Part 18: 2960-2970-The Referendum

The Referendum



The 2960 elections lead to a firm mandate for the Social Democrats, who, in coalition with the Conservatives, re-establish industrial subsidies and start a major naval spending program to fund the construction of the Majestic, a new warship with 15 primary turrets to the Philadelphia's three, 12 secondary turrets to the Philadelphia's four, nine point defense turrets to the Philadelphia's two, and incorporating the new nanometallurgy acquired from the Nations in its armor and framing. All turrets on the Majestic are triple-barrel mounts with armor-piercing slugs.



In 2961, a colony of industrial AIs is set up on Mercury, which promptly sets to using local resources to build expanded industrial facilities. Although, for now, the colony is an ongoing expense as it imports materials to set up operations, it is expected that once it is fully established, it shall be an important source for manufactured goods for the United Republic.






That same year, the fleet arrives at the Hewel system, easily eliminating an orbital military base over Hewel Alpha before it can respond. With the defenses eliminated, a ground invasion is launched, which easily crushes the 130 million Klackon who take up arms to repel the invasion. Only about half a million Republican troops are lost in the fighting. With the major population centers under Republican control, Republican troops recover working samples of automated sentry systems with IFF algorithms potentially useful in securing ships and orbital stations against boarding actions. The fleet waits a year for reinforcements to the surface forces, then departs with 120 million surface troops to Fascia in 2962. 40 million surface troops and the New Antwerpen are left behind to guard the system.

Meet the Human trooper, the last of the three people who can show up to present you with new technologies. Could it be possible for this picture to be any more testosterone-soaked?

2962 is also the year that the strange extradimensional scout arrives at Satyr. The Nations report that she launched a bombardment against the surface of the colonised planet, killing approximately two billion Sakkra on the surface, before being drawn back into a dimensional portal that appeared, disappearing from our reality. A message was transmitted in archaic High Trilarian, much as was used by the strange biometallic thing encountered in the Sarti system:

"'Tis the return of the Lords of Antares to this, their long-denied birthright--and 'tis clear only lessers and rabble remain in the ashes where once our true rivals did hold sway, as we thought may be. Thus 'tis only meet and proper that the cleansing should begin; naught that you may do may prevent this."



A year later, the Klackon submit a proposal for peace, wherein they shall provide tribute to the United Republic for forebearance. With the mandate to liberate the Psilons clear, Republican negotiators refuse.




In 2964, a traditional colony is established on Parch, in the Ninsar system, as well as an AI colony on Hel in the Weg system. Both begin the work to establish themselves more firmly on their respective worlds.




Also in 2964, Council of Enlightened Matrons spies succeed in stealing samples and documentation allowing them to replicate Republican microbial soil enrichment techniques, while NordPharm announces the development of rapid-prototyping microorganisms designed to hunt down and eliminate all disease matching the programmed profile in a body. With the new ability to entirely cure essentially any infectious disease at will, epidemics of infectious disease are a thing of the past. The common cold goes extinct.






In 2965, the RNS Philadelphia, RNS London, and RNS Reykjavik arrive at Fascia, then proceed to assault Eson, the inhabited planet in the system. The system is secured by a ring of equatorial missile bases, which send volleys of 24 long-range nuclear missiles at the three ships. All but five of the first volley are eliminated by long-range fire from the fleet, and four of these are picked off by the London's point defense. The one missile that detonates fails to cause any damage to the London's armor through her shields. By then, the missile bases have been silenced, and the troops are landed for a ground invasion. The Klackon garrison is eliminated without significant loss to the Republican forces, and the approximately four billion Psilons on the surface are brought under temporary Republican administration until Seki can also be taken and a referendum held.




With the Fascia system under Republican control, contact is once again established with the Union of Peace, and trade is re-established between the United Republic and Union of Peace. Once again, the United Republic benefits from friendship with the Union of Peace.



This year also marks the establishment of an AI colony on Fool's Hope, exploiting its rich mineral reserves without the same fear of accident that would mark a traditional Human colony.



A year later, in 2966, Republican sensors detect a bizarre, elongated biometallic structure inbound for the Thales system, far larger than the one encountered at Sarti. Plans are made to gather the Nieuwpoort, New Antwerpen, Hong Kong, and Vigilant to drive it off, although travel times mean that the thing will be in-system for two years before it can be confronted.




This year also marks the arrival of the Klackon colonisation fleet at Burin. The Vigilant confronts the colonisation fleet's escort vessel, exchanging fire with it. In the first volley, the Vigilant's primary gun punches through the Klackon warship's armor, causing structural damage and knocking out one of its heavy spinal beam weapons. The Klackon vessel closes, opening fire, but the single strike from its remaining spinal mount fails to penetrate the Vigilant's shields. The second volley brings the Vigilant's secondary batteries in range, nearly gutting the Klackon vessel and eliminating her remaining primary weapon and all but two of her five secondary weapons. Still, the Klackon vessel advances, failing to cause any effective damage on the Vigilant. The final volley strikes home at the Klackon warship's drive core, causing a detonation that blasts the vessel apart and kills every Klackon aboard. With its escort gone and the Vigilant approaching, the colony fleet turns about and jumped back into hyperspace, returning to Klackon space.





The battle in orbit over Seki's inhabited planet, Teysh, goes much the same as did the battle at Eson. The equatorial missile bases are smoothly and efficiently eliminated, clearing the way for a ground invasion that proceeds with no more difficulty than did any previous invasion in the campaign.

Seriously, we've yet to lose a single ground unit so far; we're stomping the Klackon hard in ground war.

With Teysh secured, the United Republic proceeds to run a referendum on Eson and Teysh regarding whether the two systems should be returned to the Union of Peace or kept under Republican administration. Eson has a total population of somewhat over four billion, and Teysh approximately three and a quarter billion. On Eson, which has been under Republican administration for two years, 2,112,485,920 votes are cast, with 1,399,308,014 in favor of continued Republican administration and 713,177,906 in favor of return to the Union of Peace. On Teysh, one month after the occupation is in place, 1,520,336,849 votes are cast, 1,478,632,550 in favor of return to the Union of Peace and 41,704,299 in favor of continued Republican administration. With a total of 2,181,810,456 votes in favor of return to the Union of Peace and 1,441,012,313 in favor of continued Republican administration, the referendum comes in favor of return of the territory to the Union of Peace, to be executed within a year.

With these results, panic breaks out amongst many of the inhabitants of Eson, and a scramble for any available civilian hyperspace transport ensues. Fully half the planetary population evacuates on a seven-year journey to New Greenland by the time the Union of Peace formally resumes control of the planet.

It's already been established that the Psilon value for political stability and predictability is the overriding factor that keeps the Union of Peace together, they have no experience with democratic institutions, and no experience with Republican rule, but that Kirsus and her lot very rapidly grew to be enthusiastic supporters of the Republic. The outcome is based on these factors.

A year later, the strange creature bound for the Thales system arrives, and establishes close orbit around Chukwu, moving to intercept any traffic to and from the surface and somehow inducing slow infall of asteroids to its position to be consumed. Although food imports are cut off, hydroponics and waste-reprocessing allow heavily-rationed food supplies to be maintained on the surface.

Despite starvation on the surface, our medical techs have population growth fast enough that it's slightly positive even with no food, at least while the population is only one unit.



By 2969, a colony fleet bearing industrial AIs arrives from Earth to establish a colony on Harper, the gold-rich planet in Woo's inner system. Mining to export gold to cover costs of imports ensues, while new factory complexes with their own infant AIs are established on the surface. The fleet which had just returned from Psilon space redeploys to engage a new heavy Klackon warship detected at their home system of Kholdan.





The next year, in 2970, the fleet is engaged by the Klackon vessel as it enters the Kholdan system. The Klackon vessel is quickly torn apart by Republican fire, with no damage inflicted on the Republican fleet. It proves that there are two worlds in the inner system of Kholdan, both Earthlike; the Klackon homeworld, Hive, has a population of 16 billion and both orbital and surface defenses. The other, Kholdan Alpha, has a population of three billion and no particular defenses. Although there are still 40 million available troops with the fleet, no invasion is launched on Kholdan Alpha, with Social Democrat unwillingness to occupy further Klackon population centers.



At Chukwu, the fleet there engages, opening fire on the biometallic creature in orbit. Only a few shots hit the incredibly fast and evasive target, inflicting minimal damage on the creature's armored hide, and the Vigilant jumps into hyperspace, as the fleet commanding officer on the Nieuwpoort does not believe the Vigilant could survive engaging it head-on. Within a brief span, it closes the remaining distance, sending out a searing spherical pulse of plasma that incinerates the New Antwerpen and badly damages the Hong Kong, even after fire at pointblank range begins to impair the actions of the creature. With the loss of the New Antwerpen, a general retreat is ordered, and the fleet jumps into hyperspace to flee the creature.

Space monsters created by random event are larger, more heavily-armed, and more durable than their counterparts spawned over a specific star system, and space eels are, by default, incredibly fast and evasive. The smaller version wouldn't have been too much of a problem, but we need tougher, more accurate ships to deal with this eel.

The United Republic in 2970



Industrial subsidies have drawn some Humans back into heavy industry to compete with local AI-run heavy industry on Earth, and radiation screening has been erected as a final line of defense for the planet's surface- it should serve to absorb some of the force of attacks in the high atmosphere. Active recruitment and equipment procurement for the RCSPS is underway on Earth. As always, Earth enjoys its status as a wealthy core world with excellent standards of living.



With immigration and reproduction encouraged by subsidy on Mars, the population is rapidly increasing, and is expected to plateau at about ten billion in just a few years. Mars, like Earth, is extremely developed, prosperous, and happy.



Mercury now holds 1.5 million AIs with a reasonably well-established industrial base, and is working on constructing protective complexes to hold more factories and mines scattered over the surface. The planet is still an investment sink, but should shortly begin turning large profits for its settlers and for investors behind the colony.



Growing Republican populations have led to more and more investment in Nieuw Vlaanderen's agricultural sector and industrial subsidies have expanded its heavy industry, while its technology and sciences have begun to shrink for lack of local capital and focus. As on Earth, active recruitment and procurement efforts are underway for the RCSPS. Nieuw Vlaanderen enjoys all the benefits of a core world of the United Republic, and is extremely wealthy and happy.



The Forge's environment has stabilised at Earthlike levels, and its heavy industry has exploded between subsidies and the massive Naval outlays for the construction of the Majestic. The Majestic is over half-completed, but still has an estimated eight years until it can clear harbor. By now, the Forge is essentially a fully-developed core world of the United Republic.



The Anvil, yet another fully-developed core world, has been further fortified in the past ten years by equatorial missile bases. Active population subsidies ensure that families are large and the population grows rapidly.



Fool's Hope is currently home to a million industrial AIs with a fairly established industrial base, currently working on extending settlement on the world and building more factories and AIs. There is a great deal more to exploit on the surface, so the colony will still be in a growth phase for some time.



Surface-to-orbit fighter bases and radiation shielding complete the fortifications of New Greenland, which is otherwise a fully-developed core world. Recruitment for the RCSPS is underway, and the planet prepares to absorb a wave of two billion Psilon refugees within four years.



Wotan hosts over eight billion people, now, with more being born every day in response to population bounties. It is well-developed, but still lags the true core worlds in quality of education. Although very prosperous, wage rates here are somewhat lower than on core worlds.



Arcology-cities have been completed on Thor, while the first round of ecological engineering on the planet has left it a hot, storm-wracked world with a minimal biosystem. Despite the increased wear on facilities, its economy absorbs these expenses with minimal difficulty, and conditions remain quite good on the planet. Further ecological engineering is underway, and the population is expected to exceed five billion within a year.



Atmospheric processing plants and arcology-cities have been completed on Loki within the past ten years, allowing its population to grow to over five billion. Construction is underway on a new naval base intended to support naval logistics.



Only a half-million industrial AIs call Hel home, and development so far on the world has been slow. Nonetheless, as development progresses, it is expected to accelerate.



Laaxaayik is a fully-developed core world enjoying an excellent quality of life. Population is over ten billion and growing, and recruitment for the RCSPS is under way.



The previous issues with overtime on Cherenkov have been resolved, and average hours worked now match those elsewhere in the Republican core. Further, introduction of water and life is complete, so that Cherenkov now is a garden world similar to Earth. Like Wotan, Cherenkov is very well-developed but still lags in educational infrastructure, with local incomes similar to those on Wotan.



Naraka now enjoys an ATLASBUILT educational system provided by VISHNU, and wages have risen to track growing productivity. Increases in productivity and expanded industry due to subsides have increased the need for waste disposal, and new atmospheric processing plants are under construction to fill this need.



Sheol now hosts a new ATLASBUILT AI, PROMETHEUS ATLASBUILT, who administers a new ATLASBUILT educational system. The planet has benefited from improved education, but difficulty in keeping enough experts on staff from the local population have led to a costly program of encouraging guest experts from out of system to teach at the universities. PROMETHEUS appears as a tall, broad-shouldered, muscular man who could easily be taken for ATLAS' brother, who prefers to dress in a white suit with white shirt and white tie.



Faraway now exceeds four billion persons in population, with a generally good quality of life. The increase of importance of trade to Chezak has increased Faraway's importance as a trade stop. Atmospheric scrubbing plants are under construction to ease the problem of waste disposal on the planet.



Parch is an infant Republican colony with a basic industrial base, and wholly unremarkable in its conditions as an infant colony.



Although foreign trade with the Commonwealth of the Compact has almost entirely collapsed, Crossroads' domestic development has allowed it to overcome the challenges imposed by the lack of foreign trade. Consumer positronics have now penetrated throughout all levels of society, and arcologies have permitted an expanded population. Atmospheric scrubbing facilities to address increased problems with waste disposal are nearly completed.



Pasteur's population has nearly doubled in the past ten years, although it is little better-developed than it was before. It is now somewhat underdeveloped and backward for its population. Pollution processing facilities are under construction, addressing a huge increase in the need for toxic waste disposal on the planet.



Conditions on Chukwu are gruelling, with the population straining to maintain the industrial base and to provide a meager living from hydroponics and reprocessed biological material to the population while the world is blockaded by the strange creature. Radiation shielding is under construction in order to provide some protection against Chukwu's harsh environment.



Harper hosts half a million industrial AIs working to expand their infant colony. Export of refined gold helps fund the development of the colony.



With the Human population of Chezak somewhat increased, the strain to maintain local infrastructure is greatly reduced. Pollution processing centers are under construction, helping to address the increase in industrial waste the rising populations have brought. The Zetel, although still relatively primitive by Republican standards, have taken to Republican rule and Republican trade with enthusiasm, and local republics in Zetel cities have chartered themselves under Republican guidance.

Natives assimilate easily in Master of Orion 2. I'd say almost too easily; I sort of wish there was at least something you had to build to incorporate them into the empire. But I work with what I'm given.



Lesath Alpha has seen population growth to over five billion Klackon, and the final stage of ecological engineering on the world is nearly complete. Local conditions are as good as can be expected for 'assimilated' Klackon.



Growing populations and a moderation of local environment have greatly reduced the pressure on the local Klackon population on Ezra Alpha, and the incidents of disorder from a decade ago are a thing of the past. Ecological engineering to introduce more water to Ezra Alpha and bring it to an Earthlike environment are nearly complete. Ezra Alpha is the last stop on the trade route from the Union of Peace before it branches off to merge with Republican domestic trade.



Formica has deployed Puppeteer technology over the past ten years, and incomes are rising along with local productivity. New pollution processing facilities are under construction, helping to address the waste produced by intensive heavy industry.



Yad is no longer under military administration, and modernised industry, arcology-cities, pollution processing, and radiation shielding have helped improve the local output from the assimilated Klackon. Deployment of Puppeteer technology is under way. Like Ezra Alpha, Yad Alpha is a critical supply stop on the trade route from the Union of Peace.



The ten years of occupation of Hewel Alpha have proven sufficient to bring the local Klackon fully under control, and the planet has been opened to civilian administration. The planet hosts local Klackon research labs, a military command center for the occupying troops, and a series of arcology-cities. Development of a modern Republican industrial base in under way. Hewel Alpha is the gateway to trade with the Union of Peace, with merchant ships passing through the Fascia Gap between two black holes to reach Fascia.



Negotiations to end the war between the Commonwealth and the Nations have failed, and revenues from trade with the Commonwealth have dwindled to almost nothing as the fortunes of the Commonwealth have faltered. The loss in trade volume from the Commonwealth has been counterbalanced with a slight increase in trade to the Star Empire and renewed, and still-growing, trade with the Union of Peace. RCSPS staffing has been increased to 240,000 in the wake of renewed recruitment.



Innovation has held steady over the past ten years, while production of investment capital has continued to increase with a growing economy. The Republican economy is healthy, and naval logistics could easily support the Majestic. Civilian transport capacity is under greater strain with the growing population, and new civilian shipbuilding must be undertaken soon. The remaining minor Commonwealth world in the Gnol system has fallen to the Nations, leaving only two systems under Commonwealth control, and the destruction of the Klackon warship at Kholdan appears to have left them without any mobile forces other than transport fleets. Kholdan is under blockade, but, as both inhabited worlds in the system are Earthlike worlds, the populations under blockade should be able to feed themselves with minimal difficulty. Thales continues under blockade by a strange creature, and the fleet withdraws from Thales to regroup. A colony fleet is en route to Kraken, the last remaining uncolonised system in Republican borders.

All three parties will send no further colony fleets as matters stand, relying strictly on colonising worlds in systems the United Republic has already claimed. Further, all three are reacting to an urgent Naval demand for improved targeting computers; the Navy is looking into recruiting industrial AIs to serve as officers aboard Naval vessels. As these AIs are already optimised for waldo operation, they should be able to easily adapt to running many ship functions and provide greatly improved efficiency to ship operations. If they can gather the force to deal with the creature at Thales, all three parties will do so. There is also a rumor that the ATLASBUILT Family has something major under development that may be unveiled soon.

The Conservatives wish to maintain industrial subsidies, stop the buildup of the security forces, work on occupying the remaining independent Klackon, and build up the industrial base and military preparedness of the United Republic. They are also considering a sister ship to the Majestic, the RNS Terrible. Some investment may occur into further refinement of naval weapons and defenses.

The Social Democrats wish to focus on aggressive espionage, population subsidies, and continuing to build up the RCSPS. Peace will be sought with the Klackon at the earliest opportunity. Industrial subsidies will be left in place, and the Majestic completed. Some investment may occur in developing energy-matter conversion plants which would allow food to be provided to Republican citizens as a public utility.

The Liberals wish to remove industrial subsidies and allow civilian investment to guide continued internal economic development. Given the lack of casualties suffered so far against the Klackon, they believe that a campaign to occupy the remainder of the independent Klackon would allow a great reduction in further military focus by the United Republic. Some investment may occur in advanced economic methods which should further increase average incomes in the United Republic.

Voters of all three parties must consider whether to accept galactic leadership with the next summit, to seek to liquidate the worst offenders against peace and freedom before accepting galactic leadership (by default, the Klackon and the Unified State, but if they prefer to deal with some other mix of powers, please specify), or whether to hold off on uniting the galaxy until the mysterious 'Lords of Antares' are investigated and neutralised. Even without neutralising the 'Lords of Antares' before unification, it can be safely assumed a united galaxy will launch an expedition to investigate and deal with this threat.