Turn 26 - It's the Freakiest Show
Turn 26 - It’s the Freakiest Show
The next couple of months are quiet. Another Tramp appeared in the system with DCMS IFF, releasing a Mammoth, a Triumph and a Mule which all burned for Griffin V. All three land on the frigid planet, which is just entering local spring, and several days later all three depart, returning to the Jump point and the waiting Jumpship.
A few days later the AI Sarah pings you with a surveillance update.
It sickens your stomach. The Mammoth had been carrying prefabricated housing units, more than sufficient to establish a prefab base on the planet. The Triumph had been carrying light armored fighting vehicles and infantry.
It was the Mule’s cargo that disgusted you. Civilians, most of them in chains and barely adequate clothing for the climate, who were put to work in forced labor conditions being driven by lashes.
Slaves.
The Kuritans are using slaves.
They are currently being used to cultivate the land around the outpost, so it is quite obvious that the DCMS intends for this outpost to be self-sufficient.
[] Write-In Reaction
A day later you get another ping from AI Sarah. The AI had refined it’s admittedly low-resolution imagery of the Star Lord and had made a number of determinations that are quite… interesting.
First of all, it wasn’t carrying 6 Mules. It was carrying 4 Mule hulks permanently welded to the hull with their drives removed and replaced by massive domed hydroponics bays. The other two collars were loaded with extremely modified Mammoths that looked like they had been thoroughly militarized, judging by the sheer density of weapon bays and the obvious launch decks on the massive dropships.
That is one interesting ship.
The war bonds tour goes exceptionally well with quite enthusiastic receptions amongst the populace. You take the time to attend the kickoff event and give a stemwinder of a speech. Your people love it.
Thanh is pestering you to be allowed to graduate early and start at the Aerie in the fall. So far you’ve successfully resisted her pleas, instead putting your foot down that she needs to finish her full education and take the time to be a girl before she puts the uniform on and becomes one of your ASF pilots instead.
The Twins are cheerfully racing, while maintaining decent enough grades. OK, they are honor students and on the Dean’s List, but you are certain they could do even better. But that much studying would get in the way of racing, and they can’t have that!
Your youngest daughter somehow found out that the AI in the 331st Bunker is called Sarah as well, and promptly gives you the Great Big Puppy Dog Eyes and begs to be allowed to meet her namesake. You reluctantly agree, only to find that for some reason the AI and your daughter get along very well, with the AI cheerfully providing your youngest with historical data and stories that intrigue her greatly.
Of course Bastet accompanied her, promptly had a surprised AI point an internal defense turret at her, which promptly got a Lick of Approval. One hasty explanation later, and Bastet is lounging in the room with Sarah using the big kitten as a sofa.
But now it’s that time of year again. Not Party Time, but rather budget time.
General Swanson leads things off. “Your Majesty, I would like to repeat our request for a full battalion of Lion tanks for 2nd Brigade. We would like the excess production to be devoted to starting up the Mechanized Infantry Regiment for 2nd Brigade. For Mechs, we would like to see more of the upgraded Pathfinder’s for 1st Brigade, but we’d also like to see more Ambushs to fill out the Mech battalion of the 1st Aerie Cadre.”
General Reyes smoothly takes over. “For aerospace, the latest combat shows that we are closing the gap with the snakes, but not as fast as we hoped. We believe that their production of fighters is limited to 12 Sabers and they are producing 2 Leopard-CVs a year as well. Therefore we’d like to recommend continuing maximum rate production of all of our current ASF platforms, while laying down a Defiant class at the earliest opportunity, along with upgrading the factory where the Defiant is made. Once we can get enough of those assault ships most of the DCMS advantages go away.”
Admiral Kirk has shown up wearing a fetching dark Maroon cosplay uniform, obviously on a dare from General Reyes who is snickering. “I fear that the good General has stolen a bit of my thunder, Your Majesty. Defiants, I wants them, they are my precious. I wants my precious I do!” he does a passable Gollum impersonation there. “Beyond that, while the Harris would be totally useless for an opposed assault, it is a superb transport platform. We’ll need them if we manage to break the Drac defenses if we want to actually capture their base.”
General Potter speaks up at that point. “The initial class at the Aerie is doing extremely well, once we graduate this first class we’ll have a number of recommendations for your consideration vis-a-vis further expansion and improvements. Otherwise I would like to once again propose the military industrial reforms we discussed last year, as well as urge you to consider making the 331st Bunker the official Royal Bunker.”
Bridget rides in to the meeting, evidently she’d not only been licked by a Grifftiger, she’d been adopted by one too. Tiny was not, had never been, and will never be, anything other than just as enormous a ham as his human. God help us all.
“Your Majesty! I got loads of stuff for you and so let’s get started and then we get finished sooner and can go to the new splash park they opened just for the big kitties who actually love water unlike most cats which is kind of expected considering they are jungle cats and not savannah cats like lions and such but anyways we can really start expanding our cities across Castor and Pollux now and thus boost our economy all over the place which would be a great thing plus I know you saw my notes about Phoenix and Five Fingers I think we really need to do that and it may be a good idea to do a few resource surveys to see if we’re missing anything especially now since we’ve got Sarah to crunch the numbers and did you know she totally revised upwards the yield of that big titanium deposit down in the Antarctic with all them dire penguins and it’s too bad you can’t tame them because they’d make great guards.”
She never breathed a single time during all of that. You do not know how she manages it.
Isoroku is looking slightly sheepish, since he too evidently had had stories about the 331st from his Oba, also being a descendent of theirs. He’d also been on the outside of the bunker compartment, so he too had no idea you knew where it was, nor did he know that it was actually real and not a children’s story told by his grandma. “Your Majesty, the Olympics will be opening in a few weeks and it’s looking like it’ll be a great spectacle. Griffsport won the right to be the first host city, and I happen to know that excitement levels are very high indeed. Outside of that, Sarah” you can somehow hear the italics in his voice, “has given us some ideas that we can use for future competitions and cultural events programming.”
Jake has completely recovered from being Mom’ed by you. “Your Majesty! Great news! People like you, you are popular, and 99 out of a 100 cats want to give you Licks of Approval. How do we know this? Polling and town halls. Let’s keep on doing them and make sure that the public is fully in support of your reign.”
Dr Palmer is looking… a bit wan. With a pang you realize that she’ll probably be retiring in a few years at most. “Your Majesty. I’m going to split my section into two. First, the Aerie’s lab is ready and available, the most useful project for us in that regard would likely be research into freezers. They are critical for improving all of our designs, both in aerospace and on the ground. Second, the University labs are fully available. While the ‘make things go boom’ crowd is very excited about all the new toys that make things go boom, I would caution that we cannot neglect fundamental research, nor would it be wise to ignore non-military research. Improving agricultural techniques, for example, to better make use of agrimechs isn’t ‘sexy’, but it is very important work. In addition, I would like to recommend that we invest in anti-agathics to help extend life-spans.” she smiles briefly. “Not that I’m biased or anything.”
Harry Owens sends you a discrete message about potentially investigating the families of those individuals linked to the 331st in some way.
Janice, meanwhile, is cheerfully on vacation and simply sends you a postcard from a nude beach on Pollux. Damnit.
Then you look carefully and realize it was Jane who sent you that picture. And that Janet, while still on vacation, is actually staying on Castor at a ski lodge there.
The next couple of months are quiet. Another Tramp appeared in the system with DCMS IFF, releasing a Mammoth, a Triumph and a Mule which all burned for Griffin V. All three land on the frigid planet, which is just entering local spring, and several days later all three depart, returning to the Jump point and the waiting Jumpship.
A few days later the AI Sarah pings you with a surveillance update.
It sickens your stomach. The Mammoth had been carrying prefabricated housing units, more than sufficient to establish a prefab base on the planet. The Triumph had been carrying light armored fighting vehicles and infantry.
It was the Mule’s cargo that disgusted you. Civilians, most of them in chains and barely adequate clothing for the climate, who were put to work in forced labor conditions being driven by lashes.
Slaves.
The Kuritans are using slaves.
They are currently being used to cultivate the land around the outpost, so it is quite obvious that the DCMS intends for this outpost to be self-sufficient.
[] Write-In Reaction
A day later you get another ping from AI Sarah. The AI had refined it’s admittedly low-resolution imagery of the Star Lord and had made a number of determinations that are quite… interesting.
First of all, it wasn’t carrying 6 Mules. It was carrying 4 Mule hulks permanently welded to the hull with their drives removed and replaced by massive domed hydroponics bays. The other two collars were loaded with extremely modified Mammoths that looked like they had been thoroughly militarized, judging by the sheer density of weapon bays and the obvious launch decks on the massive dropships.
That is one interesting ship.
The war bonds tour goes exceptionally well with quite enthusiastic receptions amongst the populace. You take the time to attend the kickoff event and give a stemwinder of a speech. Your people love it.
Thanh is pestering you to be allowed to graduate early and start at the Aerie in the fall. So far you’ve successfully resisted her pleas, instead putting your foot down that she needs to finish her full education and take the time to be a girl before she puts the uniform on and becomes one of your ASF pilots instead.
The Twins are cheerfully racing, while maintaining decent enough grades. OK, they are honor students and on the Dean’s List, but you are certain they could do even better. But that much studying would get in the way of racing, and they can’t have that!
Your youngest daughter somehow found out that the AI in the 331st Bunker is called Sarah as well, and promptly gives you the Great Big Puppy Dog Eyes and begs to be allowed to meet her namesake. You reluctantly agree, only to find that for some reason the AI and your daughter get along very well, with the AI cheerfully providing your youngest with historical data and stories that intrigue her greatly.
Of course Bastet accompanied her, promptly had a surprised AI point an internal defense turret at her, which promptly got a Lick of Approval. One hasty explanation later, and Bastet is lounging in the room with Sarah using the big kitten as a sofa.
But now it’s that time of year again. Not Party Time, but rather budget time.
General Swanson leads things off. “Your Majesty, I would like to repeat our request for a full battalion of Lion tanks for 2nd Brigade. We would like the excess production to be devoted to starting up the Mechanized Infantry Regiment for 2nd Brigade. For Mechs, we would like to see more of the upgraded Pathfinder’s for 1st Brigade, but we’d also like to see more Ambushs to fill out the Mech battalion of the 1st Aerie Cadre.”
General Reyes smoothly takes over. “For aerospace, the latest combat shows that we are closing the gap with the snakes, but not as fast as we hoped. We believe that their production of fighters is limited to 12 Sabers and they are producing 2 Leopard-CVs a year as well. Therefore we’d like to recommend continuing maximum rate production of all of our current ASF platforms, while laying down a Defiant class at the earliest opportunity, along with upgrading the factory where the Defiant is made. Once we can get enough of those assault ships most of the DCMS advantages go away.”
Admiral Kirk has shown up wearing a fetching dark Maroon cosplay uniform, obviously on a dare from General Reyes who is snickering. “I fear that the good General has stolen a bit of my thunder, Your Majesty. Defiants, I wants them, they are my precious. I wants my precious I do!” he does a passable Gollum impersonation there. “Beyond that, while the Harris would be totally useless for an opposed assault, it is a superb transport platform. We’ll need them if we manage to break the Drac defenses if we want to actually capture their base.”
General Potter speaks up at that point. “The initial class at the Aerie is doing extremely well, once we graduate this first class we’ll have a number of recommendations for your consideration vis-a-vis further expansion and improvements. Otherwise I would like to once again propose the military industrial reforms we discussed last year, as well as urge you to consider making the 331st Bunker the official Royal Bunker.”
Bridget rides in to the meeting, evidently she’d not only been licked by a Grifftiger, she’d been adopted by one too. Tiny was not, had never been, and will never be, anything other than just as enormous a ham as his human. God help us all.
“Your Majesty! I got loads of stuff for you and so let’s get started and then we get finished sooner and can go to the new splash park they opened just for the big kitties who actually love water unlike most cats which is kind of expected considering they are jungle cats and not savannah cats like lions and such but anyways we can really start expanding our cities across Castor and Pollux now and thus boost our economy all over the place which would be a great thing plus I know you saw my notes about Phoenix and Five Fingers I think we really need to do that and it may be a good idea to do a few resource surveys to see if we’re missing anything especially now since we’ve got Sarah to crunch the numbers and did you know she totally revised upwards the yield of that big titanium deposit down in the Antarctic with all them dire penguins and it’s too bad you can’t tame them because they’d make great guards.”
She never breathed a single time during all of that. You do not know how she manages it.
Isoroku is looking slightly sheepish, since he too evidently had had stories about the 331st from his Oba, also being a descendent of theirs. He’d also been on the outside of the bunker compartment, so he too had no idea you knew where it was, nor did he know that it was actually real and not a children’s story told by his grandma. “Your Majesty, the Olympics will be opening in a few weeks and it’s looking like it’ll be a great spectacle. Griffsport won the right to be the first host city, and I happen to know that excitement levels are very high indeed. Outside of that, Sarah” you can somehow hear the italics in his voice, “has given us some ideas that we can use for future competitions and cultural events programming.”
Jake has completely recovered from being Mom’ed by you. “Your Majesty! Great news! People like you, you are popular, and 99 out of a 100 cats want to give you Licks of Approval. How do we know this? Polling and town halls. Let’s keep on doing them and make sure that the public is fully in support of your reign.”
Dr Palmer is looking… a bit wan. With a pang you realize that she’ll probably be retiring in a few years at most. “Your Majesty. I’m going to split my section into two. First, the Aerie’s lab is ready and available, the most useful project for us in that regard would likely be research into freezers. They are critical for improving all of our designs, both in aerospace and on the ground. Second, the University labs are fully available. While the ‘make things go boom’ crowd is very excited about all the new toys that make things go boom, I would caution that we cannot neglect fundamental research, nor would it be wise to ignore non-military research. Improving agricultural techniques, for example, to better make use of agrimechs isn’t ‘sexy’, but it is very important work. In addition, I would like to recommend that we invest in anti-agathics to help extend life-spans.” she smiles briefly. “Not that I’m biased or anything.”
Harry Owens sends you a discrete message about potentially investigating the families of those individuals linked to the 331st in some way.
Janice, meanwhile, is cheerfully on vacation and simply sends you a postcard from a nude beach on Pollux. Damnit.
Then you look carefully and realize it was Jane who sent you that picture. And that Janet, while still on vacation, is actually staying on Castor at a ski lodge there.
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