is attributed entirely to us! Each passing day I am closer to give green light to exterminate local populations just to avoid the spread of the Khaara, terminating every single living idiot who tries to stop our work. We can't do our jobs properly if we are constantly interrupted because someone got offended by our modus operandi"
Cancer Man heard the rant quietly. After taking another sip of whiskey,he continued where his equal stopped.
"The High Council acknowledges this events. I also have a message from them to you"
Casual got the handed message, which, after decription, the video link had simple thing to say:
"Representative, eradication of the Khaara is priority. You are authorised to use any and all means necessary to do it. How you will employ these methods will be at your exclusive discretion. Disregard directives from other sources. The infection keeps strong, and you will never again be troubled to act against it because of outside bureocracy. If a problem like you faced arises again, we will organise a meeting with it's source.
High Council of the FMMA"
Casual released a sigh he didn't know was holding. More relaxed than he was in these two years, he took another sip from his glass.
"There is also something else" said Cancer Man, leaving the glass of whiskey on the desk of the representative, and getting a cigar lit.
"That project is proceeding well, thanks to your intervention with a recent development. I'm going to continue the testing, and also I may be unavailable for this couple of weeks"
"Why is that?"
"The distress signals of some of our downed subs in the caves of the Lava Zones are dying. Normally this wouldn't be a cause of concern, since they normally fade if rescue teams don't arrive in time. However, a not small quantity of the signals vanished in the space of a few hours. I'm coordinating an investigation team to find out what is happening to those subs at the Lava Zones." Said the visitor, taking his leave of the room.
"Oh, and also, reach out to the warpers. They are the created experts of dealing with the Khaara." And with that, Cancer Man left the room, closing the door.
Casual was still for a moment, and after reaching for a terminal nearby and activating, gave a simple order.
"I need the names and the location of the current rulers of the warpers. It will be easier if they still go by PH/SP. The time to talk with them has come."
Another light started blinking. A report came live.
"So, looks like our friends at the SAHP finally showed themselves. I will never understand what they were doing spying my talk with Vanpattis, but they are leaving their hiding holes. They sure took their sweet time."
"I wonder what the reefbacks and the biters are doing. There is quite some time since I saw them"
There was knocking as his door as the General sobered up and addressed the guest. A private eased his way into the room, hiding behind the paper work he carried
"General... sir, these are the recovered text we managed to salvage from the lava castle." The small fin whimpered out.
"Very good, any news on the isolation edict?" Bite asked
"Ah yes, all boarders are now heavily patrolled by our new recruits. Those gasopods can gas an entire school of fish and still have enough juice for the Calvary." He explained
"Good, you are dismissed." Bite finished.
The isolation edict had been the most controversial order thought the GCSC history, what little land was left after the first war had been sectioned off, kelp forests harvested, coral ripped apart and used for the war effort. All combat capable fish as been ordered into service to secure the conglomerate leaving peepers and hover fish left in the dust. Times were tough for the empire, but with recent discoveries in the old "Empire of Red" promises of an almost unlimited supply of food, limitless power and long forgotten armadas of a time when Biters ruled the waves. Bite looked out his window, precursor walkers strides out to the tree: unknown to the rest of the league Bite's peace keeping force was truly an occupation force, and they weren't leaving until the battle mech had been sacured
"Karno," I had barely heard Nejo sneak up behind me. I was so deep in thought I had blotted out the sound of digging and shouting altogether. Even the currents hadn't phased me. "I don't trust these machines." Nejo looked down at them. Where the Vanpatites were digging around the ever expanding Beianite crystal (it was at least half a metre taller than it was the previous day) they threw sand and stones behind them out of the trenches they had created. Around the dark-grey, green-tinted crystal they had constructed some scaffolding out of tough bits of dead coral they had found in the reef. A group were investigating the crystal whilst the others dug, and at the sidelines, erecting their own small campsite, were the machines. "A mere two weeks ago we would have torn them all limb from limb at first sight."
"We aren't at war anymore, Nejo," I assured him. "Alliances must be made to ensure our place in the world."
I began to make my way down the sandy ram beside me, and Nejo followed close behind. "But Karno, it isn't about war! It's about principle! We have never liked the technology brought to the planet by outsiders and now all you want to do is invite them to our table!"
"We aren't what the Crabsquid used to be," I told him. "We are new. We are the bird that rises from the ashes of what once was, and we will be born something new."
"Dramatic," Nejo smiled. Of course, I had planned the line; Rise from the Ashes was the Vanpatites' motto. "But that's not what we are, Karno," Nejo sounded sincere. "That isn't what any of us are! You speak so fondly of the Biters and the Machines and the Conglomerate has never liked either of them! Who are you to alter our basic moralities in favour of your own?"
"All I want is the best for my people," I told him. He would see in time that we should never be associated with what the Conglomerate once was. We were new, and not like them. "Now, I'm going to make our new guests feel at home. Care to join me, Nejo?"
Nejo visibly cringed. Gods know why. "I will oversee study on the crystal," he decided. "It's what's best."
And so I eased my way to the small campsite where the machines had made their home. There were ten of them in total; the other half of their force had set up a small perimeter, and were "scanning the environment". The FMMA loved their study, almost as much as Nejo. And they loved their warfare just as much as the GCSC once did. And they clung onto their ideals almost as tightly as the Prime Minister had done. I couldn't tell whether this concoction would turn out to be inherently toxic or something that I could manage.
"Hey guys," I slipped beneath one of the deep blue skin tent roofs, held up by dead coral and bubbling, diseased kelp; nothing in the reefs was alive anymore. "What are you all up to?"
"Surveying our surroundings," one of them said. They were more sophisticated and life-like in conversation than I had once expected them to be. The one who spoke was bent over a small hologram of the surroundings, projected onto a flat stone that acted as a table. "We just want to make sure that the High Council hasn't sent us into a death trap." There was a moment of silence before he turned to look at me. "We aren't contractually obliged to be here. And last I checked, you weren't contractually obliged to work with the FMMA either..."
"We will be loyal, if that is what you fear."
There was an eerie quiet. "Anyway, if we find out the place is teeming with Reapers and you're planning on putting the EMP to us, we can just up and leave. Maybe take the Beianite with us and blow you to bits while we're at it." He smiled. "And since you asked, L-574 over there is checking frequencies all over the place so we're not entirely out of the loop like you were before we arrived. Bite is taking strides to secure his borders and is practically locking his people in, and there's talk of friendship between them and the Republic of Koosh."
The Republic of Koosh... I had memories of them. I had heard of, and seen the repercussions of, their bravery and valiance during the War of Five Fish. But... "Their new leader.. Redfin... He hates the FMMA doesn't he?"
"He does," the machine said. "And if it should end in war between the Biters and the Republic then so be it. I just hope I'm not held back by you. I hope I can kill some of those tricky Mesmer bastards."
"Well," I said. "I promise that, if this is to end in war... I won't hold you back." I had planned to form an allegiance with both of them eventually. I had hoped for the Vanpatites to be fully integrated into the government once again. Perhaps this alliance was more of a curse than a blessing. Who would side with the machines and the Crabsquid? Who would-
"Sir!" L-574 said. "Look at the hologram, and have a listen to this!"
L-574 turned the radio up and the others gathered around. All I could make out was "Cr-... Outside of the re-... Ion-... Requesting assis-..." And then I looked at the holographic projection of the surroundings. Into view came five blue dots, all from one side. Above each of them was a small bit of text; one said L-235, another K-76, and so on. And then K-76 disappeared.
"What happen-"
"Shh!" the leader lent over the hologram again. "Dammit, what could this..." And then a horde of small orange dots, all with question marks above them, began to slide over the hologram like a blanket. There were dozens, all chasing the four blue spheres. "What the..."
"4th Division attack!" I yelled. Many dropped their tools and rushed out of the trenches around the crystal. "Battle stations everybody! Battle stations!" I rushed out of the tent, looking back only to say "Stay here; I can't afford to lose you lot."
First things first, see if I can get a new one of these radio things from the High Councilor, this one's starting to smell like old fish. Comes with age I suppose...
Second, remember to stock up on Red Eyeyes, First Lieutenant Kaa's brigade is getting hungry.
Last, things have been going smoothly here. Operations have been for the most part smooth. My snakes have plenty of rations and work to do. The only problem is our overabundance of time. Boredom can cause the mind to stray, forget your objectives. I myself, am guilty of this fact. I can't be any longer. We've wasted enough time down here.
Our search for any remaining sympathizers for Pater Aestus have so far been fruitless. It's been so many years since any of us have seen any semblance of sunlight. Morale has been draining from my armies like blood from a fresh kill.
From the time of utter chaos, destruction, and fear of the Lava War, the inhabitants of this lava ridden hole have built themselves a decent level of life, all things considered. But it's clear to us, things are not as they seem. Something, someone, is hiding out here. Whether out of sight, or right under our tails, I can't say. But something is here, and it does not want us as company. Every time my snakes go out on patrol, some sort of incident breaks out between us and the Underworlders. Nothing has ever been serious, but the message is clear, they don't want us here. Especially when that message is written in burns and fang marks.
The inhabitants have opened a correspondence between us and through their makeshift government, which they call the NDSL, or the National Democratic State of Lava. As of the year we've been stationed down here by the president, they've been kind enough. They've campaigned to create a world as if the Paters had never existed in the first place. To completely cut ties with their past. But something in their eyes as they speak gives me reason to doubt their intentions.
The NDSL is lead by a young dragon named Recursion. The dragon is rumored to be born of Pater Aestus during the Lava War, but I don't find much truth to the statement. Nor do I find much truth in his statements. Despite his apparent intelligence and relative charm, I can't help but see the dragons that slaughtered thousands of my brethren and allies in his smile. I don't trust him.
But, regardless of my personal beliefs, we've hardly lifted a fang. The Underworlders, while having a long history of violence and bloodshed, have an even longer history of endless work and toil. They truly know how to get a job done, with the least amount of loss possible while doing it. Their fellowship to one another is staggering, rivaling that of even us Crabsnakes. They've built a society without our, the DC's, or the Conglomerate's help. There's something to be admired in this. Despite this, they don't want any of us here, and have made that fact blatantly apparent.
They're completely fine on their own, but I can't shake the feeling that something will happen if we leave. Something bad. I would pull out, but something tells me the Underworlders are biding their time, waiting to strike us when our guard is down. Power can do that to anyone, it's a blessing and a gift when one has power, but it can be the heaviest weight ever when power is lost. And fish will do anything to rid themselves of that weight.
So, it's time we took matters into our own tails. What those matters will be, is up to the UCR's powers and I. In the meantime, we'll stay down here, receive any Crabsnakes that are leaving the Jellyshroom caves. Not much waits for us there.
Hopefully, one way or another, we'll finally be able to wipe the blood of Pater from this place once and for all.
Log ended. Transferring to General Rychus.
Reaction timeline:
1: Oh, a graph !
2: Must... move... vertices... to... avoid... crossings !
3: Doesn't move ! Abort ! Evasive maneuvers ! <closes tab>
Crap.
TRANSMISSION INCOMING FROM PH/SP HQ
...
...
...
TRANSMISSION RECEIVED.
LOADING ALLIANCE.TXT
...
LOADED
REAPER: Furnace, any news on the SQUIDS?
FURNACE: They're ready for a trial run. The injection systems are in working order, and we've got some targets that we aquired for the tests.
REAPER: Good. Use the test tank that the old specimine was stored in. Also, how are the advanced targeting systems coming along?
FURNACE: They're ahead of schedule.
REAPER: Good. Any news on when we can combine the two of them?
FURNACE: Three days.
REAPER: Well done.
VADER: Permission to suggest an idea?
REAPER: Permission granted.
VADER: What if we teamed up with the FMMA?
COVER: Yeah, if we wanted to piss off the GCSC and ROK.
VADER: Hopefully, they'll think better of attacking us when we're backed by the FMMA.
COVER: Hopefully.
REAPER: I agree. Let's send an envoy.
END TRANSMISSION
Peeper1: So, Cathy, what do you think about the planned changes in the lava zones?
Cathy: I've told you before, my name isn't Cathy.
Peeper1: We're 2 news presenters, we need to have 1 Cathy.
Cathy: All right then Dave.
Dave: anyway, about the lava zones.
Cathy: Yes, the head seadragon says that plans for the 4th and 5th wings of the 30-wing housing circle have been submitted.
Dave: And he also says that He's going to build a second ring road.
Cathy: Also, some lava lizards and a Seadragon came up into the dunes 5 hours ago, not to eat any reaper leviathans, but to see if they could help out the warpers.
Dave: So this "Recursion" sure is trying to help the lava zones.
Cathy: You got that right Dave. Remind me, why do we have to speak like this?
Dave: We're on a news show.
[News ends to the sound of 2 peepers squabbling].
"So, my dear little lizard, care to tell why you snuck into a sub reclamation area during operations, and tried to steal plasteel ?"
The lava lizard tried in vain to make himself so small as to disappear in the air, all the while quivering in front of a middle aged man vested in a three piece black suit, who looked to the fish with a mildly amused expression.
"Well?"
The lizard squirmed under the gaze of the figure, avoiding eye contact with the being.
The man lighted a cigar and put it in his mouth.
"Does that mean I will have to help you to answer my questions?" said the man while leaning foward and inserting his hand into his suit to retrieve an item.
The lizard freezed and seized up. With a sigh, it slumped and did not move anymore. Cardiac arrest. Another one for the list. The figure removed and was looking at the item he was going for in his suit. A gold adorned metronome. A soldier entered the room.
“Sigh. Another one. Soldier, dispose of the corpse and bring the next guest.”
The soldier did as ordered.
“This will be a long night” sighed the man, closing his eyes and mentally preparing for the next interrogation attempt, before said lizard also have a cardiac arrest from anxiety.
“So, they are essentially want to destroy us. With one of the reasons being an unconfirmed information.”
“That’s right. They are trying to contact the Shoal. Not sure if the biters will answer the call.”
“Does the president and the other members of the government have anything to say to this?”
“They are working to avoid escalation of hostilities. So far, it has been met with mixed results. Not for the lack of trying from their part. We and the mesmers aren’t exactly easy to deal with.”
“If a conflict does in fact happen, it could also be na incredible opportunity to field testing some optional modifications for the project.”
“Ah yes. Indeed it will be. Such big numbers of willing volunteers will do nicely.”
“You will have not many chances to use them, so be careful with their usage. The numbers are limited, as well as the volunteer’s.
“Understood. Now, as for the report on the Warper envoy. He did arrive safely. I am going to break an agreement of how to best deal with the Khaara. They had their own plans on how to do it. We can increase the effiency of everyone involved if we can coordinate our actions.”
“Good job.”
“Also, the creatures from the Lava zones, this NDSL, are trying to get support and cleaning their image using some, I may say, underhanded wellfare. Sending dragons and whatnot directly to poor areas of the crater, instead of approaching their respective leaders directly. This may cause na imbalance on their power structures.”
“Well, they are in for a cold greeting believing the fish will take them with a warm heart and open arms. Not after the war. This strategy could even be seem as purposefully disturbing to their societies. One could even say they are after the seat the reefbacks currently occupy.”
“Yes, well, who would guess that behind the mask of friendship with goofy dragons, we have a insidious plot to overthrow entire governments if things don’t go as expected? Coupled with the fact their leader is trying too hard to be friend with everyone?”
“Quite smart in fact, despite being really obvious. Some of their subordinates were caught trying to flee with plasteel stolen from the Cyclops Reclamation Camps. Cancer Man is trying to get information out of them, but from the group captured, the few which have seated for interrogation died from anxiety during the process.”
“That man can be quite terrifying when he wants to.”
“Yes. Before you are dismissed, send a new communicator to the UCR. The status reading from their current one lists it as malfuctioning. In addition, we will be watching the biters. We don’t have any reason to believe they will be dragged into our conflict with the mesmers, but one can never be too sure.”
“Understood.”
“Good bye, representative”
“Good bye, High Council”.
They went missing 2 days ago. We do not know where they went. Please aid us in discovering them.
They might have fled, given that they are known to do things NOT endorsed by the NDSL.
Also, we'd quite like if someone returned hat stolen plasteel to the Cyclops reclamation field.
If the missing lava lizards stole it, please hand yourself in to the Lava castle.
One thing about peacetime that never ceases to amaze me is how similar it is to war.
The challenges come in different forms, maybe. Instead of talons, we have legislation. Instead of battles, we have political inquiries. And instead of having long, boring waits between battles, we have...long, boring waits between whatever issue comes up. Le gasp.
It honestly shouldn't surprise me that much; warfare, is, after all, simply a natural extension of the diplomacy conducted between states. But still, I find it irritating that despite the label of 'peacetime', life manages to be as troublesome and frustrating as ever. Case in point: the National Democratic States of Lava.
It's been two years after the fall of the Lava Empire, and I have to say, I'm still uncertain about the government that's taken their place. On the one hand, they're clearly the exact opposite of their predecessor. Their leader, Consul Recursion, may be a dictator-for-life, empowered with extraordinary executive authority, but he's been elected by the people for the people, and can be removed from power by the NDSL Senate if they deem him to be unfit to rule. They also seek to improve the standard of living (unlike the Empire, which left thousands in abject poverty), and they've got several housing and infrastructure projects in the works.
On the other hand, Recursion is horribly, hopelessly idealistic. He somehow seems to think that we'll accept the Lava Zones and their citizens with open arms. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than willing to have the Lava Zones represented in Congress. But hundreds of my men died to Sea Dragons, and he wants us to think they're cute?! They were Pater Aestus' most lethal shock troops, and he makes them pose for a bloody photo op?!
*sigh*
Even ignoring that, there's the matter of the FMMA plasteel thing. Inquisitor HAL has made me acutely aware that they've launched an investigation into the NDSL for illegal salvage of FMMA subs. Apparently, to support his new housing initiative, Recursion issued an order to salvage plasteel from any sources possible. Similar to how he's got plans for a super-highway while his people are still starving, he clearly didn't think of the consequences.
FMMA operatives discovered two Lava Lizards illicitly scrapping a downed Cyclops, and when the operatives confronted them the Lava Lizards ran with their ill-gotten loot. Keep in mind, the area was designated by the Union as closed off to the NDSL due to an FMMA presence there, which if the Lava Lizards are telling the truth Recursion BLATANTLY ignored.
As of this writing, me and my men are in the Lava Zone, helping HAL with his investigation into the matter. My current theory, which is shared by my silicon compatriot, is that Recursion may be playing all innocent and cutesy-like to try and get in Aboveworld's good graces. Then, when our guard is down, he uses the goodwill he's accumulated to transfer power peacefully, and BAM! The NDSL now has full control over the Union of Biomes. (Either that, or he legitimately just wants to make up with us, which would be really sad. If that IS the case, then the poor lad's clearly in over his head.)
No matter what happens, we'll try and investigate the matter as impartially and as fairly as possible. I may not agree with all of the NDSL's policies, but in the end I hope all parties involved will be able to reach an agreement that benefits all of us. I suppose that's the idealistic young Reefback in me speaking - always dreaming of a brighter tomorrow, always seeing the best in everyone.
After two years of peace, I'm beginning to listen to that part of me more and more often.
‒ Vice President Rychus
I've told you, don't call me that. Just call me consul.
Why don't you like Consul Recursion?
Why do you think?
Ah.
My parents had a weird sense of humor. Anyway, you wanted to talk to me?
Yes. Our agents were captured. They disobeyed the orders and went into the reclemation field. They were meant to scavenge for plasteel around the edges.
And they were captured and killed?
Yes.
How are the plans for the farms coming along?
Badly. The lava zones are not the most hospitible of places. Our goodwill actions are also making the aboveworld more suspicious of us.
Stop them then.
Yes.
What are they saying about me up there?
They're worried you could become another dictator.
You know, dictator didn't use to be such a negative word.
It used to mean "Fish granted sole power to deal with an emergency". It was used in a positive light. Old consuls made fish dictators all the time. When the emergency was over, the dictators returned to normal life, relinquishing their power.
I'm a dictator in that sense.
But when the time comes, will you give up the power?
Yes, but do they know that?