The Great Migration Begins [All-Tech Maintenance Thread]

[Allanea]

OOC : I have long promised this. I will now begin it.

The RP is intended to have a non-military nature, but diplomatic and character responses to the Great Migration are welcome, indeed expected. If you absolutely re interested in making a war out of this somehow, please TG me and we will work out a separate war thread.

The first section of this post is a press-conference transcript. You can feel free to RP as a reporter in the conference (and thus before the transcript is published IC, but at the time the event occured).

IC:

Liberty-City

The campaign began in winter. To be fair, the Liberty-City winter lasts from late October to the end of April, but this campaign began in late November. Vast posters had been posted up in the streets, portraying vast, elven-designed vessels - MegaVingilots, the gigantic gravitic freighters designed by the Menelmacari Yavanna Fleet Systems, hanging in space next to vast Allanean battleships - dwarving even those vessels by their sheer scale. The posters held slogans - TOGETHER AS ONE, FORWARD TO THE OUTER COLONIES and A NEW LIFE AWAITS YOU IN THE COLONIAL TERRITORIES - or quotes from officials and corporate leaders. "The MegaVingilot is a symbol of the new fellowship between Allanea and its elven allies", said one of them.

Three days after the first posters came up, Kevin Nivensky of Allanean Arms held a press-conference - on behalf not of his company, but of the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation. President Kazansky attended the conference - not as a major announcer, but as a guest of honor. There, the CEO had made a brief speech.

Its transcript appeared within hours on the site of every major Allanean news source.

*

NIVENSKY: Fellow Freemen!

As we all know, high population density, and especially high population density on Earth has long been an issue for Allanea. For this reason, the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation has worked on a solution for this problem. I am happy to say that we have finally found one.

We have worked with space exploration companies and shipping industry companies in several countries, and especially in Menelmacar, to purchase and locate shipping assets, and in addition, more importantly, purchased right to eleven inhabitable systems, primarily in the North-Western Quadrant of the Galaxy.

[noise in the hall]

I understand this is fairly amazing to all of you. However, I am not done. First of all, the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation will be making available free transit for up to fifty million Freemen and their families, whose lists will be taken from charities and, where available, state unemployment agencies. This will save taxpayer money and allow the poorest members of our society to make a new start in life. Other Freemen will be able to make this journey on an affordable price.

Further, we purchased ships - one Sanctuary Fleet Yards Lord Humongous ultraheavy lifter and about a thousand Frontierliner cargo ships, one thousand Zeppelin Manufacturers Solar-class freighters. From the Xiscapian Asmira Conglomerate, light ships - up to one million right runabouts - essentially space-capable flying cars - ten thousand tugs, a thousand deconstruction ships, ten thousand ultralight freighters. These will be a massive cloud of ships which will accompany our main fleet.

[noise in the hall]

Yes. I said main fleet. For all of these will be auxiliaries. The main muscle of this fleet will be the Menelmacari-made Vingilot gravitic freighters. We have purchased ten thousand of the regular Vingilots, and five thousand heavier ships, which we know as the Heavy Vingilot or SuperVingilot class. Finally, however, we have persuaded Yavanna Fleet Systems to design, and produce for us, a ship of a new class - the Megavingilot. These are ten kilometers long - dwarfing every military ship in Allanea except for our mobile fleet stations by length, and dwarfing even them by volume. One hundred of these will be produced.

For the duration of this journey, the Vingilots will be equipped with stock Menelmacari FTL drives, which will be returned to Menelmacar at the end of the mission, and replaced by Allanean drives with the help of Menelmacari experts. This is because while I trust our government to an extent, I take precautions against them stealing the property of our friends and of our investors.

[pause, then applause]

Ladies and gentlemen, Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation would like to thank our donors and our supporters. There was a time where it was unthinkable that Allanea would have a space capability at all. Today, our fellow Freemen can fly to the sky on MegaVingilots. These giant ships are the symbol of the progress our country has made.

That is all, my friends.

I will take questions now.

May God Continue to Bless Allanea.

*

[For the Menelmacar player]

And while the Migration would be mostly handled by the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation, there were still legal niceties to be handled, bills to be passed helping incorporate the new territories into Allanea, and so on, and so forth. Frenetic negotiations took place at every level of the Allanean Federal Government, and in some local authorities too. Although it was still possible for President Kazansky (or Emperor Kazansky, if you preferred his other titles) to get the time to attend a perfromance of the Allanean Shakespeare Company, even in the brief break between the acts, he took the time to type a letter.

To: Sirithil nos Feanor, High Queen of Menelmacar, etc.
From:Alexander Kazansky (personal mailbox)
Encryption:Personal

Dear Aunt Sirithil!

I understand that you surely know by now that the Great Migration of my people - long-awaited, indeed long-discussed - is about to begin. Congress is even now hammering out bills for cooperation with the Foundation's project.

As my personal participation in this is not needed - indeed as you know I prefer not to use my authority to cow the legislature into submission - I am currently at a performance of the Allanean Shakespeare Company (a break had been called between the acts). This is their annual Romeo and Juliet performance, which I love dearly. The Company does this very traditionally - with a theater made up to resemble the original Globe, period costumes, and so forth. They are also loyal to the original text. There is no reinvention of the wheel here.

I am, as you well know, a big fan of the big Shakespearean plays. Harold Bloom had argued passionately in The Invention of the Human that Shakespeare has had a transformational influence on how the people in his cultural sphere understood emotion, indeed on how they experienced emotion. Others argue that the Shakespearean plays contain deep philosophical truths about human nature. Whatever is the case, re-watching these plays is like taking a large diamond out of a box and examining it. You may have seen the stone a dozen times, you know every side of it, and yet you want to see it again.

There are therefore two ways to reinterpret Romeo and Juliet. One is to do a reapplication of the play to a new setting, try and demonstrate how love and death and fate play the same games with us in every century. The other - more terrible - is to play around with the text, to try and show that Romeo and Juliet never really loved each other, or that she should have shut up and married Paris. To do this displays some kind of terrible human void inside the person who makes the interpretation - and when I see a society where these interpretations are seen as sensible, it is often one which is in need of the Allanean bayonet. These things can arise as individual interpretations in any society - but when 'Romeo and Juliet is not a love story' is an accepted thing throughout a society... something has gone amiss somewhere.

On a textualist, historical level, it misses the fact that Shakespeare lived in an era where people did believe in love at the first sight, where people like Romeo were seen as adults (if young ones), and indeed it misses the fact that the story of Romeo and Juliet was known as one of tragic love for generations before Shakespeare. If it does not attempt to implant modern progressive values - what I feel about those I see no need to restate - into Shakespeare, it at least try to implant them in the reader - 'yes, dear reader, Shakespeare tries to tell you they are in love. We know better than him. Or than the characters'. If Beren was still alive and stood before us, I bet they would try to persuade him his feelings for Luthien weren't love.

Of course, true love exists, so does love at the first sight. As you well know I have experienced it. But meanwhile, the Allanean Shakespeare Company does something more than this. They do not reinterpet the original play - instead, Director Nichols does a work of marvels - while sticking to the Old Shakespeare. I do not know if this is how this was performed in the Globe - certainly it smells better in here and the costumes are probably better - but there is no fanciness in this, no desire to innovate for innovation's sake, no disrespect to the Bard or to his characters. No, Nichols returns to the scene with a desire to do what he did last year, what the preceding director did before him, and what the Allanean Shakespeare company excels in. They transfer from generation to generation the same story - of how two people loved each other for four days in a world made of hatred and death, and then they perished and did not surrender. I don't want a better story. 

I may have mentioned previously the events at the Crystal Spires charity gala, where I met Professor Cassiopeia Blaken. I have, in my spare time, tried to find out more about this lady. The result of this research has been this: Professor Blaken is not only an extremely handsome lady, but she is in possession of an extremely agile intellect - I have read several of her essays and scholarly articles. Rarely do I have the pleasure of encountering a mind, at the least, equal if not completely superior to my own. Further, I have a suspicion - though of course I have had zero opportunity to confirm it - that she belongs to my own kind, theAranyafiri - making my inquiry even more fascinating (as you know, there are currently between two and three of my kin around, depending on whom you ask). 

I have read the political report she had worked upon - '80 for 80'. Her style can be distinguished easily - I marked off the chapters she had personally worked on. This report - a bit of a hit among the nationalists here - suggests Allanea sequester itself from the world for 80 years, and engage in a vast military build up costing 80 trillion a year. Of course, I disagree -but that isn't the point here. Reading the chapters of this report where Professor Blaken argues for it persuaded me if not in the correctness of her views, but in the notion that she possesses a sharp moral perception. I feel now that, at least, her position is one arrived at from a nobler frame of mind than my own. I tell myself that the positions I take are the result of some 'hardnosed realism'... but perhaps it is mere weakness.

I have pondered this issue when watching a recording of one of her lectures. There was a special grace to her movement - the sort you see with people who have complete command of their physical self, dancers or fencers or surgeons, people who are absolutely certain what their doing, who have eliminated the last trace of clumsiness. She was talking about a practical magic issue, illustrating her point with graphs - and I could not help but think how beautiful her hands were. She walked back and forth, waving her hands - she clearly loves the subject matter - and I saw she was like a conductor in an orchestra. She was almost painfully beautiful then, a sort of impossibility made flesh, like a necrontyr construct of the kind that contain mathematical contradictions in their design.

I have seen thousands of handsome men and women of all kinds. In a population of twenty-one billion Freemen, there are millions of those whose bodily organs are proportioned perfectly, who can, if they choose to and if they are notice, become models or artists. There was something beyond that in Professor Blaken. I saw there a beauty that was backed up by both a powerful intellect and a proud, confident spirit - a genuinely good person who knows they have good reason to be certain of what they do.

I realized also that if I had been in that class - certainly I could have gone - then the only way Professor Blaken would have noticed my presence among her student would be if she recognized me from a news photo. For a brief moment, I contemplated the charity gala again. I should have perhaps ignored Auryn and tried to talk more to Professor Blaken. Or asked her to dance with me. Of course she would have likely walked away.

I can get into contact with a woman within minutes. Given who I am, it is likely that I could fill my entire schedule with women of various description. But I understood then implicitly - and I understand this explicitly now - that this would not work with Cassiopeia Blaken, not even in the simple context of asking her to dance with me. I felt clumsy then - as if i was about to trip and fall - and I understand now why. I would like to have Professor Blaken here, in this box, watching play with me. I understand this to be as impossible as placing a small star in the theater box.

Very soon, Allanea will look like something between an opened termite nest and Columbus' journeys - and I will have to dive into the midst of it. It seems to me that as I sail off, I will still be contemplating this beautiful and lady who spoke to me at the charity gala. 

Yours, Alex.

[Allanea]

Official Message from the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation

As we move out among the stars, towards the destiny of Freemen, we continue settling the various Winter Worlds that the Menelmacari have so kindly sold us. In addition, the Foundation has purchased a second lot of ten systems from Menelmacar, and is continuing to gradually spend away our share of the Ringworld Fund.

In the meanwhile we would like to announce the names of the ten current Winter World systems.

First is Curulambiel, after Curulambiel nos Cirdan, who has been instrumental in the early stages of our effort. This world is currently being settled already, and is expected to become capital of the Winter Worlds.

Further worlds are named Denikin, Kolchak, Vrangel, Hayek, New Elbrus, Sapphire, Moissanite, Hopegleam and Snezhinka. We have used up 100 of the Frontierliner cargo ships as part of the construction effort, as they have been disassembled to form either part of the settment structures on Curulambiel, or forged into space stations in orbit of that world.

Stay tuned for more.

[Allanea]

Moissanite System

The world below glimmers. There is a clear reason it has been labeled Moissanite, like the most gleaming stone in existence, more brilliant even than diamonds. Endless snow expanses reveal themselves to the crew of the first landing craft, as they begin to decelerate in the planet’s orbit.

No sound is heard as the first settlement craft - globes, looking like children’s marbles in the rays of the setting sun - are sowed out from the passing colony ships. They speed downwards, at a rate that is somewhat slower than they should naturally be falling at, directed, it seems, by some invisible player. In truth, the craft are not merely craft - they are homes, each carrying a settler family to its chosen land lot in the new wilderness.

In an orbiting space yacht, Julia Nivensky writes:

Dear Curulambiel!

Today we have broken ground on the Moissanite colony. A trusted company official has been appointed as governor for the first four years of the colony’s establishment, after which point elections will be held, and the residents of Moissanite will vote themselves a new governor. By that time we hope to have brought at least twenty million people to this world, and set Moissanite well on the path to future prosperity.

I will inform you further on future news as they develop.

[Allanea]

Winter Worlds: Curulambiel System


The colony was new - several drop-homes, gathered together in a small clump, two megacontainersstuck somewhat diagonally in the snow. But with the snow already beginning to gather around the homes, the illusion as created that these people have been here for years and years. As Julia watched, the wind blowing at her face, she saw a colonist in a long, heavy over coat, get out of one of the homes and begin to walk towards another.

He struggled with every yard, sinking knee-deep into the snow, the wind blowing at him, the snow binding his steps. But within a few minutes he placed his hand - probably, a gloved hand, but it was not possible to see from this distance - onto the door of the other house, and then, within a second, vanished within. Compared to the difficulty the man had moving in snow, that last act of opening the door, getting in, and closing the door behind him seemed like it had been instant. Of course, it was simply far less difficult than moving in all that snow.

Julia van Ghent smiled at this simple action. She would not, probably, stay in the colonies - although a family retreat on this world was being built for her and her husband - but she enjoyed the colony effort, enjoyed helping out on it, and enjoyed seeing it happened.

Far on the horizon she saw gleaming, blue dots of light - the braking engines of several colony homes entering the athmosphere on re-entry. As she stood, she saw the blue dots, glowing bright and defiant against the grey winter sky - all sky on Curulambiel was winter sky - settle gradually towards the horizon.

“They’re from the Adult Stork, aren’t they?” - she asked out loud.

Standing next to her, her trillionaire husband, Kevin Nivensky, replied: “Yup. It’s going to circle the planet seven times, just seeding colonists like this.”

“Awesome. I’m surprised each time at the scale of the whole thing.”

“We’ll probably need to write to the Dornalians today. It’s time.”

“You think?”

“Allanea needs these systems if it wants to be a proper power. We can’t afford not to have them. That’s what the fucking Foudation is here for.”

“I guess you’re right.” - said Julia. - “But my reply to this is that we must also order other things. Hospitals, for instance, technologies, ideas.”

“That’s fair enough. The letter should go out today, though.”

*

To: The Arsenal of Freedom
From: Kevin Nivensky, in his capacity of CEO of the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation

Dear Dornalian Friends!

As you know, the Great Migration is in process, and millions of Freemen are making their way out to the colony worlds. The NRF is interested in procuring from your nation new technologies, secrets, knowledge and installations.

At a minimum we would like you to construct for us a network of orbital and ground gates, to bind our nation together. Two megascale gates also need to be built to connect our territories in the Skyriver Galaxy with those in the Milky Way.

We are also interested in construction of a Segmental Ship Construction and Docking Station, similar to your Weyland facility, and several sector hospitals for the use of our citizens.

We’re always interested in other things as well, so if you have any ideas feel free to offer them up.

Yours,
Kevin.

[New Dornalia]

OOC: Took a few guesses with this memo I wrote Kevin--if anything needs to be addressed, lemme know.

IC:

To: The Arsenal of Freedom
From: Kevin Nivensky, in his capacity of CEO of the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation

Dear Dornalian Friends!

As you know, the Great Migration is in process, and millions of Freemen are making their way out to the colony worlds. The NRF is interested in procuring from your nation new technologies, secrets, knowledge and installations.

At a minimum we would like you to construct for us a network of orbital and ground gates, to bind our nation together. Two megascale gates also need to be built to connect our territories in the Skyriver Galaxy with those in the Milky Way.

We are also interested in construction of a Segmental Ship Construction and Docking Station, similar to your Weyland facility, and several sector hospitals for the use of our citizens.

We’re always interested in other things as well, so if you have any ideas feel free to offer them up.

Yours,
Kevin.

SIC:

New Leningrad City, New Leningrad County, CRE

The Arsenal of Freedom’s modern, clean campus stood out amongst the rain-soaked, dreary landscape as a shining beacon of logistics. Like a Google complex retooled to move armaments instead of making life-altering digital achievements, it was a complex where the craft of logistics was practiced on a daily basis in the name of selling to the discerning export customer. The MacIntyre Administration had created it long ago, in the name of selling goods to others. It had long since become a clearinghouse/storefront, a quasi-governmental organization like a more efficient US Postal Service.

And, its biggest customer? Easily far and away, the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation.

So, when Kevin Nivensky’s message reached the customer call line at the Arsenal, the message was quickly sent to the right departments and passed about. NRF always had unusual requests, but given that they paid top dollar and gave a lot of Dornalians good work for unusual skills, the requests were doable. After all, when it really counted, what they wanted was an orbital station and gates. Well, the gate network also would be ground based, but nothing the Dornies couldn’t do. The Tennenbaum Institute was always looking for new projects, and the Mastersmiths (especially those belonging to Tadanobu General Services Corporation) could use the science work.

So, while everyone from Tadanobu General Services Corporation to NORINCO was contacted for help, a message was generated from the Arsenal, sent directly to the CEO’s desk, from the CEO of the Arsenal herself. After all, a contract of this magnitude tended to demand…a more personal touch.

To: CEO Kevin Nivensky
From: Helen Banukewicz, The Arsenal of Freedom

We at the Arsenal are pleased to be dealing with the Foundation once more. The significance of your requests in particular demands a personal reply, and no mere form letter.

In regards to the need for gates and a space station, a point of clarification in regards to the Weyland system—research conducted by my staff indicates that those items are technically made by our other allies, psosibly either the Starways Congress or the Huntarian Empire, and not by the Dornalians. Your sources may or may not be referring to our construction work around Endor in the SWG (as we dub the Skyriver Galaxy), where we did build a replica Cloud City in 1:1 scale (known jocularly by the nickname of “Cloud City 2: Electric Boogaloo” by the official name of New Macau), using plans supplied by the Huntarian Empire. Any confusion is understandable, given the simultaneous activities of the Huntarians, Congressionals, and Dornalians in developing the region.

Having clarified that matter, I now turn to your requests. Your requests can be done and the Dornalian Government’s present use of Hyperspace Expressway jump gates as well as the crash expansion programs of multiple defense contractors’ shipbuilding capacities to meet prior Allanean and Greater Prussian treaty obligations shows our capacity to undertake projects involving significant infrastructure development.

More pertinent to the needs of building a gate network that goes onto the ground and in aerospace, the Department of Transportation and the Dornalian contractors for the gate network (South China StarStruct, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, et al) also have been contacted. The DOT has agreed to supply some experts to help man the gate project and liaise with the authorities in charge of the project, while the various contractors will help construct the orbital gates, including the two megascale gates specifically requested.

We have also contacted the various Dornalian defense contractors regarding the construction of a segmented orbital complex related to docking and construction, as requested. In particular, given their expertise at large scale construction projects such as the creation of “Cloud City 2: Electric Boogaloo” around the gas giant of Endor and the city of Huntleighville, you would be well advised to work with NORINCO and its affiliated companies. Note that other contractors such as Union Aerospace and other HT Industries affiliates, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and other Spoor Holding Company affiliates, and Tyrol Industries may also be suitable given their role in helping to fulfill the obligations stipulated in the New Dornalia-Greater Prussia Friendship Treaty. I would contact Tyrol Industries personally in order if you wish to obtain their services, as while they are excellent craftsmen, they are very particular about copyright. (OOC: Speak to OG if you wish to use Tyrol stuff.)

The ground gate systems may take a little more time to produce, given that we are not native users of “stargate” style systems, but are assuredly doable given Dornalian knowledge of wormholes and other quick-travel phenomena. The Tennenbaum Institute, Tadanobu General Services Corporation and the Mastersmiths generally, and the Academica Sinica have been contacted to develop the ground gates; Dr. Armando Strasser at the Tennenbaum Institute has requested a rough timeline for when the ground gates need to be operational so his crew knows what they’re up against.

In regards to hospitals, the Arsenal can easily supply them. Our contractors produce high-quality medical equipment besides building the hospitals, so the material needs can be addressed. We would need to address the logistics of staffing and getting the goods and personnel to where they need to go. If so wished, we can staff the hospitals with doctors and medical staff trained in both scientific and magical methods of healing, although I imagine you have doctors and staff already. As for ships, well, we can land the hospitals and set up where needed; NORINCO especially is good about setting up prefabricated structures quickly (they may look as ugly as sin, but they work!) but as with the stations mentioned above, they're not the only game in town.

Finally, as for artifacts and planets, Tadanobu General Services Corporation engages in extensive extraction and resource mining re: crystals suitable for use in lightsabers, and is engaging in exploration to find more potential sources, and we have also contracted various private and academic concerns to locate worlds of interest generally. We would be willing to sell you lightsaber crystals, and further, we will update you when discoveries are made.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,
/s/ Helen Banukewicz
Helen Banukewicz
Chief Executive Officer
Arsenal of Freedom, Inc.

[Allanea]

Technical Specification for the Colonial Gate System

[document fragment]

1. Purpose

To construct and create a system of gates for safe, interstellar and intergalactic, instantaneous faster-than-light travel for both ground and space traffic, with the primary purpose of providing infrastructural support for Great Migration activities in the Winter Worlds region, as well as travel to the Skyriver Galaxy (hereafter referred to simply as ‘Gates’), and to provide the Free Kingdom with the technology to maintain the network of gates independently in the future.

1.1. Implementation

To carry this out, the Contractor will provide to the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation (hereafter referred to as ‘the Foundation’, or ‘the NRF’) a set of 100 orbital gates, of appropriate size, capable of accepting interstellar and orbital spacecraft, and a set of 10,000 pedestrian gates. However because the production of these gates will take up time, the Contractor will also provide the Foundation a First-Echelon Kit (hereafter referred to as ‘the kit’ or ‘the FEK’ of gates and equipment necessary for their maintenance.

1.1.1. First-Echelon Kit Equipment List:

The FEK will include the following equipment:

10 intermediate-scale gates, at least one kilometer in radius, to be installed in orbits of the Winter Worlds, commencing with the orbit of Curulambiel.
2 Large-scale gates, five kilometers in radius, capable of accepting even the largest space-craft, one installed in the Sol system, and one installed in the orbit of our world of Aiqin, in the Skyriver Galaxy.

These gates are to be equipped not only with the gate equipment itself, but by personnel housing on the outer rim of the gate, sufficient for such personnel as are needed for the day-to-day functioning of the gate.

20 Pedestrian Gates, to be placed in Liberty-City, Allanea, on Aiquin, and on the Winter Worlds (10-meter diameter, ground-based).
12 Vehicle Gates (100-meter diameter, ground-based) to be distributed on Allanea, Aiquin, and on the Winter Worlds.
A Gate Diagnosis and Control Headquarters to be located in Liberty-City, and another in Aiquin, with monitoring of gate functioning over a galactic map becoming a function of the GDCH.

2. Technical Requirements for the Gates and their Equipment:

The following is a description of the various Gates, and the materials from which they may be composed, in terms of the requirements the Foundation has for the gate eqipment. It is not to be considered a complete, but only a preliminary set of requirements for gates and their equipment.

2.2.1. Requirements for a Pedestrian Gate

The Pedestrian Gate will be at least 10 meters in diameter, as measured along the internal diameter of the Gate itself. The external diameter will depend on the structural requirements of the gate...

[an additional 24 pages of preliminary technical requirements follow.]

[New Dornalia]

OOC: It's not much, but its better than posting a one liner

IC:

The First-Echelon Kit and its successor "Kits," as the Arsenal referred to them, took some doing to make. But make it the Arsenal would do--they had never reneged on a contract from the Foundation.

-----

The first step was to make the orbiting gates. This was easily done, as the obvious (and already mentioned) fact that ready made specifications for the gates demanded by the Foundation existed, for the most part, meant that the requirements of both a control center and the gates could be done quickly. To add a little more detail to the fact mentioned in the memorandum given to the Foundation, the Dornalian Hyperspace Expressway system used gates of various sizes to accomidate large volumes of traffic, maintained by various County-level Departments of Transportation and patrolled by the various County police forces. These were standardized designs, built by a variety of contractors to exacting specifications mandated by the Dornalian DOT to ensure that they would safely get people to where they needed to go.

And so it was, the Dornalian engines of industry began to work. From the vast industrial complexes that dotted the Gobi Desert owned by NORINCO, to HT Industries' Konoha Yards (built to accommodate a previous Allanean order), Dornalian subcontractors roared to life to fulfill orders. To quickly supply the Allanean order, the Arsenal would act as primary contractor, whilst the other companies involved would act as subcontractors. NORINCO for example, would provide most of the superstructures, HT Industries the electrical design components, etc. This also allowed CEO Helen Banukeiwicz and the Arsenal--plus the Department of Transportation--to mediate between the corporations whenever disputes arose and to impose uniform guidelines combining Dornie specs with the specs given by the Foundation's requirements. Given the traditionally competitive nature of the Dornie members of the military-industrial complex that supplied the Dornalian Government, this was necessary to minimize shenanigans of any sort. This was after all, a corporate environment that bred the current Director of Central Intelligence.

The second step was the terrestrial gates. These took a little more time. Namely, the Mastersmiths and the Tennenbaum Institute had to work on developing downscaled versions of the DOT's gates which could work reliably planetside. This was something which was known to be possible given long ago contacts with things like Stargates, but needed to be tested anyway to ensure the Allanean colonists, say, didn't get "Philliefied"--a term the Dornies had for being warped into walls or into strange places which the travelers did NOT want to go (especially as the technical requirements seemed to specify that no recycling of Goa'uld off-the-shelf technology or wormhole types was possible or desired). Building their own indigenous wormhole gates based on the DOT's specifications, one personnel sized test gate was built near the Tennenbaum HQ in Buenos Aires, and the other on Ilum, in the bowels of TGSC headquarters (where many Mastersmiths had sought and found a steady living), and one 100m diameter test gate was built outside of London at Greenham Common, the other at the Cuthbern Armory on Cuthbern. The testing went well enough, with a convoy of Zohan Tanks going through live as part of a Top Gear stunt and people commuting back and forth well enough through the alpha gate. So now, the pedestrian and transport gates were produced. THis time, the gates were made at TGSC's Cuthbern Armory facility and HT Industries's Tokyo facilties, as Tennenbaum Institute didn't do much industrial work--just research.

To make a long story short, the gates for the First Echelon Kit were put together, along with the necessary components for their maintenance and control. In particular, with the components to make the "Gate Diagnosis and Control Headquarters," came a team of advisors selected by the DOT to help get the management familiarized with their new tools. The parts from the FEK were deployed at their specified locations, and soon, a letter was sent to the Foundation.

"To: Kevin Nivensky, CEO, NRF
From: Helen Banukewicz, CEO, Arsenal of Freedom
cc: [insert other relevant authorities here]

As discussed, we have completed the gates according to your specifications and sent them to the desired locations, along with a Gate Diagnosis and Control Headquarters complex. The various Winter Worlds (beginning with Curulambiel) as well as Aiqin and Liberty-City will be visited by multiple Frontierliners. Please let all appropriate authorities know we are in fact, delivering shipments and are civilian vessels to be used by the Foundation.

Accompanying them is an Advisory Team hand-selected by the Department of Transportation to ensure a smooth startup and transition to activating the network, along with parts, advisory staff, etc. Please see the attached manifest as well as the spec sheets which detail the gates in question.

Additionally, work has commenced on other 'Echelons' to fulfill the other parts of our contract.

Let me know if you have any further inquiries.

Sincerely,
/s/ Helen Banukewicz
Helen Banukewicz
Chief Executive Officer
Arsenal of Freedom, Inc.

[Following the message is a long boring list of stuff, including spec sheets and manifest.]"

[Allanea]

Curulambiel, First Colonial Gate location

The gate gleamed for several seconds, before letting through the first batch of colonists. Several miniature gravshuttles - small buses, fitted with a gravitic drive - flew through the gate in formation, in columns of two. The snow smacked against the windshields and side windows, making it hard for the new colonists to distinguish much features of the new world that they have come to settle, and maybe to tame.

Now with the new gate in place, Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation was capable of opening the colony to the poorest poor, to the dwellers of rented flats in arcolonies. The Foundation itself now needed to supply only a prefabricated colony home, and a 160-acre homestead. Some did not need even that, preferring to build their homes out of the local wood - but either way, the fact was that the Foundation was capable of giving homes and land to the poorest of Allaneans, without needing to provide funding for an interstellar transit ticket and an orbital-deployment capable home.

The Colonial Gates have brought the colony worlds closer to Liberty-City, closer to the dark landscapes of Minograd and Heston-City - and the cities began to bleed, sending forth their poorest, their most destitute and needy. The exodus was amazing in scope. Within literally days, thousands of renters in Liberty-City abandoned their rented flats, and made it through the gate - and out onto the white snowy surface of Curulambiel.

Naturally, the colony worlds were not safe.

Here, one heard of a rumor of a colonist being devoured by snow wolves, their lasgun failing to aid him in the struggle for life. There, a father of two froze to death after getting lost, drunk, merely yards away from his house. And there, a gravbus crashed in a blizzard... of course, of course, the colonies were not fully safe. Nor were first colonists rich enough for the Athan or another life-preserving technology that would have kept conscience alive past the death of a physical body - but they were Allaneans at that. They had not come here for safety. They have come here for adventure, and for a place where they could live a mile away from the closest neighbor - or the closest policeman, to that matter. That they got in spades.

Naturally, the Foundation did not have complete control over the colonists. Soon they began to spread beyond the places where the Foundation was supporting and encouraging settlements. Bands of explorers, some on gravshuttles, others on ice-yachts, or even flimsier means, made it out to Curulambiel’s frozen seas, intending to homestead not only the land, but also the water. Yet others settled in orbit itself, and several precarious-looking, glittering habitats sparkled even among the system’s asteroids. Some requested that the 160 acres they were due would be assigned to them not on flatland, but rather high up in the mountains - and, armed with gravbelts, began to make their way upwards, where among the rocks they would make their new homes.

New mountains were named - Linnemann’s Peak, for instance, and Settler’s Reach, and Mises Peak. Some established communities - a survivalist village settled by worshippers of the divine Winter Fox, Pizdetz, huddled up on a frozen plateau, was named Bitardsk. With the land lots of several hundred men and women fuzed together almost the entire plateau became property of the Pizdetz-worshippers, and its borders were patrolled daily by men on snowmobiles.

Julia Nivensky Van-Ghent wrote to the Dornalians:

Dear friends!

The first Echelon Kit has truly breathed new life into the effort. We have a flow of people coming through the Colonial Capital every day, and it is truly an amazing sight to see. I must thank you for everything that you have done for us. The effort is now truly under way. I believe your help is making Allanea an entirely better place.

Here are some photos and holovids from here, enjoy them.

[Allanea]

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Two hundred meters under the surface of the Earth, buried under thousands of tons of rock, was this room, and in this room, the Director of the Department for Research, Evolution, And Developement stared in disbelief at the screen of the laptop in front of him.

In his thousands of years of life, he had handled planetkillers, magical artefacts of bygone cultures, faced down demonic horrors from beyond space-time, but he had never before personally had access to a weapon of this magnitude.

Years ago, Kevin Nivensky teamed up with Alexander Kazansky - or rather, had Alexander assist him somewhat - for a scam of infamous proportions. Several civilizations had been persuaded to contract Allanean Arms for the construction of a single system Ringworld - and to also assist in its construction. Then, Allanean Arms manipulated the donors in such a way that it ended up doing practically none of the work - and collecting all of the money.

Quadrillions of dollars were shared, some received personally by shareholders, but the majority hidden away in a system of bank accounts, investments, and hidden encrypted storages throughout the galaxy, in such a way that their revealing would not cause the economy of Allanea to crash from hyperinflation.

Naturally some of this money had been lost due to the collapse of the Dersconi civilization, but an immense sum was still here.

Now for the first time, the Foundation was allowing him to handle its funds directly.

He placed his hands on the keyboard.

His body nearly shook with the excitement of handling this sum of money.

The Foundation trusted him.

They probably did not even care if he --

The thought passed as briefly as it had entered his brain.

A more important thing was now at hand, as Director Techno tapped furiously away at his keyboard.

It was time to contact someone. To contact, for example, the Zeppelin Manufacturers.

He began working out an order.

Dear friends!

I write to you as a representative of the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation. My authentication code is attached in this message. I will be transmitting a prepayment of one trillion dollars to you from account [ ] to demonstrate the truthfulness of my intent.

I wish to purchase, first and foremost, twelve of your famous teraton guns.

He grinned. He was in that moment the stereotype of the Allanean, grinning madly at the thought of an immense, high-powered gun. The teraton guns were famous around the galaxy - the immense, ultra-high-scale guns of the Zeppelin Manufacturers and their allies, capable of offensive planetary bombardment on an unprecedented scale.

And now Allanea would have four batteries of them. He giggled at this thought. They could be designated a teraton gun battalion!

He laughed. A battalion! What a joke, a battalion of world-shredding guns.

The letter, however, needed to continue.

Furthermore, we require the technological background and production rights for your Mobile Production Tor, along with the Tors themselves. Along with several examples of the Production Tor we will happily pay 50 trillion tollars.

He paused.

Within one two sentences, he had just purchased a new technology, one that would speed up the movement of the Great Migration, and enhance Allanea’s standing in the world. The power of this money-weapon.... that would take some getting used to.

Finally, we will pay 16 trillion dollars for the construction of a binary-star based power source, equipped with a fully defensive array, to include kill-sats in the Kuiper belt, star-pumped cannon, etc.

We will transfer the rest of the sum (in total 150 trillion) to you in secrecy. The responsibility of avoiding inflationary economic effects after that point rests purely upon you.

May the Gods bless you.

[New Dornalia]

Julia Nivensky Van-Ghent wrote to the Dornalians:

Dear friends!

The first Echelon Kit has truly breathed new life into the effort. We have a flow of people coming through the Colonial Capital every day, and it is truly an amazing sight to see. I must thank you for everything that you have done for us. The effort is now truly under way. I believe your help is making Allanea an entirely better place.

Here are some photos and holovids from here, enjoy them.

"To: Julia Nivensky Van-Ghent
From: Helen Banukewicz, CEO, Arsenal of Freedom
cc: [insert other relevant authorities here]

Thank you for the images! It is good to see that our gates are being put to work unleashing the creative and entrepreneurial energies of the Allanean people. I showed them to Terry Tadanobu and the other subcontractors, and let me say that they generally had nothing but pleasure at seeing their handiwork be put to good use.

On that note, I am pleased to report the Second Echelon is well on its way now. Additionally, I attach a letter from one of the subcontractors regarding the building of those sector hospitals.

Sincerely,
/s/ Helen Banukewicz
Helen Banukewicz
Chief Executive Officer
Arsenal of Freedom, Inc.

---------------

To: Julia Nivensky Van-Ghent
From: Tereza J. Tadanobu Gushiken-Silveria, CEO, Tadanobu General Services Corporation
cc: Kevin Nivensky, CEO, NRF; Kylie Walker, Superior-General Order of the Vanguards

Dear Ms. Nivensky Van-Ghent:

I am writing in regards to the Arsenal's contract to supply several Sector Level Hospitals. To get to the point, although Tadanobu General Services Corporation is presently contributing to the creation of Personnel and Vehicle Gates for the ongoing 'Colonial Gate' program at both the Cuthbern Armory and the newly established Greenham Common Complex, we have something you may be interested in.

Enclosed is a memo, prepared by my consigliere Gary Fujita based on some reports from the Mastersmiths along with said reports, detailing exactly what is meant by my cryptic offer of generosity above. Suffice it to say, Gary got the boys down at Research and Development to design a fairly substantial design for a prefabricated medical facility, named the "Schweitzer" Series of "instant hospitals," after seeing some of those pics Helen passed around from your neck of the woods.

These structures are four-story prefabricated buildings with a landing pad on the top of them good for handling most types of small craft, which can be airdropped into their desired locations and overall resemble a uniformly hexagonal design, which can be "expanded" by joining additional structures onto the buildings by sealed access points, or by attaching additional floors onto the existing structures. The Mastersmiths wanted me to think of it like how one, say, connects Legos or kid's building blocks onto one another, and noted that's a good way to look at it. There's space for up to 1000 beds with this base design, and space for various specialized facilities (e.g. dispensaries, operating theaters). The Mastersmiths indicate this capacity can be expanded of course, by the aforementioned "expansion" process.

That's fairly mundane, but what is more relevant to the situation on hand is that these structures are built to withstand hazardous environments, for the good of the doctors working inside and their patients. This means that they all are built to withstand corrosion, seismic vibrations, direct hits from ballistic/gauss/energy fire using "shield steel" plating (that when electric current is passed through, can generate an electrostatic shield to aid in the defense of the structure below) as well as layers of other impact-resistant materials. The Hospital itself also comes with redundant systems for onboard life support, including the generation of breathable atmosphere (at just the right pressures) and temperature and humidity control; likewise, there are redundant communications systems. The access points which are used to link the various prefabricated sections can be sealed off with blast doors and themselves are armored also.

Attached is the spec sheet, memo, and reports as noted. I'm sure you'll find them interesting.

Sincerely,
/s/ Tereza J. Tadanobu Gushiken-Silveria
Tereza J. Tadanobu Gushiken-Silveria
CEO
Tadanobu General Services Corporation

P.S. It bears mentioning that synthetic crystals and natural crystals, good for making lightsabers, as well as blasters using synth crystals and other vehicles designed by TGSC are on the table. Let us know if you want 'em, and we can list them for your convenience. Also, let us know if you need medical staff to man those shiny new hospitals; we know some people in the Order who could help.

[Attached is a very long and boring spec sheet, and a long list of test data indicating multiple tests upon the initial Ilum-built test structure conducted on Earth and elsewhere outside of Ilum which look increasingly ludicrious, ranging from simple "power failure" and "miscalculated air drop" to "dropping the structure into a live volcano" and "orbital strike with multiple torpedoes and a missile filled with jam conducted in the Australian Outback."]"

[Allanea]

To: Tereza J. Tadanobu Gushiken-Silveria, CEO, Tadanobu General Services Corporation
From: Julia Nivensky Van-Ghent

My dear friend!

The hospitals that you are offering are highly interesting to use, especially in view of their ability to be air-dropped into position, which is our current preferred method of delivering first- and second-wave colonial facilities. I would like to purchase a stockpile of one thousand of them, as a stopgap measure, which we can airdrop into position in various spots throughout the Winter Worlds. A complex of six such hospitals (generating a total of 6,000 hospital beds) can be deployed in the colonial capital at Curulambiel, as well as one to be deployed in the Cocaine Mountains, - a place at which a sort of skiing complex has been deployed by now, and naturally people are prone to falling and breaking things - you know how it is with skiing complexes, surely.

Further, we are obviously interested in lightsaber crystals, as those will be naturally useful to any Allanean force-user and lightsaber user. It is always the goal of the NRF to attempt to procure additional amulets, magical and force-capable items, etc.

Sincerely yours.

*

Classified DREAD facility, somewhere in the Cocaine Mountains

The trolley rolled down the hallway, the intern walking directly behind it. He did not need to roll it, of course - the device propelled itself neatly and quietly, moved by its own, autonomous engine. The intern was dressed, from head to toe, in a heavy, clumsy-looking, suit of powered armor that looked for the world like a hard-body diving suit. This armor was intended to protect him from the unstudied energies that reigned in the manufacturing room behind him - the energies produced by the mysterious Sykes transformers.

Laying on top of the trolley was a metal tray, and on it were about a dozen military combat knives. It seemed that their blades were coated in a strange, yellowish-green fluid, which hissed as it dripped off the blades and onto the trolley’s surface. Yet for some reason the knives’ blades didn’t dry, even as the liquid etched marks into the tray.

After a while, a second intern followed after him, with a like trolley. Laying on this one were several military-styled helmets. There was a pause, and then a third man in powered armour appeared, again with a trolley out front, this time there was a white cloth concealing the cargo on top of it.

*

From: Julia Nivensky Van-Ghent
To: Curulambiel nos Cirdan

My dear friend!

I am right now on the colony world named after you, watching Allanean children play in the snow on a lovely hillside. Even as I type one of them - an adorable puffy boy in a bright-red jacket - is sliding down the slope on a sled, while others play with snowballs. I am appending, of course, photographs of this, as it is partly your work and I think you deserve to see its results.

But I would like to contract you for additional construction work. I believe that the colony worlds ought to be fed well without the need for precious land to be used up for farming, so I would like to purchase from your company a range of orbitals, which we can use as farming megacomplexes for the use of the colonists.

Further I would like to purchase from you gravships that can be used for search-and-rescue and ambulance activities in the colonies.

If you can advise me regarding this issue, - and no doubt the colonists - would be eternally thankful.

[Allanea]

Standard Colonial Home, Mark 2

The Standard Colonial Home, Mark 2, has been originally commissioned by the in-house designers of the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation from New Dornalian ship-builders to provide housing those colonists too poor to afford their own house, as well as a standardized marketed platform to those colonists who wished to purchase their home.

Overview:

The Standard Colonial Home Mark 2 comprises a 3,419-square foot (excluding basement), home with four bedrooms, 3 complete bathrooms, and two garage bays. This house is designed to maintain a colonial family in comfort at least compatible with that of urban living - maintaining heat, power, water, and HoloNet connections for all inhabitants for a period of at least twenty years from installation. Installation is carried out by lowering the SCH-2 from orbit by means of a single-use orbital drop package. The package also shapes and forms the foundation into which the basement portion of the home is lowered, enabling its stability in future years. (In some installation variants, the foundation is dug on-site by robotics.

Smarthome Facilities and Home Robotics: The home is equipped with a smart-home system that manages all electronics in the home, including a computer network to which any computers and electronics owned by the family can be connected. It also controls a pair of service droids - non-sapient variants of B1 battledroids, capable of handling housing tools and tasks on voice-command. The house owners can define a ‘name’ and ‘personality’ for the subsapient-level AI that runs the home, either from a list of settings available in the program, or by creating their own variants or installing them from home computing packages available online.

The smart-home system manages house lighting, media systems, security systems, opens and closes doors, as well as carries out maintenance tasks on vehicles in the garage. Simply saying ‘computer, wash the car’ details one of the droids to wash the vehicle.

Media Systems: The smart home suite further encompasses a media system that covers the entire home. It is possible to command the computer to play separate music or video files in every room (displaying the video files on the walls is a possibility), or even in the house yards if loudspeakers have been deployed on the grounds. The system relies on an object-oriented, rather than channel-oriented, sound mapping system, enabling for perfectly balanced sound regardless of the room shape and furniture arrangement.

Air-Conditioning and Oxygen Generation: Each Standard Colonial Home is equipped with a system of air conditioners that can either heat or cool the air in any of the house’s rooms (including the garage) to allow maximum comfort for the inhabitants. Furthermore, in the event the house’s software detects dangerous particles in the air outside - poisonous gases, fallout particles, etc. - the system automatically seals the house and moves to either air filtering or autonomous oxygen generation as needed.

Security Systems: Apart from the above, the house is also equipped with several security systems for the use of its owners. The basement is a walk-in safe room and comes with a full-size cabinet mounted to its wall (mounting additional firearms on the walls of the cabinet is possible). Furthermore, the house’s smart home apparatus is a full-spectrum alarm system, both alerting the homeowners to intrusions and fires and contacting the authorities if the owner desires it. Furthermore, the attic’s internal walls are covered with light anti-spalling cover, making it a useful secondary safe-room and firing position should intruders be attacking the house. As one can see in the floor plan of the second floor, a 270-degree firing angle is also available from the second bedroom. As an option, a hydroponics facility can be installed to gradually build up survival supplies. Environmental sensors and external cameras are also part of the house security system, mounted externally on the roof. Should the homeowner desire, they can be connected to the colony’s security network.

An automated first-aid system is also available as part of the house.

Power: A cold fusion reactor is the power source for the home, capable of powering all of its systems for at least twenty years. When the reactor power is finally exhausted, it can be easily replaced.

FEATURES

• Fireplace
• Front Porch
• Deck
• Storage/Attic Space doubling
• Breakfast Nook
• Family Room
• Dining Room
• Living Room/Parlor
• Guest Suite
• Kitchen Island
• Master Suite-Second Floor
• Open Floor Plan
• Vaulted/Cathedral Ceilings
• Workshop/Hobby Room

[Allanea]

CONTRACT

Introduction

Party A, the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation, motivated by its need to promote Allanea’s international power and wealth, and furthermore motivated by the desire to improve the living conditions for colonists throughout the new worlds, and to boost the military power of Allanea and its scientific reach, (hereafter known as The Foundation or The NRF, would like to contract

Party B, New Dornalian businesses as undersigned (hereafter known as The Dornalians collectively) for the following goods and services, for the prices outlined:

Chapter 1: The Goods and Services

1.1. The construction of 100 Bishop Ring habitats for the maintenance of Allanea’s agricultural needs, throughout Allanean space, for a total cost of 100 trillion dollars.

1.2. The construction of shield arrays to shield the Winter Worlds and the worlds purchased from New Dornalia - 210 trillion dollars.

1.3. The continued construction of the Allanea-wide gate system - at least 1 trillion dollars.

1.4.The construction of 200,000,000 four-bedroom homes for colonists needs - 20 trillion dollars.

1.5.The construction of 10,000 seastead habitats for approximately 100 families each - 10 trillion dollars.

1.6. The construction of 1,000,000 floating single-family boathomes for a price of 200 billion dollars.

1.7. The mass-production of an array of magical items in New Dornalian space, as listed below.

1.7.1. Standardized Major Rings of Spell Storing, 100,000 produced, for use by the Organization for Armed Shenanigans. All other magical items in this listing will be donated either to the Organization for Armed Shenanigans or to the Department for Research, Evolution, And Developement as needed. 20 billion will be paid.

1.7.2. Standardized Potion of Cure Serious Wounds, 10,000 tons produced for use by both OAS and the various medical organizations throughout Allanea. The price for this product is 266 billion dollars.

1.7.3. Crystal Balls, possessed with the highest type of Crystal Ball abilities. 10,000 for a total sum of 0.8 billion.

1.7.4. Standardized Staves of Life, 1,000,000 produced for both OAS, and the Allanean medical industry, for a total sum of 160 billion. The form factor is not to be that of an actual staff, but of a small metal wand, painted silver and marked with a red cross.

1.7.5 Standardized Headbands of Intelligence of the highest type, to be produced in great quantity - at least 1,000,000 produced for 36 trillion in total.

1.8 The Genetic engineering of a winter-capable, egg-laying, variety of a wild hog, and its introduction in the colonies en mass, for 0.2 billion.

Chapter 2: Payment

2.1. Payment for this stage of the contract will constitute 377,647 billion Universal Standard Dollars, delivered either in gold-pressed latinum or directly in access codes to secret Foundation accounts.

2.2. The payment, and this agreement, will be carried out in secrecy, with copies of the current agreemed delivered to both sides by confidential courier, this to avoid any economic upsets in either nation.

[New Dornalia]

OOCEDIT: OG's permission gained for use of Nick Tyrol.

IC:

After the secret courier delivered the treaty to the right Dornies--who were then sworn to keep their mouths shut--came the inevitable signatures, some of them needing more than a little negotiation to be authorized due to the brobdanagnian size of the Big Four megacorporations and their labyrinthine divisions. With the stroke of a pen (and astonishment at the mind boggling size of the agreement), Helen Baniukewicz and the Dornies signed the treaty as follows:

"Signed:

Helen Banukewicz
/s/ Helen Banukewicz
as Lead Representative of The Dornalians
Chief Executive Officer
Arsenal of Freedom, Inc.

Janet Bletchley
/s/Janet Bletchley
as Lead Representative for HT Industries and All Affiliated Entities
General Counsel
HT Industries, Inc.

Nakamura Yuuji
/s/Nakamura Yuuji [Rendered in Kanji]
as Lead Representative for Spoor Holdings Company and All Affiliated Entities
General Counsel
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Liu Anming
/s/ Liu Anming [Rendered in Chinese Characters, a "company chop" stamp also is affixed next to the signature]
as Lead Representative for North China Industries Corporation and All Affiliated Entities
General Counsel
North China Industries Corporation

Dr. Javier Farrell Diaz
/s/Dr. Javier Farrell Diaz
as Lead Representative for Tennenbaum Laboratories, Inc.
Chief Executive Officer/Chief Scientific Officer
Tennenbaum Laboratories, Inc.

Gary Fujita
/s/Gary Fujita
as Lead Representative for Tadanobu General Services Corporation
General Counsel/Chief FInancial Officer
Tadanobu General Services Corporation

Shelley Walker
/s/Shelley Walker
as Lead Representative for the Mastersmiths
Chief Judge Advocate General
Order of the Vanguards

Nicholas Tyrol
/s/ Nicholas Tyrol
as Lead Representative of Tyrol Industries
Chief Executive Officer
Tyrol Industries
[note--see attached Non Disclosure Agreement]."

The signatures would make their way via covert courier to the NRF, to confirm everything was okay.

-------------

SIC:

Ilum Colony

Terry Tadanobu couldn't believe what Gary had just told her as she froze in the stylish leather office chair. The current round of contracts had been good to Tadanobu General Services Corporation. Now, it was a fast-growing economic juggernaut, making all sorts of goods and becoming a major force in the lives of multiple worlds. But now, they were in for a surprise. A very big surprise. And as Terry struggled to recover her breath as she tried to plan where to go next, she knew TGSC' had truly hit paydirt. She read the contract again just to make sure. And then once more. And then once again, before Gary signed it, photocopied it and marked it "Most Secret," and passed off the original copy to the covert courier for transmission to the right people.

Once the courier left, Terry declared simply, still astounded by the news and showing a mixture of happiness and surprise:

"We're in the money! This is going to be great!"

She then stopped and looked at Gary, and said, "Well, Gary think of this as an opportunity to pursue expansion. Like Nick's always advising us to try."

Gary nodded.

"No kidding, boss. We're working flat out already on the hospital programs, on starting up TGSC Britannia North and TGSC Polonia, and on collaborative projects with the Tennenbaum Institute and the various groups of Mastersmiths we didn't hire yet involving the Gate Initiative and other contracts we're doing subcontractor work on." Leaning forward, he went, examining the photocopy they made with a studied gaze, "We're going to need to diversity and expand greatly, especially given the large number of technomagical items on here."

Terry nodded. She had a feeling that would be the case; she had plans already to expand the company outward and continue the momentum behind its meteoric rise. But still, just in case, she broached the question to Gary. After all, he was her consigliere.

"I see. You thinkin' expansion of our new plants and continuing collaborative joint ventures with Tennenbaum and the Mastersmiths' Groups?"

Gary said with a nod. "I've spoken to all of them, and they're game for it. Besides, better us experts than some desk jockey from the Big Four." He then paused and added, suddenly realizing what he just said, "Well, TGSC technically is a member of the Big Four, since Nick Tyrol keeps investing in us so we're in bed with Tyrol Industries. But we're not stereotypically Big Four and all that."

Terry chuckled, "Oh, Gary."

"It was just a slip-up, Terry, don't get used to it," Gary added with some mild irritation. "Anyway, yes, we're going to have to just build more production lines at Britannia North, Polonia, Cuthbern, and Ilum. You'd think having one of hte largest complexes on Cuthbern would be good enough, but that ain't so."

"Well, mom said life likes to throw us little surprises, Gary," Terry said with a grin as she picked up a chorizo and tossed it into her mouth playfully. As she chewed it and swallowed, she declared, talking through her food, "Besides. It's not like we're irrationally expanding here and building all this new space without a concern for when the good times are going to stop. We've got impetus to expand, and there's plenty of work to go around. Even after the Allanean contracts stop, there's always going to be rearming the Republican Armed Forces, building hospitals for Terry's Kids, and everything else the Republic does." Terry then began to reminisce on the knowledge benefits of building magical items--or would have, before Gary held his hand out and went, "I got it, Terry. Fortunately for you, I've got some ideal sites planned to facilitate continued expansion."

Bringing up a holographic map of the CRE and CORDS, he pushed a few buttons, and a few red dots came over a few areas. Terry looked at the map. They seemed to hover over relatively depressed regions of the Outer Rim that CORDS controlled, as well as a big area next to New Leningrad and a few sites around Earth. Terry nodded, and said approvingly, "Well, do the site surveys, and do what you need to do, Gary. I'll handle the Mastersmiths in the meantime, they're my people. Besides, I've been out networking around the British Isles. Some guys told me there's a few particularly good--and reclusive--smiths I should be talking to who may be able to help us with these orders back on Earth and elsewhere."

Terry looked at her watch.

"Which reminds me, I may need to skip out in a few minutes and get on a flight to Earth. I gotta get to Mindanao, scope out a lead with some Filipino metal workers. There's a guy they call 'The Hammer' who's reportedly good at making the kind of enchanted goods the Allaneans need. I might want to scope him out, get him on our payroll to help improve our processes."

Gary nodded, not even batting an eye at the development--even if it did seem a little far-fetched. Then again, this was New Dornalia.

"Alright. Just don't get let what happened last time happen, okay?"

Terry dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand, and mild annoyance mixed with bemusement.

"Gary, I told you, I just got lost and met some nice old people in a village. They fed me tea, and scones, and talked in voices so thick and fast I could barely keep up! Even with Force powers!"

Gary facepalmed and gritted his teeth.

"No, I mean the part where the sky began raining Clotted Cream because you debated the superiority of Cornish Hog's Pudding versus Portuguese Sausage with Mastersmith Kempthorne. Or something. Just--you know. Don't do that."

"I'll be fine, relax." Terry then began to pick up her motorcycle helmet--a "Biggles" looking flying cap--and began walking towards the door when Gary asked her about something else.

"OH! Boss. Another thing. There's going to be massive, covert gold shipments quietly trickling in by courier. Really massive shipments."

Terry turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"Thought Helen was going to have her people pick up the gold and then distribute payments to the subcontractors as agreed upon?"

"That's been agreed upon with Helen and the other subcontractors. But where do we put our share?" Gary asked with a raised eyebrow. "It's gotta be somewhere people aren't going to ask too many questions. After all, the contract demands it and all that gold moving around makes for a bigass security risk. Nevermind the financial consequences the Allaneans mentioned, someone around here is going to want to pull a Goldfinger if they hear of it."

Putting her finger to her mouth, Terry thought for a moment before saying, "Maybe we could hide it somewhere with dragons? Like a hoard?"

Gary stared at Terry for several minutes, in disbelief.

"You're kidding me."

Terry shrugged and grinned. "Come on. Think about it. We've got a shit ton of treasure incoming. We've got dragons on Earth and in SWG we can hire. Dragons are strong and in Earth's case, magical. We can store the gold somewhere safe with mercs and electronic security, the dragons would be a backup. And, it fits with the theme of doing lots of magical work for them. Whaddaya think?"

Gary looked at Terry blankly for five seconds, and then shrugged. "I'll think about it, Terry. Let me think about it. Now, I'll let you get to that meeting."

Terry nodded, "Give it a good think, Gary. Time waits for no oooooone!"

Terry then scampered outside, and Gary sighed and began picking up the phone. His first phone call was to a guy from NORINCO, down in Salis'Daar. It concerned those prefab homes....

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Dispatch from the Imperial Cartographic Society
From the Desk of HIA Civil Councillor Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Senyavin

To Whom it May Concern at the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation,

Greetings,

I am writing to you as the representative of His Majesty Peter VII's Imperial Cartographic Society, which, on behalf of His Majesty, would be pleased to extend its assistance to your colonization efforts. The Society is experienced not only in the discovery of systems, but also of the mapping and prospecting of established systems for various goods of interest to the Empire or to its commissioned clients. The Society has noted with interest that you have settled a number of "winter worlds," those typically known to have deposits of high quality claudia (see attached reference file for the details of the substance in question,) which the Society would be keen to exploit should they be present. In exchange for the rights to manage these deposits, we would be pleased to perform all manner of resource mapping, marking and investigation on all major bodies as well as in any asteroid rings of significance within your systems.

The mutual economic benefits would be significant, as fueling stations would attract trade vessels as well as other commerce which would no doubt be of great assistance to your colonies in such early days.

I have also been asked by a number of associates here at the society to extend offers from the Imperial Defense Exports company which is in possession of a variety of small arms and various types of armored units suited to the technical requirements of a newly settled world, while a contact at OMZMASH has informed me that he has a number of heavy logistics vehicles for which he no longer has an order.

(Attached File: Claudia: Fueling the Empire. A brief summary of the miracle mineral and its many uses and applications in the generation of motive force.
K. V. Tomisov, M. Imp. St. Nicholas II Univeristy, President of the Novo Petrograd Mineralogical Society)

Signed,
Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Senyavin
(Signed)

[Orthodox Gnosticism]

To whom it may concern,

We at Tyrol Industries would like to thank you for your inquiry into the Dyson Cloud, as well as our other patented technologies for Weyland Station. After confirmation of the first wired payment, we at Tyrol will be sending to the undisclosed location of your choice, a World Devastator with a contingent of Hex droids to be able to fulfill all of your construction needs.

Attached below is the copy of our Non Disclosure Agreement, which simply states that neither party shall share information, technology, plans, data, research or any information or physical product of any kind with any third party without written permission from all parties. Any Violation of this agreement will result in several stellar bodies ceasing to exist in a very sudden and violent fashion. The first payment will be considered an acceptance of the Non Disclosure Agreement between Tyrol Industries and your wonderful nation.

Please wire any needed information to our company HQ, including necessary permits for planetary mining and deconstruction permits which might be necessary to finish the products.

Thank you,

Nicholas Tyrol.
CEO Tyrol Industries

[Allanea]

My dear friends!

We at Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation would be happy to receive your aid. We will be deploying to your location a secure courier, who will be personally carrying one encryption key. Another encryption key will be wired to you electronically. Together you can use the two keys to access and use a classified bank account in which the Foundation will have stored the first 50% of your payment. The location chosen would be star TFZ-4562, which has a collection of uninhabitable planets that can be converted into the Dyson Swarm's components.

This will perfectly solve all of our problems.

We thank you for your assistance.

[Allanea]

OOC: Senyavin! I am a fan of the original Senyavin! Hurrah!

IC:

From: Kevin Kirillovich Nivensky, CEO, Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation
To: V. V. Senyavin

Vladimir Vyacheslavovich!

I am happy to hear from you. Naturally, your organization is free to invest in the colonies any way it chooses, provided of course that it follows all the local laws regarding both property (naturally you must have the consent of property owners to drill on their land), and pollution (while Allanea is a libertarian society, poisoning your fellow man is still rather frowned upon).

We are interested in both purchasing your vehicles and perhaps more importantly, investing in your economy. It is in our interests to convert what remains of our assets into a sovereign wealth fund that will be managed in the interests of the Allanean nation.

Sincerely yours, Kevin

*

From: Alexander Kirillovich Kazansky, Emperor of Greater Prussia, King of Allanea and Reichskamphen, et cetera et cetera
To: V. V. Senyavin

Vladimir Vyacheslavovich!


I am highly interested as well in your offer. Perhaps I - with my far tinier ‘scampile’ might also be able to purchase things of use to the Allanean nation.

Sincerely yours,

Alexander.

[OMGeverynameistaken]

(OOC: I tend to assemble names from the Wikipedia page on famous Russians )

Dispatch from the Imperial Cartographic Society
From the Desk of HIA Civil Councillor Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Senyavin

Kevin Kirillovich,

I thank you for your reply and will inform my colleagues of your answer. In the mean time, would you have a suggestion as to whom I should contact locally to arrange for the surveys? With our current resources we would probably be limited to a single system at a time, although the actual process would not take more than a standard Earth year, if that is a time unit you are familiar with. Of course, that all depends on the level of thoroughness the colonists desire. I can assure you that virtually all equipment manufactured by Terran companies is virtually emission free, being powered primarily by Claudia drives, hydrogen-electric engines and various fusion devices where required.

If you desire to invest in Terran companies, I would be pleased to direct you to the head of the State Bank of the Russian Empire, a Mr. von Stieglitz I believe, who can discuss the legal and financial details in more depth than I am equipped to.

Signed,
Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Senyavin
(Signed)


---

Dispatch from the Imperial Cartographic Society
From the Desk of HIA Civil Councillor Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Senyavin

Emperor Alexander Kirillovich,

Greetings to your Majesty,

I am honored that you would write to us personally on this matter and extend my gratitude and that of the Society for your attentions. Of course, we are at your disposal as well with the Emperor's best wishes. Was there any particular item of interest to you, or does your Majesty wish a meeting with representatives of the Society and the companies in question? I have been informed that should your Majesty wish to survey the various offerings of the Terran Hegemony that you or your representative would be most welcome at Novo Petrograd.

Signed,
Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Senyavin
(Signed)

[Allanea]

To: V. V. Senyavin
From: Kevin Nivensky

Vladimir Vyacheslavovich!

Currently the colonies have special Colonial Governors appointed for them by the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation. You can contact these governors individually via the HoloNet pages of each individual colony, which are of course available to the general public. The process can be arranged with them easily, and I am sure that you can go through with that rather soon.

Be aware that the colonies are currently in the process of being settled, and their ecosystems are still being formed. The whole situation is somewhat frontierish in its nature, if you will.

Sincerely yours,

*

To: Mr. Von Sieglitz, Head of the State Bank of the Russian Empire
From: Kevin Nivensky

Dear Mr. Von Stieglitz!

I would be interested in investing a vast sum of money in the economy of the Russian Empire. I would be most interested in learning about the conditions and circumstances in which such an investment can be reasonably made.

I am mostly interested in making secure, stable investments lending a small, but steady amount of annual profit.

Sincerely yours,

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Dispatch from the Imperial Cartographic Society
From the Desk of HIA Civil Councillor Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Senyavin

Kevin Kirillovich,

I shall forward that information to the relevant persons, then. Thank you for all of this, and do rest assured, the ICS is used to 'frontierish' situations.

Signed,
Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Senyavin
(Signed)

---

Memorandum from the State Bank of the Russian Empire, Director Karl von Steiglitz

Your Majesty,

Greetings, I have been eagerly awaiting your message since Vladimir Vyacheslavovich informed me of your interest.

There are some regulations to attend in terms of foreign investment within the Terran Hegemony. His Imperial Majesty welcomes outside investment, however, and these are not, I believe, too terribly onerous. I will have the details forwarded to your own financial people so that they can verify them to their own satisfaction. In summary, most companies owned within the Russian Empire itself are owned and operated by the aristocracy with an interest towards...well, self interest. As such they typically maintain at least 51% control. There are plenty of funds, available and no doubt a few individuals who can be persuaded to part with some shares at the right price. Should your majesty not mind paying slightly above present market value, I believe you would find solid investments.

His Imperial Majesty has advised me that there are a number of minor duchies on the colonial outpost of Severnaya Cosmos which are currently in default, chiefly through mismanagement. Should your majesty be interested in investing in the area, arrangements could be made to install advisers and managers of your majesty's choosing. His Imperial Majesty has assured me that compliance with the would be absolute. Severnaya Cosmos is generally unexploited and wild, much as your own new crop of colonial worlds. This would be a slightly more risky investment as such remote colonies are prone to occasional disaster, but in general His Imperial Majesty is quite keen on maintaining the Empire's outposts.

Humble Regards,
Karl von Stieglitz
(Signed)

[Allanea]

Memorandum from the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation
CLASSIFIED: CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL

Dear friends!

Our goal is to invest in your economy a total of up to 100 trillion Universal Standard Dollars. We are interested in both purchasing corporate stock and government bonds, or any other interesting financial options. It should be noted that we do not seek control of any corporations, and are interested primarily in purchasing financial options from which a secure, regular return can be expected.

As such it would be most useful for us to help the various local governments out of default, in exchange for regular payment of interests on what will likely be a fairly substantial debt, as well as to purchase large companies in the financial and services sectors. We would be happy to send representatives to tour the relevant worlds if this is of interest to you.

Sincerely yours,

[Allanea]

Dueling Dome, Curulambiel

“Two men enter! One man leaves!” - chanted Gregory, perching up on one of the tubes that made up geodesic-structure of the Dome. The entire thing was a collection of metal triangles, bending slightly to form a hemisphere. Snow was piled up in the Dome, and the tubes themselves were covered in soft padding, metallic in color to preserve the appearance of a traditional, silvery dome, but still avoiding men freezing their faces or lips to the metal as they held on.

“Two men enter! One man leaves!” - chanted Gregory’s friend, Stephen.

Neither of them knew the duelists, nor frankly did they even care about the duelists’ cause. Supposedly one was named Andrew, and the other Pyotr. Andrew was tall, perhaps as tall as two meters, part of his long, spike-like hair died blue, and part of it black. He wore a long, black coat that dragged slightly behind him, sweeping slightly against the snow. In one hand, he carried a weapon - not a firearm this time, but a heavy morningstar - a mace with triangular blades protruding from its top horizontally, like vicious-looking razors.

And in front of him stood Pyotr - a man no taller than a meter sixty, in a brown fur jacket turned with the fur outwards, and a pair of light-brown pants. On his head he wore a fur ushanka hat, with its flappy ‘ears’ unfolded down his cheeks. He carried a mace of his own, which he twirled in the air.

I wonder where they got a pair of bats like that, - pondered Gregory. Display pieces?

“Two men enter! One man leaves! Two men enter! One man leaves!” - the crowd began to chant, louder and louder.

Strictly speaking, of course, the motto was only that, a motto. Even now, either man could quit, or their seconds could stop the duel. But that wasn’t how it worked. Even now, the words made the men’s blood boil, spurned them to fight. They walked towards each other across the Dome, struggling as their boots sunk deep into the snow.

“Two men enter! One man leaves! Two men enter! One man leaves!”

Andrew swung his mace in a single, broad motion, like a man cutting down grass. Pyotr ducked, the triangular blades missing his head by mere centimeters, and then swore - tvoyu mat - as he lunged forward, attempting a stabbing motion with his own mace.

The crowd fell silent, the viewers perched on the outside of the dome, watching now as the two duelists closed ranks. Once more, the taller man smashed downwards with his mace, and this time, Pyotr swung his mace with both hands. The morningstar rattled in his hands, but it did stop the blow.

“They don’t seem to know what they’re doing.” - Stephen whispered, as the two men continued to swing back and forth, making blows with their maces.

“Sshh. I don’t think they do, no.” - said Gregory. “I wonder why they even chose-”

Again, Pyotr lunged forward. Andrew attempted to parry - and his mace merely glanced alongside Pyotr’s, some of the blades on the shorter man’s mace cracking and leaving the frame as they were struck, the mace itself diverting from its path, its end merely poking Andrew’s thigh.

“Look at that shoddy piece of shit.” - said Gregory - “It’s a display piece.”

Bent over in pain momentarily, Andrew lashed out, the mace swinging just by Pyotr’s face, and the shorter man jumped back, out of reach. Gradually, coughing and swearing, Andrew got up, and began to walk slowly towards Pyotr, the shorter man retreating.

Pyotr retreated a step and another step, and then, finally, gathering courage, ripped off his hat and threw it into Andrew’s face. For a moment, everyone saw Pyot’s own face - tilted upwards into the lights that lit the dome, an arcology-dweller’s rough, unshaven face, his left cheek decorated with bluish tattoos. He swore loudly in Free Speech, his throat disgorging dozens of heinous curses each second as he jumped forward at his enemy.

Technically, what he attempted may well have been a murder, a breach of dueling rules. Only the seconds knew whether the dueling contract permitted using one’s hat as a weapon - but as Pyotr jumped towards the injured man, it suddenly ceased mattering.

The mace might have been decorative - but at that moment, it didn’t matter, as Andrew sudnely heaved forward and upward, like a man delivering an uppercut - only instead being armed merely with his fists, he held the mace in his hands.

It might even have been a wallhanger - the blades and wood were still stronger than Pyotr’s chin.

The blade cut upwards through the duelist’s throat, fresh, arterial blood splattering on the snow - and then stopped and broke off once it hit jaw. Pyotr stepped back, still upright, hanging on to the last precious seconds of life, to life-giving oxygen - and then fell backwards, lying on his back in the snow, like a starfish.

The crowd cheered again.

“Two men enter! One man leaves! Two men enter! One man leaves!”

“Well.” - Stephen said. - “That’ll learn them not to talk shit about Andrew’s kid sister, that’s for sure.”

“What?” - asked GRegory, as the two friends began to climb down from the dome.

“Yeah. Guy talked shit about Alina, Andrew’s sister. You know, Alina? Tall girl, works at the coffee shop? Her. Was bothering her at the coffee shop too. So Andrew-”

“Yeah, I see how it went. I’m going to say they won’t learn, and Andrew will have to-”

“Buy better maces?”

“Hah, that too.”

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Memorandum from the State Bank of the Russian Empire, Director Karl von Steiglitz

Your Majesty,

I will arrange for a list of suitable options for your perusal.

In terms of the potential colonial investments, I must say that you will not be dealing with the local government as such, but rather the local landowners, although the colonial government will be assisting in matters to ensure that things go smoothly. This may seem like a technical distinction, but the laws are different in the specifics. A visit to Severnaya Cosmos can be arranged, although it is very out-of-the-way and, I am given to understand, spectacularly dull. It is, according to my information, primarily an icy world who's main export is a type of mobile grass which is popular as a novelty. Various aristocrats apparently train it to form patterns on their lawns.

Humble Regards,
Karl von Stieglitz
(Signed)

---

A Missive for the Attention of the Governor of Kolchak

Greetings,

I am a representative of the Russian-Galactic Company, writing presently under the heading of a joint offer by several prominent firms within the Russian Empire which have expressed interest in supplying the colonial efforts on your worlds. These include the Imperial Defends Exports Company, OMZMASH, Impulse, Mars Yards and various others offering goods ranging from military surplus items to heavy machinery to cold-engineered agricultural items tailored to worlds such as those you have colonized. I am also extending, on behalf of the Imperial Cartographic Society, an offer of a full system resource survey and mapping project in exchange for certain mineral exploitation and fueling rights within your system.

Should this offer be of interested to you, a representative of the RGC can be dispatched to your world with a variety of samples as well as a full dossier of potential products and services.

Signed,
Nikolai Andreiovich Koshkin
(signed)

[Allanea]

THE WINTER WORLDS AWAIT

With the Ministry of Colonial Affairs now gradually preparing to take over Colonial administration from the Nivensky-Ringworld Foundation, the Ministry had decided that it would not merely provide for Allanean poor, but encourage a population of immigrants to move into the Winter Worlds - which remained still the development focus of the Ministry. Moreover, the Ministry of War had its own separate interests. Deep within the bureaucratic bowels of the Free Kingdom’s government, forms were edited together, and eventually, a new government program was approved and born. Its roots lay before the C’tani invasion of the High Treefolk, and now it would finally take form.

The first part of the program was a bureaucratic one: the creation of a new government process, the Expedited Immigration Form XD-2001-HTF. This form, effectively, made it possible for residents of the High Treefolk claim a status of permanent residency in the Free Kingdom of Allanea, with a quota of up to one million immigrants a year (excluding children). This was the contribution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the issue.

The Ministry of Colonial Affairs made out it own contribution. It was in possession of vast quantities of land, both in the Colonial Worlds themselves, and on the Bishop Rings that the New Dornalians were supplying to Allanea. As such, it could easily supply land lots to Treefolk immigrants, and would happily do so - at 160 acres per family member, a large Treefolk family could easily find itself the master of all they could survey. Should the Winter Worlds and their Bishop Rings not suit, the Mercine Worlds - actually traded to the Allaneans by the Dornalians for Treefolk scientific knowledge - would soon gradually begin to open for settlement.

But finally, the Ministry of Colonial Affairs and the Ministry of Defense would soon join together to create two separate immigration programs.

MAKE A NEW LIFE FOR YOURSELF IN THE COLONIES

The first, larger program, was aimed squarely at the poorest of the poor. It was advertised not merely through the written press, but also by means of billboards, animated advertisements, and word of mouth within the nation. It was a very simple program - simply promising the poorest inhabitants of the High Treefolk, especially actual Treefolk and Beastlings, a new, and better life, in the colonies, where their hard-working nature and skills as farmers would both be needed. Those with special abilities - entities capable of magic or flight - would be offered a somewhat larger land lot, and the Ministry of Colonial Affairs was willing to hire skyborn beastlings directly, if they were of a “brave and enterprising nature”.

But there was another program too, of a more insidious nature. It would advertise in scientific periodicals and upper-class magazines in the High Treefolk. The advertisements would bear the Winged Crown stamp of the Ministry of War, and it would state simply:

INDIVIDUALS WITH MAGICAL TALENT OR SCIENTIFIC SKILL NEEDED

IMPROVED CONDITIONS FOR DIVINERS