Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Madman198237]

What he posted is the *only* thing that has been done. I have been ludicrously busy, Nemonole has been sleep-deprived, and nobody else seems interested in writing backstory, except Nid, and he appears to have only had time to produce one or two items of backstory.

So, patience, you'll see a culture soon enough.

[andrea]

now that there is a clearer deadline besides "whenever quillus is done", I shall be patient. I don't mind waiting monday evening.

[Madman198237]

IOU one handcrafted description of Quillus's handcraft-loving culture.

Hey, look, here it is!

Spoiler: For length (click to show/hide)

A Short Midsize Stupidly Long Timeline of History on Quillus

SY0, excerpt from the Admiral's Log:
Cryostasis was lifted for command crews yesterday. Most survived. New Dawn and Brave are reporting NVSD (No Vital Signs Detected) and FTR (Failure To Resuscitate) in their captains and certain members of their crews, however. Blasted engineers couldn't even make sure everyone's cryosystems were truly functional. In six months, the civilians will be awakened, and we'll start in-depth reconditioning, so we can actually move when we touch down. Those other ships, the ones we've been watching all the way from Earth, are going to set down shortly before we are. Their world is in a good place to make a landing on, we're going to have to sling around the star twice to reduce velocity for our landing. We should set foot on our new home within the year.

SY1, Captain's log, fleet flagship, ITC Ark:
65% water, slightly lowered than the other planet. Communications were, accidentally, established last week. They're wasting energy and airtime gloating about how their planet has more water than the one we are landing on. Ah well. The first shuttle made a good landing and swept the planet. It's clear of toxins. We land tomorrow, as soon as final systems checks are made.

SY1, Captain's log, ITC Skyborne:
He's dead.... the Admiral is dead. We thought the ITCs were going to be OK for landing, but the Ark's iffy reactor couldn't handle the hull warping as we descended into atmosphere. The power failed twelve kilometers above the ground, and they would've all died had Captain Quill not managed to fire the remaining fuel reserves at the right time, without aid of the computer system. The ship, though, still hit hard. The Admiral was waiting in the groundside airlock to go out with the appointed leaders in the other ITCs in the Ark’s squadron. Some of them might survive, but it's not looking good.

SY12, Captain's log, ITC Ark:
It has started. They did not like it when I ordered the weapon production to cease. First was the Brave and its full squadron of other ITCs, and then Keyn went and followed them, and now the New Dawn’s group, and here it is, the latest and most pretentious one. "Admiral" Maria's announcement, just like the rest. They will not follow my orders, the Admiral was the only one with the right to command them. Each of them, declaring themselves the new Admiral. This dream, this world, this country, "Nuvo Mundus" according to the mission documents, is gone before it even begins. Skyborne remains, though Captain Aln cannot help me now. He landed on the other side of the planet, as per the plan. Why? Who knows. He told me that while he enjoyed serving under the Admiral he has stated that the Admiral was surely right in choosing me, that he sees in me the same qualities that made him follow the Admiral. I wish I could see them.

SY20, Captain's log, ITC Skyborne:
That's it. The last piece of the reactor has been moved. We won't be dependent on coal or wood for heat any more. And my ship will never again leave the ground. It wouldn't have flown regardless, the tanks are nearly empty and the inside has been stripped of material for the city, which we have managed to place near the ship, on the edge of the plateau. The other ships set down on the ground around us, where they have begun construction of the rest of the cities, as planned. Skyborne, though, was the flagship, and I hope it will be the chief city as well. Quill, captain of the Ark, now the only one who can rightfully claim the rank of Admiral, is doing well. They had more skilled technicians onboard, and their reactor moves were completed last year. Industry, of the kind which nearly ended Earth itself, is popping up across the planet. Soon Admiral Quill and I will have to begin production as well, because the first war started yesterday. Printed pistols, that's what they used. But Brave was nearly overwhelmed by Maria's "soldiers". They survived, barely. Next year, after the winter, they will certainly lose. Maria has begun building factories, experimenting with better weapons and vehicles. We will follow. The Ark retains some technical documents on a hidden storage unit, within the Admiral's quarters. The Admiral trusted no one more than Quill and I, and we know how to enter that room, where to find the unit. We will do what we must to ensure that there is a future on this world.

SY25, Admiral's log:
It has started. Keyn and then the New Dawn have declared war on everyone, the Brave and Maria's ship are still at it, somehow. Maria would strike with another wave of advanced weapons, and Brave would reveal another secret weapon, and turn them back. They each made it clear, however, that anyone who attacks them is going to get killed. I doubt they'll be able to do it. Aln and I, well, we might be lagging in the production methods, but these old weapon designs from Earth are lightyears beyond anything the others have yet produced. I meet with Aln tomorrow. We will try one last time for peace.

SY30, Captain's log, ITC Skyborne:
This is the final chance for the world, I would guess. It's taken five years of devastation but with perhaps a quarter of the world's population dead they've decided to listen. After this, I will not be a Captain any more, even in name. We will all be governors, or we will all be dead. The peace talk starts tomorrow, New Year's Eve on our calendar. Quill is...uncertain of our chances, and I must say I agree. None of them wants peace, even if Brave's and New Dawn's captains have been dead since cryoawakening and they're fighting of their own volition instead of orders, even if it's ruining the biosphere and risking catastrophe, they don't want to stop. I asked Quill if we could bring weapons for security, he insisted they stay outside. We will see, I suppose. Hopefully these scanners can find everything. There's no way we can frisk everyone. I did manage to get one concession, though. I have an easily-concealed but quite powerful handgun. It carries just four shots, however. If fighting breaks out, I can't afford to miss.

SY31, Admiral's log:
It is truly over. The war is finished, but at what price. The talks went as expected, lots of shouting and fist-shaking. And then the knives came out, carefully constructed to avoid the detection systems they should not have known about. The traitor was executed an hour ago. Most broke when they were used, but Keyn and Maria themselves fell back, each with a handgun and an intact knife. Keyn struck first, turning on Maria. Alliances die fast, it seems. Captain Maria was faster, though. Shot him dead and turned on the Admiral. I was too slow. They're all dead. I have managed to convince what remains of each ship's leaders that fighting me would be a bad idea. I only hope I can convince each of them to stop the arms race that is sure to happen. More, more, more, as it has been for years. A nearly poisonous smog of emissions hangs over almost every city, how much worse will they make it before the end? How much worse can they make it?

SY50, Admiral's log:
The sea levels are rising faster, we lost another full percent of land last year. I found the old log-recorder a week ago. I wasn't sure whether or not I was the Admiral or a mere Captain now. I'm certainly no Governor. I ruled with the threat of war, for a time. Now, however, the planet itself is taking out its wrath. I've ordered the dismantling of all unsafe industry and the razing of most cities. Most are trying to outproduce nature, make miracle devices to stop the warming, stop the melting, stop the flooding. It is not working. I've given the orders, the military is to enforce my demands. Otherwise, the water will overtake the inland plains the year after next, and we will run out of food within the decade.

SY67, Admiral's log:
Well, it is done, the waters have finished receding and surging, stability at last. We have a grand total of 29% landmass, as seen from space. The ice caps are all but gone, and snow is a rarity except in the extreme north and on the mountaintops. To the south is all water. All of the cities that did not meet my requirements are gone, what's left of the population is housed in the new cities, the ones that will not impose any more upon nature. The disasters have subsided, next year, assuming they the rate of disasters continues to fall, we will construct the last few cities upon the seas. Those who fled on boats were mostly killed in the storms, but a few may still remain. Patrols of our few remaining aircraft keep watch for them, and guide them to safe harbors when possible. Thorough searching has ensured that no weapons remain outside of the Armory. I will never be able to get rid of all the plans for the ridiculous printed pistols, but I have destroyed the device that contained the blueprints for the weapons. We will have no need of them, for the other planet, after last year's yearly volley of insults, went silent this year after an overly large amount of (Regrettably too faint to be deciphered) apparently unauthorized radio traffic. Hopefully they finished killing themselves off. The governments of the former nations have been stitched together, what's left of them anyway. The City-State of Dawn is ruled by a Council of Elders now. Brokker by some sort of ecclesiarchical mess. The city constructed of the wreck that was all that remained of the Brave is ruled by a dictator. Maria's people, though...I forced them to be ruled through a democracy, where the only vote that matters is mine. I allow most appointments to happen, but extra precautions in this case are necessary. All in all, it may take decades before the government is a cohesive whole. At least we all use the same currency. We will persevere, I suppose. We always have.

SY68, Admiral's log:
I managed to push through two final reforms. I am an Admiral no longer, for there is no need of that title anymore. In fact, I hold no positions of importance. The civilian government will be responsible for reforming itself, and bringing our world to whatever the future may be. Finally, each government had, before unification, made a new name for our world, and, until yesterday, the myriad of different names were being taught across the planet. Well, no more. The new planet looks nothing like the Nuvo Mundus we came here to settle, and so I’ve decided to give it a new name. In honor of the Admiral who did so much to keep the world together, we now live on Quillus.

Admiral Aln's Addendums: The Great Treason of SY20
All the people selected for the great colony missions were highly intelligent. The colonists were chosen largely based on their intelligence and their willingness to work with others for the greater good. The ship crews, though... we were chosen from the military for our intelligence and drive and charisma. It was our job to inspire, and lead. Some traits, however, slipped through the cracks. Arnold Keyn and Libaria Maria, in particular, were far too ambitious and opportunistic for this mission. They applied for the chance to lead humanity's first great foray into the interstellar emptiness. But the appointment went, of course, to someone else, an old veteran of many combat actions back on and around Earth. He was charismatic, but the most important factor was how much his crews loved him. They'd fight for their Captains, of course, but they would die for the Admiral. That, perhaps, is the only reason Keyn and Maria waited until he was dead to betray the mission.

Admiral Aln's Addendums: Autobiography
So, you need to know about me, I guess. Well, I grew up on Earth itself, ended up in the military when I went through a war college. This mission was just in the planning stages when I was born, the ships were being assembled when I graduated. Placed on hold for the War, though. A few years later and all of us officers who had survived were getting the first life-extension treatments, so we would be around and healthy when we were needed. Two-hundred-year lifespan, they said. Well, I feel pretty old now, at just a hundred and eleven. Thirty years old. That was the average age, of people on this mission. I was thirty-one. We arrived eighty years ago, to the day. What a birthday present, eh? When they closed the doors on the cryopod for real, and I closed my eyes not just because they told me what would happen if I kept them open when they induced cryosleep, but because I had realized that I wouldn't see the Earth again, not while alive at least, and I couldn't let those still awake see me having doubts or shedding tears. And no matter how much of a scientist I had been trained to be, no matter how many people I had watched, heard, felt die on the battlefield, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving that easily. And now, well, after so many centuries asleep in the dark, and eighty years alive again, I still miss the Earth.

From Then To Now, The History After the Admiral
All of the preceding audiologs are direct copies of the originals as preserved by Admiral Aln, and recorded by Admiral Aln and Admiral Quill. As all Quillians know, they are a required part of all history courses that cover that section of Quillian history. Since those dark days Quillus has flourished, our industries clean and our resources plentiful, our cities proud and beautiful, our air grows cleaner and clearer with each passing year, and the slow but steady resurgence of the old life-extension treatments has resulted in great conditions for life. The people enjoy lives of comfort and art, with science ever-present in everything we do. Hailing from thousands of backgrounds, Quillians are diverse, yet our science, our art, and our perseverance tie us together. Science has resulted in extensive yet regulated fisheries and wandering fleets of fishing boats, which earn sustenance from the deep, while the great floating farms provide food for all without damaging the land, and indeed with a minimum of space wasted on the oceans, for they follow the seasons around the world, growing constantly a mix of crops that are then flown back to the cities, which have many elegant (Yet delicious!) plants in artistically-designed hydroponics setups. The government builds and leases the large-scale factories, which use the most advanced robotics and energy-saving means available to decrease our footprint on the planet, to the independent companies and City-States. Hand-crafted goods fill every store, while only the things that must be produced in the large scale are produced in the factories. The Federal Rail System moves goods and people across the planet, all without any disruption to the environment, and at very high speeds as well. Each City-State is its own government, with only the broadest rules enforced by the Federation of Quillus, which, of course, is the planetary government.

The City-State of Brave, smallest of them all, is of course centered on the City of Brave, from the ITC that fought off so many attacks for so long. It is located in the north of the main continent, the City built into a steep cliff. It is ruled by a Council of the few remaining original settlers, named Elders for the lifespan granted by the life-extension treatments of Earth.

The City-State of New Dawn, once located in the center of the continent, now moved to the south-western coast and responsible for governing the small islander populations. The City is built into a jungle, graceful arches and pillars stretching for miles. Ruled by an oligarchy of powerful business owners, the Federation is considering reforms to the government.

The City-State of Ark, built in the Inland Sea, on great pillars in the shallows, controls the center of the continent and is the seat of government for the Federation. Ruled directly by the Federation, this City-State is the most prosperous of all. The Admiral Armory is located just outside the city limits, so named for the first Admiral who took precautions that were sadly justified.

The City-State of Skyborne, the grandest of all the cities. It occupies a plateau in the Great Eastern Mountains, many miles across, centered around the great Cosmodrome, where lies still the Skyborne herself, preserved even after all these years. Around it are the berths for the great transports and warships, which uphold still the legacy of the Admirals: Victory, Through Perseverance. Above the berths and launching bays stand the great statues of the Three Admirals, gazing out at the city spread in all directions.

BOOM, RIGHT ON TIME (According to my clock, anyway)

[Chiefwaffles]

Goddamnit, Madman. Why'd you have to steal the idea WHICH I CAME UP WITH of the 1st person perspective  for the culture piece I had yet to post?
Unbelievable.
And now when I look at Madman's history, I see that there are some contradictions between our two posts. I've based this on the stuff from the Ertex thread OP, and I assume the Quillus thread says the same thing. Though I've added in some less-conflicting parts.

Behold! The Colonial Era of the Triumvirate, SY 0 to SY 14.
The Rise of Solon
Expedition Leader Nepos' Personal Logs, donated to the Library of Aljadid in the Spire. Recorded in video format; converted to Holovideo.

Spoiler: Content (click to show/hide)

BSY 1
Nepos sits in front of the camera in his personal quarters aboard the Ertex and leans forward, signs of stress already apparent.
It's over.
The crew of the Quillus have managed to convince half of the entire fleet to change course to the other candidate planet. Captain Quill and the Admiral believed that for whatever damn reason we should have diverged from the original plan laid out back over Earth. Luckily, the other half of the fleet still remains determined to colonize the planned candidate.

Nepos looks out a window into space for a moment, sighs, and looks back towards the camera with weary eyes.

They didn't account for everything. Not this.
We just... we can't enforce unity. If something like this happens again, it could be violent. We'll have to allow the other ITCs heading to the candidate planet to remain independent from us. It won't be perfect, but we just can't risk a war this early. I've informed the bridge crew of the Ertex of my decision, and while not necessarily happy, they seem to agree. Alexander seems to be taking it well, at least. Better than Thomas, at least. But he'll learn. He has to, if he's going to succeed me.


SY 0
Sunlight shines through the window as a further-stressed Nepos sits down in front of the camera.
It's even worse than we could have ever anticipated. As soon as we entered orbit, we could tell something was wrong. Mountains. The entire surface - covered in mountains. Not a single flat spot. We managed to land in one piece, at least.

Nepos looks through the window to a blue sky, then looks down in front of the camera for a few seconds.

I just - I - There's nothing! No animals, no plants, no trees, no grass! We had to expect variations in life we'd not be accustomed to, but none of us expected nothing! We can breath just fine, but there's - just - there's nothing outside! We're stuck on a mountain of a lifeless planet, and I'm not sure what I can do.
It's been about a week since landing, and most other ITCs have reported relatively safe landings. One had a guidance malfunction and crashed straight into a mountain, if the distress beacon can be trusted. We've dispatched our only air transport to search for survivors, but even if we find anyone, what can we do?

Alexander seems annoyed. It's understandable, but there's something just off. Thomas has been working to prepare the Ertex for its planned disassembly. The hydroponics bay of this ship should stay functioning for a couple years at least, and we can delay thawing of the rest of the colonists until we... do something. I'm hoping that there's something we're missing, but... who knows.


SY 2
A much more weary Nepos approaches the camera - his face shows obvious signs of continued lack of sleep.
I suppose things are looking up.
Ever since Thomas told me he was "inspired" to go aid those who suffered less fortunate landings than us, Alexander has stepped up as my second-in-command. There seems to be a renewed vigor in him. Good. I can't do this alone.

Alexander's urging me to start thawing the colonists, but I know we're not ready. Our engineers have finally managed to finish construction of a building that they tell me will be perfect for the mountainous terrain. But we're not ready. I just know it. The new building will be used for hydroponics and residence, and we may even have some spare rooms open, but I can't let the thawing start.

Nepos slowly leans forward towards the camera, sitting on the edge of his chair.

I can't let them be thawed into this barren planet. There's nothing for them. I - there's - there's nothing for me, I know. I keep on asking how long it'll be until we can begin growing the stock of frozen animal embryos we brought from Earth, but the technicians keep on telling me "it's not ready." I know it's not ready. But it has to be. We can't just live on a planet of nothing. There's nothing for us here! We shouldn't be here!

Nepos sighs slowly, then leans back into his chair.

...a couple of the other ITCs are going through the settling process fairly well, at least. None of them have the resources we have, but they'll survive, I suppose. They're better off as it stands, instead of being forced to provide for us. I know the Charter - the damned thing behind this whole mess - calls for an organized singular colony, but I can't force them. I can't risk another Quillus. Another... this.
We're naming this planet Ertex, after the flagship. I guess it's fitting.


SY 5
A different room is visible this time - bigger, with many windows, and, through the window, a glimpse of the partially disassembled Ertex landed below. Nepos walks up to the camera and sits down.
The first colonists are being thawed out, now. We still haven't improved this damned planet, but everyone else is pushing so hard I can't help but give them ground.
We - (Nepos gestures to the room in front of the camera) - moved my quarters. The room in the Ertex is gone, though I still use its bridge as my "office". Food production is going well, but is just producing the bare essentials for survival. Nothing new. Nothing alien. Just that bland genengineered stuff from Earth.

Even with just a few buildings made, this place looks like a city, now. The buildings fit for this environment look just like - well, they may as well be - skyscrapers. Tall, skinny, lots of floors, and the like. Alexander organized for the construction of makeshift bridges between the different buildings to replace the long - and dangerous - paths carved through the mountainside. They all tell me that the colonists will be well provided for, but they know just as well as I do that we'll be waking them up to a bleak hopeless world. Still no animals. Still no life other than us. Still just an empty world.
We've been getting multiple transmissions from Quillus on the Ertex's radio, but nothing of substance so far. Alexander seems to listen devoutly to each transmission, and even records some notes when I watch him listen. The other ITCs, or "frontier cities" as my crew now calls them, are all still progressing along. They're starting to have semblances of their own societies now. I'm glad. Maybe something can be unique for once in this forsaken world.


SY 8
Nepos is already standing in front of the camera, staring through it.
This planet.
I don't know what to do with it.

Alexander and the others are talking to me about succession. About what happens after the 10th year in this place. I honestly don't know. Do we really want to spend 10 years? 100 years? What happens then? We'll still just be living on a rock that happens to have a breathable atmosphere.
The city which we're - Alexander, actually - calling "Solon", is starting to take shape. The colonists are taking it well enough and are taking residence in the buildings and many more are already being constructed. Alexander has taken the iniative to start building a more formal series of bridges, or as he likes to call them, "skywalks", to make this place feel more like a city. I don't see the difference, frankly - it's still just a bunch of grey buildings bundled together; alone. The people are starting to get worried about Quillus. For whatever reasons, their transmissions have been leaked from the bridge crew to the rest of the expedition. It's starting to seem like a scapegoat for all our problems.

Alexander seems to have this place under control. I'll let him handle it while I take our air transport to one of the other "cities". Maybe I'll find something that makes this planet worth our voyage.


SY 10
An exhausted Nepos walks to and sits down in front of the camera, slowly. The decade has put its obvious toll on his face.
Alexander, or President Alexander, as he is now called, is now the leader of this expedition. If you can call it an expedition anymore.

He's taken steps towards moving us away from an expedition more towards a nation. I still stand high-up in the expedition, but I no longer have control over these matters. I'm not quite sure what I have control over now. But it's likely for the best. I won't have to bear the stress for facilitating the colonization of this world. None of these people deserve to be here, but they don't seem to realize that.

The other cities are progressing very well at this point and can almost be considered city-states. Quillus has become something of a symbol of our problems at this point. Alexander has authorized the public access to the radio, claiming that "the people must know what else lies in Aljadid." I'm not sure if I agree.
Maybe Quillus is an actual planet. But for now, I'll stay here. I've heard talks about terraforming. I know this planet will never be what I dreamed or expected, but maybe it can be elevated above a prison for our arrogance.


SY 15
The quarters housing Nepos and the camera have changed again. While they lack the "formal" atmosphere of before, they're still quite substantial.
I should have seen this coming - Alexander's motives should have been clear.

Nepos moves the camera against the window, showing a battalion of soldiers assembled in front of the disassembled ITC.

He had a vision in mind. Perhaps it's for the better. But this is what I wanted to avoid - war. Consul Alexander claims that this is merely to intimidate the last remaining independent Frontier Cities to join the Triumvirate. Alexander told me that it's better to create a unified Ertex now rather than later. That doing it now will minimize bloodshed. I don't doubt him, but we didn't come here for war.

I guess we didn't come here for what we got, anyways. Solon is a full-fledged city now. Alexander claims it will become the "seat of the Triumvirate", and I don't doubt him. Construction has already started on buildings connecting the small "mountains" well beneath the skywalks in order to properly house our industry and hydroponics. They're even talking about building a vactrain tube to the closest Frontier City. Alexander is clearly determined to make this a place to live in. I'm just not sure if he's making the right choice.


SY 25
A much-less weary-eyed Nepos is visible in a different quarters than last time. Everything seems more "makeshift".
Thanks to Consul Alexander's support and the new Consul of Innovation, I've been given support to create the new Demetra Terraforming Program. We're already seeing progress!

Nepos takes hold of the camera and brings it with him outside, revealing that the structure the camera was inside was a makeshift domicile built into the gentler slope of a mountain. Grass can be seen growing along the ground. In the distance, the distinctive spires and architecture of Solon can be seen.

It won't be a new planet. But I'll make it something. The Triumvirate can make it something.

[andrea]

And now some stuff about Ertex that was already mentioned in the latest waffles post.

The ecology or Ertex

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Water, oxygen, mild temperature. From far away, the planet that would later be called Ertex was remarkably Earthlike, which led it to being selected by most sensible colonists in the fleet as a new home. Records show the many ways in which colonists thought they would find their new home: lush gardens covering every plain, fantastic animals filling the skies, rich seas and rivers, offering exotic fish, birds singing never heard songs. All those speculations came to an end when the colonists stepped down from the Ertex and took their first look at the planet. It was mountainous, extremely so, barely leaving any flat area to build. But most worryingly, it was silent. Silent, grey, still. The wind was howling in the valleys and rivers were flowing, but no plants would grow in the mountains, no animal running. No blade of grass, no algae. To all analysis, even the soil was dead: rich of minerals, sure, but without any soil ecosystem whatsoever. There were theories that an oxygen rich atmosphere could not be a sure indication of life, and indeed Ertex seemingly proved them correct: It was completely earth like in environment, except for the fact that no trace of life could be found.

While a lesser people might have fled to planet “D”, Ertexites instead decided to stay. Such a world may be inhospitable to lesser creatures, but it still had all the essential resources. Food was grown using hydroponic farms, the lifeless soil of the planet used as a growth medium until it would finally become true soil. From this feedstock, large areas were seeded with fertile soil, bacteria and the first free growing Earth imported plants, which would eventually grow to create the environment colonists had dreamed of. However, the spreading of life in the land would necessarily be slow and that posed a problem: all the geological oxygen generating processes discovered were extremely slow by human lifetime standards and the needs of industry risked upsetting the atmospheric balance. The answer to this was simple: Project Poseidon was launched, to seed the sea with oxygen producing algae to stabilize the planetary atmosphere, and then plankton and fish to produce a full ecosystem. This time no soil preparation was needed, and ocean currents would quickly spread life everywhere.

It was at this time that evidence of previous life was discovered, in the form of organic deposits covering the bottom of the ocean. Current theories suggest that native lifeforms became photosynthetic with processes similar to those used by Earth life and started producing the great quantity of oxygen present today on the planet. On Earth, this caused a mass extinction known as the Oxygen Catastrophe which drove to extinction much of the then present life. Here, life could not adapt so quickly, perhaps owing to the oxygen releasing phenomena we discovered which would have made the transition to an elevated concentration much quicker than usual. The result was an evolution cut short at its beginning.

Today, Ertex is much different from what it was in the founding years. All the land in view of the cities is alive and many national parks are present and always expanded under the Demetra terraforming program. While much of the surface is still sterile, the consulate of innovation claims that growing efforts and natural spreading mechanisms would encompass the entire planet within the next hundred years. The ocean is the most resounding success, being teeming with life and ensuring the prosperity of planetary ecosystems. A minor ocean was kept isolated from the Poseidon project and instead is designated as a xeno life preserve, where the efforts of researchers try to examine, understand and resurrect the ancient Ertex life, which would shed light in the early days of our own evolution. The initial emptiness of the planet was not seen as a source of despair but as a blank canvas on which new life forms could be experimented. Free from the constraints of damaging an existing ecosystem, genetic modification was applied in many ways, from humble crop boosting to the creation of alien creatures, from fantastical unicorns and pegasi(which, sadly, can’t fly) to never seen before stuff like the multi eyed argonians. If any place in the universe is proof of human mastery over environment, it is Ertex.

[TheFantasticMsFox]

Ramblings about Ertex culture, society, politics and food.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Others have already covered the government, ecology, and basic values, but i felt one thing that has been missing is the actual culture of these people. So here is my shot at this. Going to try and incorporate some of detoxicated work, as well as some of the points made by Chiefwallfes. Drawing inspiration from Heinlein, Orson Scott Card and the strangeness of my own mind. It is Very rambly

Ertexite culture, having developed from the variety of colonists on board the colony ship, has taken some odd turns over its time. First arriving on ertex, it was a relatively hardscrabble existence for the first couple years. Limited resources, a new and strange planet, discontent from the break with the Quillus splinter faction all caused problem in these early days. With limited housing space at first, people lived very closely together with both family and strangers, fostering close knit clans that persist into modern ertex culture. Ertexites prefer large families that stay close to relatives and friends, resulting in ertex city planning to look like a series of compounds grouped together. While not distrusting of those outside these clans, there is a certain stigma attached to those unassociated with one. The names of clans are commonly of the first person to have died on Ertex belonging to that clan, though this convention varies.

Another lasting impact from the early days is the hatred of the Quillus, which was used by the early leaders of the colony to help unite the colony into a coherent body and divert blame from other failures. One derogatory nickname for them that remains in the current era is “Quacks” due to the distrust of them as well as ducks liking water.

One of the first things to become fully Ertex was cuisine, due to the limited types of food available. With early food of the colony lacking in flavor, one of the first culinary innovations was the idea of large, wheel like platters of assorted sauces, toppings, spices and additives to food acting as the hub of a meal. Accompanying this “wheel” where rectangular “spoke” plates, which recently have come as complete sets with the platters, acting as covers to individual divots for food. The staple foods of these meals are flat bread, tofu and soy protein patties/sticks, vegetables such as celery, potatoes, carrots and corn. Other foods are becoming prevalent, but these are the most popular foods. Some clans have gardens devoted to producing specific vegetables and other things to eat and trade with other clans.

One oddity of Ertex culture is the interaction of clans and the law. While authorities to handle a large percentage of crime that occurs, mainly inter clan crime, internally clans dole out their own punishments for crimes. Such punishments vary widely in severity, with the most basic being a simple apology and a “fine”, in the harshest of cases exile from the clan or beatings can occur. Intra-Clan killings are extremely rare, due to the relationship inside a clan. This state of affairs has until recently been mostly ignored by the authorities, but efforts to reduce it have begun to be encouraged.

Moving on to entertainment, the options for Ertexites to relax are an interesting mix. Music remains a staple, with the two largest genres being electronic, unaccompanied vocals, and instrumental. Older songs refer more to ideas of traveling and new frontiers, while newer music speaks more of opportunities and chances. Only 20 years ago did an orchestra first perform, named the Grand Ertex Chamber Orchestra, which has only grown in popularity. Its lead conductor, Madison Rhodes has become a clan-hold name and is seen as one of the greatest members of the second generation of ertex.

Alongside music, cinema remains prevalent, with earth-era movies remaing popular. Local grown movies are becoming more prevalent, but faces a lack of popular recognition. One movie that aims to change this state of affairs is titled simply The Founding, intending to show the growth of the colony from the very first days. It is directed by Andrew Nowak, a promising young filmmaker of the newest generation.

Another form of entertainment popular with Ertexites is bike races, which has taken the place of horse racing from Earth's cultures. Races are open to betting and attract many from all walks of life. There have been some recent scandals over drug use in Peddlers’ Place, one of  the most prestigious tracks, and over 20 bikers have been expelled from the EBL(Ertex Biking League). Bikes make up a large percentage of traffic on Ertex, carrying goods to clan-holds as well as acting as a basic form of transportation.

The clans an interesting role in ertex politics. The clans, as family groups, are legally subordinate to the government, however they do influence politics in a variety of ways.  Some clans have developed a reputation of political/governmental activism and participation, providing resources and opportunities to candidates they support, as well as nominating/presenting their own. The government's interaction with clans is an interesting one, as clans interact mainly with the local level, resulting in limited influence at the national level. One common occurence is clans preparing members to obtain offices throughout the government for the betterment of Ertex(and the clan). As mentioned before, pushes are being made to reduce the extralegal activities of clans when handling their own, though it is facing some limited criticism. Alongside this, some clans have begun a drive to voluntarily try and curb these practices of clan punishment, which is gaining some ground. Another political push that has a vocal minority is to give clans an official legal status beyond a family organization as something akin to a company, but this does not have widespread support.

One side effect of clans is the population of clanless. These are people made up largely by those who wish to forge their own path, exiles for personal crimes in a clan, and those who wish to live a less than legal life. The population of clanless fluctuates wildly, with some coming together as clans, other clans dissolving due to internal strife. Criminals and exiles often form a mockery of a clan for the purpose of criminal activity. These have earned the name of “rats nests” due to this. This population of clanless is a large minority, out sized in total by those of clans, but larger than any individual clan.As a political voting block, they are as important as the clans, as they act as a solid voting base. Their current population is trending upward at this time, making up around 18.231% of global Ertex population

[Roboson]

Here are my propaganda posters from the discord:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Tumblr won't let me upload the other two due to file size, so unless someone from the discord can port them here, Nuke will just have to look at them there.

[NUKE9.13]

Battle Report for SY101

Somewhat delayed to give Quillus time to get its culture pieces in, the second battle report! This one is gonna be... boring as all getout!

Orbital Combat
lolnope
Both sides recalled all combat vessels to their homeworlds.
Quillus moved an ITC from C to F.

Ground Combat
No changes to the makeup of ground forces, so the battles are mostly the same.

A: Now that Ertex is no longer scattered and disorganised (or at least, no more disorganised than Quillus), Quillus has no skirmishing advantage. It comes down to who is better in a straight fight.
Which is a tricky question. Ertex has a minor long-ranged advantage thanks to their rifle's attachements, an advantage which is for a large part negated at medium range, where Quillus's lighter weapons and (sporadic) explosive ammunition favour them.
There are a few battles this year, but neither side is willing to commit to a large assault on the other, knowing that they would likely be beaten back doing so.
Quillus retains control of the small section of the planet they had previously fortified; the rest of the planet remains contested.
  Q:1/6, E:0/6

C: Quillians slowly but surely work their way across the planet, reduced numbers having no effect, since there is no competition for the planet other than local megafauna (which mostly confine themselves to the oceans).
  Q:4/6

D: The Quillians continue to employ guerilla tactics, luring smaller groups of Ertexites into ambushes deep in the jungles/mountains. It's not enough to prevent the Ertexites from taking control of the swathes of planet where the terrain is less rough, obviously. Ertex now claims two thirds of the planet for themselves- but now they face the daunting task of trying to root the Quillians out of the remaining third. It is likely that without better equipment or even greater numbers, Ertex will not advance at the same pace as before- though they will advance.
  Q:0/6, E:4/6

E: Ertexites continue the chilly business of securing the planet. Losses due to enemy action are non-existant, though a few men die from exposure when their suits' heaters fail.
  E:4/6

F: Shuttles touch down on the desolate Planet F. Quillian soldiers disembark, consider the dusty, crater-ridden surface of the planet, and sigh, thinking back to those idle days on the beaches of C. They begin the dreary task of claiming the planet without issue.
  Q:2/6

New Tech (Spotted)
None

Other Stuff!
Both colonies launch educational programs to teach the younger generation about their history. These are completely accurate and not even slightly exagerated.

Ertex talks at great length about the history of the Triumvirate, of the vision of Alexander, the works of their various Consuls, and their efforts to terraform their barren, rocky world into something they can call home. Some unofficial works speak of the violent integration of the early city-states into the Triumvirate, and the popular uprisings that forced the Consuls to acknowledge the will of the people. These messages are displayed using holograms in Ertex's towering cities, handfuls of skycrapers clinging to the slopes of a mountain, linked by skybridges, the space between them filled with various industrial facilities. The Clans of Ertex present a potential threat to the Triumvirate's aspirations, but cooperation has been smooth so far.
 
Quillus talks of their violent history, in which a handful of warlords oversaw an explosion of industry so rapid and unrestrained that within half a century of their arrival they caused massive global warming that melted Quillus's extensive icecaps, flooding large areas of the planet. Some might call this implausible. Well, saying so would be in violation of the Environmental Protection Laws, so shut up. Whatever the case, modern Quillus enjoys the fruits of the sea, both in the form of fish, and crops grown in their floating cities, which feed a population of artisans who toil away creating hand-crafted goods.

The Consuls approve of the engineers' efforts, and the Consul of Innovation subsequently increases their budget for the year. The funds are taken from the Demetra Terraforming Program, to widespread public outcry. But who has time to plant grass when there's a war to be fought?
The city-states of Quillus agree wholeheartedly that the federal government is not autocratic, and that their increased donations to the engineers' budget are entirely voluntary.

Quillus took their time, but you know, the culture they ended up with is pretty interesting. Ertex produced a lot more, which also describes an interesting world (remember that O² is one of the most toxic substances in existence), but can I really say that quantity is better than quality?
...
Well, no. Nevertheless, Ertex presents a slightly more interesting picture, and as such, Ertex receives a Minor Advantage (Design), whilst Quillus receives a Minor Advantage (Revision). You do not have to spend these immediately. Declare (which is to say, vote) that you are using them before I roll your chosen design/revision.

[Madman198237]

Clearly you don't have enough belief in the ability of insane colonists to abuse technology to the fullest to overproduce and exploit the most horrible means of mass-production possible.

[NUKE9.13]

Battle Report for SY102

Well here we are again (it's always such a pleasure).

Orbital Combat
Ertex deployed a single ITC to A, which went uncontested. Supplies were delivered to the troops below without issue.
   
---

Quillus moved an ITC from F to C.

---

Things get slightly more interesting around our old favourite, D.

Large antenna break up the elegant forms of the three Odins that enter the orbit of D. The crew aboard these vessels watch their screens vigilantly, where Huginn is telling them that there is nothing noteworthy within radar range. Perhaps Ertex has decided not to show up?
But then, the screens light up. Six ships appear; an ITC, and five Cuttlefish. The crew give confident smiles at the sight. They came out ahead last time versus five Cuttlefish, and there were only two Odins that time. Three Odins, backed up by a flight of four Lokis- Ertex is assuredly toast. They tap the screen, and Huginn opens fire. Fifteen Mjolnir cannons fire into the void, their targets all but invisible to the naked eye; perhaps a twinkle in the distance, like a faint star.
Meanwhile, the Ertexite captains consider their holographic map, safe in the knowledge that their upgraded radar will give them advanced warning when Quillus shows up- if they dare. Unfortunately, their radar is not quite as upgraded as Quillus's, and it instead only gives them warning of the fast moving slugs moments before impact (too late to react). Two ships take direct hits... to their new armour. Though the plates are not thick, and the armour configuration not optimised, the Island-Alloy is strong enough to offer a modicum of protection even with such sub-optimal conditions. Battered, but not seriously harmed, they turn to face the origin of the projectiles, whilst placing Athena in control of evasive manoeuvres. The presence of five Cuttlefishes worth of processing power lets her move the ships around in an optimal manner; this pays off as a second volley of slugs passes harmlessly through where the fleet would've been otherwise. Moments later, Quillus's fleet shows up on the holographic map, and Athena opens fire.
The fleets enter Medium range, and the lead Odin (Thought) starts taking damage from the concentrated fire of 15 AX4-Spears. Their attempts at evasive manoeuvres buys them a little time, but Athena soon learns to compensate, and the damage continues to rack up. Huginn, meanwhile, does its best to compensate for Ertex's evasion, which helps, especially given the Cuttlefish's relative lack of agility- the best code in the world can't make ships do things they aren't built to do- restoring accuracy from abyssmal to acceptable.
Now a standoff commences, as Ertex is content to stay at Medium range, for even though their lasers deal more damage to closer targets, their near-perfect accuracy makes up for it, and to get any closer would only increase the chance of Mjolnir slugs connecting. Which they do, on occasion, and a nasty hit takes the one unarmoured Cuttlefish out of the fight.
Quillus, meanwhile, wants to get closer, but finds that with equal speeds, they cannot close the gap. With the Odins, that is. The four Lokis race ahead, entering Short range. Whereupon Athena redirects fire to deal with them; they barely have time to get off a handful of shots before taking serious damage and needing to retreat. The reprive for the Thought is brief, and soon her armour is melting away, exposing her internals, which themselves fry beneath Athena's gaze- with alarms blaring, the captain elects to pull back.
Having seriously bloodied Quillus's nose, Athena starts working on the next Odin. Whilst this is happening, however, the ocassional slugs are building up, leaving the Ertexite fleet bloodied itself. As the Memory takes heavy damage to her armour, a slug rips through a previously damaged Cuttlefish, taking it out for good. With two ships down and the rest damaged, Ertex elects to fall back.
   
Both sides bloodied, neither side manages effective transport interdiction. All ITCs unload successfully.

Results: 2 Lokis destroyed, 2 Odins heavily damaged. 1 Cuttlefish destroyed, 1 Armoured Cuttlefish destroyed, 3 Armoured Cuttlefish damaged.
   
Analysis: Ertex almost doubled their endurance, but Quillus brought an extra ship. And since both sides deployed fire-control systems of excellent quality, the Spear and the Mjolnir remain (roughly) equal in damage dealt over an extended period- lasers dealing less damage, but with greater accuracy. Athena is better at evasion, which might have made the difference, if it weren't for the fact that the Cuttlefish is about as agile as its namesake is out of water*. Anyway, Quillus brought more guns, and still had a greater ability to take damage than Ertex (though the margin is smaller). Victory: Quillus, though again not by much.
   
Ground Combat

A: Ertexite soldiers rejoice at the sight of new equipment being delivered from the homeworld. What fresh hell shall they unleash upon the Quillians now? They are somewhat less enthusiastic when they learn that the ""new"" equipment is the old X100 with a few thin plates of the new Island-Alloy bolted on, going by the name X100-I. Nevertheless, any edge is worth having, right?
Right. Ertex and Quillus take to the field again, but this time, Ertexite soldiers sometimes survive otherwise lethal shots, though the explosive Hayk rounds are still one-hit-KOs. This small advantage turns out to be just what Ertex needed to push Quillus back, albeit slowly, to capture and fortify sections of the planet.
  Q:1/6, E:1/6
    
C: Quillus finishes up taking control of the planet. Surveyors arrive, and industries are established. Quillus has gained the resources of C.
  Q:6/6
 
D: All's quiet in the Ertexite camp. A few troops patrol the perimiter wearing X100-Is, and feeling bloody stupid wearing the cumbersome spacesuits in a breathable atmosphere. Soon they shall embark on another mission to root Quillus out of the jungle- hopefully before Quillus can deploy whatever they delivered with their new, upsized shuttles (QS-RAS-00 'Dove'). Fortunately for them, they do not have to go to the jungle to find Quillus, as Quillus comes to them. Unfortunately for them, Quillus comes riding the QS-MBT-02 'Hrungnir'; massive tanks, electric engines eerily quiet, burst out of the jungle and race towards the camp. Explosive rockets strike home, sending Ertexites flying. Not a lot of explosive rockets, but the effect on morale is outsized. A handful manage to stand their ground long enough to aim their Raiders at the oncoming tanks. They have been informed, after all, that the Raider is in principle capable of armour-piercing fire.
There are a number of reasons this is not successfull. Firstly, the tanks are moving too quickly for them to concentrate fire on a single spot. Secondly, the Hrungnir is equipped with some fairly hefty armour, the top layer of which is reflective ceramics, which laser fire is slightly less effective against. Thirdly, as soon as the armour is heated up by more than a little, the Hrungir belches forth clouds of thick smoke, which are moderately successfull at reducing the efficacy of Raider fire.
The shock value of the Hrungir is substantial, even if it is not actually the best anti-infantry vehicle. This enables the outnumbered Quillian soldiers to overrun this particular camp.
There are other camps, which are more prepared when Quillus rolls up, although there is only so much preparation can do. Where they erect barricades, the tank uses its downsized Mjolnir cannon to shatter them. Where they gather to concentrate fire, it turns off the coilgun and uses the barrel to launch upsized Hayk rockets. The best strategy is just to scatter, find cover, and hope you don't get hit by an explosive rocket. Which, of course, leaves one vulnerable to enemy infantry.
Infantry vs infantry remains much the same. The X100-I turns out to be more of a liability than an asset, as the increased armour is not worth the loss in agility, and the majority of soldiers choose not to use it. Quillus is, in addition to their tank also deploying the QS-GL-02 'Fog Machine' to launch explosives at Ertex... but given the poor accuracy at medium range, and the, ah, undesirable nature of firing explosives at short range, it doesn't play a huge factor. Numbers are on Ertex's side, however, and wherever they fight without the aid of tanks, Quillus is outmatched.
At the end of the day, despite intense fighting, neither side is able to make progress. Quillus's tanks disrupt Ertexite operations enough to stall them, but the lack of anti-infantry weaponry means Quillus is unable to press forwards.
  Q:0/6, E:4/6
 
E: The final flag is planted; planet E is now a part of the Triumvirate. Plans are being put in place to drill through the ice to access the minerals below. Ertex has gained the resources of E.
  E:6/6

F: Quillian soldiers continue their dreary trudge across F. Oh look, another crater.
  Q:4/6

New Tech (Spotted)
SY101 was a bad year for originality. SY102 was better, though.

Ertex has revealed Athena, or rather Athena RL, a fire-control-system that makes use of learning algorithms to improve performance, and also a better radar. It (or she) works in a distributed fashion, meaning that whilst she can run on a single Cuttlefish, her performance improves the more ships there are in the fleet. She is also capable of evasive manoeuvres.
Their other innovation is Hephaestus Synthesis, a complex procedure that produces Insulanium, an isotope of a superheavy element that resides in the "Island of Stability"- it is still radioactive, but has a half-life measured in thousands of years rather than seconds. Small amounts of Insulanium added to more common metals results in an alloy with astonishing strength, known as Island-Alloy. Even so, they can only produce small amounts at great expense. To equip a Cuttlefish with basic Island-Alloy armour costs an extra 1 SPP, and enough X100-Is for a unit costs 2GPP.

Quillus has revealed Huginn, a fire-control-system that makes use of learning algorithms to improve performance, and also a better radar. Then they tweaked their reactor so it reaches ignition, which has slightly increased their industrial output (it now matches Ertex's reactor in PP produced).
Then there's the Hrungnir. Or rather, the QS-MBT-02 'Hrungnir'. For their very first tank, Quillus demanded a list of features stretching from here to the moon, and somehow managed to pull it off. It starts simply enough; a Stardust reactor, similar to that used in the Loki, powers electric engines that drive the treads. There is a downsized Mjolnir cannon in the turret. Oh, and the cannon is stabilized. And auto-loading. Also it can be used to fire upsized Hayk rockets. The armour is sloped, consists of a layer of ceramics over a layer of titanium.
...
Oh, yeah. It also has an electronics package- basic radar, radio, fire-control, etc.
...
And then, because why not, it has an anti-laser defence that detects when a section of armour is being heated and then activates smoke/chaff (depending on atmospheric presence-did I mention it's atmospherically sealed?) launchers to diffuse lasers.
It takes up 3TC and costs 5GPP.
To deliver this big boy, they are using the previously developed but not deployed QS-RAS-00 'Dove', a shuttle for the ITC that has a Stardust reactor and Apollo thrusters, and is armed with two 30mm Hayks. It is just capable of carrying 3TC loads to and from orbit.
Also, there's the QS-GL-02 'Fog Machine'. A very simple grenade launcher, capable of firing either smoke or explosives. It does not have great range or accuracy, however.

Other Stuff
Nothing for now, I think.

[Thanatos Russ]

awooo

[NUKE9.13]

So, small rules change:

Once you own a planet, you can extract its resources so long as you control at least 4/6.

So the enemy landing a unit on your planet doesn't automatically mean you lose the resources (straight away).

[Chiefwaffles]

More lore/culture, because I have nothing else to do apparently.

The Markets of Ertex
"Ertexite Society, Volume 2" - writings aimed for historical preservation.

While cities of the Triumvirate may look harsh and cold from the outside, that couldn't be further from the truth once a visitor passes the outermost developments. Inside some of the large compound-skyscrapers and between huddled together buildings lie vibrant communities; communities forged through the barren environment of Ertex forcing its people closer together for survival. This closeness embodied by all of the Triumvirate's cities encouraged a unique culture and traditions to prosper within Ertex.

Spoiler: Images (click to show/hide)

A small, somewhat more exotic, part of one of the larger marketplaces of Solon.
((Image stolen taken from concept art for the movie "Valerian". Not all of it is to be taken for granted, of course. No aliens, no flying carpet-things, no energy bridge things, etc. etc.
Though we do have more holograms.))



A smaller marketplace; these indoor sites are more-often found inside the more powerful clans' compounds, though they're outnumbered by outdoor sites.
((Stolen borrowed from online, too. Like the last one, not to be taken at face value. More-so just for the theme.))

Crowded centralized marketplaces are one of the more common emplacements to be found in cities. Nearly every city has one, though numerous cities have multiple. The dense nature of Ertexite cities combined with the methods of travel amongst these cities mean that in order to gain customers, businessowners must often crowd together in a single accessible place known for shopping. Otherwise their enterprise would be easily missed within the urban clusters of compounds and skyscrapers. While the greater infrastructure and prosperity in Ertexite cities means there are now many businesses and shops located outside of any marketplaces, chances are that if one is looking for a specific shop, it's in a marketplace.

These markets were an initial "beacon" of Ertexite prosperity in the face of their surroundings. Most began to be filled with vibrant lights and decorations as business owners tried to attract attention while distracting all inside the marketplace from the lifeless land just outside most cities. The Demetra Terraforming program ensures that many cities are now starting to see life outside the cities, but this will take centuries to be on par with Earth and has not detracted at all from the traditions and nature of the marketplaces.

[NUKE9.13]

Battle Report for SY103

So, welcome to the fourth battle report. It's not as boring as the second, but neither is it action-packed.


Orbital Combat

Ertex's ITC successfully extracts a unit from the surface of A, and flies off towards F.
Later, Quillus's ITC arrives and successfully deploys a unit onto the surface of A.

---

Quillus's ITC extracts the unit from the surface of C and heads off towards A (and arrives above)

---

Everyone retreats from D, with one of Quillus's ITCs heading for F. Then an Ertexite ITC arrives and delivers equipment to the troops below.

---

Something actually happens in the orbit of F. Two ITCs arrive; one Quillian, one Ertexite. They stare at each other, and briefly consider ramming. But ultimately, with no weapons, all they can do is watch the other. Ertex successfully delivers a unit to the surface. Quillus delivers some supplies.


Ground Combat

A: Remember how things were close here? Yeah, that's over. With three times the troops, Quillus storms Ertex's positions from all sides. The X100-I ain't enough to turn the tide.
  Q:3/6, E:1/6
 
D: Things begin much like last year. Hrungirs emerge from the jungles to harass Ertex. They bust into an Ertexite camp... which is empty.
Then, briefly, the tank commanders see something appear on their radar. They have no time to react to this before the missile hits, and a tank is consumed in nuclear fire. An entirely inaccurate but cool-looking miny mushroom cloud rises up over the camp. The surviving tanks beat feet, as more missiles follow on the heels of the first. They are not astoundingly accurate, but a missile need but hit within 15 meters of a tank to cripple it, or 10 to outright destroy it. The Quillians flee back into the jungle, leaving a trail of (inaccurately glowing) craters and wrecked tanks behind them.
Quillus does not fall for such traps again, but they don't need to. Even tanks breaking through the front lines and destroying the occasional EAC-TML1 Sarissa Missile Launcher doesn't help enough, as although the Sarissa is slow and unprotected, their (honestly not amazing) range is sufficient that Quillus doesn't know where to look, finding them only by chance. As a result, nukes continue to rain on Quillus's forces- although Ertex too suffers from a lack of long-range scouting, and must generally rely on coordinates radioed in by infantry (who then book it so as not to be anywhere near the impact zone). Quillus is driven back, and must once again resort to guerilla tactics. However, the Sarissa is not especially useful against guerillas- and has mobility issues in rough terrain-, meaning Quillus is able to prevent Ertex from taking complete control of the entire planet. However, another year like this and Ertex's flag will fly all across D.
  Q:0/6, E:5/6
 
F: Quillian troops are preparing for another boring year of securing this lifeless planet, when shuttles appear in the sky. Ertexite shuttles. The troops consider that boredom wasn't so bad, as they prepare to fight for their lives. At least they have a delivery of Fog Machines to help.
Ertex attempts to secure a beachhead. Their landing goes unopposed, but once on the ground Quillus is quickly upon them. Ertex, with their more accurate firearms and X100-Is saving the occasional life, has a definite advantage at long range- which is especially important on this barren, all-but-featureless planet devoid of cover. Quillus attempts to make their own cover by firing chaff rounds from the Fog Machine, which... sort of works, kinda, a little bit. It lets some of them survive the rush to medium range, where they can start blowing Ertex to pieces, with explosive rounds from both the Hayk and the FM.
At the end of the day, there are a lot of exploded Ertexites, but there are also a lot of laser-riddled Quillians. Ertex doesn't have time to fortify their position, but neither does Quillus successfully advance.
  Q:4/6, E:0/6
 

New Tech (Spotted)

This year, Ertex deployed the EAC-TML1 Sarissa Missile Launcher. It involves some very small nuclear warheads* on top of missiles with a short range (for missiles). These are launched from a trailer which misfires occasionally, which is towed by a small electric truck. The three components- missiles, trailer, truck- are transported separately, letting them fit into 1TC shuttles, despite the whole thing taking up 2TC. Oh, right, and the missiles and launcher are controlled by the Athena System, having been upgraded to understand missile guidance and ground target identification.

Quillus revealed nothing new.


Other Stuff

Big news from Ertex this year, as Libum Labs fails to explode for a whole year running. The founder, who has grown rich off of a handful of patents, had this to say: "We'vemadegreatstridesinourresearch and-[FALLS ASLEEP]".
Events like these remind the governments on both sides that whilst military technology is advancing in leaps and bounds, civilian technology is not far behind. Declassified military inventions are taking apart and reimagined for civilian application, and innovation begets innovation as ideas that were formerly considered the realm of science fiction are given a shot anyway, often to surprisingly successful results. In fact, after closer inspection, there is one particular new development that interests the government- a distinctly civilian design that nevertheless may have or lead to military applications. They have turned to the engineers, requesting that they write up a description of the technology so that it may be added to the official roster.

BONUS DESIGN: In addition to your normal design, this year you get a bonus design. The condition is that it must be a civilian design, other than that it can be whatever you like. Although, I should mention- the civilian tech sector doesn't work like the military one. Funding is not assigned based on which proposal gets the most votes from engineers, but rather which gets the most interest from the market. As such, each player may submit a maximum of two civilian designs, and the design to be rolled will be determined by me. So if you want your design chosen, be sure to give it some flair- the market likes that sort of thing.

[NUKE9.13]

PS, I forgot to mention in the BR, but the Sarissa does also kill people with radiation. Spending any length of time within a hundred meters of an impact crater is liable to kill you. After a few days the area is safe again.