NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: This particular RP is limited to a very small number of players. If you ain't it, they please don't post. If you want to keep track of the juicy gossip, then please use the subscribe feature. Thank you.

IC:

Kril Buy sat at his desk in his office located at the main equatorial base. Not only was it one of the many marshalling areas for the Seraphim Military, it also doubled as SOE HQ on this planet. However, his office was still cramped and his staff was small. Still, he kept busy.

After the encounter with Austar Union, he began to contemplate the current political climate. Certainly a late night discussion with his aide, Joseph Gruk and various Seraphim Military commanders convinced him that something ought to be done.


~~~~~~Tightbeam transmission sequence – On
~~~~~~Route – Nod Station
~~~~~~Encryption – low
~~~~~~Initializing – Channel open

====Begin Message====

Dear Elijah,

I apologize for not establishing a dialogue among our two entities earlier. It seems that we’ve been quite busy as of late with our colonization efforts and also in dealing with outsiders.
I believe that need to start a line of communication to clear up any misunderstandings and find out more about eachother.

Please respond as soon as possible as to whether you wish to continue this dialogue.

Sincerely,

Kril Buy - SOE Envoy
Main SOE Equatorial Base
Mercury

====End Message====

~~~~~~Channel – Closed
~~~~~~Tightbeam transmission sequence – Off

> Initiate CommandKey \\:\\:extrncomm\\tightbeam:soe
> Return //://:extrncomm\\tightbeam:soe Successful

Your offer is perfectly acceptable. If you wish, you can either send your representatives to Nod Station for transport into the Basin proper, or I can arrange to have a HoloDrone come to one of you facilities for a meeting.

Either one is equally acceptable to me. I regret that I cannot visit you in person, but I am in the middle of a rather delicate stage of my research, and I have to be here in person.

I await your responce.

- Elijah

> Initiate CommandKey \\:\\:closeroute
> Return //://:closeroute Successful

Buy looked at the message and thought to himself.

If Elijah is unable to meet me in person, then why offer the chance to come to Caloris Basin in the first place? Is he occupied with Austar Union? I wonder what kind of research he is doing?

He then decided to confer with the military arm of the Order and receive their input. Visiting the Caloris Basin itself could prove to be an opportunity to gather some intelligence about Elijah (or whatever he deigned to meet them with) but then again, it could be risky. On the other hand, a simple "holodrone" would be easier - but perhaps the drone would be more than simply relaying messages.

He started to hum as he punched the intercom button.

"Oh, what tangled webs we weave..."

“Let’s go,” said Kril Buy to the Seraphim Commander. In truth, Kril couldn’t boss anyone around but he liked to make a bit of a show. Besides, he was looking forward to leaving his tiny office and meeting Elijah, or whatever he decided to send to meet him. His information about the Caloris Basin was scant, so he made sure to keep an open mind and not recall the earlier contact between the Order and the Basin.

The group of legionnaires, decked out in power armour and carrying exceptionally wicked looking guns made their way to the transport craft. Kril himself was in a powered suit but carried no weapons. He did, however, carry some recording devices so he could make a record of the meeting. The marines were under orders to protect Kril at all costs but to do whatever necessary to play along in the diplomatic game. Within reason, of course. Mercury was a hostile environment to an unprotected human.

The plan was to transport the group to the nearest Order base to the Caloris Basin and then take a rover to the border of the Basin proper. Still, they were flexible and could easily have the transport change course to go to Nod Station itself.


~~~~~~Tightbeam transmission sequence - On
~~~~~~Route - Nod Station
~~~~~~Encryption - low
~~~~~~Initializing - Channel open

====Begin Message====

Dear Elijah,

We are now leaving the main SOE equatorial base and will then take a land rover outside your territorial border. If that is convenient for you or if you wish another avenue of approach, please let us know. I will be accompanied by a small squad of legionnaires and will be in a suit of power armour myself. Mercury, I’m afraid, is quite a hostile environment as I’m sure you know so please do not be alarmed.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Kril Buy - SOE Envoy
Main SOE Equatorial Base
Mercury

====End Message====

~~~~~~Channel - Closed
~~~~~~Tightbeam transmission sequence – Off

OOC: Nod's orbital, but I'll meet you on the surface.

The mountains that ringed the Caloris Basin towered into the heavens: mighty peaks that would make most mountains on Earth weep in their inadequecy. Large guns could be seen on every natural flat surface, and on several 'man'-made flat surfaces. They were made of a strange silvery metal, and tracked the movement of the SOE rover. These were clearly the Lightning Guns used by Elijah to protect his patch of land. The mountain range would be exceptionally dangerous to traverse even without the menacing guns that patiently waited for unauthorized guests. Based on the guns' activity, it was pretty clear that the rover had been in range for quite awhile. Clearly Elijah had received the message telling of their arrival.

Waiting for them as they arrived at the prearranged location was a rather small rover. It stood about two feet above the ground, but a good foot and a half of that was from the numerous paired legs that supported the projector. It was made of the same silvery metal as the Lightning Guns. As Krill stepped out of the rover, the HoloDrone fully powered up and a life-sized image of Elijah appeared.

The image was a dull silver about six feet tall, and he looked like a 'normal' human, aside from the fact that there was minimal detail on his body. He looked something a department store mannequin with vague musculature. He nodded slightly to them before glancing at the HoloDrone. A small antenna emerged from the top, and it patched into the communications systems of the powered armor.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but the lack of atmosphere makes normal talking rather difficult. At any rate, welcome to the Basin, or rather, the outskirts thereof. Again, I apologise for my inability to be here in person, but as I mentioned earlier, my avatar is needed elsewhere." The projection grinned, "There are still certain tasks that require hands."

OOC: Taggaretta

As the Order rover made its way to the pre-determined location, the location of the big guns was noted and recorded. Not that it would really matter since satellites should be able to pick out such structures. The sight of such weaponry did make the legionnaires uncomfortable since it only served to remind them that if Elijah wanted them turned to atoms, he easily could.

After Elijah’s introduction, Kril performed a deep bow. It was a traditional form of greeting in his homeland and he hoped that his host would not make a misinterpretation. His escort, however, did not and they merely looked at the hologram, the rover, and the surrounding environment.

“Not a problem, Elijah. We are glad that you are able to fit us in your busy schedule. I don’t suppose you have a place to rest so that we could get out of this heat?”

Behind him, one legionnaire was operating a hovercart with a large, securely bound box on it.

“This is a gift from us to you, Elijah. You may scan it if you so wish.”

Elijah's projection glanced over at the box, "No, I'm not terribly concerned. I'm sure the box is fine." He glanced up as a simple shuttle descended from the sky, landing a short distance from them, the airlock cycling open. "Please, step on in. The temperature normalization will only take a few moments, and we can discuss business inside the shuttle." The back of the shuttle also opened, and he gestured vaguely towards it, "Your generous gift can go there."

As promised, the airlock normalized the temperature within a few minutes. Once they moved into the shuttle proper, the box was already waiting for them, a couple scuttling drones having pulled it in from the cargo airlock. He smiled, "Now... what can I do for you?"

ooc: to make a note - http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7106872#post7106872

ooc: to make a note - http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7106872#post7106872

OOC: Ah, beat me to it! Disregard what I said then on our forums as far as notification. I said that without checking here first. Sorry.

IC:

Kril nodded and then replied,

"Perhaps we both need to clarify our positions regarding, ah...living space on this planet with regards to outsiders. That is as good as place as any to start since we seem to have differing views on that subject. I'm sure more things will come up as we continue our dialogue. As for the box..."

A wave.

"I think that as a researcher you might find it somewhat interesting."

The HoloDrone scuttled over to the box, a small arm with a sensor attached rises up, examining the box, while the image of Elijah continued looking at Krill and his associates.

"Yes, we certainly seem to. I was first sent here because nobody was here. I quickly found myself with two neighbors. Personally, this doesn't really bother me too much. While small compared to the system, this is quite a large planet. After all, there is a good 28,842,648 square miles of space on the surface of this spheroid. I think one would be hard pressed to fill that."

"Well, it does bother us. We look at Mars and see constant strife. There are others, but that one is the most visible it seems. Except Earth, of course."

A small smile.

"We would rather not have everyone moving here since disharmony will be the result. Less neighbours is preferable. Certainly you can understand our position. And contrary to popular belief, we are not warmongers. Rather, we would like to be left alone. We can understand your claim to the Caloris Basin and we have not encroached upon your territory one inch. What puzzles us is why others, such as Spacer Guilds and Austar Union see fit to encroach upon us."

"As well, the entire planet does not need to be completely packed with people and equipment to justify the claim. I would think that enforcement is the underlying factor."

The box itself did not reveal its contents, since it was quite heavy indicating thick walls. A small computer readout displayed the contents.


Geological rock and water samples from Earth, Mars, Orion Sector, and Europa.


OOC: Perhaps there is water on Europa. At least that's what NASA figures.

"Thank you for the gift, I'll examine it in more detail on Nod after we've finished here." He grinned, "This HoloDrone isn't equipped for such things."

"Well, it does bother us. We look at Mars and see constant strife. There are others, but that one is the most visible it seems. Except Earth, of course."

The hologram waved his hand dismissively, "Mars is a different situation. First of all, it is terraformed, opening it up to any nation who can make the trip. Second, largely because of the first, it is exceptionally overcrowded. Finally, the only conflicts of note in recent history have been a) between factions that have been waring for ages (vis a vis Menelmacar and Melkor Unchained) and b) some crap nation called Alleana, or some such rot, who bullied their way onto the planet despite the ruling conglomerate's opposition."

He paused briefly, "Thus, I don't see the above as being particularly relevant to Mercury. Its intrinsic hostility will greatly limit the ability for scores of nations to come here. On top of that, they will have to have a certainly level of intelligence, skill and problem solving ability to manage living on this planet, which, hopefully, reduces their likelihood of warmongering.

He chuckled softly at Krill's comment, "You view Austar Union and the Spacer Guilds as interlopers on this planet. Well, couldn't I say the same for you? After all, not only have I been here longer, but this environment is natural for both me and the drones under my control."

He smiled, "Of course, I'm not saying such things. As far as I'm concerned there is plenty of space for more than just two nations. Perhaps worrying about additional nations could be something saved for later, such as when population density is... measurable. For what it's worth, I rather agree with you regarding the Spacer Guilds. Claiming the entire equator was a bit much. Auster Union, on the other hand, seems to be more interested in a crater."

He chuckled, "And lord knows we have enough craters on this planet."

Kril laughs and then began.

“We were all interlopers at one time or another, Elijah. Ultimately, I think what it comes down to is how much one is willing to expend to keep their claim. Now, we have never encroached upon your land. You have claimed the Caloris Basin and, to be perfectly honest, that is fine with us. We recognize that. We have no designs for your lands, just as I’m sure you have none on ours.”

He let the last sentence hang, knowing full well the latest intel reports had about objects being send out of the Basin a little while ago.

“But, since we are neighbours, and obviously the two largest ones at that, it would make sense that each of us let the other one know what is going – especially in regards to allowing others to come and set up shop here. After all, we aren’t a junior neighbour here on Mercury.”

A brief pause.

“As well, Elijah, I’m afraid that I will have to disagree with you about Mars. That situation is entirely relevant for Mercury or any other piece of real estate. The more people you have living in proximity to eachother, the chances of an incident that could develop into a war increases. Of course, this depends on the nature of the inhabitants, but it would be very difficult for you, or anyone for that matter, to prove this wrong. History is full of examples of people wanting to overrun their neighbours at even the slightest provocation and less examples of peaceful coexistence.”

“But, we are pragmatic. We understand that others may want to colonize this planet. The experience of both Spacer Guilds and Austar Union left a bad taste in our mouth. That is, they both say fit to challenge our claim and were circumspect in divulging their true purposes. Certainly Spacer Guilds was, Austar Union less so. We also don’t appreciate the so-called diplomatic strategy of a newcomer playing off one side against eachother – namely you against us. This is why a joint agreement between both of us should specify limits, not only on how many newcomers may actually come, but who they are and how much territory each claimant shall get. And we would rather not see a bunch of nations sympathetic to your side to, ah, tilt things in your favour.”

“To elaborate further, we see Mercury as of prime importance to the Order. We have major military and mining efforts here. We have invested a considerable amount of resources in developing our Mercurian territory and plan to do more.”

Kril nodded to the hologram and waited. It had been a mouthful and he was curious as to what the response will be.

Elijah smiled placidly; reading emotions in liquid metal could be difficult, moreso when it was simply a hologram of said LiME, even if it was a high quality hologram. "I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you're referencing my exploration of the Brahms crater. If you want me to justify my explorations there, I can, just as I can easily explain to you my designs. Briefly, however, should I find it fits my needs, I intend to develop it as a place to house embassies. Rest easy, however, I plan no further border expansions."

He appeared lost in thought for a moment before continuing, "Obviously, I have no intention of 'selling' land here, or anything of the sort. Now, should someone come here and decide to set up shop regardless of our wishes, I won't necessarily move to eject them, unless they decide to do so in the Basin itself. Should we both agree on someone being here, well, obviously that's not a problem. What I won't do, however, is seek your permission for internal matters, vis a vis embassies. I am willing to entertain the concept of negotiations for Brahms, but should I choose to grant an emabassy on my land, I don't see that it directly concerns you. Nor would I expect you to inform me of embassies that you choose to open on your territory. Fair, no?"

Elijah chuckled, "It appears that we look at Mars with different eyes then. Remember, Mercury's proximity to the sun reduces the number of potential interlopers, right off the top. There are plenty of quite advanced nations, but not all of them have specialized enough to visit here. Der Angst, pre-disaster of course, had quite the space fleet and was exceptionally advanced, technologically. However, from my conversations with one of their vessels, Ajay, I learned that they were unable to land on the surface without disaster. That realisation was part of the reason I enlisted the aid of Absolute Light in the construction of Nod Station.

"At any rate, I can't say that I am particularly familiar with the Spacer Guilds and their prescence -- or lack thereof -- on Mercury. They didn't much talk to me, nor I them. I had more pressing concerns at the time. However, they seem to have largely buggered off, so I'm not particularly worried. Should they make noise again, I will review my position.

"Ausar Union, on the other hand, is less of a concern to me. You should probably reflect on your own actions as well when analyzing those of others. If you simply came out and said 'We own Mercury, bugger off,' you can't be surprized that people will have a rather cool responce. Needless to say, people will be somewhat... skeptical... when you claim ownership of an entire planet. But, back to Autar's motives. Their motives seem to be ones close to our hearts. The desire to be on a place where neighbors are few to nonexistant. They chose Mercury because it was largely uninhabited, just like you did, and just like the Hack did."

He smiled again, "I am perfectly willing to form an... arangement between the Order and myself to judge newcomers. However, that would require both of us to adjust our stances. Me to become more disciminating, and you to allow the possibility of other nations colonizing here. Your current stance of near-total ownership largely kills any thought of colonization before it even starts.

"I'm a little curious on your thought of 'tilting things in my favor'. What do you mean by that? My associations are with The Federation, which are non-space faring, and the NDA, which has space faring nations, but isn't a space presence. I am a member of no other alliance, and have no desire to conquer this planet or anything of the sort. I have relations with Absolute Light and the Solar Giants, but they are on and near the sun, and have no Mercurial interests other than myself. To be honest, this sort of talk is highly disturbing to me. It implies that you view me as a hostile presence, and may I remind you that I'm not the one with a fleet of military space ships."

In closing, he added, "Also, Mercury may be of 'prime importance' to the Order, but remember that it is but one of your holdings. Needless to say, it is my home, and that I have invested all my resources here, so lectures on how much you care about Mercury won't exactly be stirring."

[LiME: Liquid Metal Entity]

Kril frowned before he began.

“I am indeed referring to the Brahm’s Crater. Tell me, would you take so kindly if the Order decided to launch a probe over your territory, the Caloris Basin, and then claim that it was just merely to scout out some land for unnamed purposes? I would think not.”

A brief pause.

“In the future, you will kindly inform us of any and all exploration efforts outside of your territory concerning Mercury. We view your territory and ours as not only merely extending to the surface of the planet, but deep down as well as the airspace above. The exact number we can agree on later, but again, I remind you that we have not violated your territory at all, while your probe violated ours. – or did you conveniently forget that our claim was all the land outside your borders? Please keep that in mind, if nothing else to prevent an accidental shooting of any further probes. We will have to come to an agreement regarding the Brahm’s Crater – should you find it suitable for your needs.”

“What you do in the Basin is your business. What we do is ours. Yyou want to build embassies on your land? Fine with us. I don’t think that ever was a point of contention. I believe the only possible future sore point is if either of us feels threatened by the other. So far, that point has not been reached and I hope it never does. But, and let me quote your own words back to you concerning people setting up shop.

]I won't necessarily move to eject them, unless they decide to do so in the Basin itself.

Now, just substitute the words “Basin” for “Order of the Seraphim Mercury territorial holdings” and I think the picture is clearer. People wish to set up shop on our land.”

“To ease yours and others skepticism about if the Order can indeed claim an entire planet – excluding your lands of course, well, I believe that we do have the might and, more importantly, the will, to do so. This is not a lecture on who has more at stake here. The Caloris Basin is your home, so we respect that. We are developing this to be for some our home too. Some members of the Order have been deliberating about setting up colonies on Mercury. To them, it will be a new home.”

“Now, techonological issues aside, we prefer to keep the number of newcomers very small. We are willing to relinquish some land, for a fair price, and as long as their colonization efforts pose no threat to both of our holdings. We would like to see you reliquish some land as well to any newcomers. That way, both of us can give. Regarding the ‘tilting things in your favour’, perhaps I should clarify. We don’t know much about you at all, especially your political connections. What if some more nations arrive that are connected to you either through alliances and other agreements and perhaps hostile to us? We would honestly be suspicious. Wouldn’t you be? And we know nothing about these entities you call ‘Solar Giants’ and ‘Absolute Light.’”

Another pause.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t inform you that the Order of the Seraphim is made up of quite a few nations under its banner. So, that is something to consider regarding the maximum number. That is, unless you represent an organization with several nations under your umbrella, then we are willing to give a bit more on allowing nations to come and ‘set up shop’ and ‘tilt things in your favour’. I’m sure we can settle on some details later.”

A thin smile.

“But please, don’t misinterprete the warships above. As I stated earlier, we view Mercury as of prime importance – especially in military matters. You have my personal assurance that the Order honours a nation’s sovereignty as one of its founding principles and can live peaceably with those that uphold that principle as much as we do.”

Kril waited. He didn't want to give away the whole farm, but deep down, he truly believed that some kind of understanding could be realized.

OOC: Forgive me, for my math is rusty, but I calculate Mercury to have a surface area of about 74,758,829.3 square kilometers. I used 2437.9 km for the radius. How big is the Caloris Basin?

[OOC: Getting this out of the way first.

My earlier quoted surface area was based on the diameter given to me in my Rather Large Book Of The Universe. Some of its information is out of date, but I doubt the diameter of Mercury has changed. Shoving my figure into a conversion tool, I get 74,670,183.396888 km2, so it looks like we're jiving here. Hard to get an exact number from the craters and all, but, yeah.

According to Wikipedia: The Caloris Basin, also called Caloris Planitia, is an impact crater, on Mercury, which is ~1350km in diameter. Caloris is Latin for heat and the basin is so-named because it is near the subsolar point when Mercury is at perihelion. The crater is surrounded by a ring of mountains, ~2km in height.

Brahms' (http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/midres/m10_aom_3_2.gif) (click for piccy) diameter is 75km, so it is quite small compared to Caloris.

As for surface area, by my handy calculations (pi x r^2) and using 3.1415927 for pi, I get 1,431,388.17km2 (552,898.4mi2) for Caloris and 4,417.86km2 (1,706.47mi2) for Brahms.]

Elijah's hologram seemed slightly amused, "You'll have to forgive, Mr. Buy. It takes awhile to wrap my mind around the concept of you owning every square inch of this planet, aside from the modest home I've set up for myself. I chose Brahms because it is close to my basin, and because it has been utterly untouched by the Order. Indeed, it didn't even appear to be close to your nearest holding. Granted, I have no idea of your underground operations -- just as you have no clue of mine -- I made the simple assumption that you weren't tunneling around the planet.

"If the measly 4,500 square kilometers of Brahms is too large of a hit to your Order, I will simply have to come up with an alternative. I can certainly understand your point. After all, that would only leave 73,234,378km2."

His mood darkened considerably, his patience seeming to evaporate, "You would do well to treat me with respect, Mr. Buy. I do not appretiate being treated like a child, and I do not appretiate you dictating terms to me. If we are to be equal partners on this planet, the key will be equal. I don't care how many ships you have, nor am I cowed by your military. The Lightning Guns that currently ring my basin are not the only means of defence that I have, so don't make the mistake of assuming that I am helpless. I can shoot into space just as easily as you can shoot from it."

He paused a moment, seeming to calm down a bit before continuing, "I have no issues with atmospheric or subteranian sovereignty. We have both alluded to underground holdings, and I don't believe it comes as a shock to either party. The extent may be unknown, but that is really unimportant. Unless we are both able to dig to the core, I doubt underground isn't a concern. As for the sky..." He waved his hand vaguely, "Standard practices should suffice. I'll leave your satellites alone as long as you leave mine alone."

He sighed wearily, "Again, you directly speak the core of your problems and again you refuse to acknowledge them. I don't question your military, your stakes, or your willingness to defend your "claim". I question your connection to how things really work. Claiming an entire planet (sans 1.4 million km2) is a ridiculous claim. Regardless of your ability to defend such claim, people will always question it. This is not some rock in a far away system or galaxy, people won't question such a claim. But since Mercury is one of nine in Sol, people will question it. Furthermore, having such a claim makes allowing other nations exceptionally difficult. Were someone to arrive that we could both agree on, they wouldn't be claiming territory, they would be buying territory from you. Many would just assume fight for such a claim."

He smirked, "You are, essentially, setting yourself up for an endless series of conflicts. If that's what you want, then continue. Personally, I view it as a waste."

"I have already informed you of my alliances. If you wish a more accurate list, that is easy enough. The Federation of Marshall Island is made up of, primarily, GMC Military Arms and The Most Glorious Hack. They have a joint protectorate and myself. That's it.

"The NDA, Non-Democratic Alliance, is made up of more countries, the principles being Treznor's Empire, Nathicana's Dominion, United Indiastan, Gehenna Tartarus, both nations of the Federation, and Iraqstan. There are others, but that should suffice. The other alliances maintained by those nations don't really concern me. I have no relations with them, and tertiary alliances are a little silly to worry about. Otherwise, with enough extensions, every nation is linked with every other. With a bit of work you could link Menelmacar and Melkor Unchained, and I doubt anyone would call them 'allies'."

At the mention of his solar friends he shrugged slightly, "Absolute Light is a commune that resides just outside of the sun. We have a trade agreement, much like any other. I give them things I have in surplus but they lack, and they give me things they have in surplus but I lack. They were key in developing Nod Station, providing much of the initial labor and helping with the design.

"Solar Giants is a race of intelligent plasma beings that live in the sun proper. I discovered them before you arrived here, and have communicated with them off an on. They're somewhat erratic and chaotic, as one might expect, so they hardly count as a true 'ally'. They have, however, given me a great amount of help in my various research projects dealing with the sun itself."

Elijah nodded, "I am familiar with the Order, and its prominent members, yes. As well as its formation, allies, foes, so-on and such-forth. When you first arrived I did a bit of research. As yo your question, I represent nobody other than myself and my drones. The Federation has a vested interest in me and my welfare, as I am a colony, but as a colony I have no authority to speak for them, nor represent them in any official capacity. Same situation for the NDA. I am, technically, a member, but as a colony I have no official voice or authority. And, of course, I cannot speak for Absolute Light nor the Solar Giants."

He shrugged slightly at Krill's closing remarks, "I fail to see how Mercury is of any importance other than research. Its temperatures fluctuate too much to be a livable place. Its lithosphere has nothing that can't be found in asteroids which are much more accessable. Also, its placement strikes me as rather silly for military practices. For targets in the inner system, there are closer places that are less hostile. For outer system targets... well... there's quite a bit of junk in the way for any direct fire, and it makes for a rather large distance to cover. The only option I see is an attempt to lure enemies here, and a war on Mercury is something I would not be pleased about."

OOC: can’t remember if the ring thingy itself rings around Titan or Saturn itself. I couldn’t find out on IRC at the moment since everyone seems to be sleeping. Regarding Uranus, it’s just somethiing my character would throw out, since the news would be second hand.

Order information:
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=287893



IC:

Kril smiled back.

“I’m not sure why it is really hard for anyone to understand the concept of claiming a planet. Does not Yut claim Titan? Do they not have a massive artificial structure encircling that moon? I’ve heard that some other nation laid claim to Uranus. And others have most likely claimed other planets outside the Sol system as you have alluded to. What is the difference? We claim this planet aside from your territory in the Caloris Basin. In the beginning, you told us that you claim the Caloris Basin. Did you deliberately misinform us? Did we ever seek to challenge your claim? But yet you, and others seek to test our claim. I don’t think the concept is what people are struggling with but rather, they seek to see what type of response we will give. It was ridiculous of Colombus to claim the New World since he only had three ships. It is not so ridiculous of us to claim Mercury – sans your lands, since we have far more ships than that Italian did.”

A sigh.

“Besides, I already mentioned that we are willing to compromise on the land issue. Please refer to my earlier remarks. We will compromise some land and number of arrivals if you are willing to as well. Obviously, we can haggle about numbers later. As well, if Mercury is such a hostile barren rock, then why should people even care about our claim? Just because it is in the Sol system? That tells me that some folks obviously have nothing else to do with their time.”

A pause then Kril decided to bring up another matter.

“And yes, I’m sure one could play a game of finding even the most incogruous links with nations that are bitter foes. It’s like saying everyone has someone famous in their family seven times removed. But that isn’t really relevant, is it? I thank you, however, for providing us a list of your more prominent connections. I also want to thank you for providing more information about the two mysterious entities called Solar Giants and Absolute Light. In fairness, here is our membership list and basic information about our humble group.”

Kril slid a small chip encased in a univeral reader to a drone.

“Now, where were we? Ah, you mentioned your formidable defenses and whatnot. Really, Elijah. Did I threaten you or make an overt hostile act? If I did, I apologize. You have nothing to worry about if you respect our boundries. We respect yours after all. I can also assure you that we did not come to Mercury to bring war to you or others. However, when anyone threatens our soveriegnty, that person or persons should not be surprised if we don’t act in such a polite manner. Good fences, after all, make good neighbours.”

Kril grinned at the hologram.

Elijah stood silently, listening carefully before continuing.

"Well, just to argue semantics, Titan is a moon, not a planet. Furthermore, their claim was when many current space nations weren't in space yet. Also, they have defended their claim previously. However, it doesn't much matter. I have no intentions on fighting with you over this rock, I am simply letting you know that other are likely to do so. And should a group like Arda voice it's interests, it will be a Very Bad Thing.

"Thank you for the list. I'll peruse it later, but fleshing out my database is never a bad thing. Should you wish to contact Absolute Light, it shouldn't be too difficult, just send a transmition to the commune. The Giants would be more difficult, as it is little more than sending a transmition, preferably in binary, to the Sun itself and hoping that a talkative Giant is nearby to hear and respond."

A slight shrug, "If there is nothing else, then I suppose we should hammer out an arrangement on Brahms. It is rather small, and close to my holdings here, which is why I chose it. With a diameter of 75 kilometers, it has a surface area of roughly 4,417.86 square kilometers. It would be an ideal site for me to place embassies and its central 'spire' would be useful as a kind of silo for launching satellites and probes for various research projects. I would probably cap the whole thing and let it run as a city."

Kril sighed. Like it really mattered that Titan was a moon. Or that it was actually bigger than Mercury. Or that they colonized Titan before most had spaceflight. Interesting note about Arda, though. Inwardly, he fumed but his grin was still intact.

“Indeed. It is good to hear that the Triumvirate has defended their claim to the moon in the past. I suppose we are following in the footsteps of greatness,” he replied dryly. Then he perked up a bit.

“Anyways, we think it is only fair that you would let us know exactly where you intend to explore on Mercury first so as to avoid any, well, friendly fire. Makes sense, no? Regarding newcomers wanting to establish bases and whatnot, would you be so kind as to redirect them to us? That is, unless you are willing to give up some of your own territory for them.”

A pause.

“And finally, regarding Brahm’s, as a gesture of good faith, you may have it. As you said, it’s only a measly 4500 square kilometers. I’m sure that you will be able to put it to good use. We just ask that any embassies that you decide to hold there are made aware of our claim so as to avoid any misunderstandings from them. Certainly any guests that we may receive will promptly be told of your territorial holdings.”

Kril bowed.

“I would like to send you some kind of working agreement later over what we covered. That is, we would prefer something written down since, well, verbal communication can be misconstrued. In the interim, we believe that the spirit of this discussion should be upheld – that is, treating eachother as a good neighbour.”

While the projection was perfectly stoic, Elijah's real avatar was grinning like an idiot as he worked deep beneath the basin. He was starting to enjoy talking to the Cupids' rep. It was pretty easy to push their buttons, and the human responce always amused him. He could always chalk it up to a learning experience if anyone asked.

"I am perfectly willing to sign a treaty of sorts with you. Of course, any likely misinterpretations would be on the side of your allies, as I'm not likely to try and kick myself out of Brahms." He smiled, "Being more serious, however, we should probably hammer out the dimensions of a isthmus between the basin and the crater. After all, ground transit between the two would be quite important. I figure a strip one or two kilometers wide would suffice for me, and not be problematic for you or your superiors. Other than that, the only other thing I can think of would be the width of a 'no-mans land' surrounding my territory."

He raised his hand slightly, "Allow me to explain before comment. My reasoning is that such a buffer would allow us some breathing room, and alleviate any sense of claustrophobia that may develop in the basin. While I have no concerns of clautrophobia, some ambassadors might, as my territory is completely and utterly surrounded, by nature of you having the rest of the planet. A no-mans land would prevent build up and the base of my mountains, and allow me to wander about outside of the basin without infringing on your property. This will also help avoid misunderstandings on my part, should some of your citizens venture too close to my mountain range. I would hate for one of the Overlords controlling the external Lightning Guns to fire on you. It would also allow for neutral territory for further talks to take place.

"Lest you think this is a blatent land grab, I assure you it is not. This buffer would be owned by by neither of us, and not available for settling by any party. As I said, part of the reason for this is because I am completely surrounded. For instance, this shuttle is currently on Serephim territory. I would be willing, at my own expense, to build a 'meeting hall' in the no-mans land, equidistant from our holdings, that could be used for meetings and such. As a showing of good faith, I will allow any observers, engineers, or what have you from the order to monitor all stages of development to allieviate any concerns over espionage on my part. I would also expect that you would want to run your own secure communications lines. I won't pay for those, but I will give you any needed access to add such things. The dome will also have an independant power system."

“Oh, I think that any misinterpretations about, well anything really, could just as easily come from your side, you know. After all, last I checked, Titan was bigger than Mercury. As well, I would hazard to guess that once you start building on Brahm’s that the Austar Union would want to have some kind of embassy there. It’s only logical. However, given our past experiences with them, they don’t strike us as being the sharpest knives in the drawer. Such a treaty in place between ourselves will then establish a code of conduct, as it were, in dealing eachother and third parties.”

“A connection between Brahm’s and the Caloris Basin proper is fine – as long as it does not exceed one kilometer in width total and transport is above ground only. This can include an ‘air corridor as well, in case the ground line breaks down then certainly another access alternative should be open, especially if an emergency develops.”

Kril Buy took a breath before continuing.

The ‘no-man’s’ land idea is fine. It belongs to neither of us nor anyone else. I would say a two kilometre buffer zone would be sufficient. This will extend to airspace and deep surface as well. I would suggest then that any underground tunnels you have that are not confined to within your territory now be withdrawn very soon. As well, this does not mean that any future exploration sites that you may want to establish automatically assumes a buffer zone. Only for your current territory now. As well, Elijah, I would say that in your wanderings that you should take care not to stray too close to our side of the zone, just as we will not want to be fried by your ‘lightning guns’. In keeping with that notion, then we believe that the only permanent structure within the zone should be the meeting hall itself. Temporary structures will not be allowed at all. Also, no flying craft will be permitted within the buffer zone. Above ground only.”

“A meeting hall would be fine in the buffer, or should we now say, demilitarized zone? Perhaps we should call it ‘Panmunjeom’? Transportation access to the meeting hall itself will be restricted to just yourselves and us. Certainly, we think it is reasonable to bring along any guests, within reason and should the situation demand it. I can’t see it happening, but you never know. We will also take you up on your offer for observing the construction within Brahm’s itself. In fact, we would like to establish a SOE office there – with the usual extraterritorial rights as befitting an embassy. That will include secure communication lines. That way, any guests that visit and are curious about the Order can get information directly from us. I supose then we would need some kind of direct transport line into Brahms as well. Along the same lines as your own, I suppose?”

A pause. Kril tapped a bit on a pad. It looks as though he was actually sketching something – albeit electronically.

“Ah, this is but a rough diagram but I think it illustrates how we view this whole buffer zone and meeting hall business. I should add that we are not barbarians, Elijah. If an emergency situation develops, such as one of your guests crash lands on our territory, we will not put them in a cooking pot and eat them for dinner. Mind you, abuse of our hospitality in that manner would lead to serious consequences.”

Kril smiled again.

http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfolders/upload5/Mercury_brahms_crater.bmp

OOC- Whoa... slight miscommunication here. Elijah didn't offer observation rights to Brahms, he offered it for the meeting hall:

"I would be willing, at my own expense, to build a 'meeting hall' in the no-mans land, equidistant from our holdings, that could be used for meetings and such. As a showing of good faith, I will allow any observers, engineers, or what have you from the order to monitor all stages of development to allieviate any concerns over espionage on my part."

OOC: I blame it on the wee hours of the morning when typing that. sorry for this short post. Suppertime.

IC:

Kril mockingly facepalms his forehead.

"Ah, yes, just the meeting hall. Sorry about that. Anyhow...what do you think about the rest of my remarks?"

A bit more scribbling on the data pad.

"Ah, this is more accurate."

http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfolders/upload7/Mercury_brahms_crater.bmp

SoE, I have a thread here directed toward your alliance. Naturally, I think you would be interested to take notice:
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=364620

Elijah frowned slightly, "Above ground only? I must confess I fail to understand why you wish such a restriction. If the isthmus is to be my sovereign terroritory, why would I be restricted? Both of us have done undreground development, and I see no reason to not have undreground connections between Brahm's and Caloris. First, it would provide more secure transport between the two (less radiation and thermal concerns), and I far prefer to leave power conduits underground. The width restrictions, on the other hand, are perfectly acceptable.

"As are the terms for the no-man's land. My aerial transport is largely limited to shuttle craft, and they'd have no need to cruise about such a territory. I also have no designs on underground facilities in that area. Two kilometers is also perfectly acceptable. I fear, however, that I do not care for the connotations of calling it a DMZ, or 'Panmunjeom'. They seem to imply a transitory nature, that peace is only temporary, and war may errupt. After all, the historical source of 'Panmunjeom' was a rather poor compromise. Perhaps 'Mercurial Common Territory', or MCT, would be more appropriate. However, in the grand sceme of things, the name is far from the most crucial element.

"My plans for Brahms is to cap the whole crater to produce an artificial Earth-type environment, which would allow humans the ability to walk around without protection. Should the Order wish an embassy, that seems perfectly acceptable. However, like any embassy district, military forces would not be allowed."

He looked over the two pictures, a slight frown on his face, "I don't see much of a difference between the two. Also, the defensive modules in me are a little worried about the direct line to Brahms. No offence, but such access strikes me as a little too... unsecure. I could probably work around it, but I would prefer if the Order's access was no greater than anybody else's, specifically: a small port I'm going to be adding.

"Other than that, I think we're pretty much in agreement here."

Kril smiled.

"I think it is only fair to allow us the access as specified in the diagram. After all, we are not like any other neighbor on Mercury. Besides, since we won't bring in military force into the SOE embassy as per your request, what have you to worry about? We would like direct access to our embassy in the crater itself. Most of our contact will occur at Panmunjeon anyhow. If you are still worried, then post whatever amount of military assets you feel you want at the entrance. Just remember, that this tunnel can also serve as a conduit for you out of Brahm's if you want to visit us more directly."

"You're right about the access concerns to the crater. It completely slipped my mind about the radiation and thermal concerns. Chalk that up to still being a newcomer here plus not of the scientific persuasion. Therefore, our access tunnel to Brahm's, as in the diagram, will also be underground."

"And lastly, for the name, perhaps we can dispel the poor connontations that are presently attached to "DMZ" and "Panmunjeon" by being good neighbours."

The projection paused for a moment, considering Kril's counterclaims. "You have a point. I will construct the junction between your tunnel and the crater proper. Perhaps we should have our sections join half-way through the... Panmunjeon.

"Other than this, the only other thing I can think of is being sure that people en route to my Nod Station are granted free passage, as long as they go directly to the station and away. Much of the traffic there is from Absolute Light, but there will also be diplomats from friendly nations as well as tourists and the like. I wouldn't want them to be... dissuaded by Order warships."

OOC: Sorry, been busy.

IC:

Kril frowned.

"What exactly do you mean? Are you suggesting that our access tunnel travel beneath Panmunjeon? Perhaps a diagram would help me understand here. And as far as ships visiting Brahm's, or any other area for that matter, we would not interfer with them provided that they stay within a restricted flight path and clearly identify themselves, we don't have a problem. We don't want anyone abusing the privelege either. That is, if a diplomatic ship is enroute to your lands but is actually performing recon on us, we will take appropriate measures."

[Yeah, me too.]

Elijah smiled, "Well... if you are going to be building an underground tunnel from your territory to my territory, that pretty much necessitates crossing the Panmunjeon, doesn't it?"

"No, it does not. Our tunnel would come from our side of Panmunjeon and yours would extend from Brahm's. That means that we would not have direct access to our embassy. We want direct access to our embassy in Brahm's and use Panmunjeon as a meeting place just for you and ourselves. We really don't see this as a problem at all. Again, if you do not trust us, then station as many guards as you think necessary at the our tunnel entrance into the crater proper."