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[Nirur Torir]

Doing important projects early is good, and can change what opportunities we get. Thus, a big second project could be better than a risky infiltration, if anyone has any ideas. Fusion seems to be too risky.

We can open the bridge for a few seconds with just Antarctic power. This should be enough time to send a few scouts/prospectors with drones through. We should be able to pack enough nutrient-dense food to last them until they can grow a few quickly growing crops, so it's not a suicide mission. If we plan to re-open the bridge at specific times, they can have a wifi transmitter ready to send back reports.
This is not a high priority mission, and doesn't need to be done early, but the data would be very useful.

basically these opportunities seem useful. I want to look into how to set up industry and spacelaunch capability on the new world quickly later, and think that the engineers would be helpful in this regard.

We could do a project to start looking into poaching talent from NASA, but, like the Swiss engineers, their disappearance would raise eyebrows. But if we recruit a few sleeper agents early, it should let us silently improve our early aerospace capabilities and let us more easily grab a full team later.


Let's use a train.

Project archived for discussion and future use:

Spoiler: Project Longtrain (click to show/hide)

We need a way to deliver bulk cargo and passengers through the bridge. A train fits the bill adequately.

Project Longtrain envisions are large loop of track to build up speed, with a switch to send the train through after the device is activated. A maglev train, custom fitted to the portal device, with secondary all-terrain wheels to keep momentum after it passes through. It doesn't need to be truly all-terrain, just maintain momentum for long enough to get as much cargo through as possible. Perhaps we can cut the front cars off, and have secondary engines throughout the train.

If we're going with a train, I want the car engineers, and then it makes sense to delay starting the project. As there are two opportunities affecting Project GENESIS, I feel fine not working on that directly this turn, and so taking all possible opportunities. For the choice, if we're going with the train, then I feel we need resources more than another 10% time.


My votes:
Support Arabian Spring
Cripple Chinese Communication Networks
Headhunt Volkswagen engineers
Infiltrate SIS

[mcclay]

Support Arabian Spring
Cripple Chinese Communication Networks
Headhunt Volkswagen engineers
Infiltrate SIS

[Roboson]

The issue is, if we choose a train rather than just a chain of powerful vehicles, it can only go in a straight line. And since we don't know whats on the other side, there may be immediate obstacles like trees or boulders or even a solid wall. Point is, it would be better to go for a similar concept, but use independent vehicles. I'd hate for us to load everything onto a two mile long train or something, and it get snagged halfway through and we loose half our supplies. We should choose a more maneuverable option so we can get everything in.

How about a side by side convoy? Each convoy line has the option to turn to avoid obstacles, or continue straight. Doing so allows us to not only avoid any obstacles we run into on the other side, but also allows us to move cars off to the side so that each convoy line can go through the portal at full speed. Plus, then we have vehicles on the other side instead of an immobile train.

Additionally, we should take the time to build a few miles of road leading up to the portal, so that our cars can get up to full speed before we flick the switch, increasing the amount we can put through the portal.

[Pencil_Art]

The other thing about a convoy of vehicles is that we can probably use them for transport and exploration on the other side (as long as we have a fuel economy), whereas a train is of questionably utility until crossing laaarge distances becomes a problem (assuming we don't put a mini engine into all of them and turn them into cars). All in all:
Train:
++gets more stuff through (bigger head start)
- more resources expended on train development
- less useful past the portal
- may not work if terrain is unsuitable
Convoy:
+more useful past the portal
+less infrastructure required
-- gets less stuff through
Other questions:
Is there any more information in the database about the destination planet? (stuff like local animals, food sources, potential fuels and metal resources) Is there any information on how old that information might be that we can understand (references to certain astronomical events, how deep the rings were underneath the ice, etc. )? (it's a long shot, but I'm still asking)
Not sure if these will be useful, just interested.

[Doubloon-Seven]

Could we maybe, I dunno, turn on the portal for a millisecond linked to a high speed camera to get a snapshot of the arrivals area?

[Nirur Torir]

Train:
++gets more stuff through (bigger head start)
- more resources expended on train development
- less useful past the portal
- may not work if terrain is unsuitable
Convoy:
+more useful past the portal
+less infrastructure required
-- gets less stuff through

Debatable. An expensive track and maglev+semi-ATV train, maybe, but with a convoy, every vehicle needs its own engine.

I just thought of a middle-ground, too: We can design the train-cars such that the can be converted into trucks afterwards, by adding engines. Probably hurts the cargo capacity and makes the design harder/more expensive.

Could we maybe, I dunno, turn on the portal for a millisecond linked to a high speed camera to get a snapshot of the arrivals area?

I want to know too, but we should put it to a vote before we do. There's a chance that it's being passively monitored, and that activating it early leave us fighting immediately after we go through for real.

[Taricus]

And odds are we probably know where the gate opens up after we discovered where it leads.

[Roboson]

I think every car having their own engine is a bonus. Since then we can use their engines. Plus cars typically come with engines included, that's not a cost.

A big fancy train is going to definitelycost more than trucks.

[Taricus]

But the amount of supplies a train could carry would be far greater for the cost.

Besides, it gets us into the habit of building larger scale transport infrastructure earlier.

[Doubloon-Seven]

Save the space on the vehicle for people. Send materials through a padded crate launched from a railgun.

[Roboson]

But it's not really transport, its more like a railgun that we're going to put our people and supplies in. Then we're going to shoot it into a portal, with no idea whats on the other side, also have no control over it once we get off the tracks.

[King Zultan]

Seems like it would be easier to just get some used semis with trailers, and send those through.

Support Arabian Spring
Cripple Chinese Communication Networks
Headhunt Volkswagen engineers
Infiltrate SIS

[Dragor23]

2045, Summer

Opportunity Results

While it is called the Second Arabian Spring, the real meat of the revolutionary effort played out in the summer months, urged on by Initiative agents. Sabotage, training, tactical and strategic support was offered until late August, making this one of the longest operations since the conception of the armed wing of the Initiative. Posing mostly as sympathisers from more democratic parts of the world or private military contractors, suspicion is general low amongst the rebel forces, who take any help with open arms as long they do not suspect Initiative soldiers to be spies and agents from the Royal House.
However, this does not extend to their foreign allies. The USA and the UK in particular suspect something more than just helpful benefactors who just try to stay anonymous. Recent attacks against their networks makes them more suspicious of a conspiracy within their own ranks, as some former Initiative contacts have been arrested and interrogated, revealing local cells. Luckily they could have been cut off before revealing the larger organisation. But they are unto something bigger now, bigger than their bickering.
This, however, hurts Project Endgame. The projected bridge time has been downward adjusted to reflect the reduced load we can leech off globally to combat being found out.
However, the embezzlement of rebuilding funds and material has been more than successful. While this throws the Arabian Spring in disarray, establishing an equally authoritarian and oppressive regime than the last, it does help our efforts. And that's what counts.

Project GENESIS advanced
Tiny Material Stockpile obtained!
Bridge Time reduced by 20 seconds.

Infiltrating SIS has been proven difficult. The current roster of agents and personnel they have is loyal to a fault, considering that Great Britain is besieged by the European Council for their oil, much like Norway.
In fact, the operation was a total failure and one of the reasons why agents of the Initiative have been discovered, arrested and interrogated. Any further operation against Great Britain will be much more difficult as the local network has been greatly diminished in size and effectiveness. Maybe it is worth the effort to rebuild it, however.
Any information they might hold is, however, for the time being, not available for us.

A hard blow has been struck to the New German Republics however, as we successfully extracted the Volkswagen Engineers. While they are held in high security compounds in Think Tanks with German brightest, they are sometimes escorted to test sites to observe and field modify prototypes they have devised for the German war machine. We have ambushed their escort on a field road, utilizing nearby trees and mortar rounds.
While clearly scared and dizzied, the engineers have been successfully extracted from the convoy, ferried to Sicily and taken on a private aircraft to the Antarctic. They are currently held captive for forced RnD, but they come around, sooner or later. Their communications are monitored closely, but half of them already feel sympathy and hope for Project Endgame. Their expertise in robust, if a bit overengineered, machinery and motors already benefits Project GENESIS, by adapting and norming machine parts from the “Honey Bee” prototype.

Engineering Team obtained!
Project GENESIS advanced

The Chinese Government also reels from our recent operations, but even worse than the New German Republics – our operation here has been a resounding success, as most of our operations have been focussed in the western hemisphere, making the Asian continent unwary of our agents.
Not only have agents managed to successfully infiltrate the largest communication and server farm of Northern China, but also smash and grab most of their technology in security and decryption. This leaves them vulnerable for Project Endgame, adding some precious ten seconds back to what we have lost. Not only that, but their protocols have been successfully taken and integrated in our computer systems after some translation into English. Our data flow and data compression goes easier and easier, leaving us with more room to carry data in smaller databases, improving our capacity and aiding Project GENESIS by making library volume concerns a thing of the past.

Cutting Edge SSDs obtained!
Bridge Time increased by 10 seconds.
Project GENESIS advanced
Project : Encrypt Area 51 data advanced

Overall, summer has been a busy quartile for the Initiative. There is real concern that there will be global resistance against its efforts, however as opportunities are often high profile and directly detrimental for targeted countries.

News
+++Recovery Council of Arabia refuses to abdicate!+++
+++German Engineers abducted! Talks of Germanic Alliance to suppress slavic oppression!+++
+++USA and UK agencies working together, new alliance in the making?+++
+++Chinese Government attacked by terrorists, collapsing communication!+++
+++Nationalist Revival brewing in Guangdong, Guangxi and Gansu!+++
+++Acid rain in Greece! Dozens dead! "The water literally melts my face!" concerned woman says+++


Opportunities


Rebuild UK network
Rebuilding the UK network will take effort, a good measure of blood and bribery, but it is within the capabilities to do so. However, this might risk further exposure of the Initiative to Great Britain and the US.

Subvert Russian general
There is the opportunity to subvert a Russian general and gain his support for our cause. He is considered a radical and visionary by his peers and maybe it is high time to bring him over to the Initiative. Exploiting some of his many weaknesses with women and alcohol might serve our purpose.

Crash Japanese Stock markets
The current stock market of Japan is in a shaky position caused by ill-advised investment laws. By making sure they stick or even doubled down upon, we can cajole and bribe japanese congress members to free up workforce for our cause - japanese programmers and clerks would be a boon for us.

Recruit desillusioned rebels
The arabian spring has been less than success and more a change of oppression, thanks to our help. However, many soldiers and irregulars are now tired of their lifes and seek out new employment. Curating and recruiting fitting personnel would bolster our forces.

Attack chinese black prison

Our recent smash and grab also revealed the position of a chinese prison for political dissidents, many of them researchers and scientists with too liberal or democratic notions or being revolutionary firebrands of some sort. Attacking the prison and freeing the prisoners will ensure some more brain power behind the Initiative.


Projects

Project GENESIS : 30% done (search of opportunities or invest actions to advance!)
Project : Encrypt Area 51 data : 10% done (search of opportunities or invest actions to advance!)

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Bridge time
4 minutes 50 seconds

Initiative Status
Small Military Force (experienced)
Small Research Team
Engineering Team
Basic Lab Equipment
“Honey Bee” Prototype
M16s,MP5s
Light Support Weaponry
Tiny Material Stockpile

Delivery Capacity
60% full

Spoiler: Author's Note (click to show/hide)

Took a bit longer, sorry. I was busy for New Year's Eve preparations.

Project Longtrain got not started because you spent no actions on it

[Dragor23]

I'm also surprised nobody yet called me out on the shameless stealing of concepts from Stargate.

[Pavellius]

Since US and UK agencies are now cooperating, I think it's too risky to rebuild UK network.

Subverting the general and recruiting the rebels will greatly improve our future offensive operations, so I support both. We should attack the prison this turn if we can get the benefit of the general and rebels.

Crashing the stock market seems clever and not too overt.