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Blackfire667 Attitude is prohibited from The Virtual World Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Attitude is prohibited
#76: Jun 9th 2018 at 7:30:55 PM

[C.S.S. Horizon] (Med Bay)

Zorido just growled a bit, and when the doctor was done, he left without a word and with a roll of his eyes.

A few minutes later, Solaris walked in.

“Ah,” she said, rather flatly. “You must be the new doctor.” She sighed. “Well, I guess that makes me your head nurse. Nice to meet you, and all that.”

She walked right past him and headed for the back of the room. “And I don’t need a check-up, no matter what the X.O. said,” she said. “Besides, we’ll arrive at the planet soon enough anyway.”


(Engineering)

“Ah, good! You’re here!” Linda crawled out from underneath the console. “We’re doing some much-needed maintenance on the power transfer systems. Normally this is a four-being job, buuuuuuuut…” She took a brief look around the sparsely-populated room. “Well, I’m sure we’ll manage just fine. Anyway, you’ll be opening up those maintenance hatches you see around the room and checking the power cables,” she said, handing him what was essentially just a multimeter.

“I’m sure at least a few of them are defective, loose, or both. Replace ‘em, but try not to hold it against the ol’ girl,” Linda continued, patting the deactivated console she was working on. “She’s an old ship, been through a lot. You’ll probably want some gloves and maybe a pry bar, but you can get those out of any of the cabinets. Replacement cables, too. Once you finish with a panel, close it up and come back here. Well, y’know, not ‘’here’’ here, but to the the console that’s not currently unplugged, and do a diagnostic, check for cascading. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how important it is to make sure we don’t get any cascading power surges, yeah?”

She put her hands on her hips. “That about sums it up, I think. A little tedious, but hey, that’s life, right? Oh, and, hop to it, okay? MACI said we’ll be arriving soon.”


(Bridge)

“Ha! That’s a good one! Thanks, I think I will use that,” said the Deneb controller. “Say, uh, ‘’Horizon’’? You guys are getting pretty close. Gonna have to charge you that docking fee now.”

“Hold on, hold on,” said the captain. “I’ve got this! Just give me a minute! We can still get out of this fee!”

Yuki rolled her eyes. “Would you just pay already?”

Navina just scowled at her for a few seconds. “Go on,” the X.O. said, looking at Tyoni. “Tell him we’ll pay.”

“Wait!” said the captain. “Ask for a discount!”

“That’s not going to work,” said Yuki, frowning.

“You don’t know that!” Navina insisted. “Quick, haggle with him!”


(Drone Bay)

“Unfortunately,” began MACI. “The blueprints are the exclusive intellectual property of Uni Sig, and so cannot be accessed without the proper permissions, or without highly illegal hacking tools,” she said. “You are authorized to disassemble several drones, however, so long as the majority of them are restored to functionality.”

“Furthermore, while I agree that an immobile spacecraft would be strange and impractical, I believe you are confusing the words ‘animate’ and ‘animated’. I was referring to the notion of being ‘animate’, the opposite of ‘inanimate’, defined as having the qualities associated with living organisms. As for why this definition would not apply to me… I lack sufficient information to properly hypothesize.”


(Mainframe Access/Storage Closet 1)

MACI took a whole 1.8 seconds to mull over what Headcase had told her. Given the speed at which she normally dealt with information, it was a significant pause. Thank you, she said, at last. It is doubtful I will ever have such an experience firsthand, so to speak, and indeed, so long as I am a part of the Horizon, low orbit is the closest I will ever be to a waterfront. I will archive this memory for later analysis. Quite the compliment.

Her attention shifted instantly. A lime check is simply a visual inspection of the produce you are currently sharing a closet with. Implemented as part of the ongoing legal dispute between the Free Colonies and Great Galaxy Agriculture Incorporated, both parties wished to ensure that the other party was not mishandling the goods, and that the good themselves remained intact. Neither party was able to agree on who the inspector would be, however, and due to a variety of bureaucratic errors, as well as a diverse set of legal and political circumstances, the crew of the Horizon was assigned the task.

The sheer inefficiency of this arrangement is something I have repeatedly reviewed since its inception. It continues to yield new insights into trans-galactic bureaucratic processes, among other subjects, she said. The last lime check was performed 58 days ago, by Executive Officer Yukiko Kirishima, for 5.58 seconds. The audio-visual record of this event is not locked and can be reviewed at your leisure.

And for the record, my favourite colour is #00FFFF, though I also enjoy electromagnetic radiation beyond the visible spectrum of most species.


[Mars] (GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers)

A few other ambassadors got up and said their piece, and the mood of the room quickly became clear. Piracy, it seemed, was to be a topic for another time.

“The motion to begin a Special Debate Session has failed,” announced Mnhiri. “This body will now move on to its next order of business: Resolution 611, ‘a Proposal to Ban the Technological Acceleration of Pre-FTL Civilizations’ or ‘a Proposal to Ban the Practice Known as Uplifting’.”

The Chairwoman paused, briefly, and suppressed a sigh. A resolution so nice they named it twice… she thought, rather scathingly.

“R-611’s executive summary is as follows:

  • Hereby acknowledging that uplifting less-advanced civilizations is often done for political gain,
  • Hereby acknowledging that the uplifting process is highly damaging for the society on the receiving end,
  • Hereby acknowledging that this course of action is highly irresponsible,
  • Therefore,
  • The practice of intentionally accelerating the technological progress of any civilization that has not yet discovered faster-than-light technology of its own volition shall henceforth be banned for all member states of the Galactic Nations.

As always, ambassadors, the full text of the resolution is available to you through your desk console or your personal device,” said the Chairwoman. “Now, let the sponsor of R-611 please come up and begin the debate session.”

Saktan Ambassador Arel T'Khianye stepped up to the podium. “Honourable ambassadors, friends and colleagues,” she began. “A civilization is a delicate thing, and cultures often struggle to keep pace with technology. If you will indulge me in an analogy for a moment, I would like to recite for you a poem, written 300 years ago on my homeworld by-”

“An Izeran poem!” hollered Izeran Ambassador Chaeset D'Nera. “You cultural thief! You-”

No heckling." Mnhiri’s tone was harsh as she glared daggers at her fellow Izeran.

D'Nera quieted down quickly.

“Please continue, ambassador,” she said to T'Khianye.

It was not exactly uncommon for the Izeran and Saktan ambassadors to interrupt each other. Hardly a day went by when they weren’t fighting about something or other. Today, however, T'Khianye seemed a little off-put by her rival’s comments.

“Yes, well,” she said. “The point is, uplifting is a harmful and destructive practice, most often done for imperialistic and political gain. It is, I think, the ultimate example of putting some government agenda before the lives and civilizations of sapient beings, all of whom ought to be able to develop free from coercive outside influence. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

As she headed back to her seat, Mnhiri spoke again. “The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Star Pact!”

Ambassador Lagduf Orgol stepped up to the podium. “I will not stand for this,” he informed the crowd. “This is an outrage. What am I to think, hm? That before my people rose to power and claimed their rightful place in the galactic community, we were fair game? Oh, yes, but now that we’re here, now you’re all high and mighty and enlightened, and suddenly uplifting is ‘harmful’ and ‘wrong’.” He sneers. “Preposterous. Well, we’re here now, and you shan’t be getting rid of us! And furthermore, I think it is the inherent right of all galactic civilizations to uplift lesser beings as they please!”

He looks around, as if challenging someone to speak up. All he gets in return are withering stares, glassy eyes and a couple of sighs.

He sniffs, apparently satisfied. “Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.” He returns to his seat.

Not entirely dead.
FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#77: Jun 10th 2018 at 7:55:28 PM

C.S.S. Horizon, drone bay

"Can ship think? If ship think, and ship move, why not ship person?" Mesi stated, clearly finding no flaw in her own logic, as grammatically butchered as it was. "Alright, Mesi take most broken drone and do... Doctor take apart word" the tinkerer decided, going to find the least functional of the drones and get it hauled over to the work table, adding as she walked, "not matter if drone not work. Mesi only need seeing what parts are, what parts supposed to do." Thus she would set to work, unless interrupted or given something else to talk about.


Galactic Nations headquarters

Bykata remained still, but one could see her ears gradually moving back, and even her fur bristling as the new topic went on. It was immediately after Lagduf Orgol's speech that Bykata flagged for her own turn. Once it came, she stood and moved to the podium. "As representative of my country, and both sapient species of my home world- whom I remind you were uplifted- I must object to the very notion of this resolution!" Bykata started, voice raised. "To suggest that uplifting is inherently wrong is to suggest that the founding of my nation was inherently wrong! It is to suggest that it should not have happened! It is also therefore to suggest that I should not be here, with the rest of you!" the ambassador went on, letting her tone carry her displeasure as her face was still hidden by the mask. She paused for a brief moment, to calm down. Slightly.

"I also must say that I find this notion rather hypocritical; there seems to be no issue in the trading of goods including technology, between our states. This notion therefore suggests that there be an arbitrary ban on trading with certain species, based only on their own level of technological progress. I can understand suggesting that underdeveloped species be allowed to form their own nation- as is what happened with my own- to not simply be absorbed into that of an other's by force. However, to say that assisting the development of another species should be banned based on an arbitrary definition is an insult" Bykata concluded at length, and gave the chairwoman a stare through the mask for a few seconds, before finally adding, in a somewhat scathing and slightly sarcastic tone, "thank you, Chairwoman." With that, Bykata moved back towards her seat.

edited 10th Jun '18 7:57:27 PM by FirockFinion

You are reading this.
SullenFrog Wait, he isn't dead! Shia Surprise! from Voormithadreth Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
Wait, he isn't dead! Shia Surprise!
#78: Jun 11th 2018 at 9:48:52 AM

[C.S.S. Horizon] Engineering

Indeed she did not. Xaltozan understood the dangers of a cascading power surge all too well: let one node of the system go down, and the whole power grid would be sure to follow. In a city this would merely be a major inconvenience, but on a starship it was potentially catastrophic, and there were any number of ways that a power failure could lead to the deaths of everyone onboard.

“Understood, Chief.” He accepted the multimeter, took a moment to familiarize himself with its readouts—it seemed like a fairly standard model—and put it in his pocket. Deciding to do a clockwise circuit of the room, he moved to one of the cabinets, got out everything that he thought he might need—a single glove, several lengths of replacement cabling, and a pry bar—and moved to the nearest maintenance hatch.

Popping it open was a simple matter, and once the hatch was removed Xaltozan slipped on his goggles, brought out the multimeter and began to test individual lengths of cabling. True to the chief’s words, the cables weren’t in the best condition: some were loose, some had their insulation worn dangerously thin, and at least one looked as if something had been gnawing at it. Ultimately he had to replace most of the cabling in that compartment, and clear out more than a few cobwebs before hooking up the fresh cables. Then he closed the hatch, moved to the terminal, and ran a quick diagnostic.

“No sign of cascading in the first compartment,” he remarked. “Moving on to the next one.”

All told, it had taken a little over a minute to check the first compartment, but that one had been in abnormally bad shape. Hopefully the rest would be better off and thus go faster.


[Mars] GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers

Acoatl didn’t bother to look up from his tablet when Chairwoman Mnhiri announced that the special debate session had failed, though the cartilaginous portions of his beak did flex in a faint smile. If nothing else, they were moving on from the endless debate at last.

That smile faded slightly as the next resolution was brought forward. He’d been anticipating a resolution of this nature for some time now, and he already knew how he would vote. Looking up, he set aside his tablet and clasped his hands on his desk. While his primary eyes remained fixed on the speaker’s podium, his third eye glanced toward Ambassador Berreil.

He wondered how the Sirians would vote, considering their species history with meddling in the affairs of less-advanced life forms. If not for their intervention, the Star Pact and the Savages of Jotun would not be represented in the Galactic Nations assembly—and considering the actions and attitudes of both nations, Acoatl would not have minded if their uplifting had never happened. Still, what was done was done, and alternate history was a topic best left to speculators with too much time on their hands.

Acoatl allowed himself a faint smile as the representatives of both nations in question took the podium and protested against the resolution. Let the Seernefs bark and the Nisi caterwaul: gods willing, the assembly would see reason and the resolution would pass without incident.

The galaxy doesn’t need more charity cases.

edited 11th Jun '18 9:50:01 AM by SullenFrog

The Danse Macabre Codex
Flanker66 Dreams of Revenge from 30,000 feet and climbing Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Dreams of Revenge
#79: Jun 16th 2018 at 4:18:10 PM

General Assembly Chamber, GNHQ — Azunn

Azunn's ears flattened. Apparently the day's topics were designed to make life as difficult as possible for him. Well, that's what I get paid for, I suppose...

He spared a brief look across the rest of the chamber, as though he might divine their voting intentions from a glance. But that's what you used to do, isn't it? He pushed the thought down quickly. Already the Seernef and the Savages were expressing their displeasure - he found the Star Pact ambassador's ranting rather tone deaf, but Bykata managed to articulate a reasonable line of argument (as justifiably angry as she was). He was loathe to stand in support of the Seernef, but needs must.

Might as well see what I can do to help rescue the situation. Once his opportunity came, he stood and began to speak.

"My fellow representatives, though I can see why several nations present would wish to ban uplifting, I feel it is necessary to highlight some aspects that have been missed," he began, looking over the ambassadors of the nations in question. "As the honourable representative from the Savages highlighted, this motion smells of hypocrisy. We are all 'uplifted' peoples. Though we might have developed our current technology - and standard of living - independently, there is no guarantee that we would have done so. Is it right for us to raise the drawbridge behind us just because we had the good fortune to be first? What message does that send to the galaxy at large and our own people? I can tell you: it says that we are flexible with our morality when it suits us. It says that we do not truly embody the values we profess. It says that we lack humility. And by banning uplifting in all situations, we also condemn those less fortunate to famine. War. Disease. Extinction, in the worst case. Needless suffering, all to salve our conscience with an illusion. It isn't even a question of practicality - the galaxy is a big enough place for all of us."

He spread his arms. "I am sure that there will be those of you who believe that the Union have a vested interest. You may do so freely, but that does not make it true. The only interest I have, standing here today in front of you as an equal, is that we truly fight for the sentiments we have struggled and lost lives over for so long. I would like to finish with an anecdote from ancient Ruzann: once, a popular empress declared herself the most tolerant woman in all of Ruzann. And, to an extent, it was true - many different viewpoints were allowed in her court. However, one day a young girl shouted out, 'The Empress is evil!'. Furious, the empress was about to order her execution when she was stopped by an advisor. The advisor said, 'True tolerance can only be achieved when people can express unpopular sentiments'. The empress hesitated a moment, and then nodded, letting the child go. She went on to have a long and prosperous reign. I hope that my fellow representatives will think deeply upon this. Thank you very much for your time."

He returned to his seat.


General Assembly Chamber, GNHQ — Cinder

Cinder was, all things considered, fairly ambivalent about the motion - which, she noted wryly, might be appropriate considering every Kellsaran had their own take on the subject. She found herself leaning towards the negative side of the spectrum, however. So far, uplifting had seemed to bring only destruction - much of it, shamefully, the result of SU activities. But even so, the white furred woman found she couldn't entirely discount the points Azunn was making. Would she be able to stand by in the orbit of a dying world while she had the means to save them in her grasp? In some respects it wasn't entirely dissimilar to the decision her forebears had to make when they chose to assist Siao Ebei in reclaiming her worlds from the poisonous grasp of the warlord factions. She would need to take a long, hard look at what the Autharch of the time had written.


Mainframe Access/Storage Closet 1, Horizon — Headcase

"Cyan, huh? Not a bad choice, MACI!" chirped Headcase. "I'm gonna have to turn down your offer to see that inspection, though... unless something funny happened." A thought occurred to her as she pondered MACI's words. "What does EM radiation beyond the visible spectrum look like to you, anyway? Or - ooh, even better - can you show me, somehow?" Even if it would be a poor facsimile, at least it'd give her another fun story to tell people in bars and other places.

edited 16th Jun '18 4:28:35 PM by Flanker66

Locking you up on radar since '09
AllHailThrall For the Horde! from Somewhere (It’s Ben 10) Relationship Status: Longing for Dulcinea
For the Horde!
#80: Jun 25th 2018 at 8:54:41 PM

The Horizon, med bay

Maros nodded as Solaris entered the room.

"Very well. I will be eager to go planetside. You have no idea how claustrophobic ships and space stations can be when you're stationed on them for years at a time..." Maros told her, sounding relieved.


Mars, GN HQ meeting

Koruuna's blank demeanor hid her uncertainty with the vote. On the one hand, her government approved of the decision, but she herself had doubts.

Would she be seen as a hypocrite?

Regardless, she knew what she had to do. Koruuna stood.

"The Ashkathi Union votes in favor of this resolution. We are not to tamper in the natural order of things," she simply said. "Let the people of the galaxy follow their natural course."

I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
Parable State of Mind from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Holding out for a hero
State of Mind
#81: Jun 30th 2018 at 9:50:12 PM

[C.S.S. Horizon] (Bridge)

"You can't haggle with a traffic controller!" Tyoni protested. "What do you want me to do; give him an IOU?"

To prove that would not work even if he tried, Tyoni did, in fact, try. "Hey, you guys take IOU's?" he said to the Deneb controller.


[Mars] (GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers)

Munbeem had prepared a short speech with which he had intended to refute each of the proposal's summary points but after the double attack on the proposition from the Star Pact and the Savages he felt his hearts drop. There was no political benefit to joining sides with two of the least popular members of the Galactic Nations. What Azunn was thinking Munbeem had not a clue.

He also mentally argued against the illogical case presented by Koruuna, but again let it go without saying anything. He thought about making a snide remark about filling the galaxy with more potential nisi and seernefs as the best argument in favor of the proposal but decided the best moment had come and gone already. Munbeem instead chose the argument against contact he felt had the most merit.

Gaining permission to speak, Munbeem rose on four tentacles.

"I would like to remind this assembly that our great enemies are still out there, and have always targeted species that have made a breakthrough with FTL technology for conquest. Should we go about bringing others into our company, we would just be fattening them up to be served up on a platter should those enemies return. Woglinde is in favor of this measure. Thank your for your time."

Edited by Parable on Jun 30th 2018 at 9:51:28 AM

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim
Blackfire667 Attitude is prohibited from The Virtual World Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Attitude is prohibited
#82: Jul 11th 2018 at 1:23:54 PM

[C.S.S. Horizon] (Bridge)

“What?” said the Deneb Controller. “Uh, no, I don’t think so.”

“Just pay!” Yuki insisted.

“UHG! FINE!” At last, the captain relented. “You guys are the worst. You don’t get discounts unless you fight for them! That’s how it works!”

“If by ‘it’ you mean ‘being labelled a nuisance by the local port authority’, then yeah, totally,” muttered Yuki.

Navina just frowned at her.

“Just pay the man already,” Yuki said to Tyoni, with a sigh. “We’ve got a ship to moor.”


(Mainframe Access/Storage Closet 1)

While both your biology and your language appear to lack the components necessary to truly perceive or describe non-visible EM radiation in visual terms, I can attempt to emulate the information and relay it directly to your brain, said MACI. Commencing in 3… 2… 1…

And for just a few seconds, Headcase was privy to something few other beings had ever experienced before; a surreal, impossible colour. Truly indescribable, it resembled no known, pre-existing colour. It was as though it was some visual representation of something wholly non-visual, like taste or touch. It was a colour that, quite possibly, no other organic being had ever seen before.

And then it was gone, the experience interrupted as most of MACI’s processing power - including Headcase’s resources - were reassigned to the docking procedure, namely connecting to, exchanging information with and establishing communication protocols with a simpler A.I. entity named “admin_denebspaceelevator_guidancesys”.

MACI took control of the ship’s navigation system, signaled the bridge, and carefully guided the ship along the route set out for it by the Deneb A.I., constantly exchanging positional information and making micro-adjustments to the course all the while.


[Deneb Space Elevator]

The ‘‘Horizon’’ was too big to ever land, most cargo freighters were. So ships of its size and class had to connect their airlocks to those of a nearby space station, transfer over crew and cargo, and then shuttle them down to the surface from there. Deneb was a busy place, however. It was an up-and-coming industrial centre with a lucrative hospitality market. And with the Choco-Con in full swing, there were a lot of freighters and cruise ships around, all jockeying for position and just generally being really rude and impatient with each other and with traffic control.

Having foreseen moments like these, the system’s manager had constructed a space elevator, dramatically speeding up the process of getting goods and people down to the surface. Not wanting to miss out on any potential revenue sources - or due to a desire to make the trip more comfortable overall, depending on how trustworthy one believes the Conglomerate’s official line to be - a large space station was constructed as part of the “counterweight” portion of the elevator.

Ships carrying mostly goods docked on one side, while ships carrying mostly people docked on the other side, and then the ships were ushered off to what could possibly, potentially, generously be described as a “space parking lot”, which was little more than a few beacons outlining vaguely where big, bulky ships could “park” themselves in orbit.

Goods took a freight-only "express" elevator down to the surface, whereupon they were automatically transferred to a secure holding facility. People, on the other hand, be they crew or tourists or anyone else, were funneled into the middle of the station, where there was only one big(-ish) elevator for everyone, and it was surrounded by overpriced souvenir shops, overpriced fast food places, overpriced hotels and a couple of extremely overpriced "VIP elevators", for those who couldn’t stand the crowds or the waiting.

And for the intrepid (citation needed) crew of the Horizon, crowds and waiting were very much on the agenda for the foreseeable future. Getting the goods down to the surface had been a slick, fast, largely automated process. Getting themselves down to the surface was proving to be anything but. While the Deneb Space Elevator was considerably nicer than Neptune Station had been, one could never quite escape the feeling that the whole place was constantly trying to sell them something. Because, indeed, that was exactly what was happening.

Ads plastered the seats, the walls, the floor and even the ceiling. The hovering security drones that kept watch over the crowd even had holographic banners trailing behind them, or else were clearly displaying the brand name of some security or technology company. Like Saelunn Strategic Intervention, for instance.

But for all its challenges, at least the air in the station felt cool and fresh. The seats were numerous and comfortable, and while all the closest stores all seemed to be selling overpriced junk, the service was speedy. With a keen eye and a bit of luck, one could even spot an attraction or a store that wasn’t the physical embodiment of the Xenocon Conglomerate’s whole attitude, and was perhaps something a bit more genuine…

  • For whatever reason, someone has turned their livestock cargo into a “petting zoo” featuring furry, blue cows and plump, grey chickens. The local air filters prevent that distinctive “impromptu petting zoo” smell from spreading, but there’s little that can be done about the bits of hay forever falling out of the “enclosures”. Yuki and Navina have gone to investigate.
  • Tucked away in a relatively quiet corner of the space station is a peculiar little shop called Agon Sisamsu's Fascinating Fascinators, Occult Trinkets & Assorted Other Wonders From Around the Galaxy. A sign out front indicates that, while this location is open for business, the ‘‘main’’ shop is down on the surface. Solaris is here.
  • Within shouting distance of the petting zoo is an odd restaurant. A gimmicky, touristy, overpriced restaurant, but perhaps an interesting one nonetheless. “Every Cream” is its name, and it purports to sell ice cream sundaes in every flavour imaginable. It also claims to have a liquor license… Linda and Ninu are here.


[Mars] (GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers)

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Mighty Amalah Nation!”

Ambassador Zentri Zera Awag steps up to the podium. “I think, perhaps, that a few of my fellow ambassadors are experiencing a deeply skewed perspective,” he says. “Perhaps a few of my fellow ambassadors have come to believe that galactic history begins with the Occupation. Perhaps they have come to feel that, simply because there have been a few… Well… What I will very generously refer to as 'success stories', that they have any understanding of what it means to uplift a civilization.”

He looks around for a moment, then slams a claw into the podium. “This could not be further from the truth! It is absolutely insulting to imply that we were the product of uplifting, much less at the hands of the vile Yohzhu or the despicable Tennosians! The Mighty Amalah Nation was an interstellar empire long before the Occupation! Long before any of you even got into orbit, save the Mathis and the Nomads! And if the incompetence on display here today is any indication, we will be here long after!”

The comment garners some complaints from the other delegations, but the chattering stops as Mnhiri holds up a hand. Looking over at Ambassador Awag with a scowl, she says “settle down, ambassador.”

The Amalah ambassador merely grumbles in response.

“To attribute anything to the Y.E. or the TAWN other than tyranny and death is a grievous insult to all who suffered under their yoke. Are you all forgetting that there are descendants of your own people - abducted and enslaved - living in the Empire right now? People who have never known their own home-world, their own culture or language? They have known nothing but servitude!” The ambassador continues. “Have you forgotten the terror inflicted upon your people by the Tennosians? The plagues? The mass hallucinations? The mutations? Children were affected by these diseases, some of whom still struggle through life today!”

He shakes his head. “No, as I said, the only things we can attribute to the Yohzhu or the Tennosians are tyranny and death ! And even if that were not the case, even if they did uplift you, are they truly an example you wish to follow? Preposterous, I say. Beyond preposterous!” He looks around again. “My people could have uplifted any of yours. But we did not! And you would be wise to follow our example. We need only look at the track record of your fouled-up attempts at uplifting to see-”

Complaints arise from the delegations once more, but the ambassador just raises his voice. “To see how what little good it has done-” The complaints become rowdier and noisier, various ambassadors and staffers heckle and boo, while others call on the Chairwoman to restore order, to punish the ambassador, or both. It is an auditory mess, but only for a few moments. Mnhiri threatens to ring the bell again, and the room quickly quiets down.

“That kind of behaviour is not appropriate, ambassador. Your time is expired; conclude your speech and sit down,” she says.

“I have nothing more to say,” responds the ambassador. He leaves the podium without another word, eliciting more than a few scoffs, guffaws and glares as he snubs the Chairwoman. The room quiets down as the ambassador returns to his seat, and Mnhiri purposefully lets the silence linger on for several moments before calling on the next ambassador.

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Grand Confederacy!”

Ambassador Madeyladeyla Tincor flutters up to the podium. “While I must agree with the notion that we are not uplifted peoples, and that we should attribute nothing positive to the Empire or the Alliance, I still urge you all to reconsider these negative stances towards this resolution. All civilizations deserve the chance to take their place among the stars, and moreover, they deserve the quality of life that technology has enabled us to take for granted,” he says. “My people are still feeling the effects of the Occupation, and in many places, our quality of life has been set back centuries. But I know that these effects would be much worse were it not for modern medicine, sanitation and transportation. Please consider the suffering of less-advanced people as you vote, ambassadors. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

Ambassador Tincor returns to his seat as Mnhiri calls up the next ambassador. “The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Xenocon Conglomerate!”

Ambassador Proola Gutta makes his way up to the podium, all smiles and confidence, as though he’s figured out a secret. “Friends, friends,” he begins. “Let us not focus on the past. Instead, let us think about the future! Studies have shown that the links between our nations are growing stronger and more numerous; that we are becoming more interconnected every year. And as a result of this, economic growth has gone up at a galactic average of 7%! As more and more economies lower their trade barrier and join in this network, everyone benefits! You see where I’m going with this, yes?” He nods enthusiastically. “More peer nations means more economies, means more growth, means more anything! It’s all economics, my friends! A greater trade network benefits everybody! Please consider this before voting, that’s all I ask. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

Edited by Blackfire667 on Jul 11th 2018 at 3:26:09 AM

Not entirely dead.
FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#83: Jul 16th 2018 at 1:45:34 AM

C.S.S. Horizon, still in the drone bay

With her current job still being to the drones and in particular her trying to dissect one to get a better idea of their inner workings, Mesi was planning on just continuing with that, unless otherwise interrupted or forced to take on other duties.


Galactic Nations headquarters

Bykata was already getting unhappy when that stupid amalah, Zentri, started talking, but it was one line in particular that pushed her over the edge.

"... We need only look at the track record of your fouled-up attempts at uplifting to see- To see how what little good it has done-"

Bykata was among the ambassadors to start heckling, outright standing from her seat and shouting out at the bastard of a bug, "I'LL KILL YOU FOR AN INSULT LIKE THAT! COME DUEL ME IF YOU DARE YOU ARROGANT COWARD!!!" After that, Bykata sat in brooding silence, her ears pinned back in displeasure; even Proola Gutta coming up and being in favor of uplifting wasn't much to raise her spirits at the moment.

You are reading this.
SullenFrog Wait, he isn't dead! Shia Surprise! from Voormithadreth Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
Wait, he isn't dead! Shia Surprise!
#84: Jul 16th 2018 at 6:22:47 PM

[Deneb Space Elevator]

Xaltozan chuffed. Ah, the hustle and bustle of a crowded space station. It was almost like being at the Academy back home… except for all the civvies running around, and the omnipresent advertisements, the blended aroma of exotic foods and animals, and the constant torrent of people coming and going from all the countless stores lying around…

So not like home at all, then.

This wasn’t the first time the zhur’ryan mechanic had been to Xenocon space, and before leaving the ship he’d slapped holo-stickers onto the upper and lower segments of his mechanical arm. He activated them now by sliding a talon across one’s surface, which promptly lit up with the words Not For Sale in large characters that cycled through half a dozen languages. Hopefully that would deter anyone like the Snailian weirdo who’d tried to buy his arm the last time he was in this part of the galaxy, but you never knew.

He did know that the crew wouldn’t be planetside any time soon at the rate people were funneling into the main elevator, though. A smoke would have been a welcome way to pass the time, but he didn’t want a repeat of what had almost happened back on Neptune Station and he was pretty sure that he was technically on duty regardless. So the lho would have to go unsmoked for now.

The mechanic chuffed, cranial feathers ruffling. May as well take a walk, then…

He dropped to all fours and began wandering around the concourse, with no particular destination in mind. Eventually he found himself in a quieter part of the station, standing in front of an odd little store whose signage made him raise an eyebrow feather. “Occult trinkets, huh?” Not really his thing—he’d never been the most spiritual zhur’ryan, even before his life had changed—but the thought that the store might have some knickknacks from back home compelled him to approach.

As he did so, he noticed a human woman standing outside as well. He recognized her from the Horizon’s lounge, where she’d been playing a card game with Chief Engineer and a Quenos. “Here for a card reading?” he asked wryly, while trying to recall the woman’s name.


[Mars] GNHQ General Assembly Chamber

So the Sirians would be staying the course on this topic. It was hardly unexpected, though Acoatl found the sheer softheartedness on display in Ambassador Berreil’s speech disappointing.

What was unexpected was the Ashkathi Union’s stance on the matter. Considering the speech Ambassador Koruuna had made the day before about all the peoples of the galaxy standing, walking, and swimming together toward a common future, Acoatl would have assumed she’d have been in favour of uplifting other species and bringing them into the greater galactic community.

Then again, he mused, her speech was made for the benefit of impressionable hatchlings…

Ambassador Munbeem’s position was sensible, at least. Any uplifted species would become targets for the true enemy of the Galactic Nations, and they would be completely unprepared to deal with the sort of power the Yohzhu and the Tennosians could bring to bear. For that matter, they’d be unprepared to deal with any more experienced spacefaring civilization.

Then the Amalah Ambassador spoke up, and Acoatl let out a low growl as the assembly degenerated into angry shouts and jeers once more. Not because he was angry at the arthropod’s condescending tone, or at least not exclusively, but rather because that tone would make Acoatl’s own position and argument that much more untenable.

Once Awag had quit the podium and Ambassadors Tincor and Gutta had said their respective pieces, Acoatl requested permission to speak. Once it was granted he stood up, keeping his mantle drawn tight around his body as he made his way to the speaker’s podium.

“My esteemed colleagues,” he began. “It is true that non-uplifted species do not enjoy the standard of living to which we have all grown accustomed. And it is true that an influx of new trading partners would be beneficial to the galactic economy. In a vacuum, uplifting species seems like a good idea. But we do not live in a vacuum, and there are external factors that need to be considered.”

His cranial feathers shifted from green to pink. “For starters, we need to consider the cost. Accelerating the development of a less-advanced civilization is an expensive undertaking, and it can’t be done overnight. You can’t simply give advanced medical technology and weapons to one group of locals and hope that everything works out for the best: you need to be involved in every step of the process, to supervise their development so that they don’t destroy themselves. And, as the esteemed Ambassador of Woglinde has pointed out, an uplifted civilization becomes a target—both to our old enemies, and to pirates. It is a commitment of time, resources, and manpower that cannot be made lightly and may not bear fruit.

“And beyond the burden uplifting a civilization places on ourselves,” he continues, “we should consider the effects it has on the civilization itself. A poorly-handled uplift could result in the civilization becoming overly dependent on foreign aid and assistance. For example, let us say that the hypothetical civilization is wracked with famine, and the uplifting party responds by sending regular shipments of food to alleviate it. For a time, all is well. Then something happens—perhaps an outbreak of interstellar war, perhaps pirates preying on the shipping lanes, perhaps a gamma-ray burst or some equally devastating natural disaster—and the shipments stop coming. What is the uplifted civilization to do?”

He let the question hang for a moment. “Now, I am not saying that a non-uplifted civilization is guaranteed to overcome famine on its own. But I am saying that such a civilization deserves the chance to try. It is by facing obstacles and overcoming them on our own merits that we better ourselves, that we achieve independence and self-determination both as individuals and as nations.” His arm slipped out of his mantle, palm held upward. “My people have a parable on this very subject, concerning two young boys who struggled to tie their spats. One of the boys had a stern father who showed him how to tie the knot, but otherwise offered no help. The other had a kind but overindulgent father who would always tie the boy’s spats for him. Though the first boy struggled, he persevered, and eventually he learned how to tie knots by himself. The second boy never tried to learn, and he continued to rely on his father’s help until the day his father died. The first boy’s determination brought him success in life, while the second boy’s complacency and dependence brought him ruin. My colleagues, please consider this as you cast your votes. Thank you for your time, Madame Chairwoman.”

With that Acoatl returned to his seat.

The Danse Macabre Codex
Flanker66 Dreams of Revenge from 30,000 feet and climbing Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Dreams of Revenge
#85: Jul 22nd 2018 at 12:00:41 PM

General Assembly Chamber, Mars — Azunn

Azunn held firm. It was far from unexpected that his argument would be met with opprobrium. In fact, it would have been more bizarre if everyone had meekly agreed with his unorthodox filtering of the situation. And so he didn't even blink as Acoatl took to the podium to bolster the pro-motion argument, though he was disappointed. When he had the opportunity, he too stood up to speak once more.

"My esteemed colleague from the Imperium has made a fair and reasonable point," said Azunn. "However, the implicit choice he offers is a false one. I could obfuscate my point by returning to the hypothetical scenarios we proffered, but I shall not. Put simply, we can support uplifted peoples without supplanting them. We can grant them a solid foundation upon which to build, offer them counsel and the tools they need to succeed, and then let them get on with it. Furthermore, though I and many of my colleagues would agree that a better outcome is had when heat - hardship - is applied in the forge, I am sure that we are all also aware that if too much heat is used then the resulting product becomes brittle. Far from being strong, it shatters at the first blow or hard knock. Hardship for hardship's sake is not something to be lauded. As the women of the Sirian Army would say, 'fight smarter, not harder'. I thank you all for your attention, and hope for your support."


General Assembly Chamber, Mars — Cinder

Cinder could sense that the mood in the room had seemingly decisively turned against the Union. It seemed that the Star Pact would be the final legacy of uplifting, at least within Galactic Nations space. Of course, it was something that the SU had brought upon itself with the mismanagement of uplifting that had occurred in the past. Unfortunate, but not unexpected. Quietly, she made a note to see if there was anything that she could do after the vote concluded. The white furred kell sincerely doubted it, but it would at least provide some means of salvaging the result. And viewed from a certain perspective, the defeat could be a blessing in disguise.


Deneb Space Elevator — Erruan

Erruan had continued training Ninu, and soon enough it was time to step off the Horizon and on to the Deneb Space Elevator. It was a riot of colour and sound, though the constant thrum of activity was thankfully dampened as her ears tuned it out. A security drone trailing an advertisement for SSI drew a wry smirk from the sirian. I wonder what they'd make of me now? Honestly, she wasn't sure - it was entirely possible that they'd consider her folly justly rewarded, whilst others from her time in the PMC might feel vindicated by her gainful employment.

Now... just what do I do? Most of the attractions on offer did nothing to arouse excitement, but businesses catering to her preferences seemed thin on the ground. It was then that she spotted the petting zoo. The animals reminded her of some of the fauna of her homeworld. Surely it couldn't hurt to at least take a look? It wasn't like she was going anywhere fast right now. As she went over, she nodded to the other crew members present.


Mainframe Access/Storage Closet 1 > Deneb Space Elevator — Headcase

At first, Headcase didn't say anything as the indescribable colour filtered through her mind. Then she broke out into a huge grin. "Cool!" Of course, it would be rather difficult to explain what she'd seen without coming off as completely insane, but some people already thought she wasn't quite all there anyway. So what was the harm? Soon enough she redirected her computational power to handle the matter of docking.

As she wandered about the crowds, her post-landing work done, Headcase found it darkly comedic that cargo was transferred more efficiently than living beings. What was the ancient term she had heard being used? Self-loading freight. Sure, freight couldn't be tempted into parting with its (non-existent) cold, hard cash, but it was still an irritation.

Still, it was nice to stretch her limbs (and tail!) again. Her attention flitted to-and-fro, some new ad grabbing it before she lost interest again. At long last, though, she couldn't ignore the pull of Every Cream and its promise of frozen treats. Damn the prices, she wasn't so poor that she couldn't afford to treat herself, at least for a little while.

Edited by Flanker66 on Jul 22nd 2018 at 8:56:27 PM

Locking you up on radar since '09
Parable State of Mind from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Holding out for a hero
State of Mind
#86: Jul 23rd 2018 at 3:23:34 PM

[Deneb Space Elevator]

"Roger, paying. Deneb, one docking fee coming up. Hope your show is a success." Tyoni slumped after the transaction was over, feeling oddly taken advantage of.


The feeling was largely gone by the time the crew got to the space station. While waiting for their elevator to arrive, Tyoni activated his eye camera and described the trinkets that somehow had gotten into his hands at the same time money had left his wallet.

"And this glow in the dark star keychain, and these leg warmers which probably don't fit - probably gonna trade these with someone taller later - and this bubble pipe, and... I don't actually know what this is."

Tyoni held up a palm-sized device with drills, needles, an electric current running between two points at one end, and a flame burning in the center, viewable through a clear panel.

"Think it might be a lighter. Something to try later!"

After stuffing everything into a pouch he kept around his waist, Tyoni looked around to see mostly everyone else's waists.

"So as you can see, we're stuffed liked French fries up in here. The cargo gets these speedy as hell elevators because the corporate bigwigs who run this show just can't wait to get the money makers out there ASAP. The workers get this one smelly ass lift we're all waiting for. Have you ever tried to stand next to a bunch of star sailors for an entire ride? Stank as hell, myself included. And by entire ride I mean forever! You have to wait hours for it to come back up if you missed the last drop. "Safety Regulated Speed!" They say, but come on, these are the same people who wouldn't put sprinklers on the top levels of their buildings until they got sued and the GN slapped them on the wrist. Gotta love when the Man fights himself."

He stopped to eat a brownie, also recently purchased - "Why is that all the chocolate is so expensive at a Chocolate convention? Shouldn't this be like a concentrated market flooding that drives the prices down? See, this is why I had to retake economics in school. Yuki! Hey, Yuki, I got a money question... " - before officially resuming his vlogging.

His meal on the move brought him to the occult trinket store, unknowingly trailing Xaltozen and Solaris. He did not even realize they were in front of him until just then.

"Yo, Xal, Doc Sun!" he greeted them. "Lucky charms or fortunes? The astrology chart said today is supposed to be good for Sombreros! Thank God I was born in July!"

Edited by Parable on Jul 23rd 2018 at 3:26:08 AM

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim
Blackfire667 Attitude is prohibited from The Virtual World Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Attitude is prohibited
#87: Jul 29th 2018 at 3:01:27 PM

[Deneb Space Elevator] (Sisamsu's Occult Trinkets)

Solaris looked over at Xaltozan, and very seriously said “yes, actually.” When Tyoni joined up with them, she quietly sighed at his comments. “If you two just came here to make fun, why don’t you come back later? I have business here, and I’d rather you didn’t disrupt it,” she said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” With that, she went inside.

“Ah, welcome, welcome!” said the gashtor behind the counter. “Was it fate that brought you here, or simply curiosity?”

The inside of the little shop had a rustic, archaic feeling to it, and perhaps it was even a bit spooky. Shelves were arranged in rows throughout the largely wooden, hexagonal room, with more lining the rear walls. All of them displayed - as the shop’s name had implied - “Fascinating Fascinators, Occult Trinkets & Assorted Other Wonders From Around the Galaxy”. Though, the name was perhaps a bit too whimsical for the contents, as there was more than one creature’s skull or dessicated body part hanging around…

Solaris walked up to the counter. “Fate, probably. For me, at least,” she said. “In fact, I’d like to learn a little bit more about mine. Are you Sisamsu?”

“Alas, no,” said the gashtor. “Sisamsu is my older brother. He’s down on the surface, running what could be called our 'main' outlet. I am Azzarer,” he continued. “And I am pleased to be of assistance to you. We have many possible means of divining one’s fate. Did you have a preference?”

Solaris quickly glanced over her shoulder, then leaned close to the shopkeeper and whispered “tarot cards?”

As their conversation continued, a bipedal droid approached Tyoni and Xaltozan. “Greetings, prospective customers! My name is Jeffy.”

A common Xenocon model, it was a cheap-looking and utilitarian being, designed to be quickly and easily assembled, shipped and deployed, with little thought being given to durability or overall quality. Its thin, rickety limbs made it seem as though it would fall apart if it were yelled at too forcefully, and its legs could just barely support the weight of its boxy little torso. Its head was a slender, snout-like shape atop an even more slender neck. For a bit of added charm, however, it had been painted to look as though it was wearing a tuxedo.

“Please, I invite you to browse our wares! We have incredible treasures from across the galaxy!” said the droid. For such a fragile-looking thing, it seemed to have a rather boisterous voice and personality. “Things both ancient and new! Fascinating and frightening! Dangerous and benign!” It leaned in slightly, and lowered its voice to a conspiratorial tone. “We even have items hailing from the Empire and the Alliance… But those are for discerning customers only. Wink, wink,” it said.

Abruptly returning to its previous volume and posture, it continued. “With that all said and done, how can I help you?”


(Petting Zoo)

Yuki spotted Erruan, and waved her over. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “I have a feeling we might be needing our Security Chief soon.” Her eyes moved to the captain, who was currently clinging to a flimsy wire-mesh fence.

On the other side of the fence were several plump, grey chickens, sitting around and just generally being chickens. There were a few arbaos mixed in with them too, also fluffy, grey and more than a bit chubby. From some angles, it was difficult to tell them apart. Navina was reaching her arm through the fence in an effort to pet one of them, though it was just out of reach. “Here, chicky!” she she called. “Here chicky, chicky, chicky! Come, chicken!”

“Would you stop that?” said Yuki. “Those chickens are big enough to have you for lunch.”

“Oh, relax,” scoffed the captain. “They’re domesticated! And look how funny-looking they are! How can you resist something with such a stupid face? Besides,” she continued. “I’d never get eaten by livestock. That’s way too lame of a way to die.”

Yuki put her face in her hands and groaned. Then, turning to Erruan, she said “I want you to watch those birds like they’re your enemy, got it? I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”


(Every Cream)

The ice cream shop has a faux “outdoors” area, a nice terrace for its guests to enjoy, simulating a pleasant summer afternoon in a temperate climate. Sitting at a table together are Linda and Ninu, and upon spotting Headcase, the former waved her over enthusiastically. “Hey,” she said. “How’s it going, Flight Engineer? Not a bad first stop, right?”

Linda was enjoying a vanilla sundae, drenched in chocolate syrup and bits of brownie… alongside a bottle of beer. A brand from the Free Colonies, specifically. Meanwhile, Ninu was having a little bowl of Rocky Road ice cream. Or, was trying to, anyway. Her right head was occupied holding the bowl in place, while her left head was handing the spoon, moving with the precision and care of a brain surgeon. Her middle head was tasked with simply enjoying the dessert, but even this seemed to take some serious effort.

“Submit to your creamy confection cravings!” said Linda. “Come, join us in our sugary revelry!” She chuckled, then had another spoonful.


[Mars] (GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers)

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Wassingtowne Union!”

Ambassador Gerey Robern approached the podium. “I think that, by now, it is fairly clear who is on which side of this issue. The lines have been drawn. I motion to begin the voting phase!”

From there, things seemed to go by at light speed. The moment Ambassador Robern had finished his brief statement and thanked the Chairwoman, the Infinite Burrow’s ambassador, Melacaura Genisatia, signalled his wish to speak and was called to the podium. He seconded the motion, unsurprisingly, and the moment he was done, the third part of their usual trio, World Web ambassador Mammet Artetu, got up and gave the motion the last bit of support it needed to pass. They had clearly coordinated this, and likely intended to vote together as well.

Whatever their intentions were, Saktan ambassador Arel T'Khianye, who had proposed this resolution in the first place, was the first one to cast a vote. “Friends, esteemed colleagues,” she began. “I thank you all for your contributions to this discourse, and for all of your opinions on this important matter. However, I believe that my original points still stand. Pre-FTL civilizations are better off without interference from us. Sakta votes in favour of this resolution! Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

Next up, the Chair called Izeran ambassador Chaeset D'Nera. “Before voting, I urge you all to consider this resolution from an as-yet unmentioned perspective,” he said. “And that is, as a matter of sovereignty. I do not believe it is the GN’s place to dictate to individual nation-states how to go about their own business. If a given interstellar civilization wishes to make a protectorate of a planet inhabited by a less-advanced species, I believe it is their right to do so. Izera opposes this resolution! Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

After Ambassador D'Nera, the Chair called Xenocon ambassador Proola Gutta. “Friends, I am deeply disappointed in the actions of some of my colleagues here today,” he said. “This resolution, as it stands, could be amended to allay the fears and concerns of its supporters, while simultaneously allowing for less-advanced peoples to join us in the galactic community. To proceed straight to a vote creates a sense of do-or-die for this resolution, which only serves to divide us further. We need not live in a galaxy where such peoples are locked up in a proverbial cell for their own protection, nor do we need to have a situation in which half the galaxy is constantly worried about what the other half will do to them.” He sighed, and shook his head. “Nevertheless, regrettably, the Xenocon Conglomerate must oppose this resolution. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

Edited by Blackfire667 on Jul 29th 2018 at 5:04:05 AM

Not entirely dead.
Sergey_Smirnov Trans Terminus Homo from Everywhere and Nowhere (With a german accent) Since: Aug, 2015 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
Trans Terminus Homo
#88: Jul 30th 2018 at 9:52:25 AM

Mars, GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers

Kuz-Plak-Tu watched the whole discussion, she already had made up her mind for quite a bit, yet, she did not want to interrupt, instead focussing more on watching the rest, trying to get a general feeling of the attitudes of the other diplomats for later. During some of the more... unruly commotion, her mandibles clacked around a bit more, her eyes darting around the room before finally coming to rest at her papers again.

She was rather surprised at how quickly this resolution got to the voting phase, making a mental note about the seeming unspoken alliance between the three ambassadors Robern, Melacaura Genisatia and Mammet Artetu. Looking at the first votes cast before finally being called for her own vote.

After ordering her papers for a last time, Kuz-Plak-Tu finally stood up, looking around in the room shortly before clearing her throat "Honored ambassadors, most of the arguments have already been made, I do not wish to hold the honored body back any further than neccessary, after weighing the factors concerning this bill, the Osnaria Hegemony votes against the resolution" After saying her piece, she sat down again on her chair, looking at the reactions of the other ambassadors, technically she agreed with Proola Gutta that further discussing would have been benefitial, yet, for now she wanted to give as little of her positions away as possible, preferring to properly gauge the general mood at first.

Edited by Sergey_Smirnov on Aug 4th 2018 at 3:28:48 PM

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"
SullenFrog Wait, he isn't dead! Shia Surprise! from Voormithadreth Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
Wait, he isn't dead! Shia Surprise!
#89: Jul 30th 2018 at 11:47:47 AM

[Deneb Space Elevator] Sisamu’s Occult Trinkets

At Tyoni’s words, Xaltozan swung his head around to give the little dotur a flat, three-eyed stare. “Don’t call me Xal.”

The woman—Solaris, he realized, the runt’s nicknames jogging his memory—left them and went inside, clearly put off. As she left, Xaltozan gave a chuff. Well, that went well, he thought sourly. Who’d have thought a human, and a medical officer at that, would have been the spiritual type? Now they’d gone and offended her.

He was half-tempted to follow her inside and apologize, but she didn’t want to be disturbed. And before he could even take a step, a rickety old sales droid tottered up to him and Tyoni and started making a pitch. He regarded the robot for a second, thinking whether to answer or not.

What the hell, he decided. This was why he came here, after all…

“Got anything from the Tlatlathui Imperium, droid?” He paused, feathers rustling for a moment. “I’m feeling a little… nostalgic.”


[Mars] GNHQ General Assembly Chambers

Despite everything, Acoatl was impressed. Ambassador Berreil had practically turned his own argument against him. It was well-played, and he gave the Sirian a respectful nod as he quit the podium.

Had there been time he might have taken the stand again and made a rebuttal, but no sooner had Berreil taken his seat than the Wassingtowne Union’s Ambassador Robern motioned to begin the voting phase, a motion that was quickly carried. Several ambassadors were called to speak, and by the time they finished three had voted against the resolution while only one had voted in favour of it. Deciding to even the odds, Acoatl indicated his wish to speak.

Once permission had been granted and he ascended to the podium, Acoatl cleared his throat. “My colleagues, let me remind you that the galaxy is a dangerous place. We just spent hours discussing the rampant piracy plaguing our Galactic Nations. If we go about uplifting less-advanced civilizations as we please, then we give the pirates new targets to prey upon and new avenues to attack our own nations. Worse, these new interstellar states could become breeding grounds for pirates if they were uplifted haphazardly. I urge you all to consider the strain that uplifting would put on our resources, and the negative impacts that it could have on less-advanced civilizations. The Tlatlathui Imperium votes in favour of this resolution. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

The Danse Macabre Codex
FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#90: Jul 31st 2018 at 3:09:13 AM

Galactic Nations headquarters

Bykata nearly stood to yell without waiting for permission, but Bykosi grabbed her arm, and whispered something to her. After conferring with her cousin briefly, Bykata motioned to speak, and stood once her turn came. "My fellow ambassadors who have decided to vote in favor of this resolution seem to have forgotten something important: Criminals, by definition, don't particularly care about laws. The only practical way for us to avoid uplifting any primitive species, even by accident, is to ban travel to their worlds, but that will only stop law abiding citizens from traveling to those worlds; pirates, anarchists, rebels, and any other disreputable individuals would have no qualms about traveling to those worlds. And, why wouldn't they? A world where no one is allowed to travel there to pursue them is the perfect hiding place, and a primitive people who lack any means to deal with advanced technology would make an excellent source of slave labor for black markets" Bykata explained, her mask blocking her exact gaze, but she did slowly turn her head back and forth towards particular opponents in this matter.

"Therefore, the only means to prevent those sorts of elements from going to primitive worlds would be to blockade the systems with our own ships. So no, it is an absolute lie to say that this resolution would avoid a drain on our resources and and assets; in fact, it would be quite the opposite, as we would be forced to play defenders for people who provide us no benefit to do so. Uplifting them instead may be costly, but it would be a cost that they would share the burden in" Bykata went on, staring directly at Acoatl for a moment. Then, turning away from him and back to the chamber in general, she concluded, "or, to put it another way, what would be preferable for us all in the long term: That new species be welcomed into the galactic nations by a helping hand into open arms? Or, that they become aware of the known galaxy through pirates terrorizing their world? So, the Savages not only votes against this resolution, we insist that we will have no part in it. Thank you Chairwoman."

With that, Bykata returned to her seat.

Edited by FirockFinion on Jul 31st 2018 at 4:12:20 AM

You are reading this.
Flanker66 Dreams of Revenge from 30,000 feet and climbing Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Dreams of Revenge
#91: Aug 9th 2018 at 11:15:27 AM

General Assembly Chamber, Mars — Azunn

Azunn quietly totted up the votes as they came in. As it stood, it seemed like he might just win the day at 4 votes against 2 votes in favour - at least, so far. He had caught Acoatl's nod of approval as he returned to his seat, which helped take the edge off still further. Perhaps once he had finished with Munbeem he could visit Acoatl and either congratulate him on helping pass this motion or help soothe the Imperium's ambassador if he failed. Hopefully he could also find a way to make sure Bykata wouldn't consider Acoatl an enemy. Not that he expected much success, though, as the motion had touched a painfully charged issue for the Savages.

Azunn stood up once more. "Madam Chairwoman, as many of my colleagues have said, most arguments have already been made one way or the other - though there have nonetheless been some useful contributions in the last few minutes. We cannot support this resolution, and therefore vote against it."


General Assembly Chamber — Cinder

Cinder was curious how the Wassingtowne Union, Infinite Burrow, and World Web would vote on the issue at hand. Whoever they backed would likely have a decisive edge. In some respects the affair reminded her a bit of how international government was done on Kellsara. Some smart aleck had once observed that issues were local but politics were universal, and it seemed that he'd been proven right.

Of course, there's always room to be surprised... she noted. Unexpected swerves weren't exactly unheard of, after all.


Petting Zoo — Erruan

Erruan was skeptical that the chickens - or the arbao, for that matter - could do much harm. They were just random fowl, right? Nevertheless, she nodded dutifully and said, "Of course, ma'am." She approached the fence and experimentally held out a hand to see how the livestock would react. As she did so, she looked at Navina and said, "So, captain... what's your favourite animal, anyway? I realise I don't actually know that much about you - though maybe that's the way you like it, I don't know."


Every Cream — Headcase

"Don't mind if I do!" Headcase needed no encouragement to join her crewmates. She eagerly pored over the menu, eventually settling upon a big bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. "Man, it's been too long since I got to have something like this... I was worried that it'd be months or something." She took a thoughtful look as she tucked in. "Yeah, this place isn't bad at all."

Edited by Flanker66 on Aug 9th 2018 at 2:05:50 PM

Locking you up on radar since '09
Blackfire667 Attitude is prohibited from The Virtual World Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Attitude is prohibited
#92: Sep 2nd 2018 at 1:08:48 PM

[Deneb Space Elevator] (Sisamsu's Occult Trinkets)

“Most certainly, sir!” said the robot. “We have a variety of mystical items hailing from the Imperium, from cypher wheels to dice sets and more! Won’t you come this way, and see for yourself?”

Indeed, should Xaltozan decide to follow the droid inside, he would spot many familiar items lining the shelves, right alongside many not-so-familiar items. Dreamcatchers and grimoires from ancient human culture; fiendish dolls from Woglinde; vision pipes and stone tablets from the Sirian Union; bejeweled animals skulls from the Principalities; stone idols from the Aranseur Masters… and a few shrunken heads, from places unknown.

“Was there anything in particular you were looking for, sir?” said the droid.


(Petting Zoo)

A nearby arbao approached Erruan’s outstretched hand and investigated it, giving it a few experimental pecks. After determining that it was, in fact, not edible, it seemed to lose interest and soon turned away.

“Yeah, I’m a real mystery wrapped in an enigma!” the captain said with a laugh. “But nah, I’m not very mysterious. My favourite animal, though? That’s a tough one…” As she spoke, a chicken finally noticed her and began strutting over to her.

“Back home, at the colony where I grew up, most of the animals were imported from Tatl, to be livestock,” continued Navina. “Now, Tatl’s a huge mess, and my home wasn’t a lot better. I mean, there weren’t any smouldering craters, but still. So, like, of the ones that arrived intact, around half of them escaped and just ran amok in the wild. Anyway, there are these things - they’re half my size, they’re all fluff and they’ve got these big, dopey eyes - we called them ‘puffballs’,” she said.

The chicken walked up to her, and she began petting it.

“They were supposed to be cattle, packed to the brim with nutrients, but when they took off into the wild, we found out that they reproduce like nobody’s business when you fill ‘em with vitamins and stuff, and that they’re actually highly adaptable. So now they’re like a native population, a unique offshoot of the species. Weird, right? They sure are cute, though. And stupid as all hell, but in an endearing kind of way. Plus, and I feel a little bad saying this, but they are delicious. Cute, stupid, and tasty,” she said. “Kinda like this thing!”

The chicken eyed her up, its expression unreadable. “Who’s a big, stupid weirdo? It’s you! Yes it is! Yes it is!” said Navina, still petting the chicken. “So, what’s your-” Abruptly, the chicken’s beak clamped shut on her arm. The captain froze, the chicken froze, Yuki froze, and for an instant, time itself seemed to stop.

And then all hell broke loose.

The chicken pulled the captain through one of the holes in the flimsy chain-link fence, then tossed its head back and clamped its beak shut on her entire upper body.

“NAVINA!” Yuki vaulted over the fence, knocking it down in the process, and without hesitation, booted the chicken, sending it flying through the air. Navina was spat out by this kicked chicken, and Yuki quickly scooped her up.

Rather than be intimidated by the commotion, however, a cluster of other chickens and arbao only seemed emboldened by it, perhaps taking the booting of their fellow avian personally, and rushed the X.O., pecking and scratching at her feet and legs. Others, seeing an opportunity presented by the downed fence, rushed out of their pen and into the crowd. A hairy, blue cow passed by Erruan at a leisurely pace as it escaped.

“Well don’t just stand there!” Yuki said to Erruan, holding a stunned captain high above her head, hopping from foot to foot as a swarm of aggravated avians assaulted her legs. “Do something!”

“My stock!” A snailian, seemingly the owner of this would-be petting zoo, rushed over. “My livestock! What have you done?!”


(Every Cream)

Linda chuckled. “Well, hey, enjoy it while you can! Odds are we’ll be heading to some kind of depressing hole-in-the-galaxy next. But I guess that’s better than having to live there. Or here, for that matter. I’ve heard that Xenocon doesn’t provide any public services. Any! Sounds nuts to me. Do you think that’s true?”

Just as Linda finished her thought, there was some commotion nearby, prompting the chief engineer to glance over her shoulder. “Did you guy hear some…?” She trailed off as a group of tubby grey birds and a cow made their way through the crowd. “Uh… hmm… okay, weird,” she said.

Ninu’s middle head got distracted. “What’re we talking about?” she said. But the second she finished, her bowl of ice cream slipped out of the jaws of her other head. “Oh, dang it all!” she said. “Sorry. Strong language, I know…”

“Ninu, I’m telling you, just pick your favourite face and stick it in the bowl,” said Linda. “Nobody’s gonna judge you.”

“I’m going to eat this properly,” Ninu insisted. “As it was meant to be eaten!”


[Mars] (GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers)

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Wassingtowne Union!”

Ambassador Gerey Robern approached the podium. “I am deeply disheartened to see all the various excuses concocted by those who would oppose this resolution. It is my firm and unwavering opinion that uplifting is nothing more than a means by which would-be imperialist states create vassals and proxies, to the detriment of the uplifted peoples. The Wassingtowne Union votes in support of this bill! Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.” With that, he stepped down, and Mnhiri called up the next speaker.

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the World Web!”

Ambassador Mammet Artetu walked to the podium. “In an ideal galaxy, perhaps I could believe that uplifting a civilization would only bring it benefits. We do not live in such a galaxy, however, and so I can only believe that any newly uplifted civilization will be subject to exploitation and strife. The World Web votes in favour of this resolution! Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.” She then stepped down, and Mnhiri kept things moving along.

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Eternal Burrow!”

Ambassador Melacaura Genisatia slid up to the podium. “Friends, colleagues, ambassadors,” he began. “I recognize that this is a divisive issue for some of us, but I urge you all to put aside hot-blooded feelings and personal pride, and act with empathy instead. Uplifting is a dangerous practice, often done for selfish reasons. Because of this, the Eternal Burrow votes in favour of this resolution! Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

With those three votes, momentum would seem to have shifted in favour of the ban, but the total number of votes was now tied, five to five. Seven other voting members remained, and with the Mathis likely to abstain - was there anything important enough for the Tribes to feel the need to get involved? - a tie was distinctly possible. If that were to happen, there would either be a Special Voting Session or the resolution would return to its debate phase.

A Special Vote would forbid abstentions, compelling the Tribes to get involved, and would also enable non-voting representatives - namely, the Free Colonies, the Nomads and the Taichii Legion - to vote. But if that then tied, a return to the debate phase was unavoidable. Either way, a tie would involve considerable overtime for the ambassadors and their staff, a situation most probably wanted to avoid, given how close they were to the end of today’s session.


  • SUPPORT
    • Sakta
    • Tlatlathui
    • World Web
    • Wassingtowne
    • Eternal Burrow

  • OPPOSE
    • Izera
    • Xenocon
    • Savages
    • Sirian
    • Osnaria Hegemony

  • UNDECIDED
    • Mathis
    • Woglinde
    • Mars
    • Aranseur Masters
    • Grand Confederacy
    • Principalities
    • Star Pact

Not entirely dead.
Sergey_Smirnov Trans Terminus Homo from Everywhere and Nowhere (With a german accent) Since: Aug, 2015 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
Trans Terminus Homo
#93: Sep 2nd 2018 at 4:29:06 PM

Mars, GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers

Kuz-Plak-Tu's mandibles clicked as this wave of support for the bill came, she had to hold back an exasperated noise, not able to understand this false division some supporters of this bill got into, she of course wasn't pretending everyone in this galaxy was someone with good intentions - their own history showed otherwise already - yet, assuming that anyone would have bad faith was equally wrong in her opinion, indeed, she believed such a worldview in the end only hurt everyone if you couldn't trust anyone's action to be without some form of malicious thoughts.

Watching the other ambassadors closely, Kuz-Plak-Tu weighed her options right now, in her mind, it wouldn't even be the worst outcome if the bill were to go back to the discussion stage, as, while she was opposed to a blanket ban on uplifting, she wouldn't be aganist heavy regulations of the same, that way, one could at least be reasonably sure that the so uplifted species eouldn't be exploited. And, in the end, Kuz-Plak-Tu was also sure that even if it were to get outlawed, those who actually wanted to uplift to exploit would probably just do so secretly, in the end a worse state than the current one.

As she watched the rest, the Osnarian' emmissary clicked on her personal tablet, accessing the voting histories of the ambassador's who had not voted up until now, trying to judge how they would vote now to judge their potential as allies.

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"
Parable State of Mind from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Holding out for a hero
State of Mind
#94: Sep 3rd 2018 at 5:54:00 PM

[Mars] (GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers)

A tally keeper in one eye kept count of the votes and who voted for what. Robern and Artetu immediately voting for the resolution was no surprise, but they and Genisatia represented a very influential bloc in the GN, and as other eyes looked about at the rest of the faces in the room, Munbeem suspected he would see more people having resolved to vote in favor of the resolution. Not far from his seat, he could see Plak-Tu doing the same thing.

Seeing no purpose in delaying, Munbeem ran through the official stance of Woglinde again. Not liking it, but satisfied enough that the argument was at least sound, he cast one last glance around the room for any reminder of something he might have missed. Four eyes fell on the the ambassador from the Legion. A Special Vote would mean Taichii would get to vote. And if they got to vote Cho'Ka would surely use that as an excuse to pontify.

Screw that. For the good of the Known Galaxy, Ambassador Munbeem could not let that happen.

Getting permission to speak, Munbeem said, "Perhaps a day will come when we can meet the none star-faring peoples on grounds without fear of malicious or unintended consequences. But today is not that day. Woglinde votes for the resolution."


[Deneb Space Elevator] (Sisamsu's Occult Trinkets)

Tyoni's ears dipped, disappointed that his attempt to be friendly backfired. Then his ears dipped further, as if clamping down to avoid the boisterous voice of the robot. Seeing that Doc Sun very much did not want his company - even if one of his guesses about her intentions had been right, if what he heard was correct - he joined Xal - tozan. Xaltozan and the cheap ass robot called Jeffy in examining the other wares the store had to offer.

And Tyoni had to admit the wares were tempting. Ignoring his impulse to buy and try everything, he prioritized what would fit in his budget.

Dreamcatchers he already had. The Martian grimoire held some interest for him until he flipped the pages and saw "Copyright, 3549." Lame. He wanted something first edition. And his translator had a hard time parsing the words.

Un voleur est au vingtième étage d’un immeuble. Tout à coup son pied glisse et il tombe en bas.

Something something floor something building. Something foot something something fall down.

"Ce fut son dernier vol."

Tyoni did not have a clue what kind of curse this was. He put the book back.

He already had a pipe. The tablet looked too heavy for his bag. The animal skulls were too expensive, though one looked an awful lot like it was dressed in the jewelry his sister liked to buy. He half expected to see a "Made on Kiyoshimo" sticker on the bottom. More rocks, more bones.

"Okay, so," he said to Jeffy, "If I were one of those discerning customers," he said the phrase while making air quotes with his paws, "What would you be showing me?"

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim
SullenFrog Wait, he isn't dead! Shia Surprise! from Voormithadreth Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: I wanna know about these strangers like me
Wait, he isn't dead! Shia Surprise!
#95: Sep 12th 2018 at 10:42:52 AM

[Deneb Space Elevator] Sisamu’s Occult Trinkets

While Tyoni started asking the droid questions, Xaltozan began browsing the shelves. He picked up one of the dreamcatchers, ruffling his cranial feathers in thought. It looked like one of the laser hoops used in games of chunkey back home in the Imperium, but too small, not smooth enough to roll along the ground, and with an actual, physical mesh in the middle instead of a grid of intersecting lasers.

The mechanic clicked his beak. This thing couldn’t catch a zayolin fly, let alone a dream. Not with gaps that big in its netting, anyway.

He set it back down and moved on to one of those jeweled skulls, smiling as he held it gingerly in his flesh-and-blood hand. He’d heard stories of pre-Occupation civilizations on Tlatlathui that used to preserve the skulls of their dead and decorate them with carvings and jewels in a manner very similar to these, though he’d never seen one for himself.

Tablets, idols, pipes… those were nothing new. They had plenty of those back in the Imperium, and plenty more abroad (he could still imagine his instructors ranting and raving about how the Yohzhu had stolen countless statues and idols during the Occupation). He gave these no more than a passing glance.

Then he found himself standing before a cipher wheel, and stopped.

It was designed like a stylized sun, with the central disk sporting a grinning three-eyed face and the outer wheels being trapezoids and triangles which combined to make up the sun’s rays. It was large enough to fit comfortably in his hand. its red and orange paint was slightly faded in places, and it was clear that this particular cipher wheel wasn’t brand new.

And yet, he couldn’t take his eyes off it.

“Hey, droid,” he called. “How much for this?”


[Mars] GNHQ General Assembly Chambers

Acoatl made no comment as Bykata took to the stand and said her piece. He simply sat there, expression calm, hands clasped in front of him on his station. Were he a lesser zhur’ryan, he might have stood up out of turn and made a lengthy rebuttal against the Nisi’s naïve argument. A lesser zhur’ryan might have leapt out from behind his desk, grabbed the woman by her shoulders and shaken her. A lesser zhur’ryan might have shouted at her that piracy did not work that way and that it was neither profitable nor lucrative to prey on species that still relied on fossil fuels and other substances which couldn’t easily be bought or sold on the black market, if the natives even had the means to extract such resources for themselves. A lesser zhur’ryan might even have grabbed a spear—if one had been at hand—and hurled it across the chamber to take the entire top half of her skull off midsentence.

A lesser zhur’ryan might have done all of these things. But he was not a lesser zhur’ryan: he was the son of a Huey Tlatoani, the cuahtlatoani of an entire world, and the spokesman of his people. And so he remained seated and silent, outwardly calm, his rage at the Savage (never had that appellation felt so apt to him) betrayed only by a single, powerful exhalation through his nostrils.

It simply would not do for his daughter to see him spark an intergalactic incident over something so petty.

Subsequent votes served to cool his temper somewhat, as the tally was brought back to a semblance of equilibrium. Ambassador Munbeem’s vote tipped that equilibrium in favour of those supporting the resolution, but while this pleased Acoatl, he knew this was no guarantee of victory: with six states having yet to cast their votes, the resolution could still go either way.

Nevertheless, he dipped his head in slight acknowledgement of the Spaceborne. The Imperium had always enjoyed decent relations with the United Stars of Woglinde: perhaps he should pay Munbeem a visit after the resolution to reaffirm those ties, regardless of the vote’s outcome.

The Danse Macabre Codex
Flanker66 Dreams of Revenge from 30,000 feet and climbing Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Dreams of Revenge
#96: Sep 30th 2018 at 8:03:24 AM

General Assembly Chamber, Mars — Azunn

It seemed that his early optimism had been misplaced. There had been one vote after another in favour of the motion, and although the Star Pact would likely vote against it that left five other nations that were on the fence. Azunn wasn't willing to throw in the towel yet, but if he were to be asked his opinion right that second he would have described the situation as "unfavourable". Hopefully the voting would conclude soon, so that he could move on a little more quickly.


General Assembly Chamber — Cinder

Cinder studied her superior's body language closely as the new wave of votes came in. He did a good job of not showing it, but from this distance Cinder could see the slight tension in Azunn's jaw and the ever so minute rigidity in his body. Not that she could blame him for his reaction.

Looking over the list of those who had yet to vote, she noted that some of the nations present were less than upstanding galactic citizens. Idly she wondered how that might affect perceptions of the winning side if their votes ended up clinching it.


Petting Zoo, Deneb Space Elevator — Erruan

Erruan suppressed a flinch as the arbao pecked at her hand. It didn't hurt, but it was certainly ticklish. Apparently the ones here were just as single-minded as the ones back home. She smiled as the captain told her story. "Yeah, sounds like these little guys." She indicated the arbao that had decided to wander off. "Have you ever seen a nazrac? They're -"

She was interrupted by the chicken deciding that the bite-size captain looked delicious. Alarm written on her features, she waded into the avian maelstrom to assist the embattled XO and captain. The other animals breaking loose could wait until after her employers weren't at risk of an embarrassing obituary or at least a bizarre trip to the nearest hospital. Still, she spared the snailian an apologetic look and said, "It looks like your animals are a bit more aggressive than expected... please forgive me for this but I have a principal to save."

Doing her best impression of an angry predator as she approached, Erruan growled at the chickens and arbaos, brandishing her claws and baring her teeth. Hopefully the livestock would be frightened off and she wouldn't be forced to cause physical harm.


Every Cream — Headcase

"I could see it," commented Headcase, adjusting her mask slightly for better access to her frozen treat. "I heard that you can buy practically anything from here. Anything." She peered curiously outside as the panoply of livestock thundered by. "...Huh. Do you think there's a circus in town? Once when I was a kid - "

The clatter of Ninu's ice cream bowl made Headcase jump slightly. Running a hand over her mouth to clean some melted mint choc chip ice cream off, she said, "There's a 'proper' way to eat ice cream?" Her eyes glinted with curiosity.

Edited by Flanker66 on Sep 30th 2018 at 12:49:57 PM

Locking you up on radar since '09
Blackfire667 Attitude is prohibited from The Virtual World Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Attitude is prohibited
#97: Oct 3rd 2018 at 11:22:59 AM

[Deneb Space Elevator] (Sisamsu's Occult Trinkets)

The droid stared at the cipher wheel in Xaltozan’s hand for several seconds, its internal components whirring loudly. “Ah, I see! Yes, that is a fine choice, sir! And it can be yours for a mere 25 Xenocon Credits!” The droid paused again, more whirring and clicking emanating from within its boxy little torso. “What luck! I’ve just remembered that, by subscribing to our free daily newsletter, you will be able to access a coupon for 5% off! Please input your personal information now.”

Once done with Xaltozan, Jeffy turned to Tyoni. “Why, as I said, kind sir, discerning customers gain access to high-value items, including some from the Yohzhu Empire and the Tennosian Allied Worlds Nation.” A small antenna popped out of the droid’s middle, like an unsettling belly button. “To gain VIP access, please pay the 20 Credit Access Fee now.”


(Petting Zoo)

Erruan’s appeal to the prey instincts of the farm animals was mostly successful, with many of the chubby avians fleeing from the sight of teeth and claws. Some fled more enthusiastically than others, however, with a few chickens seeming to be especially defiant, levelling scornful glares at Erruan as they sauntered out of her way.

Yuki breathed a sigh of relief and lowered a shivering captain from above her head. “Thanks,” she said. “My boots are surely ruined, but I’m okay. I think the captain’s okay too, although… she might be afraid of chickens now…”

Navina kept her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “Let’s just get out of here,” she said.

Yuki took one step before getting intercepted by the Snailian farmer. “What the hell!” he said. “This is insanity! You are insane! You trash my fence, free half my stock and then harass the other half?! You hooligan! You vandal! What have my birds ever done to you?!”

“Excuse me?!” retorted Yuki. “Your birds just tried to EAT my FRIEND! Maybe if you’d had a better fence - or actually knew how to run a zoo! - this never would have happened!”

“Look at what you’ve done to my birds!” cried the man. “They’re traumatized!”

The remaining chickens and arbaos were all clustered together a few feet behind Erruan, circulating around a nearby hen house. Perhaps they were looking at Erruan, eyeing her up, plotting their revenge. Perhaps they were bitter about having been routed a moment ago, and were now regrouping and coordinating a counter-attack.

Or perhaps they were just frightened poultry.

Only they would know for certain. Either way, the XO’s fight with the farmer didn’t seem to be winding down. If anything, it was getting worse.


(Every Cream)

“Well yes, of course there is,” Ninu explained to Headcase, suddenly the very image of refinement and class. “You eat it with a spoon, obviously. A teaspoon is preferable, and you must savour every spoonful. Obviously it’s best to eat it carefully, so as to not get any on one’s face, body or lap, but…”

Linda rolled her eyes. “Ninu, you’ll be here all day if you eat like that! Spoons are built for creatures with hands! You’re at a distinct disadvantage! Just pick a face and eat it directly!”

Ninu turned up all three of her noses at the notion.

Linda sighed. “Anyway,” she said. “You were gonna say something about a circus, right, Headcase?”


[Mars] (GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers)

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Kingdom of Mars!”

Ambassador Tebigon Smith made his way to the podium. “Although this deep division within our ranks pains me somewhat, I must agree with the honourable ambassadors of the World Web and the Eternal Burrow. I cannot, in good conscience, allow uplifting to go on unabated. The Kingdom of Mars votes in favour of the resolution! Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Araseur Masters!”

Ambassador Dakess Thalcard approached the podium, and snorted. “The galaxy does not need any more… charity cases …” she said with a sneer. “The Araseur Masters votes in favour of this ban! Thank you, Chairwoman.”

Much grumbling follows her back to her seat, before Mnhiri quiets everyone down and calls up the next speaker.

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Ankara Principalities!”

Ambassador Bossak Kron strode up to the podium, proud and purposeful. “It is my firm belief, and the belief of the Principalities, that the sovereignty of the nation-state should not be infringed upon for any reason. Certainly not by this resolution. The Ankara Principalities votes against this resolution! Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Star Pact!”

Mnhiri had scarcely finished speaking before Ambassador Lagduf Orgol was shouting into the microphone. “You think you can get rid of us? Hm? You think we somehow aren’t good enough to be here? To be your peers? Well, I pity you if you truly cannot see the greatness of our people! You will not be rid of us! You will not silence us! We are here and we will participate! As equals! Whether you like it or not!” he said. “Suffice it to say, the Star Pact votes against this heinous insult!”

He stormed off without thanking the Chairwoman, and a deeply unhappy silence filled the already tense room as dozens of eyes glared at him on his way back to his seat.

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Mathis Tribes Coalition!”

Ambassador Lanzuur uncoiled his long body and wound his way down though the room and over to the podium. Half his body was still on the stairs as his face reached the podium.

“The Mathis Tribes Coalition respectfully abstains,” he said. “Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

Nobody was surprised, but more than a few sighs and groans could be heard as the wizened ambassador made his way back to his seat, needing an extra minute or so to coil himself back up.

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Grand Confederacy!”

Ambassador Madeyladeyla Tincor fluttered up to the podium. “While I respect the arguments made in favour of this resolution, I find I still cannot support it. An outright ban is, in my opinion, too extreme. Defeating this resolution opens up the possibility that a more moderate version could be presented in the future. What’s more, I think my own arguments still stand. All beings deserve to claim their place among the stars. The Grand Confederacy opposes this resolution! Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.”

“The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from the Mighty Amalah Nation!”

Much complaining and grumbling accompanied the ambassador to the podium. He was the last to vote; his vote would break the tie. And his position had already been made clear in his earlier speech.

“Any opposition to this resolution is pure folly,” he said. “Hubris, even. You know not what it truly means to uplift a civilization, and with any luck, you never will! The Mighty Amalah Nation votes in support of the ban!”

The tension in the room finally broke as numerous ambassadors got up and shouted. Demands for a Special Vote or a return to discussion were mixed in with and ultimately swallowed up by accusations of hypocrisy, elitism, naïveté and imperial ambitions. Soon enough, petty insults were exchanged at high volume, with the Chairwoman’s calls for order being ignored. At some point, Ambassador Lagduf Orgol grabbed Ambassador Gerey Robern by the collar of his shirt and shook him, only for the two to be separated by Ambassadors Melacaura Genisatia and Arel T'Khianye.

The chaos was intense but short-lived. Mnhiri struck the bell hard, and all other sound in the room was instantly eliminated, the piercing noise resonating uncomfortably in various beings’ teeth and bones. Ambassadors and staff members sheepishly returned to their seats and quieted down, like scolded schoolchildren.

“Resolution 611 is passed. Thus concludes today’s session,” she said, breathlessly. “We reconvene tomorrow. Go in peace, ambassadors.”


  • SUPPORT: 9
    • Sakta
    • Tlatlathui
    • World Web
    • Wassingtowne
    • Eternal Burrow
    • Woglinde
    • Amalah
    • Mars
    • Masters
  • OPPOSE: 8
    • Izera
    • Xenocon
    • Savages
    • Sirian
    • Osnaria Hegemony
    • Principalities
    • Star Pact
    • G.C.

Not entirely dead.
Sergey_Smirnov Trans Terminus Homo from Everywhere and Nowhere (With a german accent) Since: Aug, 2015 Relationship Status: Consider his love an honor
Trans Terminus Homo
#98: Oct 3rd 2018 at 11:27:21 PM

Mars, GNHQ, General Assembly Chambers

The renewed support of the bill didn't exactly please Kuz-Plak-Tu, to say anything else would be a lie, yet, amidst of this, she did notice how Ambassador Madeyladeyla Tincor seemed to also support her position of not outright banning (which Kuz-Plak-Tu was alredy fairly certain would be circumvented by those only out to exploit those civilisations) but heavily regulating uplifting, which when done right would force all galactic nations to do it in the open, with the rest of the galaxy being able to make sure no foul play would happen.

Her mandibles clacked as she brought up Madeyladeyla Tincor on her PDA checking her voting history and making a small note to seek her out after this session. After that she watched as the tie now finally got broken in support of the bill - certainly not the outcome she had wanted, but, at least on her part she did not plan to fight it, which made the sudden outbreak of chaos and shouting all the more baffling to her, causing her to subconciously clap her blades onto her lower arms - something most Rak-Girz did when feeling threatened - while Kuz-Plak-Tu had managed to mostly suppress this primal reaction, it still showed a bit.

Hearing that the session was finished for today earned a light sigh of relief (or rather a clacking sound that would pass as a sigh for other Rak-Girz). After remaining silent shortly and watching the other ambassadors disperse the Emissary stood up, making her way to Madeyladeyla Tincor to talk to her in private for a moment.

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"
FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#99: Oct 6th 2018 at 10:40:17 PM

Galactic Nations headquarters

Bykata actually didn't join those who stood to start yelling and arguing once the Amalan ambassador voted, but she did immediately stand and begin to simply leave the room, before they had been called to leave yet. She was already thinking over in her head how to start showing that she had absolutely no respect for this institution. There was still that idea of showing up in swimwear; or if she really wanted to go all the way, she'd show up topless, since it hardly mattered to her. She also wondered if she could get away with bringing some meat to an assembly and just starting to eat.

Her family guards followed right after, with Bykosi not far behind. The gleep record keepers had to scramble to finish their work and then scamper to follow as well, their six legs hurrying to catch up.

Once they got out of the assembly hall and started to make their way back to their own embassy, Bykosi moved herself beside Bykata. "Something about that whole vote just isn't right" Bykosi mentioned.

"Yes, I didn't realize until now that over half the galaxy were a bunch of fools and cowards" Bykata agreed.

"No, I don't mean the outcome, I mean the entire vote. On a fundamental level, something strange is going on here" Bykosi corrected. "I studied other cultures and this sort of democratic process in preparation for us coming here. This resolution, it's something vastly important; probably the most important thing the GN has ever talked about. It sets to shape the lives of every person in the known galaxy, primitive and modern, both now and for many generations to come. So why, for something so important, is there only two, vastly divisive options? And why is it allowed to be settled by a difference of a single vote? I've seen many examples of issues far more mundane than this that required a two thirds majority approval, or even three fourths, before they were allowed to come to a final conclusion" she went on to explain as they walked.

"... So, you think there's something else that's actually going on here?" Bykata asked, after thinking for a few moments.

"Seems like a straight forward case of baiting the duelnote  to me" Bykosi stated simply. "I just hope that we aren't the intended target" she added.

"Not that there's much for us to do about it here" Bykata pointed out as they continued walking. "If we discover a primitive species and the Warlord orders us to uplift them, then that's that; this decision by the GN would be completely disregarded. Even without the Warlord's order, our people will never agree to this" she added; it was more thinking out loud, since she knew that Bykosi probably was well aware of this as well. What she really wondered was if any of the other ambassadors had realized that that's what Bykata had meant when she said that the Savages would have no part in the resolution.

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Flanker66 Dreams of Revenge from 30,000 feet and climbing Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Dreams of Revenge
#100: Oct 22nd 2018 at 5:59:21 AM

General Assembly Chambers, GNHQ — Azunn

Azunn deflated slightly as the final results came in. The momentum of the previous votes and the proposing side’s rhetoric had ensured motion had passed. And although it meant that the Imperium would be pleased, he would have to deal with a rather irate Savages. But for now, at least, he had a meeting with Munbeem to attend. Getting up, he motioned for Cinder and the rest of his entourage to follow him as he left the room.


Petting Zoo — Erruan

Erruan eyed the poultry just as suspiciously as they looked at her. If only getting rid of the Tennosians was as easy as this...

The argument with the petting zoo owner needed to be resolved, though, and fast. Looking at him and putting on her best officer-getting-recruits-on-track voice, she said, "We can discuss this later - right now we've got more pressing matters, like the livestock currently running rampant. Come on, let's go!"


Every Cream — Headcase

Headcase was thankful that her mask made her scepticism impossible to see as Ninu rambled on. She obviously meant well, but clearly she had some way to go yet. Linda's question grabbed her attention.

"Oh, right! Well, a foreign circus was visiting our arcology. It was really cool, but some of the animals they had broke free and started running all over the place. Luckily it wasn’t anything dangerous, but it was a little scary,” she explained.

Edited by Flanker66 on Oct 22nd 2018 at 1:59:59 PM

Locking you up on radar since '09

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