Turn 31 - Black House Will Rock
You’ve been making sure to get your recommended daily allowance of grandson time, which incidentally gives your son and daughter-in-law some time to actually sleep. You’ll wait a few years before starting to get your right and proper revenge for midnight feedings and being pooped on by your little boy.
You’ve decided that the new factory complex will be dedicated to the Cadet mech, to provide training platforms for the Aerie. The facility itself is extremely impressive and it doesn’t take long for it to be ready to produce the new mechs in quantity.
The new complex, along with the rest of the underground infrastructure, have a somewhat unexpected side effect. Economic activity on Capricorn starts to boom as tourists flock to see the wonder, with small towns catering to the tourist trade springing up in underground caverns throughout the continent. (QM Note - +10% GDP this turn)
You get to see a demonstration of the new Jaguar MBT. It’s only a bit smaller than the Lion but has a lean, predatory look to it. The chiseled and sculpted turret housing the gauss rifle and Enhanced ER PPC looks lethal, and the vertically set launch tubes for the LRM is rather innovative. You hear that maintenance crews are already singing the tank's praises as evidently it requires less man-hours than the much lighter tank it is replacing.
Of course, to meet the terms of the contract with the Tank Works will require upgrading the Ferro-Fibrous forges significantly, but that would be needed in any event eventually.
The economy has seen a few minor hiccups but in general is doing quite well so far this year, with sustained economic growth in most, if not all, sectors of the economy. The settlers on Nowy Gdansk seem to be doing well enough, with the new hospital and schools being extremely welcome. There are concerns that once the immediate needs of building the essentials are finished, however, that there are very few manufacturing or mineral extraction projects in play to employ the freed slaves.
The Chamber of Delegates is being rather unreasonable, in concert with a few of the more avaricious and less ethical corporations in Griffsport they are proposing nothing less than economic imperialism, sending waves of settlers to the planet, displacing the locals into what would amount to slums on the edges, and exploiting the place for all it’s worth.
The Senate is standing foursquare against that proposal, instead discussing economic incentives for Griffin’s Roost firms to invest in partnerships with the locals on Nowy Gdansk. Any emigration to the planet would be measured and controlled in order to avoid diluting the local culture and disenfranchising the people who already are there and, most importantly, would be under the control and guidance of the locals rather than outsiders.
Notably the Eldest is firmly in favor of the Senate plan, and has taken to growling at Delegates who pass within line of sight. There are enough Delegates who are willing to follow your lead that, if you wished, you can force the entire chamber in line. Moreover, so long as you can justify it on the grounds of National Security, you can pretty much dictate what you please and both chambers will just have to lump it since neither has enough influence to stop you.
[] Back the Chamber of Delegates. Might piss the Poles off, but right now they aren’t contributing much at all and you need the resources and income of a settled planet more than you need their contributions. +25 support in the Chamber of Delegates, +200% POP Growth on Nowy Gdansk for next 10 years, -1% POP Growth on Griffin’s Roost for next 10 years, +600% GDP growth on Nowy Gdansk for next 10 years, -1% GDP growth on Griffin’s Roost for next 10 years, -25 Approval, -50 Approval Change, loss of ‘the Just’ title, +2 Influence Chamber of Delegates, -1 Influence Senate.
[] Back the Senate plan. Much slower and will take decades to really pay off, but slow and steady wins the race… plus you wouldn’t be a deal-breaking imperialist -5% support in the Chamber of Delegates, +5% support in the Senate, +10% POP Growth on Nowy Gdansk per year for the next 20 years, +10% GDP growth on Nowy Gdansk per year for next 20 years, +5 Rating Change on Nowy Gdansk, +5 Approval, +1 Political, +1 Influence Senate, -1 Influence Chamber of Delegates.
You are seriously considering whether or not folding the old Parliament directly into the new Imperial Parliament was a particularly wise decision, but elections are next year, hopefully most of the idiots can be voted out and replaced with those who aren’t in the hip pockets of people you really wish could have been implicated in something, anything, illegal.
Sometimes following the concept of rule of law is difficult, but it’s usually worth it in the end.
You know that you are going to have to give a speech about your decision, the question is how to do it. Jake has a few options for you…
Location:
[] Give it from Nowy Gdansk as part of reviewing the Home Army and personally meeting the leadership there.
[] Give it from your office in a televised speech broadcast system wide.
[] Call a joint session of Parliament and address them directly.
Tone:
[] Calm, cool, measured
[] Passionate, fiery
[] Other (write-in)