Corporate Cosmos [IC | Closed]

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 6:30 am

North Muhr Spire, Antarctica
February, 2120

Outside the noise was deafening. The officer let go of the handle, allowing the secondaries behind him to close the door closed the moment he was clear. Around him the squad formed up, numb-sticks in gloved hands and faces invisible behind blacked visors. Rocks and bricks intermittently passed through the air, glancing off of the shields of the first-liners, occasionally concerningly striking the ground between the assembling riot personnel.

In his ear comms from Central crackled.

"Pacification measures authorized for convoy passage zone. No personnl to be deployed beyond primary route. Rules of engagement... (a moment of heavy static)... are to limit arrests to weapon possession, neuro-compliance for all other offenses."

A grimace crossed the man's face behind his black masks. His boys were immediately audible complaining about the instructions not to arrest. Most of them didn't know that the holding cells were already operating at capacity. Anyone they slapped cuffs on would have to sit in the back of a wagon for hours before they could even be processed, and that was pouring petrol on a fire.

"You hear upstairs. Neuro-compliance only! You see a weapon, call it our for apprehension. We clear the route, we do it quick and minimal harm. I'm requiring verbal confirmation; we don't need this to get any worse than it already is. Sound off by numbers."

Beyond his helmet the crowd noise was beginning to increase, the armored doors of the cargohub opening to disgorge the first of the transport trucks causing a surge in interest from the hungry mob. Tensely he waited as all of his men begrudgingly provided acknowledgement of his orders. That would keep them in line, no messing around with 'I didn't hear you sarge' or any such bollocks.

"Right squad, power up."

It was good timing. Even as the peace officers brought their exos online the buzzer for deployment began to sound inside Actual-One's helmet, and the other squads surged forward on both sides of the road, physically shunting back the crowd. His squad moved forward in tandem at a barked order. Heavy black batons came down on limbs, causing agonized screams and sending wild-eyed rioters surging back against their compatriots to get away from the pain. Force-capacitors sparked and whined, apprehension dumping neuro-stunners into the crowd where potentially lethal weapons were spotted, sending masked and helmeted Black Bloc activists tumbling bonelessly for sweeping up later.

Most would be hauled away by their friends, but you always caught a few, which meant better control methods when other disturbances began to coalesce. Sometimes locking the worst agitators away pre-emptively was all that was necessary to prevent a crowd from reaching critical mass to jump over to civil damages.

The squad swept forward, the heavy food hauler at their back only a few steps behind. At one point the sergeant had to physically manhandle a comatose protestor out of the path of the conveyor, her red hair spilling out of her bandana reminding him for a moment of his sister's daughter. They'd all calm down once the distribution centers began humming along. He told himself that over and over as he stunned, beat, and bludgeoned back the men who were only too happy to burn this city down to eat the ashes.

Sud Afrika is distributing Food Aid (Minor Action) in Antarctica
(Free Action) Transfer Assets used to Blue Sky: 2 Food for 8 Capital

by **Ralnis** » Wed Nov 09, 2022 2:22 am

Hunger is the ultimate destruction of the state. Therefore, it's the state's purpose to sow the fields and to allow the hunters to hunt. Only then can we give the food to the people for free, and without exploitation from the Corporations.
President Homer Taylor: The Breadbasket Question

Sandevistan Region, Gliese

As it is on Earth, as it is on Gliese. Hunger is one of the devastating threats to the Human species. However, while Earth's states and powers are underneath the whims of the megacorps, Gliese is under the whims of the farmer. The GPG is one that has fallen back on the agrarian economy with the city being the provider of anything more advanced than what a homestead needs. The Western Frontiers always were part of the state but were always marked by the growing number of collective farms and hunting sanctuaries in order to fill the bellies of an ever-growing population.

This was mostly controlled by mandates on overgrowing foods and not storing enough in case that there's a famine crisis or the need of dispersing food to the general population was needed. While one could say that the government is holding the food of the people hostage, they were not entirely wrong. However, one who had said that was coming from a place that could only have known what it felt like to be under the propaganda of the corporations. In Gliese, the farmer is giving a wage and 3 square meals. Their food is needed as the beasts attack the colonists and disease gives the President a butcher's bill no matter how much medication advanced.

The common Gliesian also understands this. The cold realization that their world is the hell they built and must deal with the consequences. There was no god in the jungle, or in the universe, but the state will provide. Even the politicians who wanted to try and give more freedoms to those who were the backbone of their state and economy had to be reminded of the destructive power of capitalism on the planet and the need of the collective over the person.

Such things that wanted a return to things weren't exactly a fringe movement. Those who believed in something more back in the way of the Pre-Cataclysm thought were always a minority and provided a counterweight to pro-state diehards in Congress that wanted to push their own ideas of what was good for the alien world. However, this idea was still more of the democratic vs communistic thought process that was part of the zeitgeist that didn't exist on Earth anymore. Just the hyper-capitalism that threaten the very stars themselves.

Though one couldn't even blame the corporations truly, not even the President could do so. They were an entity made for money and the only hope for their cousins to reach them. But they will try their best to keep them out of their system. As of right now, the Academic Communities are looking to try and figure out ways to reverse engineer the Jumpdrive in order to finally reach out into the stars on their own violation.

But that was far, far into the future as Congress tries to debate on how to try and get a handle on it. At this time, a new compromise between the two groups of Congress came to an understanding to promote the local territories of the capital region for some time as well as to try and get the people the means of feeding themselves. It was better than giving away all of their food and then watch as they have to deal with the problem again.

But, as the problem with growing stomachs becomes more apparent, a solution was needed to be given now and the President needed to act.

by **Ovstylap** » Thu Nov 10, 2022 2:11 pm

Internal Document #10587

France has still not paid KICKK's newly established Western European Branch, and debate has arisen as to what should be done next. Investments and decisions have been postponed, as there has not been the knowledge of if there will be new European capital coming in. In the end however, despite the objections of the Chief Financial Officer, the decision was made to order the KICKK WEB to conduct their first harvest- even though this required the use of considerable amounts of the limited stocks of fertiliser available. With that done, it was hoped that the French could be persuaded to pay up, and then the capital transferred over to Australia, thus enabling further investments.

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 7:57 am

Kazan-Kazait, Uralsk
February, 2120

The atmosphere in Arborisystems was tense. Ever since the Blue Sky acquisition, men and women had slowly been leaking out of the offices, polite security officers in the new white-and-black fatigues of their new corporate overlords escorting the individuals off-premises. So far the cuts hadn't been severe; most underproducers and folks with backgrounds collaborating with the Nessies or diverse business entities. But it had definitely done a number on output for the day, individuals knocking on doors to confirm findings and finding an empty room, or scheduled conferences missing key members.

Not all bad though. There had been new people trickling in, no-nonsense fixers which no doubt had been allocated from the R+D division over at the South Africa branch to unify operations. Sarai had already met her new ops manager, a heavyset Boer man named Tomas. He seemed laid back enough, and there had been some good scuttlebutt when he showed up a o-nine-hundred about the time he had spent in kelp forest conservation in the tidal bores of the South Atlantic. Fascinating stuff really. Sarai's father had been an oceanographer, before the Archangel Oversector decided offshore rehabilitation was a losing battle, and canned the program.

It was a bit toward evening when Tomas called the rest of the team into conference room Charlie, and he dimmed the windows once they had all arrived.

A long presentation, but the team came out of it buzzing. Blue Sky had big ambitions for the thawing landmasses of Antarctica, it seemed. Most of the folks down there were confined to the hab-cities of the firm coast, sheltered against the elements, but projections indicated that some of the newer symbiotic cultivars for polar conditions Nova had been working on before the buyout might soon be viable for real-world testing on the Astral Continent.

If they could begin establishing hardy lichen stocks and short bristlecone pine forests, they could start the soil cycle off, which was vital to getting a near-Russian ecosystem established in the rough interiors of the frozen wastes. But frozen wastes, with the right blend of ecosphere and biotics, might feed billions. They were warm enough now, to be sure, and the rock beds of the Antartic were lousy with captured minerals that had long ago been exhausted out of the soils of Subsahara and the Midwest, not to mention the Ukraine.

It was a staggering vision, and Sarai didn't know what it meant for their operations immediately. But as far as corporate objectives to revitalize decimated teams after a merger, she had definitely seen worse.

Blue Sky is using Minor Action [Establish Laboratory] in Russia

by **Cybernetic Socialist Republics** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:41 am

Third French Empire RP WIP

by **Ovstylap** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 10:45 am

Perth, Australia

Despite possibilities being floated of how much would be paid to the Western European Branch, and when this might come in, the negotiations were not likely to be sealed before the end of the month, and so a decision on the next major investment had to be postponed. In the meantime, KICKK reached out to the few wealthy elites in East Africa and Oceania, seeking investments for its future endeavours. A KICKK spokeswoman was quoted as saying: "KICKK is going to be leading the way in developing space infrastructure and expanding asteroid mining operations, enabling a brighter future for humanity over the next generations, whilst in the immediate terms, our research, and our manufacturing, is going to enable ever greater industrial and agricultural production, to satisfy the needs of today, in order to pay for the wants of tomorrow. For this, KICKK looks for partners around the world to invest in our projects, and our people, so that we might deliver returns- not just financial for our investors, but on a whole range of level for consumers, citizens, and concerned peoples of the world. Investing in KICKK, is investing in yourself, is investing in humanity."

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 1:21 pm

Hall of Delegates, Polar Conclave, Antarctica
February, 2120

"A toast, ladies and gentlemen!"

The tinking of a silver spoon against a crystal glass languidly drew in the attention of the chattering notables, well appointed men and women in the latest fashions gradually winding down their conversations in favor of staring at the speaker with a degree of equanimity.

The Vice-Fabricator nodded and smiled, drawing his champagne flute high. He was an imposing man, elegant, aquiline yet rugged, his hardscrabble days slowly being eroded by time and the luxuries of his position. Still his muscles filled out his gray silk suit agreeably, the result of dedicated hours in the aqua-conditioning tanks every week.

"A toast to hunger, and the freedom from which our great state now enjoys. The people are content, and profits are up - and what finer things are there than willing workers and positive stock trends?"

Laughter rippled around the room, some lightly scandalized, some all too knowing. The polite fiction in Sud Afrikan society was that every man enjoyed equal rights, equal privileges, equal opportunities to succeed if only they would strive. And there were exceptions which, in some ways, proved that that was the case. But they were exceptions, not axioms. Success was built on the backs of masses for which that almost-fiction was designed, their motivation not the actualization of wealth and opportunity but the illusion of the same.

The real trick was finding out whether you were the one subject to the illusion, or the substance. Many of those in this very room, this draped and baroque ballroom high above the frozen wastes heated to a balmy twenty one Centigrade, were laboring under the illusion. They were powerful functionaries, secondary Houses, lesser sires, who but for some seismic shift in the strata of the Landsraad or Blue Sky would only ever remain where they were, or see their assets gobbled up by more astute players of the Great Game of which they barely realized they were part. Yes, the illusion was extremely potent, even for those who thought themselves above such things.

Only a few faces around the room were truly knowing about what the Vice-Fabricator spoke, when he spoke of new objectives, new eras, and new possibilities. The patriarchs of the Great Houses, the directors of the Conglomerate; they moved mountains with a word, and upon their fancy did the political winds roil and swirl, tearing down old fabrics and weaving anew the destinies of millions.

Even as the Directorate courted the elites in the halls of power, bribes and unctuous dealings ensuring none would oppose the vector to the stars, more crass but equally effective means of shaping the public perception were playing in the hab blocks, agrihalls, and communal feeding dens of the city below. Barkers shouted about jobs to be had in the mining industry, telescreens extolled the virtues of shiny new FabriMade(tm) reconstituted clothing from biological feedstock, and the consensus of the social contract was subtly engineered to accept the whims of the ruling elites.

It was a fascinating thing to observe, really, if one had been aware of the thousand avenues of assault the government deployed against her own citizens. But none were actually aware of this concentrated campaign in her fullness, not even those who had authorized it. It was an unthinking beast, lurching subconsciously as its appetites directed it. And who would tame the beast, turn it thither they sought?

Ah, that remained to be seen. For now it was merely a creature primed for action, a monolith edifice poised to leap skyward.

Sud Afrika uses Major Action: Propaganda in Antarctica

by **Flarbinia** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 6:13 pm

Kaiser Industries Headquarters. Berlin. What Was Once Germany
Jurgen Schreider III entered the Boardroom with Antonio and several guards in tow, the executives already seated at their tables, the window covered with a large reinforced titanium plate to guarantee privacy. "Hans, how are things in Schleswig-Holstein?" Jurgen asked the elderly chief of security as he headed to the head of the table. "Not good. I haven't seen food riots that bad since Fritz Haas died from Lung Cancer. Security in Schleswig-Holstein is being spread thin." Hans said to Jurgen III, his tone filled with nostalgia for the reign of the last warlord. "The situation on Earth is becoming untenable. I cannot deny that. Crop failures in what were once breadbaskets, refugee caravans placing a strain on already limited resources, nations collapsing or on the brink of collapse, international trade becoming more limited, warlords duking it out over what little remains, and corporations filling the void left by deposed warlords or collapsed governments. However, this does not need to be end of the road for the German people." Jurgen III said to the Board Of Directors. "And how exactly are you planning to save the German people, Herr Jurgen? We cannot expand the size of Germany's arable land. The Poles will not sell any of their remaining farmland and any act of aggression against a foreign nation will bring down the wrath of the Third French Empire." The Treasurer of Kaiser Industries said Jurgen III. "You are mistaken if you think I am foolish enough to double down on this doomed planet, Wilhelm. Our people's salvation will not be on the dying Earth, but in space. However, before we can do that, we will need to continue researching." Jurgen Schreider III said to the board of directors, Hans and Wilhelm being to touch their screens, the green lights indicating that they voted Aye. Armin and Leopold were the next to vote, the red lights indicating Nay votes. Tessia and Rolf voted Yay, Konrad and Steffen voted Nay, Burno and Käspar voted Yay, and Gregor voted Nay. Jurgen III voted Yay, resulting in a victory for the Pro-Launch Executives. "You damn fool. You and your cohorts would see us ruined. Give up our homeland. Why did our ancestors die for Germany if it was not meant to ruled and inhabited by their descendants?!!?" Konrad said to Jurgen Schreider III. "You only look at the depth of your wealth. A lot of which you've been stealing from Kaiser Industires for years. Jurgen must look at that of Kaiser Industries and the company is on the verge of a new era. It cannot be burdened with a dying homeland." Antonio said to Konrad as he stared him down. "Jurgen III's will bring ruin to the German People!" Konrad shouted back. "I will give the German people a new homeland, but you will not live long enough to see it, traitor." Jurgen III said to Konrad right before the guards opened fire on the head of Legal. Seconds later, the corpse was being dragged out of the room.

by **The Empire of Tau** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 6:28 pm

Tejas, Alabama
Valley Grande, Summerfield Food Processing Center
3:35 PM, Afternoon

Wellcraft, one of the senior security guards at the Summerfield processing center, sits in his comfy chair. His job? Overlook the facility with cameras and monitoring sensors. Of course, he’s not really looking at the cameras or the various monitoring stations. Nothing happens when he’s on watch. Instead, Wellcraft is taking a good look at a coupon catalog for a local supermarket chain owned by ARC - Good Market. Wellcraft was decently well-off enough due to his position. He was single and had no family. He had an apartment in Birmingham and commuted by a train line. Wellcraft was not surprised at the listed pieces - fifty for a stick of butter, thirty per pound of beef, chocolate was even expensive, etc. The only thing that was remotely reasonably priced was corn grain, followed by barley and then wheat. Along the list, there were also beans and potatoes - new additions as ARC started to farm those as well. Wellcraft darts his eyes to the newspaper on his table, reading the title. “Increased rates of digestive disorders, cognitive malfunction, and heart issues among the poor.” Must be the side effects of solely eating nothing but bread day in and out, Wellcraft thinks. What other food ARC did sell was at a steep price - butter, meats, sugar, and whatnot. Until ARC figures out how to gain more farmland elsewhere or here, these prices would remain the same.

by **The GAmeTopians** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 7:03 pm

Sig's Alley, Neo Dallas, Dixie
February, 2120

"Pax sez Imai is movin' back into the Uppers. You hear anythin' about that?" A hulking figure loomed over me and my booth in the corner of the bar, where I had been quietly nursing my drink. I gulped down the shitty synth-beer and looked up at him.

"Not anything that's not already hit the rumor mill. It was only a matter of time."

He snorted. "Thought those ears of yours would've picked up sumthin'. 'S what Sig pays you for, innit?"

"Yeah, and Sig will hear about it if I do. Now shove off, this shitty synth is more interesting than you are."

Sig's grunt stomped off, grumbling insults under his breath that I could hear perfectly until he slammed the staff door behind him. I reached up to my right ear and turned a dial. The feedback from adjusting my ears' sensitivity made me wince, but it was part of the job - I took another sip of my drink, and passively took in the info I was picking up from the bustling bar. The Imai Onsei ear replacement cyberware that Sig had stolen for me from their original lab in the Uppers a few years back had served the crew well ever since. The lower-ranking members were stirring at the news of Imai moving back in, since I had shot up through the ranks ever since I got them.

Heh. That hit will be interesting, if Sig is dumb enough to go for it.

Imai Holdings is Establishing a Laboratory (Major) in Dixie

by **Diarcesia** » Sat Nov 12, 2022 4:12 pm

by punchbagel

Ok so I just thought of this and I know that it's probably not going to happen but...

I was thinking, what if the next Soul Swallowing movie has a plot where someone uses a gun that shoots paintballs filled with paint that when it hits someone, it causes them to change their skin color? And the main characters would be trying to stop the villain from painting everyone else in their preferred skin color.

Like...what if?

by _vex

That sounds like a really terrible idea.

Paint changing the skin color of people it touches? What even? How would that even work? It's probably just another one of those "magic" things.

I would rather read about a gun that shoots paintballs into a canvas than this nonsense. At least that makes sense.

I don't even know what to say about this. It's just... no. No!

by nixsmoke

punchbagel wrote:Ok so I just thought of this and I know that it's probably not going to happen but...

I was thinking, what if the next Soul Swallowing movie has a plot where someone uses a gun that shoots paintballs filled with paint that when it hits someone, it causes them to change their skin color? And the main characters would be trying to stop the villain from painting everyone else in their preferred skin color.

Like...what if?

What if I told you that there's already a movie like that? It's called Die Verfärbten, and it's set in 2020s Earth.

Also, the idea is ridiculous. There's not really a practical story hooks to build out of the premise.

At least I think so... what if I'm wrong?

by calvin_hobbes

I think the idea has some merit. It could potentially be used as a very short story or a short series with only one season if it's done right.

Of course, this is Soul Swallowing and not Die Verfärbten, so there would have to be changes... but they could be small enough that don't destroy the premise of the franchise.

So yes... I think it can happen. It just depends on how much thought goes into adapting the concept behind Die Verfärbten for use in this universe.

by jim_rand

I watched Die Verfärbten. Nein nein nein over nine thousand times! That's absurdist comedy.

This is a shame because I was looking forward to a new Soul Swallowing movie, but if this is what we're getting instead... well, I guess we'll have to wait for someone else to think of doing it properly and write about that instead.

by the_real_ace

Though I loved DV, I agree with jim. I It's just not in the spirit of what makes Soul Swallowing so great.

Sure, it would be fun to see wholly-tag a person from blue to green or something... but it doesn't fit with the style of writing that I know in SS!

Bonus Action - Minor: Raise Government Bonds - Montefaune

Output
Region - Montefaune
Population: 13
Battalions: 0
Capital: 10 + 5 (Raise Government Bonds) = 15
Hunger: 7
Public Opinion: 4 + 10 (OOC: Missed including the initial values at RP start) = 14

Effect: Extrasolar Power
;Public opinion per Month: +5

Effect: Independent Localism
;Hunger per Month: -3
;Capital per Month: -1
;Taxation Income Change: -4 Capital

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:12 pm

World News Rodeo - February 2120

Good morning from Detroit folks! I'm Jason Edwards, lead correspondent for World Affairs! We here at Broadcast Network News are bringing you all the news that is fit to print - and a lot of it ain't, let me tell you that. Here are the last month's highlights, for those who aren't interested in doomscrolling in this day and age. Broadcast! Bestcast!

Excellent news from Scandinavia this evening, where remnants of the North Sea State have signed a tentative ceasefire with the Polar Revolutionary Front. Important concessions dealing with the offshore mining sites of the Barents Shelf which saw the outbreak of hostilities back in 2118 have seen the North Sea State offer incentives to companies who might be interested in developing these rare earth sites. Protests near the Revolutionary Front headquarters in Svalbard have raised fears that this ceasefire might not hold, as hardliners call the mining efforts a blatant attack on their sovereign rights. But if these mining operations can be established, they might be a path to prosperity for a region wracked by conflict.

In offworld affairs, communications coming out of the Planetary Union of Montefaune have painted a grim picture of ongoing terraforming efforts in the Volcanic Ridge region of the world. Though beyond the control of the Planetary Union's tenuous grip on the world, wildcat miners along the Volcanic Ridge have been reporting megaquakes rating above 7 on the new AccuWeather(tm) Disaster Scale! Stabilizing the geology of this region seems like it will be more difficult than anticipated, and a variety of extragovernmental settlements have been devastated by the shaking.

Corporate scandal? Trite lack of real news to report? You be the judge! We have received exclusive news that the ongoing KICKK spacefaring dustup about unauthorized interviews might be only the surface of corporate malfeasance in the Western World. Kaiser Industries Chief Legal Officer Konrad Hauer has not been seen in public in over a week, and several of his associates have fled to France, requesting asylum from the Third French Empire and asserting a targeted assassination campaign against employees of Kaiser Industries in the former German state. The disappearance of executives is hardly noteworthy in the modern world, but corporate warfare is normally confined to reaches beyond the reach of stable nation-states. How will the French Empress react? What will the markets think of #KSRIND once the Frankfurt Exchange opens tomorrow? Stay tuned for our panel discussion! BNN! Broadcast! Bestcast!

by **The Empire of Tau** » Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:35 pm

New England Territories, Michigan
831 Selden St, Detroit, 48201
Selden Research Center

Harrison and his close-in-executives have published a new long-term plan for the corporation. Fifty pages in length, the “American Foward” plan envisions ARC’s expansion into space and its industrialization. The first year will see massive investment into R&D and asteroid mining operations. By end of the first year or early second year, ARC hopes to see inroads into creating mining spacecraft. Of course, this all has to start somewhere. The Detroit Dance Center, what was once an art and performance school, has now been replaced by a state-of-the-art American research and development center. The Selden Research Center (SRC) is in full swing as staff run simulations and data analysis reviews. The output from the SRC, once finished, will be used in ARC’s first attempts at asteroid mining next month. The returns will likely then be used to expand the Selden Research Center. Elsewhere, security details are on full alert around the SRC. Detroit may be relativity safe, but New England still has no actual government to speak of. The only powerful authority is still ARC itself and that might attach some unwanted persons.

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Sun Nov 13, 2022 7:40 am

North Beira, Tanganika, East Africa

Streams of condensation vaporized past the windows, the customary shuddering of the short-haul flier gradually subsiding. Valerian stretched his neck, working out the kinks of the acceleration cushion headrest. They were never as comfortable as the engineers claimed, he found. Sure, strapping yourself in a carbon-fiber tube was a small price to pay for the ability to go supersonic and cut the journey to the capital of the Tanganikan state from five hours to one - but he always needed to visit his chiropractor after business jaunts like this.

The black-haired man smirked to himself. I might just be getting old. He shook his head. He had been fighting the silver at his temples for over a decade now, a battle which required more serious reinforcements with every passing quarter. Age would, one way or another, catch up to him, even with the finest rejuvenants the Conglomerate could source. Sixty was the new forty, aye, aye, but was one hundred the next sixty? Hard to say.

He put such woolgathering thoughts to the back of his mind as the flier circled on approach. North Beira, named for the metropolis at the curve of Africa which had drown half a century ago, was a sight to see. The gleaming silver needles at the heart of the city bespoke a glittering opportunity and prosperity for some, but on either side the dun grays and brows of the endless slums told a starkly different tale. East Africa had never really managed to make the demographic transition - not the demographic transition from poor to rich before growing old that they had nattered on about in the 2000s, but the modern demographic transition, from unskilled labor to skilled labor.

It was the trap into which most of the world had fallen, in truth. Billions out of work as automation and primitive AI claimed their jobs, and the nations of the global consensus failed to retrain them for productive labor when the sweat of their brows was worth less than the cost of employing them, even in the most menial industries. Plenty of places hadn't embraced that truth, from North America to the Sahel, and now they simply weren't factors in the world economy. Sure, local consumption might value the products of slaves and sweatshops, but even the most brutal working conditions couldn't compete with the gleaming one-man manufactorums of Dixie, Cape Town, and Hannover.

A grating sound reverberated through the flier as it opened its flaps, descending rapidly toward a gleaming white airstrip he could now make out through the artificial horizon to his front. Imagine, when passengers on these contraptions didn't even have the luxury of knowing their destination, or what lay before them. This was a much more civilized age, in so many respects. He glanced over to his compatriot, a woman in the hard sable and white fatigues of the Guard, and then looked back at the silver towers again. There was opportunity here for many, if the right courses of action could be taken.

by **Diarcesia** » Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:09 pm

The Planetary Union of Montefaune
March, 2120

The Volcanic Ridge

If the Volcanic Ridge can't be stabilized for mining, an extraction-based economy might be a lost cause. Or is it? The latest massive quake could also be a blessing in disguise for the world's leaders, who have been increasingly receiving reports of easily-reachable materials that are otherwise only seen in asteroids. If these seismic activities continue, it might be enough of a catalyst for people pack up and leave for a mineral rush. With luck, the government might be able to stabilize the region and start extracting these precious resources without too much difficulty.

A massive scandal erupted in the settlement of Serenity surrounding accusations that slave labor is rampant in their mines.

The North Sea Colony, In the Periphery of the Settled Region

In other news, the North Sea Colony has announced that it will be withdrawing its Fence Stewards from the Anchored Wood. The last remnants of the latest expedition have expressed their regret for the losses they incurred in warding off the wildlife that destroy the Edge farms and hope for a future in which all humans and wildlife can live together in peace. The North Sea Colony is also promising to work with the Planetary Government in a variety of ways to rebuild what was damaged. While some in the media have questioned the sincerity of the colonial officials, given the North Sea Colony's history of provoking the inhabitants of the Wood, most mainstream outlets are giving them the benefit of the doubt.

The Anchored Wood

Meanwhile, a few intrepid souls that live in the Wood expressed concern that with the Fence Stewards' withdrawal from the region, they might see the end of their livelihoods. But there is a growing consensus that these fears are unfounded. The Anchored Wood has been off-limits from urban development for decades now, with the sparse population there fed in spite of all the flora and fauna having free reign. According to the Stewards' report, the animal life there is growing increasingly more aggressive. A new species of predator discovered might have been a factor in pushing them to make their withdrawal. The government's only dilemma is whether it would be worth spending resources to tame the Wood...

Monthly Action - Major: Propaganda

Stats
Population: 13 + 1 (New Month) = 14
Battalions: 0
Capital: 15 - 1 (Independent Localism) - 5 (Propaganda) = 9
Hunger: 7 + 13 (Population) - 3 (Independent Localism) = 17
Public Opinion: 14 + 5 (Extrasolar Power) - 7 (Accumulated Hunger) + 10 (Propaganda) = 22

Effect: Extrasolar Power
;Until: December 2130
;Public opinion per Month: +5
;Food Aid efficacy multiplier: x2

Effect: Independent Localism
;Hunger per Month: -3
;Capital per Month: -1
;Taxation Income Change: -4 Capital

by **Flarbinia** » Sun Nov 13, 2022 9:50 pm

Berlin. What Was Once Germany
"Tessia, I want their misdeeds on every news station in the world by tomorrow morning. Pulling the rug out from under them will turn the public against them, forcing the French government to deny them asylum and accept my request to extradite them to be tried for crimes against the German people." Jurgen Schreider III said to Tessia as he watched the news on the screen in the executive elevator, the Head Of PR heading to the PR Department as soon as the solid brass elevator doors opened. The elevator ascended another floor before the doors opened, Jurgen Schreider III exiting it and heading to the elevator to the CEO's office. "Sir, the recent and sudden deaths of Kaiser Industries executives is causing investors to become concerned ahead of the opening of the Frankfurt Exchange." Rolf said to Jurgen III as he walked with him. "The money raised from the sale of bonds should create the image of positive growth that should get new people to invest in Kaiser Industries. That should reassure them that business is booming in spite of Konrad's absence." Jurgen III said to Rolf, the head of Finance heading to inform the rest of his department of the CEO's decision. Things were going according to plan: Konrad's execution had been successfully covered up, the short-term gain from issuing bonds would inspire confidence in potential investors, and Konrad's co-conspirators would soon be put in Jutland Penitentiary, the most secure prison in Germany. Of course, the "disappearance" of a Board member would spark a potential investigation by his French overlord, but it was an acceptable cost for ridding Kaiser Industries of the cancer that had plagued the company for decades: greed and corruption in the guise of devotion to a doomed and dying homeland. Jurgen III approached the CEO's elevator, the biometric scanner emitting a ray of red light that moved from head to the toe. The lights on the biometric scanner turned green, the elevator doors opening for the CEO of Kaiser Industries. Jurgen III entered, the doors immediately closing behind him as he selected the top floor.

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Mon Nov 14, 2022 6:50 am

Amasaru Township, Gaborone, Sud Afrika
March, 2120

When Steven trudged his way home, his hands dirty with the remnants of the day's greasy labor in the repair shop, he held a letter in his hands absentmindedly. The seal on the archaic paper envelope was broken, and he had returned the missive inside for no other reason than ease of transport - definitely not because he didn't want to look at it.

His heavy workboots sucked in the muddy road, the underlying asphalt having long ago disappeared beneath the accumulated grime. Still, at least there was a firm foundation under there somewhere. The spring rains could have turned the entire route into a quagmire of impressive proportions otherwise. His path was the swaying, erratic motion of any man moving through a crowd - some people avoided him, a heavy young laborer with obvious musculature, while he avoided others, enforcers for local crime lords and intermittent patrols of the lawkeepers. They usually didn't even acknowledge his existence. Surveillance worried about malfeasance and the individual. Boots on the ground meant a case had been built, and some poor sod was about to feel the weight of the state on his neck.

Not his problem. The welder ducked down the alley that lead to his stand soon enough, happy to be near home. His mother was outside, hanging some clothing on the line despite the rain; even out here in Gaborone it was cleaner than most of the water you could get, and much cheaper to be sure. A thin layer of read-soap slicked off of the garments, and she took a couple mumblety-pegs out of her mouth to smile at her eldest.

Her smile disappeared in a flash as he held out the letter, stamped with the utilitarian seared ink of the Ministry of Defense.

"Callup, mama. I have to report next week, or be held in contempt."

The older woman sucked on her teeth, mind churning. Normally a position in the Guards was far from a bad thing. Veterans' benefits had been cut year after year, yeah, but they were a damn sight better than anything Steven could aspire to here in Amasaru otherwise. But there were rumors in the sook, rumors of troubles along the eastern border - and she trusted those rumors entirely too much to be happy about the callup. It would be just like the Great Houses, to pull in conscripts just in time for a war, when most of them wouldn't be coming home so the payouts would be minor.

A small fluttering sound overhead made her look very deliberately at the letter and speak very clearly and precisely.

"Well, you have to do your duty. It is a great honor."

Steven likewise studiously looked down at the letter, not up at the source of the noise. The whisper drones the jackboots loved so much got better every year, but if you grew up in the townships you knew that sound like you knew your mother's own voice. It was like a sixth sense, knowing when you were being watched.

"I'll start packing my things. They say I need to be on the train to Windhoek by Saturday."

Sud Afrika conducts Minor Action: Raise Conscripts in South Africa

by **Ovstylap** » Mon Nov 14, 2022 12:33 pm

A private conversation tween two KICKK employees in the East Africa Branch

"It's mad out there, I've heard that two of the Kingfisher guys down in Maputo got executed whilst working for the local warlord there- they were out on a manhunt and got captured by a bunch of food rioters who handed them over to a rival warlord in exchange for some morsels. Kingfisher put a bounty on the warlord and his followers have fallen into a complete battle."

"Yeah man I heard about that sh*t. The thing is, it leaves our colleagues down in Maputo isolated because they depend on the rival warlords to have a balance of power to stay employed. If one warlord rules Maputo, it's going to mean they are less reliant on Kingfisher."

"That's right, it's messed up. At least things are more solid here in Tanzanika."

"Solid? Our employment is down to good old George not controlling enough of the region, he doesn't have any major rivals, but he doesn't have much support either."

"Sounds like limited risk reliable employment. Corporate knows we need it. It's the only way to keep our costs low."

"I'm concerned for East Africa Branch though. Corporate's already started the process of us pulling out of India and Southeast Asia, if Maputo's section collapses, then we're quite out on a limb. What's worse, if Maputo completely comes under the control of some new warlord, then the Sud Afrikans are going to be deeply concerned at organised crime and cross-border smuggling, and might make a move. If that happens, Blue Sky follows, and then we've got a corporate rival."

"Maybe, just maybe, that craft that came into land this morning might mean some sort of development- we might know what's going to happen next. Yeah well we both know that East Africa Branch corporate won't tell us anytime soon, as we all know how quickly things fall apart over here."

"Let's see what happens then."

"Cheers Rupe."

"Alright Danny, I'll see you around, I better get back to sorting the HR screen-work for those two security subcontractors who have accused each other of theft.

"Might as well fire them both mate."

"Wish it was that simple, one of them has contacts with one of George's lieutenants, whilst the other one has contacts with of the most senior mining subcontractors in the area, it's going to be a case for Corporate once I've got the admin sent up the chain."

"Jokes on you for working for KICKK's Central Personnel Agency instead of Koala itself."

The two employees finished their flavoured fungus juice and headed back to work.

In Tanzanika, things were on the move, and it appeared likely to many local employees that Sud Afrika and KICKK East Africa Branch might be looking to establish some sort of agreement.

NO ACTIONS

by **Ralnis** » Mon Nov 14, 2022 7:34 pm

They say that humanity have two large stomachs, food and knowledge. One can't just one without the other. For mankind always wants food, but more knowledge on how to acquire it more.
Unknown, The Philosophy of the Two Stomach Man

Sandevistan Region, Gliese

Around the streets and the fertile valley-villages of the extrasolar power, hunger was ever present in the world. The government, as much as they can, have been feeding the majority of the population, but the hunger racks them. It was normal for any polity, alien or earthbound, to face this. Even more so than on planet Earth, the cradle of Humanity. As the planet is slowly dying around them, the corporations were a wall. That wall being the only thing keeping the barbarians at bay, sort to speak.

It was this very assurance that perhaps made the world look towards the stars with the same hunger and desperation that our great ancestors saw new lands. They weren't the New Age of Exploration; they were the new migrations to new lands. The New Migrations, as the GAC had called it, were something natural. We have broken our cradle and their looking to find new lands to settle. However, instead of the fit, it would be the most needed. The worker, the engineer, the scientist, the CEO. Those are the new caste for the future colonies, those that will find Gliese.

That thought still was a terrifying prospect, even as the state had to struggle to fill the bellies of the population. They needed to make some sort of effort in stopping this from happening. However, with the riots a looming threat, they needed something. The planet provided more than Earth could ever hope for, which is why they had no famine. No, the reason is that they were using an inefficient style of agriculture that was not good for a rising population in the millions. It surely wouldn't help for the population boom that would be happening if they open their borders to the rest of mankind.

But there wasn't enough time for it as tax season was coming and the need for education and new think tanks were being needed to handle the growing food crisis. But as for now, the crisis persists. The Provisional Government must play catch up against the growing people and the growing bellies.

by **Diarcesia** » Tue Nov 15, 2022 10:41 pm

Watchual Brand Overview

Watchual is a global brand of watches and clocks, based in the Cenotaph Colony, just outside the Clockspring Sea. Watchual was established in 2082 as a purveyor to the Planetary Union's Fence Stewards, and since then has branched out into the production of timepieces for the general market.

The company is owned by the Tulloch family, one of the founding families in Cenotaph. Its members served as city officials and elected representatives since the settlement of the planet. In addition to manufacturing activities, they have been involved in banking and real estate for many years. Watchual was established as a brand under the Tulloch umbrella primarily to support settlement expansion efforts; it has evolved over time into a major player on the world stage through mass marketing campaigns that have reached across continents and onto moons throughout inhabited space.

Watchual's history with timekeeping extends back to when it began producing chronometers for Fence Steward missions at their manufacturing facilities by the Clockspring Sea Space Port. Currently, the company additionally sells watches (or "wearables") at all price points: budget-friendly quartz pieces such as the Juno and Antares, the mid-range Solaris and Titan, and the high-end Novus Horizon and Quotidian.

The company established a reputation for quality amongst consumers across the world. They have been involved in several initiatives to promote timekeeping as part of a healthy lifestyle; they regularly partner with athletic organizations such as the CCSU Sports Commission to provide official timekeeping services at events, in exchange for sponsorship rights. Additionally, Watchual has recently launched their first line of brightwatches under the Chronos series, which feature additional functionality beyond simply telling time that can be synced to users' brightphones via an accompanying app (and which can additionally be used independently). Watchual's entry into the brightwatch market comes at an opportune moment: demand for wearables is increasing due to greater awareness of health concerns among consumers worldwide; this combined with increased adoption rates makes it a lucrative market segment that Watchual is hoping will help boost its sales figures significantly over coming years.

Corporate social initiatives over the years to support local communities including the sponsorship of multiple schools and public parks across Cenotaph and elsewhere on the planet. In addition, Watchual's manufacturing operations are generally considered environmentally friendly, with recycling programs in place that have helped reduce waste sent to landfills by more than 50% since 2090.

Bonus Action Two - Minor: Raise Government Bonds

Stats
Population: 14
Battalions: 0
Capital:  9 + 5 (Raise Government Bonds) = 14
Hunger: 17
Public Opinion: 22

Effect: Extrasolar Power
;Until: December 2130
;Public opinion per Month: +5
;Food Aid efficacy multiplier: x2

Effect: Independent Localism
;Hunger per Month: -3
;Capital per Month: -1
;Taxation Income Change: -4 Capital

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Wed Nov 16, 2022 7:27 am

Neidmeiyer Botanical Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
March, 2120

Istvan stretched the kink in his spine, carefully craning his neck to the right while pulling his left arm behind the small of his back. His security detail didn't even glance over at the odd contortion, their eyes firmly fixed ahead, unseeing and, nominally, unhearing. They were employed here precisely for their discretion, and their ability to see everything without giving the appearance of keeping an eye on what was going on in the bowels of the grow-hall.

With a low hiss the elevator arrived at sub-floor delta, and the white doors slid open soundlessly. Puffs of sterile air played over his uniform as the agscientist stepped into decontamination, a formality since he had already passed through three layers of biological isolation. But necessary. The cultivars here in the dark spaces under the earth were as fragile as they came, or rather, even where robust, fiercely valuable. Ecological interactions in the chaotic world of the collapsing biospheres of the world above were notoriously volatile. Even crops meant for sewing in the most hostile of conditions in theory might be vulnerable to some parasite or scourge which bioweps was developing, and it did absolutely nobody any good to cross-contaminate.

His adjutant was standing just outside of decontamination, her gray-blue outfit particularly utilitarian today. The red hair which was so distinctive and rare was pulled back in a severe bun, which the chauvinistic strands in his breast didn't approve of. Natalya had been very unlucky in love affairs with coworkers, but that was, strictly speaking, none of his concern.

"Director. Sector Thirteen is ready for review of the outcomes of the Nova Industries trials. Generally, Lead Kazimov wishes to report that he is satisfied that the polar-strain cultivars are performing within proffered parameters in every regard. His compiled results."

Natalya bobbed slightly as she handed the Director a thick file of images and handwritten output. It would all be duplicated on the secure servers, of course, and dictation would have already generated digital copies. But Agsciences, perhaps more than other disciplines, still resisted the changeover to purely virtual mediums. Oftentimes working as they did required visiting very remote locations that had yet to experience the soil exhaustion which plagued most agricultural zones from the last century, and those locations oftentimes lacked even proper uplink access.

Or, that was how Istvan preferred to think of it. Perhaps they were all just bound to their ways, stuck in the past, hayseed remnants of the old biocorps. Entirely possible.

But the results from the polar strains were very encouraging. Very encouraging indeed, given Blue Sky's vested interest in expanding operations to the Antarctic shelf and the vast unprovisioned masses there.

Blue Sky Prioritizes New Markets (Minor Action)

by **Ovstylap** » Wed Nov 16, 2022 1:01 pm

G-Tech Corporation wrote:North Beira, Tanganika, East Africa

A grating sound reverberated through the flier as it opened its flaps, descending rapidly toward a gleaming white airstrip he could now make out through the artificial horizon to his front. Imagine, when passengers on these contraptions didn't even have the luxury of knowing their destination, or what lay before them. This was a much more civilized age, in so many respects. He glanced over to his compatriot, a woman in the hard sable and white fatigues of the Guard, and then looked back at the silver towers again. There was opportunity here for many, if the right courses of action could be taken.

The gleaming white airstrip had been built in Tanganika by KICKK some 10 years ago in order to facilitate their increasingly frequent mass deliveries of various assorted cargoes and trade products, but here was something very new. Emissaries from Sud Afrika had come to see KICKK.

There had not been much notice given, but nonetheless a convoy of armored vehicles had arrived to transport the delegation to Compound One, the Port facility which was two miles away. Along the way, the Sud Afrikan emissaries were entertained by a highly excited and passionate KICKK financial advisor, who was fresh from being redeployed from India. The emissaries had the option of looking out of the window and seeing the aftermath of the Bezdrengo Apartment fire which had claimed the lives of over 800 people, or of further along the street a public execution being carried out by the ruling warlord in this area, or indeed further still, the anarchic scenes of fifth district- where law and order had completely broken down and the food riot had turned into a frenzy of looting and counter-productive destruction.

Eventually however, the slums, chaotic streets, and scenes of chaos came to an abrupt end. Looking through the forward windows, one might see a large meter thick black line on the ground, followed by 100m of open space, before a permitter fence, which one might correctly assume is electrified, before an imposing wall, with surveillance towers and watchposts stationed along it. "Welcome to Compound One folks. The safest place in Tanganika. This is KICKK's overall centre of operations in this part of East Africa, and is where our port is. Compound Two is attached to the airport, and Compound Three is our inner city nerve centre for local affairs. As you folks know, over the border from your territory are our holdings in Maputo. If it's being sold in East Africa it's either coming in here or Maputo. If it's leaving East Africa it's the same."

The convoy entered through the large main blast doors into a ten meter long tunnel, and through the blast doors at the other end, into a major open area. The convoy was directed towards a major prominent building, which was made in a functional architectural style. As the doors were opened, the emissaries would be able to look around and see a large amount of activity. In the distance, a vessel was being unloaded, "transfers from India, a redistribution of assets you might say," a group of subcontractors in training marching under the supervision of Kingfisher Security personnel, three lorries being loaded up with food and clean water for delivery to Compound Three, a group of locals tending a vegetable patch. The emissaries were taken inside, and directed to an elevator, which took everyone up to a large foyer, which had only a limited amount of decoration.

A few news channels played from various TVs, and multiple stock markets were displayed. The only one producing sound involved a handful of Australian panelists weighing in on recent KICKK investments in France, or what they thought the Frankfurt Exchange opening would result in, whereas the others were using subtitles only.

A single newspaper was on one of the tables, with news of appeals for investors in Oceania. Food and water was served to the emissaries, including a fresh chicken salad- a real luxury for certain, as well as some freshly pressed orange juice.

After the emissaries had been given time to eat, and talk amongst themselves, they were invited to come through for a round of preliminary talks by a secretary who introduced them to a woman with wavy blonde hair, who was perhaps in her 40s. "Lilly Cameron, KICKK's East Africa Branch Executive Officer, pleasure to meet you." She introduced the Sud Afrikan emissaries to several other KICKK representatives, ready for the first round of discussions. In the background, others who had come with the Sud Afrikan delegation were shown where accommodation and the like was to be provided.

by **Cybernetic Socialist Republics** » Wed Nov 16, 2022 1:12 pm

March RP WIP

by **The Empire of Tau** » Wed Nov 16, 2022 2:24 pm

Tejas, Dixie
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
KSC Launch Complex 39

Many consider Florida a part of the Gulf of Mexico or the North Atlantic Ocean and less as a state. They are not wrong to think so. Engulfed largely by the seas, Florida no longer exists as a large landmass. What land does exist are swamps and other wetlands, and the few pieces of actual solid land now belong to ARC. Recovered in the past decade, the Kennedy Space Center and its Launch Complex 39 are massive complexes with various measures to resist the wrath of mother nature. Well-positioned to conduct launches, KSC Launch Complex 39 will host the second American launch into space for the extraction of asteroids. It appears that the Americans are making fast headway into space. The spacecraft, Lincoln, will be ARC’s first attempt at asteroid mining. Equipped with equipment required for large-scale void-mining, Lincoln will find itself traveling to the designated asteroids of Ulm, Rerc, and Ytc. With this soon-to-be boost to ARC's wealth, Harrison is already setting into motion the next few month's plans for the rapid expansion of R&D in the New England territories and the potential of researching into newfound technology within the computing sector. Likewise, ARC is currently seeking out new national sponsors within Africa, Europe, and even the extrasolar nations beyond Earth.

by **The GAmeTopians** » Wed Nov 16, 2022 3:33 pm

Neo Dallas, Dixie
March, 2120

Test Subject 2197436A had a wide smile on his face as he flexed the fingers of his new hand, the faint whine of servos only barely audible with each movement.
"The patient should now proceed to the testing chamber for further instructions."
Deep in the bowels of Neo Dallas, hundreds of amputees and others crippled by years of corporate labor found new life at the hands of Imai Holdings. It was truly amazing how far humans would go to get their lives back - even if they places themselves right in the jaws of another predator in the process.
"If you'll just sign here, Mr. Davis..."
Oh, it was good to be king.

Imai Holdings is Prioritizing New Markets (Minor) in Dixie

Corporate Cosmos [IC | Closed]

Jurgen's Announcement/Death Of Konrad

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