The ICON Assembly of Nations [IC/Closed/ICON only]

by **Darlingtown** » Wed Dec 07, 2022 5:52 pm

Table of Contents

Session of the Assembly of Nations

1st Session of the Assembly of Nations

Interlude Chapters

Interlude (Session 1 - Session 2)

Valuable ICON Links:

ICON Security Council | International Coalition of Nations News Nexus (ICON) | Charter and Passed Resolutions | Sign-Up Thread

by **Darlingtown** » Wed Dec 07, 2022 5:53 pm

1st Session of the Assembly of Nations
Hall of the Assembly of Nations, Darlingtown

With the internal management of the newly formed alliance beginning to settle down, a resolution has finally been proposed and seconded by members of the Assembly and is now ready to be brought to the floor for debate and, eventually, voting. As has been decided, Darlingtown would house the Assembly of Nations while Liberty, Anagonia would house the Security Council.

The Hall of the Assembly of Nations was a simple but elegant room located in what was once the Diplomatic Facility (now rechristened the "ICON Administrative Facility"). The newly reminted facility housed a number of suites for visiting dignitaries, a communal eatery, a small number of offices, and of course the Hall of the Assembly. The facility was located directly adjacent to the airport, which would have spared any visiting delegates from even a second of the harsh Antarctic weather...if the fully enclosed nature of the arcology did not already shield them no matter where in Darlingtown they went.

The Hall itself was decorated in a somewhat minimalistic old-fashioned style. It was carpeted with an elegant gold rug purchased from Imperia, with seating arranged in a semi-circular manner. Several large reinforced windows let natural sunlight filter into the hall (whenever there wasn't a storm raging outside). A equally minial staff of automatons would help direct the new arrivals to the hall and provide them with any assistance they required.

Valuable ICON Links:

1st Session of the ICON Security Council | International Coalition of Nations News Nexus (ICON) | Sign-Up Thread

Nations in Attendance
and their delegates

Darlingtown - SACHI

The Confederate States of Anagonia - Major Max Gill

The Kingdom of Sombreland - Prince Wilan de Hulfe

The Glorious Dominion of Saescia - Danica-Maryse McNally

The State of Neo Korea - Varushka Novikova

The United Kingdom of Goram - Marie Greenacre

The Republic of Civia Welephilostopia - Valea Ditri

The Janpian Union of Revolutionary States - Aschkara Zanasya

The Commonwealth Europe a Nation - Marie-Rose de Talleyrand-Périgord

~~The Imperial Principate of Imperia - Chrysos Vasilias~~ (REMOVED FROM ALLIANCE)

The Federal Republic of Meridon - Yukino Townley

Proposal Docket
as submitted by various member nations and brought to the floor by SACHI, who is presiding

Election 1
Election of Member to Security Council
Status: Passed

Proposal 1
National Defense Spending Resolution
(Proposed by Imperia and seconded by Anagonia)
Status: Passed

Proposal 2
Economic and Trade Affairs Committee
(Proposed by the Overseer of Finance/Neo-Korea)
Status: Released to Executive

Election 2
Election of Member to Security Council
Status: Cancelled

Proposal 3
ICON Anti-Slavery Bill
(Proposed by Sombreland, Draft by Anagonia)
Status: Passed

Proposals

by **Darlingtown** » Wed Dec 07, 2022 5:54 pm

SACHI nervously waited in the Hall of the Assembly, constantly fidgeting with her tie or some other bit of her suit. Not only had she not anticipated that the first session of the Assembly would be starting so soon, but she also hadn't fully had an opportunity to test out her new humanoid proxy body, which she had been planning on very slowly getting herself comfortable with.

This would also mark the first time Darlingtown hosted anything on an international level, and SACHI wanted to make absolutely sure everyone was impressed. The whole of the former Diplomatic Facility was cleaned in painstaking detail multiple times, food at the canteen was carefully planned and prepared, and every other minute detail was triple checked to ensure everything went smoothly. But still the anxiety ate at SACHI from the inside. It felt like everything was moving so fast. She had only just barely gained control of the original Darlingtown a little over a year ago, and now she was to preside over the legislative body of an international organization.

Not having had a body quite as intricate as the one she currently controlled, SACHI now had a physical place to project all her nervous energy. Fidgeting, hyperventilating, and all the other thrills of physical panic were being taught to the AI at breakneck speed. But for now she allowed her new body to express these things, as she was keenly aware she would not be able to appear quite as nervous when the first of the delegates arrived.

- SACHI -

"Any minute...any minute now. Hooooh...just calm yourself, SACHI. Everything is going to work out fine. You've checked everything, you've prepped everything, you've got this. You're the President, you're in charge. Everything will be okay.

...why do I keep messing with this damn tie?"

by **Anagonia** » Wed Dec 07, 2022 7:22 pm

Major Max Gill, Ambassador to ICON on behalf of Anagonia and ICON Secretary-General, stepped foot gently into the newly refurbished Darlingtown building. It was grand, exquisite, and way too high in tastes for Max on a personal level. Professionally, however, it displayed to Max the willingness that Darlingtown was wanting to go to satisfy the necessity of impressing their fellow member nations. ICON had just survived its true real crisis not too long ago and Max was absolutely thrilled to already be starting the first official Assembly of ICON nations. He checked in respectfully with the greeter, having in tow only a single Military Policeman as they entered. After a brief tour which happened to be on their way to the Assembly Hall, Max entered and greeted SACHI who stood waiting.

Ambassador Max Gill:

President of the Assembly! It is an absolute pleasure to be under your direction today. ICON has indeed matured beyond its initial growing pains. We have long to go, no doubt, but your first impression to our peers will no doubt establish an excellent precedent for what is expected of our alliance. I might also say it makes me quite nervous knowing what our end of the agreement will need to be upheld when we finish construction of the Security Council. My deepest congratulations to you, President SACHI, and I express my earnest eagerness to continue our work together in maintaining ICON as a beacon of true stability.

by **Darlingtown** » Wed Dec 07, 2022 8:15 pm

Being as close to omniscient as she could within the confines of Darlingtown, SACHI was well aware of Ambassador Gill's arrival. Allowing herself one final round of adjustments to her suit and tie, she patiently waited on the other side of the doors to the hall for the Anagonian delegate to arrive, and as he did she smiled and offered her hand for a shake.

- SACHI -

"Ambassador Gill, it's a pleasure to meet you in person. As in actually in person this time. Please forgive me if any movement or action of mine seems 'off' or 'uncanny', while I've had some time to test this new body of mine it is still quite experimental and might have some residual hiccups here or there.

If I may confide, recent events within ICON did have me a bit worried for the alliance's future. But we have luckily found ourselves surrounded by reasonable and perhaps even genuine allies here. If anything, the future of this organization is now looking much brighter. Whether this inaugural session of the Assembly goes smoothly or not, I am confident it shall end with ICON in a better place than it started.

Ah, where are my manners! Thank you for your complements, though I honestly hope that no such precedence is set. I'd hate to create a needlessly competitive air about the extravagance of our accommodations. In truth, I can't help but feel that Darlingtown struggles to compare to its allies, both economically and militarily. As well-dressed as our hall may be, our material contribution to ICON is meager at best and nonexistent at worst..."

Realizing she was beginning to ramble about her own thoughts of inadequacy, SACHI gave a weak smile and shook her head.

"Eh...never mind all that. I won't trouble you with any of my own self-negative thoughts. Instead, let me say what an absolute joy it is to finally shake the hand of someone I know. It's quite like what I imagine stepping into a new world you've only seen from a distance before would be like. It's very much a dream come true!"

by **Sombreland** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 7:22 am

Prince Wilan de Hulfe arrived with his staff, wearing a fine grey suit with a soft blue tie, wearing his largest government service medal on a ribbon around his neck, walking at a calm and steady pace, as he admired the hall. Formally, he greeted SACHI, and was curious about this, and also a bit disturbed. Nevertheless, he walked up and greeted SACHI pleasantly. "Ah, our hostess, so very pleased to be here. We have, as it were, been through the mill, have we not? Yet calm and harmony have prevailed. I am so glad to be here, and so glad of your hospitality. Such a fascinating place! it is very different and yet compelling."

He also included Major Gill in this by bowing to him. "Secretary-General, such a pleasure. I do not believe we have met before. Prince de Hulfe." He looked at the man curiously. He was a representative of a bizarre system that de Hulfe found strange even by the standards of foreigners. But what else could one expect from a society ruled by a giant lizard?

Nova's Spotify · by **Nova Secta** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 12:21 pm

Hall of the Assembly, ICON Administrative Facility, Darlingtown

Danica-Maryse McNally, the Minister Plenipotentiary to the International Coalition of Nations on behalf of the Glorious Dominion of Saescia, was nervous. Not out of concern over her ability to do her job, necessarily, though perhaps there was some manner of nerves always associated with such lofty responsibility. No, this was more acute, procedural even; as the delegates to the Assembly began to make their presence known in the great hall, Danica-Maryse felt that the current proposal on the floor was a good one – to mandate a two percent threshold for military spending relative to a nation’s gross domestic product was a fair and equitable measure necessary to ensure the safety and security of the body politic as well as the individual security of the member-states themselves. It was a measure that needed to pass, and Saescia’s delegation would be supporting the measure strongly as the discussion on it continued on the floor.

However, while McNally supported the resolution, it was not lost on her that some nations, particularly those on the smaller side or those without sufficient financial means may have difficulties meeting the two percent threshold. After all, it was not all that long ago that her own Glorious Dominion of Saescia was spending less than that itself on defense, before the conflict between Hanasaku and Xiahua and the war with Gran Ventana. Saescia may have considered its military spending adequate now, but this was not always the case in the eyes of the Coalition and its membership. Should the proposal pass without sufficient assistance to those nations unable to meet the two percent threshold, McNally thought it a potential weakness in the Coalition. Thus, with the floor open to discussion, she took the opportunity to propose a rider to the proposal, a proviso of sorts that may strike a balance between the haves and the have nots.

“Honored dignitaries and representatives to this great Coalition, a proposal has been made to the floor that would see all members of our great Coalition contribute no less than 2% of their total national gross domestic product to military expenditures. We applaud this resolution and acknowledge how vital it would be in shoring up any weaknesses that may be prevalent in our respective military apparatuses. The Glorious Dominion of Saescia believes two percent of annual spending relative to the member-nation's gross domestic product is a fair and reasonable request."

"We recognize, however, that this number may be problematic for some members of our Coalition to meet, through various machinations of their national budgeting. The Glorious Dominion of Saescia wishes to impart the understanding that we recognize there could be obstacles to meeting this threshold. Would it be feasible, then, to suggest the possibility of a Coalition defense fund, to be comprised of a one-time levy for willing members of the Coalition, to provide the monetary resources necessary for those Coalition members unable to meet the 2% threshold in military expenditures? The Glorious Dominion of Saescia will support this possible amendment with a cash infusion of $500 Million USD."

by **Anagonia** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 1:09 pm

Ambassador Max Gill:

Max concluded a hand shake with SACHI, giving a smile

Nonsense, Madam President. I can assure you that the simplicity of this building, intertwined with the complexity of its decorations, creates a unique flavor and culture that I feel promotes your unique beauty to all of us. I assure you, there is no competition between any of us except on a friendly basis. I am also extremely pleased to finally be able to properly, physically greet you on a cordial basis.

He gave SACHI a final smile before turning his attention to Prince Wilan de Hulfe

Ambassador Prince De Hulfe! It is an absolute pleasure to greet you this day for the first time, Prince de Hulfe. You have taken most seriously your position in our alliance and I am pleased with our dialogue thus far. I know we've had trying times very recently, but we've all demonstrated our willingness to move forward maturely and professionally. In this I am extremely pleased. Your contributions to this alliance, and your nations unique culture and perspective, help us achieve a sound and solid foundation for our decisions. I am extremely pleased you are the with us.

Looking to the Assembly floor, he realized the proceedings were about to begin. He gave a gentle bow - gracious bow - to Prince de Hulfe and once again shook the hand of SACHI before departing their company to attend to his role in the Assembly. Once there, he gave a gentle smile toward Ambassador McNally

Ambassador McNally, it is such a pleasure to have your nation and you with us. However I wish to remind you that the Madam President SACHI will be the one to address and open this Assembly. As Secretary-General, I agree and am eager along with you to address this funding issue. Anagonia will gladly contribute such and additional support. But first, we must have the President officially open the Assembly as well as call to order.

by **Darlingtown** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 3:14 pm

SACHI once again thanked Ambassador Gill for his compliments before turning to greet the newly arrived delegates, offer a handshake to each of the representatives.

- SACHI -

"Prince de Hulfe, on the contrary it is my pleasure to have you here! And yes, I too am glad we have proven more than capable of weathering our first set of storms together as an alliance. I look forward to hearing your insight and input in the matters brought before the Assembly as always. You have been an invaluable voice in our debates and represent your nation well."

SACHI then turned to greet the Saescian delegate.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ambassador McNally I presume? I'm glad the Glorious Dominion of Saescia has chosen to join ICON, your membership is a much welcomed one. I am SACHI, the Administrator of Darlingtown and current President of the Assembly. I appreciate your enthusiasm for participating in the Assembly, but as my friend here has already said this session hasn't been fully convened and the proposal has not been brought to the table for discussion yet. Actually, you've arrived relatively early, as we're still waiting on the majority of delegates to arrive before the first session of the Assembly commences.

That said, in this period before we officially begin you are more than free to speak with any of us here in an informal manner regarding the current proposals on the docket or any other topic you wish. I, for one, am willing to discuss anything...business related or otherwise. As I was created specifically for the purpose of social interaction I am more than willing to keep any conversation between us as formal or informal as you wish it to be."

by **Nova Secta** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 6:07 pm

Danica-Maryse listened attentively to SACHI as they approached, feeling a mild mix of embarrassment and consternation at having spoken out of order. It was, perhaps, the nerves of the moment that had gotten to her; no matter, the time had passed, and it was time to redress the grievance with the formalities of introductions. As SACHI approached, she moved to step around to the front of the Saescian delegation's placement at the assembly hall, smiling:

"Hail to you, SACHI, Administrator of Darlingtown and President of the Assembly; I am indeed Danica-Maryse McNally, Minister Plenipotentiary to this worthy establishment. Forgive me for speaking out of turn; the excitement of our cause got the better of me momentarily. I must say, I am quite impressed with the work that has gone on here at the assembly hall."

Please known that myself, my accompaniment and the resources of the Saescian government are at the disposal of the Coalition. I carry the promise of great and merry tidings from our Prime Minister, who fought long and hard to accomplish our membership, to be counted among your number. Being here now, at the precipice of this great journey we are all about to embark upon, it feels as though the sacrifices were well worth it. I would be safe in assuming Darlingtown has seen its fair shair of intrigue getting established for the occasion? We are particularly grateful for the hospitality you have displayed towards us here at the event, and look forward to one day reciprocating your kindness in turn."

by **Anagonia** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 7:55 pm

Ambassador Max Gill:

I'm going to be honest with you, Ambassador McNally. This is new for all of us. ICON represents a grand experiement tried again and again in the world. Sometimes it is successful, sometimes it is not. Each time the requirement for the community of nations to come together to help define that success is always an essential requirement. Without failure or mistakes, we cannot as a community move forward to success. I can assure you no one looks down on the enthusiasm and, quite honestly, I myself have been confronted by the Madam President on multiple occasions on my own mistakes. It was respectful, direct, and helped me to correct those mistakes.

by **Neo-Western East Korea** » Fri Dec 09, 2022 3:24 pm

It was somewhat surprising (in the best way possible for one such as herself) that her first time leaving the country had been related to the acquisition of such a prestigious role (that being, of course, the delegate to the First Session).

Her lack of interaction with the outside world wasn’t exactly out of a lack of desire (to be honest, she only knew 15 people who earnestly wanted to be in Neo-Korea), but her ascension to the role had been relatively recent, and this WAS the first major diplomatic venture that hadn’t already had someone lined up for the role beforehand.
As such, she had clamored for quite a bit to go instead of Terenti (although, to be honest, he had already seemingly been willing to shift the job to her in the first place), and her work had been (as she noted) distinctly rewarded as her long walk to the building finally ended.

Taking a moment to compose herself, she opened the door and made her way into the ICON Administrative Facility.

(OOC NOTE: Unable to get image working)

Varushka Novikova:

“Hello, I am the current representative to this meeting for the State of Neo-Korea, I am decidedly glad to be here today!”

After taking a seat, she waits a moment before speaking once more

“It is, on a more personal level, deeply joyous to have the chance to meet with so many individuals representing so many nations, and I hope that the spirit of cooperation I can already feel extant is maintained to the best of our abilities.”

by **Goram** » Fri Dec 09, 2022 4:55 pm

“Oof.”

The Captain spoke almost involuntarily as a gust of wind caused the twin engine jet to almost stagger in the air as it was buffeted from side to side.

“Yeah”

The First Officer said.

“This is hardcore Captain shit, mate. That’s why they pay you the big bucks.”

The Captain smiled at that. It had been a pleasant flight from the United Kingdom and he got on well with his First Officer. In a moment, the FOs tone of voice changed as he keyed the push to talk radio button.

“Tower, Blue Water 6-7 Alpha Mike at nine and a half miles, fully established. Maintaining 160kts until four miles.”

Hello Blue Water 6-7 Alpha Mike, wind is 290 variable between 210 and 350 at 1-3 gusting to 3-6 knots. Runway 2-8, you are clear to land/

“Clear to land, 6-7 Alpha Mike.”
“36 knots?”

The Captain looked out of the window in front of him at the runway which they appeared to be approaching sideways.

“This is where the fun begins.”

In the back of the aircraft, Marie Greenacre was having the opposite of fun. She’d made herself a career in the Foreign Office but had never, ever relished flying. She hated it. She hated, she thought, the feeling of helplessness and of being completely unable to influence what was going on. With every jolt of the airframe, she gripped the armrest of her chair ever more tightly. She was far from the only one, though. Several of her staff, sat around her on the executive jet, were looking slightly afraid. One or two were looking positively green. Marie glanced up and caught the eye of one of the two Flight Attendants sitting next to the forward galley, and just next to the door. How calm the young woman looked, with her hands folded neatly in her lap. Marie could never understand how it was they got used to this sort of thing. How could something like this – sitting in a metal tube, going at 150mph through a storm – ever just become normal? She wished it would though. She wished she could just get used to it, but she knew that if it hadn’t happened after fifteen years of regular back and forth travel around the world, then it probably never would. It was an inconvenience, however, she would have to live with because the death trap with wings was carrying her towards the next step of her career. After years serving various roles in various embassies, including a stint as ambassador to a country most Goramites had never heard of, let alone could find on a map, she had been promoted. She had been given the role of ambassador to ICON’s Assembly of Nations. It was, most thought, a prestigious appointment and one she’d worked hard for. She deserved this, she thought. She’d just rather have not arrived looking deathly pale and on the verge of vomiting.

The aircraft touched down firmly but safely, and followed the tower’s directions across the vast international airport towards a much quieter area on the opposite side from the main terminal. The engines shutdown and the doors opened to a grim grey and rainy day, but fortunately there was not far to go. In this VIP section of the airport, a small convoy of three black SUVs bearing diplomatic plates were waiting for them. Despite the rain and strong wind of the day, Marie was thankful for the fresh as she went down the portable steps that had been brought up to the jet. On the ground, a man in a suit was waiting for her and holding an umbrella that he seemed to be fighting to keep hold of.

“Good morning, Ma’am! I’m Keaton Crawley, I’ll be helping you get acclimatised here. If you’d like to follow me to the car, we’ll get you out of this weather!”

The car was as finely appointed as the jet had been, clearly designed for luxury and comfort. Marie climbed in first, followed by Keaton.

“That’s better.”

He said

“Very unfortunate this. We’ve been here a week getting things set up for you, and this is the first day it hasn’t been glorious.”

“Always the way.”

Marie replied.

“Where are we going? Straight to the Assembly?”

She asked.

“No, we’ve got your office and accommodation here all set up. We thought we’d take you there first, but if you’d like to see the Assembly then certainly, we can do that.”

“Yes, if we could please. I’d like to see the Assembly. Perhaps someone would be so good as to take the bags and what not across to the accommodation?”

“Of course. I’ve got your briefing papers here actually, if you want to have a quick look over them before we arrive?”

“Please.”

Marie took the folder that Keaton produced from his briefcase.

“Resolution 1, military spending? Do they have this in the other cars as well?”

“Yeah, they should do.”

That was good, Marie didn’t say. She wasn’t much of a one for military matters, but she had a staff and that’s what they were for. One of them was a Navy officer, a Lieutenant from the Admiralty, who was there to advise her on such matters. She hoped that the officer in the other car might be able to give her some specifics so she might answer any questions posed but, at the very least, she knew very well that the United Kingdom would not have any problem meeting 2% of GDP on defence. Indeed, most years, she seemed to remember, it hovered closer to 3% if not 3.25%.

Keaton got out first, as the cars pulled up. He did his best to hold the umbrella over Marie as she climbed out but, finally, the wind got the better of him and turned it inside out.

“Bloody Hell.”

He cursed under his voice and the delegation moved quickly inside. It was a minimalistic building, but it was to Marie’s taste. It felt like an exciting place. The sort of place to make a name for yourself. In the assembly area, several people seemed to be talking - introducing themselves, perhaps. She wandered over, thinking to say hello to her new colleagues...

by **Civia Welephilostopia** » Sat Dec 10, 2022 10:03 pm

Valea Ditri would arrive not long after Marie, she would find her seat with ease and found herself admiring the amazing architecture of Darlingtown and engratiated herself with the other delegates. She would walk over to SACHI and introduce herself. "I must say the architecture in here is superb, the vectors of flow and the power that ressonates throughout this building is quite something. And I must say, your outfit is amazing, I hope we'll get to talk somemore soon. Then she would go to her seat and sit down and await for the first session to begin.

by **Janpia** » Sun Dec 11, 2022 5:45 am

Representative Aschkara Zanasya walks along the corridors of the hall, sporting his diplomatic outfit; a black suit, his favorite green and white striped tie, a watch synced to Darlingtown time, and his suitcase. His coat rested on his shoulders, which he wore during his arrival to protect him from the cold blizzard. Indeed his trip through the cold waters was somewhat fine thanks to the icebreaker ship he used, truly a fine piece of marine engineering made for the harshest of weather. Though upon stepping into Darlingtown, he stops by and appreciate the technology it takes to create the arcology, keeping the place in a somewhat decent and cool atmosphere. Continuing his way to the hall, he takes a deep bow as accustomed in Janpia, before entering into the session. He finds his way through his designated spot and opened his mic

Rep. Aschkara Zanasya:"Greetings! I am Aschkara Zanasya, a 1st-Class Representative of the Janpian Diplomatic Corps! I am pleased to meet with each and everyone in this room, and I look forward to the success of our endeavors"

by **Europe a Nation** » Sun Dec 11, 2022 9:59 am

Marie-rose stepped off the plane, obviously stressed, and dressed in extreme winter gear, as if she were going on a polar expedition. She was wearing snow pants, heavy boots, long underwear, wool socks, sweater, fleece jacket, parka with hood and gloves. Her face, however, was whipped by a spring breeze rather than the cold arctic air. It wasn't even cold here.
"What's wrong Ms. Talleyrand?" asked her one of the guards. "Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"Huuuuh!?.. Why didn't you tell me it wasn't cold here? I'm in Antarctica, how is that even possible?" Marie-Rose looked around frantically. "I'm not having a nightmare am I? Is this really happening?"
The guard shook his head, still confused by the situation. "No, no, it's real." He tried to sound reassuring. "It might be the Antarctic climate but it's not cold here," he said gesturing towards the the sprawling archalogy that supposed to be Darlingtown.
"How was I supposed to know," She sighed, "What a faux pas..."

Marie-Rose noticed a small robot slowly approaching the plane.
"Greetings Ms Talleyrand, welcome to Darlingtown!" chirped the robot cheerfully in a cute voice. "I am the personal AI assistant for for delegates. We have been waiting for you. Please follow me. The Assembly of Nation meeting will start soon. We must hurry."
Marie-Rose followed the little robot through the terminal building and into an underground tunnel. Marie-Rose stared in awe at the fully automated airport. They passed other robots along the way. Several seemed to be holding up walls or ceilings, whilst others were carrying luggage.
"How can there be so many of these things?" Marie-Rose asked.
"These are 'unmanned' units." The robot explained. "They do not require human supervision. They work 24/7."
"It's absolutely amazing to watch. How come you have so many robots here?" Marie-Rose asked in amazement.
"We have had them here since the first construction phase. We did not want to risk any loss of life due to harsh arctic climate. The automated systems are able to handle most situations." The robot replied.
"Amazing..." muttered Marie-Rose, enthralled by the sight of the automated machines.
Finally they arrived at a large door, which opened automatically as the robot approached it. In front of them was a big lift car, with a glass roof, that glowed softly with soft blue light. A plaque above the entrance read 'Delegate Lounge'.
"This is where we will be taking our short ride," the robot announced politely.
Marie-Rose used the lift ride to remove her winter clothes. "Could you ehm, please take care of my clothes?"
"Of course," the little robot nodded happily.

Marie-Rose sat down comfortably and gazed out the window at the scenery passing by. This was the first time in her life she'd ever flown over the Darlingtown. She couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The giant archalogy gleamed whitely under the arctic sky. The buildings shone brightly under the artificial lights. It looked like a city from a dream.

When the lift came to a stop in the Delegate Lounge, Marie-Rose stepped out and felt immediately refreshed. The delegate lounge was very impressive indeed. There was a large circular table in the centre, surrounded by comfortable chairs. To the side, three huge screens displayed information about the delegates and their respective nations. Marie-Rose was observing the display, where her name and the country she represented just appeared. She was so impressed she almost didn't notice a woman wearing a business dress who stood up and smiled. "Good morning, Ms Talleyrand, I'm glad you are here" she said. "I will show you to the Assembly chamber and give you a brief run-through on what to expect today."
"That's very kind of you," said Marie-Rose. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name..." (OOC it's SACHI but Marie-Rose didn't recognise her due to her new appearance. Feel free to reply.)

by **Darlingtown** » Sun Dec 11, 2022 11:44 am

Goram wrote:
“Oof.”

The Captain spoke almost involuntarily as a gust of wind caused the twin engine jet to almost stagger in the air as it was buffeted from side to side.

“Yeah”

The First Officer said.

“This is hardcore Captain shit, mate. That’s why they pay you the big bucks.”

The Captain smiled at that. It had been a pleasant flight from the United Kingdom and he got on well with his First Officer. In a moment, the FOs tone of voice changed as he keyed the push to talk radio button.

“Tower, Blue Water 6-7 Alpha Mike at nine and a half miles, fully established. Maintaining 160kts until four miles.”

Hello Blue Water 6-7 Alpha Mike, wind is 290 variable between 210 and 350 at 1-3 gusting to 3-6 knots. Runway 2-8, you are clear to land/

“Clear to land, 6-7 Alpha Mike.”
“36 knots?”

The Captain looked out of the window in front of him at the runway which they appeared to be approaching sideways.

“This is where the fun begins.”

In the back of the aircraft, Marie Greenacre was having the opposite of fun. She’d made herself a career in the Foreign Office but had never, ever relished flying. She hated it. She hated, she thought, the feeling of helplessness and of being completely unable to influence what was going on. With every jolt of the airframe, she gripped the armrest of her chair ever more tightly. She was far from the only one, though. Several of her staff, sat around her on the executive jet, were looking slightly afraid. One or two were looking positively green. Marie glanced up and caught the eye of one of the two Flight Attendants sitting next to the forward galley, and just next to the door. How calm the young woman looked, with her hands folded neatly in her lap. Marie could never understand how it was they got used to this sort of thing. How could something like this – sitting in a metal tube, going at 150mph through a storm – ever just become normal? She wished it would though. She wished she could just get used to it, but she knew that if it hadn’t happened after fifteen years of regular back and forth travel around the world, then it probably never would. It was an inconvenience, however, she would have to live with because the death trap with wings was carrying her towards the next step of her career. After years serving various roles in various embassies, including a stint as ambassador to a country most Goramites had never heard of, let alone could find on a map, she had been promoted. She had been given the role of ambassador to ICON’s Assembly of Nations. It was, most thought, a prestigious appointment and one she’d worked hard for. She deserved this, she thought. She’d just rather have not arrived looking deathly pale and on the verge of vomiting.

The aircraft touched down firmly but safely, and followed the tower’s directions across the vast international airport towards a much quieter area on the opposite side from the main terminal. The engines shutdown and the doors opened to a grim grey and rainy day, but fortunately there was not far to go. In this VIP section of the airport, a small convoy of three black SUVs bearing diplomatic plates were waiting for them. Despite the rain and strong wind of the day, Marie was thankful for the fresh as she went down the portable steps that had been brought up to the jet. On the ground, a man in a suit was waiting for her and holding an umbrella that he seemed to be fighting to keep hold of.

“Good morning, Ma’am! I’m Keaton Crawley, I’ll be helping you get acclimatised here. If you’d like to follow me to the car, we’ll get you out of this weather!”

The car was as finely appointed as the jet had been, clearly designed for luxury and comfort. Marie climbed in first, followed by Keaton.

“That’s better.”

He said

“Very unfortunate this. We’ve been here a week getting things set up for you, and this is the first day it hasn’t been glorious.”

“Always the way.”

Marie replied.

“Where are we going? Straight to the Assembly?”

She asked.

“No, we’ve got your office and accommodation here all set up. We thought we’d take you there first, but if you’d like to see the Assembly then certainly, we can do that.”

“Yes, if we could please. I’d like to see the Assembly. Perhaps someone would be so good as to take the bags and what not across to the accommodation?”

“Of course. I’ve got your briefing papers here actually, if you want to have a quick look over them before we arrive?”

“Please.”

Marie took the folder that Keaton produced from his briefcase.

“Resolution 1, military spending? Do they have this in the other cars as well?”

“Yeah, they should do.”

That was good, Marie didn’t say. She wasn’t much of a one for military matters, but she had a staff and that’s what they were for. One of them was a Navy officer, a Lieutenant from the Admiralty, who was there to advise her on such matters. She hoped that the officer in the other car might be able to give her some specifics so she might answer any questions posed but, at the very least, she knew very well that the United Kingdom would not have any problem meeting 2% of GDP on defence. Indeed, most years, she seemed to remember, it hovered closer to 3% if not 3.25%.

Keaton got out first, as the cars pulled up. He did his best to hold the umbrella over Marie as she climbed out but, finally, the wind got the better of him and turned it inside out.

“Bloody Hell.”

He cursed under his voice and the delegation moved quickly inside. It was a minimalistic building, but it was to Marie’s taste. It felt like an exciting place. The sort of place to make a name for yourself. In the assembly area, several people seemed to be talking - introducing themselves, perhaps. She wandered over, thinking to say hello to her new colleagues...

Seeing the Goramite delegate approaching, SACHI turned to greet the new arrival.

- SACHI -

"Ah, hello! I'm so happy you could join us today, Representative Greenacre. I'm SACHI, the administrative AI in charge of Darlingtown and the current President of the Assembly. Pleased to meet you!

The Assembly session will be starting soon, but in the meantime if you have any questions for me, be they formal or informal, I'd be happy to answer them! Oh! And if you find any accommodation here inadequate please do let me know. As an esteemed guest here in Darlingtown I will personally assure any problem is taken care of, no matter how minor the complaint."

Europe a Nation wrote:
Marie-rose stepped off the plane, obviously stressed, and dressed in extreme winter gear, as if she were going on a polar expedition. She was wearing snow pants, heavy boots, long underwear, wool socks, sweater, fleece jacket, parka with hood and gloves. Her face, however, was whipped by a spring breeze rather than the cold arctic air. It wasn't even cold here.
"What's wrong Ms. Talleyrand?" asked her one of the guards. "Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"Huuuuh!?.. Why didn't you tell me it wasn't cold here? I'm in Antarctica, how is that even possible?" Marie-Rose looked around frantically. "I'm not having a nightmare am I? Is this really happening?"
The guard shook his head, still confused by the situation. "No, no, it's real." He tried to sound reassuring. "It might be the Antarctic climate but it's not cold here," he said gesturing towards the the sprawling archalogy that supposed to be Darlingtown.
"How was I supposed to know," She sighed, "What a faux pas..."

Marie-Rose noticed a small robot slowly approaching the plane.
"Greetings Ms Talleyrand, welcome to Darlingtown!" chirped the robot cheerfully in a cute voice. "I am the personal AI assistant for for delegates. We have been waiting for you. Please follow me. The Assembly of Nation meeting will start soon. We must hurry."
Marie-Rose followed the little robot through the terminal building and into an underground tunnel. Marie-Rose stared in awe at the fully automated airport. They passed other robots along the way. Several seemed to be holding up walls or ceilings, whilst others were carrying luggage.
"How can there be so many of these things?" Marie-Rose asked.
"These are 'unmanned' units." The robot explained. "They do not require human supervision. They work 24/7."
"It's absolutely amazing to watch. How come you have so many robots here?" Marie-Rose asked in amazement.
"We have had them here since the first construction phase. We did not want to risk any loss of life due to harsh arctic climate. The automated systems are able to handle most situations." The robot replied.
"Amazing..." muttered Marie-Rose, enthralled by the sight of the automated machines.
Finally they arrived at a large door, which opened automatically as the robot approached it. In front of them was a big lift car, with a glass roof, that glowed softly with soft blue light. A plaque above the entrance read 'Delegate Lounge'.
"This is where we will be taking our short ride," the robot announced politely.
Marie-Rose used the lift ride to remove her winter clothes. "Could you ehm, please take care of my clothes?"
"Of course," the little robot nodded happily.

Marie-Rose sat down comfortably and gazed out the window at the scenery passing by. This was the first time in her life she'd ever flown over the Darlingtown. She couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The giant archalogy gleamed whitely under the arctic sky. The buildings shone brightly under the artificial lights. It looked like a city from a dream.

When the lift came to a stop in the Delegate Lounge, Marie-Rose stepped out and felt immediately refreshed. The delegate lounge was very impressive indeed. There was a large circular table in the centre, surrounded by comfortable chairs. To the side, three huge screens displayed information about the delegates and their respective nations. Marie-Rose was observing the display, where her name and the country she represented just appeared. She was so impressed she almost didn't notice a woman wearing a business dress who stood up and smiled. "Good morning, Ms Talleyrand, I'm glad you are here" she said. "I will show you to the Assembly chamber and give you a brief run-through on what to expect today."
"That's very kind of you," said Marie-Rose. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name..." (OOC it's SACHI but Marie-Rose didn't recognise her due to her new appearance. Feel free to reply.)

- SACHI -

"I know it's been at least a little while since we met for the planning phase, but I didn't think it'd been so long that you'd forgot my name."

SACHI paused to laugh, then offered her hand for a shake while grinning ear-to-ear.

"I'm just kidding! Honestly I probably wouldn't have recognized myself in your position either. I'm SACHI...just in a new proxy body to make interaction a bit more 'human' and real. Not that I didn't like some aspects of being a giant blue face on a screen, but it certainly is a different kind of joy being able to shake your hand...and get a quick laugh out of surprising people by, well, existing!"

by **Awesome Imperium** » Sun Dec 11, 2022 9:22 pm

The Imperial Representative, ChrysosvVasilias arrives in the room. ( This is just a place hooter post, will be edited into more detail later)
- Imperia

by **Darlingtown** » Mon Dec 12, 2022 2:12 pm

With all but a small handful of delegates having now arrived, SACHI wrapped up her conversations and proceeded to her chair. There were a relative few number of proposals on the list to discuss today as well as some elections to go through, but SACHI still found herself subconsciously fidgeting with her tie before the delegates settled in and the meeting was ready to begin.

With everything else in order, SACHI stood.

- SACHI -

"My fellow delegates, illustrious members of the International Coalition of Nations, I thank you for attending this inaugural session of the Assembly of Nations. I, SACHI, will be presiding this meeting. We have certainly come far, we have already weathered storms most cannot unscathed or intact. We have labored to lay a sturdy foundation for this organization and have committed ourselves to this alliance. Now is the time we begin the next phase of our work.

As President of the Assembly of Nations, I hereby officially commence the First Session of the Assembly of Nations. All proposals that are passed by due process here and confirmed by the Security Council shall come into force for the good of ICON. All questions and concerns shall be heard, all members shall be treated as equals, and the rights and regulations of the Charter shall be upheld. We shall proceed to the first item of the day and carry forward from there.

The first subject I present to the Assembly is this: The election of a member nation of this Assembly to the membership of the Security Council. The Assembly shall vote to elect a new member to the Security Council from among any of its current members. The poll shall be open until 9:00 PM UTC on December 19th, 2022 or until 24 hours from when a majority votes has been cast. The floor is now open to discussion. You may endorse your own nation or may endorse another nation so long as they are willing to accept the appointment to the Security Council."

- - - ELECTION 1 START - - -

by **Civia Welephilostopia** » Mon Dec 12, 2022 9:41 pm

Valea Ditri would request to take the floor, with a bland face she'd begin, "If I may, esteemed president, I believe that due to the Charter stating that the Security states that it shall be made up of 8 permanent members and 8 elected members. Now as I understand it there is not enough members currently to fill those 8 elected positions, and if I may say these elections at least while we have the amount of members we do are pointless due to the fact that every one would go through so it would only waste time." She would sit down with the same bland face and await a response.

by **Anagonia** » Tue Dec 13, 2022 2:25 am

Ambassador Max Gill:

Max would request time for the floor, standing as he made his statement

"I believe it would benefit ICON if the Glorious Dominion of Saescia, represented by Ambassador McNally, were given a seat on our esteemed Security Council. They have demonstrated themselves in our backroom dealings as very mature, very professional, and dedicated to the cause of our alliance. I believe it would pay homage and respect to our mission goals of establishing ourselves as a mature and professional alliance and community to each other and the world. I release my remaining time to the next to speak."

He sat down, giving a nod to Ambassador Dianca-Maryse McNally

Nova's Spotify · by **Nova Secta** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:20 pm

As Ambassador Max Gill of the Confederate States of Anagonia made their surprising nomination, Danica-Maryse found herself in an unexpected position. She had not intended to stand for election in and of herself, but now that her name had been nominated by one of the senior members of the Coalition, she flet it an honor that he could not refuse. The Glorious Dominion of Saescia would be remiss in shirking this responsibility that would be thrust upon it should its seat be chosen for the task at hand. And in doing so, the Dominion would be staking its claim as an important player in international politics through the auspices of their grand Coalition. Really, there was only one thing she could say to such a flattering honor; McNally nodded back at the Ambassador with a smile, then motioned to the chair for the floor. When it was granted, McNally rose from her seat carefully and respectfully, placing her hand over her heart...

"We are deeply honored by the Ambassador from our allies in the Confederate States of Anagonia for their mutual trust and assurances that we would be a responsible party to be chosen for the honor in which we now discuss and debate. Truly, they honor us with their words, and the representatives of the Glorious Dominion of Saescia wish to make it known that our thoughts are returned in kind both to the representatives of the Confederate States, and to all member-states of our great and noble Coalition, with whom we share in the bonds of camaraderie and cooperation.

While we have not sought the honor of this elected position, we shall not shy away from it were we to be called to serve, for it is in this manner that the Glorious Dominion seeks to conduct itself before you all assembled here. We are but humble servants to the greater good that is the breadth of our Coalition, its mission statement and its reach throughout our world. Verily, we would be so honored to accept the nomination for this great responsibility, and hereby pledge that, if elected unto it, we would make all of you here proud through our diligent work, and our feverish efforts to uphold the mighty virtues that make our Coalition so special. To wit, this is our pledge, to serve with distinction for the sake of this Coalition should we be elected.

by **Goram** » Sun Dec 18, 2022 4:45 pm

Good morning Ambassador! Time to rise and shine!

The cheerful voice cut suddenly through the silent room, and Marie jolted awake with a start. She sat up and flipped herself over to find a shimmering, almost holographic figure standing over her bed and waving down at her. It looked suspiciously like SACHI, the AI administrator of Darlingstown.

“Jesus Christ.”

The Ambassador practically spat, as she clutched the bed sheets a little closer around her

“What are you doing in here?”

There was no immediate answer. The smiling cartoon like figure was just standing there, continuing to wave. Gingerly but curiously, Marie reached out a hand. Upon reaching the figure, it passed straight through and she felt nothing there whatsoever.

Good morning Ambassador! Time to rise and shine!

The synthetic voice cut through the quiet again, and Marie realised that it wasn’t SACHI at all. Rather, it was a cheap imitation. It looked like a hologram, because it was.

Good morning Ambassa-

Marie swung her legs over the side of the decently sized bed

“Alright, alright, I’m up.”

The hologram changed almost immediately. The beaming smile remained, but the waving of its right hand changed to a thumbs up

Be sure to have a great day!

The shimmering figure disappeared as just as quickly as it had materialised. The room was half dark, with light streaming through the curtains that covered the far wall. Marie touched the screen next to her bed and the curtains retracted, to show a set of wide windows with an unbelievable vista beyond it. Sunlight dappled gently between the trunks of vast trees that seemed to stretch a hundred feet and more. A few dozen metres off, a stream wound its inevitable way through the forest and Marie almost thought she might be able to hear the gentle babbling of the flowing water if she were to open the window. However, despite the realism, she knew she would not. She knew very well that she could not, because they were none of it was real. Nor were the windows, though their depth and clarity certainly had fooled her when she’d arrived in the room yesterday. Now she knew better. There were no trees beyond the habitation pod’s thick walls and the only water was permanently frozen. There was the wind swept icy tundra that was probably close to -70C. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the view was that it was exactly the sort of thing Marie liked. She liked to spend her free time, when she was in the United Kingdom at least, at her holiday home in the rural foothills of the Upland Range. Here there were vast tracks of almost uninhabited forest, especially as you went up the lower portions of the mountainsides, and in her mind's eye it looked exactly like what she saw now out of the ‘windows’. Had Darlingstown asked ahead about what she liked, or had SACHI been able to glean that from the brief conversation they’d had the day before? It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if she had. The United Kingdom considered itself a technologically advanced nation and they were doing some remarkable things with artificial intelligence, amongst other things, but SACHI was something completely different. She was far, far more advanced than anything Marie had ever even heard of. As she looked at the view one last time, before beginning her day, she reflected that she’d have to be careful around the AI. If it had indeed worked out that this is what she’d enjoy in her rooms, then what else might SACHI be able to deduce from crumbs dropped into the conversation?

The morning was still early when the day’s business began. The office the Ambassador had been allocated was a pleasant one. It was comfortable and well decorated, again to Marie’s tastes, and she quickly knew she would enjoy working in here. Only shortly after she’d arrived, there was a knock on the door and one of her delegation stepped in.

Good morning, Ambassador. Might I have a moment?

“Yes, yes, of course. Do please sit.”

She gestured at the man, who duly accepted. She had met this man only days before, when she’d met almost all of her new team. He was from the Foreign Office, but exactly what part of that body she could not remember.

“Scott Purdy, isn’t it?”

That’s me, Ma’am.

He beamed back at her.

I brought some documents for you to review before this morning’s assembly. We expect there might be a surprise or two coming

He leant down and produced a file from his briefcase.

“A surprise?”

Marie asked, as she took the file

Yes. We think the Anagonian’s might make a nomination to add the Glorious Dominion of Saescia as a permanent member of the ICON Security Council. You’ll find all the relevant information we have on Saescia in that file, along with the FO’s recommendation to vote yes to their appointment. If you like, I can summarise as you read.

Marie nodded her approval as she flicked the file open, and scanned through the several pages as Purdy spoke for several minutes.

“Thank you, Scott.”

Marie said, once Purdy had finished his piece. It occurred to her that he was incredibly well informed on the subject, perhaps more so than one would be simply by reading the FO produced document she had in her hands.

“What department was it you were from?”

She asked the question, and glanced up and the man to see him give her a quizzical look – as if to say he was surprised she’d ask that question. Suddenly her eyes went slightly wider with understanding.

“Oh.”

He was from The Riverhouse, he had to be. The sort of Foreign Office attache who’s job description involved work at an old red brick town house like building on Whyle Street in Goram City, just back from the banks of the Red River that flows through that city. On account of its location, some called it The Riverhouse. Most others called it The Circus – a self spawned nickname, which poked fun at the eccentric nature of those who had set the place up in 1937. Officially, however, it was called the Department of State Intelligence and was the main organ of the United Kingdom’s intelligence service. Marie quickly decided not to push the question. As sure as she might now be that Purdy was probably pulling double duty as a spook, it was probably best not to probe any deeper.

“And the Foreign Office recommends I vote yes to the Anagonian proposal, should they make it?”
Yes, Ambassador, we do. As do we recommend we vote yes to economic and defence proposals that will also come – subject to your concurrence, of course.

“Yes, I concur. We will vote yes on all three issues as they come up.”

Several hours later, in the Assembly Hall, and after the Max Gill had indeed made his proposal – and after Representative McNally had accepted it – she did indeed vote yes.

by **Darlingtown** » Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:15 pm

- SACHI -

"The results of the first election are in. It is my great pleasure to confirm that Saescia has been elected to the Security Council by the will of the Assembly.

With the first vote complete, we shall move on to the next order of business: Proposal 1, the National Defense Spending Resolution. Now, this proposed resolution was not submitted in a formal manner, but as our first proposal I allowed this and endeavored to put its details to our format as best I could. If there is more that any here thinks this proposition needs, or if there are any questions or concerns, now is the time to voice them.

Please, begin debate. After the debate has concluded, I will move us on to voting. My fellow members of the Assembly, the floor is now yours."

by **Neo-Western East Korea** » Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:26 pm

[u]Ambassador Varushka Novikova
(Will hopefully have an image at some point in future)

“Neo-Korea offers its full support to this measure, with one caveat:
If a nation is already using more than 2% of its GDP for its military, will it be forced to lower the amount spent?”

The ICON Assembly of Nations [IC/Closed/ICON only]

The ICON Assembly of Nations [IC/Closed/ICON only]

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