The Blackgrue Boiler (National announcements)

[BLACKGRUE]

(OOC notes: This thread is OPEN to commentators but after the first post here I expect you to make a new thread and link to it if you want to do more then a single comment on a news story to avoid this thread from being cluttered to hell. This is going to serve as an announcement of new publicly known technological projects, declarations of war, appeals to international goodwill, and other things that my ministry of propaganda may require. Generally there will be one story but in this case there will be 2, one announcing the start of the IC radio show that this thread represents, the other being the show's first announcement.)


Ministry of Information starts News show

In case you havn't heard the news by now, the Ministry of Almost Certainly True Information has decided to supplement the Union of Blackgrue's totally and completely free press with it's own national radio show! The people the ministry could find to interview were extatic.

Marie Jacobson, a freelance journalist went on the record stateing "More competition could do nothing but help the small independent journalist."

Timothy Radcliffe, a halfclank engineer had this to say. "*Happy whir* *Busy clicking*"

James Carlyle, an intern at the Ministry said "It's so wonderful that we live in such a country as to give someone like me the jo- I mean information I so greatly desire."

Mind you, like all things the Ministry says, this is almost certainly true. The newspaper will not take work away from independent journalists but rather swares not to broadcast information we get from our government sources before you even make it to the press conference. The Ministry also swares not to send radio-traces on anyone who listens to this program to track your location. Finally the Ministry is absolutely not sending subliminal messeges to vote for the technocrat party in the next election. That last rumer is just plain silly, it didn't happen. Vote technocrat...

Project "Steel Halo" begins

In the name of our glorious Technocratic Union, the Blackgrue Aetherial corp of engineers has decided to undertake the most ambitious project in our nation's history. Project Steel Halo will make travelling through space simpler, easier, and will facilitate foriegn trade much more efficiently then ever before! The project will be run in several discrite steps. First Aetherial warships will use deep bore-nanite bombs to blast apart 2 of Renalson's moons. Second, the same warships will tow the chunks of asteroids and debris to a low orbit flinging them to an orbit-maintaining speed and small one-man craft will adjust individual asteroids as needed. Third, the ships will use professor philoneous' new "Transmuter Ray" to convert their moleclear structure into Titanium and Hydrogen and will use lasers to weld the titanium together into a titanium ring around our wonderful world. Then finally we will use carbon nanotubes to reach these rings with space elevators. This massive undertaking will take several months but rest assured dear listeners it will be well worth it. There is also absolutely no risk of debris from the sky falling on your homes at terminal velocity and killing you and your family in a big firey explosion. No risk at all. There is no fnord.

[BLACKGRUE]

Diplomatic ministry seeks new trading partners

At the behest of our glorious High Chairwoman and leader Arielle Saito the Diplomatic ministry seeks new and exciting trade partnerships with our neighbors. We're particularly interested in aquireing better FTL drives.

Please contact our diplomatic ministry for more information. Did little red riding hood really wear a hood?

[BLACKGRUE]

"Steel Halo nears completion"

"There's a new ring around Gruesdotter and it's made of steel." These immortal words were given by our glorious Head Chairperson Arielle Saito. The Steel halo has been formed around the Blackgrue homeworld. Space elevators are under construction and soon the world will become a hub of commerce and interstellar trade. Our glorious leader has however given about 30% of the ring to be dedicated to industrial production, particularly for military starships. With the needs of the military's new Second Generation warships, this project also represents the beginning of new shipyards purely in space, which will mean that Aetherial warships no longer need to be constructed as "Landables" allowing Aetherial command to construct Space Superiority Vessels. Space superiority, when you need to be superior... in space!

[BLACKGRUE]

"New entertainment network opens today"

The new Sensorium center network opens today, this Neural-jack VR network is expected to reduce boredom and increase productivity. Sensorium, Jack those Neurons!

[BLACKGRUE]

"What is the Black Ship"

Mysterious sightings by civilian starships of a massive black ship that doesn't show up on sensors. We have found a man from Cipher who will be giving us a complete- HEY! You can't be in *Gunfire*

We apologize for the interruption. There is no black ship. And now music. There is no black ship. Trust us.

[BLACKGRUE]

"Political climate warms up"

As new census results come in, the Jägerkin liberation front is seeing much higher registration numbers then they've seen in the past several hundred years. Lieutenant Gren, a representative of the party had this to say:

"Blackgrue has alvays been a military nation vit nobody to fight. Our entry into de galactic community has only rekindled de fire in our blood. Und us Jägers vill spread dot fire around!"

This surge in support comes as a blow to the technocrats. With elections scheduled for Febuary, and an aging Arielle Saito running for an unprecedented 10th term, Vice-chair Franz may have a ligitimate shot at winning chairmanship. Unless you vote technocrat today. You owe us, citizen!

[BLACKGRUE]

"Saito Design Bureau opens its vault"

In an attempt to raise sagging poll numbers, and a loss of several megacity bloc positions to the JLF, 10-term high chairwoman Arielle Saito has attempted to appease the military by opening the famed "Forbidden Vault" of Miss Saito's self-run design bureau. The vault is a place where prototypes and designs were made when Miss Saito was in Stage Three of the Madness Place. She ordered such designs, nearly all of a military nature, to be sealed away as they were far too dangerous. Among those designs now patented and slated for eventual military use are an "All purpose" Clank-tank, a ground-based chaos reactor-toting APC, and a rifle that can cause nuclear fission in most solid matter from a distance. Miss Saito had this to say.

"The JLF's aggression in the political arena is uncalled for. The Technocrats are what made this country, and our science is what continues to make us a successful empire. Need we forget we are but a small portion of a crowded galaxy? We cannot conquer our neighbors with numbers or industry. But our intellect will keep us strong. The Technocratic party is our heritage... our future." Strong words. Vote technocrat. We are not warmongers.

[BLACKGRUE]

"The era of the Aerodrone begins"

With some exception, the Unified Air Squadrens have been religated to near obsolescence. Space based systems were thought to be more efficient at interdiction during planetary invasions, and sea-based systems were thought to be better for long-term rebellion. This era of thinking is at an end. A series of clank-manned "Aerodrones" have just been approved for general deployment. Their function is explicitly stated for air and low-orbital defence, primarily to intercept dropships and smugglers. General Cartwright had this to say:

"My fellow Gruesmen. We are standing at the dawn of a rebirth of aerospace technology. With our Autos Wisemen clanks capable of manning our new aircraft, defence against dropships or even long-term rebellions can be carried out using the rapid deployment of these autonomous drones." There is zero chance of rebellion. I repeat, zero.