Part 16: Don't Forget the Kids!

Chapter 15: Don't Forget the Kids!


Ah! This is a very nice new command center. One day, this will all be yours, my friend.




Huh? What? Who's talking? Get out of my way, Futurebook... Whoa! Are you alright, sir? You look angry.


No no, I'm fine. The optical surgery just messed with my facial muscles a bit, and it's taking some getting used to.


We haven't built one for the masses yet, but the Mechatronics tech allows a dedicated Optical Surgery building.


Anyway, I assume, since you're now an aspiring intelligence operative, that you've been briefed on things? What can you share with me?


Well, there's a bit of a crisis going on. You remember those fancy new social dynamics equations that have been floating around the net? Well, it turns out we stole them from Franco-Iberia, they found out, and killed the agents involved.


Stealing this tech is a total coup because it's in the outer ring and would have taken even us, with our huge Science output, well over 20 turns to research. Sucks that we got caught for it though.




Well, at least they haven't declared war on us over it. Why's Elodie so broken up about a little harmless espionage? It's not like we stole doomsday device schematics or something. Bah.


Maybe she thought Bolivar was involved?




These people are losing it, former intern. I hope we can find a solution to this mess soon. So, what else is going on?


Well, to help out with that, our engineers have developed a powerful new class of defenders: a line of independent drones linked to a central artificial intelligence. They're called CNDRs, because engineers are even worse than scientists when it comes to inventing acronyms.






Those advances have also allowed the army to modernize its armored battalions, which they now call Prophets.






Honestly, I'm a little weirded out by all this religious imagery, but they've been helpful so far. Just... let me know if they start doing anything extra crazy, okay? So, what else is going on?


There's apparently an independent city full of supremacy-sympathizers to the west, in the desert mountains bordering the PAC.




Keagungan? That even means supremacy in Malay. They must really want to be like us. Also holy shit, they're right next to an alien nest?!


Yep! They've held them off with some crazy advanced weaponry though, so we shouldn't have to send in Disciples for a while. Meanwhile, to the east, the colonization expedition has touched down. The first city there is under construction. We only lost one Disciple unit to the sea dragons and krakens. They died so the colonists could land safely.




I'll rename Rangi once it's fully founded.


Damn... I need a break. I'm going to go toast a cup of spiked soma in their honor. You want to come with?




I've still got a lot to do here, sir, but thanks.


Pshaw. Like what?


Well. You remember those signals sent by the "Culper Cell"? The Slavic Federation's scientists have discovered some kind of code embedded in the transmissions, and they're making real progress in deciphering it.




Huh. I guess that is important then. Tell you what. I'll swing by and bring you a cup later.


Thanks.


I would have gone a little farther, but we're making so much Culture now that we're getting Virtues like crazy. What should we pick next? Laboratory Apprenticeship (+.25 Science per population on city tiles) won last time, so the new one we have access to is:



In addition to: Military-Industrial Complex (+15% Military Unit production), Field Research (+30 Science from completing expeditions), Survivalism (+25% Strength against aliens), Frugality (+10% Food retained after city growth), Scalable Infrastructure (+15% Wonder production), Social Investment (+2 Production from Manufactories), Creative Class (Extra Culture equal to 30% of positive Health)