2033
10:15 PM
REDACTED LOCATION
Another meeting, another set of individuals. Money transfers and discussion commences, a clear goal set in the minds of the administrators. Ideas bounce around before finally, a consensus comes together.
With the consensus, the room filters out again, dust falling as the room lapses into more disuse.
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Develop and Expand Orbital Resource Acquisition-100 PF-25 (EU Regulations)+19 (Independent Investors)
Roll=48 (Success)
Already present infrastructure is turned to mass production as several new plans are commenced. Some companies attempt the dream of in-orbit mining and refinement, meeting some success, others attempt to simply break the minerals apart and send the raw ore down.
The most success is had by the risky, experimental, but quickly rewarded efforts of one independent investor. Their methodology involved simply attaching thrusters to the asteroids nearby, quickly turning them into meteorites with careful adjustments, and slowing their descent down with incredibly precise computer sourced manoeuvring.
The first few smash into sparsely populated desert, annihilating kilometres of nothing important as well as themselves, but eventually, the process is refined to the point that asteroids can be brought down slowly enough to be intact and mineable.
Basic and Technological Resource Shortages pushed back decades.
Civilian Product Sale Profit Factor reduced by 20. (Newfound mineral wealth causes planet-based firms to suffer as the economy readjusts.)
Orbital Industry Profit Factor increased by 25.
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Secure the Water Supply-100PF-0 (South American Influence strangled)+70 (EU Cooperation)
Roll=5 (Critical Success)
Initially, it seems that South American governments are still attempting to interfere in vengeance for previous indignities. However, once again, European influence is heavy, extending even to peace-keeping missions in South America due to "fears of civil unrest affecting food supply."
The military presence quells any sort of political dissidence from the locals, and they seem to have orders to protect corporate holdings specifically.
This allows independent investors to begin massive water pumping operations from local rivers, securing extensive amounts of potable water for global use, sold in bottles and kept in massive tanks to be transported.
In addition to this, all across the world, similar projects begin, from solar desalination plants in the Middle East to river cleansing programmes in Asia, all told, the global water supply is well-kept and taken care of, corporate interests holding some 60% of the total supply. The rest belong to nation-states.
Water supply secured.
Civilian Product Sale Profit Factor increased by 15.
Military Product Sale Profit Factor Increased by 20.
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Improve Education Efforts-75 PF-25 (Yakuza Interference)
Roll= 79
The educational efforts do not bear fruit, some focus is placed on South America, but even there, interference is had by local guerrillas inciting violence against educators. The worst examples, however, are in Asia, the locals refusing to attend schooling and even burning down the pre-fab buildings in some more rural portions of it.
Education efforts failed.
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Expand and Develop the Power Sector-70 PF+90 (Thorium Reactor Designs Released)
Roll=24 (Critical Success)
Efforts are slow-going in this field for quite a while, resources idly spent probing connections into the Union in an attempt to acquire their technological advances. Some success is had in purchasing local power grids and acquiring powerplants.
However, as if the sky opened up to rain blessings down, after some ethical questions raised by the European Union Ethical Concerns and Human Rights Council on the morality of keeping Thorium technology from global use.
After debate aplenty was had, the decision of careful global distribution was reached. And as such, the blessing of complete designs and engineering guidance was spread to multiple companies across the globe.
After this, the goal of controlling the global power supply was far more palatable. Massive construction took place across the globe, powerplants rising high above the ground in all major cities, multiple in megacities. All are marked clearly with various corporate interests as well as "Built in the EU" on the towers and many components.
All told, this has pushed back the consumption of power materials for centuries, allowing the world to rest easy in that sense.
Thorium Reactors are in widespread use.
Civilian Product Sale Profit Factor increased by 30.
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Combat Interrupt
American Terrorists attempt to stop Chemical Feedstock development.
They are deploying two Special Forces Contingents and two Air-Transport Contingents.
Ascalon meets them with an Armour Contingent and one Infantry Contingent.
At a corporate base in North America, surrounded by the megacity it calls home, skyscrapers and high-rises the only thing for miles, planning is taking place for the construction of massive algae plants as a base for further bio-fuel development. However, planning is stopped due to reports by the security of heat signatures in the air.
Nearby streets filled with the rumbling of tank engines. Blue-white painted vehicles point cannons up as helicopters fly in at high speed, dozens of foot-mobiles preparing to fast-rope from them. One worries the defending commander significantly as a small, black box rolls precariously, hanging off by a steel wire.
The initial engagement occurs as shells are barked out at the incoming craft.
Terrorist Air-Transport Contingents Defensive Manuevers
Vs
Ascalon Armour Contingent AA Fire.
Result-Favourable Engagement. Enemy A-T damaged. Enemy SF damaged.
The shells mostly miss, but a few strike home, bringing down helicopters and their unfortunate passengers in flaming, screaming wreckage heaps.
This does not halt their advance, but it does make the coming engagement easier as they fast-rope onto nearby buildings, preparing anti-tank weaponry to engage the vehicles. One squad drops in an alley, carrying that black box that was dropped with them.
Ascalon squads roll out in their own mechanized transport vehicles, moving to engage the enemy in urban combat.
Ascalon Infantry and Vehicles holding the line.
Vs
Terrorist SF infiltrating with a nuclear weapon.
Result-Unfavourable Engagement, the enemy holds its advance into your lines, moves special interest deeper in.
The initial firefight is unpleasant, the terrorists displaying exceptional skill and heavy weaponry in engagements, brawling it out with Ascalon infantry and vehicles, destroying vehicles and killing dozens. In the chaos, a few of their squads infiltrate deeper, punching through the battle lines to reach the high-rise which houses the base.
The last possible line of defence, Ascalon infantry, face highly skilled terror agents in close-quarters combat in an attempt to stop their plan from completion.
Ascalon Infantry CQC
Vs
Terrorist SF CQC
Result-Crushing Def-ASCALON DEFENCE SPECIALISTS ACTIVATE. Result forced.
Result-Ascalon Bare Victory.
It's a bloody mess of hallway fighting, seeing dozens of Ascalon personnel butchered by shotguns, blades and heavy weapons. They overtake the security office, gaining total awareness of the facility, whilst fighting their way to a central location.
It seems all is lost as security footage captures the terror agents planting their nuclear charge in the building, engineers being funnelled out but unlikely to escape the blast range.
However, just before they can complete whatever plan they had in motion, a twist of fate occurs, one Ascalon squad that has survived the fighting regains control of the security office, a brief stint of violence sees them luckily overpower the terrorists, killing them all in legally arguable self-defence, with the cameras back under control, the remaining security organizes and begins winning victories with applied numerical superiority and firepower.
Eventually, they collapse on the would-be demolitioneers. Using grenades to flush them out and engaging in self-defence at a good distance, finally securing the facility.
The rest of the terrorists are pushed out of the building or killed, and eventually, those outside retreat, sensing their failure.
Ascalon pats itself on the back for another successful defensive operation and starts calling in trauma teams.
Chemical Feedstock research continues-70PF+ 30 (EU Grants)-45 (Unsuccessful Terrorist Strike.)
Roll=24 (Success)
The research proceeds apace, engineers and scientists greatly terrified but calming down with time. Eventually, a breakthrough is had with water quality control in seawater, allowing great construction to proceed on large-scale algae plants.
This has a dual effect. Initially, bio-fuel is advanced, giving more leeway in the transference of energy grids from fissile uranium and diminishing fossil fuels to Thorium-based grids.
However, the second effect is the growing popularity of algae as an affordable foodstuff, further damaging the South American economy and causing it to begin an explosive deconstruction, the state barely kept intact by European military presence.
Algae Farms invented, affordable foodstuffs invented, global food supply secured. South American economy crashed.
Civilian Product Sale Profit Factor Increased by 20.
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North America
A rash of terror strikes lead to great damages amongst local corporations, but it seems that the terror cells have exhausted themselves for the time being, and need time to recover.
The outcompeting of fossil fuel plants has led to an increase in air quality, making the healthcare system more able to focus on the trauma calls they get.
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South America
Whilst projects were being planned by the local governments, this is all arrested by the complete economic collapse.
However, with the situation as it is, the European Union reacts with a decisive occupation of South America, in "peacekeeping" efforts. The Ethics Council is silent on this matter.
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Europe
With the release of thorium technology providing a burst of good PR, the Union's military actions across the globe acquire some grumbling but otherwise are accepted by their citizens.
With efforts to bring all economies up to snuff somewhat successful and an organized military command created, efforts spread into social programmes, tax reliefs and a minimum universal income.
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Asia
The Asian situation is fairly stagnant, with communities growing tighter knit and beyond that, crime rates increasing. Ascalon stops a few break-ins and keeps the peace near corporate towns, but otherwise, it's business as usual.
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Africa
The warzone intensifies as the European Union peacekeeping corps move back into West Africa, bringing order to the local area. PMC's engage them at the behest of hirers, but the stiff resistance of national troops makes the encounter unprofitable.
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Orbit
The industrialization of space is proceeding well, with asteroids regularly pulled down for mining and more construction of orbital yards commencing.
One worrying development is the European Union's programme of increasing their coverage of orbital trajectories by constructing and launching satellites as well as ground-based telescopes. This may put the meeting station in danger.
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Profit-Factor-530-25 If Ascalon is kept for the next turn.
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Whoah, this one came out a little bigger, huh? As always, congratulations on your successes and better luck next time on your failures.
And also as always, ask any questions you want to be answered and discuss the world events to come up with the best course of action.
