Fratanica: A Nation of Happenings (Maintenance, Closed)

[Fratanica]

OOC

This thread is used to describe anything happening within Fratanica, from news to in-character events to political discourse, and anything in between. All events and interactions that are detailed within this thread are considered to be canon, and have actually taken place. This thread is meant to be kept as a log of events and interactions going on in Fratanica. You will see political crises, cultural events, and anything that I so fancy to post (in-character of course!).

The Presidential Palace, Viras, Fratanica, 10:00 am

The President was a busy man, swamped by pressure from his political opponents and constricted by a tight schedule. He knew that he would be overworked, antsy, and challenged by vehement critics looking to make a news story out of him. He always wanted to be the man who would do the right thing each time, the man who would fight for his brand of copious idealism, even if it would be ultimately fruitless. This morning, he was inside the Monet Meeting Room, working with the Scientific Policy Commission with his Prime Minister, Michael Lambert. Normally, he would not be sitting in these meetings, but his prime minister was also from the same party as he was. He sat at the helm of an ornate wooden oval-shaped desk, surrounded by 15 members of the commission and 3 senior aides. Members of this commission came from a variety of backgrounds: they included the nation's foremost scientific experts, top STEM academia, private sector CEOs, and politicians well-versed in scientific policy. This morning, the topic was the role of government in scientific advancement.

"We have sent expeditions to space, developed critical treatments for chronic ailments, and discovered sustainable materials to increase the lifespan of humanity. Now, how do we, the government, develop policy which would enable us to reach for the stars and touch them with our outstretched hands? " the President asked.

One voice came from Denis Lavigne, a former politician who had previously served on the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation. "Mr. President, we need an overhaul in how our educational institutions research new technologies. Research labs in our universities are not incentivized to solve problems, research hypotheses, they are busy with waiting for government grants and writing papers in scientific journals for their own reputations. We must look at the root of the problem here; it is not funding, but rather academia's obsession with publishing in scientific journals that is causing the hole in research. Scientists also get backed into a corner cause they focus on extremely specific specializations, which decreases the output of research and development that we need. We must discourage this behavior, whether through governmental oversight or otherwise."

"So you say this is an institutional problem?" the Prime Minister chimed in.

"Absolutely, Mr. Prime Minister. It is critical that w-"

He is interrupted when a formally-dressed man barges into the room. The President's body man (personal aide) was a loyal and energetic man with slender build, who had recently graduated from Viras National University.

"I apologize, everyone."

He then begins to whisper into the President's ear. "Mr. President, there has been an incident involving a military cargo plane. You must get to the OPCENT, immediately." OPCENT referred to the Barre Operations Center, where the President spearheaded many sensitive national security and military efforts.

The President nodded his head in silence, with a lifeless expression. He then raised his head and stared at those seated at the table.

"I must go, we have a situation developing. I'll have the Prime Minister take over in the meantime." Alexander Castillon was one of the President's most trusted aides, having worked with him throughout his legislative career and consequential presidential campaign.

President Lukas Wolf put on his suit jacket, and then exited the meeting room.

[Fratanica]

Erborn Forest, Fratanica, 9:20 am

Home sweet home, Jonas Weber thought. This was home turf, the place he called home. It was his place of peace and serenity. Not only did he call this place home, he was a logger who had worked tirelessly the last few days and just needed break. For once, he had a lull in work, a day off to enjoy himself. He had brought his fishing equipment and fishing permit along with him, as he had intended to fish in the nearby Lake Saint-Xavier.

However, he heard something out of the ordinary: the sounds of an airplane travelling above him. A feeling of unexplained uneasiness fell upon Weber, but he attempted to shrug it off.

Something is just not right here, Weber kept insisting in his head. Conflicting emotions befuddled the logger, who had been caught off guard. Being overcome by curiosity, he looked up towards the sky. An unimaginable sight of a plane flying at low-altitude filled his vision. Through the little pockets of visibility of the trees, he could see the plane careening nose-first towards the ground. Then, the serenity of the forest suddenly transformed into disruption.

Barre Operations Center, Presidential Palace, Viras, Fratanica, 10:15 am

The doors of the operations room flung open, and President Lukas Wolf was at the door.

"Good morning, Mr. President." The flock of military generals, national security professionals, and senior staff stood up from their seats, as was tradition. A tinge of tension could be felt within the room, as was always the case in crises like these.

"At ease, everybody." the President said with a distant and distraught look. He had always hated this part of the job, learning about crises involving lives being lost. His mind had become cluttered with contemplation about the realities of death, punctuated by a deep sorrow that he just could not shake off. His ideologue side felt as if he could have done something to prevent this tragedy, yet the pragmatic thinker in him understood that tragedy was just what he had to come to terms with.

The men and women in front of him took a seat, ready to brief him about the situation.

"Give me a rundown of the situation."

"Mr. President, this particular Lockheed Martin C-130 transport aircraft was operated by the Fratanican Air Force. At around 9:30 local time, local emergency services were alerted to the plane having crashed. The plane crashed within Erborn Forest, a forest 650 kilometers away from Viras. The plane was transporting soldiers from the 6th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade, to a military training exercise located at Fort Lemaire. We do not know if there are any survivors from this crash, however, the severity of the crash makes us believe that there were, indeed, no survivors."

"How many passengers and crew were there?"

"There were 37 passengers and 5 crew inside the plane, according to our records."

The President put his hands on his face and sighed. He was frustrated, confused, and overwhelmed at the catastrophic loss of life.

"How extensive is the damage?"

"The plane seemed to have practically disintegrated upon impact. From what I've heard from rescue personnel on the ground, there were mangled bodies and debris strewn everywhere"

"Any military search-and-rescue and recovery teams deployed?"

"Sir, the Air Force is deploying a search-and-rescue team to the area, to help emergency workers present there recover bodies and secure the scene."

"We spent 20 million Frats on that plane, and you're telling me that we couldn't even protect one of those soldiers? Now we've got 42 grieving families who will have to live with the reality of their son or daughter not coming home. How the hell does that happen?"

"Mr. President, no matter how sophisticated an aircraft is or how much money we spend on emergency measures, the fact of the matter is that any number of factors could have brought down that plane. There is just no 100% guarantee that a plane will make it to their destination."

President Wolf, deep down, knew that he was right. There was nothing that could have been done; it was inevitable destiny. He rubbed his face, characterizing the simultaneous anger and sadness that simmered within his psyche.

"Have the families of the victims been notified?"

"Calls are being made by the Fratanican Army, Mr. President. The next of kin of those deceased have been identified and we are making efforts to notify them."

"What about the Aviation Safety Board? Are they aware of the crash?" The Aeronautics Safety Board was an agency within the Ministry of Transportation and Tourism, responsible for investigating air accidents either within Fratanica or involving Fratanican airplanes.

"The Aeronautics Safety Board has been informed of the crash, and they are sending investigators out to determine the cause of the crash. As of now, all causes are on the table."

"Alright, thank you." the President murmured with an exasperation in his voice. He suddenly rose up from his seat, and stormed out of the operations room.

[Fratanica]

176 Coeurs Road, Dansburg, Fratanica, 4:15 pm

Julian Gerreau was a precocious young man. He lived by himself in a tight, messy studio apartment, with posters of Fratanican rock band Seconds to Midnight imprinted on the white walls. He was pursuing a computer science degree at the Dansburg Institute of Science and Technology, one of the most prestigious universities throughout the country. He had a fierce intellect, which he had coupled with a deep interest in computing and programming. Julian was also a pessimistic thinker, who likened all people to nothing but selfish and gullible assholes.

Julian was just a worker in the assembly line of malware attacks against government entities, intending to create a panic and temporarily cripple such digital infrastructure. He was kept out of the dark of the entire plan, instead being told that he was simply producing malware to hurt a local online shopping business.

It was a rainy afternoon, with grey clouds painting the canvas of the sky. Julian had only woken up just an hour prior, having worked on his side venture well into the early morning. Wearing a wrinkled university shirt and grey sweatpants, he lazily plopped himself down at his desk and opened up his laptop. He drank out of an energy drink can left over from the night before, then got to work. Like any other day, he logged into his computer account and opened up the Luxer client. Luxer was a secure chat messaging app developed by a non-profit privacy technology foundation, with built-in end-to-end voice and text chat encryption. He needed to get input on the latest code he had written throughout the night, and also receive his new tasks for the day. He opened up the chat with SilentStorm133, his supposed partner in crime, and began typing.

"hey you there?"

A reply came in near instantaneously. "im here, send code thru safetydrop"

SafetyDrop was an encrypted file transfer software, trusted by both legal operators and illicit figures.

Rooted in their paranoia, Julian only sent snippets of code which the recipient had to piece together. It was an arduous process, but they believed it would negate the possibility of being caught.

Unbeknownst to him, the party was about to get shut down. The Federal Security Office had caught wind of the scheme, and knew a few of the low-level perpetrators. Unfortunately for Julian Gerreau, he was on their radar. An FSO surveillance unit, parked in an unassuming white sedan across the one window of the apartment unit, had seen Julian open the blinders of the windows.

"Dispatch, be advised, surveillance units have confirmed the suspect's presence and we're moving in now. Show us en-route to 176 Coeurs Road. Requesting assistance to watch the backside of the apartment complex, in case of attempted escape."

The radio operator was Jacques "Sparrow" Collier, a 11-year veteran with the FSO. He was recently assigned to one of the Mobile Operations Units, or MOUs, after undergoing an additional 18 months of specialized training. He was a part of an 8-man team, charged with the arrest of Julian Gerreau. Collier was wearing a tactical black helmet, a plate carrier vest with .224 caliber magazines, eyewear, and shin pads. He had a KN P6 pistol in a leg holster, and carried a KN LR-18 modular rifle with an Aimpoint red dot sight.

The FSO MOU was teamed up with provincial armed police units, who were heading towards the street behind the apartment complex in unmarked units. Most local police officers in Fratanica do not carry firearms, due to restrictive gun laws nationwide.

They arrived into the parking lot, and inspected their equipment one more time. The pointman, a former special operations operator named Daniel Werner, was equipped with a ballistic shield and a P6 pistol. The second man, a rugged law enforcement veteran affectionately known as "Pretty" Pascal Garnier, carried the battering ram to open the apartment door. Collier was the third man in line.

"Show us on-scene. We'll move in when we get the go ahead."

They patiently waited for a signal to move in from their supervisor.

"You are clear to move in on the suspect."

Quickly and efficiently, the team rapidly exited the back of the van and positioned themselves on the walls near the apartment door. Then, the pointman knocks, wanting to coax the suspect into surrendering peacefully.

"This is the Federal Security Office, come out with your hands up!"

Gerreau heard the commotion, but he thought it could not be him at first. His mind simply would not accept that they found out, as they had taken numerous security precautions.

"This is your final warning, come out with your hands up!"

Yet no response. Julian went into a state of silent panic, unsure of what to do. He stood up from his comfortable office chair and began to tremble. He had never expected this day to come, and he internally cursed himself for even getting involved in such a scheme.

The pointman nodded to the operator behind him, and signals to the other team members with their hands to move in. The second man approaches the door, and pulls back the battering ram.

He hits the door with a heavy amount of force, breaking the door off of its hinges. The third man throws the flashbang inside.

Boom.

The operators quickly enter the studio apartment occupied by Julian Gerreau.

"FSO! GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND!"

Julian, in a state of shock, obeys the team's orders and gets on the ground.

Collier takes out the flexicuffs and uses them on Gerreau, wrapping them tight around his wrists as he complained about being uncomfortable. He then instructs the suspect to sit on the floor.

"Julian Gerreau?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"You're being detained for questioning, in connection with a malicious cyber crime scheme. You conspired with several co-conspirators to wreak havoc on federal governmental websites and online systems."

"What the fuck?"

Into the radio: "We have a suspect in custody, an approximately 172 cm tall white male with a red university shirt, grey sweatpants, and large circular-shaped glasses."

Another FSO team, this time an investigative team wearing casual wear and bulletproof vests, had just arrived. One of the agents began to talk to Julian.

"Don't worry, we will explain all of this to you. You're going to be transported to a local police station, where you will be subject to questioning. We got to make sure bastards like you don't disrupt the activities of the government."

It was the price of doing illicit business.

[Fratanica]

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Rioters wearing concealing clothes and wielding blunt-force weapons

BLOODY RIOTS IN ASPERA KILL 8, INJURE 71
Asperan officials worried about an escalation in violence, Fratanican National Police called in
Debare Eminike (@deminike)
National Security Correspondent

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July 25 - Riots in the autonomous territory of Aspera have left 8 dead and 71 injured in its wake. The violence began last Friday, when the Asperan executive government had pledged to increase cooperation with the Fratanican government. The capital is the most severely affected area of these riots, having suffered the majority of damage. Anti-Fratanican protestors took to the streets in the thousands, with many marching towards the Governor-General's residence in the capital of Termuela. The protests turned violent late into the night, resulting in multiple clashes between Asperan police and protestors. As a result of this violence, the Governor-General Nicholas Dekkers had reportedly been evacuated to a safer location, allowing for authorities to focus on protecting life and property.

The Aspera Police Service, led by Chief Walter Schneider, released the number of casualties and arrested persons early Sunday morning. The official figures say that 8 people are dead, 71 people are injured, and 62 people have been arrested by authorities. There is currently no exact cost of damages out as of now, however, they have estimated the property damage to be worth over

The police force, consisting of 250 sworn officers, has been having trouble dealing with the rioting and looting. Consequently, the 16th Home Security Battalion was activated last night by the Governor-General, supplementing the 250-man force with another 332 men. They will be working together to quell the violence and return the region to a state of normalcy. A senior Asperan official with knowledge of internal security procedures also confirmed to FNN News that a formal request was submitted for Fratanican civil support. This would likely entail the deployment of backup officers from the National Police Authority.

The Governor-General had issued an urgent plea in a national address early Saturday afternoon, calling for calm and condemning the escalating violence throughout the territory.

"I am deeply saddened by the escalation of urban violence, and I condemn it to the fullest extent. I know our police officers are working tirelessly through the day and night, ensuring public order is kept within the region. We must revert back to a state of calm and return to the negotiating table. There is no greater danger to our citizens than the riotous activities of opportunists, and our government will do whatever is necessary to quell these riots."

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[Fratanica]

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Deputy Antoine Baptiste of the Liberal Unity Party, one of the bill's key authors

NATIONAL DIET PASSES OVERSEAS TERRITORY REFORM BILL, PRESIDENT TO SIGN BILL
The change would affect the way overseas territories are administrated and how they are represented in the executive branch.
Julien Lambert (@jlambert)
Political Correspondent

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August 3 - The National Diet passed the Overseas Administration Reform Law of 2021 late Monday afternoon, making new changes to the way that overseas territories are administered. The National Assembly voted 417-98 in favor of the new bill, whereas the Federation Council voted 45-18 in favor of the bill. The bill will next be sent to the President, who is expected to sign this new legislation into law.

The bill is expected to both strengthen ties with overseas territories through the establishment of liaison offices and creation of new organizations, and increase the autonomy of those regions by limiting the executive branch's influence over territorial governments. The bill also establishes a direct referendum process, which allow the general populaces of the territories to vote on territory-related executive decisions.

The changes also included shake-ups to governmental organizations related to territories. Among these changes is a new Cabinet-level position, which supersedes the individual executive representatives of the territories, as well as a newly created ministry. Within the Executive Council, the two Special Minister positions for the overseas territories are being merged together into one position: the Special Minister for Overseas Affairs. The new minister will be in charge of building up the ministry and overseeing its interactions with these territories.

Many have praised this new legislation for its improvements towards territorial rights and autonomy, including the governments of both Augustine Island and Whitney Island. Others on these islands, such as the political parties Augustine Unity Coalition and Whitney Conservative Party, have condemned the act for nullifying the individual territorial identities and loosening Fratanican influence over the islands.

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[Fratanica]

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President Wolf addresses the media outside of the Silvain residence after a meeting with the PM

PRESIDENT LUKAS WOLF CALLS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
The President's weekly address policy has given him a platform to indirectly influence the direction of party politics.
Jordan Neuville (@jordanneuville)
Political Correspondent

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VIRAS, FRATANICA | Sep 26, 2021 - President Wolf addressed over 50 million Fratanicans on Saturday, both through social media and through television, talking about his goals for the country and delineating his political agenda. The most notable portion of the weekly address came from the agenda-setting portion of his address. In a stark contrast from the previous neutrality of the Wolf administration, President Lukas Wolf called for a "universal income which fits all, regardless of social stature and employment" in his latest weekly address on Saturday. He elaborated by mentioning how other welfare programs are designed to reactively alleviate poverty, rather than proactively targeting the root causes of poverty and inequality.

A universal basic income is an amount of money that is given to every resident, regardless of their social status or skills. The idea is novel; it has a quantifiable potential to lift many out of poverty by guaranteeing a survivable amount of money for all. Furthermore, the principle of equality are represented by this contrived notion; the provision of money can empower stay-at-home mothers and other houseworkers.

Whereas many believe that the enactment of a universal basic income would ameliorate poverty, the creation of such a broad policy would represent a massive overhaul of the Fratanican welfare system. This could prove incredibly taxing on governments at both the federal and provincial level, as it requires a vast transition of the welfare state and interrupts the vast bureaucratic operations put in place. Such a transition can result in the loss of many public sector jobs due to the shrinkage of social welfare programs, ironically placing undue pressure on the economy through its implementation. Furthermore, the notion of a universal basic income is not without its flaws; the program is likely to cost over a trillion Frats to implement and can lead to shortages within the labor market. President Wolf has yet to touch upon these claims publicly.

The policy may also have many cavilers across the political spectrum, as the thought of a universal income presents ambiguity as to the President's political leanings. Within the President's own party and within the multi-party system, the idea of a "universal basic income" faces many nearly-insurmountable challenges, seen as too radical. Whether the Social Liberal Party likes it or not, President Lukas Wolf has undoubtedly steered the party's politics through the declaration of this intention.

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