Corporate Cosmos [IC | Closed]

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

George Town, Malaysia. 2:00 AM

Among the fishing trolleys that sat in the harbor, silently bobbing up and down to the tide, three men sat atop a large motor boat, gazing out into the sea, and watching the horizon with a pair of night vision binoculars. Surveying the waters around them for any signs of activity upon the horizon. It took two more hours for a rather small cargo ship to sail towards the dock, and all the men stood at the slight, before one signaled for the others to begin rowing. He whispered something into a device on his wrist, before sitting down and riding the waves towards the vessel.

A loud smack was heard as the man from earlier slaps the captain of the ship.

"Why the hell were you so late? You know we haven't bought off all the cops here! What if the Anglo-Ausies find us? Huh? You could have gotten our whole operation on this island ended! All of it! What do you have to say idiot?"

The man says nothing, and stares at the ground.

"You know what? I don't care. I don't care. I'm docking your cut and you're getting no more of the goods for cheap, and don't you dare try and argue. Pull into the dock we came from, we should have about twenty minutes before the coppers usually arrive."

And so the ship groans its way to the shore, before her engine being cut and the crew begins to unload a very large amount of brown packages and crates from the brig, and into six unmarked trucks waiting for them. All seems to have turned out narrowly okay, before shouting is heard from down the road. Eight police vehicles are seen driving towards them, their sirens blaring.

"Fuck!" Says the man, taking out a 9mm pistol from inside his suit jacket. "Coppers! I guess we are too late. Get the rifles from the brig captain and I'll call in the men from downtown. I guess we're at war then."

After hours of firefights, the docks quiet down, as police quarter off half of the town, and the mobsters hold on to the other half. The goods were delivered, and that very night they were sent off in fishing boats across the region. But Georgetown would become a gang war zone because of it.

Minor action #1
Fabricate consumer goods- +15 Capital, -5 Industry, -5 Demand

Ledger
| 3 Might- 1 in Indochina, 2 in Oceania | 49 Capital | 40 Industry | 0 Innovation | 14 Demand in Indochina | 20 Demand in Oceania | 3 Labs (2 Indochina, 1 Oceania) |

[The Federation of Kendor]

Astro Reach HQ, Houston, Texas

Chairman George Jenner was now reading the recent report of Astro Reach's condition, typed and delivered by his secretary. As always, it was about the company's current condition, as well as it's stats, including the resources that it now had. As he was reading the report, he saw how demand on Dixie and whatever region House Rastinov was in were high, thanks to the recent stimulation of market, as well as having eight innovations and 16 capitals.

After reading the recent report, he decided to thought again on what to wisely spend the resource on. He soon sipped the coffee on his table, emptying the mug's content after few seconds. After drinking the coffee, he decided to consult important employees to learn on what should he do next. They suggested on establishing a new factory in Dixie, to create a production facility close to the HQ, as well as manufacturing goods, space related components, and space tourism again in Dixie, seeing the demand on Dixie had been replenished. Chairman Jenner decided to select the two options, the orders of which were quickly carried. A lab was also opened near the Kennedy Space Station on Florida

Minor Advancements: Establish factory: -5 capital, +1 factory in Dixie
Fabricate consumer goods: -5 industry, +15 capital, -5 demand in Dixie region
Major Advancements: Establish lab: -7 capital, +1 lab in Dixie
Stats: 19 capital, 12 demand in Dixie, 0 industry, 1 factory in Dixie, 1 factory in whatever region House Rastinov is on, 4 labs in Dixie, 1 lab in whatever region House Rastinov is on

Canberra, Australia, Oceanian Union

Ruler Harry Mulyono quickly answered the call once it was established. He did have to admit that he was annoyed at how long the connection was established, and imagine what his reaction would be like when the people overseeing the Union's cybersecurity system found out that the Indochinese Empire/the Triads had basically damaged the system with their cover up attempt. For now though, nothing wrong was discovered, aside from how the location where the communication could be traced was secret. Meanwhile, Ruler Mulyono answered Nam Cham's brother's question with, "We noticed that one of your facilities is located on our territory. We also noticed on how you tried to defend it, and resist us. However, I am going to admit that, as a pragmatist, we are going to tolerate your presence and accept you. We will offer you four free years of taxation, in addition to the first year free of taxation, if you agree to pay us two capitals per year, for a total of four years. However, please consider that you won't be taxed for five years if you do that."

Meanwhile, the staffs of the Cybersecurity Department at the Oceanian Union Intelligence Agency were working as usual, checking the security of Oceania's cyber network and trying to scan any intrusion into the firewall. After few hours of working, they found something wrong in the system. The system was damaged and holes were made in the system, with some of the data being rewrote in such way that the system became more vulnerable and it seemed to be hiding something. They also found security flaws within the system, such as the backdoors. The staffs quickly tried to investigate what caused all of that, while the others stayed to repair and patch the system to be stronger, trying to eliminate the backdoors.

As for in Malaysia, the polices kept attacking and pursuing the gang. However, they soon lost trace of them, though they did receive few evidences from the site. Quickly, they launched a bounty on whatever unknown people were there, with people who found useful lead, and actually captured the gangsters given money. After that, the police started to tighten their patrol of all territory in the Oceanian Union.

As for the Union's action, they did three. First, to restore public opinion to it's previous level, they courted the politicians running the country to convince them to be loyal, as well as increasing public opinion. Second, they decided to conscript people to defend against the growing influence and army of Indochina. Third, they decided to put up propaganda posters across the territory of the Oceanian Union, including the conquered territory, to raise public opinion of them and help the integration process.

Minor Advancements: Court Politicians: +2 public opinion
Raise Conscripts: -5 public opinion, +1 battalion (might)
Major Advancement: Broadcast Propaganda: -5 capital, +10 public opinion
Stats: 10 capital, 15 public opinion, 3 battalion (might)

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

Nam Cham's hunting lodge

There was a gentle knock from the door, somewhere off screen. The young drug Lord turned to look where the noise came from, and a great grin appeared in the man's face as he gazed upon who it was. "Ah! Annah! My sweet sweet lady! Come here, and tell me what's the matter." A young Anglo lady slowly walked up next to Nam Cham, holding a white tablet in her hands. She wore a short, black traditional Vietnamese dress, with a slit running along the already short dress to her upper thigh. Large gold symbols were stitched up and down the dress, and a white rose was pinned on her chest. She was quite the beautiful woman, with long blonde hair tied up with a hair stick of Japanese origin, probably one of the Lord's wives. She smiled nervously as she stepped into view. "Annah, this is the Lord protector of the Australian Union, please say hello." She bowed shortly to the camera, and smiled a bit more assuredly to the projection of the man. "How do you do, sir?" She said with a heavy Australian accent. Nam Cham put his arm around her waist, and stood up to kiss her on the cheek. "This is my... Third? Wife. Yes, my third, that's correct. Annah, what have you brought me today?" The woman whispered something in his ear, before handing him the tablet. The man smiled as he read this, and slowly nodded. He let out a little chuckle, and beckoned the woman to sit on the couch beside him. She did so, and he wrapped his arm over her shoulder. He looked off for a moment, thinking, before speaking, a devious grin on his face. "Tell me sir- are you perhaps a gambler? You certainly have the balls to make of it." He picks up a glass of wine from the side table and takes a long drink. "I'll have you know I'm very fond of cards myself. Personally, I know when I have a good hand." He takes out a gold and silver casino chip from his breast pocket, it too bearing the symbol of the syndicate. He turns it over in his fingers, carefully examining it. "But I'm about to raise you... We'll see if you catch up. Annah, be a dear and put six hounded on Oceania, would you dear?" He hands the woman the chip, before leaning backwards in the couch as the woman leaves. He takes another drink of wine, before leaning forward towards the camera, and places the glass off camera. "I'll propose to you a counter offer. I pay you nothing for four years, and you take all troops out of Indonesia. In exchange, I'll protect you from any foreign threats trying to invade, and I'll remove all hostile corporations from the region. And I won't even charge you. But I don't give you a single credit for those four years. After... eh, I'll pay you that measly tribute you're after. Two capital a year."

Nam Cham's wife quickly walked down the long and open hallway, the large floor to ceiling windows providing adequate light on their own, and the periodic modern chandelier's white light just making life there quite lively. Exiting down another corridor, she walked in to the communications director's office for the manor, busy with his team of five other men directing the comms link to Australia. "Hey- are you to busy right now?" The man frowned, looking back at the woman. "Why yes- I am, what do you need? Please make it quick, we're practically waging a cyber war with the Australian network." "Well, I don't really care right now, my husband wants six hounded more mercenaries sent to Oceania, those Chinese contractors from last time will do it." The man rolled his eyes, before picking up the phone and dialing the office at Hue. Indeed as it turned out, almost all their tech staff was working on securing the link, constantly switching the network's VPN and scrambling it's reported location. But a few free comms directors were found, and in minutes the order had been placed. Six hounded men would leave in the morning from Macau and be distributed to safehouses across the region, increasing the buildup one step more.

Minor action #2
Mercenaries- +1 Might, -10 Capital

Ledger
| 4 Might- 1 in Indochina, 3 in Oceania | 39 Capital | 40 Industry | 0 Innovation | 14 Demand in Indochina | 20 Demand in Oceania | 3 Labs (2 Indochina, 1 Oceania) |

[G-Tech Corporation]

Palis Exchange, Johannesburg, Landsraad Hegemony
Feburary 18th, 2121

The central spire of the Cryptocenter pulsed with light, and the humming of the machines filled the air with a familiar sound which the workers on the stock floor relished. In the tens of thousands of conjoined circuit boards and sintered agglomerations the information of a planet pulsed, millions of transactions now being routed through the Exchange here in the heart of Johannesburg instead of through the distributed net. Crypto had been a double-edged sword for generations; publicly verifiable and thus of intrinsic worth as a medium of exchange in a world of volatile politics, but energetically expensive, sucking down thousands of server-hours for every simple transaction.

Now that would change. The tickers were already rolling, hundreds of micro-currencies and "coins" being dynamically tracked in realtime as brokers looked on. People could make fortunes here by watching the various mediums fluctuate, and most importantly, the cost to process a simple commercial sale or purchase for a company or individual would be a fraction of the price of what might be charged elsewhere. With the best minds at Blue Sky behind the Exchange's groundbreaking processes, commerce would take a great leap forward, and indeed international bargains might prove finally advantageous.

Blue Sky: Construct Cryptocenter (SA) [-4 Capital]
2 Innovation, 18 Capital, 25 Industry, 1 Light Metal, 1 Heavy Metal
4 Labs, 2 Datahub,, 1 Cryptocenter, 2 Factories, 1 Smelter, 1 Mercenary
Hegemony: Raise Conscripts (Egypt) [-5 Public Opinion]
0 Innovation, 11 Public Opinion, 25 Capital, 6 Battalions (Egypt)

[Holy Tedalonia]

Dallas, Texas Confederacy
Minister Tarkus gazed across the city. How it has changed, from when he was a boy he remember when buildings only started to obscure the sky, but now they cover they land completely. He still remembered the open parks he played with his brother when he was just a kid. Broken down and removed for the sake of progress. Regardless of good memories it was time to move on. If the Texas Confederacy we're to survive before it truly rose to power, then they must consider reaching for the stars. Abandon the husk they call Earth and find a new world to call home.

His allies knew they needed that the tax income now to start their goal of saving the people of Texas, but low taxes and conservatism opposed them at every turn. Today Statesman Hide, will be making a public statement convincing the populace on tolerating the taxes, it should be enough to keep the nation stable even though they're pulling hefty taxes. Minister Tarkus has plans for the tax money, hopefully it will provide the resources needed to push their agenda.

Public Opinion: 10
Capital: $0
Innovation: 0
Might: 1 in southern Rockies, 1 in dixieland

Minor: Court Politicians
Major: Taxation

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

Kuala Lumpur, Oceanian Malaysia.

A long time ago this city used to be the capital of the Malaysian people. Her skyscrapers reached high to beckon for progress, for a united people. Memorials stood strong for honoring the veterans of wars long past, and the people prospered. Such a shame now under Australian Occupation. Such a city was now flooded with the Nuvo Riche of the empire, barons and capitalists making their wealth from the exploitation of the conquored people. Kuala Lumpur was a party city, a pleasure city, filled with casinos and brothels and cyber-bars. Shops and servants and not a trace of religion in sight, the once proud people had become subjugated to nothing more than toys, foreign delights to wait their tables, be their whores, carry their bags, and drive their cars.

Of course, the Syndicate wanted a piece of this city.

The old capital building had gone up for auction, after the previous owner lost his fortune and all capacity to stay afloat on a game of high-stakes cards. Somehow, the auction ended with the Syndicate's front, Malaysian United Hotels & Recreation, or Malaysian United, winning it at a rather undervalued price. The Syndicate took one more step to... diversify their markets, from lower class drug dens to a massive pleasure palace. From a place to get your quick fix, to a massive complex, where one can feed any desire they could ever dream of, no matter how depraved, for a price.

Major action- Minor action #3
Fabricate Consumer Goods

Ledger
| 4 Might- 1 in Indochina, 3 in Oceania | 54 Capital | 35 Industry | 0 Innovation | 14 Demand in Indochina | 15 Demand in Oceania | 3 Labs (2 Indochina, 1 Oceania) |

[Holy Lykos]

With the last of the RRU's funds and most of their excess material, the German people reach yet another milestone. A new proper space station in orbit of Germany, specifically geosynchronous with the city of Dortmund. A grand achievement of German industry and engineering that Ratthern Karl only insisted would be the first step of a great project that would prove the saving grace of humanity itself. While he refused to elaborate beyond that point save to the councils of the Volksrat, the people of Germany were equal parts exuberant and worried for the near future.

The RRU had near bankrupted itself paying for infrastructure they claimed would help propel Germany to the world stage. Germany would very much need to turn its sites to public good soon otherwise the people's state may revolt against its new proletarian masters.

RRU/NEV ACTIONS:

• MINOR- Prioritize Markets | +13 Innovation -8 Capital
• MAJOR- Launch Space Station | +1 LOSS over Greater Germany -5 Capital -4 Industry

---

RRU/NEV MANIFEST

• 0 Capital
• 1 Industry
• Greater Germany- 2 Demand, 3 Factories, 3 Laboratories, 1 Datahub, 1 LOSS
• Britannia - 0 Factories, 1 Laboratories, 10 Demand
• 0 Might - Mercenaries
• 26 Innovation

MARS MANIFEST

• 2 Sources of Water
• 1 Sources of Light Metal
• 1 Sources of Heavy Metals

---

RRU ADVANCEMENTS AND TECHNOLOGY:
TECH

• Datamining Matrices
• Low Orbital Mechanics

MAJOR-

• Establish Datahub: +1 Datahub in Region, -10 Capital. Max 2 per Region.
• Launch Space Station: +Low Orbit Space Station over Region, -5 Capital, -4 Industry.

MINOR-

[G-Tech Corporation]

Ludbreeks Forward Operating Base, Tripolitan Governate, Landsraad Hegemony
February 25th, 2121

General Levisson tapped his pen on the desk unconsciously, a nervous habit that most of his subordinates had noticed but none had informed him of. It was a useful tell in the notoriously volatile commander's character, one of the few he possessed, and his adjutant and general staff would take that secret to the grave before letting him know how they understood his moods. With a frown the red-haired warrior spoke, not looking up from the combat displays, his voice addressed to the runner waiting on his every word.

"Get Konig at Ahaggar to move his troops forward, now. He is leaving a bulge in the southern sweep, and bulges mean vulnerabilities. I don't care if his soldiers had to take a shit after marching for eight hours, they need to be headed to Sali before 1600. He knows why."

A nod of the head from the young scarcely-bearded soldier in slate-gray, and off he went at a run. Cedrick was a soldier of the old guard, and preferred relaying his orders verbally so his officers understood their importance, but it was an idiosyncrasy the Department of War tolerated because of the results it got. The General might be pushing sixty, but his comprehension of the modern dictates of armored warfare was second to none in the Hegemony, perhaps the world. And in the vast endless wastelands of the Maghreb, that expertise was exactly what would bring the warlords and local councils into compliance with less loss of life than need be.

Of course, there were already reports of surrenders and capitulations coming in. Some without any military engagements, which was for the best, and partially expected. The more reasonable despots and tyrants had seen the writing on the wall, the Hegemony's military might massing in Tunisia; it didn't take a rocket scientist to look at the last vestiges of unoccupied North Africa and see that they were next on the menu of the giant's appetite that had carried it from Congo to Cairo.

And so those who peaceably accepted the Landsraad's suzeraintry would be integrated, if possible, comfortably retired if not. The armored might hurled across the sand wastes was insurmountable to the men of even the strongest warlord, but there were many men who would fight regardless; it was human nature to think that you were special, that you would defy the odds.

That was what the Hegemony's soldiers were for, to re-educate those stubborn resistors about the truth of the odds.

Hegemony: Invasion (Maghreb) | 6 Battalions vs 3 Battalions, 1 Casualty - Defenders destroyed, Maghreb captured.
0 Innovation, 11 Public Opinion, 25 Capital, 5 Battalions (Maghreb)
Blue Sky: Harvest Asteroids: -2 Innovation, +8 Capital, +10 Industry, +1 Light Metal, +1 Heavy Metal, -3 Demand | Demand in SA -> 8
0 Innovation, 26 Capital, 35 Industry, 2 Light Metal, 2 Heavy Metal
4 Labs, 2 Datahub, 1 Cryptocenter, 2 Factories, 1 Smelter, 1 Mercenary

[G-Tech Corporation]

Spreading Doom - March, 2121

In northern Pennsylvania agricultural experts are called to a large farm on suspicion of contamination- within a week the region is quarantined by the Confederation's government, but newscasts cannot hide the fact that the spread of the Nox Strain is likely to have been extensive throughout the region. Across New England crops are burnt in their fields and a pall of smoke covers the countryside as the authorities rush to attempt to save the spring plantings, but within a matter of days it becomes clear that the virus has infected better than twenty percent of all fields in the region... there will be no harvest in New England.

[The Federation of Kendor]

Astro Reach HQ, Houston, Texas

CEO George Jenner was now concerned. The Texas Confederacy had recently managed to consolidate it's territory and became a formal power. Indeed, Astro Reach was not profit oriented. But it still needed a large amount of money to function and pay for expansion, like innovating or building new facilities. But now, aside from the increase in factory and laboratory price, he also had to pay a tax per month. Thus also meant he had to devote one of the company's minor activity to paying the Texan, by giving them the tax money.

After being concerned about the recent situation, CEO George decided that Astro Reach must innovate again. First, he decided to gain more profit in order to fund the company's activities, by calling the company's investors for little cash injection. Next, he would fund a research into the market for innovation. Finally, he would use up those newly gained innovations to innovating something profitable. After signing his orders, he decided to drink a cup of coffee.

Meanwhile, the workers of Astro Reach were busy doing George's order. They called investors in Astro Reach to have the company three capitals. The scientists across the five labs Astro Reach had, meanwhile, used the fund they gained to research the market of aerospace and other dates for innovation. After receiving their data, they spend the 18 innovation data they had into researching something new. (Retcon the last paragraph)

Major Advancement: Establish lab: -7 capital, +1 lab in Dixie
Stats: 8 innovation, 12 capital, 6 labs (one in whatever region House Rastinov is on, 5 on Dixie), 2 factories in Dixie, 3 industry

Canberra, Australia, Oceanian Union

Ruler Harry Mulyono considered the offer. The offer seemed to be a mutual gain for both sides, but Harry saw something wrong. It said the he must move away troops from Indonesia, so the Triads could influence the area without Oceanian interference. However, he also knew that not doing it would provoke a negative reaction. He considered the offer for some time, before he made his judgement. He would move away troops as requested, but he would build up his troops and ready them in case the Triads betrayed Oceania.

Harry answered to the man talking with him, "Yes, we found your offer to be a mutual deal that will benefit both of us. We agree to all of them." He waited for response, and once he got it, he would finish communication. Meanwhile, the Australian Cybersecurity Agency continue their cyber fight, frantically trying to defend Australia's cyber defense network from being breached and destroyed by the Vietnamese. And as for space, the government made a decision to launch a probe unto Vesta, from a new launch station in the Australian outback, which was recently finished. The cost would be covered by raising the capital, as well as making deals with an Aerospace corporation that was now growing, Astro Reach.

Major Advancement: Launch probe: -10 capital, 1 probe to Vesta
Stats: 0 capital, 15 public opinion, 3 might (all three battalions on Australia)

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

"Very good." The young man said, before motioning to someone off screen. Immediately the call was cut, and the comms went black. The hackers immediately ghosted, covering their trails as effectively as they could. Their job was done, for now.

In the cape, the syndicate has completed her survey of possible locations to buy. They selected a lot at a relatively low cost of land, and began construction of a laboratory immediately. Now that funds were freed up from the effective cold war in Oceania, they could now focus on the future of their operations.

Major action-
Build a laboratory

Ledger
| 4 Might- 1 in Indochina, 3 in Oceania | 47 Capital | 35 Industry | 0 Innovation | 14 Demand in Indochina | 15 Demand in Oceania | 4 Labs (2 Indochina, 1 Oceania, 1 Cape) |